"Moving on to the Monster Knights… We have the Goatman Shield Breaker, Edgar... Rita, the Rifaleesigal representing the Rifa of the Lost Kingdom. Ben, the Bearoleph representing the Bears of the Lost Kingdom… Lucias, the Mousekin from Monastazia… Lora the Lavendacorn Lamia representing the Snakes of the Lost Kingdom… Wilson the Wolfenrine representing the Wolves of the Lost Kingdom… Kendra the Kitsune representing the Foxes of the Lost Kingdom… Cycleo, the One Eyed Lizard representing the One Eyed Lizards of the Chasms… Chartreuse, the Harpy Matriarch's Heiress to the Chasms; joined by her betrothed… Prussian! Gillie, the Golden Retrieverkin… Vana, the Monarch Flutterfairy representing the Butterflies and Caterpillars of the Lost Kingdom… Hugo, the Tiger Swallowtail Flutterfairy betrothed to Vana… Frey, the Foxman; and his very young daughter… Freida. Chiffona-Cya-Macaroon, the Harpy Matriarch and her other two daughters… Scarlet, and Fusciazure; joined by their respected partners… Tuscan, and Pewter-Merlot. Trudy, the Turtlekin Defender… Grenda, the Goblin helping Roah to oversee all of the Goblins from the Lost Kingdom… Matilda, the Mantiskin, and her daughter; Maddie. Echo, the Geckokin… Pandianna, the Pandakin… The Ravenkin Fliers, Missile… Bristle… And Thistle. Rosa Firemane, the Tigerkin Countess… Rustle, the Rabbit representing the Rabbits of the Lost Kingdom… The Unicornkin, Unit. The Humans, Romeo; and Juliet… The Snow Owlkins, Osset, and Osslet… Eaglynn, the Eaglekin… Tru and Fals; the Snow Leopardkins… The Catkin, Mininero and Cetinot… The Rifale, Ri and Ta… The Werewolf, Will… Awkmin, the Hawkman… and Rachel; the Raccoonkin." [Nero] explained while pointing to each individual, naming several of the Monster Knights as he did so before continuing…
"And finally, we have my Clansmen… Molag Dregora, the Lich Necromancer… Wendel, the Weeping Angel Siren… Wolrietta, the Werewolf Brawler… Luna Pratz, the Unholy Priestess Vampire… Christina, the Corocdae Barbarian… Conrad, the Crowli Aerial Reaper… Penny, the Pixie Jester… Miscare, and Mescarga; the two most powerful Scarecrow Berserkers among my Clansmen… Benji, the strongest Bat Phantom… Skeldoragora, the most powerful of Skeleton Sword Masters among my Clansmen… Betty and Becky; the most powerful of Banshee Wraiths amidst my Clansmen… Phillius and Phillian, the most powerful of Phantasm Wraiths within my ranks… Mick, the most powerful of Vampire Knights among my Clansmen… Andy and Steve, the other two Vampire Knights… Skeldora, the second most powerful of Skeleton Sword Masters… Connor, the strongest of my Crows… Skeldor, another of the Skeleton Sword Masters… Betto, Betta, Beck, and Bet; of the Banshee Wraiths… Phil, Philly, Phi, Pha, Pi, and Pa of the Phantasm Wraiths… Ringo, Roy, Rondala, Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy, Scooby, Frederica, Daphnic, Velmstead, Shaggricia, Scoobette, Cosmo, Wanda, Cos, Wan, Commo, Wandy, Com, Wad, Coo, Waa, Coomso, Waadan, Comso, Wadan, Comcoo, Wadwaa, Cosmia, Wandrico, Cosmaconna, Wanderango, Cosmicali, Wandibali, and Cosmoco of the Scarecrows… Skeld, Skelde, Skelt, and Skelch of the Skeletons… Last but not least, we have Edward, Vivian, and Robert of the Bats…" [Nero] announced with a growingly tired expression as he pointed to each individual before continuing…
"So, without further ado… Welcome to our freak show, come meet my monsters~" [Nero] exclaimed with a twisted grin as his song came on… Signaling the beginning of the festival.
******
My debut was epic. The crowd loved it, and I'd like to say that it gave them a different outlook on yours truly… But then again, I'm far too optimistic~ Regardless, my speech took far too long. I need to return to the Beach before things get too out of paw. First thing's first… I made a stop at the southwest edge of town. The lesser Scarecrows are meow handling the selling of product, and they've been instructed to feed all of the Harpies, Goblins, and Monster Knights for free. Children included, but obviously; no Alcohol for them. It's settled. I saw to it myself, so no one can say that I'm negligent. I'm all about equality, but honestly… The Harpies and Goblins require a little bit of financial aide; they're not exactly in a position to even be a part of an economy. Not until now, anyway~ I can't expect them to have rashly gone out and sought employment in Reygid immediately. Assimilation takes time, and as far as I can tell; most Goblins choose to live in the Forsaken Isles rather than Reygid. They probably just feel more comfortable with their families, and stuff.
I was thinking such things as I obtained three bottles for myself, and made my way back to the Beach. On arrival, I was met with quite the terrifying scene… But it quietly scuttled back out into the sea. By 'it', I mean the massive Crab monster surrounded by a squadron of Sea Serpents, Snakes, and lesser Crab monsters. Troublesome. If we actually can't leave this Beach for longer than 10 minutes, then just HOW was the previous Lionkin King capable of keeping the tides at bay all the way from the freaking Castle?! His haki must have been immensely saturated… Is it because so many other royal bloodlines submit fealty to his? It made him appear more powerful than he truly was? All I know, is that this sucks… We need a life hack right about now, Janus~ I'm missing out on a festival that I literally paid 500 Gold Coins to fund. Power play of the freaking century by missing it, most certainly; but still depressing. I actually ENJOY my festivals, okay? I want to be listening to their masterful performances and dancing my stress away; not drinking my sorrows away beside a ridiculous Sand Keep…
The Alcohol is okay… It's not fantastic, but it's fine. I certainly didn't pay for fantastic, so it's fine. I probably won't turn a profit off of it, because I'm charging too low for a bottle and also promising free mead to the Monster Knights... But I'm hoping to get enough of a return to still be capable of attaining my camping equipment, or Candy… Probably Candy. Let's be real, Candy is uber important to my success as a Halloween Cat. The way that I go through it, it might as well be… Well, Candy. It's Candy. I'm the Candy Mongerer, so if I say that we need more Candy; we probably don't… But we'll get more anyway~ I didn't specify a song order this time around for the Bandsmen to rely on… I hope things turn out smoothly, but I suppose a few hiccups never hurt anyone. It's a free festival, take what you can get~ Mary's certainly going to be overworked… I never did bother getting her any extra help, but if some of the Scarecrows could help her by serving and selling the food; it would probably be appreciated. Nyah~
I had been laying down in the sand, counting the stars for around an hour as I drank my night way; until she arrived. A familiar Lionkin Queen, named Orianna. She seemed to have participated in the festival, as she's drunk out of her mind... But she also seemed to have at least eased her worries about us for the meantime. I'm glad. I was afraid that she'd realize our darkest secrets, and resent us forever. We have a few questionable individuals with harrowing tales; so she must have spent time getting to know the more pure. Luck is on our side~ Let's just stuff Molag Dregora, Penny, and Christina into a dark cellar; and lock the door. All of a sudden, I'd be the most problematic of our flock~ Well… We'd still need to deal with Cetilla. There's no locking her away, she'd escape. I have no doubts.
"Which of them is your favorite?" [Orianna] asked while tilting her head to the side.
"Them?" [Nero] asked while furrowing one eyebrow.
"Your Clansmen." [Orianna] replied bluntly as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"...That's a good question." [Nero] exclaimed while glancing up into the sky once more.
"Don't have one?" [Orianna] sighed as she began to drink from her bottle.
"I probably do… But I haven't the slightest clue~" [Nero] casually explained before taking another swig.
"Oh? Do you want to try and figure it out together?" [Orianna] offered with a playful expression.
"...How?" [Nero] asked while tilting his head to the side.
"...Elimination?" [Orianna] sighed as she shrugged her shoulders.
"So find a trait that I don't like about one of them, and the last one remaining is my favorite Clansmen?" [Nero] begged the question while smiling.
"Why not~" [Orianna] sighed while glancing off out into the sea.
"Well, to be absolutely fair; I'm only going to include the strongest of each race. I don't spend as much time with the lesser Clansmen." [Nero] casually explained his thought process before continuing as the Lionkin nodded…
"Wendel's always crying or only ever cares about her music… Wolrietta's always obsessing over having more time with Wilson… Conrad can be terribly inefficient with his MP… Molag Dregora has a dark past that he doesn't seem to want to detail too heavily… Christina and Penny also have a dark past, but I'd honestly prefer to have not learned of it… Miscare and Miscarga barely ever speak anymore unless it's during a song… Skeldoragora has always kept near to his fellow Skeletons, and honestly might have never even had a conversation with me… Phillius and Phillian are more or less the same, as are every single Banshee except Betty; and it concerns me deeply. Mick, Steve, and Andy are all obsessed with Luna; and swear that it's their eternal duty to keep her safe… Which is also concerning. Benji and Luna are just great, though… I have no problems with them. I can't decide between them… Benji's truly kind, and Luna's simply innocent. What concerns me most of all, though? My Clansmen can not only hear what I think, but they can also probably hear what I'm saying this very instant." [Nero] explained with eyes wide, giving absolutely no effort to conceal his growing insanity.
"Wow… A tie breaker…" [Orianna] groaned as if the predicament were her own.
"I know right?" [Nero] shrugged as if it couldn't be helped.
"Wait… They can hear you all the time?" [Orianna] asked as if in disbelief.
"Oh, yes… Robert, please prove my explanation~" [Nero] beckoned while rolling his eyes and raising his Lantern.
"Yes, we hear everything he does." [Robert] explained with a joyful sounding voice after appearing through the flaming orange lights.
"...Insane… How long did it take you to learn that?" [Orianna] muttered while glaring at the Bat.
"Too long." [Nero] shot back with a tired expression before taking another swig.
"So even if you're a Halloween Cat, you don't necessarily understand everything?" [Orianna] asked with eyes wide.
"Nope… They basically threw me down here and expected me to figure it out. I came with very limited knowledge, but now that I'm older than three… I have a somewhat reliable advisor known as the Allwessistant Dott." [Nero] explained carefreely.
"My father seemed to believe that you would be better informed…" [Orianna] said dejectedly.
"Oh?" [Nero] let out while tilting his head to the side.
"A Great Holiday Clan Leader… A god among men, capable of turning even the most dire of situations around with the flick of a claw… Or capable of bringing a far greater catastrophe than any Dungeon ever could… They would be venturing the realm while conquering Dungeons and uniting or destroying the Kingdoms. Changing fate as they reign, for better or worse… But would always know exactly what they were doing. Masters of manipulation, cunning to no end. Strong willed, and as inspirational as they are terrifying. My brother and I were told countless tales of your existences while growing up; but many amounted to little more than fairy tales in the wake of your actual presence. Nothing could have prepared me for the genuine arrival of a Halloween Cat…" [Orianna] explained while glaring off into the sea.
"Uhm… That's both a compliment and an insult, but just to clear some things up… Apparently, there are two Leaders to every Holiday Clan. I'm the Allwe Halloween Cat, so I'm supposedly the good one of the two. The Hoen Halloween Cat is probably the type that you've learned stories of… And I definitely don't always know exactly what I'm doing." [Nero] explained with a sigh.
"It's a bit of a relief, to not be dealing with some total god… But it's also frightening to know that our Kingdom hangs in the balance of someone so uncertain." [Orianna] groaned.
"It's a bit of a relief to not be utterly feared or hated by you." [Nero] replied with a smirk… To which, both individuals began to laugh before taking another swig.
We continued on to talk for around an hour... Before Cetilla, Rosa Firemane, Chartreuse, Prussian, Vana, Hugo, and Jon came to replace us. We spent our time talking about the finer things in life… Mostly me explaining the wonders of the Wailing Keep, but we eventually moved on to talk a little more about Reygid. The Tides of Tragedy, specifically… They're to reach their pinnacle in a couple of months; which should mean that the majority of our dealing with them will be limited to one battle. After we cut down their numbers enough, they should back off a little more for another year. They always act up in the months leading to the annual eruption of their numbers, so honestly… Them attacking the Beach right now is to be expected. There's always at least a little leakage yearly, but because we're under new leadership… It might be a little worse this year.
When travelling back to the Wailing Keep, I allowed Orianna to ride behind me on my Broom. Lianix, you're a doll~ When we had arrived back at the festival, Orianna quickly ditched me and I couldn't help but feel as though she were embarrassed to be spending time with me… What, am I not cool enough?! Ah... Whatever~ Roah, Gluttatosk, and Cycleo are all together atop one of the rooves… And, yes~ I'll definitely take a seat and join this original group. First arc male cast only, so no; Ben. You can NOT sit with us right meow~
"Nero!" [Roah] exclaimed happily while waving to the approaching Halloween Cat.
"Hey there~ Like your new name?" [Nero] asked with a smile.
"It sounds cool." [Roah] declared while puffing out his ridiculously sculpted chest.
"I think I liked Cyclozard better… Why did I need a new one again?" [Cycleo] asked with an eye wide.
"..." [Nero] averted eye contact with the One Eyed Lizard.
"Eh? Name?" [Gluttatosk] asked while tilting his head to the side.
"You're Gluttatosk." [Nero] shot back with a tired expression.
"...Oh." [Gluttatosk] let out, as if having had an epiphany.
"Wait, so why did I need a new name?" [Cycleo] asked once more while beginning to watch Lora, Betty, and Rei perform 'B*ck to Black'.
"I honestly liked Cyclozard more as well… Do you want to change it back?" [Nero] confessed while shrugging his shoulders.
"...Well, no one would know if we did…" [Cycleo] groaned.
"Yeah… We missed the moment. Better luck next time~" [Nero] sighed while adjusting his cap.
"Is that your new Broom, by the way?" [Roah] asked with a smile.
"Oh this? Her name is Lianix… She's a Chaos Liannas String Dark Phoenix Claw Broom, and she's invaluable… I'll probably never find a Broom better suited to me, and she's quite literally fused her soul with mine. I don't think I'll ever be capable of getting rid of her, without losing my very life." [Nero] explained with eyes wide as he held the Broom up for everyone to see.
"Ahh… It's cursed?" [Cycleo] begged the question while squinting as he glared at the Broom. To which, Nero simply nodded.
"Does it... Conjure Fish?" [Gluttatosk] asked while tilting his head to the side.
"What?" [Nero] shot back with an exasperated expression.
"Well, you conjure Candy… Why can't the Broom conjure Fish?" [Gluttatosk] explained his reasoning as if he made any sense.
"I wouldn't underestimate her simply because she can't conjure Fish..." [Nero] shot back with a hysterical expression.
"It's probably older than all of us… How can it NOT conjure Fish?" [Roah] let out, clearly withholding the desire to laugh.
"Precisely..." [Gluttatosk] exclaimed while squinting at the cursed Broom.
"If anything, she might be capable of conjuring Candy?" [Nero] sighed while rolling his eyes.
"Lianix, this is a challenge. If you can't produce at least one exquisite Fish every hour; then you're probably not worthy of being Nero's Mount." [Gluttatosk] declared with a face filled with determination as he continued to glare into the fiery Broom.
"..." [Everyone] glaring at the Broom with anticipation.
"What are we doing?" [Robert] chimed in after appearing behind the foolish Land Shark.
"Shh…" [Roah] hushed the Tier 1 Bat foolish enough to fly near the Land Shark.
Moments later… A large gust of orange flames erupt from my Broom… And ruthlessly assaulted the Land Shark. They may or may not have also slain Robert, but it all happened so fast… I certainly couldn't be the one to say~ No, I will NOT be overlooking my status. Oh? He's fine. He apparently gained the hidden ability to detect immense heat before it appeared, so he flew behind me; the seated furnace. Apparently, I'm also quite hot. You can ask Sealina, or Robert. Robert apparently figured that if he hid behind something even hotter that magically does not actually hurt you, then different heat attacks of lesser heat which CAN hurt you; do not. It's confusing, but I'm apparently a no-friendly-fire wall of fire. It's unclear where the friendly-fire rule comes into play, but I can probably cook Fish just by holding them long enough. No need for the [Flame Paws]. It's ridiculous, and disgusting. It's ridiculous, because HOW did I not know?! But it's disgusting because now I feel like I should be spending more of my time hand-massaging dead Fish.
I need to experiment more with my body. This one sudden realization, has forced me to remember… That I was not born as a Halloween Cat. Not truly, anyway. I still don't fully understand myself yet. I'm all teenage drama and stuff right meow~ It's going to be weird, experimenting on myself. I don't really know where I'll begin… But I need to try. Yosh! Moving along, we decided to join some of the others and continued on to try some of Mary's cooking. Oh my… Where do I even begin?! There are all sorts of food here! Peculiarly, they all seem to be recipes including Fish. It's almost like our staple ingredient... Like Mary was experimenting with her cooking and seeing just how she could fit Fish into every single dish~ The Cat Crew tend to spend time experimenting on how best to perform~ We're an innovative bunch. Only the best of felines allowed! Woah… Is that a BURGER?! Okay, it's settled. I'm getting a burger. Yep.
This is ecstasy. Take me meow, Halloween~ I'll sell my soul if it means that Mary can have an endless supply of ingredients! Right here, right meow; don't even bother with the life expectancy buff. Just give me more ingredients on an endless monthly shipment; and leave me to Halloween alongside my Clansmen and Mary. Cetilla can come, if she wants. Actually, just leave it as an 'optional' for all of the Monster Knights. They can choose. The burger has Fish as the patty, but it also has lettuce; some other vegetables that I don't know of… And pickles. It's pretty good. It's a strange pairing, but I think I'm just psyched about the fact that Mary knows of burgers. Back in her day, she worked as a Chef for another prominent family; so maybe she learned from their other Chefs? Hail Mary! Most prominent of all the Cat Crew(o)men, no doubt... It's Mary.
The burger went down smoothly with my fine drinks. Meow, juggling them all alongside my Lantern and prized Lianix… I made my way back toward the crowd. I think Roah went to replace Cetilla awhile ago, so she should be returning soon. Oh? Nevermind~ Roah's on stage. He's just beginning his performance to 'Psych* Killer'. Should be good. Taking a seat at the top of a nearby house after one mighty impressive leap of faith… Let's enjoy the show and chow down on these Fish Chips~ They come with a dip… But I wouldn't be brave enough to claim exactly what the ingredients of the dip were… I just know it's deep fried Fish and a mystery sauce. The consistency screams 'Mushroom Soup'... The color is clearly white… But the taste desperately tries to warn me of ketchup. It's interesting. The odd chunky bit is a little frightening, but Mary's not of the Halloween Clan. I should have nothing to fear. Nothing. To. Fear…
Okay… So I ended up distracting myself during Roah's performance… But I applauded nonetheless. I think he did well… I just can't really say for sure~ Time for another swig… Oh? Penny came to spend some time with me. How kind~ We started off by talking about 'This is H*lloween'. All of the Clansmen want to perform it, but some of the participants are off guarding the Beach. It's a problem… It should have been an opening, but apparently they held off on it due to my being away. Sadly… We'll never have a chance to perform it with all of us here. We just don't have the manpower. I seriously need to move the Wailing Keep to the Beach… But if I do that, the Monster Knights won't be able to take advantage of its benefits.
After discussing it together and coming to no clear conclusion… We moved on to speak about more trying matters. It's the Banshees, the Phantasms, and the Skeleton's lack of communication with myself. Penny's not exactly the sharpest individual in our motley, but she's observant enough to have an opinion on just about anything. The real trouble is getting her to speed along through whatever she's saying. She always likes to make it some sort of game to figure out what she's trying to explain. She's childish, and a hassle from time to time; but I don't overly mind. I've learned to wrestle the information out of her. I had to take a page from Christina's life story if I'm being honest. Christina has tried to get this Pixie to shut up for the majority of Penny's lifespan. It doesn't work, but… If you're persistent enough; you can MAYBE figure out everything she tries to tell you… And learn a few things out of it. Also, if you learn everything there is to know, then all of a sudden; she has less to talk about. Penny becomes easier to spend time with the more you get to know her. It's not her fault, but when she's not singing… Her accent is annoyingly high pitched, and she's ALWAYS going on about some new drama which does not matter; whatsoever. Rambling, really. If you're lucky, she does it while singing. Christina has learned to like having the Pixie around, but you want to know what I think? I think Christina enjoys having Penny around so everything that happens near the Pixie, also happened to the Corocdae. If the two were together as a potential story formed, then all of a sudden; Penny has no real reason to go off into some mad tangent trying to explain her day to you. It's dangerously precarious. Christina knows that she won't get rid of the Pixie; so rather than try to avoid her… She spends every waking moment with her, so that she doesn't need to spend time trying to make sense of what she's saying. She can just tune out the Pixie, and mind her own business… Because there's NOTHING that she could EVER learn from spending time listening to Penny! I think I'm in love with Christina's treachery.
Penny's hilariously pissed off, and for a moment there… I really forgot that she could hear everything I thought… Christina literally burst out into laughter from the stage, interrupting her song entirely… But it's fine. She was only a back-up for that song, anyway~
"Ruthless, Nero!" [Christina] hysterically screamed while laughing as she was holding her breasts in place, leaving a LOT of reptilian Beastkin swooning.
"You're both SO mean!" [Penny] pouted before flying off into the arcade.
Well, anyways… Penny was beginning to tell me that she believed the Wraiths were regarding Betty as their current representative… And that due to my own constant inner monologuing about them… The Wraiths feel underappreciated, and utterly weak. Literally Betty is the only one brave enough to speak to me over an extended period of time. I'm a tyrant, or something. Sorry, Wraiths. Didn't mean to undervalue your hilariously slow combat abilities that only ever were handy in two very particular scenarios; one of which you still failed in due to being too slow. My bad. I'll never think of it again, scout's honor~ Going off of what Penny was beginning to tell me… I would be left to assume that the Skeletons are using Molag Dregora as their representative, or perhaps… Still, Betty. The Skeletons are technically bound to their respective Wraiths… So it makes sense. I could see it going either way, frankly. Molag Dregora loves his creations, but I think the Skeletons are his personal favorite. Why? Because the Wraiths could have easily left the Forsaken Isles. The Skeletons were land-locked. I wonder if Skeletons can swim? Would they be able to walk across the seabed? The Forsaken Isles was a very strange place before I came across it… The Scarecrows, though… They really have no excuse; except for the fact that I ruthlessly merged their souls… It's probably just that. Ugh~ TALK TO ME! I'm lonely~
Taking another swig of my drink, I noticed that Cetilla was back on the stage… Roah is nowhere to be seen. The shift probably shifted. Cetilla is joined with Wolrietta, Wendel, Christina, and Luna… It's 'Lady Marmal*de'. Exciting… I was expecting this one to be a major hit, so I'm all ears~ A promising opening... And a flawless ensemble. They're worked on their harmony since first practicing… They've come a long way~ Wendel absolutely KILLED her part~ I may be losing my mind, but I could have sworn that a few of the lesser Scarecrows and Skeletons were helping with added percussion. White Beef Lady also did quite well… All of the men in the crowd seem dazzled by the femme fatale~ It was a success! Christina did fantastic, and brought all the heat needed. Cetilla's verse was impactful. She really knows how to own a stage, these nights. Luna was essentially back-up, but she mixed well with the crowd. She also took over for Mary who hadn't been present to kick off or finish the song. Good show, girls~ I'm proud of you.
Up next, was Benji, Kendra, and Cycleo; performing 'Scre*m'. While they performed, Cetilla came to visit me for a little while alongside Wendel, and Christina. It was a little strange to watch, but Cetilla was carrying Christina to help her not lose balance on the rooftop. It was only after around five minutes of me zoning out and glaring at the scene that I made the executive decision to move us to a clearing nearby on the road. Okay~ So, we're talking about whether or not Cetilla's actions in Nidallia were warranted. For some reason, Cetilla seeks moral justification. She's probably spoken with one too many Unholy Priestesses about the meaning of life, and is feeling uncertain due to her drunken state. According to Cetilla, it's not her fault that the man questioned her sanity due to bringing a Diamond Coin into a medium grade Tavern… He was insulting, and henceforth; he deserved a painful and slow death causing hundreds of Gold Coins in property damage to not only the ridiculing Tavernkeep, but also everyone in the neighborhood. Ruckus. It wasn't even because she brought two Harpies into a Human Kingdom Tavern. It was the fact that she had the audacity to bring a Diamond Coin and had absolutely no change to use in order to pay for her rather cheap in comparison meal. Apparently, that particular Tavern did not have access to anyone possessing the Alchemy talent. It's a real problem, and it apparently even plagues medium grade Taverns. Who could have guessed?! A medium grade Tavern certainly requires someone proficient in the basic levels of Alchemy, obviously. I can't help but feel sorry for the Tavernkeep. He had no idea who he was dealing with...
These two nervously nodded along to Cetilla's whims… Because, well… Literally neither of them have any concept of the economy. I've never paid them, and I came across them both in rather strange scenarios. Cetilla's of genuine noble birth, and she's a first rate adventurer to boot. Christina and Wendel can't relate. That does it… I'll retaliate. Taking one final swig of my drink… I emptied the bottle and slammed it down onto a nearby windowsill; smashing the bottle instantaneously and dealing a whopping 601 damage to myself. Game face…
"How brave…" [Christina] whispered to the Weeping Angel while side-eyeing the Halloween Cat.
"You know… If you ever need someone to convert your Coins for you, Clive is a great solution." [Nero] offered with a squeamish smile, having thrown in the towel before even beginning after having noticed Cetilla's hysterically bothered temper.
"These two have some serious chemistry…" [Christina] muttered to the Weeping Angel.
"Well, I should never have needed it; you would think that businesses everywhere would make it a priority to ensure that it's a service offered." [Cetilla] pompously exclaimed before whipping her hair.
"It's one of my guilty pleasures to watch them interact." [Wendel] whispered to the Corocdae as she continued to glare at the Catkin from the sidelines.
"Right… I'll ensure to make it a priority for us." [Nero] sighed while rubbing the back of his head.
"What else are you guilty of?" [Christina] whispered while glancing at the the Catkin.
"Good thinking. I'd be damned if we opened a genuine business that didn't offer Coin conversion." [Cetilla] agreed with a determined expression.
"I heard that it's more commonplace in the Demon Kingdom~" [Wendel] sighed as if the ordeal were simply too much work.
"What? From who?" [Nero] shot back as if utterly dumbfounded.
"Oh! Yeah, I remember that… We were all seated at a table in some strange Tavern far north of Nidallia…" [Christina] began to detail with a smirk before being brutally interrupted.
"Right, that Tavern…" [Nero] groaned before continuing...
"It's a shame that I don't recall where it was or anything much else about it though… I think there might have been some sort of enchantment causing memory loss related to it after leaving?" [Nero] explained while side-eyeing the Corocdae who had a particularly wide grin.
"Right… Where were we? Your guilty pleasures…" [Christina] whispered while continuing to glare at the couple.
"Oh? If there's a negative enchantment affecting you… Seek help from a Warlock or an Enchanter." [Cetilla] suggested with a smile.
"Sometimes, when I'm alone… I like to order Vivian and Edward around; they always happily do as I ask… So I've been steadily increasing the difficulty for each task… And sitting back to watch as they crumble under the weight of each ordeal." [Wendel] muttered while still mesmerized by the conversation between the two Catkin.
"A Warlock?" [Nero] asked with eyes wide.
"To be completely honest, I do it with the Scarecrows all the time. What else you got?" [Christina] whispered with a grin while glaring at the two Catkin.
"Yeah, they're usually helpful for hexing enemies… But they can also help break enchantments, or when working with seals. Honestly a somewhat rare adventurer to find, I've only partied with one." [Cetilla] explained while seeming upset over her inexperience with the Class.
"Well… I also enjoy drinking the Alcohol while knowing full well that it won't do anything for me. Don't even get me started on the Candy…" [Wendel] muttered while trying to keep her laughter in.
"Cetilla… Just how much do you know about the Classes?" [Nero] asked with eyes wide.
"Damn, Wendel. That's twisted. I could understand if you brutally swiped entire platters of Fish in the Kitchen as soon as Mary finished cooking them, and began to try and make her feel as though she were losing her mind… Because Penny does it all the time… But his CANDY?! Whew..." [Christina] whispered before high-fiving the Weeping Angel.
"The basics, definitely… But every Class is different depending on the race and elements of the individual. It's difficult to generalize them, you know?" [Cetilla] sighed while shrugging her shoulders.
"I don't actually taste anything… I think it's more or less about the potential power that I might hold over the other Clanswomen. There are very few with the guts to do it repeatedly and never be caught for it, and even fewer to be willing to confess about it directly to his face." [Wendel] explained with a daring expression.
"Okay… Could you perhaps try and teach me more about the differences between them sometime?" [Nero] asked with an optimistic expression.
"I honestly don't know if he even heard us… It's insane." [Christina] muttered with a sadistic grin on her face.
"I'll try my best~" [Cetilla] replied with a thumb held high.
"Awesome! Also, Wendel… Christina… Penny… You're all dead to me. None of you will ever Evolve again, if I have anything to say about it. No more new song recommendations for you, either." [Nero] declared with a terrifying expression after turning to face the two Clansmen meow pleading at his ankles for mercy.
"Nero… I'll stay away from your Candy, I swear!" [Wendel] hysterically wept.
...Nothing about the Alcohol or the enslaving of Vivian and Edward? Are you kidding?!
"Nero… Don't force me to be weak forever!" [Christina] groaned as if the entire thing were irrelevant to her.
That was definitely not sincere! Who said that you could just… Order around the already mentally traumatized Scarecrows?! Only I get to do that, because I don't order them to do impossible tasks!
"NERO! WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?! First, you ruthlessly insult me… And now you're PUNISHING me?!" [Penny] sobbed after appearing out of nowhere, directly in the Halloween Cat's line of sight.
I had no idea… You've been stealing Fish from the Chef. She's already overworked, why must you make things even more difficult for her?!
"Nero… I'll stop ordering Vivian and Edward around…" [Wendel] offered with an optimistic expression.
...Still nothing about the Alcohol?
"Meh." [Christina] shrugged.
...You just don't care. There's nothing that I could punish you with, as you're already in your own hell.
"Nero… I'll only take one Fish every day." [Penny] declared with a dejected expression.
...Fine.
"I'll only drink one bottle at every Festival!" [Wendel] declared with an excited expression, after having witnessed Penny's success.
...Okay.
"...I'll let the Scarecrows be… But I'm telling you, they're bored out of their minds more often than not~" [Christina] groaned before shrugging her shoulders as if to say that she were actually doing them favors.
...Bring some of the Safari Card decks or dice into Halloween… Let them play during the day.
"Okay~" [Christina] replied with a smile before stomping away alongside the regretful Weeping Angel and relieved Pixie.
"Had to keep them in line, huh?" [Cetilla] asked with a smile.
"I'm still dumbfounded that all of this was happening under my nose." [Nero] sighed while rolling his eyes.
"Well, you'd probably be surprised about some of the things going on in this Keep of yours~" [Cetilla] sighed with a playful expression as she began to ascend toward the skies.
"Oh yeah? You got any dirt?" [Nero] asked with a grin as he hopped onto his Broom and followed her along to a nearby roof.
"Rumor has it, Jon and Echo have been hitting it off lately~" [Cetilla] confessed while winking to Nero as she took a seat.
"Oh? Newfound love for Cat Crewman Number 8?" [Nero] asked with a shocked expression while descending.
"Looks that way… We'll see." [Cetilla] muttered with a smile as she glanced down onto the stage.
"I thought you were against love within the Cat Crew?" [Nero] asked while mockingly brushing his elbow into the Sorceress' side.
"I think I was tired… Or frustrated…" [Cetilla] confessed with a weak smile before turning to face the Halloween Cat and continuing…
"Nero. It's like… Ever since we met, we've been on this slow ride with encounters along the way… And every single time, we would overcome them; somehow… But even while overcoming them, we always seemed to find ourselves another step further behind. It doesn't make sense… And it's difficult to explain… But this right here, right now… Capturing Reygid and getting our pay from the Bernardi family... It may be a gain, but what was the cost? Half or more of the Monster Knights died in our absence. Looking back, we freed the Scarecrows but wound up destroying numerous homes in the meantime, and also spewed distrust toward us from the Royal family… Ultimately leading us further down this path. We saved the prisoners of the Lizardmen, and some even came from Reygid before you slayed the Monarch… But one of them still ended up dying before that happened. We performed the cullings in the Lost Kingdom, and brought about several new potential Royal Bloodlines… But even some of those wound up cut down in our latest crisis. We worked the Cyworctus down to near death, but now we're debating on holding out on its death until… When, exactly? It will regenerate, if it hasn't already. We ventured into the Mummy Mansion, at a very precarious time… The time to end all times, wasted a week of our time to save the Beartru; lost half of our comrades in our absence… And we need to return if we hope to gain a lot more Clansmen for you. We're on a dangerous path, with sacrifices piling up... And it seems as though your Clansmen are the only ones guaranteed safety until the day that you perish. We need more of them, no matter what the cost… But leaving things as they stand, it could cost us everything. I'm stuck. I don't know what to suggest at this point." [Cetilla] explained her train of thought on the matter with eyes wide.
"...I need to move the Wailing Keep to the Beach, definitely... But I honestly wanted to allow the Monster Knights a chance to train against the Sea Serpents." [Nero] sighed.
"This indecision. It's causing our downfall." [Cetilla] shot back with a tired expression.
"I know… It's a whole lot of responsibility... I don't think I was ready for it." [Nero] confessed before taking a swig out of his new drink.
"Nero… I've watched you gather legions to hear you speak. You're ready for this… But I'm going to need a little bit more power before I can spew enough of a haki to keep this thing in order while you're off restarting." [Cetilla] shot back before slowly beginning to smile.
"...What?" [Nero] asked while tilting his head to the side.
"Think about it… You restart, and get a chance to give free Evolutions to your Clansmen. I'm of the Halloween Clan too now, so you can temporarily capture me; and feed me power~" [Cetilla] explained with a grin while twirling her hair.
"Oh… It's definitely an option, but you're already the strongest one among us; and to be honest… Your abilities just aren't very suited for being my replacement. Luna's a far better option, as she can heal them when I can't. I was debating on giving some power to Conrad, though… I've really been all over the place on this subject, but I think I'm leaning toward Conrad meow." [Nero] replied while glancing at the stage.
"Pfft… Luna's going to need a TON of experience to be at our level~" [Cetilla] shot back with a smile.
"She doesn't need to be at our level~ That's what you're for." [Nero] slammed back with a giggle.
"Ugh… I hate you..." [Cetilla] groaned while rolling her eyes.
"No you don't~" [Nero] slung back with a nonchalant expression as he began to enjoy Penny and Conrad's rendition to 'I FINK * FREEKY'.
"Cetilla! Your song is coming up!" [Robert] chimed in with an excited expression.
"Oh~ You've heard the man, I'm needed on the stage..." [Cetilla] exclaimed dramatically before beginning to happily ascend…
Oh… She's going to do a dramatic doom flag drop from the sky. Interesting. I hope she doesn't break my freaking fountain… I bet my bottle would go great if mixed with Punch… One sec~ Taking a few moments… I made sure to fill my bottle a little more with some Punch, received several strange glances… Needed to explain that it was Punch, and not Blood to several meow relieved or skeptical bystanders… And wound up in the splash zone for Cetilla's entrance. Ridiculous… But now there's nothing to be skeptical about, folks~ Let it be known, that Punch dwells in this Town's fountain. Nyah! I'm off to grab another bottle before swinging on down to the Beach. Cetilla ruined my outfit, and I need to dry off. Her entrance was spectacular, though. It's difficult to be mad when already this intoxicated~
Lianix probably didn't appreciate it too much, so I figured that I should wash her off as well. Sorry, Lianix. I know water probably isn't your thing; but I don't know how else to clean you. After a nice, long soak with my beloved Broom; shared by Roah and Gluttatosk… We all curled up next to… Me, in my largest Cat form to dry. It's strange, but after changing forms… I'm still wet. It's as if it's entirely up to me to dry off, regardless of my form… And my clothing is somehow attached to that frame of logic. It only makes sense to use a form where I have massive flaming paws and eyes if I hope to dry quickly… So that's what I'm doing. Somehow, I managed to become the towel for the others as well. It's fine… Apparently my hidden no-friendly-fire ability is shining tonight~ Roah is laying on my back, on his back… I'm just sort of laying on the ground. Gluttatosk is nuzzled up next to my left side… And Lianix is underneath my front right paw... Basking in the flames.
While we were relaxing, we spent our time talking about the festival; filling each other in for what we may have missed. I made sure to inform them that 'Lady Marmal*de' was a total success, and they were both depressed over having missed it. I also spilled the beans on all of Wendel, Penny, and Christina's treacheries… Roah was shocked to learn that Penny was a secret glutton… But saw it coming with Christina and Wendel. Gluttatosk was furious. He could not BELIEVE that they didn't cut him in on the treacheries. Those terrible women, always leaving him out of the good stuff…
"I'll bet that Cycleo was invited!" [Gluttatosk] angrily let out.
"Cycleo's invited to basically everything…" [Roah] groaned.
"I heard that Lillian used to ask him to help her trim the edges!" [Gluttatosk] jealously added. To which, Roah gasped.
"Say what now?" [Nero] asked with a terrified voice.
"Something about needing 'delicate and careful hands' to get the more challenging spots, I don't know… I lost my shit when Kendra used the word 'hands'." [Gluttatosk] mocked the Kitsune with an angered voice.
"Is that what you were screaming about after you returned from the Orc Mountains?" [Nero] asked while tilting his head to the side.
"What? Oh, no… I couldn't play Safari Cards, but then the Kendra thing just stirred it all back up later on, and I lost control…" [Gluttatosk] nonchalantly confessed.
"Oh… I don't think I was present." [Nero] sighed.
"It only happened earlier tonight, actually… It's still a fresh wound, so let's not talk about Lillian for awhile." [Gluttatosk] shot back as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Did you know that Grenda is expecting me to marry her now?" [Roah] nervously begged the question. To which, the Land Shark gasped and stood up just to face the (Hob)Goblin King.
"Honestly, no… That took me by surprise~" [Nero] frivolously replied.
"Me too…" [Gluttatosk] muttered while continuing to gawk at Roah.
"What are you planning?" [Nero] begged the question with a playful voice.
"Well… She's been acting as the Leader to the Goblins ever since Goddin Village Neith Sama died… And I haven't really been there… She was betrothed to the genuine King's Candidate… She's the most powerful of all the Goblinas in our Village… She deserves to be the Goblin Queen more than I deserve to be the King, so marrying her or choosing her as my Candidate would be the proper decision… But marriage? Should I marry a woman that I don't love? I can choose her as my Candidate, but she won't be crowned until I perish." [Roah] confessed his feelings of uncertainty on the matter before taking a swig.
"That's a tough one..." [Gluttatosk] grumbled before continuing…
"Nero~ Take it from here!" [Gluttatosk] beckoned with a carefree expression.
"Roah… Why not just name her as your Chieftess? You're the King, but she's the Chieftess. There's no point to having just one noble bloodline... Let an unofficial one be recognized. Be it a sign of goodwill, that any Goblin or Goblina; even of lowly status may raise their standing among the Monster Knights should they work hard and grow stronger~ Whenever you're off representing the Goblins in the fight for Allwe; the Chieftess is left to command the Goblins. We'll always ensure at least a few Monster Knights to help them during the day, but at night; my Clansmen can take over." [Nero] casually explained his solution.
"Effortless, like always~ Thanks, Nero!" [Gluttatosk] exclaimed with a proud voice. To which, the Cat sighed.
"Okay… That might appease her if the Monster Knights are left under her command as well, we'd need to make her genuinely feel as though she has some form of higher standing among the Monster Knights… At least while they're on the Forsaken Isles." [Roah] requested of the Cat.
"...I don't overly like it… If it were you, I would feel compelled to do so… But I guess, sure. If anyone reports back and claims that she was brutal, though… I'll rescind that right. Any Monster Knights that we send, I also want to be reporting back of any possible treacheries that she may perform. It's not as though I don't trust Grenda, I just… Don't understand why she's being so power-hungry and it concerns me." [Nero] replied with a tired voice.
"I doubt that she'll do anything… It's fine." [Roah] agreed to the terms with a relieved voice.
"Do you think that giant frogs give birth to giant tadpoles in droves?" [Gluttatosk] abruptly asked.
"Uhm… Probably?" [Nero] replied with a curious voice.
"Would they taste good fried?" [Gluttatosk] shot back with a suddenly serious voice.
"If it's Mary…" [Roah] muttered.
"Most certainly." [Nero] agreed while nodding his head.
"Maybe I can Evolve into a giant frog if I try hard enough…" [Gluttatosk] sighed while obviously fantasizing.
"Uhm… No. You're NEVER going to do that, do you understand me?!" [Nero] shot back with a horrified voice as he glared at the Land Shark.
"What about Chickens? I can probably become a Chicken…" [Gluttatosk] innocently begged the question.
"...NO! You can NOT be allowed to devour your own kin!" [Nero] shot back hysterically.
"Why?!" [Gluttatosk] asked as if he were utterly betrayed.
"Because it's messed up!" [Nero] screamed in frustration.
"But the Spiders did it all the time!" [Gluttatosk] shot back as if it were no big deal.
"Do you SEE a Spider in the Monster Knights?! I don't trust them!" [Nero] slammed back with a terrifying look in his eyes. To which, the Land Shark frantically turned to face the Hobgoblin who only sighed.
"You… You killed the strongest Spider, didn't you?" [Gluttatosk] asked as if horrified.
"All you need to know, is that Spiders may prove unlikely to gain a spot among the Monster Knights until we're more powerful. I won't be taking any second chances on those until we're all at least Tier 15. It's too dangerous." [Nero] replied with a serious expression.
"By everyone… You mean?" [Gluttatosk] asked with eyes wide. To which, the Halloween Cat snapped his neck back to face the Land Shark before roaring ferociously loud...
"EVERYONE!" [Nero] roared with flaming eyes wide as flames emit from all over his body for a split moment. To which, the Land Shark simply slammed its own head down into the sand.
"How long do you think he'll be down there?" [Roah] nonchalantly asked while still laying atop the Halloween Cat.
"Five minutes, give or take…" [Nero] sighed while ignoring the muffled primal screams of the Land Shark.
"I give it 10." [Roah] shot back before taking a swig.
"10 whole minutes of emotional trauma, huh? I never pegged him to be the impatient type…" [Nero] laughed.
"Cetilla would be down for an hour..." [Roah] laughed.
"She'd be bent up about it for a week, too~" [Nero] sighed.
"At least she's dedicated to her quest in gaining power~" [Roah] sighed.
"Too dedicated, if you ask me…" [Nero] groaned.
"I see her reasoning… There are other Holiday Clan Leaders, apparently the other Halloween Cat is more powerful than you. She basically needs to stay ahead of you if she ever hopes to stop him." [Roah] confessed with a dejected voice.
"Ugh… I just want to make sure that the Village is sorted through the winter, and; I suppose… Repel the Tides of Tragedy during the winter as well. I expect that to be enough time to me to regain a modicum of my strength… But I also want the Monster Knights and my Clansmen to grow stronger… I can only give them that right by ruthlessly merging their souls together, or by letting them train without being my Clansmen… And I don't really know how to safely offer that without using Luna. She needs to be more powerful to begin with. I cant necessarily release her from my hold, as she's a Vampire and requires Blood… So restarting is my only means of helping her grow… And in turn, a lot of my other Clansmen." [Nero] confessed with an impatient voice.
"When will you restart?" [Roah] asked with a curious voice.
"Probably in the next few nights… I've done mostly everything that I sought to do… All that's left is to make some damn good clothing… And a Spellbook." [Nero] replied with a voice filled with excitement.
"You're going to make a Spellbook?" [Roah] gasped.
"Yeah, Luna needs something better to help her now that she's become a Vampire." [Nero] replied with a sigh.
"What materials are you going to use?" [Roah] asked.
"Uhm… Blood of Unit, and… Night Thorn." [Nero] casually replied.
"You're going to take the Blood of a child?" [Roah] groaned.
"It's for a really good cause, and I won't take too much. I'll write it in increments, adding new abilities that I learn as time passes. It will slowly get better, as I fill more of the pages." [Nero] replied with a happy tone of voice.
"It's going to be a lot to start with… You have a fair few abilities." [Roah] shot back with a tired voice.
"You're right… I'll just do it in increments." [Nero] happily replied.
"I think you're missing the point… Why not use the Blood of several children if that's what you need? You shouldn't take so much from one individual…" [Roah] thoughtfully explained.
"Oh… But I need the Blood of a Unicorn for the best results… And I've never met a Unicorn, but I DO happen to live with a Unicornkin… So?" [Nero] explained his own thought process.
"You ALSO happen to now be ruling a Kingdom with at least a dozen other Unicornkin… Spread the goal, I don't know?" [Roah] shot back with an exasperated voice.
"...Good idea. Glad we had this talk." [Nero] sighed as if he finally understood.
"You're welcome~" [Roah] happily replied before taking another swig.
"Hey, losers. They're looking for you in the Keep, we'll handle this for a few moments." [Rosa Firemane] groaned while drunkenly stumbling on up to the Beach alongside Edgar, the Goatman.
"You sure that you two can handle this?" [Nero] asked with eyes wide.
"They're not alone~" [Chartreuse] sighed while descending into Nero's field of vision.
"I swear… Nero NEVER senses any of us~" [Prussian] groaned as if deeply hurt by the sentiment.
"Don't take any offense to it… If you're not a total doom flag, I don't seem to notice." [Nero] confessed while glancing up to the two Harpies.
"What's a doom flag?" [Prussian] shot back while furrowing his eyebrows.
"Who cares? They want to do the song, hurry up!" [Rosa] exclaimed frantically while pointing to the Wailing Keep. To which, Nero instantly regained his Human form.
Sprinting, I obtained Lianix… My final bottle… And my infant of a Lantern. Roah took a moment to regain his composure, but he's strong. He'll live. So will Gluttatosk, if I yank his head out from the sand… Like this~ Oh… His fin might be damaged, you should definitely seek Luna's attention after the song; bro. Yikes… Patting his back for a brief moment, I sighed before offering Roah a seat on my Broom… Waited for Roah to arrive, before grabbing hold of the Land Shark… And ascending as fast as I could. It was a silent gamble, a life or death scenario. To see whether or not I could keep my grip on his undamaged fin while haphazardly carrying him at an immense speed. I wanted to know just what our little friend was capable of, but I quickly learned that the Land Shark was slippery… And I may or may not have dropped him mid-burst. He's probably been slammed against the ground, and dragged for several dozen feet before coming to a stop… He might not have even survived, okay? He's somewhere between the Beach and the Wailing Keep. He's in a zone of an entire CITY! He could be ANYWHERE! The song is about to begin, and Roah seems to care more about the Land Shark. Somehow, I'm being pegged as the bad guy for dragging Roah into 'This is H*lloween' rather than helping him search for the probably dead Land Shark. We'll revive him later or something, but I'm NOT missing 'This is H*lloween'! This song is probably my favorite. It's the one song that's different every single time it's performed. Sometimes, certain Bandsmen are busy… Or new Bandsmen debut, and so they decide to join the performance. They often switch up the lyrics as well. I've never really participated too much in it... Despite numerous requests, as I'm the 'Pumpkin King' that they absolutely need... But it's quite the spectacle, with; or without my help.
So, we watched it. It was fantastic, and I had no regrets. Thankfully, around halfway through the performance… An absolutely mangled Land Shark arrived to watch as well. He was a little dejected, because he was supposed to perform this time… But it was still fine. He's in no condition to perform right meow, it can't be helped. It's definitely not my fault. Nope. He should have warned me that he was still wet. Nyah. He's complaining to me about how bad of a drop it was… Admittedly, it was not clean. I panicked when I noticed that he was slipping so soon into the speed burst… I strengthened my grip… I accidentally tore through his fin, blood may have been spilled. I kept tearing through, and eventually… He just slipped through the cuts… It was horrific. I'm sorry, okay? We all make mistakes! I tried explaining as much, but his response was that he required more food to get over this. Unbelievable… Go back to the freaking Beach if you want to eat more! Well… He's off meow… Wait. Wait! He can't be allowed to swim in the Ocean right meow! He's bloody and likely to attract larger sharks! Robert! Stop him at once! I believe in you! The only one who could possibly stop this tragedy!
Okay… It's settled. Roah's astounded by my newfound luck, in that the Land Shark relatively forgave me. He's right… Things have been seeming to be going more smoothly for me since I've obtained a higher Tier. My terribly low-rate LUK has started to rebound… I'm finally, relatively lucky. Yosh! I can't wait to be over Tier 10 again~ If I succeed in gaining more ability enhancements for each of my Evolutions… I might actually be capable of achieving the next Prestige before my inevitable fall from Melchiadore. I'm optimistic, thanks to Lianix; the cheat Broom with a body that just won't quit! I'll be capable of conjuring the Wailing Keep immediately, thanks to her. I'll have more than enough MP to conjure my first Gate with the maximum MP cost. I have a feeling, that if I cancel and reconjure new Gates repeatedly with high costing MP… I might be able to enhance that ability faster than before. I was thinking such things as Roah and I watched the next performance alongside Cetilla, Wolrietta, Wilson, Lora, Vana, and Hugo. It was a wondrous performance. Wendel was performing her 'D*va Dance'. We genuinely all sat there, atop a house while utterly mesmerized by the display of expertise.