NPF Avatars IV, Chapter XIII: Fire Three!

[mauve]

"I've got an X-Wing, if that helps," Mauve said. "Well, I POSSIBLY have an X-Wing, depending on whether the repairs are finished/were ever started..." She trailed off, considering this. Was it still laying in a smoldering heap at the door of the Fire Temple, or had the repair people come to pick it up like she had asked them to? Hmmm....

"Oh well. It's probably no longer a death trap. Probably."

[Arhra]

"It was just too pedestrian to really draw much attention to." Arhra admitted to Phil. "Hmm.. giant eagles you say? That could work, as long as we don't go too high. With the warping on the place and the atmosphere distortions caused by the barrier arond the Gate, I'm paranoid about bad things happening. We'll go with eagles and spaceships then. It's not like some convenient portal is about to open right in front of use after all."

A portal, linking to parts unknown, conveniently shimmered into existence, opening barely a foot in front of Fenris.

Arhra paused at this. She knew she was good, but she wasn't that good. "Uh... right." Arhra said blankly, "I guess we should take this as a sign and not question it in any way." She entered, jumping out a second later. "Had to make sure it was safe." the chaos being explained, promptly walking back into it.

Some of the NPFers followed her, others thought it was a stupid idea to go jumping in enigmatic portals and didn't. But staying behind wasn't going to accomplish anything and they wouldn't be able to do anything about dangers on the other side if they weren't there, so they ended up entering the portal anyway. So really, all of the NPFers followed her.

On the other side, they found an eerie expanse. Miles and miles of empty parking lots, stretching on past the horizon, towards infinity. There was only a single building to relieve the white stripped tarmac. A sign declared it "Denny's".

"Right..." Arhra said. She turned to Hydra, looking up at the unshrunk kaiju in training worriedly. "Sorry, I've been meaning to find some solution for your transformation, but it things just keep getting in the way." She concentrated, a thorn of chaotic magic as long as her arm appearing and falling to the ground with a hollow clatter. "Try using that to find a fix. Maybe some sort of shapechanging?" she advised; having the option to transform into a giant monster was always nice. "I made it extremely impressionable and it should react to the chaos already present in you."

"But I don't know anything about magic. It could be impossible for all I know!" Hydra protested.

"Then ignorance will be an advantage." Arhra replied firmly, "Everyone else, let's check this place out."

Heading in towards the restaurant, there was no company but the wind. It was clearly in business, despite a clear lack of people to be in business with. The NPFers came to the door and entered.

The place was almost empty, the employees standing blankly at the cash registers with empty eyes. They only had one customer, sitting in splendid isolation in the middle of the room.

It was the Hazel Eyes White Capitalist, Pedro O'Sullivan.

[Flarecobra]

"Hey Arhra!" I said, running up beside her. "If you're curious about shifting, I think I could help. I got a shard of the stone I use to change myself. Perhaps that could help out some?" I offered, before Arhra entered the restarunt.

[Fenris]

Fenris walked over to Pedro, and punched him in the face.

"That's for all the shit you put me through during the invasion of Gaia. Anyway, aside from the sore jaw, how've you been?"

[Nikose Tyris]

Nikose, who had been following patiently and calmly, with his rediculous smile on his face, stopped when he saw Fenris Punch POS. "...He probably deserved it." Nik thought to himself.

[POS Industries]

Pedro rubbed his jaw, wiping away a bit of blood from his lower lip. "Hm. I was going to offer you all free breakfasts on me, but I've rather decided against it and I'd like you all to leave at once. You can thank the hobo for your not getting a nice meal of eggs, hash browns, pancakes, toast, and your choice of sausage or bacon. Good day to you all."

A couple waitresses ushered the NPFers out of the Denny's into the empty parking lot. There they stood, the evening sun hanging over the horizon as a chill breeze blew around them. The massive parking lot seemed to give supply no exit and there was nothing to do but wait.






























After about fifteen minutes, one of the waitresses poked her head outside. "Hey folks. Mr. O'Sullivan says he's changed his mind and you guys are all welcome to come in and eat."

And so the group was ushered back into the restaurant, at which point Rei came out from around the corner and punched Fenris square in the jaw, the force hurling him through the air over Pedro's table where the hobo landed next to the tycoon.

"Ah yes, I'm glad you were all able to make it this far," POS greeted the gang, "Welcome to Gaia!"

[Fenris]

"You always were one for injuring me, Pedro," Fenris said, grabbing a bite of his hashbrowns. Sure, they were from Denny's, but food's food.

"But no seriously, what's up?"

[phil_]

"Wait, this is Gaia?" The puzzled hobbit slid into the booth behind Pedro. "Where's all the anime nonsense and post whoring and endless writhing seas of loserdom?" Phil paused for a moment in thought. "I mean, there are only enough of us for maybe an above-ground pool of loserdom." Phil picked up a menu and stared at it. "Oh, and aren't we supposed to be dungeon crawling? Also, can I get a drink? 'Scuse me, waitress!" Phil waved an arm, trying to flag down some orange juice.

[mauve]

Mauve settled down in a chair but hesitated to order food, remembering what happened the last time the NPF accepted a meal from a capitalist they stumbled upon in this RP.

Then again, Pedro was techically on their side, so it should be okay.

Then again, being on the NPF's side really didn't amount to much around here.

Then again, she was kinda hungry-- a pack of Skittles two chapters ago didn't really do much.

Then again... trolls and poison and baconfruit.

Then again, Mauve personally hadn't done anything to earn Pedro's wrath and hatred lately. Or so she hoped. Hmmm...

Then again...

"Ah, to heck with it," grumbled Mauve. She got some pancakes. "Good to see you, Mr. O'Sullivan," she greeted.

[Arhra]

"There's an idea." Arhra replied to Flare, taking the stone shard and handing that over to Hydra too. They left the poor girl there, staring befuddledly at a giant magical thorn and a fragment of a shapechanging stone.

Going into the restayurant, before Arhra could say anything, Fenris ran up and slugged Pedro in the face.

"Hm. I was going to offer you all free breakfasts on me, but I've rather decided against it and I'd like you all to leave at once. You can thank the hobo for your not getting a nice meal of eggs, hash browns, pancakes, toast, and your choice of sausage or bacon. Good day to you all." was the corporate overlord's response.

"Thanks a lot Fenris." Arhra muttered bitterly as they all trudged back outside. "Oh well." she continued, "I can help Hydra with that spell now."

"Hi!" Hydra said. She was no longer some kaiju-esque monster, unless the definition had radically changed since Arhra last checked. She'd shifted to what were considered normal numbers of limbs and heads, appearing almost human. Well, if humans had green scales, elegant claws and snakes for hair. Retaining her tall, slender build, she wore a simple but practical dress.

"..." Arhra said, "That was quick."

"It was like you said." Hydra replied, "I concentrated on what I wanted and then I tried to use it and that portion of the the stone. I felt the left over magic in me react to it and it all worked out." She spun on the spot, showing off her new shape.

"Ah." said Arhra, still feeling bemused. "But where did the clothes come from?"

"I put my heart into it."

After accepting the explanation, there was nothing left to do but wait. Arhra set about entertaining herself.

* * *

"...and it kinda smelled like bacon." Arhra finished saying to Hydra, just as the waitress told them that they could go back in.

Sitting down at the table, Arhra and Hydra made ready to tuck in, ignoring flying hobos. Poisoning was an old trick by now and thus unlikely. Arhra didn't bother clarifying any confusion with what she'd heard of the fate of Gaia, seeing it could be heard much more clearly from the source. "Hi there Pedro. You're looking well. So what is this all about then?" she asked instead.