Some forest. Dusk. Fall.
Astar Lily: One, two! One, two!
Well he's been working out.
MC: I see I'm back here and so is that kid. Did he get bigger?
Boy is sweating SO HARD as he runs around! Kind of sounds like he'll pass out from how hard he's breathing...
MC: HOLY CRAP, STOP!
Astar Lily: AAH! Oh it's you again, Voice. Yay, you're back...
Astar Lily smiles up at the sky.
Astar Lily: I've been working out ever since we talked, every day all day! I've gotten a little tougher, but I get so tired out when I'm done. Why is that?
MC: Did you remember to hydrate yourself?
Astar Lily: Ooh, so I should drink water after I'm done! Thank you for telling me!
Astar Lily pulls out a canteen and chugs water.
Astar Lily: That was really nice. Running is great, I can run until I stop thinking! When I stand around I start worrying about things.
MC: About what? Santa?
Astar Lily: Yeah...I need stamina to be Santa, but won't I need other things too? Presents, reindeer...and what are "good" children? How do I do things on my own...?
Astar Lily is facing and talking to the sky like MC is somewhere up there.
Astar Lily: What do you think, Voice?
MC: ...there's stuff you can't do, so go all in with what you can.
Astar Lily seems slightly surprised but nods.
Astar Lily: ...oh yeah, huh. Nobody can do everything...so I have to have things only I can do.
Astar Lily thinks for a bit before puffing out a breath and smiling.
Astar Lily: Thank you Voice, I'm going to try my best!
MC gets the sensation of looking at a hero while looking at Astar Lily.
MC: Huh. Feels like Observing a hero, but...
Astar Lily: What's a hero?
He seems curious.
MC: Okay so, I'm an Observer.
Astar Lily: Um, what's an Observer?
MC: I can see people's dreams and materialize them or something.
Astar Lily: What can people do if they become a hero?
MC: Depends on the person, but their dreams give them power.
Astar Lily: Oh, then...!
MC: They can do what they can't currently do.
Astar Lily: W-wow, I want to be a hero too then! Then I can be Santa! How do I do it!?
MC: You need a clear dream and the determination that it'll come true.
Astar Lily: Hmm...
Astar Lily thinks. It's getting darker.
Astar Lily: Oh, this is like last time. Are you going soon? I'm going to focus on my dream, and I want you to make me a hero! I'll be waiting!
And so the world fades...
Title Card: Christmas Carol
Present
The party enters the Yatomi Circus big top in hero mode! Nobody seems to be around.
Astar: Huh. It's surprisingly fancy inside here.
He sounds surprised, but he looks unfazed.
MC: (That boy is past Astar, isn't he? The observation was kinda vague tho)
Astar notices MC looking at him.
Astar: ...what?
MC: Huh, feels like when my phone is giving some weird message again.
Melide: ...MC, did you see that boy again?
MC: Yeah, it's like the opposite of dreaming. When the boy's around, things are fuzzy.
Melide: Oh, okay. We'll talk later.
Monomasa: This is that circus again? Are we doing a pro wrestling match here?
Polaris Mask: Nah, slight change of plan. More hero business than pro wrestler business!
Monomasa: what
Trainee: Sorry for the wait, they're here now!
The circus staff brings the party over.
Yasuhiko: Whoa, you're all here! Even MC and Melide? Awesome!
MC: Hey Yasuhiko! / whomst / did you lose weight
(A) Yasuhiko: Shows with your operating's always a huge hit! Looking forward to next time!
(B) Melide: He's the circus ringleader, Yasuhiko. We worked with him before.
Yasuhiko: I hear a lot about you!
(C) Yasuhiko: Wow you can tell? I've been trying to practice acrobatics and--wait, stop touching me! And are you cursing me to get fatter!?
Hydoor: Huh, MC? I heard an on-site Operator was coming but wow I was right. It IS you.
Anna: Like OMG Hydie, would it kill you to smile? We're teaming up to do a show at the circus!
Hydoor: STOP CALLING ME THAT, GODDAMMIT
MC: Hydie! / Anna! / whomst
(A) Hydoor: Not you too, UGH! It's Hydoor, jackass!
(B) Anna: Haiiii~! OMG this is so exciting! Let's go all out and have fun!
(C) Polaris Mask: They're Anna and Hydoor, and they're in my agency! Hydoor's a swimmer and Anna's a pro-level student dancer!
Anna: Polaris-senpai, I'm not THAT good yet like sheez! But yeah, that's me! I'm still a high schooler, NTMY! Can I call you EmmySees? Call me whatev you want!
Hydoor: Damn, nothing ever stops this girl. I'm Hydoor, I've heard about you. Show me what you got.
Polaris Mask: Wait, where's Rad or whatever his name is? I thought the agency called him up too.
Hydoor: The bike bingus? He ditched us for some race he just HAD to be in.
Anna: It's at Galaxy Stadium! That sounds SO cool!
Polaris Mask: Oh okay then!
Monomasa: ...so Galaxy Athletes, the pro sports specialist hero agency?
Polaris Mask: That's us! And now we got an agency collab hero show using our special skills to do an acrobatic performance! Cool, huh?
Monomasa: Oh. So more of the shows using hero skills like before?
Yasuhiko: Yep! The program changes with every agency in, so it's time-limited! Kinda hard to plan it out, but things oughta be good with Galaxy Athletes here!
Hydoor: ...Polaris, you said you'd be getting a Santa suit, but what's up with those gloves?
Polaris Mask: (shrug)
MC: Sorry / they're cute tho
---
(A) Polaris Mask: Nah, ain't your fault.
(B) Polaris Mask: Not the problem, man! ...but you like this sorta thing?
---
Polaris Mask: I hate how familiar it looks. Still not cool with it sticking with my idea of Santa, though if anything I'm surprised you could see this.
Polaris Mask has a flashback!
Polaris Mask: ...guess I still care about him.
MC: Him?
Yasuhiko: Oh wow, it's time to go people! But first, rehearsal. Let's do it, wrestlers and Santa!
Wrestler Blue: Yeah!
Monomasa: Right, I'll help as best I can.
Astar: Ho ho, time to do what we can.
MC: The Santa beard again, I see.
Several hours later
Show time!
Spotlight falls on Yasuhiko after one of the acts.
Yasuhiko: Hello everyone, it's time for a special show! A collab with Galaxy Athletes for an acrobatics and battle performance! With Santas!
Astar: That's Mister Santa to you.
Anna: Now now, let's not get all bent out of shape. It's like SO cool you've been Santa for like forever! Time to go ho ho ho and have a blast!
Astar: Huh. Anna, right? Ho ho, you are correct indeed!
Monomasa: Whoa, Anna got through to him in less than two minutes?
Melide: Hey look, they're ready. We can start any time.
Polaris Mask: (frowns)
Polaris Mask is staring at his hands as he opens and closes them.
MC: You okay?
Polaris Mask: ...yeah!
MC: Okay then. Show time!
Everyone: YEAH!
BATTLE START (more happens after)
Hydoor: Territory Creation, ocean!
Hydoor creates a water zone from his Parallel Weapon! Yasuhiko follows up with a whip attack!
Yasuhiko: Come, Bogdan!
Yasuhiko creates a light construct tiger!
Yasuhiko: Hey did you know tigers can swim?
Yasuhiko rides his tiger as it swims fast!
Hydoor: Oh goddammit. Polaris Mask!
Polaris Mask: Right!
Polaris Mask deploys his wrestling ring Parallel Weapon around Yasuhiko!
Yasuhiko: OH NO
Yasuhiko sinks as his tiger poofs away!
Polaris Mask: My turn now!
Polaris Mask jumps in!
Yasuhiko: OOF! Heavy gravity!
Polaris Mask: Yeah, eat it! Here I--whoa!?
Suddenly Polaris Mask's gravity field stops working!
MC: OH NO
Polaris Mask lands awkwardly due to being thrown off!
Polaris Mask: B-but why tho?
Yasuhiko: wait what?
Trainee Red: He's open! Flank attack!
Trainee Red breaks off from fighting the wrestlers to get at Polaris Mask!
Wrestler Green: Hey, you can't just disengage before I do my super cool move!
Hydoor: Don't just let him go! After him!
Melide: !!
Melide: Astar, Hydoor, Monomasa, help him.
Hydoor: Ugh, fiiiine.
Hydoor jumps in and whips his rope line out to block for Polaris Mask, then creates his ocean again around the trainees!
Trainees: OH NO
Monomasa: Hey. Go through me first.
Astar: Ho ho ho, yes. My fire can take away heat.
Monomasa turned his legs to springs and jumps in carrying Astar. Monomasa then blocks an attack and Astar counters with his fire!
Trainee Red: Oh god it's hot! ...no wait, it's cold?
Trainee Green: Huh. Suddenly I don't feel like fighting anymore.
As Astar's fires intensify, the trainees lose even more metaphorical heat.
MC: Huh.
Hydoor: Go Anna!
Anna: I gots this! Polaris-senpai, show's still on!
Anna swings her veil and throws healing light at Polaris Mask!
Polaris Mask: Thanks! Okay let's try this again.
Gravity field reactivated! Polaris Mask goes for the high jump!
Yasuhiko: OH NO I CAN'T STAND AGAIN
Polaris Mask: Fighting Spirit "Polaris Buster"!
Meteor Kick!
Darkness. Then light again. Everyone is lined up, and the audience roars with applause!
MC: Okay wow we made it
Melide: Yeah, but...
Melide looks at Polaris Mask, who is smiling.
Later
Temp Green Room
Yasuhiko: Thanks guys, we're trending on Space Twitter! Kinda dicey there for a sec, but we're all okay!
Polaris Mask: Yeah. Thanks for helping, guys.
Hydoor: Yeah. You're really off your game today, Polaris.
Anna: True dat. Senpai you can usually, like, bounce back from any misstep. You okay?
Polaris Mask: UHHHH
Melide: ...your weapon has been unstable enough that other people can tell. Maybe your current dream isn't working right...?
MC: Wait...
MC looks at Polaris Mask's bear claws.
Monomasa: What are those claws anyway? You don't seem to have them under control.
Polaris Mask: (frowns)
Polaris Mask looks away, then sighs.
Polaris Mask: Okay yeah, I'd better talk before anything happens again. Yeah, it's these claws' fault. I remember them from my dad.
MC: what
Hydoor: Oh yeah, he's an ex-pro wrestler?
Wrestler Yellow: Oh yeah, I saw them in old vids of him! Like always off in the corners of the heels and--Wrestler Yellow Blitzen shuts his mouth.
Polaris Mask: It's cool. And yeah, Dad was a heel. We wrestled differently, and he put on these claws during the Christmas season.
Anna: So the Parallel Cue or whatever picked up on your memories of it? OMG was he like Santa to you???
Polaris Mask: I mean, it would be so easy if he were? I'm trying, but I just can't accept him.
Monomasa: ...it does sound like you think a lot about him.
Polaris Mask: Mmmmaybe? His wrestling was a mess, but he got guts. Always didn't like it when I was younger tho. Ma and I always had problems with what he did.
Polaris Mask's hands shake.
Polaris Mask: He was kind of a bullying bitch who shoved shit onto weaklings who can't say anything for whatever reason, so I won't ignore those weaklings.
MC: But I could still observe it?
Polaris Mask: Yeah yeah, it means my idea of Santa has a strong impression in this. Still can't let go what he did.
Polaris Mask shuts up for a bit and looks mad.
Astar: Hmm. Whatever went on with your family, if that's a crime, then I think it's not one to be made up for or one you have to forgive.
Astar seems to be thinking of something else.
Surprised Monomasa.
Polaris Mask: Astar...
Polaris Mask looks shocked.
Polaris Mask: Not doing the Santa voice? The wig's on.
Astar: !?
Astar: I mean, ho ho ho! That is my opinion, yes.
Hydoor: But didn't he just drop it a second ago?
Anna: OMG Hydie-senpai, you're like supposed to pretend it didn't happen!
Polaris Mask: Pffft! Damn, you'd actually pick something over Santa? But yeah, you're right. I don't have to forgive him if I don't want to.
Melide: ...is it something you want to forget, Polaris Mask?
Polaris Mask: Nah. It sucks, but it's part of what made me Polaris Mask now, and I wanna stay as I am.
Melide: Oh. Hmm...
Polaris Mask: Still kinda wish I could do something about this.
Polaris Mask waves his hands. He still looks serious.
Polaris Mask: But for my dream as Polaris Mask, I haveta accept these somehow.
MC: You mean your refusal to abandon the weak?
Polaris Mask: Yeah. I hate calling people who can't speak up weak, so my dream self won't abandon them. Heh. Well I better pick myself back up from this.
MC: ...don't push yourself to do it all alone.
Polaris Mask: MC...
He seems taken aback.
Polaris Mask: Lookat you talking all big! But yeah, it's cool!
He sounds like he's joking...
MC: (He's totally gonna do it alone. Can I help somehow?)
Yasuhiko: Polaris Mask...
Polaris Mask: Sorry about the poor showing.
Yasuhiko: Nah, it's cool. I hate my dad too, but I can understand him now. I'm sure you will too.
Polaris Mask: Heh. Maybe.
And so the party decides to head off as the sun starts setting.
Later
Melide: So it was a little later from last time?
MC is talking to Melide about seeing Astar Lily again.
Melide: Never heard that happening before. I wonder if...
MC: Did you figure something out?
Melide: Well I can't prove it, but if your phone says Astar's dream is unstable and you're looking at his past...what if it means you're watching as it happens?
End of Episode