In the middle of the day, we find ourselves in the home of Toby and Edgie, resident mechanic and mage, respectively. Edgie has gotten word from "on high" that *something* bad is going on. They procure a radio and set it down on the dining room table, as they, along with Ika and Mako, listened in. A news-anchor-like voice chimes in from the static. *Horrendous news from the top the Mountains! It appears one of the dwarves, native to the region, has undergone some kind of transformation! Sources are unclear, but it appears that they've grown in size in some capacity, and has started ruling over the dwarves' hometown with an iron fist!* Edgie turned off the radio. "Unless I have not been well, it appears one of the dwarves has undergone an Outburst transformation." Ika piqued up enough for everyone to hear. "Out... outburst? What's that?" She still couldn't shake the shakes. Mako looked at her weirdly. "You don't know what Outburst is?" Ika shook her head no. "I only know how to fight people, talk to spirits, and make myself macaroni and cheese." She crossed her arms in a humph. "I don't even like mac and cheese..." Toby started. "It's when... How do I put this in a simple way... It's like a really big tantrum, when someone gets real mad-" Edgie interrupted. "You're overgeneralizing. Outburst can come from any emotion, not just anger. It's an extremely heightened emotion,", they explained, "It could be anger, but it could also be distress, or fear, or even mania. If you don't regulate your emotions, you might become something disastrously consequential. A moment, if you will?" They held out their hand and summoned a parchment, handing it to Ika. "This was before any of us were born, Ika, but it's a good example." It was a snippet from a newspaper of some sort. The headline, "Reptile's Birthday Blows Up!", showing a large circular reptile with a fuse coming out of its head, ready to be lit. "I suspect something similar is happening here.", explained Edgie. Toby put a hand on his chin, again - the claw. "You know, I hear they give out some wild prizes if you can de-escalate that kind of scenario. Ika, you said you know how to fight, right? You think you could handle that kind of thing?" Ika put her head down on the table. She surveyed the other three people in the room. Edgie was staring, emotionlessly. Toby was sitting, running his fingers across the table. But Mako was holding Ika's hand and squeezing it, showing nothing but love. "Fine. We can go. But only because I'm so gay, apparently." Ika squeezed Mako's hand back, looking longingly at her. "It's agreed, then. Shal we seal it with a [[Pact]]?" Edgie put their hand in the middle of the table, then Toby's claw of an arm, then Mako. Ika was the last, nervously putting it in. Edgie chanted something incomprehensible, before saying, "The seal is done. We will all meet back here in 3 days' time." Mako turned to her partner. "You know, Ika, I think this'll be good for you! You could really use some sunshine in your life, haha!" Ika just sat at the table while the other two excused themselves (Toby had dinner to cook, and Edgie had magic to study). "I don't know, Maks... I don't know if I can be normal like you are. I've done things others haven't, and others have done what I haven't. I'm the outlier here." Mako put a hand on Ika's shoulder, rubbing it slowly. "It'll be a hard process, sweetie. The important thing is that you keep a positive attitude about it, okay?" Mako beamed, in a way that Ika truly could not defend against. That smile was her one weakness, that seemed to flush away her past and make her live in that exact moment. "I'll try, for you, Mako." The carriage ride home was something unremarkable. Ika enjoyed looking out at the scenery, though. The path from the bottom of the mountains to The Human Residence was populated with various light-colored trees, known locally as The Minty Forest. The fruit that grows there looks much like a mango of sorts, though the color is more like a pear. There isn't really a name for it like other fruits, though, mostly because it's hard to eat - the flesh is fine, but the taste is like a sour pickle, and overripened, it's like eating solid mouthwash. Nobody really picks it, so the trees are quite dense, as the fruits fall and their seeds germinate. The carriage arrives back at town. The rider sticks out his hand. "Please.", said he, and his all-too-formal suit. Mako opens her wallet, Empty. "Oh, no! I forgot to get my deposit today." Unexpectedly, Ika handed the guy a card. "It, uhm, that should cover it, right?" The man looks it over. He takes a monocle and inspects it closely. "Aye, alright, this'll do." The horses gallop off. "Ika, what did you give him?" Ika looked down at the ground. "Oh, some card... They told me to give it to any horse riders. I don't know." She reached into her pocket and pulled out an exact copy, handing it to Mako. She read it quietly, muttering the words to herself. "Ika, this is a coupon for a bridal shop." "Well, don't horses have bridles?" If you'd asked Mako, Ika just grew three heads. "No, br-[[Eye]]-dal. You just gave that guy a coupon for a free wedding gown." "Oh. You think he'll get it?" Mako sighed. "Yes, Ika, I think a guy who's currently employed as resident taxi is going to go purchase a fitting bridal gown." Just then, the carriage came around again. The rider was done up in something perfectly fit for a wedding, a floral pattern dancing down over the white dress, his shoulders visible from all angles. Ika looked him up and down. "You look, uh, nice, sir!" The man turned to look. "Thank you! The horses like it too." He then whipped the rope, causing them to gallop off at full speed. "You know, Mako, I swear you were being sarcastic that time." Mako just stomped her foot in the ground and slapped her own face.