[center][h3]Forbidden Kingdom ~ Esaka’s Middle Tier[/h3]
[b]Word Count:[/b] 3371
[b]Level 5 Captain Falcon:[/b] 92/50
[b]Exp Gained:[/b] +4
[b]NEW EXP Balance---[/b] 96/50
[color=BC8DBF]Therion - [u]Level[/u]: [b]10[/b] - [u]Total EXP[/u]: 341/100[/color]
[color=lightgoldenrodyellow]Pit - [u]Level[/u]: [b]8[/b] - [u]Total EXP[/u]: 291/80[/color]
[sub][@Double][@Yankee][/sub][/center]
The reuniting of the Esaka-based team of Seekers had ended up being short lived. On top of three members still absent and the lobby not big enough to hold all of them, the collision of opposing personalities and sudden revelations about the World of Light for the newcomers made things a little awkward to say the least. To be fair, even though the sun was setting there was still time left in the day, so when people filtered out rather quickly it was hard to blame them. As he'd already said, Therion did not plan to get up to anything else that day. He'd see all he needed to of the city, and he was not interested in committing petty crime (yet). Besides the tip of his tail idly flicking back and forth, he didn't move as he watched the others filter out in pairs.

He glanced out one of the lobby windows, then cut his gaze back to the few others who hadn't yet left. Captain Falcon was still around. He was a bit focused on eating his meal since he’d let the conversation with Terry distract him a bit. Ultimately an inoffensive presence. Then there was the team captain, who after seeing off most of the others with a smile and a promise to be around if they needed him, was half-pacing around the room and attempting to peek out some of the building’s side windows to see if he could spot… something. Probably the two latest recruits, if Therion had to guess. He appeared to be deciding if he should do something about it or not. After a few minutes of that, though, the Orsterran found it to be getting annoying. 

[color=BC8DBF]"Leave them be,"[/color] he sighed, dragging his legs off of where they rested on the coffee table so that he could sit up properly. [color=BC8DBF]"If they're cut out for this they'll come back. If they're not then they won't."[/color]

Pit huffed, sending Therion on a dubious look. It was a rather brusque way of looking at things, but the thief wasn't completely wrong. From what Pit had heard, even before he’d joined there were plenty of people that came and left once the going got rough, or even well before that. He wasn't worried about Terry of course; Pit and Terry hadn't been close friends, but they'd talked plenty back at Alcamoth. The angel knew that guy had a heart as big as his muscles. But that short girl had definitely seemed like she was taking the whole de-storied thing pretty hard. She’d stormed out without even saying hello back! 

…well, at least she had Terry to try and cheer her up. Pit went over and flopped down into one of the chairs around the table that Yayama had previously occupied, letting his wings droop over the armrests.

[color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"I guess you’re right,"[/color] he said, [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"but I’m not happy about it! I wish there was an easier way to do this part."[/color]

Concealing the full truth from anyone freed wouldn’t be right, but not everyone dealt with that truth well. Normally Pit wouldn’t hesitate to try an inspiring speech, but what worked for Skyworld’s centurions almost never did for anyone else. If only everyone was as receptive to militaristic encouragement about fighting for justice under the banner of the Goddess of Light.

[color=1f66b2]”Don’t worry about Terry.”[/color] Captain Falcon finally spoke up, still finishing up the meal he had ordered himself. [color=1f66b2]”Ammy and I will be around him plenty during the King of Fighters tournament. I’ll make sure to ease Terry into all this as best as I can.”[/color]

At that Pit perked up, pulling his legs up into the seat with him as he flashed the bounty hunter a smile. [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"I won't, I know I can count on you, Cap!"[/color]

Therion didn’t reply, merely offering a half-hearted shrug. This was dangerous business, and people had died. [i]Would[/i] die. He’d considered abandoning the fight and leaving it to the others a few times, though it hadn’t been for a while now that he was in deep enough that his personality had been altered. Ultimately, if anyone stuck around after hearing all the crazy shit that had happened to themselves and the universe, it was their prerogative.

Another couple of minutes passed. Unwilling to sit in silence, Pit spoke up again with a change of topic.

[color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"So what’re you guys gonna do for the rest of the night?"[/color] he asked.

Lest he get roped into anything, Therion was quick to reply. [color=BC8DBF]"I already said; I’m done for the day."[/color]

One didn’t have to be particularly observant to see that Pit was disappointed with that answer. He was honestly fishing for something to do himself. He would have gone with Sakura and Amaterasu to go check out that town, take out a few monsters and earn a bunch of veggies (it sounded like a great time), but he was too busy fretting. Reconnecting with Lady Palutena was something Pit couldn’t have been happier about, but it was a little bit of a double edged sword too - the angel had begun to slip back into an old bad habit and relied on her for advice much too often, so when she was busy, like now, indecision crept in.

He really needed to keep working on that.

For now he let out a puff of breath and leaned forward in his seat, glancing out the window that Therion had looked out of once more. 

[color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"Do you not want to go out in the rain? It looks like it’s already stopped, you know!"[/color] Therion’s nose wrinkled, but before he could reply Pit went on. [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"Is it because there’s still puddles and stuff? And you’re part cat? Even though miss-"[/color]

[color=BC8DBF]"That’s not why,"[/color] the thief snapped. Thankfully Pit paused, though his mouth was still half-open.

[color=BC8DBF]"I’m not scared of a little water. Just don’t feel like it. And…"[/color] Therion paused too, blinking when he realized what he was about to say. He’d been feeling uneasy since before the group had even arrived in Esaka, and now the rainstorm… there’d hardly been a cloud in the sky, but all of a sudden the weather had changed - and then changed again just as quickly. 

Call him superstitious, but it was a weird omen. 

Pit had leaned even farther forward towards Therion, curious eyes urging him to continue. After a moment Therion did, admitting his bad feeling around a lump in his throat. [color=BC8DBF]"...I have a weird feeling about that storm."[/color]

[color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"The storm…? Are you scared of thunder or something?"[/color]

Like a distant memory, the hazy image of a flash of lightning seeped into Therion’s mind. 

[color=BC8DBF]"...no."[/color]

[color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"Hm."[/color] Pit gave Therion his space back, reclining and crossing his arms as he thought. Intuition wasn’t something he’d ever discredit, especially when he was prone to going with his own gut when he wasn’t being guided by Lady Palutena and had to. [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"I guess… it was kind of weird how quick it rolled in and out. It was kind of like that in… um, this farm town we went to after leaving Midgar. It was a nice day, then storm clouds, then boom! Z showed up."[/color]

Falcon, who had been listening, finally spoke up again. [color=1f66b2]”I wasn’t there but… that consul was the one who called himself the God of Thunder, right?”[/color] He asked, his meal and drink finally finished, [color=1f66b2]”Maybe he wasn’t actually exaggerating about that little claim, then? Either way, I’d probably be a little wary of storms too if that had been me.”[/color]

Pit nodded. [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"He wasn't, I could tell he was a god. And I think... after meeting a Zeus here in Esaka, Z's probably a different one."[/color]

Of course the angel made sure to add, [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"but he was nothing we couldn't have taken care of eventually! [sub]Especially if I'd had the Lightning Chariot..."[/sub][/color]

[color=BC8DBF]"I'd be more worried about B than Z. She uses lightning too,"[/color] Therion said, not even bothering to refute Falcon's comment about wariness. The thief sunk a little deeper into his chair again, closing his eyes and letting his ears stand at alert on top of his head. 

He didn’t seem all that eager to continue the conversation, and so in the interest of cheering up their team captain, Cap threw the angel a bone in the fun department. [color=1f66b2]”I was thinking about hitting a gym and getting in a workout before it gets too late. You know, if… that’s something you’re interested in?”[/color]

[color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"Sure!"[/color] Pit chirped, already somehow on his feet. He didn't think he needed the exercise, but it'd be better than sitting around - plus he'd get to spend some time with his fellow Smasher. [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"Let's see who can lift the most, heheh! Oh, I wonder if the regular gyms here compete like the dojos!"[/color]

[color=1f66b2]”No clue.”[/color] Falcon said with a shrug, [color=1f66b2]”I guess I wouldn’t be surprised if they did…”[/color] He paused briefly at the door that led outside where the rain was tapering off, though there was still a drizzle. [color=1f66b2]”An umbrella would sure be nice about now. Oh well, not much I can do about it.”[/color] With an exhale and a shrug of his broad shoulders, Cap stepped out into the evening weather.

Pit paused only to wave goodbye to Therion as the two veterans left, and though the thief didn't wave back he'd at least cracked an eye open at the sound of the door and tipped his head a little in their direction. Outside Banishing Flats the pair of Seekers found Esaka to be much like the rest of those who'd left had found it: damp with dimming light, but still full of life.

Most martial artists trained at their own dojos when they weren't challenging others, so it was no surprise that Captain Falcon and Pit didn't immediately find a regular old public gym. Besides the dojos, in the Mid Tier there were a plethora of businesses and a residential section... with many sporting casual dueling rings or other places for people to spar, but that wasn't exactly what the two were looking for. They figured that a normal gym or two must be around [i]somewhere[/i], because the people that weren't yet signed up with a dojo, or that had been kicked out of theirs, must have a place available to train, right? So they kept on.

After stopping at a promising looking building where a man in a blue gi and black belt was taking a break outside with a feisty looking [url=https://i.imgur.com/R69oKO4.png]critter[/url], they were told it was actually a gym for said critters - but thankfully they hadn't struck out yet, as the karate master pointed them in the right direction.

Eventually, they finally came upon an area that was basically a neutral neighborhood, with a few places that advertised personal trainers that would improve a fighter's skills guaranteed, or that boasted they were open 24/7 for the real dedicated body builders. 

And then there was one painted in bold yellow with a sign in big block letters that read "Kinder Gym." It was this one that Pit pointed out.

[color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"Look, Cap! Weird, right? You think all the other gyms are full of bullies or something, and this one's full of nice people?"[/color]

[color=1f66b2]”Hmm, maybe?”[/color] Falcon replied with a shrug, and since there were still pockets of clouds overhead said, [color=1f66b2]”Considering how long it took before we found this gym, I’d say we oughta check it out before we end up getting rained on.”[/color]

And when the pair of veteran Smashers entered the gym, the first thing that caught Captain Falcon’s eye was the presence of a panda sparring with a brown bear - a grizzly maybe? Were these… domesticated like pets? Or were they anthropomorphic and sentient? Most of the time it was easy to tell at a glance. But not with these particular bears. They stood on their hind legs, going at it like proper martial artists, but even then the jury was still out. 

The second thing of course was the [url=https://i.imgur.com/Bd6a9Kv.png]interior[/url] of the gym itself. Bright pastel colored blocks made up the walls, with sky blue panels and cartoon animals painted on the ground or projected from lights in the ceiling. Besides the wide open area in the center meant for sparring, currently taken up by the aforementioned bears, there was plenty of gym equipment -weights, treadmills, and the like- though they were also multi-colored and at times covered in a plush mat-like material for safety. Some were even in miniature sizes!

[color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"It's all kinda... cute?"[/color] Pit commented with a confused tilt of his head, not having connected the dots just yet.

Though the sun was setting, there were still a few other people that could be found scattered about the facility: a simplistic looking [url=https://i.ibb.co/rRJ0V81W/r3e3gxP.png]person[/url] in a one-piece pajama set, a [url=https://i.imgur.com/Hmnu1IU.png]school girl[/url] who seemed to be wrapping up her workout, a pair of [url=https://i.imgur.com/Y0sKRaS.png]chibi[/url] [url=https://i.imgur.com/AgQizUH.png]fighters[/url] chatting together, and a [url=https://i.imgur.com/YBmrvV8.jpeg]family man[/url] who was busy using his own children as weights, much to their delights.

The man noted the newcomers and shouted a hearty, "Welcome!" from across the gym. A little closer to them, a [url=https://i.imgur.com/GgeloIs.png]woman[/url] who was manning what probably counted as a front desk smiled at the Seekers. "It's always nice to see families here. There's no fee to use the equipment, so make yourselves at home."

[color=1f66b2]”Families?”[/color] Cap inquired. Did they think he and Pit were related? And from the sounds of it, it made the bounty hunter think this gym was meant to be family-oriented. He glanced questioningly at his angelic compatriot (who to be fair looked as lost as he was) before giving his muscular shoulders a shrug, [color=1f66b2]”No fee, you said? Well, in that case, thank you very much Miss, er…”[/color]

"Melike," she replied with all the cheery professionalism of a businesswoman, despite her casual, comfortable attire. More than likely she was the owner of the gym - an establishment which did indeed cater more to Esaka's younger generation of fighters and their guardians. After a moment Melike said, "you wouldn't happen to be new to the city, would you? Here for the tournaments? If you are, make sure to cheer for my husband there in World Warrior tomorrow~"

"As long as they let me in this time!" The man in question commented, grumbling something about his fighting style not being appreciated enough. 

[color=1f66b2]”Yep, you’ve got us rightly pegged. We’re new alright, I’m here for the King of Fighters myself.”[/color] Cap explained with a friendly grin as he already began walking toward the training weights. [color=1f66b2]”My angelic friend here entered the Mortal Kombat, I believe.”[/color]

That elicited a soft gasp from Melike, probably because of how young Pit looked. “The Mortal Kombat…? At your age?”

The angel had been ready to preen about being a tournament contestant (though technically the participants weren't going to be finalized until tomorrow morning), but he about deflated once again at Melike's reaction. He was getting used to it, but that didn't mean he disliked it any less. And, finally, he then put the pieces together about the "Kinder Gym," just barely resisting slapping a hand to his forehead. 

Instead he puffed himself up and declared, [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"Hey! You're looking at the next Kombat champ here!"[/color]

[color=1f66b2]”Oh, he’s not quite as young as he looks.”[/color] Cap assured the gym owner, [color=1f66b2]”And he’s more than capable of handling himself.”[/color]

[color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"That's right!"[/color] Pit said, glad that Falcon had his back - not that he ever doubted it. 

"Is that so..." the woman replied. She seemed a little dubious about that, but not enough to question them further. The Kinder Gym accepted anyone regardless, and even some of her regulars (the oddly proportioned martial artists on one side of the room) were apparently older than they looked too. 

Pit went to join his fellow Smasher after that, making a beeline to the largest set of barbells he could see. He mentioned competing again, pointing out various pieces of equipment they could use for contests, that is if the F-Zero pilot was game. Before they could get started Melike made sure to say, "no disturbing other guests, and we close in two hours!"

Cap made a hearty laugh at Pit’s challenge. Of course he was game, the bounty hunter was always up for friendly competition, it didn't matter if it was on the race track, the ring, or here in the gym. Of course he couldn’t help but feel like he might have a distinct advantage in the weight lifting department. But maybe Pit could even things out on the treadmill?

As expected, Cap’s muscular form gave him the edge in pumping more iron for more reps. So as he guessed, it all really came down to who could last longer on the treadmills. 

[color=1f66b2]”Hope you’re ready to put those legs of yours to the test.”[/color] Falcon said with a grin. Luckily this wasn’t a footrace, otherwise the F-Zero pilot would have it in the bag as he was obviously the faster sprinter of the two. But a more marathon-esque jog on the treadmills was not the same thing. So this was where he was sure Pit would put up the most fight.

Not too put out by being bested in weight lifting (he'd put up a good fight, more than enough to show off to Melike and the other gym occupants that he was definitely a lot stronger than he looked), Pit flashed the man a confident grin. [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"With all the running around I do? There's no way I'm losing this one!"[/color]

With two parallel machines claimed, they started off at a brisk jogging pace before gradually ramping the speed up. And up, and up. 

[color=1f66b2]”Careful!”[/color] Falcon playfully quipped, [color=1f66b2]”This is about endurance, not how fast you set the speed to.”[/color] Even when he was supposed to be competing, he couldn’t help but give at least a little tidbit of advice. He liked helping others push their limits as much as he enjoyed pushing his own.

[color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"I can do both!"[/color] If there was one thing Pit had going for him, it was stamina, and though running on the treadmill was different than just sprinting on the ground, he was pretty sure he had this little contest in the bag.

They ran until Captain Falcon had to call it quits, at which point Pit's victory celebration of throwing his arms up into the air almost saw him flung from the still-moving machine. Though the padded walls and floor of the building would have softened any impact, thankfully that didn't end up being the case.

[color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"Okay, what's next!"[/color]

[color=1f66b2]”I think what’s next is that we need to get back to Banishing Flats before we get rained on again.”[/color] Falcon offered apologetically. The rain looked like it was gone now but lingering clouds in the night sky made Cap think it might possibly start again. [color=1f66b2]”Still, that was a fun way to get the old muscles loosened up.”[/color]

If it was earlier in the day Pit might have tried to convince the man to go for one more contest just so things didn't end in a tie, but as he glanced around and saw that by now most of the gym's guests had filtered out he figured that Falcon was right. As little as he needed it, rest was an important part of getting stronger, and it was the eve of what was to be a series of battles for both of them.

[color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"Alright,"[/color] the angel agreed with a nod. 

The proprietress waved to the two as they headed out, bidding them both good luck for tomorrow.

[color=1f66b2]”Good luck to your husband as well.”[/color] Cap called back as he and Pit exited the gym, offering a returned wave to Melike and Hakan as well.

[color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"If you make it in I'll root for you!"[/color] Pit shouted back before the door closed on them. Well, as long as he wasn't up against Sakura or any of the other Seekers in the World Warrior tournament of course. 

Wary that Captain Falcon's words might come true and they'd end up arriving back at the Seekers' chosen lodging waterlogged, the two of them traced their path back towards Banishing Flats to reunite once more with any on their team still loitering around before they retired to prepare for the day ahead.