[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/GInLRmw.png[/img] [color=tomato]”You’ll float too.”[/color] [color=888888]— Oros[/color] [/center] Before Fanfan could even blink, her jacket had been swapped out with the ticket she had promised. Only now it was folded up like a paper boat for some reason. [color=tomato]”So you’ve heard of me.”[/color] She chuckled. [color=tomato]”I typically don’t associate with Beacon, Ass-end-antsy especially. But anyone who can disobey a direct order from Rachel seconds after she issues it has my utmost respect. I’ll be keeping an eye on you.”[/color] She looked off to the side. [color=tomato]”And the bitch with the funny hat, but for different reasons.”[/color] Oros slinked on under the table and disappeared behind the table cover. ... ... ... [url=https://i.imgur.com/JkA636N.png]Pac-a-fist[/url] chuckled. [color=orange]”I would be willing to consider it a stage play myself, but banana coins sound interesting too!”[/color] She didn’t seem too concerned that Dan had teleported away to keep the tournament running smoothly. [color=tomato]”Hey! Roboslut is not a slur! It’s the truth!”[/color] The bar of soap Dan had handed Oros managed to slip out of her hand and fall onto the floor. With a shrug, she bent over to pick it up. That was when she froze. [color=tomato]”Wait a second…”[/color] Oros stood up again. [color=tomato]”Is it safe to pick up the soap?”[/color] She looked around. [color=tomato]”I mean, this world was a prison, technically. I wouldn’t pick up soap in a prison.”[/color] She bit her lower lip. [color=tomato]”B-but getting clean is the most important part of my routine! The one thing that doesn’t make me feel trapped!”[/color] Her eyes darted side to side. Sweat beads ran down the sides of her face. [color=tomato]”Maybe if I’m quick enough...”[/color] Oros bent over at the hips and extended her fingers towards the soap. [color=tomato]”This is taking longer than I thought.”[/color] Her hips seemed to sway side to side as she got closer to the soap, her eyes scanning her surroundings for any predators that came near. [color=tomato]”I feel so vulnerable like this,. Like a dog trying to take a shit, or a comic book character narrating their every thought as they are powerless to do anything else for some reason.”[/color] Once her hand fell on the soap, she realized she was still being largely ignored, save for maybe a few curious observers who were smart enough to keep their distance. [color=tomato]”I’m glad everyone present knows how to keep their hands to themselves.”[/color] Once the soap was in her hand, she hopped backwards towards the closest magical girl present. Her butt resting against Amanda’s hip. Oros started to blush. [color=tomato]”You dirty purple haired munchkin, now I also know how the pilots in darling in the franxx felt.”[/color] [s]Don’t anybody mention how this technically should have happened before Oros made the trade. I can’t help that Dan makes the best posting content after Oros has moved.[/s] [@Majoras End] … … … [@Flamelord] [b]”I don’t get the hostility, Socks. I’m not dead, I’ve just been away for a bit. Bet you wouldn’t be this mean to Regina.”[/b] While Elroy was smiling, it was far smaller than the one she was use to him wearing. [b]”In case you couldn’t tell by my [url=https://i.imgur.com/MpjERnd.png] state of the art swimming gear,[/url] I’m here to compete! I know it’s not really a manly sport, but I think men need to get more in touch with there feminine side from time to time.[/b] Elroy grinned. [b]”Anyway, I didn’t realize you were going to be this grouchy. Maybe rock girl is in a better mood, if I can find her anyway. Hard to picture her wearing that wooly cap out here”[/b] ... ... ... Before Finn could introduce himself to Silhouette, he'd have to get Betty's word on the little feud first. He did seem to make a good first impression with her, but something told him to be careful with how the subject is tackled. Especially from what Maura caught him up on. Grabbing himself a soda, he excused himself from the group he was with to find the bodyguard. By this point, Betty had already registered for a match and had sat back down in front of her computer parts. She didn’t look at anyone, and was instead looking at her computer parts. Or perhaps she had withdrawn into herself and was thinking about something. The match to come, the future of cradle, others could only speculate. Finn eventually made his way back to the snow lodge, his outfit adapting once more to the strange dress code. [color=C41E3A]"The attention to detail's nice but this could get annoying easily- [sub]Oh,there she is.[/sub] Hey Bets!"[/color] Once Finn found Betty, he hurried over. The boy then noticed her computer parts. [color=C41E3A]"Oh yeah, that's your gift isn't it? Want me to help set it up?"[/color] He asked, sitting down next to her. Betty snapped out of her trance. [color=ade81b]”You'd do that for me?”[/color] She clapped her hands together. [color=ade81b]”Yes please! I'd like a new computer! But I know that you can burn up the parts by handling them wrong. I'm scared to do it myself.”[/color] She picked up everything and walked over to an area where everything could be laid out. Most of the tables were occupied or covered in food stuffs, but there was a free table for Betty's computer. like everything in Dan's domain, it seemed like if you wanted it enough, it appeared. So long as it didn't bring harm to others that was. [color=ade81b]”I didn't know you were handy with electronics.”[/color] Of course Finn followed suite, waiting for Betty to set the parts out. [color=C41E3A]"I picked up a thing or two from Oliver and Valerie. Though it was mostly Oliver that needed help building his computers. Always had to upgrade to the next thing."[/color] He picked up the graphics card as he explained. [color=C41E3A]"G-FORCE? This is one of the more recent models isn't it?"[/color] Finn asked Betty. Regardless, he'd begin working on piecing it together, even using his magic to give himself some extra limbs. A trick he did learn from watching Valerie work. [color=ade81b]”Not just a G-Force. It’s an Nvidia.”[/color] Betty pointed. [color=ade81b]”I read a lot of companies put the G-force logo on their stuff but it will always underperform. It’s exciting to see a real one. I wonder who got this, I wish I put more thought into my gift…”[/color] [color=C41E3A]"So, are you going to enter the tournament? Honestly, I don't understand what the appeal is with Keijo, but I get people want to dogpile on the opportunity to be a hero. Never goes well, I tell ya."[/color] [color=ade81b]”I already signed up. It was something to do.”[/color] Betty drifted back into a trance. [color=ade81b]”More than that though, I think it’s a bit like the olympics: It’s an alternative to an all-out magical girl war. If you fight someone in a keijo match, you can be their better without killing them. You can-”[/color] She looked away from Finn. [color=ade81b]”You can dominate them, and see how you and your patron stack up against the opposition.”[/color] Finn puffed a cheek out, focused. [color=C41E3A]"Sounds somewhat like the Olympics. Though they should add more sports for the comparison to ring true."[/color] He took a sip of his soda and set it to the side. [color=C41E3A]"But all this for a cursed house decoration? And the dolphin's home which I don't know how they'll be able to tear it down alone? It's mad! Might as well just kill Dan himself. What would you even do with either one, B?"[/color] He asked her. [color=ade81b]”Ah.”[/color] Her shoulders dropped. [color=ade81b]”Well, I think that Dan has a right to keep his home. I think that Beacon is way overstepping their bounds threatening to take it away from him. Not that there aren’t hundreds of other worlds Dan could make his own.”[/color] She held her chin. [color=ade81b]”I feel like the mirror would be less of a problem in my ladies hands than that of a horror. She could destroy it or add it to the cradle’s ever expanding trove of treasures. But if I’m being honest, I’m not really joining to do anything so noble.”[/color] The corners of Betty’s lips curled into a smile. [color=ade81b]”There are a lot of magical girls present that are stronger than me anyway. I doubt I’ll make it to the finals. Probably not even the semi-finals. But I need closure.”[/color] She turned to Finn, and the smile ran from her face. [color=ade81b]”I’ve beaten Justine in two activities already. Possibly three. But I need to stop her here too.”[/color] At the mention of Justine, Finn's normal arms froze. He then let them rest against the table, letting the extra limbs work in his stead. His fingers drummed against the surface, he'll have to be careful how he words things. [color=C41E3A]"Closure? Why do you feel the need to stop her? You've already won two games, one with my assistance even. You have the advantage of numbers."[/color] His one visible eye looked towards Betty, observing. [color=ade81b]”Well that’s just it. It was team against team. I didn’t do that much during the snow man building contest, and my shoddy sled nearly shattered on a tree. I won those times because I had the better team.”[/color] Betty thrust her finger into the table. [color=ade81b]”But [i]now[/i] neither of us can hide behind teammates. Someone as proud as her can just write off her allies as a liability. But in a closed arena like this she’ll have no excuses.”[/color] She placed a closed fist in front of her mouth. [color=ade81b]”Maybe I can’t beat her, but unlike last time, I’ll actually get to fight back.”[/color] [i][color=C41E3A]"Proud? Someone as meek as Justine?"[/color][/i] He thought. [i][color=C41E3A]"Not sure how Lily and Alex fit into this. Tempting to write this off as delusion right off the bat, but I need more information."[/color][/i] [color=C41E3A]"Last time? Did something happen between you two?"[/color] Finn spoke up. Betty sighed. [color=ade81b]”She turned me, Finn.”[/color] She folded her arms. [color=ade81b]”She turned me into one of her mindless thralls. Then she handed me over to the Mint. That’s not something you get over with a simple apology.”[/color] She fret her brow. [color=ade81b]”It’s rape.”[/color] [color=C41E3A]"!?"[/color] And with that, Finn completely froze, down to the extra limbs. His eyes were wide, though whatever emotion they told was obscured. [color=C41E3A][i]"Th-That can't be right. That can't be right!"[/i][/color] He trembled, entrapped within his thoughts. [i][color=C41E3A]"She- She had to be corrupted didn't she?? They trusted her, M-Maura trusted her, so she has to be wrong right? Y-Yeah she has to be! She needs to be!!"[/color][/i] Betty’s hands were shaking. [color=ade81b]”Normally I'd keep it to myself, but you've done a lot to help me. That, and we both have the same employer. We'll be working together in the future, which isn't something I would mind. But I’d just as soon not talk about this anymore.”[/color] She stood up and leaned over Finn’s shoulder. [color=ade81b]”Is it almost done?”[/color] He had to escape his spiraling thoughts before they worsened, even for a moment. Finn did nod to Betty, creating a second pair of spare limbs (spider limbs??) to speed up production. Yet all the same, he was still trembling, appearing anxious. [color=ade81b]”Finn?”[/color] With the final part in place, the computer was finished. [color=C41E3A]"I-It's done."[/color] The boy finally answered, retracting the limbs. [color=ade81b]”That fast?”[/color] The gloomy atmosphere seemed to evaporate in an instant once the computer was together. [color=ade81b]”It looks so cool! I like how it’s got a glass side panel so that you can see all the components inside. Is there RGB lighting inside? Suppose I’ll have to plug it in somewhere to find out. Though I’m sure it’ll need to update to the latest definition of windows, but I should be able to handle that.”[/color] She ran her hand over the top of the computer as if she were grooming a pet. [color=ade81b]”Oh!”[/color] Betty turned to Finn. [color=ade81b]”But if I can’t, you’ll um, you’ll help me, right?”[/color] Finn took some deep breaths. [color=C41E3A]"Uhm, okay. We may need a way to transport it out of here though. I can have Oliver help with that."[/color] He explained. But a part of him was still concerned for what Betty said. Guess he hid that well? [color=ade81b]”That would be lovely if he could do that for me. I could probably drop it in the cradle but, well…”[/color] Betty chuckled before giving Finn a gentle hug. [color=ade81b]”Hmm, you feel a little tense.”[/color] She stepped backwards. [color=ade81b]”Is something the matter?”[/color] Finn would've hugged her back, but Betty stepped away before her could. He slightly frowned, scratching the back of his head. [color=C41E3A]"I-It's nothing. Just, what you said, about Justine. Bad memories. Really bad...[/color] He explained, his voice turning soft near the end. [color=ade81b]”Oh! Did she get you too, or… Actually, never mind that now. We can talk later if you're up for it.”[/color] She turned back to the computer. [color=ade81b]”Thanks for helping me Finn, and listening to me. Once I get steam loaded on here we can play some Left 4 Dead some time. Okay?”[/color] After a moment, he smiled. [color=C41E3A]"I'd love to."[/color]