Game-Changers & Grudge Matches

R"What dolls?"

E"I got them."

*Euryale pulls the voodoo dolls out from inside her wrist armor.*

R"...That's creepy. Do you regularly carry around dolls of yourselves?"
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"...Then why am I doing this?"

*Ven puts the next bread into the toaster.*
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*Next to Dalia is a Firebender in a thick coat & a Sherlock Holmes hat.*

<So, since you're new, there are a few things you need to know. As long as there are at least 5 Firebenders on the assembly line, you're eligible to take 4 breaks. 3 of them are short breaks, for whatever reason. The 4th, you're supposed to take around halfway through your shift, to eat lunch. There are no time limits, but don't abuse it, or the supervisors will notice.>

*He jerks the thumb he's not Firebending with to a balcony that runs around the factory. Occasionally, a suited individual with a clipboard can be seen walking around its perimeter.*

"We didn't make them ourselves or anything," Mortal said, "We found them with some cultists."

--

"Some people prefer it different ways," Noct said, "The toaster also has a tendency to burn the bread if you're not careful."

--

"Yea, I enjoy working up a sweat, I suppose," Gabe said, "Sometimes I wish I didn't have to jog forever to workout those muscles though."

<We can jog somewhere fun!>

*Tirea starts dragging Gabe out the door*

"Got it. Thanks," Dalia said, only taking her eyes off of her work for a moment to look up at the supervisor. She continued with her work.

*Soon enough, it's halfway through Dalia's shift. Related, it's about time for Monu to go replace Astarte.*
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*She watches the bread.*

"Goodness, how do I stop it?!"
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R"...And what are we supposed to do with them?"

E"...I don't actually know."

*Monu heads over to the cafe and enters*

"Push up on the tab you pulled down," Noct said, amused by Ven's reaction.

--

"Yea, I don't know either," Mortal admitted.

--

"Wanna head over to the park?" Gabe asked, grabbing her keys from the counter as she was being pulled.

Dalia took her lunch break, eating a sandwich and drinking almost all of her bottled water.

Monu would find Astarte reading a book and drumming her fingers on the counter top.

<If you're sure it's safe!>
---
*Monu walks up to Astarte, smiling broadly*

<Hello! How are you doing today?>

"Oh, hey Monu," Astarte looked up and closed her book, which she then placed on the edge of the counter. "I'm alright I guess. This is the end of my shift, right?"
She looked to the clock to confirm this, "Good."

"Are you laughing at me?"

*She pops the toast up. Trying to take it out, she burns her fingers, & drops it on the plate. She frowns as she begins buttering it.*
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E"Let's just keep heading up the river, see if we find anything."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come off mean," Noct said, opening a flask and creating a small ice cube from the water inside. She stepped over to Ven and took her hand, putting the ice cube on her burnt finger, "Be careful, by the way."

--

"Alright," Mortal said, leading the way.

--

"We'll just avoid going to that part of the park. They didn't close it down, so I'm sure it isn't dangerous," Gabe said.

<Awesome!>

*Tirea pulls Gabe out the door*
---
*Monu nods*

<So, what are you reading?>

*Assuming they are now jogging in the park, they see footprints on the side of the river. Most are from armor, but some are from regular shoes.*
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*Up from this point, Euryale & Roatha are following Mortal.*

E"Do you know where this leads?"

R"Uh, I think it eventually goes underground, & connects the 2 rivers around this part of the city. Wait, do you think it could be an ocean spirit?"

E"Or an underground spirit, or virtually anything. But the vast majority of its attacks are in this park, so I think we should just focus on that, for now."
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"You tell me that now."

*She does her best to add jelly with only the arm that Noctis isn't holding. She basically flops it onto the bread & moves the bread around the plate, more than anything else.*

*Tirea points and drag Gabe over there*

<Look!>

Gabe looks around, "At?" She then looks down, "Oh, well, probably just some cops patrolling."

--

"Agreed," Mortal said, "Also would love to know how we can appease it, and make it go away."

--

Noct lets go, though the ice stays on Ven's finger. "Do you want me to help?" She asked, reaching for the knife.

*Eventually, a fog starts rolling in.*

R"Is this--you know--real fog?"

E"I don't know. We didn't bring a waterbender to test it."
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"No, I think I have it."

*She mostly spreads it over that piece of toast & then picks it up to take a bite out of it.*

*Tirea points at the other foot prints*

<Look, someone's with them. Let's follow!>

"We probably should have brought someone to check on that, actually..." Mortal said.

--

"We're joggers, not stalkers," Gabe said, though she began jogging in that direction anyway.

--

"Alright then," Noct said, pulling the ice cube back into the flask. "Finger feeling a little better?" She asked.

*They soon run into the same fog cover, from which they can hear voices.*

E"Yeah, I should have thought of that, this was an amateur mistake."

R"Hey, don't worry. I'm sure if this is spirit fog, it'll let us know soon enough."

E"That is less than comforting."
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"Yes, thank you. A bit cold, though."

"Just some stuff about the Fire Nation during the Hundred Year War," Astarte said, getting out from behind the counter. "I'm just going to head over to my place, anyway."
She made for the door.

Dalia sat down wherever she could find an unoccupied seat and sighed.

*Tirea tries to bend the fog*
---
<Alright, see you later!>

*Monu waves*

Mortal didn't have much to add to the discourse.

--

"Is that Euryale and Roatha?" Gabe asked, "Hello?!"

--

"I'm sure you can find a way to warm it up," Noct said, taking a bite of toast, and licking some butter off of her finger.

*Euryale looks over toward the noise, then smashes her hands together with a loud clanging noise. The earth behind Gabrea rises up in 2 halfs & slams together.*

R"What?!"

E"It's here. I saw its outline, just for a moment."

*Euryale raises her legs in turn, causing the metal beneath her feet to slide away, before putting them back on the ground. Her eyes widen with a sudden realization.*

E"It doesn't teleport, it moves under the ground!"

R"What, like, through a tunnel?"

E"No, not in one piece. It's like it melts into it."

R"But that means your trap can't hold it!"
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*The fog does not react. Sure enough, as the others are arguing, the Spirit emerges seamlessly from the earth tent & reaches out towards Tirea. The fog is too thick for Mortal, Euryale, or Roatha to see this clearly.*
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*Eventually, a buzzer rings, signalling the end of the current shift.*
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*Fast forward to later in the day. Ven was supposed to call to see what Gabrea had decided upon. When they didn't answer several times, Ven went through the house in search of Noctis, looking confused & worried.*

*Tirea runs away, drawing water from the plants as she goes. After gathering enough, she fires ice needles at the spirit*

<It's here! The spirit!>