Chapter 120 - Boy’s Milkshake Brings All The Trolls To The Yard

"Well!? Don't leave us hangin'! Ya figured out how to make 'em for us, right!?" As Miss Masher eggs her egghead sister on, she scoots her seat over closer towards her, in hopes that there is an interesting blueprint sketch among all the scribblings.

Hoping to distract Miss Chievous and Lucas into staying in their seats, 23 strategically delivers several small plates of lobster tails before them, and is immediately successful in its intended goal.

Although, Lucas does prove his wholehearted desire for a danger-rang by still keeping a portion of his attention directed Miss Calculated's way, even while he violates his first lobster tail.

Willy is, somehow, eating a floret of steamed broccoli with far more elegance and dignity than whatever it is Lucas has going on with that poor lobster tail.

Not that Miss Chievous is doing all that better of a job than Lucas. If anything, she's somehow worse, it's an impressive feat managing to drop beneath such a low bar.

"Hmph, of course. While there are a few different routes we could go, I believe we should go with; a hollow tungsten carbide body in the case of a returning boomerang, possibly filled with nanogel, and a solid tungsten carbide for a non-returning one. They'll be so heavy that most people won't be able to throw them effectively, but also strong enough to be undamaged regardless of what you throw them through, in most cases." As Miss Calculated gets into the swing of dictating her results, she holds her head up with an arrogant degree of pride. She pauses for a moment, adjusting her glasses while she bears a small, smug, smile.

"For the yoyo, it would possibly take a few prototypes to really get a feel for it, but I believe you're going to want a distinctly thicker cord than normal, even if it's made of a braided fibrous blend containing carbon nanotubes treated with nanogel, just to make sure you don't snap it if you throw the main body at full force. That being said, I'd say carbon nanotubes for the body to keep it lighter, though perhaps tungsten carbide for its axel. There are still a few other options, but these are what I feel are most in line with what you were hoping for." Once Miss Calculated finishes her analysis, Willy barks once to voice his agreement on her choices.

With her pride swelling further, she nods three times with her eyes closed after being recognized by the only other notably intelligent creature at the table. Though, to be fair, Jonathan at least has potential, he'll just need some tutoring first.

Miss Masher claps a few times in support of her favorite nerd, but she is promptly distracted by the arrival of her medium-rare sirloin, baked potato, and steamed mixed vegetables. As soon as she has a knife and fork in hand, the first thing she does is attack the poor little innocent potato.

"Mmm, shure, shounds good. How fash can ya makesh them, though?" Lucas started speaking up before he had actually finished swallowing his latest mouthful of succulent lobster, and waves the now-stripped bare of tasty bits tail at her for emphasis during the tail-end of his question.

"Ah, let me cut that for you, Willy. Well, Lucas, I don't exactly have a bunch of tungsten carbide just lying around at home, nor the equipment I'd use to shape it all. I could certainly finish designing a blueprint, but we'd still need materials and everything needed to actually craft it. That being said, I do have a few connections, but…" As Miss Calculated answers, she shoves aside her scribbly mess and pulls over Willy's plate, after he had given a bark of consent.

"Well yeah, I gotchu. Manufaa-whatever costs. I guesh I could pay for Mash'sh ash thank ya for doin' it all?" While Lucas continues the conversation, he waves the stripped lobster tail back and forth dismissively.

Nominating one of the small plates that the multiple tails had arrived on as the garbage plate, Lucas tosses the violated shell of a tail onto it, even successfully managing to get the majority of it to land on it, then shoves the plate over in front of Jonathan.

This series of actions finally annoy Jonathan enough to cause him to sit up. His face is still a bit flushed, but at least it's not as bad as it was earlier. Looking down at the plate with a picked-clean husk left on it, he clicks his tongue and pushes it toward the center of the table. Shortly after doing so, 23 sets his own entrée before him, a medium-rare filet mignon with mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli.

"Ooh please, please, please!?" Knowing there's no way that her sister would fund these absurd toys, er, weapons, of her own volition, Miss Masher jumps on the opportunity of getting her own boomerangs and yoyo.

"...I'll make some phone calls later while you two are busy working as a wrecking crew and see what I can do. I'm at a loss as to any accurate estimates for what it could all cost, but keep in mind this will not be cheap. I'll give you the rough value once I have a reasonable approximation before putting anything into motion. It could very well prove to be more than you're willing to pay for… Exotic weaponry, no matter how fun they'd be." As Miss Calculated concedes to her sister's enthusiasm, Miss Masher throws her arms up in the air in a cheer, launching a green bean at Willy in the process.

Willy simply catches the projectile bean mid-air, promptly eating it.

Miss Calculated sighs softly as she slides Willy's plate back over before him, the rare ribeye now completely cut into reasonable bite-sized pieces.

Belatedly noticing the designated trash plate, Miss Chievous then dumps her own barren lobster carcass… Directly on Jonathan's actual plate.

Not bothering to even acknowledge her, Jonathan quietly picks it up and sets it on the garbage plate, then begins neatly cutting his steak into uniformly-sized bites.

While the appetizers weren't quite enough to get everyone to be quiet, their main course certainly is.

23 gets to enjoy the most peaceful round yet, topping off everyone's glasses with water and then heading over to acquire and deliver the Thieves of Elsewhere's meals as well. By the time it sets all three plates down, Minimizer is already back in his seat, acting as if he never activated his powers at all.

Looping back around, 23 delivers a second milkshake for Jonathan, as the first one had already been completely emptied without any contributions on his part.

At first, Jonathan places the new milkshake off to his right side, but Miss Chievous casually leans over and drinks some of it. When he quietly slides it over to his left side, Lucas then leans over to steal an even larger sip. When he slides it directly in front of him, near the center of the table, Miss Chievous throws a hollowed-out lobster tail at it, which nearly lands inside the wide-mouthed cup.

With pursed lips, Jonathan picks up the shake and holds it close. After taking his own large sip, he suddenly is empty-handed, and the glass is now resting on the table between Willy and Miss Calculated.

Lucas makes a brief high-pitched whine, apparently wanting to steal more of the sweet delicious beverage. Miss Chievous snorts out a bit of laughter, and Willy sniffs at the surprise appearance of a tasty treat.

Willy might not be able to use the straw, and shouldn't have the crushed up chocolate cookie bits anyway, but he certainly can lick the whipped cream that had slid down the outside of the cup.

Obviously, he proceeds to do so. And quite thoroughly, at that.

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Lucas total kills: 7

Lucas total deaths: 11

Lucas total assists: 1

Lucas current GDV: 12.20 (-.01 net change)

Lucas's fame level: 4.50* (Beyond just local, viral meme tier. Local levels are extremely high.)

Lucas's hero suspicion level: 2.5* (More than just passing suspicion for some paranoid individuals, people are realizing he's an impulsive idiot)

Jonathan total kills: 6

Jonathan total deaths: 2

Jonathan current GDV: 3.96 (+.01 net change)

Jonathan's fame level: 2.75* (Mostly just local)

Jonathan's hero suspicion level: 2.75* (A few paranoid individuals are suspicious)

Willy's fame level: 1.5* (Anonymous meme fame, local fame primarily as 'Xenoclast's dog', but some strangers know him as William/Willy now)

Supervillain social circle size: 11

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Little character theater:

Jonathan hyperfixates on the plate in front of him, silently praying the drunken fools to either side of him sober up at least a little by the time they're done eating.

Willy continues to eat far more neatly than Lucas does for the entire meal.

Lucas's head is full of wanton destruction being inflicted by boomerangs and yoyos. Perhaps he's taking his role as a villain to heart a little too much, or maybe he's just spent too much time with Miss Masher.

427 feels an unidentifiable sense of relief, certain that it's a good thing he isn't suffering through whatever nonsense Lucas is doing, or thinking.

Author, leaning back and watching the table full of dorks enjoying their meal: Hmm, they almost seem like civilized people right now, how unusual.

Mr. Quacks, upside down in Jonathan's milkshake, stealing his own share: Quack!