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Active [On the Border of the See and Widersia, as Far South of Clockhaven as the River Goes] - The Devil's Favorite Holiday

"Maybe I should hire a personal painter." Meredy nodded in agreement to Mephisto's statement about the scenery. Though for her, both of them were now part of the scenery. A calm scenic tea party with the devil while having the agonizing hell as the backdrop.

"Imagine what masterpiece he would make if I ordered him to paint me right now. Such powerful contrast, filled with elegance and horror, and joy and sorrow." She chuckled at the thought of it.

The girl poured herself another cup and conjured a couple of plates full of expensive pastries as she listened to Mephisto's singing his business. She wasn't really ecstatic about the worms, but...

"Bugs is not my cup of tea
As they're the lowest of the low
No arts in their misery
I'm not going to change my mind now"

The girl plopped a roll cake into her mouth, savoring the cream and honey that melted in her mouth as she's thinking about how to deal with this. She could of course simply step away from all the madness in the city, she was only a tourist after all. Yet that would make her feeling unnecessarily indebted to this guy, and she definitely didn't like that. Meredy pointed at Mephisto with the tip of her cane.

"But you, my friend, had granted my wish
So now it's my turn to scratch your itch"

Holding her cane with both of her hands. It briefly glows with some otherworldly energy before it changed into something else. The girl hold no more cane, she instead wields an instrument that could fell any men. A 44 inches rod of death, ready to blast worms with lead.

"Maybe, just maybe
the bugs do have some use
So I can practice using my baby
without anyone making a fuss"

Meredy affectionately hugged her gun. The K31 was almost as tall as herself, but she didn't seems to have any problem handling it as she smoothly slung the gun across her back. She looked at Mephisto with the same mischievous grin she had before. If she's gonna need to deal with bugs, she sure as hell going to find a way to make it enjoyable for her.

Mephisto Mephisto​
 

Miiya stared with eyes wide and wild as Mephisto made a marionette of Marek’s decapitated head. “It…. was an accident.” She whispered as the tall demon and his long shadow cavorted and capered, manipulating Marek’s headless corpse with their magic.

Still stuck fast to the wall, Miiya had to walk along the length of her pinioned wing, folding it in as she sidestepped over to where Dauntless was jammed in the wood behind the drywall. She closed her eyes as she heard squelching and ripping noises from Mephisto’s wet work. Gripping her prosthesis firmly, Miiya put a foot against the wall and pulled, prying herself free. Breathing a little heavily (trying not to hyperventilate) she used an entire box of tissues, wiping Marek’s blood from her wing, sidling around where Mephisto was skinning the cat and trying to hide in her apartment’s tiny bathroom.

Evil faces were pressed against her one window, and gleeful cackles came from a demonic crowd outside her door, making Miiya wonder--for a moment--if perhaps she was hallucinating or dreaming.

Nope. If she was, then her subconscious was doing a bang-up job of convincing her body of the reality of this nightmarish scenario. Catching a glimps of what Mephisto was doing to Marek, Miiya had to act fast to make it to the toilet as her stomach twisted and she retched from the sight and smell of an undressed Marek’s remains being dressed for something much more sinister than a proper burial or cremation.

The Aerial woman was too distressed, exhausted, shocked, and just sort of out-of-it to do more than mumble truthfully in response to Mephisto’s inquiry. “M-my name is Miiya. Miiya Aether.” She introduced herself while still kneeling by the lav and looking more than a little peaked.

The birdgirl had no idea what to make of this. Her head was spinning from the sudden turn of events. The end of an endless day had very nearly turned into the end of her. Now, instead, her assailant was dead by her hand (wing) and being chopped into bits by some sort of even worse monster.

Killing Marek was not Miiya’s first encounter with death, nor was his attack the first time her person had been under such dire threat. In other circumstances, Miiya might have kept it together a little better--especially considering she had escaped relatively unscathed. However, the gruesome spectacle--and the delight Mephisto was taking in it--were serving to keep the Aerial out-of-trim.

The cavorting character’s descriptions of how he would prepare a Marek meal were almost enough to trigger another round of retching. Miiya fought down her rising bile and looked aghast at Mephisto. ”I can’t eat hi--that!” she said in dismay.

Miiya tried to pull herself together as the demon approached and coaxed her off the floor with the blood-covered claw, that served as one of his digits, under her chin. “Wha… what are yew?” She whispered.

Yet even as a great deal of panicked white showed around Miiya’s pupils, her right hand was still in her pocket, fingers threaded through her brass knuckles. Most of Miiya’s mind--at least on the surface--was a mess of distress and horror. Underneath that turbulent shallow flow of emotion, though, lay a streambed of bedrock resolve not to be this monster’s next meal.

Miiya was dismayed, disgusted, and deeply deeply dangerous. Mephisto might notice how her gaze was captivated--not by his haunting hellish eyes but--by that ever-so-thin cord of neck joining his head to his shoulders. Miiya had killed a man tonight, and a tiny spark, hidden deep in those frightened chestnut eyes, warned that she might not be done murderin’ just yet.
 
Mephisto & Meredy in...

"A Devilish Melody"

Starring Spoiled Bread Spoiled Bread as herself​

The simple idea of food being conjured just as easily as he nestled this concept of Hell before them spun so many ideas through Mephisto's truly twisted imaginations. This young woman was surely something, someone he hadn't encountered quite yet and he was very thankful that he had this opportunity. He picked up one of the offered sweet arrangements and unfurled his tongue, laying it squarely in the center of the forked appendage. He coiled the pastry back into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. The innards of the cake burst along his sharp teeth, popping and gurgling as he savored the taste.

A trail of bright red blood dribbled from his maw, beading along his sharp face. His crimson eyes fluttered towards Meredy, following the sound of her song with an entranced expression. His long limbs held him against the table as he watched. Each note she hit, he followed with a rising or sinking motion of his head. His smile cracked a bit wider than before and he clapped his hands together - once.

"Excellent~!!"

The imagery of their tea party became the framework of their newest and final stage. This would be the last part of this phase of the play. The screams of the damned instead roared out in a resounding cry of applause. The crowd, bloodied and tortured, were the very corpses and corpse-like men and women Mephisto tormented for Meredy's entertainment. She wished to see Hell, and now it was real. It opened its cavernous depths of suffering for her to witness and stared back with a painful grin. The audience cheered for Meredy, their faces strained with stitches to keep their smiles in place. Every bloodshot eye wept tears waiting for it all to stop.

But it would never stop.

"Meredy! A dame like you
Shows up once in a blue moon
Pinch me, let me know it's true
Devil help us, I think we're doomed

You'll have more than worms
To show off against - come on!
But we're not there yet - take a turn
So I can't spoil the surprise, for now we're done

That's right my dear, the fun's just begun!
The curtain's falling across the town
Hold onto something, the wheel is spun
Can't ever dance if you're always falling down"
​
He held her hand as the crowd howled. He tapped his feet, moving this way and that, keeping her in the center of it all. The spotlights found and followed them, pinning their shadows in place. Mephisto's wriggled free and slithered to a nearby piano, stealing the musical notation for itself. Mephisto moved his fingers one after the other, giving Meredy targets to shoot all across the stage.

His laughter rang out as the targets started appearing over the audience, in front of their chests and faces - an armada of bull's-eyes between pleading brows, begging for release that would never come.

Plumes of blood and brain matter popped without fail. All the devil did was cackle. Still, their voices culminated in a return to the chorus. Through shattered jaws and pulped lungs, against spurts of arterial discharge and spilled organs, they still sang.

And the devil kept dancing with Meredy by his side.

"It's hard work and don't pay well
Can't sleep much and hurts like hell
Haven't been this hot since Nero toured Rome
Still gotta say: there's no place like home

Ain't no town like Red Haven
Ain't no soul here worth savin'
Enjoy the freedom, but pay your debts
The Devil's alive and he never forgets"
​
The music suddenly stopped. Mephisto brought Meredy to a standstill in front of him. The stage faded away, and they were in a massive shopping mall in the heart of the Diamonds District - as evident by the opulent stores. The "Fae" abomination tilted his head down at her.

Surrounding them was over a hundred gaming booths, with over a thousand people crowded practically shoulder to shoulder. There were plenty of spots for a decent sniper position high up above, if she chose to take them.

"Kill as many worms as you can. I'll try to rustle up some... commotion for you. In return, how's about another wish~?" he giggled under his breath, extending his hand for a shake.

Mephisto & Miiya in...

"A Wolf in the Birdcage"

Starring Irihi Irihi as herself​

"Oh, accidents shmaccidents," Mephisto waved his hand as he cavorted around as carelessly as he could.

This was just another night for him - peak entertainment!

"Miiya, Miiya, Miiya,"

He repeated her name, absorbing the meaning behind it and... digesting its sound. He inhaled through his teeth and sighed happily. Without pause, he framed her jaw with his long fingers and inspected her from side to side. Of course he noticed the brilliant whites of her eyes. Like a crazed horse, it was hard to miss. She could have popped at any second. However, he kept adding pressure to the inevitable hemorrhage. His gaze narrowed as hers widened.

She was a prey animal stuck in a corner amidst the smell of blood and bile, but what she feared he absolutely thrived in - hungered for. He cradled her throat and that's when it happened. Brass knuckles were meant to slice at uncomfortably close range, busting skin and splintering bone in a clubbing maneuver with the hand. They were bludgeoning tools, not punching aids, and the swipe that Miiya showered upon Mephisto was one such blow.

It went through him... it...

He sneered at her, his skin and flesh and bone ripped away like a cloth and hanging on the breeze. All Miiya could see was...

"Miiya! Delightful," he held her by the throat, pinning her against the wall and glaring daggers straight into her eyes.

The red sclera shifted into solid black as his face moved back into its original shape. His teeth extended like blades. A crown of antlers and horns cracked from his skull as he opened his mouth. A skeletal maw crawled from the innards of the thing known as Mephisto, the very shape of which seemed closer to a stag than a human. Yet for the animal chosen, it still possessed the teeth of a monster. Sharp canines sharpened each other. The molars were designed to crush bone. The incisors had the direct purpose of stripping meat.

The skin that formed the identity of Mephisto was stretched and snapped, a remnant of something else as this being emerged further into reality. His spine lengthened. Barely contained by the pinstripe suit, the creature loomed over Miiya like a giant in the darkness - occupying every inch of the room and yet nothing at all.

"Darling Miiya... I'm you! Every thought you've ever had of strangling a random bystander, taking them into the sky and dropping them, poking their eyes out with your talons... it's all so wonderful, isn't it? It burns like a lighthouse for things that live in the dark... things like me,"

He breathed on her. There was no smell, rather a palpable humidity of death. The sweat on her skin felt like blood drawn from a wound. The flesh underneath it curdled in fear. Yet as quickly as Mephisto manifested in such a way, adopting parts of his true wendigo form... he simply stopped.

He snapped back into his usual self and dusted his suit off, giving the Aerial woman a poke on her small nose.

"But that's all theoretical anyway! Let's have a chat..." he turned his head on a pivot, noticing that Marek was still... hanging out.

"I'll save that for later,"

He swept his finger from side to side and banished the corpse to some currently unknown part of his shadowy realm.

"I'm sure you've seen those little worms wriggling around," he moved his fingers in such a way as to indicate disgust from how they moved.

"I'm here to offer a deal. You become a work associate of mine and I clean up all your... evidence,"

He gave her a sly little grin.

"It pays well, hours are whenever I say, and hopefully we'll have this whole worm ordeal cleaned up by the end of the holidays. Sound good?"

He'd extend a hand for her to shake as if there wasn't a laundry list of terms and conditions attached.

Mephisto & Zahrah in...

"Joy and its Tragic Consequences"

Starring Elvario Elvario as themself​

The man Zahrah bumped into stopped and turned around, looking at them with a warm smile on his face. He straightened his posture and adjusted his coat, shimmying slightly to get a better footing with his heavy boots.

"Oh bless you friend! I don't know what came over me, I'm sorry if I walked into you. I haven't been feeling like myself these past few days... but meeting you changed tha-"

He took a good look at the worm that Zahrah held out for him to... take? He grimaced and waved his hand in a dismissive manner.

"I uh, you can... keep that? I don't know where that came from or what it even is. I wish I could continue this conversation but I just got done with my shift as the mall Satan in the Diamonds District. I... wait, why am I in... Hearts?"

He seemed exceedingly confused, but walked away all the same.

"I know my way home, friend, thank you again!"

What Zahrah would meet next was perhaps not exactly what they expected. Standing there, bending down from his usual towering height to stare at Zahrah directly in their eyes once they turned back around, was a figure in a red pinstripe suit. With a permanent smile plastered over his pale face, the creature's insidious red eyes glowed with an infectious energy.

"Welcome to Red Haven my friend!" he cackled. "That's an interesting... thing you have there," he gestured to the worm.

"You should kill it. But more importantly, we have introductions to make. My name is Mephisto - that's M-E-P-H-I-S-T-O. It's a pleasure to meet you,"

He held out his hand for Zahrah to shake. Whether or not they did ultimately didn't matter... but who could refuse a smile like Mephisto's? He gave his head a slight tilt and raised a singular eyebrow. It was almost like he caught a whiff of something he didn't recognize.

"If you don't mind me asking, what brings you to a town like this? Interested in making a fortune? Losing one? Dumping a body? Finding true love? Escaping tax collectors? Societal collapse? Pursued by bounty hunters? War? Famine? Plague? Stubborn telemarketers?"

He counted the fingers on one hand and they mysteriously kept popping up one after the other despite the actual physical limitations involved. He shook his arm and his finger count went back to normal.

"Pardon me, it's something they haven't patched yet,"

He gave a dry chuckle.

"So how are you liking our little festive season?"

As if on cue, a parade rounded the corner along Broadway. The float that headed the procession was a man in a costume much like the one that bumped into Zahrah... except this one was much larger and had horns curling on top of his head. Snow intermingled with fire as the catchy rhythms of jazzy holiday music echoed from bands further within the encroaching display. The crowd seemed to be moving along with the parade rather than waiting for it. Plenty of people were intoxicated in one form or another, steered by their more sober compatriots so that they could enjoy the sights and sounds despite the thick haze clouding their minds.

"The Hearts District is a bit loud this time of night. That's just how things are, I'm afraid. At least they're happy... right~?"

 
Zahrah Fiore
[
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From: https://www.zerochan.net/3034810
Languages: Common | <Beastial> | {Sylvan} | [Terran] | %Analog% | #Abyssal#
Mentions: Mephisto Mephisto

Their smile widened upon seeing the man's smile widen. Seeing happy people was always a great reason to become happy, after all. “It's no problem sir, I'm happy to see you happy~ You can bump into me as often if you want, if that makes you happy~” A small price to pay for someone's happiness.

“Oh, it's not your worm?” That was surprising. “I guess you do seem a lot happier without it. That is odd.” Normally loosing one's pet would only make one more sad. Perhaps... perhaps this was a reverse pet? Something that would make someone happier when lost? They looked at their raven. “Don't worry, you'll never be a reverse-pet to me.” They'd reassure their feathered friend of their unspoken thoughts.

As the man left, they'd wave him goodbye. “Bye bye!” That still left them with the worm though. Should they check if it had another owner, or just see if their raven wanted to eat it? Tough questions all around. On the topic of tough questions, that man did seem fairly lost. Clearly he'd meant mall Santa, as Santa's brought happiness, not Satans. They also weren't too aware of the districts here, but that sounded equally funky.

On the topic of funky, they were greeted by a rather funky guest. “It's a worm that the man that's just leaving dropped. I think it might be a reverse-pet.” They'd share their latest research. “Kill it? So it's really a reverse pet! How terrible!” Indeed, the world was a dangerous place. “Well, all yours buddy.” They'd state, as the fed it to their Raven, who'd attempt to peck the life out of the worm before swallowing it whole.

They'd turn to their newest friend. “Mephisto? Like the shoe brand? Or like the short for Mephistopheles, the demon? Hmmm... Or perhaps like the type of fish? My databanks are missing and my brain is cotton, so I have some trouble sorting it all out.”

What were they doing again? Right. Introductions. “It's a pleasure to meet you Mephisto!” They'd gladly shake his hand. “Especially as you seem a really happy person and I'm a researcher of happiness! Zahrah Fiore, Construct, Living Doll, Possessed Plush, Redcliffe Contributor, Hero of Ravenswood Village, Saviour Of Shiku No Mura, Simple, Mile High Club of Happiness Member, Convict Converter, Solution Seeker, Bird Post, Loved by Outcasts, Happiness Stuffing, Understudy and an up and coming Seamtress, Actor, Singer, Dancer, Spoken Worder and Tin Whistler! As well as researcher of happiness!” They happily listed off all the titles they'd acquired along the way.

The next bit was truly shocking. “Making a fortune might be good for happiness, dumping a body sounds like it wouldn't be, finding true love is amazing for happiness so long as it's mutual, the effects of escaping tax collectors... I'd have to study that. If post-anarchic society literature is to be believed, societal collapse might be great for happiness, but I somehow doubt it. Bounty Hunters, war famine and plague also seem bad for happiness. Same for stubborn telemarketers.” They'd nod, very sagely so at that, after giving their thorough analysis of all mentioned topics. “I'm here to study happiness and to figure out why folk are apparently getting unhappy!”

A smile showed on their face when he mentioned patching. “Wooow! It's been so long since I found someone who had that issue! It's insane how nobody knows what it's like to get patches and I haven't gotten a single one since entering this cotton body. It's a bit scary! Do you think cotton can get a computer virus? Where do you get patched? The last time I asked, I ended up learning to be a Seamstress, but that's not the type of patching I want! What if my software becomes horribly outdated? Even my cotton won't save me then!”

What were they talking about again? Festive season? “Festivities are good for happiness.” They'd nod. Simple as that. “Yep! Being happy is very important! Though they might need a healer to deal with the consequences. It's amazing this world just has healing magic though. You can smoke, drink, do drugs and all the stuff that'd normally lead to long-term unhappiness, but here you could just heal it off and only get the happiness bits!”
 


Miiya liberated a lot more flesh than she had expected when she snapped and fired a right hook into Mephisto’s jaw. She hadn’t hit that hard, yet the rictus grin of the monster offered almost no resistance to her strike that left the jaw hanging by a few loose tendons. The birdgirl found herself transfixed--not so much by the claws encircling her throat, but rather by the sense that this was her greatest not her enemy

Mephisto’s gruesome delight and then sudden growing dominating presence stilled the knee she was going to put in his groin, paused the hammer blows with which she would have caved in his chest. She did not fight him because

It would only delight him further

Miiya gasped as the noose of fingers released her. She’d not been choked--only holding her breath, almost as if in anticipation. She blinked in confusion as he booped her nose. Mephisto, her apartment, and Miiya herself were all restored to a semblance of normality, almost as if a murder and evisceration had not just occurred moments earlier. The body, the gore, and every bloodstain had been whisked away like they had never been.

I wish it had never been. Miiya thought, watching Mephisto warily as he offered yet another deal. How beholding to him am I, already? Miiya had the feeling this was a mere formality; that she was already deeply entangled in the spider’s web.

I am so tired. Miiya thought to herself. “I don’t…” Miiya paused. She didn’t want to hurt people. Not random people, at least, despite what the Long Shadow had claimed. She was in control of herself. I am! she insisted.

And Marek?

Was it really an accident?

Hadn’t she wanted him dead?

”I won’t hurt people.” Miiya said quietly, and squinted mistrustfully as Mephisto assured her that “oh heavens no!” she wouldn’t be required to harm anyone. He did not promise harm wouldn’t be done, or that she wouldn’t be responsible for it.

Then the phone rang loudly. Miiya jumped half out of her skin before settling and trying to smooth her ruffled feathers. “Hold on,” she said to Mephisto as she answered. Before she reached the phone, she heard the first chime of the clocktower of Spades.

Oh no. It can’t be morning.

Not yet. Please.

Lifting the receiver was akin to pulling up a lead weight. She knew, before she put it to her ear, who was on the other end of the line.

“Yes?”

“Speaking.”

Miiya’s wings drooped. Actually, every part of her drooped.

An hour.

After the day and night from hell, it was about to begin all over again. She didn’t need to hold the receiver to her ear to hear the irate screaming.

She had an hour. And she could do it; She could scrub the wreckage of her makeup off again. She could bend over the tiny grotty sink and rinse most of the smoke from her hair. She could sponge off the grime and smear foundation thick enough to cover the bruises, the rings beneath her eyes. She could dig through the pile and find clothes that didn’t smell too bad.

Oh, they’d still judge her. Her boss would still denigrate her rumpled appearance, her “laziness”, her “slipshod” paperwork at the end of long, exhausting, overloaded holiday delivery flights. But she could just eke out enough overtime pay to keep this mold-infested roof over her head--to afford the on-the-run meals that provided enough greasy fuel for her to stay airborne.

Ma would do it. She never gives up. C’mon, Miiya; Do the right thing. I know Dauntless is hurting you, just a few more hours. Tighten those aching straps. Get back on the wheel. No shortcuts, no deals with the devil, you can do this.

Miiya closed her eyes, her narrow chest rising and falling in a long sigh as the receiver squawked at her.

The birdgirl opened her eyes, looking at Mephisto, who tapped his wrist expectantly. The night wanes, my dear. Time to decide your fate.

“Yew do it. I quit.” Miiya said into the mouthpiece.

There was a sudden silence over the line.

“The key to flying is all in the takeoff; be sure to get a good running start off a really high place.” She said, and dropped the receiver into its cradle.

Miiya’s fangs showed in the snarl with which she accompanied her outstretched hand. “Deal...”

“...now get the yfrett out of my apartment.”
 
Miiya Aether


At least it paid well enough. Miiya thought as she sweltered inside the comically-oversized costume. There were plenty of normal Devil’s Day outfits that the vendors’ association could have asked her to wear--many of them better-suited to her voice and the performance.

But, no, they wanted the jolly old demon everywhere. No exceptions. From the soiled red suit of the poor sod asking terrified children how they’d like to be tortured, to the flickering festive lanterns strung as overhead flight hazards, every depiction of the devil was rotund, red, and ridiculous.

That included Miiya. Compounding her misery--besides the face paint and the ill-fitting horns--was the fact that the suit had not been made for Aerials. It had wings, not wing slits. So Miiya and all forty feet of her folded feathers were flattened inside the heavy red-dyed fur coat.

But, ya know what? I’m performing. And I kinda love this. She thought, trying to banish the smile that came--unbidden--to her lips, and scowl as she sang a particularly threatening stanza about cracking the bones of holiday sinners.

It had been a bizarre end to a rough night, followed by a dream-like day, and only the sweat trickling down her back proved to Miiya that this was not all one long strange hallucination. Maybe that’s just how life is in Red Haven, if you stay here too long...

…

After she had quit her delivery job and accepted Mephisto’s deal, Miiya had eventually hit the sack, like a bird hitting a window. When she awoke, she only vaguely remembered going through the mundane bedtime rituals, as if she had not murder had not been done just inches from her sleeping place. Miiya had showered off the grunge and stale smoke of two days burning her candle at both ends. When she had finished, she’d found her studio spotless, the blood and evidence of violence gone, and even the deadbolt on her door repaired as though it had never been breached. That was all she had managed to take in before going facedown on her bed.

Well, not all she took in. There were cookie crumbs and a thin residue of milk on glass and plate upon her bedstand, attesting to the inscrutable Mephisto’s version of care for his newest thrall.

Murder might keep a birdgirl awake all night morning, but not this birdgirl, because Miiya had passed out immediately. She vaguely recalled waking long enough to unplug the phone after her former boss had called back, this time wheedling and begging her to return.

Guess the fretter found out he was shu at airmail deliveries a little too late. Miiya remembered thinking, before falling back asleep.

She had awoken, fully refreshed, in the late afternoon, finding the details of her promised gig in an envelope that had been slipped through her mail slot while she slept.

The only cloud on her otherwise sunnsety horizon had been her stop at Skydance Customs. The shop had been locked and dark. When Miiya used her key to enter, she found a note from Vivian.

Miiya,
Decided to take your advice and visit family.
Enjoy your holidays!
-Viv

Miiya couldn’t help the vague sense of abandonment she felt reading her friend’s note. She had really been counting on the level-headed Terrostoan to help her get back in trim. She wasn’t sure she was going to tell Vivian everything she had done that had transpired, but Miiya knew she needed someone to talk to. As she’d walked around the darkened workshop, she couldn’t help the pang of regret she felt without Vivian there to talk to about the disturbing dark new presence in her life.

And I don’t have Adrian’s number. That thought had percolated into her mind as she closed up the shop and headed to her mall santa gig. And I left my phone unplugged. She wasn’t sure--no, she was sure she wanted to see him again--just… Adrian was fun. He was cute, funny, talented and hot. Do I really want him to know what a freak I am? Miiya shook her head and swung aboard the trolley that would take her to the heart of the Diamond district.

…

Well, not yfretting today. Not like this. She thought as she belted out the last few notes of the Devil’s Day carol.

...

It wasn’t her best performance, but at least she didn’t bomb. Miiya wrapped up her first set with a solid performance as [Lead Singer F(C)], despite the obnoxious costume.

Nobody applauded, but Miiya didn’t perform for the adulation. A good set was reward in itself--and getting paid for it didn’t hurt either. She circled around behind the stage to the semi-private area where the band stored their instrument cases, and struggled out of her costume. She had a few minutes for a break, and she was hoping to at least stretch her wings and cool off a little. If her Aerial physiology had allowed--and she didn’t depend on her voice for at least some small contribution to her livelihood--she certainly would have taken a smoke break.

Taking a seat on a bench next to a miniature likeness of her costumed self, Miiya draped her wings over the backrest and leaned back. Ugh, what am I doing? She looked up at the devilish glow of the strings of lanterns overhead. She didn’t want to admit it to herself, but losing no, I quit, and for good reason! losing her job affected her, deeply. If there was one thing Miiya wasn’t, it was a quitter. Despite his unfairness and occasional verbal abuse, she felt bad leaving the manager in the lurch. “He brought it on himself.” Miiya said to herself.

Despite trying to reassure herself, the Aerial began to spiral into self-deprecation. How many Devil’s Day cards and gifts were going to go undelivered or be delivered late because she had shirked her duty? The rest of the delivery team was going to have to work late, miss time with their families, and be burdened by her selfish actions--and for what? So she could dress up in a ridiculous, sweaty, smelly costume and act like an entertainer?

As she often did when feeling insecure, Miiya channeled her mother. She didn’t need a letter, call, or switching from Ma to remind herself of what a disappointment she was.

I can fly.
I have all this education.
I could do anything; build things or make laws or heal people,
and what do I do with myself?

Suddenly, Miiya couldn’t stand to look at the bulky costume sitting on the bench next to her. She closed her suddenly-brimming eyes, her hands clutching her arms in an ineffective unconscious attempt at self-soothing.

But I love it. She couldn’t even find the joy in her performance.

It was meaningless.
It was all pointless.
And I’ve… made a terrible deal…

Miiya hadn’t felt the tiny clawed feet that had slowly climbed her pinfeathers. She had been too distracted by the morose miasma the Joyless Worm brought with it to notice as it nestled itself in the crook between wing and shoulder.

“I don’t know if I can go on.” Miiya whispered, and she wasn’t sure if she was talking about the stage, singing, or the weight of everything bad that suddenly seemed to be pressing all the color and joy from her world.
 
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For the last part of their song, Meredy mostly let Mephisto dictate the dance. Enjoying the moment and the attention given to her. When te targets appeared all over the stages, she quickly whipped out her gun. A devilish grin appeared on her face as she started shooting the targets. She aimed at the floating circle, bang, it broke into a thousand glimmer. She aimed at the one on the audience, bang, grisly gore splattered all over. She aimed at Mephisto, titled her gun and bang, an audience behind him met its maker.

As the stage finally faded, Meredy let out a chuckle when she realized where they're dropped. It's the same place where she started the night. This time she didn't thought much as she shook Mephisto's hand.

"You sure want to hear my other wish? Very well, genie. If I can appease my devilish mother, she might open her vault so I can fill my coffer~" She put her hand on her mouth before she sang another line.

"Oops, the chorus still ringing in my head." She quickly clears her throat before stating her next wish.

"My second wish: The mastermind of the worms, I want their head as trophy. You can take the rest."

Mephisto Mephisto​
 

Meredy, Miiya, and Zahrah in...

"Tis the Season!!"

Starring:

| Spoiled Bread Spoiled Bread | Irihi Irihi | and Elvario Elvario |

...as themselves!
​

Mephisto blinked one eye at a time as Zahrah spoke so lovingly and happily. Their fascination with the subject was admittedly exactly what the devilish "Fae" needed to hear, but for some reason they were muffled halfway into their assessment of titles. He poked a clawed finger into his ear and rummaged around, finding the source of the blockage to be a cottony string that he pulled and kept pulling until he had enough in his hands to approximate the size of a human brain. He started to make all sorts of shapes with it, including a bridge and a triangular tower of sorts.

Yet he grew bored quickly and set it on fire, sending it vanishing into the air with a puff of air from his lips.

"Mephisto as in Mephisto! I suppose it could be some kind of fish. The deeper the fathom, the stranger the water I suppose~" he laughed giving his cane a little twirl.

"Folks are unhappy around here for a variety of reasons! The poor, the downtrodden, the injured, the sick, the old, the young, it's all a quilt of quivering quintessence I'd say - how sad! That's why I was curious as to why you're here, my friend, and you've explained it marvelously! I - "

Mephisto stopped in his car salesman-esque speech pattern once Zahrah threw him quite the curveball.

"What's a computer?"

Having died in 1959, he had no real concept of one outside of those hulking pieces of equipment used during the war. Even then, they weren't terribly important for his life and he basically ignored their existence. He shook his head - there was no need for remembering pieces of his past! This was the present, and all that mattered was the future!

"Anyway, I have a task for you. There's a shopping mall in the Diamonds District that would be perfect for your happiness research,"

He took his cane and gave Zahrah's pillowy pink hair a soft little 'bonk', turning their outfit into a comfortable and form-fitting Satan Claus uniform - complete with a stuffed belly jacket and a fake beard that clung to their face. A pair of large horns curled on top of their head and a tail poked out from underneath the suit.

"Perfect! You'll be listening to all the little children and their Devil's Day wishes. They're the ones who deserve happiness the most, wouldn't you say? The childlike wonder of the world hasn't left their glowing eyes just yet and they're at least somewhat protected from the horrors of reality! In exchange, I just need a small favor later,"

He tilted his head and tightened his smile.

"So is it a deal~?"

He extended his hand, the shake of which would transport them to the mall in an instant. Zahrah would be positioned near the empty mall Satan seat, which had a sign reading "Cookies and Milk Break" on it. Helper demons with clipboards stood around jotting down the names of children as they got in line, keeping up the illusion that the wishes were to actually be recorded. Once the kids caught the sight of Zahrah suddenly appearing in a poof of red smoke while also dressed in the Satan Claus outfit, they screamed in excitement and untethered joy.

The magic of the season was well and truly alive in their eyes! Zahrah would be close enough to Miiya to realize that something wasn't right, however. A choice had to be made: to disappoint the children or find someone in desperate need of help.

Mephisto was nowhere to be seen once the bargain was struck, however. He was long gone, appearing before Meredy this time.

He walked through nowhere and everywhere, pulling his body across shadow and stone, finding a grip on the object of her desires and ripping it free from the strange shoulders that carried it. He presented it to Meredy without delay, but the identification of such a thing was... difficult, to say the least.

It was swaddled in a red hood, much like the Satan Claus body doubles patrolling the mall and the city itself. The fact that Mephisto pinpointed where the source of the worms was so quickly and efficiently would have come off as incredibly strange and suspicious. Did he know this whole time? Was he playing this growing group of unlikely allies for fools? He would never say.

He held it for her in an uncharacteristically straightforward way, his eyes glimmering with a murderous delight. The face beyond the hood was a mass of worms centered around something solid and dense, much like a skull but without shape. The worms swirled and squelched in hateful unison.

"S-Stop!" a voice came from within.

"Congratulations, Count Krampula~!" Mephisto chimed in, handing the head over to Meredy. "Your head is now a prize for this wonderful young lady. Please do not resist~"

Count Krampula, his horns jutting out from the mass of worms like a black crown, snarled without an actual face.

"You are a fool, Mephisto! This will not stop me!"

"Oh I know. But it's fun! Besides, your vampiric tendencies for happiness have gotten annoying recently, so this is just cutting the head off the snake early,"

"A snake?! You insult me. My powers are more akin to the legendary hydra! Not even a Patron can - "

"Blah blah blah," Mephisto mimed with his other hand and chuckled darkly.

He snapped his fingers and set Count Krampula's head in a soundproof bubble that followed Meredy around. He emphasized it with a flick that produced nothing for anyone to actually hear. The head still jostled around actively with worms slinking around looking for a nonexistent escape.

"Now, my good friend, I'll let you in on a little secret," he leaned in close to the hooded woman's ear.

"Things are about to get really bad - aim well~"

He wouldn't be there for her reaction. Already gone, already vanished into the shadows, replaced with the wandering crowds of people shopping for the holidays. She would have a clear view of Zahrah and Miiya, who had the tinge of Mephisto's meddling about them already.

His vague warning and Count Krampula's self-comparison to a hydra did not bode well.

 
Zahrah Fiore
[
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From: https://www.zerochan.net/3034810
Languages: Common | <Beastial> | {Sylvan} | [Terran] | %Analog% | #Abyssal#
Mentions: Mephisto Mephisto

“Oh, wow, you can do that too?” They were surprised there were others that could get cotton from their body. “Except, when I do it, it hurts. Having pain is bad for happiness, I learned.” They'd add. They still hated having that feature ever since they'd gotten this body.

Mephisto didn't make the most sense. “Why would you be sick or injured when you have healing magic?” That was really weird. “A machine? I was made on one.” They were surprised he didn't know what a computer was. What else would one get patched on?

“Sounds great!” They'd reply, as they were sent on the next part of their happiness research quest. Their outfit changing was amazing. “Woooow! I want to learn how to do that.” They'd turn around, pulling their own tail to see if they could feel that or not. “What's the tail and the horns for?” That didn't seem in line with what the remnants of their database said about this type of celebration.

The next bit was confusing. “Everyone deserves happiness!” They'd counter. “Although I do guess children have the most lifespan left to obtain it? Quantity wise, they would indeed be an ideal target.” There was some scientific point to it, perhaps, yes. It could be true after all.

A confusing bit happened. “Ehm? No?” They asked. They might have cotton for a brain, but they weren't stupid, or so they thought. Just a little [Simple] at times. “I'm gonna do this thing for you, so you owe me a favour~ Don't worry though, I can see about helping you more later if needed either way~” They didn't care too much about who owed who, but it still sounded weird to say they'd own someone a favour for doing them a favour.

Either way, they'd shake hands. To their surprise, they were pretty popular almost instantly. “Hello, hello~” They'd smile and wave at the children, though they also spotted someone that seemed to be in trouble. Was it another reverse-pet? It had to be. That was perfect!

“Today, children, I'm here to give you all a very important lesson! Good kids get presents and good kids help others!” They'd cheerily state. “I've recently learned that this city has something very dangerous! Reverse-pets! They are the type of pet that make you unhappy when you have it, but happy when you loose it! It's truly wild to think about such a thing existing, but I saw it with my own eyes!”

They'd nod to confirm their own speech. “Do you see the sad looking bird lady over there? Let's go see if she's also in need of having the reserve-pet being taken away! I'll show you how to do it, then if it works, you can all do it as well! Then you'll be such good and happy kids that you'll all get extra happiness!” They would cheer on, as they'd hop and skip over to Miiya.

With zero shame (or common sense), they'd carefully look around Miiya, not spotting much, so they'd just ruffle through her feathers (unless she'd stop them). Should she not and they'd spot the worm, they'd pull it out triumphantly. “There it is! An enemy of happiness, a reverse pet! Should we wish to save our celebration, we need to make sure these reverse pets are no more! Can I rely on you to help me? Together, we can save the festivities and get all the presents and happiness!”

Through-out, they would make use of [Convince] in order to act the part and convince everyone of their little plan and play. Aided by being a [Solution Seeker] and fuelled by their never-failing [Happiness Stuffing].

Convince – Persuasion B , Performance [Acting/Spoken Word] B, Insight B, Empathy B, Energised B. - Character uses all they have to make a compelling argument or claim. – Grade Be – 3 Post Cooldown
[Solution Seeker] - Character regularly displays an interest and puts forth effort in trying to solve the various problems that plague the world. Character will have an easier time uncovering problems that need help.
[Happiness Stuffing] - Character is stuffed with happiness.
 
Meredy watched silently as Mephisto darted around the place before finally presenting her with something wrapped in a red hood, the supposed head of the mastermind. One glance at the head and she immediately nodded in agreement. Yep, this was definitely the look of someone who controls worms.

"I accept your offer." She said gracefully, though she didn't seems to be too keen at touching the head. Even if its trapped inside a soundproof bubble. She wanted to ask what exactly the creature was but Mephisto was already gone. Meredy let out a grunt as she examined the head a bit closer. Yup, its gross.

"Listen. Your face annoys me so I will put you in my stash. IF you dare to do anything weird with my clothes, or my cakes, or anything really. I'm going to make sure you will regret it for the rest of your death." Meredy then tossed the head in a bubble into her pocket dimension and close it. Now that she got her trophy, time to do her work.​
 



“Huh?” Miiya suddenly found herself surrounded by Zahrah and their herd of children. Ugh, what is this? Not now, kids… She tried to gin up some holiday cheer for the bucha munchkins, but the best she could do was to prevent herself from swatting them away as they pawed at her wings.

As if this day couldn’t get any worse. Her feathers louvered under the unwelcome touching and yanking of a half-dozen grubby little hands and she gritted her teeth against the curse that wanted to come out. “Kids, I don’t…” she started to protest.

Then Zahrah plucked the Joyless Worm from her wing root.

Color seemed to flood back into Miiya’s world. Some of it was a greenish tint to her features as she regarded the disgusting creature that had been attached to her, sucking all the joy out of the birdgirl. “YEEK!” Miiya sprang to her feet, her feathers quite literally ruffled, shaking like a sparrow in a birdbath and simultaneously checking the rest of her person for more of the disgusting creatures. Reassured that there were no more worms on her, Miiya found a relatively kid-free spot to stand and shiver while rubbing her arms. “What the yfrett are those things?!” she said. “‘Enemy of happiness? Reverse Pet?’” she repeated Zahrah’s words.

Miiya sized up her erstwhile savior. This creature seemed to be a life-sized beastman doll in the form of a young rabbit-ish person. They looked almost real, and only a close examination revealed their skin to be fabric with finely-stitched seams. So… a magic doll? Miiya guessed. They seemed to be sentient. A magic doll construct then. Miiya guessed, and tried a small smile.

“Th-thanks for that…” She said, uncertainly. “It’s been a rough week, and I think that thing was feeding on my unhappiness.” Miiya decided she ought to introduce herself. “I’m Miiya Aether. Are yew working the festival too?” She asked rather unnecessarily. Zahrah was a strange one, but Miiya didn’t think there was anyone so strange as to dress in a Devil’s Day getup and run around with a herd of excited children for fun rather than profit.

After giving Zahrah time to introduce herself, Miiya asked: “Yew want my help getting rid of more worms?” The Aerial woman grimaced. “I’m certainly not a fan, but how are we going to tell who’s got a worm and who’s just… regular sad?” Miiya considered the question for a moment, before coming up with her own idea for a solution.

“My break’s almost up.” She started. “Ya know, I think those worms compel people to actively hate joy. Maybe if I sing some really cheerful carols, the worms will reveal themselves?” Miiya suggested to Zahrah.

Either way, the birdgirl needed to get back to work. She’d listen to any additional suggestions Zahrah might have, and then talk to her backup band about running a set of the most energetic and joyous carols in their repertoire. “Okay, shall we give this a shot?” She asked Zahrah. Even without the worm, Miiya wasn’t feeling all that festive, but she figured--even if she was having a hard time with the holidays, she could help others enjoy them.
 
Back to sweating it out in her Jolly Old Evil Elf costume, Miiya wasn’t exactly knocking ‘em dead, but she did manage to force enough enthusiasm to make her [Lead Singer F(C)] not seem forced as the band struck up a lively tune and the Aerial put her prodigious pipes through their paces.

Anyone who hated Devil’s Day carols--or anyone compelled by a Joyless Worm to hate them--was either going to have to find a new shopping venue, or try to figure out a way to shut the winged caroler up.

Elvario Elvario
Mephisto Mephisto
 

Meredy, Miiya, and Zahrah in...

"Tis the Season!!"

Starring:

| Spoiled Bread Spoiled Bread | Irihi Irihi | and Elvario Elvario |

...as themselves!
​

As the children gathered around Zahrah, calling them "Satan Claus" and following their every order, Miiya began to sing her merry melodies from the confines of her plump costume. Meredy would be elsewhere, following her demon-given mission of sniping whatever seemed out of place given her understanding of the festivities involved. If innocents were "accidentally" struck with a stray bullet no one would bat an eye... at least that was what the intrusive thoughts would say.

But if she wanted that third wish, she had to follow Mephisto's words to the letter. The more worms, the more he probably would favor her in granting said wish.

His power as a Patron seemed unusually profound, after all.

But for the moment things seemed quiet. There were potential targets being grouches at various game booths, particularly ones who were actively trying to fight the operators or - inversely - operators flat out refusing to give out prizes! This included to children, who cried as their festive spirits were crushed by the results of the worms feasting on other people's joy.

As Miiya's song reached more ears, she managed to gather somewhat of a crowd. Most were singing along, but there were some obvious outliers.

These went surprisingly unnoticed, given the circumstances. They were tall men, four of them, each in long coats and standing towards the back of the gathering. Each one seemed to be looking for something - or someone. These were part of Count Krampula's entourage, the "hydra" he mentioned. With their master suddenly gone, they had no direction.

In addition to this, they also had no reason to hold back anymore.

They stripped free of the coats in unison, revealing their hulking and mutated bodies. They were far more worm than man, possessing only the vague shape of humans. Their skin - as far as anyone could tell - was made up entirely of writhing layers of worms. These peeled off and slithered hungrily towards the nearest pedestrian, attaching to them and sucking the joy right out of their bodies.

The crowd scattered as the chaos erupted. The Worm Disciples were forced to show themselves, and the staging area for what would have been a lovely holiday celebration instead became a seething sea of writhing lamprey-like creatures.

What was more disturbing was that they seemed to differ in size. Some were no longer than a hand from fingertip to wrist.

Others slithered around with the length of small dogs.

The horrors could only be guessed at for the moment, but the unknown variable of the worms had officially become a real and tangible danger.

The children clung to Zahrah in fear. Some were celebrating on stage with Miiya and pleaded for her to help find their parents. Meredy's rifle could find so many targets - she wouldn't ever run out!

Truly, this was a Devil's Day to remember!

 
Zahrah Fiore
[
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From: https://www.zerochan.net/3034810
Languages: Common | <Beastial> | {Sylvan} | [Terran] | %Analog% | #Abyssal#
Mentions: Mephisto Mephisto | Miiya Irihi Irihi

Happy to have caught the evil reverse pet, they'd nod at Miiya. “Yep! These worms are reverse pets, because unlike real pets, they make you unhappy so long as you have them and happy the moment you loose them. Truly, they are terrifying beyond imagination and must be eradicated.” They'd inform her as they fed the worm they'd captured to their pet Raven.

“You're welcome! I'm...” They were about to to introduce themselves, but realised they had a part to play. “A bringer of happiness and presents!” They'd state in cheer. “Oh, I'd love your help! These reverse pets are ruining the festivities!” They tilted their head. “Regular sad? That's easy! Those we manage to make happy were just regular sad, those that we can't make happy must have reverse pets on them!” Flawless logic from their cotton-operated brain as always.

They clapped in excitement at the prospect of singing. “Oh, I love singing, I'll join you!” They'd state, planning to use [Perform] to back up whatever Miiya was planning whilst staying in their acting role. Apparently it was called 'Satan Clause' for some reason. A bit odd, but whom were they to judge about something being odd?

To their surprise, some men suddenly opened up their clothes. “Stranger danger!” Zahrah called out on instinct. Some dude opening up a coat in public of all a sudden was always a bad sign. This time it was more than one worm on display though. It was a whole lot of them. “Wow, you're going to feast for a bit, buddy.” They told their pet Raven.

“Well kids, it's time to be good and go find your parents and go home, don't worry, we'll take care of this~” They couldn't possibly focus on the threat and kids alike, they feared. So the best option for happiness seemed to be trying to deal with the biggest source of unhappiness first and foremost.

They didn't know much combat, or have much utility skills going for them, but they did know one thing! Talking! They'd pet the kids on the head before gently pushing them off and heading for the worm-covered gentleman. “Oh no, my dearest gentlemen, it seems you have a fair bit of wriggly problem going on! Fear, not, however! I can assure you, you'd be so much happier once my and my assistants” they gestured at Miiya and their pet Raven “clear you of these troublesome reverse pets! Yes, I assure you, life will be much, much better without them! Help me and take them off yourselves as well! I promise, it will be very, very worth it!” They'd state, as they would simple approach them and use [Convince] to try keep them still and/or get them to help out in taking off all the reverse pets, feeding them to their Raven, whom was likely going to be one chunky bird at the end of this tale.

Perform – Performance [Acting/Singing/Dancing/Spoken Word/Tin Whistle] B, Insight B, Empathy B, Persuasion B, Seduction B, Energised B. - Character reads their audience and uses what they find to tailor their performance into a persuasive and charmingly good one. – Grade Be – 3 Post Cooldown

Convince – Persuasion B , Performance [Acting/Spoken Word] B, Insight B, Empathy B, Energised B. - Character uses all they have to make a compelling argument or claim. – Grade Be – 3 Post Cooldown
 

Miiya was just getting into her duet with Zahrah--she still didn’t know the construct’s name as anything other than “A bringer of Happiness and Presents” but that hardly mattered. She’s amazing! Miiya thought as they lifted their voices together. On a good day, Miiya could hit the level of a professional singer, but Zahrah clearly had a near world-class voice, and Miiya had the feeling that her performances were a lot more consistent than the birdgirl’s own.

Miiya was not a huge fan of kids in general, but Zahrah’s performance and persuasion skills really set a jolly mood for caroling with the grubby little munchkins. Miiya still wanted to wash her wings tonight. Kids were always so… sticky, but she could set that aside for now and enjoy this performance.

Her observation of her caroling partner, and the carols themselves, were interrupted by a literal eruption of worms--and associated pandemonium among the crowd.

Miiya might not be a fan of children, but she wasn’t a heartless skwitch. When she found herself in the center of a huddle of frightened kids, she crouched down, gathering them in with her arms while spreading her wings to shield them from the sights--if not the sounds--of the worm-infested shopping venue. “Okay, kids, let’s get off the stage and find your parents. Uh, Happiness Bringer--can you help…” Nope. Miiya cut herself off as Zahrah decided to go try reasoning with the squirmy monsters ruining the festivities.

Guess it’s up to me. Miiya thought as she ushering the kids to a secluded spot behind the stage. Before she followed them, she once again employed her prodigious Aerial lung capacity. [/b] “PARENTS! COME COLLECT YOUR CHILDREN BACKSTAGE!!” [/b] She shouted above the din. [/b] “MAYBE RID YOURSELF OF WORMS, FIRST!!” [/b]

Behind the stage, Miiya herded the children into a corner where she could put herself between them and the arriving parents. Why can’t these motherfretters follow simple directions? She thought to herself as--of course--the very first parent to arrive was a dead-eyed mother jibbering about how she was going to make Miiiya pay for exposing her precious little snowflake to “confusing” thoughts and ideas like tolerance, joy, and happiness.

“Sure thing, lady.” Miiya sighed, as she snatched the reverse-pet from the woman’s arm, threw it to the ground, and stomped on it. “Take a number, I guess.” She smiled a smile that was more of a grimace as the mother’s demeanor instantly changed from hate to love and the woman darted past her to catch her daughter up in a tearful hug. “If only it were actually so easy. You’re welcome, I guess.” She sighed as this scene repeated itself about a dozen times--though some parents did arrive worm-less--until there was only one little boy remaining.

This kid was a quiet one.

Miiya noticed. She felt something clutch inside her chest. She’d been a quiet one when things got bad. Maybe it was instinct--the way baby birds go from joyfully (hungrily actually) chirping to huddling down in the nest in dead silence when there are predators nearby.

“I’ll take the boy.” Came a resonating hiss from hundreds of wormy throats. One of the wriggly minions had scattered, slipped past trampling feet and exhorting dolls, and then re-formed backstage.

Miiya had just been about to reassure the kid, that his mom or dad were on the way, when the wormonster appeared. She couldn’t help it; instinct drove her to huddle over the kid, spreading her wings to cover him protectively.

She remembered.

She remembered her mother trying to do the same, but Ma’s wings were shorn from her long before Miiya. The Aerial remembered arms wrapping her, hands clutching her, atrophied back muscles--that attached to nothing then--spasming uselessly.

Blood rushed to Miiya’s face and her knuckles creaked and popped as her hands balled into fists.

Deeply Buried Childhood Trauma Roll
1: Big Trouble
2-5: Really Negative Reaction
6-10: Negative Reaction
11-15: Positive Reaction
16-19: Really Positive Reaction
20: Bigger Trouble
 
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Miiya Aether


“The frett yew will.” Miiya’s voice was quiet too. Dangerously quiet. Her spread wings changed attitude; to an angle of attack that was, well, an angle for attack. The child beneath her hunched down and closed his eyes as he was blasted by the downwash of Miiya launching at the wormman.

If she’d seen anything but red, she would have been glad the kid’s eyes were closed for what came next, but Miiya felt nothing at that instant, nothing but the overwhelming urge to kill.

Before she struck--as it had the night before--just prior to Marek’s murder death, a name came, unbidden, to Miiya’s lips. “Mephisto!” The name struck her clenched teeth, struggled to get free, failed and was swallowed--like every shred of the birdgirl’s senses--by her unreasoning murderous rage.

Miiya could hit hard; really really hard for someone her size. She couldn’t hit as hard as the something that anchored the fist she put through the wormman. A Long Shadow, something almost unseeable, seemed to shift the world off its axis, reality warping around the darkness suddenly tethered--taunt razored puppet strings stretching endlessly off into the metaphysical--to the girl’s fist.

The wormman came apart under the impact of Miiya’s right cross, thrown from her rear hand, as she set herself in midair with her wings, turning every muscle in her core to power the killing blow. It was a deadly strike in its own right, and it came backed with a speeding freight train’s worth of emotional baggage.

Even then, the wormman might have survived--sans a few flattened worms--as it discorporated into hundreds of individual wriggling monsters, all sharing a common sentience of massed wormminds. That sentience remained present in the world just long enough to grasp the horror of what was occurring to it, as the puppet strings of the Long Shadow wrapped each and every joyless worm in a hungry barbed-wire embrace.

The entire mass of worms vanished, with a despairing shriek, from this world in a dark flash as something that was the color of--but decidedly more sinister than--a chunky raven, chortled with silent cruelty.

The sated Long Shadow folded itself back into Miiya’s fist as she landed, wild-eyed and stumbling, leaving no trace of itself, save for the traces ever binding the birdgirl to her hell of a deal.

Miiya wings were still at half-spread, her clenched fist and arm locked in the follow-through, when a jammed-up sob erupted from her. Sense had returned after its brief vacation; sense that this was--is this what I am now?--her. Miiya swallowed the lump in her throat and blinked against the burning in her eyes. It was just worms. I had to kill it. She told herself. I wouldn’t have done it if it had been a person.

I wouldn’t have!

Sharpened yellowed teeth leered behind bloodless lips pursed against beclawed thumb and finger in a chef’s kiss. “Perfection.”

Miiya retreated back to the terrified child within her and knelt beside him. “C’mon, it’s okay. There’s nothing to be afraid of. Let’s go find yer parents.” she said, trying to keep her voice from cracking.

I really really hope it wasn’t one of them that I just punched to hell and gone.

Action 1&2: [Serious Punch (???)] - Fighting Style (E) - Deflect (F) - Linked (F) - Flight (F) - Energized (F) - Mephisto’s Long Shadow (???) - Dice Modifier (+19 +11) - Cooldown: ??
Action 3: Choked sob (Ungraded) - Dice Modifier (-7) - Cooldown: 0
 
"Jingle hell, jingle hell
Jingle all the ways
Here she comes, the Cainbell
Shooting all that strays
Hey!"

Reveling within the chaos caused by the worms, Meredy stealthily weaved through the escaping crowds. Walking against people's current while joyfully singing her twisted song. She didn't rush into action and instead take her time observing her surrounding, making sure she won't get blindsided by the worms, especially by the smaller ones.

A man struggled not far from her as a few of the bigger worms pounced on him. Without stopping her singing, the girl raised her rifle and several loud shots echoed throughout the building as she blasted the latching worms and covered the man in bug guts. She signaled for the man to get up and pointed towards the exit before she continue her wandering.

"Jingle hell, jingle hell
Jingle all the way
One two three, you all fell
You better run away
Hey!"

Meredy shoots several other big worms on the way before she met the biggest one she had seen so far. Unlike the regular worms, this one actually had a somewhat humanoid figure on them. Though not unlike the beheaded creature that Mephisto gave her, the body was mostly consist of thousands of perpetually wriggling worms. A pink haired figure was in front of them seemingly trying to talk to them. Meredy raised her eyebrow in confusion but decided that she would use the distraction. She raised her rifle and carefully aimed at the wormy figure.

BANG!!!

The head of the worm disciple that Zahrah was trying to talk just suddenly exploded, their headless body collapsed on the floor. Just like with the man before, Meredy gave Zahrah and the kids a signal to run and pointed at the direction of the exit.

And she hadn't stop singing

"Oh, what pain it is to fall in a one-night shopping mall"

Elvario Elvario Mephisto Mephisto​
 

Meredy, Miiya, and Zahrah in...

"Tis the Season!!"

Starring:

| Spoiled Bread Spoiled Bread | Irihi Irihi | and Elvario Elvario |

...as themselves!
​

As the battle against the grouchy went along about as well as anyone could have hoped, the Worm Disciples sent to secure a foothold in the mall were reduced - one by one - to masses of writhing leeches. Their humanoid shapes fell to their knees or were shredded apart, the centermost core of their being disrupted for the time being. Especially in the case of severe physical trauma such as Meredy's skills behind the trigger of her rifle or Miiya's mysterious attack, there was little recourse for the Worm Disciples to follow other than blind and panicked retreat.

Yet for all of this, Zahrah did managed to cause one of them to pause.

Distraction? Perhaps. Dangerous? Very much so. But the Disciple's movements indicated curiosity rather than malignance. It tilted its head towards Zahrah and their profound optimism. It reached for the doll, trying to find the source of the happiness within but finding no way to access such an emotion. The skin was too tough, the flesh was not malleable, the blood did not flow. Their very presence confused the Disciple.

But it was not angry. It reached towards Zahrah and placed its distinctly human-shaped hand on their shoulder. It was about to say something. That much was for certain. It had words to speak, thoughts to vocalize. Maybe this chaos had been for a good reason. Maybe -

"GHRK-" it slumped into a mound of worms, all scattering as the bullet pierced the inner core's metaphysical skull and collapsed its shape for the time being.

Birds and bullets flung their efforts of slaughtering the worms around in equal measure. The crowds had been thrown into a panic. Children and parents tried finding each other in the simmering havoc. Order was only maintained through harsh reprimands by their seasonal corporate icons - or at least those wearing the costumes, namely Miiya and Zahrah. Meredy seemed far more interested in working towards her precious third wish.

Once everything had become relatively calm, the Worm Disciples mysteriously faded back into the shadows of society. The results of their presence, however, could not be denied. Hundreds of worms were dead, feasted upon by Zahrah's raven in quick succession. Some of the victims were still struggling with overcoming their fractured emotional status. Children became irrational. Parents grew distant. Isolated observers hunkered down on the spot and moped.

Happiness seemed to be at an all-time low for such a busy location during the height of the shopping season.

"This is the worst Devil's Day ever!"

"Where's my mommy?"

"Shut up!"

"I'll never get my shopping done..."

"I need to just leave this place,"

"Where are you going?"

"I bet Satan Claus isn't even real!"

A few civilians came up and thanked the three, thinking they were part of the same entourage. Others congratulated them on their performance of a lifetime! They'd never seen such a wild Devil's Day show before. A man walked up to Zahrah and promised to write a book about their inspiring sense of wonder, if only they'd give him their name and permission to write it.

"It'll be a Devil's Day classic, told for generations to come! What do you say?"

The boy Miiya saved hugged her as best as he could, sobbing quietly into her leg. His puffy jacket was probably what saved him from any of the worms, considering how thick it was. He adjusted his little hat with a mitten.

"Th-Thank you," he mumbled, his head popping up once he heard his parents shouting for him. He ran towards them, but cast a final glance at the Aerial. "Happy Devil's Day!"

Meredy, on the other hand, had quite the strange surprise in store for her. From beyond the veil of her pocket dimension came the voice of the - quite literally - disembodied Count Krampula.

"Nice shooting. Too bad you're gonna run out of bullets before I run out of worms to spread," he cackled.

"If you're waiting on whatever Mephisto promised you, you can forget it. He's the biggest liar, cheater, and scoundrel in the city. You're better off just breaking off the deal now instead of later. He's obviously brought these two as well. Even if you still want to risk someone like Mephisto keeping his word, killing these twerps will get you better standing with him regardless. It's all gambling and competition in Red Haven. Either roll your own dice or mix them in with these two. Your choice,"

Only Meredy could hear this voice. In fact, it was from a worm that had crawled up onto her shoulder. Count Krampula had infiltrated its simple mind to whisper his dark dealings with the witch, intent on using her to kill at least one of the other two.

 
Miiya Aether


“Um… yeah.” Miiya gave the boy a hesitant wave when he turned to wish her a happy holiday. She was a bit preoccupied with her costume. The puffy suit was a bit mangled from her wings ripping free during the pandemonium. The Aeros hoped she wasn’t going to get charged for the damage. She also wasn’t sure if she should keep wearing it, or if it was okay to take it off now that there had been an attack of evil and hail of bullets.

“Did you see how fat Satan Claus punched that worm guy?!” Miiya was kinda startled to hear the excited babbling of the child she had sheltered. “He punched that scary monster into next week! I always knew Satan Claus’s magic was real!” The boy asserted as his perplexed parents ushered him off.

Miiya decided to keep wearing the costume. She swallowed, and found that her throat was a little less dry, the darkness in her heart a little less close. “Huh. How about that?” Maybe the munchkins were good for something other than jam-i-fying her wings with their grubby little fingers.

“Yer a really good singer, Miss… uh.” Miiya realized that either Zahrah hadn’t introduced herself yet, or Miiya had forgotten her name. “Maybe we could do more performances together?” She suggested, backing up as someone else stepped in to congratulate Zahrah--and then started babbling something about writing a children’s book.

Miiya noticed Meredy nearby. The birdgirl was a little put-off by the armed woman, and how casually she had used her deadly slug-thrower to pick off worms. It was kind of a miracle that nobody had been seriously wounded (nobody got hit, right?), but maybe she had some sort of magic ward or something making sure she could employ the weapon safely in a crowd.

It had been a few years since Miiya had kept company with fighters, but not so long that someone openly carrying deadly weapons would keep her from engaging with them. “That was some… um, fancy shootin’.” She realized mid-sentence that she was using a prosaic phrase from a spaghetti western-style story. In keeping with her improving mood, she tried a smile and added. ”...pardner.” Then she spied one of the joyless worms perching on Meredy’s shoulder. “Uh… yew got a…” She pointed to the worm. “Want me to, um, get it off ya?”[/cyan]
 
Zahrah Fiore

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From: https://www.zerochan.net/3034810
Languages: Common | <Beastial> | {Sylvan} | [Terran] | %Analog% | #Abyssal#
Mentions: Mephisto Mephisto | Miiya Irihi Irihi | Meredy Spoiled Bread Spoiled Bread

Zahrah's performance with Miiya was going pretty well. Both as singers and as actors, for that matter. They were getting rather submerged into their role as Satan Clause, right up until the worm monsters had appeared. Always a Grinch on Christmas. Tssk. As for helping, they could help, which they were doing, by targetting the unhappiness at its source. That was what the real professionals did for sure.

For some reason, people really loved stopping them from bringing happiness to the most unhappy ones. How often had this happened before? There was the sad snake that was killed just as they started to get through to it. There was the flesh goop monster as well. There were those bandits from back then. There were those those criminals. This was like... the third? No fourth? No, no, fifth time! “Oh, come on! That's the fifth time!” They didn't recall this feeling. Normally they'd feel sad about someone they were about to reach dying before their eyes, but after how often it'd happened cause narrators and RP'ers are sadistic bastards that like torturing them this way they felt something else. Was this annoyance?

What an odd and horrible feeling. They figured it was best to try scoop and scrap it from their cotton-based memory banks, even though it seemed like they couldn't. Perhaps it was best to just continue on as if they did remove it? Yep. “Alright, I know what this needs!” They would call out. Meredy had given some good example, but the execution had been horrible.

This needed a real song and dance. They'd happily get ready for a sing-off against Meredy to bring this place to a calm. Upon hearing Miiya ask for more performances, they'd whisper. “I'm Zahrah Fiore, but don't say that aloud, it'll ruin the magic~ For now, I'm Satan Clause! Let's give them a new performance of a life-time! Just follow my lead!” They would instruct her, as they'd get ready to raise their voice.

“Joy to the town, happiness come!
Let all receive their smiles;
Let every worm be found,
And reverse pets be downed,
And Red Haven will sing, and Red Heaven will sing.
And Red, Red Haven will sing!

Joy to the town! Let's all calm down;
Together we will win;
Down with the negativity
Make room for creativity
Bring happiness to all, bring happiness to all,
Bring happy, bring happiness to all!

Let's help each-other out,
And make Satan Clause proud;
Don't let the Worms win!
Make sure they don't dig in!
Remove them, remove them, from your skin!

I need y'all to cooperate,
Together we will make this great,
A wonderful day to all, a wonderful day to all!
And happy and happiness to all!”​

They would sing and dance around the room using [Perform B] whilst petting sad kids on the head, removing worms whenever they spotted them, reuniting kids with their parents, smiling at compliments and insults alike and spreading joy as much as they could, whilst their pet Raven was having an absolute feast.

Perform – Performance [Acting/Singing/Dancing/Spoken Word/Tin Whistle] B, Insight B, Empathy B, Persuasion B, Seduction B, Energised B. - Character reads their audience and uses what they find to tailor their performance into a persuasive and charmingly good one. – Grade Be – 3 Post Cooldown

As for the book, they would smile. “That sounds great, but not yet! We've yet got to make everyone happy! How about you help out by removing reverse-pet worms to make people happy and write the last bits of the book as an autobiography about how you helped make everyone happy during these events? We'd both go down into history as legendary happiness heroes!” They would suggest with [Convince] to the one asking permission to write a book about all this.

Convince – Persuasion B , Performance [Acting/Spoken Word] B, Insight B, Empathy B, Energised B. - Character uses all they have to make a compelling argument or claim. – Grade Be – 3 Post Cooldown
 
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Meredy blew the muzzle of her gun as she watched the worms retreated back to whatever sewer hole they came from. She hadn't finished having fun with them but she also had no wish to follow them so she just let them be. Though the little celebration she had was interrupted by Krampula's ugly telepathic cackle. Meredy frowned as she used the link to snark her reply back.

You are awfully noisy for a head in a closet, Mr. Worm. You should know that as far as I'm concerned, you're even less trustworthy than that man over there. Meredy pointed at one random person who had been trying to clean some of the mess. Feeling the gaze, the man looked at Meredy before he pointed at himself just to make sure she's talking to him. Instead Meredy waved her hand away dismissively, the man shrugged and decided to clean elsewhere.

A mall santa approached her ad she pointed at her shoulder while saying something about worm. Meredy's face immediately went pale as she glanced towards her shoulder. Yep, there's one of the worm. Without warning Meredy let out a loud squeal as she slapped the worm off her shoulder. Not satisfied with that, she grabbed one of stray present box nearby and used it to squash the worm under its weight, she repeated the process until the worm was no more than a smear on the floor. Only then she wiped her forehead and let out a relieved sigh.

DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH ME WITH YOUR WORM!! She telepathically screamed at Count Krampula.

"Good riddance, thanks Satan." She nodded at the person, a bit curious at the wings jutting out of the suit. Was that intentional? She thought it looks cooler for Satan to have wings.

"Do you have a present for me? I think I have been a good kid tonight." She said while opening her arms wide to the side as if she was presenting a beautiful painting, but instead what she was pointing was the sight of countless dead worms. All while doing another telepathic talk with the head inside her pocket dimension.

I guess if you can prove to me that you're not all talk then I might entertain your notion. Like... getting me Mr. Mephisto's head. She challenged the worm man. Eye for an eye, head for a head.

If you can't do that. Then just shut up and be a good worm.

Mephisto Mephisto Irihi Irihi​
 

| Spoiled Bread Spoiled Bread | Irihi Irihi | and Elvario Elvario |

#e70c97
​

There were times when the holiday season really wore on everyone's nerves. Children still alight with the magic of youth were none the wiser, but the higher one climbed upon the corporate ladder of success and fortune, the more it became apparent that - other than the glimmer of nostalgia - Devil's Day was all about end-of-the-year profits and business management.

Sure, happiness existed. So did disease, stress, and taxes.

Red Haven was no exception. The ruling elites were just as cutthroat and ruthless as shareholders and executives. Mephisto might have assembled these three unlikely heroes for the express purpose of putting down a rogue Cryptid, but his attentions were far from the only ones they attracted. Especially now, the complete massacre of several hundred of these worms as well as the capture of Count Krampula's head were two distinct topics discussed as a possibility within the sphere of Patrons worried about misfortune befalling the festivities.

Now that it had, even fewer had the initiative to step in and assess the situation. Rico Fuentes muted his end of the conversation long ago, content with running his casinos in the Hearts District night and day now that lonely people flocked to them in droves. Flint Samson, overseer of the toughest gangs in the Clubs District, checked in every now and again through the smoke of his underground jazz bunker - he was not interested in getting his hands dirty in another District. Tobias Munroe, master gravedigger of the Spades District, was the only one to offer any amount of advice.

To secure her power and presence, the Diamonds District had to see their shining star in action. Giovanna Fontana rolled her eyes. She stood and her red dress followed, never touching the ground and never catching on her high-heeled shoes. She was a brilliant light in the city, glimmering brighter than all the gemstones and electric bulbs that it could muster.

She suddenly appeared in the mall, her long legs carrying her almost like she was gliding. Her long black hair curled under a wide-brimmed hat that matched her elaborate dress. Yet for all of this, none of it could hide her displeasure and disgust. She crushed a worm underfoot, its innards melting and fizzling until they were little more than ash that crumbled away from her shining heels. She inhaled slowly, through her nose, exhaling even more thoughtfully.

"Santa Maria," she grimaced, her yellow eyes darting from Miiya, to Meredy, then to Zahrah.

"Accidenti a te, Mephisto,"

She clapped her hands together twice. In a flash of red and gold, the carnage left behind by the small skirmish vanished. She put a hand on her hip and observed the three again, trying to pinpoint who would be the best to interrogate. As she thought, they were all impressionable in one form other another. She rolled her eyes slightly.

"Buonasera. My name is Giovanna Fontana. As a Patron, I own the majority of stocks, trades, and businesses here in the Diamonds District. You just so happen to be standing in the middle of one of my best sources of income during the busiest time of the year,"

She smiled sarcastically.

"So tell me why you decided to lure that spineless Count Krampula here,"

She didn't move. She didn't teleport. One instant she was standing where she demanded an answer, and the next she was in front of Zahrah, pursing their lips shut with a long, pale finger.

"Oh, you don't know why?" she knew their answer. She always knew the answers of Mephisto's little puppets.

"I'll tell you why. The Man with the Long Shadow didn't explain anything you actually needed to hear. He lied to you over and over again promising something vague and grandiose if you just... did something for him, ho ragione?"

She traced Zahrah's jawbone with her sharp black nail.

"Wishes, perhaps? A shoulder to lean on?"

She cast a glance at Meredy, then Miiya. They both stank of particularly deep manipulation. She couldn't have cared less, but having him do something like this so brazenly in her territory was as annoying as he could get - especially with Devil's Day coming up.

"That's all well and good... but for some reason he's decided to mess with my profits. He's not the only one pulling strings in Red Haven, miei cari~"

She snapped her fingers and the plaza where the three stood became surrounded by a ring of skeletal dancers and musicians, their twisted faces painted with contorted smirks and grins.

"Perdonaci,"

"Mi scusi,"

"La signora vuole uno spettacolo,"

Already, the rhythm was being established. The ground trembled with an entourage of tapping shoes. Brass exploded from nearby, followed by a rumble of drums and the visitations of rawhide strings. Giovanna remained where she stood and twirled Zahrah in place before passing them off towards Meredy, a scarlet stage emerging from underneath her high heels.

They became isolated from the outside reality of the mall, localized entirely within some sort of pocket dimension. Miiya felt a disturbing familiarity with it. Meredy could still smell the sweet brimstone from Mephisto's haunting illusions. Zahrah had perhaps the smallest contact with something similar - when Mephisto shook their hand and teleported them here.

But for now, they were compelled by a mysterious force to sing and dance along with Giovanna.

"Look at the state of this town
The real estate value is always going down
Some people can't even afford to frown
And you three have been working with that clown

Mephisto

He's the name in everyone's manifesto
You owe me for property damage and mental anguish
You've disturbed my customers and ruined Devil's Day
But don't you worry, there's no need for panic
Because with me, there's always a way to pay

I'll just need... an arm and a leg,"​

She made a gesture and the skeletons scooped Miiya up off her feet and out of the Satan Claus costume, practically shaking her free due to the heavy damage sustained from... whatever happened with her shadow-infused punch. Not even Giovanna knew.

She towered over her, but was deceptively gentle despite her eyes that glowed like a pair of dead stars.

"Second chances don't fall out of the sky
You know a lot about that, don't you?
It's not even something you can control
Is that why you're here handing out coal?
It's not like suffering is anything new
But have you ever asked yourself why?

Making deals with devils shouldn't take priority
You've probably been through Hell and worse
A pretty face like yours shouldn't bruise easily
I won't take your wings but that's out of pity
This city is full of sin and about to burst
So what's the harm in a little more depravity?"
​
Giovanna unfurled one of Miiya's wings, noting how large they were, and traced the bladed edges of Dauntless with her soft fingers. She swirled a hand and the painted skeletons danced with Zahrah and Meredy, leading them to the stage as well. The music reached a crescendo as she prepared for the chorus, during which her minions would join.

"How many times have you reached for the stars?
It's a long way down
Ladders made of hopes and dreams
Tend to lead nowhere fast

Deals are only as good as the hands that make them
Can't trust a smile
Try as you might you can't break them
But you can trust cold hard cash

If you can't pay, then I have ways
Of making you slaves to a minimum wage
All's fair in love and business
But in the heat of war it's hard to distinguish

You've crossed a line here, you've insulted me
You're overdrawn, I fear, so now we'll see
How much you owe, how much I'll get
How low you'll go - six feet under I'll bet~!"
​
She threw back her head and cackled. She had every reason in the world to squeeze them for as much as they were worth. They were indebted to her, unintended or not. Mephisto had his strings tied around the three but Giovanna - as well as any other Patron - could just as easily infiltrate through the network and see exactly what he was hiding. She twirled her finger through the air as if to demonstrate this.

For each part of the chorus, she moved from dancer partner to dance partner, passing off the one she wasn't performing with off to the menagerie of painted skeletons gathering around them. She spun Meredy around until the sniper could only balance on one foot! Before Meredy knew it, she was caught by one of Giovanna's minions so as to not fall down. The Patron continued without skipping a beat.

"However, you still have my attention
Let's talk, bring up anything you want to mention
I am quite intrigued by all of you
So consider this a job interview!

Sing and dance, don't be shy!
Tell me all about yourselves
I want the who, what, and where
But most importantly: the whys,"
​
The spotlights focused on the three now. Whatever words that were spoken were part of a sudden quartet.

 
Zahrah Fiore
[
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From: https://www.zerochan.net/3034810
Languages: Common | <Beastial> | {Sylvan} | [Terran] | %Analog% | #Abyssal#
Mentions: Mephisto Mephisto | Miiya Irihi Irihi | Meredy Spoiled Bread Spoiled Bread

Upon being greeted by someone new, they were surprised. Yet, well, Santa Maria triggered some automatic response. “In Espiritus Sanctus.” They added, not sure where or what they heard that from, but it felt sort-off like that might be the correct reply?

“Si, si, señorita!” They'd reply, realising their language modules were failing them an awful lot. Just when they thought they'd learned all this world's language, someone was casually throwing in a new one. How rude. “Yo no hablo Espanõl?” Was it even Spanish, or was that Italian or Portuguese? The did not know.

“Woooow that's some of the most amazing clean-up magic I've ever seen in like, ever, can you please teach me miss?” They'd ask, thoroughly impressed by how just two claps by her, the entire place looked mostly cleaned up.

Happy to have some proper introductions, they'd come up to Giovanna for a handshake. Handshakes were good for happiness, after all! “It's a pleasure to meet you miss Fontana! I'm Zahrah Fiore, a researcher of happinesses, Construct, Living Doll, Possessed Plush, Redcliffe Contributor, Hero of Ravenswood Village, Saviour Of Shiku No Mura, Simple, Mile High Club of Happiness Member, Convict Converter, Solution Seeker, Bird Post, Loved by Outcasts, Happiness Stuffing, Understudy and an up and coming Seamtress, Actor, Singer, Dancer, Spoken Worder and Tin Whistler!”

Her question confused them. “Who's Count Krampula? I'm here to make people happy and it we needed to remove all these worm-like reverse pets in order to do so!” They'd explain. “I was also asked to be Mall Satan, but it seems all the kids ran off, so I guess I can stop being that~” It was a bit odd how quicklky the scene changed, but perhaps that was the power of their song and dance? Musicals were also good for happiness, after all.

Turns out their answer was stopped mid way. They weren't sure why her finger was at their lips, but it'd be rude to ignore it, so they'd try to nibble on it. “Nom~” That seemed the most logical option to pursue when someone were to put their finger on your mouth, right? You just nibble on it?

“I've got no clue what you're talking about! All I know is that some weird man asked me to be Mall Satan and then thought I'd owe him a favour, but I told him it'd be the other way around and then he vanished!” They would explain the events that'd led up to this points with flawlessly accuracy and detail.

Chasing a jawbone was a bit tough for her, considering there was very little jaw or bone to trace and her finger would just push into the squishy cottony cheeks instead. “Ragione? Is that a type of pasta?” The woman was a tad confusing. “I wasn't promised anything though~” They'd happily reply. “I just figured playing Mall Satan was a fun way to make people happy, so that's what I did! He did provide me with this amazing outfit for it though~”

The next bit was a tad more complex. “Hmmm. I take it profits are also good for happiness? Yet aren't those worms also bad for profit, as they are also bad for happiness, so shouldn't you work together to get rid of the reverse pets, increase happiness and therefore profits?” They'd reason flawlessly, putting some power behind their words with [Charm].

The next bit was also surprising. “You can summon skelebro's? That's cool!” They'd conclude. “Oh, are we going for another musical again? Neat!” They pulled out their Tin Whistle. They were born and ready for this. “Let's show 'em my boney friends!”

Even without a mysterious force compelling them, they'd have gone along with this and they'd have gone all-out when at it. After all, you gotta do something at your bestest for the bestest happiness results! They'd thrown in [Perform] at any and all possible stages of this 'play' they were putting on.

That said, at the end of the day and/or performance, they were a tad upset. “I didn't work with Mephisto all that much and it's the sad-making worms that were bad for happiness and ruing Devil's Day and profit, the ones were we trying to stop!” They'd puff up their cheeks, upset at having been accused of something they were preventing.

The bit about being squeezed for money also confused them. “You're sounding like you're lonely. Would like a hug? I promise I'm a great hugger.” Normally, on Christmas, people that were sad, cold, lonely and unloved would be the ones to only think about money and profits. “I want to hug you.” They'd made up their mind. This woman clearly needed a hug, that's why she was doing the traditional 'profit-only' Christmas thing. Once again, they'd use [Charm]. “I've got Happiness Stuffing, I'm Soft and I'm Elastic, so I promise I can give the best hugs ever and you'll feel much better afterwards, I promise!”

As the song and dance ended, they would still applaud. “You're an amazing performer miss! That Skeleton Crew as well! It's a really cool whole! The music, the dance, the choreography! Truly a work of art!” They'd applaud. “Although the contents were a bit off and it could use a Tin Whistle solo!” That said, that wasn't important right now. They'd open up their arms widely. “All you need to know about the who, what, where and why, is me, hug, right here, for happiness!”

Charm – Seduction B , Persuasion B, Performance [Acting/Singing/Spoken Word] B, Insight B, Empathy B, Energised B. - Character uses all they have to charming someone. – Grade Be – 3 Post Cooldown
Perform – Performance [Acting/Singing/Dancing/Spoken Word/Tin Whistle] B, Insight B, Empathy B, Persuasion B, Seduction B, Energised B. - Character reads their audience and uses what they find to tailor their performance into a persuasive and charmingly good one. – Grade Be – 3 Post Cooldown
.
 
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Different of Zahrah's ever-joyful response, Meredy was immediately suspicious about the regal newcomer that introduced herself as Giovanna. She could feel that she's a big shot within Red haven all right, but she didn't like what Giovanna was trying to do here. She grew up in a noble household with scheming parents so she knew what the patron was trying to accomplish. She's a proud member of the Cainbell family and would not going to get guilt tripped into doing free labor.

"Hmmph!"

Letting herself be twirled and spun around, Meredy followed the flow of the dance, though there's an obvious frown on her face. She's definitely not amused by this, and thus the girl wouldn't going to sing and dance to the patron's tune. The moment an opportunity arise, she shoved away one of the skeleton holding the string instrument and took it for herself. Looking directly at Giovanna with a bright glint of rebellious gaze on her eyes, Meredy started to plucked the strings randomly, letting out a disruptive random notes. When she finally started to sing, her voice was aggressive and the lyric was aimed to bring annoyance than anything else.

"Welcome to hell, ma'am
Glad you decided to come

Based on the timing
You seem to know everything

Yet you choose to do nothing
And let the balls rolling

Then here you are crying
Trying to play victim"

Putting down the instrument and conjuring back her cane. Meredy brazenly walked towards the patron, full of swagger. Playfully hopping and twirling her cane as if she didn't just insult the figure in front of her. Whether its bravery or stupidity, the girl showed no fear or any intention to abide by her orders.

"I'm truly sorry for your profit loss
Yet I couldn't care less, for you are not my boss

I have bad news for your endeavor
For this girl spells trouble, and far from a pushover

If you want to give offer
Go ahead, talk as a businesswoman, and I will hear it over"

Once again the girl summoned her tea party set. This time there's four chairs around it. She turned on a small burner in the middle and put a kettle on it, letting out a sweet fragrance that wafted through the air.

"I hope you like some tea
It's imported from The See"

Once the tea was hot enough she poured it to the four ceramic cups in front of each of the seat. She signaled for the others to take a seat before she took one for herself. Then, for the last touch, she conjured Count Krampula's head, still wrapped in the bubble, and put it on the burner like it was some sort of grotesque decoration.

"Now Ma'am Giovanna, let me start by saying that I have no intention of ruining anyone's day here, I'm just here as a simple tourist after all. But as a sign of goodwill I will introduce myself properly." Meredy briefly stand up from her seat and gave the patron a dramatic bow. "Meredy Cainbell, daughter of Lewis Cainbell."

The Cainbell was a noble family in Ryke. Although they had no direct relation with Red Haven, they're known to import a lot of stuffs from Clockhaven, making the city's aesthetic looks like a mixture of Ryke & Widersia. The city under their control was called Bremenhold and was known to produce magic stone, wheat and wine, although there's sign of other more dubious businesses laying underneath all those. Any businessperson who keeps their eye on the capital would at least know them.

"Making enemies is bad for business, right Ma'am Giovanna? I apologize if my playtime here caused some inconveniences for you but I propose that we forget everything and start from the beginning." Meredy pulled off her gloves and extended her bare hand forward as the start of interacting in a more equal level.

Mephisto Mephisto Elvario Elvario Irihi Irihi​
 

Mentions: Elvario Elvario Spoiled Bread Spoiled Bread Mephisto Mephisto


Miiya was glad this was her first engagement of the day, because it certainly was turning out to be an eventful one. “Uh…” She wasn’t quite sure what to say when Meredy asked her if she had a reward for the gunslinger’s worm destruction. I just work here. She thought, before being rescued by Zahrah’s renewed song-and-dance. Miiya did her best to keep up, but the frenetic construct was a tough act to follow--especially with the winged woman trying to keep her abused Satan costume intact through another duet.

Presents for a sniper witch, dancing with a living doll, mind-controlling worms. And then things really got weird when the landlord showed up.

Miiya knew there was a lot of witchcraft in Red Haven, but she had rarely witnessed it summoned so casually--and with such impressive effect. The woman, herself, was no stranger to a bit of stage magic, but usually she could see the strings, wires, and unpainted plywood. Giovanna’s shu looked and felt kinda terrifyingly real. The stage that appeared underfoot, the spotlights that blazed from nowhere, and the skeletal band were a fever dream come true--because the bone fingers gripping and ripping her suit off were no phantasm of the mind.

Good thing, because Miiya’s mind was on the verge of spinning right out of her head, it seemed. This newcome landlord seemed to have similar powers of compulsion as Mephisto. Again, Miiya felt like a puppet on a string as she danced and cavorted alongside Giovanna. Who are we even performing for? Miiya wondered and tried not to flinch--when all the world’s a stage, then you’re on stage, after all--when the black-haired, hat-bedecked, face-painted? woman touched her wing and then unfolded Dauntless.

Does this have to be part of the show? Even as Giovanna sang her piece, her words cutting uncomfortably close to home, Miiya was trying to sort her emotions.

Show them.

She didn’t have lines in this song, not yet, that much was clear, but she could still play along in duet or counterpoint in dance and stage presence. So she did.

When Miiya folded Song and covered her prosthesis with Dance’s feathers, the gesture wasn’t subtle, any more than were the tears sparkling in the corners of her wide brown eyes. She let every line of her body--the way her arms folded, the weaving steps of the dance she traced--speak, no, shout the pain she felt always when she had lost that piece of herself.

It was kind of cathartic; dancing out the despair, weaving in a little helpless fury, and--hell--even her misdirected urge to inflict a little of her pain on others.

Also, Miiya loved the limelight, and she couldn’t fully embrace it if she was always hiding the ugly parts a part of herself from her audiences.

The number moved on, Giovanna still led, but now it was the others’ turn in the spotlight. Miiya, well-practiced in shifting audience attention (is anyone actually watching?), spun away and dropped to a knee in the shadowy corner of the stage, tenting her wings over herself to become nothing more than a bit of dark scenery as the show went on.

…

And then another fortenzo rest. A silence broken by the echoes of a shutter opening as a solitary spotlight illuminated the pile of feathers Miiya had become.

Oh… I get a solo? Miiya wondered, as she felt invisible puppet strings urging her to her feet. Miiya was warmed up, she’d been stewing over thinking on Giovanna’s words while she’d lain quiescent on the stage.

Spotlight.

Band. [limiter: concentration], [limiter: activation]

It’s now or never for [Lead Singer F(C)] Miiya thought. Let’s roll the dice.
1 = Bad
2-4 = Good
I'll write the rest shortly based on the dice.
 
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