Slumber Party Fundraiser Page

The homepage that Terra had been directed towards seemed to be stuck in a state of night-time. Just ahead, a two-story building was illuminated by several indoor lights. Terra could only assume that's where she was supposed to go, since nothing else was around.

After approaching, Terra found the front door open. Apparently, she'd been expected. Stepping inside, she discovered a woman of average height seated at a desk with her legs up, reading a magazine. The woman had blond hair, done into two giant, star-shaped tails; this was her most defining feature, but her large, charismatic blue eyes were also worth noting. She was dressed in black bodysuit with yellow star designs scattered here and there across it, along with yellow gloves, belt, and boots. Her body seemed fairly nice, but not terribly remarkable.

Spotting Terra, her eyes lit up with excitement. "Hey there! Everyone else has already arrived. Welcome to the 17th Annual Slumber Party Fundraiser Page, another of my brilliant fund-raising slash fun-raising programs! You must be the other GNA rep. Pleased to meet you, my name's Showbizz!" she introduced herself, shaking Terra's hand before she had time to get a word in.

"We have to hurry up and get this show on the road! Here's your show contract. Sign here and we can hurry up and start this fundraising event!" the navi continued excitedly, shoving a paper and pen across the desk towards Terra.

Quote (Slumber Party Fundraiser/Funraiser Contract)

"I dedicate my efforts towards a good-spirited pillowfighting game. I have no ill intents or malice towards the opposing players to the extent that I wish to cause them bodily or mental harm. I am fine with this footage being used on television."

Sign here: ______________________________

-----------------------------------------------------

- Any damaging sigs or chips that are used will result in immediate player disqualification.

- Any barriers or shields that are used will result in immediate player disqualification.

- The object of the game is to use whatever means necessary to put all other players to sleep.

- All players will be presented with an event-specific Pillow chip (PartyPillow). Your SlumberPartyFolder will contain 1 PartyPillow, although you may pick up other players' pillows to increase your stock. Like all Pillow chips, each is usable for only three swings.

- You must wear sleepwear. Either use a .GMO for this purpose or you will be provided a default one until the end of the show.

"I understand the rules above."

Sign here: _______________________________


-----------------------------------------------------

"Any means necessary" in rule 3 does not dismiss the possibilities of other status or non-damage effects. Showbizz and associates are not responsible to any personal humiliation that may occur. Nothing outside of what is written in these rules is explicitly forbidden. Complaints towards the unflattering/itchy nature of default .GMOs will not be recognized or given concessions. We have the right to televise everything that happens during the course of this program. Our censorship duties are ranked 4 on Motz' censorship scale (explicit nudity barred, all else permitted). Bonuses may be awarded to any players who can help boost ratings.

Final confirmation: _______________________________

"Just mark that up quickly and we'll get started! Oh, and er, be sure to tell me if you need us to hook you up with some pajamas."

Walking into the homepage site, Terra found the only landmark around, and walked calmly inside. Instantly greeted by the one she found after her entrance, she merely nodded attentively as she was given the explanation on what she was going to do. Reading the document that she was given, it was a few moments before her digital signature went onto the document, and returned.

"I don't have a suitable override," said Terra, stating her lack of nightwear attire.

"Hm... oh ho! There's your signature. Alright, come on out now," Showbizz giggled. Terra hadn't noticed before, but the room was quite large and well furnished for just the two of them. It was very lonesome with just the two of them... But then, they'd never been alone.

Many men with cameras and video recording devices slid out of different areas of the room. Their presence wasn't really as alarming as that of the final figure; a woman dressed entirely in black special operations gear, complete with a red-visored helmet and large rifle, slid down from the ceiling on a gleaming black rope. Terra could only assume the figure was a woman because of the long white hair that trailed from the back of her helmet. "I'm here. No irregularities to report,"[b][/b] the figure answered, giving a smart salute as she landed.

The star-haired girl sighed, then waved one hand to push that subject aside. "I don't need a report, dummy. We've got our last competitor now! All I need you to do is to get her ready for the game. She doesn't have her own outfit, so you'll have to provide her with one," she explained, shaking one foot up and down impatiently as she kept it crossed over the other, both placed lackadaisically atop her own desk.

The dark-geared woman game up and placed one hand upon Terra's back, ushering her forward in an overly hasty, official way. It was like she was evacuating some kind of hazard area. As the two left, Showbizz looked at the name on the paper. "Your name's Terra...? Let's hope you're not boring!"

With that, the two left the large downstairs room and headed into the next hallway, which immediately led to an upward spanning staircase in either direction, left and right.

------

The upstairs was set up in an odd way: only two doors adorned it, one at either side of the hallway. A rather large amount of chatter came from one door, but there was little time to think about it as Terra was hurried on into the other. It might be neat to admire the girlish white floral wallpaper or the pink draping hanging all around the wooden halls, but the combat-armored, military-acting woman was moving Terra along too quickly.

Soon, Terra had been forced into the door, which the woman quickly shut behind the two of them. Not relaxing her gait, the woman left Terra and moved over to a chart, then loosened a police baton from her belt and began going over the names written there. Apparently, someone had already filled in Terra's... possibly one of the hidden workers from earlier?
Including Terra's name, there were 10 total:

Quote ()

NP- Somnia
NP- Oxybelle
NM- Ballista
NM- Zazz
NS- Vee-Chan
NS- Soldier-Kun
GNA- Rodeo
GNA- Terra
Show- Showbizz
Show- Swat

"Showbizz offers you a last chance to decline the game, as a show of good faith and to remove any misconceptions this hectic treatment may have given you. If you now know any names that cause you to disagree with participating in this game, feel free to withdraw. You will also be given this .GMO; this .GMO, however, is not a valid reason to withdraw. If you have specific complaints with any of the names shown, please voice them,"[b][/b] the woman barked in her commanding voice, then transmitted Terra her new outfit.

Terra hadn't seen it yet, but it was fairly clear to Scarlett that the outfit would manifest, once activated, as a pair of butt-flapped, itchy, woolen, full-body, orange pajamas. They couldn't be any less attractive. Showbizz was obviously a quirky person to have set this up...

"Once you consent, I will randomize all player locations and the game will begin."[b][/b]

Terra was slightly taken back by the sudden appearance of camera equipment all around her, but then figured it was kind of expected, given that she had signed the contract clearly stating that footage was going to be taken. Scarlet, on the other hand, was watching with peaked interest. Who wouldn't be, when their newly born Navigator gets a spot on prime time? She eyed the black-wearing Navi with a hint of amusement as well, seeing her to be somewhat out of place at such an event.

Quickly, Terra found herself ushered along in an official manner, and placed in a room. Apparently she was the last to arrive, so she assumed the event would start. She still hadn't received her nightwear, as she did not know the outfit was directly transferred to the PET itself. Scarlet looked at the outfit, and giggled slightly. "All right, let's have you try this on for size, Terra," she said, initiating the override.

Terra's leotard and shorts and boots were then immediately replaced with the rather funny-looking pair of pajamas, which sent Terra into a twitchy fit. Looking down at herself, she managed a half-hearted grin at how silly she looked, and-- oh, right, her backside was kind of itching, too. Get a hold of yourself, she told herself, trying as hard as she could not to reach into her pants to relieve herself. The pajamas were kind of floppy as well, though she could probably run about without tripping. Meanwhile, Scarlet had to keep herself from laughing out loud.

"... I'm ready," said Terra, indicating her consent to start the event. She didn't really bother with the names, as she hadn't exactly met that many people.

The woman in black gear seemed to stare at Terra for a moment, then continued; her voice still sounded very composed behind her face-mask. "Very well. We'll start once the positions are randomized. Notice that this was the final turn-back point. If you abort the mission from this point onward, there will be consequences,"[b][/b] she explained, then grabbed up a radio at her side. "Explanations resolved. Commence the game,"[b][/b] she barked through the device.

Before Terra could tell what was happening, a panel opened in the floor beneath her and some sort of appendages moved her into a dark area. It was frightening only for a moment; she was quickly re-deposited in one of the upstairs rooms.

Even with just a brief glance around, it would be apparent to Terra that she'd come back up in the same room again; that is, unless the one at the end of the hall had been a room with exactly the same design and feel. She was positioned sitting on the corner of a cushy, pink-covered bed. There was only one white, heart-shaped pillow on the bed. Terra could only assume that it was meant to be hers. Three other beds were positioned in the other corners of the large room.

Three other women were in the room with Terra. Funnily enough, the first one she spotted was dressed in orange pajamas just like hers. The situation got even funnier as she realized by the figure's long, white hair and military-looking expression, with dark, black eyes, that the navi must be the special operations navi she'd spoken with originally. It was hard to make out much of her body thanks to the pajamas, but she stood tall and straight. The woman's name was Swat, but Terra had no way of knowing that unless she guessed from the earlier listings.

Next around the room was a short girl wearing yellow pajamas. Her hair was bushy and brown; her eyes were large and brown, but also frustrated looking. Her face carried a childish, pouty look. This girl was Vee, although Terra didn't know the name.

The final figure was a somewhat lanky but full-figured woman with vibrant reddish brown hair that was held in two tails behind her, making her look fairly childish. She was dressed in a white tank-top with "RODEO" printed across the chest in large, brown letters and black short shorts. Her freckles and large, green eyes made her stand out a bit. "Hey! You're a Neo-Shogun General, aren't you?! I heard you were here! I need to speak with you Neo-Shogun guys!" she called out, turning her side to Terra to wave at the little girl.

Vee cocked one eyebrow and looked dubious. "Are you sure you aren't looking for Lee, my sister? I don't think I know you," the ninja admitted, arming herself with her pillow as she talked. The other woman remained unarmed and continued blabbering on about supposedly urgent business.

From Swat's deadly cold stare, Terra guessed that Rodeo would have already been taken out if she wasn't directly across the room from the trained special forces agent. Swat was already armed with a pillow too, of course.

The chart from earlier was gone, but an electric signboard now occupied its spot. The sign read off the positions of each of the contestants and also flashed a cheery message: "SHOWBIZZ SAYS: GOOD LUCK."

Terra would probably want to pick up her pillow, but beyond that she'd have to do some prioritizing.

--Room 1--

Ballista: 260 HP
Somnia:200 HP
Soldier: 100 HP
Oxybelle: 260 HP

--Hallway--

Zazz: 400 HP
Showbizz: 150 HP

--Room 2--

Vee: 140 HP (PartyPillow: 3 uses) (across room) (2 movements away)
Rodeo: 200 HP (right from Terra) (1 movement away)
Swat: 350 HP (PartyPillow: 3 uses) (left from Terra) (1 movement away)
Terra: 150 HP

Terrain: 100% Normal
((The door out of the room is to Terra's left, between Swat and her. A pillow is on the bed behind Terra and requires no action to equip.))

"Hyaaaaa!" exclaimed Terra as she fell through the trap door, moved by some strange appendages. She was glad it was only for a brief moment, as she had gotten the urge to do something very embarrassing otherwise. Immediately, she looked around inside the room she had been deposited into. Three more were about to start up the pillow fight, and Terra had been placed on a bed, sitting down on a nice, fluffy bed. Near her was a small heart-shaped pillow, which she identified as the "PartyPillow" she was supposed to have. Grabbing it, she felt it up. It was pretty fluffy and light.

"Oh, this PartyPillow chip is a near-duplicate of a new Pillow proto-chip I'd just received," Scarlet chimed in. "You just sort of swing it around, and whatever it hits would be put to sleep."

"Interesting," said Terra to herself.

Observing the situation in the room, Terra nearly made a loud snort, trying to suppress her amusement. The serious-looking black-clad special operations person from earlier was involved in the event? Not something you'd expect from someone that just sort of screamed "business". Even her name, "Swat", from the sign that mentioned the positioning of the contestants, just exaggerated it further. Looking in front of her, she found a smaller, almost child-like Navi, looking sort of frustrated. From the sign, her name was "Vee". A small smirk formed at Terra's lips as the thought came to her: Cute.

And then, she looked towards her right at the one who was the other GNA representative, just as she had been. "Rodeo", her name suggested, was pretty rowdy. Her attire was pretty rowdy, too. Her talking made her the perfect target, she'd be far too distracted to notice her offensive. But first, some preparations were in order. Her feet were bare, as her boots had been removed along with the override change. Quietly, she started to shift the flooring beneath them to something she'd move much faster on; nice soft earth, trying as she could not to have her action noticed by the others.

Then, she stood up slowly, and turned towards Rodeo. "Hey!" she yelled towards her, trying to get her attention. With luck, Rodeo would halt her jabbering and turn in her direction, just in time to find a large pillow thrown directly towards her face. Not wasting time, Terra immediately dashed across the floor and onto the bed behind Rodeo, picking up her thrown pillow in the process. A small grin appeared on her face as she prepared to respond appropriately to any counterattacks.

----

[*] Equip PartyPillow [RP]
[1] Terraform: Fertile Soil [Large Soil Terrain] {S}
[2] Throw PartyPillow @ Rodeo [Sleep + ???] [1/3] {B?}
[3] Movement towards Rodeo [+Soil Bonus]
[*] Re-equip PartyPillow [RP]
[4] Dodge [+Soil Bonus]

"Huh? What-!" Rodeo muttered, turning slowly. As soon as she did, she was hit in the face with Terra's pillow. "Wait a goshdarn minute, I'm not...!" she protested, but before she could do anything else, she fell backwards onto the bed behind her. She was out cold.

"That's some ninja speed you've got there. I just wish you hadn't knocked her out yet... now I've got to go through the trouble of figuring out what she wanted later," Vee muttered, shaking her head and pressing one hand to her forehead. "I doubt it was anything important though."

"You're like a kid, eating dessert before dinner. Taking out the weakest first is ordinarily a viable tactic, but not on a battlefield like this. Here, you take out your highest priority targets as soon as the moment arises and leave the weak to fight amongst themselves,"[b][/b] Swat lectured Terra, then reached one hand up. Quickly, she drew herself up through the ceiling using the rope and disappeared...

Vee muttered something to herself in her quiet voice. It wasn't possible to hear what she was saying, but she didn't seem to like her prospects... being shut up in a room with one opponent and not knowing where the other was left her in a tough position. "Oh right... I forgot I have to say this... I'm the Static Elec-Energy Navi Ninja, Shocking Kunoichi Vee," she announced herself, then coughed into her pajama sleeve. "It feels more embarrassing to say it without my face-mask."

In the hallway, some sort of tussle was taking place as well... A woman's obnoxiously loud voice was ranting and raving. "Showbizz! I like your hair! It's good that you invited me but you'll soon regret it! You're going to find that I'm not easy to push around! It's a little discriminatory not to let me use my attacks though, isn't it? It's a tragedy! So many beautiful fireworks that you won't get to see! Fireworks are exciting, aren't they? It's so tragic, isn't it? Anyways it's so great to be here with this great opportunity! All of these women...! Er, all of these women are fighting so hard! But I'm going to be the biggest winner of them all! Big, big, that's me!"[color=990000][/color]

It was sort of hard to concentrate with all of that going on. At any rate, Terra now had to think of what to do against more competent opponents.

--Room 1--

Ballista: PERMA-SLEEP
Somnia:200 HP
Soldier: 100 HP
Oxybelle: 260 HP

--Hallway--

Zazz: 400 HP
Showbizz: 150 HP

--Room 2--

Vee: 140 HP (PartyPillow: 3 uses) (across room) (2 movements away) (normal)
Rodeo: PERMA-SLEEP
Swat: 350 HP (PartyPillow: 3 uses) (location unknown)
Terra: 150 HP (PartyPillow: 2 uses) (soil)

Terrain: 50% Soil, 50% Normal
((The door out of the room is to Terra's left, between Swat and her. A pillow is on the bed behind Terra and requires no action to equip.))

With her first target out cold, Terra raised her pillow slightly in readiness to respond to an attack, then lowered it slightly as Swat seemed to exit the area. Of course, she should have known. As one affiliated with the show's producers, Swat undoubtedly had superior knowledge of the entire set, including cheat sheets in her head as to the locations of certain hidden passages. Looking at Vee, she stalled for a moment, as the ninja Navi introduced herself, and found herself examining Vee's appearance.

The small figure.

The childish pout.

The quiet demeanor.

"... Ah," said Terra, as she realized that she was overcome by an extreme desire to completely smother the petite Vee. She simply found the kunoichi garbed in simple yellow pajamas much too adorable. Even as she was supposed to be her "enemy" for now... She was not to be taken out for now, she decided. Through her laptop's screen, Scarlet watched Terra hesitate for a couple of seconds, puzzled at her Navi's strange behavior. Did Vee have some sort of bewitching spell or something?

"Terra... are you all right?" Scarlet asked, concerned.

"I'm fine," replied Terra. The terraformer cleared her throat for a bit, though she obviously didn't need to, and lowered her weapon (if it could be called that). Okay, she'd have to play it as smoothly as possible. She also had to account for potential rejection as well as the possibility of a sneak attack from Swat or another foe. "U-Um, hey, uh, Vee, was it?" she started nervously. She'd never been one to initiate conversation... "I'd... like to suggest a ceasefire between us for now...? We can take out the others easier if we team."

"Eh?!" exclaimed Scarlet.

"Scarlet, not so loud," said Terra, tilting her head and showing a dissatisfied expression at the sudden interruption. Meanwhile, she hoped that Vee was open to the idea. If not, well... there was this pillow dropped by the Rodeo girl earlier, and it wouldn't hurt to add it to her stock for the time being.

---

[1] Attempt to ally with Vee [RP]
[*] Add Rodeo's PartyPillow to stock [RP]
[2] Dodge if necessary [+Soil Bonus]
--- TURN SPLICE ---

Vee chuckled and gave a very brief smile. "You knock out the one who was probably planning to be my teammate, then suggest we form a team? You're pretty strange. Really though, my research suggests that everyone else here is stronger than I am and I know that useless soldier I brought along will already be out cold when I find him," she sighed, crossing her arms across her chest. "I'll allow it for now, partner, since I don't have anything to lose."

"You understand the importance of forming alliances, I see. That's good. On the other hand, I made mine before the match even started. Step out into the hall whenever you're ready,"[b][/b] Swat's voice came from the ceiling. A thudding sound seemed to indicate she was moving into the attic above the hallway.

"Hahaha! Hooohoohoohoo! You put up a good fight, Showbizz, but this fight's mine. I guess I'm just as much of a wiz with pillows as I am with explosives. Who would have thought? After I knock you out I'll get the big prize... and maybe a bigger prize still! Hoohoo-!"[color=990000][/color] the voice continued in the hallway. The sound of a zipline coming down and the thud of a body hitting the floor, however, made it fairly obvious what had happened next.

Vee watched the door uncertainly. "Discretion would be wise here. Judging by the electronic signboard over on the wall there, only three have been eliminated. If we remain in here for a little while longer and possibly fortify our position, we'll be closer to getting into the top three," she explained. The signboard showed that Zazz, Ballista, and Rodeo had been eliminated thus far.

--Room 1--

Ballista: PERMA-SLEEP
Somnia:200 HP
Soldier: 100 HP
Oxybelle: 260 HP

--Hallway--

Zazz: PERMA-SLEEP
Swat: 350 HP
Showbizz: 150 HP

--Room 2--

Vee: 140 HP (PartyPillow: 3 uses) (to right) (1 movements away) (normal)
Rodeo: PERMA-SLEEP
Terra: 150 HP (PartyPillow: 5 uses) (soil)

Terrain: 50% Soil, 50% Normal
((The door out of the room is across the room from Terra, one movement away.))

Terra just about burst out of her pajamas when Vee accepted her alliance request. She would be picking up the petite ninja right about then and smothering her, but of course, appropriate protocol and whatnot preceded her expectations. "All right," she sighed, smiling. Then, looking around, she sneaked up to the side of the door, and motioned for Vee to follow suit, and stay quiet.

As she saw earlier, Swat had a pretty good ear through certain walls and panels, and would probably hear her if she said something out loud. With some choppy-looking hand signals, she attempted to explain to Vee as best as she could that they were to stick near the door, and bash on whoever was to enter.

---

[3] Move towards door [Movement + Soil Bonus]
[4] [Prepared] PartyPillow @ Person to Enter [Perma-Sleep]

--- END TURN SPLICE ---

((Changed Showbizz's font color so that this doesn't get totally confusing))

Vee raised one eyebrow and took up position on the other side of the door. She parted the bushy hair from over one of her ears and pressed the ear against the wall, then waited patiently. It seemed likely that the plan would work, since Showbizz would have to get antsy and attack eventually. After all, a standoff like this would be pretty bad for ratings; beyond that, she was trapped in the seperating hallways, so the NP members might get to her soon. Even now, Terra heard something being whispered outside the door.

It sounded like another zipline was coming down. This likely meant that Swat was retreating back into the ceiling, but it was impossible to tell.

The signboard showed that, surprisingly, Oxybelle had been taken out before the NS soldier that Vee had predicted would fail her. Vee looked a little surprised herself, but she quickly regained her focus. She still said nothing, but sighed lightly.

"Alright, girls, remember that you're not getting any bonuses for playing it safe! You two had better make this up to me!" their adversary taunted them from outside the door. She seemed to realize they were holing themselves up. It was hard to tell how much of the situation she understood, however. "I've got to boost our ratings somehow! How about this? I'm going to torture this innocent girl out here until you two come out! Ohoho! How does that make you feel?"

Showbizz's laugh was easily as obnoxious as the girl she'd just managed to knock out. With both of them being so ridiculous sounding, it was hard to feel sorry for either one, the one being tortured or the one worried about her ratings. Still, what sort of torture did that entail? It was, again, impossible to tell.

--Room 1--

Ballista: PERMA-SLEEP
Somnia:200 HP
Soldier: 100 HP
Oxybelle: PERMA-SLEEP

--Hallway--

Zazz: PERMA-SLEEP
Swat: 350 HP
Showbizz: 150 HP

--Room 2--

Vee: 140 HP (PartyPillow: 3 uses) (to right) (next to Terra) (normal)
Rodeo: PERMA-SLEEP
Terra: 150 HP (PartyPillow: 5 uses) (soil)

Terrain: 50% Soil, 50% Normal
((The door is next to Terra; no movement is required to go through))

"... Tsk," clicked Terra, backing off from the wall near the door. Showbizz had caught on to her plan, and they were essentially locked in until they dared to come out, after which a quick sleep would probably await them. There wasn't any other way out of the room except for the door... or was there? The terraformer looked up at the ceiling, remembering how Swat had pulled herself out of the room... without using the door.

Bingo.

Standing around the general area where Swat had been, she looked up at the blank ceiling. "There should be a panel up there somewhere," she said, half to herself, half to Vee. "We should be able to move out of here without using the door if we use that." However, judging from the height of the ceiling, it seems that only one of them would be able to reach it for starters. The best candidate would be someone who was already versed in stealth. "A little high up, though. Do you think you could reach it if you got on top of me?" asked Terra. "Might be that serious one from before up there, too, though."

"You're plotting something in there? Don't bother, I'm already starting! Hohoho! Let's give the audience an eye-full of... hrm... damn... it's a lucky thing that we idols have to know posing techniques to make ourselves look curvier or this would be a total bust," the voice muttered from outside, accompanied by some awkward sounding motion. "Heh, bust."

"Sounds like she's distracted. I think you're right, it'd probably be better to get on an even ground with that woman so I can at least watch what she's doing," Vee responded. "I'm pretty used to throwing myself into dangerous situations anyways."

Vee efficiently climbed Terra's back, using the wall to help prop herself as she did. Her body was very light, befitting someone of her small stature and ninja profession. The ninja adopted a sitting position on Terra's shoulders, than slowly stood. Once she'd finally stabalized herself, she allowed Terra to Grab her legs and slowly lift her upwards (using the wall to avoid falling). Finally, she got in through the ceiling panel.

"That's odd... I see her way off there, but she's not holding a pillow. I'm going to go in for an attack!" Vee told her partner. There was probably no stopping her now, but Terra couldn't tell what the end result would be.

"Wearing panties like this? Sooomebody's trying too hard to get attention," the voice outside sighed. It sounded like Showbizz wasn't terribly happy with her plaything.

--Room 1--

Ballista: PERMA-SLEEP
Somnia:200 HP
Soldier: PERMA-SLEEP
Oxybelle: PERMA-SLEEP

--Hallway--

Zazz: PERMA-SLEEP
Showbizz: 150 HP

--Room 2--

Rodeo: PERMA-SLEEP
Terra: 150 HP (PartyPillow: 5 uses) (soil)

Terrain: 50% Soil, 50% Normal

--Attic--
Vee: 140 HP (status unknown)
Swat: 350 HP (status unknown)

((The door is next to Terra; no movement is required to go through))

... She really likes to talk to herself, doesn't she, thought Terra, as she held her pillows close to her. Terra assumed that the two people that were most of a threat at the moment were Showbizz and Swat. As of that moment, Swat was probably being engaged by Vee, and while she didn't know which would win out in the end, she assumed that it would probably be a few seconds to occupy Swat, and she wouldn't be able to protect her teammate. Showbizz, on the other hand, was presumably busy with... questionable things. That would make things easier, but she had to use the window of time Vee opened up right then.

Before she did, though, it would be pertinent to have a clear advantage where she was going. With a light tap of her boot on the floor, Terra initiated her terrain change yet again in the next room. After that, the door flew open swiftly, and Terra leapt through the air, hopefully hitting an unsuspecting Showbizz with her pillow and taking down another for the count. After that, she prepared to take any counterattacks with a quick sidestep or two.

---

[1] Terraform: Fertile Soil @ Area behind Door [Large Soil Terrain]
[*] Open door
[2] PartyPillow @ Showbizz [Perma-Sleep]
[3] Prepared Dodge [+Soil Bonus]
[4] Prepared Dodge [+Soil Bonus]

Terra judged the time to be ripe for an attack. She set down some favorable terrain and then jumped in, swung her pillow, and hit paydirt!

The problem was that she'd hit the NM operative, whom Showbizz had decided to use as a body-shield. The sleeping woman was lanky and average looking with short, vibrantly red hair and a stupid looking smile on her face. She was dressed in a very provocative red lace bra and panties set, but it was wasted, as her figure was sort of lacking. "They're so fluffy... hey, that's too rough... Oooooh...!"[color=990000][/color] she giggled in her sleep.

Showbizz threw the sleeping navi aside and smiled at Terra. She was dressed just as provocatively as Zazz, wearing a black, see-through negligee patterned with white stars. Underneath, she wore tantalizing black lingerie, much like the NM operative's but on a better figure. "Looks like it's time for the MVP match, doesn't it? I wonder who will win? Hmmm... I'll be lucky if I get through this, won't I? You're a much better catch than she was!" the host muttered, looking Terra up and down.

Her eyes were sparkling amorously, which gave an odd impression about her orientation. "Mmmhmhmhm... Think of the ratings!" she laughed to herself, readying her own two pillows. It seemed that she was more attracted to ratings than to Terra herself, not that knowing this would help Terra one way or another.

The sound of footsteps seemed to indicate that two navis were fumbling around overhead the next room. Terra could only imagine that they steps belonged to Vee and Swat. Both of them sort of sounded like ninjas, using steps that were both light and rapid.

--Room 1--

Ballista: PERMA-SLEEP
Somnia: 200 HP
Soldier: PERMA-SLEEP
Oxybelle: PERMA-SLEEP

--Hallway--

Zazz: PERMA-SLEEP
Showbizz: 150 HP (PartyPillow: 5 uses) (normal)
Terra: 150 HP (PartyPillow: 4 uses) (soil)

Terrain: 50% Soil, 50% Normal

--Room 2--

Rodeo: PERMA-SLEEP

--Attic--
Vee: 140 HP (status unknown)
Swat: 350 HP (status unknown)

((The door to room 2 is behind Terra; no movement is required to go through))
((The door to room 1 is in front of Terra, 1 movement away))

"Tch," clicked Terra, as she felt the unmoving body shield the hit from her pillow. Leaping back slightly, she surveyed her enemies. It looked like both other girls in the room were dressed in rather provocative ways... Looking down at her own itchy orange pajamas, she couldn't help but feel a little envious. Still, looking at the current battle, she had now lost the element of surprise, as she had done with Rodeo. Now, it was close-combat, face-to-face.

Still, it was not unwise to use strategy, even in such a situation. Calmly examining the area, it looked to be a pretty cramped place, with not much room to move in. It could work to her advantage, but she'd have to make use of it in an unexpected way. Holding the pillow which had one final use remaining, she focused her will of the earth into it, causing it to fill with plant life, under the whiteness of its cover.

The faintest smile appeared on her lips as she threw up the pillow up into the air towards Showbizz in an arc. Should it hit Showbizz, then fine, all is well. However, her intent was not to hit Showbizz herself, but to have the greenery she planted in the pillow to burst out when in range, to latch on to her clothing. What happened after that... eh, she really didn't know. She felt it would still be a good distraction, in any case.

Of course, distractions had to be utilized efficiently. Terra immediately went about using her soil terrain to its fullest, going with some speedy footwork before taking a leap of faith, swinging her pillow at the negligee-wearing Navi.

----

[1] Terraskill: Nature Force 1 [Imbue Wood 2]
-- Imbue Wood: PartyPillow
[2] Feint-throw PartyPillow @ Showbizz [Perma-Sleep + ???]
[3] Dodge [+Soil Bonus]
[4] PartyPillow @ Showbizz [Perma-Sleep]

"A move like that won't work. I'm not in the least distracted, Silly!" Showbizz chuckled, keeping her eyes locked on Terra and both hands on her pillows. She'd dismissed the pillow so readily that she didn't even notice as material other than down or stuffing peaked out from one side.

The natural material that had formed inside the pillow was nothing more than thorny, heavy branches. The path of the pillow was altered by that weight, however, and bounced off the wall to crash weightily just behind Showbizz, who jumped forward as she felt it come down. The barbs grabbed at her negligee and ripped at it hard, creating a loud noise of tearing fabric. Everything below the breasts tore off and the bra snapped; the silky cloth all landed in shred around her feet, leaving her wearing only her panties and a hanging segment of her negligee, humorously covering each of her breasts with one of the non-transparent stars of its pattern.

She looked dismayed for a second, then pensive, then suddenly excited. "Ooooh! This is perfect, isn't it? Just the right amount of fanservice without dipping into the censorship budget! I like it!" she cooed, giving an energetic smile and blushing as she felt the eyes of the cameramen on her. "Ahn~! Is it okay for a hostess to be the attraction of her own show?"

She seemed pretty distracted, but even still, Terra's pillow swing came up empty. She ducked down her head at just the right moment. "I thought you might come in for an attack like that! Now let's see how you deal with this! Hyaaah!" she cried out, tackling Terra down with her own body. The two fell to the floor together with Showbizz on top and Terra on bottom.

Sitting up, Showbizz giggled and opened her palms up. Two bright flashes came out from her palms in a star pattern, dazing Terra so that the navi could quickly disarm her of her pillow. Now having all three, except for the bramble-filled one, she held one in one hand, one in the other, and one in her teeth. "Mufufu! Mny mast murds mefore my make mose mamamas mack?" she asked around her pillow, still grinning roguishly. Her starry eyes gleamed, hungry for more and more ratings.

For what it mattered, it seemed like the NP rep was still holed up in her room. The footsteps continued to ring out from above at a furious pace. It sounded like one of those trap door, zipline mechanisms had opened up in the room, so presumably Swat was making some kind of move, either to escape Vee or ambush the NP rep.

Ballista: PERMA-SLEEP
Somnia: 200 HP
Soldier: PERMA-SLEEP
Oxybelle: PERMA-SLEEP

--Hallway--

Zazz: PERMA-SLEEP
Showbizz: 150 HP (PartyPillow: 7 uses) (soil) (on top of Terra)
Terra: 150 HP (soil) (under Showbizz)

Terrain: 50% Soil, 50% Normal

--Room 2--

Rodeo: PERMA-SLEEP

--Attic--
Vee: 140 HP (status unknown)
Swat: 350 HP (status unknown)

((The door to room 2 is behind Terra; no movement is required to go through))
((The door to room 1 is in front of Terra, 1 movement away))

Terra was feeling kind of uneasy right about then, as the favor of the pillow fight was not on her side. She was disarmed and dazed, and there was no way she was going to steal that pillow off of Showbizz. Drastic measures were to be taken. As her hands weren't pinned down, she could freely move them, but only for a moment. With lightning-fast movement, Terra went to reach for Showbizz's exposed sides... and started to tickle them furiously. She prayed that the host was particularly sensitive, but if that didn't work, then she could look forward to a nice nap.

---

[1] TICKLE FIGHT. [RP]

Terra's fingers easily reached to Showbizz' sides, then gave her a desperate tickling to upset her position. The tickling worked, in so much as she lost her focus. "No, teehehe, hang on you! Ahehehehahaaahaha!" she laughed, unclenching her teeth as she started giggling.

At about that moment, the sound of singing came from the other room. It wasn't entirely clear what was happening in there, but it sounded very relaxing.

Unfortunately, Terra didn't get to hear or see anything beyond that. She found that a troublesome miscalculation came along with her plan: both of her hands were occupied as the pillow fell from the host's mouth and landed squarely on Terra's own face. Apparently that counted as a hit; Terra slowly dozed off as Showbizz recovered from her fit of laughter. "Aw, too bad! Don't worry; you're in good hands, muhuhuhu!" the host's voice echoed out as the navi fell into a deep sleep.

------------------------------------

Terra awoke later; her body felt very stiff and chilly. As she managed to collect herself, she noticed Zazz lying in the distance, still face-down on the floor with her limbs spread ungracefully to both sides. The door to the room she'd been facing earlier was open, but she couldn't see inside to tell what was going on. Not much could be going on, she judged, seeing as a sort of dead silence gripped the entire upper story of the building.

Probably most important was a fact she grasped at the last minute, after finally overcoming her grogginess: she was completely naked, as the pajamas had been pulled off of her. She'd been left two big, fluffy pillows to cover herself with, placed strategically over her breasts and lower body. She'd probably want to consider switching back to her original appearance data if at all possible. After that, the best option seemed as though it may be to find where Showbizz had gone off to.

"Nnnnnh," mumbled Terra, as her eyes fluttered open, groggy from waking up. The forced sleep incited by the Pillow program was unlike her usual hibernation process; it did pretty much nothing to relieve tension and pressure. If anything, the Pillow program compounded that effect, making Terra feel like she had a pretty bad hangover from something. It was understandable, as it was designed to hamper an enemy, not used in a pillow fight.

"Damn it, hotel internet!"

Scarlet had been cut off from the feed when Terra had fallen asleep for some reason, and she was desperately trying to reach her Navi again. Luckily, she managed to restore some form of audio connection. "Terra, are you all right?" was her first call, bringing the Navi a little closer to reality. Shaking off her grogginess, Terra felt something pretty odd. It was kind of cold; she didn't remember it being this chilly. Did someone use an Ice-element attack? No, probably not, since any offensive-type attack was barred from use.

"I'm... fine," said Terra, finally recovering from the last bouts of her sleepiness enough to sit up. Scarlet sighed in relief; at least she got to know what she wanted. Looking around, she noticed a very distinct lack of noise or movement. Some relief went back into her, however, as she noticed Zazz, still knocked out cold and left in a pretty disgraceful-looking pose.

Just as she was about to stand up, Terra noticed a couple of pillows on her person. Probably hers, left over from the fight with Showbizz. She couldn't exactly remember what had happened; it was all kind of a big blur. After a couple of seconds, she noticed something else that was off. "Hiiii!" she involuntarily screeched, her face turning a bright shade of crimson. Her hands immediately went about frantically trying to find the best way to cover herself up.

"Terra, is everything okay?!" said Scarlet, after hearing Terra's sudden outburst. As the operator couldn't see what was going on, she could only rely on auditory communication. "E-E-Everything's fine!" replied Terra in a flustered tone, looking around frantically to see if anyone had spotted her. It didn't occur to her that she could simply retrieve her GMO at any time.

Crawling around in with a dismayed expression, she covered herself with the pillows, and sneaked over to the open door to peek inside.