Also it's the ONLY THING I DO. =D I'm sort of the manager of this here shindig, if you will. That and I come up with random ideas, but that's only when the hamster wheel REALLY spazzes.

Kinoklita - =D Yay for Sakuro being a delightful vaccuum space that requires filling (the physics definition for 'suck'. I'm trying to boast this new concept. IE, This load of work really does create a vacuum space that requires filling.)

And I'm not sure if going 'totally freaking AWESOME!!!!!" is offensive in your area, but if that's what you're going to say to us, I wouldn't worry about offending. I'm glad you're already so into the fandom (but watch out for spoilers! ;_; We spoil stuff up through two and three, so be careful.)

Psycho lizard? There's lots of mentally disturbed reptiles in comic book history. *shrug* Besides he's more of a half lizardish mutated thing...of doom.

As for Franziska and the menagarie of animals mentioned, keep in mind that this is going to be a LOOONG story. We have a considerable amount of arcs planned, and it would simply be boring not to introduce any new heros or villians in that vast span of time (also we'd have no plot were it not for the rest of the characters.) Alternatively, I can safely say (and this is sort of a public announcement) we will not be using every last Phoenix Wright character in this, and some roles are more minor than others (we do have a ton of plans for lots of them though.)

So you're just going to have to wait and see who swoops gallantly into the battlefield next~ (I did not just rip off Brawl, I swear...)

...Why was this comment so long? O_O Probably because that answer right up thar probably answers several questions people have. So if you're wondering about your favorite character, everyone. we probably won't say if they're in there or not. But feel free to guess and predict =D

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That's not what I meant. I meant... well... um... Just blame everything on Sakuro. Gets me through life.

And you're right. You probably did answer a lot of questions. You're such a help and inspiration to us all. XD And personally, I think gallantly swooping superheroes are more exciting. So, yeah.

Aw, Kinokiita is shy methinks. :3 'Tis cool though. I'm glad you think we're such an inspiration, and swooping superheroes are indeed awesome.

Also, Mercs knows this already but her using the Adrian smiley makes me laugh. Because... = Her and = Me. XD IT'S TROO.

---

Hmph. Ask Sakuro. She knows I'm not shy.

Btw, I hope you don't rupture any more blood vessels or anything, and I'm glad you got through your other one. Because if you die, we would all miss you and your amazing awesomeness and I might cry.

Indeed. But "gallantly swooping superheroes" made me think of the Blue Phoenix, which made me think of that one quote from 2-3. What was it? "Dashing young lawyer flying fabulously?" Something like that. Anyway, if this story is going to be as long as I anticpate (and I could be WAY off) I should get comfy.

...popcorn, anyone?

I wish I could get away with blaming everything on Sakuro, but it doesn't work out so well for me. Lucky.

---

Popcorn = probably a good idea. >D

---

Popcorn is good. And soda. And candy.

Welcome to the Project Kallisti Snack Bar! We could make a profit off that...

Plode could bake those Blue Phoenix cookies she was talking about! And I could sell generic cola with pictures of Jarsal!

...You're hired as assistant manager. I want this stand purchased by this tuesday, chop chop.

---

Okay, Sakuro and Endless Blasphemy can be our decorators, because they can draw, and I can't. *tear*

And can't the hamster wheel provide the caffeine for the soda? Hee. This would be fun... Plode on cookies... Mercs has got the soda... We could sell Pearl Pretzels, and say they cured cancer or something. I mean, look at her hair! Perfect!

Ha. I'm getting WAY too involved in this. Post another chapter before I start building things. WHERE'S THE HAMMER?!?!?

I don't want to work for Mercs. Or Kiita. XD HAY! I'll do the entertainment! I sing, act AND draw! [dancing costs extra]

And people with braces aren't supposed to eat popcorn. [coughKIITAcough] But cookies are good. So is soda. And Pearl pretzels. XD

Also, pssh. Blasphemy can't draw. She needs much more practice. And possibly a teacher. Not me. The grasshopper needs to doodle more during math. SENSEI HAS SPOKEN. NOW GET GOING OR I'LL SEND YOU TO A DESSERTED ISLAND TO TRAIN INSTEAD. >D

---

Somehow, I don't think people will believe that a pretzel cures cancer. Unless they're REALLY GOOD. Then people might believe you. Maybe.

Sakuro's right. I can't draw to save my life. And since I don't really want to be sent to an island, I have to go practice. Eventually. I'll do it eventually.

---

I like both of your arts. ;_; And personally, I don't want others to be sent to an island. That would not be pleasant.

As for the status of the next chapter, Plode's working on it and it's looking gewd, guys. It won't be out terribly soon, but I can promise when it does come out, it'll be (hopefully) really nifty. This is the time where a lot of our bigger ideas are going to start coming out - from here on out, it's just going to get deeper and deeper. (Hopefully.) (We think so, anyway.)

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Thank you, I don't want to go to an island either~ Oh, I can't wait for the next chapter! *munches on popcorn* I love me a good story!

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Flaunting the fact you can eat popcorn and I can't raises the chance that you are Kira by... five percent, Blasphemy. But I won't send you to an island. >D

All the chapters are awesome. Plus next chapter means more Matty and that's always good. XD

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My name is thrown together from my first name, and possibly the only Japanese word I can call to mind without thinking.


Does that mean that there's a large fanabse for Mercs/Plode? Or Plodercs (Teehee, awful pairing name.)


Does prancing come under that?

Yay pink =3

Yes. It's so large and ridonkulous that the majority of it is underground, in a hi-tech secret vault filled with overwhelming passion in a spirited attempt to keep it from the public's innocent eyes.

Submissions will be mocked openly but probably enjoyed secretly.

---

Heck yeah, there's a fanbase! Merode (worse pairing name!) is too awesome not to have one.

And Sakuro, I eat popcorn anyway, so deal with it. (gets floss) And more Matt is awesome. Yay.

We pay extra for professional prancers. So you're in luck, Allan.

NIFTY NEW EPISODE!!! I happy.

How about...Mercurette? Cause sometimes Mercs calls Plodey Plodette... XD I dunno. Are we really talking about this? XD

And yes, I prance, but only in groups. Because.

Plodey, I apologize for bringing my friends in and turning your fanfic thread into a chatroom... again. XD [except the first time I guess it wasn't really MY friends per se, but same thing.] But it's amusing. And keeps this at the top of the forum. Whoo~

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What have you started....XD Merode sounds like a geode, or some villain name. O_o

And Plodette's my affectionate girlfriend name for Plodey. XD Along with Plodeums, Plode-cake, and the adjective Plodacious.

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Hey, I didn't start it! It was Allan! Don't blame me!

Plodacious is awesome, by the way. And have you seen that they're making this website ALL AJ? You can't forget the classics! I mean, what the heck? Don't make the Blue Phoenix blast you with a fireball!

What the heck? That's supposed to say P H O E N I X, but it's Apollo instead!

And that's supposed to be A P O L L O! They are destroying everything we once held dear!!!

Kallisti, we have a problem!!!

It must be April Fools. At least it better be. D<

Admittedly the defense lobby being removed is frightening. XD;;

Edit: Oh god its a conspiracy. XD

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Shouldn't it be the Red A p o l l o? Or the Red Heart! Never fear! It's the Red Heart, with his passionate heart burning red!

...okay I'm done now. I can't believe I just put spaces there to keep it as A P O L L O

---

Yes, but the forums are messed up. I meant to say P H O E N I X. Watch:

P H O E N I X W R I G H T = Phoenix Wright
A P O L L O J U S T I C E = Apollo Justice
M I L E S E D G E W O R T H = Miles Edgeworth

If this is an April Fool's Day joke, I'm not laughing! Okay, well sort of, BUT THAT'S BESIDE THE POINT!!

Grrrrr... This is really annoying now. But it's GOT to be a joke. I mean, groovy potato? Seriously.

Attack of the double posts! XD Kinokiita, as much as you are made of sweetness, double posting is usually frowned upon in forums. So you might not want to post twice in a row until someone posts after you.

And yes, it's an April Fool's joke on Croik's part. XD It'll be normal tomorrow.

---

Kiita, you are rather dense sometimes. XD;;
Mercs, your post was half unintelligible to someone who hasn't been studying the codes. XD
This is a pretty good trick, actually~

---

Okey-dokey. I'll try.

I fell for that joke hook, line and sinker. But I'm not upset; I got enough people yesterday. I got... six people? Idk. I understand it's a word-filter thing, but it's still awesome how Croik did that stuff. It would have taken me too long to figure out and set it up and all. The mystic powers of the Internet~! Or technology, or whatever.

Shit the filters aren't working.

Can't wait for the next part. And it was funny when you guys talked about the filters :D

And now for something entirely different;

Many of you may be wondering what exactly Mercs does (apart from being one sexy, sexy stud and igniting an inexplicable fire in the depths of your being). Well, when Mercs isn't beta-ing for minor spelling mistakes, occasionally spouting out random coding, responding to comments, taking fake personal calls, and unsucessfully trying to make Plode her bitch, she ocasionally does things that are actually productive.

"Say it ain't so!" I hear you cry. But I must admit to you, loyal reader(s), it is true.

So since Plode has a considerable lot on her hands trying to wrassle up all the extra awesomeepic pieces of matter to stitch into the next chapter, I thought I'd actually do something sort of kind of useful and write a side story. I've been wanting to do this for a while but was never able to finish anything (this is brief, really brief), and I finally got the chance. Also, the idea of focusing in more on Penny and Will's characters was recommended to me by several readers/companions, and Penny is someone who I sort of wanted to explore.

So don't base the rest of PK on this (there's a reason Plode generally does most of the actually nitty-gritty. Mostly because I simply cannot stand the idea of getting pen on the large couch she carries me around in.) But hopefully this can hold you over until the next update!

--------

Side Story: Sidekick
(Also known as 'A Penny for your Thoughts?')



She was pretty used to not being thought about. Penny was a standard, an expectation; she had come to Global Studio with a great deal of enthusiasm, and had done her job so well that perfection was now mostly expected of her. Needed something done, delivered, recorded, erased? That was what Penny was for. Another cup of coffee, Mr. Powers? The latest copy of the script, Ms. Vasquez? That rare Japanese exported yuri doujinshi, Mr. Manella? Of course, of course, Penny, would you be a dear and…

Of course Mr. Powers would have gotten up and retrieved his own cup of coffee, thanking her for her offer. “You’re already busy, Penny. I don’t want to add to your load, you do more work than me around here…”
Well at least someone thought that, and that was the first time the modest girl had ever really thought she had been appreciated.

She surely hadn’t been appreciated in high school, being the socially confused samurai fangirl that she was. It hadn’t really bothered her in school, though – enough of her peers also drooled over Japanese holographic Samurai trading cards and exclusive made-for-TV Steel Samurai spin off movies. All of her old friends had been jealous when Penny landed the job at Global Studios, and she had gone in on her first day prepared to return with sheets filled with autographs and stories of how her and the Steel Samurai had discovered they had so much in common and had become the best of friends…
And instead, she had taken one look at the man behind the mask and swallowed the urge to run out of the studio.

Somehow, upon meeting Mr. Will Powers, all of her old fanfiction involving the metal mask being torn off to reveal a handsome man felt rather silly. Penny hadn’t noticed his smile as much as she had noticed…well…everything else about him. He was rough looking, the sort of person she wouldn’t want to sit next to on a bus or meet in an alleyway. Her college-bred professionalism punched her in the gut, and she shook his hand and held her ground and succeeded in the astounding feat of being cordial to him, as much as she wished afterwards that he was still only a name in a credit roll to her.

So she hadn’t been terribly interested in him, after that – more interested in avoiding the real Will Powers, even as his company grew more tolerable than the others. Ms. Vasquez was simply a wall of impenetrable smoke when it came to emotions, only showing any care in her young ward when something went missing or wrong. She had stopped going out of her way to pay Mr. Manella any visits when he had presented her with a list of hentai characters she ought to cosplay as. Mr. Hammer was far too interested in a higher class than her to pay her much mind, and Penny could only stand so many high-speed tangents about the old days, punctuated by fervent cries of ‘whippersnapper!’, before she was unable to tolerate the intolerable Ms. Oldbag.

Mr. Powers, on the other hand, actually carried on pleasant and normal conversation whenever she couldn’t figure out how to avoid him. After a while she came up with less and less inventive excuses to not be around him, eventually even accepting his company once in a while. Will Powers was someone who she could actually talk to – after all, who knew more about Samurai fandom than the Steel Samurai himself? He knew details and trivia even she hadn’t come across in her hours of research. He was properly impressed by her collection of memorabilia. He could rattle off the stats of every last trading card, knew where to find the coveted ultra-rare holographic packs…

And he was becoming her friend. It wasn’t anything like Penny had planned, but she was finding that Will was just like any of her old companions at home, scary face or not. Penny was beginning to realize how awful her initial reaction had been. Mr. Powers was only an actor, but he was just as strong as her hero during his action scenes, just as empathetic for the human race as her hero…

Will was her hero, no different from the fictional character that had won her heart during grade school. As much as people wouldn’t believe it from the scary-looking, nervous actor, he and the role were one and the same.

But he hadn’t been so brave the day that he literally became the role. Recognition came at a price, a painful one. Penny still couldn’t connect thick metal exterior with Mr. Powers without wincing – had it hurt when his body had turned to steel? She could only imagine how the effects of the Big Bang felt. Had the suit burned into his skin as he transformed, singeing rubber turning to liquid metal as the chemicals soaked into him?

After the initial shock, Will had calmed down and accepted his fate. They had decided that it would be safer for Will to remain “missing” for a while, being one of the unluckier Bang victims that couldn’t hide their powers. The way Penny put it, the heroic Steel Samurai didn’t need to turn into someone despised and slandered by the media…

She hid him glamorously in her basement, thinking of no better place. He couldn’t stay at the studio, after all, a place that was swarming with suspicion even on a normal day. Aside from the normal flock of paparazzi, Global Studios had been the subject of unwanted attention ever since the two murders among their staff had occurred. Will was already picked on enough as it was, and even as she tried to make the dusty bottom floor comfy, she only hoped that this would be better than any torment or harassment he’d be subjected to in the real world.

…Not to mention the villains. From the stories the news told every night, it seemed that some of the afflicted knew nothing else but to abuse their power, particularly the ones fresh from jail. Warily, Penny kept her eyes out for prisoners she knew – her ex-boss, for one, and a certain other samurai, for another. It was almost more worrisome she hadn’t heard anything of their antics, and she busied herself at work keeping an eye on the remaining employees. Any and all suspicious behavior was recorded in her memory and later recalled to Will for analysis.

Even with her efforts, she had come to the conclusion that nothing was particularly stranger about any of the staff. Sal continued to be entirely unintelligible in speech and entirely intolerable in social habits – she had difficulty observing him for a long enough period of time to be able to tell if something was different, but he seemed to be just as grotesque as usual. And Ms. Oldbag (who had unfortunately been rotated back to Global Studios) could have been spouting out government secrets, but she spoke so much about unrelated tangents that Penny had decided that it simply wasn’t worth devoting any time to.

It was ironic that the day before Tonosacon, Will had asked an annoyed Penny one last time about the show’s producer. Mr. Manella had tested her patience that morning with his undisguised disgusting comments, staring at her almost hungrily as the sweat oozed off his forehead. She blew off Will’s response heatedly, not wanting to discuss Sal or anything remotely to do with Sal, who in her opinion could get no creepier…

Another irony had hit her as she watched the massive okatu slimebeast gush itself all over the convention hall the next day. A building filled with heroes, and yet the only man who could save them was the one person she had locked down in her basement for the better part of six months. When she had reached for her walkie-talkie, Penny hadn’t been sure what role she was playing to the Steel Samurai – the dutiful, dedicated sidekick, or the damsel in distress?

She would have liked to have been his sidekick. Although these complicated days made it seem like the Bang victims had been cursed, the superhero lifestyle she had always adored was still tempting. Being an adult, she knew that real life wasn’t nearly as dramatic and empowering as every last episode of the Steel Samurai. She knew that wounds didn’t just dissolve into the body and vanish, that grief remained an emotion even after the show was over. But it was easy to forget all of that when she watched footage of mysterious newfound heroes on the news, easy to forget when the Blue Phoenix and his mystical sidekick were swooping around the city. And it was entirely impossible to resist such a notion when Will – no, the Samurai – fled from the con with her in his arms…

As usual, Penny was the normal, powerless one. She hadn’t been granted any sort of mutation or any power different than blending into a crowd, and therefore she couldn’t be much of a sidekick to Mr. Powers. Her damsel-in-distress status had been confirmed when he had rescued her from her car, to the applause of the other traffic victims. Usually that sort of thing was set in stone once a girl required rescuing twice in a row. She was now the reoccurring female lead in the story.

But couldn’t she still help? She’d been the one to call for back up, the one who had logically guessed The Blue Phoenix’s real identity. Penny had given Will her special mask and helmet; the collectable she had won in a violent bidding war, the only casualty being her paycheck. She technically even owned the piece of property (the basement) that could be called the Steel Samurai’s lair. She could be his assistant, a position she was already used to and good at.

And now she was alone, at home, staring at the ceiling with unproductive meditations when she could be working. Just because she had been wrong about Sal didn’t mean she had to be wrong again.
Mentally, she recalled who had been with her during the filming. There had been Will, but it was a scene involving only him – they just needed to get an image for the editors to animate, nothing more. The director had gotten irritated at something trivial and stormed off, last she knew. Mr. Manella had been there, but that wasn’t terribly relevant anymore. She’d have to keep an eye on the cameraman, of course, and maybe a few of the people walking around…

Was that all? It was crucial now, to remember who else could have been at the filming. She’d have to keep everyone under radar. It would make things that much easier for Will, who had been too busy making a mockery of his career fighting a demonic plant to notice who could possibly been around to mutate…

But of course, there could have been…

Penny’s eyes lit up behind her thick glasses as another realization struck her. The name she was looking for came to light in her mind as she sat up, feeling particularly intelligent all of a sudden. And now that she thought about it, that particular person had been…
It wasn’t that they had been suspicious, that was exactly it. They hadn’t been around to act suspicious…

The girl stood up, heading for her basement stairs in a rush of realization. Things were starting to make sense at a rapid rate, conclusions drawing in her mind at the speed of light…
The world was never short an extra villain.
“Will!” Penny thundered down the stairs. “Will, I think I thought of someone we forgot…”

She didn’t need any other superpower.

---

Merc does work? And some fine stuff of it as well.

Methinks it's Oldbag/Cody.

Mercs does a lot of work around here. D: She betas every chapter to make sure it's well-written...hence why the later chapters are better written than, say, one and two (still need to re-do those). She also does all the coding for the fansections, and the chapter links. And she's come up with epic ideas. :3

So, yes. I approve of this chapter wholeheartedly.

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Last edited by ExImplode07 on Wed May 21, 2008 12:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.

You might want to get that smilie made transperant.

...Or you could let me do it =3

Allan's Aokage: I know, it's a shocker. O_O. And as for the mysterious person...who knows? It could be Penny's overactive imagination making up false clues...or it could be THE GRAND MASTER OF DOOM BEHIND ALL THE EVENTS OF KALLISTI.

EE GADS.

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If you can make the smilies transparent while keeping the colours I will luff you, AA. :3 Here's all of them so far...

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I'll upload them as soon as I'm done.

Of course, if you have MSN, I can give them to you quicker. If not, expect them soon-ish.

[edit] Ta-da!

Maybe it's Dee! She used to work around them!

Thanks so much AA! ^^ I'll upload them to my photobucket and start using them around the forums. <3 Everyone, feel free to use them around the forums if you want. If anyone asks, I made them. XD

And yes I do have MSN - both me and Mercs do. And AIM. So if anyone wants to talk to us at all, please, do. :3 We don't bite, we like being friends with our fans.

And as for the guesses...well, you know by now I'm not telling. XD But they're good guesses nonetheless!

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Phew! Distraction! Almost bought the builder's permit...

Anywho, smilies are awesome, Allan, I don't know how you do that stuffs. But you have my approval. Like you wanted or needed it, but you have it anyway.

And I'm thinking Oldbag, Cody, or Dee too. But more Dee, just because she's sinister. And has connections with the mob. And she could SO be the grand master of doom behind all the events of Kallisti. I would insert an appropriate smily here, but the extra ones aren't WORKING. Or Allan's. Help? :)