Digital Calamity

01: Trapped in the wrong Children's' Isekai!

"I mean... It's neat and all. But also, kinda pricy looking. Maybe we should just return it before anyone notices?" Anne suggests nervously as she looks between her two friends and the frog-themed, gilded music box in her hands. Understandably, she was worried that what she had just lifted was something someone might miss enough to press charges over. Though, what was really stress inducing was the look she was imagining on her parents faces if she were brought home with a police escort.

"Oh, relax, Anne!" The taller blonde exclaimed in annoyance. Sasha was getting tired of Anne reluctance towards all her birthday ideas. What's so wrong with wanting her friend to have the best thirteenth birthday ever, huh? "Besides, if it was worth anything, it wouldn't be collecting dust in a thrift store." She continued with a shrug.

"I guess..." Anne relented as she looked down to the gilded box, the three distinct gems atop its lid almost glowing, even with how dark it's gotten already. Something about the box just screamed "important." But Anne just wasn't sure why. Though, perhaps it was just the tinge of guilt she was feeling.

"Well, it is supposed to be Anne's gift, right?" The normally distracted Marcy Wu says as she steps towards Anne, placing a supportive hand on her shoulder. "If she really doesn't like it, then we can just return it." These words certainly brought Anne some relief, offering the Taiwanese girl a small smile. Sasha, on the other hand just rolls her eyes with an annoyed grunt. "But first, how about we open it up?" Marcy then suggests, getting a raised brow from the other two girls. With an awkward little chuckle, Marcy goes on. "I mean, you won't really know if you like it or not till ya see the inside and give it a listen, right? Anna-Banana?" She suggests as her other hand raises to scratch the back of her head anxiously.

"Mar-Mar's right. You should totally give it a once over before you just go on and return it." Sasha weighs in as she makes way to Anne's side, opposite to Marcy. "Come on, if you really don't like it, me and Marcy will take it back ourselves while you go meet up with your folks." She says as she nudges Anne's side playfully with her elbow.

Stifling the urge to sigh at this, Anne gives in and smiles to her friends. "Kay. But just a quick once over." She insists before her gaze moves back to the box in her hand, lifting it up higher as she begins tilting it around to inspect. Marcy, having let go of Anne's shoulder at this point, seems to get a bit antsy. "C-Come on! Just open it!" She pleas before covering her mouth, getting a raised brow from the other two girls once more.

She breathes in deeply to calm herself down before raising her hands and shrugging as she tries to downplay that little outburst. "We're just running low on time, right?" She asks as Anne nods, lowering the box a bit. Huddled together as they stare down at the box, the three girls feeling a bit anxious for some reason. Like, once this box is open, something irreversible will happen.

A loud boom cracks through the air, thunder bellowing out suddenly. The air was so calm just a moment ago, but now wind was rushing through the old playground the three girls had convened at. As the only one not wearing a sweater or jacket, Anne shivers thanks to the sudden cold turn the air had taken. Sasha and Marcy seem to instinctually press in against either side of the Thai girl to help keep her warm. Getting a little chuckle out of the birthday girl. The taller blonde looking up and squinting at the darkening sky. "Maybe we should just call it here? Getting a lil' stormy."

"A-After opening the box!" Marcy insists, placing a hand on one of Anne's own. "Just a quick peek and that's it." Getting a scoff from Sasha. "A peek? What're you expecting to find, Mar-Mar? Some special edition of Frogger?" She teased before feeling her phone vibrate in her pocket. In fact, all of their phones were going off. Distorted versions of their ringtones blaring out. "That's super weird." The blonde comments before shaking her head and glancing over to Marcy. "We should just call it. It's getting cold and all freaky. Besides, seems all of us suddenly have curfew." She says adamantly before reaching for her phone and answering it, only to hear nothing but white noise. "What the heck?!" She gasps out as her gaze turns into a glare. "Okay, yeah, no. I'm ending this." The blonde states firmly as she then reaches towards the box in Anne's hands. Only for Marcy's own hand to suddenly leave Anne's and shoot towards Sasha's, slapping it away.