[center][h3][color=tan]Courier 6[/color] and [color=sandybrown]Jak &[/color] [color=darkorange]Daxter[/color] and [color=red]Cuphead![/color][/h3]
[b]Level7[/b] - (10/70) EXP (+3), [b]Level 4[/b] - (22/40) (+3), [b]Level 1[/b] - (3/10) (+3)
[b]Location:[/b] Hell’s Casino
[b]Word Count:[/b]1267[/center]

The Courier snorted as the local sheriff of Lumbridge took charge, telling everyone in the casino that the place was closed down. Sure, that die-headed asshole wasn’t around to run the place anymore, but where was the harm in letting the patrons stick around? Just because some magic hole opened in the ground to portal the places closer together didn’t make the casino his jurisdiction. That really rubbed the Courier the wrong way. [color=tan]”And I’ll bet yer planning on taxin’ their bets too,”[/color] he chided, more to himself than for anybody to hear.

Still, things had to move forward and there was so much to do. Some talked of getting a pully system setup to get back into Lumbridge, and the Courier figured that was something he could help with… Had he the patience. Unfortunately he was still steaming and burning from inferno, so patience was a resource of which he had very little. 

“Man, this situation kinda sucks,” said Gaige-tron. “But there’s no way my body will be getting back up that hole without an elevator of some kind, so… I guess until that happens, FIGHT THE POWER!” Gaige-tron started wheeling about the casino like a crazed lunatic, having fun by overturning tables and tossing dice around.

[color=tan]”Gather useful things fer me,”[/color] the Courier spoke into his Pip-Boy, the words transmitting directly to his robot. [color=tan]”Gonna need ta build more stuff and cook more chems before we head out.”[/color] He then looked up to see that Bowser had left the company of him and Cuphead, while Linkle had appeared to take his place. She was holding one of the die guy’s minions, a living roulette wheel.

Meanwhile Cuphead was watching everyone do their own thing and bouncing his head to a rhythm only he seemed to hear. When Linkle spoke to him, it got his attention. [color=red]”Why hello there!”[/color] he said cheerfully, plucking his head right off his body and tipping it as one would with their hat before putting it back into place. [color=red]”Nice to meet ya! Like I said before, I’m Cuphead! Looks like you’ve got Pirouletta right there, haha! Hey gal, remember last time we met and me an’ Muggy clobbered ya good? Boy howdy those were some fun times!”[/color]

He straightened up to speak more to Linkle. [color=red]”I’m no lie detector or nuthin’, an’ I don’t know her very well. Not like that mean ol’ King Dice! But I think that as long as I’m around, she’ll behave. Won’t you?”[/color] Cuphead gave Pirouletta a big ol’ wink. His iris turned into a silhouette of a roulette wheel, which shattered into a thousand pieces by the crushing of his eyelid to emphasize his point. Of course, his eye put itself back together lickity split, no problem!

The Courier merely watched this exchange with a raised eyebrow. [color=tan]”Yeah, just like the old pre-war holovids… Weird. Welp, this hombre is shufflin’ outta town fer the moment. Gonna find Blazermate and git her t’heal me. Made some rather… Dumbass decisions.”[/color] He traced his finger along the silver glint of metal beneath some burned skin. After contemplating for a moment he turned around and headed for the hole. His trusted robot continued to flit around the casino, grabbing up chips, dice, paper money, cloth, liquor, and all manner of other things for his eventual crafting.

[hr][hr]

Jak and Daxter emerged from the teleporter much later than everyone else. Folks were all in a hustle as a bunch of people they didn’t recognize swarmed around folks they did recognize: locals interviewing the survivors they had helped rescue. That wasn’t what caught the duo’s attention first however. This place, it was so… [i]Green.[/i] Friendly looking. The people around largely seemed to be primitive considering the place the duo came from, yet it all felt so familiar.

[color=sandybrown]”Wow…”[/color] Jak took in Lumbridge, the surrounding Land of Adventure on the horizon.

[color=darkorange]”Wow is right, this place looks a heck of a lot like Sandover Village!”[/color] Daxter gesticulated wildly. [color=darkorange]”Jak! This is the first time we’ve seen some place that [i]wasn’t[/i] a hellish nightmare apocalypse since you screwed everything up and opened that portal that let the metalheads invade home!”[/color]

Jak gave Daxter a glare, leading to him correcting himself. [color=darkorange]”I mean, since [i]we[/i] let the metalheads in. Oh man, I can’t wait to find a nice padded chair, lie back, and get a good tan while some busty babes fan me gently…”[/color] Daxter started swaying side to side with his eyes closed.

[color=sandybrown]”We don’t belong here, Dax. Sandover Village wasn’t home either. Not really…”[/color] Jak began to remember things… Terrible things. The oppressive propaganda of Baron Praxis. People dying to metalheads in droves. King Damas… His father…

[color=darkorange]”Yeesh, you really know how to bring the mood down, don’t ya Jak? Come on, heroes deserve a vacation every now and then, don’t we? Stop being such a bring-down and cut loose a little! I’ll bet there’s some buxom barmaids around here that’ll help you forget about Keira… Or were you with Ashelin? Eh, whatever. All I know is that once I’ve been ‘pruned’ I’m gonna head to the bar and drain their taps dry!”[/color] Daxter began walking into town authoritatively, only for Jak to facepalm and stop him with a simple question.

[color=sandybrown]”How do you even know where you’re going?”[/color] Daxter stopped mid stride, like he had just been slapped.

[color=darkorange]”Oh yeah. Good question. Where do ya think Princess Peach would be hanging out in a joint like this?”[/color]

Jak shook his head, walking past his little friend. [color=sandybrown]”Let’s ask the locals.”[/color]

[hr]

A few minutes later Jak and Daxter had been informed of the goings-on while they were in the Dead Zone, and what had happened even while they hung back to say goodbye to Ratchet. Apparently the others in the group had been deceived by the guildmaster, who was a crazed man with a die for a head, and now there was a magic hole in the adventure guild that connected two points of the continent across space and everyone was still figuring out what to do with that. Well, good thing that wasn’t the craziest thing they ever had to deal with.

A moment later and the duo entered the guild hall where some of the team had gathered around, most notably Bowser who was yelling at the guildmarm to get their rewards. Jak ignored the proceedings and instead went straight for the hole. Brilliant white light enveloped him and his wings sprouted. Grabbing Daxter by the hand, the two flew down the hole and landed amidst the casino in disarray. Jak’s wings, and light form, poofed away as the two approached Princess Peach.

[color=darkorange]”Hey toots, recognize me? I wouldn’t be offended if you said no on account of how I’M A FREAKING TREE NOW! So if you would be so kind, please GET THIS TREE OUT OF ME!”[/color] Manners aside, Peach, of course, obliged. With the ent removed and Daxter back to normal, Jak decided that the best course of action now was to crush it into his morph gun. Maybe he’d get a green eco weapon for once? Or maybe the dark spirit would lead to a dark eco weapon? He was excited to try it and find out.