Pingu didn't come home.

Much sadness in Rhodes Island today.


Life as a Senior Operator of Rhodes Island wasn't all too different from life in Blacksteel. If anything, for Liskarm, her schedule was relatively the same.

Wake up. Physical training. Combat training with other Operators, including a sleepy Franka.

Wash up. Eat breakfast while catching up with the daily news. Handle any work or tasks that had been issued for the day, all while making sure Franka doesn't run off because she was 'allergic to boredom.'

Lunch. Firearms training with other Sniper Operators. Give Jessica some tips on shooting. Get exasperated when Franka tries to sneak alcohol into her drinks.

Dinner. Arts training with other Caster Operators. Maintenance on equipment. Finish up any unfinished business. Go to bed after making sure Franka covers her stomach.

Overall, it was a very simple schedule. Concrete, structured, and not much of a problem for her abilities. A perfectly ordered tradition Liskarm had managed to instill into herself both mentally and physically.

Yes. Even with Franka.

Today was a bit different, however, considering the fact that she had been assigned Assistant Duty with the Doctor. Originally, Liskarm wouldn't have put much thought into such a role; her years as a trainee at Blacksteel had required her to do her fair share of paper-pushing for senior Operators. Filing documents, doing nonvital paperwork, taking out the trash; all tasks that she has had plenty of experience doing.

However, Rhodes Island's Doctor was...unique.

His behaviorisms after his impromptu 'popsicle-treatment' (as Franka had called it) had drastically turned the previously well-mannered researcher a sharp ninety degrees away from his original personality. While there were still some traces of the Doctor she had known from her first day at Rhodes, it was safe to say that many of the current Doctor's antics and experiments fulfilled the requirements of him being labeled 'clinically insane.' Or, as the Doctor had put it, 'going Co-Co for Cocoa Puffs.'

From Franka to Doctor, Liskarm wondered if some deity above was laughing at her misfortune as she vainly tried to act as an equalizer between two overwhelming forces of nature...

"Behold my power!"

"Oh, how scary!"

...like what was happening in front of her right now.

"Here I come, Franka! Be bedazzled by my ultimate technique!"

*smack*

"Hoh? You're approaching me, Doctor? Me, a Champion of BSW?! If so, prepare for your defeat as I unleash my even more flawless technique!"

*plink*

"Guh! Not bad...but I'm not finished yet! Take this my rival, my Shining Smash!"

*tink*

"As expected of my honorable adversary! You are truly a respectable opponent! In that case, I'll have to release my true power! Blacksteel Counter!"

"Rabbit Punch!"

"Vulpine Retaliation!"

"DONKEY BARREL!" Doctor howled sonorously.

"100 DEGREE SWORD!" Franka yelled cheerfully.

"Please get back to work," Liskarm sighed tiredly.

Doctor and Franka kept on shouting random inane names as they passed the ping-pong ball across Doctor's massive desk, seemingly too engrossed in their game to notice the exasperated Vouivre working in-between them. This game had been going on for the better part of the last thirty minutes she had started working, and, just as expected from a dysfunctional three-man team, the towering stacks of paperwork had barely a dent.

Miraculously, the ball hadn't yet interfered with Liskarm in her work. Whether it be due to luck, divine intervention, or some twisted mercy that Franka and the Doctor were giving her, the Blacksteel Defender had no intention of questioning how it had been that she hadn't gone insane from stress yet. Small blessings, she decided as she picked up her coffee mug to take a sip–

"DYNAMIC CH– ah, Liska-!"

*splash*

There was silence. Blessed, chilling silence.

Doctor froze like a deer in headlights.

Franka's eyes shrank into dots.

The white ping pong ball bobbed lazily in a sea of coffee.

"..."

...and Liskarm's eyebrow twitched as coffee dripped from her face, an audible crackling emanating from her now, glowing blue, horns.

"...I'm sorry?" Doctor apologetically whimpered.


Amiya: A brief notification to all Operators of Rhodes Island. Doctor's office is currently being remodified due to a work accident involving a stray electrical current from a frayed wire. Should any of you who have any appointments with the Doctor still wish to follow through, please go to storage closet B6 on the second floor.

Please keep in mind to take caution of any anomalies during your stay at Rhodes. If there is a problem, please do not hesitate to alert me, miss Closure, Dr. Kal'tsit (when she comes back from Lungmen), or Doctor of it. Let's learn from Doctor's experience and work together to make Rhodes Island a safer place!

I apologize for the inconvenience and wish you all a pleasant day.