Scene #8737: PNL: A Queen's Ransom part 2

Owner	Pose
Stanley Padgett	LAST TIME ON PERSONA: NEON LEGACY A clandestine meeting at the Happycade to parley between the Persona Gang and one of their Rivals has gone... just about as planned, actually. Sorry that Stanley and Charlotte failed to mention the plan. Stanley faces down Isaac Beufort Sr. in the glow of the claw machines. "You've had that box for so long, and you didn't wish for your mom back? To have a happy childhood? That your dad wasn't a piece of shit? That's a lot more self control than I would have had, squirt." Rufus Shinra, gleefully displaying his bank card. "Just means that there's room for another party to this negotiation. Hey, Stanley. Twenty million for the box." Kukuru, with a nearly perfect eureka moment whispering to Charlotte. "Charlie... Do you remember that one Tyrant? From..." She waves a bunch with her hands. "... With the lots of arms?" Beaufort and Charlotte, a half cut on both faces. "You were never supposed to meet Stanley. You were never supposed to find your way to that side, to the Reverse. You would have been just some doll, in a house, living her life out forever. Out of our hair. Out of the way." A dramatic leap through a rift into the Neon City leaving Charlotte keeled over on the ground, Touta and Kukuru comforting her. "...A..Am I..." the girl whispers, steadying herself, "...Not real..?" And then Ishirou's face, as the camera fades over to the Shadow World. "Your other half is there, waiting for him and the box... isn't it?" TONIGHT: A QUEEN'S RANSOM!
Stanley Padgett	Everyone taking the trip will find themselves sideways through reality like usual... only when they come through to the other side, it is not some foggy, dusty, dimly lit arcade. Nor is it the gleaming spires and incomprensible neon towers of Neon City. The HAPPYCADE is much larger here, there's 'video games' but they're monolithic slabs of concrete with flashing images in front of them, and vague ghostly wisps of argon mist are 'playing' them. The whole place has the feeling of the training yard of a keep... And three other figures are already here. A massive mountain of a man in green samurai armor, carrying too many polearms on his back, with a projected emoji face. This one has his hands around... A spindly fucker with Too Many Arms, which is frantically trying to squirm and wriggle away from the grip of the GREEN KNIGHT. And Delilah who is idly twirling The Box around in the air, as she murmurs. "You really should not have underestimated them, Isaac. This was very poor planning on your part." She looks up as people arrive, and waves to Stanley and the rest. "Well played, Young Fool. When did you learn to lie so well? That is a poor habit to pick up."
Ishirou	"There is a difference between lying and not telling the whole truth. Your 'partner' had been told to calm down and treat Stanley and Charlotte as equals. I warned him about trying to force things. His greed has forced him into a bad situation with very little road to victory. Assuming he could take on..." he motions towards the massive man with green armor and the emoji face. "Also factoring in support from Charlotte and Stanley... but now you have Kukuru, Touta, and myself on top of that. Again, after seeing our hand... I ask you do you really think your hand is a winning one? I suggest you think really /really/ hard on this before you make a huge mistake there is no coming back from." "You're being given yet another chance you don't deserve. Why? Well, that's for Stanley and Charlotte to tell you not me." Despite this, RESCUE has been summoned around him and he's already ready to fight if it comes down to it. However, he rather this be solved peacefully.
Charlotte Newman	With Kukuru and Touta's support, Charlotte has...mostly...pulled herself together. At least enough to see tonight's plan through to the end. She forces down the rising anxiety of her own fears for the sake of someone else and enters the Reversal behind Stanley and the rest. She manifests on the Other Side amidst a blocky scattering of glitchy artifacts, pulling in a deep breath. Only dimly aware of Isaac-- 'Mister Smiley'-- wrestling with Mr. Speck's colossal guardian shadow, her attention laser-focuses instead on Delilah. As Charlotte approaches, Galatea twists back out of her silouette, glitching and tearing every few seconds like a bad TV image. "You've lied, cheated, and stolen to get where you are. All of you. We're just using your own playbook," the girl's anger starts boiling over, bright blue burning in her eyes, "Now you're going to tell me who you really are--" Galatea's posture shifts, aiming her cannon. Mid-glitchout, the Persona's silhouette warps beyond recognition, as if superimposed with another figure entirely that only appears as an indistinct humanoid shape cast in argon. It isn't a cannon shot of magical artillery but a huge spiked sphere that slams down, exploding with flame. It traces back to the indistinct shape of her Persona by a metal chain which, itself, gradually breaks down into glitchy artifacts and simple argon shapes by the time it connects. "--you WITCH!"
Kukuru	It's time for another trip back to the Happycade! It's looking bigger this time around than Kukuru last remembered, but that's perfectly fine considering who's around this time. She doesn't come bearing snacks and drinks for once, though, since... Well, she distributed them before coming in here already. No sense spending more money on buying more of those later in the week when there might very well be a fight right now. Seeing the Green Knight holding onto the spindly fucker, though, causes her some degree of confusion along with seeing Delilah handling the strange box with a purpose that she still doesn't quite get yet. Naturally, she nods slowly when Delilah scolds Stanley for his ploy. "She's right, you know. It's important to be honest unless you really have to lie, or then it'll become a bad habit when you're around people you wanna be honest with." She adds with an affirming nod, covering her mouth briefly to yawn into it before starting to approach the trio around the box at her usual languid pace. "So! De-li-laaah. What's so important about that thing, aaaanyway?" Kukuru asks, still clearly curious about the thing as she gets closer to try and get a better look at it. "Everyone says it's important, but what's it mean to you?" She's got good manners, though, since she never goes as far as actually reaching for it. Her eyes are good enough to take in the details even from a distance, anyway, even if it's still kind of just a box to her.
Touta Konoe	As the events within the arcade had finished, there had been a look of satisfaction upon Touta's face when he had seen what had concluded at the hands of Charlotte and Stanley together. Not to mention being one of the few who had actually been let in on the plan that the two had concocted. Maybe, he was proud when it was all said and done, or maybe...He was just genuinely happy that someone trusted him enough with such a secret. It's one of the reasons that when things start breaking down with Charlotte, he wants to offer what support he can, even if small. It's that same reason he's been here since the beginning. Even if whatever support that he could offer was minimal, he still wanted to help. He still wanted to do something over nothing when people needed it...So as the three stragglers are able to compose the one that needs to be brought back up, they can step through with heads held high. The arrival of Touta back into the Reversal takes time behind Stanley and Ishirou that head in first. Though taking in the views, it's still...Even as surreal and abstract as it can be in the Happycade it still feels better than before. Though Ishirou's negotiations can still be heard trying to get Beaufort to change sides even as the spindly man's squirms about. "You know, if I were you I'd listen to Ishirou, cause frankly the way I see it is you got a bet to make. Who's gonna end up getting you at the end of this. Is it gonna be Mr. Green over there. Or these two? If I was you, I'd make sure you bet right. Cause Ishirou's being generous with the numbers again I think. Even without the support these two could take you down. The rest of us, well...I think at this point we're just here to make sure they don't smack you around enough that you can't talk. And as for you..." His gaze turns up to Delilah, he's not outright pissed, but there's definitely a look of annoyance to him, having to see what her actions and Beaufort's words had done to throw Charlotte off, "You might need to give the kid a new title, cause the only fools around are looking like your group."
Stanley Padgett	'Mr. Smiley' has the same sort of face as the Green Knight, actually. A set of emoji faces projected from the surface of a dull grey bikers helmet. And the face screws up as Charlotte demands answers. The voice is a bit-crushed version of Isaac's. "Tootz, you are a figment, a glimpse of a person caught in the edge of a looking glass-" And it's here that the Green Knight clobbers the Tyrant in the back of the head. "SILENCE, WORM. IN THIS PLACE YOU SPEAK WHEN SPOKEN TO, FOR THIS IS MY DEMENES AND MY RULES." Smiley is stunned into silence. Delilah siiiighs, and floats over in Charlotte and Kukuru's direction. "The Box? This one? means nothing. This is a fake. A fraud. The real box represents the end goal of the journey of several people. A means to an end that has mired Steelport in a cosmic morass for decades. Centuries, actually. Isaac and his friends literally caught something they had no right to have." This seems to be directed at Kukuru first... before she lands on her feet, primly adjusts her dress, and turns to look at Touta. "Oh, 'Fool' is anything but an insult, Mr. Konoe. It is his designation. His Arcana. He is the first and last of the Major Arcana. Zero. In another time, with perhaps a better... casting..." At this she does look Stanley over again, who is busy with his sword out watching Issac. "He would have been a mighty hero, a warrior of shadows and light. A leader of humanity. But... he is simply Stanley." Delilah places the box on the obsidian floor, and then approaches Charlotte, fearlessly. A massive Grimoire manifests in her hands, and she holds it out to the other girl. "I think you should hold this for me." Meanwhile, Speck's Guardian, the Green Knight, turns to face Touta and Ishirou. "THIS SCUM HAS RECIEVED ENOUGH CHANCES. NOW, IT IS TIME FOR HIM TO 'PUT UP OR SHUT UP'. LET US SEE IF HIS SPINE HAS SUFFICIENT STIFFNESS TO STAND AGAINST THIS ESTEEMED ENTOURAGE THAT BRAVE FENCER PADGETT HAS ASSEMBLED." He perks up at Delilah's musings about Stanley and Charlotte. "LISTEN NOT TO THE HARLOT'S HONEYED WORDS. YOU ARE EXACTLY WHERE YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE." The Green Knight then, somehow politely, plants Mr. Smiley to the ground dusts him off, and then leans forward. The voice is quieter, but somehow much more menacing. "Defend yourself, Isaac. You have always been good at that."
Stanley Padgett	The Grimoire thrums with potential. Stanley grips his sword, and tries to sound older and cooler than he currently is. "No where left to go, Mr. B. After this, remember that you picked this path. You picked it when you tried to kill us." Mr. Smiley, Isaac Beaufort sr., sniffs. The face on the screen scrunches up in smug disgust, and he starts to gain height. "Fine. If I have to defend my Wish from you lot, I'll do it. I'm not going to let what happened to Francis happen to me. You are not going to end my dreams here. Not you, and not now." ISAAC BEAUFORT SR. - THE HANDS OF STONE
Stanley Padgett	And much like things started last winter, outside of a dingy downtown gym, Mr. Smiley manifests too many arms, and too many hands, and too many canes to go with those hands. All of them SLAP into the ground, rattling the courtyard. "M E G I D O" And a massive wave of pure energy slaps across those gathered, seeking to topple and scourge them with Light.
Ishirou	Ishirou does not like it when the phrase 'run out of chances' has come, but... it's not his world. This is someone who's stolen lives from others, who has put his needs above anyone else's and has acted in a way that has harmed both Stanley and Charlotte. He can't give forgiveness... nor can he give amnesty. It doesn't mean he has to /like/ it thought... and he just hopes that the man sees reason and gives up before it is too late. Somehow, he doubts this. Someone with this much to lose... they never see the light or the chances they have to just stop. They keep on going until there is nothing left. Either of themselves or everyone else... Then a massive surge of energy comes when all hands slap the ground. Ishirou, however, was ready after getting readings from the big man and he jumped back, hitting cover almost immediately behind the Green Knight. Ishirou wasn't a coward, but he wasn't about to take it either. Sliding out from the other side of the Green Knight, he grabs a rapier and dashes forward. His goal is to strike at some weak points in the shadow, while also opening up something for Charlotte to strike at. He immediately sends data to her, giving her quite a few options do deliver pain to Mr. Too many hands.
Charlotte Newman	Isaac's barbed words find purchase but, having already taken that wound, Charlotte withstands his claims with only a flinch; her eyes remain firmly on Delilah when the woman approaches her; when she talks about Steelport, Stanley, and the Arcana. Her gaze narrows, searching for what angle Delilah is working. > "I think you should hold this for me." This catches Charlotte off guard again, her posture straightening. She takes one step back, lifting her arms more defensively. For the first time since appearing on the Other Side of the Happycade, her eyes leave Delilah's face only to settle on the grimoire she's holding out. It almost seems to call to her. An achingly familiar voice she can't quite place. The unstable Persona behind her, still flickering and lacking definition, reels the chain and mace back into itself. The anger has completely left her face, staring at the tome. Tentatively, Charlotte reaches for it-- > "LISTEN NOT TO THE HARLOT'S HONEYED WORDS. YOU ARE EXACTLY WHERE YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE." --Her hand stops, fingers recoiling as if she just noticed the stove element is on before touching it. Galatea's reaction is immediate. The mace and chain swing out in an arc, aiming to strike Delilah from the side in a fiery explosion. "Stop messing with me! AGIDYNE!" In almost the same instant, Isaac's spell ignites, filling the fortress-like demense with searing light. Charlotte shields her eyes and face with both arms, calling up a half-sphere shield a heartbeat later to weather the worst of it. When the light fades-- the woman she was facing is gone. > "Charlotte, incoming telemetry. Strike where I'm pointing out." > "Ghh... Right..!" The girl takes a moment to reorient herself, to refocus on Smiley's colossal tyrant form. Closing her eyes, she mutters, "Are you ready, my other self..?" When her eyes snap open, there's a flickering scatter of pale blue embers, "HEAT RISER!" She left her bat in on the other side-- the Obverse, as Lilian suggested she call it. When Galatea whips up the enhancement, then, it comes in around the girl's hands and feet as auras of fiery crimson light. She crouches, then hurls herself skyward with an acrobatic twist. Hurling herself forward with all her weight, Charlotte flip-kick into the closest of Isaac's many thrashing hands, sending herself higher than even her own enhanced jump. At the new apex, she strikes a pose that Stanley, of all people, will recognize. As gravity takes over and drags her down, the girl strikes out with her leading foot, putting all of her weight and inertia into the singular point Ishirou called out. She really was paying attention to those dumb shows they watched together.
Kukuru	Delilah explains the purpose of the box... Or rather, what it should, if this was the real one. Being reminded that this one is a fake has her wondering (complete with her gaze drifting elsewhere) about where the real one is, but... Wait. She still has no idea what it's actually supposed to do. Nonetheless, she has enough to work with now, and she nods lightly while straightening out her own skirt and making sure all the frills are facing the right way. "Sounds complicated... Ah, we'll have to talk more about that box later, I guess. It sound liiike..." Her gaze finally drifts back to the Green Knight. "We've gotta wrap this thing with Isaac up first, huh? That's fine.... Hmhm. I'm sure it'll be fine." She declares with her usual brand of sleepy confidence, looking over at Charlotte and Stanley first to give them both a reassuring thumbs up. Ishirou's suggestion and Touta's bolstering of said suggestion, sadly, seems to fall on deaf ears, but Kukuru doesn't look torn up over it in the slightest. "It's okay, dears. He knows what he's going into, so there shouldn't be aaany hard feelings after this." Kukuru declares with a lazy nod towards Isaac, then stretches her arms out over her head to start getting limbered up for what's looking like a fight about to start! She does it just as Mr. Smiley brings out all those hands and summons that burning light that washes right over her, enveloping her entirely. It hurts, but it doesn't hurt enough to force Kukuru out of her stretch. She flinches, sure, and she knows she should probably try and defend herself at least a little, but she knows that all these kids are counting on her. To do what, precisely? To make sure they can bring Isaac down, build their confidence, and keep moving forward instead of being cowed by one more threat to their futures. "Is that all?" Kukuru mouths, almost inaudibly at first, then more loudly a second time as that light striking against her is replaced with the foggy green light of her own nanites swarming around her to put her flesh back together before the wounds can really set in and bleed all over the place. They start to spread, too, divding up some of that healing potency through to the crew facing off against Smiley. "These kids are a lot tougher than this, Isaac. You said you wanted to defend your dream, but if you can't even protect it from us..." Kukuru sounds almost disappointed continues her steady approach. No sprinting, no teleportation, just a steady walk as she closes in. "You'd never be able to reach it if anyone else ever noticed you. You could've been more than this." As Kukuru gets closer, she finally starts reaching out with her claws, grasping at those hands she can reach to start pulling at them, still going with those slow and deliberate motions as she tries to tear them away with pure physical might.
Touta Konoe	"He would have been a mighty hero, a warrior of shadows and light. A leader of humanity. But... he is simply Stanley." "Will you cut the holier than thou crap?" Delilah's cut off before she attempts to say anything else about these two. "You and helmet-head over there have been talking a lot about being /just/ Stanley, a glimpse in the looking glass." How many times has he had to hear these kids get berated for one reason or another? He knows they're not perfect, but he's seen they've had to go through enough. Still handling fall-out, and still they're doing all the can with brave faces. "You both keep talking like they need to be the destined hero, the whole reincarnated to save the world kind of crap for them to get anything done. Talking about defending your wish that's such low-hanging fruit? These two though..." He lets his words trail off as Ishirou begins to guide Charlotte, and as Smiley releases his energy upon the floor and while Charlottte shields herself, Touta ends up taking the blow directly as a large rise of smoke conceals his form from the aftermath. Yet... "I'll second what Kukuru says. Unlike you, these two have certainly struggled, but they're climbing up...The fruits of their effort, their wish. Well..." Touta finally steps out from the smoke looking unphased, in a similar vein to Kukuru had. If he was harmed he's sure as hell not showing it. That said, that smoke from that surge of light begins to turn darker, the smoke at his back starting to appear like wings of black fog before they start to spread out ominously at an irregular rate. Once again Smiley finds his arms being consumed in a black fog that feels ominously familiar to what he had been experiencing back in the actual arcade. "...You think such flimsy hands like yours can attain the same heights they're reaching for? Charlotte, Stanley, this is your show. Light'em up!" Touta calls to the both of them, rather than going for the heavy hits is instead doing the equivalent of keeping those excessive arms at bay as they continue to feel like they're being pulled into his darkness.
Sarracenia	Sarracenia doesn't have much of an idea what is going on. She really just knows a few aquaintances of her's who don't seem to hate her (and at least one who does) were headed off to do something. And while she was a bit late to the party, she managed to get there just as that gateway was opened and lept through into this weird reality. She stumbles through, almost falls over, flails until she is steady again, then looks around. Ishirou talks about support, and she lets out a haughty laugh and gives her massive hammer a few twirls. "And don't forget me!" she calls out. Only to get blasted backward by an energy wave. She goes stumbling backward several steps, but with a plant of her hammer she is steady again. "Oooh. So, you're our opponents, huh? Well, prepare yourselves for Princess Sarracenia Sundew, Crown Princess of the Sundew Kingdom!" she says, ending with a twirl in place and a confident smirk. She leaves her hammer head-down in the ground before reaching into her purse. And just starts...pulling out explosives. Bob-ombs. Lots of Bob-ombs. The cute little bombs with the big black eyes and yellow boots explode on impact with most anything. Her aim is usually pretty good though. After the Bob-ombs she throws a few Bullet Bills into the air, grabs her hammer in a graceful pirouette, then goes into a spin. As the Bullet Bills fall, each one is hit on the flat by her hammer, which fires them off like cannon shots. Each person-sized projectile seeks out an enemy and does its best to track it down and unleash not only a heavy cannon hit but an explosive payload! After that, she takes a moment to at least greet those she knows and is on good terms with. "Touta! Stanley! Kukuru! Sorry I'm late!" She definitely sees Ishirou, but he does not get any kind of acknowledgement from the princess. Then she tries to get closer to Touta so she can quietly ask, "So..uh...what's going on here?"
Stanley Padgett	You'll have to excuse Mr. Smiley for like... not being all that witty at this precises moment. He lashed out with a pretty fantastic opening shot only to have it all slapped back into his face by a bunch of extraversals, but also... Stanley. Who has suddenly appeared out of the flash of light, and made the precise same strike as Ishirou, at the man's side in the same motion. He smiles at the Paladin, and murmurs. "...one for all, Ishirou." Both rapiers sink DEEP into the morass of black and orange haze, which only thickens as Touta and Kukuru get STUCK IN. Arms start coming off, lashed away, grappled away, ripped away, and Mr. Smiley screws up his face, and growls. "This is what I remember from the last time... Miss Monster. And you, Vampire." He sways, slinging Shadows around into the evening. Last time? He was immobile. This time, Smiley is very much mobile and operation and making efforts to NOT DIE. Which is a pain because first Charlotte comes in with a Featherman KICK KICK, followed swiftly by a whole barrage of bombs and explosives and shit from the Erstwhile Princess. Stanley cheers from on top of a nearby 'Claw Machine' which is a glowing shrine to Little Capsules. "Hello, your Majesty! This guy-" He points his saber at Smiley. "Is an asshole and a bad dad and we're kicking his ass for plenty of reasons, but keep-" Stanley is knocked out of place and into the darkness of the Training Yard by a pack of... well, they're extremely cutesy looking Shadows. Little Fortune Nekos, all cute and cat like and with coins on their heads, but... usually those are buffing monsters in the Reversal Game. Not the sort of thing that Eats Faces. Actually, this whole place is filling up with Minions from the Reversal Game, as Smiley reasserts himself, and adjusts a tie that doesn't exist. "My wish is strong enough, don't you worry, Vampire. By my hand, my family will never know poverty again. By these hands-" More of the hands manifest, and start flinging Minions at everyone in the room. "I helped Paddy build an empire. And by these hands I will ensure its future."
Ishirou	Stanley and Ishirou together create an opening for Charlotte to KICK to hell. However, minions pour out of everywhere, forcing Ishirou back. Some Ice monsters pepper him with spells, forcing him on the back foot and trying to keep his body clear of shots. However, despite his movements, one or two get through. His body shudders from the chill, and he seethes from the introduction to sudden cold to his body. Once more, he sends data to Charlotte, targeting as many of the minions as he can. POD's head opens up, revealing it's a laser cannon, and fires a beam that shatters into many MANY lasers to try and paint as many of the minions around them as they can. A few even hit Mr. Smiley, making him show up on pings even more and making it even /easier/ for Charlotte to target him. He fires again and again, trying to keep the minions at bay long enough for someone to do something about them, all the while trying to support others. Kukuru and Touta get SURGES from their OPTIONs, aiming to bolster their reserves and try to push them to be able to go even farther, all the while Ishirou just tries to keep himself from being flanked.
Charlotte Newman	It's only just begun and already this feels very different from the fight against Francis Smithering; Ea Nasir was already mad with isolation and burning himself as fuel to lash out against those who he felt had wronged him. Isaac Beaufort Senior-- Mister Smiley-- is actually caring for his own safety. This isn't lost on Charlotte even as she dive-kicks his massive form like a comet. Given the size of the man's tyrant form, she remains on top of him as he maneuvers around, punching and swatting away hands that reach for her. A new tactic is chosen; and her perilous battleground is soon inundated with the cutest little killing machines the game has to offer. She has a deer-in-headlights moment upon seeing the hydra girls for the first time, just enough to get clawed and poisoned, shielding her face like a boxer. Bleeding in places, the girl sets her feet on Isaac's back, then lunges forward and shifts her arms, covering her eyes in the crook of one elbow and sweeping the other arm back in a burst of Heat Riser light that scatters the monsters swarming her. Galatea manifests behind her again, still jumping and tearing between her usual mechanized form and that indistinct argon outline of an entirely different shape. It alternates between the familiar Persona lifting her cannon straight up and the new silhouette spinning a mace on chain in either hand. With only seconds before the hydra girls recover and tackle her again, Charlotte... closes her eyes. She takes a deep breath. Behind her, the unstable Persona's shape locks in on that staticky undefined shape. When Charlotte's eyes open again, blue-white embers flick from her eyelashes, reflecting the blue light behind her normally crimson eyes. "MEGIDOLA!" Charlotte thrusts both hands forward and down. Behind her, her Persona mimics the action, bringing both maces up and over in swift arcs to slam down on the center of Isaac/Mr. Smiley's back in a colossal explosion of pure Light that rapidly fills the courtyard.
Kukuru	That dark mass sure is becoming quite a hassle. Kukuru's not a particularly quick person in any sense of the word, but getting stuck in this mess is slowing her down to a crawl! Luckily, Kukuru doesn't actually need to move quickly to do what she wants to today. Tearing him apart would be business as usual, and straightforward enough. With things as they are and after hearing what he says, however, a new idea comes to Kukuru's mind by the time she hears Sarracenia announcing her approach. Turning slowly as more of that darkness starts to surround Kukuru, she just smiles pleasantly as ever with her eyes nice and open. "He-llo, Sarra~ Ah, we're helping the kids here show Isaac how pointless it is to try and sotp the Concord. You should come join us." She invites just in time for the swarm of Shadows and other assorted minions start getting chucked all over the place. Kukuru, not being one to avoid most things, starts catching the minions with her hands, her face, and everywhere else. Once again, she's not trying to avoid them at all. Instead, she's taking them all head on as she shunts those nanites outwards. Instead of healing herself, the healing spreads further to Stanley, to Charlotte, to Sarracenia, to Ishirou, and even some to Touta to a lesser degree (what with him being a fellow regenerator and all) to spread that love. It's almost like she's trying to make a statement, especially with how she's starting to tear into those Shadows. Just using her claws to clamp them down on the encroaching minions isn't enough with them hitting her right in the face, of course, so she takes advantage of where those particular minions are to start ripping into them with her teeth as well. That energy boost from Ishirou probably helps quite a bit there. And somehow, even with her mouth full... "Poverty? Oh, Isaac... You could've gotten plenty of that working with the Concord. I make enough to support myself, my parents, and plenty of others back home. I even get to save extra for retirement and never have to worry about paying extra for the good insurance~" It almost sounds like she's boasting at the end there, perhaps even laying out some bait for potential hiring later.
Touta Konoe	And don't forget me! Touta finds a familiar voice calling out at first, but doesn't immediately catch the appearance of Sarra's arrival. Although...It's definitely hard to forget someone when they didn't show up originally is it?! Still, Touta doesn't seem annoyed in the slightest at her arrival. There's just a casual shrug and smile as she makes her debut. At this point watching her as she's firing off her array of bob-ombs. "Hey Sarra, you know..." As she asks what's exactly going around, she'd find that the place they were in was a realm not quite what would be considered normal. If anything, maybe it'd have a vibe similar to the Sundew Kingdom. The HAPPYCADE as it was called really makes it feel like they're smaller than life with the slab-like arcade machines that tower around them. At the same time, this overly retro esque world of games is stunted with the sights of Charlotte laying on heat, Ishirou letting his PODs act support, while still doing some work with some rapier work, and Kukuru literally shredding them away with physical force alone. Touta's meanwhile looking like he's got wings of fog just wrapped around what would be an extensive amount of extendable arms coming from the helmet-headed emoji face. Though just as he's about to speak up Stanley gives a rather clear and concise idea of the situation. "I was just going to say we were toying with the toy. But think Stan was gonna say something like '...But keep from beating him too much. He's still has some things to answer for.'" He hasn't read Stanley's 'script' so he's probably off the mark but it's fine. Speaking of unexpected dialogue... My wish is strong enough, don't you worry, Vampire. By my hand, my family will never know poverty again. By these hands- More hands manifest and in doing so fling more Minions, though in the same vein, there's a glowing to the crimson in Touta's eyes as the wings of black fog upon his back begin to expand as well, the surroundings around them slowly shifting. What was once a landscape of monolithic arcade machines was being swallowed into a darkness, and with it so were the tiny Minions as well. Rather than defending, he's going more offensive to swallow up as many that try to come his way. Ishirou's pod made it easier to simply keep producing the swirl of fog that was to come. Even the hydra girls that had been encumbering Charlotte...They'd begin to panic as they'd be swallowed in that fog, and once they lingered within it seemed for one reason or another they weren't exactly coming out. He hadn't been kidding when he said they'd clear the fodder so Charlotte and Stan could take the stage. Cause right now every single Minion thrown their way was being swallowed as this 'Home-field advantage' was dwindling away. "Your wish could have been granted by an idiot willing to put in the work. You don't need a wish to stay out of poverty. Maybe you wouldn't have everything but you would have been capable enough to provide for them. Or did you think yourself that incapable from the beginning that you had to start abusing the wishes of kids?" Unlike Kukuru's, there's no boasting in his voice. Just disgust and disappointment. He's looking at Mr. Smiley like he's the blood-sucking monster.
Sarracenia	Stanley gives a bit of context. Not much, but a bit. And really that's all Sarra needs. Tell her who the badguy is and let her go like a FAF missile. She enjoys unleashing destruction on those who are least seem to deserve it. She is a bit confused when there are two Stanleys though. "Hey, how are you...?" she starts, pointing at one Stanley then the one up on the crane game. Kukuru greets her and gives an invitation to join the fray, and Sarracenia smirks. "Thank you, Kukuru! I think I will!" Small, cute minions start flooding the area and...well, Sarracenia has a bit of a weakness for cute. Of course, that is somewhat countered by her aversion to dirt. Sand golems, while cutesy, don't inspire her to try catching one and hugging it like the shadow nekos. "Awww~ If only you weren't evil~" she is saying as a few pass by and she tries to scoop one up. Touta adds the condition of not beating Mr. Smiley too much, and Sarra huffs softly even while squeezing one of those nekos like a plushie as it squirms and likely claws her a few times. "That's a shame...I really need to smash something today..." she mutters. Just before getting swarmed by those little sand golems and losing her grip on the neko. "H-hey! Get off of me! You're getting sand all over my dress! And do you -realize- how annoying sand is if it gets in a dress like this?!" she exclaims, swinging her hammer at a few before...yawning. "W-what the..." she murmurs sleepily, then staggers forward before falling back. She doesn't quite fall fully asleep thanks to the attacks of the sandmen, but she can't find the energy to lift her hammer and ends up just using the handle to try and fend them off. "D-don't you worry, Charlotte...we got this...hyaaaaah..." That last attempt at a battlecry comes out as more of a yawn, really.
Stanley Padgett	This is a lot of crap in one heavy large sack. And Isaac has a choice. He has a choice, as Smiley, that Francis Smithering didn't have. He has a choice to back down. To leave well enough alone. But he can't. The Shadow has him. The Wish has him. The minions are thoroughly thrashed. His hands are being ripped out. His pride is shattered. The Shadow Has Him and Won't Let Go. "ENOUGH!" Smiley smashes out of the pile, throwing Charlotte off his back, shoving at Ishirou and Kukuru, screaming in bit-crushed rage at the world. "NONE OF YOU UNDERSTAND. WE HAD THE STARS IN OUR HAND, IF ONLY WE COULD GET IT TO WORK. THIS FUCKER-" Dozens of accusing hands point at the Green Knight, who has been watching, stoically, rocking occasionally from the attacks. This is his domain, after all. "WOULDN'T HELP US. WE HAD TO DO THIS ON OUR OWN AND WE NEARLY HAD IT. AND IF WE WENT YOU YOUR PRECIOUS CONCORD, MISS MONSTER, THEY WOULD HAVE TAKEN THIS FROM US." Beufort- no, now he is only Smiley, rears back, and grows. And much like with Smithering... something horrible happens. A massive beast, a man, a beast of a man rises up from the smoke and the ashes around Smiley. A man, naked, glorious, broken, shards of stone pieced together to make up the whole, carrying... the whole world. The whole of Neon City is placed in the hands of this Tyrant, the massive Shadow looming over everyone. and a name forces itself into everyone's minds born on the backs of ten thousand years of labor carrying the weight of a billion lives and hopes and dreams he alone holds the world aloft and upright A T L A S And Atlas hurls the whole of Neon City down upon the crew assembled.
Ishirou	Ishirou gasps as the land itself is turned upside down, the very city itself is being used as a bludgeoning tool against them. It's all he can do to find a place to hide, the sturdiness enough to hold back the majority of the literal terrain being used against them and avoid being directly flattened into a pancake. "You're justifying your choices. You could stop any time you wanted, Mr. Beaufort. You could stop right now. But you aren't because you're letting your pride rule you. It happened to me too, it's hard to let go and blame others when our world is crumbling around us. Please. Stop. I'm begging you. You have a family, you have a /choice/. What does being rich mean if you aren't there for them?" Ishirou blasts out of the rubble, the flight armor clad around the man over the RESCUE system. He flies up to the larger man, aiming to try and make a various amount of dent in the man. He's not going to hit as hard as others, but he doesn't need to. Data is sent to Kukuru this time, as well as a surge in energy is sent to Touta's OPTION. He flies, and starts hitting the back of Altas's heels, trying to open up a weak point for Kukuru to take advantage of. "You have a choice. You can stop right now, you can give up on this and stop hurting others. You can respect these two as equals instead of thinking they are beneath you. You can go hope to your family and start over... all you need to do is /give up/ on this stupid pride. Give up before it takes everything away from you! Before it takes away your most precious parts of you and replaces them with bitter, sad, and resentful man pride!"
Kukuru	"If that's what you really believe the Concord is like..." Instead of refusing Smiley's accusation, Kukuru lets out a low sigh as she considers his way of thinking while getting flung back by his wild thrashing maneuvers. She finally brings those nanites back to keep her arms functional through the pain, but her face betrays no hint of that pain as she keeps herself distracted with... Thinking. About what she's seen of him, the kids she had aided in Lampport for this long, the allies that had come and gone throughout this entire ordeal, her family back home, those she's placed her absolute trust in and fought alongside for years now... "Maybe... Hm. No, not maybe. You're-" And then Neon City comes down on her. As wrapped up as Kukuru is in thinking about what Smiley's screaming at everyone, and as distracted as she is trying to answer him, she doesn't realize that Tyrant's pulling that city into his hands until it's already coming down and she can barely see him beyond the falling debris. She can see him, though, and she finally teleports for the first and last time of this battle. As the mass comes down, an inky cloud appears beneath Kukuru, and she holds up one open claw to shield her head as the falling city pushes her through that cloud. The second cloud appears far above the Tyrant, high enough that when Kukuru starts falling out of it, even her enhanced eyesight makes it hard to make out where the Shadow actually is. With the data coming in from Ishirou, though, she can start adjusting her falling ang- Wait. She's not that smart. Instead, she opens up a third and fourth portal, one below her and one actually above the Tyrant, to make sure she's actually falling straight at Smiley. Her claws come together as she dives right at the giant stone man, closing them together into a wedge-like shape so she can drive her arms right into and through all that rock, flesh, whatever he's made of, just to make sure she can embed herself right in there. "You're right. The Concord is for people that can love and trust each other, so we all know we can be trusted to do what's best for all of us, so beautiful gifts like this can be put in good hands. If you can't trust anyone... I'm sorry. You wouldn't fit in at all." Kukuru starts pushing each claw sideways, putting that sheer power normally reserved for breaking through the earth into trying to split the Shadow like an orange.
Charlotte Newman	Galatea reverts back to her normal self as the flash of Megidola fades. Charlotte is hurled off the titanic Tyrant with a shout, landing hard on her back while protecting her head with both hands. Struggling to get her wind back, the girl scrambles backwards as Smiley grows in size, staring up as Mister Smiley transfigures into-- "Atlas..?!" As the word pushes into Charlotte's mind, she says it out loud, disbelief clear in her tone. Hauling back to her feet, disbelief gives way to defiance. "I don't care how big you think you are! You've already shown everyone exactly how small you really are-- and you know it!" The weight of the world is brought down as a hammer. Galatea, glitchy and unstable, sweeps her non-cannon arm in an arc that traces out a blue-tinted dome shield. The same sort of shield she'd created before; larger, more solid. "Tetrakarn!" Charlotte's magic reinforces the barrier. In return, the smooth umbrella-like argon shell shoots through with lines of helium until it traces out a series of hexagons. A metallic sound echoes out as each hexagon suddenly erupts outward into an enormous spike. Like this, the girl braces against Atlas' slam. When it hits, the shield flashes-- and holds. Charlotte strains against the weight; the weight of an entire world trying to crush her-- suffocate her. Quite suddenly she realizes how familiar the sensation is. Amidst the screaming of every muscle that wants to give in, amidst the fear trying to take over her thoughts, she recalls back to just a few weeks ago... When all of Lampport felt this way. Where every movement and breath was a violation. > "Coming to you, Charlotte." The girl's stance shifts, bracing again. Blood squeezes out of open wounds amidst the sizzling hydra venom. She shoots a glance at Stanley as he approaches the safety she offers. Well, I can't fail now, can I? "Listen..." Despite the thundrous noise of it all, she seems to be addressing Mr Beaufort. Her eyes leave Stanley, focusing back upwards towards the stitched stone face of Atlas, "You made a game that people love. Even without exploiting peoples' dreams and wishes, your family's all set. Right?" "So even if you stopped here, you still come out on top..!" Her voice raises as the defiant tone works its way back in, "If we give up, we lose everything..! So long as even one person still believes in me, I will never stop! I stole my life back once, I'll do it again and again!" A threshold is reached. The shield breaks. The shield breaks in a very unique way-- the inner shell separates from the outer. The layer with all the spikes explodes, hurling the spikes up into Atlas like javelins while the inner layer shatters and dissolves harmlessly above the two teens and those close to them.
Stanley Padgett	And Stanley really is right next to Charlotte, his form flickering in beside his partner as she calls for his aid, his help. A puff of green smoke, and then three more Stanley-s flutter out from the sides of the bubble, drawing off to bat away at falling bits of Atlas, keeping the others safe as they make the push to get through to the man. "...do you want to make us be the ones to tell your son that you died fighting for something not worth the cost?"
Sarracenia	Sarracenia is actually asleep when Smiley starts his attack. As such, she...well, she remains asleep even as -an entire city- is thrown at them! Charlotte calls them to her, and Sarra is roused just enough for one eye to flutter open sleepily, and she drags herself that direction. She doesn't quite make it in time though, and is caught beneath the weight of the world. That wakes her up fast as pain racks her body and threatens to crush her flat. It also gives her the strength to get beneath that Tetrakarn shield. Beneath its protection, she stands up and growls. "You would destroy the world...just so your family is a little better off?! If all you needed was a bit more money you could have just asked!" she yells at Smiley. The goal of not beating him up too much kind of gets lost in Sarra's battle fervor, and she pulls out a large black cube with a red button on it. "Maybe this will knock some sense into you!" she exclaims as she pushes the button. The box starts unfolding...and unfolding...and unfolding. Until a cannon the size of a small house is beneath that shield. Sarra leaps up on top, and as she does there is a loud hydraulic sound. And the tip of a shark-faced bullet the size of a truck peeks out before a loud ka-thunk as it settles in place. Then, with the wind whipping about causing her hair and dress to flutter dramatically, she hits the button again. "You guys might want to get some distance!" she calls out to her allies before with a thunderous KABOOM the Bonzai Bill is launched. It isn't fast by any means, moving about the speed of someone running. But, Atlas is a pretty big target. It flies on a lazy trajectory toward Atlas Smiley, and when it finally reaches him... The explosion is immense. An initial blast sends that huge outer casing's worth of shrapnel flying. Then a series of explosions fire off in quick, machine gun like succession. Followed finally by one last explosion that leaves a proper mushroom cloud. Which may drown out Sarra's somewhat maniacal laughing during the explosions. She does love her explosives and destruction, you know. Hopefully her allies put some distance between themselves and that blast!
Touta Konoe	The distractions of Minions fade and with it continue to dwindle as the fog envelopes them. The sounds of the creatures letting out whimpers and cries in time before them. He becomes another viewer in the crowd as Smiley's transformation comes to light. A form that comes from a wish enveloped in darkness. The creation leaves a few in awe, but more than that is the act of strength that comes forth. It is as much a show of force as it is a display of his 'burden'. I think I can mitigate this.. Get close to me if you don't have a plan of your own! It's likely odd when Charlotte finds out that out of all of them joining her as she prepares her defense is Touta. At the very least he's trying to bring Sarra with him right before the full impact of 'The World' can be weighed down upon her. Yet, even as he does so it doesn't seem like he's concerned with Atlas or the falling of Neon City itself, instead he seems to be focused on Charlotte. I don't care how big you think you are! You've already shown everyone exactly how small you really are-- and you know it! "Don't think it could have been said any better. Let him know that you're not afraid of what the world throws at you..." In truth, Touta thinks this is as much a form of theater than even Stanley could have performed. Certainly Beaufort's feelings make it feel as if he bears a burden of the world on his back. But...As the name of Atlas is burned into their minds....The thought of being born into ten thousand years of labor... Carrying the weight of a billion lives, hopes, and dreams... "Do you really think a burden like that would be just be this...?" He mumbles the words beneath his breath. Continuing to watch as Charlotte continues to bear this weight. It's good she holds it on her own, with a resolve ready to take on the world. At the same time though...It's one of the few times he actually feels outright annoyed at someone's hubris. As she looks to strain, her body shifting to better accommodate his strength a hand's about ready to support her. To at least give her stability to manage what she's bearing. Coming to you, Charlotte. Seeing stanley, and Stanley, and even more Stanley has him stop with a smirk. "Beaufort...There's no stopping the fall now. This is where it happens. But..." Out of nowhere, Touta walks /out/ of the protection of Charlotte's barriers and with it watches as the weight of 'Neon City' all but crushes him. His body lost in rubble in the moment that it happens and yet. "What will you do when you hit the bottom?" Black fog begins to fill the crevices of the rubble, and the lights of Neon City become clouded in a darkness so powerful not even it's luminous can pierce through. "Without knowing where it's going to take them, what'd happen these two have fallen and climbed again. You aided in stealing their lives, and it's only fair they can steal it back." The voice comes from the fog feeling like it's caressing Beaufort's ear like a lingering whisper. As if the fangs of that vampire could have dug in at any moment. "You hear them though...?" "You made a game that people love. Even without exploiting peoples' dreams and wishes, your family's all set. Right?" "...do you want to make us be the ones to tell your son that you died fighting for something not worth the cost?" "Even with everything you put them through, they still want you to thrive. So when this all gets through to you...Will you attempt to lift 'the world' again? Or cry as it crushes you and the things you care about under it...?"
Touta Konoe	As the whisper fades, the black fog only grows thicker, not directly assaulting The Atlas but instead...Making the spikes that explode become concealed in the darkness. Their path unknown, unsure, but still aiming for their target with the resolve to pierce through darkness and challenge the world...
Stanley Padgett	There is no where for Atlas to go. It's done everything it can. It's done its part, all these years. Propped up this whole operation. The lynchpin. The fall guy. The one who everyone relies on. The- The blows rain down. The Banzai Bill. Kukuru's claws. Touta's cutting wit and deep depths. Ishirou's masterful assistance. Stanley. Charlotte. Side by side. And then everything that WAS Atlas is not. And everything that WAS Smiley... is not. And all that's left is Isaac Beaufort Sr., in a pile of debris and rubble, sitting and staring at the broken remains.... of a Golden Apple in his hands. It's been cracked in half, the core tarnished and corroding, smelling of ozone and sulfur. Rotten. "...what do you want? I... you..." The man is halfway to weeping, as true emotions smash into him for the first time in ages. Unfiltered by The Wish. Delilah, forgotten in the melee, quietly walks over to Isaac, and sweeps up the broken rotten apple into her hands. "I think you have done enough, don't you?"
Ishirou	"No," Ishirou says, and reaches out his hand, aiming to grip the rotten apple in his electromagnetic hold. The thing snaps back to his own hands, aiming to try and tear the thing away from Isaac and Delilah before she could dispose of any evidence... Or worse, do something worse to the man who is broken. "He did what you and your boss sent him to do, you knew how he would react. You didn't expect Stanley and Charlotte to have a trap, and if he failed you would use him as the fall guy." "You're not as clever as you think you are, you knew the kind of man you sent."
Charlotte Newman	Atlas crumbles. With her shield broken, Charlotte wobbles but does not collapse. She catches herself by widening her stance, trusting in Stanley to keep her safe from the collapsing titan's debris while she catches her breath. At last, it seems like Mister Smiley-- Atlas-- Isaac Beufort Sr.-- has had all the fight beaten out of him. The girl lets out a sigh, straightening her posture. The look she gives him isn't the anger or defiance of earlier, more a mixture of sadness and pity. And then she appears again. Charlotte tenses up again. Her expression hardens right back up. Galatea, who had not yet receded, shifts into an aggressive floating posture, static running up her outline in ripples of helium and argon. "What do you want." It doesn't come out as a question so much as a demand.
Stanley Padgett	The apple is YANKED, and Delilah... has a moment, where she takes a breath, and looks at Ishirou. and like... looks at the Scout. "You have done enough too. All of you. I..." She turns to look at the others, at Touta and Kukuru, and even Sarracenia too, even if this is her first time meeting the princess. "I did not send him. I was not sent. This is where I am... where I need to be." For the first time, the mildly smug look has faded from her face, replaced with mild frustration, as she tries to piece together words. From the look on her face, she's trying to talk around something, but failing. "This is an Unfair Game." Stanley's eyebrows raise, and he looks to the others... and then back to Delilah. "Hold up. That's... I'm not sure that's your line." Delilah sets her jaw, and stamps her foot.
Ishirou	"Unfair to whom?" Ishirou says, asking Delilah. He places the rotting apple away in one of his Dimensional Pockets, slowly pulling his hand back, and takes a moment to face her. Slowly he takes a moment to get a measure of her character... in the game, she is an artificial life form... but is she here? He takes a breath, and his scanners aim to try and determine what she is exactly. The amount of power behind her, and anything else his sensors can figure out about her. It's voyeuristic, but they are at a disadvantage when dealing with them. "If you mean our victory over you, then blame yourselves for how you played..." he says and looks then to Isaac. "I think you should come with us, sir."
Kukuru	The group dismantles Atlas, and all that's left are Isaac, Delilah, and the rotten apple. Perhaps not realizing the significance of the fruit at first glance, Kukuru seems to content to just catch her breath finally, hunched over with her hands on her knees as she lets her nanites spread again to handle the process of closing up everyone's most egregious wounds and setting her own bones back where they should be after slamming her arms right into the stony Shadow at such high speeds. It takes a little longer for her to realize that tensions haven't necessarily dropped, and she starts to get an inkling of that as she looks back over at where Delilah and Isaac are. Glancing over at Charlotte and Ishirou, she starts to piece a few more things together while approaching Isaac to squat nearby him. "What do we want? Hmmm... I guess that depends on the kids." She glances over at Stanley and Charlotte momentarily, then slips one of her claws away so she can reach for Isaac's face with a gentle hand. Or a gentle-seeming hand, at least, as she first pats his shoulder once to brush off some of that rubble before not-so-gently lifting him out of the rubble with a firm grip of the shoulder that's just tight enough to suggest that he shouldn't move. "What do you wanna do with him, kids?" Kukuru asks as she goes back to her usual peaceful smile even with that other hand still covered in a claw. She only then realizez that Delilah's frustrated about... Whatever it is that's being said about who's being sent and who needs to be where. It's all going right over her head, of course, as does Stanley's line about that not being Delilah's line. "... I thought the game was over. Or is it still going...?"
Stanley Padgett	Delilah... is real. As real as anything else is here in Neon City. She's not FROM Neon City though. The energy is older. Deeper. Primal. A part of this world. She's tied at an intrinsic level to Steelport, this realm, Stanley, and Charlotte. But there are Locks. Narrative Knots. Allegorical Binds. Liminal Blindfolds. Her lips are sewed/sealed/censored. Bound and gagged..
Charlotte Newman	> "What do you wanna do with him, kids?" Charlotte's attention is pulled off Delilah's strangely pouty act when Kukuru calls to her, blinking slowly as the horned woman picks Isaac Sr. up like so much candy fluff. She glances aside towards Stanley, then back to Kukuru. "There's... There's nothing the police would hold him for, but with his wish destroyed is he even a threat anymore?" Her eyes cast downward as she thinks back to what Stanley said a moment ago. "...I think...We should leave him be," She lifts her gaze again, focusing on the man's face, "I'm sure he'll land on his feet. He's the director of a very popular game, after all." Charlotte glances aside towards Stanley, "What do you think?"
Stanley Padgett	Stanley is keeping a weary eye on Delilah and Charlotte and Ishirou, as he steps over to Isaac and Kukuru. "Honestly, that's not for me to decide." He looks from the others up to the towering Green Knight. The great Warrior chuffs a bit. "I'm pretty sure you have the first complaint against Mr. B." "FORSOOTH, YOU HAVE TRIUMPHED. THIS IS A FANTASTIC OUTCOME. I AM PROUD TO HAVE FACILITATED IN THIS RUSE, THIS PARLEY. YOUR CUNNING WILL SERVE YOU WELL, BRAVE FENCER, MISS WIZARD." The Green Knight's emojis shift into a prideful manner, before he scoops a big arm down, and plucks up Isaac. And hands him out to either Kukuru or Touta or Ishirou.
Sarracenia	Sarracenia hasn't been sure about anything that was happening here ever since she stumbled through the gateway, but when a line is mentioned she looks even more confused. Combined with Ishirou's talk of how they played and the talk earlier of Smiley making a game, she hesitates before saying, "Wait...is this actually some sort of game we're in right now?" she asks no one in particular, looking around at the monolithic 'games' and the spectral 'players' playing them. She meets Delilah's gaze when it turns her way, but still doesn't quite know what to make of all of this. Is Delilah an enemy or some kind of anti-hero or...? The princess shakes her head in confusion and just listens, but keeps her hammer at the ready. Hearing she is bound and sealed and gagged though, Sarra wonders aloud, "If she is bound like that, is there some way to release her? I don't know a lot of what happened, but...she doesn't seem all that bad to me." As Kukuru's healing nanites work, Sarra pulls out green mushrooms as well and offers them to anyone who wants one. And nibbles on one herself almost like a movie snack as she watches all of this.
Touta Konoe	"Restart or New Game, Beaufort. That'll be your call." He's not inclined to take Mr. B from the knight given he's likely ending up with the Paladins or the Concord. As Ishirou speaks of having Isaac come with them, Touta's simply adding the combo to that remark. That said, even he's kind of surprised to see that Delilah's facade seems to break. Her expression turns even more sour as she says that remark. Touta's look to Stanley is honestly just a shrug. "That's how you see it? Way I figure it is, you'd only be getting it more fair if these two came on their own. And if anything, I think the rest of us have been /pretty/ hands off." He's going to ignore Ishirou just by yoinking the apple. He's not really caring how fair that was or not, as far as he's concerned that was a good move. Ishirou does give them a warning of Delilah, one that doesn't seem to make sense at first, "...Restricting her...?" He lingers on the word for a moment, not sure but seeing Charlotte's response and thinking back prior... Even if he's got thoughts on the matter, he doesn't say anything one way or another. Clearly for some reason. At this point, he's simply making his way to Stanley, leaning in so that he doesn't have to focus more on him than necessary than he needs to keep his eyes on Delilah and the night. "Alright Stan, we closing out the act. Or we trying to push for a finale?"
Stanley Padgett	Delilah will keep looking at Ishirou... and then turns to Charlotte. "The next time we meet... I insist. That you take hold of my- no, the Grimoire." And then she hops gently into the air, and falls straight down through a rip in space. Stanley sighs, and waves GUARDIAN SPECK over towards Ishirou. "He's all yours, Ishi."
Kukuru	'There's... There's nothing the police would hold him for, but with his wish destroyed is he even a threat anymore?' Kukuru shrugs, then gives Isaac a little shake as she looks from him to the Green Knight thatisn't the one she's used to. "Mm... Maybe! But thinking that far ahead is.... Nnh." She lets out a weary sigh, then shrugs again while giving his arm another light squeeze, almost like she's testing for something before... <J-IC-Scene> Ishirou says, "Kukuru, you should... offer him protection. I do not think his bosses in Novatech would want to see him around." <J-IC-Scene> Charlotte Newman says, "Mm... I'd be okay with that. Or you could, mister Ishirou. The Paladins were very good to Stanley and me during the timequake incident." <J-IC-Scene> Ishirou says, "Mmm." <J-IC-Scene> Kukuru says, "Hmm... Maaaaybe. I dunno if anyone in the Concord would wanna see him around, either! Hmhmhm..." <J-IC-Scene> Kukuru says, "Oh! Unless Stanley and Charlie wanna see him around after they finish their applications~" <J-IC-Scene> Touta Konoe lets out a sigh, "Has this guy seriously pissed off enough people from Paladins and Concord to make this a problem?" <J-IC-Scene> Charlotte Newman says, "I think-- it's more, protective custody... from NovaTech retaliation. . . . W-wait, miss Kukuru, I didn't..!" <J-IC-Scene> Ishirou says, "Protective Custody." <J-IC-Scene> Ishirou sighs, "Nevermind, I'll take him in." <J-IC-Scene> Sarracenia hmphs skeptically, but doesn't say anything. <J-IC-Scene> Ishirou says, "Do you have something to say, Princess?" <J-IC-Scene> Kukuru giggles softly. "Don't worry! Stanley's got extra applications, so you can both fill them out once we're done here. And then I can bring them back home~" <J-IC-Scene> Kukuru says, "As for Isaac here... Oh! I know what to do, if you all think that company's gonna be a problem." Slipping the other claw into her pocket, then brushing his other shoulder off and giving him a stern look. "You're really lucky. If these kids weren't gonna join the Concord, you'd be in really big trouble now." The stern look fades, replaced rather quickly by Kukuru's usual carefree smile. "Buuuuut... You can come back with us for now. I bet you know plenty of stuff about that NovaTech, right? Our smarter folks back home can get the details figured out, and then..." She trails off, and the smile starts to give way to a vaguely uncertain hum instead. It lingers for a while, too, until the gears creak back into place, and- "... Oh! Then the Concord can take over NovaTech, and nobody will have to worry about anyone trying to wreck Lampport ever again~"
Kukuru	As promised, Kukuru also indeed has an application buried in her skirt pocket, and she hands it right to Touta in a neatly sealed envelope. How she's able to pull that out right after jamming an entire claw in there is still visually unclear even/especially when it happens. She probably doesn't realize it was a joke.
Stanley Padgett	NEXT TIME on Persona: Neon Legacy A long nosed man with a rictus grin leans over a table. Do you believe in fortune telling? There's one fortune in particular I am very eager to tell. The streets of Neon City are overflowing with Shadows, but even they are making way for the fight that's brewing as Charlotte clutches to a massive Blue Grimoire. "I'm sorry! I didn't know! I didn't know!" A massive yawning sigil is opening up underneath her, as her eyes start to turn golden yellow. Stanley and the Man with No Face stand at opposite sides of the main lobby at NovaTech. "...why did you come back, son? You know how this is going to end." "If this story is set in stone, then why do you look so worried?" XXI. The World