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[painlessfighter]

[The video cuts on mid-"Boooo", and Natsuo is sitting at the gazebo, sulking.]

I knew something was weird!! This place took away my fighting! I can't use spells anymore! Some stupid kid took my bag, and I was going to make him hurt for it. But nothing happened when I used the words! I had to run after him and kick him instead. Boring!!

[Heavy sigh!]

Ne, did anything happen to anyone else?

Comments

[worldsapart]

You too? I can't use any of my magic, either.

[then, complete with more panic:] And the Keyblade won't come to me. [ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh]

[painlessfighter]

You too? Stupid town...

[His ears twitch, and then flatten backward. Clearly he's ready to hit something. Hell, he'd blow his windows up with magic again if he could. Alas, that's not an option right now. I'm sure Sophie's thankful for that much.]

I don't like being messed with like this.

[desertdaggers]

Ahh, and there's so much more of that happening, too…

[he shakes his head, worried] I can't do much of anything, either. I don't see how this is any kind of 'balance'.

[painlessfighter]

This isn't balance. This is stupid. It's not an opportunity!

[He's practically on the verge of hissing.]

[desertdaggers]

[doubtfully] Well, I suppose we could consider it a challenge to surmount. Still…

[painlessfighter]

But that's not what he said! He should say what he means!

[Okay, now he's just going out of his way to find fault with this mysterious being who keeps throwing crap their way.]

[desertdaggers]

[he is not going to blame Natsuo for that in the least.]

Mm. Well, he probably said exactly what he meant to. [frowning.] So it's up to us to find a way to manage it.

…we'll probably do better if we work together. Mind if I come to meet you?

[painlessfighter]

[He seems to perk up a little at the thought of company.]

Okay! I'll wait here. We should see if anyone else wants to be in a group too.

[desertdaggers]

Yeah. I'll be there in a bit.

[and fortunately there are no interruptions on the way, so there isn't much delay between Hawk shutting off the CAT and arriving at the gazebo.]

Hey!

[painlessfighter]

[He stands when he sees Hawk coming.]

Hi! So what can't you do anymore?

[desertdaggers]

Haha… straight to the point! [He grins, but drops it after a moment or two.] Well… the basis of all the jutsus I know is manipulating mana, and… I can't feel that at all. It's a little disorientating, to be honest. [at least back home, it's still slowly fading away, giving them all time to get used to the feeling.] My techniques are all in pieces, too…

It's word magic for you, right?

[painlessfighter]

So no mana means no magic. Right?

Mhm. [Nodnod] It doesn't matter what words I use, even the strongest ones aren't doing anything...

[desertdaggers]

Yeah. -well, I don't know if it's the same for everyone else, but… for me, definitely.

So… maybe the power behind that's gone, too.

[painlessfighter]

But how can they just take something like that? Words have power! They just do! How does that just go away? [Pause.] How does mana stuff just go away, either?

[desertdaggers]

Maybe the source got cut off, then. [frowning] Is the power just in the words?

… It happened back home. The Mana Tree, the source of mana… it began to wither away. So the level of mana in the world dropped, and now…

…it's here, actually. If you wanted to see.

[painlessfighter]

[Nodnod] And knowing how to make that power come out. But that's part of me.

It's here? The source of mana? Ohh, did it come from your world when all of the other stuff started showing up? And, yes, can I see? [curious!]

[desertdaggers]

That shouldn't be blocked off so easily. [still frowning] It's possible to silence someone to stop them from casting, but… clearly that's not the case here.

[he nods in response to that] Yeah. It's in one of the gardens here. This way. [he turns towards the gardens]

[painlessfighter]

[And Natsuo follows!]

At least they put it somewhere it kind of makes sense. When they brought Soubi's place here, they put it above a shop. [He makes a face.] How stupid is that?

[desertdaggers]

Yeah. [Hawk shrugs, turning a little to look at Natsuo.] Is Soubi the kind of person who wouldn't like that?

[painlessfighter]

Probably. Soubi’s private about a lot of things. Living above a shop would be noisy, and I don’t think he’d like that.

Ne, Hawk? Where was the tree before? Was it somewhere special?

[desertdaggers]

[he nods] It sounds like it. So, is he a friend of yours, or something else?

Yeah. [He pauses for a moment, partly to gather his thoughts and partly to remember which way to go from here] The Tree was in the Holyland… it's hard to get to. The gate there was sealed with the power of the Mana Stones… but those are gone now. I don't think just anyone will be able to get in, but… [He shrugs, mouth pulled to one side.]

[painlessfighter]

Mm. We're mostly friends. I think it's a little more complicated than that. But we help each other out, especially since Soubi and Ritsuka are just hopeless without us! [A little bit of a giggle~ Consider it a hint that he's probably childishly exaggerating.]

But then it came here, and it's not behind a sealed gate? Mm. This place is rude to take it like that and not even lock it up again.

[desertdaggers]

That's good. [he chuckles] Good thing you're there to help out, then.

I don't think anyone here would be able to do much with it, either way. The Tree here… [and they're getting pretty close now]

[terezi_pyrope]

1T S33MS L1K3 TH1S 1S TH3 N3W TH1NG TH3YV3 GOT TO THROW 4T US
NO POW3RS 4ND MOR3 P3TTY CR1M1N4LS >:\

1T SOUNDS L1K3 TH3YR3 PR3TTY MUCH JUST M3SS1NG 4ROUND NOW
4ND 1T M1GHT B3 4WH1L3 B3FOR3 OUR POW3RS COM3 B4CK
BUT TH3Y W1LL 3V3NTU4LLY 4T L34ST

[painlessfighter]

I don't know what's more annoying - no magic, or the stupid criminals! I thought big cities had crime problems like this, not little towns...

They'd better come back. But I would be okay with hurting the people who did it to get them back too.

[terezi_pyrope]

1 WOND3R 1F 1NST34D OF JUST M3SS1NG 4ROUND W1TH US 1T WOULD 4LSO S3RV3 4S 4 GOOD D1STR4CT1ON

1 WOULD B3 MOR3 TH4N OK4Y W1TH HURT1NG TH3M TOO
4ND TH3N 4FT3RW4RDS
SOM3 D3S3RV3D R3TR1BUT1ON

[painlessfighter]

Maybe... but for what? And how do we even start looking for that?

Yes. Exactly. [Smile!] They really deserve it after all of this, and they keep deserving it more and more.

[terezi_pyrope]

TH4TS WH4T 1M TH1NK1NG TH31R 1NT3NT 1S TH1S T1M3 4ND W1TH TH3 3V3NTS
TO B3 HON3ST 1M NOT 3V3N SUR3
BUT 1F W3 W4NT3D TO 4TT3MPT TO TRY TO ST4RT F1ND1NG TH1NGS OUT, W3 M1GHT N33D TO ST4RT LOOK1NG CLOS3R 4T PL4C3S
1 W4S 1NFORM3D TH4T TH1S 4UDR3Y P3RSON M4Y ST1LL B3 4ROUND 4ND TH4T SH3 M1GHT H4V3 SOM3 4NSW3RS OR B3 4BL3 TO H3LP US

Y3S
1 W1SH 4 C3RT41N SOM3ON3 UND3RSTOOD L1K3 YOU DO >:]

[painlessfighter]

Audrey? Really? Could she really still be here? I didn't think of that!

Maybe somewhere around the White Rabbit?

[And in response to the last bit, he grins, and types back a quick little:] ^_^ ♥

[terezi_pyrope]

3V3RY POSS1B1L1TY TH3R3 COULD B3 MUST B3 LOOK3D OV3R
1 DONT TH1NK 1V3 3V3R H4D TH3 CH4NC3 TO DO 4 R34L 1NV3ST1G4T1ON
TH1S N33DS TO B3 F1X3D 1MM3D14T3LY

HMMM
TH4T SOUNDS L1K3 TH3 PL4C3 SH3D B3
>;]

[painlessfighter]

It does! Let's fix it! Let's go to the White Rabbit right now and see if we can find her! Ne, where are you right now, Terezi? I'll meet you!

[terezi_pyrope]

1M DOWN N34R TH3 SH3RR1FFS OFF1C3 R1GHT NOW!
1LL B3 W41T1NG FOR YOU H3R3

[And she will. With some ice cream she got along the way.]

aaand action~!

[painlessfighter]

[He grins, waves and then shuts off the CAT~ ]


[And it isn't long before he arrives in front of the Sheriff's office!]

Ah! Hi, Terezi! Where'd you get the ice cream?

[kickass action!]

[terezi_pyrope]

[Terezi hands Natuso one. It's vanilla bean.]

It was like at one of those stands selling ice cream. Pretty convenient, huh?

I don't remember where it is, though...

Are you ready?

[painlessfighter]

[He gladly takes it ♥] You’re awesome. [Omnom ice cream~]

Mhm. I’m ready. Let’s find Audrey! [And he starts toward the White Rabbit!]

[terezi_pyrope]

Of course!

[Terezi grins as they go towards the pub, and when she walks towards the doors...kind of kicks them open.]

It's been a long time since I've tracked someone down. Hey, Audrey! Are you in here?

[painlessfighter]

[Natsuo peeeeeeeks in from behind her when the doors fly open, looking about. He snickers a bit at the state of the broken doors, then slips in past her and starts looking around.]

I don't think she's here. But that doesn't mean we can't still look. [He starts toward the bar proper to begin his searching~]

[terezi_pyrope]

[Terezi nods in agreement.]

Let's do this, my partner in crime!

[She immediately goes in the back, knocking over things without a care in the world as she clears things out of the way in her search. She knows it will all just fix itself anyway.]

Terezi Pyrope, ace investigator! Not even a smudge would be missed by this blind girl.

[painlessfighter]

[He snickers a bit. Terezi’s searching tactics are the best!

Natsuo ends up crawling around on the floor behind the bar, checking in every cabinet and under every ledge for anything that might stick out like a sore thumb.]

Boo, I’m not finding anything yet! [He stands up, dusts off his jeans.] Ne, Terezi, should I look in the booths or in the kitchen?

[terezi_pyrope]

My nose and sense of intuition says there's something here~

[Terezi peeks down from being on top on some high cabinet.]

Probably in the booths...I've got the kitchen handled!

[And she jumps down, preparing to go to that location to resume her search.]

[painlessfighter]

Mm! Okay!

[And off he goes to search the booths! He starts at the back, climbing all over and under them, one by one. Surely there's something suspicious around here somewhere! Right? Hell, he's even knocking on the floor, the sides of the seats...]