Merry Christmas Everyone!
Disclaimer: I do not own Fossil Fighters, any of the vivosaurs or characters (Except for Creed), and am simply writing this for my own amusement.
A/N: As the sequel to my previous fic, Dark Horse Gambit, this story will continue building up on the foundation I have already laid down. It shall detail the adventures of novice Fossil Fighter Vestello Leoncor as he competes in the infamous Caliosteo Cup. What sort of troubles will he face? You are welcome to read and find out.
Acknowledgments: Firstly, I would like to thank Devaro Ayanami for his wonderful help as both my Beta and my sounding-board. Secondly, I would like to thank Tempest Bound for encouraging me to post this story now, rather than later. Thirdly, I would like to thank Vathara for all the wonderful stories, which I highly recommend you read, he has posted. Reading them has helped me find ways of expanding my own writing style.
Chapter 2
Labyrinthine Monster II
From: Leveche
Subject: Re: Friend of yours?
Not to my knowledge. I believe she's helping her grandfather back on Vivosaur Island at present. Why do you ask?
/\/\/\/\
Well…there goes that theory. Vestello put his tablet away. Though, I suppose those yellow ends should have been something of a clue.
According to Leveche, Rosie had solid pink hair and was always clad in pink. Never once did she mention Rosie dyeing the tips of her hair blonde… Of course those might be Pauleen's natural hair colors.
All the same, what were the odds that there were two people with vibrant pink hair, pulled into oversized pigtails, with an obnoxious personalities? That both were Fossil Fighters, even? Sure, lots of people were obnoxious, lots of people were Fossil Fighters, and lots of people shared passing resemblances with each other, but still… pink? How often was it that someone had pink hair? Seriously!
A chill up his spine halted any further musings.
"I'm actually excited to see what this monster looks like." Pauleen spoke. "And I know it's excited to see me." She glanced over her shoulder and Vestello was sure she was grinning under that ridiculous mask.
Still, she waited for him to come up even with her before they entered the darkest part of the woods side-by-side.
"Well—" Pauleen slowed in favor of intense area-scanning. "—This is the deepest part of the jungle…" She looked around again, then turned to Vestello. "But I don't see a monster anywhere-"
Trees and bushes shook as a sudden roar split the air. Both Fighters spun around.
An acrid taste coated the roof of Vestello's mouth as they darted forward.
Is that…gasoline?
"Prepare to meet your doom at the hands of Pauleen, the most beautiful Fighter in the land!"
If anyone accused Vestello of having tripped over air he would fervently deny it.
Light flashed. Metallic fangs sparked then exploded.
Definitely gasoline. Vestello looked the rusty, sad-looking machine over. And I'm pretty sure those are tank treads.
A groan drew both bemused Fighter's attention. Two hard hat wearing men appeared from the foliage, looking all but identical sans the fact that one wore a blue shirt while the other wore a brown. Both looked dismayed as they approached the machine.
"The darn thing broke." Brown-shirt winced, prodding a tread.
"Well, it's been scaring off Fighters 24/7." Blue-shirt pointed out. "I'm surprised it lasted this long."
A smile tugged at Vestello's lips. I wonder if they realize Pauleen and I are right here, listening to them.
"Come on. Let's see if we can fix it." Blue-shirt continued.
I'll take that as a no-uh-oh, what's Pauleen up to?
"Hold the phone! What's going on?" The pinkette seemed to glower at the two men, though the full affect was missed on account of the mask. "Are you telling me this monster is just some kind of fake?"
Startled, both men spun to face her.
Blue-shirt laughed. "You're smarter than you look, girl. Yeah, it's a big old fake." A gesture towards his partner. "Me and Lee here built it ourselves."
That's it, just keep digging your own graves-wait…
::Darn it Vicious! Stop that!::
"Yeah." Brown-shirt, Lee, grinned. "But it was a really good fake! All the Fighters were too scared to come to this part of the jungle."
I wonder why no one bothered using their vivosaurs…
"And that meant we could take all the fossil rocks we wanted! Pretty smart, huh?"
Palm, meet forehead-
Hey!
Vestello stepped back as Blue-shirt suddenly advanced forward.
"Yep, ol' Mr. Monster here did his job real well. But now you know our little secret." A sly grin. "And we can't be having that now, can we?"
With a matching grin, Lee advanced on Pauleen, who also stepped back. "Let's lock 'em up somewhere until they forget, eh, Jerry?"
A growl, then: "Hold it right there!"
Both men stepped back, startled by the fury in Pauleen's voice.
My ears…ow. Earplugs might be a wise investment in the near future…
"I can deal with your fake monster, and I can even deal with your dumb names, but no one locks me up!" Dino medals flashed between her fingers.
I concur. Vestello traced his fingers over his gauntlet, feeling his vivosaurs stir eagerly. One foot sliding back, he stood rooted, waiting for an attack.
"All right, Vestello! You take that Fighter—" A sharp point to Blue-shirt. "—and I'll take this one!"
They exchanged looks. Vestello nodded.
"Here we come!"
/\/\/\
Another arthropod… Amber eyes scanned the opposing meter-long vivosaur. An anomalocaris, or 'abnormal shrimp', though right now it was merely an anomalo. Just how an aquatic arthropod gained an air-affinity as a vivosaur is beyond me. Though that odd quirk did make its name fit all the more.
A tremor of annoyed pale reds reverberated through bored pale violets, blending into a solid, rumbling sense of contempt.
::Not even a snack.:: Savage complained, also eyeing the miniscule vivosaur.
Vestello couldn't quite muster up the urge to rebuke the princely lizard.
Misty gusts of happy yellows blended with an upwelling of eager oranges.
::Play/dart-and-tease/dance-through-wind.:: Spirit trilled a note almost as happy as the colors he gave off as he hovered evenly with his green and tan opponent.
Derived from a nyctosaurus, or 'night lizard'—just who came up with that non-fitting name was beyond him—the vivosaur, nycto was hardly one fifth Spirit's size, if even that much.
A scoffing starburst of contemptuous red-violets.
::Toothless, not even beasts. Just like their master.::
Vestello sighed at his vivosaur's scorn. ::At least pretend to know some manners, Vicious.::
"Anomalo Twist!"
::Same as before?:: Vestello suggested.
Ravage didn't respond, just lifted his head and exposed his chest. As with their last battle, it proved too tempting a target to resist.
Vestello winced in sympathy at the sound of cracking chitin. Then a second time as Ravage's teeth flashed apart, then slammed shut once more.
Amber blinked, then Vestello frowned. ::Alright, that's enough. Spit it out. Now.::
A chuff, then the saliva-coated medal skipped across the dirt.
"Anomalo!" Blue-shirt scooped up his muddy medal, then turned furious eyes on Vestello. "Beak Strike on that thalasso! Teach them a lesson!"
Really? Dark brows arched. ::Have fun, Spirit.::
Mist of pale green acceptance swirled with splashes of laughing yellow-oranges.
::Play/tease-and-dance/fun, we'll have.::
Despite the diving nycto's agility, which it undoubtedly had, it just couldn't catch the larger pterosaur. Spirit effortlessly drifted just out of the way each time, making the whole conflict seem more like a water-against-wind fight rather than the wind-against-water fight that it was. Obviously the other Fighter had no idea how to properly use a wind-vivosaur's nature to his advantage.
Was it really such a hard concept to grasp? Wait…if Leveche hadn't explained it to him he probably wouldn't know about it either, so he really had no place to point fingers.
::Spiral Wing.::
With an almost ballet-like grace, Spirit rounded on the nycto as it made another pass, smashing its back with a forewing. The night lizard lost altitude and smashed through a tree branch before colliding headlong with the trunk of another.
Its medal, after a slight delay of branch-bounce, landed in the grass below.
"Aw, man."
Vestello heard Pauleen's opponent some distance away.
"We got beat by a couple of punks."
Punks? Vestello arched a brow. Said the pot to the kettle.
"Th-they're too tough!" Lee made for his partner-in-crime and tripped over an exposed tree root in his haste.
"Are you alright, Vestello?"
Amber blinked. Stella? The teenager turned. And several staff members as backup, nice.
Stella reached them, nodded in greeting to Vestello, then approached the broken machine. She hummed. "A homemade monster, eh?" She glared at the two pale men. "Now what could this be for?"
Vestello shivered. Scary, glad she's not mad at me.
Stella glanced back at Vestello and Pauleen. The two Fighters exchanged looks before Pauleen told Stella what happened. When she was done, Stella shot the two men another glare.
"Interesting. So they were scaring off the other Fighters in order to claim all the fossil rocks for themselves." She growled, actually growled, as she advanced towards the perps. "Seize them!"
That led to a rather interesting chase scene between the staff members and the frantic villains. Ignoring the chase, Stella turned to Vestello.
"You have Todd to thank for my being here, Vestello."
A nod. I suspected as much.
"He came running to me in a panic, wailing about how some monster was going to swallow you whole."
Vestello sniggered. Stella smiled and turned back towards the totaled machine.
"I was expecting some kind of trouble, but… Well, not this. Still—" She turned back to them. "—Fighters are now free to dig for fossil rocks here, so I suppose it all turned out all right. We owe the two of you our thanks."
"We rounded up these two ruffians, Stella." One of the staff members announced, holding Lee's arms firmly behind his back. "What do you want us to do with them?"
Stella frowned, looking over the two men. "They're disqualified from the Caliosteo Cup, so you can throw them out of the park. We'll send someone to collect the fake monster as evidence of their actions." She glanced back at the two teenagers. "Consider yourselves promoted to Level 3 Fighters, you can pick up your new ID cards in town. See you later, Vestello. You too, Pauleen."
And with that, she and the staff members led the crooks away.
Pauleen laughed. "Serves them right!" She turned. "Hey, so thanks for helping me out, Vestello. You're pretty good at this. Not as good as me, of course… But pretty good."
Smiling, Vestello bowed.
"Hey, Vestello! You're alive!"
Vestello turned as Todd ran up—
-paused, glanced passed him, and promptly let out a very non-masculine scream as he spotted Pauleen.
"The monster's right here!"
Pauleen growled. "Stop calling me a monster!" She advanced on the blonde. "I'm a teen idol! And a Fighter! …And my name is Pauleen!" She jabbed a finger at Todd's chest. "So if you ever call me a monster again, I'll knock you out!"
I don't think it'd go over well if I clapped. Vestello mused, enjoying the drama. Ooh! Time for Todd's comeback!
"Well if you don't want to be called a monster, you shouldn't wear a mask!" Todd's expression grew challenging. "Why don't you take it off?"
Pauleen recoiled as if struck. "Nope! Sorry. Can't do it."
Uh-oh, a chink in her armor. And Todd's response will be…
"So we're just supposed to trust that you're a beautiful teenager?" Todd got right into Pauleen's personal space. "Whatever!"
A growl. "How dare you! I'm beautiful! And young! And…and beautiful!"
Vestello winced. Ouch, a stumble, will she recover?
"I wear this mask for personal reasons that have nothing to do with you, and that's the end of it! Now good-bye!"
I guess not. Almost disappointed, he watched her storm off.
"What kind of weirdo wears a mask for personal reasons?" Todd growled under his breath.
A beep drew their attentions to their pagers.
"The Caliosteo Cup Round 2 matches will now begin. See the message board in front of the Fossil Center to find out which brackets you will be competing in, and who your opponent will be. Please get ready, then check in at Ribular Town's Fossil Stadium."
"Yes!" Pumping the air, Todd grinned at Vestello. "Round 2 is finally starting! I'll meet you back at the Fossil Stadium, all right?" He turned away. "You're gonna be awesome! I know it!"
Vestello watched him go, then pulled out his sonar.
Might as well collect some fossils on the way back, see if Ned's lessons were worth it. He surveyed the machine. Nice, one right under me.
Unfolding his pickaxe, Vestello aimed then swung. Dirt scattered and Vestello repeated the motion until the fossil became visible.
The blue haired boy paused, staring wide-eyed at the fossil. Then—
Oh you've got to be kidding me! Ned didn't say anything about there being a new layer added to the fossils I find!
/\/\/\
Rockin' Billy –vs- Vestello Leoncor
Either someone's parents have an unpleasant sense of humor…or that's someone's attempt at sounding cool. Vestello eyed the approximate time next to the names, noting it to be the same with his match with Todd. I'm almost certain that it will be that Elvis impersonator.
He turned away from the message board. With still several hours until his match, he might as well clean his fossil rocks. Maybe even start getting to know a new vivosaur if he had a skull fossil.
I should probably update my ID, too. Humming, he walked towards the Fossil Center.
/\/\/\
Wary greens blended with warming, curious blues.
Amber met red as Vestello eyed the almost wolfish face inside the revival chamber.
It sort of reminds me of pictures of Anubis in Ancient Egypt. He noted, taking in the black and gray coloring, accented by yellow-and-blue bands around tail-tip, wrists, and feet.
The eight-plus meter theropod, called a krypto, was derived from a kryptops, or 'covered face', dinosaur. Though, despite being a 'terrible lizard' it was covered in sleek fur and reminded Vestello more of a wolf than anything else.
Extending a hand, Vestello felt the cool glass beneath the pads of his fingers as he mentally reached out.
::Ready for a fight?:: In the back of his mind, he felt the other vivosaurs stir, also stretching curious tendrils towards the new comer.
Red blinked and a chuff sounded as the krypto turned away.
Reluctant greens splashed a sea of indifferent dark blues.
::I do not care.::
This time Vestello blinked, surprised by the response. So this is what a neutral-affinity vivosaur feels like…interesting.
A flash, and the krypto's dino medal appeared in the slot. Fingers stroking its rim, Vestello felt the bond solidify, and the sense of indifference coming from the covered face vivosaur strengthened. All the same, he couldn't help smile.
::You'll warm up to me eventually, Austere.::
A scoff of gray-blue was his only response.
/\/\/\
Heh, I was right. Even under the florescent lights the gaudy gold coat sparkled. Actually, it probably sparkled even more under the artificial beams than in the sunlight.
"You remember me there, babaloo?"
Vestello cocked his head. Rockin' Billy must have mistaken this for confusion because he went on.
"I'm the cat that told you 'bout the vicious monster back in the jungle."
I'm pretty sure that's venom in his voice, but I'm not sure…
"Seems you proved that monster was just a big ol' pussycat. That's some fine work there, unh-hunh. I only got one more thing to say…"
Uh-oh, here it comes. Vestello thought as Billy's face darkened.
"Why'd you have to go and do that?" An aggressive step forward and Billy was looming angrily over Vestello. "I had a plan to take all them rare fossils, and now it's ruined!"
Vestello twitched as spittle landed on his face. Do these guys have any common sense at all?
"Yeah, that's right." With an arrogant air, Billy stood tall. "I'm in cahoots with them two boys that ended up coolin' their heels in the hoosegow." A decidedly malicious smirk. "So now I get a chance for revenge, and it's gonna taste sweeter than Aunt Mable's pecan pie." Once more, he loomed forward. "You ready for some heartbreak, kid? 'Cause I'm gonna boogie-woogie all over your bad self!"
A twitch. That…sounded all kinds of wrong.
The overhead speakers crackled to life.
"Our next match pits Rockin' Billy against Vestello. Combatants should enter the stadium immediately."
Glancing at the speakers, Billy grinned. "I'm gonna play you like a fiddle in a jug band, babaloo."
Would someone shut this guy up already? Vestello sighed, then followed his opponent out into the stadium. Those cheesy quips are really beginning to grate…
Once in place, Vestello settled into a stable kickboxing stance Leveche had recommended and launched his vivosaurs. Austere took point, flanked by Regal and Spirit.
Opposite them, Billy let loose a raja and two new vivosaurs.
The first looked quite out of place in the sand, with its blue coloration and octopus-like face and tentacles. Its shell was at least two meters, whereas its tentacles were at least twice that length from end to end. Known as a parapu, it was derived from a crustacean called a parapuzosi, it was the largest variety of ammonite.
The second was a gray and yellow sauropod. Derived from a nigersaurus or 'niger lizard', the nigo stretched over fourteen meters in length and was…
…asleep?
Seriously? He eyed the drooping head and closed eyes.
A current of pale, apprehensive greens welled up.
::Two earths, one water…::
::Shame we don't have a fire vivosaur.:: Vestello sent back, nonchalant. ::Oh well, let's see what our new teammate can do.::
"Go: Raja Fang!"
Sand sprayed as brown unsheathed gleaming ivory.
Vestello swung an arm out to his side. ::Duck past it, then use Krypto Fang.:: Amber shifted focus. ::Spirit, be ready to deal with that nigo. Regal, you'll deal with that armored squid when he's distracted.::
Currents and mist surged in response as both water vivosaur readied for their parts.
Aggressive reds sudden washed out, spiraling down into pained grays.
Black head slamming into the dirt, Austere hissed as sharp fangs sunk into his back.
Vestello winced. Smart raja. To Austere he sent: ::Twist around, Krypto Fang again and ram it into the ground, put all your weight behind it.::
Red flashed and gray-black blurred. Fangs clamped down on the raja's throat and yanked. Pulled off balance, the raja's own grip came lose as it was pulled over Austere's body and into the sand face-first. Austere stood up, then slammed down, forcing his shoulder hard against the nape of the raja's neck, burying the larger theropod deeper.
With one final twist, the raja's medal rolled down the dune.
::Well done.::
"Bewilder Beam that krypto!"
Blue light flashed.
::Look out!::
Austere's head snapped up just as the light engulfed him.
::Regal: Tricera Combo!::
Sand sprayed, water surged, and chitin cracked under the might of the living battering ram.
::Toss it high! Spirit: Angry Peck!::
Chin dropping to the sand, Regal braced then threw his head back. The parapu, dazed and previously impaled on the horns, was shaken free and flung high into the air, tentacles flailing frantically. A screech split the air as Spirit dived down like a blue spear, sharp beak piercing the already fractured shell and tearing into the soft flesh underneath.
A sickening squelch could be heard as Spirit pierced the soft tissue beneath the hard carapace, then the parapu's dino medal fell towards the sand.
Two down, one to—
A roar split the air.
A maelstrom of frenzied bloody-blacks twisted with loathing burgundy overwhelmed washed out colors. Jagged streaks of disoriented gray-reds accented the storm.
Uh-oh…
Austere's shoulder struck the nigo squarely in the chest. The snoozing sauropod snapped awake, rearing back with a startled bugle. White fangs flashed then sunk deeply into gray hide.
"Get that thing off you!" Billy cried, his beady eyes wide with alarm.
The nigo tried, swinging heavily from side to side, but it could not shake off the wolf-in-lizard-hide. In fact, the more it struggled the stronger Austere's grip became until the nigo finally overbalanced from pain and hysteria.
Dust flew into the air as the giant saurpod crashed down onto its side, completely vulnerable to Austere's fangs and claws. The hidden face theropod ripped his head back and forth, teeth shredding the hide around the nigo's neck. Its blows were frenzied, confused, yet undeniably affective.
Vestello couldn't help a twinge of sympathy as the nigo beat a hasty retreat back into its dino medal to escape the crazed attacks.
Froth and saliva dripping from his fangs, Austere straightened up, wild eyes landing on Regal. Vestello felt a sudden surge of intent and decided enough was enough.
::Stop!::
Mid-lunge, Austere stumbled, straining at the mental command.
Frenzied grays swung wildly, accented by heavy bloody-blacks of malice.
::Lunge-fight-attack! Attack! Attack!::
::Enough!::
Stretching out a mental grasp, Vestello gripped the connection with Austere and yanked. The action reflected physically as well as Austere yelped and crashed onto his side.
A starburst of startled blue-greens drowned out the grays and bloody-blacks. The maelstrom calmed.
Red blinked owlishly, confused.
Relaxing, Vestello sighed.
That was close. I need to be careful of any more status affects in the future…
/\/\/\
"Aw, possum spit!" Golden coat dulled with dust, Billy slammed a heel against the ground. "That ain't how the plan was supposed to go at all."
Brow quirking, Vestello smiled.
"I ain't gonna forget this, babaloo!" Billy backed away. "I got my eye on you now, and I'll see you fall if it's the last thing I do!"
Oh really? Smile broadening, Vestello eyed the space behind Billy.
"Nobody messes with Rockin' Billy! You hear me? I'm gonna get you but good, unh-hunh!"
"That's enough, Rockin' Billy!"
The Elvis impersonator went rigid, wide eyes glancing over his shoulder.
Still smiling, Vestello waved merrily at Stella. The park leader gave him a crisp nod before glaring at the sweating felon.
"That pair of fools we caught in the jungle couldn't wait to implicate you in their scheme!"
Billy edged back- "Time to go, uhn-hunh!" -and made a brake for it.
"There's no escape for you!" Stella barked as several members of staff caught Rockin' Billy by the arms.
"Stop struggling!" Their grip tightened, locking Billy's arms firmly behind his back and halting any further struggles.
"Lemme go!" Billy squirmed, frantic. "Don't be cruel now, just lemme go!"
Flanked by two more guards, the two holding Billy marched the villain out the Lobby doors.
"Don't worry, Vestello." Stella turned back to him. "I'll personally see to it that he's banished from the islands. You just sit back and concentrate on the Cup, okay?"
Vestello nodded, then bowed.
"Oh, and good work on clearing Round 2. Here's your prize."
Blinking, Vestello accepted the proffered fossil rock.
With a smile, Stella stepped back. "Good luck in Round 3!" She turned away, paused, then glanced back. "Oh, and I hear there's a sale on some really rare fossil rocks in the Fossil Guild, you may want to check them out." And then she was gone.
Rare fossil rocks? Vestello cocked his head.
"Way to go, Vestello!"
Vestello turned to face Todd.
"You're through two rounds now!" His friend grinned. "I know you can do this. I'm counting on you!"
Smiling, Vestello nodded but the sudden roar of the crowd in the stadium halted any response.
"Oh, wow." Todd breathed. "The battle after yours must be done already. I can't believe how fast that was! The winning Fighter must be really good."
The loudspeakers crackled to life.
"The mysterious masked Fighter, Pauleen, has won in a masterful performance."
Another smile tugged at Vestello's lips. Todd's face… A snicker escaped him.
"Pauleen?" Todd grimaced. "That weird girl from the jungle!"
A whoosh signaled the opening of doors and Pauleen entered the Lobby. She glanced around before noticing them. Before either could respond she was on them, talking a mile-a-minute.
"So, Vestello! Sounds like you got through Round 2 as well. Of course, you didn't win as fast as I did. Or with as much panache."
Panache?
"But congratulations anyway!" Hands on hips, she puffed out her chest. "Don't get any crazy ideas about winning, thought. Because I'm going to be the champ. The most beautiful champion there ever was! …Oh, and humble, too."
Vestello bit his lip to keep from smiling at the last bit. Todd stepped forward.
Todd versus Pauleen: Round 2. Vestello settled back to enjoy the show.
"Cram it, sister! My friend Vestello isn't going to lose to some braggart like you!"
And a strong opening salvo from Todd, how will Pauleen respond?
"And if you're so pretty—"
Ooh, and Todd acts too fast for an immediate retaliation!
"—you should take off your mask and prove it!"
Pauleen recoiled, arms waving frantically. "I told you already! I have a personal reason for keeping this mask on. Anyway, I'm sure I have legions of adoring fans clamoring for my autograph, so…bye!"
A quick side-step saved Vestello from being mowed down as the pink haired teenager beat a hasty escape.
And Todd wins Round 2 by again attacking the one chink in Pauleen's defenses. Come again next time, folks, for Round 3!
"She's not going to take that mask off, is she?" Todd glared at the doors Pauleen had escaped through, then looked back to Vestello, expression shifting from angry to smug. "You know what? I don't think she's pretty at all. In fact, I bet she's a total woofer under that thing!"
That's Todd. Vestello just suppressed an oncoming sigh. All the depth of a kiddy pool.
Their pagers crackled to life.
"All Round 2 matches for the Caliosteo Cup are now complete. We will also be preparing a new dig site: Mt. Krakanak! Mt. Krakanak is a volcano filled with sheer cliffs and bubbling lava. It's located on the neighboring Cranial Isle. Flights to the island will be available from the heliport the day after tomorrow. In the mean time, Fighters are advised to continue seeking out new fossils at Treasure Lake and the Jungle Labyrinth."
A free day? Cool.
Beside him, Todd cheered. "We'll finally get to go to Cranial Isle! I've always wanted to go there!" Planting his fists on his hips, he puffed out his chest. "I'm gonna be the first Fighter to set foot there! No one's gonna beat me!"
And away he went.
I wonder if he registered that Cranial Isle won't be open until the day after tomorrow? Vestello shook his head, smiling fondly, then he left the Lobby.
/\/\/\
Spotting a familiar head of dark blue hair, Yarmilla smiled.
"Hello again, Vestello. Congratulations on making it through the second round."
The teenager smiled back, amber eyes bright. One arm crossing his chest, he bowed politely then pulled out his fossil case.
"More gems?" Not that she needed to ask.
Yarmilla took out the offered gems, examined their quality, and listed the price she'd pay for the lot. Vestello was quick to agree, probably more eager to clear out his case than to fill his wallet. He just didn't seem the material type of person.
"We just got a new selection of fossil rocks." She informed as she counted out the proper amount. "Freshly appraised, if you're interested you can look over them."
Vestello cocked his head, intrigued, then nodded.
Yarmilla pulled a display fossil case out from behind the counter, laying it out for the teenager to examine. He looked a little surprised by the little identification tags attached to each one, but otherwise didn't show an outward reaction.
"Personally, I'd recommend this one." A light tap against the fossil rock in question.
Blinking, Vestello looked up at her, curious and questioning.
"It's for a vivosaur called a lagia." Yarmilla explained. "They're really rare. This is the first time I've gotten a shipment of fossils for one."
Now the boy looked intrigued. Amber flickered from Yarmilla to the rock and then back again. He motioned to continue explaining.
"They're a fire-type vivosaur, about the size of a v-raptor and almost as dependable from what I've heard."
Vestello considered the offer before nodding, tapping the available fossil rocks for the lagia.
"Alright, I'll ring up your total then."
When Vestello was on his way, new fossil rocks in tow, Yarmilla couldn't help smiling. I wonder if he's realized that Stella told me to give him a discount for those fossils… She leaned back on her heels. Stopping those crooks…he deserves it.
/\/\/\
I wonder if she's always that friendly to customers… Humming, Vestello ambled towards the exit. Something seemed a bit funny about the whole thing. A shrug. Oh well, it doesn't really matter, I suppose.
"Heya."
Pausing mid-step, Vestello glanced to the side. The man behind the counter made a 'come here' motion and, curious, Vestello complied.
"This your first time here?"
[So-so]
Even someone unfamiliar with sign language would recognize that motion.
"I'm an Info Clerk serving Fighters like yourself."
Vestello cocked his head.
"I learn about people who need help here in the park, then pass the info on to folks like you."
Oh? The prospect seemed intriguing, at least it would give him something to do until the next island opened.
"If you solve their problems, or at least try to help, there's usually something good in it for you. If you do enough you might even get promoted to a higher Fighter Rank."
This was sounding better and better.
"Well? Would you like to hear what I know?"
Vestello nodded because, really, what other choice was there?
"Okay." Paper rustled as the clerk looked them over. "Clean Sweep: This is a call for assistance from a staff member at Ribular Town's Fighter Station. He's looking for a Fighter who can clean fossil rocks quickly and well."
A wince. I'm not sure I'd qualify…
"No?" The clerk moved on. "Waste not, Want not: This is an…unusual request from a Mr. John Guano."
John Guano? I wonder…
"Apparently he's looking to buy dropping fossils. If you have any spare dropping fossils, pay him a visit at The Hare Club in Cranial City."
Amber blinked. That sounds like that Mr. Nick Nack Leveche told me about…But why in the world would anyone want dropping fossils, anyway?
"I haven't the foggiest idea why someone would want to collect dropping fossils."
Evidently his bewilderment had shown on his face.
"Moving on… Trash Compactor: We got a weird request in from the staff over in the Jungle Labyrinth. Apparently someone blew up a fake monster, and now parts are scattered all over the place."
I wonder who? Vestello snickered under his breath.
"They need help cleaning 'em up before someone gets hurt." He scanned over the papers. "And that's all I have for right now. Anything you might be interested in?"
A nod.
"Great. Here." He slid the papers across the countertop. "I have other copies. You can use these to find out where to go each time."
Accepting the papers, Vestello nodded again and turned away.
Tomorrow should be interesting. A smile tugged at his lips. But for now, I think it's time to go to bed. It's pretty late now.
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From: Harmattan
Subject: Re-Re-Friend of yours?
No reason, just wondering. Hey, could you start explaining what Pressure is now? My last email distracted you from doing so.
On a side note: I made it passed the second round of the Cup!
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Reviews are always appreciated. They let me know my story is not simply collecting virtual dust. And by reviews I mean something a bit more than 'awesome story' or the like. Tell me what you enjoyed, and even what you did not (though please refrain from going on a tangent).
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To DunaN2 (Guest): Sounds beautiful, and very huggable.
Yes, I do the game and have played it through completely. As I work on this story I'm playing through it again , just as I did with Dark Horse Gambit, so that I get all the little details such as a character's physical reaction to certain revelations. The few full novelizations of the game are more like rough movie scripts to me (no offense to those authors, my style just doesn't mesh well with your own). I also regularly do research on the various vivosaurs I write about, either over the computer or in my original, completed game.
If you re-read Creed's battle with Dynal in Dark Horse Gambit you'll find that communication between mute-teen and alien-Dinaurians won't be that difficult.
And here's a lesser known fact about Sign Language: Every language has its' own variation. Just as we who communicate verbally cannot immediately understand someone speaking Spanish or Japanese, a hard-of-hearing person from America or England would be hard pressed to understand one from Spain or Japan. Does that make sense?
So even if the Dinaurians have their own variation of Sign Language, it would not automatically mean they could communicate through sign right away. I suspect the Dinaurians learned the English language when they came to Earth because most people speak it and understand it, so while Dynal might know of Sign Language on earth (and I'm not sure he does, at least initially, Creed might have filled him and the others in) he wouldn't know how to understand it, let alone sign it himself.
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To Tumbleweed (Guest): Who knows, it might very well be an Elvis reference, the game(s) are chalked full of all sorts of references if you know the origins. I'm not familiar with Elvis, so I wouldn't know if Todd's comment was a reference or not.
I'm glad you enjoyed it ^^. When I first started the game and met Pauleen my first thought was "What's Rosie doing here?" followed by "Why the heck is she wearing a mask and hula outfit?" It took me a while before I really accepted that it was NOT Rosie, just another girl with pink hair and oversized pigtails. Though what we later learn about Pauleen really puzzles me…
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Sneak Peak:
"This CS Sonar is a right finicky device!"
I know that voice...
"It has to be practically on top of a Slablet to get a reading!" Huffing, Professor Scatterly paced in front of one of the side buildings. "I'd have to explore dig sites in a slow, painstaking fashion, and I'm far too old for such tomfoolery."
Not to mention you'd probably get yourself stranded again. Vestello sniggered, approaching the absent minded professor.