[h1][color=778899]A[/color]maryllis and [b]N[/b]uncio[/h1]
[sup]Eating More Than One Can Afford[/sup]

Winter being winter, and Penrose being evacuated, meant that few places were open to eat. McDonalds and other fast food joints remained running, of course, because heartless megacorporations cared little for the supernatural danger they put their employees in, but as for the boutique cafes and family-run restaurants that Amaryllis enjoyed having her clandestine meetings in, there were only a couple.

The Rice Bar, thankfully, was one of them.

A small restaurant tucked in the suburbs that neighboured Penrose Technical College (also shut down due to building repairs after a purported gas line explosion damaged 40% of its infrastructure), the Rice Bar specialized in a variety of East Asian eats, featuring curries, seasonings, and toppings of all sorts. While Amaryllis usually didn’t overindulge when patronizing this establishment, considering all that had happened and all that will happen, she went pretty hard this time. Conveyor belts carried small bowls of toppings or stews to be taken by customers, while a special bell was pressed to order steaming bowls of rice. Water and tea, of course, was regularly refilled by the 40 year old auntie whose service was fast but not entirely pleasant. Didn’t really matter though. With no college students around, Amaryllis had the place to herself.

Well, herself and one other. As she dug into a small pile of glistening barbeque short ribs, the sweater-wearing woman said, [color=778899]“So, um, Nuncio...what’s your story here?”[/color]

Nuncio was dressed a bit more casually during this outing. Rather than looking like a mobster, he wore a [url=https://i.imgur.com/zZjOF46.jpg]stylish black T[/url] with jeans and knee high boots. His eyes were focused on his giant feline Rossa, who wasn’t allowed in an eating establishment for obvious reasons. The staff were nice enough to let Nuncio keep his pet in the waiting room outside the dining area, where the big cat would be able to stay in the warm interior of the building while not bothering anyone who was eating. But Rossa looked a little sad that she couldn’t be by Nuncio’s side. 

[b]”Hmm?”[/b] Nuncio looked back at Amaryllis. [b]”My story? I suppose ya mean ta ask why I haven’t blown this joint?”[/b] He lowered his gaze. [b]”Lotta reasons why. Sammy thought there was somethin’ goin’ on here. Bigger than just Binky, and that was big in her mind. Now that my dame’s up and vanished, I’m certain she was on ta somethin’.”[/b] Rossa licked her lips and thumped the floor once with her paw, and Nuncio grabbed a fish plate that was circling his way. [b]”Beyond that, my patron ain’t done with Penrose, nore the Outer Alliance. Couldn’t leave even if I tried. Not that I’d go anywhere without her.”[/b] He pushed the fish plate off to the side and grabbed a beef n’ rice bowl. [b]”Nice place to eat, I’m takin’ Sammy here when I find her.”[/b] He used a pair of chopsticks to eat some rice, but it was clear they weren’t really agreeing with his fingers. [b]”Where did ya friends go? Are they late?”[/b]

[color=778899]"They have spoons,"[/color] Amaryllis pointed out, her eyes briefly flickering towards the cheap plastic stacked up in front of the counter. [color=778899]"And, for Hilaria and Sophia… I ate with them earlier, so that’s that."[/color]

Nuncio looked to the spoons, and threw up his hand. Universal sign language for “I must be some kind of idiot to not notice that.” He stabbed the chopsticks into the center of his bowl and reached for the spoon. There was a Chinese woman looking on in horror as he did this, but he didn’t seem to notice. Once he had his spoon he was able to eat much more naturally. In contrast to Amaryllis, he ate very slowly. Every bite was savored, and he likely wouldn’t need a napkin when he was done eating. 

[b]”Shame about Hilaria, but I woulda made things worse. Beacon ain’t too friendly with Cindy or her allies.”[/b]

She snatched a plate of glazed eel, dumping it into her already beef-saturated bowl, and wolfed it down in a couple of ravenous gulps. Even in her unpowered form, the barrier was pulling at whatever shreds of magical energy she regenerated, and though her Sword was still in post-euphoria, Amaryllis wanted every bit of energy she could get. Dabbing her lips with tissue after cleaning out her bowl, she rang the bell for another serving of rice. 

Her hands rested on her stomach, and she asked, [color=778899]"You're not an official member of the Outer Alliance then? Just something like, hm, a subcontractor? What even is it?"[/color]

[b]”We’re just friends.”[/b] He said between bites. [b]”We got mixed up in some nonsense. Binky was experimentin’ on all’a us and we retaliated. Sammy and I were a cell apart.”[/b] He pointed into the sky with his spoon. [b]”The real big wigs are Faith and Lotus. But we all wanna see an end to Binky and those red coins. Sammy tell you about that yet? Word is Beacon still has her makin’ em.”[/b] He took another bite of food. [b]”How about you and yours? Ya seem like the leader of your outfit.”[/b]

Amaryllis flushed at that remark. Leader? Her? The bespectacled girl shook her head fervently, cheeks rosy pink. [color=778899]"Oh, no no. I just sorta know the others, but like, not even that well. My whole deal is mainly just working alone and all, so it's not like an alliance or anything. Maybe friends? But not like we've done any really friendly stuff..."[/color]

She recovered soon though, downing a glass of ice water, before snagging a bowl of marinated bamboo shoots. Back to Binky though, she certainly had encountered the girl back in the beach dimension, and while there was something off about a magical girl whose powers produced fast food, she didn't really get the vibe of 'evil scientist' either. Even Annabelle had a more threatening aura than her, and she had been a brainwashed ditz. 

[color=778899]"Beacon's having her make Red Coins? Huh, but I saw her back in the beach vacation, and wasn't Beacon focused on the production of the White Coin more?"[/color] Amaryllis thought for a moment, recalling further instances. [color=778899]"Do you happen to know Betty and Tetrad, Nuncio? During my… vacation, they were the ones that wanted my help in finding Binky, but I'm certain they aren't Beacon."[/color]

[b]”Really now?”[/b] The white tiger plopped its paw against the glass door and licked its lips again, and Nuncio grabbed the next item on the conveyor belt without looking at it. [b]”Mosta my information is second hand from Sammy. She tends to deliver her claims dramatically. But the way I understand it they did make both coins.”[/b] He removed the chopsticks from his bowl, much to the relief of the Chinese woman watching. [b]”Those names sound familiar though. Ehh…”[/b] He whipped out his phone and started scrolling around. [b]”Yea yea, they post on the Cradle.net blog. Guess that makes ‘em Veronica’s sort. Unless they just like ta shitpost.”[/b] He closed down his phone and resumed eating. [b]”Wouldn’t that be interestin’? If Binky was a product of a former coin broker? That would mean Sammy’s been barkin’ up the wrong tree.”[/b] Rossa licked her chops as another plate passed by, but Nuncio gave the tiger a dismissive shake of his head. Rossa reacted by slumping to the ground, resting its head on top of its paws. [b]”Coulda just been her friends though, suppose even evil scientists have those.”[/b] Nuncio leaned forward. [b]”Meant ta ask, was that Mariette you was fighting with? When ya beat up the necromancer? Ya ain’t friends are ya? Bet she could find Sammy pretty fast.”[/b]

[color=778899]“Scarlet’s a coin broker?” [/color]

[b]”Former one, if ya believe their Glimmr page.”[/b]

Amaryllis thought about it a bit longer, chewing slowly now that she had some food for thought. [color=778899]“So...Binky worked for Scarlet, and thus the Mint…”[/color]

[b]”If she still works for ‘em..”[/b]

[color=778899]“During this time Binky experimented on you, Sammy, and the rest of the Outer Alliance? Once you broke out, Binky either ran to Beacon or was captured by them...and now she works for them, but is still being searched for by Scarlet’s people.”[/color] The girl frowned, leaning back against her chair.

[color=778899]“...or they could just be magical friends.”[/color] Betty was alright, but she could definitely imagine Tetrad having unethical magical scientists as friends. Not that Amaryllis was in any place herself to judge others on the company they keep. [color=778899]“And yeah, I can ask Mariette about that. Not, like, too sure what the extent of her divination abilities are though.”[/color]

[b]”Glad to hear it.”[/b] Nuncio exhaled. [b]”Some days I think I lost her, but I can’t stop lookin’.”[/b]

[color=778899]“...uh, Nuncio, what sort of experiments were being run on your group anyways? Is this related to the construction of the Red Coins?”[/color]

She paused further.

[color=778899]“And wait, what even are Red Coins? You’re not talking about Ruby Coins, are you?” [/color]

[b]”They ain’t ruby coins, though I’m sure they are related.”[/b] Nuncio pushed his empty bowl to the side. [b]”She used red coins on us. Made us take ‘em. I was a dame after my transformation. But as I was a boy before it, I am happy with this new development. It shuffles ya magic in random ways, she told us.”[/b] He grinned. [b]”But we was trapped. She wouldn’t let us go. Savior turned slaver overnight.”[/b]

[color=778899]“Hrm…”[/color]

Figures that a [i]former[/i] coin broker would be interested in the creation of a coin that enabled the remaking of one’s magical self. She never had dealings with them personally, but Amaryllis had heard the rumors, at least. The Ebon Mint was basically the magical mafia, and in this case, the Red Coins were the plastic surgery you’d need to get them off your tail. She snagged a couple more plates, meat juices all soaking into a new bed of fluffy rice.

[color=778899]“Ever heard the reason why she kept you there?”[/color] Amaryllis frowned. They were straying somewhat, and her own focus was to find Sammy, not to judge whatever crimes Binky had committed. [color=778899]“Nevermind that. In case any of the larger factions in Penrose’s gotten a hold of Sammy, will the Outer Alliance act? Or is this a clandestine operation, Nuncio?”[/color]

Nuncio took one more look at his hungry tiger. [b]”She’s beautiful, ain’t she?”[/b] The corner of Nuncio’s lip twitched upward for a moment. [b]”Did ya know white tigers are a symbol of man’s cruelty?”[/b] He folded his arms on the table. [b]”In the 1950s, a hunter spotted a white tiger and brought it back home. Every single one you see today’s a descendant of the first. A constant string’a inbreeding that’s lasted 70 years. Their white coats make it difficult to hunt, and they gots all kinds’a health problems from compromised immune systems to physical deformities. They are bred for a life of captivity.”[/b] He scoffed. [b]”Not all the cubs are born white. For every white tiger, it’s got 30 brothers and sisters who are orange, but are just as broken as they are. They are ignored or euthanized.”[/b] He placed a hand on the side of his head. [b]”If we told ‘em the reason we did it, do ya think they’d be content with what we’ve been doin’ all this time?”[/b]

Well, that wasn’t a factoid Amaryllis was aware of, but it certainly sounded like it matter to Nuncio, and it was also certainly interesting. She ate thinly sliced beef and soy sauce-dipped rotisserie chicken as the cat gangster shared his anecdote. [color=778899]“Probably not,”[/color] Amaryllis replied, [color=778899]“But at least they’ll understand more, the motives of their enemy. And from the discovery of motivation comes the possibility of manipulation…”[/color]

Amaryllis trailed off. This was really just a lot of assumptions on the intelligence and thirst for vengeance that tigers had, huh?

 [b]”Weird dame.”[/b] Nuncio chuckled, and his expression softened.  [b]''Sorry for goin’ on like that, but the point is no one belongs in a cage. Those was horrible quarantine conditions. But gettin’ back to ya about the alliance: Faith and Lotus are good people. Sammy was a ‘founding mother’ along with me and them, and they want to see her back. Though entertainin’ Cindy has taken priority. I’m sure they’ll be more interested in finding Sammy after the party.”[/b] 

Amaryllis breathed out, sipping on some tea. [color=778899]“Alright, that’s good. My Sword’s always gonna be down for taking on any foe, no matter how large or wide-spread, but I’m not nearly so dauntless. If there’s a raid to go for, I’ll contact you then?” [/color]

[b]”Yah, I’m ‘BlindTiger’ on Glimmr. Forgot my phone number, but it’s on there.”[/b] He watched Amaryllis drink for a bit before going for his wallet.  [b]”Ya bought Sammy a spa visit, I’ll cover the bill when we’re ready to go.”[/b]

Amaryllis waved her hand and shook her head. [color=778899]“Really, no need to pay. I sorta basically got those tickets for free anyhow, so, like, yeah...”[/color]

[b]”Don’t worry about it.”[/b] He said with a wave of his hand. [b]”I know ya type, Sammy won’t let me pay for her food either, just let me treat her best friend. It can’t be that much, can it?”[/b] Nuncio got up to walk to the counter, where the cashier quickly ran up their table and shot him a polite smile. The boy simply shifted his eyes between the total and the cashier before slowly opening his wallet to look inside. Afterwards, he trudged back over to his seat and practically collapsed into it. [b]”So uh.”[/b] he rubbed his nose. [b]”We’re doin’ this again right? Like, maybe next time ya could treat Sammy and I?”[/b] He pointed at the counter with both hands. [b]”Say we split the bill 50/50, and just ignore who ate what, that sound cool?”[/b]

Amaryllis tilted her head quizzically, even as she inhaled more food. [color=778899]“Yeah,”[/color] she said, after clearing up her last bowl and deciding that she should head out to get more work done. [color=778899]“Hopefully all the problems ‘round Penrose will be cleared up when we do eat out together again, right?”[/color]

[b]”I’ll be happy if Sammy turns up.”[/b] Nuncio grinned before picking up the two dishes he set aside for his tiger. [b]”See ya later, Amaryllis!”[/b] Rossa stood up when she noticed her food coming closer. The big cat licked its lips one last time before Nuncio opened the door to feed her.