[center][h3]Tora, Poppi, and Big Band[/h3]
[b]Location:[/b] Sandswept Sky
Level 9 Tora (225/90) Level 9 Poppi (225/90) Level 7 Big Band (53/70)
Midna’s [@DracoLunaris], Sectonia’s [@Archmage MC], Primrose and Therion’s [@Yankee], Jesse’s [@Zoey Boey], Raz’s [@TruthHurts22], Raiden’s [@XoXKieroBombXoX], the Phantom Thieves, Braum, the Scout, Peacock, Tharja
[b]Word Count:[/b] 2188[/center]

Things had gotten messy in a hurry between the mad scramble for badges and the frantic efforts of mercenaries and Seekers alike to secure a safe retreat for their comrades. While the sand worms posed little threat even if allowed to leap up directly under someone, the Sabogar pack and their twin Saboquill leaders posed a serious problem alongside their more flowery aerial counterparts, all of them boasting both dangerous powers and troublesome passive abilities, as those who took them on quickly found out. Unlike most of their comrades, Tora and Poppi Alpha dealt low damage but could soak up tons in return, making them best suited for tackling the thorny threat. Despite that, since their mission wasn’t to exterminate the Spectrobes but hold them off while their friends got going, a quick switch to Poppi’s Wind Core had allowed the pair to better keep the creatures at bay while taking minimal retaliation.

The others who joined them on the frontlines didn’t get that luxury. Whenever Vandham approached a Sabogar, his twin scythes eager to clear out some weeds, he could do little but grin and bear it as he fought it back. Luckily the Adult-stage Spectrobes reflected only twenty percent of the punishment they sustained, compared to their Evolved-stage leaders’ fifty, and in terms of hardiness Vandham had them beat. Rather than fight them directly, Shovel Knight strove to bury his enemies or flip them off their feet. Sectonia and Midna went on the offensive too, taking on some of the most threatening monsters around other than the stunned Molduga. With a little help from their friends they managed to squeak out a victory against the Florami and Saboquill, taking their spirits as they then fled to safety aboard the Virgin Victory.

While the Twilight Princess dealt with one, the second Saboquill gave its attention to Asbestos. After figuring out what its deal was, the Savra girl happily stopped attacking altogether, and for all its strength the monster couldn’t penetrate her shield. She continued to alternate between taunting the beast and deftly blocking its attacks until her badge warped her back to the ship, leaving her lightly winded and more than a little disappointed that her fun had come to a sudden end. Band shook his head in disbelief at the rambunctious operator, wondering how someone could get a kick out of all that. Regardless of her methods, a quick head count proved that nobody had been lost in the chaos, and the detective gave a sigh of relief. The fact that the extraction had gone off without a hitch was a cause for celebration, a better end than he could have ever hoped for to the craziest day that he’d ever had the misfortune of experiencing.

[center][hider=For Vibrava]New spirit absorbed:
[url=https://i.imgur.com/o8J0xiU.png][b]Sabogar[/b][/url]
The host’s legs have become more reptilian, with a bulbous cactus-flesh texture that extends up and over the host’s back. The tail has also gotten thicker, with the same sort of yellow spikes that form claws on the legs. Four round, melon-shaped cacti have sprouted on its back, clustered at the base of the host’s wing behind the head. This spirit confers the Power [b]Hit Reflect[/b], which causes 20% of all damage dealt to the host to be inflicted to the attacker as well, calculated prior to defense modifiers and immunities. This also applies to the vibrava’s owner if both are together. This spirit also confers the Weakness [b]Plant Property[/b], increasing the host’s fire weakness to 4x[/hider]

[hider=For Midna]You have acquired:
[b][url=https://i.imgur.com/BBs2LwL.png]Sabo Shield[/url][/b]
This shield provides a bit of extra defense and a little bit of extra attack. Because of the spikes, it will damage the enemy equal to the damage the player receives while shielding, calculated prior to defense modifiers and immunities. Merely equipping the shield will not grant this effect though

And:
[b][url=https://i.imgur.com/jmE7Jav.png]Mimic Tooth Necklace[/url][/b]
When worn, any chest the wearer attempts to open will be unlocked automatically if locked, and also be a mimic. The mimic deals more damage depending on the quality of what’s inside it and behaves as if whatever’s inside it is equipped[/hider][/center]

After the excitement died down everyone settled in for the trip as best they could. Some went inside in the hopes that a shower or similar facility might be present, but as a dual-purpose troop transport and war machine the Virgin Victory was lucky to even have an onboard lavatory. other than Wonder Toilet of course, who did not appear eager to fulfill his namesake’s function in any capacity whatsoever. Worse still, there wasn’t nearly as much room inside the ship as it might first appear, with much of its interior space split between the sophisticated engine room and a massive deployable cannon from midship to bow. When it came to a shower, Primrose and Midna would have to hope and pray for suitable accommodation where they were headed, but at least they could wash their faces in the bathroom and enjoy the air conditioning in the interior. Sectonia, unfamiliar with the technology in use aboard the Virgin Victory, attempted to get in touch with Commander Nelson via the intercoms he used to welcome the Seekers, but with the communication system offline she received no response from the wall-mounted apparatus.

While their companions took it easy in the hold below, Tora and Poppi stayed up top on deck. Watching the sunset was one reason, but the splendid spectacle they really wanted to see was their old friend. “Vandham!” they called together, jogging over to where the huge man sat against the deck’s railing with the wind jiggling his pompadour.

“G’day!” Vandham greeted them with a coarse smile. “Worked up a sweat there, eh kids?” He wiped at his brow to emphasize the point. With how hard he’d fought both his face and his brawny arms were shiny with the stuff, and when the wind blew across his body it helped cool him down just as well as the airship’s AC might have. Plus, his heaving lungs were glad for the fresh, clear air. No amount of sweat, however, would stop Tora from bouncing straight into Vandham’s arm and wrapping his wings around the guy in a big Nopon-hug.

The mercenary leader just laughed. “‘Ey now, what’s all this, then? Don’t tell me you lot were worried about me?”

“Yes!” Tora exclaimed, squeezing tighter. “We were worried that you going sacrifice yourself for us again, meh!”

Vandham shook his head, a quizzical expression on his face. “There ya go about me dyin’ again, just like back in Alcamoth. I mean, I can think of worse ways t’go, but I ain’t in any ‘urry to kick the bucket or anythin’, ya hear?”

“Sorry,” Poppi told him, her face apologetic. “It just sort of hard to come to grips with, after all. Things not make total sense. We just glad to be back with you, is all.”

“Very glad, meh-meh!” 

Their friend chuckled and he tousled Tora’s hair, then reached out and patted Poppi on the head, too. “Well, I ain’t gonna question it. All’s well that ends well, as they say. I’m glad t’see ya again too, kids.”

After a moment Tora pulled himself away from Vandham’s chest and looked up at him, subjecting the man to his trademark unflinching eye contact. Memories of past losses, both distant and recent, swirled in his mind. “If you mean it, just promise Tora one thing, meh! If we ever get in bad spot, don’t stab belly with scythes! After everything Tora and Poppi been through, we heroes now, too! We strong enough to make sure all friends make it through, together.”

A flicker of amusement raced across Vandham’s features, but something else quickly replaced it–something like pride. “Heh. Well, if ya say so. Ya do look a fair bit tougher’n last I saw ya, Poppi ‘specially. So yeah, I promise. Won’t go stabbin’ meself, I swear.”

“Music to Tora’s ears, meh!” the Nopon sang. Vandham invited Poppi to sit beside him and Tora, and with a smile the artificial blade joined him. There, the three settled in to watch the sun set over the ocean together, the spectacular display long overdue for enjoyment in peaceful silence. Nestled between his beloved companion and temporary father figure, Tora breathed slowly, tired but happy. “Tora just wish other friends here to see this with us.”

“Me too, Masterpon,” Poppi murmured. “Me too.” She heard a funny sound and looked over to see her creator sound asleep, too tuckered out from the day’s trials to even see the sunset to its conclusion. Smiling, she made a mental note to pin the memory for later.

[hr]

[center][img]https://i.redd.it/7kc1vrfhl7241.jpg[/img][/center]

It was well past dusk by the time that the Virgin Victory set down on the outskirts of Gerudo Town. When the airship slowed down to fly a loop overhead, those who ascended to the its upper deck could get a good look at the desert settlement from above, and take in its unique features. The city featured a main avenue dotted with palm trees, the colorful silks and satins of market stalls illuminated by cheery firelight, and angular sandstone buildings whose rooves appeared to be pools of water that glinted in the moonlight, connected by aqueducts to form a circuit all throughout the city that began at the three great stone goblets that towered over the palace. All this seemed to be enclosed by a high stone wall, patrolled by statuesque [url=https://i.imgur.com/MNsjNlM.png]Gerudo guardswomen[/url] armed with enormous spears and greatswords.

In the end, however, the Virgin Victory circled around and came down about a mile south of Gerudo Town, at an [url=https://i.imgur.com/4CkuJDE.png]oasis bazaar[/url] in the desert. Thanks to the lake the ship could land without having to worry about the stabilizing fin on the underside, and thanks to the onboard short-range warp technology the passengers could teleport straight to the shore without having to worry about getting their feet wet, unless they happened to fancy a late-night dip.

Before anyone disembarked, however, Commander Nelson booted up the intercom to address them once more. “Welcome to Kara Kara Bazaar,” he announced. “As you may have noticed, we did not in fact land at our stated destination, Gerudo Town. To put things plainly, men are expressly prohibited from entering that settlement, for what we believe to be cultural reasons. And yes, that goes for males of all species, not just humans.”

Tora’s mouth had opened to say something, but he promptly closed it again.

Nelson’s explanation continued without missing a beat. “As such, all ladies aboard the ship can hike over and find whatever accommodations they might wish in Gerudo Town should they want. Only one member of the scouting team that came this way prior happened to be female, but she reported quite the incredible assortment of shops and dwellings within. Alas, gentlemen, no need to be envious, for while it is a far cry from true civilization, the Bazaar has everything we might need in order to spend the night, including a general store, and an inn. Be on your best behavior for the locals, and I’m sure we’ll all be right as rain, come morning.”

As the intercom clicked off, it left behind a number of mixed feelings. His curiosity ignited by the prospect of a town full of women and further stoked by the idea that he’d be denied entry because of his sex, a frustrated Tora slouched back down against the railing. Band simply sighed. “Well, there go any chances o’ gettin’ my tin can fixed up.”

Tora suddenly perked up. “Hang on, meh. If friend Band’s machiney bits giving grief, Tora can take a look!”

Band glanced at the little fuzzball with one eyebrow raised. “Ya sure ya got the know-how, li’l man? From where I’m standin,’ it looks like we’re on two totally different wavelengths when it come to tech.”

“No problem!” the Nopon declared. “Tora real whiz when it come to figuring things out, meh! Besides, it only fair that Tora do best Tora can. After all…” Wings akimbo, he closed his eyes and gave a sagacious nod as he huffed. “Us guys need look after one another, too!”

His companion, meanwhile, tapped her finger against her chin. “Poppi wonder if allowed in Gerudo Town, since Masterpon designed Poppi to be female.”

Her speculation overshot Tora completely. “Poppi!” he exclaimed, looking horrified. “Surely you not think to leave poor Masterpon out alone!?”

“What happened to ‘guys look after one another’?” Poppi stared at Tora’s pleading expression for a solid two seconds while Asbestos snickered. “Uh…no, Poppi stay with Masterpon, of course.”

“Hooray!”

A minute later, everyone stood on the shore of oasis, between the water and the path leading toward Gerudo Town. After an enthusiastic cannonball into the oasis, Tora got air-dried with the help of Poppi’s Wind Core and then pulled on his overalls. “Have fun in lady town, friends!” he called as he waved to the contingent headed toward the walled city. Among their number was the Virgin Victory’s pilot Alice MacGregor, who would be purchasing the supplies that Shirogane needed to repair the airship on the team’s behalf. Poppi waved them off too.

As she walked away, Asbestos turned and stuck her tongue back out of those left behind. “Sucks to suck, dudes!” she yelled. The Scout gave her the middle finger, which she promptly returned with two hands instead of one. Peacock joined in on the teasing by [url=https://c.tenor.com/mU_j8OqoEkoAAAAC/peacock-skullgirls.gif]waving her arms[/url] around like noodles.

Once the others had left, the leftovers huddled up. At nighttime, the desert was actually pretty nice, with no humidity to retain the day’s heat. It pretty much went without saying that the inn would be everyone’s first choice, but someone had other ideas. “Alright gents, there ain’t enough room in there for all of us,” Vandham observed. He, Braum, and Big Band made for quite the larger-than-life trio as they stood together. “What say we grab some tents from the general store an’ rough it under the stars?”

“I have endured far worse. Count me in!” Braum declared, as jolly as ever.

“Beats gettin’ the stinkeye after my two-and-a-half-ton can squashes the hotel beds,” Band agreed.

“Roight then!” The three nodded together, then clasped hands one after another in a display of manly camaraderie, then marched off. Tora waddled behind, appreciative of his allies’ resolve but eager to collapse into a bed of his own, and ultimately split off with Poppi in the direction of the inn.

[center][h3]Ms Fortune[/h3]
[b]Location:[/b] Deep Blue Seaside - Limsa Lominscuttle Town
Level 9 Nadia (18/90)
Koopa Troop’s [@DracoLunaris], Blazermate’s [@Archmage MC], Geralt’s [@MULTI_MEDIA_MAN], Ace Cadet’s [@Yankee], Sakura and Karin's [@Zoey Boey], Link’s [@Gentlemanvaultboy], Rubick’s [@Scarifar]
[b]Word Count:[/b] 1331[/center]

Once she pulled up a chair, happy to place herself by the Cadet even if he paid no particular mind to where he seated himself, Nadia launched straight into her perusal of the drink menu. While any of the many unfamiliar beers on offer sounded interesting enough to give a try, her eyes drifted toward the cocktail menu, where she found her mark. “Tequila!” she exclaimed. “Now we’re talkin’!” As much as she enjoyed a good rum, tequila was a quintessential drink for any self-respecting latina. Well, if popular culture was anything to go by, at least; a stray like herself couldn’t boast of much of an authentic connection to wherever it was she’d been born. But it felt right, and it was hard to go wrong with the succinct list of ingredients underneath the name of the drink she had her eyes on. A double-check confirmed that there appeared to be no price listed, but it would feel weird if she took the time to ask, and it wasn’t like this place was out to ruin her, right?

“One Tequila Screwdriver, please!” she requested of Cerberus when her turn came around. Ace’s order, made directly after hers, made her wonder if he knew just what he was getting into. That he’d enjoy himself she didn’t doubt, since given the name of the restaurant rum was probably its specialty, but if he planned to drink straight liquor without any flavoring or liquid to water it down, things could go south real fast. Maybe he’d gotten the wrong idea from how she downed her own mixed drinks earlier? It took some serious alcohol to compromise a body that constantly regenerated, after all, much more than would be normal for someone of her slender physique. But eh, he’d probably be fine. With how much he ate he had to be denser than a collapsing star, or something.

With everyone gathered together at what amounted to a single table, Nadia looked forward to an invigorating group conversation, even if that took the form of several concurrent chats that popped up and died out all around rather than a single all-encompassing discussion. Before anything could really get started though, she found herself distracted by Geralt. She caught the Witcher looking at her funny again, making subtle pointed motions in her direction. [i]What’s his deal?[/i] she wondered. Was something wrong? Maybe she’d missed something while cleaning up after her little run-in with those unsavory locals. He might have noticed a splatter of blood somewhere that she couldn’t, or even spotted the hole in the back of her swimsuit where she’d been stabbed, despite the t-shirt she bought to cover up. Or maybe something altogether different concerned him, and it was Nadia Fortune in whom he chose to confide. Either way, it would be better to get whatever this was sorted out now, before she got comfortable and while the staff worked to fulfill the drink orders. Without excusing herself she pushed her chair back from the table, stood, and followed in Geralt’s footsteps.

The two met in the nearby overhang corridor that led back to the street, in clear view of the others but out of earshot. Rather than beat about the bush, Geralt told Nadia what he figured out straight-up. Hearing his discovery prompted no sign of fear or hostility, but instead a wince of embarrassment. “Oh man, I do?” She tugged on her shirt and pressed it up to her nose for a deep whiff. “...I can’t smell anythin’. You must smell pretty good.” She blinked, her brows furrowed. “Uh, I mean your nose smells pretty good. Or…well, ya know what I mean, right?”

Nadia took a quick breath in and out, involuntarily glancing back toward the others, before she faced Geralt again, leaned back against the wall, and crossed her arms. “But sure, no problem. Cat’s out the bag, as they say. Basically, uh, I was in a big hurry when I left my room today, and I fur-got to lock my door. Miiiiiight have, uh, forgotten to close it, actually…” A sudden itch on her cheek forced her to scratch it as she glanced sideways again, an embarrassed smile on her face. “When I got back, my gold was gone. Purr-loined. Couldn’t let that slide, right? Not only was it a stinkin’ ton of money, but it was from my folks, too. Or their ghosts, I guess. So I went and tracked the thief down to this dingy, scummy bar on the bottom level of the shanties. Ya know, the piers stacked up below the towers. I wasn’t plannin’ on things gettin’ messy, but…” The feral hesitated a moment, then sighed.

“There were a coupla nasty customers. Not just tryin’ to beat me, but tryin’ to kill me. One of ‘em was gonna torture me by choppin’ up my leg, one inch at a time. The same dude just flat-out murdered one of his own when they bumped into one another, ‘cause of Galeem’s thing. Another actually stabbed me in the back while her buddy put on the waterworks.” She twisted around, rotating her head to keep her eyes on Geralt as she pulled her shirt to show the hole in her one-piece, as well as the scar from the knife-wound below. The next moment she was back to normal, the reveal brief but highly informative. “At that point, it was kill or be killed.”

She exhaled slowly, thinking about the more pressing matter that Geralt mentioned. A stab wound didn’t necessarily mean much to an immortal catgirl, but the consequences of her actions, however justified, warranted concern. “As for enemies…I honestly dunno. There wasn’t anyone else in the bar, but even if nobody outside heard or saw anything…and they [i]prooooobably[/i] did…word’s gonna get out. I only took out the two scumbags I mentioned before, so that’s five or six free to blab to whoever. In my experience, the authorities don’t give a crap about whatever goes on in the shady parts of town, but maybe things’re different here? And even if the cops or navy or whoever don’t check it out, chances are someone’s not happy. In places like that, everythin’s connected. Like webs in the dark corners of a room. Tug on something, and sooner or later the spider’s gonna come along to check it out.”

Nadia shivered despite the warm air. While she could fend for herself just fine, she knew all too well just how vicious someone could get if one stirred up the wrong hornet’s nest. Crime bosses didn’t appreciate being messed with, to put it lightly. How many more pickpockets, thugs, and thieves frequented that bar, paying their dues to the man behind the counter? And what were the odds that Barth stood at the top of his food chain, despite his claim to the lofty title of Pirate Lord? While brutish and cruel, in a straight fight he turned out to be nothing special, and he lacked the most crucial element of all: brains. That Red Band Rita seemed to have authority over him, after all, but why would their group’s head honcho be whittling at a wood shop right in front of one of the shanties’ entrances? There was no telling what she got herself into, simply because Nadia wished to reclaim what was hers. “Probably for the best we’re leavin’ soon, huh?”

There wasn’t too much more to say on the subject, so the two left the corridor soon too, and returned to the table. Most everyone’s drinks had arrived, but for now Cerberus seemed to be busy delivering bowls of complimentary chips and salsa to the diners around the table, so Nadia had enough time to take her seat and figure out what she wanted before the staff arrived to take the Seekers’ orders. She plopped back down in her seat, took a big sip of her Screwdriver, and began to pore over the menu. “What’d I miss?”

[center][h3]The Chalk Prince, the Fallen Child, the Prisoner, and the Skullgirl[/h3]
[b]Location:[/b] Frozen Highlands - Dragonspine Foothills
Linkle’s [@Gentlemanvaultboy], Frisk’s [@Majoras End], Prisoner’s [@XoXKieroBombXoX] [/center]

Even after leaving the frigid avalanche behind, the cold continued to seep into the bodies of the travelers as they pressed onward along the river as it wound and wove to the Frozen Highlands’ northwestern coast. Funneled by the icy river canyon, it blew straight through winter coats and clothing alike. Though slowed by weather-appropriate apparel, that indomitable chill gained ground bit by bit, and what territory it conquered it would not relinquish without an active source of heat to route its offensive. Despite Albedo’s assurance that he would be fine, Frisk continued to worry about his condition, as well as that of the others’. Linkle and the Prisoner might not feel the cold, but without body heat of his own to keep his muscles warm the latter could still succumb to freezing. It made sense, therefore, that the smoke signal of a potential campfire or chimney would get Frisk’s attention.

Albedo didn’t take long to consider the child’s suggestion. Frost had visibly gathered in his hair and on his clothes, even his eyelashes. The cold had even appeared to dull Linkle’s spirit, for she seemed to have fallen quiet ever since the foiled ambush. An odd hypothesis, perhaps, but more pleasant than the possibility of a burgeoning internal struggle with the Skull Heart. “Very well,” he agreed. “We should avoid risk wherever possible. Let’s seek out this fire, and hope that its current tenants are hospitable.”

With Albedo and Frisk at the forefront the group diverted from the bitterly cold river valley and began their ascent past snow-laden bushes, the spindly branches of long-dead trees, and obelisks of ice that cropped up from the ground. They kept their eyes peeled for aggressive snowmen, but the few specimens they found all shied away the minute they caught sight of the newcomers. Other than that they only spotted a handful of [url=https://i.imgur.com/BECrzRn.png]musk oxen[/url] shoveling through the snow for anything edible. As they drew nearer to the source of the smoke, they rounded an outcropping of rock and alerted a [url=https://i.imgur.com/PaeV3VW.png]white rabbit[/url] a short ways ahead. It turned their way and froze, ears perked up, and instinctively the four stopped in their tracks as well. The bunny was adorable, a contender for the cutest thing Frisk or Linkle had ever seen, but before the rabbit could even turn to flee an arrow whizzed down from the sky and killed it with startling abruptness, pinning its body to the ground.

Albedo blinked a few times, largely nonplussed, and peered up to see a [url=https://i.imgur.com/e4uTU9e.png]white-feathered bird man[/url] descend from above. He landed on the ground by his kill, his sharp yellow eyes narrowed with distrust. “Nearly scared it off,” he told the newcomers, his tone brusque. “What are you doing here?”

“Seeking relief from the cold as we journey along the river,” Albedo told him simply. “We mean you no harm, nor do we intend to steal from you.”

“That’s what they all say.” Unconvinced, Teba kept his eyes on the four as he knelt to retrieve both arrow and prey. His gaze lingered on Frisk, Linkle, and the Prisoner’s weapons, provided they didn’t hide or discard them, and he also couldn’t help but notice that only the Fallen Child appeared to be shivering. “Following the smoke, I assume? There’s plenty of wood around you know, just in case the thought of starting your own fire crossed your mind.”

The alchemist’s expression remained unchanged. “Be that as it may, we were hoping we could rely on another’s kindness. If my friends here were to disarm themselves, would that make a better case for our good intentions?”

Stubborn as a mule, Teba seemed intent on not giving one inch. He sidled to stand in the way, as if to get a clearer shot, or perhaps to place himself between the strangers and something farther up the path. “Only someone with a back-up plan would make such an offer,” he astutely reasoned, his bow not raised, but still held tight. “Plenty of people have hidden powers, and don’t think I don’t know about pocket dimensions. Give me one good reason why I should listen.”