Crossed Fates (OLD)

Chapter 50: Città Rovesciata

Luke: "Ahh! Back on the roooaaad!"

Jesse: "We are on the way to... Uhm, Città Rovesciata, right?"

Luna: "Yeppppp. I heard the scenery there is a sight to behold."

Liv: "Hoo! Is it romantic? Are ya gonna go on a little smoochy date with your shitass Paladin fiancé?"

Luna: "W-Wuh..? A-Am not, you filth!"

Luke: "...You don't love me?"

Luna: "W-W-W-W...Wait! I-I didn't mean it like that-"

Tezuka: "Wow. Have a heart, Luna. Have a damn heart."

Toby: "Can't believe you don't even love the man you're planning to marry."

Luke sniffs.

Luna: "W...Stop with the crocodile tears! I-It was just a defense mechanism! Y-You'd understand if you had siblings!"

Toby, Tezuka and Jesse all frown from the mention of siblings.

Tyler: "I have a sibling, and I don't understand your logic, Luna."

Luke: "Same."

Tezuka: "You have a sibling, Luke?"

Luke: "Yeah. Big brother."

Liv: "Hyahaha! You've gotsa introduce us sometime! I hope he's not as much as a DUMBASS as you are!"

Luke: "...Uh, yeah. Maybe. Anyways, what does this have to do with siblings, hon?"

Luna: "They accuse you of being things..?"

Luke: "Like..?"

Luna: "You know... Being stupid?"

Luke and Tyler shrug.

Tyler: "Might just be a you problem."

Luna: "Bah! You're all just dumb."

Liv: "Well, I don't have a sibling, HYAHAHAHAHA! So I'm officially OUT of this conversation, suckas!"

Luke: "Yeah, but you're French."

Toby: "I beg your pardon?"

Luke: "...Liv's accent? It's French?"

Liv: "Wyahahahahahahahahahehoha?!! The hell's a French?!"

Luke: "...Nevermind."

Tezuka: "Some kind of inside joke, I'm guessing?"

Jesse: "Do they refer to the Cidade accent as French?"

Liv: "Hah! No the fuck they don't! I've never heard anybody call it that! It's sometimes referred as the 'Rat' accent, but not trench, or whatever the FUCK the bastard said!"

Luke: "Good grief.."

They eventually see a tall building in the distance past a tree.

Luna: "Ooh! OOH! It's here, IT'S HERE!"

Tezuka: "Ooh... It's a building... that's just pretty tall..!"

Jesse: "It is very fascinating though."

They eventually make it towards an entrance. There's a border around the city, and there's someone on patrol.

Guard: "Hm? Welcome to Città Rovesciata..."

Luke: "Hello, sir! We are the Peeps!"

Guard: "...Meeps? Okay."

He points to Tyler, who's currently carrying all of their camping stuff from before in a huge backpack.

Guard: "Allow me to check your belongings."

Luke: "Hm? It's just camping stuff."

Guard: "Better safe than sorry nowadays. We've just had a bunch of criminals escape prison."

Luna: "Fair enough. Hand him the stuff, T-Man."

Tyler: "Rightio."

Tyler hands him his bag, and the guard checks the bag thoroughly.

Guard: "Yeah, all good."

The guard sticks his hand out.

Guard: "Alright... There's an entrance fee. How much money was in that bag?"

Tezuka: "Quite a lot, sir! About 100,000 gold!"

Guard: "...50,000 gold, please."

Everyone: "WHAAAAAAAAAAAATTTT?!?"

The guard sighs.

Guard: "Sorry. It's the rules.

He points to a sign, and it states "Half of your money will be collected due to a policy-"

Liv rips off the sign.

Liv: "Bullshit! This shit's a ripoff!"

Tyler: "Yeah! I ain't giving you fucking half of this!!! Is your fucking city insane?! It was NEVER like this when I used to visit my fucking auntie!"

The guard sighs once more.

Guard: "50,000 gold, or I use a dampener and take it from you myself."

Tyler slams the desk with his fist, causing it to crack a little.

Tyler: "Fuck you! Dampen me all you want, fucker! I'm all hands anyways!"

Tezuka: "Tyler... I think we just have to give him the money."

Toby: "Yeah. I don't think there's another way through. I'd also rather not get arrested."

Tyler looks over to Toby, and then Tezuka, and then he slams his hand on the desk again from anger.

Guard: "...So what will it be, sir?"

Tyler starts breathing heavily out of anger.

Tyler: "...-it."

The guard sighs.

Guard: "Speak up, sir."

Tyler: "...-ke it."

Guard: "Sir, I don't know what you're"

Tyler: "JUST FUCKING TAKE IT! DEAR GOD!"

He throws his bag on the table, and he takes out 50,000 gold. He takes his bag back afterwards, and he storms through the entrance.

Luke: "...Yeesh."

Toby: "I've never seen the dude that mad..."

Guard: "Oh, and you're all free to enter too. I apologise for this city's rules."

He sighs one final time, and then the Peeps decide to walk through the entrance. They're met with a beautiful city. There's a lot of buildings around them that are made from white bricks that aren't in any form dirty. There's a bunch bridges nearby that they can walk over, and underneath the bridges seem to be a very long river stream that probably courses through elsewhere in Città Rovesciata.

Luke: "Woah..."

He looks around.

Liv: "Woahh... BOATS! I FUCKING LOVE BOATS!!!"

Liv points at a boat that's going underneath a bridge.

Luna: "Wow... This place is beautiful."

She takes a deep breath, and she turns around to Jesse.

Luna: "Woah. You seem pretty star struck, Jess."

Jesse shakes her head, and she looks up at Luna.

Jesse: "T-This place is so beautiful! The stream the boats are rowing through, the white bricks on most of the buildings, that heavenly smell-"

Luna: "Okay, okay... I get it, Jesse. You're excited, huh?"

Jesse: "Of course I am!"

Tezuka leans her head between them.

Tezuka: "You guys seen Tyler anywhere?"

Both Luna and Jesse shrug.

Luna: "Nah. Is he okay?"

Tezuka shakes her head.

Tezuka: "No. I don't think I've seen him this angry ever."

She seems a little worried. Luke puts a hand on her shoulder.

Luke: "Don't worry, Tezuka. He might just need a breather, you know?"

Tezuka nods.

Tezuka: "Yeah... But it'd be nice to know where he is."

Tyler: "...Here."

He walks up to them, still looking quite irritated.

Luke: "Hey, you don't need to worry, that back there kinda pissed me off too. You okay?"

Tyler: "Let's... just go."

Luke: "Well... Okay then."

Luke walks forward, and he taps his chin.

Luke: "Wait... Where is everything in here?"

He turns around to the others.

Luke: "You guys got any idea?"

Toby: "Nah, not at all."

Luna: "I've been here once, but I was little then, so I don't remember."

Liv: "I have no idea!"

Tyler: "..."

Tezuka: "...Can't say I've been here before."

Jesse: "No, sorry."

Luke: "W-Well don't worry guys. We'll just ask for directions, won't we?"

Toby: "We should find an inn, maybe."

Luke: "...Where would that be? All I see right now are some buildings, bridges and water."

Tezuka: "Hmm... We walk until we find something."

Luke nods.

Luke: "Not a bad idea! Let's go!"

Luna: "...Luke? No."

Luke: "Okay, fine."

He looks at the road ahead.

Luke: "Hmm..."

He spots a sign.

Luke: "The Netherbrick bar, huh?"

He walks up to the entrance, and he looks towards the peeps.

Luke: "Come on! Let's ask for directions in here!"

Tezuka: "In a bar..? No thank you."

Luke: "Ehh? Come on, Tezuka. We're a team."

Tezuka: "Tezuka refuses."

Luna: "I don't blame Tezuka for not wanting to go in... Why do we all have to go in?"

Luke: "Because I said so! I order that you all join me in here!"

Toby nods.

Toby: "Can't argue with the leader. Let's go."

Tezuka: "Hmph."

Everyone walks into the bar, and the door slams shut behind them. They look around the bar. There's a few people inside. One of them is sitting in a corner. He seems to be sporting a cowboy hat, along with a flannel long sleeve shirt, and brown denim pants with brown boots. Another person was sat at a table, reading a newspaper with a drink of whiskey next to him. He had green hair, and a biege coat hiding most visible features. Another man was sat on a stool with 5 empty glasses next to him. He had long hair covering his face from the angle of the entrance, he was wearing a coat, grey tracksuit pants, and smart boots. The bartender was very big, and he had a buzz cut. He was wearing a black suit with a black tie. He is cleaning off a glass. Luke glances at the Peeps, and he walks up towards the bartender.

Luke: "Yoooooo! Wassup, dude?"

The bartender glares at him with a raised eyebrow. He stops cleaning his glass, and he puts both of his hands on the counter.

Bartender: "..."

Luke glances back at the Peeps, and then back at the bartender.

Luke: "H-Hey man... What's with the look? I'm... a tourist, and I need your help!"

Bartender: "Help?"

The other people in the bar start to glance at Luke suspiciously.

Luke: "Uhh... Yeah."

Bartender: "Help with..?"

Luke: "D-Directions, sir."

Bartender: "Mhm? To where?"

Luke: "Uhh... An... inn?"

The bartender nods.

Bartender: "You wanna get to an Inn?"

Luke: "Yeah. I'm a tourist, like I said..!"

Bartender: "M'kay, as soon as you get out, take an immediate right, after that, go straight ahead until you get to the first right turn. Take that right, and you'll see an inn."

Luke: "Phew... Thanks, man. Was it seriously that close?"

Bartender: "Yeah."

Luke nods, and he awkwardly grins.

Luke: "Thanks, man."

Luke walks backwards, keeping his eye on everyone in the bar, who're still staring at him with suspicion.

Luke: "T-Thanks, my man. I think I'll give you money for-"

Tyler: "No."

Luke: "O-Okay... I-I just won't tip, then..."

They all leave the bar, and they sigh a breath of relief.

Luke: "Whew. We're outta there."

Luna: "Those guys were scary."

Toby: "Y-Yeah..."

Jesse: "I don't think I like bars..."

Luke: "Well, at least we got directions, yeah?"

Tezuka: "Did you? Let's go, then."

Liv: "Man... Can't wait to actually chillax inside a building again!"

Tezuka: "True. Can't wait to snuggle on a bed instead of the ground! Right, Tyler?~"

Tyler: "Mhm."

Tezuka: "Heehee."

Luke takes the directions that the bartender had given him, and sure enough, there was an Inn.

Luke: "Huh... Why did I think that was secretly a ruse? A trap?"

Liv: "The hell'd it be a trap for, ay!?"

Luke: "Those guys seemed kinda sketchy, you know?"

Jesse: "And you think they would have set us up?"

Luke: "Well... What if a group of them jumped down from the buildings next to us? What if we were just suddenly attacked?"

Toby: "That's stupid, Luke."

Luke: "Yeah... Guess so. Let's just go to this inn already!"

Luke and the others walk off, but Jesse lags behind a little bit.

Jesse: "Huh..?"

She notices a small child curled up in a ball in an alleyway. She was quite dirty, and she had some animalistic features resembling a squirrel. She had the ears, and the big bushy tail behind her.

Jesse: "Poor kid..."

She shakes her head.

Luke: "Jesse! C'mon, dude! Don't lag behind now! The inn's just ahead!"

Jesse jumps up in shock.

Jesse: "C-Coming!"

She steals one last glance of the child before she runs up to the others, who're currently checking out the place.

Luke: "Man... This inn just looks incredible, huh?"

Luna: "Yeah. Much better than my old one."

Toby: "Oh yeah. I forgot you owned an inn back in Runcornia."

They walk up to the front counter.

Luke: "Hello!"

Receptionist: "Greetings, O'Paladin. Would you and your squad like some rooms?"

Luke: "Uh, yes."

He turns around, and he looks at them.

Luke: "Alright-"

Tezuka: "Me and Tyler."

Luna: "Me and you, Luke."

Toby: "I-"

Liv: "I'm still sharin' with Toby, Hyahahahaha! He's a good buddy!"

Luke: "Jesse?"

Jesse: "Uhm... I'll have my own room, please. Those two were a horror to share a tent with when we went camping."

Liv: "Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!?"

Toby: "We weren't that bad..."

Luke: "So four rooms?"

Luke turns around to the receptionist.

Luke: "How much for four rooms?"

Receptionist: "Well, one room is 80 gold, so-"

Tyler: "80 GOLD!?! FOR ONE!?!? ARE... YOU... KIDDING-"

Luke quickly covers Tyler's mouth.

Luke: "C-Calm down, you damn brute! W-Wait, 80 x 4 is... 320 gold. Damn..."

Receptionist: "Did I mention it's 80 gold per night-"

Tyler breaks free from Luke's grip and he starts screaming.

Tyler: "PER NIGHT?!!? PER FUCKING NIGHT?!?"

He summons rocks from the floor, but he's suddenly halted by Liv, who splashed him in the face with water, causing him to fall onto the floor. He lies down on the floor with his eyes wide open in shock.

Liv: "Calm down, man!"

Luke: "...Please excuse my friend... He's uhh... On his period."

Receptionist: "...Okay?"

Luke quickly goes through Tyler's bag, and he hands the receptionist the money. She bows and hands them all keys with room numbers.

Luke: "He-hey. Seems like we're all next to each other."

Tezuka: "What a relief..."

Toby: "Well, I'm heading off into my room."

Liv: "Same here!"

Tezuka: "I think I'll go into my room with Tyler..."

Liv: "Want me to carry him? He looks awful right now. Hyahahaha!"

Tezuka: "Uh, It'd be appreciated, I guess?"

Liv: "Alright, you dumb kitsune. I'll carry your damn boyfriend with me."

She grabs his legs and she begins to drag him away. Toby and Tezuka follow.

Luke: "So... What about you two?"

Jesse: "Me? Uhm..."

Luna: "Ooh, why don't you come exploring with us?"

Jesse: "Huh?"

Luke: "Yeah, we could go out for some tea or something."

Luke pats the bag Tyler left behind.

Luke: "We'll just borrow some of Tyler's money."

Luna: "Hon, are you serious?"

Luke: "What?"

Jesse: "He seems pretty mad. I don't think you should take his money."

Luna: "Agreed. If he finds out more money is missing-"

Luke: "Yolo."

Luna: "What?"

Luke: "Yolo. You know?"

Jesse: "Uh... I don't think she does. Neither do I."

Luna: "First it was with calling Liv 'French', second it's... Yolo?"

Luke: "You only live once? It stands for 'Yolo'? Are you guys dumb?"

Luna and Jesse glance at each other, and then they look back at him.

Luna: "Never heard of it."

Jesse: "It sounds fun though. Yolo!"

Luke: "Yeah! Come on, guys. Yolo!"

Luna: "I... Uh, I will Yolo too. Let's just borrow his money for now. I'll message Toby or something that they left the bag here."

Luke: "Yeah, let's go!"

Luke takes a fair sum of gold from Tyler's bag, and he leaves the Inn along with Luna and Jesse.

2 hours later... On the walk back to the inn...

Jesse: "Amazing..."

Luna: "What? The tea or the sudden sightseeing that Luke insisted on doing?"

Jesse: "Both. They were both so great. I love this place, and I loved the tea."

Luke: "I'm surprised you went with black tea, Jesse."

Luna: "Yeah... Me too. I thought you would've had something more..."

Jesse: "Light? No. Hanako poured black tea for me one time and I really loved it."

Luke: "Did she? When was that?"

Jesse: "When you guys were rebuilding Lusni."

Luna: "Huh."

???: "Y-YOU BASTARD!"

A sudden voice exclaims. The three immediately duck behind a wall.

Luke: "Oh, crap..."

Luna: "Oh god, a street fight?"

Luke: "Dunno. I'll look, okay? You girls just stay behind me."

Jesse: "O-Okay!"

Luke peeks his head past the wall. He sees a street that's covered in a lot of ice. There's a few dead bodies inside of the ice, and outside of the ice dismembered. There's a familiar man standing over a beaten up person on the floor.

???: "Y-You'll pay for this, you bastard! The boss is going to hear about this!"

The person gets stepped on by the familiar man.

Familiar Man: "Oh, are they now? I guess they must have the ability to talk to the dead."

???: "W-What?"

The familiar man opens up his hand, and the person he was stepping on gets completely ensnared into ice. The familiar person then proceeds to jab into the ice with his metal stick, causing the ice to break off, which tears the man into pieces.

Familiar Man: "Hmph... Now I've gotsa let Blair know about this..."

Luke quickly retracts his head.

Luke: "Guys?"

Luna: "Y-Yeah?"

Luke: "What I saw..."

Jesse: "Yeah..?"

Luke: "Was awesome."

He grins a little.

Luke: "Come on, guys. Let's go back to the inn. I don't wanna linger around anymore."

Luna: "Huh? Well, alright then. Let's get going."