[Mari]

"Owanimo..?" Ciel inadvertently incanted, just sort of puzzling over the odd word Ringo had just spelled out. Without warning, a storm of nuisance puyo rained down upon the scientist out of nowhere, eliciting a squeal of alarm as she was promptly buried alive. She didn't even have a chance to admire the toy Seriri had found before she was entombed by a bunch of jellies. ...A low groan of distress could be heard from underneath the pile of puyo, one of Ciel's hands sluggishly clawing at the floor to no avail. The poor girl was quite the weakling, and it seemed she might need a little aid freeing herself unless the others were content to wait for a bit.

Meanwhile, an errant puyo knocked a book down near Ciel. The book was labeled "The many worlds of the dragon kingdom and beyond." Apparently, it was a book aimed at educating others about the worlds seen in the Spyro the Dragon series. ...Who exactly wrote it? Could dragons write books? The author was just listed as 'The Professor', a woefully unhelpful revelation.

[Rina]

"YIKES! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean that!"

In a stream of panic, Ringo went into the pile of Nuisance Puyo and began removing from it to lighten the load. Rather, she summoned a bunch of colored Puyo to pop them away so someone else didn't have to deal with it. Nuisance Puyo are deceptively heavy, after all. They may look rather squishy, but if you tried to pick them up, they're incredibly dense. Hence the name, Nuisance Puyo. Once they were gone, she tried to pick Ciel up from what's left of them.

"You alright? It was an accident I swear!"

......And then it just hit her.

"Wait a second, did what I just say summon all those Nuisance Puyo?"

Ringo took a second look at the book, briefly reading through its contents. The book has some vague relationship to Puyo, and it was one mystery that she's been dying to solve. She's done experiments to figure out why they pop and behave as they do. She leafed through the old book, trying to find answers.

"When four of the same monster gather...summon magic power...open the gate..."

"...Uh..."

"...A-AAAAH! Is this book the origin of those jellies they call Puyo!?"

[Coolshaymin]

Seriri nearly dropped and probably would of broke the thing she found when Ciel was covered in Nuisance Puyo. She sat it down before moving over after giving a fairly startled cry. Well, Ringo was already handling the nuisance Puyo and it was probably best she did not interfere. Seriri moved to help Ringo lift up the smart lady from the debris.

"Are you okay, Ciel?!" Seriri cried out in concern. That looked like it may of hurt quite a bit. Then while she was busy being concerned, Ringo said something that confused her.

"Their origin? I thought Puyos were natural back in my world. Sure, they kind of dropped into others, but I did not think they came from a book. I thought they were a normal creature that lived all over."

[Mari]

Ciel was pulled from the pile of nuisance puyo, shaking a few off of her as she rose. The dazed and bewildered scientist was... Well, see, there was this problem where she was a lot taller than Seriri due to the other's inability to stand up straight. It sort of made it really awkward and probably impossible for Seriri to help her stand, so she just kind of awkwardly braced herself against the other for a moment on her way back to the land of legs before allowing herself to lean against Ringo. She gently shook her head a little as if to physically clear her mind before offering Ringo and Seriri a bright smile.

"

Everything's okay. Those puyos are deceptively heavy, but I don't think I suffered any serious injuries.

"

The puyos has knocked the breath out of her and she felt quite sore, but nothing on the order of any serious pain was felt. She'd need a bit more time to be rule out shock, but for now she felt reasonably confident saying she was alright. Eyeing the book however, she became curious.

"

That is a very strange spell. It uses polymorphic sentient slime monsters as some sort of catalyst--or are they the reaction themselves..? It would be interesting to find a book covering your worlds. I've heard bits and pieces from Ms. Arle and Ms. Raffine while visiting the Magical Girl's Society, but their insight wasn't strictly ...academic?

"

[Rina]

After having cleaned up the last of the Nuisance Puyo, she turned to Seriri to clarify what she meant.

"Not literally from the book, but this might be the origin story of how the game came to be; in other words, answers I've sought for ever since I learned how to play Puyo from Arle!"

Ringo seemed unnecessarily excited that her search for answers is getting somewhere. Though, she did try to compose herself to avoid making a scene. She couldn't help it; newfound knowledge excited her, and this was one of the riddles she's been seeking answers for. She turned over to Ciel to explain what Puyo is, albeit to the best of her knowledge. She hasn't read through the entire book, after all.

"These jelly-like creatures are called 'Puyo', and they come in five colors: Red, Blue, Yellow, Green, and Purple. When you group four of the same color together, they 'pop' and let out some magical force that create these clear ones called 'Nuisance Puyo'. How much is made is dependent on how many groups are popped in succession. So yes, they would be a product of a chain reaction. I've been searching answers as to why, but if I may confess... If it weren't for the exposure of this 'Owanimo' spell, I would not have the powers I have now. I would just be another normal student attending Suzuran Junior High."

It's pretty surreal to her. One day, she was just another regular girl in a school. The next moment, she was given these powers by the magical law of Puyo. It's been a time ago since she first got them, but now, it almost seems second nature to her. She didn't want to be thrusted into wacky adventures, but now, she didn't mind it at all as long as she doesn't get killed out there.

"...Wait, hold up...did you just say 'Magical Girl's Society'? Is that a group who fight with the power of love and justice just like the 'Melody Star' seri- Uh, Never mind. Forget I said that..."

...Yes, Ringo, keep a lid on your closet Magical Girl geek-nees. This isn't exactly what you're expecting.

[Coolshaymin]

"Oh, I never really thought about it that much. It kind of just came naturally for self defense..." Seriri replied. At least Ciel was okay at the very least. Not sure what she would do if the scientist got injured... Or worst... Seriri shook it from her mind and decided to focus on the current topic.

"Oh yeah, that group you are in that help eachother. I kind of been wanting to check it out but...." Seriri stopped short of where she was going with that sentence... She, honestly had no reason as to not asking Ciel to help her get new friends... Other than being scared of doing so. That was not an excuse she can really give though...

"... Hey, Ciel! Look at this clam I found. It even plays music!" Seriri abruptly tried to distract from her previous statement by directing attention to the music box.

[Mari]

...So that was what a puyo was. She'd heard of them, bet never made the connection. Listening to Ringo talk gave Ciel an idea.

"

I've noticed that there is little to no text available here on Li describing any of the worlds in which these puyos seem to naturally reside. Perhaps that is because we have yet to discover a piece of these worlds on Li. ...But with that being said, have you ever considered writing your own book to catalogue your experiences, Ringo?

"

...Another thought occured to Ciel, the idea that maybe they should be out searching for books on this relatively unknown series of worlds, but that was perhaps a more difficult and aimless idea. One could not simply safely scour Li for signs of a familiar landmark, at least not without some specialized tools or powers to aid them in avoiding trouble. Perhaps another time, once she had a better idea of where to start looking--or more accurately where not to look. ...The scientist honestly wasn't sure what Ringo was referencing, but she did catch that it wasn't a wholly incorect comparison. It seemed spot on, if she did say so herself.

"

That is a very apt obersvation, Ringo. When I was invited by Princess Peach I was told that I could invite others to the sisterhood, but that they needed to hold love close in their hearts. ...I told her I didn't think I was very magical, but offered to help me learn sometime~ Is that something you two would be interested in?

"

Finally, Ciel would move to accept the rather interesting toy Seriri picked out. Looking it over for a moment, she quietly considered the possible modification of the toy to allow for a wider selection of music to be played. That's actually really cute! Let's put that in the basket. I'll have to check it over to make sure it's still water safe later." Ciel remarked, putting the toy into the basket she'd brought before returning to her book search.

SUB-OBJECTIVE COMPLETE

[Rina]

Ringo pondered about it for a moment... A record about the Puyo worlds? That ought to be one of the archives! Though, her knowledge is just a drop in the bucket, considering there's three of them where Puyo make their habitat; namely, Suzuran, Primp Town, and...wherever Arle and her companions came from. Suzuran is relatively new to them, and the only other place she knows of is Primp. What about that third world? It's a complete enigma to her. Ringo did have notes on her studies on Puyo...back on Suzuran.

"I could help write a record on the world of Puyo, but it'd be only limited to, say, my home town and small details about Primp. I do have a work-in-progress field guide to Pwurp Island too, but as I stated, it's a work-in-progress. It's an island that's a ferry trip from Primp, but despite that, its biology on Puyo behave somewhat differently."

She then considered who she could contact to help piece info about the Puyo worlds...but then feels resigned to admit that her two immediate thoughts were not the most reliable.

"I would consult Arle about her home world, but even I would probably lose track on her explanation. Amitie, while a resident of Primp Town, is not the brightest person I know and is a little scatter-brained. I'm also acquainted with two men from those respective other worlds, but one is a pervert-ish cosplayer and the other is a suspicious candy man."

RINGO NO, DON'T DESCRIBE SCHEZO AND LEMRES LIKE THAT! Seriri, hopefully you can defend Schezo...

[Coolshaymin]

"..." Seriri remained quiet as Ringo explained her knowledge to Ciel. If any time was to ask if she could be a part of the group it was now but why was she scared. If Peach saw Ciel as such a valuable member then surely that means she can trust the other members... How scary can people that hold love in their hearts really be anyway? It sounds a good group of friends... Could love actually be used as a tool though? Could she defend herself if she could more use her desire for friends...Arle was apparently a member as well..

"... Ci-Ciel?" Seriri spoke up after she thought it out. "I would love if I could be accepted into such a group. I-I know I can be a little... timid... But what Peach suggests sounds interesting... And I... if you help eachother then it sounds... nice..." Seriri suggested... Clearly starting to second guess herself so clearly best to reassure her before she starts up again.

[Mari]

Ciel considered Ringo's words. ...She did know Arle, and in fact she'd bonded with Arle's younger self quite well. However, she was rather stir crazy and she'd never thought to ask her to sit down for a while and talk about the world she came from. It was honestly hard to find either of them at the lodge for very long, but she supposed a mage had to be at least somewhat book smart. ...Right? She'd have to ask for herself later.

"

That's alright. It couldn't be any harder than trying to research the history of the Kingdom of Hyrule. The only surviving Hylian I've been able to find wasn't willing to speak to me, and most of the books on the subject are either in a lost language or are written by outsiders.

"

Ciel would return to the bookshelf, shuffling through it before coming across a book titled "The Wrinkle In Space-Time: Spacial Relativity for Doofuses". ...She didn't care for the assumption the title was making, but it certainly advertises itself as educational material. She then picked out the accompanying book by the same author. "Piercing the Heavens: Wormhole and Multiverse Theory for doofuses" ...That title was starting to come off as disingenuous. This was very clearly dealing in the realm of scientific theory rather than anything concrete. Regardless, she began opening the books and flipping through them.

"

In that case, I can introduce you once we're done bringing these books back to the lab. I feel like you'd be a good fit, Seriri... If you'd like, I can introduce you as well Ringo. It's a very laid back group... Have either of you seen anything on agriculture around here?

"

The offer came very casually, probably because Ciel's thoughts were elsewhere.

[Rina]

Ringo's face lit up with curiosity. 'What is this group about?' she wondered. Sure, Ringo attempted to get over her magical girl phase at one time, but...guess old habits and mentalities die hard. Though, is it really that easy to just join a group?

"Really? You can do that?"

Ringo turned back to the books, searching for ones involving agriculture. Terra-forming a land would be important, should the virus ever get pushed back. It'd help reinvigorate the ecosystem and revitalize the wildlife! Ringo browsed through the shelves, looking at its titles one by one. There's "Beware the Fauna that Spits Peas" ...ok that one's pretty bizarre. Another read "Research on Primp Town's Moonsunflowers" and a third read "Forget-me-Not Valley's Guide to Farming." The last one sounded interesting, as Ringo has handled fresh produce back home. Heck, it's in the family name: "Andou Greengrocers"

"Hey, I think I may have found something! There's nothing better than having fresh vegetables straight from a good harvest!"

[Coolshaymin]

"Really? You'd really think I would be a good fit? Thank you, Ciel. I would appreciate that quite a bit," Seriri replied to Ciel happily and relieved. She seemed to be knocked out of her descent into doubt for a moment. Being reassured by the other girl made it a bit easier.

"I imagine it must be pretty hard to have your home destroyed like that. I can not say I would not blame them for not wanting to talk about it. I wish there was some way to restore it but it feels like one of the most lost worlds here. I feel sorry for them..." Seriri stated. She was not sure who Ciel tried to talk to it about but it was a sad concept. It looked like Ringo was faster to find a book on agriculture and Seriri could not really find much. In fact, the mermaid was beginning to feel a little dry. "Ciel, I think I could use a drink," she requested.

[Mari]

"

Of course! You're two of my closest friends on Li! If anyone deserves a shot, it's you! I think there's an interview process to being accepted, but that's mostly just about making sure your heart is in the right place, so I think you two will ace that just fine.

"

Ciel was busy pulling out a handful of books and setting them aside. One of them was "Sinnoh Mythology: A Look Into The Beginnings of the Pokemon World", oddly enough with a library mark saying it belonged to the canclave city library. ...Hm. That was probably a relic from its life before Li, so she ignored this. Another was "The Legend of Dovahkiin", an otherwise unmarked book that also appeared to be full of mythology once she popped it open. Beside this was a book full of inscriptions she could not read labeled as a guide to the draconic language. ...A language? The book felt heavy with the weight of destiny in Ciel's hands. Interesting. Someone would probably appreciate this resource. Then came Ringo's books. Ciel moved over to examine the books Ringo had produced.

"

Wow--Just what we were looking for! Making this publicly available will be a big help to anyone looking to help with the famine.

"

When Seriri commented that she needed a drink, however, Ciel perked up and stopped what she was doing pretty much immediately to go tend to her. Producing a bottle of water, she bent over and cracked the top open for Seriri's easy access before offering it to her. She wasn't sure whether Seriri wanted to drink it or pour it on herself, but that wasn't a big deal right now.

"

We can get another drink on the way back home and stop by to visit the society. Are both of you about ready to go?

"

Ciel didn't want to wait until Seriri got dehydrated again to start leaving, so it was important to begin closing up shop now. Be a responsible pet owner, kids.

[Rina]

"Well, it's natural that I'd get some screening to be eligible. Letting anyone in would lead to some unforeseen problems."

Ringo handed the book over to Ciel, taking notice of the time. How long have the girls been here? Apparently it's close to closing time. And long enough for Seriri to feel a bit dry. Well, that can't be good for her. Wrapping up the little shopping trip, Ringo attempted to pull herself away from the shelves and back to Ciel. Don't want her curiosity keeping them.

"Glad I could find something that'd help in these pressing times."

[Coolshaymin]

"Th-thanks," Seriri appreciated as she took the opened bottle of water. She held it above herself and poured it down onto her body. Her body absorbing the moisture well enough. Drinking it would of been just as sufficient but it would not really help if her body was drying up as well. Though her trinket allowed her to travel on land, she was still primarily a sea creature.

"There's a t-test?" Seriri noted. That made her a bit nervous again but Ciel said it would be alright... It really did not sound that difficult anyway so maybe it will be fine. The mermaid declined to speak on the famine though. She knew there was less food to go around these days... But that only made her more nervous. A weak and defenseless mermaid against some starving bully... No thank you... "Yeah, I am fine with leaving now."