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Friggen' finally.

After putting off the booth for later time and time again, Ramona had managed to at last reel the zomboil in to put on the finishing touches. Even so, Mort felt a bit nervous as he leaned over the counter and watched visitors, students and horsemen pass by.

"Don't fidget so much," his mother told him, sliding his hood down. "And put on a smile, Mortie! You did a good job and I know people will see it."

"Mrrr . . ." He only nodded and sipped some Spite, watching Lancelot turn his head this way and that excitedly.

Festivalfestivalfestival~!

Alice noticed a contraption inside the booth that was for a boil named Mort. It had so many lights, and what she thought were strings. It seemed very interesting. Little did she know that it was an arm wrestling machine. She rested her arm on the table, soon putting her hand with the robot's hand. "This doesn't seem so ha-" but suddenly the hand started to push her hand to the table. She tried the best that she could to push it back. When she thought that it was over, all of a sudden it came back to life, and made her hand reach the table with defeat.

Her head fell down. Yes, she had been defeated, but she didn't even know what it was! She sighed for a moment before looking for the owner of the booth. She was interested in how he was able to make such machine. "Hello? Mort, isn't it? I'd like to ask about this machine." she said, pointing back at the arm wrestling machine.

Alice looked up to the boil who had seen her after some time. She looked back at the machine, pointing at it. "Did you make the machine?" she asked curiously. "How did you do it, if you don't mind myself asking."

"Not at all!" If anything, Mort looked pleased that she was asking and had an animated response to give in return.

"Yes, did make - well, with help from friend too, but insisted only take resources from her. T-Took a while, but skinny've it was writing out steps n' working small first to add to big. Odin's, ah..." He had to stop and think to remember since I had been so long. "Well, mostly scrap actually; was much luckier with second version, Thor. Product shown here is m-much more polished version: used to have spatula for fingers n' spoon for thumb," he recollected with a little grin. "Basically had friend look at plan to forge n'shape parts since, er, fire n' all, n' from there just assembled n' adjusted. Never did understand reason kept sparking, though...Guess age rusted more than metal."

Mort paused, then gave a self-depreciating smile at himself for rambling. "Are you, er, first time visitor?" he asked, noting her pass. "How d'you like festival so far?"

Alice nodded as Mort continued to talk about the contraption that he had made. It was interesting to think that the fingers were a spatula and the thumb was a spoon, though she wasn't sure as to what exactly they were. It had a very interesting begining since it was first created.

She smiled as he had asked her about the festical and being here for the first time. She nodded. "It is my first time visiting, and the festival has been splendid. What about you? How have you enjoyed the festivities?"

Lihua had no strength at all. She knew and didn't know why she was about to play arm wrestling against a robotic arm.

She clasped the arm and waited for timer.

When the arm slamed her hand down on the table she was not surprised.

She knew this was going to happen.

It was probably a really odd sight seeing what looked like a twelve-year-old living doll pitting it out against Mort's robotic arm-thing, Odin. But Madeline wasn't about to let her noodle not-arms keep her from playing arm wrestling with a robotic arm. Seriously, how cool was that? It was hard remembering that she was supposed to be observing and bringing back samples when this festival was throwing all of the old things she used to do back in her face for her to try.

Arsen didn't have a corporeal body, but she could feel his presence rolling his eyes in her head, telling her that all the dead hunters before her were probably rolling in their graves.

Madeline just grinned. I'm allowed to have a little bit of fun too, even on the job. She told him smugly, steeling herself for the impending arm wrestle match.

And it was epic.

She almost lost about ten times, growling at her not-arms to workworkwork so she could beat this robot arm. "Oh no you don't," She said, squeaking a bit when her not-arm splintered down the middle like a true porcelain doll. "Hey!"

With a roar that would have made a sailor proud, she threw all her strength into one decisive blow, slamming the arm back into its rightful place. It took all her strength not to start swearing in joy at the victory.

Bouncing back, Madeline grinned, the strangest sight ever in an arm wrestling match. "Hehehe."

"Ah ha, yes... That ah, particular game seemed a good idea at the time but quickly took a downhill turn..." Absently Belladonna touched the back of her neck, an unconscious quirk she had picked up and wasn't sure what else to do about it. "Thankfully everyone has been making such lovely outfits, that its much easier to handle." Because no matter what, the witch was going to find the good. Even if it had to be uncovered because some rude mama wanted to take a shot at the witch's games. And then even at her own son? Mort might shuffle a bit, but he was anything but slow! Tedious, hard working, detail oriented yes, but slow?
It was enough to make Belladonna placed both hands behind her back in an innocent stance so she could clench her fingernails into her hands. This was turning bad very quickly and the witch could feel herself being sucked into something dark, sinister. Very, very bad.

And then it hit. And then Belladonna kept the sweetest of smiles on her face while her brain totally lost it.
I've been training my entire life for this singular moment. Belladonna thought to herself, while she let out a small, delicate laugh and averted her eyes to the ground. Anyone watching who could not hear them would only see the two ghouls pleasantly chatting, perhaps even find that they were getting along. For all the world to see, it was a conversation of smiles and laughter, of a kind mother approving of her son's choice.
When the witch raised her eyes, she knew she had perfected this mask of sugary sweetness. If she could say these words, tell this lie, than she could do anything.
"It varies from week to week, depending on the circumstances."
The circumstances were naturally left unsaid, as well as a number of other things. Instead Belladonna only continued to smile at Ramona, though she would regret her words later on, she was certain.