pedalbike | 2nd Event: Choices We Make

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2nd Event: Choices We Make

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Arrival

Not all characters (known as Wickie, singular or Wickies, plural) arrive at the same time, surprisingly enough! That’s life for you. Some Wickies find their way to the island at a pivotal (or very mundane) point in their life, or even after or during their death.

Wickies who were standing or walking often find themselves entering the town South Sister, located on Lighthouse Isle, through an open doorway. Those that were laying down, or sleeping, tend to be found lying prone in beds, bathtubs, showers, couches, and similar places within the cottages on Cottage Row. There’s no rhyme or reason to it all! To Wickies familiar with the era, they will realize that everything looks as if it’s come from the ‘90s.

The house which a Wickie finds themselves within could already be occupied. This includes walking into a fellow Wicke, waking up in the same location, or accidentally scaring a room full of people with their sudden appearance.

Oops.

C-C-Changes

Thankfully the fog has gone down to what it was before, a slow creeping crawl over the ground. And too, the monsters of before are gone, leaving the town much like it was before. Well...close to what it was before.

For now the season's have changed, from a lingering summer to a cooler fall.

There’s new foods to try, even if some things like lattes cause people to slip into warm boots and tie up their hair, and soups make people curl up under blankets on the couch. And it also means decorations of all sorts, made of the leaves from the forest, orange, yellow and red things and...we can not forget...

Pumpkin overflow

Pumpkins! They're everywhere. Wickies will find pumpkins infused into all sorts of things, like coffee, ice cream, even spaghetti options! It's wild.

There’s also many jack o'lanterns. They have been placed everywhere in town, outside homes, and even small ones have been made into table decorations. The Jack o lanterns have very cheerful faces, and seem to watch Wickies every single move.

That is, until a Wickie bashes or otherwise abuses a pumpkin. That's when it changes- there seem to be more of them. Their expressions change to that of anger, sadness and disgust. None of them attack- yet. But their faces become more and more horrifying, as they follow the Wickie more and more- outside of the bathroom perhaps, or found on top of them as the Wickie wakes up in the middle of the night.

It shouldn't matter right? They're only pumpkins.

What a ride

Funny enough, with the pumpkin invasion, there also comes a dull colored horse wandering about the island. Its head is drooped, and it looks depressed and lonely. The horse is tame on approach and will accept pats and treats, even from those who are obviously not human.

But it also wants something, for all that it seems to be begging for attention. It wants someone to ride them, seems to even be begging for it with its big eyes. The horse will help Wickies to figure out how to mount; it will even stand beside the Town Center benches, rocks, or even go down in order to make it possible for the Wickie to get onto the horse’s back.

That’s when it changes. The Wickie is immediately wrapped in chains from their barrel to the Wickie’s waist. The horse turns a coal black and the Wickie’s clothing changes into that of a soldier's uniform, with a hand either holding a whip modeled after a human spine, or a jack o'lantern.

The Wickie cannot get off the horse on their own, no matter how much they struggle. As the horse moves throughout the town, they will go anywhere from a walk to a full canter, seemingly impervious to any magic or physical attacks. The same cannot be said for their unfortunate rider.

If the rider is hit, or simply in pain, the Wickie will feel an impulse that grows and grows until they scream a name of someone in town, someone they know.

And the named will drop, paralyzed. Paralyzed wickie are likely to die within minutes, more so if they are too close to horse and rider. The horse will happily trample anyone on the ground to death.

Even without the impulse, should the Wickie rider use anyone’s name, that person will drop, paralyzed, and unable to breathe.

There is only one way to possibly save the rider: scatter golden objects in their path. The horse will shriek, and promptly buck the rider off, before running away. Just make sure to catch the rider, or at least cushion their fall: they have no way of saving themselves until they hit the ground.

Heart game: confession

Current residents of the island may remember this particular beeping alert, and how it doesn’t go away, no matter what they do! That is, unless they open up the Heart Game, and answer the question.

Welcome back everyone! It’s so good to see you again! Now let’s play that game, Confession! And the question isssssss…

How do you celebrate the changing seasons! Don't be shy!

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[ Adora, for all her ignorance, at least has some idea that this must be hard on Catra. Harder than it was for her, anyway. She had the sword, the promise of learning more about herself, the revelation that the Horde was hurting people, to drive her away. Whatever attachments she had in the Horde, Catra included, weren't enough to make her question the details of why anyone else went along with it, beyond the most simplistic of assumptions.

She'd thought that all of them, every single Horde soldier, had to be either blind to the truth, like her, or serving Hordak out of malice alone, with no room for shades of grey. If not one, then it had to be the other, and at Thaymor, Catra chose the latter. She hadn't understood, then, that the Horde had already hurt Catra, long before Adora did. That she stayed, knowingly, not because she was evil, but because she had nowhere else to go, and maybe that wouldn't have been enough to keep her there either, if not for Adora.

Adora, who left the moment she could, without looking back. Adora, who made her feel second best, who let Shadow Weaver hurt her when she took the fall. She asked Catra to follow her so many times, but it only made Catra hate her more, because she didn't ask when it mattered most. Didn't understand that it mattered at all, until it was too late, and they were staring at each other through the rubble and smoke of blown-apart homes, stuck on opposites sides of a war neither of them were supposed to care about more than each other.

She's never going to make that mistake again. Etheria comes first, but she's not sacrificing Catra for it, no matter what Light Hope says her destiny is. ]

We're really not going back. [ She puts her hand on Catra's shoulder, squeezing it tightly. ] If anything happens... if we don't make it to the Rebellion before the Horde catches up with us... run. Just get somewhere safe, and don't look back for me. I'll hold them off.

[ For Glimmer's sake, she strode into the heart of the Fright Zone and gave herself up to Shadow Weaver. As terrified as she is of the sorceress, she'd do the same for Catra — this Catra, the one who looks so small and unsure of herself, wholly different from the Force Captain who wanted to destroy She-Ra in front of her friends, in front of everything she loved, including the person doing it — in a heartbeat. If She-Ra can't even do that much, can't save one person, then what good is she? What good is Adora? ]

[Unlike the way Adora had stiffened, Catra's shoulders relax under Adora's familiar touch. There's nervousness tight in her stomach, and a foreboding feeling heavy in her chest, but they both ease with the reassuring confidence of Adora's grip.]

What? [The instruction takes her off-guard, and Catra turns her head to look at Adora in surprise. Then her ears fall back, and Catra's eyebrows furrow into a frown as she raises a hand to cover Adora's own.] And leave you out there on your own? No way. I can take on anything they send after us just as well as you can. Just because I can't punch a hole in a tank or whatever--

[Catra scoffs, and moves to turn around to face her again; still keeping hold of Adora's hand.]

Whatever they throw at us, we can handle it as long as we're together. So don't even think about splitting up, okay? [Not least because Catra is terrified at the prospect of doing this alone; of sprinting away to safety, and leaving her best friend in trouble. One night was bad enough, giving her a taste of what it's like to fall asleep without the sound of Adora's breathing nearby. Catra couldn't handle it if she had to do it for any longer than that.] I just -- wanted to check, before I go and ruin a perfectly good belt. You don't have to think that hard about it.

[ Adora blinks, surprised, then sets her mouth in a firm line. Overthinking is her whole thing, but she can't just stop. She needs to make sure they have a plan, before something inevitably goes wrong, the way it always seems to. Because, like always, it'll be her fault when it does. ]

You're not being serious about this. There's no way you can take on a whole squad. [ She states it matter-of-factly; not even humouring Catra's attempts at posturing to make herself feel better. The past year has given Adora a hefty dose of reality, and shown exactly what the Horde is capable of. Destruction. Torture. Killing. ] And She-Ra's strong, but even she's... even she's not invincible.

[ She's reluctant to admit it, but Catra carved proof of that into her back just yesterday. Adora hadn't lost their fight, but she might have, if not for all the other Princesses — and while nobody else knows Adora's weaknesses like Catra does, a stun baton and rope would still do the job well enough, if she got distracted. Like, say, by protecting her former best friend.

... Current best friend. The one who's just trying to look out for her, too, but Adora can't accept that, because it's not Catra's job to look after her. It's not anybody's. ]

Look... we stick together, even if the Horde shows up. But for once in your life, Catra, listen if I tell you to run. Find reinforcements, I don't care, but go. I can fight better without any distractions. [ Again: it's harsher than she intends, but she needs Catra to understand. ] Leaving was my idea. I'm not gonna let you get hurt because of it.

[ Not again. Not like all the other times Shadow Weaver hurt Catra for something they both did, something Adora let herself be goaded into taking the initiative on, only to suffer none of the consequences. If she'd found out about the stolen skiff, Catra would have been blamed for that, too, even when Adora was the one who snuck into the vehicle bay and took the keys. Adora's only punishment would have been the I'm very disappointed in you speech, with all its veiled threats, and the painful guilt of needing to be better; knowing she was responsible for whatever happened to Catra after she was sent back to the barracks with shadows licking at her heels, as if mocking her for her failures. ]

[Uh, wow. Just heap a pile of insults onto her, why don't you.]

So, what, you're saying I'm just gonna get in your way? [That's what she's hooked on, of course. Adora's claim that she'll fight better without any distractions, like Catra hasn't proven to have the same amount of skill as her time and time again.] I can't believe you! After all the times I've saved your butt--!

[Catra releases Adora's hand - but it's more pushing it away than merely releasing it, aggravation and offense turning her handling rough. So this is why Adora hadn't insisted on Catra going with her as part of her Thaymor mission -- turns out Shadow Weaver isn't the only one without any faith in her.]

You really think your odds're gonna be that much better without me there?

[Mind the ice you're on, Adora. It's getting pretty thin.]

I never said— ugh!

[ She just implied it. Unintentionally, but still. Sighing, Adora grips her now-free hand with the other in front of her chest, rubbing at it like she's been stung. It feels like they're stuck in a loop of misunderstandings; the same thing that caused the rift between them in the first place. The smart thing would be to back down and talk about it later, after she's had time to think, and when both of their emotions aren't running so high.

So of course, she doesn't. ]

Don't you get it? This isn't training, or a simulation, or some stupid game. It's real. [ She thinks of Entrapta, and flinches. Of course she understood, distantly, that death could be a consequence of going to war... she just didn't know how much it would hurt to fail someone. There's no way for Catra to understand, but Adora can't forget. ] I'd rather you hate me for protecting you, than lose you because I didn't. You're going to have to accept that.

Of course I get it! You're telling me that if we get into trouble, then I'm supposed to run away and leave you there to die!

[How can she think Catra would do that? Ever? It's them together until the end, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Adora doesn't get to decide to renege on that deal now, of all times.]

I don't care what you think's gonna happen, I'm not ditching you like that.

[End of discussion.]

Edited 2020-10-30 11:08 (UTC)

I'm not gonna die. [ She strops, knowing that was exactly the implication behind her words. But if fear won't put Catra off, then she only has bravado. ] Something tells me She-Ra's pretty hard to kill.

[ And if her 'forced' arrogance sounds a little too real when she says that, she's earned it. A year of being targeted by the Horde, by Catra, and She-Ra's only gotten stronger, despite the scars, their losses elsewhere. Eventually, once she finishes her training, she won't have to worry about anything... but not yet. Not when Catra could be used against her. ]

We're done having this conversation. [ If only because even Adora can tell she's not going to get anywhere with it. Better to let Catra think she's won for now, and physically yeet her out of harm's way when needed. ] Now give back my belt, and fix yours. I don't want anyone thinking you're still with the Horde.

[ Most people in Bright Moon would recognize Catra by her... Catra-ness, Horde symbol or not, but she has a chance at blending in anywhere else. ]

[That'd maybe be more believable if Adora hadn't just said She-Ra isn't invincible, and even then, Catra wouldn't be amenable to abandoning her. She'd just use Adora as a shield or something instead.

And how dare Adora tell her to do something that she was going to do anyway??? And just dismiss the conversation like that, like Catra hadn't already decided it was over???

She scoffs in disgust, clenching Adora's belt in her fist and resting it on her hip.]

I was about to, before you went and got all dramatic on me. [So don't act like it's your idea, Adora!! Catra thought of it way before you did! And now that she's been told to do it, she's not going to at all.] What's it matter now anyway? Have you seen any rebels hiding out around here?

You were with the rest of our squad, right? Maybe the rebels fell back to regroup. But sooner or later, we're going to find them. ... Or they'll find us.

[ That's not the only reason, but how exactly does she say 'I need something to convince my friends that you aren't evil anymore?' It's time to resort to drastic measures.

In other words: she gives Catra the smile only she gets. (Or used to, anyway.) The one where Adora's eyes go soft around the edges, the slant of her eyebrows matching the hopeful quirk of her lips, to create the dreaded...

puppy dog eyes. ]

Do it for me?

[hey.

HEY.

That's uncalled for!

Catra holds out stubbornly, but -- not for long. Her groan is drawn-out and dramatic, head falling back with it, and Catra throws Adora's belt at her without looking as she turns away. She can't stand that look.

(Because it's really, really nice.)]

Whatever. I already said I was planning on doing it, you don't have to make that dumb face about it.

Yeah, but you like my dumb face.

[ And now she gets to be smug about it. Adora grabs her belt out of the air, looping it back around her waist with a knowing expression. ]

Once we get out of here, I'll find you something new for your belt. Maybe... we could match? [ She tries to sound nonchalant, but it's hard. This — all of this, minus the absence of Bow and Glimmer — is what she's wanted for a year, now, and even if she's deceiving Catra to get it, it's for her own good. It has to be. ]

[oh.

...the agitated swish of Catra's tail stills, the end curling reflexively as she thinks about it.

And then she huffs.]

You wish. Like I'd wanna match with anyone as lame as you.

[Which means she kind of likes the idea, of people knowing exactly who each of them belongs next to -- but she can't say that.

As ever, Adora knows how to soothe down Catra's mood well; and when Catra glances back at her to roll her eyes, it's with familiar exasperation. She still isn't over their argument, but, well. Adora's probably just stressed out. She'll see reason soon enough.]

Come on. [Removing the buckle from her belt is literally effortless for Catra. What's harder is tying the loose pieces of leather together without nicking them further, after she tosses the buckle over her shoulder at Adora.] We're not gonna get anywhere if you don't start moving.

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2nd Event: Choices We Make

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