"You're really going to buy a deck of cards here?" Lulu asked, peering at the small deck that Anka had lifted and was examining.
"Yes," Anka said with a brief shrug, "They've got all kinds of neat stuff here. These cards are different... Instead of depicting the four typical suits they follow their own pattern. They depict types of superpowers. I think it'll be interesting to play with them."
"Sweet heart... It's $10 for that one lousy deck..." Lulu chided.
"It's not a lousy deck, and I've been putting a few cents aside here and there so that I could get them without feeling like I was wasting my money." Anka quipped, heading for the cash register.
"You do realize that just about everything we've bought here has ended up with some sort of mishap or other, don't you?" Lulu hissed.
"We've fixed every problem as it's come up." Anka shrugged, "I like the atmosphere and the mystique that accompanies each of my purchases."
"Suit yourself." Lulu shrugged, her wandering gaze catching sight of inscense, quickly she rushed over to the cart that held them and rummaged through the types, "Oh, these are nice..." She muttered to herself, piling several packages into her arms.
Anka chuckled in amusement as she set the deck of cards onto the counter, "I'll take these." She said with a smile.
"I assume you remember the rules?" The woman asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course." Anka replied briefly, handing over the amount she owed, "Coming, Lu?"
"Let me just get these..." Lulu replied, tossing the incense onto the counter and handing over her credit card.
Finally the pair exited the store, "I can't wait to show Nagi and Nami these cards..." Anka grinned playfully, "We're meeting them at the park in an hour for supper, right?"
"Right." Lulu replied nonchallantly as the pair strolled up the street.
Anka and Lulu approached their other friends who were at a picnic table, punctual as predicted. "So, who is your favorite super hero?" Anka asked casually. She smiled as she glanced back and forth between Nagi and Nami.
"I don't know, I like a lot of them," Nami shrugged.
"Okay, super power," Anka said quickly.
"Telekinesis," Nami said quickly.
Nagi stroked his chin, "Hmm, since you took that one," Nagi stared at Nami for a moment, "Necromancy!" Nagi said enthusiastical
ly.
"Oh that's not fair!" Lulu growled. "Flying is a real power," Lulu grinned proudly, "And not reliant on other things..."
"Ugh... but then there's the whole being up in the sky thing." Anka replied with a shrug as she set her deck of cards on the table, "I just bought these, anyone up for a game?"
"What is it?" Nami asked, picking up the deck and opening the box, "I've never seen cards like these..."
"A collectible card game that the Nami hasn't heard of?" Nagi asked, gasping emphatically.
Nami glared at him, shoving him playfully, "Shut up," she snorted as she flipped through the cards dexterously with one hand.
"I didn't know you liked stuff like this," Lulu blinked, peering over Nami's shoulder at the cards.
"Nami's been collecting every card you could name since the 90's," Anka explained.
"She has a whole trunk in her attic..." Nagi shifted his eyes to the left, "Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, Digimon, Yuyu Hakusho, all five colors of Magic: the Gathering, DBZ, Sailor Moon and the Clow Cards..." he shifted his gaze to the engrossed Nami, "Did I miss any?"
"X-men," Nami said with a grin.
"That's a lot..." Lulu said in awe.
"Hey, some girls collect Barbie dolls, Nami collected card games," Anka shrugged.
"I like this one..." Anka pulled one of the cards out of Nami's hand and held it up- it showed the outline of a person and written beneath it in curving letters was the word: invisibility. "It'd be easier to get around if I could just be invisible." She sighed, stroking the figure on the card.
What she didn't notice was her figure slowly fading from the feet up. "Anka?" Lulu looked blankly at her, "Haha, very funny... Come on out now."
"What're you talking about?" Anka asked, "I'm right here..."
"Where?" Nami asked, watching Lulu grope at the air in front of her.
"Ouch! Lu, that was my hair!" Anka gasped.
"What the..?" Nagi stared blankly at the air before them. "Anka, how'd you do that?"
"Do what?"
"Hold the phone," Nami murmured as she shuffled through the deck she was holding, "Lulu, take the flying card," Nami instructed.
Lulu shrugged, taking the card. "Whoooaaa!" she cried as she felt wings sprouting from her back. She turned her head, eeping at the sight of the pink feathered wings. Immediately afterward she was floating a few inches from the ground, her wings flapping in a slow motion.
"Not again," Nagi growled, raking his hands down his face.
"Another mystic item?" Nami guessed.
"I bought it at that shop, but I don't follow..." Anka replied.
"Lu, compact," Nami instructed.
Lulu opened her compact mirror and held it where Anka was presumed to be. "See?"
"See what?" Anka asked.
"Exactly," Nagi murmured.
"Ahh! Where's my reflection?" Anka cried.
"Try putting the cards down." Nami suggested of the duo.
Anka's card appeared on the table and after a moment she reappeared as well. "So... mystic items without the side effects?" She said hopefully.
"Well, I call invisibility a side effect," Nagi offered.
"Hey," Nami shoved the other cards at Nagi, holding up her favored power. She lifted several stones from the ground with her mind, dropping them immediately, "I likey!"
"Do you guys know what this means?" Anka asked excitedly, when the other three gave her mildly blank stares her grin widened, "We can be superheros!" She squealed, "Just like our favorites from television!"
"Superheros?" Nami's gaze went distantly dreamy for a moment before snapping back into focus, "B-but what about costumes? We'll be recognized by everyone..."
"I've got an idea!" Anka said quickly, thinking about the designs she'd been in the process of sewing for Halloween.
"Awesome," Nagi nodded.
Lulu sniffled, "You even gave me a cleavage one piece..."
"With a zipper," Anka added.
"And a convenient low cut back," Nami laughed.
"I honestly thought that wings would be a nice touch for it." Anka grinned sheepishly.
"I can't wait to try it on!" Lulu said excitedly.
"Shall we get changed, then?" Nami suggested.
"Have fun," Nagi said, dismissing the girls.
"Oh, you, prince of zombies, are coming too," Lulu said, grabbing Nagi's arm before he could trot off.
"No, no costumes. All male superheroes..." Nagi shuddered.
"Relax," Anka said with a smile. "I designed them, and you know that embarrassing you publicly is not my style."
Hanging his head, Nagi released a sigh and followed the girls willingly. "Fine, but if I don't like it I'm not wearing it," he said firmly.
"Tada!" Anka held up long, tattered black robes.
"Your sheets got into a fight with a chainsaw?" Lulu tilted her head to the side.
"No, these are for the prince," Anka explained, tossing the black robes to Nagi.