Lugubrious

World of Light

@XoXKieroBombXoX Good to see your first IC post! It was everything I could have hoped for, and I liked your content a lot. I do have a few pointers. The first is that the color you picked for Black Mage's internal monologue is pretty much illegible. If you must color it, I'd recommend the light blue you used in the sheet, or maybe the yellow of his eyes. In addition, your use of present and preemptive tense is somewhat dissonant from the rest of the RP. I'm not one to force writing styles, but I don't suppose there's any chance you could switch to past tense?

World of Light

<Snipped quote by Lugubrious>

Sorry this is so sudden, but there are other factors as well with respect to my personal life (nothing harrowing though). Thank you for appreciating me.

@Stern Algorithm

I see. In that case, I wish you well. Thank you for playing.

World of Light

@Lugubrious

Hey, sorry for missing this post. But I think I'm gonna drop. I've been too distracted to give this RP the attention it deserves.

Maybe Din decides to retire in Lumbridge. Maybe she sees someone she actually knows and stays with them, or just wants to hang out with Menat and live a civilian life, taking care of Linkle's cuccos until she returns. She could relinquish her Storm Eagle spirit to Peach to give to anyone who wants it, and might teleport back to the castle to give the keyblade back to the Master of masters, if that's even possible. Or if anyone really likes Din, feel free to adopt her. Obviously she's not an original character so I don't mind if anyone 'steals' her.

Anyways, sorry for dropping. It's been a fun ride, and you're one of the most dedicated and consistent GM's I've met, and the rest of y'all are great, drama-free fellow players. I won't unsubscribe from this thread just yet in case anyone needs me to help wrap up any loose ends.

@Stern Algorithm

Aw, man. That's a heavy bomb to drop so suddenly. I would have liked the chance to talk this decision over with you, but if you have decided, then I doubt there's much I can do. Just know that what you've been doing is just fine. The idea of not being able to give what this rp 'deserves' shouldn't be a factor; you've given more than I have any right to ask for. Whatever you might think of your work, you will be sorely missed.

World of Light

Tora & Poppi

Level 5 Tora - (18/50) EXP and Level 4 Poppi - (16/40) EXP
Location: Forested Canyon, the Land of Adventure
Word Count: 729
@DracoLunaris@Stekkmen

With the other more agile members of his team on the hunt for baurun, Tora turned his attention back underground. It took only a short time for the Nopon and his accompanying blade to find the section of the forest that had caved in thanks to the explosion of Kamek's giga-creeper, which was hard to miss. From there, the pair retraced their steps down the ravine and into the underground area. Baurun was good and all, with the prospect of giant juicy steaks in particular making Tora more eager than he might care to admit, but he remembered something else on that grocery list of Bowser's. Lapizard. Whatever it was, it fell under the category of cave food, so there had to be some lurking down here.

Unfortunately the search took a while. Tora and Poppi ventured deep, much deeper than before, but found nothing that resembled the basic description given to them at their first meet-up with Bowser. They did find a number of spiders, skeletons, and zombies. Before long, Tora's feet hit water. “Meh!” he protested in disgust. “Gross cave water! And completely dark, except for Poppi furnace. Not want go any farther, meh. Can get by without lappy lizard.” Poppi, scanning the surroundings, went to point something out to him but Tora happened to see it too. “Meh? That...bones?” He waddled over, avoiding the water, and bent down to peer at them. The moment he leaned forward, they started to shuffle, prompting him to scream in terror. “MEEEEEH!” He fell backward as a trio of ring-toothed worms lunged out in an ambush, latching themselves to his body. “MEHMEHMEHMEH!” He flailed his wings ineffectively, dancing to and fro in terror. “Get off! Off! Poppi, heeeeeelp!”

The artificial blade responded by transforming, disappearing in a whirlwind of sparks and ribbons to be replaced by Poppi QT. She manifested her mech arms and held them out, saying, “Hold still!” Tora calmed down as much as he could, thinking that she would expel flames from the weapons to burn the wretched things off

Instead she popped them open. “Uh, Poppi?” Tora's eyes widened. “Hold it right-!” An explosion cut him off, and the singed Nopon flew through the air, wailing, “Bad Poppiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!” right up until he went plop in the pool. When he emerged, sputtering, he spotted his companion flying above the pool “Guh! Whuh...why Poppi do such a thing to poor Masterpon?” In reply, she cranked up her furnace, bathing the whole cavern in warm orange light. In its glow the two could see a lot more leapworms, but also a reptile pushed up against one of the walls, scared shiftless by the blasting and trying to hide in the dark. The moment she saw it Poppi jetted its way. Still floating, Tora called out, “Don't punch! Need meat intact!” At the last moment the lapizard hurled itself off the wall and toward the water in a desperate attempt to escape, but Poppi banished an arm and snatched it from the air. Though as big as her, and struggling mightily, the lizard could not escape.

Looking pleased, Poppi jetted over to dry land, onto which Tora pulled himself a couple moments later. “Ah, so that it. Clever Poppi knows we can't kill with precision, so just take lappy with us 'til find someone who can!” The praise elicited a delighted smile from Poppi, and the two hastened back to the surface.

When they rejoined the others a few minutes later, everyone appeared to be laden with meat. Quinn nodded in approval. “Not half bad,” she remarked, inspecting the lineup. “It's been a refreshing bit off fun, but I've got items to buy and I'm behind in CS. Take care of yourselves.” After collecting everything due her, and inspecting the crossbow to make sure Junior didn't damage it, the huntress and her loyal eagle disappeared into the trees.

At Bowser's suggestion, his own group left soon after. Their weighty haul made it a long trip back, even with the relatively short distance over an open plain, so Junior decided to pass the time with a game of I Spy. After learning the rules Tora and Poppi played along wholeheartedly. Even with his burden, with his son happy, Bowser could only be so ornery. The shadows of late afternoon had started growing long by the time the grocery-and-mining team pulled into Lumbridge.

Euden

Location: Near Lumbridge, the Land of Adventure
@Gentlemanvaultboy @Stern Algorithm @MULTI_MEDIA_MAN @TruthHurts22

At Linkle's prompting, the two groups collapsed into one and headed for Mina's restaurant. Gran volunteered to report to the adventurer's guild and the sheriff stationed there, aiming to vouch for the defeat of the pelagics with the scars to prove it. Hilda still felt guilty, with the discomfort far greater around either Curly or Phoenix, so she volunteered to go with him. “I'll find something else to do. Make up for...you know, skipping out,” she assured, before running off after the boy in blue. Eleven went with, perhaps seeking some sort of outlet for the energy he'd built up in anticipation of being someone's hero, but he remained taciturn.

Euden and Curly, meanwhile, continued onward with Linke to Mina's. Before leaving, the young prince gave a wave to Phoenix and Geralt, figuring that they possessed little interest in grocery delivery. The latter in particular received an emphatic farewell; Euden made a note try and convince some of the Witcher's fans to give the man a rest when he got the chance. A short walk brought him to the restaurant and its savvy owner, who beamed when she saw what Linkle and her friends had for her. “Amazing! This is more than I could ever want. Into the pantry they go.” Busy as ever, she stepped away to delegate the task to someone else, and the kindly Chef Kowalski ended up helping her out.

Something Linkle said a few minutes ago occurred to Euden, and he raised his voice to get Mina's attention. “Hey, Mina! Um, is there any chance you could do without the chocobo meat? We only found a couple, and Linkle's gotten really fond of hers.”

Mina thought for a second or two before shrugging. “Sure. Hopefully the others get back with more meat, but if not, it's fine. I know that some chocobos are really sweet, and eating one would make me feel pretty bad. Speaking of the others, once they get here I can start cooking up dinner for you all.” With that she vanished back into the kitchen, leaving her visitors to go about their business.

Wearing a smile, Curly crossed her arms. “Looks like that's a couple problems solved. If you're all good I'll get back to adventuring. Land's not going to scout itself. Nice meeting you though!” She turned to go, and Euden followed suit.

“If there's still more stuff to get, I'll help you out,” he said. “It's the least I can do. Where are we headed?”

Malo

Location: Malo Mart, the Land of Adventure
@thedman @Dawnrider

The return of an enormous monster truck drew no small amount of worried looks, but despite how much the ground must have shaken, the diminutive Malo looked totally unfazed when Hat Kid, Michael, Franklin, and Tressa entered his shop. Upon seeing him, and after coughing, the girl smiled. “Malo...so you're the one who sent people to find me.”

Unflappable, the baby-faced businessman met her gaze. “Think nothing of it. Without competition, business can't thrive.” His arms hung at his sides, stiff as usual. Anyone with a sharp memory might recall that his quest mentioned Tressa as a client, but his words just now suggested something else.

Tressa laughed weakly. “Oh, you. Putting on a such a brave face, but I know you're a softy in there. Don't grow up...too fast, Malo.” She seized up in a fit of dry coughing, and Malo reached for an item on his shelf. He pushed it across the counter toward Michael.

“Give her this.” The glass of premium Lon Lon milk undid the damage done to Tressa in a matter of moments, healing the wounds caused by heat and dehydration. Ignoring her thanks, he turned to address the hatted girl who matched his height. “Alright, kid. Here's your reward.” A sack of rupies hit his countertop, followed shortly by her long sought-after hourglass.

Coral Highlands

Location: Land of Adventure
@ProPro @Yankee

The sudden arrival -and subsequent departure- left the Courier and the Cadet down a threat, and just like that the beautiful highlands were the picture of peace and tranquility once more. In that sort of environment nabbing wigglers was a piece of cake, and doubly so for 6, whose remarkable animal magnetism had the little creatures literally diving into his bag. A few more minutes and the new friends held all the wigglers they could want and more, so with their catch safely stowed alongside a few bits knocked from the Tzitzi-Ya-Ku they began the long trip back toward Lumbridge. This time, no marauding bullets or other unreasonably-aggressive ne'er-do-wells waylaid the heroes' progress, so nothing disturbed the 6's theatrical monologues on the way back save his steed's occasional cheery kweh.

Results!

Party: @ProPro's Courier 6, @Yankee's Ace Cadet
Encounter Reward: +4 EXP
No additional bonuses

Cathedral Plaza

Location: Dead Zone
@Archmage MC @DracoLunaris @ProPro @Dawnrider @Simple Unicycle @Genon

At Blazermate's command, her undead minions piled onto the fallen Ent with wild abandon. They beat it until either its bark broke or they did, leaving scars and cracks they could use to pull pieces off. Like piranhas swarming a corpse they chipped, dug, and tore away. Kamek's summoned dry bones swelled their ranks, and so ferocious was the assault that none of the other heroes dared even approach. Those who didn't see fit to answer the medabot's dissonant, upbeat question in the positive regarded her warily. Even Nero glanced at her with a furrowed brow after her jockey wrenched free a cluster of the Ent's head-tentacles. The newcomer, however, got down to business.

He approached until he stood just a couple dozen feet away, then raised his cane. From the handle a black mass erupted, assuming the shape of his panther with a snarl. It pounced at the Ent's head, turning into a spinning blade, and ripped into it like a flying buzzsaw. The edge caught a couple undead on the way and made mincemeat of them just as it shredded the head, laying bare the heartwood the jockey discovered. A violet pallor overtook the Ent, signaling V to finish things. “Little wanderer,” he said, his voice soft and low. “Hie thee home.” He aimed the point of his cane like a pool cue, then drove it in.

There came a cracking sound, and the Ent fell apart in an instant. All the undead dogpiling it fell to the ground amid a blanket of kindling, turning to ash. In the middle of the mess lay the Ent's spirit, murky and red.

Nero strode up to stand by V's side. Neither seemed too concerned with the mob of zombies nearby, and the demon hunter quipped, “There you are. I thought I'd have to pull you out of its...roots or something.”

“Forgive my delay.” Arguably serious, V looked at him askance as he produced a book from his jacket. “I was catching up on some reading.”

Their gaze turned to the giant Qliphoth root protruding from the cathedral. It was dying, turning gray and inert, and as they watched it crumbled. “One down, two to go,” remarked the tattooed stranger. “Once these Qliphoth roots are exterminated, we can proceed to the trunk.”

“Qliphoth?” The demon hunter sounded mildly quizzical.

“It's a type of tree that grows in the underworld,” V revealed. “It feeds on human blood. Gathered by its tendrils, and the empusa, its little worker bees.” He went quiet at the approach of Kamek, who asked about his demons. V had been planning to ask just who these unusual people traveling with Nero were, but here one was digging straight into his business. In reply, V tilted his head slightly, and in a spray of gleaming blue dust Griffon manifested. He flapped his wings to stay aloft beside V, and wasted no time flapping his beaks, too.

“Uh, hello?” He jeered in a raucous voice. “Ain't ya ever seen demons before, short stuff? We're here to make sure scrawny here doesn't get his his ass beat in, 'cuz if he bites it, so do we. Got that, or am I goin' too fast for ya? Heheheh.” V smiled, clearly not feeling responsible for his familiar's crassness.

Results!

Party: Archmage MC's Blazermate, ProPro's Ratchet & Clank and Jak & Daxter, DracoLunaris' Kamek, Dawnrider's Banjo & Kazooie, Genon's Donovan Lee, Simple Unicycle's Gene
Encounter Reward: +8 EXP
Self-Service Bonus: Ratchet & Clank, Kamek, Banjo & Kazooie, Donovan Lee
Self-Service Reward: +5
Addendum: in a dangerous battle, everyone's expected to take damage. That's just realistic, since we aren't playing infallible characters who can never lose. This bonus is for characters whose players had them take notable hits I didn't force them to

Lumbridge

Location: Land of Adventure

As they day wore on, afternoon meandered into evening, and gold overtook the sky. One by one the groups of newcomers returned from their quests.

First Courier 6 returned from his foray to the Coral Highlands, alongside a new Pokemon and a new companion in the form of the Ace Cadet, himself a familiar and welcomed face at the adventurer's guild. Their collection of wigglers, at the request of the endemic life researcher, went to the sisters at the smithy. After disappearing behind closed doors, the three sisters returned with a Wiggler Head. Far too large to be from any of the wigglers gathered, it proved to be made mostly of cloth, rubber, and buttons, though it did feature the little creatures' fronds. “This baby gives you the skill Wide Range,” Ramona said, slapping the top of the comedic helmet to send it lolling about. “Spreading the effects of your items to those around you.” Renee, the youngest of the sisters, also gave the pair a potted wiggler to serve as a pet, or more likely, gift to someone who could look after an immobile pet. From the researcher they received a First Wyverian Print, a ticket that she explained could be exchanged at the town's Melding Pot for a rare material of their choosing.

Second, Michael and Franklin rolled in with Hat Kid and Tressa in the repurposed Brother Grimm. From Malo, the little owner of the aptly-named Malo Mart, they received a Timepiece and a sack of money. On the way out they were accosted by Linkle and a boy who introduced himself as Euden, newly back from their own quest at the lake down south, the former of which soon found her worries about the missing person assuaged. Linkle's comrades in her fight against the pelagics, including Din, Geralt, and Phoenix Wright, had returned alongside her.

Before any further help could leave town to find them, the final group rolled in. Tora, Poppi, Bowser, his son, and the Centurion carried between them a mountain of goods collected from the Forested Canyon and beyond, most but not all of them in the cart laboriously pulled by the Koopa King, who found a ready supply of willing handles to help him in town. At the same time, Peach returned from her solo trip, having conversed with Mina on her own and decided to assist by appropriating the rarest ingredient on her list: Tropius bananas. Exactly how the ground-bound princess got them nobody could tell. Both Mina and the blacksmith sisters received their deliveries of ingredients and ore respectively, with the chef gleefully beginning preparations for a hearty dinner. The other half of her reward, three lootboxes, were available for claiming as well.

Everyone gathered together in the guild hall to wait while the guildmarm frantically worked to sort out the pile of day-end quests on her counter, appropriating rewards and ranks as quickly as possible. Many Lumbridge inhabitants were around, either on their own business or to get to know the newcomers making a name for themselves. Notably, Ryu had appeared, still possessing two spirits to give as rewards for going a few rounds with him. The guildmaster himself was on the scene, and after conferring with the guildmarm approached the heroes with a pronouncement.

He began by clapping his hands in dramatic celebration before launching into his speech. “Well now, I'll be a monkey's uncle. You put the kibosh on those quests but good! Li'l miss paperwork's puttin' everything together at the mo, but I ain't the clammed type. You folks can take on Mr. F any time you please.” Holding up a finger, he wagged it at them in a cautionary gesture. “But don't breeze the joint just yet.” He pointed at the Ace Cadet. “You hunters are always chinnin' me about eatin' before a hunt. And I bet you bunch are near outta gas, too. So put up your dogs, light a gasper, dip your bill. When you're jake, you can put the screws on Mr. F, over in the Steppe out past Pig Central.” That left what to do next up to everyone, though a meal at Mina's stood out as a premier option.

Leon S. Kennedy

Location: RCPD HQ, Dead Zone
@XoXKieroBombXoX

In the silence that followed, they scarcely dared to breathe, or to think. With a final heave the last corpse divulged a small, many-legged horror to skitter off into the dark, and the night closed in once again around the Police Station.

A minute passed before anyone dared release a sigh or relief, though even then none harbored any delusions about the transient nature of their respite. Leon, slumped down against the wall by the window he’d been given watch over, rubbed wearily at his eyes. This wasn’t just a bad situation--it was an impossible one. Soon the horde would come again, and this time the survivors would be facing an undead, diseased horde with their supplies exhausted. Every herb had been eaten, every medicine run dry, every Zombrex administered. The station’s supply of ammunition, except for the stash locked within the inaccessible storeroom, was spent. Survivors who fought using other means could continue to struggle, but they too were reaching their limits. If he hadn’t already, the Black Mage helping to defend the front door would run out of mana, and all suffered from fatigue. Only the genial but unsettling swordsman Louis continued to fight at peak condition, using his equipment to drain and purify the blood of zombies to replenish his own magic, all the while swinging away without any sign of exhaustion. He still bled, though, like anyone else, and one tireless fighterwould not stall the onslaught. Things would be different if the survivors possessed heavy-duty equipment, but all they had in place of traps or turrets were pea-shooting plants tactically planted at key locations. They wouldn't last forever, either.

Leon let his head hang. Just when he thought he’d escaped that nightmare of a first day in Raccoon City, he turned up here to relive the horror again, only a hundred times stranger and worse. At first, it seemed like the group of survivors, with all its various strengths and abilities, would be able to truck on forever, but now that notion had long since died. More than a few of their number died with it, some even joining the enemy ranks in a bitter twist of irony. When they died, cut down by their foes or at their allies’ hands, they left those spirits behind. Even now, the one picked up by Leon moved ever-so-slightly in his pocket. The old soldier had fought to the last, leaving the others to carry on his grit and determination. Pushing the painful thought aside, Leon steeled himself, and stood up to go and make his report.

In the central hall, a small crowd had already gathered to give their reports to the captain one after another. Tough as nails and boasting nigh-superhuman strength along with many years’ leadership experience and a streak of genuine humanity, Max Howard had volunteered to take charge of the police station’s defense. It was a heavy burden, but he bore it gladly. Leon spotted Jill, Louis, Kai, Ghalt, Eddie, and Fox. Since only the division leaders were supposed to regroup like this, most of the prominent fighters remained at their posts, but Leon saw the Black Mage and Lucatiel as well. Tensions were high, and spirits low. Leon wished he knew what he could say to lighten the atmosphere, but he was just a rookie. All he could do was head over to relate what happened in his sector.

World of Light

On second thought, the chronology of the various groups' returns probably means that while Bowser's party will arrive last, they'll still arrive within the same rough timeframe as the others, leading to a grand reunion. With that in mind, we need not worry about heading out again. Apologies!

World of Light

@Stern Algorithm, I'm planning in my next post to move whoever from the lake crew wants to continue helping with quests toward the area the grocery group is in. Ideally, I'm going to post within six hours, so if you're not planning to post in that time, could you let me know if Din wants to do that? If not, you can have her do whatever else you might like around Lumbridge.

@Stekkmen, I see that you haven't been online in some time. Because you might be facing difficulties I won't kick you outright, but pretty soon I'm going to move you to an inactive status, and if that persists your slot on the roster will eventually become forfeit.

World of Light

@Lugubrious CS is finished. Let me know if revisions are needed.

@XoXKieroBombXoX

Mostly relatively minor quibbles. The most glaring thing is that the blue color is difficult on the eyes. I would be happier if you changed it for something lighter at least. There doesn't need to be a N/A under Thunder in the Power List. In terms of story and spirits, the worlds were never in contact with one another outside of high-profile, official crossovers, so Black Mage would not know about the Beheaded/Prisoner/Fallen One (the name of the protagonist in Dead Cells according to the official wiki) or about the Mushroom Kingdom or any inhabitants. 'Specialty' is typically the job, role, or title the character excels at, which would probably be simple 'Mage' for your character. Other than that, he's mostly good. If you make those small adjustments you can post him in the characters tab, and I'll send you a PM shortly.

Fire Emblem: Ashes of Sacrifice [Fall of the Empire]

Artemisia

Alymere Fort Exterior

In a matter of moments the battle turned intense. A swordfighter burst past Artemisia to take up his proper place in the frontlines, drawing her annoyed glance for a moment. If he and the others like him advanced when they were supposed to, she wouldn't be in this mess. Her gaze drifted back to the enemy archers just in time for her to watch in satisfaction as a friendly mage -on second look, the prince himself- finished off her attacker. With the melee fighters on the offense, she could focus on the ranged threat, namely the other brigand nocking an arrow at Hadrick and Kyran. Watching him, Artemisia wondered with some amazement why he would focus on the melee fighters after his buddy just went down to a volley of magic, but she wasn't complaining. A volatile black particle cluster roiled to life in her hand, ready to strike him down. However, the brigand found himself waylaid the next moment by none other than Trace, who'd managed to close the distance on foot. Why he would be on the ground rather than the fort's perimeter wall was anyone's guess, but the dolt would surely be paying for his botched position with his life. Still, with her lancer acquaintance in close quarters, her Flux might blast him into the afterlife too, and that would be no way to repay him for keeping her secret. Instead, she used her allies' advance to move forward herself, seeking another opportunity. Only one other foe remained now, a tough-looking swordsman, but one man could not possible withstand the half-dozen now bearing down on him. Friendly fire made jumping into that fight a troublesome prospect too. The others might conceivably forgive her for being a dark mage, but if she accidentally wounded someone? No way. Once the mercenary fell, all that remained was the fort behind him. Artemisia suppressed the urge to hurl her Flux at the stone wall, since however good it would feel it would probably not blow apart the masonry. A quick look around confirmed a door to the north, and around the corner to the south probably lay the main entrance. Which way should she go? Her search turned up an answer. There was a window in the side of the fort, little more than a slit for archers to shoot out of. And speak of the devil, she could see movement through it now. With a grin, Artemisia raised her hand, took aim, and hurled her Flux at the aperture. Any rats would need to think twice about poking out of their holes. That left everyone free to head either north or south as it suited them, so long as that mercenary bit the dust and Trace's archer went down easy.

__________________________ Status: Embattled Class: Occultist Inv: Vulnerary, Book of Secrets

World of Light

@Lugubrious
Is it alright if I drop a CS, and maybe get a summary?

@XoXKieroBombXoX

Yes, and I'll try to slim down what's happened so far.
-Kirby is engaged by a number of Galeem-influenced characters at a lone hill after traveling north for some time
-After the battle, on the verge of destruction, he uses Friend Hearts to free the characters. After coming to and sorting things out, they explore for a little while to find a man called the Master of Masters, who explains the nature of the world, Galeem, Galeem's champions, and spirits
-The group ventures through the Mushroom Kingdom, traversing 1-1, the scrapyard, and finally the castle itself, where they face off against old friends summoned by Master Hand before fighting and defeating the first champion, Megadragonbowser
-Everyone regroups and relaxes, and the next morning they head out. After a bumpy journey across the Paved Wilderness, the party splits in two at Hammerhead station, with one group heading north to the infested, dangerous Dead Zone and the other south to the ever-changing Land of Adventure
-Those in the Dead Zone traverse the city, lead by Nero, to take down Qliphoth roots and weaken the demon tree preventing them from reaching a great evil. Meanwhile, the Land of Adventure crew complete various quests for the guild master to get a rank high enough to face the region's toughest enemies

While working on your CS or afterward, I would encourage reading at least part of the IC. If your application is accepted, I'll contact you about the best way to get your character integrated in the story via PMs.

*+. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Coldplay .+*

A hearty workout did the body good--Benni felt it during her routine, and however tired she felt now, that satisfaction lingered still. Loose, slightly sore muscles made her walk back home languid, but she did not at all mind taking the stroll at a leisurely pace, especially given the sky at this time. Gorgeous in its vivid, discordant hues, it hung over the earth like a painting in a dream. At moments like these, feeling tired and content, and privy to something beautiful, Benni felt about as high as one could get on life. It didn't get any better than in Florence, either; the sprawling, easy-going town was a far cry from the cluttered floating labyrinth called Venice or the perilous, red-hot hustle and bustle of Rome. She could easily duck into any no-name mom-and-pop cafe on the street here, and without so much as speaking procure a slice of today's freshly-baked pizza or a few ragu-stuffed arancini from the genial locals. It was a lovely day.

Her Nokia's buzzing and vibration broke her out of her reverie, bringing her back to the avenue sidewalk where she meandered in a grateful daze. Benni turned it on to see a call incoming from one Manzo Stufato. "Huh. Whatcha got to say this time o' day, big guy?" She slid it up to her ear. "What's up, dude?"

She reeled back as a burst of overexuberant Italian slammed into her. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, chill out!" A few familiar words reached her, in particular 'SkyVer', the common abbreviation for Sky Versus Shattering, a new fighting game IP that came out some time ago in Japan. Just mentioning it got her excited, but she knew her enthusiasm was wasted. While some arcade cabinets might make it out of Japan, the chances of one appearing in Florence were next to zero. Its mention piqued her curiosity, however, but before she could learn more Benni needed to bring her friend back down to earth. "You know I can't follow when you go full native. What's the deal?"

Manzo's frenetic tone came in reply. "It's SkyVer, ragazza! Panepiatto has it! He must have ordered it for the local scene, or something!"

Eyes wide, Benni could scarcely keep from shouting. "Are you serious!?"

Her friend chuckles. "Yeah, yeah! And that ain't it! I'm there now, and I saw the opening on the machine. Remember the rumors saying SkyVer would be crossing over with an older fighter? They sure are, and I bet you can't guess what it is."

Benni's heart was already pounding. "Shut up."

"Heheheheheh," came the voice over the phone. "Come over and see for yourself!" Whatever else he said Benni did not hear. She took off sprinting down the sidewalk, recklessly pounding her feet against the pavement in her mad scramble to get to the arcade. She scarcely notices when her foot calf scraped against a bent length of iron sticking out from a curbside fence hit by a car, but each step after that started hurting more and more. Eventually, the pain overcame Benni's elation and she looked down to find blood flowing freely down her leg. "Aw, crap!" As much as she wanted to tough through the pain, it was a bad cut, one that could leave her lightheaded at best and woozy at worst. At the very least, she wouldn't be taking any sets in that state. Right now, she needed to bind that wound.

Looking this way and that, she spotted a nearby pub. Good enough. Like a woman possessed Benni ran inside, almost shoving past a man with green hair as he went in. "Scusa!" she cried as she hustled to the counter. "Hey! Hello? Do you have any...uh, bandages? Paper towels? Napkins?" One look from the bartender convinced her that he didn't speak a lick of English. With a heavy breath, Benni picked up her leg to show the man her bloody leg. That at least got him moving, and Benni sat down to wait. Her leg was really stinging now, and the bleeding plus the exertion had her feeling lightheaded already. "Man..." she moaned. If only she paid attention. It was such a simple mistake to make, so easy to undo. But Rubberband Man wasn't about that life. Benni looked down to see him partially manifesting, peering at her cut quizzically. All he could do was bounce back, so she would have to, too. Once the bartender returned with some kind of solution for her exsanguination, she could be on her way.