cancry | confrontation.

It's time.

Esme has been doing her level best to make sure everyone in Invidia knows about their little competition, so it shouldn't be a surprise to see that the mall is absolutely overflowing with devoted fans today, all eager to see the outcome of this "friendly" competition between performers. Thankfully, Esme has been unusually sportsmanlike and deigned to release a schedule of the event beforehand, so you're not just going in blind. Esme and Idol-ON will perform two songs each and then hold a question and answer session with the audience, after which a vote will be held – and whoever has the most votes by the end of the show will be declared Invidia's newest top idols.

Sounds simple, right? Right.

You've all been given a private room out of the way of the crowds, with some time to spare before the event itself starts. Time for some last minute rehearsal, some last minute panicking, some last minute... sabotage? Well, Esme's probably not going to play fair, so why should you?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

That's your Executor uniform? I wouldn't have been able to tell it was you if we didn't have one child.

[Wolfsbane is standing there, arms folded, but at least just her regular amount of judgy.]

[ Monarch lifts his head, his mask catching the light. ]

Wolfsbane-san.

[ Yep, definitely the Token Child. Soft and slightly confused despite the makeover. ]

[She nods, but seems to think better of saying anything abrasive this time, simply looking around the grounds.]

What are you upset about? We won. Of course, we've got more to go, but at least Esme's out of the way for now.

I'm not upset....

[ iiiiiiis a lie and he knows it, but he also doesn't know what to do about it. ]

....exactly.

What do you mean, exactly? What went on out there while I was running interference? I heard the question and answer, but really, you didn't say anything we weren't all thinking.

I don't know.

[ Monarch stands. Being in this form without any reason to be feels odd, so he dismisses his Executor uniform.

When his hair is done deflating: ] You heard it?

I was just backstage watching for anything that might go wrong. And I'm sure the entire crowd heard it, too.

Then, when Esme gave her answer....

[ The crowd doesn't matter to Monarch. Just this. ]

What did you think?

What I think is I hope she broke every bone in her body falling into that earthquake chasm, after what she did to us.

--Right.

[ Monarch can't deny that. Is he a vengeful person? He can't say.

Either way, it doesn't sound like she had the same specific reaction he did. So it really is individual....That's good to have confirmed. ]

Of course, knowing our luck, she really might have gone and turned into a Revenant down there. But I'm sure we'll deal with that handily.

[ ...That's true. Both parts of it. Monarch's expression comes back to earth (or Purgatory, as the case may be). ]

We can't let her hurt anyone else.

We'll have to go down to the next level anyway. I'm sure no one would object to combing the area just in case.

And to prepare for that, we need to pace ourselves now.

[ He's both getting ahead of himself and stuck in place, isn't he? Monarch sighs, willing his thoughts to settle. ]

Thanks.

Of course. I suppose you've been training, at least?

I have. My powers haven't shown themselves, but -

[ Poof goes the uniform back on (with a slight dramatic cape flare as it settles in place around him). He extends a hand, and a whip shimmers into place. Monarch grips it. ]

This is my weapon.

Hm. A whip -- could be for crowd control, or simply distance attacks, but who knows what powers might come with it. You might even have a few different sorts. I'm finding fire and ice are popular, but so far I'm the only one with both.

You have two powers, Wolfsbane-san?

[ And none have shown themselves, for him.

Has he just not been put into a situation where they would activate...? ]

Indeed.

[Wolfsbane transforms and summons a halberd into one hand. She extends the other and a magic circle appears, and a fireball shoots from it at a pile of stones in the garden. Once that dissipates, she follows up with a shard of ice about the same size as the fireball.]

Of course, it takes training to learn what you've got.

I want to train.

[ More than he has. In more ways. ]

Until I know what I can do.

[ Who he is. ]

Well, we're going to need to set up a training ground here. It's far more efficient than going all the way back to Limbo, and less of a risk than going into an underside. I'm sure everyone will agree.

[ That's right.....They'll be continuing onward, but every step deeper they travel, they're further from where they began. Having safe outposts in as many locations as possible is prudent.

Monarch thinks about this, then looks up at the building looming above them. He doesn't need to get started right away, but....on the topic of "safe outposts", now that the Authority here belongs to their allies.... ]

Do you think there might be a good space in the mansion?

As long as we have safeguards so as not to burn the place down. We ought to check the basement, there must be something there.

"Something"....?

[ But that makes sense too, doesn't it? It was Esme's. ]

Even if she hasn't got supplies or a training space, we can clear one out. It isn't as if there's no room.

(no subject)

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