Finley's heart drops. But don't let on, you'll only make this worse.
And don't mention Mila.
"That's... I'm... really happy for you. Listen, we uh... can work around Marlon! He doesn't have to be the make-or-break one, you know? I'm sure we can work something out between the two of them."
Of course she can't. If all goes as planned, Bella will be incapacitated. Stopped somehow... but she can't say that. She can't ruin this.
"Please come back. Everything will be fine if you do!"
Long live the New Bev."I don't think you get what I'm saying." [I glare at her a little. I can feel the demeanor, the emotion (or, perhaps, somewhat lack thereof), I had when I had requested a story from her return again. The smile doesn't return, thankfully; it's hard to after she went and poured her heart out like that.]
"This isn't a story about me, and it's not a story you would know. It's an old tale, but not really anything to, I suppose it's good to say, my people, but...it does serve as something of a cautionary tale."
[I sit facing her and begin.] "Y'see, where I come from, where all of us come from, not you, you should...know what I, uh—back in our, uh, old world, we knew a lot about diseases and things like that. How they spread, how to stop them, patient zeroes, things like that, but—I need to get to the point."
[I pause to gather my thoughts, then continue.] "So in one of our biggest cities, there was a cook who worked for a couple different affluent big-city families, and her name was Mary. Now Mary was sick, but she didn't show signs of it. She carried...uh, I think it was typhoid...fever? Well, she carried it...but she didn't technically have it, so she was pretty much well. Now she worked as a cook, and what would happen is that, well, the disease would get in the food and get into the families, and the families would all be hospitalized. And after that had happened, she would pack up and leave, none the wiser as to what happened.
"To her, nothing was wrong with her. But soon, others were, uh, able to find a connection between these outbreaks, and when they confronted her with it, she was, well, she was dumbfounded! It was as if she was being accused of a crime she didn't commit! And sure, she wasn't the cleanest of people, but to dare accuse her of infecting her masters was ludicrous! From that point on, she refused to comply, had to be forced to give samples to determine she was a carrier, she was just a pill.
"She was quarantined, but they let her off the hook as long as she didn't, cook. And so she agreed, becoming a laundry...person and changing her name...and then she started working in kitchens again, and every time she did, there was an outbreak, and every time they tried to find her, she had moved off to somewhere else. Eventually, after an outbreak at a hospital, they finally found her and quarantined her again, and she spent the rest of her life in quarantine."
[I stand up, grabbing my shawl. To dissuade her from thinking she'll become another kidnapping victim, I quickly put it on, fastening its golden straps going across my left shoulder.] "Now I say this because I'm about ninety-nine percent certain you're a Vector. That doesn't invalidate your experiences with your family...but I want to know where this all fits in, and the way I see it, it's either right before or right after. You are a knowing carrier, and you seem to have infected, directly or indirectly, a handful of people within our group."
[I take a knee, staring down at her.] "I don't think you're some kind of monster, Bella. Some of the others, they have...they have, um...plans for you...and I'm thankful I don't share their sentiments, but." [I lean in a little closer.] "Your plan with PJ, your monarchy...I sure as hell ain't allowing it to happen."
[I look down at the magazine, then back at her. Go ahead. Fight me. I dare you.]
"Nothing for me, I'm good."
On hearing the commentators mention the break in between fights, and seeing Jani getting ready to go off again, Mila wanders down to the concessions area of the arena and starts looking around for Finley. She doesn't want to go too far, but at the same time she doesn't exactly have anything else to do. She's not exactly planning on buying anything, though, so she ends up awkwardly half-in the line, watching the crowds.
I guess there is a market for this. It's better than actually fighting in there themselves, I suppose. Still doesn't exactly make me feel better about it. What's the prize for winning, anyways? Besides long-term injuries of course.
I need to update these things more oftenN-No, Jani. I don't want anything.
(I don't really want anything. I continue to think. Can we still be diplomatic? I didn't entirely mean that I actually was going to kill her...I lost my shit in that room. I just wanted him to come to his senses...but it seems as if the option of being sorry doesn't exist anymore.)
edited 21st Aug '17 5:12:14 AM by Team42Larson
June 27th
Purrloin Jani by shrubBird
*Jani nods* Alright, then. See you guys soon! *and with that, Jani pops underground, making an underground beeline to the bazaar*
Current WHABP alts: Jani (Sarah) the Purrloin, Hudson the Togetic. Tilly/Lilly (Digletts) are being Put on a Bus.(I'm walking with Delilah through the Bazaar. I feel too embarrassed to talk to her or even look at her, especially considering the dream I just had about her and I.)
(She eventually notices.) Goobert? Are you okay?
I'm...uh...I'm fine. (I say.)
You don't look okay, Goobert. (she says.) Are you thinking about what happened between you and Cyk?
It's a little of that, yeah. (I reply.) And...uh...
(Not wanting to bring up my dream, I try to find something else to talk about. I see a Berry stand nearby, with a sign above it reading "All Berries 40%-50% off!". A basket of berries in front of it reads "Free Samples".)
Hey, this place has free samples! (I say. I kind of have the munchies, so I pick up a fairly large reddish colored Berry.) You know, Del, where I came from there was this magical place where you could try samples of pretty much anything before buying them.
Um...Goobert? (Delilah points at the Berry I'm holding.)
What is it? (I ask as I lift the sweet-smelling Berry to my mouth. Suddenly the Berry starts screaming and struggling in my hands.)
EEEEEEK!! DON'T EAT ME! DON'T EAT ME! STEENA! HELP ME! HELP ME! HE'S GONNA EAT ME!! (The "berry" shrieks. I cry out in surprise and turn the "berry" around, realizing to my horror that I was about to eat a terrified Bounsweet.)
Hey! Slimehead! Put my sister down! (A Steenee runs up to me and thwacks me in the side with her calyx. I drop the Bounsweet, who bounces over to the Steenee and hides behind her.) What the heck, man?! What do you think you're doing trying to eat Bounsweet that may be someone else's sister?
I-I-I'm sorry, I really am! (I stammer.)
In Goobert's defense, he did find her in that basket of free Berry samples. (Delilah says, pointing at the basket of samples.)
(The Steenee looks at the basket, then turns to her Bounsweet sister.) Really, Betty? You hid in the basket of Berries? You're lucky you weren't already eaten by the time I got over here!
I thought you wouldn't find me there... (Betty says, looking at the ground.)
Were you playing hide-and-seek? (Delilah asks.)
Yeah. We should probably stop doing that so something like this doesn't happen again. (says Steena.) Sorry for attacking you, Goodra guy, I thought you were actually trying to eat her.
It's okay. (I tell her.) I've been through worse just today already.
Sorry about my sister. She's bad about not thinking before she acts. (Steena continues.) I had to force myself to evolve just so I could actually get her out of trouble. Well, nice meeting you guys. Come on, Betty. We're going back to the inn.
(The Steenee turns and walks away, the Bounsweet bouncing after her.)
Oh man...that was so close. (I say.) I would never forgive myself if I had actually eaten that poor thing.
Bounsweet lead such difficult lives. (Delilah said.) I hope that poor thing evolves soon. Anyway, what were you saying, Goobert? An enchanted place with samples of every food you can think of?
Well, it wasn't like all that... (I continue.)
(I have forgotten about my anxieties in the commotion, and Delilah and I continue talking as we continue walking through the bazaar.)
"Hey, least I didn't lose all my artistic talent when I crash landed in the arena here."
Purrloin Jani by shrubBird
*Jani pops up at the bazaar, at the Alchemical Wares store...seems to be the only consistent spot she lands in, though she already knows what they sell. She wanders around a couple other places, just window shopping for now and (poorly) jotting things down...not really having the cash on hand to purchase anything big. Well into this wandering, she notices Voxno-V merged with the facade of one of the buildings, staring at a Zangoose for what seems like six hours*
Vox, is that you?! *Jani asks the long-absent Unown* There is something fascinating about this Zangoose...something hypnotic. As if compelling me to revert to my natural state... *Voxno replies, to which Jani retorts* Well snap out of it, we need to talk.
*Voxno finally shakes its head and peels itself off of the building, only to float down to Jani* My apologies for that unusual display. What do you need to discuss? *to which Jani replies* We need to talk privately...as in, super-duper privately... *giving Voxno the obvious hint to open a telepathic channel*
*Voxno obliges, sending Jani telepathically* (It must be quite dire for you to go through such lengths.) *to which Jani replies in Japanese* (あなたはこれをぜんぜん信じません。所で...日本語をわかれますか?) You wouldn't even believe this...by the way, can you understand Japanese?
*Voxno simply replies* (すべての主要言語を話せます。わたくしの種族は言語を速い習える。) I can speak all major languages. My species learns languages quickly.
*to which Jani replies, before popping underground to her next destination* (私の要求を聞いてください。この会話は秘密にしておく必要があります。) *and they continue their obfuscated discussion for some time*
Current WHABP alts: Jani (Sarah) the Purrloin, Hudson the Togetic. Tilly/Lilly (Digletts) are being Put on a Bus.At another place
"Against them? They mostly lack our mindset. Most of them are clearly against killing or even just acquiring sustenance.", Wohm mumbles as he turns his body. A second later, he rockets towards Bas, who dodges to the side in a cloud of dust.
"You are clearly lacking! You have a lot of wasted moves."
Purrloin Jani by shrubBird
*Jani figures it's a stroke of luck that she just happened to notice Goobert's foibles in the bazaar, indicating that more or less everyone is accounted for...Cyk in the hospital, Goobert and company out and about, everyone else at the arena, so she decides to head to the inn*
*over the next several minutes, she searches the rooms of pretty all the humanmons...including Goobert's, not to mention a few unrelated rooms because...you know, Albuquerque. She makes a concerted effort to cover her tracks when she digs back down, not to mention entering under their beds to ensure no one's around*
*reaching Marlon's room, she searches and searches, but can't find what she's looking for* (この作戦は順調になれっている。) *she thinks to herself, while once again covering her tracks and continuing her search, all the while jotting down notes (poorly) with each room searched*
*eventually she calls it quits, leaves her notes in the burrow under her room, and starts heading back to the arena*
*meanwhile, Voxno is making a major purchase at a store not too far from where it got majorly distracted. A certain Steenee is going to be quite happy*
edited 21st Aug '17 9:34:21 AM by sarysa
Current WHABP alts: Jani (Sarah) the Purrloin, Hudson the Togetic. Tilly/Lilly (Digletts) are being Put on a Bus.Jani might find a note: "If you really really need me, ask Rano where I am. Wohm"
At another place
"I told you I feel wooden." Wohm shoots a glob of water at Bas, who shoots a dark sphere at it, canceling it out and hitting Wohm hard.
"Do you really need to hold back so much? Evolve already."
edited 21st Aug '17 9:37:38 AM by Blackie
Purrloin Jani by shrubBird
*slightly in the past, Jani indeed found the note on top of a plank floating in saltwater in Wohm's room, keeping her distance because y'know...ground type instincts and all...but not knowing who the other party is, she didn't know what to make of it*
edited 21st Aug '17 10:01:12 AM by sarysa
Current WHABP alts: Jani (Sarah) the Purrloin, Hudson the Togetic. Tilly/Lilly (Digletts) are being Put on a Bus.Cyk has mostly recovered. Still a bit dazed, she goes to the hotel room.
Just made a server on discord.Come join me.PJ: "I'm not so sure, Fin. You know what everyone else thinks of Bella, I'm the only person who trusts her. Hell, if they're willing to kidnap me, I don't want to risk them doing worse to her. I mean, you understand, right? Even if you've never been in a relationship, I'm sure you know why I can't come back."
Belladonna: "Monarchy? Hmph, don't you think it's rather rude to eavesdrop on somebody?"
*Belladonna crosses her arms and looks down at Eliot, serious-faced yet with a vaguely teasing nature that gradually fades as she speaks.*
Belladonna: "Awful shame to hear you're all still on about that whole 'vector' business, especially given how much of your evidence is circumstantial. Sure, enough of this seems to line up to you, but what do you have aside from some peculiar timing? Just because I come from a ruined town, that makes you think I'm behind it? With nothing concrete to tell you if I'm a vector, how come you're so ready to jump to that conclusion? Think of what you're doing, not just to me but to Paddy. He doesn't even want to approach any of you just because of this poorly-founded grudge against me. Have you ever thought that maybe, if you would just stop assuming the worst of me for faulty reasons, your friend wouldn't be convinced that you hate him? Oh, and don't worry, your story isn't lost on me, I heard every word of it. "
Are you ready? Go live!Not in a relationship.
Not in a relationship.
Don't say a word about that...
"PJ, you... don't really know that for sure, do you?"
You stupid bitch.
"I mean, I'm not saying one way or another, but..." STOP! "I think I understand more than you think."
Long live the New Bev.

PJ: "Did you not hear me? I'd love to come back, I really would, but this isn't the time. Has Marlon even told you what he'd do to Bella? He wants to kill her! I can't just come back and pretend everything's all hunky-dory when he wants my girlfriend dead!"
*At this moment I realize... She doesn't know about me and Bella, does she?*
PJ: "Oh, uh... Me and Bella are a thing now, by the way, dunno if I should've said that right now or not..."
Are you ready? Go live!