Mar. 24th, 2018

arkadia: (Really happy)
Eden’s working on Baze’s suggestion -- combining multiple programs in the training robot -- when it happens. A combination of the boar Heartless the Queen of Hearts turned into and the Yellowcloak Heartless produces a glitch so monumental that it nearly blows apart the back room behind Mog’s shop, as the resulting glitched hologram crumples in on itself and nearly overloads.

Mog pokes his head around the door, as Eden wipes his brow and peers at the now inactive robot.

“Everything okay?”

“Sure. Everything’s chill,” Eden says. “I think some of the data from each must’ve conflicted with each other. Caused some kind of overload, followed by a critical failure.”

Mog blinks at him. “Is that possible? It’s the same kind of system as your cards, right?”

“It is,” Eden confirms, opening up his Text and pausing. “... Huh. Well, there’s a thought.”

---


Finding Ursus students is easy: Leopardos is built over the town’s library, after all, and everyone needs books sooner or later.

Eden spends several days lounging at a table near the door with a book on space magic, keeping one eye on the door, tracking which keybearers are wearing Ursus green, and which look -- in one fashion or another, some more physical than others -- like they’d rather be a part of any other Union.

Eventually, he selects his target, and approaches them while they’re browsing the books. As soon as they catch sight of him, he pulls a bag of munny from his pocket and tosses it to them.

The boy stares at him in confusion. Eden grins.

“How d’you feel about easy work?”

---


As soon as he’s talked to the Ursus boy in the library, he visits Mog at the Accessories Shop and places two orders.

“... What do you want this second one for?” Mog asks.

“Just call it an experiment. Can you do it?”

“I can, it’s basically the same principle as a Power Bangle. But are you sure?”

“Totally.”

---


He’s browsing the missions board with Luso and Freyra a few days later when his Text receives an alert. He opens it, reads it, then snaps the book shut, placing it back on his belt.

“This one,” he says, tapping the board.

“The Dwarf Woodlands?” Luso asks. “I’m not sure how I feel about that, man. It’s a pretty intense world -- just about everywhere outside the city is swarming with Heartless.”

“We’ll be fine,” Eden says, patting Luso on the shoulder. “Trust me. Hey, Freyra, will you let the others know?”

“We’re really doing this, huh,” Freyra says, with a lopsided smile. “Cool beans. Guess I’m telling the others to clear their schedules.”

As she turns, Eden scuffs a foot against the floor, raising a hand. “By the way, did you read the book I gave you?”

“Sure.”

“Think you can do it?”

Freyra gives him a quick smirk. “Of course I can do it.”

---


Mog catches Eden in the town square before they leave, and holds out a brown paper bag, all but shoving it into his hands.

Eden cracks a quick grin, opening the bag and glancing inside. He arches an eyebrow. “This … isn’t what I asked for, Mog.”

“It’s better,” Mog insists. “Call it the Power Bangle 2.0! A, er, friend of mine helped with the design.”

“Does it cost any more?”

“Of course not! You’re testing a prototype for me, basically,” Mog says. “Just tell me how it works when you come back.”

Eden pulls the item, a thin bracelet of silver with a purple stone set in it, out of the bag, slipping it onto his wrist. “I don’t feel any different.”

“That’s pretty normal,” Mog says, and digs out another bag. “And this is the, er -- the custom item.”

Eden takes the bag, pulling out a Skill Card with a jumbled image on it. The title is blank.

Mog peers up at him, expectantly. Eden gives him a quick grin, and glances back at Luso and Freyra, standing next to the open Lane Between. “All right, then. Thanks, Mog.”

“No problem.”

Eden stuffs his hands in his pockets, walking over to the Lane Between, and after one last glance at Luso and Freyra, steps into the light.
arkadia: (Symbol)
The Lane Between shuts, and Mog returns to his shop, turning the sign to ‘CLOSED’ as he shuts the door.

With a flicker of grey smoke, a familiar Chirithy appears on the counter: Mog’s never seen its keybearer before, never even seen it in the company of a human, but the unique violet tint to its fur, and the red buttons sewn in where its eyes should be, makes it distinctive, at the very least.


“Oh, right, before I forget. If a wielder is overcome by malice, or rather if their heart is tainted by darkness,” the Master said, wiggling his fingers, “their adorable Spirit Chirithy will turn dark and become a Nightmare.”

“So, you’re telling us that if we see a Nightmare Chirithy …” Ira started.

“Someone has fallen into darkness,” Invi finished.

“Exactly!” The Master chirped. “And if you don’t stop this … renegade … Chirithy, then it’ll plant darkness in the hearts of others.”



“I did what you asked, kupo,” Mog says.

“Why so glum?” The Dark Chirithy replies. “You get something out of this too, after all.”

“I just don’t like tricking my favourite customer.”

For a moment, Mog sees something like sheer, blind rage cross the Dark Chirithy’s face, like he broke some kind of unspoken rule. The Dark Chirithy turns away from him, playing absently with the shop’s cash register.

“A trick, you say,” he murmurs, very calmly. “It’s nothing of the sort. The boy’s goals and mine are aligned in this instance, after all.”

Mog opens his mouth to say something, but the Dark Chirithy cuts him off.

“I’m sure I’ll be needing you again in the future, Mog,” he says. “I’ll be counting on you then.”

He vanishes, leaving Mog alone in his shop, to wait and see what news arrives from the Dwarf Woodlands.

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Eden Llyx

September 2021

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