Episode: 6.14

--- Prosperity ---

As she stepped into her room, having fled her mother, she idly noted four of her friends were all gathered around a table playing a session of Deviant’s Masquerade, (without me.)

After taking a moment to glare at them, she shook her head, she had more important things to deal with at the moment.

“…aim their guns at you as he gives the ultimatum.” She heard Wormy warn everyone in his game master voice, apparently GM-ing as well as playing since she wasn’t available for her usual role. “Fox is first again.”

“I cast a trap enchantment on the gem and set it for a one round delay.” Fox told the others, her voice followed by the sound of dice hitting the table. “Twenty-six.”

“Illusion I’m guessing?” Wormy asked rolling his own dice.

“But of course, darling.” Fox eyes preened, while Prosperity searched through her desk on the other side of the room.

“Then it carries through.”

(Well, that’ll be a nasty play, then again what’s new for Fox eyes.)

“Ness?” Wormy asked, turning to the seat across from him.

“While the guy gloats, I break my standard action and use Marked Target on the last six guards.” A rougher voice answered as claws clacked against the table. “I need to roll for any of ‘em?”

“No, all of the minions have a lower Perception than your Wits stat.”

Ness snorted. “Of course, they do.”

“Wait a moment,” Fox Eyes paused the game, while Prosperity dug under her bed. “I thought you could only set five marks in one turn?”

“Right, used those points from that interrogation last game to get a Handguns perk that lets me use handgun skills twice for the price of one so long as I’m dual-wielding said handguns.”

“Ah, carry on then.” Fox’s regal tone condoned.

“Um, actually…” Wormy trailed off a little nervously. “Mum, what are you looking for?”

She stopped in her search, before turning back to the table where her friends were looking at her. “Ariel’s papers from the Guild.”

Fox eyes tilted her head. “You left those in your wonderland remember, dearie?”

She swatted her forehead. “Ri~ght, I didn’t want to trust them to reality!”

Standing up she turned towards her bed, before looking back at her friends. “Any of you coming, I got a lot of resources from the ceremony so we can probably add a few upgrades if you guys want.”

Her friends looked between each other, weighing who wanted to leave the game at what they knew wasn’t really a stopping point.

Eventually Wormy let a sigh pass through his little mandibles. “Fi~ne… Rosette and I use our turns to lay traps, Fox eyes’ enchantment triggers driving the crime boss insane, Ness uses the opening to gun down all of the minions, the traps wipe out any that survive, then we incapacitate the crime boss. That sound about, right?”

The other three at the table all looked between each other before nodding, giving the assent that neglecting unlucky rolls that probably was what would’ve happened.

“Good.” Wormy nodded, that little attitude he got whenever the others messed with his plans. shining through. “In that case I want an upgrade to my web spinners, we’ve a project that needs a little more support.” He threw out as he hopped off of the phone book he was sitting on and started crawling towards her.

“Sure thing.” She nodded picking up the first of her dream creatures, before holding the green catapillar-esque creature to her chest.

“Ooh, I’ve this absolutely lovely idea for a hot spring!” Fox eyes’ told her in that round about way of asking for something, as the small she-fox made an impossible leap from her cushioned seat to Prosperity’s shoulders.

“I could do with a bike upgrade,” Ness admitted hopping out of his seat, the child sized goblin-esque creature the only one who didn’t need a boost at the table. “I can’t be losing races in my own territory.”

Her eyes drifted towards the fourth member of the table as Ness walked around and picked up Rosette’s pot before carrying the sentient but silently shy plant.

“And how about you?”

Rosette covered her face with her leaves, her petals red as much from embarrassment as from their natural color.

“Hmm, yes,” she agreed with the dream’s lack of response as she sat on her bed, “a few new flowers in the garden does sound delightful.”

Rosette shook her head, sending little pings of emotion that Prosperity decidedly ignored.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Ness smirking as he climbed onto the bed with Rosette in his arms.

(Mischief maker…)

As she laid down, slowly pulling on her powers to bridge dream and reality, Fox eyes and Wormy curled together on her chest while Ness tucked himself and Rosette under one of her arms.

She closed her eyes, and while surrounded by her dreams, the world beneath her gave way letting her sink into the sea of dreams.