Murder XIX: Trouble in Paradise

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

"..."

All of the death's had been rough to watch. With every additional person who died, Yusuke felt the muscles in his stomach tighten harder and his breath slow. No death effected him more, however, than that of Yato's. His heart skipped a beat when he would hear the bang ring out from the gun that shot the god in the stomach. It's very sound echoed in his ears along with the frantic pace his heart was now beating at. He stood in a daze, the world swirling around him, until Yato was finally gone. After it had ended, the boy couldn't even recall if the god had suffered or if he had died instantly. The shock was so much it was as if his mind had skipped over the moment entirely.

After watching this morbid scene take place, Yusuke would stiffly turn to Rita when he was addressed by her, his mouth hanging open in a dumbfounded manner, his gray eyes wide and flickering with distress. "...how... can this be?" he uttered, so stunned that he couldn't even answer Rita's question. "Why would they do this? They... killed so many innocent people... and they killed--" He paused, placing a hand over his face, slightly muffling what he would say next.

"Yato-sama."

The artist's voice cracked upon speaking Yato's name. He dropped his arms at his sides, his hands trembling as he moved. Another thought struck the teen afterwards, a thought that promptly brought Yusuke to his knees. He stared at the ground, unable to look up at the others. "If they can kill a god there is no hope for any of us. We are doomed," he uttered miserably, his gray eyes glazed over with tears. He was struggling to cope with this and so badly just wanted to break down in front of everyone, to just give up. There was no hope left for them, only despair. Despite feeling broken over this, Yusuke heard a still small voice in the back of his mind, a voice that always inspired him when he was down.

Get up.

He could still hear Akira's words ring in his head. If Akira were here he wouldn't want Yusuke to lie down and quit, to let these terrible people win. No, the phantom thieves had been all about stopping bad adults, making them pay for the horrible things they did. Akira and the others never gave up when they were phantom thieves. Yusuke himself never gave up in the face of danger or despair when he was with the phantom thieves. So why should now be any different? He needed to stand up, push forward, and keep his head up. It would be the only way he could make sure that Yato's death and the deaths of the others meant something.

With shaky legs, the teen stood back up, using Rita's shoulder as a crutch to support himself for the moment. "I'll be okay," he finally said, albeit weakly. "I'll... be okay," he repeated, as if to help convince himself of this. Amidst all of these negative thoughts and emotions, a single thought of someone else spurred him into reality. "Right now, I'm more worried about--" The artist began to look around, almost frantically.

"Hiyori-san? Hiyori!" he called out, looking around for the girl who knew Yato better than anyone. She was probably suffering more than anyone else right now and he had promised Yato that he would watch out for her and keep her safe. Right now, the only thing important was him making good on that promise.

@LuckycoolHawk9 @Midnight Maiden @Takumi @Khan of the Mardu @Yun Lee @Everyone​

 

[Crow]

"Yato..." Ernesti trailed for a bit. "I didn't know you for too long, but I won't let your demise be in vain, or the demise of the others for that matter."

He looks at the various corpses.

"They died doing what they hated. That's the worst possible way to go out... that's a path I wouldn't want to take, and I know none of you did either."​

Ritsuka started breathing again after that. It was horrifying, witnessing people she had known, albeit slightly, get torn apart by the devil. She looked at Ernesti and Yamashiro. "Ernesti, Yamashiro... You guys are alive. I'm so glad." The orange haired girl spoke.

"Are you two alright?" she asked the Rider class ship and Saber class boy who sounded slightly like Mash.

@Mari @Crow @anyone

"I'm doing fine, senpai!" Ernesti smiles at Ritsuka, as if nothing had happened. "How about you two?"​

@Mari @Crow @Minerva

 

[Verite]

"H-Hey! Get back here!" Gon exclaimed, clenching his fist as the villain made quick work of the six promised individuals and then being on his way, just like that. Of course, in the event that he did come back, it wasn't like the group would have been able to do anything about it most likely, unless like all the other challenges they'd faced before, he was conveniently weak to their FLUDD machines, not that they had much of a chance to exactly use it.

Clicking his tongue and gritting his teeth in frustration, the boy shook his head. Whoever this boss was that the bad man, if one could even call him a man, was in cahoots with, it seemed that he definitely had more in store for them. But what the endgame was (no pun intended), who could say for sure? Where was all this senseless violence leading to? And most importantly, how would they all be able to spring it back on him and pay him back in full for everything he'd inflicted upon everyone?

"They're... They're dead," the boy said somberly as Yumeko regained her consciousness, "Whoever's behind all this, looks like we're just a little closer to figuring out who it is, but not what they're after," he guessed, before turning to the Doctor and Hina, who were nearby, before clenching his fists, a sign of enthusiasm and energy that he mustered up, unlike before when he shook his fists in disdain at the murderer.

"I'm just glad that you two are alive! You're my closest friends here on Isle Delfino anyway, and I wouldn't know what I'd do! Probably something crazy, huh?"

@Kaykay @Yun Lee @Jeremi​

 

[Kaykay]

"H-Hey! Get back here!" Gon exclaimed, clenching his fist as the villain made quick work of the six promised individuals and then being on his way, just like that. Of course, in the event that he did come back, it wasn't like the group would have been able to do anything about it most likely, unless like all the other challenges they'd faced before, he was conveniently weak to their FLUDD machines, not that they had much of a chance to exactly use it.

Clicking his tongue and gritting his teeth in frustration, the boy shook his head. Whoever this boss was that the bad man, if one could even call him a man, was in cahoots with, it seemed that he definitely had more in store for them. But what the endgame was (no pun intended), who could say for sure? Where was all this senseless violence leading to? And most importantly, how would they all be able to spring it back on him and pay him back in full for everything he'd inflicted upon everyone?

"They're... They're dead," the boy said somberly as Yumeko regained her consciousness, "Whoever's behind all this, looks like we're just a little closer to figuring out who it is, but not what they're after," he guessed, before turning to the Doctor and Hina, who were nearby, before clenching his fists, a sign of enthusiasm and energy that he mustered up, unlike before when he shook his fists in disdain at the murderer.

"I'm just glad that you two are alive! You're my closest friends here on Isle Delfino anyway, and I wouldn't know what I'd do! Probably something crazy, huh?"

@Kaykay @Yun Lee @Jeremi​

"...Well, looks like we really did have good luck."

Hina spoke with a grimace in a lower voice than usual, her irritation clear as day. It was good she and the kid she could call a friend were well and all, but while she was a lazy good for nothing without her powers, she couldn't help but get pissed off by the self-proclaimed devil.

"Dumbass can't even tell what a game is. If there's no player input, what makes it a game? That was as much of a game as watching TV."

Shaking her head, she sighed before wiping expression from her face as usual.

"Hm...yeah, probably," she agreed with Gon's assessment of himself. "I'd have probably like, splashed him with this water gun backpack if he picked one of us. For all the good it'd do."

Hina shrugged nonchalantly.

@Verite​

 

[Minerva]

"Yato..." Ernesti trailed for a bit. "I didn't know you for too long, but I won't let your demise be in vain, or the demise of the others for that matter."

He looks at the various corpses.

"They died doing what they hated. That's the worst possible way to go out... that's a path I wouldn't want to take, and I know none of you did either."​

"I'm doing fine, senpai!" Ernesti smiles at Ritsuka, as if nothing had happened. "How about you two?"​

@Mari @Crow @Minerva

"I'm fine, Ma- I mean, Ernesti. Just a bit tired." Ritsuka yawned. "I think it's a caffeine crash..." she paused. "Or it's just natural tiredness."

@Mari @Crow @anyone

 

[Archmage Jeremiah]

"..."

All of the death's had been rough to watch. With every additional person who died, Yusuke felt the muscles in his stomach tighten harder and his breath slow. No death effected him more, however, than that of Yato's. His heart skipped a beat when he would hear the bang ring out from the gun that shot the god in the stomach. It's very sound echoed in his ears along with the frantic pace his heart was now beating at. He stood in a daze, the world swirling around him, until Yato was finally gone. After it had ended, the boy couldn't even recall if the god had suffered or if he had died instantly. The shock was so much it was as if his mind had skipped over the moment entirely.

After watching this morbid scene take place, Yusuke would stiffly turn to Rita when he was addressed by her, his mouth hanging open in a dumbfounded manner, his gray eyes wide and flickering with distress. "...how... can this be?" he uttered, so stunned that he couldn't even answer Rita's question. "Why would they do this? They... killed so many innocent people... and they killed--" He paused, placing a hand over his face, slightly muffling what he would say next.

"Yato-sama."

The artist's voice cracked upon speaking Yato's name. He dropped his arms at his sides, his hands trembling as he moved. Another thought struck the teen afterwards, a thought that promptly brought Yusuke to his knees. He stared at the ground, unable to look up at the others. "If they can kill a god there is no hope for any of us. We are doomed," he uttered miserably, his gray eyes glazed over with tears. He was struggling to cope with this and so badly just wanted to break down in front of everyone, to just give up. There was no hope left for them, only despair. Despite feeling broken over this, Yusuke heard a still small voice in the back of his mind, a voice that always inspired him when he was down.

Get up.

He could still hear Akira's words ring in his head. If Akira were here he wouldn't want Yusuke to lie down and quit, to let these terrible people win. No, the phantom thieves had been all about stopping bad adults, making them pay for the horrible things they did. Akira and the others never gave up when they were phantom thieves. Yusuke himself never gave up in the face of danger or despair when he was with the phantom thieves. So why should now be any different? He needed to stand up, push forward, and keep his head up. It would be the only way he could make sure that Yato's death and the deaths of the others meant something.

With shaky legs, the teen stood back up, using Rita's shoulder as a crutch to support himself for the moment. "I'll be okay," he finally said, albeit weakly. "I'll... be okay," he repeated, as if to help convince himself of this. Amidst all of these negative thoughts and emotions, a single thought of someone else spurred him into reality. "Right now, I'm more worried about--" The artist began to look around, almost frantically.

"Hiyori-san? Hiyori!" he called out, looking around for the girl who knew Yato better than anyone. She was probably suffering more than anyone else right now and he had promised Yato that he would watch out for her and keep her safe. Right now, the only thing important was him making good on that promise.

@LuckycoolHawk9 @Midnight Maiden @Takumi @Khan of the Mardu @Yun Lee @Everyone​

Risky Boots sneered and clicked her tongue at the boy. "Suck it up, Mr. Prim-and-Proper. It's that kind of defeatist thinking that really will doom us," the pirate pointedly barked at Yusuke while she casually lifted Ami's limp noodle of a body up off of herself, and stood up to dust off, "He'll be back anyway; they all will. After all, every one of us came back after the plane crash that got us here yes? Even that blonde girl, Mary Werben-, Man...Jensen," Risky Boots fumbled out the name, and appeared glad to be done with pronouncing it, the same way someone appears glad to be done taking out the trash. "But why?" she asked no-one in particular. Tapping her chin in pensive thought, Risky Boots looked and heard all around, and latched onto Hina's idle comments on the matter. "For the drama," Risky answered herself with a snap of her fingers.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Kaykay @thatguyinthestore @Gummi Bunnies

@Anyone​

 

[Mari]

Yamashiro watched in horror as more of her companions perished. No matter how many she witnessed meeting their ends in the past, it never got any easier for the battleship to see.

But when all hope seemed lost, there was some now, strangely enough. She, along with Ritsuko and Ernesti, and Luigi, were still standing. It was cause for her to break her silence, even if just at the volume of a whisper:

"I am happy my luck was not bad. For us all."​

She managed a smile; it was hard to in this situation so she really meant it. She wanted to whisper more though:

"For those of us remaining though, our game became more difficult."​

@Minerva @Crow @thatguyinthestore

 

[thatguyinthestore]

"Oh yeah...I can feel it. Almost time..." He spoke cryptically, as he lifted Peter Parker up by the neck. "Just two more...and then..." Keeping a tight grip on the poor hero's throat, the demon watched as he soon grew limp and lifeless. Dropping Spiderman to the ground with little fanfare, he picked up the gun. "One bullet left...and the lucky winner is...you!"

BANG!

And, just like that, Yato would receive a bullet right in the stomach. Whether or not he would bleed out right away, or linger a few minutes more, 'Leeds' didn't care. In fact, the demon was now focused on something else. "Oh yeah! Can ya feel it?! I sure fuckin' can! Ahahahaha!!!" Two large protrusions on his back would grow, larger and wider, until two large, leathery bat wings now spread, casting a moonlit shadow over them all.

"YES!! That's what I'm talkin' about!!! I'm back, baby!" He laughed wickedly, his wings flapping, taking him up into the air. "Those bumblin' cops will be with you soon. Don't feel too bad-you only got three more games after this, then you can go. The boss ain't done with you all yet-but I sure as fuck am. Oh-right." He would look at Bowser, sneering best he could with his skull head. "Junior says hi! Hahahahahaaa!"

Wuth that, he took off into the air with an unearthly screech, flying off towards the volcano at the center of the island.

"Ugh..." Yumeko groaned back to life, looking around groggily. "What...what happened?"


@Archmage Jeremiah @J A Y F R OM T H E 6 I X @Takumi @Midnight Maiden @thatguyinthestore @Minerva @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Khan of the Mardu @Crow @Jeremi @Verite @Kaykay @Mari @Cromartie Sarkissian @Kentucky @York @Otto @dark​

Bowser's eye twitched as he saw the beast fly back towards Corona Mountain, his lips curling into a full on scowl in mere moments.

"I swear, when I'm done with him, I'm gonna be usin' them antlers'a his as friggin toothpicks!!" Bowser shouted loud enough for the group to hear. The Koopa king then stomped off silently, mumbling some more unkind words under his breath as he did so.

"D-don't worry guys! We can still-a get through this...right?" Luigi said, though he didn't sound too confident in his own words as he spoke.

Shantae, on the other hand, made her way over to Maria and Risky after that beast left their sights. "I'm glad that you two are okay." The half-genie said in an attempt to keep things somewhat optimistic.

@Yun Lee @Archmage Jeremiah @Gummi Bunnies @whoever​

 

[thatguyinthestore]

"...Well, looks like we really did have good luck."

Hina spoke with a grimace in a lower voice than usual, her irritation clear as day. It was good she and the kid she could call a friend were well and all, but while she was a lazy good for nothing without her powers, she couldn't help but get pissed off by the self-proclaimed devil.

"Dumbass can't even tell what a game is. If there's no player input, what makes it a game? That was as much of a game as watching TV."

Shaking her head, she sighed before wiping expression from her face as usual.

"Hm...yeah, probably," she agreed with Gon's assessment of himself. "I'd have probably like, splashed him with this water gun backpack if he picked one of us. For all the good it'd do."

Hina shrugged nonchalantly.

@Verite​

"Ain't it obvious?" Bowser asked as he glanced down at Hina. "This 'game' is just about screwin' people over and them gettin' all the rewards. Somethin' that I'd do myself if I wasn't stuck babysittin' you wimps and trying t'get my base back along with my son." Bowser said before glancing down at Gon, who seemed to not know who was behind this despite her name being mentioned a thousand times.

"That Kirari chick's the one who's behind all this, ya dimwit. She's the one who took my volcano and my son, so she's obviously the one pullin' all the strings." The Koopa King stated like it was an obvious fact or something.

@Verite @Kaykay @Archmage Jeremiah​

 

[thatguyinthestore]

"Oh great, a tantrum... Bowser, how would your babysitter react if she were here?"

Starlow wished that she had a FLUDD. Maybe a stream of water would cool the tyke's temper.​

"Well my babysitter wouldn't have dropped my mac and cheese everywhere!!!" Bowser Jr yelled as he continued to holler and hoot over the spilt macoroni.

As this continued, Ami, All Might, Peter, and Yato would all find themselves suddenly in the kitchen with the young Koopa and Starlow. He didn't seem to notice you because of his tantrum, though the spilt dinosaur shaped mac and cheese should make it obvious as to what he was upset about.

@Mason Moretti @York @J A Y F R OM T H E 6 I X @Kentucky @Takumi @Yun Lee @afterlife​

 

[Yun Lee]

"That's a very optimistic way of looking at things," Mary said to Risky. "But the thing is-I never died. They knocked me out and made me look dead so they could bring me back...or something." She glanced at the corpses all along the beach. "I don't think any of these folks are coming back."

".........." Yumeko surveyed the scene, noting the different people who'd perished. "Something isn't adding up here," she said.

"The demon and random killings didn't clue you into that?"

"Everything happens for a reason. You don't gamble for the sake of gambling-everyone has a reason for initiating a game. If we can just figure out what they all want out of this...maybe we can start fighting back."​

 

[Khan of the Mardu]

"That's a very optimistic way of looking at things," Mary said to Risky. "But the thing is-I never died. They knocked me out and made me look dead so they could bring me back...or something." She glanced at the corpses all along the beach. "I don't think any of these folks are coming back."

".........." Yumeko surveyed the scene, noting the different people who'd perished. "Something isn't adding up here," she said.

"The demon and random killings didn't clue you into that?"

"Everything happens for a reason. You don't gamble for the sake of gambling-everyone has a reason for initiating a game. If we can just figure out what they all want out of this...maybe we can start fighting back."​

"Seems we already know," Alesha spoke up over all the chickens who ran about with their heads cut off, acting as if this act of mass murder was some sort of surprise coming from their enemy. For a moment, she simply gave all those who seemed shocked a disappointed look before shaking her head and continuing on, "Games are played for amusement, for the enjoyment of those in control, and the idea of blood sports are known to the people of my world. We're the pieces in a game they've created by having us framed for the crimes we've been indicted; we're the sacrifices for their pleasure and thrills."

"Justice? That does not enter into the equation for the freaks who toy with us. They seek only to stay powerful, stay above others, and to continue their little games using anyone unfortunate enough to fall under their control."​

 

[thatguyinthestore]

"Seems we already know," Alesha spoke up over all the chickens who ran about with their heads cut off, acting as if this act of mass murder was some sort of surprise coming from their enemy. For a moment, she simply gave all those who seemed shocked a disappointed look before shaking her head and continuing on, "Games are played for amusement, for the enjoyment of those in control, and the idea of blood sports are known to the people of my world. We're the pieces in a game they've created by having us framed for the crimes we've been indicted; we're the sacrifices for their pleasure and thrills."

"Justice? That does not enter into the equation for the freaks who toy with us. They seek only to stay powerful, stay above others, and to continue their little games using anyone unfortunate enough to fall under their control."​

"Hey, leave the insults t'me, toots." Bowser responded when he heard Alesha call the people behind this "freaks."

"That's also a very simplistic way of looking at things." Shantae replied to Alesha after having calmed down from what had happened a bit. "Maybe they're doing it for power? I mean, in my experience as the guardian genie of Scuttle Town, people do crazy things for power all the time." Shantae replied, glancing at Risky for a second as she said this.

@Yun Lee @Khan of the Mardu​

 

[Takumi]

"Oh yeah...I can feel it. Almost time..." He spoke cryptically, as he lifted Peter Parker up by the neck. "Just two more...and then..." Keeping a tight grip on the poor hero's throat, the demon watched as he soon grew limp and lifeless. Dropping Spiderman to the ground with little fanfare, he picked up the gun. "One bullet left...and the lucky winner is...you!"

BANG!

And, just like that, Yato would receive a bullet right in the stomach. Whether or not he would bleed out right away, or linger a few minutes more, 'Leeds' didn't care. In fact, the demon was now focused on something else. "Oh yeah! Can ya feel it?! I sure fuckin' can! Ahahahaha!!!" Two large protrusions on his back would grow, larger and wider, until two large, leathery bat wings now spread, casting a moonlit shadow over them all.

"YES!! That's what I'm talkin' about!!! I'm back, baby!" He laughed wickedly, his wings flapping, taking him up into the air. "Those bumblin' cops will be with you soon. Don't feel too bad-you only got three more games after this, then you can go. The boss ain't done with you all yet-but I sure as fuck am. Oh-right." He would look at Bowser, sneering best he could with his skull head. "Junior says hi! Hahahahahaaa!"

Wuth that, he took off into the air with an unearthly screech, flying off towards the volcano at the center of the island.

"Ugh..." Yumeko groaned back to life, looking around groggily. "What...what happened?"


@Archmage Jeremiah @J A Y F R OM T H E 6 I X @Takumi @Midnight Maiden @thatguyinthestore @Minerva @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Khan of the Mardu @Crow @Jeremi @Verite @Kaykay @Mari @Cromartie Sarkissian @Kentucky @York @Otto @dark​

It was a bit ironic to be shot, and actually be fatally wounded, after being shot at so many times back home. Yato didn't utter a word as he started to bleed out, collapsing onto the ground and dying quickly.

Finding himself in a completely new area with what he could easily assume was Bowser's son, the god was mildly confused until he remembered what Mary had told them upon being 'brought back to life'.

He felt bad for Mary having to watch over the mini overgrown lizard, and he also felt bad for Starlow, who had been dead a while.

"Hey, is this what you're crying over? If there's more I can make some." Yato spoke up, motioning to the spilt mac and cheese. He was still a bit confused, but deciding to go along with it until he could get some answers.

@thatguyinthestore @Mason Moretti @York @J A Y F R OM T H E 6 I X @Kentucky @Yun Lee @afterlife

 

[Mason Moretti]

"Well my babysitter wouldn't have dropped my mac and cheese everywhere!!!" Bowser Jr yelled as he continued to holler and hoot over the spilt macoroni.

As this continued, Ami, All Might, Peter, and Yato would all find themselves suddenly in the kitchen with the young Koopa and Starlow. He didn't seem to notice you because of his tantrum, though the spilt dinosaur shaped mac and cheese should make it obvious as to what he was upset about.

@Mason Moretti @York @J A Y F R OM T H E 6 I X @Kentucky @Takumi @Yun Lee @afterlife​

It was a bit ironic to be shot, and actually be fatally wounded, after being shot at so many times back home. Yato didn't utter a word as he started to bleed out, collapsing onto the ground and dying quickly.

Finding himself in a completely new area with what he could easily assume was Bowser's son, the god was mildly confused until he remembered what Mary had told them upon being 'brought back to life'.

He felt bad for Mary having to watch over the mini overgrown lizard, and he also felt bad for Starlow, who had been dead a while.

"Hey, is this what you're crying over? If there's more I can make some." Yato spoke up, motioning to the spilt mac and cheese. He was still a bit confused, but deciding to go along with it until he could get some answers.

@thatguyinthestore @Mason Moretti @York @J A Y F R OM T H E 6 I X @Kentucky @Yun Lee @afterlife

Starlow - Afterlife
@Mason Moretti @York @J A Y F R OM T H E 6 I X @Kentucky @Takumi @Yun Lee @thatguyinthestore

"There's another box of macaroni in the cabinet. Maybe you can get it for me? It's kinda hard to grab without hands."​

 

[Yun Lee]

"But they already HAVE power! Otherwise, how are they able to keep the Piantas so ignorant to this whole situation?! Maybe Alesha's right-we're just toys of amusement for all of them." Mary sighed. "None of this makes any sense..."

Yumeko quietly listened to Mary, a perplexed look on her face, then looked to the group. "I wish I knew more about my world, then I could decide that was true or not. But if it is true that we're only here for their amusement and nothing more..."

"...then my world must be a very boring place."

Not much longer after, the Pianta Police would arrive. Like the owner of the hotel, they too would not be concerned with all the bodies. "Come on, everyone! We gotta get you on the boats before daylight!"

"We have some new areas for you all to go to today. First up-Noki Bay. Apparently there's been some pollution there recently, that's causing a beautiful bay to get all messed up! Another option is Pinna Park, where we need some sunflowers planted. That Delfino Beautification girl never got around to beautifying anything, so we need your help for that! And finally, Pianta Village. Some lady just can't control her pets, and now they're causing a ruckus!"

"I'll go to Pinna Park. Growing flowers sounds very nice. Don't you agree, Mary?"

"Yeah, talk about relaxing..." Mary sounded far from relaxed though. But who could blame her?

(Tag @Yun Lee for Pinna Park, @thatguyinthestore for Noki Bay, and @Mason Moretti for Pianta Village)

@Archmage Jeremiah @J A Y F R OM T H E 6 I X @Takumi @Midnight Maiden @thatguyinthestore @Minerva @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Khan of the Mardu @Crow @Jeremi @Verite @Kaykay @Mari @Cromartie Sarkissian @Kentucky @York @Otto @dark​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

Risky Boots sneered and clicked her tongue at the boy. "Suck it up, Mr. Prim-and-Proper. It's that kind of defeatist thinking that really will doom us," the pirate pointedly barked at Yusuke while she casually lifted Ami's limp noodle of a body up off of herself, and stood up to dust off, "He'll be back anyway; they all will. After all, every one of us came back after the plane crash that got us here yes? Even that blonde girl, Mary Werben-, Man...Jensen," Risky Boots fumbled out the name, and appeared glad to be done with pronouncing it, the same way someone appears glad to be done taking out the trash. "But why?" she asked no-one in particular. Tapping her chin in pensive thought, Risky Boots looked and heard all around, and latched onto Hina's idle comments on the matter. "For the drama," Risky answered herself with a snap of her fingers.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Kaykay @thatguyinthestore @Gummi Bunnies

@Anyone​

"That's a very optimistic way of looking at things," Mary said to Risky. "But the thing is-I never died. They knocked me out and made me look dead so they could bring me back...or something." She glanced at the corpses all along the beach. "I don't think any of these folks are coming back."

".........." Yumeko surveyed the scene, noting the different people who'd perished. "Something isn't adding up here," she said.

"The demon and random killings didn't clue you into that?"

"Everything happens for a reason. You don't gamble for the sake of gambling-everyone has a reason for initiating a game. If we can just figure out what they all want out of this...maybe we can start fighting back."​

"Seems we already know," Alesha spoke up over all the chickens who ran about with their heads cut off, acting as if this act of mass murder was some sort of surprise coming from their enemy. For a moment, she simply gave all those who seemed shocked a disappointed look before shaking her head and continuing on, "Games are played for amusement, for the enjoyment of those in control, and the idea of blood sports are known to the people of my world. We're the pieces in a game they've created by having us framed for the crimes we've been indicted; we're the sacrifices for their pleasure and thrills."

"Justice? That does not enter into the equation for the freaks who toy with us. They seek only to stay powerful, stay above others, and to continue their little games using anyone unfortunate enough to fall under their control."​

"But they already HAVE power! Otherwise, how are they able to keep the Piantas so ignorant to this whole situation?! Maybe Alesha's right-we're just toys of amusement for all of them." Mary sighed. "None of this makes any sense..."

Yumeko quietly listened to Mary, a perplexed look on her face, then looked to the group. "I wish I knew more about my world, then I could decide that was true or not. But if it is true that we're only here for their amusement and nothing more..."
View attachment 145953
"...then my world must be a very boring place."

Not much longer after, the Pianta Police would arrive. Like the owner of the hotel, they too would not be concerned with all the bodies. "Come on, everyone! We gotta get you on the boats before daylight!"

"We have some new areas for you all to go to today. First up-Noki Bay. Apparently there's been some pollution there recently, that's causing a beautiful bay to get all messed up! Another option is Pinna Park, where we need some sunflowers planted. That Delfino Beautification girl never got around to beautifying anything, so we need your help for that! And finally, Pianta Village. Some lady just can't control her pets, and now they're causing a ruckus!"

"I'll go to Pinna Park. Growing flowers sounds very nice. Don't you agree, Mary?"

"Yeah, talk about relaxing..." Mary sounded far from relaxed though. But who could blame her?

(Tag @Yun Lee for Pinna Park, @thatguyinthestore for Noki Bay, and @Mason Moretti for Pianta Village)

@Archmage Jeremiah @J A Y F R OM T H E 6 I X @Takumi @Midnight Maiden @thatguyinthestore @Minerva @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Khan of the Mardu @Crow @Jeremi @Verite @Kaykay @Mari @Cromartie Sarkissian @Kentucky @York @Otto @dark​

While looking around for Hiyori, Yusuke was halted when he would hear Risky sneer at him for being upset over the deaths. "It's as Mary-san says," the boy hissed in reply. "It's unnatural for the dead to return and believing that they might is putting blind faith in something we are uncertain of. Regardless, is it so wrong for us to mourn the dead? It's only natural for us to do so," he said before hearing the new areas for them to visit had been announced. He turned to Alesha since, for the most part, he had gone to the places that she had.

"Where would you care to go?" he questioned Alesha, Luigi, and anyone else interested in going with them. "Perhaps Noki Bay?" he asked, hesitantly looking back over his shoulder. He still hadn't found Hiyori yet, but they needed to move on at some point. Maybe they would be lucky and he would find her at their location if he didn't spot her now.

@Archmage Jeremiah @Khan of the Mardu @Yun Lee @Midnight Maiden @thatguyinthestore @Anyone​

 

[Crow]

"I'm fine, Ma- I mean, Ernesti. Just a bit tired." Ritsuka yawned. "I think it's a caffeine crash..." she paused. "Or it's just natural tiredness."

@Mari @Crow @anyone

Yamashiro watched in horror as more of her companions perished. No matter how many she witnessed meeting their ends in the past, it never got any easier for the battleship to see.

But when all hope seemed lost, there was some now, strangely enough. She, along with Ritsuko and Ernesti, and Luigi, were still standing. It was cause for her to break her silence, even if just at the volume of a whisper:

"I am happy my luck was not bad. For us all."​

She managed a smile; it was hard to in this situation so she really meant it. She wanted to whisper more though:

"For those of us remaining though, our game became more difficult."​

@Minerva @Crow @thatguyinthestore

"That's a very optimistic way of looking at things," Mary said to Risky. "But the thing is-I never died. They knocked me out and made me look dead so they could bring me back...or something." She glanced at the corpses all along the beach. "I don't think any of these folks are coming back."

".........." Yumeko surveyed the scene, noting the different people who'd perished. "Something isn't adding up here," she said.

"The demon and random killings didn't clue you into that?"

"Everything happens for a reason. You don't gamble for the sake of gambling-everyone has a reason for initiating a game. If we can just figure out what they all want out of this...maybe we can start fighting back."​

"But they already HAVE power! Otherwise, how are they able to keep the Piantas so ignorant to this whole situation?! Maybe Alesha's right-we're just toys of amusement for all of them." Mary sighed. "None of this makes any sense..."

Yumeko quietly listened to Mary, a perplexed look on her face, then looked to the group. "I wish I knew more about my world, then I could decide that was true or not. But if it is true that we're only here for their amusement and nothing more..."
View attachment 145953
"...then my world must be a very boring place."

Not much longer after, the Pianta Police would arrive. Like the owner of the hotel, they too would not be concerned with all the bodies. "Come on, everyone! We gotta get you on the boats before daylight!"

"We have some new areas for you all to go to today. First up-Noki Bay. Apparently there's been some pollution there recently, that's causing a beautiful bay to get all messed up! Another option is Pinna Park, where we need some sunflowers planted. That Delfino Beautification girl never got around to beautifying anything, so we need your help for that! And finally, Pianta Village. Some lady just can't control her pets, and now they're causing a ruckus!"

"I'll go to Pinna Park. Growing flowers sounds very nice. Don't you agree, Mary?"

"Yeah, talk about relaxing..." Mary sounded far from relaxed though. But who could blame her?

(Tag @Yun Lee for Pinna Park, @thatguyinthestore for Noki Bay, and @Mason Moretti for Pianta Village)

@Archmage Jeremiah @J A Y F R OM T H E 6 I X @Takumi @Midnight Maiden @thatguyinthestore @Minerva @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Khan of the Mardu @Crow @Jeremi @Verite @Kaykay @Mari @Cromartie Sarkissian @Kentucky @York @Otto @dark​

"Take a good rest for a bit then, senpai," Ernesti said to Ritsuka.

And now it was time to head off.

"Well, what do you all think? If we head to Noki Bay, we'll very likely see gramps again. Hopefully he'll get my name right. The situation at Pianta Village does sound fun, if those pets are anything like the beasts I whack back home. Pinna Park is... well, I'm better with gears than flowers myself."

@Mari @Minerva​

 

[LuckycoolHawk9]

Rita Hanson

Rita would normally want to help clean up the mess, but she wasn't ready to do that. Planting sunflowers was useful. "Planting flowers sound nice enough. I'll join you."

@Yun Lee @Pinna Park

 

[Minerva]

Yamashiro watched in horror as more of her companions perished. No matter how many she witnessed meeting their ends in the past, it never got any easier for the battleship to see.

But when all hope seemed lost, there was some now, strangely enough. She, along with Ritsuko and Ernesti, and Luigi, were still standing. It was cause for her to break her silence, even if just at the volume of a whisper:

"I am happy my luck was not bad. For us all."​

She managed a smile; it was hard to in this situation so she really meant it. She wanted to whisper more though:

"For those of us remaining though, our game became more difficult."​

@Minerva @Crow @thatguyinthestore

"Take a good rest for a bit then, senpai," Ernesti said to Ritsuka.

And now it was time to head off.

"Well, what do you all think? If we head to Noki Bay, we'll very likely see gramps again. Hopefully he'll get my name right. The situation at Pianta Village does sound fun, if those pets are anything like the beasts I whack back home. Pinna Park is... well, I'm better with gears than flowers myself."

@Mari @Minerva​

"I'll rest when I get the chance. Right now, we have to focus." Ritsuka said to Ernesti. She looked at the locations. "Pianta Village would be the most interesting, but planting flowers sounds fun." She said, undecided.

@Mari @thatguyinthestore