It's Gangle!

DAY AFTER DAY AFTER DAY WE FLY, PAST THE SUN AND THE MOON AND WE DON'T KNOW WHY

[3moreseasons]

Gangle from The Amazing Digital Circus!

Aff. with Isola Radiale

Nav: App - Stats - Rules

Looks like ribbon, is actually a normal human being! Haven't you always wanted to be a VRChat avatar?

Great at masking, both literally and metaphorically! We love puns!

Forced to abandon her artistic dreams to work as a manager in a fast food place! Depressingly realistic!

Trapped in a virtual world controlled by a chaotic AI ringmaster who randomly sics adventures on its inhabitants! It's like she was already in an MFRP!

Pretty good at drawing! One of the only things that keeps her sane!

Please don't break her masks! Those things don't grow on trees!

Her favorite One Piece character is Chopper! That's canon!

Doesn't like Jax! Nobody does.

Have you ever tried your best and found it wasn't good enough? Are you convinced that the only people you can interact with secretly don't like you? Are you trapped with no way out? Is your fragile psyche hanging on by a thread, threatening to break any second now?

That sucks.

Anyways!

She's 5'10'' if you're into that.

OK bye

[jestistentialcrisis]

🎪 ᴘᴏᴍɴɪ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ꜱᴘᴇɴᴛ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ɢᴀɴɢʟᴇ ᴏʀ ᴢᴏᴏʙʟᴇ back in the circus, hopefully being forced to participate in this adventure would make things change -- she'd love to learn more about the animated ribbon. when she mentioned the fact that this was, in fact, not the circus, pomni's smile faltered. so wait, this was another thing altogether, and caine wasn't behind it?

her expression suddenly contorted into something more reminiscent of nausea.

" okay cool. that's... that's uh, awesome okay. "

nice. the jester shook herself from her downward spiral for a minute before quirking a brow at gangle's comment. hold on; she had just come from the circus before ending up here... and gangle was there with her. was there some sort of time warp or something? maybe it was just some weird spirale island time loop thing.. yeah, sure, let's not ask questions. pomni let out a half-hearted laugh before raising her right hand to nervously rub the back of her neck.

" honestly, i might have to take you up on that eventually... i'm already so confused. "

[3moreseasons]

It probably was a bit much, wasn't it? You're so used to things at this point that you don't really think twice about it, but dumping it all on someone so casually might be a little overwhelming.

"You get used to it. There's a lot more freedom here than in the Circus," you say, trying to sound encouraging. "If you want to do something, you can just go do it. We get phones, you can watch TV, and there's not even any adven-"

Yes there are. There are adventures, just not quite the same as Caine's. She'll find out soon enough; it feels like the city's due for an experiment soon. You just hold your tongue, hoping Pomni doesn't notice.

"Uh, yeah! I mean, this is... Well, we've already been through something like this. But you've helped me. I'm just, uh, returning the favor."

While Pomni's having her difficulties, you glance over your shoulder. You were headed somewhere already, but you don't want to just up and abandon her. Maybe something more normal will help her acclimate.

"Actually, I was on my way to get a coffee. Do you... want to come? I'll pay for yours."

[clumsypuppy]

ep 5 deleted scene

[sparrow-of-abraxas]

"T-thank you, thank you very much, I can't tell you enough how much I appreciate this." Sinclair replies nervously, still floundering a bit.

Sinclair realizes far too late that he forgot to introduce himself, taken too off guard in the moment to remember something as simple as that. He has the decency to look ashamed of himself for that fumble, and tries to figure out a good place to slip in an apology for his awkwardness. But he waits, not wanting to interrupt Gangle as she reads the application over.

He fidgets, staring at the floor and then around at the lobby and then back to his feet, fingers twisting together fretfully.

Sinclair quickly follows after Gangle without much prompting, clearly more comfortable following instructions than making decisions on his own. Especially since he forgot something as simple as an introduction...

Sinclair can't contain it any longer, blurting out, "... I-i'm sorry! For not introducing myself. Properly. I-I really wasn't expecting an interview so quick... T-the last few places I applied to didn't even call me back, so I was kind of prepared for... that sort of situation and didn't... um, think I guess..."

He's twisting his fingers together to tightly now, trying to resist the urge to chew on his thumb as he usually does when he's stressed out.

If he's working fast food, he's going to have to be cognizant of that sort of anxious tick after all...

"T-that's not an excuse. Sorry. I-I won't make that kind of mistake again, I promise." This is one of those moments that's going to haunt him when he tries to sleep at night. Just another awkward social interaction for the books.

[3moreseasons]

The other workers watch as you lead the potential new hire to the manager's office. You interviewed most of them yourself to make sure they'd be a good fit for this location, and you half-wonder what they might think about you. Are you the reliable boss? The corporate stooge? Somewhere in-between? An interview like this isn't just a chance for them to make a good impression; you want to make sure you make a good impression too.

Emil stammers out an apology while you're thinking to yourself, but you just wave it away. "Oh, it's fine. I get it: interviews can be nerve-racking! There's a lot worse things than forgetting to introduce yourself."

Though most of them aren't that straightforward. You already docked him a few points for that, so hopefully the rest of the interview goes better.

"We'll just count it as a learning experience, alright? Don't worry about it!" you say, pushing open the door to your office.

Your computer displays a company-approved desktop, the TVs connected to the cameras show their grainy, black-and-white feeds, and a few filing cabinets stand silently in the corner. You have a single piece of personalization on the monitor: a small cat figurine which technically isn't allowed, but no one's pointed out yet.

"Go ahead and have a seat, and we'll get started," you say, gesturing Emil to a metal folding chair. Your own seat is just a basic office chair; neither of them are particularly comfortable, which is an apt metaphor for an interview like this.

You flip through the application again, mostly for effect. "So, Emil. I'll go ahead and re-introduce myself. I'm Gangle, and I'm the manager at this location. Being right outside the school, we're pretty busy, so we're looking for some real go-getters! You know, people who can handle this kind of high-speed environment. Classes go late and people are doing homework or working on projects, so sometimes things don't even slow down at midnight. Do you think you can handle something like that?"

Not waiting for a reply, you focus on the job history section of the application. "Looking at your experience... Well, I'd rather hear it from you. What kind of skills do you think you can bring to the team? Are you ready to give 110%?"

[powerofinheritance]

It felt almost on cue when her order was called to be ready that Rapi approached the register to pick up what she bought. Although waiting for her on top of everything the girl ordered was a question that threw the student through a loop.

"...W-Where was I before this? Do you mean before I came to campus?" She was home of course. Rapi graduated high school and went almost instantly into the engineering field they so desired...

...Or at least that's what she thought. The moment her mind focused on graduating high school nothing seemed to be there. A memory like that couldn't have just flew away. How could anyone forget the time they graduated? But as she kept backpedaling the so called "weird" question didn't seem as weird in hindsight. In fact they might've been onto something really weird.

"I...don't really know." As if she needed more confusion in her life. "I was about to say I moved in here from my home. But home..."

Where was home?

"...Maybe I'm overworking myself? Is that why I don't remember?"

[3moreseasons]

You wanted to know if it was just stress. It wouldn't be the first time you've had a breakdown, so having someone else who knows what's real and what's not would be a comfort in a strange way. But the more you think about this island, with the university and the city that surrounds it, the more off it feels. Is it just you?

You wait for the red-haired girl to answer, nodding slightly. If she remembers, then it just means you need to call your psychiatrist later. If she doesn't, then...

A shiver runs up your back when she admits she can't remember either. Is it a relief? Not really. Even if you're not losing it, it just means something else is happening. Something that's probably way beyond you.

Watching the confusion and bout on her face, you feel compelled to speak. "I don't... remember either. I remember coming here, I remember classes, I remember dropping out and coming here, but... that's it. I can't remember where I lived before this. I-I can't even remember what my parents look like."

Which is weird because you talked to your mom just- actually, when did you last talk to her? It felt recent, but you really don't recall.

Panic sets in just a little bit. "Uh, have you- has anyone else ever said anything like that? That you can remember? I mean, it can't just be us... right? We're not just, haha, losing it, are we?"

[farcadekitty]

@3moreseasons

🎮👾 This one was probably a side character? A background character? It didn't really matter how "important" anyone was to Kit, at least not in the traditional sense. All characters were living and breathing as far as she was concerned, regardless of the game world they came from. This woman made of only ribbons and a mask just didn't real have "main character energy".

Which was actually better for Kit. That meant there would never be any danger of having to mislead her.

"Me? An NPC? Is it something about how I look?" It had been Kit's fault for bringing up game lingo first, maybe Gangle could relate somehow. But she hadn't expected to hear that label thrown her way even as a question. "Not really! I'm the protagonist of my game world, actually." Even admitting it casually still had the cat looking around nervously for a second.

As if she was expecting the world to explode from the mere mention of her origins to someone that wasn't from the same place as her.

[3moreseasons]

It's a little refreshing to not have to dumb stuff down too much. Whatever world Kit comes from isn't too far off from the logic of the Digital Circus, and also she's a cute catgirl, so this interaction doesn't feel too difficult.

"Oh, no, sorry," you say, waving your hands. "This whole island is just filled with people who aren't... real, I guess. I thought I knew how to tell them apart, but, uh... my bad."

She just seemed too... comfortable for someone you hadn't seen before. Usually, new arrivals to Spirale wouldn't hide their surprise or confusion, but Kit looked like she knew what was going on. Whatever happened in her own world must've been pretty crazy for her to not be too perturbed.

You don't really know what to say about someone bragging about being the main character; usually people like that are cringe high schoolers, but anything's possible out here. So you just smile and nod.

"That's, uh... that's cool. Must be nice to know your place in the universe. But it would probably also be a lot of pressure, huh? If you're the main character and you mess up, what then?"

It sounds like a fanfic idea more than anything else. But as Kit glances around, you do the same, wondering if something's... going to happen? You aren't sure what you're looking for.

"Is... is everything alright?" you say, looking over your shoulder. "If you're looking for something, I don't want to stop you. Oh, but if you're looking for someone from your own world, you should know. Sometimes people get, uh... delayed? And sometimes they don't show up at all. So I wouldn't expect too much."

[jestistentialcrisis]

🎪 ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴀꜱ ɴᴏ ᴍɪꜱᴛᴀᴋɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴀɴɪᴍᴀᴛᴇᴅ, ᴠɪᴠɪᴅ ʀɪʙʙᴏɴ. thank goodness there was a familiar face -- er... mask -- in this prison. without hesitation, the diminutive jester ran to the ribbon, her lips curled in to a massive smile.

" gangle! i'm so glad to see someone i know... "

she took a moment to look around before looking back up at gangle.

" i literally just kind of... showed up here. is this another adventure or something? you're the only one i've seen here so far. "

↳ @3moreseasons | starter call

[3moreseasons]

"Oh, hi Pomni," you say. "Yeah, I guess it has been a while, huh."

You give a small smile and a wave in the face of her eager energy, because you really can't remember the last time- if ever -Pomni was this excited to see you. Then you frown, because didn't you explain this all to her before? She can't have forgotten.

Wait, you remember hearing something about this. People come and go in the city, but sometimes when they pop up again they don't remember being here. Is this one of those? You really don't want to have to explain everything all over again, but you might not have a choice.

"...Oh, I get it. No, this is... this is something else. We're not in the Circus anymore. We don't really know what this is."

Should you have eased her into it? No, she probably would've guessed it eventually anyways. Besides, you're all more or less used to this kind of thing, right?

"Oh, um, most of the others are here too! Ragatha, Zooble..." Your smile flickers. "Jax."

That's probably a lot of info to dump on someone, and you shift from side to side. "I've, uh, been here the longest, actually. So if you have any questions, then let me know, I guess."

[powerofinheritance]

"Ah I didn't mean to make it sound like that." Although she could definitely see it come off that way. Being stuck here was not something Rapi would've wished upon anyone. But someone probably had to do it, otherwise it'd all be automated like those videos always talked about. Which was a real crazy feeling to think about for someone in that field...

"Still from people like me thank you. I know that isn't much but in times like these when they're practically working us to the bone each week having something like this real convenient is a lifesaver."

At the very least she could hope they understood that much. Without coming off too much like "that" again...

[3moreseasons]

"O-oh, well. Thanks. That's, uh... well, I'm just happy to help," you say, forcing a smile.

Of course she didn't mean it. It's not her fault you're like this. Why are you still here? Is it because you have some vague hope, some thread you're clinging onto that you might be able to go back to school someday? Is it a money thing? You could always move back in with your parents, even if it would suck. Or is it a... uh...

Why are you still here? Where do your parents even live?

You flinch back, hissing at the pain that runs up your hand; you weren't paying attention, and you overfilled the coffee cup. Distractions aren't good for your health, so you try to focus as you finish the order and bring it back to the front.

"Here you go! Coffee, apple pie, and a milkshake! You're all set!" you call out. But when the red-haired girl comes to the counter, you lean in.

"Hey, can I ask you a weird question? Do you remember what you were doing, um... before this? Not before you came to this restaurant, I mean before you came to school. I-it's okay if you'd rather not say."

[thetoyboxcharacter]

"Oh! Uh, yeah, anytime is good. I've heard of One Piece but never actually seen it."

Honestly, sitting around talking was just fine with them, but they wouldn't say no to going out with Gangle, and she had been really wanting to go to the art museum, so of course they'd go with her. It sounded like a nice time. Like a regular, normal time, where they could get lost in the art while with each other. The thought of using a corny pick-up line, of using the "not as beautiful as you" line came to mind, but they quickly shook that out of their head. Nah, she deserved something better anyway.

"Of course I want to. I'd love that actually. You know, as crazy as it sounds, I do miss how easy it was in the circus to see you everyday, but we do what we can, right?"

Time spent with Gangle was always something they cherished, something they always looked forward to. They knew how they felt about her, how their heart would skip a beat when around her, how they wanted to be near her, place their hand on hers. Maybe they could get a chance with this hangout.

"Sure, taxi sounds good. I'll pitch in." They move over to the door with a small wink.

[3moreseasons]

Maybe the two of you could watch it later? That could be a fun idea. It was still going when you got put into the Circus, but surely the One Piece anime can't be that long, right? It feels self-indulgent to making date plans when you're not technically together yet, but it's also exciting. You haven't been excited to just be with someone in... maybe ever.

"Maybe one of us could move? We would be neighbors, like we used to be. M-maybe. I don't know if that's allowed. Sorry, don't want to get ahead of myself..."

You feel a little bad for not also including all your other friends in that idea, but let's focus on one fantasy at a time.

With your plan secured, you and Zooble leave the house. You chat a little while you wait, and you talk some more in the taxi on the way to the museum. It's on the opposite end of the city, so it's a nice opportunity to catch up a little. It kind of goes by in a blur since you're so nervous, but since Zooble hasn't left you must be doing alright.

Finally, the taxi pulls up at the museum, and you step out of the car. "Cars is another kind of weird thing I miss," you say. "I didn't realize how much stuff Caine just didn't have at the Circus until I came here. Kinda funny to think about."

But enough talking about the past, it's time to think about the future or whatever.

"Um, have you ever been here before, Zooble? They have art from different worlds, so it's pretty cool. They do art classes too, sometimes I like to go and get some practice in... it's nice," you say, looking up at the stark white architecture. "Plus it's free. That's a nice bonus."

[sparrow-of-abraxas]

It's a little funny meeting someone just as jumpy and nervous as Sinclair is, and it makes him relax just a little bit. She seems really nice, and like she enjoys the job (she must if she's the manager, or maybe she's just really good at it and the enjoyment is fake). He stands and waits patiently off to the side so customers could still place their orders and whatnot, hands clasped anxiously behind his back.

He really... doesn't need to work.

But... he wants to. And even if the job isn't glamorous or anything, it was still a job and better than nothing.

Sinclair perks up when the manager - Gangle - returns with a clipboard and pen. He flounders a bit, hesitating before accepting the clipboard and pen with a nervous smile.

I wasn't expecting an interview right away! They... must be pretty desperate...

"R-right! Thank you so much for making time for me, I really appreciate it, Gangle. I'll try not to take up too much of your time; I'm sure you guys get pretty busy around this time." He fidgets with the pen for a moment before hastily leaning against the wall and working on the application. His handwriting is a little shaky at the start, if only because he now has pre-interview nerves clawing at him.

But, it's finished quick enough, and he quietly lets the cashier know that he was ready to talk to Gangle, clipboard clutched to his chest.

[3moreseasons]

The parent company doesn't really care what you do so long as the numbers are good, and the numbers in your store are pretty dang nice if you do say so yourself. The fact that no one's told you you're doing something wrong is proof you're doing well, right? So you can just hire this guy on the spot if you want to.

He takes the clipboard, and although you make a mental note that he didn't introduce himself, you don't say anything about it. And then, because you want to seem like you have important things to do, you go back to your office. You could do some ordering or work on the schedule, but you watch the guy instead, staring at him through the camera's grainy picture. It takes like two minutes before you realize it's creepy, so then you actually do work on the schedule for next week. And a few minutes after that, you're being summoned back to the front.

Is your hair okay? Is your collar straight? You want to make sure you look managerial, but there's no mirror to check yourself out in, so you just have to assume you look fine. Puffing out your chest, you return to the front.

"Wow, you got that done fast!" you say, taking the clipboard back. "You've got a real go-getter attitude, that's great! That's exactly the kinda thing we want to see here at McSpiral's, uh..."

You glance down at the application.

"Emil. You're a student, right? Hours here are pretty flexible, so we should be able to work with your schedule," you say, flipping through the pages. "I don't really see any red flags, so we can just sit down and have a chat and kinda go from there."

You glance around, lips pursed. Normally you just do phone interviews, but if it's in-person, then...

"Well, just follow me, I guess," you say, beckoning him behind the counter. "We can continue in my office. Do you have any questions or anything before we get started?"

[neverturnback]

Shadow raises a brow but says nothing, continuing to wait for their order.

After receiving his coffee in a surprisingly fast fashion, they stare into the brown liquid before returning their attention to stare at the employee, who has since turned her back to them.

Tch. "Wait"? There's no need for that.

Shadow lifts the cup to his lips and proceeds to take a sip--

"PFFFFTTT--"

They can't savor any taste, good or bad. The coffee's spat out instantaneously. With Shadow's arms flailing, the cup releases from their grip, its contents splashing all over the hedgehog.

It... burns.

...No, it hurts.

...Why does it hurt?

All Shadow can do is stare down at cup lying in a coffee puddle in confusion.

Shadow is the Ultimate Lifeform. They were designed to resist extreme temperatures. This shouldn't affect them. It shouldn't be possible. Their eyes quickly turn to the employee that served them in suspicion.

[3moreseasons]

All you can do is watch. You should probably be doing your job; focusing on other customers, prepping food, or cleaning, but you kinda want to see where this is going. You can't blame a girl for being curious, right?

He doesn't follow your advice, and goes straight for a drink. Some people have higher tolerance for hot things, sure. Not this guy. Your eyes widen as his regurgitated coffee makes a mess, first on the floor and then on himself. A few other customers glance his way, but the social contract demands that they just kind of feel pity before ignoring him. You can't, though. He's staring right at you.

"Uh, are you okay, sir?" you say, rounding the counter. "I did warn you, it's pretty hot. Oh, but don't worry about the mess, I'll take care of it. Just, uh, wanted to make sure you're okay."

The coffee was hot, but how hot? You vaguely remember a sticky lawsuit happening because someone got badly burned by a hot cup, but things have changed since then, haven't they? It can't have been that hot. You'll tell yourself that to assuage your guilt.

"I-I'm very sorry for the trouble, sir. Are you alright? I'm not really sure what I can do for you, but, uh... do you need anything? Anything at all?"

[sickhackbassist]

"A-Ah right you did mention that before." It still was a little weird to think about being an avatar in a virtual universe on top of being there against one's will. It truly did feel like one of those combinations you'd find in a movie or manga series to try and grab the attention of the reader. Yet the only difference was it being set in reality rather then fiction.

"It's nothing like that no. I just didn't really get a lot of attention back in school. Didn't matter what grade or class I always was the quiet one in the back. So anyone asking me anything was well, kind of a disaster."

The simplest way to put it. Without getting into all the nitty gritty of how strange her life ended up to get here in the first place...

"But I've gotten better at it! Probably why someone like you drawing me just doing my thing ain't too worrying. Nothing too fancy like all those photo shoots the big rockstars gotta go through all to just be thrown on the cover of some magazine for a few weeks."

[3moreseasons]

You can't imagine Kikuri being the quiet one, like you were. You haven't known her very long, but she's hard to miss. She probably changed over time, just like you did. She became a musician, and you became... Gangle.

"O-oh, yeah, nothing like that. This is just for me. For practice. So we can practice together, kinda," you say.

Honestly, you've been wanting to make more friends. It's not like you don't love all your friends from the Circus, but it's not a bad thing to branch out. And being around humans who actually look like humans is probably good for eliminating the jealousy you feel.

"If you're okay with it, then... let's go," you say, grasping your bag.

Stepping out of your house with Kikuri behind you, you squint up at the sun. It's a nice day out in Cotes. The sun is out but it's not too hot, there are people but not too many, and there's a breeze that cools but doesn't scatter your stuff. You really couldn't ask for a better day.

"There's a nice place not too far from here, under the tree. I think it's called Beotkkot, but it's nice and quiet there," you say, turning to her. "Or we could go to the market town if you want to go where the people are. I'll let you pick, since I don't mind either way..."

[stuffedwithniceness]

Ragatha cradled the phone in both hands as Gangle’s responses came, each one helping reassure her a bit more. She was right. While it sure felt like some kind of adventure Caine would cook up after the whole C&A thing, too many pieces didn’t add up. The concern of who WAS behind the whole thing was another matter entirely, but for now, maybe it was okay to just stop worrying about it.

[From: Ragatha]

[To: Gangle]

> Okay, that makes sense. It’s good to know that he can’t mess with us like he usually could if he wanted.

> I guess I was worried that things between Pomni and I might just…end somehow if we were brought back to the Circus.

> But knowing all that helps a lot. Thanks, Gangle.

[3moreseasons]

[FROM]: gangle 🎀

[TO]: ragatha 🐎

>yeah! we just have to worry about getting messed with in other ways i guess ( ˘ ^˘ )=3

>but if youre still worried maybe we could meet up somewhere? i found a nice cafe a few weeks ago but i dont really...... like going places alone ('''' •᷄ ᴗ •᷅ )

That'll work. This place can be nerve-wracking, but you've all been through worse together, so-

Wait, back up a second. You scroll up, making sure you read Ragatha's message right. Did she make a typo? Are you misundertsanding?

>uh did something happen between you and pomni??

>( ⊙ _ ⊙ )

[thiefandlyre]

Octavo's frown shifts from one of vague irritation to concern. That sort of lost, puzzled look is one he's seen on a lot of peoples' faces lately, including his own. It felt like there was more to it than the stress they were all under from the disappearances, but he couldn't put words to it right now.

"No, nothing else, thank you," he says as he takes the bag. "You take care, aye? I know things have been feeling off for everyone..."

[3moreseasons]

For a moment, you wonder if you should say something. You could ask Professor Octavo if he's seen anything strange or even just felt strange lately. Because things have been weird, haven't they? It's not just you, surely?

But what would you even do with any info like that? Even if the professor knew what you meant, what would you do afterwards? It's not like there's some switch out there that would throw you back into normalcy, and even if there was, you're definitely not the person who's going to fix everything. You're you.

So you let the moment pass you by, as you normally do. Oh well.

You blink a bit at Octavo's words before nodding. "Oh, uh, thank you professor. You take care too, have a good day. See you around."

Your voice lacks that contractually-obligated cheer as he leaves the store. You're tired, and there's still a few hours left in your shift so it's not like you can leave anytime soon. You'll be in this store, in this city, on this island, until you finally snap or find a way to leave. Whenever that happens.

Sighing, you reached for the untouched green coffee. You're technically not allowed to do this, but you're the manager of the store so it's not like anyone really cares. You pull off the lid and down half the cup at once, frowning at the bitter taste as you peer down at it.

It's not even green.

"For the love of... whatever," you sigh. It's going to be a long day.

[madeupxmemory]

"Okay, so don't ask Jax." Naminé says, as if she's making a mental note. "What does he look like?"

As Gangle gives Naminé a smile, the blonde nobody returns it. "You're welcome, Gangle." She replies. "I needed this, too."

Needed a new way to confirm her powers don't work. Needed to make fun memories without hurting someone. All things she just couldn't tell Gangle. How would she understand?

"If you'd like, I can take a photo of my drawing of you and send it. That way you can keep it."

[3moreseasons]

"Um, he's a... a big purple rabbit. We all kinda look like toys, actually. So if you see someone like that, they might be one of my friends. If you tell them you know me, they probably wouldn't mind modeling. Probably."

The others aren't as artistically-inclined as you are (except for Zooble), but it's not like anyone has any reason to say no, right? They usually said yes when you asked them, after all.

But it's been nice to feel something normal again after everything that's happened. It's not good that you look like this and that you've been isekai'd twice over, but knowing that in this city you could be accepted as normal feels nice.

You sit up just a little straighter as you nod. "Yeah, that would be nice. Just send it when you can, and if... if you need anything, or if you ever want to just draw some more... let me know, okay? My schedule's flexible."

With a smile and a wave, you say goodbye to Namine and excuse yourself. You don't really have anywhere to be, but it felt like a natural conclusion, and you don't want to be someone who makes excuses to hang out with minors anyhow. But it's nice to know that other, regular-looking people might think that you're regular too. Just a bunch of regular humans hanging out!

It's a nice thought, at least. Maybe this place isn't so bad.

[robustdragonheart]

"Oh...true we could use a taxi." It was far easier as well, and like they said almost instantly after the car pulled up by the curb far safer too. Though it did lack that "flair" that she was always used to when it came to flying around the way Mélusine usually did.

"Probably. The drivers around here seem far more sensible then the ones I always read about in books on the modern world."

More likely because there wasn't anyone freaking out over the smallest of errors. And if there were then you could easily ignore them and go on about your day. But maybe it was just getting lucky in Spirale as well...

"The hobby store right? I think that would be the best place to start."

[3moreseasons]

Phew, disaster number one averted. You tell the NPC driver to take you to Golden, and you're on the way before you have a chance to wonder if you're doing the right thing here. It wouldn't have been a hue deal if you just left, right? Because this is diaster number two: you have no idea who this girl is. You've literally just met. You don't even know her name.

"Oh, um, yeah. No, they're pretty reliable around here. Nobody would use them if they weren't, right? I kinda miss my old car," you say, looking out the window. "Nice to be able to just drive whenever you want. But we'll go to Golden, and I think they have what you're looking for there."

No comes the awkward part. "U-um, I'm Gangle. Sorry for not, uh, saying so sooner. And I don't think I got your name, either. I don't normally get into cars with strangers, but... uh..."

You don't know why you did it. Time to change topics.

"Uh, what kind of models are you looking for?" you say, forcing a smile. "I know they have mechs, but there's also stuff like tanks or cars if you want something more realistic... I mean, there's so many different kinds. I don't really do it myself, but I know about it. Some of the shows I've watched have model kit lines."

[nano-345]

Gangle...boss?