October Catch-All

[backwordscompatible]

Characters: Aya, Midii, Zatanna, & OPEN
Date: Month of October
Location: Keelai
Situation: Various (specified in openers)

Warnings/Rating: none to start; will update if necessary



A. - Zatanna

[She felt overwhelmed.]

[So much had happened. The death of the Turtles. Rising theories about Asti and Malicant and...things that the last exploration group had come across. Tensions were rising, and the worst part of it all?]

[They were in the proverbial calm before the storm. Which meant waiting.]

[Zatanna hated waiting.]

[She was a busy person by nature. Sitting still? Not an option. She would fidgit. Her hands, usually. Flipping a coin or a pencil or some other manipulative. Often, it was subconscious. She didn't even realize she was doing it.]

[Like right then. It was a small card. Not a tarot card, like the kind she'd used at her work in the past--for a time, she had considered the option, but even her skills weren't good enough to actually use the art to predict what would happen. Not with enough certainty to be of use. No, this one was your average playing card. A four of hearts. Arbitrarily chosen from the pack because it was there. Keeping her left hand busy while her eyes scanned the shop store windows. It was October. Which, to her, signified a lot of memories. Of costumes and friends.

[Halloween.]

[More than once, she found herself wondering if they would celebrate this year. With everything going on...probably not.]

[Shame]


B. - Midii

[The soon-to-be teen girl was hardly ever without Riva at her side these days.]

[After what happened...both of them had only just barely stopped crying. For the mutual losses they shared. Out of fear of what was to come. Midii wasn't a fighter. She had always known this. Her strong suit was knowing, but when it came to the enemy...she was too vulnerable. Bad enough when it was her life at stake, but if something ever happened to Riva? She would never forgive herself.]

...I know, girl, I miss them too.

[Sitting on the grass, out in the open, near one of the lakes, she gave Riva a soft pat on the neck. The weather was a bit cooler than it had been during the summer months, but Riva was still in need of constant hydration. An attempt to distract from all the loss. Not just her brothers and sisters...but from the pair that had been her co-parents for so long. First Rapunzel, and now Septimus.]

[They hadn't been particularly close, but Midii had liked them both. She hadn't been lying about missing them. Riva would know.]


C. - Aya

[The message she had translated was...concerning.]

[The latest theories regarding Malicant were even more so.]

[With only just barely enough returns to her assigned quarters to check on her soul lantern, Aya had all but taken up permanent residence in the Laboratory.  She found a great comfort being surrounded by like-minded individuals, in proximity to tools in which she might be of use.  She was a fighter, yes, but she was also one of the most advanced pieces of technology known to exist.  An asset, against an enemy such as Malicant.]

If it is true that the enemy has infiltrated the Network itself...then perhaps there is some way we may use this knowledge to our advantage?

[Her leading--and only--theory.]


D. - (Misc.)

((If there's another scenario you'd like any of the girls to be in, feel free to set up and I will absolutely follow accordingly!))

Comments

[onethirdthesoul]

It must have been pretty exciting... I wish I could have met Yin-chan as an egg too. [He smiles a little wistfully.] Oh well!

I'm glad she chose me, because she could have picked anybody. [Ryou looks over at the two turtles as they talk.] ...It looks like they're having fun.

[unetrustworthy]

[Midii followed his gaze, completely unsurprised by what she saw.]

They've always been close.

[onethirdthesoul]

Oh yeah? [He tried not to let his thoughts linger on the deaths of the other turtles again. Not right now.]

If I had known, I would have tried to get them together sooner! We were overdue for another meeting too, Une-chan. You have a promise to keep! [He smiles playfully at that, trying to keep the atmosphere light.]

[unetrustworthy]

I meant all of the turtles, in general. Ever since they hatched. They've all been close to one another.

[Not that she was protesting the idea. Riva had loved being with Emily-Helen, and the fact that after her dear sister's passing, she wasn't alone...]

[Midii could relate to the feeling.]

...I do? [What promise was that?]

[onethirdthesoul]

Oh yeah, because they're all family... [Ryou smiles at that; it was a nice to think that Yin-chan had such a big family. That was something he never really had, not anymore. Of course, she'd already experienced death too, and while he could understand that pain, he still wasn't any good at trying to comfort it.]

But that's right! You made a promise. [He smile widened.] You said you'd play more games with me, but that was before I had Yin-chan and before I knew you had Riva-chan, and that means... [Ryou pauses for effect. Are you quaking with anticipation?] ...We can play something made for more than two people this time!

[unetrustworthy]

[Quaking with anticipation? ...not particularly. Though, when he paused, there was a fleeting moment when she wondered if he had forgotten what he was about to say.]

[Apparently not.]

You mean, like another word game?

[onethirdthesoul]

[How forgetful does she think he is... Because if it's about games, he never forgets.]

I was thinking a board game, since we aren't restricted by six feet of air between your feet and the ground anymore.

[unetrustworthy]

...can they manage a board game?

[Intellectual challenges weren't the issue. ...necessarily. Reading might have been, but they could always play something that focused more on numbers. Or simply had whoever could read the written language on the board do so aloud for everyone's benefit.]

Their flippers are pretty big.

[onethirdthesoul]

We could move the pieces for them, that way all they need to do is roll the dice! [He smiles optimistically as he goes on.] It's more about talking and getting through the story anyway; the pieces and dice are just for battle. I haven't really made a proper board yet, but I have a layout drawn on paper we could use.

[Ryou rubs his head, a little uncertain about introducing Midii to Monster World with anything less than his best...but he was totally dying to play it!] It's not much, but it'll work for a short game.

[unetrustworthy]

[He looked anxious. She just assumed he really, really wanted to play a game with her and the Turtles. And since she had no reason to decline...]

Sure. Why not?

Where did you want to go to play?

[onethirdthesoul]

Well... I don't think two giant turtles are going to fit in my room, so we can either play downstairs at my suite or I can head back there with Yin-chan, grab my stuff, and come back here. Whichever you want.

[He wasn't opposed to either, although the latter was definitely going to be the more time consuming option of the two. He could leave Yin-chan with Midii, but Ryou doesn't think Dante or Zuko would be very happy with him if he did. Besides, he didn't want to.]

[unetrustworthy]

[She weighed the pros and cons of each option. And how much she trusted Bakura.]

Your suite might be best.

If you bring the boards back here, they might get them all wet. Besides...it'll be faster if we all go one-way.

[onethirdthesoul]

Good idea! [That was the one he was hoping she'd choose.]

It's not too far of a walk, do you want to leave now? I don't mind staying longer if Yin-chan and Riva-chan want to play outside some more.

[unetrustworthy]

[Except, if they waited, there was no way either turtle would ever willingly leave. She turned to call Riva over, smiling softly when she received a mental whine in response.]

We're ready whenever you are.

[onethirdthesoul]

[Ryou glanced to both sides of him.]

...I'm ready! Come on Yin-chan, we're going to go play a game back home. [He gestured for her to come over, and he was also met with a small whine of disappointment.] Don't worry, Riva-chan and Une-chan are coming with us.

Oh, yay! [Nodding towards Midii, he started to lead them back while Yin resumed her chattering.]

[unetrustworthy]

[Together, Midii and Riva allowed the other parent-turtle pair to lead them back towards Ryou and Yin's place.]

[onethirdthesoul]

[Once everybody's downstairs, Ryou stops.] Okay, I'll go get everything! You guys stay here.

[He hurries out of the room and to his room upstairs, coming down a few minutes later with a large sheet of paper and a small container filled with pieces. He sets the paper out on the floor to show a gridded layout of a section of some imaginary world.] This is all I have so far... But it should work.

[unetrustworthy]

[It was the same basic layout. A map. Pieces. There were probably either dice or some other means of indicating direction and movement.]

What are the rules?

[onethirdthesoul]

Well...let me start by asking you something: have you ever played an RPG before?

[It'll be easier if he figures out what Midii does know before he starts.]

[unetrustworthy]

I...don't even know what that is.

[onethirdthesoul]

...E-eh? [He doesn't seem to believe it. It's just too surreal.] Really? It's a Role Playing Game, surely you've played something like it...

[unetrustworthy]

Role Playing?

[She shook her head.]

Unless you count playing pretend with the boys.

[onethirdthesoul]

Well, kind of. Basically you have to make a character, and then you play as them in the game world.

[Ryou takes some of the miniatures out; there's one that looks like it may represent himself. For now, he sets that one down.] So take this White Wizard for example. He's a good guy and he likes to help support his friends. So when we start the game, if I pick this character, I have to play that part! I can't make him go rob a store, because that would be out of character. In Monster World everyone plays a character. It's the Adventurers versus the Dark Master, and one has to beat the other through battle and puzzles, but also by playing through the story and staying in character!

[unetrustworthy]

[Her eyes flickered back and forth between Bakura and the...White Wizard, was it? Taking in every word and making her absolute best effort to follow along.]

So you're...telling a story, then. Only with one character.

[onethirdthesoul]

Nooot quite... The Dark Master is the one telling the story. The other players just play a character in it, and they have to try to change the direction the story is going in to make sure the win.

[He pauses a moment, and then adds:] It's kind of like a Choose Your Own Adventure novel!