[center][h3]Nobody’s Here: Shmuetax[/h3]
[b]Word Count:[/b] 2373 (+3)[/center]

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”Well then-”[/color] Kamek, who had also expected the hooded figure to vamoose on out of there once she’d pointed them in the right direction vamoose, began once it was clear that this one would be sticking around [color=DeepSkyBlue]”- I don’t suppose you’d be open to answering some more questions we have?”[/color] before glancing at the others for support in this.

He did this just in time to see Rika launch herself into the air via featherfall rune, the ship girl leading the way up the platforming challenge by virtue of not being in any danger whatsoever thanks to said rune’s primary feature. Bowser meanwhile gave him a thumbs up of support, before immediately leaving via leaping up a cloud as well, while finally Jr was busy tinkering around with a commendation of his new ferromancy to weld some of the Zonai machine parts they’d gotten earlier onto a pogostick, prompting Kamek to mentally direct his toadies over be available should the mad contraption he was creating fail to live up to expectations.

With the royals to whom he was advisor to all uninterested, he ended up looking elsewhere for support/interest. Sectonia, both being able to fly and bypass the platforming challenge above, and more astute than the other royal, did stay behind to ask her questions as well. Although she doubted she would get much of anything. His fellow spellcaster in Primrose lingered behind as well, curious to hear the hooded person’s answers. During the time she’d spent with Kamek so far she’d found the old Koopa to be very thorough, but she was sure she’d have a few questions of her own to help fill in the blanks. Assuming, of course, the young lady was willing to answer them.

The Organization girl herself looked far more interested in watching the less cerebral Seekers start their climb than answering any questions from Kamek, but after a moment she gave a shrug. "Ehh, I guess? Just don't ask anythin' shtewpid."

[i]Ah, of course,[/i] Primrose thought to herself, amused. [i]Let’s hope she isn’t one to equate simple ignorance with stupidity…[/i] The dancer thought the chances of that were slim.

[color=92278f]”What do you know about these Consuls and their strange powers? It seems you know a fair amount about the area.”[/color] Sectonia asked, noting that these black robed figures and the letter named people seemed fundamentally different. 

Her inquiry made the girl give a derisive huff. “[i]Psh[/i]. Right tossers they are. There’s twenty-six of ‘em, one for every letter of the flippin’ alphabet, and they’ve got all kinds of nasty abilities. They’re the farmers in a world of sheep, pittin’ everyone against one another and gobblin’ ‘em up when they can’t fight anymore. Hats off to you lot for bumpin’ off P, that rotten little blighter ‘ad it comin’. Unfortunately, that leaves you with the Under’s other Consul, F, and he’s [i]way[/i] worse. Sure, P was a problem, but at the end of the day he was just a bully, a bratty idjit spoiled rotten by too much power. F is smarter, meaner, and a whole lot stronger. He’s been after me for ages, and I nearly got myself killed just tryin’ to keep ‘im busy while you muppets mopped up P in the city, so take it from me. He can tap into spirits to use their powers, switchin’ ‘em out whenever he likes. So far I seen ‘im use six of ‘em. But he’s got somethin’ else, a trump card I en’t been able to pin down exactly. Somehow he moves me around in the blink of an eye. So when he shows that ugly mug of ‘is again, I hope you’re all good and ready.”


[color=DeepSkyBlue]”I had the same experience when I tried to stand up to him. I was taking cover somewhere, and then in a flash I was back out in the open”[/color] Kamek added  before theorizing [color=DeepSkyBlue]”Thinking about it, I might have ended up exactly where I was only a few moments earlier? P was able to jump back in time, so perhaps F can rewind it? It might be a common trend of abilities among them, though I certainly hope not. Take it from someone who has tried to use it in a scheme, time travel is quite the headache”[/color] 

[color=797979]"Farmers, you say?"[/color] asked the deep voice of Ganondorf, who had also apparently elected to delay his climb. At first he had been busy binding one of the Spirits he collected earlier into a Striker. But now, he was becoming interested in this conversation, [color=797979]"If they are the farmers, then what does that make you? The wolves?"[/color] his analogy of course painted the Organization as a group that may not be any better than the Consuls, [color=797979]"If the name of your little club is anything to go by, it sounds to me like you're outnumbered two to one. While we seem to number at least equally to the Consuls if not more so. That all sounds to me like you need us more than we need you."[/color]

The warlord’s words seemed to make the kid sound more smug than ever, almost to the point that it sounded forced. “Heheheh, ya think so? Well, since you’re so smart, ‘ow about you wrap that thick ‘ead of yours ‘round this one. Let’s say I uh, I dunno, took a stick an’ snapped it in ‘alf. If someone offed me, would that fix the stick?” She held her hands up as if searching for an answer. “Eh, maybe I oughta put it in terms a big, tough bad guy like you can understand. If you went and slaughtered some poor village, and then some big ‘ero cut you down to take revenge, would that bring anyone back?”

Shaking her head, she crossed her arms again. “The universe en’t a big spring that Galeem’s keepin’ stretched out, just waitin’ to snap back into place the second you beat it. Once it’s outta the way, somebody’s gotta actually go and fix everythin’. Or, in our case...” Summoning her blade, she planted its head in the ground and leaned on the hilt casually. “Nobodies.”

Her sentiment was one that Primrose knew well. It also put some things concerning the Organization into perspective for her. Her own interactions with them had been limited, going off of the stories she'd heard from her fellow Seekers and how one of their members had helped them in the desert, it was quite clear that to her that the Organization and the Seekers of Light were working towards the same goal... even if they weren't exactly on the same side, so to speak. The secrecy surrounding them still cast their members in a suspicious light, but there could be any number of reasons for that. Primrose had her own guesses as to why, but perhaps the helpful young lady would enlighten them.

[color=D34C25]"It seems to me that if we want the same thing, more cooperation between our two groups would only benefit us - yet you hide most everything about you all."[/color] The dancer realized the hypocrisy in the words she’d said and those she was about to say, but she smiled in a way she hoped was disarming. [color=D34C25]"You would trust us enough to let us take care of the Guardians, but not with anything else?"[/color]

“Uh, no?” The girl’s tone suggested that this might be one of those ‘stupid questions’. “Look miss, I’m sure you’re all very strong and cool, but you lot en’t the first buncha ‘eroes to take a crack at the Guardians, and unless you’re really, REALLY lucky, you en’t gonna be the last neither. [i]We’re[/i] not the expendable ones here, awright?” She sniffed. “I’m already stickin’ my neck out enough as it is.”

[i]As I thought.[/i] Her remark didn't surprise Primrose in the slightest. Based on the information they'd painstakingly collected, she'd judged that this was the case. Why go to the effort to really incorporate would be heroes if they weren't likely to succeed? As much as being on the side left in the dark irked her, and mostly like quite a few of her allies as well, she really couldn't blame them.

[color=D34C25]"Then how long have you all been doing this for?"[/color]

This time, the Organization girl kept quiet for a couple seconds. Only after really thinking did she reply, her response accentuated with a noncommittal shrug. “I dunno. It all sorta blends together. The Clocks don’t tell what time it is, after all. Only ‘ow much is left.”

This made Ganondorf silently narrow his eyes, recalling what he saw in Holograd Castle. So it was important after all. But the man said nothing, not wishing to share information with this girl from the Organization.

[color=92278f]”Clocks… Clock… Are you talking about some special type of clock? I was told of something called a ‘flame clock’ but is that what you're talking about? Do you know anything about those?”[/color] Sectonia said. She then thought for a moment, thinking, before saying. [color=92278f]”... How many ‘heroes’ have been before us, and how are you sure of all of this?”[/color]

“[color=limegreen]Yes, the Flame Clocks! Could you tell us anything more about them? We attempted to open one earlier, but even our combined efforts proved fruitless,[/color]” Rubick said, suddenly popping in. “[color=limegreen]Because of that, it’s rather difficult to perform research on them. But if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that those devices are sturdy.[/color]”

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”And how did anyone else escape Galeem in the first place? Kirby was, as far as I am aware, the only person who was themselves aware of Galeem’s existence who survived its opening attack. No one else had time to prepare or anticipate the end”[/color] Kamek added.

Jesse had lingered near the outskirts of the conversation with her arms crossed. Only now did she realize she was looming or brooding again. She uncrossed her arms and cleared her throat to look a little more approachable and stepped in. [i]Not exactly a vote of confidence. We have someone on our side but they view us more like a rising and falling tide than actual allies. Time left until what, anyway?[/i] The whole thing rubbed Jesse the wrong way.

What the Organization girl assumed would be the perfect spot to end the conversation, as evidenced by the drama of her vaguely ominous send-off, turned out to be merely a lull in the storm. As soon as Sectonia popped back in to ask about the clocks, the floodgates were open once more. Rubick and Kamek quickly piled on faster than the stranger could answer, and she recoiled as if from a pit of vipers. “Whoa, whoa, steady on!” she exclaimed, her hands held up placatingly. “Look, forget about the Flame Clocks, they don’t matter one way or the other to you lot. You’re free, innit? Free to focus on the stuff that really matters, eh mates?” She pointed a finger at the immense cavern’s distant roof. “There’s plenty you en’t aware of, and you don’t ‘ave to be, neither. And I en’t some encyclopedia, you ‘ear? Best crack on before I get tired of all these flippin’ questions.”

Upon hearing that she had no answers, Rubick lost interest in the topic immediately. No sense trying to find answers where there were none. Instead, he would turn to the Organization girl herself. She was a mystery, and Rubick wanted to see what abilities she possessed. 

Sectonia could take the hint, this one wasn’t all that knowledgeable herself, or just wasn’t going to budge. Honestly due to how she spoke, memories of a certain king koopa surfaced for Sectonia, and that was the feeling she got from this person. [color=92278f]”Come on, Kamek. I got a feeling she knows about as much as your ‘king’. In her own methods and ways.”[/color] Sectonia said, offering to at least carry the mage up. It could be noted her tone wasn’t mocking or anything, more just ‘well, I guess that’s that.’ than anything.

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”I’m quite sure his majesty has more experience in these things to be frank. He has, after all, been part of putting an end to two multidimensional crises already”[/color] Kamek replied, as both a refutation and a way to join in on the flippentry. He was in no need of being carried up, however, as he planned to simply teleport to the top once they were done here (and after supplying a flying steed or two for those who wished to bypass the climb as well).

[color=92278f]”Hmm. Perhaps you could recount some of those tales if you are aware of them. If they really happened, it could give us all some insight on the bigger picture.”[/color] Sectonia said as Kamek gave his little jab at the organization member, declining Sectonia’s aid as he had it covered himself.

“Oh, sorry,” Jesse said dismissively in the Nobody’s direction. “Wouldn’t wanna make you mad. What are you gonna do, expend us even harder?” She said with mock fear in her voice.

“Any of these Consuls ever get offed before?” Jesse asked. “Would they have to find a replacement that had the same letter in their name, or would they just swap the letter over?” Those last two questions were rhetorical, obviously. 

The group was certainly not subtle about their frustrations or disdain. Primrose chuckled lightly at Jesse’s comments as a few of them went back and forth badgering the poor girl. If they'd been trying to goad the hooded stranger into giving them more information, they were going about it the wrong way... but honestly it seemed they were just venting without an ulterior motive. Time to get a move on, then.

[color=D34C25]"Thanks for indulging us a little,"[/color] Primrose said to the Organization member, the scarf around her neck beginning to glow as she turned to take her leave.