[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/5r7OTIh.png[/img]
[b][color=Aquamarine]wordcount:[/color][/b] 1,340 (+3)
[b][color=Aquamarine]Midna: level 7[/color][/b] EXP: [color=Aquamarine]//////////[/color]/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// (10/70)
[b][color=Aquamarine]Location:[/color][/b]  Sandswept Sky - Tostarena Town
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Midna’s pride made her hesitate for a moment before accepting the money from Rasputin. But only for a moment. Only a fool turned down free cash after all. Some might suggest that she now owed him, but that was a problem for future Midna, who would no doubt have to bail the child out of danger at [i]some[/i] point.

[color=Aquamarine]”Thanks Raz”[/color] she said simply as she accepted and then warped the money away to sit in a little pile in the twilight realm, before adding [color=Aquamarine]”I’ll be sure to spend it wisely”[/color] cheekily.

It certainly looked like they’d need the cash, as it turned out the Thieves' acquisition had mostly been for themselves, and it wasn't a great selection either. Fortunately for Midna, in looking around for their clothes in her pocket dimension, she inadvertently came across something she had almost forgotten about that turned out to be quite handy for the upcoming situation: the [url=https://i.imgur.com/yaF5PeJ.png]X-Naut uniform[/url] which came complete with a nice thick set of gloves and sturdy boots along with its head to toe covering guise.

[color=Aquamarine]”Goddesses this is sweltering”[/color] the unrecognizable princess complained after applying the uniform to herself, becoming the perfect picture of an X-naught, if a bit taller, with the floppy ‘ears’ on the hat standing straight up to cover her helm’s twin prongs the goggles going on top of her mask/helmet combo and with her new flygon tail and and twintails dangling out the back of the disguise that entirely gave the game away if you looked at her from behind. So not really the perfect picture at all.

[color=Aquamarine]”Still, this’ll work for me, that’s for sure”[/color] she said, before proceeding to remove it for later use and pointedly not offer the money she’d gained to anyone else. That was her 20 gold now, and no one else's.

It turned out that they didn't need to worry about money after all, because while Minda was skimming around town collecting purple coins (which could only be used in one specific store as it turned out. Midna ended up buying a sombrero with what she found just because she could, and then brutalizing it with a sword so she could wear it and her helmet at the same time. The shade it provided was delightful) and failing to find anything else of value in the tourist trap of a town to be gained for anything but cold hard cash, the others more or less managed to bully the sport’s shop’s owner into letting them borrow everything they needed for free.

Surprisingly, this bout of not quite thievery garnered no response from the town’s guardians, a pair of masked wrestlers. On top of that, not only did they get their climbing gear for free, they also got a free lunch as well which, while Minda was confused by the whole affair, she could not complain about it as she sat in the shade with her new straw hat and munched on something called a taco. Well. she could complain about how messy the thing was, but that was about it. It was quite the delicious and spicy meal.

While the large group was chowing down on and around their train, its conductor pointed out just how big their group was, and how it might not be the best idea for them all to go up.

[color=Aquamarine]”I’ve climbed up a snow covered mountain before, Snowpeak back in Hyrule, so I know a bit about it. Plus if things get too bad I’ll just hitch a ride with Braum”[/color] She informed them, before jokingly adding [color=Aquamarine]”Plus, you’ll want me around to lend a hand I’m sure”[/color] while gesturing with her shadow hand as a way of informing them that there was no way she was being left behind.

She was very sceptical about Rasputin’s zip-line idea regarding getting everyone up to the top [color=Aquamarine]”That’d need to be a really long rope”[/color] she pointed out, before suggesting that [color=Aquamarine]”It’d probably be better to try and lure this thing down to anyone who can’t climb rather than bring everyone up to it anyway. Set up some kind of ambush lower down the mountain kind of thing? I'm pretty fast so acting as bait wouldn’t be any problem,”[/color] both because it had some genuine tactical value, and because it gave those staying back something to do and an excuse that didn't involve admitting weakness.

She did not want a repeat of having people being blown out into the desert, that was for certain, so if some people didn't think they could make it up there, then she for one did not want them to come.

Someone who clearly wanted to come despite not being suited was Minamoto and though she had a vested interest in having her friend come along, she wasn't exactly full of good suggestions with regards as to how he could make his wheels fit for snow and mountain climbing. Her world didn't have tires, let alone ways to winterize them after all. 

[color=Aquamarine]”Maybe use some kind of climbing gear with your second set of arms? Like those technical walking sticks the shop had?”[/color] she suggested, vaguely remembering seeing said equipment in the store while passing by it.

Adding to the twenty four considering whether they were going to go was an unexpected twenty fifth, someone who Primrose knew and introduced as; Therion, a friend she had run into in town.

[color=Aquamarine]”Lucky you”[/color] Midna commented upon the situation despite having had exactly the same kind of encounter catching up with Agitha in the last town. Well maybe not the exact same, seeing as Prim was apparently close enough and confident enough in this Therion to invite him along, where for Midna meeting the bug collector had mainly been a welcome novelty for the princess at most, who had put little thought into leaving the woman behind and in the dark after their brief meeting.

She actually reflected upon this a bit before shrugging off her jealousy and drifting over to properly introduce herself to the man, giving the somewhat raggedly dressed scoundrel a curious look over. With him standing next to the elegantly attired Primrose they certainly made for an odd looking pair.

[color=Aquamarine]”I’m Midna”[/color] she introduced herself simply, leaving out any honorifics, before adding [color=Aquamarine]”Welcome aboard Therion. Want to come freeze your butt off half way up a giant mountain? There’ll be a fight with a giant flying serpent at the top for your efforts and, if we’re lucky, maybe something even more dangerous too.”[/color] mostly to see his reaction.