A Fond Farewell

[xGoggles]

Danica, got very confused now, "Not like what? What are you talking about?", maybe she was doing something wrong? She didn't understand what thought.
Maybe this was like some kind of auction house then?
Oh~! That would make way more sense! They were on a class trip to learn about auctions and bidding and such. Of course, that should be it.~
"Oh I get it, Miss Mundane, I just have to wait until they put it ready for bidding, right?", she says with a smile, thinking she finally figured it out. Though why was she the only one there, if this was an excursion with her class, shouldn't there be more students around? That part still didn't add up though...

[AmbushCat]

Dichotomy looks a little disappointed, almost.

"Two weeks? Alright, alright hun. It's your wish. Just be glad I don't do the full orange cat treatment.[/color]"

She -snaps- her fingers...and, well, not a lot seems to happen, but the shop seems a lot less exciting all of a sudden.

"Is that all? What was the question?"

*Callista looks down at the games she's already grabbed, looking undecided for a few moments before finally shrugging and leaving them where they are.*
You mentioned earlier that this would be the last wish you'd be granting. Does that mean you're not coming back here anytime soon?

[Whatevr89532]

The...being of some sort, that's probably still true, makes a real effort to move, if not because of Calamity's order then because being incapable of motion is itself a deeply uncomfortable feeling. It tries to sit or stand up or something like that.

[Just some lady]

Danica, got very confused now, "Not like what? What are you talking about?", maybe she was doing something wrong? She didn't understand what thought.
Maybe this was like some kind of auction house then?
Oh~! That would make way more sense! They were on a class trip to learn about auctions and bidding and such. Of course, that should be it.~
"Oh I get it, Miss Mundane, I just have to wait until they put it ready for bidding, right?", she says with a smile, thinking she finally figured it out. Though why was she the only one there, if this was an excursion with her class, shouldn't there be more students around? That part still didn't add up though...

That's...That's right. A school trip, her and her friends.

Behind her, a voice:

"You okay, Dani?"

The girl looking at her--her friend "Relentless" Rayleene--is medium-height and full-bodied. She's playing with those power-symbol earrings in one hand and her cell in the other.

"Yeah, geeze."

The second voice is from Sandra. A friend, but also, the...class weirdo. She was taking slightly too many pictures of the orange ring with her chunky old-fashioned camera.

"It's just ol' Mundy, what's your malfunction?"

*Callista looks down at the games she's already grabbed, looking undecided for a few moments before finally shrugging and leaving them where they are.*
You mentioned earlier that this would be the last wish you'd be granting. Does that mean you're not coming back here anytime soon?

"Mm "

Dichotomy shrugs with one shoulder, and then gives a final, brilliant grin.

"It's not like once exactly been granting up a storm past five years, hun. I just thought I'd come back fir onw last, small thing. Same as your friend, Caprice."

The...being of some sort, that's probably still true, makes a real effort to move, if not because of Calamity's order then because being incapable of motion is itself a deeply uncomfortable feeling. It tries to sit or stand up or something like that.

The being's body shivers, seizing up as micromotors whirr in conjunction with newly-grown muscle...and it sits up, its cloak still draped around it.

"We're not done yet, but.."

Her voice softens slightly.

"...how are you feeling? Try talking, if you can."

[Whatevr89532]

In attempting to speak, the being's mind instinctively goes for the voice-modulation-through-speaker it had before, but depending how it's changed, that instinct might be redirected properly. It tries to say: "I feel like I crashed and still have a seg-mentation fault."

[AmbushCat]

"Mm "

Dichotomy shrugs with one shoulder, and then gives a final, brilliant grin.

"It's not like once exactly been granting up a storm past five years, hun. I just thought I'd come back fir onw last, small thing. Same as your friend, Caprice."

Callista: ...I see. Well, then...

*Calli focuses a little, and a box of doughnuts appears in her hands. If Dichotomy's paying attention, she'll note that the narcoleptic girl's purse looks just a little bit lighter.*
From my favorite donut shop back home. For the road. *gives the box to Dichotomy*

[Just some lady]

In attempting to speak, the being's mind instinctively goes for the voice-modulation-through-speaker it had before, but depending how it's changed, that instinct might be redirected properly. It tries to say: "I feel like I crashed and still have a seg-mentation fault."

The being for a moment just opens its mouth and emits static, before its CPU correct, and it chokes out the words. The feel wet, and heavy.

" You're not far off. See, warp is...cruel. And vital. And and angry. You can put it in a machine, but...well, in my experience it works better if there's some flesh in there. also, it works better when i'm meaner."

Calamity rubs her own forearm for a moment, and then continues.

"Alright, the next bit is going to affect your visial sensors pretty heavily. Are you ready?"

Callista: ...I see. Well, then...

*Calli focuses a little, and a box of doughnuts appears in her hands. If Dichotomy's paying attention, she'll note that the narcoleptic girl's purse looks just a little bit lighter.*
From my favorite donut shop back home. For the road. *gives the box to Dichotomy*

Dichotomy takes the box, gingerly.

"Aw, hun. This is really sweet. I..."

Reaching out, she puts a hand on Calli's.

"I'll remember you."

And suddenly, Callista is...somewhere else. She's standing, alone, on top of what appears to be an oversized six-sided die, the winds whipping around her. In the distance, she can see Muffinville, but it's...moving. Huge, metal, spider-like legs have sprouted from under the entire city and it's walking with strange purpose.

[AmbushCat]

Callista: ...! *looks around frantically, then realizes where she is* ... *sighs* That woman's more like Risk than she knows.
...

*sits down on the die, watching Muffinville move* Still... it's hard to deny this is an awesome view.

[Ookalf]

Flo moseys into the store! There does seem to be a "medical supplies: this way!" sign mounted at the hallway that she came into, but it's punctuated by what seems to be an actual full-sized chainsaw hanging from the wall, which may be less than encouraging, depending on what type of healing our dear robot nurse practices.

At the end of the hall she is greeted by...Caprice! But...not the normal one, the science-y, one. Weird.

"Oh, helloo~o~o~oooo!"

She stands up immediately, eyes flashing with little stars of excitement.

"You're aDORABLE, where did you come from! What model are you? Do you rocket-punch medicine to your patients?"

Hmm... *Flo's contemplation of the chainsaw is interrupted by Caprice's greeting.* Ah, hello! To answer your questions in order... One, I came here from my clinic. Two, I don't have a model number or anything, but my name is Flo. And three, I actually lean more toward injections. *To emphasize this, an empty syringe pops out of a compartment on her arm.* Rocket punches do sound cool, though!

[xGoggles]

That's...That's right. A school trip, her and her friends.

Behind her, a voice:

"You okay, Dani?"

The girl looking at her--her friend "Relentless" Rayleene--is medium-height and full-bodied. She's playing with those power-symbol earrings in one hand and her cell in the other.

"Yeah, geeze."

The second voice is from Sandra. A friend, but also, the...class weirdo. She was taking slightly too many pictures of the orange ring with her chunky old-fashioned camera.

"It's just ol' Mundy, what's your malfunction?"

"Oh, umm.. nothing wrong, just didn't see you two for a second, weird.", she smiles, thought it was odd how she didn't notice them coming with her earlier.
Danica hold up her hand with the bracelet to her friends, "I think I'll buy this one, even if it looks a bit cheap it's still pretty, right?"
She is happy her friends also found something here they like. This place had stuff for all kinds of interests; so glad Miss Mundane took them here.

"But it'll have to wait until they'll put it on auction, I guess... I'll put it back now.", she says pulling the bracelet off, to lay it where she found it earlier.

[Whatevr89532]

"If I'm not, wait-ing won't make me readier," the being says. "Please proceed."

[Just some lady]

Hmm... *Flo's contemplation of the chainsaw is interrupted by Caprice's greeting.* Ah, hello! To answer your questions in order... One, I came here from my clinic. Two, I don't have a model number or anything, but my name is Flo. And three, I actually lean more toward injections. *To emphasize this, an empty syringe pops out of a compartment on her arm.* Rocket punches do sound cool, though!

Caprice gives an excited gasp as the nurse unsheathes her syringe, clapping her hands together like a kid who had just learned what ice cream was.

"IloveitIloveitIloveit."

She walks around Flo in a circle excitedly.

"So what can I do for you? Are you looking to have rocket punches put in then?? Do you wanna be able to turn into an ambulance?? Should I out a pocket dimension in your head???"

Callista: ...! *looks around frantically, then realizes where she is* ... *sighs* That woman's more like Risk than she knows.
...

*sits down on the die, watching Muffinville move* Still... it's hard to deny this is an awesome view.

As she sits and watches, the sky seems to dull and then darken. No stars to speak of, no clouds, no moon, just void, inky and perfect. In the distance, Muffinville has begun to ascend a mountain, piercing its many fold digits into its rocky hide, when behind her, a great hand comes down, picking up the die, with her on it. And for a moment, against the night sky she can see Dichotomy's form clearly--not the grinning, playful woman, but something somehow...deeper. Like the bottom of a well, so far down that you can barely make out the hint of water or the glint of a coin.

And then--

Callista wakes up. She she's back in the room where she was, blinking as she slowly wakes from her impromptu nap. On the desk that Dichotomy had been sitting at is her jester outfit, folded carefully..but Dichotomy--as well as the box of donuts--seems to have vanished.

"If I'm not, wait-ing won't make me readier," the being says. "Please proceed."

Calamity nods, and then smirks, her voice suddenly gaining back that edge.

"Aright, let's do this thing, then."

Reaching forward, she lightly traces one finger along the edge of the..being's...eye, before pulling her fingers around it quickly, and yanking it entirely from its head. This may not have been the kind of thing that was usually painful, but the sensation was something that it was becoming quickly apparent it would need to become accustomed to. It nearly falls back down, but something catches it--some kind of automatic response, but from a limb it hadn't had before. A tail?

The change this time is quicker than the last, at least, as its vision slowly starts to return, only moments later. At first, green and strange and then--blinking its new eyes, (eyes?), it clears. And they're back suddenly, back in the shop, and it's the same, but it's different. If the being used to have a HUD...well, that seems to have been eliminated, unfortunately. But in its place, there is something else. Looking at Calamity it can see her, but it can also see through her. It can feel the slow, slightly unsteady beating of the daemon engine that was her heart, it cans ee that even though she's released the swords for the moment, her hands are clearly damaged, not bleeding, but seeping that same energy. And from her mind, it can feel--almost taste--the roil of her emotions. She's conflicted, but determined, and she's enjoying this more than she expected to, which bothers her in itself.

Calamity balls her hands and then releases them, fingers cracking unnaturally.

"I tried really hard to mellow out, to go....I don't know. Good? Or something like it? But I just wasn't built that way. I was made to hurt people. Calamity--it's right in the name..."

She trails off, clearly realizing that she was talking only to herself, really.

"You're not the Business anymore now...or, whatever part of it you were. You understand that, right? You're a force of destruction--a prophet of the Warp. From now on, you are Cacophony."

Coughing, she steps aside...and allows the being to see the store window, in which is reflected its new form.

"Calling...calling you my daughter wouldn't mean anything to you, but if not that, you're at least my successor. Maybe all this will help you be someone new.
...
Anyways though, that gun's not gonna do you any good against a dragon. I'll make you that sword, now."

"Oh, umm.. nothing wrong, just didn't see you two for a second, weird.", she smiles, thought it was odd how she didn't notice them coming with her earlier.
Danica hold up her hand with the bracelet to her friends, "I think I'll buy this one, even if it looks a bit cheap it's still pretty, right?"
She is happy her friends also found something here they like. This place had stuff for all kinds of interests; so glad Miss Mundane took them here.

"But it'll have to wait until they'll put it on auction, I guess... I'll put it back now.", she says pulling the bracelet off, to lay it where she found it earlier.

Sandra rolls her eyes, and Rayleene opens her mouth to say something, but as the bracelet leaves her wrist, they're gone, like changing a television channel. And Dan is back, and probably reeling, but he remembers everything.

"I probably should have told you just how dangerous that one could be...but tradition around these parts means the warning usually waits until after the danger's already passed. You alright, kid?"

[xGoggles]

Dan staggers a bit back and forward, holding on to a shelf to steady himself. Trying to recollect what happened... It was almost that he woke up from a dream, but it felt so real.. but was it? The school trip, her(?) friends... It sure felt real, and the more recalls about it the more real it appeared to be. But it couldn't be... why did he think he was a schoolgirl from all things? That was just weird... yet it felt normal???

"W-wha-what happened?... Was that an illusion? Everything looked so real... it even felt real!", the utterly confused Dan asked Entropy.

[AmbushCat]

As she sits and watches, the sky seems to dull and then darken. No stars to speak of, no clouds, no moon, just void, inky and perfect. In the distance, Muffinville has begun to ascend a mountain, piercing its many fold digits into its rocky hide, when behind her, a great hand comes down, picking up the die, with her on it. And for a moment, against the night sky she can see Dichotomy's form clearly--not the grinning, playful woman, but something somehow...deeper. Like the bottom of a well, so far down that you can barely make out the hint of water or the glint of a coin.

And then--

Callista wakes up. She she's back in the room where she was, blinking as she slowly wakes from her impromptu nap. On the desk that Dichotomy had been sitting at is her jester outfit, folded carefully..but Dichotomy--as well as the box of donuts--seems to have vanished.

*Callista looks around her for a few seconds as what happened fully sinks in. To her, it feels as if a weight has mysteriously lifted itself off her shoulders. Finally she sighs and closes her eyes for a moment, withdrawing several bills and leaving them on the desk (as payment for the games she's already taken) before turning around and walking away.*

Ciao mein, Dichotomy. Ciao mein. ...Now, let's see if I can find our favorite ditz-queen before she wanders off.

*Focusing her mind, Callista casts about for any mental signatures she can find, focusing primarily on those tinged with Violet.*

[Just some lady]

Dan staggers a bit back and forward, holding on to a shelf to steady himself. Trying to recollect what happened... It was almost that he woke up from a dream, but it felt so real.. but was it? The school trip, her(?) friends... It sure felt real, and the more recalls about it the more real it appeared to be. But it couldn't be... why did he think he was a schoolgirl from all things? That was just weird... yet it felt normal???

"W-wha-what happened?... Was that an illusion? Everything looked so real... it even felt real!", the utterly confused Dan asked Entropy.

Entropy purses her lips, choosing her words carefully.

"It was all real...but only as real as you believed it to be. Does that make sense?"

She pats his shoulder.

"That's It's power; it can do mostly anything, but you'd be hard-pressed to tell anything changed. It doesn't even have to be schoolgirl stuff, that's just the...er, default setting from the last person."

*Callista looks around her for a few seconds as what happened fully sinks in. To her, it feels as if a weight has mysteriously lifted itself off her shoulders. Finally she sighs and closes her eyes for a moment, withdrawing several bills and leaving them on the desk (as payment for the games she's already taken) before turning around and walking away.*

Ciao mein, Dichotomy. Ciao mein. ...Now, let's see if I can find our favorite ditz-queen before she wanders off.

*Focusing her mind, Callista casts about for any mental signatures she can find, focusing primarily on those tinged with Violet.*

Callista finds a number of signatures--Calamity and her new creation, Dan and Entropy, and Flo and...someone who seemed violet, or something like it. But there's also a similar signature, (almost identical?) coming from neat to the top of the store.