[center][h3]Esaka, the Tiered City - the Pools[/h3]
[b]Setting:[/b] Drizzly Friday Morning
Lvl 15 Ms Fortune (231/150) Level 11 Big Band (155/110)
Amaterasu’s [@DracoLunaris] Roland’s [@Archmage MC] Pit’s [@Yankee] Sakura & Juri’s [@Zoey Boey] Captain Falcon’s [@Double] Yayama’s [@Chevaleresse] Grima’s [@Goggy]
[b]Word Count:[/b] 2307 / 1263[/center]

Once Nadia gave Beowulf the skinny on what the Seekers were up to in Esaka and how to get stronger, the two parted ways. They were registered for different tournaments, after all, and needed to report to different parts of the Pools. That left Nadia all on her lonesome once more as she made her way toward her first match, but despite her difficult task and the overcast, drizzly day, the catgirl was in high spirits. “Doin’ purr-etty good!” Honestly, she felt confident about her plot to involve Beowulf. It wasn’t exactly something she’d consulted her fellow Seekers about, but they needed all the help they could get. Doofus or not, Beowulf was a solid fighter and a stand-up guy. Now that he knew about fusion, he could push himself even further and maybe come out on top. Even if he didn’t, he was still free from Galeem’s influence, so Nadia felt like she’d done her good deed for the day.

All that remained was to do her opponents dirty.

To make her final descent to the Pools Tier, Nadia eschewed the crowded elevators (plus the prerequisite detour) in favor of climbing down herself. Her hardened claws raked through the chalky stone bricks of the Middle Tier’s outer cylinder, permitting her a leisurely slide down and an easy jump to a nearby walkway once she grew close enough. When she leaped, landed with a roll, and sprang to her feet amidst fighters and yokai on their way to various arenas, nobody so much as batted an eye. “Morning, everyone! You guys wanna see what peak purr-formance looks like? Be sure to check meowt today!” Nadia tried to dash away, nearly slipped off the wet bridge, and settled for a brisk jog instead.

[center][img]https://i.ytimg.com/vi/YBRMne5t-Qc/hq720.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEXCK4FEIIDSFryq4qpAwkIARUAAIhCGAE=&rs=AOn4CLCA61hL3oeNoeVZPVX04YFSXwD_9Q[/img][/center]

Within a few minutes, the feral reached her destination: an ordinary round sandbar of an island, featuring a couple slouching palm trees a little else, all only inches above the water level. A torii gate with a gong stood just off shore, and a wooden boardwalk allowed Nadia to reach the arena without even having to jump. To her mild surprise her opponents hadn’t arrived yet, but Robo-fortune, as punctual as ever, was there to greet her. Of course, before Robo could say anything, Nadia regaled her with a look of mock astonishment. “You again!? We’ve gotta stop meeting like this. People are gonna talk!”

Robo’s gaze was lifeless, not to mention humorless. “I struggle to imagine anyone talking more than you do.”

“Sheesh! I’ve met robots with a heart of gold, but you Robo, you’ve got a heart of cold.” Feigning resignation, Nadia turned to look around. Was it just her, or were there way more spectators here than usual? A surprising number could be found leaning on the railings of the walkways that surrounded this arena, and a few (mostly yokai) had managed to make their way to the top of that ceremonial arch. Most of their eyes weren’t on her or Robo, though. Instead their attention lay on a couple of ladies making their way toward the island. A few of them raised their voices in excited cheers.

“Tao-ka-ka! Tao-ka-ka!”

“Bullet, Bullet, she’s our girl! Punch ‘em, smash ‘em, rock their world!”

Another couple seconds later, and Nadia’s opponents arrived in style, traipsing down the walkway one after the other. The moment she saw them, the thief raised an eyebrow. In front, probably the main fighter, sauntered a [url=https://i.imgur.com/btJ2xLX.png]catgirl[/url] with tan skin, platinum blonde hair, and a face shrouded in shadow. She pranced along whimsically, without a care in the world. Only her round red eyes and big toothy smile were visible beneath her hood. Behind her followed what must be the catgirl’s Kameo, a  [url=https://i.imgur.com/ihY0jQq.png]punchgirl[/url] with a platinum blonde bob cut, dark jacket, and impressive scar. For a second Nadia thought the second newcomer was a catgirl too, but what looked like a tail turned out to be the very long tailing end of her belt. Still, there was no denying that the two women (one with long sleeves, the other with mismatched golden gauntlets) were cut from the same cloth. Which, in turn, made them uncannily similar to Nadia herself, especially in her new outfit. What were the odds…?

“Taokaka and Bullet, huh?” Nadia put her hands on her hips as the pair approached. “They seem popular.”

“From the BlazBlue dojo,” Robo informed her. “Middle-tier, like us, but with far more notoriety and acclaim.”

When Bullet came to a stop a second later, she crossed her arms. “Ms. Fortune and Robo-fortune, huh? Like we didn’t have enough catgirls already…”

“Catgirls rule!” Taokaka exclaimed, bouncing into a cutesy pose. She beamed at the Fortunes innocently. “Butt Floss, who are these guys?”

“I just said their names, and don’t call me Butt Floss!” Bullet slapped a hand to her head with a frustrated grimace. She gave Nadia and Robo a pleading look. “She’s dumb as a rock. Can’t remember anyone’s name, so we all get nicknames.”

As she spoke, Nadia couldn’t stop giggling. “Butt Floss, huh? The nickname really suits you!” Those jean shorts, if they could even be called that, didn’t leave much to the imagination. Although Nadia really wasn’t one to talk, given her original outfit.

“Hey!” Bullet scowled, her cheeks reddening. “You’ll be singing a different tune once we wipe the floor with you. Hey, ‘Kaka!” Grabbing Taokaka’s shoulder, she pointed at her opponents. “We’re here to fight them, remember? To win Mortal Kombat!”

Taokaka’s eyes widened, although her grin suggested that she wouldn’t have any problem with this. “Oh, okay! Let’s get ‘em!”

[b]ROUND ONE: FIGHT![/b]

The golden light of the Heavenly Principles coalesced on the gong, punctuating its announcement with a thunderous crash. Without a moment’s hesitation, both Nadia and Taokaka threw themselves forward in a headlong sprint. Taokaka’s feet left the ground, so the feral jumped up to meet her in midair. Knife-sized blades extended from the slits in her foe’s sleeves as she carved through the air before Nadia could complete her own slash, leading to an instant and frightening realization: [i]wait, she’s faster than me!?[/i]

Taokaka’s claws connected in a counterhit that brought Nadia back to the island’s surface for a full combo. A couple light slaps and kicks led to a double pawlm strike, followed by huge claw slashes fast enough to briefly ignite the air and create magenta trails. After launching the feral upward, Taokaka slashed into and through her, then back the way she came before flipping overhead. A diving slash bounced Nadia off the sand, and Taokaka bent forward to perform a low cross slash before finishing with a forward corkscrew dive.

“Nyow!” Nadia hit the ground and rolled to her feet just in time to see her opponent bring Bullet into the fray.

Taokaka beckoned to her Kameo playfully. “Oh, Butt Floss!”

Teeth gritted, the bruiser charged forward with a heavy straight punch from her big gauntlet. “Smash Hell!” The withering blow, alight with the weapon’s inner flame, just about blew open Nadia’s guard. Bullet whirled around for a revolving hook, and Nadia hunkered down, only to find that Taokaka had already sped forward when she grabbed onto the feral’s arms, planted her feet against her chest, and slammed her with a hooded headbutt that left Nadia flat on her back. 

By the time Nadia shook the stars from her eyes, her body hurting, Taokaka was already in the air and about to plunge. She rolled forward into a back-turned kneeling position to cross beneath her foe before she dove downward. “Tin Cans!” At her bidding, Robo-fortune covered her with a heavy [url=https://i.imgur.com/mKFsko8.png]Theonite Beam[/url] that caught Taokaka as she turned to run forward. Nadia unleashed her pressurized blood to hyper-extend her right arm, grab Taokaka by her collar, and yank her forward into a light [url=https://i.imgur.com/ZbLXs7y.png]Fiber Upper[/url] She snapped up after the launcher into a somersault, allowing her to her helicopter-esque [url=https://i.imgur.com/R5flmeI.png]Wheel of Fortune[/url] into a crushing [url=https://i.imgur.com/6Ci15oO.png]El Gato[/url] axe kick for the groundbounce. “Maid from scratch!” From there she executed the one-two-three slash of her Cat Scratch rekka and finished with Furrserker Purrage, the razor-sharp onslaught leaving the two competitors roughly even.

“Oof, ow!” Taokaka picked herself and shook her head, her blonde braids flying from side to side. “Bad kitties! You’re going to get it!”

After bending over, she launched forward with an incredible burst of speed, zig-zagging so fast that she seemed to leave afterimages. Nadia knew better than to stay still and dodged to the right from the first slash, then back, ducking away to avoid the follow-up. She sprang up to jump over Taokaka, but the spacey speedster leaned back almost horizontally and batted up at her with her paw-sleeves, then jumped herself. Knocked out of the air, Nadia landed off-balance and struggled to block her foe’s [url=https://www.dustloop.com/wiki/images/2/20/BBCF_Taokaka_236C_1.png]Cat Spirit Three[/url], a falling slash that scoured Nadia’s arms. That looked committal enough for the feral to punish, but she guessed wrong. Taokaka used her Rapid Cancel to hop up and catch her adversary with a [url=https://www.dustloop.com/wiki/images/7/79/BBCF_Taokaka_jC.png]double clap[/url] to the head in a dizzying counterhit. “Hee hee!” Gleefully Taokaka drove herself forward with a [url=https://www.dustloop.com/wiki/images/4/44/BBCF_Taokaka_jD.png]pinning scrape[/url] that Bullet followed up with a mighty slug. Nadia flew into a palm tree with a loud [i]CRACK[/i], and she slumped to the sand, Taokaka crouched down, then [url=https://www.dustloop.com/wiki/images/3/33/BBCF_Taokaka_214214C_1.png]hurled herself forward[/url]. “Imma beat the crap outta you!” She pounced on Nadia, then slashed her again and again, until Taokaka got bored, forgot what she was doing, and got up.

With a groan, Nadia pulled herself up off the ground, her legs and clothes coated in gritty sand. She was used to being the best rushdown fighter in the room, and now that she’d gotten a taste of her own medicine, things weren’t looking so hot. She could still win, though, as long as she made the right decisions.

As Nadia rose, Taokaka opened her sleeve and flung a sledgehammer at her. “Kitty Litter Special!”

“Whoa!” The feral sidestepped just in time, and the hammer smashed into the tree behind her in a spray of splinters. Taokaka called Bullet to perform a straight punch (which Nadia managed to check with a [url=https://i.imgur.com/OV3ibAS.png]low sweep[/url]) then jumped backward and sprang off another palm tree with Trick Edge. Her lunging drive attack ran straight into an early reveal of Nadia’s Blue Monday Blockbuster. “Kneed me some damage!” The counter-super stunned Taokaka with a knee to the dome as it popped her up, and after Nadia slammed her down, a bombastic arm swing into elbow drop added insult to injury. “Elb-owned!”

Taokaka sprang to her feet just as quickly, though. She half-stepped away from Nadia’s jabs, then struck back with a series of strikes that put the feral on the defensive again. Finishing with the flailing up-down claws of [url=https://www.dustloop.com/wiki/images/0/0d/BBCF_Taokaka_236A_1.png]Cat Spirit One[/url] left her safe enough to handspring away, then pull out an apple core as she prepared another Kitty Litter Special. Nadia wasn’t having it. “Not so fast!” She used Charge to zip forward as a bolt of lightning, pierce through Taokaka, and solidify behind her for a couple critical swipes. “Up to bat-tery!” She could combo off this, and Taokaka could probably guess that, but unbeknownst to the dummy Robo-fortune was already on her way to lock her down with [url=https://i.imgur.com/lmsHTvI.png]Head Swap Action[/url]. It was a frame trap, and with the combo it gave her, Nadia would clinch the win!

In a very Ms Fortune move, however, Taokaka challenged not with a jab, but with Cat Person’s Secret Art: Hexa-edge. The reversal super cut [url=https://www.dustloop.com/wiki/images/c/cb/BBCF_Taokaka_236236D_2.png]clean through[/url] Nadia’s set-up, flooring both her and Robo-fortune in a single lightning-flash flurry to close out the round.

[b]ROUND ONE: TAOKAKA WINS![/b]

A moment later Nadia blearily came to, her blurry gaze sharpening to reveal her opponent’s silly victory dance. Spectators were cheering, but not for her. She felt very silly herself, and more than a little frustrated, for throwing away the win with one of her famous ‘great ideas’. Her opponent’s reactions were as razor-sharp as her claws, and the fact that Nadia found Taokaka’s speed impressive was saying something. Add in Bullet’s belligerent power, and these two were dynamite. Nadia lay there for a moment, breathing heavily. Her heart was racing. Part of her knew that she could come back stronger, adapt her fighting style, and steal the win. Part of her was scared, overwhelmed, even though she should be the one doing the overwhelming.

After a few seconds, Nadia took a deep breath, put on a smile, and got up. She’d turned the tables on Maya and Mira, and she’d landed some good hits on Taokaka, so this was definitely doable. She just needed to be better. Faster. Smarter. Her foe was good, but she operated on pure instinct. Meanwhile Ms Fortune wasn’t a feral known for her intellect, but against Taokaka, maybe it would finally be her brain cell’s time to shine.

[hr]

In the Pools tier, not all of the arenas were ringed by bridges or boardwalks; some were little more than docks themselves. For Big Band’s next battle, it looked like he’d be fighting atop a [url=https://www.fightersgeneration.com/news2022/game/stage/guilty-gear-isuka-japanese-colony-stage.gif]large wooden platform[/url], flanked by two statues caged in by construction scaffolds. Its rather haphazard-looking planks did not inspire a great deal of confidence in the detective, but if the shoddy raft upon which he fought Rhajang actually held, then this stage should, too. There were many eager spectators situated here already, some around the stage’s edge but most on the nearby scaffolds, and it did not take a master of deduction to figure out why.

Potemkin, the detective’s next opponent, was no ordinary fighter. In a city full of big people, Big Band loomed large, but this [url=https://www.dustloop.com/wiki/images/e/ec/GGST_Potemkin_Portrait.png]Potemkin[/url] stood taller still. He stood at a gargantuan 8’6”, which made him almost a full foot taller than Band himself, and must have weighed in at well over one ton. That made him about half Band’s weight, but the cyborg was ninety-eight percent heavy metal, and if the slabs of muscle sliding around beneath Potemkin’s tight-fitting olive drab uniform were anything to go, this extremely top-heavy giant was all flesh and bone despite his highly technological helmet and gauntlets. Though, Band highly doubted that such a titanic physique could be achieved naturally. Surely steroids had been involved, if not outright magic.

As Band sized his sizable foe up, Potemkin did the same. The two giants stared one another down in silence as onlookers buzzed excitedly about the behemoth brawl that was surely brewing. Band did his best to catch snippets of their conversation, hoping for some clue about who he was up against, since his adversary seemed to be someone of some renown. He could just barely hear worrisome murmurs about Potemkin’s oppressive pressure, absurd damage output, and dangerous throws. [i]A grappler, hm?[/i] He’d assumed as much; nobody with a physique like that would be caught dead hurling projectiles from the far side of a stage. Well, even with his new spring-loaded Lokjaws, an up-close slugfest suited him just fine.

Very few of the onlookers seemed to be in his corner, so Band tuned them out. After a few seconds, he tipped his hat at his rival. “May the best man win.”

Potemkin gave a satisfied rumble as he turned the gesture, his fingers almost the size of his head. “Yes. Here’s to a good fight.”

The Heavenly Principles judged that as the perfect time to begin. [i]ROUND ONE: FIGHT![/i]

“Hammerfall!” With a guttural bellow, Potemkin brought the aggression early and slid forward to bring his fists together in a [url=https://www.dustloop.com/wiki/images/3/37/GGST_Potemkin_Hammer_Fall2.png]crushing slam[/url], a trail of blazing sparks in his wake. Big Band blocked it, noted the strong chip damage, then sidled backward as Potemkin backdashed in a small hop. Potemkin then fell forward to slam the ground, using his heavy [url=https://www.dustloop.com/wiki/images/9/90/GGST_Potemkin_Slide_Head.png]body splash[/url] to create a shockwave. “Slide Head!” By then Band had made a lucky guess, however, and jumped forward with a big-time [url=https://i.imgur.com/012lYKQ.png]Cymbal Clash[/url] that left his foe’s ears ringing as he rolled backward. 

Band sidled forward, then abruptly burst closer with a light Brass Knuckles that Potemkin barely escaped with a backward [url=https://www.dustloop.com/wiki/images/6/68/GGST_Potemkin_Mega_Fist_Back.png]Megafist[/url], a curious retreating hop followed by a double hammerfist strike. Band jumped forward to try and strike low with a downward clarinet thrust, only for Potemkin to repeat his last move and Megafist forward to strike the detective air-to-air. “Bah!’ Band hit the ground and rolled backward, getting to his feet just in time to block his opponent’s [url=https://www.dustloop.com/wiki/images/1/1b/GGST_Potemkin_Garuda_Impact.png]Garuda Impact[/url]. The short-range gauntlet blast’s overwhelming firepower crushed Band’s guard, which left him reeling long enough for Potemkin to push forward with a shoulder bash and batter his block once more with a giant flick of his finger. Before Band even fully recovered, his foe was gearing up to jump again.

Enough was enough. “Hit the brakes!” Band scooted forward with one big arm extended for a medium [url=https://i.imgur.com/1eDKxBp.png]Take the ‘A’ Train[/url]. His grab anti-aired Potemkin, (somehow) scooped him into the inner compartment, and slammed him twice before belting him out. Eager to capitalize in any way that he could, the detective deployed his French Horn and rocketed forward. “Super…Sonic!” His Blockbuster struck several times and sent Potemkin skidding across the wooden planks, close to the edge.

A Brass Knuckle canceled via Emergency Break closed the distance as Band’s foe recovered, and when Potemkin went to try and to check him with a [url=https://www.dustloop.com/wiki/images/9/99/GGST_Potemkin_2D.png]deceptively fast low sweep[/url], Band cut through the noise with a pre-emptive [url=https://i.imgur.com/HpU80Jp.png]Low Rank[/url] organ-pipe pierce. “Speak low!” It couldn’t start a combo, but it did respectable damage and left Potemkin eager enough to challenge that he fell afoul of Band’s heavy Brass Knuckle. “Gimme a hit!:

As surprised gasps and worried murmurs filtered through the crowd, Band pressed his advantage. Feeling more confident about his odds, he went for a jump-in Jelly Roll, only for Potemkin’s Slide Head to completely armor through it. The moment Band landed behind Potemkin, the tremor caused by the immense Indian’s headbutt knocked him off his feet. “This blows,” he grumbled. For the second time, Potemkin pressured him on wake-up with Garuda Impact, and this time he was close enough that Band’s attempt to block the fireblast was a fatal mistake. Potemkin seized him as if he were no heavier than a bag of flour, leaped into the air, and slammed the earth with Band across his shoulders hard enough to create an explosion. “GYAH!”

Unceremoniously, Potemkin pulled his opponent off his shoulders and tossed him to the ground. Band got no time to rest, however, as Potemkin forced him to rise with a downward smack and then battered his crouch-block with another blazing blow. “Garuda Impact!” Staggering backward as embers alighted on his trench coat, Band gritted his teeth and watched Potemkin spend some tension of his own. “GIGANTER…KAI!” His gauntlets opened up, spinning, and sparks flew as the [url=https://www.dustloop.com/wiki/images/3/3e/GGST_Potemkin_Giganter_Kai.png]high-tech giant[/url] unleashed enough energy to create a giant forcefield that began to push toward Band. In another second it would shove him off the edge and into the water, but he very much doubted a strike would dispel it. He had only one chance to act, and a split second in which to do it.

“Hup!” Band jumped, then double jumped over the barrier, just barely clearing it.

Then Potemkin snatched him out of the air in yet another [url=https://www.dustloop.com/wiki/images/d/d0/GGST_Potemkin_Heat_Knuckle_1.png]move[/url] uncannily similar to one of Band’s own. “Heat…” His gauntlet opened up to unload shell after point-blank shell, finishing with a pile bunker blast that bore a bright pink heart. “Extend!”

The final explosion dropped Band to the ground, and he failed to rise.

[i]ROUND ONE: POTEMKIN WINS![/i]

[hr]

Most of the staple Power Stone contestants were milling around or warming up, either mildly interested or fairly nonplussed by prospective newcomers, but when Juri laid the groundwork for making a scene one young man turned toward the spot where she and the Koopa Kids were loitering. With blonde hair, dull blue eyes (beneath Galeem’s glaze, anyway) and a bright red pilot’s jumpsuit, Edward Falcon looked like fairly standard protagonist material, although at 5’11” and one hundred and fifty-eight pounds, he was on the lighter side. When he spoke it was with a strong British accent.

“Oi, ya cheeky mug, no wreckin’ the place before the games start. You’ll need stuff like that to smash over our ‘eads.” He gave a brusque wave, his manner not hostile but not terribly friendly, either. “Edward Falcon, unofficial ‘ead of operations ‘ere. You lot from the Seekers of Light, I presume? Chevalier said there oughta be a couple on the way.”

Crossing his arms, Edward launched into a brief explanation. “Right then, ‘eres the skinny. Each match is a four-way free-for-all, and the goal’s to be the last one standin’. As for how, well, it’s the old cartoon violence, innit? Unlike the tournaments, we ain’t ‘eavily regulated by the ‘Eavenly Principles. No rounds, no time limit. So smash crates, grab items, throw pies, an’ slapstick your way to vict’ry.” He held up three fingers. “One last thing. Power Stones show up in each match over time. Grab three, and you can Power Change into a stronger form. Perfect for clinchin’ the win.” He gave a curt smile. “Got it? Well, we’re just about to crack on, so find yourself a stage and get your arses in gear.”



[center][h3]The Midnight Walk - Winterhold College[/h3]
[b]Setting:[/b] Labyrinthine Friday Morning
Lvl 10 Sandalphon (2/100) Level 7 Heismay (55/70)
Edward’s [@DracoLunaris] Blazermate & Sectonia’s [@Archmage MC] Ace Cadet’s [@Yankee] Roxas & Ganondorf’s [@Double] Ramattra and Tenna’s [@XoXKieroBombXoX] Mokou’s [@Goggy]
[b]Word Count:[/b] 1021[/center]

Compared to the Grand Archives, this vault felt quiet, still, and safe. Sandalphon could neither hear the muffled footsteps of undead scholars, nor see any hidden corners where unexpected foes could hide or shoot from. Unlike the candles in the previous room, scattered willy-nilly around tattered and highly flammable old books with no regard for the concept of fire safety, the lamps and sconces in here were both carefully and tastefully arranged.

And in their light, the archangel could see material wealth beyond her wildest dreams. A vast assortment of tomes, armors, weapons, potions, and artifacts, all unique and elaborate enough in appearance to suggest rare or even legendary quality. Her special eye spotted a bejeweled gauntlet, a magic lamp, a ship in a bottle, and a set of staves that covered every possible element. Not even the richest man in Midgar (which was probably Shinra, going by her mental database’s index of approximate net worth) could boast such an impressive collection. Most remarkably of all, the whole gallery appeared to be unprotected, with no visible guards, traps, or even locks. Everything seemed free for the taking.

Of course, to Sandalphon that practically guaranteed the involvement of some discreet but truly nefarious magical trap, no doubt meant to ruthlessly punish the greed of anyone foolish enough to steal from this incredible collection. Her scans could not pick up anything definitive, so this supposition was ultimately just a hypothesis, but it was one she did not care to put to the test. Could the Seekers benefit from the stupendous resources and pieces of equipment available here? Certainly, provided that everything worked as well as it looked and there were no illusions involved. But there was simply no telling what harm might befall anyone who meddled with these treasures. Sandalphon knew she didn’t have much time left, but she needed every last second she had.

With one last curious look at that radiant pink crystal high above her, Sandalphon turned back toward the doors to go. Maybe the Grand Archives had another exit she missed. “Come, little one,” she told the magic cat, only to glance around and not see her. “Little one?”

Suddenly worried, Sandalphon initiated a scan. Immediately she located the cat on the second story, atop a waist-high cabinet with a velvety red cloth. Unable to suppress her curiosity, she seemed to be batting at one of the floating will o’ wisps around a set of grim robes with horns and a beaked mask of bone. “Little one!”

Lucy jumped, landed on the armor set’s dark robe, and immediately let go with a yowl. As Sandalphon climbed the stairs up to the second floor, she watched Lucy swell to twice her size, becoming approximately as big as a Labrador Retriever. The cat let out a confused meow, but otherwise didn’t seem harmed. Still with stress marks in her pupil, Sandalphon glanced at the armor set. Was it enchanted with some kind of growth hex, activated by touch? It would be a fitting karmic punishment to become too large for the armor one tried to take, she supposed. She couldn’t assume that all the items in here bore the exact same enchantment, though, and if there was a karmic element to it, some punishments could conceivably be much worse. For instance, laying a hand on a sharp sword might cause internal bleeding. Very happy that she’d decided not to try her luck, the archangel patted Lucy on the head. “Come on, not-so-little one. We’re leaving.” The cat groaned, then reached up to snatch the plague doctor mask from the mannequin anyway. When she didn’t change again, she put it on, wearing it more like a necklace than a mask. Sandalphon shrugged and turned to go.

As the two descended to the door, Sandalphon noted that Lucy, despite having longer strides, actually seemed to be moving slower than before. “Hm.” She reached the door, then carefully pressed her weight against it. Just as before, it took almost all the meager strength she had, so it must not have been that heavy. When it swung open, though, it wasn’t the Grand Archives in front of her.

[center][b]The Sinners’ Inn[/b]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/tTVx3yd.png[/img]
[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4C77Tw0yVg]♫[/url][/center]

Instead she beheld an odd, almost dreamlike scene. It was a bar of some sort, with a floor of purple wooden planks and a pink stone, almost like marble, for its counter and tabletops. It featured stools, an oven, and a jukebox, while the balloons and birthday cake marked it as the site for a celebration. In fact, there were plenty of people here to celebrate. They looked like ghosts, with translucent blue forms, far less ghastly and threatening in appearance than the specters of the Grand Archives. Instead, these were animal spirits. Sandalphon identified a frog, a rabbit, a mouse, two cats, a coyote, and a large bird who seemed to be the bartender.

When the spirits noticed Sandalphon’s entrance, most greeted her in rapid succession, waving hello. The bird beckoned the archangel over to the bar, and after a moment she obligingly approached. “Welcome to Sinners’ Inn, our little corner of the afterlife,” the bird declared in a warm, almost motherly tone. “I’m Marla. What’s your name?”

Her verbiage startled Sandalphon slightly more than it probably should have. “I’m…not dead yet.”

“Not Dead Yet? What a strange name!” Marla tittered. “I kid, I kid. Well, living or dead, you’re more than welcome to spend a little time here. Can I get you anything to drink?”

It was a tempting offer. Sandalphon considered calling the others instead. However, the thought of what she’d been through in the Grand Archives gave her pause. If someone had called her in there, the disturbance might have resulted in a surprise attack from the Crystal Sage. If nobody else had reached out yet, things were probably fine.

“...I would like that very much.”

As Sandalphon gingerly sat down, the spirits drifted over to take the other seats, eager to get to know the newcomer better.