Would You Buy A Used Peko From These People?

    There was excitement, there was competition, there was triumph and defeat, there was celebration, there were song and dance, and food and beverages aplenty.

    But now the sun sets on the finish line of the Peko Race, most people having moved on already. All that's left is volunteers cleaning up litter and dismantling festoons and flags. Pekos and their riders are long in the past.

    Or are they?

    A silhouette trots in from the distance. It's vaguely Peko-with-rider-shaped, but it's... odd and lopsided.

    As the figure comes closer and closer, the reason for that impression becomes clearer: it's a Peko alright, but one that is rather malformed, or possibly even glitched. For one, the eyes. Each eye looks in a different direction, the left eye all the way left, and the right eye all the way right. They are not even at the same level, or exactly the same size at that. They occasionally twitch independently.

    But that would not be the strangest thing. The bird has a severe case of overbite, and the bottom and top parts of the beak also point different ways, even though not as dramatically as the eyes. The plumage is kind of sprse, making it look half-plucked, and to top everything off, its legs, crooked, are different lengths, so that that the rider, a certain musical kung-fu nurse Spriggan that goes by the name of Uta, holding tight to the saddle with her legs, oscillates at each waddling step around a midpoint that liest fourty-five degrees to the vertical.

    She pulls on the reins as she reaches the finish line, stopping her mount, and looks around from her tilted vintage point. "...am I in time for the Sand Dune Peko Race?"

Vertina wasn't one for riding birds so she volunteered to help clean up after the race instead. You think there wouldn't be much to do but they did have a few monster attacks with the other obstacles. Good thing bodies don't remain around here, they'd rot fast in the desert heat and stink to high hell.

The Salamander looks up from removing a boundary marker, and just stares at that bird for a long moment.

"... You are rather late, Miss."

    "...oh, snap," frowns Uta, and sighs, while her Peko looks first left, then right. Without actually moving its head, that is. Or its eyes. It just blinks in the appropriate sequence.

    With rather complex and eleaborat motions due to her odd angle, Uta maneuvers out of the saddle and dismounts, and still holding the reins, she goes face to face with the bird, to address it. Ironically, Uta is probably the only thing out of the bird's field of vision at the moment.

    "It's okay, Haggis. To me, you are still a champion," she says, and hugs the bird, which squawks and flails it wings in response.

    ...Was that a gesture of affection? ...Maybe?

Vertina thinks it might be better this way. That ... bird probably would of got laughed off the track.

Haggis? Looks more like a Pekasso to her. "Where did you even find that bird?"

    Mizuki has ridden back to the start and returned her peco peco, found somewhere to use the wash function, and is now passing by the starting line again. For once she's in human form, revealing that her town clothes include a pair of sturdy-looking leather boots in the foot slot. She's also tied a blue headband around her forehead. Perhaps with her hair color and jacket, it's evocative of a certain thief^H^H^H^H^HTREASURE HUNTER from Circlesoft games, especially when riding a giant bird...

    But she's not riding the bird now, though she is smiling and waving to any audience members still here who wave to her. She's also humming to herself.

    o/~Everybody's Super Sonic Racing, try to keep your feet right on the ground...

    And so it is that she comes upon Uta and the... thing that somehow apparently qualifies as a peco peco.

    She nods in greeting to Vertina, and calls out, "Uta? Where did you even find that? And how have you been, long time no see!"

    Uta beams as she turns to Vertina... and then to a familiar face! "Mizuki! Indeed! So glad to see you again!"

    She blinks. "Where was I again? Oh, right! Where did I get this beauty?"

    "Fellow Spriggans!", she announces, beaming. "Peko racing veterans. Just rescued from Ezzo, they were selling their prized racing Pekos at a discount price to start a new life in Breg Epona." She puffs up her chest and proudly explains, "It's been custom bred for an asymmetrical racing setup, it apparently makes it particularly fit for circuit racing, since you're turning a specific way most of the time or something. I'm not a racing expert, but they sounded very convincing." She takes a hand to her mouth, and crossing her eyes slightly, she stares off at nothing in particular. "They also had a more expensive Champion's Tuning, man, was that amazing." She beams and looks straight at Vertina. "The legs pointed in the opposite way with respect to the head, it looks strange, but they explained that it's the best model possible, for true champions -- when you're in first place, apparently it's more important to keep an eye on your opponents than the road, and /that/ is exactly what that kind of Peko is for! One-of-a-kind piece, apparently..." She sighs. "Sadly I have neither the skill to control it properly, nor the gold to afford it..."

    *SKWhEEEK!*

    "D'UH, don't be jealous! Of course I like you!", she says, and goes to pat the Peko.

    ...are Pekos even supposed to make /that/ noise?

    Not much unlike another lizard, Atif also isn't particularly for riding birds. Or any other kind of mounts, truth be told. ANd not only did he not participate in the race itself, he missed it altogether.

    ...Albeit less unintentionally than Uta did, as it happens.

    ...But, being in the neighbourhood as he is, Atif does end up wandering along over, anyway. He heard people might need help with the cleanup, and Fren Lzrd being Fren Lzrd, certain instincts just ended up taking over right then and there.

    He has never really even been in the area where the race was held, though, so a lot of it is unfamiliar for him. Especially so with the leftover stands and lines and what have you not. He doesn't even know where to start. But there's familiar voices in the distance, so the Red Salamander ends up gravitating towards them.

    "Helloooooo!" He calls out a few paces off, rather than making his usual stealth-hello of an appearanace, even holding up a hand in a brisk, energetic wave as he approaches. "How are you guys do- oh."

    He comes to a stop when he actually takes count of the Peko Uta is riding. He... stares. He can't help but stare.

    "...Um. Hello there..."

    Mizuki listens to Uta's explanation and her expression turns to one of pity. "Uta, I'm pretty sure you got scammed. But we could check with one of the race organizers if you want to be sure."

    She nods and waves to Atif as he approaches, too. "Hey, haven't seen you in awhile either. How've you been?"

Vertina rests the boundary marker against her shoulder so she can wave. "Hey Mizu. Atif." Then Uta starts to ramble. Vertina gives Mizuki a questioning 'is she always like this?' look.

    Uta says simply, "Oh."

    A pause.

    "I mean, uh, no, I don't think those nice people would ever do anything so terrible as- Ow! OW! OW!" She exclaims, as she gets repeatedly pecked by the Peko. "What's up Haggis? Why-"

    The bird spins in place and runs off in the distance, something dangling from its beak.

    "...what in the- Haggis! What are you eating? I haven't fed you anything! It- wait, that thing looks suspiciously like-"

    Both her hands dart to her hip, at the height of her belt. "My Pouch of Small Change +1! It's gone!"

    She groans and slaps her face.

    "Ok, I think I got scammed."

    "Friend Lizard! Hi! How unexpected to meet you here, in the... uh... Root Town of... Lizard... country..."

    She slows down progressively, eventually crawling to a halt, when it finally seems to dawn on her what she's just said.

    She turns to Vertina. "Oh, you know Mizuki and Atif? In that case, well, I guess I should introduce myself. Uta Furore, Aerialist." She offers a bow.

    Mizuki just looks at Uta with more pity as she denies it, then winces as she gets pecked... and then looks a bit annoyed when it's revealed that Uta got pickpocketed. "Yeah, how about no." She's already doing hand-signs as she transforms and then runs off at wind-boosted speed, trying to chase down the thieving peco -- or at least get close enough to leap into the air and throw kunai and magic attacks down at it at an angle! (To avoid accidentally hitting townsfolk if she misses)

    "...Ah." Atif can't help but helplessly watch the bird snatch Uta's pouch and make off with it.

    "It... can't have been trained to steal money, could it...?" He rumbles, with a bit of a bemused look sent to Mizuki and Vertina. "Should we chase after it...?"

    Uta, meanwhile, draws a small smile from him, and he steps over to give the top of her head a little ruffle with a scaled hand. "It's a big country, you know?" He points out, for her benefit, before.

    "It haaaas!" He calls over to Mizuki, then, with a bright smile. "Too long! I've been okay! Kinda busy. Sort of. I mean, I got caught up in this weird thing with a bunch of goblins, and then I came here to make a biiiiiig trip through the desert over some merchant Landers' dispute over a small oasis or something... eh, that's not all important. I ended up missing this race because of it anyw- ah, there she goes."

    He stares after the speeding catgirl for a few seconds, and apparently decides she's got this handled before his green gaze flicks to Vertina, lifting a hand for a finger-wiggling wave and... for some reason, a smile that's much more sheepish in nature than the one he offered to the two other friends. "Hi, Vert."

That is about what Vertina expected. She sets the marker with the others, and bows to Uta. "Vertina."

And then the bird runs off with Uta's purse. "... Not as dumb as it looks after all."

    "Pleased to meet you, Vertina! Here, let me send you a friend request...", she says, when Atif ruffles her. "...well, I suppose it /is/ a big country, but then again, we adventurers tend to hang out in more or less the same places, don't we? Mostly root towns..."

    Mizuki's hit strikes true! The Peko is enveloped in an all-consuming red, yellow and orange flame, and its figure is visible through the inferno as a charcoal cutout, flickering.

    With a woosh, the fireball is gone, and all that's left is a Peko Drumstick (Burnt), a Saddle of Sideways Riding (Burnt), some coins (which bounce and tinkle while spinning), and, inexplicably, a Farmer's Straw Hat?

    Oh, and of course, Uta's original Pouch of Small Change (+1).

    "Thanks, Mizuki!", she screams in her friend's direction.

Vertina watches as Mizuki does her handiwork. "And now its as fried as it looked."

Whatever. She does accept the friend request though, and then just sort of marvels at the Vendor Trash drops from the derp bird. "I guess between the race and the tourney crowds the cutputses are trying every trick they can find."

    The coins bounce and tingle and spin, and then Mizuki lands next to them, smiling with satisfaction. Eh, what the hey, she'll do the bit. "Sweet, coins!" She picks them up. "Ah man, it's not even enough for the bus home..."

    She collects the items and walks lazily back to Uta.

    "Here ya go." She trades all the items and coins over except for the drumstick.

    "Awww, poor thing..." Atif lets out after everything's done and... burnt, in spite of the fact that the bird turned out to be a cutpurs.

    His arms cross together over his chest then, and his crimson brows knit together in thought. "...You know, that makes me wonder. Is it the Landers or the Adventurers that try to pull of these schemes, or is it both in equal numbers...?"

Uta thanks Mizuki for the returned items. "...Good question, I did not inspect them."

    Mizuki shrugs. "I expect both, but I dunno about equal numbers..."

"Pretty sure it's both," Vertina replies. "Trolls that think it's funny to take advantage of other players I. rude and disruptive ways."

    "Even in times like these..." Atif rumbles with a displeased grunt. "Oh, well." Shoulders are rolled in a shrug, and he unwraps his arms from the front of his chest. "Did the race at least go okay? I'm kinda sad I missed it, but, you know."

"Trolls? No, man, now they're just conmen, because the internet is real life." Mizuki nods at the question about the race. "Yeah. There were monsters as course hazards and magic boost arrows."

Vertina laughs when Mizuki mentions the monsters and boost runes. "That's why they have the races in the desert and notin the city."

    "Sheesh that sounds like it really would have been fun," Atif rumbles. "I mean, I don't know how to ride... anything. But I bet it would have been fun to watch anyway."

    His fingers scartch lightly at the back of his neck, sheepishly. "But, uh... I figured I'd come help here at least...?"

    "I didn't know how to ride either! They gave us time to prepare and basic training." Mizuki looks between them. "So... what have you all been up to since I last saw you? It's been awhile... I came here and fought the sandworm and beetles, obviously..."

"I'm sure there will be more races in the future." At Mizuki's mention of the Calamity Wave event Vertina nods. "Yeah wasn't that something?" Then shrugs a little. "I was out of the tourney in the first round but I stuck around to support Wisteria and others still competing."

    Uta, who had been cleaning up in the background this whole time, really, replies to Mizuki's question, "Oh, I've run off with the circus. Turns out the circus runs a Peko ranch as a side hustle, who would have told. Anyway, now I'm kind of realizing I've done a mistake by running off, so I've come back. But the mistake was just running off, not joining the circus, so I'm sticking with the circus."

    ...Did that make any sense?

Vertina blinks a few times. "... I hope that ranch isn't where you got that Peko from." But she's figured out that... quirkiness is just who this odd Spriggan is.

With a shake of her head she picks up the stack of boundary markers, testing them across her shoulder. "I better get these down to storage."

    Uta hurries to explain, "Oh, no! /That/ Peko Ranch has not been built yet. That one will be much more dependable!"

    Mizuki scratches the back of her head. "Ah yeah, I entered the tourney too... at least I had a good match."

    She rubs her chin thoughtfully. "You're making a peco peco ranch now? But what about the slime zoo?"

"Yeah, just being able to compete was a big step for me." Vertina winces after her comment, realizing that's technically a pun. That no one else will realize is a pun. "Maybe next time. It took several seasons before I got a soccer team to finals, it's how it goes." She starts walking into town to get the markers packed away. "I'll see you guys around later!"

    Uta points at Mizuki, beaming wide. "This slime ranch has a big barn!" (bonus evil OOC insertion: E-I-E-I-O) "And in the barn there's a slime room!" (OOC: E-I-E-I-O) "I can keep slimes here! I can keep slimes there! I can keep my slimes all over th'everywhere! In that slime lab in the ranch!" (OOC: E-I-E-I-O).

    Uta never sung that, by the way. But HOW DID YOU READ IT? >:]

    Mizuki nods neutrally at competing being a big step. "I hope you got a good fight, at least. Seeya..." she waves, then turns back to Uta. "...Do you actually have any slimes though?"

    Uta admits, "...not yet. But soon. Soon, I'm gonna have a slimarium, and it's gonna be glorious!"

    "Well, it's time for me to go as well. Hope we'll meet again, Mizuki, hopefully for some duty or quest or mission! Those are fun."

    "Soon." Mizuki smiles, hopefully, and pats Uta's shoulder. "Oh! That reminds me! The new boss in the rat dungeon... well, one new boss, it drops an herb you can use for brewing tea and sleep medicine! Thought that might be up your alley..."

    Uta leans in with interest at the revelation. "...yes. Yes I am definitely going to check that out. Thanks for the heads up, Mizuki!"