[center][abbr=Octopath Travelers][img]https://i.ibb.co/88KWNj5/OTbanner.png[/img][/abbr]
[sup]____________________________________________________[/sup]
[color=FFC6C6][u]Level[/u]: [b]8[/b] - [u]Total EXP[/u]: 234/80[/color] [color=2e2c2c]------[/color] [color=BC8DBF][u]Level[/u]: [b]7[/b] - [u]Total EXP[/u]: 109/70[/color]
[color=gray]𝙱𝙿[/color] [color=gold]●[/color][color=gray]●●●●[/color] [color=2e2c2c]----------------------------[/color] [color=gray]𝙱𝙿[/color] [color=gold]●[/color][color=gray]●●●●[/color]
[color=lightgray]Word Count: 2095 (Therion +3 exp)
[b]Location[/b]: The Under[/color][/center][h3][sup][i]Earlier...[/i][/sup][/h3]
Separated from the other Seekers once more, Therion made another loop of the crypt. He wasn't interested in cheering anyone else on, so he figured he should spend his time wisely otherwise. Tingyun had said there wasn't a way to get out of here besides getting the points needed to challenge the NecroDancer, and then beating him. He wasn't ready to give up on alternate routes out just yet, but he could at least see how long it would take to earn ten thousand points. For a novice dancer like him, taking on a Floor Boss was out of the question. He probably didn't stand a chance against any half decent contractor either. So... one hundred dances against one hundred undead... 

[i]That sounds so tedious,[/i] he thought. Maybe it was even impossible for him in the first place.

It wasn't like he'd never tried dancing before, technically. He'd even done it [i]twice[/i]... if you counted Alfyn and Cyrus drinking a little too much and hooking their arms around his shoulders and trying to start a kicking line. Therion had been deeper in his cups than he'd thought, since he didn't even put up much of a fuss before joining in lazily. Besides that, there were the group lessons. While traveling Orsterra, all eight of his crew offered to teach the others about their "Jobs." Sometimes, a traveler took to one well and ended up dabbling a little more outside their expertise. Though Therion much preferred the Warrior lessens with Olberic to make him even more dangerous, or even Apothecary 101 with Alfyn to take to the back line in battle and run support, he had broken down under Primrose's needling and tried as a [url=https://i.imgur.com/mBryk7B.png]Dancer[/url].

It didn't go all that well (though he was far from the worst, that dishonor went to the professor and H'aanit), and he hadn't done it since. He realized the few attempts he'd made at it were clumsy at best and out of peer pressure at worst, but he was good enough to beat a few bags of bones? Maybe. Okay, maybe it [i]was[/i] physically possible, but how long would it take?

The thief stopped outside of one of the themed dance rooms. Leaning on the wall beside the entrance, he tipped his head back and listened. Once a new song started he counted the seconds until it ended. [i]Three minutes. Assuming a win, three minutes per one hundred points. So... three hundred minutes for ten thousand. That's...[/i]

Way too long. Nearly half a day of being stuck here and dancing, and that was without counting breaks or sleep. 

He slipped away into another [url=https://i.ibb.co/kQrxWwg/X720.jpg]room[/url]. This one wasn't too busy, featuring just a handful of [url=https://i.ibb.co/n3gQSsP/imw-5000-imh-5000-ima-fit-impolicy-Letterbox-imcolor-000000-letterbox-false.gif]zombies[/url] dancing and a couple other people resting. It was as good a place to collect his thoughts as any.

He had no doubt that Primrose was well on her way to getting the points needed, or already there. Though he knew she wasn't above cheating to get her way, she would probably do this as intended - through dance. Ms. Fortune would probably do fine if she was getting pointers from Primrose. The others, the knight and the more monstrous... at least one of them claimed to be a good dancer, but Therion was skeptical. Who knew how long getting out of here would take if he didn't find some other way to get their souls back.

In the middle of his ruminating he spotted a [url=https://imgur.com/Tb2n6ws]mouse girl[/url] approaching from the corner of his eye as a new [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB50v6joJCE]song[/url] started. Since she wasn't undead, she had to be a fellow contractor. He hunched his shoulders and pointedly ignored her until she was in his space and clearly not going anywhere.

"Haven't seen you around before," she said. "But you know the rules of this place, right? I'm Topo. So, wanna dance?"

[color=BC8DBF]"No thanks."[/color] A clear dismissal, said without even turning his head to look at her. The girl whined. 

"Come oooon, are you worried about losing? I'll go easy on you!"

This time Therion did glance at her, and he could instantly tell from her expression that she would not go easy on him. There was something in her eyes that reminded him more of a cat than a mouse. This girl liked to play with her food. She was probably the type that hustled newbies and enjoyed crushing them. Therion's own tail twitched. 

[color=BC8DBF]"Go find someone else."[/color]

"How pathetic... You're no fun at all." 

Therion moved to leave. To his surprise Topo stopped him, grabbing him by the right arm and pulling him left. Was she trying to spin him? Force him into a dance off by tricking him into making the first move? Eyes wide and hackles raised, Therion abruptly batted her hand away. The manacle on his wrist rattled and sparks flew from his finger tips, startling Topo. For a moment they both stared at each other in shock... then Topo crossed her arms.

"Oh my, you'd threaten a girl?" she asked. Regaining his composure Therion scoffed and brushed past her out of the room. 

Unfortunately for him, she followed.

"You know fighting is against the rules, right? You [i]are[/i] going to have to dance at some point. Unless you want to spend your whole life down here?"

[i][color=BC8DBF]"Not if I find another way,"[/color][/i] Therion muttered under his breath. Topo's large ears caught his words anyway.

"There is no other way. Down here, it's dance or die!" She thought for a moment before sneering at him. "Actually more like dance [i]and[/i] die, heheh. "

[color=BC8DBF]"You're pretty smug for someone that also stupidly signed their soul away,"[/color] Therion commented offhand. He used Topo's offended gasp and dramatic pause in her step to try and put some distance between them. 

He knew there was no fighting. If it was allowed, this place would probably look very different. It would have been a lot easier to storm the place and collect their souls back if it was an option. Actually now that he thought about it, where in this place were those contracts stored? Maybe he would find a clue there about what to do. Following the hallways he hadn't already been down, Therion set about looking for treasure again - but in this case, the treasure being the contracts. A vault, or library, or something like that... Instead he neared an ominous room with the dull thump of music coming from inside. The dark doors were open, the inside torch lit showing dark brick, black iron, and red tapestry. Peering around the corner without entering, Therion blinked. This room was more dangerous looking than the goofy, rainbow colored dance rooms, even though there were speakers playing music in here too. Had he actually found an important place? He squinted, spotting the shelves on the far side. 

[i]Bingo.[/i] Finding them had been faster than he expected. As he considered his next move, his ears flicked and turned to listen behind him. Judging from the light footsteps it was someone small. This time Topo did not take him by surprise when she peeked around the same corner into the room.

"Thinking about assassinating him?" She nodded to the figure on the throne, too far to make out his features but most likely the NecroDancer himself. "Some tried. Then died. I already told you fighting's a no-go, he'd whip out your soul from his pocket and swallow it whole right in front of you!"

Therion sighed. With a shadow like this he wouldn't be able to sneak around at all. He turned to Topo, but before telling her off he stopped, considering something she'd said. [color=BC8DBF]"What do you mean 'from his pocket'?"[/color]

She looked at him like he was stupid. "You don't know what a pocket is...?"

[i]Don't lose your patience, Therion,[/i] he thought to himself, rubbing his forehead with one hand. [color=BC8DBF]"I meant, he keeps the souls on him? Physically?"[/color]

"I guess..." Topo raised one eyebrow skeptically. "Why, are you gonna frisk him or something?"

[color=BC8DBF]"Or something."[/color]

Therion slipped the hood of his black cloak over his head. The throne room was large, and shadows flickered across every surface. The NecroDancer wasn't alone in there, there were shambling skeletons and other such entities grooving. The man on the throne was even tapping his fingers on the arm of the chair in time to the music. He might be able to make it over to the throne without being noticed if he timed it right. From there, if he could pick-pocket the crypt's keeper for whatever vessel he was holding the souls in, then... well, that was a way to get them back without dancing right there. He just had to ditch Topo first. 

[color=BC8DBF]"Topo, right? Listen—"[/color]

"Steal mine back too!" The mouse girl was practically glaring at him, her hands curled into fists in front of her. "All I keep running into are people like you who are too scared to dance. I'll never get out of here if no one will face me! So if you're gonna cheat, then get mine too!"

[color=BC8DBF]"Not so loud!"[/color] Therion hissed at her. She tightened her jaw and stared him down. Since the thief had unfortunately dealt with stubborn types like this for a while now, he agreed fairly quickly. It would be the easiest way to make sure she wouldn't follow him. [color=BC8DBF]"I'll try,"[/color] he said, making sure not to promise anything.

Topo entered first, not explicitly trying to draw attention to herself but doing so by virtue of entering the NecroDancer's room. Therion silently slipped in afterward, making for the shadows in the opposite direction. What followed was just a matter of timing. Therion moved whenever the flames flickered low or the lich snapped his fingers to start a new song. He was being overly careful, assuming that if he was caught his life was forfeit. He couldn't allow nerves to get the better of him here, so he didn't, forcing his steps to be silent and his hands to be still. He was a professional in his own right, not in dance but in thievery. It wasn't a stretch to claim he was the greatest thief in all Orsterra. Eventually he made it all the way to the throne itself, crouching behind its tall stone back. He stayed there, waiting through several more pieces of music, biding his time and awaiting his chance. 

When that chance came he moved like it was the most casual thing in the world. The lich shifted in his seat, leaning slightly to one side. Something must have caught his attention, but from where he was Therion wouldn't be able to tell what it was. More undead making their way in, if he had to guess from the sound of it. His unshackled hand dipped into the pocket of the NecroDancer's robe. He had expected a vial, jar, or even a bag - something to hold the souls, because there was no way they were just... free floating in the man's clothes. Well, they were, and though surprised Therion didn't let it affect his movements. His fingers brushed through the collection, a very strange feeling like water, cotton, and static all at once. They slipped through and away from his grasp.

Then, an even stranger feeling. It was hard to tell where one soul ended and another began, but he touched one that felt so painfully familiar that he knew it was his even before it seeped into his hand and reentered his body. As soon as he felt it back in its rightful place he withdrew, hidden behind the throne until he deemed it safe to move again. His heart was beating hard, but damn, he'd done it - he'd actually stolen his own soul back. How many thieves could claim that, even in a metaphorical sense?

As he slowly began slinking away, back toward the exit, he noted that his guess had been correct. There were a lot more undead in the room than there hand been previously. The ones that could talk were filling in their master on the newcomers that were collecting points quickly and confidently. Judging that these newcomers could only be the ones he was part of, Therion made his way to one corner of the room to wait on them instead. He could feel the mouse girl's eyes on him when he finally came to a stop and pulled his hood back, but he'd have to break the bad news to her later. Or more likely, break the good news to her when the Seekers showed up.

[hr][center][h3]Grift of the NecroDancer - Primrose[/h3][/center][center][color=lightgray]Word Count: 1246 (Primrose +2 Exp)[/color][/center][h3][sup][i]Currently...[/i][/sup][/h3]
Therion's arms were crossed beneath his poncho and cloak. By now he was well aware that the dance battles were less about dance and more about survival. Since that was the case, the Seekers shouldn't have any issues. They'd proven to be quite tough. 

The crowd did not quiet down following Sectonia's victory. Everyone in the room was hyped up with the knowledge that the crypt's keeper could be beaten at his own game, and now that one person had done it there was hope for the rest. The other members of the group Sectonia was part of were all coolly waiting their turn, confident that more wins were in their future. As the queen bee came back to them, Primrose swapped places with her.

[color=D34C25]"Good work,"[/color] she said as she passed. [color=D34C25]"I'll take the next dance."[/color]

She stepped to the middle of the dance floor, one hand on her hip and a sure smirk playing at her hips. The NecroDancer fixed her with a baleful glare, not about to let anyone else besides him claim victory. He smoothed his beard and snapped his fingers, beginning the next battle.

[center][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjCGqhH1t4s[/youtube][/center]
It was a wholly different piece of music from the one that played just before, with a faster tempo though giving off the same subtly menacing feel. The vibe fit the crypt perfectly, and the song's bombastic start left Primrose without a moment to spare.

The NecroDancer extended his hand and let a bolt of lightning fly. Then another, and another. The quick beats of the music meant he could unleash his spells fast, back to back and still stay in rhythm. Though he didn't move his feet whatsoever, the NecroDancer shook his shoulders as he cast his magic, feeling the song in a simple way. As expected, his plan was to injure or outright kill his opponent as a means to win. His constant casting put Primrose solely on the defensive - or rather the evasive. She sidestepped and spun, feeling the crackle of the bolts as they passed within a hair's breadth of her. Though dodging kept her safe, she couldn't get into a rhythm of her own like this. As soon as she got a handle on the song, she changed tactics.

Primrose planted her feet and moved into a one-two step, letting her hand draw a half-circle in front of her as it filled with moonlight. The next bolt of lightning, on course for a direct hit, burst against the Baldur Shell. A cheap tactic, even Primrose had to admit, but she had to start gaining ground someway. She canceled her cast and started again, protecting herself from another blast while simultaneously adding some pizzazz to her dance with the sparkling light of Luna.

The NecroDancer clicked his tongue, giving up early before he realized that the shield his opponent was relying on was finite. He raised both of his arms and then threw them down, casting a wave of ice. The ice spread from him to Primrose, coating the ground beneath and around her in a wide area. A nasty grin stretched across his face. This challenger was earth bound unlike the last, and an icy floor was any dancer's weakness. Or so he thought.

Primrose's scarf lit up and she sailed over the ice, throwing a wink at the lich as his face fell in surprise. Anger soon took over his features. He snapped both of his fingers at once and snarled, [i]"Reanimate!"[/i]

From the blackness [url=https://i.ibb.co/4Sm7Z72/nm.png]two[/url] [url=https://i.ibb.co/mDS5rkd/nmr.png]nightmares[/url] formed to charge out onto the dance floor, ghoulish horses made of smoke with gnashing teeth and bright glowing eyes. They flew up towards Primrose, and with their superior air control easily surrounded her before she could evade. The red one rammed her head on, sending her flying into the black. The nightmare whipped its head to shove her back towards its partner, intent to crush her between them until she canceled her flight. Primrose dropped back to the ground, her landing unstable thanks to the ice. She drew in a steadying breath, managing just to stand up straight and look half-gracefully as she did so.

The nightmares gave chase, so Primrose got moving. She skated across the ground, and though unstable and unused to it her core strength kept her top half from flailing about, and her practiced legs kept her upright. More frost assailed her as she moved, the NecroDancer regaining his confidence and throwing chilling spells her way. She recognized the lich's new strategy; to slow her down with the ice in one way or the other. The more damage she took from the frost, the more fatigued she'd be. And if she fell, it was all over - the monsters would be upon her and she wouldn't be able to dodge the assault of magic that was sure to follow.

The bark of the NecroDancer's laughter was ringing throughout the room, even when he realized Primrose's own plan. She was steadily making her way closer to him. She must have thought that if she was up close, he wouldn't be able to cast his spells. Plus he hadn't spread the ice around himself. It was a good plan, but one he was more than prepared for. As the dancer and the nightmares got closer and closer, he couldn't keep the smug look off of his face. We spread his arms wide as though to welcome them. That action tipped Primrose off that he had something up his sleeve.

She reached the edge of the ice and hopped off. Her ice dance had been serviceable, and now that she was back on solid ground she could kick things up a notch. She continued moving forward, though it was ultimately a bluff. With quick, bold steps she approached the NecroDancer, watching his magic pool around him, and while the horses charged in to strike her again she suddenly stopped, turned, and threw herself into a twirl that took her away instead. At the moment the NecroDancer seemed to explode, fire raging all around him. The nightmares caught in the blast cried out, and the NecroDancer himself emerged from the fire unscathed. He didn't seem too upset that his latest ploy hadn't worked, but with the song almost over and his "dancing" nowhere near measuring up to Primrose's even with her unsteady footwork on the ice, he was pressed for time if he wanted to beat her.

He relied on his ice again, letting fly a barrage of icicles, frost, and water to topple the dancer. They dissolved into steam, meeting Primrose's Fire Fan that she'd conjured while the lich's sight was obscured from his own detonation. Primrose dropped to one knee dramatically while extending a leg, bringing her close to the floor so she could sweep the fan over it and banish the ice. She knew it was a gamble, but the extra dancing space meant she could seal the deal for sure. The NecroDancer tried to catch her while she recovered, pelting Primrose with spells. She crossed her arms in front of her face and endured it for just long enough for her to stand back up, then with a spin she countered all of the ice coming her way with fire.

The song faded out then, and Primrose lifted her arm and flicked the fan away in a showy little burst of fire. She breathed evenly, disguising her fatigue, and then rolled her head to smile at the crowd of undead.