Verdant Castle

Observer: As you retrace your usual path, you hear laughter.
Observer: Stepping into the room where you usually find Queen Iola, you bump into one of Bonnie’s summon.
Observer: It’s not moving - but you see why as you look over it.
Observer: One of its arms is stuck in a very large cake.
Observer: A very large cake that is bubbling indignantly about this.
Bonnie: “…I have no idea how we’re going to explain this to Queen Iola…”
Observer: The lockette seems to be at a loss for what to do, just staring at her summon and the large cake.
Bonnie: “I helped her get the cake out and onto a cooling rack earlier…”
Bonnie: “And then she went to the bathroom and it just…”
Observer: She makes a gesture with her hand that you think indicates falling off of something.
Bonnie: “I tried stopping it with my summons and now it’s just… making noises…”
Observer: You let her know of how Stewy came to life, and mention having spotted one licking the hand of one of her summons a while ago in the Memorial Room.
Bonnie: “Huh…”
Queen Iola: “I’m back, now we can-“
Observer: You didn’t hear the Queen approaching, but she manages to run into you, and you’re not sure what exactly happens after - something else collides with her, though.
Observer: Then you are all laying in a very sticky pile sort of in, sort of on the very upset cake.
Observer: Bonnie manages to help you all up, apologizing profusely to Queen Iola and not at all to you.
Observer: As the cake begins to squelch away though, Queen Iola is more interested in it, and hurries to follow it, forcing Bonnie to do the same.
Observer: You want to also do the same, but two of Bonnie’s summons have come from somewhere to begin herding you and the summon you fell on top of towards a room.
Observer: …apparently they’re going to make you shower.
Observer: Well, it’s a free shower. Maybe they’ll clean your clothes for you too while they’re at it?

Crystal Casino

Observer: As you stroll into the casino, a person flies backwards past you, landing in an undignified pile on the street.
Observer: You’re torn between checking on them and seeing what hit them…
Observer: …but as you look for what hit them, you’re… confused.
Observer: You were expecting a bouncer but nobody is there.
Faust: “Welcome to Crystal Casino, am Faust! Make sure not cheat!”
Observer: …that voice is coming from really low.
Observer: There, at your feet, sits a strange little creature with enormous eyes, a massive crystalline tail and ruff, and a top hat…and is that an earpiece in one of its ears…?
Observer: It does not seem to be capable of blinking.
Observer: You ask it what it does and it puffs up its little chest.
Faust: “Keep cheaters out casino!”
Observer: It looks outwards proudly for a moment before sighing.
Faust: “Not as fun as what used do…”
Faust: “...still fun.”
Observer: And then, with no further explanation, it trots off.

Abella's Boutique

Observer: As you walk into Abella’s, you come up short as a dextroluma brushes past you as they exit, clearly pissed.
Observer: You hear them on the phone to someone saying that they waited for over an hour and Abella never came to the counter.
Observer: That sounds unlike her…
Observer: Some other would-be shoppers seem to be on their way out as well…
Observer: Wandering the store, it all seems in order to be open - so why is she not out on the floor?
Observer: …you find Abella asleep at her sewing machine in the back, resting her head on it like a pillow.
Observer: She must have fallen asleep while working on something…
Observer: You’d like to just let her sleep, but this seems bad for her business, so you gently shake her to try waking her.
Observer: It doesn’t work.
Observer: After several tries, you manage to wake her up by pouring cold water down her back.
Abella: “AIEEEEE!”
Observer: It was a little funny even though you felt bad for doing it…
Abella: “What are… Wait…”
Observer: She stares at her hands, and her face falls.
Abella: “Did I fall asleep working again…?”
Observer: You politely explain conditions when you entered the shop and again suggest - more forcefully than the last time you tried it - that she needs to get at least one other employee.
Abella: “I…”
Observer: You point out that if this keeps happening, it will impact her reputation very negatively, and she’ll probably lose customers.
Observer: Her shoulders slump.
Abella: “I guess I’m not exactly an energetic young centenarian any longer… Maybe…”
Observer: She gets up to go help customers, seemingly still sluggish, and you go to browse, trying to keep an eye on her.
Observer: Hopefully she’ll take the idea seriously…

Aerius Archives

Observer: As you enter the Archives, you hear the distinctive sound of Symphony speaking.
Symphony: “You’re sure of it?”
Observer: There is a long pause, and then she sighs.
Symphony: “I’ll dispatch some people to handle it. You’re where?”
Observer: Another long pause, and the sound of notes being taken.
Symphony: “I’ll have someone there as fast as possible.”
Observer: The call seems to end, and you wait in case there is another…
Observer: She doesn’t disappoint you.
Symphony: “Hey, it’s Symphony. Someone at Featherstone Cascades, Emerald Ocean called in for a body pick up.”
Symphony: “Yeah, I know we need to change my number to something else, tech has been dragging their feet about it.”
Symphony: “They said the local guards had already cordoned things off, so you just have to get there is all.”
Observer: A long pause.
Symphony: “Oh, fuck off.”
Observer: Silence reigns after that, and you eventually peek out and determine Symphony must be off the call…
Observer: …not that she seems less annoyed for it.
Observer: It might be best to save any business you have for a different day.

Enchanted Emporium

Observer: As you enter Enchanted Elixirs, you’re surprised to see a kipitin browsing the aisles - and to see that they’ve been divided into sections.
Observer: Elixirs, Powders, and Enchantments…
Observer: As you’re looking around, you see Violet and Mirrani carrying a new sign outside.
Observer: Curious, you trail them, watching as they set the sign down so Violet can get up on a ladder and begin to take down the old one.
Observer: She passes it down to Mirrani, who sets it against the side of the building.
Observer: You don’t miss the fact a pair of hands appear from around the edge of the building to grab it.
Observer: Surprised, you move to try to see who took it - but they’ve already vanished.
Observer: …odd.
Observer: As you turn back, you see them putting the new sign up.
Observer: Apparently the new name is ‘Enchanted Emporium’?
Observer: Guess that makes sense since their products have expanded.
Violet: “Where did you put the old sign?”
Observer: You realize she’s already gotten down from the ladder, and see Mirrani looking confused.
Mirrani: “I just leaned it right against the building, right there, so I could get the new one up to you…”
Observer: She tugs on her hair, staring at the spot with wide eyes as Violet shrugs and folds the ladder back down.
Mirrani: “I don’t know what could have happened to it or where it could have gone… I’m so sorry!”
Violet: “…it’s not a big deal. We were just going to dispose of it. You don’t need to start crying.”
Observer: Violet ushers Mirrani inside, following her with the ladder.
Observer: …surely Trash King is too busy right now to be bothering a second shop…?
Observer: …right…?

Rodeo Ruff Pets

Observer: Rodeo Ruff looks like a war zone as you walk up the path.
Observer: One of the storm shutters has somehow been dented, several scavengers have somehow escaped their cage, suldra are chasing each other outside the barn…
Observer: A massive blushing cowcap comes charging past you, holding a tray of cookies in its jaw.
Milk: “Sugar Cookie get back here! That’s too many cookies for you!”
Observer: Sugar Cookie apparently disagrees, since she keeps running, Milk in hot pursuit.
Observer: Boone is nowhere to be seen and you wonder if he’ll find out about this or not…
Observer: Although you wait around hoping to find out, all you really succeed in seeing is Milk continuing to chase Sugar Cookie around the ranch.
Observer: You’ve got to wonder, though - does she like the cookies that much, or does she just like making him chase her?
Observer: Maybe it’s a bit of both.

Strawberry Gardens

Observer: It is unnervingly quiet when you set foot inside Strawberry Gardens.
Observer: As you approach the counter, you see no one.
Observer: Stepping behind it, you find Piglette lying on her back.
Observer: Well, you think it’s Piglette, at least, based on the bits of skin you can see…
Observer: Considering her entire body, including her face, is being used as to nap by Blossom’s pets, it’s a little uncertain.
Observer: It’s probably for the best that Camilla doesn’t seem to be in today…
Observer: Could a lockette handle the weight of being laid on by a whazer?
Observer: Then again, Camilla would probably never dare to lay on someone, gentle giant that she is.
Observer: Well, you’ll just… leave Piglette to her fate as a pet bed.
Observer: Sorry, Piglette.

Decore Galore

Observer: As you enter Decore Galore, you expect to see Serena or Ashna.
Observer: Instead, you see an oddly mannequin like lockette browsing.
Observer: She has some pins in her chest, you notice, and you can’t help but wince, and ask them - doesn’t that hurt?
Kat: “Oh… Hurt…”
Observer: They tilt their head, considering for a moment.
Kat: “I don’t think they hurt. They were there when I first saw myself. I think they’re just part of me.”
Observer: That’s… interesting.
Observer: You ask her what she is looking for, now, and listen as she sighs.
Kat: “Good question… I’m not sure.”
Kat: “The blue lady told me I need crystals to buy anything here, but I’m not sure how I get those.”
Kat: “…or what she is. She has very pretty ears on the sides of her head, like, two of them? They seem quite thin.”
Observer: You have a sneaking suspicion that Kat might be a newly manifested lockette.
Observer: Though how she wound up in Aerius without having gone through the passport office, you’re not sure.
Observer: Maybe a doorway randomly opened between Maquette and Aerius and she didn’t realize she was crossing over?
Observer: You do your best to give her a crash course on what crystals and dextroluma are, and then decide it might be best to give her some directions to the Archives and tell her to visit the passport office.
Kat: “So this passport office helps with crystals…?”
Observer: Well… Not quite.
Observer: On impulse, you also give her directions to Abella’s Boutique.
Observer: Considering how she was the last time she was there…
Observer: Maybe seeing a young lockette who needs help could act as some extra persuasion?
Kat: “So Abella can help me get crystals?”
Observer: You tell her maybe, but that she needs to visit the passport office first, and she nods seriously.
Observer: No one ever told you new lockettes were so serious and… clueless.
Observer: You hope you’ll see her again.

Trash Kingdom

Observer: The papier-mâché towers overhead as your feet take you forward into the trash kingdom.
Observer: Signs everywhere proclaim that Trash Kingdom will be open for business soon.
Observer: Considering what Trash Kingdom has been doing to Keir and Vincent, that feels more like a threat than ever.
Observer: What sort of business does a trash kingdom even conduct?
Observer: I mean, who would want to get trash?
Observer: Or do you give them trash…?
Observer: But what would they even give you for it - a gold trash can?
Observer: You giggle a little at the absurdity of the idea.
Observer: …yet you cannot help but feel that giggling has sealed the fate of something.
Observer: What an odd feeling.
Observer: Maybe it’s just best to leave for now…

Nevermore Bookstore

Observer: As you go to enter Nevermore Bookstore, you pause as you see a new sign.
Sign: “Closed - preparing for the Festival of Lights.”
Observer: You wonder how they intend to celebrate…
Observer: At least it’s not another sign about those… creatures from the Trash Kingdom…
Observer: …for now…
Observer: You’ll have to come back later to see how they celebrate the Festival of Lights.