Fluffball Mayhem

Facility Event: Rhythmic Resolutions

Episode 3

Fluffball Mayhem

Previous Quest

A Sudden Attack

Next Quest

Milky Despair

Summary

Fluffy little troublemakers are causing chaos around town, and Sam is at the heart of it. Turns out that when people violate a certain taboo, it creates multiple naughty versions of the creature. Armed with this info, the party goes to find the original and end the havoc.

Dialogue

That should do it for the fiends. By my finest servingware! The talisman at the entrance to the woods has been torn down! Talisman? Hinomotoan sorcerers made it for Quinbell to keep fiends away. Such a nasty prank to steal it! No one cares about your pranks. Where the heck is Sam? Oh, look! It's Sam! ...Heeey, buddy! You hungry? Want some nougat? GIMME DAT NOUGAT! S-Sam? What the hey?! *chomp* *horf* *smack* *slobber* Aw, crapola! My claws are all sticky now! THIS is the amazing Sam you wouldn't shut up about? This creature is as fluffy as Sam, but I'm not certain that—I say! You there! Stop wiping your hands on that! It's a napkin, ain't it? It is most certainly NOT—it is the talisman used to ward off fiends! As you are clearly the party at fault for all this ruckus, I will thank you to hand it over this instant! You givin' me orders, ya dumb dummy? Kyaaa ha! Stupid! Moron! IDIOT BRIGADE! And you! Emo kid! My morning nougat ain't chocolate—it's nuts, ya nerd! What?! How do you...? Maybe fire up that pea-brain of yours and the answer'll come to ya. ...OR NOT! Kyaaaaa ha ha ha! Later, suckers! Stop right there, you rapscallion! How did that thing know about Sam's food rotation...? Oh, darling! Terrible news! Hey, Mym! Where've you been? You missed a heckuva show. I was getting ready for my festival date, but there's no time for that anymore!

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Uhhhh... Well, this isn't good. Imma paint this town red, baby! Aaaaaw yeaaaaah! Nooo! My precious tomatoes! Stop throwing them!

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First one to get their butt chomped wins a prize! Giddyup, big boy! Eeeeeeek!

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Say, laaaaadies. How's it hangin'? What say you'n me go grab a nice cup'a tea and get to know each other? Are you...flirting with us? Tea does sound quite nice...

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It's that rude fuzzball from before— but MORE of them! They're multiplying. Say, no! Knock that off right now, you little monster! Oh, you're in a world'a hurt now, boss. I'm gonna give you the ol' double tomato! These creatures multiply indefinitely. Long ago, they led to the destruction of an entire kingdom. You know what these things are, Mym? They are called Styx. And despite how they may look at the moment, they're actually the young form of an elegant dragon. Wait, so they're dragon babies? But then why are they being so...rude? By nature Styx is a well-behaved dragon— but when people violate a particular taboo, it makes these little devils split off from her. And what is this taboo? Hrm. You know what, darling? I don't remember that part. That would seem to be the important part to remember... Okay, so anyway, all these Styxes split from Sam? Sam...? Wait, do you actually know the original of these little terrors? Um...no? It's... I mean, it's just Sam, so it's not...you know. Stuff. Heavens, you truly WERE raised in a barn! Here is the situation, my good woman... Well, that certainly solves one question: Sam is clearly the original. I don't understand. Me and Sam have been living together for a few days, and we always got along great. Are you trying to say the taboo was broken by MOI? Ha! Unlike you and your slovenly ways, I went to great pains to take the utmost care of the beast! That's not what I was trying to say, gosh! And do you have to be insulting about it?! Some things that are positive to humans are viewed as negative by dragons—and it can take a little time for the effects of this to make themselves known. Urgh... In any case, it's time to split up and look for the original. I'm certain that little critter holds the key to resolving this entire unpleasant matter. We don't know this town very well, so it'll be more efficient if we partner up with some of the locals.

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This a good way to go, Eugene? Oh, uh... Ummm... (The prince has that hard-to-approach thing going on and the dragon lady is WAY too much, so I went with the faerie.) (I wish talking wasn't so hard...) You're pretty different, aren't you? From when you were talking to that Catherine lady, I mean. Nuh-uh! It's just... I mean... Look, that idiot brigade of a lady just makes me really mad sometimes. I dunno if it's 'cause she's the mayor's daughter or what, but she's overbearing and haughty and out of her dang MIND! But despite that, she's super social. And she doesn't let anything stop her from making herself heard. Wait, do you hate her or not? Obviously, duh! I TOTALLY—

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—HATE him! Even when he has something to say, he simply sits there fidgeting and mumbling and being a complete craven! THEN he has the gall to blame everyone else for bad things that happen! Oh, I DO worry for that idiot child's future! Grrrr! He didn't seem all that bad to me. Well, he is, I assure you. Take you, for example: Even though you are royalty and of some talent, you weren't just accepted unconditionally by your comrades, no? Well, I— Gutless Eugene does not understand that! He won't expend the effort to get noticed and tortures himself because of it. He's naught but a scanty, shabby, wisp of a boy! *I* make the effort, so why can't he?!

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Have things always been bad between Eugene and Catherine? They were pretty close as kids, but ever since they went off to different schools, Eugene started to feel cut off from the people around him. Whereas Catherine drew everyone to her like honey draws flies. And the more that happened, the more the gap widened. You humans really are a handful... Hmm? What is it? I feel a strange sensation from that restaurant over there.

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Mym, look! Suu... Suu... Suu... Oh, what a cutie! Is this Sam? Yes, this is most certainly the original. Let's tell my darling at once and— Tsk tsk, ladies! It's rude to walk in and out of an establishment without placing an order. Now just take a seat right over there— I'll have some appetizers out to you lickety-split!