34 - Tottergarten

I left Walnut Tower just after noon. Bianca’s text said to meet at 12:15, so I had plenty of time to walk to the Student Union Building. After Superpower Ethics, I needed a little downtime with some unpowered friends.

We could not agree on whether a super needed to stick to Episode themes.

But oddly enough, Fursona was with Gourmet on this one, and I’d lined up with Theseus; the theme was important. If you could fill your [Role Focus], that’d go a long way toward making an Episode a hit. The Style System assigned [Role Focuses] for a reason, after all. We all needed to stay focused together.

Gourmet had disagreed. Strenuously. And Fursona had joined her. Gourmet said getting the win beat everything else, and Fursona was just as determined to stop the villains from winning, no matter the cost. I couldn’t help but hear some frustration from the ‘Leg Days’ Episode in their voice.

Every other team was getting somewhere on their Code of Ethics, and we couldn’t agree on anything. At this point, we’d have to work outside of class to catch up. Or worse, let Theseus steer the ship and just row for him, and I didn’t want that.

No one wanted that.

So, anyway, the team had fought, and Doctor Jackson had to get involved. So now I was mad at Fursona. Hopefully, I’d be over that before our trip to daycare later.

<I’m in line at the pizza booth - Bianca 12:18>

<Cafeteria, not shops - Bianca 12:18>

I hurried inside and headed to the cafeteria side of the building. Just like my first full day on campus, the lines looped back and forth through queues to maximize space. Bianca stood near the middle of the pizza line with a tray and her gigantic backpack. She waved the whole tray at me, then turned to the frat bro behind her and apologized for almost hitting him.

I snorted, grabbed a tray, and ducked the rope to stand beside her. “Hey, Bee.”

“Hi, Annie! How were your classes today?” Bianca looked flushed. I couldn’t tell if it was embarrassment at almost taking out that guy or the class she’d been in before lunch.

“Fine. It’s biology, so nothing new there compared to high school.” My lie was getting smoother. Soon I’d be an expert. “Little red, there, huh?”

“I’m in, um, fencing. So it’s kinda a workout.” She lifted her arm and gave her pit a quick sniff. “Nope, we’re good!”

“Is the pizza line the best place for that?” I asked.

“Uh, I guess not. Sorry, that was probably kind of gross, huh? At least I smell okay, I guess.”

That was true. Bianca smelled fine—or if she did stink, it wasn’t noticeable over the smells of pizza, burritos, and burgers. We scooted toward the line’s front, where I grabbed a slice of cheese pizza and Bianca debated between the sausage and barbecue chicken before settling on one of each.

Then we found a spot to sit. Bianca tore into her first slice while I questioned her. “So, fencing, then? Why that?”

“Need a P.E. credit to graduate,” she said between bites. Then she chewed on another bite, barbecue sauce smeared across her face. I didn’t want something tough, like weights, and hiking burns weekends until mid-October, so I went with fencing instead. I’m not very good at it, but it’s definitely teaching me how to move.”

“I see.” I’d have to consider fencing for my credit. Or maybe a martial arts class. I needed to figure out how to move better, too. I took a bite of my cheese pizza. It tasted like grease and the Freshman Fifteen pounds they’d warned me I’d gain. I loved it.

“Yeah. Alright, you seemed pretty down last night. You can always tell me what’s up.” Bianca wiped her mouth on a paper napkin and balled it up in a fist. “More boyfriend problems?”

“And other things.” I’d thought I was being clever by not talking about Peter, but I guess not. I wasn’t going to start now, though. I ate another bite. Then another.

Bianca waited. When I went for my third bite, she frowned. “Alright. Subject change. Why do you call me Bee?”

“It’s easier to type than Bianca, and I like nicknames.” I’d given nicknames to Peter, Collidus, Fursona, and ‘S,’ plus a bunch of my high school friends back home. It made sense to give one to Bianca, too. “Plus, it’s kinda cute.”

“Well, I think it’s cute, too. I’ll be your Bee.” She froze midway through a bite. “Was that weird? Yeah, that was weird sorry sorry.”

I laughed into my soda. It was a little weird but nothing out of the ordinary for Bianca. She spent the next minute eating sausage pizza and avoiding eye contact until I finished composing myself. “It’s fine, Bee. It really is.”

We finished our pizza slices—I was shocked at how quickly she inhaled hers—and talked about our classes for a while. She wanted to check out the Tokyexico Megamall this weekend. It’d be a multi-day trip to see the whole thing, of course, and the Megamall often had major-league Episodes running, but it sounded fun. I told her I’d think about it.

Then it was off to Intro to Drama for us.

◄▼►

I kept whistling to myself while we walked to Tottergarten, and it was driving Fursona up the wall.

“What’s got you in such a good mood?” They asked, turning back and staring at me with their cartoon eyes. “Class was a disaster, and we don’t know if this is gonna work.”

“Oh, it’s going to work. I have 100% confidence in your research skills. And I forgive you for being wrong in class.” Bianca and I had talked on the couch outside of Intro to Drama until we both had to go. She had a tutoring thing, and I had…well, I told her it was a club meeting, but I was lying. Was lying to my friends wrong? Yep! Did I do it anyways, all the time? Uh huh. Anything for the secret identity!

Fursona was right about one thing, though. Hanging out with Bianca did wonders for my mood. I couldn’t stop smiling, and we hadn’t even done anything. I was going to have to invite her over for…I stopped. What did college girls invite each other over for? Drinks? Board games?

Tottergarten’s car sign loomed over us. I could see shapes moving through the translucent windows; a few adults and some smaller figures that would not stop running around. More importantly, I got a [Casting Call] as we got closer!

[Casting Call]

[Episode: Short: The Playpen Pals and Honeycomb Save the Bees! - G]

[Role: Bug Collector! Do you accept the role? (Yes/No)]

[Role Focus: Silly > Sad]

“Yes! She’s in there!” I shouted. I accepted the [Bug Collector] role and ran toward the door. I opened it up and ran straight into a woman in a tweed jacket. Her curly hair and hoop earrings belied a sense of confidence and power. She looked down at her clipboard, then at us.

“The two [Bug Collectors] approached the daycare politely,” she said and snapped her fingers at me.

= = = = =

I walked toward the door and then stared right at the camera drone that had suddenly appeared next to me. “I think Honeycomb’s in there, but we should be polite. It’s super-important to be polite, especially at a business!” It was weird; it felt similar to when Doctor Mindstorm took over my body because I had no control over what I did or said. That woman, whoever she was, must’ve been a really, really powerful super.

I reached out, opened the door, and said, “Hello! I’m Magical Girl Understudy, and this is my sidekick, Fursona. We’re here about the bees.” As soon as I said my line, I felt the pressure on my mind relax—a lot.

The tweed-suited woman smiled at me. “Of course. The [Beekeeper] is just inside. Before you go in, I need to explain something. Playpen Patrol is my life’s work. And I’ve done so much good with it. So, if you act out of line for a G-rated show, I’ll narrate you out of the Episode. Understood?” The threat didn’t seem villainous, and there wasn’t a single sign of a [Maniacal Reveal]. Just a raw reveal of power, like a mother bear rearing up to protect her young.

I nodded. So did Fursona.

“And the two [Bug Collectors] headed inside, where the children and Magical Girl Honeycomb awaited them.”

= = = = =

We headed inside, propelled by the woman’s Power, whatever it was. Inside, sitting in a circle, were four children in super-suits—and one confused-looking Honeycomb. “And, Patrollers, we…uh…we have to remember to, um. Just a second. What are you two doing here?”

“We’re here to save the bees!” Fursona said an instant before the entirety of Playpen Patrol swarmed them.

The first one hit them at the knees. I winced as the very confused kangaroo catapulted into the ground; the kid was way stronger than the pint-sized powerhouse had any right to be. But instead of pressing the attack, he screamed, “I wanna pet the mouse!” at the top of his lungs.

“Uh, Patrollers, they’re not a mouse. They’re a kangaroo. Look over here!” Honeycomb said, trying desperately to bring their attention back to the model insect in her hand.

“Yeah, I’m a kangaroo. They’re marsupials, and they live in Australia,” Fursona said from under the pile of kids. “Can you get them off me?”

Despite his strength, the tiny-tot super-soldier was surprisingly easy to pick up. Once he was off the ground, I carried him back to Honeycomb. Then I looked at Fursona and sighed. The one with the crackly blue light around her would be easy, but the fast one and the one zipping around the ceiling looked like a total pain in the ass to wrangle.

I had an [Inkling]. “Hey, lady, can we get some help here?”

[Good Thinking! +1 Smarts Point For Later]

I groaned. The G rating had even infected the Style Point updates!

“Luckily, Honeycomb had told the Playpen Patrol about their incoming guests.”

= = = = =

We headed inside. There, Magical Girl Honeycomb sat in a circle with four super-suit-wearing children. They struggled to contain their excitement when they saw Fursona, but all of them stayed seated, though one stayed sitting four feet in the air.

“These are my friends I told you about, Patrollers. Magical Girl Understudy is a Magical Girl like me, and my other friend is a kangaroo. No, not a mouse, Milkbar. Let’s take a couple of minutes here. Why don’t you four go see if you can find out what Pranky Jones is up to while I talk to Understudy?”

“Awww, please!”

“No! I wanna pet the mouse!”

“Comeoncomeoncomeon! Please please please please please!”

Fursona laughed and flopped onto the floor. “It’s fine. Send ‘em over.”

“Your fur is so soft!” The fast girl skidded to a halt in a splash of orange, way too close to Fursona’s face. Her hands were already wrist-deep in plush before Fursona had even finished speaking.

“Yeah, it is. Okay, first things first, I’m a kangaroo. That’s a kind of marsupial. Can you say that word?”

Honeycomb stood up, blushing a little. With the cameras off of us, she flushed a little. “How’d you find out?”

“About your kids’ show?” She nodded, and I shrugged. “We found an Episode here two nights ago. But we didn’t get it until last night, and then we had classes. Listen, we need your help. Where’s Jumper?”

She looked like she’d burst into tears at any second. “I don’t know.”

“Marsupials all live in Australia,” Fursona said behind us. “I think.”

“Oooooh!”

“Wow!”

“How do you know so much?”

Not all marsupials lived in Australia. I’d talk to Fursona about it later, though. I’d come so far, and Fursona couldn’t distract me now. “Come on, Honey-bunches. You have to know more than that. Or could you at least text us the next time she starts something?”

“My producer already hates both of us and if you just roll up and crush her, that’ll look terrible for me. You’ve gotta give me something in return if I help you track her down.” She smiled just slightly through the near tears.

“What?” My stomach got ready to plunge. I had a guess already, but I hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

“I need help taking down Jumper. Not you doing it for me. Just help.”

I nodded. I could do that.

“There’s more,” Honeycomb said to me. Her face screamed nervousness, and she chewed on her lip for a second.

“I need help with the kids, too. I need you to guest star.”

◄▼►