progresscity | Rod hecked up a little

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Rod hecked up a little

Who: Rod and you
What: Well... you might be here awhile...
Where: At the transport center
When: Tuesday Morning
Warnings: None atm!

[On Tuesday morning, everyone will receive a letter when they wake up, no matter where they're staying for the night. It's neatly typed and just states:

Please meet me at the Transport Center at 10 AM. I have something important to discuss with everyone.

When they arrive at the center, they will find Rod already there, with a box of envelopes. When he speaks, he looks a little sheepish.]

Good morning everyone, I am deeply sorry to say that whatever is wrong with the portals, it's tricky enough that you might be here for awhile. And after an enlightening conversation with Red, we've decided that we should at least make accommodation's for everyone.

As it is providing a lot of stress on Red to provide free food and board daily, we decided that, for the time being, everyone will live in Vista Way for free. It's a nice apartment complex, but if you are unsatisfied with the housing you may move out once you've accumulated enough money.

On that note, that's what this box is for. While you'll be staying here, we thought it would be best to give everyone a job so they would have something to do. We won't be forcing everyone to have a job, and if you're dissatisfied with the job you were given, we can consider giving you a more appropriate job, but having a wage and something to do while we fix the problem might be nice.

I should add that you're starting pay will be around 15 "Disney dollars" an hour, but if that's an unreasonable minimum wage I am willing to increase the wage to something more livable.

Finally, in each envelope with your assigned job, there's also a couple of Magic Cards in here as an apology for the inconvenience. I ask you not to abuse their power, but you can test them as much as you want while you're here using your Magicband.

If you have any questions regarding the situation, I will be happy to answer them.

[He sets the box down, and true to his word, there are envelopes with each guest's name on it, and inside it is your assigned job, starting date, and two different Magic Cards.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I... I- I don't know what I am. I-

[Yui's hands finally move without thinking, drawing one of her cards and, with a flourish she seems just as confused by, her arm draws back and then slams the card onto her band. It briefly flashes, and she finds herself holding a somewhat plain-looking bow, a simple quiver over her shoulder. Her hand reaches back, and she grabs an arrow, struggling to draw the string but careful to aim down and keep the pull weak. She's no archer, but if it's what she has, it's what she'll use.]

I'm kind of scared, if I'm being honest.

Scared? Pssh. What, of a bunch of cards?

[He gets it though. Not everyone is an evil genius with a giant brain, they don't dabble in incredible weaponry and advanced schemes all the time. Not everyone can be as great as he is, he fully realizes this. It doesn't stop him from sounding somewhere between disbelieving and patronizing as he puts his hands on his hips and studies the weapon she's ended up with, though.]

The worst that can happen is you accidentally shoot someone through with an arrow. It's not like it's a big deal.

That's not what I mean. [There's a slight quiver to her voice, but she continues on regardless.] If simple magic can do this - make weapons from thin air, change someone's appearance - what can complex magic do? Back home, I'm used to being at risk on a regular basis, just for being there. I've had- [my dreams, she should say, but that doesn't sound as concerning without context-] my heart ripped from me more than once, for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I'm certain the mayor wouldn't give someone magic like that so readily, but does it exist? I'm not...

[She deflates, her hands shaking a little, even as she tries to take a deep breath.]

I'm not prepared for that. Not without them. I'm not scared of minor transformation magic, or weapon summoning. I'm scared of what comes after those things.

[yui you're really too good to have to put up with him and i am so sorry]

If you've already been through that much then what's the point in worrying about it? So what, you get your heart ripped out for the fourth or fifth time, it's not like it'll kill you.

[Geez he really wasn't ready for this level of drama.]

I mean, if that sort of magic does exist [and he hopes it does] isn't it obvious what comes after? Bigger weapons. More powerful cards. It'll be great, really looking forward to it. Not sure what your problem is, but maybe you should just go find this them if they'll help you prepare better for the inevitable magic apocalypse.

[Given a choice between Sheldon and Close, she'll take Sheldon any day. Maybe several times in the same day if it'll keep Close from showing up.]

That only perpetuates the cycle! Everyone gets stronger, everything gets scarier, and we have to resort to bigger magic. We don't... have legendary... warriors...?

[Wait. Stronger and stronger magic. Eventually, couldn't that just cap out at equaling the magic that creates both legendary warriors and also DysDark? Sure, it means they'll have more evil to fight - possibly including the person presently wearing her face, given his reaction to that idea - but it won't matter, they can make their own solution! Her voice starts to perk up, and her words come faster as she speaks.]

I can't get the Princesses, they're back at home, and I can't leave... but maybe I don't have to. If it all keeps scaling up, I don't have to depend on my Princesses, we can just have as many Precure as we need... as many warriors as we need! To match the darkness, we just make as much light as we can!

[The shaking is coming back under control... That idea seems to have completely turned around her worry into hope. Guess everything will be all right?]

Exactly, it's all about finding bigger and stronger magic. That's the whole point, who cares about cycles?

[He's new to this magic thing but it's clearly just like science but without having to actually build anything so he's a fan. Not sure why there's even a holdup on her end, but he tolerates the nonsensical (to him, at least) train of thought with just mild shaking of his head, rolling his eye when she's reached... whatever conclusion this is.]

Look, there's princesses here if you want princesses. And warriors. And streetlamps, if you really hate darkness that much. [That's what she was talking about, right.] But I don't even know what a Precure is. You just made that up.

[But, y'know, whatever-- if she wants to justify it to herself that way it doesn't matter to him, really. Better that he doesn't have to deal with someone panicking over the suggestion of more powerful magic.]

No, no, you misunderstand me! It's- well, it's hard to explain, but with this much ready access to magic, something is bound to go wrong. Someone is destined to go evil, to go dark. It's just how the world works. So normally, there's a balancing light on the other end. In the case I'm familiar with, that light is a set of legendary warriors, my irreplaceable friends, the Princess Precure. But it stands to reason that, should there be darkness in a different place, a different light would rise to challenge it!

[She's significantly more animated now, perhaps the most she's been since she got here. Her arms are swinging while she talks (given they're still full of bow and arrow), and there's a big grin on her face.]

Sorry, I'm rambling a bit, but this is kind of huge to me. And- oh, yeah, I guess I figured out how to make the cards work after all?

[Oh. Oh, she's one of those hero types. Or at least a hero supporter. Hero-aligned. That's annoying.]

I hate to burst your bubble [except he really doesn't] but there's at least five of us here that are already evil. And I haven't exactly seen any light around. So.

[Just let them conquer the whole city by force in peace?]

Maybe your reasoning is just wrong.

It's okay to be evil. There's no point in a world where everyone does good all the time; you need the other side, too. I understand that, after everything I've been through. But... you understand there are limits, right? Things you can't do, things you mustn't do. There's a difference between plotting to take over the world relatively peacefully, and destroying your enemies with force because you can. It's... well. I'm not going to get on your case too much, unless you're doing something particularly nasty, and I'd like to hope I can expect the same courtesy. After all-

[She looks down at her MagicBand, considering it in a new light, before looking back up to him.]

For better or worse, we're all in this together, right? If we get into arguments and fights between ourselves, we're never going to last long enough to make it home.

Yes! That's it exactly, that's what I've been saying for years. It's not like I'm trying to destroy everyone, just conquer them! Really, people should be thanking me. Some evil schemes every now and then just spice things up.

[He's like. Abruptly changed his mind. She's the most reasonable person he's ever met now.]

And you don't need to tell me twice. [Okay so maybe he's been fighting with most of the people he's met here but. He actively avoided picking fights with Krabs which, in his opinion, counts as Trying.] But good luck convincing everyone else.

Just don't abuse that trust, and we'll be okay. If you go too far, I'll stop you. We'll stop you; that's a promise. Beyond that, I'll work on convincing the others. It'll take some doing, but... nothing worth doing is ever easy, right? That's true no matter what. I'm sure you'll be working hard, too, in your own way. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither will your empire, am I right? We can both start small and work from there.

[He belatedly realizes he's still using his disguise card and switches back as he thinks that over.]

You mean you can all try to stop me.

[He says as if he hasn't been stopped literally every single time he tries virtually anything in the past. It's fine, self-confidence is the first step to success or something like that.

Still, though, he's honestly incredibly surprised by how rational her view is on the matter. Surprised and vaguely impressed-- he doesn't usually ever reach a compromise on things like that.]

You know, I think you're one of the only people here that's got any common sense.

[Despite herself, Yui giggles softly; it helps that she's not looking at her own face anymore as she does.]

Right. We'll try, and we'll give 110% because we good guys can't do anything by halves.

Really, though... life would be a boring story if nothing ever went wrong and everything was always just so. I've learned a lot, with everything I've been though in the last year. I like to think I've become a better me after it all. Not the best me, but... better.

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Rod hecked up a little

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