Scene #6795: Summer War Kickoff

Owner	Pose
Nobunaga	The particulars of the Moon Cell don't matter. What matters is this location. This marble of reality consists entirely of a single high-end luxury hotel, and the invitations and advertising all direct visitors to the top floor, a glorious open-air promenade with its own bar, a pool, and all the sun one can stomach. Out over the railings, it's shimmering blue ocean waves as far as the eye can see, except in one direction-- Directly north is a tropical island sporting sandy beaches, a lush looking jungle, and even some mountains and an active (smoking) volcano. "Welcome! WELCOME!" the voice of Oda Nobunaga is unmistakable, even through the bullhorn. She stands on top of the bar (much to the chagrin of the bartender) in a remarkably casual outfit. Flip-flop sandals, a halter skirt, and a bright red T-shirt with an explosion decal on the chest. Still has the hat, though. "Welcome to the start of Nobunaga's Summer War!" Thrusting her free hand skyward, she shouts, "Who's ready to CONQUER SUMMER?!"
Gawain	Gawain is here. He's dressed in blue swimtrunks with golden stripes, a silver-grey t-shirt, and a towel over his shoulders, wearing flipflops as he proceeds. It's time for SUMMER. So when Nobunaga stands on top of the bar, shouting through her bullhorn, Gawain is animated. He's excited for the Summer Wars, a fun activity for the whole family, and as Nobunaga asks her question, Gawain raises his hand and shouts. "I'M READY TO CONQUER SUMMER!" His exuberance is like that of a teenager or child, even if he's a 30 year old man. It's kind of funny, if maybe weird.
Penelope Vasquez	Seated at the bar (her natural habitat) is one Penelope Vasquez, clad in... her usual, pretty much. It seems her Summer Alt Costume is just her, with her trenchcoat unzipped. She's showing off a SCANDALOUS amount of shoulderblade, as well as a slim-fitting full-body leotard. Feet are clad in cheap pink flipflops, and there's a wide-brimmed sunhat on her head. More likely to catch the eye than her body is her weaponry, which she's wearing openly- a wonky looking sword hung from her hip, and a pair of boxy little firearms. And her collar, of course. Even more likely to catch the eye is the BADASS FOR RENT sign she's taped to her own back. She's already three cocktails into the event. As Nobunaga clambers onto the bartop, she snatches her empty glasses away for safety's sake- but grins wide as she brings the loudspeaker to her lips, and pumps her fist in the air right along with the woman! "Hhhhheeeeellll YEAH! Time to Conquer Summer!" Her excitement is equally earnest and eager. A vacation? Where she gets to fight people? On a beach, probably? This is Literally Heaven.
Ritsuka Fujimaru	The last time Jeanne had been in the Moon Cell, things had been a little hectic what with fighting a strange Lancer and making sure a certain cihld didn't die getting in over his head. Today, she was hoping to blow off a bit of steam flexing her fire muscles, but when she arrives... It's still hectic, but for a completely different reason. There's a strange, yet familiar voice howling to the heavens, there's a lot more ocean and beach than there had been in past excursions, and there's also plenty of places to get food and drink everywhere she looks. Then again, Nobunaga is talking about some kind of war. Maybe this won't be a complete waste of time. "Is this some kind of contest you're having?" Jeanne steps forward confidently while crossing her arms over her chest, donning vaguely non-summery clothes. She's dressed casually, sure, but the fur-lined jacket looks more like fall or early spring fare even with the short black skirt/shirt combo likely being fine on its own in this weather. It's kind of warm to wear right now, but it's part of her LOOK now. She can't just lose the coat for no reason! "If you're going to lay claim to the hottest season of the year, then you'd better not think you'll do it easily!"
Theurgus	A summer event... Theurgus isn't entirely sure what that entirely entails, since 'seasons' are a rather ephemeral thing in The System. She comes out after researching proper attire. Gone is the hat, replaced by a corsage-like lily clip over her left temple. A tankini, and a halter skirt, with sandles. She tugs at it randomly, but otherwise seems rather comfortable in her own skin. She has a holographic screen open with a grumpy looking Charta glaring at her and speaking without volume. Theurgus is doing a very good job of ignoring her. When Nobunaga chimes up, the Mad Magician lifts a fist, and cheers. "Conquer Summer!"
Seifer Almasy	There are certain things you do when you're married. You take out the trash. You wash the dishes. You support the person you love in good times or bad. And you go to the beach with them. This isn't really what Seifer Almasy expected when his beloved sorceress and wife said they should go out to the beach. He expected, you know, a private getaway. The kind of thing married people take together. Relaxing under a parasol. Drinking...something, he's not really big on alcohol, probably sake or something?...under the moonlight. Romantic times in the love sense instead of the knightly sense. Some almost goofy chaste love scenes right out of a movie, because Seifer is That Kind Of Guy. This is probably way better than that. Still, he looks grumpy, because Seifer is incapable of not looking grumpy, even when he's in a good mood. He's dressed in business casual; a white button-down shirt with nothing underneath left open to show off his ridiculous abs, some khakis, a belt. Hyperion is slung over his shoulder, as almost always. He clenches his fist dramatically. "You're dang right we're gonna conquer summer. Ain't gonna let anybody take territory off our Moon. You hear that, losers?" Seifer slaps his chest. "You're in my house now! I'm the King of the Moon, an' it's gonna stay that way!"
Kotone Yamakawa	So a summer festival by Nobunaga? That caught Kotone's attention and so here she as at the opening for it. Moon Cell was a place she's heard often of but had never visited here. She watches the host of the whole affair. Nobu does seem to be really into this, not to mention with the casual outfit, she's dressed fairly casually cargo pants, shoes, shirt with detached sleeves and she seems to be getting into this herself. "LETS CONQUER SUMMER!"
Ryouma Sakamoto	Ryouma needs a vacation sometimes too. Though he's not sure about the whole "conquer Summer" thing. He just wanted some sun, really! And a chance to talk to the Demon King. Oryou, naturally, had other ideas. The two dressed for the occasion - Ryouma in a modest blue and white set of trunks with a classic Japanese top more like a yukata or kimono than anything else, small round shades atop his nose (and his hat, he never loses his hat), while Oryou has warped her school uniform into a nice two-piece swimsuit, complete with sarong. She floats by his side, never walking when she can help it. "Ah... I should have expected something like that," he says. "Should Oryou punch the Demon King?" Oryou asks flatly. "Wh- L-Let's wait until she explains, ahah..." Ryouma laughs. Nervously.
Tamamo no Mae	There are certain things you do when you're married. You clean the house. You remodel the garden. You support the person you love in good times or bad. And then you go to the beach with them. This isn't really what Tamamo expected when she asked her beloved knight and future Saber paired servant when she wanted to go to the beach. She expected an open beach, no one around and nice, calm waves to enjoy the wonderful time with her husband under the parasol... Then Nobunaga happened. The bikini wearing fox tosses her hat into the air, then pulls the parasol out of the ground and holds it like a lance. "You're damn right we're gonna conquer summer! We won't let anyone take our land in the moon, as Queen of the Moon, we're going to make sure we win this!" she points towards Theurgus with her Lancebrella, "You, my fellow Caster, come here, you're helping us."
Zenos yae Galvus	Zenos yae Galvus was told that there would be a CONQUERING of territory, of the very SEASON of Summer itself. How could he NOT come? Standing in a pair of sandals, as well as a black speedo, and a red-colored Hachimachi, because he is a giant weeb. On his hip, however, is the sword revolver, in SUMMER COLORS. Also, it's very noticeable that the man is /built/. As well as very handsome, with long golden blond hair that hangs over his head, and a strange pearl that seems to rest in the middle of his forehead. Oddly, he seems to ware a bored expression at all times, seemingly uninterested in shouting about this event. "Yes yes, I shall conquer your summer, and rule it as is the right of Garlemald to do so."
Riku	People keep saying that one can get power by holding land in Moon Cell and that one requires a Servant to get anything done there. Which is surely why the landless Riku is here absent his Servant, looking around the bar with a somewhat flat expression at the shenanigans of Nobunaga. He's dressed in a pair of shorts with a yellow shirt, a pair of sandals on his feet. He takes a seat and casually levers himself back, crossing his arms nonchalantly as he does so. "This looks more like a party than a war. What are you planning to conquer, the local bar's stock?" Riku quips.
Lancelot du Lac	Gawain is accompanied by, surprisingly enough, not a member of the Round Table, or even one of its many knights. Instead, he's accompanied by what appears to be the ideal version Greek Centurion. Big, muscular, tanned, wearing the finest bronze armor, and ready for battle. Normally, the most stand out feature would be the helmet, which possesses the unnatural ability of completely obscuring the wearer's face in shadow while only revealing two glowing white eyes, but somehow it's not. No, probably the most stand out feature of the ancient warrior is the bright yellow banana hammock they're wearing over their armor, as if they were too lazy to take off what they were wearing first before putting it on. "Yes, yes. We shall conquer Summer. For Cam-" The soldier coughs as he cuts himself off. "For the glory of Greece!"
Nanoha Takamachi	Nanoha sits on a stool near the bar, wearing a pink two-piece bikini with a white parka and straw sun hat. In her hands, a tall glass with something that looks very fruity in it. Topped with a tiny umbrella. Nanoha sips her drink through a straw, feeling a little silly being in this place alone. She had organized to come here with someone, but they got caught up with work at the last minute. Nanoha attempted to call off this light vacation idea, but was persistently insisted that she still go. And Nanoha couldn't say no. So now Nanoha looks up at the energetic Nobunaga standing on the bar, both a little curious and a little amused by the idea of a summer face-off. She's not very familiar with the Moon Cell or its territory system. But a bout in the heat sounded like a bit of fun! At the enthusiastic question from their host, Nanoha simply smiles and raises her drink to conquering summer.
Nobunaga	"Hmm, hmm!" Nobunaga lowers the bullhorn, appraising those who have gathered thus far from the various factions. Even with more filtering in, the warlord's fanged grin only widens, "Looks like Sakamoto and his wife showed up, there's Cas-ko and her beau, that camelot knight-- who's he with? Ah, can't be helped--" Lots of faces she can't remember or hasn't met, as well..! Lifting a hand, she adjusts the brim of her cap, "This is good, real good! The more participants, the more teams, the better a war we can have!" That same hand is raised, "Attention, generals, warriors, and soldiers alike!" A canvas unfurls from a pole behind her, depicting a handdrawn map of an island with a lagoon. Nobunaga slaps the drawing, "Through various means, I the great Demon Archer collected as many Summer or Tropical-themed reality marbles from the Moon Cell that I could find, and merged them together into this-- the Island of Summer! It truly embodies everything about this season!" Hand lowering, she rests it on her hip, "And for this contest, it will be your duty to conquer and hold as much of it as you can over four weeks! In teams of two or three-- or solo, if you think you stand a chance on your own!" Raising that hand, she gestures to herself, "In the interest of fairness, the premiere authority on unifying the land through force is your host, and shall not be competing!" "Three days!" Nobunaga raises her hand, displaying three fingers, "You have three days to form your teams! After which I will award your territories and the contest begins! That's Monday, by the way! Choose your partners carefully, account for their skills, weaknesses, and strengths, and unify this land..." Up comes the bullhorn-- "THROUGH FORCE!"
Gawain	Gawain listens over the rules, and when the bullhorn comes back up at the end, he cheers. He looks over the crowd. A lot of people to deal with. But this should be fun! With his weird friend, they can unify summer through force. The knight clasps a hand on the shoulder of the 'centurion', nodding to Nobunaga, and then turning to the crowd. "Me and my good friend here will be battling together! We do not have a third, though would accept any interested in battling with us. But, most importantly, I look forward to fighting against all of you, and hope that everyone has a grand time!"
Ryouma Sakamoto	"Teams?" Ryouma blinks. "Groups of people," Oryou helpfully explains. "Thank you, Oryou," Ryouma nods. Right, right. Of course. A nice, light-hearted competition could be fun, to change from the usual life-or-death calls to duty. But who would he work best with? He needs to take so much into account. Compatibility is important! It's-- Oryou wanders off towards Nobunaga, floating in the air. "Oryou wants to know if there will be frogs or not," she asks the Demon King. It's super important. Ryouma laughs, scratching the back of his neck. "I guess I won't have to worry about her cooperation. Ah, that doesn't solve my problem..." His eyes catch ZENOS, because he's kind of a prolific Paladin presence - and wearing similar clothes, which obviously means similar culture and values? Sure. "Legatus yae Galvus, correct? Ah, I hope I'm not mixing up my ranks again..." Fancy Roman ranks. "I don't think we've met, though I've heard your voice quite a few times. Sakamoto Ryouma, and--" He vaguely gestures towards Oryou. "My partner, Oryou."
Penelope Vasquez	Penelope pumps her fist again as Nobu bellows about FORCE, grinning all through the explanatory speech. It's not just the liquor talking- this genuinely sounds like a lot of fun! And a good chance to see how she fares against the denizins of the multiverse outside of controlled conditions. She's giddy at the prospect. An issue though. Teams. She barely knows anyone here. She scans the crowd of very unfamiliar faces. Centurian in the speedo- already taken. The foxgirl and her boo? Taken. The field is narrow. She furrows her brow in concentration as she musters her Salesmanship Charisma Energy- before turning to the nearest person at the bar. Nanoha. "Heeeeeey! Remember me from the factory thingy? With the big portal and- all that stuff. I got no team. You hiring?" A turn of her back- and two thumbs at the paper sign she's slapped onto her back. "I slice, I dice, I slap-chop, I infiltrate. I'm basically like all these sword-weirdos around here but not weird. I'm perfect."
Ritsuka Fujimaru	There's quite a few familiar faces here, but even more unfamiliar ones. The magical energy coming off the large majority of them has Jeanne smirking in equal parts excitement and madness, both from the open invitation to fight everyone and the idea of WINNING AT SUMMER. After all, winning an entire means people would have no choice but to acknowledge her as their superior! With the gears turning in her head, the Avenger has to acknowledge the elephant in the room... Beach... Place. "What good are teams for an event like this? If you wanted us to prove who the strongest is, then having people work in teams only means they're too weak to fight on their own!" Jeanne boasts to both Nobanaga and her competition in various states of summer attire and swimwear. The latter is making her actually feel a smidge overdressed, but... Well, she'll figure out something to wear later. "... But if you all insist on doing this with teams, then I guess I can play along with some of you for now." Scoffing lightly, Jeanne smirks as she glances around slowly to size everyone up once more. There's several blonde guys, the black-haired guy and his wife, the black-haired girl, the white-haired guy, the armored guy for some reason, the brunette at the bar, the fox-eared lady, the blue-haired girl... There's quite a lot of options here, but she's not about to ask anyone to join their team, of course. No, Jeanne's going to stand around and avoid direct eye contact to feign indifference while they come to her! Surely it won't take that long for someone to approach her. ... Right?
Zenos yae Galvus	"Ah, war games..." Zenos says, thoughtfully. It would be a good chance to clash against others. More than that, to learn more of the multiverse, even if it was just a game. Even though it was HIS kind of game...yes. His thoughts are interested in this brand of entertainment, that much was certain. However, the approach of Ryouma gets his attention, considering the man for a moment. Doman? No, he is not...must be the culture that is related to Doman in other worlds. Ah yes, like Majima. "Yes, that is who I am. Though properly it would be simply Legatus Galvus, yae is more akin to my rank in society. Regardless, yes, I have heard of you and your...wife, was it?" Zenos asks, "Though this does appear to be the first time we have met in person, a large organization the Paladins are."
Riku	Okay, so she actually means that they're going to be conquring someplace. In summer clothes. Riku sighs inwardly as Nobunaga trucks right along, and kicks forward to smoothly stand up and walk over towards the map. He gives Zenos a wide berth, not seeming to be interested in potentially triggering a swordfight in the middle of the bar immediately. It's like this just this radius of intense aggression around the Prince that Riku seems to keep sliding around and avoiding getting pinned down by despite them crossing paths repeatedly. Avoiding it... for now. Ryouma and Ouyou do give a polite wave of greeting however. He looks over the map, shrugging at the sight of it. "Okay, so we're going to be fighting to claim areas of the island? All right. How is it supposed to work? Are we actually fighting or are you expecting, like, full contact volleyball or something?" He turns and strolls back to the tables, catching the sight of someone familiar. Before they might realize it, Riku is pulling up a chair to slid in on Seifer and Tamamo. "Hey there, Seifer. It's been almost forever." He glances over to the daring Tamamo, and blinks at the foxgirl. "And this would be your wife, right? Nice to meet you." Looks like he's being a little less edgy since he's around familiar faces for the moment. "So you both got roped into this too? Is it always like this in the Moon Cell?"
Theurgus	Theurgus blinks as she's suddenly addressed by the familiar kitsune. She quirks a brow, then grins. "Two Casters and a Saber? Would our team not be unbalanced to heavily towards raw damage output?" she asks, stepping over towards the pair regardless. "You have my staff, as always." she then adds, sitting near the two, before looking out over the other clusters of 'teams' forming. Charta is /still/ silently barrating her over the holographic screen. That's just a thing that's still happening.
Seifer Almasy	Seifer, having already got his team and having signed up for it some time ago of his own volition despite numerous people warning him about Grail Wars and becoming a hero and all the other stuff involved in his Romantic Dream, stands around looking impressive. He is good at this; he's well-built and well-muscled, considering he exercises for stupid amounts of time every day. He's mostly following Tamamo around, because, well, hey. He's never been much of a socialite. He does give Zenos a wave, though. "Sup. Welcome to the Moon." "Also, this is my wife." Riku comes over, and Seifer grins. "Yeah, this is my wife, Caster. She's great, huh?" "Roped in isn't...what /I'd/ call it..."
Kotone Yamakawa	Kotone Yamakawa had thought this was going to be more of a sporting event but it seems this is more a combat tournament. Still, this could be a lot of fun, and a chance to learn right? She figures what the hell not she'll be into this one way or another and she starts to think about who'd she hit up for this? A few ideas for people she might hit up but she does have three days? Still, she thinks she saw one of the people she had in mind given all the people? She'll start looking about the crowd now to see if anyone she might want to approach is there? Maybe she can find Rean? He would be a good choise she muses.
Lancelot du Lac	"I see. I see. Groups of three... A moment, Sir Gawain. Please continue your endeavors, I will approach this from another angle." The centurion breaks off from Gawain, at least for the moment. Glory for Camelot and competitive fighting is all well and good, but there's a reason the centurion is here. A very basic, and perhaps natural reason for most men, even if they themself try to deny it. He loves swimsuits. Of course, they didn't have much of a reason to break off before, but now with the excuse of forming teams, the mysterious soldier has a reason to mingle. Jalter gets her wish of being approached. She probably now wishes she didn't. The massive Greek soldier gets down on his knee in front of the Dragon Witch, holding out a hand in hopes that they'd give them theirs. Normally he'd just take the initiative, but flashbacks of a certain feline archer make him hesitate. "Greetings and salutations, young madam. It would appear that you are came alone. I hope you do not consider it rude that I cut to the chase and ask straight away, but would you consider joining me and my partner in this Summer conquest? Normally I would only ask such a proposition after treating someone as beautiful as yourself, but we do not have that luxury sadly."
Ryouma Sakamoto	"I see, I see!" Ryouma nods. "Sorry, I'm not familiar with your rank structure. It reminds me of Rome a little, but the way it becomes part of your name is really interesting." The Paladins are indeed large. Beyond anything Ryouma had worked with before, and so he'd given up on learning every last name or face. It was nice getting one right. "Wife, yes, or so history books claim. In truth it's a bit more complex, ahah..." There is, sadly, no single word to describe the relationship between a lovestruck great vengeful snake and the idiot who set her loose. So wife has always been sufficient. "Seems that everyone else is already hard at work forming teams. I don't suppose you'd have room for a swordsman and tactician under your banner?" "And Oryou too!" Oryou yells towards Ryouma and Zenos, still next to Nobunaga. "And Oryou," Ryouma adds.
Nanoha Takamachi	Nanoha is not opposed to some wargames. It's actually part of her job! ... Which briefly causes her to wonder if it will make a good activity for some time off. On the other hand, she does enjoy a good competition. And she should be able to let loose a bit more than she can during her classes. So why not? Of course. There is the question of a team. Nanoha would prefer to not go solo. Competitions like this are more fun with others. Nanoha begins to glance around, already able to spot teams forming. But she then spots Ryouma and Zenos talking. She recognises them, though not having met them yet. This could be a good opportunity to join a team, meet new people and get to know some of her fellow Paladins! Nanoha stands from her stool, beginning to head towards the two. Though she is briefly interupted by Penelope. Nanoha looks at the woman, obviously remembering her. She smiles, "Penelope! It's good to see you again." She's questioned about joining up and rubs the back of her neck, "Ehehe. Kind of? I have some people in mind already though. But if they're not interested, I'll let you know!" Nanoha continues on, giving Penelope a wave, "Good luck!" Nanoha makes her way over to Ryouma and Zenos. Just in time too, as the two are talking about teams. She gives both of them a friendly smile, asking, "Mister Sakamoto and Legate Galvus, yes? Captain Nanoha Takamachi. We haven't had a chance to meet yet, but I've heard both your names and thought I would introduce myself. I'm a recent Paladin signup and have been looking forward to working with others within the faction."
Nobunaga	With the bulk of the announcement given, Nobunaga folds her arms, bullhorn hanging by its strap. She has a rather pleased, satisfied look on her face while watching various attendees start mingling and chatting it up. Especially those who didn't come with friends-- The purpose of an event is to mix up characters who otherwise wouldn't have a conversation, after all! At least that's what that shady sysadmin told her. Oryou approaches, and Nobunaga blinks, "Frogs?" This actually has the warlord thinking a moment, "I imagine there would be, huh. Jungles have frogs and I did get some jungle marbles. Some of them might be poisonous to humans, a great dragon like you probably wouldn't worry too much about that, huh?" Lifting an eyebrow towards Oryou, Nobunaga asks, "Would that be more like spicy or sour candy for you?"
Zenos yae Galvus	Zenos listens towards Ryouma, giving a simple nod. It's really hard to tell if he were interested in the conversation, or if he was simply bored out of his mind. However, as conversations continue, Ryouma gets to the heart of the matter, and Zenos considers the man for a moment. "Ah I see, you wish to join forces for this event," He says, seemingly taking a moment to consider. On the one hand, he was not interested in doing this with a group, he wanted to test these people with his own body. On the other, it would present an opportunity to work together with other Paladins... He could use this to his advantage later. Of course, as he is considering his options, Nanoha comes to introduce herself, and also show her interest. "Ah yes, Ms. Takamachi? I have heard of your exploits from reports, it is good to finally meet you." He says, with an eloquent tone. Three paladins, this would present an advantageous situation. He would not have to consider the potential for betrayal, though it would make things slightly easier. Then again, it is not like the territory is going to remain. Still... "Very well, I agree with both of your proposals. We shall conquer this summer, and rule it," he says, clenching a hand dramatically. "We should consider our strengths and weaknesses I suppose," he says, slightly bored again. Well, maybe a sparing session might show him more worthy opponents in these two.
Ritsuka Fujimaru	Jeanne knew she'd get attention easily enough with that sort of approach. It's just not the sort of atteniton she was expecting. She was expecting one of the people in swimsuits or casual wear to approach her, not the Armored Hammock. Seeing him up close as he approaches has the Avenger recoiling slightly, but she forces herself to stand her ground and look him right in the eye-hole out of sheer stubbornness! And now he's on one knee and drawing even more attention to the hammock DAMMIT. Still, if even she's having that much trouble looking at him straight on, maybe it'd be the same case for the other teams they'd be facing. And if this bizarre fellow of all people had come to her first, then maybe... Maybe that'd be the same for anyone watching this team as well. "Hmph. Bold of you to approach me so carelessly. If it wasn't for this contest sounding more interesting than just burning this whole place down, you'd be in several pieces by now." Jeanne smirks as she stares at Lancelot's outstretched hand, raising her own as if threatening to slap it away. Instead of doing that, however, she reaches forward to try and just pull him right up. "The timing being what it is, I guess I'll forgive you for that and the..." She grunts lightly right when she would have said something else. "... This time. Now. Our other partner was... Over there?" She glances around a few times, having already forgotten that Lancelot was with Gawain earlier. Granted, she's looking for someone dressed a little more outlandishly for the beach, and there's not too many people that would really fit the bill here besides the Greek and herself. It is getting kind of sweaty with the jacket, though. She'll need to find a better outfit later.
Tamamo no Mae	Tamamo looks towards Riku, then back at Seifer... then smiles, "Hello, you must be Seifer's friend. I'm Caster, a pleasure to meet you." she gives a bit of a bow and then moves to drape over Seifer. "It's not /normally/ like this, but close enough." she nods, "This is our ally..." she points towards Theurgus, "Theurgus, another Caster." she nods, "She's not exactly a Servant but, it makes sense." she smiles, "So, what do you do and how do you know my Husband?"
Ryouma Sakamoto	"Hello!" Ryouma intones, not recognizing Nanoha one bit but putting his usual best smile on regardless. "Ah, is that so? It's a pleasure to meet you then, miss Takamachi." Oryou suddenly squints, glaring back in Ryouma's direction. She looks back at Nobunaga, responding. "Oryou has tasted almost every frog Earth has to offer. It depends on a lot of things. The best ones are the ones with coatings. They're crunchy but iced like cakes." Spicy or sour, though? She taps her chin. "Maybe more like spice." Her glare shoots back at Ryouma. "Please excuse Oryou," she says. And then ZIPS to Ryouma's side in a second flat, grabbing him by the arm, now floating alongside him. "Ryouma is married," she says to Nanoha. Ryouma laughs. "Now now Oryou, she's a friend." Oryou glares at Nanoha. Ryouma looks back at Zenos, changing the subject immediatly. "Wonderful! Ah, my strengths... well, I'm not half bad with a katana, but I like to think I've always been better at looking and planning. Give me a map and a pencil, and I'll figure out our next move." A pause, and then: "As for Oryou, she's... a dragon, for all intents and purposes. Your world has those, yes?"
Gawain	The centurion heads off towards Jeanne. Gawain isn't against recruiting her, but...his method is completely weird, and Gawain sighs. That sure was how his friend who totally wasn't Lancelot tended to behave! After a bit, though, and it seems that Lancelot isn't going to die, Gawain heads on over. "Sir Gawain, Knight of the Sun, Warden of the Paladins. It's a pleasure to meet you! If you join us, between the three of us, we should be able to do anything we put our mind to!" However, Gawain, bless his soul, is just as imperfect as his friend is. "However, you may want to, uh...wear something else! It's summer, after all, and a fur coat like that is certainly going to get in the way." It's pure-intentioned, even if Gawain totally wouldn't mind seeing Jeanne in a swimsuit.
Rean Schwarzer	Rean is in fact here, dressed in a red sleeveless hoodie and black swim trunks. Thanks to the wonders of multiversal medicine, he looks fine physically for someone who got shot an obscene number of times last night. He also looks kind of tired, but these two things are /totally/ and /definitely/ unrelated. At least the beach is pretty, though, and that puts a smile on his face. Everyone's already pairing up and there's a lot of people here he hasn't really talked to. Then he notices Kotone looking around and standing by herself. "Kotone!" Rean shouts, running over to her. "Looks like neither of us have a team yet. Wanna pair up?"
Penelope Vasquez	Penelope continues to smile as Nanoha gives her the coldest of shoulders. This is just like that time she was picked last for dodgeball. Good god. An examination of the field. Gawain, Speedo Soldier and the witch are teaming. Riku (her backup choice Teaming Target, out of sheer... knowing his name) is already with the fox and her husbando. Nanoha is making the entirely logical decision to avoid her acquaintance in exchange for Ryouma and Zenos. Slim pickings indeed. She groans quietly to herself as she activates Plan B(ean). Plan B is to snatch another drink from the bar, down it, and march directly towards Rean, boisterous and arm-throwing. Around his shoulders, specifically. "Rean! Reany bobeany. Remember you from that heist that went okay. Listen to this." She steps in front of him- and Kotone, due to her proximity, though Penny is focusing on Rean. "Missus Penny's Mean Bean Machine. Is that. A hell of a team name. Or what. You in?"
Nanoha Takamachi	Nanoha Takamachi has joined your party. Nanoha grins as the two agree to let her join with them. She says excitedly, "Great!" And then, sudden Oryou! Nanoha blinks, "Eh?" Looking between Oryou and Ryouma for a moment, Nanoha quickly understands. She gives Oryou a reassuring smile, "You don't have anything to worry from me on that regard. Oryou, right? It's nice to meet you!" Back to the matter of team dynamics, Nanoha raises her finger as she explains, "My specialty is aerial domination. Using a combination of personal flight, long ranged attacks and mid-sized bombardment. Though I can handle myself in close quarters if necessary." Looking at Ryouma, Nanoha nods excitedly, "A tactical mind will be useful in this, I think!"
Theurgus	Theurgus lifts a hand, and tips the brim of her non-existent hat as she's introduced. "Theurgus, The Mad Magician. At your service." She remarks with a weird little smile. "I'm the Drive Core Controller for the Diamond City of Magic, Locus, one of the Drives of the region known as The System, if you're familiar."
Ritsuka Fujimaru	"Ah, someone normal. Good." Jeanne chuckles lightly to herself, seeming even more satisfied when Gawain approaches. Between Lancelot's unique swimwear/armor choice and Gawain's relative sanity, it should be cake for her to get attention in this team. Of course, with introductions being what they are, the overdressed Servant sighs and crosses her arms once again. "Jeanne d'Arc, Dragon Witch of France. Conquering the summer with our flames should be child's play if you live up to your name, Knight of the Sun and..." A pause, and then she turns to Lancelot. "... What was your name and gimmick, strange Greek man?" As she speaks, she slips that fur coat off, leaving her arms and shoulders bare now! It's kind of eerie how pale she is, but at least she doesn't look like she's going to overheat any more. "That's better... Hm. What do you two know of this..." Another pause, and then she glances over at Nobunaga. "...The red one? Other contests she's held?"
Zenos yae Galvus	Zenos listens to both and nods firmly. "I am a general, so the strategy is part of the training. More to the point, I am a swordsman. I know a number of arts and aether skills in melee combat." To that, he gives the dragon a sideways glance, "Ah yes, Dravonians, though they have a more reptilian appearance in my world. As far as I am aware, they are currently in a contracted engagement with Ishgard. The 'Dragonsong War' if I remember correctly." "Well, we have a balanced team, it appears. Someone able to strike at long and medium-range, a tactician to cover them, and a front line fighter to be supported by the long-range fighter. This is workable."
Kotone Yamakawa	Kotone Yamakawa does not find Rean. Nay, Rean finds here and she calls back to him. "Rean, sounds like a plan we might want to find one more." She seems very chipper too from the look of thing and she's about bouncing right not on the alls oif her feet. R "Well we need a third don't we?" Low and Behold Penelope pops up seemingly seeking a team as well. "Friend of your's I take it Rean?" She looks to Penelope for a moment "Kotone Yamawaka, good to meet you!" She seems open to working with Penny at the very least.
Lancelot du Lac	"Excellent! Stupendous even! It is as Sir Gawain said, with you on our side, none shall oppose us. Though as my brother in arms has said, we should look into finding you appropriate attire. I do believe CasGil line has swimsuits that would be to your taste." The centurion does not seem too put off by Jeanne's threats, either because he is too excited that his plan has worked, or that he is simply used to threats such as these when gallivanting around with the fairer sex. Whatever the case, he gladly takes the Avenger's hand to prop himself back up rather than go for the gentleman hand kiss, not willing to push his luck too much. Maybe later though. "Introductions are in order then. The man behind me as you know is Sir Gawain, a prestigious member of the famed Knights of the Round. As for myself... You may call Lancer. Or Alectryon, it matters not to me."
Riku	Riku might not be trying to look all that impressive. Despite being toned in his own way for his own reasons, he seems to be more intent on just projecting a sort of aura and attitude. One that seems to have been softened a bit in this circumstance, but still present there like a shadow over his shoulder. He looks back over to Tamamo as Seifer introduces his wife, and he looks her over more directly. "Yeah, she's pretty great." Riku says. "Congratulations. I hope you both have a great time." It's hard to be broody in the face of this level of matrimonial shenaniganry. "Name's Riku. Nice to meet you, Caster." He fidgets a little as Tamamo drapes on Seifer, the teen apparently not used to such public displays. He takes the introduction of Theurgus to look somewhere else, and waves to the digital magician. "Hey there. Nice to see you." But then he's looking back to Tamamo and Seifer. "Mostly I go to school when I'm not hunting and killing monsters." He says, shrugging. "I knew Seifer from a ways back, before... some stuff happened. We ended up having to move. A lot of people did, really." He says, glossing over a certain day. "Things were a lot simpler back then. We mostly knew each other through another mutual... friend." Riku's gaze keeps going back to Seifer's expression, almost as if expecting to see or hear something from him but it's not coming. "We've bumped into each other here and there, nothing too major. I'm glad you've managed to make things work out for you, Seifer."
Seifer Almasy	Tamamo drapes over Seifer's shoulder. Seifer reaches up to scratch her ear fondly. "Yeah, this is kind of a weird situation." He gestures at Theurgus. "She's kind of our coworker in the Concord. And that's how we met, too." Seifer takes the public display of affection in stride, because that's how he takes most things. He's just the kind of guy to let the world roll off him - since he tends to project his own unique view onto it anyway. When Riku mentions some stuff, Seifer's face makes a unique motion. Caster has probably seen it before; Theurgus and Riku certainly haven't. He's trying to remember something that was used to power Greg. "Oh, uh, yeah. A lot simpler back when Sora was here. I really..." Seifer's fingers twitch a little. "I really need to find him. I've been busy with my own stuff and I feel like I've been slacking." "And Molly. I need to find Molly, too. I hope they're alright. If they aren't, I'm gonna be..." Seifer leaves the thought unspoken. It's gonna be his fault and he's gonna be mad at himself forever.
Ryouma Sakamoto	Oryou remains glareful. Ryouma headpats her. It seems to help. "A mage, a swordsman and wildcard. Yes, I believe that versatility will give us an edge, if we can level it properly. Though I wonder what the prize is? The Demon King doesn't strike me as someone who'd disappoint. Rather, she seems like she might be the type who goes too far every time." History says so!! About Oryou's appearance, Ryouma backtracks. "Ah, she's... well, she's wearing her scales like clothing, right now. Or that's how she explains it." Oryou nodnods. A closer look at the swimsuit reveals it is in fact scaly. But it's definitely clothes, not part of her. "She can assume a massive form you'd likely be more familiar with, but since that's a bit taxing on me, we prefer to use it like a trump card than a main plan." Not always, though. Tombstone pissed her off, so she went all out.
Rean Schwarzer	"Yeah. Not having a full team would put us at a disadvantage-" He's cut off by there suddenly being an arm around his shoulder and Penelope with alcohol on her breath next to him. "Hey, what-" Rean says, turning to look at Penelope. An image of Instructor Sara being drunkenly gleeful in the dorm lounge a few weeks back and calling him approximately the same thing flashes though his mind. THen Kotone asks if they're friends, and Rean sighs. "Uh...More like acquaintances, I guess. " Rean said. They'd done a few missions together (including the heist she mentioned, he still needed to figure out what he was doing about setting that base on fire back then) but they weren't really /friends?/ Anyway, I guess you can join us." Rean says, taking Penelope's arm from around his shoulder. "...Do we /really/ need to use that team name though?"
Nanoha Takamachi	Nanoha listens intently as Zenos explains his own skills. As well as a possible team layout. It matches up well with how Nanoha is used to setting up teams. It's interesting to see that, even in other worlds, battles still play out a lot like she's used to. And then there's humanoid dragons. She's known familiars to change between their humanoid and beast forms. But an entire dragon? Nanoha briefly considers the dragons she's known as she looks at Oryou with an expression of curiosity. She then gives said dragon another friendly smile in the hopes of staving off possibly being eaten. But once more returning to the conquering, Nanoha nods along with Zenos's assement. She then offers, "If either of you wish to learn more about each other. I'd be happy to engage in a mock battle with both of you. It might help us refine some tactics!"
Zenos yae Galvus	Zenos nods to both of them, "Mock battles would be a good start, giving us time to get a feel for each other's fighting style. Otherwise, we would be tripping over each other if we tried to coordinate." Zenos does notice the scales, but he does not question it. The multiverse is a strange place, but never ever dull. There are so many possibilities, and he will fight, kill, and subjugate them all! "We shall have to keep that form in reserve."
Ritsuka Fujimaru	Gawain's suggestion had seemed innocent enough, but when Lancer Alectryon puts it forward as well, even Jeanne isn't going to miss the hidden intent there. There's that slight eyebrow raise as she looks like she's on the verge of frowning, but it steadily shifts back into that condescending smirk shortly thereafter. "Is that what you want to see, then? It seems I've joined quite the bold team to even dare to think about such things.." Jeanne throws her head back, and she starts laughing. "Good! If you were a pair of weak-minded simpletons that couldn't even do something that simple without wetting yourselves, I'd have burnt you two to a crisp right now. Gawain! Alectryon! Let us find this... CasGil line. If I'm going to be joining you in this summer conquest business, then it wouldn't hurt to look the part."
Kotone Yamakawa	Kotone Yamakawa thinks for a moment at the team name suggestion and speaks up "How about team Magic and Steel." She gestures to Rean who has magic so far as she is aware and she taps herself for a moment, she has noticed Penelope appear she might have an implant or two from the looks of the wire in her forehead. "Or maybe magic and chrome?"
Gawain	'Alectryon' introduces himself, getting an awkward smile from Gawain, and then he also pitches a swimsuit. For a second, Jeanne seems angry about it, and Gawain tilts his head. But... Jeanne seems to respect them for it, and Gawain smiles widely. "That's settled, then! We shall be the champions of summer, and look good and fitting doing it!" Even if his 'best' buddy is pretending to be someone else and that bugs Gawain's sense of 'not hiding the truth', this will still be fun. And by fun, that means the knights are going to die, but it's going to be glorious. In the spirit of good cheer and having a Good Paycheck from being a Paladin officer, Gawain steps up to the bar, and makes an announcement to the group. "Everyone! Drinks on me! Tonight, let us be friends, for tomorrow, we shall be the fiercest of enemies!" Nobunaga is counted in the free drinks. After all, she's the host!
Riku	"Right." Riku scratches the back of his head for a moment, still clearly a little awkward for some reason. Surely it's just all the lovey doveyness, right? The strange expression on his face makes Riku squint for a moment, but everything seems to be fine... The tension starts to leave him for now. "Yeah, Sora..." He nods. "He'll be fine." Again, that sensation of more to say, that awkward pausing. It's when he mentions Molly that Riku coughs for a moment. "You're looking for Molly?" He says, shaking heis head. "She didn't seem like she'd be the kind of person to get into trouble. I'm sure she'll be all right." He quickly looks to Tamamo and asks her, "So, how did you two meet? Was it through the Concord, or something else?" Well, that sure was fast. Maybe he doesn't want the conversation to linger on Molly.
Penelope Vasquez	Penelope hmmmms, rubbing at her chin as she assesses Kotone's interjection, and Rean's complaint. Before, quite solidly, shaking her head. "No, no, definitely some variant of Mean Bean or Rean. It rhymes with too many things to just throw away." A click of her tongue. "...Mean Bean and The Machines, maybe?" She clunks Kotone's forehead, and flicks at her own, at the 'machines' part of it. "We can figure it out." Suddenly, her Free Drinks Radar goes off. She turns, and grins wide, and drags the pair along with her to the bar to take advantage of Gawain's generocity. "Drinks on him, aaaaay! Gonna be a good fuckin' match, can tell you that!"
Tamamo no Mae	"Well... it just happened." she states, "Hon, you'll have to tell me who these people are later." there's a brief nod and then she stretches a bit, letting Seifer go from her embrace. "See, I needed a source of power, he needed someone to protect, it was just mutually beneficial." she nods, "And now, we do a lot together, it's been a wonderful trip." There's a tap of her foot and she hmms, "So we're up against a few others, this is gonna get interesting."
Muramasa	In the pitch of summer, everyone has their fun. Regardless of age or stature, the warm and brilliant sun and refreshing breeze blesses them all. A man smiles, his hawaiian shirt blowing in the wind due to being left unbuttoned. "The curtain raises on a grand spectacle, does it? Ah ... well, as long as all the youngsters have fun, it should be fine." He stands at the top of a palm tree, looking at the resort and its nearby inhabitants with a smile on his masked face. Well, in some ways, its more of a visor given that it only covered up his eyes. It clashed with the rest of his casual ensemble greatly. " ... alright, that's enough posturing. I better get to preparing some takoyaki for everyone to enjoy after some fun in the sun." Neo Island Mask surmises to himself before swishing his oversized top like a cape and setting off with a jaunty leap.
Seifer Almasy	Seifer's suspicions about Riku's statements aren't present on his face. No, not at all. A lot of people think Seifer is a dumb, brute-force kind of guy, but he's not and never has been - he's a black ops soldier, a SEED through and through. He projects as being a loudmouth but he's never been an idiot; he just uses that perception extensively to get things done. So his grin doesn't bely that he suddenly is curious as to just why Riku changed the subject, just why he said those things about Molly. His grin and his subsequent additional ear-scritch for his wife show nothing unusual about his thought process at all. "Basically. I remember her complaining because her prior Master wasn't around anymore." Seifer rolls up his glove enough for Riku to see his Command Spells. "And she approached me about it, and told me she was a Sorceress, an', well..." "It's my romantic dream, man. You gotta go for it when the universe gives you a sign like that." "So I got a beautiful sorceress to protect an' she got a knight who keeps her safe an' provides her power." He pauses. "Also I get to be King of the Moon."
Ritsuka Fujimaru	This will do. Jeanne laughs again, following Gawain to the bar while seeking out FOOD AND DRINK. Her gaze shifts up to the figure in red throwing himself off a tree in the distance, then back to the gathered competitors. "You'd best not hold back once we're on the field! I'll be sorely disappointed if all this bluster tonight amounts to nothing by the time we start." First things first, though: FREE DRINKS. And food. There better be free food to go with this. She'll be so pissed if there isn't.
Lancelot du Lac	"Lukewarm courters do not make it very far in the battle of love, this is true. But this isn't love, this is a battle akin to war." Alectryon beats his chest in proclamation, if only to keep up the charade that he is a PROUD GREEK WARRIOR. He's not honestly not sure how long he can keep the act going, but the goal is to make Camelot look good. Not himself. It's some backwards logic to be sure, but when were the Knights of the Round ever good at logical decision making? "Alright, while Sir Gawain finds himself comfortable at the bar, I shall consult the CasGil catalogues and report my findings later." You'd think he was planning to leave, but no. The centurion removes a catalogue straight from the armor. As if he had planned this along. As if he KNEW that there would be some poor soul that didn't have a proper swimsuit. Or perhaps he's just some degenerate. Who knows.
Riku	"Convenience, huh? Well, I guess that works out. The fact that you both seem to get along is icing on the cake for you, isn't it?" Riku nods, then. "Yeah, looks like it's going to be pretty busy. I'm going to have my work cut out for me trying to stop everyone here." He doesn't seem like he doubts he can make a go at it, at least. If he suspects Seifer suspects him, it doesn't show on his face. Riku seems to trust Seifer to be a straight gunblader. He nods at the revealing of the Command Seals. "Sounds rough. But hey, it looks like you were able to step in and make it right like you always wanted to." He actually smiles a little at that. "It's good that you're happy. But don't get too comfy on that throne. I might decide I want it someday. Depends on how much this Moon Cell thing works out in terms of giving me what it's supposedly able to." He might have elaborated on that, but it's at that moment that something catches his attention out of the corner of his eye. Something red. Something distinctive. Suddenly, Riku is lunging out the window, flawlessly parkouring off of the sill to flip out across the sand. "HEY ARCHER!" He yells at Neo Island Mask as he closes in on the man. When he's close enough, he skids and starts berating the man. "What are you doing dressed up like that? Stop trying to ditch me when you have to do some real work! And why did you dye your hair? Are you trying to hide from Lelia after she slapped you? I thought you were supposed to be older than me!"
Touta Konoe	An arm gets flung around Riku's shoulder out of nowhere! Along with it a bright smile from a black spikey-haired kid appears at his side, "Riku! It's been forever man!" Coming to the party in a T-shirt labeled 'Salty', and some shorts Touta's dressed for the occassion of this summer madness. "Man, Nobunaga really knows how to throw a party. I would have shown up sooner but uh...Kind of had to deal with a house guest." Speaking of house guest...His attention turns towards the one's Riku's chatting up for a bit. "Hey guys, good to see ya..." He's...Not really sure what else to say at the moment. Cause well...The last few meetings had been a little shakey between Touta and the Moon couple. Seifer and him had a good fight last they spoke but then...Well it was water under the bridge hopefully! "Man, I really did show up late though, huh? Man, everyone's here. You two, Riku, Rean, and Avenger. Oh wait, is that Zenos too?! I haven't seen him since the MECC! Ah, and Nanoha's here too?! Oh, oh, oh! There's Ryouma and his wife!" He's eager to see so many damn familiar faces at once, and when Riku calls out towards Archer he gets even more excited until he turns to face the masked man... "...Oh, Saber! I barely recognized you for a second!" Yeah the disguise hasn't fooled him... "Man, it's so awesome to see everyone together like this. Anyway, when's Nobu gonna explain what's all this conquering summer is about?"
Theurgus	Theurgus casually summons a can of something into her hand, pops the tab and takes a sip, idly scanning the competition. She asides to Seifer and Tamamo. "We should probably create an official team name, so our honourable host has something to work with. I have some suggestions, if you don't have anything prepared already."
Muramasa	"...?" The masked man's face is stoic as he slowly processes what's going on, a plume of sand kicked up from Riku's skidding. 'I have no idea what he's talking about at all ... could this be that Archer's current Master? I see.' he mused to himself. This would be a good chance to get to know him without the snippy but protective Servant of The Bow interfering. "I think you've got me confused for another. I'm no Archer, for I have no bow; Nor am I a Saber, for I have no sword. Rather .." " .... I am an ally of justice." "A fair, fahrenheit fighter!" He cuts a simple, but dramatic pose with his back ramrod straight, and his arms crossed with two fingers sticking out by his bicep. "Neo Island Mask, the hero of Summer!" The red hawaiian shirt flaps in the wind. If only there were a cricket to chirp.
Penelope Vasquez	Penelope has taken advantage of Gawain's kindness. Severely. She's drinking like a fish over here at the bar. As Touta appears and fangirls over all the familiar faces, she leans over and grins, pointing at him, using one of the tiny swords spearing the olives like a conductor's baton. "Heeeeeeyyyyy Touta! Hey! I remember you from the thing with the factory! Hi." Maybe she's actually being effected by the booze, if the mild slur to her is any evidence. "She already explained it! You late, omae. We're all teaming up to fight for turf on Summer Island and I'm gonna win 'cause all these people thinkin' with their DICKS." She glances away, and darts her fingers from her eyes, to the Centurian's eye-holes. She knows. Back to Touta. "Anyway, hey. I'm open. Badassssss for hire." She hikes a thumb at her back, where a sign is still taped there, which reads... exactly what she just said.
Nobunaga	There is no cricket. However, a small round-faced creature at the base of Neo Island Mask's palm tree looks up from the shaved ice held in tiny, nubby hands. Shortly after he declades himself as the Hero of Summer, ocean breeze teasing his shirt, the creature responds with a small, high-pitched voice. "Nobu?"
Riku	"Just because you don't have it out right now doesn't mean you don't have one." Riku says, his irritation becoming confusion as he gets this response from the Myserious Masked Totally Not Archer. Everything goes dead quiet as Sengo poses, Riku staring at him in disbelief. "You know what?" Riku says, finally. "Okay, I believe you. Because I'm pretty sure Archer would set himself on fire before putting on a display like that." He sighs for a moment, shaking his head and facepalming at this sequence of events. "Sorry about that... Uh... Neo Island Mask. Whoever you are." Touta takes this moment to appear and get right and friendly with Riku, which causes him to immediately stiffen up as his reflexes almost make him shoulder-throw Touta. He stops when he realizes that, however, and he looks over to Touta being super buddy-buddy with him. "Uh, yeah. Hi there." He says shortly, blinking as he tries to absorb what's going on here. "Hope your house guest is all right. And um, yeah, this was quite the party. Everyone seems to be already angling and figuring out who's going to beat who." He then looks back to Neo Island Mask, and back to Touta. "Saber? This guy is a Saber? Is this, like, a Saber version of Archer? Is that how this works?"
Muramasa	Neo Island Mask's expression twitches and warps under the stress of his temper. It was a kneejerk reaction that calmed as quickly as it came, the high pitched squeak behind him marking the next cue of the conversation. "My class is Summer Saver. Well, I guess you can just call me Saber, too..." he finishes with disappointment. "At any rate, it's nice to meet you at last, Riku. I wonder what it is you wish for, with all your heart. ... But none of that matters right now, it's a festival for everyone. Friends and foes alike can relax and understand eachother here. It might be painful later, but something like this has its own innate sense of balance." It's hard to tell how much of this is simply him hamming up his act as the hero of Summer and how much is genuine philosophy. Maybe it's a little bit of both.
Touta Konoe	Touta can't help but shrug to Riku's response. "No idea, but they look like they could be brothers or something don't they? Practically twins! Even their cooking is practically the same! And yeah, she's fine just had to get her situated." He eases his grip on Riku though as Penelope does make her appearence known, now that he looks at her though, "Oh yeah! I remember ya!" He's not too bothered by the slurring. He works in hospitality and is use to this sort of thing. Plus, it's a party. As she explains the situation he can't help but scratch the back of his head a bit, "Ah, that explains why everyone's buddying up huh? Man, guess I really chose a bad time to be late for the party!" It's a bit of a bummer to hear but when Penelope offers to team up and that bright like a summer's day smile appears. "That so? If that's the case..." Touta takes two tiny swords from the bar handing one to Riku. Then he takes his arm and Rikus and has their tiny swords touch blades with Penelope's, "Sounds like a plan to me!" Did he just force Riku to join up with them without even saying anything?
Riku	"At last? I didn't think I was that important." Riku says, shrugging and clearly now wondering what Archer is saying about him behind his back... But then he gets a haunted look on his face when he's asked what he wishes for. He glances away for a moment, before Sengo prevents a dismissive Edgy Boi reaction by backing off of the subject. "Right." He says, nodding. "I don't really consider anyone here foes. Competition, maybe, but people can compete without being enemies last I checked. But maybe some of the people here might get a little too into it. As far as balance is concerned, well.. We'll figure it out as we go." He shrugs then, not really sure what to make of this mysterious masked man while Touta chats up Penelope. He's distracted, so the next thing he knows he's got a little plastic sword in his hand and he's being recruited onto a team. "Uh what?" He says, looking over and finally seeing what's going on. "Hang on, I didn't... " And then just one look at that implacably cheerful face of Touta's and he just sighs. "Even here, I can't seem to get away from him." He mutters to himself.
Muramasa	Neo Island Mask smiles, retreating serenely while Riku attends to Touta and Penelope. Before they knew it, the man has up and disappeared, leaving only three popsicles soaring at them as a parting gift. Where did he get them? Why haven't they melted? And why are the popsicle sticks like little blunt swords? If you're not careful, you'll poke your eyes out.
Penelope Vasquez	Penelope cheers as Riku is dragged into the mix with her and Touta, wrapping one arm around both men's shoulders as she draws their tiny novelty swords together. "Here here! Don' care what you didn't say, you on the team now." She speaks with flowery gestures and points as much as she does with words. "Touta, you're on name duty. Rikoutaelope isn't gonna cut it. Riku- keep brooding. You're the face. You're who we put on the album cover." A pause, as she studies him. "Just like that. Perfect. You're perfect. Meanwhile, I-" Projecticles incoming. Trajectory assessed. Deflection very probable. Action. "-will grab these for us." Penelope slides from her stool and snaps her blade from it's sheathe! It's rather violent for the otherwise easygoing and affable bar. Her targets- the three incoming popsicles- are cut down the middle of the blade, and their velocity slowed. She serves out the now halved icecream to the six nearest people. Off of her sword. "I serve a very valuable team comp role."