I'll continue taking point choices until this coming Saturday, but for now, everyone is free to move about within Smash City Alcamoth and interact with characters of their own accord. If you are wanting to take additional characters for yourself from those presented, now is a good time for all sorts of meetings. It's also a good time for collabs, making IC plans on who is going where, and just character interaction in general. If you have any questions about settings or facilities in Smash City Alcamoth, feel free to ask or present your own ideas that I can approve for you. Have fun!
Lugubrious
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Player on the other side
STATUS: Now running: World of Light: The Tale of the Dark Itself 17 days ago
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Bio
Current GM of World of Light. When it comes to writing, there's nothing I love more than imagination, engagement, and commitment. I'm always open to talk, suggestion, criticism, and collaboration. While I try to be as obliging, helpful, and courteous as possible, I have very little sympathy for ghosts, and anyone who'd like to string me along. Straightforwardness is all I ask for.
Looking for more personal details? I'm just some dude from the American south; software development is my job but games, writing, and trying to help others enjoy life are my passions. Been RPing for over a decade, starting waaaay back with humble beginnings on the Spore forum, so I know a thing or two, though I won't pretend to be an expert. If you're down for some fun, let's make something spectacular together.
Looking for more personal details? I'm just some dude from the American south; software development is my job but games, writing, and trying to help others enjoy life are my passions. Been RPing for over a decade, starting waaaay back with humble beginnings on the Spore forum, so I know a thing or two, though I won't pretend to be an expert. If you're down for some fun, let's make something spectacular together.
Most Recent Posts
Tora & Poppi
Level 8 Tora (6/80) and Level 7 Poppi (52/70)
Location: Eryth Sea
Word Count: 2246
The newcomers took in the sights offered by the grand foyer of Smash City Alcamoth, and wasted no time interacting with the locals. Zelda bowed her head when the Cadet thanked her, gracefully implying he wand the others were welcome. When Sectonia mentioned the presence of renowned individuals, she laughed off the perceived complement politely. “You're too kind. Here, we all stand at the same level as fighters.” Bowser greeted her as well, and took notice of the purple-clad plumber sulking off to the side. Since he was too far away to participate in the conversation and showed no interest in getting closer, Zelda took the responsibility of responding for him. “Oh, Mr. Waluigi isn't a fighter. More of a...hanger-on.” A look of concern passed over her face, befitting of a regrettably situation that occurred on her watch. “Most everyone tries to be nice to him, but he is rather on the surly side. He acts as though he wants attention, but when he gets it, he dismisses it as though he doesn't need it.”
Her attention was taken up by Cuphead, who introduced himself in gallant fashion. Smiling, Zelda offered a courteous curtsy in return. “How do you do, Mr. Headdicus.”
Tora burst out laughing. “Pfff! Cup-Cup just being theatrical. No need stand on ceremony, new friend Zelda!” Poppi nodded as she stepped forward, offering Zelda her hand. The machine and the princess shook, completing the gesture of friendship. As interesting as Zelda seemed, the two couldn't monopolize her time, so they stepped back to give the others a chance to speak. Tora looked up to Poppi. “Lots of pretty faces all of sudden! Tora might need Poppi to keep her masterpon in check!” he joked.
The artificial blade nodded, her face solemn. “Poppi will employ fist liberally.” Tora's smile faded, and he swallowed nervously.
Meanwhile, Isabelle flushed when Daxter pet her, embarrassed. “Oh, goodness! Why, s-stop it, you! I have important business to take care of!“ Clearing her throat, she shuffled her papers to try and put her thoughts in order. “Anyway, the meeting is scheduled for just over an hour from now. We don't have a meeting room, so this spot will work.” She raised her little voice so everyone could hear. “Please come back in an hour, folks! Pretty much everyone in Alcamoth will be coming, so look forward to it! Until then, feel free to tour the place, and say hello to the locals.”
A quarter-hour later, the Nopon and his ether-fueled companion found themselves seated in a restaurant tucked away in an alcove on the second floor. Its cozy brick interior and the cheery tune playing in the background gave it a wonderfully cozy feeling, but Tora was far more interested in the wonderful smells drifting out of the kitchen. A minute after the pair seated themselves, a girl in a red dress and white coat came out to welcome them. “Hiya!” she said. “Welcome to Monas' Pizza and Pasta! I'm Mona. Well, the original, at least. What can I do ya for?”
Realizing he had been looking more at the pizzeria than at the menu before him, Tora panicked. “Oh! Meh, meh...” he quickly scanned the listings. “Um, what is pepperoni?”
Mona laughed. “That's a good one.” She quickly realized from the Nopon's blank stare that he was serious. “Oh. Well, they're these li'l salty sausage slices, dude.”
Tora's eyes practically bugged out. “Meh!? That sound super yummy-lovely! Want pepperoni pizza, please!”
Nodding, Mona wrote it down before she glanced at Poppi. “And...anything for you?”
Poppi shook her head. “No, thank you. Poppi just enjoy smells of food with olfactory sensors.”
“O-kay...” Clapping her notepad under her arm, Mona smiled warmly. “Well then, we'll get that out for you in just a few minutes. Thank you!”
The pair settled in to wait. Scarcely had Tora sipped his water than he heard a racket from the back of the restaurant. He looked over through the brick archway offering a look at the kitchen to see a black cat standing on a stool with his little arms crossed. With a grin, the cat posed, and in a burst of blue flames a masked spirit appeared behind him, much to Tora's amazement.
“Show 'em your might, Zorro!” the cat commanded. Brandishing a roller, the spirit bent down and started rolling a glob of pizza dough, flattening it one stroke at a time. Zorro worked at feverish intensity while the cat looked on, pleased, until Mona walked over with an annoyed look on her face.
“Stop trying to impress the customers, Mona!” Mona scolded, flashing Tora and Poppi an apologetic look. “That Zorro of yours is too rough with the dough. The pizza needs a human touch!”
Looking guilty, the other Mona banished his spirit and took hold of the roller himself. “Well, I am a human,” the cat muttered. “So that won't be a problem.”
Highly entertained, Tora looked over at a neighboring table to where a little girl was sitting, a book in one hand and a slice of pizza in the other. “Meheheh! Is Smash City always like this?”
She sighed. “Pretty much.”
Chuckling, Tora turned back around to get cozy in his chair and await a late lunch. Poppi rested with her head in her hands on the table, relaxing with a smile on her face.
By the time the appointed hour came about and the heroes returned to the atrium, a prodigious assembly had gathered. A huge variety of people of all shapes and sizes stood in a rough circle around Isabelle's desk, by which a large crate had been placed for Peach to stand on. Tora got Poppi to pick him up and hold him over her head so that he could see above the crowd and get a look at who was in attendance. In addition to everyone he came here with, from the oldest of compatriots like Linkle and Blazermate to the newest arrivals like Sakura and Mym, there appeared to be quite the variety hailing from Smash City itself. He could see a pokemon, a robot, a knight, a monkey, an imp, and humans of all varieties from swordfighter to big fistfighter to big-fist fighter, just to name a few. Above it all floated an imposing, alien figure with a stern look on its face. When Peach took the crate, the general hubbub came to a stop, and the speech began.
“Hello to you all, and thank you for welcoming me here,” the biker chick began. “I am Princess Peach.” She allowed a moment of chatter to pass. “I'm here to tell you the truth of this world, in which you all have been locked away, unknowing and complacent, until today.” She spread out her arms, her voice growing heavy. “With an army of master hands under his control, Galeem sought to create a new world. The fighters and their countless stories came to an end as light consumed them. Thus, the universe was crushed in the hands of Galeem.” She cast her mind back to that cliff, the annihilation that occurred there. She could see the same horror in the eyes of her audience as they began to remember. “Those who fought the light were devoured,” she continued. “The others lost their bodies and became spirits. Only one survived. Through him, a star of hope twinkled faintly as the dust settles on a new world.”
She looked between the gathered faces. “I can see that it's coming back to you. You're realizing it now. This world is not our own. It is a tapestry woven from the threads of countless worlds by Galeem, who even now floats over his masterpiece in idle splendor.” Her finger extended toward the sky, pointing out through the window of the atrium. Far, far away, a glimmer of multicolored light shone in the distant sky. “My team and I are taking him down. To defeat him, we need to first defeat his thirteen champions whose essence protects him. We've been busy. Only eleven remain.” She crossed her arms. “Still, we have a massive task ahead of us. Our fight is across the entire continent, and moving as one unit we've made progress, but slowly. What we can do is limited by our numbers and by our resources. That's why I've come here to speak to you. Will you help me save the world?”
A chorus of cheers went up from the crowd. Everyone seemed to know the score, deep in the backs of their minds. They just needed someone to point them in the right direction. The cacophony went on for a few moments before a grunt issued through the assembly's collective mind. They looked up to see Mewtwo, floating above the crowd with an air of authority. The pokemon nodded its assent.
Peach manifested a relieved smile. “Good. In that case, we'll start immediately.”
Another fountain of noise spilled forth, but amid the general enthusiasm a singular brawny arm went up. Peach gestured for quiet and pointed out its owner. “Yes?”
“Yeah, so that's a great idea 'n all, and I'm down fer it completely, but 'ow exactly didja plan to do this?” The absolute titan of a man questioned. “Were we all gonna plow around in one giant army? That just ain't practical, miss.”
Peach stared at him, defensive but curious. “You sound like you have a better idea in mind.”
“That's right,” the man said. “Y'see, back in...!”
“Vandhaaaaaaaaaaam!” Tora wailed, jumping out of Poppi's hands straight for him. The man held out his arms and caught the Nopon like a beach ball, allowing Tora to hold him close. “So happy see you again! We thought you dead, meh!”
Vandham grinned, embarrassed. “Not yet, mate. But, uh, maybe save the tearful reunion for later, huh? This ain't the best time.” Wiping his eyes, the Nopon nodded, and Vandham set him down. “Anyway,” he said, clearing his through. “Back in my world, I ran a little outfit called the Garfont Mercenaries. We deployed small teams best suited for the job on missions all across the world, solvin' problems and rakin' in rewards. If ya like, I can handle organization. Could be ready fer duty as soon as tamarra.”
Impressed, Peach agreed. “That would work very well. Work smarter, not harder, right?” With that neatly taken care of, she thought to the immediate future. The heroes would be moving out again before long, and they needed direction. “Kamek, the map,” she said, and the magikoopa approached to hand her a large rolled-up paper. She unrolled it with his help and let it hang, turning back and forth so that everyone could see. “This is a map of the world. By our best guess, we're on the very edge of the black zone by the desert, which was the End and is now the Eryth Sea, looking from above. That means that the 'Sandswept Sky' is the nearest area. We also have a link to a fortified building in the Dead Zone, and a way to get to an island off the coast of the Edge of the Blue.”
Mewtwo's telepathic voice resounded outward. “If you intend to brave the desert, make for the mountain on the other side. There is something there that fits the title of a champion of Galeem. I can show you after this.”
Peach nodded. “In that case, let's make preparations. Isabelle, if I may ask, please put together a roster of everyone present. Please prioritize my team, and mark down where they intend to go. Team, let her know your intentions. Everyone else should be marked as 'awaiting deployment.'”
The dog looked eager to begin. “Yes, ma'am!”
Vandham spoke up again. “Sounds like the first job of the Alcamoth Mercenaries if to scout the country. I'll draw up plans on the double.”
A short ways away from the main group, a familiarly unknown visage casually leaned against a tree as he looked on. “Boy howdy, this is something else,” he remarked, his voice expressive and charismatic. “Just about brings a tear to the eye.” The black-hooded figure put a gloved hand into the darkness of his hood as if to wipe away said tears, but nothing in that shadow could be seen. He raised an arm and waved at Peach. “Hey, pretty in pink! Aren't you forgetting something?”
Peach's eyes went wide. “Oh, Master of Masters? How did you get here?”
He pantomimed painting something. “Through a magical graffiti door, of course! How else?”
With no answer to that, Peach answered his question with a question. “What am I forgetting, then?”
“Spirits, doy!” the mystery man declared before addressing the gathered fighters. “So here's the crib notes. If you beat enemies in this world, they leave behind spirits you can use to make equipment or fuse with, granting totally radical new powers. If you're curious, see me after this and I'll give ya the deets.”
The princess retook the spotlight. “Thank you. Alright then, people,” she called out over the excited chatter. “We have a plan. We have the manpower to fight on many fronts. And we have the will to beat this World of Light. Now steel yourselves, and prepare to save the worlds.” Another round of cheers went up. Tora joined in, bouncing up and down, and even Poppi waved her arms. Everyone could feel the energy and determination in the air. With this many heroes, there was no way they could lose.
It wasn't until Ren stepped inside the guild castle and got a whiff of the aromas wafting over from the in-house snack bar that he realized how hungry he was. “Oogh. I could really go for a bite to eat.” Restraining himself from tripping over himself to get there, he took a moment to scope out the guild hall. It housed what seemed like an average number of adventurers, all going about their business in unconcerned normalcy. They relaxed at tables, chatted with their fellows, and group around the quests board to figure out how to spend their afternoons. A colorful array of characters occupied the place, but looks alone weren't enough to make any judgments on, so instead of take stock Ren sank back against the wall by the main entrance to look out for a few faces in particular.
He ended up finding the object of his search at the snack bar after all. A Japanese teenager with spiky hair dyed yellow and a school uniform sloppily draped over casual clothes hunched over a bowl of fries. “Aha.” Waving at Link, Ren started over. “Let's see if my friend over there found anything.”
The hungry student spotted Ren as he sat down and greeted him with toothy grin. “Yo, what's up?” His eyes lingered on Link. “Who's this guy?” After Link introduced himself, he nodded and stuck out his hands. “Hey, I'm Ryuji.” He didn't waste time getting back to his friend, however. “So, check this out. I found this dude named Franklin, and he actually knew something about cars. Apparently he and a bunch of other people came here in, like, a caravan, including this huge-ass monster truck.”
Ren remembered the huge, dark shape sitting at the edge of town when he arrived from the Dead Zone and nodded.
“Apparently they got most of their vehicles from a scrapyard outside of Peach's Castle. Like from Mario! Ain't that cool?” Now that he was excited, there wasn't any stopping Ryuji. “The monster truck came from this wasteland area they drove through, when they fought a bunch of other people with cars, which is like the coolest thing ever. I can't believe I was stuck in some time paradox in that nightmare city while people were havin' frickin' motor battles! Anyway, they stopped at a mechanic with all kinds of cars and stuff that's just a ways north of here. Called Hummer...Hammer-something.” He leaned on the counter. “So how's that, huh? Even Morgana would have to admit I'm a real credit to the Phant-”
He took a nudge in the ribs from Ren, who cut in over what he was going to say. “Yes, yes, you did well. As it happens, I figured out what's going on in this world, and what we need to do to stop it.”
Ryuji's jaw dropped. “For real?”
Ren nodded. “This is a cognitive world like Mementos, full of shadows. The source of the distortion -the treasure- is an entity calling itself the Lord of Light. It keeps the shadows suppressed and oblivious.”
The puzzle pieces were clicking into place. “Ohhhhh, I get it...just like with the...the Holy...”
“Just like that,” his friend confirmed quickly. “In order to face it, we need to defeat thirteen guardians hidden around the world. Once we do, we can take it on directly.”
“Aw, yeah! We're back in business!” Ryuji all but yelled, drawing a few looks. Flushing slightly, he settled back down, and in an urgent whisper said, “So, we just gotta find Ann...I mean, Panther, and track down these guardians. If these are all shadows, we can take whatever vehicle we need, right?” He scratched his head. “Wait, how are we gonna find these anyway?”
“There's a group already going around doing this,” Ren told him, inclining his head at Link. “This guy was with them before ending up back here. They seem to know what they're doing, so we just need to follow them.”
Ryuji furrowed his brows. “Wait, there are shadows trying to change things? Now I'm confused.”
“Get used to it.”
After a few seconds more, the sound of heavy tramping feet reached the three through the guild hall's door. They looked over to find a strange man standing in the threshold. Huge and menacing, he bore the fans, claws, horns, tail, and wings of a black dragon. Link could not avoid making the connection, but the others just watched as the strange fellow started through the hall. A little turtle with a bandanna and a slimy blue pompadour followed behind him, and so did a hunter with red hair. Getting his friend's attention with a sharp nod, Ren got up from the snack bar to follow, taking a handful of fries with him. Ryuji took the entire bowl as he followed suit.
The pair listened as the stranger stopped to greet a robot of some kind. Apparently they knew one another, and when the robot mentioned the winged cowboy getting a dragon spirit, Ren's face turned to one of mild surprise. He looked to Link for confirmation. Meanwhile, the Courier spoke to the guildmarm to collect a reward for completing the hunt. The guildmarm seemed taken aback, both by her client's appearance and its implication. “Wow! You guys really did it! Now the entire Land of Adventure will be open for exploration! And of course, Lumbridge will be open to you. You're now our top adventurers, after all. We don't have any grand coffers of gold to offer you, but you can always count on this town for a warm meal, a place to stay, and whatever tinkering you might need.” She pulled down the contract card marked 'Fight to the Bitter End' and marked it completed. As if on queue, the sound of a crowd cheering filled the guild hall, and confetti burst out from hidden contraptions. Most of the adventurers present started clapping and cheering, replacing the recorded sounds with their own.
Ren waited for the party to subside, watching for the Courier to emerge from the crowd. When he did, he whispered to Ryuji. “Find Ann, now,” before hurrying toward the gunslinger. “Greetings. It sounds like you're part of the group that's tackling Galeem's bosses. If it isn't too much trouble, my friends and I would like to join you. Perhaps you know him already?” He indicated Link. “For the distance involved, you got here quite quickly. Do you have a way to return to the main group?”
Of all the monsters the Slayer fought so far, the Hierophant was uniquely agile, and uniquely problematic. His shotgun rounds rebounded off its scaly hide, and the pellets that did make it into through the brief windows into its ribcage were so few as to render the damage meager. When the Slayer closed in to handle the situation personally, however, the Hierophant slunk out of his grasp and lanced his armor with its trident. The two covered ground aggressively, with the man bulling forward in frustration and the wily fishman evading him. Bit by bit, the fearsome prongs of the monster's trident gouged deeper and deeper, diminishing the Slayer's armor. It didn't take long for the metal points to start doing real damage, but the man's anger made him faster. He made the Hierophant scrabble to maintain its distance, taking potshots when he could until his ammunition ran dry.
Snarling, the creature ran and leaped over a lava river, clearing the bubbling lava with ease. Though too far across for the Slayer's standard jump to make it, the edges of the chasm maintained some of the debris from when a city street ran through hear. A lightpole hung over it at a precarious angle, its beam horizontal enough to serve as a monkey bar. Thinking itself safe from the Slayer for now, the Hierophant waved around its trident and thrust it toward him. A shoal of demonic fish leaped from the lava moat toward him, trying to sink their vicious teeth into his armor before they burnt out.
At the same time, an even more mobile throwdown was in progress between Nero and Bathin. The devil hunter quickly learned that his fleet-footed adversary could dash fast enough to create whirlwinds after taking a hurricane punch to the shoulder. “Gah!” He grunted as he tumbled backward. Cackling, Bathin extended his snake tail, and from the serpent's mouth fired a purple laser. It missed initially, but the snake quickly adjusted the aim to rake Nero across the abdomen with the beam. Gritting his teeth, Nero pulled out the Blue Rose and nailed the demon right in the visor with a pair of bullets, but Bathin learned quickly, too. He zipped to the side the avoid shot after shot, then wound up for another lunge punch. Nero replied by swapping arms, and when Bathin zoomed forward this time, Nero thrust his Overture arm forward to meet him. A hand-shaped thunderburst expanded outward, flooring Bathin and sliding him over the rubble. He slipped off the edge of the lava moat, twisted in midair, and landed on his feet on the other side.
He found no safety there. Nero had already prepared a follow-up, so even though Bathin unleashed his tail-beam once again, the devil hunter plowed through it with Hard Way to deliver a massive jumping slash. “Right there!” With Bathin on the ground, he inelegantly pounded away with the Red Queen, smashing downward again and again. The repeated clash of his blade against the road echoed across the area, drawing the eyes of various demons. CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! Finally, he turned the blade to drive the point in, then pulled it upward to send Bathin flying. Bleeding bright yellow ichor, the demon righted himself as he sailed through the air and sent out his targeting beam. It bounced off the walls of the valley-shaped battlefield in a massive zig-zag, and the next second Bathin sped along it at nearly the speed of light. Nero took two hits and got spun around before he backflipped up onto higher ground, leaving Bathin to complete his return trip.
As he landed, he spotted V sliding backward nearby and almost fall over the lip to the danger zone below. Nero glanced over his shoulder to see Griffon and the hat-wearing stranger from earlier tangling with a grotesque insect with a staff. Even though he appeared to be sitting idle atop a filthy throne held up by a number of crabs, he clearly possessed his own measure of power. He conjured an orb of scum and hurled it at the stranger, against whom it exploded on contact. “Bug problem?” Nero teased.
“Stronger than he looks,” V assured him. “If you're free, I could use some firepower.”
Nero looked back over to see Bathin climb a nearby ledge. “Hold him still and it's a deal.”
“Got it.”
The two switched places, with Nero running for the bug while V called Shadow to deal with Bathin. Nero sent forth a Wire Snatch to grab onto the insect's throne and fly in. Sloth's staff swung toward him to crush him mid-flight, but a well-placed shot from the stranger's pistol blew a chunk out of the monster's spindly wrist and sent the staff's head on a low path. Nero landed on Sloth's oversized belly. “Hi there.” He primed his Overture Arm and held it up to ram it down.
“Really, this is too much effort...” Sloth proclaimed.
Nero planted the arm, turning it into an attached explosive, and jumped off. He turned in the air to see Shadow clamp a vice-jaw shut on Bathin's tail, and with a smile lunged downward into a Payline. The Red Queen's tip plunged into Bathin's chest and Nero carried him through, straight to the bottom of the valley and the lava river flowing there. He dunked Bathin in the molten rock, who screamed shrilly as he struggled. One hand went up to put out another tracer beam, just as V expected. “Shadow—fence him in.” The demon cat transformed, sinking into the battlefield before a forest of scattered black spikes arose. They cropped up in the exact path of the tracer, redirecting it again and again. When Bathin took off, desperate to escape the searing lava, he zipped between the spikes like a pinball until his journey came to an abrupt end in a head-on collision with the Exploder placed on Sloth.
Bathin's eyes went wide as he reeled, his head spinning. “What?”
Sloth's were dull. “Oh, bother.”
V smiled, smug as a bug. “Checkmate.”
The bomb went off in magnificent fashion, annihilating Bathin and blowing Sloth through his throne. Laying where he fell, the bug summoned more crabs to dig up beneath him and carry him away. Nero, meanwhile, went after Bathin's spirit, which took him to the opposite edge of the battlefield. The Slayer could tidy up the mess, he figured. He clambered up onto the road and found himself in a dusty, half-destroyed food shop, maybe a deli. A look back confirmed Nico's van on the other side of the valley-shaped pit. It also made him aware of someone sitting at one of the tables overlooking the battlefield. Someone with a red longcoat and a crop of white hair.
Nero's brows went up. “Dante?”
The figure turned around, laying one arm on the chair back. Nero's brows dropped back down again. Not Dante. For starters, she was a woman, one with sunglasses, black-tipped white horns, and a spiked red hairband. Beneath the coat she wore a red suit vest and black tie over a black undershirt, and her cuffs and ears bore silver, fly-shaped pins. And she had freckles. An apology was on the tip of his tongue when the woman greeted him. “Hey, kid! That was awesome!”
Nero froze, his mouth hung open. His eyes drifted down to the weapon propped up against the table. Sparda? But not just anyone could wield that thing. He glanced at the woman again and went out on a limb. “...Trish?”
“Uh, no. It's me, Dante!” The woman stood up from the table, faced him fully, and put her hands on her hips. Nero became aware how much taller he was than her, but he didn't move “Yeah, yeah, I know. Crazy, huh? So here's the thing.” She held her hands up as though she were painting a picture with words. “So there I was, woke up with this horrible migraine. I smack around a couple Nobodies, grab the Sparda, then start walkin' around. Nothing but dead-ass zombies, far as the eye can see. Until I find these two ladies. Both with red eyes, suits, horns, white hair, and beating the hell out of each other. So I jump in to try and defuse the situation, you know, and they come at me. Like, really come at me. So I mopped 'em up, and when I did, I see these colorful little lights.” She shrugged and crossed her arms. “So I think, aw sweet, new weapons. When I tried to pick them up, this happens.”
Nero continued to look dumbfounded, as if he couldn't deal with this world's nonsense. “You don't say.”
“I do say,” Dante confirmed for him.
“So how's that working out for you?”
“Mostly negative,” the five-sixths demon admitted. “My eyesight got worse, for one. I got a new Devil Trigger, but it kinda sucks. And getting used to all...this.” She indicated herself broadly before cracking a smile. “But hey, I can still whip demons like nobody's business, and it's a blast. So I'm good. How've you been?”
Nero seated himself at the table to watch the carnage unfold below with the Doom Slayer. “Would you believe things have been better? Here, lemme fill you in.”
I hope this fits the bill.
I can do that.
I'm always down for Overlord.
Welcome to Smash City Alcamoth, folks! This place is one-of-a-kind in the World of Light, a facility where many of the problematic veterans of the Smash Brothers tournaments were housed in ceaseless conflict. Now they're free of Galeem's influence, and the facility is an important location that will only grow in importance as time goes on. But who exactly is housed there? Well, that's partially up to you!
Each of you has 2 points. If you choose to use them, you can exchange them to make it so that certain characters appear within Smash City Alcamoth. One point equals one character. The criteria for available characters is as follows:
-The character is either a fighter or an assist trophy in the Smash Brothers series
-The character has not already appeared elsewhere in the World of Light (this includes, Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong, Yoshi, Peach, etc)
-The character is not a villain
That said, you can also spend one of your two points to make one of your character(s) Kindred Spirits appear instead. You can't use both for Kindreds, however. Once you've made your selection, just post the names and home series of your characters in the OOC here, and I'll 'like' your post to approve your selection. I may contest the selection of a Kindred Spirit that doesn't fit, like if one of you made Star Dream a Kindred or something. If you have any questions I'd be happy to answer.
Since all the characters we'll be encountering in Smash City Alcamoth are free of Galeem's influence, you can choose to take their reins as your own character if you desire, and if you qualify (having your lowest-level character at least level 3).
Notice there was another qualification missing? Well, that's because there's a rule change incoming. I'm going to open up the option for people to take fourth characters if they so desire. I personally would not recommend going above three, especially if it would hinder your overall ability to get posts out, but if you can handle it (not if you just think you can handle it) the option's there.
Each of you has 2 points. If you choose to use them, you can exchange them to make it so that certain characters appear within Smash City Alcamoth. One point equals one character. The criteria for available characters is as follows:
-The character is either a fighter or an assist trophy in the Smash Brothers series
-The character has not already appeared elsewhere in the World of Light (this includes, Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong, Yoshi, Peach, etc)
-The character is not a villain
That said, you can also spend one of your two points to make one of your character(s) Kindred Spirits appear instead. You can't use both for Kindreds, however. Once you've made your selection, just post the names and home series of your characters in the OOC here, and I'll 'like' your post to approve your selection. I may contest the selection of a Kindred Spirit that doesn't fit, like if one of you made Star Dream a Kindred or something. If you have any questions I'd be happy to answer.
Since all the characters we'll be encountering in Smash City Alcamoth are free of Galeem's influence, you can choose to take their reins as your own character if you desire, and if you qualify (having your lowest-level character at least level 3).
Notice there was another qualification missing? Well, that's because there's a rule change incoming. I'm going to open up the option for people to take fourth characters if they so desire. I personally would not recommend going above three, especially if it would hinder your overall ability to get posts out, but if you can handle it (not if you just think you can handle it) the option's there.
Tora & Poppi
Level 8 Tora (3/80) and Level 8 Poppi (12/70)
Location: Eryth Sea
Word Count: 1797
While Tora and Poppi knew nothing of the three newcomers to make their way onto the newly-dubbed Reef of Heroes, some of the others apparently did, and it made for one heck of a hard-to-follow conversation. Smash, fighting games, Smash Run, tournaments? The bird fellow certainly expected his new acquaintances to be familiar with the terminology. However, the bottom line seemed to be that these three and a bunch of others participated in some sort of fight club in the tower city across the sea. Since none of them featured the red eyes of those under Galeem's influence, it seemed to Tora like a whole slew of potential allies might be camping out just across the floating islands. With that many fighters on board, Tora thought, he might be able to kick back and relax for a while. A hero's journey made for a lot of hard work and painful bruises, after all. If not for his friends' healing, that stunt with the Ender Dragon could have gotten him killed. Letting someone else do the work sure sounded nice, but really, Tora knew he couldn't back down now. Not when he had the chance to be a hero for real.
For now, he contented himself with a cleaning by Sectonia's henchmen. When he understood that they wanted to scrub and mend his outfit, Tora slipped out of his dingy, damaged clothes without the slightest hint of shame. His utterly casual treatment of nudity earned him a few looks, so Poppi prompted him to explain. “Oh, it normal for Nopon to not wear clothes,” he assured his friends. “They human invention, so Nopon just wear so fit in or be stylish. Or for function.” The bugs did not miss the opportunity to wash down Tora himself, and he gave no objection. After a short while he emerged freshly fluffed, spick and span, and thoroughly enjoying himself. “Ooh, that very nice, meh! Tora not have bath for so long since invent Poppi!” He soon received the bugs approval and his tidied-up garments, folded in a neat bundle. He then lounged in grass a moment, feeling satisfied, before putting them back on.
Peach announced her plans to head for the tower, so Tora held off telling her his conclusions to instead cram his mouth full of hot dogs and enlist Poppi to help him climb a tree. Ovular of shape and without strength in his wings to speak of, he more or less sat while his partner dutifully pushed him up. Once as high as could be, he adopted an extravagant pose, leaning out from the trunk with one wing while the other shaded his eyes. “Land ho!” he called unnecessarily, appreciating the view now that he need not worry for his life. He rotated his grip, admiring the sunlit waters and lovely beaches. A hero he would remain, but a little vacation couldn't hurt, right? He pictured himself reclined in a beach chair, colorful drink in hand, Blazermate and Linkle fanning him with palm leaves. “Meeeh...”
His reverie came to an end when he heard a noise that sent chills down his spine: the distant flapping of great wings. Fresh off a near-death experience with the loathsome Ender Dragon, he fell right out of the tree. “Meh meh meeeeh!” Rolling to stop by Peach and Fox, he bounced onto his nub legs. “Dragon! It dragon!” He scanned the sky frantically until he spotted a red beast cruising straight for the reef. “There!”
The heroes collectively bristled. Falco immediately palmed his blaster, but he also engaged his visualizer. The device zoomed in on the incoming dragon, revealing a couple passengers. “Hey, wait a sec. It's carryin' someone. And someone's ridin' it?”
“What do they look like?” Peach asked, her hand on her scatterboom.
Falco took another look. “Uh, a sailor with brown hair...no pants...and this blond dude with a red jacket.”
Poppi squinted, engaging her own optics. “It Euden!” she observed. “Dragon must be friend! Everyone put down weapons!”
A few moments later, the dragon touched down. Euden waved, greeting everyone, but he got outshone by a country mile as Sakura took the stage. Once she thanked Mym and received a welcoming nod in return, the girl gave an energetic bow and introduced herself with aplomb. Tora smiled from ear to ear when she struck a pose, getting a pretty good idea of her personality after just a couple seconds. Straightforward, amicable, and earnest enough to be just a little goofy, she seemed the perfect friend. Plus, she had the sporty tomboy appeal on lock. What wasn't to like? He flapped his wings, drawing her attention for a moment. Though large for a Nopon, the furry, egg-shaped,denim-clad hamsteroid stood at only about four feet high. That meant he looked up to Sakura with big, dark eyes, glittering with excitement. “Hi hi, meh!” he called. “Am Tora, and this Poppi! Happy to make acquaintance!”
He jumped in surprise as the dragon disappeared in a whirl of fire, but when it gave way he nearly forgot all about Sakura. Tora watched, eyes wide and mouth agape, as a stunning woman emerged from the flame. Even with horns and a giant red tail, she was the very image of regal beauty. Poppi poked the side of his head and watched, eyes half-lidded, as he tilted over. “It would be good if masterpon did not fall to pieces at sight of every pretty face that come way,” she whispered indignantly.
Mym, however, just laughed. “Aww, what's the matter, little one? Never seen a dragon before?” A brief moment passed in which all could savor the severity of her incorrectness. She put a hand above her chest. “My name is Brunhilda, but you all can call me Mym. You're friends of my darling, mm? That makes you friends of mine!”
“Wonderful.” Peach stepped forward, waving for attention. Geralt spoke up to succinctly relay the power dynamic at play here to the new arrivals, aptly describing the roles of both the princess and Bowser. “Thank you, Geralt,” she said before she addressed Sakura. “You can join us if you like. I'll assume Euden gave you some idea of what's going on. If you've got any more questions, save them until after my big explanation.” She realized that she sounded a lot less friendly than she meant. “Um, please. And...it's nice to meet you.”
Though happy to see Linkle again, Euden found himself at a loss for words when she asked about Link. “Uh...” He clenched his teeth, mortified. “We must have left him behind. We met Mym all of a sudden, and then took off immediately. How foolish...” Looking her in the face, he apologized profusely. “I'm terribly sorry. I should go back to find him.”
“Another trip, dear?” Mym held a hand to her head, appalled. “But I've already been flying so hard! It takes a lot out of a girl to fly that fast for that long!”
Peach interjected. “Hold it, you guys. You too, Courier. If this place is open to us, and it seems like it is, we can put down another base. Bowser's kid and his wizard can set up another fast-travel trick, or maybe Blazermate a teleporter. No need to fly all that way if you can just warp there.”
It wasn't long before the convoy got underway. Falco was only too happy to assume the role of leading the procession of heroes through teleporters and across various reefs, growing ever closer to the tower. Along the way they passed by some wildlife, including Cruz Paguls, Eryth Ansels, and Perna Elucas, but even those that might have been aggressive did not dare attack such a large group. Considering the distance crossed, it took very little time to reach the structure. From a lower altitude, it was easier to see the many circular structures that branched out from beneath the tower like shelf fungus. Falco blazed a trail to the centre gate and finally the main entrance.
He spun around as Jigglypuff and Ness entered on either side of him, and spread his wings wide in theatrical fashion. “Awwwwlrgihty then, ladies and gents, here we are. Welcome...to Smash City Alcamoth!”
Stepping into the atrium was like stepping into a movie set. The biggest interior space seen by any hero in the World of Light so far, it featured impressive ornate decorations, well-kept lawns, flowers, and trees, all temperature-controlled. Falco sauntered down the main walkway toward a reception desk situated halfway to the center of the semicircular chamber. Behind the desk sat a little yellow dog with a computer and a pile of paperwork. She looked up when the pilot approached and greeted him with a smile and a bubbly voice. “Oh, hi Falco, Ness, JigglyWHOA!” Her ears flew upward in surprise as she spotted the crowd of heroes. “Who're you guys?! Wait! I know you!” She directed a nub-hand at Fox. “And you two!” She gestured at Bowser and his son. “And...!” Her paw ended up pointing at Peach. “You too, I think?”
The princess looked a little mortified. This was just going to keep happening, it seemed. “Hello, Isabelle. It's me, Peach.”
The dog plopped back in her chair. “Ah, Peach, so you are! I'll be darned, I thought I recognized you. Love the new look! So, uh.” She straightened her papers and put her paws together officiously. “How can I help you?”
“We oughta call a meeting,” Falco suggested, leaning against the reception desk. “They've got big news about the state of the world and all. We need to get everyone together.”
Isabelle's eyebrows scrunched together. “A big meeting? On short notice? Oh dear! But the boss...”
“Aw, he can stuff it. This is for real,” Falco insisted crassly.
Though affronted by the suggestion, the dog got the point. “Well, I'll have to make some calls. Excuse me!” She pulled out her phone and started jabbing away at it, working hard to dial numbers using her indelicate paws.
Meanwhile, the newcomers were attracting attention. There weren't a lot of people doing whatever in the atrium at the moment, but all the eyes there were lay on Bowser's 'army.' Three such people had already begun to drift over. One, a girl in white and pink, approached from the direction behind Isabelle, and the other, a pair of kids in parkas sharing ice cream together on a nearby bench, got up to come say hello. The last, a beanpole of a man in purple overalls and a matching hat, stood at a distance, his manner goonish and his face distrustful. It was the lady who spoke first, waving with her whole arm. “Greetings.” Her voice was melodic, sweeter than an instrument. “I bid you welcome to Alcamoth. I am called Zelda.”
After making clear his intentions, the Doom Slayer left the others at high speed, throwing himself down into the collapsed area with gusto to air his grievances with the demons in person. Nero pressed his lips together, nodding. “You know, I should have guessed.”
Nadia stepped up to the edge and peered down at the fight. Already the furious report of the Slayer's shotgun split the air, piercing the flesh of demon after demon. He moved like a killing machine, never standing still as he zeroed in on his targets, always jumping, strafing, or swinging off the environment. The efficiency with which he cycled through his equipment, never letting a particular feature stay off cooldown for more than a moment, impressed her. “We going?” she asked, glancing at Nero.
He found himself also under the scrutiny of Pandemonica and Nico. Recognizing that he was being seen as the de facto leader, and probably not for the first time, he told them, “We don't have time to waste picking out every mess we come across. It's all going sooner or later, after all.”
“Fella must really hate them demons,” Nico observed, watching him go. The clawed demons in his path lunged when he drew near, their talons extended, but unless they got him from behind the Slayer stopped them dead. Even those that did come at him from a blind spot only managed to damage his armor. A warlord demon came at him with a heavy blade, but the Slayer kept his distance, blasting him again and again from afar, until the time came to move in for the kill. “Reckon we could bend 'is ear 'til the sun comes up and 'e still wouldn't give it up.”
Very unsurprisingly, Pandemonica looked tired. “...Does that mean you intend to move on? If waiting until your madman finishes was on the table, it would have been prudent to join his rampage after all.”
Nero considered his options. “We could use this chance to stock up. If we find anything that looks useful, Nico can whip up some new gear.” He glanced at his friend for confirmation. “You can, can't you?”
“Long as yew got the cash, I can do most anythin',” she assured him.
Nero approached the edge himself, looking down across the battlefield. The Slayer happened to be facing a unicorn, but behind him the ashes and spirits of his former opponents lay scattered among red orbs of crystallized demon blood. “Yeah, well, if it's demons we're fighting and not damn zombies, we'll get plenty of cash. Spirits too. Should work well enough for ya.” He jumped down and started collecting the stuff, which vacuumed toward him when he drew near.
At the moment, Nadia seemed more interested in Nico. “So you're a purr-etty awesome driver and a demon weaponsmith?”
Grinning, Nico crossed her arms. “You bet! My grandmother was called the '.45 Caliber Virtuoso... a legendary gunsmith. I hope to be like her someday. An artist, and a lethal artisan.“
“Well, aren't you just the cat's meow?” the feral joked. “How long 'til you make me something cool?”
Nico glanced at her van. “Normally it'd take a li'l bit, but in this world you can make stuff jus' by smashin' these spirit things. Nero told me all about it. Apparently some of the guys he fought 'longside earlier even ate 'em and got their powers.”
Nadia looked dumbfounded. “Wait, it's that easy? So, you're pretty much outta a job, right?”
“Nuh-uh. There's a science to it. Just crush 'em willy-nilly and you can get all kinds of random crap. Takes a certain touch to pull somethin' good.”
Off to the side, Pandemonica had been watching the carnage, only looking up when Griffon returned to exchange a few words with V before both headed off toward the unknown fighter. When she heard Nico's explanation, Pandemonica pulled out the spirit of King Minos and stared at it. “Just a moment. You're suggesting that these can strengthen those who consume them?”
Nico looked over, interested. “Mhm. Gonna try it?”
Pandemonica considered it for a moment, then casually tossed the spirit toward the gunsmith. “Certainly not. That so-called king boasted no abilities I'd call special. Lesser demons already heed me, after all.”
After Nico caught it, Nadia was quick to capitalize. “Hey, let's try it smithing it then. I've got just my nails, teeth, and tail after all. If I'm gonna keep pulling my weight out here, this cat's gonna need sharper claws.“
Meanwhile in the pit things were heating up. After the Slayer destroyed the unicorn and recovered a red key from his body, two larger demons appeared to steal the show. The Hierophant sprang from a ruptured sewer line, wielding a trident and possessing enough speed and strength to offer the Slayer some challenge. Its body shrugged off his shots, but its ribcage opened and closed continuously, providing brief windows of visibility for a bright red heart. A lithe demon with a purple mask, emerald-green wings, and snake tail burst out of a nearby building, moving like a hurricane. Nero put a final round through the neck of the Hatred he'd caught hold of and moved to intercept, Blue Roe at the ready. The masked demon sneered. “Nyaagh! Think you can step to me, huh? I move so fast...” He held out his hand, and from his palm shot a ray of green light. Nero stepped aside and the ray shot path him, hitting part of the scenery and reflecting. In a matter of moments a web of green lines crossed the battlefield, and Bathin zipped through the ray, bouncing all across the arena as a ray of light. He struck Nero twice before sliding to a stop. “You won't even see me!”
Nico disappeared into the van, leaving Nadia to look down at the scene for a moment before she followed suit. “Nyah, those guys can handle it.”
Kirsty Ramaswamy
Swimming in her own frenzied embrace and blind to the world, Kirsty got one hell of a shock when a large figure slammed into the ground behind her. She shrieked, popping into the air and nearly cracking her own head against the wall she had propped herself against. No sooner did she land, however, and her eyes register that the mass come face-to-face with the concrete was a human, than she forget completely about the painful weight upon her. “Oh my God! I'm sorry!” she apologized, her face metamorphosed from one of despair to one of panic. She scooted forward onto her shins and knees, hesitating a moment before laying her hands on the young man's back and shaking him. “Are you o...oh, of course you're not okay, I'm sorry. Are...I mean, look, can you hear me? Say something! Please?”
Instead, a voice from behind her mumbled a wry comment. Kirsty thought it sounded familiar, but she could only put it to a face when she whirled around to look. The depressed girl from this morning. “Oh uh, hi. And, um, no. It's...something else.” For a moment Kirsty was stunned by how nonplussed her unwilling acquaintance seemed to be—this poor guy could be seriously hurt, and there she stood complaining about it. Nonono, that's not quite right. She's going through a rough patch right now...'every person you meet is fighting a battle you don't know anything about', or something like that. Then again, she herself could be overreacting. Kirsty turned back to the fallen body of Tate as Alina poked him and with just a touch of squeamish reluctance started feeling for broken bones. While someone in the nursing program would be able to tell a lot better, she figured she could at least try to determine if he was safe to move.
His arms seemed fine, and it seemed like he had used them to break his fall, so if anything would be damaged it'd be them. No pool of blood beneath his head or teeth scattered across the pavement...always a good sign. Using what little strength she commanded Kirsty turned Tate over onto his back. No visible injuries. “Phew,” she breathed in relief, knowing full well he could be hemorrhaging internally for all she knew, but hey, she couldn't do anything about that no matter how bad she felt about it. Pretty sure her conduct would get any paramedic sued for malpractice, she poked at Tate's face. To her knowledge unconsciousness didn't come as easily or stick around as long as it did in movies and games and such, at least not without a good chance of lasting brain damage. “Um, hello? Are you okay?” she questioned, annoyed that she couldn't think of anything more productive to say. She looked up at the street for the first time. “Hey, does anyone know anything about...about...huh?”
There was nobody there. No cars, no pedestrians, no shoppers, no commuters, not so much as a single student from the school that let out its last period just a few minutes ago. Puzzled enough to leave her mouth agape, Kirsty looked up the street, then down it. Not a single soul. The only movement she found lay in the swirling of the thick fog that filled the desolate place. The hairs on the back of the girl's neck began to rise. “Where is everyone?” she wondered aloud, more to fill the oppressive silence she'd just now become keenly aware of than to actually get an answer. Her eyes settled on the surface of the buildings, and how they didn't seem quite right without identifiable signs or interiors visible through the windows. Panning upward revealed that the buildings' facades extended quite a ways, and not in normal ways, either. She could see the skyline, jagged, emotive, and unnatural. An alien sky peered down on the unfamiliar contours of a labyrinthine foreign city, awash in the sort of fog that clustered too perfectly and distorted shapes too readily. It was the kind of horror movie special-effects fog engineered for maximum mystery and discomfort, and it was working like a charm.
Kirsty shivered, her breath unsteady. Was this a dream? Did she, in a breathtaking display of despair-induced clumsiness, knock herself out on the way to Navarro's? Plod unconsciously to her dorm and pass out in her bed? Maybe she did get drugged, as the sad girl suggested. Was she then a figment of Kirsty's imagination? Two people, if drugged, couldn't possibly see the same visions after all. A hint of movement in the shadows at the corner of Kirsty's vision flushed her internal dialogue straight out of her head, replacing it with a healthy dose of fear. “This can't be happening,” she insisted, thinking of everything in her life that hinged upon the loathsome events of tonight going exactly as scheduled. But if reality appreciated her sticking up for it, reality gave no sign. Kirsty stood and glanced behind Alina, through the gate through which she came back at the university. Fog obscured the view; it didn't seem like she could just walk out of this the way she came. There was no way out. "No..." She put a hand against the wall for support, feeling cold and queasy, and stared into the fog down the street as if it would divulge answers.
Artemisia
The black mage kept her wits about her as she descended, but when her slow fall came to an end in the grass she allowed her muscles to go slack. Had the monster slumped over there might have been cause to fret over a fake-out, but a headlong drop into a convenient pit struck her as a little too tough to recover from. Since the hole seemed to be nothing more than that -a hole- she found herself looking around at the foliage. As if in response to the fall of the malboro, the ominous atmosphere of the forest began to evaporate like morning dew. Fog drifted away, shadows crept back to where they belonged, and fresh air filtered through the trees. “A fell aura somehow linked to the creature,” she murmured. “Its abatement must signify its source's demise.” While once again not the most novel information, it meant that the group would not need to worry about the overgrown vegetable crawling up the pit again.
Artemisia took a deep breath of the sweet air, feeling the adrenaline seep from her body, and sighed in pleasure. Another victory, another tale in her life's story, although the events of this morning would need a great deal of embellishment to qualify as a chapter. She looked over just in time to see Edgar grab the crystal and get zapped, which made her shake her head in wonderment. “Such blissful ignorance may have more dire consequences some day.” Balder went over to help him, for however much that counted since he possessed no healing abilities. Artemisia, meanwhile, crouched over the crystal with her head resting on her hand, and the elbow of that arm on her knee. Though it shared some superficial qualities with aldite, it matched up with no variety she had ever heard of. The others would end up disappointed if they figured she might be able to tell them something about it, but it clearly carried some measure of importance. While no botanist, she felt as though malboros did not typically feature such gems, and the thing showed a visible reaction when the crystal received damage. Still, handling it would be foolhardy, so she left it where it lay.
Standing up, she dusted off her dress. Balder appeared to be very impressed, and he wanted everyone to return to the city. Artemisia could definitely get behind that. “Goodness,” she began, primarily addressing Balder. “Either we make for a far more talented company than first impressions would suggest, or you aggrandized that particular bit of vegetation somewhat. Felled by a pack of uncoordinated greenhorns without so much as a bite wound to show for it...it was rather intimidating for a houseplant.” Idly wondering if the black crystal possessed mutative properties, she fell in behind the others to begin the long, long, long walk back to the guild.
Soon after the return, Artemisia was obliged to drag herself from the corner where she had plopped, sweating and exhausted, to take part in the hunt's formal debriefing. Looking like she'd just run a marathon or two, she lay with her upper half sprawled across the meeting table. When Balder placed her new badge beside her, however, she revealed that she harbored enough strength to pick it up and pin it on the right side of her collar before resting again. When a sack of money hit the board, however, she snatched it with remarkable speed. Her plum-colored eyes practically shone as she heard the amount held within. “Oh my, oh my! Goodbye hungry nights and empty mornings, and fare you ill! Hello food fit for a queen!”
Balder seemed more intent on dishing out the newly-minted hunters next duties than letting her enjoy herself for once, however. More monsters like that malboro, was it? And as dangerous. Hopefully that meant they would all be this easy, although Artemisia knew she couldn't count on getting lucky again. “We're already leaving?” she wondered aloud. Did that performance really make them an elite force who weren't needed to solve any other problems around here? The prospect of more walking made her want to bang her head on the table, but somehow being rich was making her feel a bit better. “Well, I suppose I should visit the marketplace. After...after some brief repose.”
While a nap sounded good, she wanted to eat more than anything. Hunger had been gnawing at her since yesterday, which in turn made for a fitful night's sleep. After securing her new coinpurse on her person she made her way out of the hunter's guild and to the nearest tavern, where she ordered a whole dish of food that she took to a secluded corner to eat in peace and quiet. An elegant mage she might be, but Artemisia got tired and famished the same as anyone, and she needed to be her best if she was going to work more miracles.
Tora & Poppi
Level 7 Tora (70/70) and Level 7 Poppi (9/70)
Location: Above the Eryth Sea
Word Count: 1463
A few at a time, the heroes started managing their falls and lofting upward off the ill-fated island. Linkle's cuccos spread their wings to catch the wind and float to safety, one of them held onto for dear life by the long, spindly arms of her owner. Easily able to take to the skies himself, Kamek hurried to assist his young master with his clown car's emergency repairs. While the rush job ended a few moments after the flying machine parted ways with the ground, the vehicle begrudgingly coughed itself awake and hauled Junior upward long before there was any danger. Once flying on its own power, the clown car made for a halfway-decent target for nearby lightweight tether-users, so Hat Kid did just that and joined her fellow child on his ride. It was Bowser, however, who took a precious moment before saving his skin to lend a panicked Tora the literal hack job he needed.
Blurting out, “Thanky-thanky!” he got to work winding wires and welding metal. Relatively unconcerned, Poppi looked around to make sure her allies were alright as Tora labored to shut them out and focus on repairs. She spotted her masterpon's helper simply jump off the falling island with all his strength, then summon that new Trowlon striker of his to surf the breeze far above the water's surface. It looked like a lot of fun, actually, and Poppi made a mental note to bring it up to Tora later. Halfway through a fall to one's death was no time to chat about skyboarding. Instead she watched Cuphead flounder through the air to try and grab a cuccoo of his own, and the Jak-Daxter duo soar on angelic wings. Were she able to breath, Poppi would have breathed a sigh of relief; for a moment there, it had looked as if the two died in the blast that annihilated Link and Euden. The memory, lost for a short time in all the chaos, tugged at her heart strings. Worse still, she expected that it would hit Tora a lot harder once he realized. She could only hope that he didn't beat himself up for laughing and feeling jolly while the realization escaped him. Of course, neither had gotten good look at the aftermath of the gyrocopter's explosion, so neither could use context clues to piece together that the Cadet's terminology meant their friends escaped.
Now more than a little unhappy, Poppi watched her other allies escape, floating up like balloons all around her. Sectonia, having never touched the ground to begin with, busied herself collecting a couple woefully inelegant subjects while Peach sailed away on her parasol. She could see the vibrant red of Kazooie's wings framed against the sky behind Banjo far above, making the bear into a funny-looking angel. Fox joined Cuphead and Linkle's cucco crew, and with his injuries partially tended to Donnie could breath ease while descending atop that flying disc of his. The Toadies took care of both the Ace Cadet and the dragon's severed tail, though it took all of them to accomplish that feat.
Most stunning of all was the Courier, who threw his prior caution about accepting spirits -as well as himself- to the wind after volunteering to host the unbreakable Ender Dragon spirit. He transformed in a dazzling display of dancing light and sheer power, and when it faded, a changed gunslinger of black scales and vicious claws soared on black wings. Seeing her allies safe filled Poppi with relief, but it also made her look down at Tora. Large beads of sweat dotted his face as he fumbled with her circuitry. She glanced to either side, noting that he gorgeous aquamarine of the inland sea appeared to be fast approaching. “Um, masterpon?” she said tentatively. “Not want to alarm, but...”
The Nopon's nerves failed him, and he made a snap decision. He wanted to say something like 'hope that good enough, let's go!' but what he cried in a shrill scream was, “Gonownownownowgonowgogogo!” Tora threw himself into Poppi's lap, still holding his tools, and the artificial blade fired her thrusters. She shot backward, sliding across the end stone, until she could gather her legs beneath her and push off. The pair hit the open air with not a moment to lose, flying clear just a handful of seconds before the island hit the water with a tremendous crash, sending a miniature tidal wave rolling across the pristine lake. Tora deflated in relief, sighing happily as he held Poppi close. Smiling, she gave the sinking island one last glance before she started to gain altitude.
Bowser led the way atop his Trowlon to a different sky island, one that hovered on its own above the surface. Once the heroes got close enough, they could see that the reef not only sort of resembled a curly-up starfish, but also that it featured a bunch of rather aquatic-looking flora. Landing one at a time, they made their way to the reef center, where they could group up in peace.
Once back on terra firma, or at least terra as-firm-as-could-be-asked, Tora practically kissed the ground as he rolled about. His tools, released from his wings' deathgrip at last, lay on the grass beside him. “Ahh, thank Architect! Tora never want see floating island again!”
Poppi was standing on one leg, inspecting her repaired leg. While certainly not pretty, it worked well enough. “Masterpon should try to not open eyes, then,” she remarked. Once satisfactory with her inspection, she raised a tentative hand and looked around at the others. “Did friends see platforms on edges of reefs? Looked like teleporters to Poppi.”
“Mhm,” Peach replied. She sat against a tree in the grass without any regard for the dirtiness of her pink long coat's hems. “Maybe they link the islands together.” She tried not to look at either Linkle or Geralt while addressing them at the same time, which was difficult. “Hey, do you -Linkle- and you -Mr. Geralt- want me to remove the spirits of those tall creatures? Now that we're out of that place, the cons probably outweight the pros, yeah?” Should they accept her offer, she planned to help them as quickly as possible.
Tora rolled into a sitting position, his expression serious. “Tora agree, meh! Useful as warp is, Tora want be able to look at friend Linky-Linky again!”
Poppi rolled her eyes. “Masterpon not see anything wrong with that statement?”
He scratched his head with one wing and laughed nervously. “W-well, Tora also want see friend Geralt again. Just known Linkle for longer, is all. Thought of first...meh”
The spotlight moved on, but his and Poppi's conversation continued. “It seem like Masterpon often think of Linkle first,” she admonished.
“Poppi have logic error if Poppi think Tora not care about you, meh,” the Nopon assured her. “Poppi mean world to Tora. But am not thinking of Poppi and Linky same way. Friend Linky is super cool, super cute, great at fighting but always very nice, very wholesome. Definitely best girl 'til we find Pyra again!”
His companion frowned. “If Linkle knew Masterpon talked about her like this, would be very weirded-out. Probably not hang out with Masterpon anymore.”
“But...” The egg-shaped engineer looked crestfallen, but he ended up shaking his head. “Meh meh. Rex-Rex and old friends never have problem with Tora. Even when Morag and Brighid get cross, nothing bad happen.”
Poppi found herself unable to respond. Logic dictated that unusual, obsessive behavior could bring about negative repercussions, hence her frequent scolding of her Masterpon, but if the others tolerated Tora then she couldn't conclude that it was an issue. If he went over the line, she reasoned, she would have to insist, but until then she couldn't pull together a case against him.
A couple minutes later, anyone on scout duty would spot movement across the sea. A couple figures, their details difficult to discern from this distance, crossed a reef near the floating tower and stepped into the center of one of its outside platforms. They disappeared in a flash, and soonafter the movement of similar figures could be spotted on a closer reef, almost hidden behind a small island that happened to float in the way. The process then repeated once more, except this time the strangers emerged onto the reef the heroes stood upon.
They could be clearly seen the moment they began down the path toward the center where the lion's share of the heroes rested: a boy, a balloon, and a bird.
To some of the heroes, however, these newcomers were no strangers. The third, who led the way for the other two, zeroed in on Fox. His beak hung open, and he grunted. “Huhh. Well, look who we have here.”
As Mym receded into the distance and Link snapped a photo, Ren merely watched with his hands in his pockets. While the sight of the dragon, her prince, and that Sakura girl flying off to adventure made for a striking image, he couldn't afford to use his own phone's batteries when he didn't have a place to charge it. Still, he felt as though he'd gained a lot from these last few minutes. A lot of useful information leaked his way from the exchange between that Michael guy and his seifuku-wearing acquaintance concerning the nature of this world. An idle but self-appointed supreme entity who changed the very nature of reality to keep the masses in unthinking, ignorant complacence, eh? Put like that, he couldn't help but feel a duty to destroy it.
Ren's mind was running a mile a minute. Not only did he know his objective, but the method of doing so seemed clear. Defeat its champions, then challenge it directly, and the metaverse -the hidden world formed of cognition- would recede from reality, leaving everything as it had been before. Reality was, after all, defined by cognition—either that of the one, or that of the many. If he could steal Galeem, the glorious treasure that formed the heart of this fused world, the cognition of the people would change. He'd done it before, and he could do it again, so long as he had his friends. No longer would the Phantom Thieves float around in this world, lost and adrift. The way forward was clear.
Mission start.
Of course, step one was to reunite his team. Hopefully one of the others got a lead on where to get vehicles. Now that Ren knew the people in this world would fight back relentlessly if attacked, he needed to be careful. At least they weren't all purely aggressive like Shadows. A thought hit Ren, and he looked around. He spotted villagers, adventurers, pigs, people of all shapes and sizes, equipped with wildly different equipment and more than likely hosting unique abilities. Were these people Shadows, or just cognitive beings? If they were Shadows, the psychological beings shaped by the consciousness of the people, then...
He paused his train of thought as he thought he heard a call for attention, but the target in question seemed to be another teenage boy nearby. Ren meant to turn away once he realized he wasn't involved, but for some reason the faces of both the caller and the target stuck out to him. Was this deja vu? He could swear he saw them somewhere before.
Moving closer, he listened in. One confirmed the other's name before introducing himself, which was convenient. Shulk and Link. I know those names. But from where? The guy named Shulk replied. “Oh hey, it's good to see you too. After Smash, right? We didn't get to know one another that well, but...” he trailed off, since Link did have another question. “Ah, yes. This is Lumbridge. The starter town, if you will. It's the hub of the whole Land of Adventure, and pretty much the only place that stays the same every week. Everything else regenerates, you see. Did Euden find you on the way to the big hunt?” Shulk crossed his arms, curious. Evidently he hadn't seen Link before. After a moment he went wide-eyed. “Oh, wait, I just now realized! You said you got carted? The palicos only rescue folks who get hurt real bad, so you musta been fightin' the thing! Glad you're okay, mate. But what was it? Do you need to get back out there again?”
It took some serious self-control for Ren to keep himself from jumping in right there. Well, wasn't this just his lucky day! First he overheard Mr. Santa talking about how a group went out that morning to take on one of the angel's 'champions' that prevented it being challenged, then someone who actually fought it appears right in front of him! Well, he didn't know for sure yet that this Link got 'carted' during a fight with the region boss Michael mentioned; it could have been any other fight an adventurer might encounter on a quest. But if this 'big hunt' was what he was looking for, he'd have just about every card he needed to start playing for real.
To Nadia's amusement, some sort of computer system in the scary man's possession answered for him. The smooth electronic voice divulged his name, birthday, military history, and even some choice exploits. While she couldn't fathom what it looked like, 'Icon of Sin' sounded pretty serious. In her world that could probably be spun into a grandiose title for Lorenzo Medici, the old bastard, or more likely his son Vitale. From the looks of this guy, however, Nadia guessed that moniker represented something a lot more demonic. She snickered as the Slayer did something to the voice to make it go quiet. “Well, if it's any consolation I figured nya were a jarhead anyway. I mean, your gear makes the Canopy guys look like chumps, but that look of yours screams 'built to kill.' Which makes the sight of you on a skateboard even funnier, heheheh.”
“We really are from different worlds,” Pandemonica remarked flatly. While V seemed content to continue musing, the demoness seemed amenable to some conversation. “Do either of you know what's going on?” She got straight to the point, uninterested in quibbling.
Nadia leaned back, stretching luxuriously. “Nuh-uh,” she replied. “I don't really remember how I got here...like, 'this world' here. But wherever I am, the mission's the same: to do right by the Fishbone Gang. My family.” She collapsed onto her side, propping her head up on her arm. “So, Mr. Splatterhouse got his story spoiled, more or less. What's up with you, Pandy? You can be purr-sonal with us.”
Wiping wearily at her eyes, the horned woman didn't bother to correct her. “I work in Hell. Customer Service. That's it.”
Nadia went for a sympathetic smile, although she didn't really know what that entailed. “I hear ya. How anyone can lock 'emselves up in one of those skyscrapers pushin' papers and dealin' with jerks all day, I'll never know. Ain't the life for me!” She split off one of her hands and watched it walk around in a circle on two fingers for a moment before a bump in the road knocked it over. Reaching down to reattach it, she asked, “This place you work got a name?”
“Hell.”
“Really rubs ya the wrong way, huh?” Nadia concluded. “What, bad boss?”
“I cannot complain about Ms. Lucifer,” Pandemonica admitted. “If I must point a finger, it would have to be at the clientele.”
Nadia pursued her lips, eyebrows furrowed. “I'm startin' to think you're bein' more literal than I first thought.”
Up in the front, Nero listened without chipping in. Whichever hell Pandemonica hailed from was a far cry from the one that reared its ugly head from time to time where he came from. The demons he fought could be very cunning, but barely any could be considered intelligent, and those that could speak rarer still. Just trying to picture Riots and Baphomers in suits lining up at a desk to give Pandemonica complaints made him chuckle under his breath. By keeping his eyes on the road, however, he spotted a new obstacle at the same time Nico did. A few moments more and she put her foot on the breaks to bring the vehicle to a stop in front of a disaster zone. An entire city block had been torn apart by seismic and volcanic activity, and from the wounds rose grotesque mounds of flesh. They formed a hideous sprawling nest, and at the center rose a torso-like column of the stuff fringed with giant teeth. Nodule-profuse tendrils draped across the buildings along with the Qliphoth roots, and from them sprouted orange veins to infest sheer surfaces like fungus. The whole place was crawling with demons. “What a mess. Is this a breeding ground?”
Nico pointed at something, and the devil hunter peered in that direction. After a moment he spotted a metallic flash, which allowed him to identify someone fighting in the destroyed remains of an apartment building. A young man with sharp sideburns appeared to be wielding a katana and a revolver against clawed demons and a menacing warlord demon armed with a sturdy blade. However, another much less imposing demon fought alongside him, a smooth, green, doll-like creature that used a boomerang. Nadia and Pandemonica arrived behind the front seats, peering out through the windshield at the remarkable scene.
“Faster to go around,” Nico tempted him, trying to keep a straight face. “Or do ya wanna get down in the muck?”
Nero weighed his options, then with a groan pushed open the passenger door. A nearby imp rounded on him, only for the devil hunter to plug it with his revolver. “No use cleaning up here,” he told her, “Since if that delivery man makes his drop, this entire city goes bye-bye. That guy can handle himself, but we ought to let him know.
The sound of footsteps signaled V's arrival up front. “I can dispatch Griffon to warn him. If you like, he can even extend an invitation to join us.”
“Oh, sure. Beats climbing over myself.” Nero relaxed back into his chair and swung the door shot. Back in the rear, however, the Slayer's map was pinging. Down in the Super Gore Nest it indicated not just one but two Sentinel Crystals, ripe for the taking.
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