Rehearsal time!
MC: Ow. Where am I?
MC wakes up on a bed of plants. They've been tended to.
Cipactli: …you're up? Stay quiet a bit longer.
Cipactli is mashing something.
MC: (pick up your sword and get ready to fight)
Cipactli sees MC power through the pain but keeps doing his thing.
Cipactli: You know how bad you've been hurt. Here, herbal medicine. (hands MC some grassy concotion)
Cipactli: I'll make you drink it if you can't drink it yourself. Which will it be?
MC: Who are you...? (relaxes and takes the medicine)
Cipactli: ...Cipactli. I live here. I never seen someone with soft skin like you before. Where'd you come from?
He seems curious.
Cipactli: You can stay here if you have nowhere to go. I'll look after you. You hungry? I got fish this morning. (dumps raw fish in front of MC)
MC: I can't eat raw fish / You got fire? / Is this even edible?
Cipactli: You can't breathe fire? Your race has it rough.
Cipactli picks up the fish, burns it black with fire breath, then dumps it back down again.
Cipactli: Raw fish is awesome though!
MC: I can't eat ash either. You got any firewood?
Cipactli sighs inwardly as he lights a fire and apparently gives a new fish to MC. MC starts cooking the fish.
Cipactli: Oh my god it smells good! What did you do!?
MC: I cooked it...want one?
Cipactli: Oh my god is this really fish!? It's good! ...uh, what's your name?
MC: MC. Nice to meet you...? Thanks for saving me.
Cipactli: What else can you do!?
And so MC and Cipactli started living together for now.
Later
Cipactli: Hey MC, come here!
Cipactli makes MC sit on his lap and starts petting them.
MC: Wait are you treating me like a pet!? / This is fine I guess... / I'm leaving when I get better!
Cipactli: Okay you should be good enough to walk soon. I can show you around my world then!
Cipactli picks MC up and puts them on his shoulder. He walks out, where the ~~wyverns~~ dinosaurs start talking about this.
Red: The king came out! What'd you guys do!?
Yellow: Why'd he put food on his shoulder? He's weird.
MC: What, I'm food!? And you're a king!? They seem afraid of you...
Cipactli: They started treating me that way because I'm the strongest one here. Sometimes they ask for help, but most of the time they stay away.
He sounds sad.
Later
Cipactli: Okay this is the closest place where you can bathe. If you do want to come here though, take me with you or else they'll eat you up.
Cipactli starts floating and swimming on his back with MC riding on top of him.
Cipactli: MC, where'd you come from? From Outside?
MC: I...guess? I came from the surface.
Cipactli: ...d-did you come down here to join me?
He seems serious about that.
MC: U-um, I guess it looks that way. (remembers the mission and shuts up)
Peeping Toms wyverns dinos.
Red: Hmm. He's being way too friendly with them if they're food.
Yellow: Oh my god he scored a Schrodinger's gendered spouse!
Cipactli starts patting his tail on the water surface rhythmically!
Cipactli: I can show you the world~♪ Shining, shimmering, splendid~♪ Tell me, gorgeous, how long will your heart stay at my side~♪ (hugs MC)
Yellow: OH MY GOD HE DID SCORE
Red: SHUT UP we have to tell everyone else!
Cipactli puts MC under his arm and climbs out of the water.
Cipactli: I can open your eyes~♪ Show you natural wonders~♪ Take you across and over on a comfy tummy ride~♪
Cipactli makes a flower wreath and puts it on MC's head!
Cipactli: I don't really care why you came to begin with. But if you like it here, and you like me...would you stay with me?
Cut!
The audience applauds!
Oscar: Hi guys, I came to hang out! I'm glad rehearsal is going good.
Sphinx: I'm back you guys! I'm here to hang out, except I'm here for work.
MC: Oscar, it's you again! / Sphinx you look cute today ! / You two know each other?
---
(A) Oscar: Yes I've shown up in front of you again and again. I'm shameless that way. I came to tempt you so I'm glad you see me that way. I wanted to come earlier, but I had guildmaster and management work to do...
(B) Sphinx: That's right! I got time now so I can play if you really want. Say you want me to play with you already!
---
Oscar: Sphinx and I are sort of business partners. I asked for his assistance next season.
Sphinx: I'm meh about him and only lending my help because he said he needs it.
Oscar: But we're mystery loving buddies!
Sphinx: Correction: you love LIES. They aren't mysteries if you aren't going to have them solved.
Oscar smiles in an OOF way, then looks at Cipactli.
Oscar: I see you're the only one still not rehearsing in costume. Well not everyone can be shameless like me. You looked so nervous your first time on stage!
Leib: You the guildmaster? I got questions about that job you sent us.
Oscar: Oh my! Well if I can answer your desires, by all means.
Leib: We're just talking. Let's do that elsewhere. MC, you come too.
The beach
Oscar: So! We here to have some pillow talk by the beach? The mask and socks stay on! ...kidding.
Leib: I'll cut the bullshit. You were lying about Cipactli having problems controlling his power, weren't you? Meaning the job itself is bunk, so why are we really here?
Oscar: (pretends to wipe his eyes) I can't believe you'd doubt me over nothing! ...sike. Christine tells me my acting sucks so much I should stick to writing forever. Harsh critic, huh? But it's her ideas leading the way this event this time.
Leib raises an eyebrow. Oscar smirks at this.
Oscar: You guys know me, which is why I'm saying this. Christine honestly just wants to help Cipactli. Cipactli gave himself into his act as a kaiju, and she wants to respect that. If you don't believe me, then let me dump some backstory onto you now!
Oscar: Back before Cipactli joined us he tried living as "Cipactli," but people who knew him as a kaiju from his home world were hugely shocked. They asked if we were keeping a kaiju in not time flat! So then I used my Urban Legend crafting ability to hide Cipactli with the Urban Legend of the Sewer Gator, and Cipactli started going by Imix...or maybe I should stay Cipactli took off the Cipactli persona. Whatever! Either way he changed himself to be someone else on stage. He was having fun at first not being seen as That Kaiju, but then he started to wonder if he was lying to the audience. Do people really love him if they don't know who he is? That started affecting his performances, so Christine started thinking of ways of doing an identiy reveal for him.
MC: ...and how'd that go? Badly I guess, since he's still using Imix...
Oscar: Have you heard of I Can't Believe It's Not Jekyll and Hyde ft. Fergus Mac Roich? That was originally written for Cipactli instead, except he couldn't become Cipactli. We salvaged it somehow.
Leib: So, you're making us help him redo that. Except...
Oscar: Right, he still can't do it. But he said he might if you were here, MC.
MC: Oh... / Why does he care about me so much? / I wanna help
Oscar: You should ask him for more personal details, he'll probably tell you. I swear the part about wanting to help Cipactli is true even if everything else was bunk. What's the point of lying in the dressing room?
Leib: Couldn't you have said all that to begin with? Sheesh. (sighs and scratches head)
Oscar: Good luck with Cipactli!
Later
Leib and MC head back to the rehearsal area.
MC: Where's Cipactli?
Macroich: Oh, MC! I was looking for you! I was worrying about whether I was acting the right way here, so I figure we should practice together! How about it?
Leib claps a hand on MC's shoulder.
Leib: Welp, let's split up! You help Macroich and I'll look for Imix. Okay bye.
Macroich: ...is something wrong with Imix?
MC: Sorta / Not really / Just a little worried
Macroich: Oh! Ahh, Youth™!
Leib leaves. Macroich takes MC's hand.
Macroich: Let's start by reading our lines!
Yurakucho Opera House
Cipactli: La la la~♪
Cipactli notices someone coming and stops singing.
Leib: Hey, nice song. Didn't expect you to be up here. Still having problems moving forward?
Cipactli: Why are you here? Did you come to ask for a dance?
Leib: No, stupid. I came to talk to you as MC's Tamer senpai. You said you're the feared kaiju Cipactli, but I don't see it. What are you hiding?
Cipactli seems happy to be questioned about this.
Cipactli: Nothing. I just didn't want to bring it up myself.
Leib: ...normal people call that hiding something.
Cipactli: Did you want to know or not? Shut up and listen.
Cipactli takes a breath.
Cipactli: So, me being called a kaiju that almost destroyed El Dorado? True fact.
Narrative flashback!
Cipactli (narrating): I used to be feared as someone with power. I never showed myself in front of people, and only Quetzalcoatl and Itzamna ever met me. That probably caused rumors about me to spiral, come to think of it.
Wrestler A: Oh no the volcano blew up! Cipactli did it!
Wrestler B: We must give him sacrifices!
People started believing natural disasters happened because Cipactli wanted more sacrifices.
Wrestler C: Eat me, Cipactli!
Wrestler D: Me too! For El Dorado!
Things escalated from there.
Cipactli: What's wrong with you people!? Why do you offer yourselves so easily!?
Tezcatlipoca: Sounds like things are good! You sure are popular.
Cipactli: No I'm not. Everyone just fears me.
Tezcatlipoca: Charisma comes from unsubstantiated fear because it comes up infinitely! Doesn't having sacrifice without fighting seem enviable? In that sense I approve of your lamenting.
The sacrifices to Cipactli continued until El Dorado was falling out of balance with him growing so big as to break out of the confines of the world. All he could do was hide himself when he couldn't be fully hidden and watch the world exhaust itself.
Wrestler E: Why aren't the sacrifices working!?
Wrestler F: Oh my god, what if his wrath goes on infinitely even with the sacrifices?
If the world requires ever greater sacrifices, it can only head towards destruction. Chaos continued in spite of the offerings, and eventually doubt started spreading through the people: what if this is the main cause for the instability for System El Dorado? If the faith were to collapse, then so will the world. So, Cipactli made a decision since he had to be forced out of the world.
Cipactli: ...I don't care about a world where I can only be a kaiju, but I want to see my given role to the end and leave proof that I was myself.
Cipactli lied to the world and prayed that he would fool it on its greatest stage. He brought a trembling hand to the hand of one he saw as a dear friend...then brought it to his own neck.
Cipactli: Let's act like we had a battle, one that wrecked everything around. Pull me apart and use my limbs to make the lands and the seas. Defeat me and become heroes, and stabilize the land!
The ones in front of Cipactli knew who this lie was for. And so they threw themselves into the act.
Tezcatlipoca: Okay. Full power! ...and let me give you a farewell gift.
Tezcatlipoca tears off his own leg!
Tezcatlipoca: Now everyone will buy the act! We'll tell everyone you were strong and ate my leg!
Cipactli: Gross.
Tezcatlipoca: But you gnaw on Quetzalcoatl all the time! Take a bite! I'M the one who tastes better than my BRRRROTHER!
The battle act ends.
Cipactli: I don't need a farewell gift. But could you remember me and who I was instead? Even for just once a month.
The one he called his best friend nodded, and the warriors returned to tell the story.
Tezcatlipoca: Citizens of El Dorado! My *BRRRROTHER* Quetzalcoatl and I have defeated the monster Cipactli! Now sacrifice blood to him, Imix the First Day, so he may never wake again!
Peace returns to El Dorado, and so their stories go down in historical belief.
Present
Leib: Huh. So every world has the same cliched plot. And MC has Quetzalcoatl's memories?
Cipactli: ...yes, I believe them to be one of the few friends I had who knew who I really was. I was shy and withdrawn, and he tried so many times to bring me outside the world without a thought. I thought maybe I could be brave enough to go on stage if I were with MC...but you've seen how much of a coward I am.
Leib pulls some candy out of his pocket and gives it to Cipactli.
Leib: My buddy's a huge crybaby, but giving him candy always made him smile. In the beginning I thought it'd be easier to just hang him off of something, but now I need to make sure not to give him candy too often so it'll still work.
Cipactli: ...do I look like a crying child to you?
Leib: Just eat it, superstar. I'm not giving you any more.
Cipactli reluctantly tastes the candy. He is surprised at the taste, then looks sad.
Leib: It's your choice, but I think it'll be okay to trust them. They aren't the type to change how they see you based on your past.
Cipactli slightly nods. He and Leib continue talking, unaware there's someone else there watching them. Plot twist incoming.
End of Episode Part
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