<ROUND ONE-HUNDRED AND FIVE>
To start, Echoss does stuff and things. He starts off his journey by inventorizing the breakfast that nobody bothered to put away. 3 portions of Breakfast Sampler obtained! He then meets up with Chloe and Chaos in the living room. Chaos seems completely unfazed with the stranger's sudden appearance, while Chloe suddenly yelps and whips out her blade.

CHLOE: OHMYGOSHWHOTHEHELLAREYOU
CHLOE: ...
CHLOE: I-I, um...

Chloe awkwardly stares at the blade of her sword. Then, back at Echoss.

CHLOE: S-Sorry, I-I've been... standoffish, as of late...

She sheathes her sword. She blushes lightly and awkwardly scratches her head as she talks with the stranger.

CHLOE: I-I'm Chloe. Chloe Elem. It's nice to meet you!
CHAOS: so you're no[t] ques[t]ioning [t]his?
CHAOS: i mean i'm no[t]
CHAOS: why would i
CHAOS: bu[t] you're [t]aking it well
CHLOE: I mean, we seem to have random people join us seemingly whenever...
CHLOE: And... well, if he wanted to kill us, he probably would've done it by now...
CHAOS: a[c][t]ually he'd probably fail
CHAOS: and no[t] be[c]ause of my awesome [c]omba[t] skills
CHAOS: but be[c]ause shopkeepers ge[t] massively infla[t]ed s[t]a[t]s and egos
CHAOS: and [c]harisma
CHLOE: I don't think that's true...
CHAOS: he li[t]erally wouldn'[t] be able [t]o resist buying my s[t]o[c]k
CHAOS: and while he's busy [c]hoosing a puma or pan[t]her shir[t]
CHAOS: bam
CHAOS: i hi[t] him
CHAOS: with [t]axes
CHLOE: ...How would that stop him?
CHAOS: [t]axes is [t]he name of my baseball ba[t]
CHLOE: Oh-
CHAOS: jus[t] kidding
CHAOS: i'm jus[t] really good at bea[t]ing people over [t]he head with abs[t]ra[c][t] [c]on[c]ep[t]s
CHLOE: ...
CHLOE: A-Alright...

Chaos tries to non-conspicuously hide a baseball bat crudely labelled "taxes" behind his stop stall. And by "non-conspicuously", we mean he slams it right into the ground, about five meters away from his actual shop stall. Anyway, Echoss pitches his house defense idea.

CHAOS: works for us
CHLOE: W-Wait, we literally just met him-
CHAOS: nah i[t]'ll be fine
CHAOS: kids we're going [t]o [t]he zoo
CHLOE: It's a garden!
CHAOS: gardens have tigers, right
CHLOE: No! No they don't!
CHAOS: ...
CHAOS: kids, we're going somewhere hella boring

Chloe and Chaos depart for the Endless Gardens, Maria in tow. Maybe we'll see their adventures next post? For now though, it seems like that on the map screen, they've managed to get a tour from the receptionist lady there.

Elsewhere, Echoss goes Iti hunting. He visits the Hall of Sages, and promptly commits some Iti genocide, freeing the room of the Iti presence. He interacts with the bicycle... and obtains Effect: Bicycle! This promptly automatically adds itself to the Altar of Zone 3's Itisa Pond. The bike, having its purpose fulfilled, explodes with a cheap marketplace-asset stock explosion. It dies. He then shoves one of the Thyme Crystals into the inventory. Thyme Matter Crystal obtained!

He then meets the Rose Cultist trying to free a jukebox from the wall. He opts to aid him in jukebox freeing. using 3 Iron Ingots and 1 Uniform Log to create an Iron Pickaxe. He promptly uses a charge in freeing the Jukebox, before adding the pickaxe to the inventory. The cultist rapidly bows to Echoss, before running off, jukebox hoisted above his head. Still not done, he then goes to visit the Chairian at the Quiet Balcony, telling him what happened in the library.

CHAIRIAN: Eh, sounds good to me.
CHAIRIAN: ...I actually got some news earlier that apparently Stella's gone turncoat? How sad that even our leaders seem to be disloyal to the cause...
CHAIRIAN: Oh well. It's a hard loss, but we'll manage. Spark's probably gonna burn her at the stake, though. Figuratively. Probably figuratively.

The Chairian, after taking a series of photos, leaves the area, probably never to be seen again. He then takes a chainsaw to the Severed Outlook, collecting three more Thyme Matter Crystals. Now done with his gathering, he heads off to the Preserve, meeting with up with the group there. He gets a good look at Nia, looking up... and down. Nia giggles.

NIA: My eyes are up here~

When Echoss (probably) snaps up to meet her eyes, she giggles at him some more.

NIA: Eheheheh, I'm joking, I'm joking : P
NIA: I don't have much to look at, anyway!
NIA: Anyway, my name's Nia! Nice to meetcha!
NIA: Anyway, I've wanted to use that line for a long, long time! Thanks~

She promptly receives a business card, and stashes it away in her inventory. She gives him a friendly wave as he heads off into the Preserve...

---

Packo meets with Nia, fretting over where Stella is. She shrugs.

NIA: Idunno.
NIA: I think I saw her going off with a few other people. I think they're hunting Yggcrawlers?
NIA: Hopefully they bag one of them! They look mighty tasty! I don't know WHY I'm thinking that, but they look friggin' delicious!
NIA: You're a baker, right? You should totally make like, a meat bun with some Yggcrawler in it! Or Sapsqueal. Or... maybe Mollusk? Nah, those guys are too cute...
NIA: Anyway, don't worry- I've got your back! Probably. If they flank us, then you might have my back, which probably isn't ideal but who gives a gorilla.

---

Nia, everpopular, continues her little chat with Boshi. He notes how Hat Kid has some traumatic flashbacks.

NIA: W-Wha? She has flashbacks?
NIA: Aw geez, I gotta get that poor girl some... I dunno. Hats? Yarn? Fabric?
NIA: What would she like, anyway? Chloe's interests are knights / swordy stuff, cool tech, absurd amounts of hairspray, and then vidja games.
NIA: ...I don't really know other people as well as I do Chloe! So tell me, what should I get Hatty?
NIA: ...Hatty? I'm calling her Hatty now. It's cute.

The two keep chatting, with Boshi mentioning how he's never really done much.

NIA: Hm...
NIA: I'm not quiiite sure what to say, but... well, what if your moment's still coming?
NIA: What if now's your moment? The moment you rise to stardom?
NIA: "Boshi, Savior of Locaa and Destroyer of Dumb Spooky Butterflies!" I can mentally visualize the headlines now!
NIA: ...I'd like to think that I'm not giving you false hope, cuz' I think you'd certainly be noticed and gorilla for saving a planet.

NIA: Also, don't worry about not really knowing anything about... well, anyone.
NIA: I literally have the Butterfly in my head AND I've facetanked at least two different information dumps, and I still don't really know what the darned thing is!

Nia would probably say more, but then Hat Kid succeeds in a stealth attack on Boshi, dealing (200) points of Cute damage. Nia stays silent and admires the raw aura of cute. Or at least, she stays silent for a bit.

NIA: Also, counterpoint to anything you may be thinking- you're best friends with a famous and heart-stoppingly cute Hat Kid!
NIA: I'm happy to see two people with a bond that strong~
NIA: Anyway, glad I could help you two out! See ya on the field!

Nia happily skips off to smite some Iti to death.

---

Toast equips Static Overcharge, then makes it her counter-attack. Spooky. She also levels up her trait thanks to the change in Heart Key systems! Marron promptly wonders to herself when she can get a trait-up.

---

Daskter rotates Incantation for Sticky Place, and his current weapon for the Air Controller. Daskter swapping out Incantation? Inconceivable!

---

Venia chats up Nia some more. She notes how Xavier is made out to be reasonable enough, and how she hopes they don't need to do something to him at gunpoint.

NIA: Yeah. He's... okay, maybe he's not a GOOD kid, but he's like pretty alright on the scale of kids, even if he kidnapped me.
NIA: ...Okay no, he's actually on the bad side of things. But he's like, not really BAD, if you know what I mean? Words, man. Words are hard.

Venia asks her a question about her body. Would she prefer it to her flesh one?

NIA: Hm...
NIA: Nah. I mean sure, this body's really cool and all, and it's incredibly realistic... but even with all of Xavier's work, everything just feels slightly off.
NIA: The taste of water, the sound of the wind, the feel of treebark- everything's just the slightest bit wrong! It's irritating.
NIA: It'd also feel wrong to... well, be with someone like this. Like, I wouldn't want my first half-decent kiss to be in a robot body and stuff!
NIA: There's just something oddly wrong with being in a robotic body. I mean, it's definitely the best robot body that a girl could ask for... but I'd really like to go back to being a fleshy.
NIA: ...Maybe it's just because I've been piloting this thing for so long, though. A nice benefit of this though is that I don't need to worry about boring things like hygiene! I haven't needed to blow my nose in the past couple of months and I feel great.

Nia giggles to herself, before posing a question of her own.

NIA: Hm, so you wanted me to ask questions of my own, right?
NIA: Aaaaaaaah...
NIA: ...
NIA: Oh, I know! I wanna know about your buddies!
NIA: Someone as beautiful as- erm, I mean, as cripplingly average as you must have a whole lotta buddies!
NIA: I mean, you have the whole 'tragic backstory' thing going on, but... y-you must have a lot of friends, right?
NIA: ...Sorry in advance if this strikes a nerve or something. Not my intention.

Nia smiles lightly, looking at Venia's eyes through her sunglasses. Elsewhere, a kitsune guards a house. Elsewhere-er but not really, Mr. Krabs asks for some schematics on Experiment 15's arm systems. Glitch Temmie shrugs through the Mindscape Radio. Audibly. Not visually somehow, despite having a visual display.

GLITCH TEMMIE: Alright.
GLITCH TEMMIE: Faxing over the raw data now...

...The machine on the back of the Mindscape Radio gets jammed. It sputters and coughs, before shooting out a paper at high velocity. Mr. Krabs takes a look over the diagram of Experiment 15's arm systems. They're mostly familiar... at least, structurally. Surprisingly thin and spindly, but highly reinforced. Several projection units line the surface, creating the hardlight holograms that make up the "meat" of Nia's body. Of note is that there's a few things missing in this model;there are no small red "fleshy" orbs near the joints of the arm. The orbs are typically kept in a crossweave of metal and such, giving them moderate protection. Of course, you don't have Nia's actual schematics, so you can't tell what they're for...

Anyway, Venia asks Nana to make some wildlife calls. She seems a little puzzled, and thinks for an oddly long time before responding.

NANA: A-Ah, sure!
NANA: I... I wasn't really sure how to describe how I do it, but it's mostly a lot of clicking with your mouth. Rhythmically, and calmly, too!
NANA: Here, watch me, and you can copy it!

...Nana closes her eyes, and begins clicking into the woods. Venia acutely watches her click, and, based on what she knows, doesn't see anything out of the ordinary. At least, for a little. It might be something similar to the uvula, but she swears she saw something extra dangling in there.

NANA: You should give it a try, Venia!
NANA: I think you'd be great at it!

She watches Venia with intense intent. The wrath of a teacher. hooboy

---

Keiko +1's her RES! I should make a program that randomly picks quotes for me when someone only does statpoints. Not that it's bad; I just need to fill space...

---

Irongutta sends Piggo to Maria. Not that I really need to note this here, but he's appearing on the map and also Piggo is best girl and you can't tell me otherwise. Oh, Irongutta also applies duct-tape to his stats and weapon.

---

EN +3's her SPC, and then purchases and uses a Heart Key! Her trait (and also Calibri's) allows them to dynamically swap in during battles, even if only for a single round! That'll help out a bunch!

---

Borealnwm joins the game as Sierra Pena! Welcome! Here's a few things to note...
-Your special is on the weaker AND stronger side at the same time. Extra Turns have always been overpowered, historically. I haven't implemented it for now, so maybe you could come up with something else similar...?
-You have an extra spell slot! Why not take a spell that works nicely with your kit, or maybe a damage spell...?
-You haven't selected elemental resistances! Everyone misses this all the time though, so don't worry.

---

<THE PRESERVE, ROUND TWO>
So as it appears, the Iti might have a sizable backline in place. And lots and lots of troops in the wings. Prepare yourself for a storm of units from those Throwlems back there, and be prepared to wipe out the incoming Iti hordes! Or just wipe them out before they horde you. That works too.

<OLD GAIADIAMOND MINE, ROUND TWO>
There was an extra Yggcrawler on this map.
Once.
There isn't anymore.
That was just a little terrifying.
Just a little.

This is my character sheet.



Sierra spawns at 13C, pondering quantum laws. Not long after, she notices the child in peril and blindly sprints to K14.

Hello Boreal! Welcome! I recommend you join the discord, where all our plans take place!
https://discord.gg/PKwfpn

QUOTE (FlamingFlapjacks @ Nov 16 2018, 10:12 PM)

Hello Boreal! Welcome! I recommend you join the discord, where all our plans take place! https://discord.gg/PKwfpn

Alright! Will do. Thank you!

Balance stuff, Itemstorm, had I unleashed it in its current form, would probably have straight up instagibbed a boss. So we're hitting it the nerfbattleship.
Changes agreed upon by me and Ire:
Base item free usages dropped to 2, +1 free item usage per 8 SPC, maxxing out at 5.
Base item range boost dropped to +1, +1 range boost per 5 SPC, maxxing out at +6.
Mechanic of the item conservation boost changed, instead of adding directly onto my traits' power, both rolls are done separately, so at 0 SPC, while the special is active, upon using an item I would do the 25% chance roll, and, upon failing it, do another roll respective of the Special's chance.
To compensate for this nerf a little bit, the special's base and max conservation chance have been changed to 10% and 50% respectively.

RP stuff:
Echoss stops after obliterating the Seeker and contemplates to himself, and decides to try something. He cups his hands together and breathes into the cupped hands. A yellowish mist swirls within his cupped hands, and clasps them all the way, then opens them up. A cloud of golden butterflies erupts from his hands and fly up into the air, scattering about to help Echoss do stuff while he's in combat or otherwise doing things.
"Huh. I didn't think that'd work here, what with basically everything else being broken."

In Zone 1, in the Gaia Diamond Mine area, Omo has one of the butterflies flutter down to her and lands on her shoulder, glowing and shifting form until it appears as a golden hologram of Echoss.
"Hello Miss Omorika, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, or, will be I suppose once we're not in different locations. My name is Echoss, and I am currently the tardiest member of the party, due to preparations that the Thyme Field rendered mostly irrelevant anyways. Now, while under better circumstances I would have a slew of questions for you if you would be willing to answer them, right now, I'm here to forewarn you that Spark has labeled you a traitor and most likely intends to have you killed as soon as possible, and from the timing of the information I received regarding that, suspect he may have had that in mind before you even joined the party.
Anyways, my conduit link will be heading off elsewhere once you send your response as both of us are in combat at the moment and it is probably best to maintain our focus for the time being."

In Zone 3, near the entrance, Chloe has a similar butterfly flutter down and land on her shoulder, transforming much like the one for Omo did. "My apologies Miss Elem, both for the surprise, and for speeding off before we could have a proper conversation, I am still trying to get my bearings when it comes to operating under the effects of the Thyme Field, and it seemed there was an opportunity to lend my hand to combat going on further afield in the Gardens. If you don't mind, I will keep this conduit link with you, in case you require assistance or merely want someone else to talk with."

In the Preserve battle, Echoss turns to Boshi and Hat Kid, and hums to himself.
"Hello there, I didn't expect to see any Yoshis on Sussui, though I suppose this place does seem to be the present location of a large number of travelers at the moment. My name is Echoss, who might you two be?"

actions:
Elsewhere, one of the butterflies lands in Yggdrasil's Approach and transforms into a full-sized hologram of Echoss and walks up to the Durasteel Ore. It takes one look at it, then raises its arm, doing a swift karate chop that splits the ore vein in half, allowing the hologram to reach in and pull out the rest of the durasteel ore and stick it in the shared inventory.
It then moves into the Yggdrasil area and whips out the iron pickaxe from before and savagely assaults the Megabark Veins with it, using almost every weapon form known to man, except for the ones that would actually be effective with a pickaxe on ore veins. This somehow still collects large amounts of the ore, but it also expends both of the iron pickaxe's charges. With the ore safely packed away in the inventory, the hologram turns back into a butterfly and flutters away.

And then I start work on something that is totally stupid and probably entirely out of character for Echoss but I'm gonna do it anyways for the meemz.
One of the Echoss holograms flutters down to the River Crossing in Zone 1 (I know this is doing stuff across multiple zones and that's a no-no, but this is a one time thing and for something really dumb, just ignore the action if it's still too much.) and pulls out exactly 40 plastic water bottles.
Ire is probably either rolling his eyes, crying, or laughing out loud by this point.
Suffice it to say, a short amount of time passes, and at the end of it 20 bottled bottled waters have been reintroduced to the inventory. Nobody touch these please, I've got a thing I'm gonna do with 'em as I'm able to, I'll let you folks know when I've acquired the final product and you can use it for crafting.

Anyways, in the name of pursuing this lunacy, I take the 20 bottled bottled waters to Nia's upgrade service and request to have them upgraded to T1 for presumably no cost (at least according to the current price guidelines). Please disregard this particular thing if I have fewer than 20 bottled bottled waters available to me. Gotta get the most out of my pointless wastes of money.

Preserve related stuff:
In the actual battle, Echoss saunters down to G9, casts shopping spree, snatching up an EMP emitter for the inventory provided nothing pimp slaps him.
Then he takes out the meldblossom tea and politely taps Nia on the shoulder, offering it to her, he puts on his finest posh british accent. "May I recommend a spot of tea madam?"

FOR THE TURN BEING UPDATED:

Brutishace heads over to the battle at the Preserve, shifts to F13,and unleashes Twin Photons on the first Carrion, hopefully vaporizing it right off the bat.

If anyone has taken recoil damage or something from an attack, or has been countered, Brutishace heals them accoridngly using Soul Siphon.

(If possible, could this be done this update instead of next one?)

Wyvern spawns in at C9 and does what he does best. Rushes carelessly into danger by sprinting to K7.

Destiny requests Chloe's Scavenging Service for some Joltwires.

Destiny in battle waits for Simeon to make his move then runs to K16 before using Whirling Blades, moving to K17, L18, M17, N18, and O18. She then chucks a Chairian Brew at Willow before retreating to P19.
Terrible idea to go out hunting by yourself with all these terrible creatures out here, but help yerself. Better off alive than a wolf meal.
-----

Crya walks up to Chloe, and then quickly realizes who this is.
(Gulp! I'm gonna have to explain some things as soon as I mention my identity, huh...)
Uh, hello, missus! I am Crya of the Pantheon of Gods and Goddesses, goddess of ice and cold! I control the winter and the snow!
(Ahem...)

>RP<

Boshi notes the dude (Echoss) next to him and Hat Kid. Hat Kid turns first to wave, while Boshi sorta just looks behind him, not taking his eyes off his path. His hammer is splattered with a fine bit of Thyme Matter from the Seeker he just pulverized.

"(Oh, hello there. Not... a lot of people go out of their way to talk to us.)"
"(The name's Boshi. Uncreative name, yeah, I know. The cute gal on my saddle is Hat Kid.)"
"(wait what's worse my name or her name aaa)"
"Hi!"
"(So yeah. You seem pretty chill, Echoss. Well, when we're not fighting things, anyway...)"

(RP continued in Piono's next post)

>ACTIONS<

Boshi decides to be a bit reckless, and moves to (H4). He shouts to the Bloodhound...
"(Oi, you! Get yo' gorilla over here, Imma pulverize ya!)"
He casts Nothing Ventured, taunting the nearby Bloodhound.

I'll be taking a break from Thymium for a while.

<ANNIVERSARY UPDATE>
Elsewhere, in a parallel universe where Thymium is but a popular web series, there exists a stage. Thousands of ravenous beasts and dozens of legendary heroes are scattered through the area, not waging battle, but watching and waiting. Purple curtains illuminated by a dim light begin to shift, and music begins to play. A voice echoes throughout the stage...

CHAOS: ladies and gen[t]lemen
CHAOS: boys and girls
CHAOS: or wha[t]ever you iden[t]ify as
CHAOS: we're back wi[t]h [t]he mos[t] modera[t]ely okay rewards show known [t]o man...

...Chaos goes silent. He can be heard talking to someone, just somewhat hushed

CHAOS: ...guys help [t]he [t]i[t]le has [c]api[t]al le[t][t]ers so i [c]an'[t] read i[t]
CHLOE: That's not how letters work!
CHAOS: i[t] is now
CHLOE: B-But...
CHLOE: ...
CHLOE: Okay okay, I'll read it for you.

The sound of Chloe clearing her throat can be heard throughout the stage.

CHLOE: Ahem...
CHLOE: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, BOYS AND GIR-
CHAOS: i already said [t]ha[t]
CHLOE: B-But, for fu...
CHLOE: ...
CHLOE: A-Anyway, WELCOME TO...

THE THIRD ANNUAL CHAOS AWARDS: Thymebent Edition

The curtains open up to reveal... nobody. There is a mic stand, though! Seconds later, Chloe runs onstage, dressed in the armor that Nezira gave her, sword sheathed by her side. She takes a few pained, tired breaths, before addressing the crowd.

CHLOE: S-Sorry everyone, it's like a-a, minute walk between here and t-the booth where Chaos is...
CHLOE: H-Had to run, really, really fast...

Chloe pulls out a bottle of bottled water, and after a few seconds of screwing around with the second layer of cap, she takes a deep gulp of water, with enhanced flavor from the second bottle.

CHLOE: Anyway, heya! I'm your host, Chloe Elem!
CHLOE: Joining me on stage is my cohost, Marron Needleworker! Let's give her a hand, everyone!

The thousands of Iti in the seats applaud as someone who is distinctly not Marron walks onto the stage, dressed in casual attire. It's Nia.

CHLOE: ...Uh.
CHLOE: ...Hi, Nia...?
NIA: Oh, hiya Chlo!
NIA: So, how are we gonna do this? Do I talk, or do you tal-
CHLOE: Whoa whoa whoa, hold on! M-Marron was meant to be up here!
NIA: Well, she was... but we were talking backstage right before the show started, and she thought it'd be funny if I swapped places with her.
NIA: And it was!
CHLOE: B-But Marron and I practiced for like a whole month!
NIA: Oh come ooooon, it's just a presentation! How hard can it be?
CHLOE: THIS IS A PRESENTATION TO A LIVE AUDIENCE OF A COUPLE THOUSAND PEOPLE NIA
NIA: So?
CHLOE: ...
CHLOE: I'll just... I'll just roll with it.

CHLOE: So anyway, I'll talk, you talk?
NIA: Sure, sounds good to me!
NIA: ...So, what are the categories?
CHLOE: ...You don't know any of them, do you?
NIA: Nope!
CHLOE: I'll talk, then...

CHLOE: So anyway, let's get it on!

A screens shoots out of the ground from behind the duo, Nia turning around in awe of the supermassive widescreen behind her. The screen flashes to life, showing a generic "waiting" screen with random geometric shapes spiraling through a purple void.

CHLOE: Anyway, our first category is...

Best in Murder, Roleplaying, and Shenanigans:
CHLOE: ...I'd say the name, but that doesn't work well in a text-based medium.

CHLOE: This year, the MVP category is being broken up into three!
CHLOE: Murder, Roleplaying, and Shenanigans!
NIA: Huh, really? Coolneato.
NIA: So, I'm guessing it's like... who's the best at killing people, who's the best at chatting people up, and who's the best at being lol xD random?
CHLOE: That's a... way of putting it.
NIA: Aw, thanks!
CHLOE: ...

Chloe stares at Nia with narrowed eyes. Nia giggles back at her friend, who promptly gives a deep sigh.

CHLOE: Anyway, the Best in Murder category is all about who's the most efficient on the battlefield!
CHLOE: Whether they're butchering foes by the dozen, breaking the game, or generally upsetting the GM with their stupid damage output.
NIA: Oh, oh! Question!
CHLOE: Hm?
NIA: ...Can we vote for supports and stuff here? This is like, "battlefield effectiveness" as you just said.
CHLOE: But it's called the "Murder" awar-
NIA: thatdoesntmatter
CHLOE: ...I-I guess? If it's in the category definition, then I guess there's nothing wrong with it...
NIA: Cool!

CHLOE: The Best in Roleplaying award goes to those who have had significant roleplaying presence!
CHLOE: Please do note that NPC's shouldn't be picked for this category. This is for the players, after all!
NIA: but i wanna trophy
CHLOE: ...You can always shoot for the trophy in the Best Girl contest, if you want a trophy...
NIA: Awesome! Vote for me, everyone~

Nia strikes one of those poses where she winks while doing that thing with your fingers where you make the peace sign and run it by your eye. Is there a name for that pose? Who knows.

CHLOE: A-Advertise yourself later!
CHLOE: A-Anyway, moving on...

CHLOE: The Best in Shenanigans is for those of you who've done... weird stuff.
CHLOE: Whether it's shaping the plot by doing something stupid, or maybe just constantly engaging in wacky antics...
CHLOE: If someone strikes you as "shenanigan-y", please vote for them here!
NIA: ...
CHLOE: ...
CHLOE: Y-You're not going to interject?
NIA: Nope!
CHLOE: O-Oh, alrigh-

NIA: ANYWAY, OUR NEXT CATEGORY FOR THE NIGHT IS-

Best Basic Foe, Elite, and Boss:
NIA: ...WHATEVER THE HELL IT SAYS ON THE SCREEN BEHIND ME!
CHLOE: ...As mad as I am, that was remarkably well timed...
CHLOE: A-Anyway, just jet me-

NIA: So anyway, this category is probably about which of your baddies are the favorite!
NIA: As the most qualified person for this job, I know that the Best Basic Foe category covers your normal, every-day cannon fodder!
CHLOE: D-Don't call them cannon fodder! T-They don't like that!
NIA: It's true though!

NIA: The Best Elite category is for all of your favorite Eliti! And maybe Bar'kwakh!
NIA: Even the ones that haven't spawned in yet.
NIA: So like, if you think the Yaga is sickawesome, nominate them here! It doesn't matter that they're not on the field yet.
NIA: Also, Lucid is banned.
CHLOE: ...
CHLOE: ...That's actually true, but do you know why he's banned?
NIA: W-Wait, he's banned? I didn't think he actually was!
CHLOE: He's banned because he's actually a boss entity.
CHLOE: ...Wait, is Lucid a he, or a she?
NIA: Seahorse.
CHLOE: ...

NIA: The l-
CHLOE: SO ANYWAY
NIA: W-Wait, y-you can't just steal my spotlight D :
CHLOE: T-The Best Boss category encompasses your favorite bosses!
CHLOE: Whether it's something that wrecked the party, or was really creative and cool... you can vote for them here!
CHLOE: ...

Nia's staring angrily at Chloe. Chloe takes a step back as Nia marches towards her.

NIA: C-C'mon, you could've at least let me finish the category!
CHLOE: I-I'm sorry, b-but you've sorta been stealing my job...
CHLOE: Marron had all these witty comments prepared, and I sorta love announcing these things...
CHLOE: I-If you want, I'll tell you the next category so you can announce it!
NIA: ...Okay.

Chloe creeps up to Nia, and whispers something into her ear.

NIA: Anyway, our next category of the night is...

Best Encounter:

NIA: ...Best Encounter!
NIA: ...That, uh, doesn't really work in a text-medium, does it?
CHLOE: It really doesn't.
NIA: Huh.
NIA: Anyway, Chlo; wanna describe this one to the audience?
CHLOE: ...Hm, sure.

...The two of them appear to be co-operating. Chloe's much happier as she gives the lowdown about the category.

CHLOE: So, the Best Encounter category is for your favorite map!
CHLOE: S-So...
CHLOE: ...I-I'm trying to remember what Marron said at this point...

Somewhere in the audience, a puppeteer holds up a sign.

CHLOE: O-Oh, right!
CHLOE: This can be anything from simple encounters with Iti, to that time when Acacia got her... gorilla gorilla wrecked...?
CHLOE: Wait, that's not t-the line-

Elsewhere in the audience, someone jumps onto the stage, spear in hand. She's furious, short, and ready to impale a chick or two.

ACACIA: YOU WANNA SAY THAT AGAIN!?
CHLOE: W-Wait, I-I didn't m-mean it!
ACACIA: OH SURE. YEAH, I DIDN'T MEAN THE SHADE I JUST THREW ON-STAGE, TO THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE.
ACACIA: I'M GONNA SNAP YOU IN HALF, gorilla!

Acacia lunges at Chloe, who promptly pulls out her blade and deflects her spear. The two of them get into a big ball of cartoon violence near the end of the stage, with Nia watching on from a distance.

NIA: ...
NIA: You know what they say! The show must go on!
NIA: Besides, Chloe has that gorilla in the bag, so...
NIA: Anyway, next category!

Best Item:
NIA: The Best Item category is all about... items!
NIA: This can be things like weapons, armor, or consumables!
NIA: For example, a rather good item is Chloe's Fists, which, as she's currently demonstrating right now, are very good at pummeling people!
NIA: ...Wait, she's punching out a wooden person with her bare hands?
NIA: How does that even work? Are her hands gonna be okay?
NIA: Oh, she's got Acacia pinned to the ground!
NIA: ...
NIA: OHHHHH
NIA: ...THE GROUND AND POUND, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! FOLKS THIS IS GETTING REALLY HEATED!
NIA: Oof!
NIA: Ouch!
NIA: Owie!
NIA: Her bones!
NIA: BAH GAWD, SHE HAS A FAMILY CHLOE
NIA: ...Oh, there she goes.

Acacia's lying dazed and semi-bloodied on the ground, while Chloe slowly lifts herself up, brushing away a bit of blood from her lip.

NIA: And your winner, with a KO in round one, is Chloe Elem!
NIA: So Chloe, how'd you feel about that fight?
CHLOE: I-I'M SORRY I-I D-DIDN'T MEAN TO K-KNOCK HER OUT I-I W-WAS T-TRYING T-TO DEFEND MYSEL-
NIA: Whoa whoa, slow down!
NIA: She diiiid jump on stage and interrupt the show.
NIA: You basically security'd all over her.
NIA: ...Speaking of which, don't we have security? Where are they?
CHLOE: They're all devoted to keeping the Butterfly out of this year's ceremony.
CHLOE: It's probably for the best.

CHLOE: ...Please don't vote for my fists.
CHLOE: T-They're not an actual item, a-and if you n-nominate them, y-your nomination will be ignored...
CHLOE: ...Nia, a-announce the last category for me, please. I-I have a throbbing headache...
NIA: Alrighty! We should proooobably wait for medical staff, though.

Ette walks up on stage, being followed by Mari.

NIA: Oh, hiya Mari! Long time no see!
MARI: Oh, sup. Don't mind us, we're... busy.
ETTE: (Busy busy! You girls need to learn to behave...)
ETTE: (By the way Nia, you're doing a really, really good job! Keep it up!)
NIA: Aw, thanks!
NIA: I have a fanbase now! Woo~!
MARI: Anyway, see you guys later.

Mari and Ette help Acacia onto a stretcher, and lift her off the stage. Ette signs "wee woo" noises as she marches off stage left. As Mari heads by Chloe, she slips her a health potion, which she downs eagerly.

NIA: Moving onward~

Best Girl Contest Regenesis:
NIA: ...The next category of the night is the Best Girl Award!
NIA: Let your banners fly, mortals! This is a battle to the end to determine the world's best waifu!
NIA: This is the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT AWARD that'll be given out, ever!
NIA: ahem
NIA: D<0>N'T Y<0>U GET IT PE<0>PLE
NIA: Y<0>U MUST RISE UP AND FIGHT F<0>R Y<0>UR WAIFU!
NIA: IT IS THE <0>NLY WAY!
NIA: THIS IS LIFE AND DEATH
NIA: L<0>VE AND BIRTH
NIA: THE BEGINNING AND END
NIA: THE ALPHA AND <0>MEGA
NIA: (i ship them btw)
NIA: THIS AWARD IS THE CHA<0>S AWARDS!

The audience promptly goes crazy. War breaks out amidst the stands, and gunfire fills the arena. A protective barrier which probably should've been activated when Acacia jumped the stage suddenly glows into life, separating Nia and Chloe from the rampaging audience.

CHLOE: SWEET BABY JESUS NIA WHAT'D YOU DO!?
NIA: Exactly what I intended to do.
NIA: ...Actually, what the Butterfly said. This is way, way more fun than a normal vote.
CHLOE: nia why do you do this
NIA: Dunno.
CHLOE: ...

CHLOE: ...A-Anyway everyone, i-if you'd be so kind as to s-stop rioting, p-please submit your votes t-through the c-consoles on your seats...
CHLOE: I-It'd be really nice if w-we could...
CHLOE: ...
NIA: ...You okay?
CHLOE: no

CHLOE: ...
CHLOE: W-We didn't even get to announce the Best Trait and Best Special category...
CHLOE: There wasn't e-even a planned Best Girl category t-this year because... w-well, w-we feared this...

CHLOE: ...
CHLOE: W-We'll see you after this short break!

---

VOTE HERE: https://goo.gl/forms/ALUqPUvSBIMoXLGt1

---

The main update will be continued when appropriate...

RP convo between Echoss, Boshi and Hat Kid

Echoss nods:
Thank you, I do try to take a little bit of a more relaxed pace, I find that it is best not to get worked up unless necessary, and these creatures do not seem like something we can’t handle. We almost have them outnumbered.

Boshi: “(So far, so good. Though it seems almost… too easy right now. If there’s anything I’ve learned about these creatures - the Iti, they’re called - they’re quite numerous. This definitely won’t be all of them. There’s also the fact that some of us suspect a strong one’s gonna show itself soon.)”

Echoss: Ah yes, the Eliti you call them, correct? I wonder if there’ll be any Eliti corpses left for me to take once all’s said and done here…

Boshi tilts his head slightly to the side.
“(Corpses…? Yeah, we could have someone scrounge up a corpse or a few. We know it’s possible. We’ve got two of ‘em right now, in fact. But… I *think* someone’s using them for something? Though why would you want a corpse of one, of all things?)”

Echoss: I can probably grab any ungrabbed corpses on my own after a battle, but I assumed the group was using them for something given the eliti corpses in the inventory. Anyways, as for why I want them, I should assume that they’re quite valuable, creatures created out of waluigi thyme and entropy, yet still cohesive enough despite their unbelievably unstable origins? Not to mention the lesser ones at least seem to be weak enough that live specimens would be quite easy to contain. A once in a million lifetimes opportunity.

Boshi just stares blankly at Echoss. Hat Kid, meanwhile, does some knitting…
“(Uh. Not… not the first thing I think of when thinking ‘valuable’. But, sure. Exotic names for things and all that I’ve got no understanding of… but alright.)”

Echoss chuckles. Many things can be worthwhile that others think of as useless. For instance, a young child’s drawing isn’t of much value to your average person, but to their parents? Priceless. Much the same, Iti are likely not of much use to you beyond that which you can use in crafting.

Boshi: “(Yeah, I get where you’re coming from. Doubly so because of Hat Kid here. A lotta people find no use in string, yarn, et cetera. Yet to her, they’re among the most useful things for her.)”
Hat Kid gives a thumbs-up, then continues with her knitting.
Boshi: “(...So what would you plan on doing with the corpse? Separating its base components to sell, making something out of it, or something else?)”

Echoss: Not certain yet, though it will be quite useful for research at the very least, and if nothing else comes to fruition, they may still work fine as collection pieces alone.

Boshi: “(Research, huh… can’t say I’m too surprised. Even some of us here that’re more familiar with the stuff don’t know too much on it.)”
“(Also, collection pieces? You’re a collector on top of that?)”

Echoss: Actually, I am a collector first and foremost. While by most people’s standards I am quite well read, I do not consider myself much of a scholar.

Boshi: “(Interesting. Actually, we collect and have collected stuff during our adventures, either before we met or while we’re together. I mostly just collected coins and the like, but Hat Kid collected powered-up yarn balls, gems encapsulated in… well, capsules, and fuel for her ship.)”

Echoss smiles brightly.
Echoss: Ah! We’ll have to show each other our collections sometime then.

Hat Kid also smiles. It’s simply the most pure thing ever.
Hat Kid: Sure~
Boshi: “(Then it’s settled. Unfortunately, this ‘thyme field’, as people call it, seems to be preventing us from heading back up to the ship, where our collections are located. Couldn’t get off the planet even if we were on the ship, either. We’ll have to wait on that one, sadly…)”

Echoss: Hm, curious, the Thyme Field seemed pretty determined to keep my portals in from working, but once I managed to get one that worked, the ones back home seemed to work just fine. Though, I suppose I haven’t actually done anything besides return a few knick knacks to their position in the collection, it may well be a different story were I myself to attempt to leave.

Boshi: “(What’s even weirder is that at least one of us has attempted to leave, and has succeeded. Tears in the fabric of space-time, and a ship fueled with time itself don’t work, yet even with less impressive tech, people still seem to… disappear or leave the planet unscathed.)”

Echoss: Hmm… while I doubt that I can your ship running, it might be worth a shot to see if my portals can get us up to your ship at some point. Or maybe it might be better to just hurry up and deal with whatever’s projecting the field first and not bother with the whole portals thing I suppose.

Boshi: “(Worth a shot. Maybe when we’ve got some time to spare, and aren’t pushing farther into enemy territory.)”

Echoss nods.
Echoss: Sounds good to me. A pleasure to make your two’s acquaintance.

Boshi: “(Same.)”
Hat Kid: Yay new friend!~

Echoss has a smile on his face as he turns to face the snarling of the Iti horde that The Man just casually barrel rolled into. Same with Boshi and Hat Kid.
Echoss looks down at a display on his watch and blinks.
Oh.

-RP: Nia-

Venia seems thoughtful of Nia's questions, and then...

"...Friends... Hrm."

Venia pauses, putting a hand to her temple for a second. She taps said temple impatiently as she crunches her lips together.

"There's Nyke, but... I did kinda kill his dad by proxy. He probably hates me now. Same with Hugo's parents... Peter, not sure what he thought of me but he's probably not thinking highly of me now. Does Maria count, now? But she's still eleven years younger than me, and she likes everyone... I guess I'm on pretty good terms with, wait, no. He is my boss, not my friend. My boss, not my friend."

Venia continues to think, her face crunched up in concentration.

"The other Yakuza members, definitely not. Patche was a giant homophobic... Huh, wait, her parents did save up a lot of money, I didn't see them for the week of the tourney, maybe they finally left, so, she actually could still be alive? Ugh. Still hates me either way. Dead people probably don't count, goes double if I killed them... Does Chloe count? No, not really.... Irongutta ought to have tried to kill us by now, really, not well enough with him... That reminds me I really need to make sure he doesn't breed more orcs on Sussui, that could become problematic... I can't even really remember Verdana very well, I've only talked to him twice too.. come on... It's not like... But it is, isn't it."

Venia's face falls. Her body sags a bit, and she sighs as she hangs her head in resignation.

"I don't."

Venia breathes.

"... If I had friends in the past, I ruined those friendships a while back. People either boss me around, hate me or are forced to deal with me, uh, back where and when I'm from. I don't know anyone here and now very well, and its not like I'll be sticking around much afterwards, either. From the future, and all. I'm not really much of anyone that anyone would really care for, though. People hate me and they pretty much have the right to do so. That's the reason I was piloting Mr. Krabs... Probably the reason no-one really helps me research Flux, either. If something goes wrong they don't lose anyone they care for. Makes sense. I'm pretty much the most unlikable person ever, why would I have friends? Even if I did, it's not like they'd remember me with the memory-eating cancer and all..."

Venia sighs, again.

"... Do you have any other questions for me, or is it my turn again?" She asks, still deflated. "She probably already has proof I'm just awful. Just fascinated about how someone could be that awful and still look halfways to being decent."

---

-RP: Salix/Taeda-

Mr. Krabs (who never really left Salix) abruptly stops bothering Glitch Temmie with proper goodbyes, and returns to Salix. "Sorry, important call. In any case, something has come up-something urgent. I'll explain, but first, I need a few questions-slash-favors of ye, Salix."

"First, what does a ranger's call sound like?" Mr. Krabs asks, no context. "And second... Can ye' let me look down yer throat? I'm sorry but we're not terribly familiar with internal Chairian anatomy, and something strange has come up regarding that."

Once Salix has accepted both requests, Mr. Krabs whips out a spell scroll for Spawn Point, enabling Salix and all of his Yggcrawlers/Spiders as well as Taeda to immediately warp to the Preserve without having to deal with travelling to, and through, the tunnel. "We've found Willow-but she's in danger, hounds are harassing her and we believe the Yaga is in the vicinity... If you're up to it, you can help us fight with that small army of wildlife."

---

-RP: Maria's wonderful garden trip-

Maria was already excited for the garden trip just on the way there, if her endless singsong chanting of 'goin' to the gardens' wasn't enough.

she's already wowed by the entrance. "Aaah, pretty flowers everywhere... Ohmygosh, woodpersons! Hi, woodpersons!" Maria says, waving her free hand (and her stick) at both present Chairians. "I want to see ALL the pretty flowers!"

When Hemlock introduces herself, Maria's big smile rapidly hits neutral upon noticing her rifle. She doesn't seem terribly intimidated, though, but she seems to eye it up warily.

"...Hello, miss hemlock woodperson," Maria says. "My name is Maria, and I am a princess and I love it here. Can I pretty please with sugar on top go see all the pretty-wait ohmigosh."

Cue Piggo trotting in, letter taped to its body.

"It's a piggy! With a letter! A mailpiggy! I never seen a mailpiggy before! This place has, everything ever!" Maria shouts, immediately reaching for the letter and trying to read it. Her expression changes rapidly to confusion"... Its in English! I can't read English, I can only say English. Miss Chloe person, can you read this, please?" Maria asks, holding up the envelope to Chloe as she turns to Piggo, immediately beginning to stroke his backside. "Pet the piggy, pet the piggy."

---

-RP: Nana-

Venia notices the 'extra dangly thing,' but doesn't react to it. "OK, I'll try... Let's, let's see..." Venia says.

Venia repeats the clicks to the best of her ability, attempting to mimic Nana's mouth motions as best she can... Which likely won't be very good all things considered. "... That didn't sound right. I so totally mucked it up, could you, uh-" Venia cuts herself off upon witnessing Nana charge towards Willow.

"NANA, NO!" Venia yells.

Venia marches to F14 and uses Skeletal Toss on Nana. She has ally damage prevention, so Nana is safely moved to E13, face-to-face with a very concerned Venia. "Nana! D-d-don't get so, so hasty. In the future. You have a gun with... Buffs 'n' stuff. Hounds are close-quarter Iti, so they'd, they'd shred you. Brave of you to, uh, rush in to save her, but, uh, let Simeon and Destiny do that-they're, they're, they've got the tools to kill the hounds and, save Willow, the best. Got, got it?"

Venia puts her hands on Nana's shoulders. "I'm... I'm concerned for you. I feel like you're trying to hide something from us... But... I know we're being, uh, paranoid, in turn. Way too much, I think. We really want the best for you, and Willow, no matter who, or, or what you are. We're supposed to be the ones risking our lives for people like, like, like you. So, sorry for being so un-trusting... Hope you can, understand, OK?" Venia says, giving Nana a motherly, weary smile.

"... In any case, so lucky of us to have found Willow so fast! She probably witnessed the whole thing at the encampment with Larix and all, so once we rescue her and patch her up, we could have her tell us what she saw, and get revenge for your other friends at the encampment." Venia says. "That'd be nice, mm? You don't have to join in on that, though... For now, let's focus on this fight."

---

-Battle: The Preserve

Just because I care that Ire may want to have things clear; Venia will move to F14 and use Skeletal Toss on Nana to bring her to E13. This was already mentioned above but it bears repeating where its clearly visible.

Venia will use her ZoC on Nana if she rushes towards Willow again.

Toast moves to I11 and places a magical mark on Seeker Sphere 1. At her command, a flurry of cards fling themselves out of the deck and slice up the creature/s.

Nidra casts Psycho Link on Yggcrawler2 to Yggcrawler3 (initial type). She then asks Omo to cast Null Somnum on her at the end of the turn, after which Nidra will cast Last Dream on Yggcrawler2 if it lives.

Terry blocks Nana's way.
"Nana, don't rush in like that. That's my job!"

---

Terry moves to I18, casts Crystallize, yeets a Cinderfruit at the Gotou, fires his basic attack to the south, then retreats to G18.

"Well, I certainly, uh, landed myself in a sticky situation."

"Lemme just uh... dodge roll over there."

The Man proceeds to dodgeroll to J11 and uses Frighten on both the Seeker Spheres enough times to get them within Range 1 of the child.

"Trust me! This is a good idea!"

RP

''Oh, no.'', Sierra mutters under her breath as she slowly backs away from the abomination towering in front of her - a floating ball of unrecognizable life, slowly approaching towards her. As she looks around for any escape route, one of the members of said eldritch formation falls next to her on all fours, despite the individual's unnerving humanoid features. Terrified, Sierra turns around in order to concentrate, only to be greeted by the sight of a pack of starved quadrupeds threatening Willow. Meanwhile, the child is on the place same as always, crying the gorilla out of itself.

Quite aware of the landscape around her, Sierra closes her eyes. 'Nothing is real, nothing is real, nothing is real''' she chants quietly before opening her eyes again, only to remember that her mastery over the quantum law of attraction Isn't advanced enough to change something's existence just by pretending it doesn't. Find herself useless in this situation, Sierra goes to L10 to think on what to do. While doing so, she accidentally casts Sticking Place on L6, M6, N6, and O6. She then retreats to M9 while muttering ''Is the poor kid really a deathtrap?''

--------------------

Sierra moves to L10, casts Sticking Place on L6, M6, N6 and O6, then... doesn't retreat.

RP STUFF:

Packo talks with Echoss!

"H-Hello, Echoss... W-Welcome to the party. I'm here to destroy that ball and return home once this is over... I'm just new here, but still... Nice to meet ya."

Packo talks with Nia! She wants him to make meat buns?!

"A-Actually, I just turned my tool into, uh... An actual weapon. Now I need a new baking tool... And I don't wanna kill wildlife just like that! I just need seeds of all kind, really..." Well dangit.
"I-I just hope Ms. Omorika is okay... She seemed like a nice... Person? Person. I also have to meet that Chloe girl... She's your friend, I heard." Maybe she was from Licheria too- ugh probably not...

It's time to move on! Things seem to be going okay so far, but suddenly, there are so many enemies in the distance!

"W-We have to clear these things first before we get to the child b-because they're scaring me and probably that child too! He shivers.

He then moves onward, hitting one of the seekers and leaving it almost KO'd... Until he throws a Cinderfruit at it, definitely KOing him in the process! After that, he moves closer to the flank, seeing as something is wrong there. Better to clear those things too.

_________________________________________________________________________

Packo hastily runs to K14, then hits Seeker4, then throws a Cinderfruit at it, dealing the final blow (hopefully). He then retreats to L15.

I move the drone to Irongutta.

I back to N14, and snipe the Yggcrawler2.