Walkabout: [Shortly after their arrival]

[professorwolf]

Randolph Lyall here. Anybody else dropped into the noisy arcade? Or were most of us lucky enough to wind up in a hotel room or a lobby? Can we have a check-in?

Also, anybody else stuck with animal ears and a tail, or aged up or down? I've heard about a Jaunt much like this place, a while back, though I wasn't here for it: a school for anime magic, basically. Sparkles and animal ears and flowers coming out of nowhere. All the symptoms I'm seeing seem to be lining up for that world.

I'm still working out what's going on. It seems like some kind of multiple-school event, from the signs and the brochure handily in my pocket. I'm even wearing a badge for one of them, so I suppose I'm some kind of representative. The aging up doesn't go all the way up to adults, and I haven't changed any.

Comments

[happyhalloween]

Cousin! I mean. Um.

[She's still used to thinking of you as her cousin, Sera. Sorry.]

So I'll get to be big even if I go back? [She is SO EXCITED about this.] Also, how do you know if you're Marked? And is there any way to break her in her terminal? I'm not good with computers.

[shantiprayer]

It's alright, you can call me Sera. Is your real name Maria, or was that just the other you?

I can't promise you'll get to stay older. It's a possibility, but not a guaranty. [Sorry to harsh your buzz, Maria, but probably better that she finds out now instead of being potentially disappointed later.]As for the Trumps. Have you had any new tattoo-like marks appear on your skin? If you have something like that, it's probably a Mark. Psyche-chan... I don't think it's a good idea to try to break her. You remember what happened when we started to break Empress, right?

[happyhalloween]

... there's a crown on my chest. Just above my tummy.

[DID THE TRUMPS MARK HER???? THOSE SNEAKY TRUMPS!!!]

Yeah. I remember. She brought her dumb friends and we got tore apart and I cried until Mei came.

[OH WAIT.]

And yes! My name's Maria. Only it's Ushiromiya, not Goldsmith.

[shantiprayer]

Oh no... Is there anything else about the crown? Like a number on it?

There's a good chance if we try attacking Lovers, she'll call in another Trump to help her. And if she's working with the Trump I think she's working with, we really don't want that.

It's good to meet you as yourself, Maria.

[happyhalloween]

It looks like the one that goes with my Family Conference outfit. And my witch outfit. Only you can only see three of the strappy bits.

... who is Lovers working with? I didn't like Empress' friends.

But it's nice to meet you too, Sera!

[shantiprayer]

Oh no... I'd recomend having someone you trust look at it to double check, but that does sound a lot like a Trump mark. Especially with the number symbolism.

If I'm right... she's allies with the Devil. He makes most of the other Trumps seem friendly.

[happyhalloween]

I'll have Beato look.

[awitchdidit]

Maria.

Did you forget something important?

[happyhalloween]

... ... ...

I was gonna tell you, Beato. I just... ... forgot.

[awitchdidit]

I'd like to keep track of who has an interest in my apprentice, that's all. It also helps establish a pattern for the Trumps' actions...

...speaking of which, did the Empress discuss anything with you before you were marked, or did it simply appear after your fight?

[happyhalloween]

I dunno when it appeared. I didn't take a bath for a while.

The dumb old Empress didn't discuss anything. She was too busy fighting. Yellow went and cursed her too, but the Emperor fixed that because he's a big meanie. Then there was the big, big fight and they took us apart and it hurt so I cried and the Empress went away. And Mei was there a little, but just long enough to make stop crying for a little and then she went away again and then she brought me Tomosuke's egg and then she went away again.

[awitchdidit]

Hm...and what did Mei say to you?

[She could ask "who's Mei", but she can more or less pick it up from Maria's unique turn of phrase and the fact that the Emperor also used a Chinese alias. Interesting that Maria would pick up on two different personas that quickly, but then again, people are very different in battle. Especially when they're the enemy.]

[happyhalloween]

Lots of stuff. But the last thing she said was that I'd be in her heart.

[awitchdidit]

It sounds to me like you were most likely marked as a result of your conversation with Mei. I'm not surprised she has a fondness for a brilliant child or for the Witch of Origins, honestly.

[happyhalloween]

... was the Empress spying on us?

[Oooooh, Empress, you meanie! If you're gone you should stay away and not spy!]

[awitchdidit]

No more than you were spying on Green by remembering what she did, Maria. I'm quite sure Mei and the Empress have a similar connection.

[happyhalloween]

... Mei's the Empress's vessel?

[But Mei's so nice! Maybe it's more like Mama and the Black Witch or-- Well. Either way, it's a kind of possession, isn't it?]

[awitchdidit]

That is a possibility I'd been looking into regarding the Trumps in general, yes. Or it's a matter of involuntary possession like your mother's case. Either way, Mei may have had the authority to give you that Mark herself.

[happyhalloween]

Trumps really are just big Witches, aren't they?

[awitchdidit]

I've seen no evidence to contradict the theory that they're very shy Voyagers. The only thing I'm unsure about at this point is whether or not they started off human, like Witches do...

[happyhalloween]

... or if they're other things that get humans to be their vessels like Illuminants. Uu, this is complicated.

[awitchdidit]

Ahaha, I've still done much worse. It's just a matter of sorting out the clues they give us.

[happyhalloween]

Your stuff was easier. At least for me.

[This is probably because you and Beatrice know how each other think, Maria.]

[awitchdidit]

Well, my games were meant to challenge Battler, not you. You knew the answers ahead of time as soon as you acknowledged me as a witch.

[happyhalloween]

Kihihihi. Yes I did!