milliways_bar | (no subject)

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When the door to the bar opens, a distant bell is ringing and the talk and chatter of students drifts in from the other side. The short blonde teenager who walks through the door looks cheerful and perky and ready for a new school day.

Her cheerfulness and perkiness fades into confusion as she looks around her at the unexpected scene.

"Oh!" One hand goes up to clutch the large heart-shaped pendant at her chest. "This isn't the classroom. And I didn't sense any magic, so it can't be someone from home...." She blinks with wide-eyed wonder, intrigued by this change in her daily routine.

Punie Tanaka, princess and heir to the throne of Magical Land, has found Milliways.

(And on the other side of the door, the entire nation of Japan breathes a collective sigh of relief.)

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"Princess?" calls a high, piping voice from somewhere around knee level. "Princess, where did you go? Did you forget- oh."

Well, now, isn't this a surprise to the small furry fellow who just stumbled in after her!

"Paya-tan!" Punie quickly turns around, still clutching her pendant. "What's happened here? Do you know where we are?"

She has a faint, growing suspicion of where they've arrived at -- the denizens of Magical Land are well aware of the existence of certain other worlds and times, naturally -- but it's best to check with her mascot to be certain.

(And if he's trying to get the drop on her, he'll pay for it.)

Holy Giant Eyes, Batman.

"Hey, kid, you lost?"

Dean sets down his half-full beer, turning to get a better look at the girl.

"Or just new?"

The mascot frowns cutely, tapping one paw against his chin in thought. After a moment he says, "I think this may be that place from your mother's books, Princess! The one marked 'excellent vacation spot', paya!'

Magical World being what it is, and Punie's mother being what it is, vacations are not so much times for unwinding and relaxation as for intelligence gathering and invasion preparation. But that doesn't make it any less excellent for the purpose.

Punie blinks quickly and turns at the sound of a man's voice. The hand clutching her pendant tightens briefly as she gives him a bright (if a little worried) smile.

"I was expecting this to be my school," she admits. "Would you be kind enough tell me where I am, please?"

A princess is always polite and gracious, even when troubled.

Dean snorts out a laugh.

"Yeah, that'd be a little bit of a change."

Not that this helps the kid out any.

"Uh. This is Milliways, the bar at the end of the universe. I'd like to say it's less weird than it sounds, but -- "

He makes a face.

"Nah, it's pretty much at least that weird."

"That Milli-place?" She looks around again. "I thought I would have to be older before I was allowed to go here -- oh!" Her eyes light up. "Do you think this is part of my training? That I'm expected to make friends here, too?"

There are only so many people she can befriend at her school, after all.

"Milliways?" Her brow furrows for a moment, and then her entire face brightens, startlingly fast. "Oh, I've heard of this place! Mama said that I might find it when I wasn't looking for it, but I thought I would have to be older before I came here. Perhaps I'm supposed to make new friends here, too!"

From the brightness of her smile, she seems absolutely willing to include this nice young man in that group of new friends.

"Almost certainly, paya!" says Paya-tan, beaming. "Why, look at all the people here! What excellent practice! Even if your mother isn't watching, paya!"

And don't think he hasn't already spotted the strategic potential of the rafters!

"Well, you know -- "

Dean spreads his hands, half to express whatever floats your boat and half to express Uh.

" -- Milliways pretty much takes all kinds, so your odds are probably pretty good?"

Awkward.

Her eyes glitter with renewed (calculation) interest as she looks around the bar.

"Mama would want me to be careful who I speak to here, though," she says thoughtfully. "There might be some people here who wouldn't be very nice. They wouldn't want to be friends with me at all, no matter how hard I tried." She looks down at Paya. "You'll help me find out who those people are, won't you, Paya-tan?"

Of course he will. He has to.

"Of course I will, paya!" he assures her. Oh, how his bones still ache on cold and rainy days. "Each and every one of them will be identified and remembered, paya. It wouldn't be safe otherwise, and your mother would be terribly cross!"

No one is allowed to take the Princess down except him. No one.

Punie's odds are always good. It's part of being a princess, after all.

"Oh, but I'm forgetting my manners!" She drops a little curtsey to the nice young man, and clasps her hands in front of her chest as if she's about to break into song. "My name is Punie Tanaka, and I am the Princess of Magical Land. My mother the Queen sent me to Earth to learn how to make friends, and I've been attending school in a place called Japan. It's very fun!"

"Not how I remember school, but, uh. Good for you, I guess."

He takes a swig of beer, or at least he starts to, but --

"Wait. Magical Land? Seriously?"

Maybe it's a bad translation. Bar's gotta do those sometime, right?

Mascots from Waku-Waku Village are the best kind of mascots ever. And her precious Paya is the best mascot of them all.

"She would," Punie agrees, a little sadly. "But I think Mama would understand if I couldn't make everyone like me -- even though I know she would want me to do my best." A determined look crosses her face. "So I'll make as many friends as I can here, and not be discouraged."

A thought strikes her. "There were some rules about this place, weren't there? In Mama's books?"

Punie nods. "Magical Land. It's very different from Earth, so I'm not supposed to use my magical powers on Earth unless it's very, very important. People are sometimes frightened when I do, and I don't want to frighten anyone."

Not without cause, at least.

"Oh, yes, paya," says Paya enthusiastically. "All fighting should be done outside, unless someone else attacks you first. Nobody from Magical World or Earth is allowed to continue a hunting mission or a grudge here. And always dress and act modestly, paya!"

A princess is best off knowing the rules before they arise, because if rules have to be broken they should be broken effectively and as quickly as possible.

"Fighting only outside," Punie repeats carefully. "No grudges from home or from Earth. And dressing and acting modestly at all times. That seems simple enough, and they all make perfect sense. I can't imagine that I'll have any trouble with them."

She beams at Paya. "And I'm sure you'll make friends here, too, Paya-tan. It must be lonely sometimes, spending all of your time with me."

Riiiiight.

"What kinda magical powers are we talkin', here?"

She kinda looks like someone glittery, to be honest.

That'd be unnerving.

"Oh, I keep myself busy, paya," he hastens to assure her. "But it's always good to meet new people and expand one's experiences! I know I'll learn a great deal from this place and all these people, paya!"

Punie puts a hand on her heart-shaped pendant. It has what looks like a candy cane coming out of the bottom, and a design on the front that matches the one on her headband. (It looks like an open and staring eye, if you spend too much time looking at it.)

"This is my magical wand -- I can use it for all sorts of things! I used it to help a friend make special curry once, when she was worried that no one would like the curry that she made." She beams proudly. "I like using my magic to help people."

"I'm so glad." She bends down and picks Paya up, making it easier for him to climb onto her shoulder or head if he likes. "It's been fun in Japan, but I think we'll have even more fun here! And we won't have to worry so much about people who don't like Mama -- if they're not allowed to hold grudges here, then I won't hold any against them, either!"

Because she's fair like that.

Paya happily scrambles up on the princess's head, the better to get a good look around. "That sounds excellent, paya!" he exclaims. "We should celebrate finding this place, paya. Let's order something to drink so we can toast our good fortune, paya!"

"Please tell me the special curry didn't make anyone hallucinate or anything."

(Like switch bodies.)

Because it sounds kinda like special brownies.

And those don't always end well. Especially here.

"Yes, let's do that!" Punie would twirl around if she didn't have Paya on her head; instead, she settles for putting an extra skip in her steps as she heads for the bar. "Two extra-special drinks for us -- and for all the friends we're going to make!"

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