[center][h3]Tora & Poppi[/h3] [b]Level 8[/b] Tora (43/80) and [b]Level 8[/b] Poppi (21/80) [b]Location:[/b] Sandswept Sky – Crown of Sand Primrose's [@Yankee], Fox's [@Dawnrider], Sectonia's [@Archmage MC] Midna's [@DracoLunaris], Heavy's [@ONL], Medic's [@Dr Lovecraft], Yoshitsune's [@Rockin Strings] [b]Word Count:[/b] 734 and 402[/center] It was a good thing Tora wasn't afraid too, because the monsters did not hesitate. The more agile Lamias lunged at him together, forcing Tora to sweep the long blade of his Variable Saber back and forth to keep them at bay. One snaked around to the side, while the other hissed and made way for the much larger Gorlek. Before the marauding Lamia could reach Tora, Sectonia moved in to blast her with lightning, forcing her to recoil. The dusty air carries quite the electric charge after the cast, a tickling sensation each of the frontline fighters could feel. Grateful for the help, Tora braced himself to block a heavy blow from the Gorlek's pickaxe. It was at that opportune moment that Primrose's dance reached him, fortifying his sturdiness, and with her help his sword intercepted the mighty swing without issue. He did not, however, expect the brute to reach out with his extra arms and grab hold of Tora's own. “M-meh?!” Tora started pulling free, but his physical strength lagged far behind his constitution. He looked to the left to see if anyone could give him a hand, but the Phantom Thieves looked busy with the other Lamia. While Mona ran interference, letting loose hard-hitting pellets with his slingshot, Joker seemed to be engaging the monster firsthand with the help of an abhorrent Persona—a desiccated, ghoulish monstrosity. Tora's attention quickly returned to his opponent, however, when an unknown figure dropped in from atop one of the spike-pierced buildings. Certifiably human at a glance, and a potential friend against these creatures, the stranger shouted an unknown word. No doubt he was calling his attack—a common practice where Tora came from! In that case, he need only turn the Gorlek the newcomer's way. The Nopon quit tugging and instead jumped forward, the change fast enough to catch his grapple-happy foe off guard and deliver a head bash to his three-eyed face. A quick slap with the freed Variable Saber turned it around, and with a roar the Gorlek obligingly swung his pickaxe to cave in the stranger's skull. The fearsome blow never made contact. Moving with uncanny precision, the man wove past the Gorlek's strike and bit deep into his arms with his gleaming twin blades. The path of the newcomer's blow left him right in front of Tora, who gave a thumbs up. “Awesome! But look out!” In a pain-induced rage the formidable beast turned, its arms wounded but still operable, and charged forward. The unexpected onrush caught both Yoshitsune and Tora, sending them tumbling over the sand and onto the stone of the plaza beside Primrose. Scarcely worse for wear thanks to his own toughness and the dancer's enchantment, the Nopon rolled to his feet again with saber brandished. With the lightning-scarred Lamia by his side, the Gorlek trudged the heroes' way. “Big meanypon think he push Tora around, meh? Tora and friends quickly set straight!” As if in response to his declaration, a trio of [url=https://www.models-resource.com/resources/big_icons/4/3415.png]one-wheeled machines[/url] rounded the bend in the ruined street ahead. With their yellow eyes bent maliciously and their engines muttering growly threats, they cruised forward to join the fight. Joker dodged out of the way of the first to charge, pulling his pistol in the process, and put a bullet through the blonde Lamia's eye to bring her chapter to a close. The masked youth looked pointedly at Yoshitsune but said nothing, knowing that introductions could come later. Mona congratulated him. “Nice shot! But check this out. Show them your might, Zorro!” His Persona appeared in a burst of blue flame, and his rapier carved a pattern into the air. A miniature, green-tinged cyclone surged forward, sweeping up the sand the remaining Roaders raced on to send the whole pile flying away. After a pleasantly deft deflection of the remaining Lamia's swing, Tora shoved her away for Sectonia to deal with before he turned to face the Gorlek again. “Tora open baddypon up. Then friend do cool cut again, meh!” True to his word, the Nopon moved forward and launched into the air, carried by the upswing of his saber. The force of it carried him into a backflip, and as his head faced the ground, Tora twisted around to perform a horizontal cut across the Gorlek's face. Two of his eyes squeezed shut as he snarled, giving Yoshitsune a chance to strike a critical blow. [hr] [b][center]Sandswept Sky – Before the Great Barrier[/center][/b] As Poppi descended back to Vah Naboris, she spotted Midna and Medic on their way to the desert floor. Evidently they meant to hunt down a few dragons after all, though what exactly the somewhat macabre man of medicine planned to do with them, Poppi couldn't guess. Her keen optics got a good look at the beasts in question as she flew down. Despite sporting impressive wings keenly suited for high-speed flying, the Flygons appeared to be more at home on the ground. Among the various ruins scattered by the base of the imposing cliff lay a long-disused [url=https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/ichive/images/9/93/Ic00012.jpg]tent[/url], once perhaps utilized for research or clinical purposes, but now a home for the beasts. Stealth might be difficult to come by in the desert, but Poppi thought that the two might be able to corner a dragon or two there without issue. Perhaps the tent contained treasure as well, the dragons' hoard. She made a mental note to ask later. For now, she needed to worry about helping other teammates up to the top where she left Tora. Being apart from him never pleased her, but how much trouble could he get into by himself, really? Poppi landed on a ledge and looked up to see Necronomicon trailing behind. Flight speed didn't seem to be a strength of hers, but the same couldn't be said for Sectonia, who looked so far behind that Poppi couldn't see her at all. Maybe she elected to stay at the top? The artificial blade suppressed a sigh. Getting everyone up there would be even harder with only two fliers. She turned back to see Scout and Skull approaching, the latter no doubt anxious to join his teammates at the top. Blue Poison and Braum waited patiently in the shade, while the Heavy did not make an appearance, perhaps wanting to join his friend the doctor. Dutifully Poppi extended her hands to the dwarf and the teenager. “Hold on tight. Please keep body parts away from thrusters.” The look on Skull's face, only partially obstructed by his mask, seemed to indicate it wasn't [i]his[/i] body on his mind at the moment. [i]Great. Another one.[/i] “Oh uh, sure thing, miss Poppi!” He gave a wide smile until the artificial blade grabbed hold and promptly blasted off into open air. His excited yells traced her progress as she ascended once more, soaring skyward through the buffeting wind and sand. [center][h3]Edge of the Blue – Pirate's Cove[/h3] Sakura's [@Zoey Boey], Junior and Kamek's [@DracoLunaris], Geralt's [@MULTI_MEDIA_MAN][/center] Grateful that Sakura chose to stay, Seaplane Tender regarded the topic of names with intrigue. For all of her finery, intelligence, and fighting expertise, she could boast no more than a designation, same as the Ri-class Destroyer, and even it seldom graced the lips of her fellow high-ranked Abyssals with its unwieldy bulk. Sakura also mentioned clothes, which -unlike her underling- Seaplane Tender felt like she had a grasp on. Still, if this girl thought it was important, she could scarcely claim otherwise. What did she know, after all, of the world of civilized folk, of real people, or of life beyond the deadly sea? Unfortunately, that also meant she didn't know France, which also meant the revelation that she sounded 'French' a particularly interesting one. “Oh...is that so? Well, I am afraid I really cannot say anything about France.” Sakura managed to turn up singular French name, Charlotte, which Seaplane Tender thought sounded nice enough. It was certainly a different beast from the short, punchy, diminutive names posited for the destroyer, which did seem to suit her. Though she didn't want to refuse Sakura's suggestion, the idea of already belonging to some kind of nationality or culture she had no knowledge of fascinated the Abyssal, and she wanted to learn more. Moreover, Sakura wanted her to do something 'cool and brave', which Seaplane Tender felt didn't include just accepting the first option that came her way. “I do like it, although I would not mind hearing more, if there are any.” Ranger spoke up in reply to the lesser Abyssal's question. “I didn't choose mine, actually. It was given to me. Most of the time, parents name their children long before they're capable of choosing their own names.” She crossed her arms, best as she could. With these new parts it wasn't easy to get comfortable. “I don't even know what I'd choose if I could. It's easy to agonize over stuff like that. But hey, we're not talking my name.” She looked at Seaplane Tender with brows furrowed, trying to jog her memory. “There are some girls in the Navy who talk like you do, with the same sort of accent. All of them are either Iris Libre or Vichy Dominion. They have names like 'Le Triomphant', 'Émile Bertin', and Jean Barte. Stuff that's never spelled the way it sounds.” Thinking critically, she gave a nod. “Something like that. But I can't exactly come up with new ones.” Onshore, Brineybeard faced Junior, Kamek, and Geralt as they disembarked from the Atomos and walked across the dock that passed by Shippy. The wizard flew off after the runners atop a magic broom, making the old captain shake his head in wonderment. The little Koopa, meanwhile, gave a couple confusing questions, but he answered them as best he could. “Erm, anythin' ye be wantin' ye can get at Hawker's Alley. If the stalls don't got whatcha need, jus' lay those eyes of yers on the Market Board. Independents use it, and it's got some serious magic.” He sighed just thinking about the long-gone vessels that a shipyard might have built in the day. “No shipyards 'round here, lad. Thar only be a few ships left, and they sure don't make 'em anymore. Now its just the Navy lasses, breakfast, lunch, an' dinner, if ye get what I'm sayin'.” He shrugged as if the coarse analogy couldn't be helped. Flying around the city, Kamek spotted Bowser of all people before he spotted the unknown Bismarck, although his king's new features prompted a double take. He was at the head of a small group including Blazermate, headed across a bridge from the Aftcastle area on the upper decks into the city's central tower. [center][h3]Ms Fortune[/h3] [b]Level 1[/b] Nadia (4/10) [b]Location:[/b] Limsa Lominscuttle Town – Drowning Wench Blazermate's [@Archmage MC], Banjo & Kazooie's [@Dawnrider], Bowser's [@DracoLunaris], Sephiroth's [@ZAVAZggg] [b]Word Count:[/b] 743[/center] Limsa Lominscuttle Town turned out to be quite the complicated place, even with a guide in the form of Cuphead who'd been to the heroes' destination before. Its seastack structure interconnected by countless unlabeled bridges, walkways, and stairways made for a picturesque labyrinth of salt-rubbed wood and white stone through which moving down presented a far easier task than up. Nadia didn't mind in particular, wanting to see everything the fascinating maritime city had to offer, but after the second wrong turn Sephiroth prove he thought differently. With no particular attachment to the idea of staying with the group and a patience that the multi-tiered maze evidently tried, he split off and put his impressive agility to work. With leaps and bounds the lightweight swordsman utilized the many hanging ropes, and disappeared after a few seconds. “Well, see ya there, I guess!” Nadia called after him. While Blazermate could fly after him without issue, she doubted the ever-supportive medabot would leave her allies behind. Sephiroth would arrive before Bowser's team did, probably using signs and intuition to make up for his lack of city knowledge and, as best Nadia could guess, aversion to asking directions. [center][img]https://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/w/images/thumb/7/75/The_Drowning_Wench_Banner.png/790px-The_Drowning_Wench_Banner.png[/img][/center] A couple moments later Bowser, Blazermate, and Nadia came to a stop in the Drowning Wench, a large bar occupying an entire circular section of the city's great central tower. Nadia glanced over the crowd with a smile, picturing the fun that she and few friends could get up to in here. A night of drinks, darts, telling stories, Bowser dancing around with his son, Blazermate cheerily serving tables with a cute waitress outfit, with a nice warm corner for her and Nero...blinking, Nadia flushed the picture from her mind. Where did that image come from? She focused and spotted Cuphead jumping up and down in front of a confused bartender, asking which way to the Bismarck. Nadia breathed in the beery air. “Ahhh, man! Isn't this place the greatest! It's like, a super crazy version of Little Innsmouth. When we're done kickin' ass purr-haps we oughta come back here and kill some time. Just relax, ya know? Ooh, I wonder if there's any beaches around here?” The town probably didn't have any, but the coast she spotted from the Aetheryte Plaza looked promising. When she tried to imagine her new friends enjoying themselves, however, she couldn't help but see the face of that nice archer girl, contorted by pain. The thought quickly turned her excitement to guilt. How could she think of enjoying herself, when that literally just happened...? “This way, guys!” Cuphead barreled off, waving to his friends as he did so. Nadia fell in behind him, glad for a little breather but ready to resume the quest to save Link, whoever that might be. Hopefully her little squad wouldn't be late. The team's plan to leave the Drowning Wench that moment, however, went awry. A [url=https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DBLr2TWUAAA7KCI.jpg]large man[/url], deep in his cups, stirred suddenly at a table by the exit as the heroes drew near. With wide eyes he gawked at Bowser and exclaimed. “Jupiter's beard, it's a sea monster!” He staggered to his feet. “Who are ya, Jormungandr? Cthulhu? What'sa rush?” He reached out to clap a hand on Bowser's shoulder, foisting upon the Koopa King an enormous jug of wine. “C'mon, siddown with me! We gods gotta...hic! Stick together!” Along with him rose a companion, the one who'd roused the drinker with a sharp tap in the first place. This young man, a [url=https://gamepress.gg/feheroes/sites/fireemblem/files/2018-02/Laslow.png]swordsman[/url] with swept gray hair and an easy smile, circled around toward Nadia. She watched him as he approached, every inch the charmer. “Hello, hello,” he greeted. “You must be new here. I'd never forget a pretty face like that. You're in a hurry, I can tell, so I won't keep you, but perhaps you'd care to join me for a cup of tea and a chat sometime?” Nadia couldn't stop herself chuckling. “Heheh, straight to the point, huh? Well, I've heard a lot worse ideas in bars. They serve tea here?” Playing along good-naturedly, the man gave a polite laugh. “Goodness, no. I know a much nicer spot.” He extended his hand, which the always-chummy Nadia took to shake, only for the philanderer to kiss her knuckle instead. “I am Laslow. And you?” “I...am going!” Nadia announced, pulling away without resistance and heading after the others. She glanced back with a grin and a wave. “See you later maybe!” [center][h3]Smash City Alcamoth - Tapper's[/h3] [@Dawnrider][/center] [hider=Roost Findings]You have Acquired: [b]18 blue eggs A Grenadegg [url=https://oyster.ignimgs.com/mediawiki/apis.ign.com/mario-rabbids-battle-kingdom/5/50/SilentButDeadly.jpg]A Grenaduck[/url] Golden Feather[/b][/hider] After a little searching, Banjo and Kazooie located the white-haired duo of their quest, as well as their poetry-reading hanger-on, at a joint called Tapper's. Along with Sushi Strikers and Mona's Pizza, it formed the backbone of Alcamoth's food offerings in its commercial strip on the second level, and within they found Dante with half a pizza pie from next door and a frothing mug of root beer. The [url=https://vovatia.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/tapperguy.jpg?w=329]owner[/url] of the place, as well as its only apparent staff member, waved as the bear and bird made their way inside. “Root Beer?” he asked, although the menu on the wall made it clear that his establishment served far more than a single beverage. It even had real beer, as little as that meant to Banjo and Kazooie. Separate from the rest and busy studying a stoppered containment tube, V paid the newcomers no mind, leaving just Nero paying attention. He hadn't expected being sought out for questioning, but after fighting alongside the dynamic duo since they first rode into the Dead Zone, the devil hunter showed no hesitation in trying to answer. “I only heard about it from this porter guy,” Nero told them. “He wasn't exactly the talkative type. Pretty much just said that when the body,” he paused to explain. “He was carrying a body, and when it rotted, it would summon something that could cause an explosion big enough to turn the whole place into one big crater.” Holding up his hands to signal helplessness, he struggled to conceive of such a blast himself. “I mean, even nukes don't leave giant holes in the ground. So whatever it is, it's going to be big. You'll probably see it. Just keep an eye on the sky and wait for it to light up. Once it's over with, we can head back, although...” He cleared his throat, shifting in his seat. “I'd go in expecting some kind of fallout. Nukes leave radiation that poisons the land and anyone on it. This could be worse.” Dante polished off her root beer and wiped the foam from her lips with the back of her hand. “Ahhh! And don't forget, that teleporter thingie's gonna by gonezo, so only way back's by walkin'! I took a look at that map and phew, it's a doozie.” She leaned over and slapped Nero on the back. “Hope that friend of yours makes it out in time! Stubborn girl, huh?” Sighing heavily, Nero grabbed a drink of his own, though root had nothing to do with it. “Yeah.” [center][h3]Frozen Highlands – Ice Fields[/h3] [@Gentlemanvaultboy][/center] Leaving the alternatively curious and frightened penguins behind, along with their watery domain, the Skullgirl tugged her freshly-harvested look on the way to the village. Its wooden runners cut twin grooves, first through the sand and then through the snow, though the tumultuously cloudy sky above promised that the trail would not remain for long. She followed the path of one of the icy-cool rivers feeding fresh glacier water to the salty sea, which led her steadily southeast as it meandered through frozen forest, hill, and dale. Much of the wildlife she'd glimpsed from her lookout point on the mountain escaped her notice, or else purposefully kept away, so she made the journey in solitude and -if not for the steady tramp of her boots or the slide of her sled- in silence. After navigating through a thick copse of conifers the Skullgirl stomped into open air, finding herself on the edge of a large field. In a more hospitable season it might have been a meadow, clad in a lovely pink and purple carpet of low-lying tundra wildflowers, but she saw only a vast plane of ice and snow. Only enormous tracks broke the mold, leading southward, where she would no doubt find the gigantic mammoth spotted earlier from high ground. The size of the tracks themselves, as well as the sheer quantity of disturbed snow, made the beast's proportions even more startling. Even the late Ender Dragon might have found the elephantine thing tough to budge. As she ventured across the open space, however, the Skullgirl began to pick up on something the ice field's pristine serenity belied. The Gammoth tracks uniformly stuck to the western side, and it took only a few steps into its counterpart to reveal why. A great, sharp, sound, alarmingly deep, shattered the silence. Before the interloper the ground began to crack, mounds of snow falling away into the frosted-over crevice. The uproarious cracking resounded continuously as a great canyon revealed itself stretching from north to south, providing a sizable obstacle in the Skullgirl's way that demanded circumvention or bold navigation. Beyond the ice field, the smoke-eking chimney came into view, then trodden snow. After rounding a rocky hill, the village followed suit. [center][img]https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/9cec4e87-d742-4114-9553-dee85a61b58b/daq7nf4-8135b793-70e7-4b8c-a27f-314d3228039f.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOiIsImlzcyI6InVybjphcHA6Iiwib2JqIjpbW3sicGF0aCI6IlwvZlwvOWNlYzRlODctZDc0Mi00MTE0LTk1NTMtZGVlODVhNjFiNThiXC9kYXE3bmY0LTgxMzViNzkzLTcwZTctNGI4Yy1hMjdmLTMxNGQzMjI4MDM5Zi5wbmcifV1dLCJhdWQiOlsidXJuOnNlcnZpY2U6ZmlsZS5kb3dubG9hZCJdfQ.HJ6JaOrLlxRRFOWN-fH0Mwgga8otm_LXa5FQ_soW6JI[/img][/center] Before the Skullgirl lay a single street, lined with wooden cabins and brick buildings. She couldn't see any people, but every curtained window blazed with warm light, the homey sort the suggested warm fireplaces, cozy wool blankets, and mugs of cocoa. To the left she spotted a shop; to the right a diner with a name that reached out to her from two days prior, far away in an arid land. Taller than every building, like a sentinel of peace and hope against an uncertain sky, stood the tree in the middle of the town. Glistening baubles and glowing bulbs adorned its branches below a shining star. Below were piled colorfully-wrapped boxes adorned with delightful bows, their primly-tied lengths glittering with shreds of silver and gold. In front of it all lay a sign, its handwritten greeting welcoming the cold traveler on behalf of its townfolk, nestled snugly indoors. “Welcome to Snowdin.”