>>6154238Maple’s grip tightens around the “CrayoLee,” and she chillingly asks, “Now, from our talk just now, I have an idea, but just to be sure, did she ever get all three of you rounded up to do that?”
Videl cringes at the intensity, and shakes her head.
Maple snarls, and slaps the cover of her notepad shut, tiny chunks of red flying off from it. “What is that girl getting up to… Well, in any case, a question for her.” Maple tips her hat, “Thanks for helping me out, Videl. I will have to see Erasa as well, I hope you can accompany me for that. I might flip out.”
Videl raises an eyebrow. “Wait, that’s it?” she asks, then shakes her head. “Now wait a second, I still don’t think Erasa could do something like that. I’ve never seen her use psychic powers before… well, she’s the best at gossip and knowing what you’re thinking about, but she can’t throw stuff with her mind. And she’s my frie- oh wait,” Videl cuts off as she realizes something.
Maple flips to a clean sheet of paper. “Whatchu got, Videl?”
Videl ponders for a bit, her expression growing more uncomfortable, even reddening a bit. After connecting some dots with some repressed memories, she grouses, “Okay, so, I just said Erasa is the best at gossip and guessing what people are thinking, she’s also really into fashion.” (“Mmhmm.”) “And, there were some other things that happened with Peppa.” (“Yeah that seemed likely.”) “One of the incidents, some of the stuff Peppa said in her defense sorta goes along with that.”
Maple looks up to Videl appreciatively. “Okay, okay. But before we get into that, Ms. Satan, you look like you’re burning up. Why don’t you lay down on that bench there? I’ll get a cool towel.”
“I’m uh, fine, it’s just,” Videl says, uncomfortable with what she’ll have to relay, but she still does as Maple directs, and the cool damp towel does feel really nice after exercising and that intense talk earlier.
After a bit, Maple removes the towel, and places her hand on Videl’s forehead. “Now to take your temperature and…”
~~~
In the middle of an orange desert, the Doting, Scolding, and Inquiring Aspects of Maple drive along Route 666, and then turn off of it to their destination, the Devil’s Palm. A drive-in theatre where five mountain peaks obstinately penetrate up through the sands, which have since been repurposed, four of the Devil’s Fingers to hold up the screen, and the Devil’s Thumb to house the projector. And the car-goers rest within the palm.
Inquiring asks the other two, “Did we get here too early?”
Scolding grumpily crosses her arms.. “It feels like we got here too late by literal months.”
Doting looks at the pamphlet for the showings. “We’re here to see ‘Shower Thoughts’ and ‘No Riches?’ seems like a double feature, and with our powers of foresight, I think we might get some previews of the coming events after the feature presentation.”
Scolding barks out a laugh. “At our pace, we’d be lucky to get through the first part by the time the thread falls off."
