"... I really shouldn't have trusted Kris."
When she said she wanted to get a job working at 'any place OTHER than ICE-E's', she didn't think they'd find another place exactly like it.
"Oh, I could totally run for mayor if you guys don't want to do all the boring paperwork stuff!"
. . .
"Actually, maybe it would be best if there wasn't a second Mayor Holiday. That'd get confusing." Totally not because she doesn't want to end up like her mom, nope, not that at all.
It didn't take much for Alice to calm down from her surprise at the new mechanics once she was finished dodging attacks, even if she did look somewhat frazzled from the whole affair. She didn't remember combat being quite that vigorous, after all, but maybe this was just the norm for whatever country of the Underworld she was in...? She'd never considered that combat could be entirely different based on the region you're in. It was something for Alice to look into.
Even if she was beginning to have the very creeping feeling that something more was wrong than just your standard displacement.
"O-Oh, no, uh, that's my bad." Alice replied, quickly trying to move along from her blunder. She was more focused on the strange number she saw pop up after the turn ended, checking things as she saw the partially filled meter of Catsup.
Well, the other two didn't seem like they wanted to be using offense-oriented spells, so...
Alice set up another Bone Shield, erupting in front of Ralsei, who let out an appreciative hum with a nod.
"Most appreciated, Alice." Ralsei remarked, before she and Noelle locked in their dual ACT.
As the two began to sing together, Alice was once more thrust upon the stage as her SOUL flitted along the lines, doing her best to keep pace as they were strummed like the strings of a guitar. Dodging notes as she hit the required lines to further pacify Catsup. Albeit, not without taking a few hits.
Thanks to the Bone Shields on both Ralsei and Noelle, the two took very little damage all things considered, though Alice looked somewhat worse for wear thanks to it. The skeleton adjusting her hat and brushing off a bit of ketchup from her dress with the look of someone really, really hoping that's going to come out of the fabric...
Ralsei glances over to Noelle with eyebrows raised, clearly trying to ask which of the two are going to be the one to heal Alice as she seems rather keen to allow them to decide for themselves what to do.
It was bizarre. This world existed, she and her new friend were both trapped in it, and they'd only just barely escaped from a situation she'd known in her heart was deadly... and, here she was, singing along to a ketchup mascot's guitar solo with the only thing on her mind being how nice it was to be singing for something other than the choir.
Something about all this magical stuff being real... it comforted her, in a way. Not just knowing that her dream wasn't just a dream (that's something to unpack later), but more that a whole world literally opening up before her made it easy to forget about the one she came from.
If only for a time.
She's so delighted by the ordeal that she comes out from the ACT laughing, 'fahaha'-ing to the tune of the song with small claps of her hands... so distracted, it takes her a moment to notice it was over, and even longer to notice Alice's state and Ralsei's questioning look.
She doesn't even have to glance down to her TP to decide.
"Oh, allow me." She answers with glee, her own magic menu already being navigated- Noelle selecting the perfect spell for the situation.
Her hands glowing with a holy light before facing Alice.
"Here you go!"
CATSUP!
The lead guitarist of ICE-E's band, she's a wild cat with a wide appeal!
It comes complete with symbols, showing she's some type of.. blood? monster? Or maybe it's a drop of ketchup. It comes complete with an array of other 'elements' that she's resistant, neutral, and weak to. Along with a currently blank status section. It's definitely not like the previous check menu, it doesn't even show her stats on it...
"That's.. also not right." Ralsei mused aloud, looking utterly perplexed (and perhaps a touch angry) as she gazed at the screen before them before looking down at their windows anew. Noelle and himself both had 'HP and TP', just like they normally would, but Alice had... 'DP and FP'? Complete with skulls and jack-o-lanterns as her bars while they had something more akin to their normal ones, complete with their icons resting beside their names. Even their boxes didn't quite look like Alice's... they had the neon retro-like vibe, whilst hers was... stone?
"Oh wow, are we really all support...?" Alice surmised, looking at Noelle's spells and skills as she opened her menu. It was rather sparse, wasn't it? They must be rather low level, surprisingly. They said they've fought before, right? Alice looking down at their stats with a soft huh at the lower numbers herself before opening her skills-
"Oh my.." Ralsei uttered aloud, looking at the versatile array of spells at Alice's disposal.
She seemed to be debating something for a moment, before moving to use 'Bone Shield' on Noelle, a small eruption of bones jutting out of the ground to shield her from Fear attacks and potentially outright block them. ...Whatever a Fear Attack was.
Ralsei looking at their own list of abilities, which did seem surprisingly large looking at them laid out like this.. she seemed to have quite a few spells and skills in her own arsenal, moving to pick her own R-Action.
"Oh, you're musicians! I could sing, if you'd like!" He piped up excitedly, clapping hands together.
"Oh, you think you can keep up with me, huh?" Catsup asked, grinning wide as she took red electric guitar in hand. "We'll just have to see about that!"
Much to Alice's surprise, apparently, a purple heart-shaped object came from her section of the board to rest on the bullet board, on an equally purple line as Catsup began to send musical notes down the lines in rhythmic fashion.
"Um-?" Alice seemed utterly baffled by the new mechanic, trying to avoid the musical notes as her SOUL jumped from line to line. She didn't seem the best at it, but at least her bone shield seemed to dull the damage from hits- even outright blocking a few for Noelle. Ralsei and Alice, meanwhile, seemed to take a few good hits.
Ralsei glancing Alice's way in a questioning manner now as head canted to the side. Clearly wondering about something given what just happened, but not bringing it up quite yet...
Noelle was trying not to think about what the menu differences could mean, because she hardly knew enough about the normal one to comment... even if Ralsei, who clearly did, seemed awfully perturbed by it all. She just wanted to try and enjoy this, strange as it was.
She did pay attention to how big the other two's spell-lists were in comparisons to hers, however, with a small frown. Surely she had to more of her own, didn't she? Something to consider... later.
The bone shield served as a decent enough distraction from the potential envy, and Ralsei's R-Action seemed to give her an idea as the turn passed to the enemy's... blinking in surprise as Alice's soul was apparently pulled out into the battle.
The reindeer wincing watching the other two take the brunt of the damage from Alice's clear confusion, the bone shield thankfully protecting her from the majority of what was directed her way.
Noelle turning to her apologetically.
"S-sorry! I forgot to warn about that... I wasn't sure who's soul would be targeted without Kris here..." She said, apparently not noticing any peculiarities about the SOUL in question despite her schooling. "Since you're the party leader, attacks will target your soul and distribute damage to the rest of us. Try to avoid the bullets!"
It was as good of an explanation as she could muster from what she remembered Kris and the Darkner explaining to her...
She briefly looked at her spell list, frowning at not yet having enough TP to cast Heal Prayer... though, seeing it does make her remember the thought she'd had earlier, snapping her finger.
"Hey, um... I can sing too!" She says, smiling at Ralsei. "If Kris were with us right now, they'd probably say we should do it together!"
With the presumed agreement, she'd lock in her next ACTion.
In Deltarune, Maya's life is obviously comparatively idyllic- no war between Humans & Monsters meaning there's never any need for her family to hide their nature (even if a cultural divide is undoubtedly still present), so she was afforded the opportunity to actually be raised amongst people beyond her family. She didn't have to be sheltered, even if that meant facing occasional backwards-thinking.
She got to grow up into a much more well-rounded, less naive woman because of it- better understanding people and the world, at the cost of the sense of whimsy about it all she'd otherwise have.
As a result, DR!Maya is a bit more listless and aimless in her desires for her own future, always having felt there was a certain spark missing in her life despite having 'more going for her'. This feeling followed her to college, where she really thought she'd find that spark for herself, but it just didn't manifest despite her best hopes.
The present finds her just after up & walking away from college out of frustration with this, heading off somewhere her life couldn't find her- a little town a fellow student on campus would often gush about.
Not wholly committed to running away and joining the circus just yet, only finding somewhere quiet to do some soul-searching.
At what she thought would be the least exciting place.
You strike out with the Black Shard.
Nothing happened.
"Hey, Ralsei, how do we stop it?!"
"I...
I don't know..."
+3150
You shined the light of your SOUL.
Nothing happened.
"It seems... it seems we were only... damaging it's outer shell.
As long as the inside is intact... this battle... will just keep..."
". . ."
For a just a moment, with your forward half fighting as hard as it did, you'd actually fooled yourself into believing you had a chance. That with enough heart, enough SOUL, enough Determination... maybe you and your friends COULD have that happy ending.
All that effort was for naught, however. As was always the plan.
You'd known what could happen, known what was necessary, known what was at stake... you'd known it all long before getting here.
So, why? Why did it hurt you so much to see Susie's confidence finally waning? To hear Ralsei's voice fall lower as resignation set in? This was always going to happen, so why? Why aren't you ready?
+10500
Great wings unfurl, the Titan grinning down with renewed teeth.
Your hands are trembling.
"I suppose... we just have to... keep fighting..."
You called for help.
But nobody ca-
C R A A A A A S H ! ! !
"What're y'all givin' up for?"
Your gaze shoots up and around at the familiar voice, now struck with a different sort of shock as your eyes fell on the figure you'd accepted was gone, accepted was lost... now there, in front of you.
Their voices were drowned out in your ears as you stared, watching him raise up his hammer as he faced the fright, and just like all around you, it felt like a burning fire had begun to reignite.
Your eyes drifted down to your SOUL, a glow that felt stronger than any it had shown prior emanating from deep within... and as you stare at it, you couldn't help but feel it was staring back. Anticipation, expectation... like a hand was being held out for you to take.
You needed it, and more than ever before, it needed you.
Despite everything...
. . . . .
You reach out.
Lifting the heart into the air, your wills synchronize, and then...
Your SOUL shined on the Old Man and Susie!
1957
2006
Like glass, the Titan's barrier was shattered by the force of the DUALBUSTER- by the force of your combined wills, you broke down the wall that sought to cage you at this point. Sought to condemn you to a fate everyone had told you was unavoidable.
The red of your eyes glint off of the pieces as they fell around you, catching the slightest reflection of a newfound light burning within them... a glimpse of your own fire burning ever higher.
1972
2027
In that moment, as you listened to the Titan's roaring begin to stutter, you almost felt like... with your friends standing at your side, when both of your hearts were beating as one... maybe, just maybe...
"I believe so!" Alice affirmed, heading forward toward the exit beside the large stage. As they all moved in tandem, it wouldn't be long until they reach the stage and begin to move past- just for the skeleton to be startled as the Condiment-looking Darkners suddenly pounced from the stage onto them.
A CONDIMENT CREW CRUISED IN!!!
". . . Um?" Is all that Ralsei uttered at first, poking out from his section of the very different battle system they were currently being presented with. Glancing down at the options before looking up at the enemies in colorful crayon-esque charm. "What is this?"
"The.. fight." Alice replied, looking over from her spot (it was her turn to pick her options, after all) over to Ralsei incredulously. "They pulled us into one, after all."
It, from Noelle's tutorial on the matter, was most certainly nothing like they should be.
"I dunno." The cat-like redhead mused, twirling a dripping red tail behind her in all the higher quality glory that she's suddenly gained. "I kinda like being all children's book-y."
Honestly, it was more on her for not anticipating this sort of timing by now. Of course enemies would have jumped on them right after they got the directions they were looking for! And yet, she still jumped clear off the ground in comical amounts of startling.
So momentarily caught up in the adrenaline of experiencing this again, she didn't initially realize anything was amiss... not until Ralsei poked his head up and pointed it out, at least.
Noelle blinking as she remembered, yes, this is not what battles looked like last time she'd actually been taking part in them.
"W-well... I don't think it's so bad!" Noelle commented in mediation between the two, also poking her head up from her section. "The aesthetic is charming, and it's formatted a bit more like Retro Dragon Blazers, I think!" Her compliment is followed by her hopping up, a couple of times, to tap one of the big buttons hanging overhead. "See! All our magic & stuff is in the abilities!"
The Darkner speaking up in front of them reminds her about the fight part well enough to get her actually thinking about it, trying to remember what Kris would do first... before nodding, pointing forwards at the cat-like member of the condiment crew.
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