It's getting late (somehow underground) and it's time for everyone to go home. But then Cipactli starts talking to MC.
Cipactli: MC, do you have a moment to talk?
MC: Okay? What's up? (senses something)
Cipactli looks around, then leads MC to somewhere where they might not get overheard.
Cipactli: Uhh...you don't remember me, do you?
MC: We've met? / I have amnesia so / Sorry, no.
Cipactli: It's fine. Tezcatlipoca already told me what happened. Hearing it straight from you still makes me sad though... can you wait a moment for me to change?
Cipactli goes to change from swimsuit to Azteca Cipactli.
Cipactli: To reintroduce myself...I am Cipactli, from El Dorado.
MC: Is that your real name? / Oh right, Imix is a stage name / (remembers Krampus's DVD)
Cipactli: Right, Cipactli is not just a fictional being. It's the name of the kaiju that almost destroyed El Dorado, so I hid it by going by Imix and hiding down here. Please don't tell anyone else!
MC: Okay, I promise. Why tell me if you don't want anyone else knowing, though?
Cipactli: (stares)
Cipactli: I said we knew each other, but you actually mean a lot to me. I hardly had any friends during my time as a world-threatening beast...even though I could tell you as Quetzalcoatl wasn't thinking at all. Still, I had a feeling you wouldn't be afraid of me even without your memories. And I wanted you to know who I was...
He's being open. His usual pride is away.
Cipactli: So, could you stay the night? I want to talk to you some more about El Dorado and here--
Leib: Sorry, can't let you do that as their guardian.
Suddenly Leib!
Leib: For the record, I wasn't trying to eavesdrop. I just noticed MC was missing and came looking. I don't care about you being Cipactli or whatever, but I can't let MC just stay over out of the blue, no matter who you are.
MC: But I don't mind / We should social link if I'm his Tamer / Sorry Cipactli
---
(A) Leib: Ugh, you really need to be more on guard. Listen up.
---
Leib: ...a relationship between a Beast and Tamer needs trust, and I'm not letting MC near anyone who'd hide something from their Tamer.
Cipactli: (frown)
Leib drags MC off.
MC: W-wait! Thanks for worrying about me, but... (looks toward Cipactli)
Leib: To clarify, I wasn't talking about Cipactli's identity when I mentioned hiding things. Think back a bit.
Flashback!
Cipactli: HOW DARE
Present
Leib: Back then it looked to me like he was in control of himself.
MC: T-then...? / What? / No wait--
Leib: Cipactli likely doesn't need a Tamer to control him. I talked to Macroich and he says he never heard of Cipactli flipping out. The Entertainers not being able to help out is sus in light of this.
Flashback to not even five minutes ago!
Cipactli: I had a feeling you wouldn't be afraid of me even without your memories. And I wanted you to know who I was...
Present
MC: I don't think he's lying, but that does make sense...
Leib: He's an actor, remember? He can sell that much. Also, remember what the paperwork asked for when it came in?
Flashback AGAIN!
Paper: MC pls
Present
Leib: If the Entertainers are lying about what they want, then what they're after is you.
Later, Akihabara community workshop
Hecate and Leanan Sidhe are talking the script over and making progress.
Leanan: I think we should stop here tonight. You're tired, aren't you?
Hecate: I'm good, it's not like pre con deadlines. It makes for a nice change of pace too!
Leanan: (looks concerned) Hey, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but did something happen with you and Barguest?
Hecate stops moving and looks nostalgic.
Hecate: ...Barguest was a steward of my family back before we ever came to Tokyo. He came asking us for help with his bad luck nature, and I already needed help with my experiments and my life. So...we became buddies because it was convenient.
Hecate: I still didn't know what my class signified back then, and I still believed there'd be someone out there for me. I was young and dumb, even though I knew better than anyone that some fates can't be changed. Of course my experiments failed, no matter how hard I tried. Then one day I got so mad I said something horrible to Barguest: "maybe us being together makes both our bad luck twice as bad." I regretted it right away, and I went looking for him. But all I found was a letter he wrote me. It's what I deserved.
Hecate: I really am a stupid witch. The Third Hecate name suits me. I realized I was alone at a time I'd have been crushed long ago if I already was alone. Hoping got hard, so I started lying to myself. I told myself I'd be forever alone as a watcher, running away from reality until one day, it became true. And then I was finally at peace.
Leanan Sidhe: ...I'm sorry I made you talk about such sad things.
Hecate: No, I'm sorry for being OOC and talking about myself. Umm, could you stay and help me with the script some more?
Leanan: Okay!
A few days pass until Arachne and Hecate say they're done with their work, so everyone meets up in Cipactli's lair again.
Panning shot of everyone involved so far! ...well, almost everyone.
MC: Wait, where's Sphinx?
Masanori: Work. He was with us partway though.
Turing: He wanted to come. We'll tell him what happened later.
Leanan Sidhe starts talking after checking everyone else.
Leanan: Okay then. Hecate, can you explain the script?
Hecate: ME!? Uhh...I haven't thought of anything...um, first the setting then.
Hecate points REALLY HARD at the ground.
Hecate: The musical is set here in this underground cave! I was inspired by the location and Imix and made it a place with dinosaurs. MC and everyone else are seekers looking for someplace to live after air pollution hit the world! And then, forbidden romance blooms between one of the explorers and the dinosaur king! Ooh, the drama!
Leib: Girl, are you letting your fetishes write this script?
Christine: It's okay! Leanan Sidhe and the rest of us Entertainers have looked it over.
Leib: Oh okay. Sorry to interrupt, go on.
Hecate: I'm sensing a disturbing lack of faith in me from you, Leib!
Leib: Hey you guys, wanna hear the titles of some of Hecate's works?
Hecate: NOOOO I CAN'T HANDLE THAT LEVEL OF CRINGE
MC: I believe in Hecate! / Hmm... / Leib-senpai I am going to record this
Christine: Actually we in the Entertainers asked for some shipping fodder too. It's Hecate's specialty, and Imix thought it would be good too. He's always done monster and villain roles, so now he wants something different, yes?
Cipactli: Well yes, but I was still thinking of something different...
Macroich: Question, Hecate! What's the title?
Hecate: Oh! Christine suggested "Cipactli", and I went with that. Apparently it's the name of some kaiju king.
Cipactli: !!
MC: WHAT
Cipactli froze up. Christine smiles. Everyone else thinks the name is just vaguely familiar.
Cipactli: DAMMIT CHRISTINE
Christine: You wanted this, so as they say nowadays: deal with it.
Cipactli: I'll get you for this! (stomps off)
Hecate: S-should I not have said that...?
Christine: It's okay. Moving on! Arachne, the costumes if you would.
Arachne: Okay! Get changed everyone, it's show time!
Fashion show Reality Marble, go! fasionista.mp3 plays
Arachne: First up, Leib the search team medic! Look it says so right there on his cyberpunk aesthetic see-through coat. Very cool looking! I hear he's a lab boss, so I made it look intellectual! Now go say the line Hecate wrote for you!
Leib: Do I have to? Who approved of this dumb thing?
Arachne: Call it rehearsing for your stage debut. You have to be able to do that much at least!
Leib: "Are you getting heat stroke? Ugh, why do you have to be like that? Fiiine, lie down. You can use my lap as a pillow."
Leib: ...god I feel dumb now.
MC: Wow Senpai! / Uh...you looked good? / :)))
(A) Leib: Oh...thanks. Well, better than this looking stupid.
Hecate: Hmm, you sound oddly comfortable saying that line. Let's pretend I'm imagining that and move on.
(BC) Leib: Goddammit. Just kill me now and take over all my work.
Arachne: Next! Boogeyman! He's the reliable, terrifying commander! You won't believe how many people he's killed with that chainsaw!
Boogeyman: Wait, that's who I am? Can I really do this?
MC: You look great! / Do I have to answer / You look like you came out of a slasher flick!
---
(AC) Boogeyman: O-oh, thank you. I feel more confident now.
---
Hecate: Your turn to say your line now!
Boogeyman: Umm...yours is a noble sacrifice me and my chainsaw will never forget!
Hecate: Hmm. You still seem embarrassed, but I think you'll be perfect for the part when we're done!
Boogeyman: Stop!
Arachne gives Macroich and (allegedly) MC their outfits.
Arachne: You're both in the combat team so I made your costumes similar. Macroich's the captain and MC's his brother-in-arm and vice captain!
Macroich: Wow! I'm glad we're together, MC! Now let's go! To Youth™!
MC: Yes Captain! / Glad to be with you! / It looks great on you!
Hecate: Line time, you two!
Macroich: Let's go, MC! And stick close to me! Youth™!
MC: Roger! Youth™! / I'm ditching you if you fall behind
Hecate: Wow you two did great! Macroich's got some acting experience but you did good too, MC!
Arachne: Enjoy the show? I'm looking forward to you knocking the musical out of the park!
Now that Arachne's fashion show is done and her theme music is done, Boogeyman looks at the direction Cipactli walked off in.
Boogeyman: Isn't Imix going to get a costume, Arachne?
Arachne: Oh I was told he already had something fitting.
Christine: Yes. Me. I told her.
Boogeyman goes "oh okay".
Turing: Okay, we're up on the queue next, right? Setup's done already.
Vapula: Me too!
The other Creators say they're good to go. Except for Hecate, who looks unhappy.
Hecate: Hmm. An Entertainers x Creators collab is gonna create something truly amazing, just like shipping Imix and MC together. Yet somehow, I'm not happy for some reason...
MC: Something wrong? Is the script not ready yet?
Hecate: !! Oh! Uh, everything's going okay! I'mma go check what everyone else did for setting consistency!
Hecate awkwardly shuffles off to the Creators. Everyone can tell she's hiding something.
Barguest: ...she's still worried, isn't she?
Leanan Sidhe: She thinks something's missing. It's good enough now, but she's looking for that ~inspiration~. I've seen it happen all the time.
MC: Hmm... You have any ideas, Leanan?
Leanan Sidhe has the power to see the invisible and dig out latent talent. But...
Leanan: Nope! The script's perfectly put together. But Hecate's bothered by a what-if she wants, and she knows it. (looks sadly at Hecate)
Leanan: But I won't say it's wrong of her to not voice it. Taking off your mask isn't always right.
Barguest: I don't think those are the only choices. I can't see her as wanting it to begin with.
Leanan: ...okay, I'll support that possibility then. As a producer, it's my job to bring out your unseen good points!
Barguest: Thanks. MC, can you help me too?
End of Episode Part
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