Home 22: Our neighborhood watch is extra vigilant

[Rebonack]

[Jace's Place]

Oh Keiko.

You aren't very good at the musical incantations are you?

Regardless!

The chaotic effects on Jace's home are undone!

As well as the sneezed off roof.

Which is probably a good thing. Losing your roof is never pleasant.

Peasants are still there, though. Mostly because none of them are in Jace's house. Can't fix everything, apparently.

Geneva, meanwhile, is looking over her AR display, trying to figure out where Fortuna went next. If only there were some way to draw her out...

[Recaiden]

Clara's Flat

"Meet up? Yeah sure! Just give me a time and a place!" Clara says earnestly.

"How's about tomorrow morning, at <a pond a little ways outside Inside>?"

[Deathkeeper]

Clara's Flat

"You got it, Cloud. I'll see ya then." she says, and maybe Cloud can imagine the wink she would have added had she said it in person.

Jace's Place

Nick goes over to Geneva and looks over her shoulder. "You know, if we just need to find her we could probably just go somewhere secluded and ask her to show up. She's had some fun, and I don't think she's so far gone that she wouldn't show up if we tried it a few times. We're her friends. That's why she came to Vallarm's, after all."

[Fenric]

Keiko looks a little sleepy

That was a lot of work... Think we could get something to eat before we call her? I'm kinda hungry now.

[Rebonack]

[Jace's Place]

Well...

At least the house is fixed...

Whatever was causing the rolling might still be around, though. Probably good that Jace stays away for a little while.

Geneva nods at Nick's suggestion. "That's a good idea. There are plenty of secluded places we could set up camp, far enough away to ensure that any chaos doesn't adversely impact onlookers."

Those poor onlookers.

The hippogriff begins checking her maps, searching for a decent location when-!

A dragon announces she's hungry!

Keiko is regarding with that very birdish look peculiar to birds of prey. It's rather difficult to read. "Alright," Geneva sighs. "Better to be prepared. We'll get a meal and then decide on a location for summoning Fortuna. If that doesn't work we'll go back to tracking her."

But where to acquire food?

Keiko's the one who's hungry. Maybe sh ehsould pick?

[Deathkeeper]

Jace's Place

Without the bubble, the Dice is an inanimate object that shouldn't be much of a threat, though they don't know that.
"Yeah, sure fine. Gives us more time to prepare, I guess." Nick says, a bit impatient. Silly Keiko.

[Fenric]

Keiko looks at Geneva, then at Nick.

And she looks very sheepish...

The youngest child in the family can pick up the "you're being a bother" vibe right away, and she really doesn't want to be a bother this time: she wants to make everyone proud of her.

Um... if it's that much of a hurry... I can try to grab a fish from a river as we go or something. Sorry... it's just that using so much power makes me hungry, especially with the eggs incubating - that takes more energy than I expected: they draw on me more than I thought they would... sorry.

[Rebonack]

[Jace's Place]

Without the bubble the die of wonder is still a die of wonder, but at least it can't roll itself over and over again. It's just sitting on the top floor of Jace's house somewhere.

Geneva frowns slightly at Nick. Be nice! Obviously what they're doing is important, but they can't afford to make their friends feel bad. Friendship is the most powerful defense they have against chaos magic. She smiles at Keiko. "Actually, I think I have a solution. Give me just a moment."

Then the hippogriff closes her eyes, concentrating, as she de-rezes into a mess of Geneva-colored pixiles-

-which promptly turn various shades of pink before resolving back into a mew!

She's much smaller now.

The concentration doesn't stop, either. Instead her focus deepens as she begins gathering power between her tiny little paws! The glow quickly softens into a totally innocuous looking egg! Said egg is nearly as large as Geneva. The pokemon zips over to Keiko, offering the treat. She looks a bit haggard from the effort, but otherwise fine. "Hu...hu... there!" she says, panting as she works at catching her breath. "Eat this! You'll feel much better."

[UncleWolf]

Pepper Oni's

Veronica is about to answer Jace when the call happens, so she turns to Khannie with a smile to answer her instead. "You can spar with him if he lets you. He knows what he's doing so he won't be as flimsy as Jace or I would be." Veronica explains as she listens with one ear to Jace's side of the phone conversation. "Is there any dessert you'd like to have after your pizza?" She asks before her smile fades when her boyfriend mentions that he has to lay low for a while. She's silent for a bit, frowning in thought before her smile comes back though significantly weaker than before. She doesn't show her worry otherwise though. "Khannie? How would you like to go pick up a sleeping bag, pillows, and pjs for a sleepover for the next few nights? It's summer after all."

[Deathkeeper]

Pepper Oni's

"I doubt it'll take more than 24 hours to get things resolved. And I honestly don't think there's any permanent damage, but they didn't find what was causing the randomness, so it would be best to make sure things have quieted down." he says before adding with a smile.
"And yes Khannie, I'll write you a note for your teacher that your homework was delayed due to unforeseen chaos magic."

[Fenric]

Keiko blinks and tilts her head as Geneva transforms and then creates an ... egg? She smiles gratefully

Thank you so much.

She hesitates at first, feeling just a bit torn about eating an egg at all and a little uncertain about where it came from and what sort of egg... but then her tummy growls angrily and four little baby dragons draw on her energy again: and she gently takes it then gobbles it down swiftly.

[Rebonack]

[Pepper Oni's]

Khannie's eyes don't literally light up at all this talk of delayed homework and sleepovers and dessert and sparring and all sorts of amazing things, but they WOULD be lighting up if they could. "I want a banana split and sparring would be great and can we sleep over at Miss Veronica's dad can we please that would be so cool!"

Less cool is still doing homework.

Khannie has plenty of schooling to catch up on given that she was off in a school-less pokemon world for so long.

A child needs a good education!

"Dad can I get some pajamas with frogs on them? Not like a politoad, but one of those funny animal frogs like they have at the pond!" she continues, still very much riding high on her anticipation of what kinds of amazing adventures might be around the corner. After all, Nick Jr hasn't been around as much to play with. She needs other children to have fun. And apparently she's finally starting to make sense of normal animals.

Normal animals are new and fun.

[Jace's Place]

The softboiled egg (and it really is softboiled, too) is packed with rejuvenating power. If someone were at the edge of battered and bloodied, it would restore them to full vigor while closing their wounds. But for someone who's just hungry? Well, it'll be quite the pick-me-up to say the least. Gotta love those energy restoring eggs.

Geneva quickly Transforms back into hippogriff shape. Because she really can't go NEARLY as fast as she would like as a mew.

"Alright, are we ready?" Geneva asks. She doesn't appear to be at quite one hundred percent. Using softboiled like that takes a bit out of her.

[Fenric]

[Jace's Place]

Keiko nods

Thank you so much: that was great! And yes, let's go! Sorry for the delay.

[Deathkeeper]

Jace's Place

Nick nods.
"I have the most up to date maps possible, and I think I know a spot. Follow me." says Nick, taking off to Silly Plots.

[Felandria]

[Felandria's House]

So quiet.......

After months of serving as HQ to VIGIL, Felandria's house is finally her own again.

And her body was her own again as well.

Now she was getting ready, the lights were low, the dining room table lit with candles, dinner ready to be served in the kitchen.

Felandria was waiting for her love to arrive.

She wasn't dressed even remotely fancy, just pajama bottoms and a tee shirt.

She didn't want Lynette to think she was trying to seduce her, tonight she just wanted to talk.

[UncleWolf]

Pepper Oni's

Veronica frowns at Jace's comments. "Then it is a good thing you're staying with me for the next day or so. Randomness and Chaos just seems to follow you around. I'm still getting used to your ability to transform into an adorable little animal." She admits, finally cracking a smile. "When I don't do it to you myself that is." She adds, figuring he, or at least Zebes, would get the innuendo. If Khannie asks, she'd just pass it off as her potion making hobby rather than her ability to turn Jace into figurative putty in her talons.

And speaking of Khannie, as she makes her request for a banana split, she'll find herself already holding a spoon for the one next to her dinner plate. The staff is really good at their jobs here.

[Deathkeeper]

Pepper Oni's

Jace makes the most obnoxious eye-roll he can do without Khannie catching on.
"I'm fairly sure ninety percent of that are the same two people, but with any luck things will be calming down with the one that's left. I thankfully haven't had any contact with the first in quite some time. It'll be fine, either way. And yes Khannie, you can get some new jammies." he says with a small chuckle.

[Rebonack]

[Pepper Oni's]

Khannie has absolutely no time to waste trying to puzzle her way through grownup innuendo.

Why?

Because there's a banana split sitting in front of her! She lays into her dessert with childish glee. And really, there's no way she's going to be able to eat that whole thing on her own. The grownups are going to have to help out, otherwise she's going to have a tummy ache in no time flat. That spoon is flashing at speeds that would make an Alakazam green with envy!

At some point she mumbles something roughly equivalent to acknowledgement through a mouthful of ice cream when her father confirms that she'll be getting new PJs.

She needs a new pair, anyway. Children grow fast.

Especially in the Nexus.

Weird, that.

[Fenric]

Keiko returns to her tower and sniffs over her eggs, then curls up quietly around them.

... probably just as well they got sick of her now: she'd probably have started a fight eventually and it'd be worse than just hurt feelings.

Keiko berates herself for not thinking things through yet again... and here she'd promised Cleo that she'd do better and what does she do in the first real situation she's had but stick her foot so far down her mouth that she could feel breakfast. Cleo'll probably kick her out now, too: who wants such a loser around their tower. Cleo is an amazing wizard out saving the world, and all Keiko can do is mess things up over and over.

She nuzzles the eggs

Sorry you have such a loser for a mother... you'll probably hate me, too.

She closes her eyes and drifts off into despondent sleep.

[Recaiden]

Cleo returns to her tower and hurries about checking on various magical projects.

Nightshades are happy, a couple about to bloom.
Maneating oak saplings slowly getting taller.
Wasps? Wasps.
Another day, another configuration of phyrexian machinery that doesn't do anything.
She feeds the chirping little sweet potatoes and adds a stern knight in formerly shining armor to the statuary garden.

Now it's inside, say hello to the maid, put off dealing with the pile of mail on the desk, and up the stairs.

Keiko? Asleep. That's...actually she could go for a nap too. Maybe curl up around the other dragon around the eggs and close all her eyes. She's not that tired but...zzz.

[Fenric]

Keiko is having a nightmare.

She's little Keiko again.. maybe 10 years old.

And she's all alone.

Daddy's busy, Mommy's busy, her sisters chased her away because they're all too grown-up to play with a little kit like her. And now the servant's and courtier's kids have all fled, because she broke a vase. She was just trying to help! The ball had gone inside, and she was getting it out... but it was so top-heavy.

Now she's a little dazed both from a fall from a pedestal and having the heavy porcelain land on her before finding the floor and breaking right in half. The edge was sharp and cut her arm and - worse - tore her dress! Any minute now she would be discovered: Mommy would scold and Daddy would sigh and be disappointed, and her sisters would mock her and tell her once again how she never does anything right.

But then... suddenly it's a little pink cat standing on the floor, not a vase at all, and the cat is berating her for how cruel and insensitive she is. Clearly she has no business being allowed to roam around? The cat looks very stern

There's no hope for it, Keiko: it's back to the Jade Emperor with you! We'll see which hell you deserve this time.

Keiko shudders with cold fear as the heavy footsteps of the Celestial Guards tromp up behind her.

And we'll just have to find some trainer or other to take your eggs - you won't need them where you're going.

Keiko's fear and despair raise to a howling storm of darkness

[Recaiden]

What is it with Keiko and vases?

"Hey kid. You look hungry. We've got some pink cat stew, if you want a bowl?"

It's more a cup of soup she's being offered, and has the little cat disappeared? The one holding it out, he's not quite dressed like the Celestial Guard.

[Fenric]

Keiko has had many a run-in with valuable, fragile items in her long life.

The pink cat snorts

I only eat eggs, silly human.

And as if to prove the point, pulls out a large boiled egg from nowhere and starts eating it. Little Keiko takes advantage of the distraction and tries to run!

(( On further review... I think you were offering stew made from pink cat to Keiko... but dreams are always weird, so I'm sticking with this. ))

[Recaiden]

"Oh, that reminds me. We're missing an ingredient."

The cup has always been a cauldron, hasn't it? Bubbling over an outsized stove and waiting for a pink cat. The guard reaches out a hand to snatch the cat up and toss it in.

But he's not important right now.

In the next room, or the next country maybe, a little boy all in pink holds up the vase-endangering ball.
"You wanna play?"

[Fenric]

Eeew! Boiled cat! But it puffs into a cloud of square pixels and vanishes even as it hits the water.

Which, as was already mentioned, doesn't matter.

In the next room, or the next country, which bears a resemblance to ruins of the Slaad village, Keiko blinks at the boy holding the ball.

You took the ball? I always wondered who got it...

She shakes her head

But no! No time: I have to find them! Where can they be? Cleo...

But even as Keiko says "Cleo", she freezes and the dream wavers

Ah... yeah...

she puffs out her breath in a sigh, both in the tattered remains of the dream and back in the waking world.

[Recaiden]

The boy is replaced by a proper dragony Cleo, called up by the name maybe.

"You remember? They're safe at home. Nothing to fear in a dream."

Completely untrue in general, but maybe it applies here.

She bounces the ball onto the ground and over to Keiko.

[Fenric]

Keiko looks embarrassed, and picks up the ball

Hi, Cleo. I um... messed up again...

she tosses it back

Got kinda carried away... and uh... really upset somebody who had asked me for help.

[Recaiden]

Cleo draws her face in concern for a moment, but then just takes a step back to bounce the ball to Keiko once more and shrugs.

"That's too bad. Go apologize when you wake up."
"But I think it's gonna be okay."

[Fenric]

Keiko sighs

I'm sure it will be allright... I just hate the fact that it will be more allright without me than with me. I feel like a failure all over again. I talked too much, and acted without thinking, and hurt people's feelings, and they all left me.

she looks down

I'm so afraid...

[Recaiden]

Cleo watches the ball bounce off into the distance and stops paying attention to it.

"Well, sometimes we fail. It only means we have to try harder next time. It's like ho-"

She steps up and puts a hand on Keiko's shoulder.

"Listen. I will never leave you. And you have your family, your followers."
"I hope whoever you hurt will come back. Maybe not, but you'll still never be left alone.