Scene #8789: PNL: Is This Your Stop?

Owner	Pose
Stanley Padgett	"So." Stanley looks out the windows of the Velvet Room. The bus is quietly... driving through the void, rumbling away in the spaces between worlds. A swirl of neon mists curls up against the windshields of the craft, swishing past in swaths of psychedelic swirls. "Which of you is the Attendant now?" Stanley turns back to look to Delilah and to Charlotte, sitting on the other side of the aisle from him. "Because I have to ask who it is that I'm going to be... working with here." Now that they were side by side, it was a lot more clear how similar the two of them look. The Grimoire rests on the table between the girls and Stan. It sits with purpose. With weight. A history.
Charlotte Newman	Charlotte's recovered a lot of her vigor since the incident, though she still seems tired, wobbling unsteadily in her seat in time to the gentle rocking of the bus; all with her eyes closed. She jolts when Delilah bumps her ribs with an elbow, glancing aside with one eye open. After a moment, the girl exhales, "Technically the both of us..?" "When we were separated again, while pieces of Charlotte were left in myself-- and pieces of myself were left in Charlotte-- we remain unique individuals." Delilah's voice even sounds similar, though her intonation and pronunciation still makes the pair distinctly different. "Therefore you may rely on me for the duties of an attendant of the Velvet Room, and upon Charlotte for the duties of a companion in the Shadow World." "'Duties'?" Charlotte elbows the blue-clad girl right back, "Don't word it in such a sketchy way." Delilah stifles a demure laugh behind her hand, golden eyes closed.
Stanley Padgett	Stanley's head tilts a little bit, and then he snorts at Charlotte's response. "I wouldn't call them Duties either, Delilah. We are partners, after all. Hand in hand, standing up against world." The Fool settles into his chair, and taps his sneaker against the carpet. A thoughtful glance between the girls. "Though I think you might have seen that in the... exchange." A moment or two to think about what he just said, and then color touches his cheeks. "So not just in the Shadow World, but in the rest of the world." A smile. "My first friend here in Lampport." A blink. "Actually, both of you were..." His brain tries to piece this together in his brain. "Delilah told me to find friends. And then... you found me."
Charlotte Newman	"Partners," Charlotte repeats, glancing down at her hands thoughtfully. Her eyes wander to the Grimoire of Souls a moment later, though she's pulled out of whatever thoughts quickly enough. "You are the first friend I made since I woke up in that house," the girl admits, "Among all the connections I've created with others, yours feels the most... real? The strongest." She nods once, "The one that matters the most to me." "Such social links are important, of course," Delilah hums. Reaching forward with both hands, she collects the tome and lifts it into her lap, "My dear Fool, you have done well, though I feel you can yet do better. I fret somewhat that you may have grown too fast. Ensure you have not left behind some of those who yet support or had supported you." Delilah places a hand on the cover of the book, looking fondly down upon it, "The trials ahead of you both are only going to grow more challenging. More and stronger bonds could only benefit you. Cherished memories and tested comeradarie are your greatest allies moving forward." Charlotte glances down again, cradling her chin in thought, "Mm... Given what we've gone through so far, I had a feeling..."
Stanley Padgett	Padgett laughs a little... but then he slides up and out of his spot. A moment to walk around the table and the Grimoire, and then he sits down at the booth with the girls. "It's the sentiment of the thing of course, the partners thing. The two of us." He looks straight ahead, out the windows of the other wide of the bus. "I know we've got to finish this in Lampport. And we've got to move on. Grow." "Delilah, you talk about the future and now is the only time like I've felt like I've ever had one. I was... so certain that I was going to... die doing this. Die or be wished away, be..." A look at his hands. "Be tossed to the curb or something. Left to fend for myself again." Sweaty hands push at his slacks, and he's trying to find words. Why is this so much harder than just.. gabbing with people with swords flashing?
Charlotte Newman	"The future is ever in flux," Delilah comments casually. Her posture shifts primly as Stanley sits down, now directly across the table from her and right next to Charlotte-- as they had been seated across from one another already. With a hum, she places the Grimoire back down to one side, more 'in front' of her other half. "It is easy to feel as though one's path is fixed. That it may not only never deviate, but that it shall force one in line with it. This is of course far from the truth; a clever lie that many are tricked into believing." The attendant dips her head forward slightly. Between her hands she produces a well-worn deck of tarot cards. Gently, she shuffles them in a way that creates no sound whatsoever, "The greatest miracle of mortals is their propensity for defying fate. For realizing the future can be changed-- and changing it with their own hands. It is one of many qualities inherent to mortals that we denizens of the Velvet Room appreciate so deeply." "My charming Fool, will you place your bonds to the forefront of your thoughts and try once again? Think not only of yourself, but of the many hands that have helped you thus far; and those who yet will support you moving forward." Delilah lifts her gaze, her golden eyes glowing subtly in the moody light of the Velvet Room. In her hands she fans out the tarot cards, offering them to him. Charlotte is quiet through all of this, listening to the blue-clad girl talk and possibly lost in her own thoughts. It is only when the cards are offered to Stanley that she even realizes they'd been brought out. Red eyes blink at the fanned out deck, then shift towards Stanley.
Stanley Padgett	Stanley relents, his thoughts slipping away as Delilah takes a step away and leaves him with Charlotte once again. The Brave Fencer snorts quietly, and leans. His cheek rests on Charlotte's head, and he whispers. "Clear my mind, huh?" His head lifts. "And here I thought it was just Igor who was meant to be doing the fortune telling. I didn't know that was in your wheelhouse too, Delilah." A vague attempt at humor to deflate the anxiety in his heart, to TRY and clear his mind, but that's not working, so he simply... opens the gates. "...My fate has been one thing for so long. All my life, just... no connections, no home, no one to bond with. Just Dad. Who was just a voice on the phone and a face at an airport and money wired to guardians." He breathes. "I'm not even sure if I deserve this... right now. But." His eyes close, and he wipes his hands on his pants again, and reaches up to loosen his tie, and then slumps into the bus's bench the best he can, to relax and try and focus his thoughts on... Those who have helped him, over the past year and a half.
Charlotte Newman	It's a summary of stories Charlotte had heard before, when it comes to the life Stanley's led up until now. Cast off, discarded, over and over. She glances down with a pensive look on her face. When he questions if he even deserves what he has now, she tilts slightly and just kind of bumps into his shoulder as he slouches bonelessly in his seat. "You're not alone anymore," she assures him, though she leaves off the names. That's something, naturally, the young man is meant to focus on unprompted. His future was always the same no matter how he drew the cards before. Would it be the same now? Even Charlotte doesn't know. The cant of Delilah's head, the light curl of her lips, and the look in her eyes all mix together into an expression that is slightly more playful than she looked before. A bit mischevious, though well-intentioned. "I do share his fondness for the practice of fortune-telling. We are his creation, after all--" A subtle glance towards Charlotte as she continues, "There is some aspect of him within the two of us as well." With Stanley relaxing and psyching himself up, Delilah keeps the cards fanned out for his selection. She does however look away, leaning out into the aisle and glancing towards the rear. The snack cart pulls up a few moments later as she re-affixes her attention on his face, "Take your time, wonderful Fool. Your Hanged companion and High Priestess patiently await."
Stanley Padgett	Stanley snorts out his anxiety, and reaches out to find the cards. Eyes still closed, he can still pick ones without looking, without trying to influence his own fate any further.
Charlotte Newman	The cards are pulled, three in all. Soundlessly, Delilah flicks her wrist and folds the remaining tarot cards back into a single stack. She sets this gently aside and then, equally gently, places the three chosen cards upon the table before Stanley. She shifts her posture, pressing the tips of her fingers together in a moment of anticipation, and then reaches for the first card. With no fanfare, she flips it over. "Stanley..." Charlotte murmurs, elbowing him gently in the side, her eyes fixed on the face of the card. "The Chariot," Delilah proclaims brightly, "Signifies direction and willpower. The strength to guide one's path forward." In one smooth motion, she flips the center card. "Death, reversed. Beware of holding on to things which are harmful to you. Stagnation and decay are your obstacles. You should not allow yourself to be mired so." The third card is flipped. Without skipping a beat, the Attendant continues, "The Fool. New beginnings. A more free spirit now than ever before." Gently, Delilah folds her hands together, interlacing her fingers while wearing an unbelievably smug smile.
Stanley Padgett	A new set of cards. For the first time since he'd gotten here. Stanley's eyes water a little bit, just seeing the Chariot. But then the cards keep coming, and the Fool has to lean in to watch the magic happen... And it's a good thing he did too, or else he might have let either of the girls see the look on his face as Death came out, reversed. He sucks wind through hie teeth, as the Fool appears once more. "Heh. ...hahahah..." Anxious, tired laughter bubbles up and out of Stanley Marigold Padgett, a wash of emotions he hadn't realized he'd been sitting on just... melting out of him in one long swath of noise. The tall boy slumps backwards against the bench again, and looks up at the roof of the bus. "You hear that, Fate? You're not fixed in place any more. You're not just... making me spin my goddamn wheels." He waggles a finger at the fine blue velour and gold trim over the top of them both, chest falling back to a slower, steadier rhythm. "Gonna... fix things. Gonna fix everything. And then I'm me. Mine. I get to decide where to go."
Charlotte Newman	As the reading concludes and Stanley starts laughing, Charlotte closes her eyes and puts an arm around his boney shoulders in a side-hug that also gently shakes him. All the while, she keeps her eyes on the shown cards as if she expects them to change suddenly to the same trio that Stanley had always drawn before; he demonstrated such in dramatic fashion to her, once. Her eyes shift to the deck, then lift to Delilah's face. Without a word, the Attendant picks up the deck and turns it over, fanning the unselected cards out. In one smooth motion she shows that the deck is unaltered; the usual suspects of Tower and Wheel of Fortune are plainly visible among all their contemporaries. In a similar, equally smooth motion, Delilah scoops up the deck as well as the three cards that Stanley had chosen. Her hands press together. When they come apart, the deck has disappeared. "As my Master had said so recently, this is a happy occasion." Reaching into the cart, she produces a large slice of cake; like the sort that a bakery would make rather than a factory, sitting on a charming little plate. Setting that in front of Stanley, she then retrieves two plates of Tiramisu; one kept for herself, the other slid over to Charlotte. "It takes a good amount of effort for one to change their path, but it can be done," Delilah hums, handing her 'sister' a dessert fork as she talks, "The will to create such miracles. The strength to see it through. The desire to see and reach for a better future than what is laid out. This is what I mean when I say this is one of the many things my Master and I appreciate about mortals." The smugness of her expression drains out of it; the smile far more genuine, "And you, my charming Fool, seem to have at last broken free of those chains as well. It is worthy of celebration, I should say." To punctuate her sentence, Delilah offers Stanley some flatware as well. "You're a much nicer person than I thought," Charlotte comments, eyes closed as she tastes her dessert. "I am as nice as you are," Delilah shoots back in a catty tone.
Stanley Padgett	As the 'sisters' bicker at each other, and as Stanley eats his cake while listening to them pick and chirp... his brain is twisting and shifting. Thoughts coalesing as he takes bites of Homemade Tastykake. It's not the same, and that's fine. Delilah's been working on her cooking. But then there's a gleam in Stanley's eyes, something feral. Fierce. "I need to rally whoever we can get. Anyone who's still willing to come set things right here in Lampport." He leans forward, reaches for his bag, and pulls out... The Wishing Box. He plants it on the table next to Delilah's Grimoire, and then smiles at the Attendant, his eyes wild. "I know what to do. I know what I want to do. I don't care about fixing Lampport. I care about stopping my father from doing any more harm. I'm going to make him pay for all the pain he brought me and brought everyone else in this city." "...If that fixes Lampport along the way, then fine. But Dad is going to pay. And I'm guessing..." Stanley rests a hand on the top of the box. "Whatever or whoever is inside this agrees with me."
Charlotte Newman	It's bickering, but... fond bickering. A little good-natured teasing, far from the way Charlotte had acted towards Delilah before. Even just over a week ago, the girl was shouting the closest thing to an obscenity, after all. She seems to give up on further barbs, though, closing her eyes as she listens, nodding along a bit with Stanley. "I can think of a few people I can ask. I know you have a few you could ask, too. Our connections are our strength, right?" When her eyes open, she fixes her look on Delilah, who nods once. "Correct," The attendant's attention shifts when Stanley produces the device. The authentic device, this time. Her eyes rest on it, clearly thinking back to when she had tried to steal it from him and Rufus Shinra. Reaching out, she instead places her hand on the Grimoire and pulls it back to herself, resting the tome in her lap and placing her hands on it. "I believe that this is the approach which best suits you," Delilah says in a confident tone, "Fight not for a city of faceless individuals. Fight only for the faces you know. Of the Star and the Moon and the Heirophant who support you. Of the Death you saved and the Death you gave guidance to. Of the High Priestess who believes in you and the Hanged Woman who stands beside you." Her gaze shifts to Charlotte, "Of the Hanged Man who aided you, the Strength who uplifted you; even perhaps the Devil who guides you and the Judgement who inspires you." Charlotte pauses, then glances down as Delilah continues. "The final battle is approaching. Be certain that you are prepared and rested, my charming contractors. The final faceless face of NovaTech will not be felled so easily." "Mmm..." Charlotte's thoughtful noise leaks out, followed by a little nod as she glances up, "I understand." She gives Stanley's shoulders another squeeze.
Stanley Padgett	A thought afforded to the friends they've made, the teammates they've gathered and let go. Sure, Stan and Charlotte my be the only active members of the party these days... but there's more, so many more who can help. "I'm going to give Dad what he wants. What he's always wanted out of this." Stanley rests his hand on the box. "I'm gonna make a wish." His eyes sparkle in Foolish glee.
Charlotte Newman	> "I'm gonna make a wish." Both Charlotte and Delilah pause, fixing looks on Stanley when he says that. Charlotte's is one of surprise mixed with concern. The sort of expression one might have if they're worried their friend lost his mind. Delilah's is one of--delight. The face of someone who wants to know more, but also knows she should wait for the show to begin rather than spoil the plot. Instead, the blue-clad Attendant leans forward, resting her elbows on the table and resting her chin on laced-together fingers, "Oh, that is a fascinating idea, my charming Fool." "Have you lost your mind?" Charlotte blurts out. She quickly reins herself in by taking a deep breath. Red eyes glance towards the Wish Box and its yet-unknown contents, then back to Stanley, "...Nevermind. I trust you."
Stanley Padgett	The manic glee is still there in Stanley's eyes as he turns to look at Charlotte. Amber eyes meet red, Stanley locking gazes with his partner. "We've been running from the answer the whole damn time, Char. We just have to make a wish. Make a wish that the Box wants to grant, the way... whatever is inside wanted to grant one for Mr. Speck." A happy smile. "I've got just the right one in mind, actually." A glance at the box. "No spoilers though. And no saying it out loud before it's time, I think. Gotta be... narrative about it, like everything else has been."
Charlotte Newman	Delilah's golden eyes close, the smugness returning to her delighted smile along with a slight cant to her head. She seems quite pleased to have already reached the same conclusion Stanley just explained to her other half. Charlotte inhales and holds it, then lets the breath out softly, "Yes, of course. That makes sense." She nods twice, settling more comfortably into her seat, "Then there's no use getting stressed about it. We just wait for the right time." A little smile returns as she prods at her tiramisu again, "In the meantime, we get to relax, enjoy ourselves, ask around, and prepare."