Private ✪ Stokbon Episode I: The Impersonator Appears!

[Tick Tock]

Tock ignored all those 'Wha!' and whats from Kyanna. Surely it's just mere shock of being chosen as a bride. Fortunate for her, Tock is so understanding she just nodded along, specially at the part where she just stared at each twin with complete disbelief.
"A gag!" Tick promptly responded.
"A gig!" Tock corrected, with her sister not even questioning it at all, it just is, or was, given that just happened a second ago. "You should look at your face right now, Kyanna." Tock added, to which Tick soon begun to mimic the same confused stares the witch had been giving the pair ever since the revelation. "And ours too, we certainly love to see the sparks of confusion!"
"And react to them. Oh! But first, a quizz." Tick continued, puffing a scroll outta nowhere onto her hands and a quill with a fancy strap defying gravity wrapped at the end of it. "How would you rate your experience? Did you have fun? Would you recommend Tick to another if you ever met them? Is that a lie?"
"Will you go out with Tock? Is that a lie too?" Tock added, straining a wide smile upon her pale features, whose heartstrings already been tugged with once Kyanna just said she wasn't a lover. Moved by how hard the witch wanted to play, Tock rested the back of her hand upon her forehead, eyes closed and pained expression to match. "A lie?! Are you saying Tock's feelings are a lie?! A jest?! No my confused little witch, Tock is no rascal nor trickster! Not when such an outdated, stereotypical beauty lies infront of her. Heh, got the pun? Lies!"
"You could have done that punchline better, Tock." Tick added, shooking off her head with pure dissapointment at that horrendous timing, before turning back to Kyanna. "Tick don't lie either, This was a nice game, no one's got harmed, and you had fun! Is that not what you are here for? Fun?" Tick extended a hand back to the witch.

@Kyanna Wynne

 

[Kyanna Wynne]

Kyanna's confused expressions lingered for a couple seconds when Tock mentioned it, shaking her head and making a face that almost neared anger, trailing her gaze to Tick, who mimicked her.

"You stole from me and now is making fun of me, that's--" She frowned, with lips pursing as soon as she was showered with questions.

"I didn't have fun, I was worried about both of you for no reason." Kyanna pouted at Tick, letting out a sigh and shaking her head. "I don't even know you well enough!" She retorted to Tock, confused about why the other puppet was trying to get them to date or something.

"I am not saying your feelings are a lie, I just--" Kyanna interrupted herself, shifting to look at Tick.

"I am here to find my mother, not to simply have fun." Usually, she would answer this question a bit more cheerfully. But now it only sounded resolute, and hinting that she was ready to turn her back and resume her mission.

@Tick Tock

 

[Tick Tock]

"Wrathful! Post confusion finally kicks in!" Tick remarked to the swift change of emotions that blurred Kyanna from puzzled to anger, or at least the closest to it the little witch could do, with Tock taking note of every little change once Tick dropped the notepad on her instead.

"I didn't have fun, I was worried about both of you for no reason."
"Well that's a sham-"
"I don't even know you well enough!" The words retorted to Tock, yet both twins felt that just as much. Tick gasped, turning over to Tock with eyes wide open as the notepad dropped onto the roof tiles and disappeared, "Wait Tock!" Yet it was too late. Tock already started to tear up, even as Kyanna tried to make amends to it.

Yet it was too late and her feelings were hurt already, with the puppet breaking to sobs, colorful eyes dropped down as blackened tears reminiscent of oil kept dripping down her cheeks, Tick quickly taking the initiative to wrap her arms around her sister.

"Oh dear oh dear... If you wanted to find your mother why didn't you say so?! Tick Tock would have loved to help with such a fancy story as yours." Tick replied, ever so cheerful despite the way Tock tugged at her dress and buried her face against her shoulder. "Oh relax you puppet brain, you should have gone slower this time around, your fault now. Keep those croc tears in!" Tick gave her a quick pat on the head, turning her smile back to Kyanna instead, mouthing a 'she will be fineee' back to the witch.

@Kyanna Wynne

 

[Kyanna Wynne]

A pang of guilt struck Kyanna as soon as Tock teared up. A hand went to her chest, frowning as she felt her heart tightening. "I..." She slipped quietly, her face dropping slightly as she felt like apologizing immediately, if not by the fact that... Didn't the girl lie a few seconds ago? Maybe she was lying now... But if she wasn't... Then she was really, really hurt.

The way Tick spoke cleared Kyanna's mind and heart, however, raising an eyebrow and crossing her arms as she felt like she was nearly tricked once again.

"I don't know... Will you really help me? You've just lied to me, and everything... Besides..." Kyanna asked, then perking up. "Wait, that's right! You still stole from me-" She pointed at Tock. "Where are my tools?!" She asked, blinking with wide-open eyes, a bit confrontational now

She knew she was forgetting something!

@Tick Tock

 

[Tick Tock]

A moment of weakness! That is what Tock wanted, and it certainly seemed to have worked to the letter to see the witch think twice, almost ready to apologize and take her words back. Yet unfortunately internal celebrations didn't last, far too smart to fall for the same trick twice (and expectingly so), kyanna retaliated with folded arms and a newfound clarity of mind.

"Tick will be the judge of your story first! So tell us, and Tick Tock will see to it if we should help you or not, miss witch." Tick bargained despite already having decided to do so. Because of course having the full picture on this soup opera would let her know how fun Kyanna is. So far she's a 10 in her and Tock's book.
"Wait, that's right! You still stole from me-"
"Wha- No! Tock didn't steal any valuables pinky promise!" Tock squeaked, jumping on place at the same time Tick did, with the puppet rising her hands and waving them frantically towards Kyanna. But the dark haired witch saw through her, and noticed something was missing: her tools.
"Aaaah but of course, quite the oracle you are mi amor! Your eyes truly shine like moonlight when you are mad." Tock replied with a cheshire smile, only to be bonked by an overhead smack from Tick, forcing her into a fit of groans and pouts.
"Hey that wasn't plan of the part, Tock. Next time you wanna steal something you tell Tick first. Now just for that, you gonna hand them over!" Tick frowned, taking Kyanna's side on this one. If only she had told her, then it would have been perfectly fine... Good thing for Kyanna that Tock didn't.
"They didn't look valuable, Tock thought they were trash so Tock took care of them." She gave herself a moment to think twice. Nope, not the smartest thing to say right now, and quickly cleared her throat, despite having no need for air, mimicking the act itself instead as the second closest to it. "Wait wait, Tock has them on her backpack, yes. We just need to find it." Her voice dropped at the end, with just a little bit of guilt as she shrunk her shoulders a bit.

@Kyanna Wynne

 

[Kyanna Wynne]

"Judge... of my story?" Kyanna frowned, not even sure what to make out of it. "That--" She was just about to protest about the standards the puppet girl was using to decide if she would help, but as soon as the topic returned to the matter of stolen goods, Kyanna crossed her arms and stared at Tock, only having a remote change of her expressions at the 'mi amor', making her cheeks flush slightly, only the redden in a vague anger when her eyes were complimented- Perhaps even emphasizing the cheesy sentence.

"I'm not an oracle, I'm just sure of what I saw slipping out of my bag." She lamented, shaking her head as she slowly noticed that Tock, in fact, did not have her stolen goods.

After another moment realizing there was nothing that could be done about it, but to wait to find it (if it ever would be found).

"It is alright." Kyanna sighed, looking at Tick and Tock. "It has no point on feeling down about it now. It won't make it suddenly appear." She shrugged, defeated.

@Tick Tock

 

[Tick Tock]

"Yes! Tick wants to know about you, so for that, Tick must judge your story. Pretty simple, right?" Tick insisted, hands clasped together once the puppet leaned closer, standing at the tip of her toes as she balanced herself towards the witch.

Tock instead amused herself with the way Kyanna's cheeks flustered, a giggle shared between the twins, Tock leaving a pout once the witch's mood had turned sour. She just had a really hard time watching someone's face so full of defeat, so lacking in spirit. Even anger was brighter than the shrug of acceptance Kyanna gave them.

"Awh, when you say it like that, Tock wishes she could just pull your tools out of your ears!" Her hands went behind her back, letting her head hang low like a sad dog, before she sprung forth with one hand reaching behind Kyanna's right ear, pulling it back if only to reveal a mortar and pestle. Kyanna's mortar and pestle, to be more specific, leaving a gasp of surprise, glowy eyes all over the mortar, then back to Kyanna, then back to Tick, who rised an eyebrow, an idea clicking in her head forcing a few blinks out of her, before delaying a gasp of shock and awe.

"Oh look! Tock's wish was granted! Tock is sure she can wish for more with the right incentive." She wiggled her eyebrows, only to offer the tool back to it's owner, and for Tick to clash shoulders with Tock as the poor puppet was pushed out of Kyanna's vision.
"Yes! Your tale, miss witch. Tick is very curious, very ready to hear too. But first, we need some transport, and nothing like a stick meant to dust off the floor to fly us back to the streets, wouldn't you agree?"
"I can open your eyes
Take you wonder by wonder
Over, sideways and under
On a magic broom ride!" Tock sang along with a melodramatic accent and the cords of an invisible acoustic guitar playing on her hands.

@Kyanna Wynne

 

[Kyanna Wynne]

"... So you need my story to try and help me..?" Kyanna asked Tick, somewhat distrustful as she slowly turned to look at Tock, with the distrust in her face turning into a vague irritation when the puppet pulled out her tools.

Despite the slight irritation, Kyanna sighed and gently took the tools from her hands, before Tick shoved Tock aside, making the witch blink surprised.

The eagerness for the tale made Kyanna pause and look at Tick for a moment, trying to read if there was any trick behind her eyes before eventually nodding and peeking at Tock's small song, letting out the faintest of the giggles.

"Alright." She said, clearing her throat.

"I'm just trying to find my mother." Kyanna said. "She was... Found dead wearing her VR Device, with no signs of external or internal wounds... And I've found out she had this game in her computer, which means... She is probably in here. At least judging by the rumors, and by some hints I've got so far." She explained.

After explaining, Kyanna's eyes widened. "Wait, you two are Starcalled too, right? Or are you Landers?" She wondered, slightly worried she wound sound confusing to a lander.

@Tick Tock

 

[Tick Tock]

"... So you need my story to try and help me..?"
"Yes!" "No!" Both of them hopped on place to mixed answers at once, which made her stare one to another right on cue as if they cursed one another with opposing statements... Which is the case for certain, poor Kyanna won't know what to believe now! "Yes?" "No?" They huffed at eachother, the twin's showdown setting a nasty glare on their faces.

"Pleaseeee?" Tick's voice dragged off just as the little witch silently judged her with gaze alone. The barest of giggles escaped from Tock, and like predators did they jump onto the opportunity, wide smiles plastered over their features to have a positive reaction for once out of their friend. "Hehe you giggling, means you liked it. Come ooon, Tick thinks you are a very promising individual, certainly with an equally interesting origin story."

"Alright." The twins gasped in joy as they closed the distance between eachother to pay supreme attention over their storyteller, not blinking once if only to not miss a single twist on Kyanna's features. And her tale sure was one to push whatever clockwork they possessed for a heart.

Tock stepped in with a long face, spreading her arms wide open, delivering a hug to the poor witch. Surprisingly warm, given how smooth the puppet's body felt, porcelain against flesh. A simple illusion trick, nothing more.

"Oh amada mia, how can Tock ease your cold, broken soul? Ah! Tock knows, how about we get off the cold roof to keep ourselves warm?" She wiggled with Kyanna on her arms, squeezing a little harder before finally letting go, just for Tick to drop in with a hug of her own, like a coordinated dance between the pair, and- Is that a satchel Tock is holding? Yes, yes it is.

"Tick has decided... Tick Tock will help you! Tock approves, Tick approves, Tick Tock approves. From now on, count on Tick Tock, The Puppet Queen, as your loyal partner in crime or law, leaving that to your discretion." Tick proclaimed. Unlike Tock however, her embrace was cold, far more suitable to what materials she is made of as opposed to her twin.

"Wait, you two are Starcalled too, right? Or are you Landers?"
"Landers, but of course! Do you see a life bar on top of our heads? What kind of starcalled names themselves Tick Tock?"
"Heh, like that app for phones"
"Yes like- TICK!" She shouted back with realization. Of course, she had to blow up their cover like that...

@Kyanna Wynne

 

[Kyanna Wynne]

Kyanna wasn't sure of what to make out of Tick's 'compliments' regarding her story and its origins.

Tock's sudden attempt to hug were... kind of welcomed. At first Kyanna almost stepped away, but when the warmth took over she even hugged back, softly. When the hug parted, though, her eyes trailed down to the snatchel and a frown crossed her face, more focused on the stolen belonging on Tock's hand, barely even noticing Tick's hug.

The intrigue between the two, along with the lies regarding their Lander x Starcalled status sank Kyanna's trust even more, something the witch would never expect to happen in her life.

"Give my satchel back, I am leaving." Kyanna said with a flat expression, with all the brief trust she decided to deposit on them once again fading away once more. They were clearly trying to steal her, without a single proper attempt to hide it!

@Tick Tock

 

[Tick Tock]

It was almost a deadpan face what Tock was rewarded with from Kyanna, but the puppet didn't hesitate for a second to extend the satchel back with the only smile she could do, yet something of a tell in her mannerisms gave it an air of false innocence, self-aware about it.

"Ah! Tock didn't know you were an ice queen. An ice witch?" She pondered, with a speech bubble atop of her head and dots that blinked in and out of reality. Quite literally, magic brought her comedy out for the public to see.

"Fitting!" Tick stated, the duo awaiting for Kyanna to act. To leave as she said she would, only for them to tag along, one twin on each side. "Where we going now? Got a new lead to find your mother? Oh! Might want to ask around town, Tock certainly saw all manners of strange and nasty individuals around, she probably knows a thing or two."

"For the healthy price of one hug." She added, fluttering her eyelashes back at the witch, hands over her own lap. A proper posture and a cute pose worked wonders for courting!

@Kyanna Wynne

 

[Kyanna Wynne]

Kyanna nearly snatched the satchel rudely from Tock, but she stopped herself halfway through and took it from the puppet's hand, though lacking the same gentleness she usually had when taking anything from anyone's hand.

Turning around and leaving, she soon found herself being followed, with her gaze squinting as she looked at Tick. "I don't need it." She said, hurrying her steps, but then Tock approached from the other side, and Kyanna halted her steps abruptly, taking a long step backward to create a distance between them.

"I don't need it!" Kyanna frowned, clenching her fist, tightening her grip on the satchel. "You are tricking and stealing me over and over. But one thing is to trick me and steal my satchel-" She said, shaking her belonging in front of their faces for emphasis.

"- It will be another if you are tricking me with false informations of my mother, and stealing my time that I could be using to find her." Her expressions then grew gravely serious.

"Don't make me not forgive you." She said, not waiting for the words to sink in before stomping forward and rapidly.

@Tick Tock

 

[Tick Tock]

It did come to notice just how much ferocity Kyanna possessed, or perhaps it's an isolated case, but Tock's eyes shine all the more intrigued once the satchel left her warm grasp, as if trying to dissect the reasoning behind it in the first place.

"Feisty! Would you like a hug now?" She added, silence an open suggestion once the witch bursted out with a frown towards her twin, the pair halting with two seconds of delay once Kyanna stopped. And what she recited were accusations neither sister twitched their lips for nor broke a sweat after. Instead, they peered deeper into the severity within that face, like a cord had been strung a tad too hard.

Perhaps more than they should have.

"Hmm... Tick stealing from you?" The puppet puckered her lips and tapped away at her chin.
"Tock lying?!" Tock followed, exchanging glances between Kyanna and Tick once the poor girl turned her back on them, and then the pair set on a little jog to catch up with her as she stomped her way out.

"You got all your belongings back don't you?"
"We could have gone far far away and you would have never found them, but we didn't!"
"Is that what a thief would do, Kya? We haven't lied once, no miss, there was an impersonator and that impersonator fell in love with you." Tock nodded, reassuringly with a few 'mhm!'s of agreement, despite how biased her opinion could feel like.

"We can't lie about your mom, we don't know her, so nope, Tick knows nigh a thing, nada, cero, completely clueless. But we said we would help, and Tick Tock is not one to leave a challenge unchallenged." Tick ascented.
"Or a pretty witch without her mama." Tock added.

@Kyanna Wynne

 

[Kyanna Wynne]

"Just because you are returning it, it doesn't mean you didn't steal it." Kyanna retorted, not halting her steps, trying to hurry her way out of there, though not running, so a jogging would suffice to remain next to her, something that made her feel slightly uncomfortable.

"Don't pretend you didn't do anything wrong!" She added, a bit angry even, something that soon interrupted her voice, with her tone going from straight out anger to a mild regret as she shook her head and halting abruptly as she stomped and faced the two fo them.

"The two of you... Both of you are just trying to trick me, so go away!" She scowled. "I don't need any more obstacles than what I already have." She clenched her fists, shaking them slightly as she breathed a sigh.

"I've stopped to try to help you because I thought both of you needed help, even if I had something else to do... And now you are trying to trick me even more."

@Tick Tock

 

[Tick Tock]

"...But Tick gave it back!"
"No, Tock did!" Tock huffed, yet in their little argument they both let Kyanna earn a bit of distance, which they promptly ran up to before slowing down to a jog instead.

Anger brew within the witch's voice, but neither of them quite understood the why at this point, even her accusations fell flat on puzzled looks from the twins, at least until she came to an abrupt stop, where they both followed suit, and strange enough, theirs had the sound of car tires over the paviment. Illusion magic could be so handy when comedic timing was needed!

"The two of you... Both of you are just trying to trick me, so go away!"
"Lies and slander!" Tick proclaimed with a frown upon her features and both hands over her own waist in her own dignified 'I feel insulted' posture "Tick Tock are trying to help!" But when brute forcing with logic didn't work, Tock gave a few pats to Tick's shoulder. Clenched fists clearly reflected how impossible to budge Kyanna was at the moment.

Instead, the puppet couped her hands together over her waist, gave a long bow to Kyanna, and said the magical words.

"Tock is sorry." She believed in fair play (not really), but maybe this would make Kya finally give in to her animosity. A good, ol' fashioned apology. "Tock will be a better wife from now on, Tock promises!"

@Kyanna Wynne

 

[Kyanna Wynne]

Kyanna gritted her teeth. "What lies and slanders? Isn't it truth, I can't... It is hard to believe you two are going to help after what you have done, you... You..." Her fist clenched, while her other hand tightened around her bag, keeping it somewhat safe.

When Tock seemed to take some lead, Kyanna scowled, taking a step back and moving her bag behind her back, flinching when she suddenly bowed, consequentially becoming closer until--

"I won't- Huh?" Kyanna paused, with the sudden apologize catching her by surprise.

So far, the two of them seemed to insist they had done nothing wrong, making the apologize rather surprising, and while Kyanna was slightly skeptical, her expressions and muscles softened for a moment. "You are sorry?" She asked, half opening her mouth before her cheeks grew red.

"I am not your wife!" She protested, letting out a sigh, and facepalming with a hand as one eye opened to look at the two. "... Why are you two insisting so much anyway?"

@Tick Tock

 

[Tick Tock]

Tick wished to retaliate, to call out the witch for her insolence and her short sighted, juvenile attitude, a finger ready to wag her accusations once Kyanna clenched her fists and acted by inertia to protect her bag, but Tock stopped her with only a few words and a bow.

Of course she had to add an unexpected reaction just to play her part to support Tock's machinations. The surprise Kyanna displayed was a positive sign on that.

"Yes, Tock is sorry." She quickly replied, still not rising her head, not until the protests against her marriage started once again.
"I am not your wife!"
"My sweet strawberry cheeks, Tock knows. We still don't have mama's blessing." Tock replied, waging her finger on the air like they both should know this by now, the energy they both showcased toning down a bunch once Kya herself relaxed her demeanour just a bit from that fuss of earlier.

"Why, you ask? Well, because Tick likes you."
"And Tock loves you!"
"We enjoy a story and a bit of adventure. And your story is most interesting to both of us."
"Besides, We promised, and We do not break our promises, that's what a liar would do."
"We just..." Tick tried to find the words for it, waving both of her hands like they were scales tipping from one side to the other. "Balanced your tragedy with some comedy. You don't know where your mama is, do you? Or where to go. You would be there already, Tick thinks."
"It could take you days." Tock's palms faced eachother, gesturing to a small timelapse with them.
"Months!" Tick intervened, spreading her hands just a little bigger to symbolize the difference in span.
"Years even." Tock continued where Tick left off.
"Or decades."And Tick finished it.
The pair stopped and crossed their arms against their bossom. With Tick looking far more questioning, curious being the right wording given her smile never faded, yet Tock looked completely unphased. Smiling just as wide, like all their interest gathered within Tick's expressions rather. "So why stress yourself out like that? Here, now you have four new eyes to help you, all at the minimal price of... Well, you won't take Tock's hand now would you? Tick would be sad if you both had a family and turned poor Tick into a third wheel!"

@Kyanna Wynne

 

[Kyanna Wynne]

Even if she didn't believe in these words, being told she was liked and loved did make her cheeks flush, though she didn't lose face just yet, keeping a cautious expression, that somewhat distorted into a vague sorrow as the two girls mentioned how long it could possibly take for her to find her mother.

Indeed, she had no idea of where to even start, and being met with that fact always shook her heart, even if momentarily.

"Mama's blessing..? I have no intentions on marrying anyone." She said, firmly as she crossed her arms and looking at Tock and then at Tick.

"If you are talking about a price, it is probably more trickery." Kyanna pointed out.

"But... How can you help me, then? If you want to help me that much, it probably means you have a plan or an idea of where my mother could be." Kyanna said, wondering if the two of them actually knew the whereabouts of her mother, and were perhaps teasing her into saying it.

"... And what is your 'minimal' price?"

@Tick Tock

 

[Tick Tock]

"Mama's blessing..? I have no intentions on marrying anyone."

Tock recoiled, An arm over her eyes as to add dramatic effect to her pose. Kyanna could see how a little purple heart of most simple and cute design hovered over Tock's chest. It would split in two, a 'crack!' could be heard before it dropped onto the ground and melted across the tiles.
"Oh amada mia, tan hermosa y tan peligrosa..." Tock gasped, rising her forearm just enough to let glowy eyes peek back to Kyanna. "But when if not now, at the cusp of your youth and beauty? We were meant for one another. Perhaps one day you shall understand Tock's feelings, even reciprocate them." Tock concluded, comically exaggerating the burden this imposed upon her features, eyes closed and hands couped together against her bossom.
"Hehe, there's always a price, but this one is but no trickery, just what it is." Tick corrected, only for the witch to finally ask the right question.

What can they do?

"How can we help? Well of course, three mouths, one brain, six eyes. Certainly Tick does not need to elaborate on how is this an improvement. The faster we spread the word, the better chances we get on our search." Tick elaborated.

Tock pressed the tip of her fingers together, like some sinister plan was boiling up within that porcelain head of hers. "We told you though, Kyanna my dear, we know nada of your mother. We just met you!" But that would leave the witch hopeless, perhaps even annoyed at the waste of time, so before a word could be muttered out, Tock continued. "Oh but good thing Tock is here, yes. What would you do mi amore, if your beloved porcelain consort wasn't here?" She giggled, shooking her head from side to side to gesture she is about to 'cut to the the chase', as some would put it. "That blind man you spoke with said something funny about you, how about we ask him to elaborate?"

@Kyanna Wynne

 

[Kyanna Wynne]

Kyanna squinted and twisted her lips as she heard Tock's calling her cheesy names in Spanish, only being thankful that her knowledge at the language was immensely limited. Unfortunately, however, french did make her remotely know what she was talking about.

Even more unfortunately, is that Tock began speaking in Common again.

"Maybe, just maybe, I will understand someday, but I can't say anything about reciprocating..." She said, letting out a long sigh, already tired about the marriage shenanigans.

Her gaze then returned to Tick, that reassured there was no price for the help, at least not this one. Did Kyanna believe it? No. But after the apologize, Kyanna was much more inclined to listen to the strange puppet duo.

"You are right about that." She admitted this much. The more people were searching, the quicker it would be.

Tock's words once again caused Kyanna's face distort in awkwardness, but the reminder of the man did make her consider it for a moment. "That blind man... Oh, right!" She clasped her hands. "He did say something weird, but things were going so strange that..." Kyanna paused, shaking her head. "Well, a clue is a clue-" She turned around, rushing toward him without truly waiting for the other two.

@Tick Tock