Sunset Shimmer being upset was probably the understatement of the year. Only one time before had she experienced such infuriating failure and back then she had decided to run, no...It had not quite been running, more like disobeying royalty and diving into the unknown. This time however...

She glared, eyes aflame with anger, at now reappearing before the three that had humiliated her so. Rocbouquet immediatly fell into some act, while under other circumstances she may have been mildly amused by, especially when Frieza jumped in and added to threatening her with asphyxiation. Sunset would have delighted in seeing her face turn as blue as her stupid hair.

What made this whole charade even more infuriating was that those Cosmos idiots were falling for it. At least, they acted like they were. She had to admit, Rocbouquet was a good actress. As the two groups continued their strained conversation, it took Sunset all she could do to just not burst out with an explosion of magic, but remembering where that got her the last time, she forced the urge back. She thought to add to the conversation, but there wasn't much to be added that wasn't said. Instead she sniffed loudly at hussy #2's last statement. Of course they were aware that Chaos was just using them. It's not like any of them were born yesterday.

Doing her best to cool her anger, Sunset took to observing her hooves, summoning a file with her magic. What? She had to do something.

Asvas

...So the sea captain has decided to join in on the act. I guess I was wrong for doubting him.

Rocbouquet cast a furtive upward glance at the Warriors of Cosmos.

Those three maggots will be helping me in no time! she thought.

The enchantress was certain the trio had fallen for her little trick when the skeleton warrior cried out in panic begging Frieza to spare her life. Though why did the undead creature seem the most concerned about her? Its sentimental reaction confused her, but she played along with it, gasping weakly for air as the tyrant tightened his grip around her neck and responded to the purple-haired girl's series of questions.

No sooner after Frieza taunted the girl, had the man with the wings stepped forward and challenged him with a question of his own. Rocbouquet directed her teary eyes upon Garland once more, listening closely to his words. Oh, how calmly did he speak when faced with a difficult situation! The temptress thought, suppressing an urge to sneer. His diplomatic disposition had reminded her a bit of her brother, but she knew that Noel would have dropped any talk of negotiations if somebody were to really hold her hostage.

What mattered to her more at the moment than the way the assumed leader of Cosmos' warriors had handled the situation, was the way all three of them had looked at the galactic overlord when he threatened to kill her. They totally believed she was his hostage! Why else would they be stalling Frieza with a bunch of questions? The purple-haired novice sorceress chimed in again to back up the winged warrior's statement, but her words were quickly met with Buggy's yammering. Rocbouquet's shoulders jolted forward slightly at the sound of the Star Clown's strident voice.

What are you [doing]!? Rocbouquet scolded Buggy in her mind while maintaining her sad maiden eyes. Leave the negotiations to the emperor!

This little hostage act was a sensitive matter best suited for a man with experience in politics, and the emperor was...well, an emperor! He knew how to exert his authority over others to secure his ambitions...just like Wagnas! Rocbouquet dug her nails gently into Frieza's tail to express her impatience with the matter. From an onlooker's point of view, it appeared as though she was trying to keep him from pressing down any further against her neck.

Asvas

All three of Cosmos' Warriors seemed to have fallen for their act. Especially the Skeleton appeared to be in real distress about the Emperor's threat of killing his 'hostage', although none of them could give him a real answer to his question. Instead Garland tried to sow doubt, into which Angela quickly joined. At first the Tyrant wasn't too impressed about this, since they couldn't destroy trust without it existing in the first place, but on second thought the two of them were making a fair point. If Frieza was in Chaos' position, he would probably kill all of them, enjoying the look on their faces as they realized they would never be able to return home.

But before he was able to reply, Buggy joined in on the conversation, returning Garland's question instead of answering it, before repeating Frieza's demands. What was this idiot thinking? Frieza was able to feel how Rocbouquet's nails dug softly into the flesh of his tail as Buggy talked. He could sense her frustration about the pirate's stupidity.

"Please don't mind the nonsense leaving the Clown's mouth." He eventually replied to the other Team, loosening the grip around Rocbouquet's neck a little bit to relieve tension. "I really doubt that he is able to see the bigger picture in this, but you have my interest. I don't trust that Chaos will send me back, but until now this has been my best bet. I have to admit that I thought you would be some brainless pawns like that Pirate behind me. I don't mind which side I am fighting on, as long as it gets me back to my Universe. But tell me: If I join you, can you ensure that your Goddess will send me back to my Universe?"

Frieza knew very well that words on a Battlefield didn't mean much, but even in this situation he would trust the word of some 'Heroes' over that of Chaos.

When the pirate chose to fire off his loose cannon for a mouth, Garland nudged himself closer to Angela and Papyrus. He briefly held both of his hands toward the sorceress and the skeleton, curling them as if he were the one holding the gems when they flared up with otherworldly brilliance. "Think of how the other two crystals answered your plea in Snowdin. Was there something more, or did it just react to your desire?"

In order to keep their unexpected guests from growing impatient, Garland cleared his throat and turned his attention back to the galaxy king with a mild grin on his face. "Don't worry, Lord Frieza, I wasn't planning to give him the time of day. If we were to hand the crystal to you now, some unpleasant reaction might occur as you specified."

At this point, Garland wondered if allowing these individuals to possess an uncharged crystal was the wisest course of action. Whether or not that was certain, if the life of another person was still at risk, then he was necessarily compelled to acquiesce to Frieza's demands.

Once more, the winged man put forth the appearance of leadership in order to speak for the skeletal warrior and the magician princess. "Would you allow us a moment? I barely understand these crystals myself, but to hand them over now may prove harmful to both of us, as you have observed."

Frieza further entreated the idea of a partnership or cooperation, prompting Garland's eyebrows to furrow in thought. He wasn't too keen on helping someone who was quick to threaten the lives of another, but ultimately every single being there likely didn't choose to go of their own desire.

"I can't speak with absolute certainty on that, but I will do everything in my power to see you return to your own realm."

Papyrus-Asvas
Was Papyrus shaking during this entire encounter-regardless if previous encounters ended with battle wounds? As a matter of fact, he was-the longer the conversation between the groups continued; the worse his knees knocked. Any secondary thoughts as to how his cowardice would have upset family, friends, and his own sense of pride had been thrown out the window the longer he watched the hostage's face twist in horror. She had to be terrified! His attention had been drawn to the horse and the clown-they didn't seem like the kind of people to kill; did they? But at the same time, what reason would they have to keep her alive? The pair hadn't hesitated to attack them earlier-so why was Papyrus so suprised at their lack of inaction?

Papyrus thoughts were muddled once more, as they had become increasingly so the longer this journey progressed. The situation had become the worst of stalemates, and as of currently, showed no signs of letting up. 

That is, until Garland and the one who had the girl in his grasp-Lord Frieza, as he had announced himself-spoke about going home. "To their own realm(s)" to be exact. Nervous and beyond jerky, Papyrus immedialty jumped on the idea.

"We were taken from our homes by Lady Cosmos to get the crystals." He began, speaking with speed nothing less of a rapid-fire machine gun. "Perhaps if you helped us gather the crystals for her, she'd see that you're not bad and send you home when we gather them all."

Was Papyrus out of his mind, asking them to team up? Perhaps he was. Perhaps he lost what was left of his mind back in snowdin-or even waterfall. 

But none of this mattered now. He could only hope the others-his teammates included-would take the offer with no additional trouble. He forced a smile.

"The more the merrier...right?"

Angela - Asvas

The other two crystals! Angela had almost forgotten about them, even though she had been carrying them in her left hand the whole time - it was rather inconvenient that her outfit included no pockets, but nothing she could do about that now. She tightened her grasp on the two seemingly discharged crystals - with a little luck, they wouldn't have noticed that she was holding something.

"I... I'm not really sure how that worked?" she replied to Garland's inquiry, her voice always low so that they would not be overheard. "I was just frustrated that the crystals wouldn't help us, and they seemed to do exactly that in response? I'm not really sure how to trigger it again. In any case, Papyrus would probably have to try," she considered. "But now that you mentioned them... Did you notice how he asked for a crystal? As in, singular? What if they don't know we already have more? We could pretend to cast a spell or something on one of the already discharged ones, and give them that one instead!"

"Unless you think such a scheme would be too dangerous for the captive, of course..." she realized as she looked towards the girl. Speaking of which... If Cosmos brought her and her comrades here... And Chaos brought their enemies here... Who is that girl? How did she get here? So far, they had met no innocent civilians in this place... She narrowed her eyes just slightly, her mouth a firm line as she attempted to figure her out.

Well. She could explain herself after this whole situation was diffused, right?

"It's not like we really know her," she added on to Garland and Papyrus' responses, "but if you say Chaos really brought you to go after the crystals, then her story adds up so far. And she seemed nice enough? I don't think she would have any reason to keep you here, so honestly, you probably have a better chance with her regardless."

"So? What do you say?" she asked of the self-proclaimed galactic emperor, giving a little time for her teammates to think of her proposal if their attempt at an unlikely alliance was unsuccessful.

Asvas

Everything they said went according to Frieza's plan, and the Alien Overlord was pleased, feeling in complete control of the situation. And even if his alliance with Team Cosmos turned out to be a failure, he still had Rocbouquet as a trump card. None of Cosmos' warriors were having real doubts about the Temptress, and it would be an easy task for her to backstab them if necessary.

The Emperor let go of his 'hostage' and dropped her on the ground. "Here, take her as a sign of my good will." He then made his way past her, walking over to the other Team in a slow and rather unsettling manner. With both hands behind his back, he stopped right in front of Garland, waiting a couple of second to say anything. He really enjoyed creating as much tension as possible.

Eventually, after he felt like the tension was held up long enough, he relieved it at once by offering his hand to the winged man. "I suppose that makes us allies now." With his still stretched out hand, he turned his head around back to Sunset Shimmer and Buggy, before exclaiming loud enough for them to hear: "I don't know about these two though. The Clown seemed keen to remain as Chaos' puppet, but taking into account that they fled like cowards when facing you before, I am sure that even he should be smart enough not to oppose us."

Asvas

Rocbouquet let out a pained wail as her knees "unexpectedly" struck the ground. She sat there for a moment with her mouth agape, staring at the palms of her hands before finally "realizing" that she had been set free. Rocbouquet leapt up from the ground and bounded immediately over to the Cosmos group, tears glistening past her in the welcoming sunlight.

“...Y-You saved me!” she choked overcome with joy and relief. She threw herself between Frieza and her "hero," wasting no time rewarding Garland with a light peck on the cheek. She smiled weakly at him, noticing how her lips had left behind a faint trace of pink on his skin.

Soon... thought the sneaky seductress as she batted away her tears with her eyelashes and adverted her gaze to her boots in a playful manner. She couldn't wait for the fool to be groveling at her feet in utter servility. But now was not the time. The emperor still had a deal to make.

Rocbouquet twirled herself elegantly out of the way, onto Garland's left side where she quickly clung to his arm and scowled defiantly at Frieza. When she was certain that nobody else was watching her, she flashed the emperor a mischievous grin, followed by a wink, to let him know that this was still a part of her act. As if on cue, the space emperor—after several seconds of standing there in absolute silence—finally made another advance toward the group, extending his hand outward to Garland in an offering of peace. Rocbouquet gasped and pulled Garland's arm back even further against her chest, her fingertips pressing firmly against his skin while the rest of her body suddenly tensed up. The temptress buried her face into the folds of the man's sleeve and whimpered, “N-no...Don't listen to that jerk....”  

OOC:

Sunset briefly paused her hoof filing as she listened to those fools fall right into the palm of Rocbouquet and Frieza's hands. Just like that, they were eager to join their enemy. She watched bemused as Frieza held a hand out towards the winged man while Rocbouquet clung to him like the little harlot she was. She so wished that the man had given Frieza the crystal just for the satisfaction of watching him get blown away like a leaf. Deciding to do her best to fall into the act, Sunset put on her best remorseful look on.

"Chaos has done nothing but give me pain," a small half truth, "I will join you. My actions earlier were out of fear of what he would do. I hope you can forgive me."

The shamed look she held was not really an act because she certainly felt shamed for having to consider asking for forgiveness for this charade to even work. She could feel her cheeks go hot so she decided to continue her act of remorse and look away from the group, as if she were hiding tears, but actually hiding a scowl.

Perhaps Celestia was right about some things, friendship was useful.

Asvas

Buggy was looking around and listening to everything being said and was a bit nervous at what was in front of him now. Lord Frieza and Queen Rocbouquet going over and saying they were joining Team Cosmos. Then after that and to make things even worse, Sunset said that she was going to join Team Goodie-Two-Shoes. His whole team, well not really HIS team but the people that he considered his friends.

He looked at the 5 people ahead of him then looked back around him saw Sunset still there. He tried to toughen himself up on the inside, "Sunset is right though, Chaos is a mean man and I'm going to be alone now if Sunset leaves...like I usually am and I think I will feel better if I may join you as well. I..I'm Sorry for throwing all those bombs at you and calling you names."

Buggy then looked at them across from him and Sunset and waited for a response. Hopefully, for Buggy, it was going to be a good thing for him.

This wasn't quite the outcome he expected.

Initially, Garland was relieved that Frieza relinquished his hold upon the female hostage. His stomach began to tighten up when the warlord chose to approach himself, Angela, and Papyrus in a disarmingly composed and calculating manner. While Frieza may have been of short stature, in that moment, Garland felt like he had been cut down to size.

The mage had not expected the blue-haired woman to recover so quickly, yet she rushed to his side and kissed him on the cheek. As if that wasn't enough to set his feelings aflame, the lady clung tightly to his arm when Frieza extended his hand as a conciliatory gesture. Several kinds of impropriety danced through Garland's immediate thoughts, yet this was neither the time nor the place to entertain fantasies of the flesh.

Be still, my heart..

Garland looked towards the enchantress, setting his other free hand on her shoulder to try and ease her suspicions. "I know he threatened to hurt you, but I have to at least try and find a way to see him return home. Every one of us has been displaced; it's not up to me to decide whether or not he should go back."

He could only raise an eyebrow towards Sunset Shimmer and Buggy when they came forward, then offered a sympathetic glance towards Angela and Papyrus before he drew in a deep breath and sighed. It wasn't going to be easy to speak his concerns with them privately (or at all), but Garland hoped the two would understand that he wasn't entirely convinced that Frieza's pony and pirate pawns were acting in good faith. The emperor himself also seemed duplicitous, but in the absence of proof, Garland couldn't simply dismiss his offer of cooperation out of hand.

Drawing a deep breath, Garland gently coaxed his arm free from Rocbouquet and extended a hand to Frieza. "If my companions are willing, then I'll accept your help."

Asvas

When the diplomatic mage placed his hand against her pauldron, Rocbouquet's eyes rolled upward to greet his calm expression. As their gazes met, her worried look gave way to a gentle smile. She lifted her head away from the man's shoulder and eyed him curiously. It did not take her long to realize how he seemed to avoid looking directly into her eyes as he tried to reassure her about the sincerity of his decision.

“Oh, how noble of you!” she complimented, squeezing his arm a little as he spoke. This man seemed interested in her, or at least he appeared to be struggling against her natural charm. Rocbouquet's smile intensified. Everything was going according to plan. And on the plus side, the attractive male member from Cosmos' posse of pests sounded exactly like Noel!—Quick to forgive an opponent.

If this man is anything like my brother, he shouldn't be too difficult to manipulate! she predicted with an excited giggle. The temptress nodded her head in approval once Garland finished speaking.

“I...I think I understand. My brother would have wished the same for this vile creature. He's good at shaking hands with his adversaries, you see......But that does not mean I am about to forgive this monster for deceiving me and then threatening me with my life!” she quickly added, puffing up her cheeks and frowning at Frieza in a distrustful manner. Rocbouquet leaned closer to Garland again, resuming a more peaceful expression as she tugged gently on his sleeve for more of his attention. However, she let go of his arm quite readily when she realized that he no longer wanted her hanging off of it.

How dare he! Rocbouquet thought in annoyance as his arm gently slipped away from hers. But she calmed herself down, realizing he had only done so to formally accept the emperor's truce. With a soft sigh, the temptress folded her hands against her bosom.

“I do however trust that a warrior as courageous as yourself would do his best to protect his acquaintances from that terrible tyrant if it were to suddenly revert to its nefarious ways,” she explained in an attempt to reassure Garland that she approved of his decision despite her "suspicions" toward Frieza.

Like Garland, the seductress raised a curious brow when Sunset Shimmer and Buggy suddenly stepped forward with an offering of remorse. Who did the privateer and unicorn think they were fooling? As if anybody would actually believe that lame of an apology. What? Now they were requesting to join Cosmos' trio of maggots too!? Out of what? Fear? How pathetic. Rocbouquet restrained herself from rolling her eyes at them as she glanced over her shoulder, hoping to catch a glimpse of the sorceress' and skeleton's initial reactions to the outlandish request. Would those two really fall for such a poorly thought-out lie?

Papyrus-Asvas
Papyrus gave a heavy sigh of relief once the girl was released and the deal was struck. He'd expected things to go a lot worse-he'd had visions of the girls neck being snapped, the two of his party members shunning Papyrus as a traitor for suggesting such a thing. Both of which ended in battle. The fantasies were so disturbing to Papyrus, he had to rub his arms to remind himself that none of that happened, and had successfully been avoided altogether. Thank God. 


The two they had encountered in Snowdin offered apologies and the girl had managed to change her mood rather quickly. One second she was terrified for her life, the next she was all but hanging all over Garland in an incredibly flirtatious manner. While these changes in behavior were strange, as long as they weren't looking for a fight, that was all Papyrus cared about in this moment. Papyrus clapped his hands together, full of nervous energy-in an attempt to change the mood.

"Great! So we're all a team now! I don't think I introduced myself, my name is Papyrus. What about you?" He mostly directed this question toward the flirtatious girl, but anyone else (aside from Frieza, he'd announced himself in a rather bold manner already) could answer. 

What better way to start off being a new team other then introductions?

Angela - Asvas

So far, so good. The lizard-like creature appeared to accept their proposal... and extend his hand to Garland to seal their cooperation. Angela was not really sure what made him think that Garland was a leader figure to the group - or at least that's what his gesture indicated. But she supposed it would be in their best interests to let this disrespect by assumption slide. It's not as if she had reason to expect proper manners from their presumed enemies.

And then the frightened hostage abruptly overcame her fear and all but threw herself all over their winged companion. Angela resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Such indignity. She then eyed Garland curiously, gauging his reaction to this kind of unsolicited affection. Angela would have to admit that, save for her questionable fashion sense, the girl could probably even be considered marginally attractive. But hopefully he would not be fooled by such trickery. That's exactly what she would have done if she wanted to have her way over something. What was she up to?

The pony and rotund pirate also decided to cast any former loyalties aside and join under a shared goal of simply going home. Looks like they might manage to get out of this situation without a battle, after all.

...Which is nice and all, but overly... easy? Convenient? Cosmos had warned that they would face opposition when they gathered the crystals. Did she mean this kind of opposition? And if they feared Chaos before, would they not fear his reaction towards such treason?

Garland addressed the former hostage's concerns, all the while placing his other hand on her shoulder, which caused Angela's eyes to narrow in disapproval. But he proceeded to free himself from the woman's clutches - good - and extend his hand to Frieza, agreeing to the proposal provided that his teammates agreed. The blue-haired woman was quick to side with him and shower him with compliments - the eye-rolling was not avoided this time - and Papyrus of course was practically overfilled with glee and jumped to introductions.

"I don't see why not," Angela replied to Garland with a slight shrug. Even if she was not fully convinced about this whole thing. It still seemed fishy that they would be convinced to turn on Chaos so easily, but it might be to their benefit to go with the flow for now. "I'm Angela," she added to Papyrus' introduction.

Asvas

And like that the monster and the girl fell for it. How stupid could they get?

These maggots are more gullible than the Emperor of Avalon! thought Rocbouquet, bringing her fingertips to her mouth to cloak the condescending smirk that was trying to force its way across her lips. At last, she would have her way with these fools!

When Papyrus requested her name, the enchantress adverted her gaze shyly and sniffled a little.

“Oh, um...me?” she asked, wiping her remaining tears against the back of her arm. All of this formal greeting garbage was such a waste of her time. It took Rocbouquet a lot of effort not to lash out at the skeleton for even suggesting an affiliation with her and the emperor. But the monster's two human partners seemed so convinced by her feigning! It would be stupid of her not to play along with them as long as they remained cooperative.

“I'm Rocbouquet. It's a pleasure to meet you,” she responded after Angela finished introducing herself to the group. The young temptress then looked to the man who had "rescued" her from asphyxiation. “And you? What is your name?” she asked sweetly, gazing at him with a glimmer of admiration in her eyes.

Well, then! With endorsements of varied enthusiasm from the plucky skeletal guardsman and the aspiring (jealous) sorceress, Garland resolved to press forward with their new allies of convenience and discover the last remaining crystals in the strange landscape.

It didn't quite sit well with Garland that this was coming off as awfully easy, or that an awfully attractive lady was practically hanging off of his arm. His intervention may have saved a life, but that didn't mean he should expect special treatment from the previously distressed damsel. Furthermore, for all his different encounters with members of the fair gender, Garland tended to be rather discreet about his relationships; openly public displays of affection just weren't his style.

Briefly chewing on the corner of his lip, the blonde man steeled his nerve to meet Rocbouquet's gaze and take in her enchanting visage. His reply came with a gentle, quiet tone of self confidence and modesty. "I'm Garland of the Enthroned. The pleasure is mutual, miss Rocbouquet."

Garland could focus on the task at hand for now, at least, but when he returned to his homeland - if he returned - he was going to need stress relief. Preferably the frothy liquid kind transported in pony kegs and fancy glass bottles.

Angela - Asvas

Rocbouquet? What kind of name was that? A bucket of rocks? Sure, she pronounced it differently, but that would serve as a good mnemonic in any case. Angela only hoped that she wouldn't forget the actual name and call her that instead. As amusing as it would be, might as well avoid diplomatic tensions if they could help it.

And then the girl looked back at Garland and instantly resumed her classic rescued damsel look. Oh please. Hopefully they would get to move on soon; if she rolled her eyes any more, she was afraid that they would get stuck like that or something.

She turned her back to the now-joint team, seemingly looking out at the horizon. 'The pweasure is mutual, miss Rockbucket,' she mouthed mockingly following their companion's reply. Sheesh. The only thing missing from the scene is little floating hearts surrounding them.

Perhaps a battle would have been better than this charade.

Just as Frieza had expected, both Sunset Shimmer and Buggy joined Team Cosmos without any signs of objections, even though the Clown was trying to demand the Crystals in Chaos' name just moments before. If he had any shreds of respect for them, this would have been the moment he lost them. He just hoped the two of them wouldn't mess anything up by trying to backstab Team Cosmos on their own.
But speaking of backstabbing: The two of them weren't his only concern. The Emperor wasn't able to really make out what Rocbouquet's true intentions were. At least he was able to ignore the doubts and insults she was throwing at him, knowing that they were all part of her charade.

The members of Team Cosmos were all accepting their partnership, and especially the Skeleton appeared overfilled with joy, asking everyone for their names. How annoying. Frieza couldn't care less for their names, but for the sake of getting home as quickly as possible, he let them happen without any further intervention.

"Now that everyone has introduced themselves, can we please get to the matter at hand?"

Asvas

He's so calm and collected...like Wagnas, Rocbouquet thought with a dreamy sigh, touching a hand against her cheek, ignoring all words being spoken to the group by anybody but the man introducing himself. It made her aching heart happy to know that somebody was finally paying attention to her in the way she deserved.

“Garland,” Rocbouquet repeated the name with a smile. “I've never met somebody with that name before; though it sounds like it could have originated from my time,” she thought out loud, paying no particular attention to how absurd her pondering may have sounded to the six other individuals around her. But what was the Enthroned, she wanted to ask. Was the term simply a modest way to announce his status as an emperor to those he deemed subordinate? Or did it carry more significance with it than just his social rank?

Maybe Wagnas would know. He sure knew a lot about everything—But did he know how much she loved him? Oh, Wagnas... The temptress' face flushed a light shade of pink at the thought, seemingly lost in Garland's eyes. It was Frieza's comment about "the matter at hand" that brought her back to reality. Oh. Right. The current conversation was still on-going. She adverted her eyes out of embarrassment.

“...Anyway, Garland,” she began shyly. “My brother once told me that it is only proper of me to give something in return to those who have assisted me. But h-how could I ever begin to repay you for rescuing me? I don't have much to offer....”—Well, eternal life, Rocbouquet thought, pausing for a moment. But that proposal would come after she established some form of control over him.

She placed her hand against her cheek and let out a soft, disappointed sigh before continuing. “Oh, it makes me feel so awful knowing that I cannot be of any assistance to you or your acquaintances!” she lamented. Rocbouquet then lowered her voice so that only Garland could hear her: “—Especially when I still have a tiny favor to ask of you....”

Expecting the man's curiosity to get the best of him, Rocbouquet looked up at the mindful mage with her helpless damsel eyes and gave him a subtle batting of her eyelashes. The bait was now in place. Would Garland snatch it up without a second thought? Or would he betray the unspoken bond she expected him to so willingly forge with her? The temptress could only hope her graciousness would win him over just like those foolishly compassionate men back in Salamat, for she could really use the undivided attention and affection of a gentleman after all of the indignity she had endured today as an involuntary member of Chaos' warriors.

Garland - Asvas

The young woman seemed to be taken aback by Garland's introduction, remarking positively on how his name seemed appropriate for an individual from her own era. A vaguely related thought crept into the statesman's consciousness while Rocbouquet seemed to lose herself in his eyes - had they been called away from their own time to some unrecognizable future era? It couldn't have been that far forward, since the town was still relatively intact.

But what dangers would have awaited them in Asvas? He couldn't imagine there being any goblins to worry about. While the gormless little greenskins were weak by themselves, they were at least self-aware enough to recognize their individual frailties and supplement them with sheer numbers. In hindsight, they could have posed a significant threat to Asvas and greater Qayssa if certain individuals had chosen to dismiss them as mere opportunists. Instead, the green menace was hunted and driven out to the very fringes of Qayssa's borders.

Frieza didn't seem overly interested in anything more than the most functional of introductions, calling on all present to focus back to their present situation. If there was any credit to be had, Garland was at least half invested in the matter; after all, it was his home. Briefly stammering over the interruption, Garland quickly voiced his thoughts concerning their location. "Y-yes, the matter at hand.. this township, Asvas, is supposed to be a peaceful place. I feel that another crystal is close by, and I've an idea of where to find it."

Rocbouquet then began to speak up, making mention of how it was only appropriate for her to repay acts of good will. Her voice was shy and hesitant, however, only leading up into a self-pitying observation. She wasn't able to offer much of anything, seemingly despairing over that fact as well as having to lean further on Garland's shoulder (if only figuratively) for what she considered a tiny favor. And what a lean it was! She gave him a demure gaze and even batted her eyelashes.

She is rather pretty up close...

Garland sighed inwardly, weighing his options. He knew what needed to be said, but alienating the young lady wasn't exactly something he wanted to do out of hand.  There was no need for it, and yet he wasn't going to hold her to a debt. Exercising greater power over other individuals was a temptation that had to be fought in all forms.

Reaching forward to grasp Rocbouquet's shoulders with only enough strength to draw her attention to him, Garland spoke with as even a voice as he could manage, making brief eye contact with her before sending a glance towards the cobblestone street leading further into the township.

"I don't want you to worry about repayment. if you have anything else to ask, my ears are open; for now, we should seek out the crystal."

Papyrus-Asvas
Papyrus didn't entirely know what to make of the hostage openly flirting with Garland. Perhaps it was the trauma she'd gone through that made her act extra needy? Either way, every time she managed to get into Garland personal space, he couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed-which was odd for him. Then again, everything about this quest of theirs has made Papyrus act and feel in highly unexpected and undesired measures. 

"So your name is Rock-bucket." Papyrus repeated, innocently yet incorrectly pronouncing the woman's name. "And you have a brother! So do I! His name is-"

Papyrus trailed off slightly, and immediately switched topics. Talking about his brother-or anyone, really-from home made his heart ace something awful. 

"-A-anyways, we've been using that crystal-"-he motioned toward the crystal in Garland's hand-"To find them. Do you have anything like that?"

How did they manage to get near the crystal in snowdin, anyways? There hadn't been anyone there!

ASVAS

Buggy watched the interactions between Roc, Lord Frieza and the others then stepped in saying, "I think I might have mentioned this before but my name is Buggy and before you say anything...no, my name is not related to any insect." 

Then turning his attention to the skeleton Papyrus and his words about the crystal and apparently finding people?? for some reason that sort of interested Buggy even more. He then decided to speak again, "Well actually Frieza here knows more about that then I do and I don't wanna speak false information that I don't know anything about...you know what I mean?"

As the introductions and incessant conversation went on, Sunset tuned them out as she kept her gaze away from the group and instead on their new surroundings. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment as her thoughts retraced the events that happened not too long ago. What sort of illusion magic was being used in that snow town? It was something quite powerful and Sunset could only assume this apparently peaceful looking place was yet another illusion too.

Realizing that she should perhaps say something, Sunset grumbled her name out just audible enough for everyone to hear it. She didn't really care if they actually did or not, though despite her "tuning" everyone out, she did manage to catch their goodie comrades names.

She huffed. Whatever, as long as they could get moving to find the next crystal.

Angela - Asvas

Angela paid little attention as the two of the alien lizard's partners - or whatever they were to him, really - introduced themselves. Even if they decided to set their differences aside with a common goal of returning to their homes, she fully understood that they would probably be tolerating each other at best. Hopefully Papyrus also realized that. She knew pretty much nothing about their backstories, but if Chaos chose them as his warriors, there should be a reason for that.

She glanced back at the blue-haired girl and their winged companion. What were they talking about in such secrecy now? Her brows furrowed, she did her best to make out what they were saying, with little to no luck...

And then Papyrus went and called her "Rock-bucket", much like how Angela had originally associated the name, and she nearly lost it. A muffled chuckle escaped her mouth, which she quickly attempted to disguise with a fit of coughing, however convincing it may have been. "Phew! I hope I didn't catch a cold in the previous town," she mumbled out loud in case anyone was looking at her.

Asvas

Garland's hands were now on her shoulders and he was speaking to her in a hushed voice. Rocbouquet's heart raced with excitement. What a beautiful moment. Now if only it were between her and Wagnas instead.

"I don't want you to worry about repayment. If you have anything else to ask, my ears are open; for now, we should seek out the crystal."

Rocbouquet clasped her hands together in gratitude.

“Oh, how wonderful!” she squealed with delight. “Thank you for your understanding and your willingness to hear me out, even though you are currently on a quest of your own! With your permission then, I request your assistance: I need somebody strong to protect me until I am able to safely return to my brother Noel.” The enchantress' eyes expressed a deep look of concern as she too directed her attention to the cobblestone path beneath them. For a moment her gentle voice grew solemn.

“Noel would never forgive himself if something were to happen to me. And I...I don't want him suffering because I was unable to make it back to him on my own,” she explained, tears welling in the corners of her eyes as she glanced up at Garland. Although Rocbouquet fabricated her story on the spot, some truth existed in the words whispered by her soft pink lips: If Noel had even the slightest idea that a self-proclaimed god kidnapped his little sister and forced her to fight in a war between worlds to stop the so-called Warriors of Cosmos from collecting crystals, he would absolutely lose his mind.

Rocbouquet lowered her voice once more as she leaned closer to Garland and asked, “...Will you help me?” in a welcoming whisper that tickled his ear with her soft exhale.

"—So your name is Rock-bucket."

“...Wha-!?”

Blushing, Rocbouquet quickly withdrew herself from Garland's personal space and turned her head. A visible frown crept across her lips as she made prolonged eye contact with Papyrus, the gregarious skeleton warrior, as he attempted to start a conversation with her. Rock bucket? Had she heard him correctly? The enchantress felt her temper stirring. Her brow twitched ever so slightly.

Really now, that worthless pile of bones thought her name was Rock-bucket? How rude! She was Rocbouquet—as in the beautiful bouquet of freshly picked flowers from Mount Chikapa that would fill her arms when she stood before Wagnas in a beautiful white gown on her wedding day! She thought to herself in annoyance over Angela's awkward coughing fit and mumbling. Luckily, she managed to quash her anger before it could manifest.

I'll just ignore that numbskull; it is only a lesser member of the undead after all, she reminded herself as she closed her eyes and tried to tune him out. But Papyrus seemed beyond determined to interact with her. He even dared asking her about the crystal she had promised to find for Wagnas! Rocbouquet exhaled forcefully from her nose. What drove this monster to act with such persistence? And why was it so friendly? Monsters were supposed to be anything but friendly! Ugh. This skeleton was such a nuisance.

“...A crystal?”

For the sake of maintaining her positive first impression on Garland, the temptress had no choice but to acknowledge the undead creature.

“...Yes. Actually,” she responded calmly without losing the pleasant timbre in her voice. She reached under the petals of her skirt and produced a small leather pouch. From the pouch she pulled a perfectly round mysterious yellow stone. Its chatoyant surface glistened in the welcoming sunlight like a spool of fine silk as she held it between her fingers and tilted it around, eyeing it with much scrutiny. Rocbouquet couldn't remember exactly where she had found the talisman—Perhaps she had picked it up in the tower ruins after bonding with that bothersome dragon, or maybe one of those foolish men in Eirunepe had gifted it to her?

It did not matter either way, as long as the object could be used to distract the skeleton's attention from her if only for a moment. Without warning, Rocbouquet flicked the stone at Papyrus quite roughly, pretending as if she had simply meant for him to catch it.

“It's a good luck charm from my brother,” Rocbouquet lied with a sweet smile as she looked between her teammates and Cosmos' trio, wondering how long they would manage to tolerate each other. “I guess it isn't very lucky though,” she quickly added while sighing. With all of these pests constantly watching her and interrupting her advances toward Garland, how would she ever manage to get anything accomplished for Wagnas? She looked back at the handsome winged warrior standing in front of her and feigned a weak smile. Whatever. At least Garland seemed compliant. There would be no need to coerce him with any magic just yet... Perhaps she could even try to lure him away from this group of bothersome pests if it became necessary.

“Did you make up your mind yet, Garland?” Rocbouquet asked curiously beneath her breath, this time while respecting his personal space. “...It can be our little secret if you want~~” she giggled with a wink.

Garland's attempt to calm and reassure Rocbouquet had an unintentional result.

The young lady was rather ecstatic when he offered to listen to any further requests, proceeding to explain her need for a guardian while she was separated from Noel - a man whom Garland reckoned would fiercely protect his sister. That was a fair assumption; if the mage had other siblings, he wouldn't simply allow them to be endangered. But then the distressed damsel was now leaning closer to him, whispering her question in an alluring manner.

What is going on, here?

One lesson that the winged warrior had learned from a past acquaintance was that things would happen in the world for a reason. According to that alchemist, that was the entire basis of scientific study and a fundamental truth of social interactions. Was she specifically just in need of protection from capable fighters, or was she after something more?

Rocbouquet was momentarily distracted by a question from Papyrus, concerning whether she had discovered any crystals like the one that was in Garland's possession. Angela made a brief comment hoping that she had not caught a cold, seemingly timed at the right moment to break up the rhythm of their companion's subtle overtures. After tossing what looked like a gemstone to Papyrus, the young lady renewed her inquiry; she clearly wanted something, yet it would be inappropriate to speak bluntly and turn down the request. Garland was of mind to help; no one deserved to be stranded away from their home.

Even if she had innocent intentions, a possibility Garland couldn't rule out due to his own proclivities, he could not afford to get distracted. Asvas could be host to any number of dangers, and frankly, there was no one element that he could predict as a potential threat. The Ul had been routed, the countryside wasn't at war, and every significant goblin burrow had been extirpated. Any of the surviving greenskins had been driven to the borders of his homeland.


Withdrawing his hands from Roc's shoulders, Garland turned briefly and waved a hand towards the township. "Miss Rocbouquet, I have made up my mind. For now, I will guide everyone here through Asvas so that we can ensure our safe passage back home; you're welcome to come along, but I also need to look out for the safety of our companions."

Papyrus-Asvas
It only took a split second for Papyrus to notice something glint in the air. He'd been far too occupied with other things to notice. In particular, just how close the blue haired girl was getting to Garland. Papyrus wasn't stupid, though this adventure had increasingly made him feel like it. She really was hanging all over him, and was she whispering into his ear? The entire thing was rather uncomfortable to watch, especially how it seemed like Garland was not reciprocating. 

But then it hit his forehead. He scrambled to catch it-just taking notice that it was a small round stone for but a second-before it hit the ground. The light golden color seemed to blend in immediately with the grass and worn dirt path. With a small yelp, he quickly looked to her, then back on the ground. 

"Um, I, Uh-" Papyrus took no time in kneeling down, scanning the ground beneath him quickly. "I-I don't quite know how to pronounce that." He gave a rather loud nervous laugh as he continued to look for the gemstone. And it had been a gift from family-her brother, no less! How could he be so careless!

Anxiously shifting around the loose dirt, he spoke up: "I think I'll just call you Roc. And um. I think."

Papyrus overturned a downed branch. 

"I lost."

Papyrus kicked over a larger stone with his foot.

"Your pebble."

Asvas

With a radiant smile upon her face, Rocbouquet brought her hands together and nodded her head eagerly as she leaned forward in anticipation of Garland's response.

//Why yes, Miss Rocbouquet! I'd help you until the end of time if I could!//

...Was not what he said. In fact, he avoided the question entirely, and instead declared a new plan to lead everybody to safety! A plan which did not require her presence, yet she was welcome to tag along if she wished. Rocbouquet's lips quivered slightly. Although she tried to avoid expressing any form of reaction, her eyes still managed to project that her feelings may have been hurt. Quickly the temptress used Garland's gesture toward the township as an excuse to look away from him and the others to momentarily express her disgust to the trees overlooking the sett pathway.

What is wrong with this man? she thought, glaring off into the distance as she drew her hands to her chest and clenched her fists tightly against it. Any other empathetic fool would have fallen so beautifully in love with her and would have eagerly jumped at the chance to protect her! Rocbouquet hated to admit it, but Sunset and Buggy were right: that stupid Dantarg lookalike must have weakened her powers—But out of spite of course, not because she had allowed the fiend to trick her like those two fools, Rocbouquet quickly added to her thought in an attempt to reassure herself.

If that annoying bastard thinks I'd willingly give him the crystal once I find it, he's in for a world of hurt!

Speaking of which, where was that stupid crystal he wanted anyway? That pest Garland proposed looking for a crystal in Asvas, but that pile of bones Papyrus had mentioned Garland already having one? Were they lying to her? Rocbouquet furrowed her brow. As much as she wanted to fry these annoying Cosmos warriors with a lightning bolt, killing them and stealing their crystal now would be an amateur mistake, especially if there really was another crystal out there! Hmph. What a nuisance this predicament was!

Foolish man, You're lucky I still need you and your pesky companions to show me the way to the other crystal. Her frown shifted to a devious little smirk. But don't you worry, you'll be bowing down to your queen soon, whether you like it or not!

After spending a brief moment regaining her composure, Rocbouquet turned back around smiling beautifully at Garland. She then leapt up with excitement, even pumping her fists into the air a few times as she exclaimed,

“Great!”

—No. Everything is [awful], she griped internally. Rocbouquet clasped her hands together once more and nodded to express her support for Garland's decision:

“You're right! It's much safer to travel in a group, after all.”

—No. You are so wrong; how dare you, you insolent fly! You'll pay for this! She continued to smile nevertheless.

“I wouldn't have expected anything less from a man who knows how to resolve disputes without any form of violence!”

—A man who resolves conflicts without violence is just a helpless insect waiting to be crushed!—

“I trust that you'll keep us all safe,” she concluded with a wink.

—But the moment you turn your back on me, I'll make you into my slave!—

As the young enchantress stepped away from Garland, she noticed Papyrus fumbling around on the ground. Rocbouquet raised a puzzled brow. She did not need to wait long for an explanation, for Papyrus provided her with one the moment she walked over to him.

Oh...that klutz skeleton lost my magical talisman for preventing blindness.

Of course it would, she groaned internally.

“Guess that means you'll be looking for two crystals now,” she remarked in a melodic whisper, towering over him, her hands placed against her hips. “Because big brother won't be happy if he finds out that you lost it...” She then brought her hands together and giggled. “But that's okay! Maybe the little unicorn can use its sense of smell to find it!” Looking over her shoulder, Rocbouquet shot Sunset a covert glare.

Angela - Asvas

Luckily, no one seemed to pay Angela's rather convenient fit of coughing any attention; and if they did, no one said anything, which suited her just fine as well. Well, amusing as that had been, no one was moving, and that was annoying. Just how much longer did those two plan to continue their casual chit-chat? She had squealed about something being so "wonderful", but what? Did that fool promise her that he would give her a tour of his hometown or something?

As the girl addressed Papyrus' question, Angela turned back towards the party in curiosity. Did she have a crystal like that? Oh for crying out loud, she'd better not have been summoned by Cosmos too. Luckily, she didn't seem to know much about the kind of crystals that they were collecting, instead revealing a small round stone or something? A good luck charm? Which she flicked straight to Papyrus?? Quite roughly?? Wow. Seriously. No class at all. Angela winced as it struck Papyrus on the forehead - not that she expected it to hurt much, but still.

She continued glancing at the duo curiously, unable to make anything out, until the girl pumped her fists into the air after some thought? 'Great'? What's great? If she says it's great then Angela was willing to bet it was not.

Not long after, Papyrus spoke to the blue-haired girl again, stuttering until finally admitted that he lost her little artifact.

'Guess that means you'll be looking for two crystals now. Because big brother won't be happy if he finds out that you lost it...'

Seriously? He lost it? Well if it's so important to her, how about she does not toss it straight to the face of the first individual who asks about it?? How much logic does that much thought require??

Ugh. She was so done here. If that pony could really find it then great, but Angela was far from willing to spend much time searching for the girl's precious little stone. Or a second, really. It was her to blame for losing it, after all. She had to say something, but she shouldn't pass off as inconsiderate...

"Oh, how terrible!" Angela clasped her hands together, her voice reflecting deep concern. "A precious memento from family... It would pain me deeply to lose it. But..." she trailed off, looking towards Papyrus and then Garland. "What should we do? Cosmos warned us that the consequences would be catastrophic if we did not collect the crystals in time. What if it's too late already? We have to hurry..." she looked straight at Garland's eyes, the distress evident.

Or at least well-acted. Cosmos hadn't said anything like that, but Garland was not there when they met her. And Papyrus seemed rather confused about the whole thing at times, so hopefully he would play along and not question her. Now if only the others could pick from where she left off and make it clear that they have to go. Now. Pebble or no pebble.

Plus who knows? If their mission was really so important, it would make sense to hurry up, no? Maybe Cosmos just took that much for granted. Maybe it was not even a lie at all.

The burning humiliation was beginning to simmer down as Sunset found herself quickly getting bored with the serene landscape before her. Turning her attention back towards the group, she couldn’t help but give a blank stare at Rocbouquet’s overly dramatic act. Didn’t she know when to quit while ahead? She had missed what the walking skeleton, Papyrus as he called himself, had said but Sunset found Rocbouquet’s reaction, catching the faux blush as anger, was quite amusing. A bemused smile appeared that she cared not if anyone noticed, no one was paying her attention anyway.

Curiously, she watched Papyrus lose the pebble that Roc had tossed at him. Was he as stupid as Buggy? Those two would certainly be a pair… She quickly glanced at the pirate. At least the pebble had not been the crystal Chaos gave to them. Sunset hoped Buggy wouldn’t be so dumb to reveal they held an item, at least not yet.

She turned her attention back to the pair that consisted of Rocbouquet and Garland. Apparently Garland’s answer was not what she wanted and it showed. Sunset was trying hard to not bust out laughing as it became apparently Rocbouquet could not completely charm this man as she wanted. The look on her face was priceless and the fake high pitched answers that came out her mouth had Sunset nearly shaking as she withheld laughter. That is...until Rocbouquet decided to drag her into it.

Any look of amusement or potential laughter drop from her face as she gave the blue haired floozy a blank look. Floozy #2 started whining about needing to leave and as much as Sunset hated it, she agreed. Sitting here watching Rocbouquet fake flirt with Garland was not exactly her idea of a good time. Sunset rolled her eyes as her horn glowed.

”Fine, fine,” she grumbled, as a pebble, which she didn’t bother to check if it was actually the right one or not, floated up in the air and zipped quickly, as quickly as Roc had flicked it at Papyrus, back towards the blue bimbo.

”I’m with her. We should get going,” Sunset said, motioning her head towards Angela and standing back up, stretching her hind legs. She turned as if to move in the opposite direction of the group, not really caring if it was the right way or not.