[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/190924/544c85ab5c75bc61a4bb5ce40dc0caa6.png[/img] [color=salmon]Word Count: 1028 (+2 exp)(+15 collab)[/color] [color=salmon][u]Level[/u]: [b]8[/b] - [u]Total EXP[/u]: 50/80 [b]Location:[/b] Edge of the Blue - The Maw[/color][/center] [center][hider=For the Ace Cadet]New Power from the Maw: [i](TBD, banked for another time)[/i] New Strength from the Maw: [TBD] New Strength from the Maw: [b]Feast[/b] [i]Eating anything will restore health in addition to its actual effects. Also, receive a fast-diminishing attack boost after eating.[/i] New Weakness from the Maw: [b]Magic Aversion[/b] [i]From body altering spells, vitality absorbing supernatural powers, cannibalistic curses and even ugly unreliable mysteries, the Cadet has grown mistrustful of all magic. This includes beneficial spells from allies. When given the choice he will avoid helpful magic as well as magical enemies, and his performance against such opponents is diminished due to caution and suspicion. Other supernatural phenomena and superstitions are in a similar boat, though not to the same extent.[/i][/hider][/center] Consciousness came slowly to the monster hunter. Blackness gave way to gray, and numbness gave way to ache. Spatial awareness faded in, and the Cadet could tell he was sitting up even if he couldn't see it. His eyelids were crusted shut with sea salt, and the effort to open them was too great at the moment. Everything felt heavy. There was something slick on the back of his neck. [i]...am I bleeding?[/i] His thoughts came slowly too, but once they'd caught up they wouldn't stop. He remembered that they had all headed to the Maw's helm, still stuck in their child bodies. That the Maw's course had been altered thanks to a certain Seeker. That there was a man in iron cuffs, and that the Maw had struck the sea bed. And then...? Well the whole sub must have run aground. It would have been disastrous. Wherever he was now, the smell was almost worse than the Rotten Vale - there must be corpses around. He really needed to wake up and check things out. But the Cadet was cold and damp, making him sluggish. His limbs felt heavy and there was something pressed up against his side. There were familiar voices speaking softly around him, so maybe others of the group were all okay and had woken up first. Fighting through the last of the fog clouding his mind, the Cadet let out a stuttering sigh and raised the arm that wasn't currently draped over something to scrub at his eyes. He reached toward the back of his neck, but his hand found just wet hair - longer than he recalled having - tickling his nape. No blood, which was lucky. [i]Wait...[/i] The Cadet blinked at his hand, where it was covered by a thick leather glove and green scale vambraces. He was suddenly very aware of his whole adult body, including the ship girl rigging he'd obtained by fusing with Jamaica. [color=salmon]"Holy jumping jaggis,"[/color] he breathed, [color=salmon]"we're back to normal."[/color] Or at the very least back to their pre-Maw selves. The Ace Cadet let his head drop backwards in relief, and knocked it on the coral shelf behind him. [color=salmon]"Ow."[/color] Now fully awake, he could see a majority of the group gathering under the makeshift shelter. Sakura, Bella, Mirage, Hat Kid, Rika, Bowser, Peach, Kamek, and Junior... he didn't seem Blazermate, Link, or Geralt just yet, but out of everyone those three were pretty tough, they would probably be back soon. Those that were gathered all looked back to normal too. Further attempts to move showed that the "something" pressed into his said was Nadia, tucked under one of his arms. Though his awakening was not as animated as Sakura's, the allayment of the Maw's dismal pressure and the sheer relief that they'd escaped brokered a smile on his face despite their losses. He squeezed Nadia into a strong one armed hug. [color=salmon]"We made it pawtner."[/color] Sure they were soaked, cold and shivering, but they had made it out. And now they just had to stay alive. It would be very lame if they were beaten by the elements of all things. The Cadet couldn't truthfully say he was a survivalist, but he knew a thing or two. His second priority though, after confirmed that everyone was alright, was checking his gear. He'd trapped Nadia in the hug for longer than he'd intended. Hopefully untangling himself from her wasn't too painful, given not just his rough armor but the rigging and weapons strapped to his person. Frankly he was amazed that his equipment all seemed to make it. Maybe they'd returned to normal after the impact had settled? The greatbow was whole, all of his arrows were intact, and his swords were looking okay too. Well, the blade of the Master Bang could use a sharpening. He'd get to that in a moment. Even that hammer nestled in his belt was still there. He flexed the ship rigging, and found that everything was still working properly. The blades there would need some touching up too though. After making sure his livelihood, the weapons he carried, were fine the Cadet practically ripped off one of his gloves and vambraces. His arm was totally normal, back to the post-fusion slightly darker shade with no enlarged pores to be seen. To be safe he tried flexing it a couple of times and nothing usual happened. [i]Phew.[/i] He re-donned the armor, the armor skills meaning he'd recover any dings or scrapes soon enough. Finally, he checked his items. [color=salmon]"I don't know if I've got anything fire-worthy,"[/color] he stated, sifting through various coatings, powders, and other miscellaneous items he had. All were water logged. They [i]definitely[/i] must have reverted at some point after the crash was over, because otherwise his vials and jars of potions would have all completely shattered. As it was, a couple had cracks running through their glass containers but he counted it a win that not all was lost. About that time they were approached by a stranger. The Ace Cadet peeked out of their campsite, looking around at the desolate beach, ruined ships and buildings, and sea creatures corpses. Were there actually other people in a place like this?? Regardless the Cadet motioned the man over once he got a few approvals by the others. [color=salmon]"I guess we warm up a little, and once everyone wakes up or gets back we can head further in, gather what we can."[/color] He glanced at the bodies of the creatures again, curious as to how they weren't huge piles of ash but more curious about what they could be used for, but he didn't want to be carrying a bunch of body parts around with unknown dangers sure to be lurking about. Most looked too rotted to be good for food either. Ugh, food... the Cadet was sure his usual appetite would come back quickly, but so soon after the Maw he didn't want to think about it. He sat back down next to Nadia, rolling his shoulders. He looked to Delsin, questioning him. [color=salmon]"How long have you been here? Do you know what's around the area? Place looks totally dead..."[/color] [right][sub][@Rockin Strings][/sub][/right][hr] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/4DgO1VH.png[/img] [color=FFC6C6]Word Count: 798 (+2 exp) [u]Level[/u]: [b]6[/b] - [u]Total EXP[/u]: 48/60 [b]Location[/b]: Sandswept Sky[/color] [color=gray]𝙱𝙿[/color] [color=gold]●[/color][color=gray]●●●●[/color] [color=lightgray]ft. Lugubrious[/color] [color=2E2C2C]D34C25[/color][/center]The conversation with Robin on the train proved both fruitful and unexpected. "Ah, yes..." Both Robin's face and voice took a more serious turn as he recognized just what Primrose meant. He slid his hands into his pockets. "Actually, I had wondered if anyone might question that. On my own it could have been mistaken for an ability unique to me, but when Tharja followed suit, it certainly begged the question, didn't it?" Realizing that his preamble might be mistaken for avoiding question, the tactician cleared his throat and proceeded. "Well, I don't know too much about it. I am no scholar, with no interest in magic beyond how it can benefit me and mine during battle. It was several weeks ago that I saw it used--an astonishing, overwhelming power. I didn't realize it at the time, but that aura bears a striking visual similarity to that of someone about to use a Final Smash." He waved his hand as if to put any new questions on hold. "Before you ask, I participated in a multi-world tournament some time ago. In that tournament, a glowing orb would occasionally appear during matches, and whoever broke it would gain the power to use a Final Smash. These are essentially reality-bending all-out attacks, unique to every individual. And it would seem that in this world, that power lurks within us all, no orb required." As he laid his hand over his heart, his expression darkened. "But that doesn't mean they incur no cost. What I saw led me to believe that the price of a Final Smash is the user's own life. After putting one's whole being into an attack... not even a spirit remained." He shuddered despite the desert heat. "I dare not consider the implications. In that moment of desperation, no price seemed too high... but if I had gone through with it, things could have turned out so, so much worse." Robin shook his head with a sigh. The information surprised Primrose. That tournament Robin mentioned she'd seen sort of first hand, or at least something similar during her time at the Alcamoth, but she'd never seen the orbs he spoke of during the exhibitions there. Regardless, she had confirmed that the power was one accessible to her - at a steep cost. That put a damper on any thoughts she might have had about harnessing it. [color=D34C25]"...I see,"[/color] she said after a moment. It had seemed incredibly dangerous when faced with it in the temple, but knowing it went for both the user and their opponent was not exactly a comfort. At least they could be on the lookout for something like that in the future though, and they wouldn't be caught off guard. She told the pair as much, and thanked them for the information before parting. It was a thing to ponder, the "Final Smash." She wondered if there would ever be a situation she could see herself using such a power in, but none came to mind. Her drive was too strong to sacrifice herself. Eventually the information was tucked into place in her brain, and she relaxed for the rest of the ride. The town they pulled into was warm and colorful, even with the daunting loom of the mountain surrounding it. This close up, the climb seemed tougher than ever. Maybe she should have prepared more for that part, and not just the cold part. Raz brought up a good point about boots, and the dancer agreed with Midna that this being a tourist town surely they had recreational gear. [color=D34C25]"I wonder if the gold passes would work all the way out here, if this town falls under Al Mamoon's jurisdiction..."[/color] A question for Ciella perhaps, but the captain didn't seem like the type to want to entertain mundane questions like that. Best to leave her alone and just try it out. Primrose waved Raz off as he went to explore. With a group as large as theirs, it seemed impossible not to be able to find each other after splitting up. This town was much smaller than the city they'd just left after all. Eventually after sorting out everyone's inventory, she went along with a couple of others to the sports shop. [color=D34C25]"We'll meet you all soon for lunch,"[/color] she called back to rest of the group. Some good footwear would suffice, and getting it sooner rather than later might give her some time to practice dancing in them. Primrose noted that there were some small crowds gathered, chattering about a musical act and wondering where the girl playing for them had gone, and figured that just like any town public performances would be a decent way to raise funds once her own supply had run out. Hopefully not too soon though. [hr] [center][img]https://i.ibb.co/7VzgY22/pit.png[/img] Word Count: 390 (+1 exp) [u]Level[/u]: [b]2[/b] - [u]Total EXP[/u]: 9/20 [b]Location[/b]: Paved Wilderness: Hammerhead [hider=Level Up!]New Power: [b]Guardian Orbitars.[/b] A pair of shield-shaped weapons that act as satellites, floating around Pit when active. They can block enemy attacks and can be deployed in two ways: [i]Smash-style[/i] where they are appear as quick medium-sized shields that can stop an enemy's attack and reflect projectiles, or [i]Uprising-style[/i] where they replace Pit's currently equipped weapon. When in Uprising-style, these Orbitars can fire weak shots or be used as weak melee weapons, but their real strength is in summoning a very large energy shield that can be projected out and damage opponents that touch it. The large shield only lasts for a couple of seconds, similar to the Smash-style shields. ***[/hider][/center] The angel flitted out of the van, very much appreciating the sunshine. Whatever was going on with that rain, it was super dangerous. The droplets of water, or whatever it really was, had stung his skin and feathers, but he'd made out better than the others who'd ended up with spots of wrinkles and gray hairs. One of the perks of being a long lived angel. He jumped up onto the top of the van, plopping down cross legged and stretching his wings in front of him to inspect them. He ran his fingers through his feathers, feeling for any damage. His wings, while not exactly [i]delicate[/i], were really important to take care of! The spots the aging rain had touched had subtle difference in texture, but otherwise it seemed fine. While Yuri and Nero split off, Pit kicked back and laid on the roof of the vehicle. He folded his arms behind his head and one leg over the other. [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"Wonder how anyone's supposed to get by that,"[/color] he said, thinking aloud. He couldn't imagine anyone with a normal human's lifespan getting through the storm. Maybe if they moved really, [i]really[/i] fast... Well, they'd cross that bridge when they got to it. Or someone would. Pit would definitely join the strike team once they figured out a way to reach the Qlip-thing without everyone turning old. As it turned out though, Vandam had another assignment in mind for the interim. [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"So like exploring?"[/color] Pit asked after Nero explained what the Moogle had told him. Pit was no scout, but honestly it beat hanging around Smash City and doing nothing but patrols. Plus, technically, the mission they'd just been on was just to check out what was going on in the Dead Zone anyway. So... maybe he was a scout! [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"Sounds good to me!"[/color] he said with a grin. That arena looked exciting, so it would be fun to scope it out. Though there were plenty of crashes and explosions that they'd passed too, maybe not the safest place for cars. He hopped down from his perch, stretching his arms over his head. [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"I'm sure there's some interesting places around. Since the world is mashed up, we could turn a corner and find robots, or aliens, or anything."[/color] He started off toward town to see what they could find out.