[Location]

[quillpleasant]

Outdoor Movie Place

Okay, those eels are pretty scary. Darko would probably be shaking a little himself, but his protective feelings towards Koko translate quite smoothly into bravery. Nothing like someone cute being scared to bolster your own confidence for their sake.

Which is honestly a nice change from always being seen as the weak scaredy cat of any given group of students. Of course, most people would put it more charitably, but Darko knows what they really think.

He doesn't seem to notice the disappearing popcorn at first, but Koko's tail grab gets an eyebrow raise. Having a third 'hand' would be so useful for fishing out items from his bag when monsters are trying to eat his face. Which happens strangely often.

"Woah, I didn't know you could do that. Cool! I mean, cool," says Darko, noticing an annoyed glance from another audience member at his volume. So movies were like the library then- gotta keep quiet.

Then he notices the unseen something and glares at it. "Hey, not now! Go bother someone else, okay?" He shakes his head disparagingly. Now is not the time!

"Aaaasss youuuu wiiiiishhh!"

He knew that guy looked familiar. Of course, how many dashing blonde heroes are running around at a given time? Probably not many, so that already narrowed the list of suspects. There's something enticing about the idea of wearing a mask, having a secret identity. Something to think about later.

[Ironsmith]

[Outdoor Movie Place]

"...Sorry, I didn't realize I was bothering you."

Koko shuffles away from Darko, awkwardly brushing her hair out of her face. That was a bit of a dramatic turn. She must have, like, accidentally poked him in the eye or a sensitive part of his ribs or something. Or maybe she was just being too generally clingy. That happens sometimes, she just gets to be too much and she needs to dial it back so other people aren't uncomfortable around her.

Oh my sweet Wesley, what have I done? *she rolls down after him*

...Wait, what? She must have somehow missed-

Oooooh the guy in black who wasn't actually a very bad guy was actually a good guy this whole time. And Wesley, even! Yay, he's not dead!

Ha! Buttercup's gonna get her happy ending after all. Short movie, though.

[quillpleasant]

Outdoor Movie Place

Darko looks at Koko in confusion as she scoots away. Huh? Then he suddenly realizes what's happened and a mortified look crosses his face. He almost starts to reach out towards her but stops himself.

"No, you weren't! Whoops... you weren't bothering me. I have an invisible friend who follows me everywhere and he was saying some mean things." He pauses, sighing. Being alone for so long gave him some bad habits- like not expecting a reaction when he talks to something no one else can see. "I know that sounds stupid, but it's the truth. You couldn't bother me, you're wonderful. But I'm sorry I made you think that."

He'd give a longer explanation of that whole deal, but he doesn't want to distract Koko too much from the movie, especially during this critical romantic juncture. After all, that's why she's here. It would be selfish to be more concerned with what she thought of him than with making sure she has a good time. Darko smiles nervously at the girl, hoping he hasn't hurt her feelings too badly.

[Ironsmith]

[Outdoor Movie Place]

"...Oh!" Koko smiles and slowly sidles up to Darko again. "Are you sure? I don't want to be a bother..."

She's pretty sure he's sure. He probably wouldn't immediately take it back if he actually was talking to her. And the invisible friend thing made... a kind of sense. She wouldn't know what to look for, as she's never seen one, but then, she wouldn't, now, would she? After all, invisible friends are quite rare.

She then gives a little wave in the general direction she assumes said friend to be there. "Hi, Darko's friend! I'm Koko, nice to meet you!"

Unfortunately for her, she's turned away just long enough to miss Buttercup being rather abruptly set on fire, and the accompanying musical sting and rather unexpected shriek is enough to startle her... right back into Darko's arms, of course.

[Earl of Purple]

[Outdoor Movie Pl-A-ce]

Asami pushes the blanket to the side so she can see what Agate is holding, gazing curiously at the shilling.

At Agate's question, Asami pauses for a second and looks lost. Suddenly, she smiles brightly. "Yeah, like a date," she agrees confidently, moving to hold Agate's hand and follow her lead.

"Awesome, I've... Maybe been on a date before? Hm. Have you been on a date before, Asami?" Agate's now wondering if this is the second date, even if it wasn't planned. Does the arcade count as a date? Was it one at the time, is it upgraded retroactively to 'date' by this one? Has Asami had a date with someone else entirely and so this fishing effort doomed to failure? Agate's unsure.

[quillpleasant]

Outdoor Movie Place

"Absolutely sure," says Darko confidently, "You could never be a bother." To be fair, it takes a lot to bother Darko- his roommate is Asami, after all. But Koko especially is the human equivalent of a golden retriever puppy, and anyone bothered by her has no heart to speak of, in his opinion.

Koko doesn't hear any reply from the theoretical invisible friend, but Darko makes an expression halfway between a smile and a grimace. "He says hi and... dude, no. You need to cut it out, for real. Not you Koko, him," he says, indicating nothing. Usually his friend doesn't cause nearly this many problems, but something is clearly riling him up.

But then Koko jumps towards Darko, and the friend is immediately forgotten. Darko puts an arm around her, giving her a reassuring hug. "Don't worry, I got you." Silently, he's rather glad the movie is a little scary. Any excuse to be this close to Koko is a good one.

Wait. Is that a giant rat? Suddenly the movie recaptures Darko's attention. He really likes rats. "Ooh."

[Ironsmith]

[Outdoor Movie Place]

Now what in earth could Darko's imaginary- sorry, invisible- friend be saying about her? Presumably it's something unkind. Darko probably wouldn't be reacting that way if they were being nice.

Oh! They're probably a little jealous. Koko's seen that before. Darko and his friend must hang out all the time, but right now they're being brushed off in favor of Koko and they don't like that. Fortunately, Koko knows exactly what to do in this situation.

"It's okay. I'll only hug his right arm. You can hug his left and we'll all get to hang out together!" Koko smiles reassuringly in the direction she assumes Darko's friend to be.

She'll then offer the entity a fistful of popcorn, which is slightly more than normal since she has that extra digit to work with.

Peace?

...While the screen is displaying a rat being stabbed to death?

[[brackets lover]]

"Awesome, I've... Maybe been on a date before? Hm. Have you been on a date before, Asami?" Agate's now wondering if this is the second date, even if it wasn't planned. Does the arcade count as a date? Was it one at the time, is it upgraded retroactively to 'date' by this one? Has Asami had a date with someone else entirely and so this fishing effort doomed to failure? Agate's unsure.

Asami looks dumbfounded at Agate. "Wait, what do you mean you've 'maybe been on a date'? How are you unsure about that? Should I be unsure too?" she asks sincerely, bringing her free hand up to her chin in musing.

[quillpleasant]

Outdoor Movie Place

Whether Koko's jealousy theory is correct is hard to say, as there's no reply from the friend. But after a moment, the popcorn does leave her hand, floating a short distance in the air before disappearing.

So it's not totally imaginary at least.

Darko manages to tear his eyes away from the screen, noticing the popcorn. "Huh, he usually doesn't make himself known like that. Is it because- oh, bye I guess." He looks nonplussed, then shrugs. "Well, he's gone now. But I think he likes you."

So maybe the friend wasn't insulting her? Only Darko knows.

And what's happening now? Oh no, Humperdinck again! What a vile man. "I hope that guy gets eaten by rats," mutters Darko.

[Earl of Purple]

Outdoor Movie Pl-A-ce

"I don't know. Does that arcade thing count as a date? We traded phone numbers afterwards, didn't we?" That seems like a good end of a date activity, even if they haven't communicated using the phones yet. Agate's phone is so old it even has a little antennae sticking out the top of it.

[[brackets lover]]

[Outdoor Movie Pl-A-ce]

"Yeah, we did," Asami confirms, a bemused look on her face, "I'm starting to get confused here... Like, uh, I'm not really a native speaker of the language here, so..." she shrugs, leaning in closer and getting all snuggly with Agate. As shy as Asami is, she'll focus on the movie as opposed to keeping up conversation, the majority of her communication being very physical.

[Ironsmith]

Outdoor Movie Place

Whether Koko's jealousy theory is correct is hard to say, as there's no reply from the friend. But after a moment, the popcorn does leave her hand, floating a short distance in the air before disappearing.

So it's not totally imaginary at least.

Darko manages to tear his eyes away from the screen, noticing the popcorn. "Huh, he usually doesn't make himself known like that. Is it because- oh, bye I guess." He looks nonplussed, then shrugs. "Well, he's gone now. But I think he likes you."

So maybe the friend wasn't insulting her? Only Darko knows.

And what's happening now? Oh no, Humperdinck again! What a vile man. "I hope that guy gets eaten by rats," mutters Darko.

[Outdoor Movie Place]

Likes her?

Koko can't really explain why, but that declaration fills her with a sort of nervous energy that just has to be burnt off with a little kicking fit and a barely-contained squeal.

Darko's friend likes her! And all after they'd apparently started on bad terms! She made another friend and all it took was some nice words and popcorn!

...Too bad he isn't sticking around, though. She would really have liked to get to know him better.

Koko's attention returns to the film, just in time to see the standoff between Wesley and Humperdinck and his men. Ooh, yeah, he still seems like a mean one. Demanding surrender when he should be congratulating the couple. Maybe he would get eaten by rats, it's not like they're very far away from them. Or maybe he'll get got in the upcoming fight scene, that's-

Would you promise not to hurt him?

...What was that?

Koko stares at the screen with a little frown. Are they... not going to fight after all? And is she really going to trust anything Humperdinck says? The man's slimy enough Koko feels a little gross just watching him.

[Earl of Purple]

Outdoor Movie Pl(a)ce

"Well, if this date works, that can be our first, and if it doesn't and we want to just be friends after, it doesn't matter. Right? I don't want to not be your friend after, even if it doesn't work, right?" Agate smiles and cuddles back, before settling next to the chair and getting into the film.

[quillpleasant]

Outdoor Movie Place

Darko is more than a little confused at Koko's reaction- why does she care if the friend likes her? Admittedly she is the only person it's reacted positively to, but that's almost a little concerning to him.

Not that he can blame the friend. Koko's foot kicking isadorable, more than it has any right to be. Usually that kind of stuff doesn't get to Darko. In fact, he's feeling all kinds of things he usually doesn't, which he will definitely have to write about extensively in his diary later.

But he's also feeling things about the fact that-

"Will you promise not to hurt him?"

Darko groans. Clearly Humperdinck can't be trusted! There's simply no way he'll agree to release Wesley! And just a few moments later that's confirmed with talk of some 'pit of despair.' Damn it.

...but he gets it. Buttercup is just doing the only thing she can think of to help Wesley, even if it hurts them both. That too is love. He sighs, then glances over at Koko to see how she's doing. This is some heavy stuff.

---

But nearby, not everyone will be able to focus entirely on the movie. Specifically, Asami and Agate will find a piece of popcorn dropping down and bouncing off one of their heads.

This is rapidly followed by several more pieces. It's as if an invisible entity is standing over them, slowly sprinkling them with a handful of popcorn. Which is, in fact, a pretty good guess.

[Ironsmith]

[Outdoor Movie Place]

Heavy stuff indeed. Fortunately, Koko seems to be taking it fairly well. At least, in absolute terms. Her processing the scene is marked by an absence of all those little twitches and smiles and things Darko apparently found so precious. Instead, she's simply watching, wide-eyed and without comment, as the scene plays out and Buttercup explains her intentions.

At which point her expression softens and she lets out a little "aw". She's really just looking out for him in the only way she can right now. That's... that's still really sweet. Even if they're going to be deprived of a fight scene over it.

Her expression turns slightly bemused as the scene progresses to Wesley officially being taken in by Count Rugen, and the "deformity" he has that marks him as the man Inigo is hunting. She briefly stares down at her own hand as she goes on a brief mental tangent. Having six fingers isn't that unique, is it?

But, by and by, the movie progresses to a point she takes... less well.

True love saved her in the Fire Swamp, and she treated it like garbage! And that's what she is! The Queen of Refuse! So bow down to her if you want! Bow to her! Bow to the Queen of Slime! The Queen of Filth! The Queen of Putrescence!

Boo! Boo! Rubbish! Filth! Slime! Muck! Boo! Boo! Boo!

Koko grabs hold of Darko's arm again, in what's undoubtedly a familiar gesture by now, but with far more intensity than when the most threatening thing onscreen was a rodent of unusual size (that was very clearly some guy in a suit crawling around). She could be afraid of the monsters, and that was fine, that seems more or less expected, and they usually got promptly beaten anyway.

But this?

This is something else.

[[brackets lover]]

[Outdoor Movie Pl-A and friend-ce]

"Yeah..." Asami passively agrees, not saying much before the popcorn rain begins. She curiously brings a hand over her hair, catching a piece of popcorn and holding it in front of her face. She tilts her head at it for a second before touching it to her tongue. With a guileless smile, she throws the popcorn in her mouth and chews it contently before looking up, attempting to catch any further popcorn into her mouth directly.

[Earl of Purple]

Outside Movie Pl-A-ce Earl hereby christens Darko's invisible friend 'Alfredo Al' Aching-Appendix the Angsty

Agate flinches at the first piece of popcorn bounces off her head, before turning around to try and find the source of the raining movie snacks. As a Magical Girl, she's got the ability to see some things that other people can't, though specifically undead Witches and their spectral Familiars; it might not work on Darko's friend, but it also might. "Where'd this come from?"

[quillpleasant]

Outdoor Movie Place

Darko is similarly drawn into the movie. It's certainly not following the path he's expected, and he appreciates when a narrative is less than straightforward. But how are the heroes going to escape this new twist?

Well, he's betting that Inigo will be involved somehow, due to the hand reveal. Revenge is something that Darko has never really understood well, since he's never felt that kind of malice for anyone before. He's not against it per se, it's just that the one responsible for the worst parts of his life is himself. And you can't exactly get revenge against yourself. Right?

But his thoughts are interrupted by Koko's sudden stiffness. He glances down at her curiously. Something about this dream sequence must be bothering her. More than bothering her, even.

"Hey, are you okay? Do you want to step away for a minute?" A reaction like that doesn't seem like something you get over easily, and maybe she needs to clear her head.

---

Pl-A-ce

Agate's attempt at finding the friend is futile- it's not invisible in the traditional sense. Perhaps a form of telepathy would work better. Regardless, there's no visual disturbances, nor any sound. Just popcorn, well, popping into existence and dropping down to a terrible fate in Asami's mouth.

But the source isn't happy with just providing a free, if annoying, snack. Gazing around in an attempt to see the friend, Agate will notice a cup floating haphazardly through the air towards them- an icee purloined from the concession cart. The potential disaster this cold, slush filled beverage could cause if dumped on Asami is easy to see.

[Ironsmith]

[Outdoor Movie Place]

"...Hai." Koko mutters unconvincingly, holding Darko's arm tightly enough to endanger his circulation.

She's very much not fine, of course. Having an old woman yell directly toward her those exact words in that exact way was... painful in a way that isn't entirely rational. It helps to remember that she was talking to Buttercup, and not her, but that doesn't come until after the princess awakens from her dream.

See? Didn't I tell you she'd never marry that rotten Humperdinck?

Yes, yes, you're very smart. Shut up.

Koko lets out a little sigh and relaxes her grip on Darko's arm. "...Sorry." She says quietly. "I've... never been great with, um... that." She grimaces, giving his shoulder an apologetic pat. "It's always terrible, hearing someone be that... hateful, you know? It just feels so wrong. Like... like that's not how words are supposed to be. Or how people are supposed to be. Mum always said the world is a much better place when people are kind to one another. I feel the same way."

Your princess is quite a winning creature. A trifle simple, perhaps. Her appeal is undeniable.

See? Like that. Even the bad guys are being nicer with their words than that.

I know, the people are quite taken with her. It's odd, but when I hired Vizzini to have her murdered on our engagement day, I thought that was clever. But it's going to be so much more moving when I strangle her on our wedding night.

...On the other hand.

[[brackets lover]]

[Outdoor Movie Pl-A-ce]

"Dunno, must be someone invisible," Asami reasons, shrugging her shoulders. The prospect didn't seem to register as strange to her, but she does she scratch the back of her neck, feeling a bit awkward. She moves her mouth to speak, not managing to get any words out before the friend seemingly leaves. Not concerned at all about any potential danger, Asami looks back at the screen, not noticing the slushie approach.

[Earl of Purple]

Outdoor Movie Pl-A-ce

"I'm not sure... Hold on a moment." Agate stands up and grips her soul gem as she approaches the oncoming slushy. She's not being subtle about her approach, since she thinks it pointless to try hiding from something you can't see or otherwise detect (telepathy is not one of Agate's talents; her magical element is 'music', which isn't really conducive to reading minds). She's going to try wrenching the slushy from the invisible grip, and carry it back with her to pretend that's all she's left for. She doesn't want to make Asami worry.

[quillpleasant]

Outdoor Movie Place

Darko bears the intense grip without reaction- which isn't easy. He'll be a stress ball if needed. He nods sympathetically to Koko's explanation.

"Yeah... I get that. And I agree with you and your mum. I can't really imagine being cruel to someone, even if they deserve it." He gazes into nothing, trying to envision someone bad enough to really hate. But after a couple moments he gives it up as far too difficult.

"Guess we just have to be kinder to make up for the people who aren't," he decides, then points at the screen. "Like Dumperstink. He really sucks." Perhaps an understatement for the would-be murderer, but the sentiment is good.

Pl-A-ce

Agate's attempt to shield Asami is commendable. Unfortunately, it doesn't take a genius to predict what the reaction will be.

The moment the young dwarf comes within a couple feet of the floating slushy, it shoots forward in an attempt to splash her with the contents. Of course, she's not vulnerable like Asami is, but no one likes getting covered in cold sticky ice.

[[brackets lover]]

[Outdoor Movie Place]

Of course, the sound of semi-frozen beverages being violently tossed doesn't escape Asami, who turns around to notice the impact.

Regardless of the result, she found the friend's antics to be amusing, letting out a half-suppressed giggle. "You okay, Agate?" she asks with a hint of seriousness, a jovial grin on her face.

[Earl of Purple]

Outdoor Movie Pl-A-ce

Agate yelps as she's coated in iced slushy, and shivers. She takes off the baseball jacket, since that's pretty clearly stained, but at least the blue liquid doesn't show up as easily against her green shirt. "I'm fine, I just slipped. I'll pop to the loos, and clean myself up. Keep an eye on my seat, yeah?" If Asami agrees, she'll lead towards the portaloos at the back. She's not planning on being long, but Alfredo might be able to do something in her absence.

[Ironsmith]

Outdoor Movie Place

"...Heehee... 'Dumpsterstink'." Koko giggles. Her mum always used to tell her not to call people names, but she sometimes made an exception if it was funny enough, so this is probably okay. And he really does suck.

Tyrone, you know how much I love watching you work. But, I've got my country's five hundredth anniversary to plan, my wedding to arrange, my wife to murder, and Guilder to frame for it. I'm swamped.

Get some rest -- if you haven't got your health, you haven't got anything.

...Something about that still doesn't seem to compute. Humperdinck and Rugen still seemed like they were genuinely good friends. Awful people, yes, horrible, even, considering one is planning to murder Buttercup and the other is planning to torture Westley, but this part of the conversation, she could totally see herself having with one of her own friends.

Minus the malicious intent, obviously.

She almost wishes they were more transparently terrible with each other. That they had some kind of bitter rivalry going, so that when the two are both onscreen they wouldn't be so damned happy to see each other; they shouldn't be so happy while they're hurting people.

"...People are complicated." Koko mutters absently in observation, still leaning against Darko.

[quillpleasant]

Outdoor Movie Place

"They sure are," agrees Darko, eyes glued to the screen. He doesn't have the same trouble with morality that Koko seems to- being raised by eldritch entities that are beyond or outside of the concepts of good and evil tends to give you a more gray view on that kind of thing. And from his time on the street he's well aware that the most monstrous people are often those with the most silver of tongues.

And speaking of monstrous, that machine is pretty horrifying. Sucking out an entire year of Westley's life? As the torture begins it's Darko's turn to wince and look away from the screen. Seeing people in pain is not something he's overly fond of.

With Wesley in torment and Buttercup confined to the castle, how could this story possibly have a happy ending? It would take a miracle!

---

Pl-A-ce

Agate, thankfully, is not tormented further. Getting soaked and possibly ruining her jacket is humiliation enough. However, the same cannot be said for the now undefended Asami.

Luckily, the force doesn't go for another slushie. Instead, if she happens to glance down Asami might notice her shoelaces being stealthily untied, the cord seemingly moving of its own volition. Unless its stopped, then in short order her shoes will be tied together. What disastrous results could this have?

[[brackets lover]]

[Outdoor Movie Pla-A-ce]

Asami cheerfully waves to Agate, turning back to the movie. Of course, this meant she wasn't watching the seat or getting up. But really, how often does someone just go and sit next to someone they don't know?

[Earl of Purple]

Outdoor Movie Pl-A-ce

There's a few flashes of light from the portaloos before Agate comes out again and starts heading back to her seat. She's wearing her jacket, and it's clean. So is her shirt; they're both clean and dry, somehow.

Agate didn't clean up, as such. She cheated by transforming into her Magical Girl outfit and then turned back, which somehow cleaned her clothing up perfectly. Magic cheats.

[Ironsmith]

Outdoor Movie Place

"They sure are," agrees Darko, eyes glued to the screen. He doesn't have the same trouble with morality that Koko seems to- being raised by eldritch entities that are beyond or outside of the concepts of good and evil tends to give you a more gray view on that kind of thing. And from his time on the street he's well aware that the most monstrous people are often those with the most silver of tongues.

And speaking of monstrous, that machine is pretty horrifying. Sucking out an entire year of Westley's life? As the torture begins it's Darko's turn to wince and look away from the screen. Seeing people in pain is not something he's overly fond of.

With Wesley in torment and Buttercup confined to the castle, how could this story possibly have a happy ending? It would take a miracle!

[Outdoor Movie Place]

As the pump activates and Westley goes through the agonizing process of having a year of life sucked from him (at least, she assumes it's agony, he certainly doesn't sound too happy about it), Koko once again goes to grab Darko's arm... but seems to think better of it when she sees how Darko himself is reacting.

So she changes targets, wrapping herself around his head and chest, nestling herself back behind him like a pillow and gently stroking his hair. Poor baby.

At least the mood lightens quickly enough. While Westley is left sobbing uncontrollably, the scene shifts to... a nearby forest? Oh, right, the one Humperdinck ordered cleared earlier. So that nobody there would hurt his wife (since he wants to do it himself, the jerk).

And it turns out there's some familiar faces among those being rounded up. It seems like Darko's earlier intuition that Inigo and Fezik's role in the story wasn't over yet was, in fact, spot-on.

A bowl of soup, a recaping of events, and a pair of water buckets later, things are starting to look a little more hopeful.

[quillpleasant]

Outdoor Movie Place

Darko is certainly not expecting to be grabbed in this manner, and he freezes like a deer in headlights. No one's ever held him before, much less stroked his hair in such a comforting manner. It certainly does the job of distracting him from what's onscreen. Wow, he should start feeling bad around Koko more often if this is the result.

Wait, that doesn't make any sense at all. Why is it so hard to think right now? He cranes his head back to smile at Koko for a moment before attempting to focus on the movie again.

"Westley and I are joined by the bonds of love. And you cannot track that. Not with a thousand bloodhounds. And you cannot break it. Not with a thousand swords. And when I say you are a coward, that is only because you are the slimiest weakling ever to crawl the earth."

Hell yes! Darko pumps a fist in celebration of Buttercup finally telling Humperdinck what everyone in the audience has wanted to the entire time.

...Which quite shortly leads to the rest of Westley's life being sucked out by the Machine. Well. At least Darko was more prepared the second time around.

---

Pl-A-ce

It seems that whatever force has been tormenting Agate and Asami is not quite done with them. Asami's shoelaces will be fully tied together for one. But it holds off on any further mischief until Agate has made her way back to her seat and a couple minutes have elapsed to drop their guard.

Then they'll start to notice that the sounds of the people around them are slowly growing in volume. Every whispered conversation, every shift and sniffle and breath, is gradually becoming a wall of white noise that's making it hard to hear the movie. No one else seems to have any reaction- the effect is localized to the two unfortunate girls.