[h1][center] Link's Terrible [s]Fate[/s]Date[/center][/h1] [h2][center][color=00aeef]Link[/color], [color=salmon]Ace Cadet[/color], & [color=39b54a]Frog[/color][/center][/h2] [h3][center]Feat. Peach and [color=red]Cuphead[/color][/center][/h3] [center]Word Count: 1713 (+3 EXP)[/center] [center][color=00aeef][b]Level 3[/b] - (19/30) [/color] [color=salmon][u]Level[/u]: [b]6[/b] - [u]Total EXP[/u]: 35/60[/color] [color=39b54a][u]Level[/u]: [b]1[/b] - [u]Total EXP[/u]: 8/10[/color][/center] [center][color=00aeef]Location:[/color] Limsa Lominscuttle Town ~ The Bismarck Restaurant [/center] [hr] Waiters scurried to and fro across the floor of the Bismarck Restaurant, the gentle sea breeze blowing through the open air dining area carrying no hint of the deadly navel battle happening out in the open sea. It was cool, refreshing, and as it blew it mixed the scents of the various dishes laid out on the tables into a delectable symphony of flavors that would tempt any patron simply walking by. Dining out here at night, by the flickering light of the candles under the star studded sky, would be nothing short of romantic. As it was, though, it was good enough for Cia. They sat across from one another in the center of this atmosphere, steaming cups of tea waiting in front of them as they awaited their meal. She leaned forward over the tables, cradling her face in her hand as she rested an elbow on the table. Her mask sat to the side of her tea so she could watch and listen to him unobstructed, a dreamy look on her face. He sat up straight, stiffly, and every once in a while shifted his weight as though he could not possibly get comfortable. His hand constantly fiddled with his silverware, fingers running over his fork and flipping it over occasionally. Despite this Link spoke casually. Friendly even, though if one were to look into his eyes they would see that he wasn’t quite looking at anything as he talked. “...It was so strange. They knew me. Not as a Champion, or the hero that failed, they knew [i]me[/i].” He told her. “There were Zora there that had known me since they were children. Even after a hundred years they still remembered things we had done together. They knew more about me than I did.” “My poor hero.” Cia cooed. “No, it wasn’t bad. It was proof there was a time when I was...normal. I had a childhood. I hadn’t spawned out of the ether just to be the hero. It was nice. They’re part of the reason I chose to come out here when we...split….into… Suddenly his eyes flashed into sharp focus as he scooped up the fork he had been playing with and stabbed it right at the women. Just as quickly she raised her other arm from the table and held up a single finger in its path. The fork stopped short just in front of it, as though the arm had been wraped in invisible chains. “Tsk tsk tsk tsk,” Cia clicked her tongue as she lowered the finger and swirled it. Slowly the focus faded from her hero's eyes, and she reached over and used that same finger to push his arm back down onto the table. She quickly scanned the restaurant, but it didn’t seem as though anyone had noticed the quick murder attempt. No one she could see was watching their table. She shook her head. Why was that everyone she placed under her control strove to betray her so? “How many times are you going to try that?” She said mockingly. “What are we going to do if you cause a scene?” Situation back under control she let herself relax. “Now, why don’t you continue your little story for me?” Obediently, Link began to speak again as though nothing had happened. Unfortunately for Cia it turned out someone had been watching them, and had seen the entire thing. Of course she hadn’t noticed him. Nobody notices an abandoned cup in a restaurant except maybe the wait staff, and as a busy waitress sautered by the pick it up a gloved hand rose up from under the table and waved her away. “Keep your hands to yourself, toots,” came a whisper, eliciting a small yelp from the poor girl as the hand grabbed the cup, placed it on its body, and dashed out of the restaurant while the witch was still absorbed in Link’s story. Cuphead had thought finding Link was tough enough, he wasn’t about to take on a hypnotizing witch without some backup. [hr] The cartoonish cup zipped, zagged, dipped and ducked his way around Limsa's busiest districts. He was small and quick, and so avoiding the crowds was easy for him. Cuphead twisted out of the way of oncoming people, noodle-like limbs curling around any obstacles in his path. The landing where the group had initially saw the Atomos off was still empty, which left him with few options for reinforcements. With everyone else away at sea, the only ones of his group left in the city besides the one that needed rescuing was Peach, Hat Kid, and Ace Cadet. Cuphead slipped out of the masses and sprinted up one of the short spires on the edge of the city's center, wrapping his arms and legs around it while he surveyed the area, searching for any splash of familiar colors. There, he spotted a bright red against metallic and green - and just as quickly as he ascended Cuphead ran down from his perch, making a bee-line for the monster hunter. "Acey!" Cuphead ran a circle around the Cadet before he skidded to halt in front of the man. The Cadet, having quickly excused himself from the Sky Hatchery after being filled in by Hat Kid, was happy to see the little guy - but his smile was quickly slipping away after seeing the unusually serious expression Cuphead wore. [color=salmon]"What is it?"[/color] "I found Link - but he's with a dangerous looking dame in some restaurant close by! He's acting real funny too!" [color=salmon]"What?"[/color] Cadet looked up from Cuphead, glancing around the area like Link would just magically appear there. Despite how warm and inviting Limsa was, they could never be too careful, huh? The whole of Blue Team probably had a reputation in town by now, but the hunter didn't expect anyone to run into trouble here. [color=salmon]"Where?"[/color] "A place called The Bismarck. C'mon, I'll take you there! We gotta put the kibosh on this quick!" [i]Bismarck?[/i] Cadet's new frown twisted even further as a coldness crept into his stomach. He was just at the Bismarck! Could he have passed right by Link and this dangerous woman on his way to the Hatchery? Was Link in trouble this whole time, and Cadet didn't even know he was so close by? He caught Cuphead's arm before he ran off. [color=salmon]"Wait, I know where the Bismarck is. You go tell Hatty and Peach, I'll meet you guys there."[/color] Cuphead looked as though he was going to argue that with the two of them they could handle one lady, but after a second he nodded and took off in another direction to get more back-up, or at least let the others know the situation. Cadet turned to the frogman next to him, all but forgotten during Cuphead's arrival and explanation. [color=salmon]"You go on ahead to the cove,"[/color] he told Frog, giving him brief directions before he separated from the warrior, shoving through the crowd in a hurry. As Cadet pushed through the crowd Frog called after him [color=39b54a]"Prithee halt I say,"[/color] he said calling for his companion to stop [color=39b54a]"Shouldst thou really charge forward without a fellow to watch thine flank?"[/color] he asked. Stop the Cadet did not, but he did glance back at Frog, eyes darting from his face to Masamune. Despite the situation with Link, the hunter really wasn't one to mistrust strangers - and Frog had gone out of his way to help the Cadet find his way around. [color=salmon]"You've got a point. Come on then!"[/color] Cadet said. Expecting Frog to catch up quickly, he broke into a run as soon as the roads opened up, heading back towards the Culinarian Guild. The amphibious warrior nodded curtly happy to aid Ace Cadet, in fact Frog had become quite fond of the redheaded warrior. Ace Cadet seemed like a capable warrior much like Cyrus, whom had been Frog's mentor many years prior to Galeem's invasion but even the greatest hero can't survive without others watching their backs. That had costed his friend and mentor's life, but Frog wouldn't let anyone suffer such a fate. Not now and not ever again. Frog broke into a sprint quickly gaining on Cadet almost without effort as his strong legs carried him forward, matching his companions pace with ease and as they ran down the street Frog's mind raced with thoughts of what may happen and how they could handle a fight as he hadn't seen Cadet fight yet but he believed the warrior was experienced. [hr] "Peach! Peeeeeeeeeeeach!" Cuphead called, waving his gloved hands with dramatic urgency. Across the disused harbor set aside for the unscrupulous by name and reputation his voice carried quite clearly, rousing the princess from where she dozed aboard Brineybeard's living vessel. Casting aside faintly chiding urges of propriety to flounder the ship's railing and initiate a shouted conversation, Peach demanded, "What is it? What's going on?" Cuphead pointed back the way he came, as if his finger could pierce countless obstructions of stone, wood, and flesh to make what was going on quite clear. "It's Link! I spotted him in a restaurant called the Bismarck. There was this strange broad with him, and she's holdin' him captive or somethin'!" "What!?" Peach replied, taken aback, only to have to cut her comrade off after he assumed she didn't hear him and started to repeat himself. "Nono, I just meant...that is strange. To capture the hero of time is no mean feet." She planted a hand on the wooden railing and vaulted straight over, her coat-dress sliding cleanly across. Rather than splashing into the water below she somehow halted her momentum midair, floating across the gap to where Cuphead waited on the wharf. "We'll be back, Captain!" she called to Brineybeard, running after the finger-gunner back up toward the city proper. She didn't miss a beat when Cuphead told her that the others were on the case already, including Hatty and a new amphibious ally, both found by the ever-reliable Ace Cadet. "Still. The more the better, especially if we're fighting a magician, and they might need someone with authority in case things get messy." If a brawl in a bistro was unavoidable, getting messy was probably a foregone conclusion.