[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/190924/544c85ab5c75bc61a4bb5ce40dc0caa6.png[/img]
[color=salmon]Word Count: 1036 (+2 exp)[/color]
[color=salmon][u]Level[/u]: [b]8[/b] - [u]Total EXP[/u]: 27980
[b]Location:[/b] Edge of the Blue - The Maw[/color][/center]
That the duo's - recently turned trio with Blazermate's arrival, assistance, and then flight service - reunion with the rest of the Blue Team saw them arrive in the middle of some kind of confrontation with tempura-headed enemies was not surprising. Unexpected maybe, but after everything they'd been through on the Maw alone it was no shock that their friends were facing down yet more danger. As it turned out, getting the literal drop on one of the wizards turned the tide in the Seekers favor, and after some cathartic pummeling the children stood victorious above the spirits of the food sorcerers. 

The Cadet puffed out his chest triumphantly, returning Mirage's thumbs up. [color=salmon]"Getting here was kind of a pain in the Astalos, but we made it! I'm glad everyone's alright!"[/color]

As Nadia went on to explain what happened, Cadet broke into a wide grin seeing that every single one of the team was present and accounted for, just as Mirage had said. Sakura, Rika, and Bella were captive no longer, and all the chefs that had stood in their way were taken care of. His smile faltered slightly when he noticed Geralt's condition, but Bella's reassurance kept it from getting any dimmer. they were all tired, sore, hungry, and haunted - but they were alive. And they needed to stay that way, bringing the conversation to the topic once more to the pros and cons of eating while inside the Maw.

He and Nadia had already surmised that eating too much would probably turn them into great blubbering gluttons just like the diners they'd had to avoid, and judging by Bella's weight gain he guessed she may have eaten more than anyone else at the moment. So they just had to pace themselves. The Cadet nodded at Nadia's words, backing her up with a few of his own. [color=salmon]"Yeah, we probably couldn't have done it without the energy we got from eating,"[/color] he said. [color=salmon]"I might have been eaten myself already if I didn't get that weird water-curse-thing..."[/color]

With a quick flex of the muscles in his arms, the pores opened up again showing off the ugly changes to his limbs, though as before no water or mist formed around them. Having experienced no other side effects from eating besides the size increase and the vigor's power, the Cadet was a bit confused at the urgency in Bella's voice. He hadn't seen the horrifying implications that some of the other children had, and their dance around the issue didn't click with the Cadet just what had them so wary. Until Mirage explained his side, then it slowly dawned on the red head. Hunger, lack of control, a person's blood and it's scent, and of course the fact that the chefs had captured Sakura and the others for meat in the first place... 

[color=salmon]"That's... sick."[/color] Ace Cadet furrowed his brows, but off at the thought of eating again all together. But the fact remained that the food [i]had[/i] helped them out so far, and since he certainly hadn't had these water powers before, the ability bestowed by the drink had been invaluable at times. He had to suck it up and eat, they all did. And just be careful of their intake. They could do that. 

Once everyone regrouped, he and Ms. Fortune led the way out through the ruined dumbwaiter. They passed another chef, but the man was smart enough to let the kids have the run of the place. While most of them mean mugged the guy, Geralt requested a meal. Surprisingly the young witcher got it, but while Fujimoto was preparing it the Cadet jumped up and swiped an armful of sushi and assorted sides off of his work station, not nearly as polite as the other boy. He popped the slightly larger than bite sized morsels into his mouth, with more to share if anyone else was so inclined. A quick test of the water conjuring ability showed that the power had been restored after eating, just as he'd guessed. Refueled and ready, the group had a clear shot through the restaurant. Another grin reached his face as Geralt admired the Ace Decoy's handiwork. [color=salmon]"You're making it sound like it was [i]easy.[/i]"[/color]

On their way towards the helm, Nadia suddenly exclaimed that she'd seen 'her' - and that could only be one person. The Cadet's eyes shot upward where the feral pointed, seeing only darkness, but he trusted the senses of his partner in crime and looked to Nadia with a determined expression upon his face. [color=salmon]"Yeah, let's go! If we're quick maybe we can catch her!"[/color]

They bounded up the stairs, followed closely by the members of the party that could make the trek quickly and at a little more distance the rest of their group. He heard Kamek's voice filtering up warning against the monsters that had done this to them in the first place. [color=salmon]"Good thinking!"[/color] The Cadet called back. Soon they were at the fifth floor, and through the door was... [i]huh?[/i]

It was a theater of some kind, with a distinctly Yukumo-aesthetic. Or maybe it was more Kamura-like, but ether way. It actually went pretty well with the sushi. The Ace Cadet looked over all the gathered guests, even larger than the ones downstairs, and some not even vaguely human looking. Hearing the chatter of the Koopa Troop, his eyes landed on the "crocodile guy." [color=salmon]"You know him?"[/color] he asked, eventually looking away and squinting into the darkness, trying to find any clues as to where the lady had gone. 

[color=salmon]"She must be running scared at this point,"[/color] he added to Mirage's observation, [color=salmon]"Turning us into kids and dumping us in that trash pile... she must've thought we were long gone by now."[/color] It might have been wishful thinking on his part, but optimism and wishful thinking was what was getting them through this hell hole so far. He scratched the back of his head, wondering if they hadn't already been found by the mistress of the Maw, but if there was a way for them to slip into the shadows as well as the lady did, then stealth might be the best choice as some of the others pointed out.