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Starlight Bandits     The Kingdom of Chapter has never been this abuzz in any living memory.

    Either being under the oppressive thumbs of the literate or recovering from a bloody revolution doesn't exactly make for much merriment. But right now, the streets are packed with locals and foreigners milling around the market square. The new guard, made up primarily of farmer boys who got some lucky kills in the uprising, can do little to quell this tide of bodies. Kings and CEOs rub shoulders with mercenaries and lowlifes on this day, some bearing all their wealth for a chance to see their future, others bearing weapons to try and take theirs by force.r
    Distantly, a clock tower chimes. It's time for the auction to start, but the Bandits are nowhere in sight. Right away, the crowd begins to bristle and row, calling for action. And from the crowd, two explosive roll to the fountain, exploding into thick plumes of obscuring smoke. Many cough and choke, pulling away from it and creating a crush.

    But as it clears, there stands the Starlight Bandits themselves. They've gone for the stage magician look today, Irvine wearing a tuxedo and tophat while Molly wears a bunnygirl suit with a full-body nylon stocking.

    "Good evening ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, and welcome to the first ever Starshine Auction!"

    "Thank you all so much for coming~! The item up for grabs today iiiiis..."

    Irvine takes off his top hat and shows it to the crowd, revealing that it is empty. He offers it to Molly, who dips an encased hand inside, before producing a plain-looking, leather-bound journal. "The book that tells the future of anyone who reads it! Let's hear the opening bids!"

    "I got an opening bid for ya!" comes a cry from the crowd. A tall, lean man wearing a trenchcoat reaches into it, drawing some kind of futuristic pistol. But Irvine, even in all those fine layers, is quicker to the draw. Out comes his gunblade, Playing Mantis, and the trigger is pulled, putting the man down with a bullet to the chest.

    "Any /real/ bids?"
Sanary Rondel It has taken quite some time for the pig farmer to find the Kingdom of Chapter even with Molly's directions, although it's not in any part the bandit/auctioneer's fault. No, it's because said pig farmer has arrived at the auction in what looks like a freaking WAGON.

     Not a station wagon. A big closed-off wooden wagon, actually, that looks like a well-made antique rather than something that's seen regular use from day to day. Sanary's right in front of the wagon, pulling it along with...

     ... Nothing else actually pulling it along. No horses, no beasts of burden. No, she's just dragging a freaking wagon with her to the auction. She arrives just in time for things to start, cheering lightly as things get started and someone immediately starts trying the robbery angle not too far from her.

     "... Idiot. I got a real bid! Just... Gimme a sec." Sanary sighs lightly and stops her wagon next to the fallen man, checking him for signs of life. If he's still alive, she'll jam her finger into the chest-hole before putting healing magic in to stabilize him, with or without the bullet still lodged inside. And if he's dead? No sense wasting energy on that.

     Either way, she approaches, then smacks the side of her wagon with a confident smirk. It shakes briefly. "You said the bids don't have to be in cash, right?"
August Kohler In the market squaree, a teenager in a hoodie, hood up, stands to the side of the 'stage' where the Bandits are, closer to wherever the rebels are as he flicks a shard of glass around in his hands. August isn't here to bid - he's here to make sure things don't descend to violence. Normally, he'd be supporting the rebels outright, but he's very fond of the Starlight Bandits, and is therefore taking a more neutral role. Besides, if someone the rebels don't like gets the book, they can steal it /after/ the auction. The Bandits would probably be fine with that. They're bandits.

When a guy pulls out a gun, August squints and clutches the glass, but it's not necessary. Irvine guns him down, and August is about to call for medical attention when he spots Sanary in the crowd. He starts moving towards her as she tries to stabilize the thief, going to move the guy somewhere safe. "Thanks, Rondel. Good luck on the bid."
Starlight Bandits     The blatent gunning-down of a man in the street has the guard on edge. Several try and push through the crowd to apprehend the Bandits, but the crowd only pushes back or forms up to keep them approaching through density alone. Others look to August for help or assistance, or even just some input.

    Meanwhile, Irvine is taking bids that are being shouted from the crowd. Some hold up chests packed with gold coins, another holds up a gleaming magic sword, a third holds up a massive gem. Another suddenly throws a spear at the two, only for Irvine to catch it from the air and break it over his knee.

    Molly, meanwhile, points to Sanary and her massive wagon that is filling up a lot of real estate on the square. The man on the ground is not dead yet, so the wound heals over the bullet, leaving it lodged behind his lung. "What have you got for us~?" she asks.
Sanary Rondel Sanary blinks slowly as she hears a familiar voice from someone in a hoodie, peering over and grinning a little wider when she recognizes the source. "Hey, Ko-ohhhlman."

     Is he trying to stay in disguise? Better not use his real name. "Yeah, thanks~ Don't got the cash to compete, so I got my secret weapon here..." She murmurs and gives August a firm pat on the shoulder, then turns towards Irvine and Molly.

     And she facepalms at the spear throw. "Really...? Uh. Anyway." She clears her throat while looking the two tech-magicians over, then starts pulling her wagon closer to the stage. "Ah, yes yes! Anyone can just throw money around that they didn't earn. But this... This!"

     The wagon gets another smack, and it shakes again. "This is something you can only get with decades of practice!" Says the 19-year-old. "I've got three of my best pigs in here, all fattened up and ready to be turned into more meat than you can safely eat in a week."

     She pauses dramatically, then points towards the pair dramatically. "But that's not all! I'll even butcher 'em, cook 'em up, and give you good instructions on how to reheat 'em so they still taste just as good the fifth time around!"
August Kohler As Sanary speaks oddly when she recognizes him, August just laughs. "Hood's up because it's more comfortable that way. Don't worry about it, Rondel, I'm going to need to shout in a moment anyways." He frowns as he sees the guards charging forward and a possible issue, and then moves to climb onto a cart or something similar to get height as he gestures at the crowd and the guards, his voice sharp and firm. "Alright, listen up, people! Name's August Kohler, I'm an outsider but I've assisted in this world several times and I'm here to make sure this goes smoothly. You saw that right there, guy got shot? He got what was coming to him. You've heard the auction rules in advance, haven't you? Try and rob the Bandits, they defend themselves. If you don't want to get shot, DON'T BE A SHITBAG. Bid on the damn book if you want it. I'm here to keep the peace, and that includes making sure these two can have their auction without getting attacked at all sides." Assuming the crowd doesn't start yelling at him, August leaps down back to the ground and moves over near the stage, but not far from Sanary. He wants to see how this pig deal goes.
Starlight Bandits     Based on Molly's reaction, it seems like Sanary made the bid to the right partner. The bandit seems to be literally drooling as she tugs on Irvine's sleeve and points at the wagon. "Oh Irvine, could we?..." she asks. Irvine makes a face and says, "Molly, we could always rustle some pigs." The girl also makes the most dreaded of faces; puppy-dog eyes. Irvine winces, and gives her arm a consoling pat. "I'll give it plenty of thought. But let's consider the rest of the bids first." Molly beams.

    August meanwhile, gets paid a lot more heed that one would expect from some dumb teen at this auction of people who are staking their futures on it. Considering how Irvine shot someone in the street and caught a spear from the air, they're clearly not to be trifled with.

    But then, Perplex rolls up to trifle with them.

    "That's enough!" he calls from atop a horse that rides into the square. "This book was found in the Opera Bibliotheca. It is property of Chapter, and you will turn it back over to me this instant! In exchange, I offer my deepest leniency by allowing the both of you to leave."

    But then, from the crowd, a man with a scarred cheek yells. "Don't listen to him! He is a bloody revolutionary! Turn the book over to I, and the loyalists who remain true to the king languishing in the dungeons! Let us make Chapter great again!"

    There's a long pause... before the auction just keeps going. No one here is really that invested in the fate of this place. But now that the rebels and the loyalists are in the same place, the air is electric. Something might go down at any second.
Sanary Rondel "Oh. Well, that makes things easier, then." Sanary chuckles while listening to August address the crowd, reaching for her tomahawk subconsciously just in case. Being at odds with and helping someone on various occasions makes it hard to ignore any potential danger to them! She watches him head to the stage before straightening back up and turning to Irvine and Molly with that pseudo-merchant's grin again.

     ... Holy crap, that actually seemed to work sort of kinda maybe. She tenses up when the two have their own exchange, making a mental note of it all. She only starts breathing again when Perplex and Scarman come up to draw some attention away from her, her bravado not lasting as long as she'd like. Performing is hard, especially when there's actually something on stake beyond her pride! A book like that could be useful for all sorts of things, after all, and...

     Maybe she's not quite willing to attack people she /knows/ to get it, but at least it's understandable. The tension in the air isn't ignored, though, and the healer grips her weapon under her coat a little more firmly while starting to move the wagon closer to the stage just to make sure it's not right in the middle of everything that may or may not go down.
August Kohler August feels proud, people are listening to him. However, as he steps down, both the revolutionaries and the loyalists show up, and he sighs loudly. He moves away from the bigger parts of the crowd, as he shouts at the top of his lungs. "GET BACK, ALL OF YOU!" With a glance into the mirror, the redhead says a word that the revolutionaries have atleast heard before. "Persona."

The Tin Soldier appears in the spark of blue energy, and its menacing, silent robot glare is turned towards both the crowd and towards the rebels and the loyalists. "There is to be /no violence/ from the crowd. You're all adults, or close enough, act like it. If you start killing each other in the streets, I'm going to escort the Bandits to safety myself, with the book. If you /want it/, /bid for it/." His voice is firm, and it's probably a bit obvious to those who've talked to him before that he's biased.

And he's also a hypocrite, because he's totally let revolutionaries do whatever they want when it didn't involve people he liked being in danger. "Am I understood, or do I need to fire a shot into the air to show that the Tin Soldier isn't for show?"
Starlight Bandits     Perplex glowers hard at August, urging his horse into a trot to get over to the hooded boy. "You dare? I thought you were committed to our cause? Don't tell me you're looking out for these vultures?" He gestures at the two Bandits as he says this. His face is red and flush with fury. Clearly the rebellious type who believes that his was is right simply because it's diametric to how things were.

    Dion, the man with the scarred cheek and head of the loyalists, is a little more level-headed in all this. He's been in the political game for a while, and understands the use of playing along. "I pledge the support of the kingdom of Chapter, once the king is back on the throne. Wealth, titles, all of the Opera Bibliotheca at your disposal. Anything you request will be yours, and I guarantee it will happen if you honour me with that book." The crowd 'ooo's, not just because of the bid, but because of the potential drama it may create.

    Indeed, Perplex looks furious. But he's been pulled into the event now, and he shouts, "I offer the same, but with no clause attached! You will have our support immediately if you give the book to me!" Another, bigger 'OOO!" from the crowd. Even those who came here to get the book themselves look into it.

    Irvine looks between the two, while Molly just seems very fixated on Sanary's pigs. "Hmm... I dunno Irvine, they all seem so good!" Irvine crosses his arms and nods solemnly. "Hmm... I concur Molly. So... we shall leave it to vote. Everyone! Vote for what bid we should accept for this book!" The crowd is in an uproar again. Many try to vote for their own bid, but their shouts are washed out by calls to turn it over to the rebels, to the loyalists. Some even vote for Sanary's pigs, probably as the comedy option.
Sanary Rondel Unable to just let August handle the crowd himself, Sanary soon finds herself climbing on top that self-pulled wagon and letting the bottom of her coat billow out behind her dramatically. Or... Not very much at all, if there's not much of a breeze. Still, standing there confidently with her arms crossed and staring down the crowd is something!

     "Keep it calm, everyone! The book ain't going to anyone if things go to crap out here, so... Uh. Be cool, alright?" Motivational speaker, she is not. When the votes for the pigs start coming, though, the healer does puff up just a bit even if they might really be joke votes. "Hmm.. You know. I can't promise anything big like that, and I dunno anything about politics or revolutions or whatever, but!"

     She pauses dramatically once again, then points towards the Tin Soldier and Molly. "The taste of pork chops cooked perfectly over magical manfire? You can't buy that with a title or wealth!"
August Kohler "I'm committed to your kingdom, yes. That doesn't mean I agree with absolutely everything you do. I'm against the loyalists, and I can guarantee you I won't allow them to have the book." August's voice has honesty to it. "But this is an auction. You need to bid like anyone else."

And then, people do start bidding! As it sort of devolves into a shouting contest, August realizes that with his Persona and his overall intimidation lately, he could probably get a good voice for where to go. As Sanary points at the Tin Soldier to get her porkchops, he sighs, but then realizes he knows exactly who can be most trusted with it without fucking over Perplex's people. Climbing over to where Molly and Irvine is, with the Tin Soldier next to him, he shouts loudly. "I support Sanary Rondel and her pigs! Her pork is the best I've ever had, must be tried. In fact, after this auction, you should buy some!" August glances at Sanary. He's expecting her to forget that 'spat' they had over debts, now that he's advertising for her.

There's another glance at Perplex, as he steps off. "I won't let the loyalists get the book. But you don't need it, either. What will it do for you? Why do you /need it/?"
Starlight Bandits     Irvine and Molly cock their ears, listening for the loudest votes. They both look at August and Sanary casting for the pigs, which gets Perplex to give him a very sour eye. Eventually, Irvine smirks and nods. "Now, rest assured, all your input and votes are valued by we Starlight Bandits. But some votes are more valued than others. That young man!" He points to August. "Has a man's romance that rivals mine in intensity, even if he does let it burn out of control at times. His vote counts for 500 votes! And Molly here... He twirls the girl and dips her. "She is my treasured partner. Her vote counts for 5 million votes. Thus... we will take the pigs!"

    The crowd is stunned for a long moment, before outrage blooms. People shout and yell at the Bandits, calling them morons and demanding that they take their bids. Dion looks crushed, and just melts into the crowd to vanish. Perplex, meanwhile, demands that guards swarm the fountain and take the two.

    In response to this, the Bandits just look glad. They leap at the crowd, using heads as platforms to make their way over to Sanary, who is also being mobbed by people, demanding that she sell the book to them. Many are bearing weapons. Molly yells "August! Join us if you would!"
Sanary Rondel All that talk of plans and money and lotteries over the radio actually has Sanary furrowing her brow, and she's taking mental notes on what to do with the book on the off-chance she actually gets it. That's why, when she hears August actually throwing his lot in behind her, she looks utterly perplexed. "Ah...? And fif... Ten percent of all sales this week'll towards charities, so you're supporting a good cause, too!"

     August's not-really-transfgressions are pretty much forgiven by that point.

     It doesn't take much longer for her to become absolutely confounded when the Bandits actually pick /her/ bid of all things. Did... Did her shot in the dark really work? On one hand, she's elated. On the other hand, she really didn't think this thing through. With attention zeroes in around the Bandits, herself, and possibly August, she stands her ground while getting her magic flowing a bit more to get some magical bricks forming around the wagon steadily as a sort of crappy barrier.

     "Whoa, whoa! Easy there! You crowd around like this, you're never seeing that book again!"
August Kohler Perplex's reaction isn't unexpected. August just stares at him, frowning, as the rioting starts. He's internally aware that this is because of his own bias, but he made his choice and he's sticking with it. The Tin Soldier points its gun into the air and lets off a spray of fire as an attempt to clear August's path via intimidation, as he begins pushing through the crowd to reach the Bandits and Rondel, tripping a guard during the chaos to stop him from jabbing at the duo with his spear.

"So, usual escape? ...God damn it, this is becoming normal. I'm consorting with thieves and pig farmers as if nothing strange is going on, and I'm not sure I dislike it."
Starlight Bandits     Sanary's threat, coupled with the swirling stone blocks, gets the crowd to back off. August's rain of fire also clears a path for him, right up to the wagon. Arrows fly at the Bandits, but they skip past to land with the two. From Irvine's hat comes that silvery shortstaff, which he touches against the wagon. Molly takes the wrists of Sanary and August, and places them both so their hands are directly touching it.

    bweeeeEEbip

    And with that, they and the wagon vanishes.

    Elsewhere, on a grassy plan sandwiched between two mountain ranges, they reappear. "Well, that was exciting! Honestly, I set that up to tease people to build notoriety without actually handing the book over," Irvine says, looking very proud about that plan. "But you made a fine bid that would make Molly very happy, so to you go the spoils Miss!" He produces the book from the jacket pocket and hands it to Sanary, while Molly gently holds the face of one of the pigs. "Who's going to be delicious juicy meat in my stomach? You are~! Yes you are~!"

    Irvine then looks to August and says, "We appreciate you not getting involved young man. I remember seeing you underground. I would say that I hope this does not come back to bite you, but it probably will. So instead, I congratulate you on choosing your man's romance over needless chains like 'obligation.'"
Sanary Rondel "Usual escape...?" Sanary's too busy watching the crowd and circling bricks around the wagon to get clarification from August on what that even means. Truly, she hadn't considered the possibility of things getting /this/ bad at all, or else she would have brought her bigger axe! Or a shield, at least, to plow through people. When Molly pulls her wrist to the staff, however, the healer only has a moment to comprehend what's going on before

     HOLY SHIT TELEPORTING and toppling right off the wagon in a clumsy heap. "Wha where we... What? Oh. Uh." She looks more confused than anything else, although the tension is starting to fade already now that they're not being accosted by practically everyone. She gets back up and takes the book carefully, staring at it and not seeming quite sure what to do with it. "Eh? O-oh! Er. Thanks. Glad to do business with ya."

     She chuckles lightly towards Irvine, then turns to August with the same smile. "Heh, yeah. Thanks for the assist there, too. I mean, I probably could've beat everyone up there, but... Wouldn't do to leave the pigs alone even if they're here to get eaten, you know?"

     The pigs, meanwhile, are... Pigs! Large ones, in the prime of their lives. Or the prime of ready-to-be-butchered-and-eaten. The one Molly has the face of snorts and seems content to wriggle and stare at her while its two brothers are lazing about in that wagon. They're big ones alright, but they look quite well-taken care of!

     "Oh yeah... I gotta prep these for you, yeah? If you can get us to where you want to have 'em prepared, I can get started on butcherin' once we're there." Sanary, for her part, seems rather hesitant to even open the book right away.