[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/5r7OTIh.png[/img] [b][color=Aquamarine]wordcount:[/color][/b] 1914(+3) [b][color=Aquamarine]Midna: level 8[/color][/b] EXP: [color=Aquamarine]////////////////////////////////////////////[/color]//////////////////////////////////////(44/80) Level 7 Big Band (56/70) [b][color=Aquamarine]Location:[/color][/b] Sandswept Sky - Oasis next to Gerudo Town [color=Aquamarine]Warp Charges:[/color] 2 [hider=warp locations] Virgin Victory teleport room [/hider] [/center] As the rest of the ladies made their way into Gerudo Village Midna rode along with the big guys towards the out of town market to see if they could pick up supplies for their night out. Camping equipment and clothes were what they had intended to come here for, but as they approached the market a scent in the air got Midna’s stomach to remind her that it had been a very active day, and she hadn’t eaten anything since that sandwich on the mountain top. She sniffed the air and her mouth watered as she got a better whiff of what was drifting on the wind. She clapped Braum on the shoulder and commanded him to [color=Aquamarine]”Follow that smell!”[/color] A few moments later and they’d found the source of said smell, a whole ass hog being rotated on a spit by a man in wearing a palm tree covered shirt and a six gallon hat who introduced himself as: “[url=https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/justcause/images/b/b5/JC3_Tom_Sheldon_Hat.jpg]Tom Sheldon[/url], purveyor of the best damn barbecue stand this side of the apocalypse,” in a typical Texan accent before gesturing a hand towards the main event of his stand in the market (if you could call an open fire a stand) “I see you fine folks smelt my succulent pig. Well lucky for you I’m putting my grilling skills to work as a little side business, so if you have the coin, you can get yourself some prime pork cooked up just right” Braum couldn’t start combing through his inventory for loose change fast enough. For the Freljordan strongman the need to feast was pretty much a given in order to maintain his incredible physique, but Band couldn’t deny that a belly full of pork after a long, hard day’s work sounded very appetizing. Though much of him was machine, there was still enough of a man in there somewhere to crave sustenance as much as anybody. Unfortunately, his own wallet seemed to be a little light at the moment. Matching Sheldon’s price would cost him his bottom dollar. Still, the detective stepped up right after Braum, who had more than enough money after all the transport and delivery commissions he took in Al Mamoon while the rest went off to investigate the Resistance. As he waited for Sheldon to carve off the lion’s portion for an eager Braum, Band considered that he might be able to find some odd jobs of his own to rack up some savings while out here. If the Virgin Victory was going to be stuck here any longer than tonight, might as well. While random commissions weren’t what Big Band was made for, it sounded like a nice change of pace, in a way. Even if there weren’t any tasks that catered to his specific skillset, it seemed like a lot of stuff in this world needed to be punched, and practically anything beat playing the sax on a street corner for nickels and dimes–or fighting against a Skullgirl, for that matter. Behind him, Vandham cleared his throat. “Don’t reckon I saw ya with the group when they came by Alcamoth last, mate,” he said to Band. “Seems like the main teams make new friends wherever they go, eh?” With all the people he saw join the Seekers even since he himself tagged along, Band could help but agree. “Sho ‘nuff. If today’s any indication, we need all the help we can get, too.” Vandham raised an eyebrow. “Oh, yeah? What all’d ya get up to exactly, if ya don’t mind me askin’?” [color=Aquamarine]”We got up there”[/color] Minda said jokingly while pointing a big shadow hand all the way up to the top of the split mountain as she waited in line to get her own, more modest, slice of pork roast [color=Aquamarine]”Buuut that’s rushing ahead to near to the end of the story”[/color] It was at that point, right when she was about to make her purchase, that she realized that, while the stuff she had looted from the catacombs was all shiny and currency, it wasn't exactly in a standard bullion around these parts. [color=Aquamarine]”Don’t suppose anyone knows the exchange rate on silver for gold? Or… whatever these weird [url=https://i.imgur.com/LuakGWN.png]holly ones is[/url]?”[/color] she had to ask, looking rather embarrassed at having not thought of this til now. Nobody really knew, but in the ensuing silence Sheldon looked over. “Well now, what’ve we got here? I dunno if I’d take those, mind, but the great thing about a market’s bein’ able to sell off all yer junk.” After delivering Band his portion he jabbed a thumb at the nearby stalls, some of which seemed to still be open, even if the owners had dozed off. “Cain’t say for sure if ye’ll get what they’re worth, but it’s better’n nothin’, uh?” As he stood by, chewing on his pork slice, Band looked over the night market. “Oughta let young Tora know,” he mumbled with his mouth half-full. “Li’l guy was all over that tomb place, scrapin’ up whatever he got his wings on.” The detective put on a wry smile. “Bet ya he’s already asleep over at the inn, but the minute he hears a way to make money he’ll be wide awake. Then I can make sure he keeps his word, heheh.” Vandham chuckled as he dug into his own serving, which left a choice of shoulder or ham for Midna. [color=Aquamarine]”Drat… well… at least i know exactly what this is worth”[/color] Midna said as she popped her no longer needed Arctic Shield out of her inventory, something she had acquired for exactly 325 gold [color=Aquamarine]”So I can at least afford dinner, and then we can deal with pawning stuff off and buying stuff up in the morning”[/color] and presumably, maybe, find someone who would at least take the old coins for their base mineral value. [color=Aquamarine]”I’ll be right back”[/color] She declared, before scampering off into the night to go find someone to whom it would be of interest and who looked at least moderately awake. She returned a short while later with her spoils and, after acquiring a nice helping of ham, the sale left her with a few coins left. After joining the manly trio, she, Big Band, Vandham, and Braum shared a pleasant meal around the crackling fire in the quiet of a starry desert night. Music would have been nice, a slow and quiet melody to suit the overall mood, but for today the band was all played out. While Vandham didn’t feel nearly the physical toll that the others did, he respected their weary silence. Even if the little group didn’t exchange any words, in this moment they were connected, united by bonds forged in the grueling heat of battle, and tempered in the bitter cold of the frozen peak. Around them the fronds of the palm trees swished softly in the breeze, the whispers of the wind like a distant lullaby, and when they’d eaten their fill the diners’ next thoughts were of slumber. Sheets or sleeping bags from the bazaar would be stifling around them, provided they were big enough in the first place but beneath them they provided the comfort that the course sand could not, and the gentle darkness above could be their blankets. As the others stretched out, Band reclined against a tree, and closed his eyes. The rhythmic rise and fall of his iron lung grew more peaceful, and in a matter of moments the detective drifted off to sleep. While the gentlemen rested their eyes the princess slipped away into the familiar comfortable dark of the night, a blanket of privacy her eyes adapted to a world of eternal darkness allowed her to navigate with ease. A half turn around the oasis later and she had a secluded spot by the lake side where she could get herself clean before sleep, the princess sliding into the water under the cover of darkness away from prying eyes. All prying eyes but two. A pair of reptilian eyes attached to a crocodilian broke the surface and eyed an unaware and petite meal ripe for the taking that had stumbled in range. It started slowly creeping forwards towards its prey, passing by an unassuming spiky plant as it did. The ‘plant’ raised its head, sniffed the wind and then it, the Vibrava, noticed that some of the sand was somehow moving towards the lakeside. It cocked its head in a moment of confusion, and then brought up its wings, rapidly buzzing them and sending a directional cone of horrendous sound rushing forth. The air that went along with the attack blew away the surface of the sand, revealing a [url=https://coromon.wiki.gg/images/4/4f/23_Sanscale_A_front.gif]Sanscale[/url] that had been swimming it, which scrambled first away from the sound and then rushed forwards to deliver a fowl chomp to the morsel’s defender when it realized that was little defense. In response the dragon defender that Midna had used to drape her clothes over to air them out while bathing steeled itself rather than risking dropping the items in its care into the sand, and took the nasty nom head on, only for the sandy crocodile to hiss and startle back as a bit of the damage it dealt was reflected right back. The moment of shock/surprise was enough of an opening for the Vibrava to blast out a beam of dragon fire, and then another, dusting the lower level pest after only a few short moments of combat. [color=Aquamarine]”Hey, what’s going on back there!”[/color] came a low shout, the flashy fireshow finisher having brought the princess’s attention to the scuffle going on on the beach of the oasis. She got a reassuring cry back from her mon, and so finished up her wash/swim before floating over to see what had gone on [color=Aquamarine]”Oh, huh. Good bug”[/color] she said when she found the spirit, before storing the spirit and using the not a bug but actually a dragon as a big hair blower (via holding it in a shadow hand and having it flap air at her super fast with its dragonfly wings) to dry off. Re-donning her shaken out and aired outfit, the princess then shadow snuck her way back to camp and into a sleeping bag, leaving no one the wiser of her little excursion. Well, they might have guessed that something had gone on after lights out when they woke up in the morning and found Midna now had a wolfos napping beside her for nostalgia reasons, but as to what, well that wasn’t all to clear. What mattered was that a new day had dawned! Oh and that at least half of them had no money to buy breakfast, which was not an auspicious way to start the day it had to be said.