Chapter 180 - Vogue Verboten

With their grand, trollish, entrance complete, Lucas and Miss Masher walk over to rejoin the others. Two notable details about them, apart from the fact that they’re now in workwear, complete with work boots; Miss Masher is carrying the sisterhood’s black insulated messenger bag, and Lucas’s previously slicked-back-with-gel hairstyle has been aggressively tousled.

Now that the waiting period has passed, Jonathan pauses his game once again, shuts off his phone, and tucks it safely away within one of his inner suit jacket pockets. Once he actually looks up at Lucas, he snerks involuntarily.

“Wh-what the hell happened to your h-hair!?” After loudly asking this, Jonathan does a poor job of suppressing his additional laughter.

Considering Miss Chievous would sooner set herself on fire than NOT look at what elicited that kind of reaction from someone, she looks up in time to see Lucas start glowering. She snorts harder than Jonathan did, but unlike Jonathan; she didn’t pause her game first. Alas, this round will fail by the time she looks at her phone again.

Lucas huffs as he reaches up to neaten up his hair, achieving a state slightly less akin to what it would look like if a drunk bird failed at attempting to build a nest on top of his head. After briefly glaring at the happily grinning Miss Masher, he turns his attention back to Jonathan.

“Marsha fuckin’ happened. Wait, shit, that came out all wrong. So, when I was done changin’, I totally beat her by the way, any way, when I came out of the changin’ room and found her, she took one long look at me and then nodded twice, whatever the hell that meant. Then, she stared at my hair for a bit and declared it ‘wrong’ and then fuckin’ mauled it. She was absolutely vicious! NO! DON’T FUCKING TOUCH ME!” When Lucas originally started explaining, Miss Masher snorted when he made a point of announcing his so-called victory. Then, by the end, since he had mostly fixed his hair at that point; she grabs him and holds him in a headlock, giving a live demonstration of her hair abuse protocols as he squirms around, attempting to escape.

No one has any attention left to spare for Miss Calculated’s residual embarrassingly startled state, as all of them are far too busy being amused by their superpowered horsing around.

Miss Chievous is so delighted by their nonsense that she has even started clapping.

This tomfoolery is even enough to finally thaw Mark out of his stunned silence, and Mikah is covering his mouth with one hand while fighting back laughter.

Once Lucas finally manages to break free, he slaps Miss Masher’s hand away and begins marching towards the elevators.

“Fine, you win! I’ll fuckin’ leave it that way! Let’s go already!” Before Lucas is completely finished mock-angrily shouting this, Jonathan is suddenly in front of the elevator call button, having already tapped the up arrow.

Miss Chievous is immediately pulled out of her hysterically laughing state. She’s now looking down at the empty space on the armchair next to her, with her eyes widened slightly. After blinking a few times, she looks at her phone displaying ‘game over’ and stiffly shuts it off, still slightly stunned as she slides off the chair to start heading in the direction of the elevators as well.

Miss Calculated had been quietly chuckling along as well, once her breathing was stabilized. Still wearing a small smile, she just leaves the knife in the box for now and gets up as well. After kneeling down to gently shake Willy awake; she walks side-by-side with Miss Masher as they head over to the elevators together.

Mark groans a bit as he gets back on his feet, hamming up his status as the oldest person present. No one forced him to wear those heels though, that’s all on him.

Mikah lags behind on the couch for a bit, reaching up and kneading his forehead once everyone else has their attention elsewhere. He gently slaps his cheeks with both hands twice and takes a deep breath. However, before he’s finished completely exhaling it, Lucas has reached the elevators and turned around, noticing his moment of zen.

“Ya know, I’m surprised yer still here, Mikah. I figured you’d be off takin’ a nap by now or somethin’. I appreciate you waitin’ for us, but aren’t ya at yer limit?” When Lucas asks this with obvious concern, Mikah self consciously lowers his arms before anyone else turns and looks.

Mark scrunches up his eyebrows briefly before gaining a look of enlightenment, sharply turning to look at Mikah.

“Wait, you’ve been around so many people for so long today! You must be miserable by now! You should have said something! Go! Go!” Mark has a slightly accusatory tone while semi-scolding Mikah.

Mikah has a sheepish smile as he finally gets up off of the couch, heading over towards the elevators as well.

“Ah, I was just trying to hold out until after they got to see their future HQ, but you’re right. If you don’t mind, I’ll head up to my apartment, then. I’ll make sure my phone isn’t on silent, of course, in case you need me for anything.” What Mikah leaves unsaid, however, has a bit of a different tone.

He may or may not have been more concerned with waiting until it was Mark’s idea; so Mark didn’t resent being forced to be the one to escort the sibling-related organization members to the dustpocalypse. That potential headache would have been far worse, and likely longer-lasting.

Once Willy finishes with his biiig stretchums, he gathers up his chew toys and starts trotting over to the elevators as well. When he’s a few steps away from the towel pile, he turns and looks at it, then up at Mikah nearby, and makes an inquisitive, muffled, bark.

“Hmm? Don’t worry about it, a bot will clean it all up.” It doesn’t take Mikah long to figure out what Willy was concerned with, and Willy gives an agreeable bark while wagging his tail.

An elevator has arrived before everyone finishes gathering in front of it.

Willy decides it’s time for his own case of zoomies, and manages to be the first one inside, darting in between everyone’s legs and the gaps between people before the doors open wide enough for someone else to take the initiative.

He barely manages to slow down before crashing into the rear wall of the elevator, his paws having trouble getting much traction on the smooth floor. He had to lift his head up so he didn’t bonk his snoot, using the chew toys as padding for his light collision.

Needless to say, there is a great deal of laughter at his expense.

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Lucas’s total kills: 7

Lucas’s total deaths: 11

Lucas’s total assists: 1

Lucas’s current GDV: 17.35 (+.01 net change)

Lucas’s fame level: 6.0* (Local fame is completely maxed, he’s creeping up on minor celebrity status even on a global scale. Thanks, internet.)

Lucas's hero suspicion level: 2.0*

Jonathan’s total kills: 7

Jonathan’s total deaths: 2

Jonathan’s current GDV: 6.06 (+.01 net change)

Jonathan's fame level: 4.0* (Local fame is near-max, but everyone thinks of him via his affiliation with Lucas, and not often just for him, alone.)

Jonathan's hero suspicion level: 2.5*

Willy's fame level: 4.5* (With how popular he’s become, it’s only a matter of time before people start realizing just how smart he is.)

Mr. Quacks’s fame level: 5.0* (His local and global fame are nearly even, he’s a full-blown internet sensation.)

Supervillain social circle size: 15

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Little character theater:

Jonathan darts in after Willy once the doors have opened enough for him to more-or-less comfortably fit in, crouching down next to Willy: A-are you okay?

Willy, his only injury being to his pride. His tail is lowered, but he wags it a few times, slowly, upon receiving Jonathan’s concern: Bark…

Lucas, cracking up laughing, and continuing to do so as he finally enters the elevator and crouches down by Willy’s other side, opposite Jonathan: What the hell was that about!? Hahaha! ...You are okay though, right?

427, chuckling while he runs a full scan on Willy: [Yes, he’s fine. Well, I’m sure he managed to hurt his own feelings by being that awkward with everyone watching. I suppose that’s one more thing he has in common with Jonathan, now.]

Author, chuckling as they peek into the elevator as well: No one in the Lynn family is at their best right after waking up.

Mr.. Quacks, balanced on top of Willy’s head, as his mere presence is enough to make anyone feel better, obviously: Quack.