95th moon [we're all walled in]

[paladinlost]

[One tiny and sad advantage to having gone through this whole circus eight times is that at some point, nothing can surprise you anymore. Not even waking up on a park bench in Goldenrod with a Goldeen in your arms, a Magikarp tangled in your hair and a Finneon almost kissing you.

...Okay, so maybe that particular situation does surprise Cecil a little. Juste a little.

But certainly not enough to stop him from taking care of his weekly grocery shopping at the Department Store. Even if he's still wearing his pyjamas, his hair is messy, his make-up is nowhere to be seen and he has three fish in his shopping basket. He doesn't care about such silly details.

He does, however, care enough to greet the poor confused or not-so-confused people that surround him. The local biannual madness is no reason to be rude, after all.]

Comments

[dragoon_pride]

[OH MY GOD MEN OF BARON DO NOT LEAVE THEIR HOUSE WITHOUT THEIR-]

[-MAKEUP.]

[Thought it was gonna be armor, eh?]

[...Anyway. Kain, on the other hand, has his nails painted purple as always, and he's fully armored, clanking around the store and looking out of place. He's just come from a battle, so he's a bit weary and worn out, with the odd scratches and bruises here and there, most well-hidden though. This also means he has his lance still in hand, and he turns around, accidentally knocking things off of shelves with the weapon as he moves around and tries to get his bearings.]

[paladinlost]

[What he wouldn't give for nail polish right now. Looks like he'll have to get some on the second floor.

But that can wait, because while Cecil can't really be surprised by anything anymore, his new fish friends are greatly startled by those crashing items.]

Do be careful with your spear, Kain. The Store's employees have plenty of work as it is.

[dragoon_pride]

Store? Employees?

[What... the... He places his spear upon his back when he realizes there's at least no danger, but seriously, how...]

What is this place?

[paladinlost]

The third floor of Goldenrod's Department Store. The stat items aisle, to be precise. Would you prefer a X Attack or a X Defense?

[That question is addressed to the gasping fish. They must have answered somehow, because Cecil is now picking stuff off the floor.]

[dragoon_pride]

[Kain raises an eyebrow and scans around the room again, still confused. He doesn't recognize any of the items being sold in this section.]

Why am I in a store...? It's unlike any that I've seen before...

[paladinlost]

You are in a store because this world expresses particularly strong hatred for logic and sanity twice a year.

[He says it like it's the most obvious fact in the world.]

It's much bigger than anything we are used to, but consider that an advantage. It offers more products that every shop in our world put together.

[dragoon_pride]

I suppose I needed to restock some of my supplies... [He never does seem to have enough potions on him. It's why people like Tifa end up showering him with them randomly.] But what do you mean about the world losing its sanity?

[paladinlost]

Make sure to buy Lava Cookies. They work as well as a Remedy, but with a more pleasant taste.

[That was Kain's Daily Wise Paladin Advice. May he use it well.]

This land usually takes unsuspecting people from other worlds in small groups, twice a month. However, twice a year we have... this.

[He gestures at the confusing and confused crowd surrounding them.]

[dragoon_pride]

Lava with a pleasant taste? Truly? [Forgive him his skepticism. Kain looks around after that, just taking in the surroundings uncertainly.] Outside of this shop, are we at war again?

[paladinlost]

It's only their name, not their main ingredient.

[...He hopes.]

Luckily, no. Well, one could say there will be some warring soon, but the Christmas sales have not yet started.

[dragoon_pride]

I wouldn't trust it, even so. [But it's Kain and his standards are a little off the rest of the world's.] ...Sales? What do they have anything to do with war? You're obviously jesting.

[paladinlost]

Parents fighting over the last of a toy to give to their child can be surprisingly vicious, especially on the 24th of December.

[But he probably is indeed jesting.]

...But beyond such fights and a few crime syndicates, this world does not truly know war. Though they greatly enjoy sparring between Pokémon.

[dragoon_pride]

[It's hardly a world that Kain could be comfortable in, then. He's much too used to battle and a need for it. Still, a break in between all the fighting he's been doing will be useful, for now. He's weary at the moment.]

Poke... what? What sort of sparring is that?

[dreamsofahero]

...Well, you seem to be taking this rather well.

*don't ask how Sion wound up here; he doesn't know himself, of course*

[paladinlost]

How many times has it been by now? That it still happens right when it usually does is almost a comfort.

[Probably the same way Cecil himself did: ~*magic*~.]

[dreamsofahero]

That sounds almost depressing when you put it that way...

[paladinlost]

What is less depressing is the lack of crystals sprouting from the earth. These days are usually chaotic enough without them.

[dreamsofahero]

Well, I suppose I can't argue with that.

[paladinlost]

And neither of us have woken up in the Ice Path. That's almost a divine blessing.

[dreamsofahero]

*grimaces*

Now that's something I don't even want to think about.

*says the guy who comes from a temperate southern kingdom, yep*

[paladinlost]

The mere thought of it is indeed unpleasant, though I admit I'd choose to brave the Ice Path with a full team over finding myself alone in Mt. Mortar again.

[dreamsofahero]

Alone? How did you manage...?

[paladinlost]

I allied myself with a local Chimchar. Without Zidane's help, I could have been lost in there for months.

[dreamsofahero]

Oh? Did he stay with you after that, or did you go your separate ways?

[paladinlost]

He's now an important part of my team. And hopefully still safe at home.