MULTI_MEDIA_MAN

World of Light

Geralt of Rivia

Midgar

Lvl 9 (135/90) -> +6 XP Reward Lvl 9 (144/90)

Word Count: 1,329 words

Geralt listened to the explanations of the Ever Crisis and the situation around the city of Midgar with rapt attention. This megacity was vaguely reminding him of one of the many places Ciri had found herself in during her travels through different worlds, and frankly, in a place so large, with so many people? It wasn't hard to imagine her being somewhere among them. Finding her, as ever, remained in his mind. Though, now that they had more allies, perhaps he could press on them the importance of finding a woman who was a direct conduit of immense magical power.

The description of the G-men was...well, frankly, horrifying. He had no desire to get caught by them, even if he was confident that he could lie his way out if they weren't particularly intent on keeping him there. It was the risk of them being that intent that he'd prefer to avoid. Death was unpleasant. He had no desire to keep experiencing it, even if it were so intent on seeking him out. That was the best explanation he had for his experiences: he was dying or coming damn near to it, but something, perhaps some remnant of the unicorn magic that revived him originally, or even the Spirit of the Guardian within him, was pulling him back from the edge.

The Ever Crisis itself...was even more complicated and worrying than he had feared. Three different types of enemies, ranging from the mechanical to the eldritch. The invisible enemies actually might be something he could handle, though Yrden might simply not work on them the same way it did on Spectres from his world. Still, it would be worth bringing up. "As for the matter of the unseeable enemy, I may have a...minor solution. Can't guarantee it would work, and frankly, it wouldn't work as a way to actually combat them on a large scale level, but if we get caught with our pants down, one of my spells is primarily used in my world to hunt and make ghosts and spectres vulnerable to physical harm."

The three branches of the army, each with their own specializations in dealing with aspects of the Ever Crisis, did pique Geralt's interest. Psych-OSF seemed most like the group that matched his own abilities, if they had to work together, though Neuron...seemed secretive. Perhaps it was just in the interest of not losing their edge, but there didn't seem to be much to go off of with them. It was good to know that Bridges were good at making connections and gathering information on account of their profession. Couriers always had their ways.

Some of the politics went over his head, admittedly, but it seemed like this Shinra group was de facto in charge.

Peach's apology to Benedict was something Geralt wasn't sure he agreed with, but he gave his fellow 'old man' a nod when she did. "Take a closer look around you, and think hard on where you're from. Things...aren't right here. And we're trying to make it right." Ugh, he was about to vomit just from saying that.

More politics. Different rebel groups in the city, and he wasn't sure he cared for any of them. Avalanche seemed like either the least or the most harmful, frankly. If they were intent on depriving the city of their main source of energy, how would they keep this city running? Geralt had no idea how they did it as it was, but without their fancy technology, these people would be slaughtered by the outside threat. He said as much. "Avalanche sound like a bunch of morons, frankly. Trying to burn their city because they don't like how it's run. Damaging the planet or not, there's bigger things at stake. Such as not being murdered by invisible beings from another world."

As for the Hermits, Geralt saw what Midna didn't. "Though, the hermits...they wouldn't happen to be open to trading, would they? Some coin for whatever they've got. That's assuming they actually have anything of value, though. As long as it doesn't mess with their safety, they might be open to it."

Geralt didn't bother to give the Reunion his thoughts. Midna was right, cruel as it was, if they were turning into monsters...better to put them down. He wouldn't say that, not in front of the others, especially Sakura, though.

Pretty soon, they got to introducing themselves and what they could do. Taking that as his cue to go into his own abilities, he explained: "I have a few spells, including the one I mentioned earlier. Yrden, which can either produce a field that slows enemies and renders spectres vulnerable to physical harm, or a trap that attacks enemies and projectiles like arrows. I'm not entirely sure it would reveal those Chimera things, but it also makes spectres easier to see, so perhaps...I also have Igni, which is a simple fire spell. It can be as tame as lighting a candle or as strong as to turn steel cherry-red. I can focus it into a small line, or send out a blast of flames to send foes running. There's Aard, which projects telekinetic force. I can use it to snuff out those same candles I lit with Igni, or knock a grown man on his ass. Benedict got a dose of it earlier. Didn't want to risk pissing off your G-men more and ruining the entire shop, but I knew I had to get me and the kid out of there, by the way." He added that last part for the Turk's benefit.

"I also have Axii, a spell that assails the mind. It can be used to issue commands, though more often than not I use it to calm my horse. Or giant murderous bird, on one occasion. I can, however, use it to overwrite a foe's mind in the midst of battle and turn them on their allies, as well. I...try not to do that as often. Cruel. More likely to use it to overwhelm their mind and stun them for a bit, or have them turn tail and run. Finally, I have Quen, which projects a protective field around me. Can take quite a beating, as well. Underneath, I'm still...somewhat human." Looking at his claws, Geralt frowned. "Even before the Spirits I've fused with, I wasn't quite human. I'm a witcher, an alchemically enhanced human with powerful senses, I'm stronger, faster, and much more long-lived than normal people. I can race with wolves, track like a hound, I can take a blow from a troll and keep standing while my body regenerates itself. I'm damn near immune to poison, though this amulet I'm wearing makes that less effective. I'm an expert at swordfighting and fistfighting, though those girls exist on a level I couldn't hope to reach. I have two Spirits inside me, which let me summon a massive gun platform while near or in water, and the Guardian of the Blue. That one...mostly lets me summon lightning. Either around me, or onto my weapons. It also gave me its weapon, though I won't show you that, as it would require me magically ripping it from my own body. Have a few summonable Strikers as well, mostly focusing on offense, though the big ugly one can heal those around it as well."

Nodding as he just about finished, he pulled out Odysseus's Bow as well. "I also have this magical bow, that sends lightning travelling between enemies after a few hits. Rather useful."

Finishing his self-explanation, Geralt looked to their new allies. "I...actually have a favor to ask as well. Don't expect anything to come of it, given how large this place is, but...I'm looking for somebody. My daughter, Ciri. Ashen hair, scar on her left cheek, fair skin. Just under six feet tall. Carries a sword like mine, as well. Figure I'll let our friends and Bridges know as well, but wanted to ask while we're all here."

World of Light

Geralt of Rivia

Kunad Highway-> Midgar

Lvl 9 (134/90) -> Lvl 9 (135/90)

Word Count: 505 words

As the battle raged on, Geralt scowled when Bede giggled at his decorated form, though he could feel the associated power boost. He wasn't exactly sure how, but he could. It had to be something with Pokemon and their fantastical abilities, but he didn't question it. He kept up his fusilade, before breaking off when the call to alarm was given. Ahead of them were trucks moving in....frankly absurd ways. They looked almost alive the way them charged around, rather than a mechanical carriage powered by...whatever these trucks were powered by. He was sure it was different in most places, anyway.

Rushing to the front of the trucks, Geralt took cover behind Pit as he watched Raz and Roxas apprehend their assailants' leader, giving the boys a quick nod, and Benedict a look that he was watching him. No escape attempts would be allowed by this wolf.

As the trucks came closer, Geralt watched in no small amount of awe as the collisions occurred, Giovanna and a metallic-looking man with whom Tora was apparently acquainted literally running around on the colliding vehicles in a display of superhuman acrobatics that even he was envious of. The four machines flew overhead, safe from the collisions while he and others without any absurd maneuverability or vehicles (He was pretty sure Midna and Sakura were still in that smaller vehicle he'd noticed earlier) were taking cover with Pit, whose flying shields protected them and the truck they were on. Thankfully, their pursuers were both beaten rather badly thanks to the others, and also suffered from the pandemonium, being thrown about as the trucks collided.

When the dust settled, Roxas used his keyblade to...do something to Benedict, that cleared Galeem's influence from him. Resolving to question him about that later, Geralt picked up the unconscious teen while informing Benedict that they had a lot to talk about, but that somebody else would have to give him the details.

In short order, they were recovered by the flying vehicle that their allies informed them of, and Geralt did his best to quell the unease at going up in what looked to be a steel vehicle that was flying. Utter madness. Still, he kept his cool, and watched for any signs of Roxas waking up, though that didn't end up happening until they reached their destination and began settling down.

Geralt took a seat when offered by Goldlewis, who some of the others who were on Yellow team recognized. Nodding as the man and their allies introduced their areas of knowledge, Geralt leaned forward and nodded.

"Simply put, I'd like to know it all. But let's start with this Ever Crisis, as I believe that's your most pressing concern. The rest can come after. What exactly is it, to the extent of your knowledge, how are you dealing with it, and how effective are those tactics?" It was, after all, why they were here in the first place. The more they knew, the sooner they could deal with it.

World of Light

Geralt of Rivia

Dystopiascape- Gutsford -> Kunad Highway

Lvl 9 (132/90) -> Lvl 9 (134/90)

Word Count: 879+ words

The chase was on, Geralt and Bede speeding their way along to catch up with the Seekers, the former pausing a couple of times to place a slowing Yrden trap, just to be sure. They passed even more G-Men on the way, and Geralt cursed the first time they did, being forced to navigate around them lest they be caught. These things were proving to be quite the pain in the ass. Though, because they apparently had not yet gotten the word that the Seekers were to be detained on sight, they got away without causing much more trouble.

Soon, they arrived at the trade depot, Geralt hosting the smaller Bede up the wall after the trainer had returned Ponyta to its Poke Ball, following after him.

The other Seekers had taken the hint from Peach firing the gods-forsakened gun of hers, and Geralt was just glad he wasn't anywhere nearby when she had. That thing was disturbing, not to mention loud. They didn't have time to celebrate the reunion or warn the others of what was after them, however, as the trucks started their engines and were making their departures, just in time to get them away from their pursuers. Convenient, but at least something was going their way. He wouldn't look that gift horse in the mouth any time soon. Quickly making his way to one of the vehicles and climbing to the roof, he sighed a breath of relief. They made it.

For a little while, the witcher just relaxed, taking a moment to ask Bede more about Pokemon, since he was now the owner of some of the red-and-white balls that the Pokemon Trainer used for his own companions. There was...definitely more to this than he thought, but he could get the hang of it. Eventually. Surely. He was smart, he just needed some time to ruminate on his newfound knowledge.

Time that, of course, the world was not going to give him. A short while into their journey, the roaring of an engine heralded the arrival of their not-so-abandoned pursuers, and Geralt quickly got to his feet, drawing his bow as Benedict and the G-Men climbed from the hatch on top of the bus. What came after that, however, Geralt did not expect.

They doffed their hats, and in doing so, transformed. Into...well, a variety of things. A bull-headed man. A dark-clad woman with scissors and strange headgear. A man in a suit with a crescent moon for a head. A helmeted blacksmith. A tiny creature in a pot. A strange, floating man with a trumpet. And a demonic-looking creature on some strange white seat that floated with it. Of all of them, the large demon and the floating trumpeter stood out as the most problematic. The former for its built-in throne, and the latter for its flight and choice in non-weapon.

He still didn't like pitchforks, and this was a thematic similarity that was too great for him. While the woman with scissors gave the same idea, it seemed different somehow. He couldn't place it, but something told him the one with the trumpet was trouble.

Quickly, Geralt drew the Spirit of the feline assassin he'd slain in the Nyakuza Metro. "You tried to kill one of the kids. You seem like somebody who knows the deal, and while I have no love for your choice of actions, you didn't cry, scream, or rage when death came for you. You knew you walked beside it, and I can respect that. Join me, and you can do so again, with targets that will rarely be as morally dubious." He couldn't promise moral purity, and he wouldn't lie about it, either. "Fight by my side." He asked, looking up and drawing his bow.

As the fight began around him, Geralt noticed Trumpeter's relative lack of action. That was not good. No, it most certainly was not. He drew Odysseus's bow, firing as quickly as he could at the self-proclaimed harbinger of calamity. The arrows of light that Pit fired bounced off of it, but the more mundane arrows fired from the bow struck true, with the fourth arrow unleashing lightning on the Persona. It was, however, reflected back by something, and the feeling of electricity locking his muscles for a moment forced a curse out of Geralt. "C-careful! It just sent my bow's lightning back at me!" He warned the others.

Geralt tried to keep towards the back, somewhat near Raz, Pit and Peach, which proved somewhat unfortunate when the harbinger of calamity called upon its mass nuclear attack to drive the Seekers out of position. Geralt, perhaps somewhat unexpectedly, decided to take advantage of the forced reposition to begin a full-on assault on the musician Persona, stowing his bow and drawing a Dimeritium bomb from his pack. "No more!" He yelled, tossing the grenade directly at Trumpeter to prevent any further magic usage. Drawing his hand crossbow and firing, Geralt smirked when the bolt landed and finally triggered the ATGM launcher on his shoulder, dealing an even mightier bow than his crossbow shot had.

He kept firing, not resting on those laurels, and made the Sign of Yrden in its magic trap configuration, hoping to discourage any of the other enemies from attacking him, either by having their projectiles shot down, or themselves being blasted by magic. Even if it wasn't terribly strong, it would be a consistent thorn in any melee attacker's side if they closed on him.

World of Light

Geralt of Rivia

Dystopiascape- Gutsford

Lvl 9 (130/90) -> Lvl 9 (132/90)

Word Count: 776 words

@Dark Cloud Benedict @Crimson Flame Bede

As Benedict no-nonsense bulldozed his way past Geralt's blatant distraction, the Witcher kept an ear out for the shuffling of the Seekers in the back room, knowing he'd need to keep this investigator distracted for a few minutes. It was somewhat unfortunate that he was also a somewhat older man, as he'd likely be well aware that many elderly folks exaggerated their mental state, and that Geralt was doing just that. No matter, he at least attempted to buy in to the charade, whether it be out of arrogance or unwillingness to make a move until he was certain wasn't of importance, as long as he allowed Geralt to keep it up.

When Benedict mentioned the safety of the public, Geralt nodded simply, before referring to his own armaments. "Well, as you can see, I'm rather safe myself, and my young companion is certainly safe by my side as well, between myself and his Pony." Not bothering to pretend to remember what Ponyta was called, he kept it simple. "Frankly, everybody in this store is likely as safe as it can be."

Benedict's rapid-fire questioning marked him quite easily as a lawman, if the rest of his attire, his choice in companions, and his own admission that he was here on the basis of public safety hadn't done the job already. Geralt decided to play ball, and answered each question in sequence. "No, we came in through the front," he lied easily, a somewhat bored expression on his face. "As for the owner, she's running an errand. I'm a friend of her father, you see, and she took advantage of our acquaintance to run said errand while I watched the store for her. No care that we have other places to be, though. You know how young folks can be, always needing to be somewhere else, without a care in the world."

Then Benedict threw out all pretense and asked who they were. Big mistake. "Well, for myself, that depends who you ask. To the uneducated and prejudiced, I'm a monster, but to the lovely folks in the Land of Adventure, I'm a renowned hunter and slayer of monsters. To the elves, I'm Gwynbleidd, white-haired. To others, I am the White Wolf, a feared slayer of man and beast. Though, most commonly, I'm called Geralt of Rivia. Sir if you'd prefer, though it's more an honorary knighthood than anything," Geralt chuckled. He left Bede to introduce himself, in whatever bombastic fashion he chose. "And you are?" Geralt bade Benedict introduce himself as well, before continuing. "Though, as I said, we were looking for something for his Pony companion when you came in, hoping to see if there was anything in the back for a moment while we watched the store."

Taking the opportunity to look at one of the shelves, Geralt plucked a few small balls, resembling the ones Bede and Junior used, from the shelf. "I'll admit, I've been interested in getting into rearing them myself..." Geralt half-mumbled, telling the full and honest truth for the first time since he'd walked up front. "And don't forget to grab some food, Bede," he added and took a bag of "high-quality Pokemon food" from the shelf as well, carrying them to the counter and bagging them. "She said to gather what we found together and let her handle the purchase when she returned," Geralt explained to Benedict, continuing to weave his story together.

Finally, however, he could hear nothing from the back. Taking a small breath, he slid the bag to the side and turned fully to Benedict, ensuring his bag was out of the blast zone, as well as Bede. "Well, sir, it has been a pleasure to meet you, though I must bid you good day, as Giovanna is just walking in behind you." He lied as easily as he breathed, and waiting only a moment to see if Benedict took the bait or not, made the Sign of Aard before himself, launching a conical blast of telekinetic force at Benedict and the G-Men with him, before turning to grab his bag in one arm and Bede in the other, hauling the young boy onto his shoulder and running to the back

"Complain later, kid, we gotta run!" He yelled, kicking open the back door and setting the boy down, catching a glimpse of the other Seekers and hauling ass after them. "Get on that Pony-thing's back, I can keep up!" He advised Bede, moving into a dead sprint towards the others. As they started to close the gap with the rest of the Seekers, he called out, "They're on to us, FUCKING MOVE!!!"

World of Light

@MULTI_MEDIA_MAN I'd be down to do a little collab, if you're not opposed to the idea.

@Dark Cloud

I'm not going to be around really at all today to collab, but tomorrow I shouldn't have any trouble making time. @Crimson Flame would you like to join the front distraction? If not, we can leave it as just a mention from Geralt, and I hope it wouldn't be too much trouble for Cloud to edit if so.

World of Light

Geralt of Rivia

Dystopiascape- Gutsford

Lvl 9 (129/90) -> Lvl 9 (130/90)

Word Count: 411 words

@Dark Cloud Benedict

Geralt's eyes narrowed at the description of the G-Men, specifically the part where they could defeat you with a single touch, but elected not to press on that matter. Whether it was an accurate description or an embellishment, something else took Geralt's attention, something that Peach pointed out once they were brought to meet with the 'boss'- these people had been freed from Galeem's control.

Interesting. They were from Midgar, and had broken from the government when the previous mayor had resigned from his post. That meant they had knowledge of the inner workings of their next target, which would be helpful.

He followed along with the situation well enough, and though he had no idea what a 'chopper' was, he surmised that it was some kind of vehicle. There were plenty of strange things in this place, so he didn't even bother to imagine what it could be. He'd shot down a flying boat earlier in the day, after all. Nothing was normal here.

The G-men were being organized by a highly-trained, highly-skilled, high-ranking officer of the Investigators working for Midgar. And this person's presence meant that they were, for all intents and purposes, about to be caught in a trap.

So, Tuesday, then. Alright, they had this handled. A pair of runners volunteered to distract the G-Men in the back and draw them away. At the same time, they needed somebody up front to distract those coming in that way. Geralt nodded as they prepared to get moving. "I'll take the front. I'm old enough I can make something up and either play the doddering fool or the experienced warrior, whichever I figure will buy us more time. Might even swap between the two to play up the pity factor." Geralt smirked. Vesemir taught him something useful after all, it seemed.

With that being said, he headed to the front of the shop, greeting the Turk who entered with a nod. "Lovely day we're having, isn't it? Just stopping in for some pet food for our companion's Poke...things. Always slips my mind what they're called. Pony toes?" Geralt started with a simple enough excuse, but one with the truth behind it: he had no idea what that thing that walked up to Bede before was called, other than Pony-something. He remembered that the creatures were called Pokemon, for sure, but the rest escaped him completely.

"What brings you to this neck of the woods?" Geralt probed the bespectacled man.

World of Light

Geralt of Rivia

Nyakuza Metro

Lvl 9 (128/90) -> Lvl 9 (129/90)

Word Count: 466 words

As the Seekers split off into a few groups, some looking for transportation, some looking for specific things to help in their next goal, and the rest just looking around, Geralt found himself with the last group, exploring Gutsford and wondering just what the city had in store for them. The Land of Adventure had been remarkably close to home, and while Alcamoth was clearly out of place, Limsa Lominscuttle could have fit in Skellige if you chalked them up as strange locals. This place, however, was completely and utterly alien to him. Buildings made of stone and brick weren't the standard on the Continent, and yet here they not only had those aplenty, but some were clearly reinforced with great quantities of metal.

Raz asked about Organization XIII, and while Roxas answered with his own experiences, Geralt felt the need to chime in as well, "Between the weird...cube headed guy trying to murder us all and accidentally giving us a way to the Seaside for Blue Team, and that one lady telling us to sacrifice people to the Maw", something Geralt left out that he had considered doing, "I'm not entirely sure they have good intentions, myself. Whatever their goals are, they're not explicitly our allies. That much I can say for certain, even if another one stopped the guy who was trying to kill us."

The roads were paved with some kind of...extremely sturdy, black stone-like material, and this was clearly a city, based on how plentiful the people were. Even if the local worksmen appeared to be...not quite doing their jobs properly. Even Geralt could tell as much.

What was most disturbing, though, was the fact that they were all watching them. Sure, some of them tried to be subtle about it, but a few of the red-eyed workers made no attempt to conceal their surveillance of the Seekers, and it was making the hairs on the back of Geralt's neck stand on end. Soon enough, Peach tried leading them past their watchers, only for the G-Men, as they were apparently called, to follow after them, abandoning all pretenses and surrounding them in an alleyway. Raz's warnings had Geralt reaching for his steel sword, only for a door to open and a pair of strangers to usher them inside.

Following Raz's lead, Geralt monotoned a simple excuse. "Need to get some food for the dog..." He said as he went through the door, quickly making room between it and himself before turning to their rescuers.

"Inviting armed strangers into your shop while they're being pursued by the local law enforcement seems a good way to make the wrong kind of friends," Geralt half-heartedly commented. "Not that we don't appreciate it, but is there something we ought to know about what's going on here?"

World of Light

Geralt of Rivia

Nyakuza Metro

Lvl 9 (134/90) -> -8 friend heart -> Lvl 9 (128/90)

Word Count: 633 words

@Double Roxas

Panther wasted no time in taking advantage of the opportunity he had opened, and rushed in, claws flashing and carving lines across Geralt's face, who reacted with a kick that Panther easily dodged. Small beads of blood pooled up along the cuts, though this was less than the full-on facial wound Panther was intending to create. He hummed curiously as Geralt ran in to lash out with his own claws again, blocking him at the arm and throwing a punch that the Witcher ducked.

Geralt followed up by drawing his knife and stabbing it into Panther's side quickly, a move that cost him another slash to the face, but succeeded in wounding the feline assassin, who hissed in pain and drew his blaster, trying to catch Geralt while he was distracted by pain.

What Panther didn't expect was Fizz's trident jabbing at his face, though he was able to dodge just barely in time to avoid being skewered. This gave Geralt, time, however, to draw his crossbow and line up his own shot, which pierced into Caruso's chest, puncturing the aptly-named Panther's lung and causing him to stop and cough up blood. "Ah...it seems I wasn't able to catch my prey..."

Fizz ended Panther's lament by stabbing him through the chest, and the cat faded into ash as the speedy trickster disappeared in the way Strikers did. Sighing, Geralt picked up the Spirit left behind and rushed to Roxas, scowling when he saw the cats trying to drag the boy away. "Scram!" He yelled, drawing his blade and slicing one in two, not even bothering to take the Spirit it left behind as the others scattered. Roughly hauling the unconscious teen onto his shoulder, Geralt stowed his sword and started running in the way he remembered Raz leading them. He had some trouble finding the way on account of having been split up from the others, but through a careful application of violence, he managed to reach the station, where he saw Pit providing covering fire and shouted up to the angelic warrior.

"Got ambushed! Kid's still out, but I need to get us in there before- DON'T YOU DARE!" Interrupted by a group of cats nipping at his heel, Geralt spun and unleashed Aard on them, launching the bunch back and dazing them. "Before that happens again." He finished, sighing.

He just needed to get up to that window and they'd be home free. Thankfully, Geralt had one more trick up his sleeve that he could use. "Judicator!" He called, the massive abomination appearing and kneeling while extending its neck towards the shattered window. It began its self-flagellation immediately, sealing the remnants of the cuts Panther had given him and putting a little more life back into Roxas as he carefully climbed up its back and jumped through the window, landing on the inside of the station with a grunt.

Once the Seekers boarded the Black Line train, Geralt dropped Roxas in a seat and reached inside himself for a Friend Heart, pushing it into the teen. "Welcome to the Seekers for real this time." He casually remarked, sighing as he sat down next to him. "You've got some catching up to do. Somebody else explain it, I had to lug his ass through the whole metro, I'm fucking tired."

With that, he closed his eyes as waited for their destination.

When they finally arrived, he stepped out of the train station and looked around warily, not expecting the nice, if somewhat busy, town on the other side. He could see three, three academies! Clearly this was a place that valued the highly-educated.

Still, if that looming city they found once they walked on a bit more was anything to go by, they had their work cut out for them.

World of Light

Geralt of Rivia

Twilight Town -> Nyakuza Metro

Lvl 9 (131/90) -> Lvl 9 (134/90)

Word Count: 1,375 words

@Double Roxas, @TruthHurts22 Raz

A few people went after Geralt's introduction: Pit, the angel warrior that Geralt had sparred against. Claiming to be a direct subordinate of a goddess, with notable combat experience under his belt (specifically having saved a few worlds), Geralt nodded. He was no slouch in a fight, even if Geralt had given him a damn good fight before they wound up on the ground. With those magical arrows of his, and assuming he did actually have the backing of a sufficiently powerful being, he could see Pit having done some good work in his day.

Omori came after, the young boy who'd unfortunately slain somebody in their last battle and was receiving no shortness of grief over it from Junior and the troop. Geralt felt a bit of kinship with the boy, looked upon poorly for killing in a fight when others thought it unnecessary. Not to mention that he was also looking for somebody-dammit, he didn't mention Ciri earlier. He'd have to do that when they were getting food, if only a brief description to give people an idea to keep an eye out and let her know he was around and where he and Yen could be found.

Omori continued, explaining some...strange ability he had, to fight utilizing his emotions as a weapon. Very odd. But if they could alter one's capabilities in battle, it seemed rather useful. He was also growing a noticeable knife collection. Geralt might have to give the kid a few pointers if they got the opportunity.

Next was a woman that had joined Yellow Team after the split, calling herself Jesse Faden. Telekinesis and a weapon that never ran out of ammo. A potent combination all its own, though he got the feeling that there was more to its weapon, between its obviously magical nature and the ominous warning she gave about it. She had people she had to help, apparently in the far north, but it seemed that it was more of a stalemate that needed to be broken than a dire emergency, which was minorly relieving.

Finally, Bede, the arrogant Pokemon trainer. Geralt had no compunctions about that judgment, though he also had no doubts that this young man was the most experienced in Pokemon training amongst them. Their best answer would be Junior, who only had spent a few days to a week at most learning how to work with his companions, compared to what he assumed was a denizen of their natural world. He had to be good if he was the chosen successor of one of his area's combat instructors (at least, that was what his mind replaced what Bede said with). He wasn't sure what Fairy of Psychic referred to specifically, but it gave an impression of an even wider variety of natures than he'd already seen from the scant few Pokemon he'd encountered so far. They were almost like Strikers, in a vague sense, but you didn't have to kill something and bond with its Spirit to work with them. Hmmm.

After the introductions were done, the Seekers made their way up Market Street, some (Geralt being one of them) taking money from Peach to secure food for the group. Keeping in mind the extreme metabolism some of the Seekers had (himself only somewhat included in that), he got quite the array for them. He'd noticed the Troop clearing out a nearby store, though, so he made sure to hold back a little. Not point in getting too much and having it go to waste. Thankfully, dealing with Lefwee had also been taken out of his hands.

Once the group reconvened, Geralt used the fish he got from the recent battle to add to their food stores, hording his more long-lasting rations for another time, though he did eat one of his bananas during the picnic. He settled with a light ale and a pair of sandwiches to go with his banana, one using some of the fish he'd added to the mix. As the Seekers chatted and ate, Geralt kept mostly to himself, though he did ask a quick question to Bede about the nature of Pokemon, alongside Roxas. They seemed to be rather curious beasts, marginally intelligent and keen to battle, be it for fun or an actual fight.

When their destinations were determined, Geralt gave the members of the Purple Team a nod, wishing them good luck on their exploration and in hunting down the Guardian. It'd be odd, not having the boss and his troop alongside him going forward, but there was some splitting up a bit early on when they formed Red, Yellow, and Blue teams. Still, they'd come together again when they did their jobs and dealt with their respective issues and Guardians. No point dwelling too much on it now.

Geralt's first thought on entering the metro was that it was lively. Cats walking to and fro, hustling about to reach their trains, which were pulled by other, larger, cats. Not dwelling on that any more than it needed, Geralt looked around a moment before the group was interrupted by the loud, ominous announcement. 'But of wisdom, no clock can measure', huh? Geralt almost snorted, that sounded like something Vesemir might have said if he wasn't trying to lord his age over them. Otherwise, it'd be all about how much more experience he had than them and how he knew better.

What followed had him scowling, though. "Whoreson..." he muttered, the technical inaccuracy not on his mind. Nadia was right. That cat had just put a hit on them! Quickly casting the Sign of Quen to protect himself before their attackers appeared, Geralt followed after the kid who called out that he knew the direction to the Black Line, Raz if he remembered correctly. Roxas went along with him and Geralt joined the pair, occasionally blasting swarms of felines away with Aard, but otherwise maintaining his stamina for the run. His long legs and superhuman strength helped him keep up easily, though he didn't miss Roxas being attacked by a sniper, and quickly came to a halt. "Damn!"

Turning to see Roxas about to be executed, Geralt felt a surge of adrenaline course through him, and he grabbed his crossbow with blistering speed and lifted it, loosing a bolt at Panther, who dodged with ease. "Ah, not so fast, señor," the flirtatious assassin replied, "But I suppose two will do just as well," He smirked, firing his blaster at Geralt, who was already dodging to the side as he adjusted his aim, firing another bolt which was easily dodge.

"Dodge this!" Geralt yelled, leaping at the assassin with claws bared and forming the Sign of Igni, masking his final approach in scorching flames as he raked his claws along Caruso's side, causing a hiss from the cat. Thankfully, the swarms of cats weren't quite willing to risk getting as close to this fight, even if one or two tried their luck, a quick lashing kick was enough to scare them off when the magic or Panther's reputation didn't do the trick.

Still, Panther wouldn't be stopped by just a little scratch. He fired his blaster once, then twice, at Geralt in point-blank range, expecting the predictive dodges by the clearly-wizened fighter, before smirking and aiming his blaster at Roxas. Either suffer a crippling blow or let his ally be killed. Ruthless, but efficient.

Instead, Geralt merely gritted his teeth as the blaster shot hit him center-mass, Quen shattering and dissipating the force of the blow (it still stung like hell and left a radiating pain in Geralt's gut, but he'd survived worse), Panther's red eyes going wide as a clawed fist crashed into, and broke, his nose, blood pooling down his face and covering his lips. "Yuu'll regrut that!" He snarled, swinging his blaster like a knife at Geralt, who took the blow on the arm, punching Panther in the gut and kicking him back.

"You good, kid?" The moment of distraction was enough for Panther, though, and Geralt groaned loudly as a blaster shot landed against his shoulder, throwing him off-balance. Stupid! Geralt cursed himself, the concern for Roxas and anger at the situation having gotten the better of him. Oughta know better...

World of Light

Geralt of Rivia

Twilight Town

Lvl 9 (104/90) -> +24 from collabs, encounter xp, and friend hearts -> Lvl 9 (131/90)

Word Count: 2,235 words

With their pieces said, the Seekers set out, leaving behind the denizens of Port O' Panic as they made their way to Twilight Town about the Tinkerslug. He wondered what his friends would say if they saw him now, risking his life to spare others, advocating for nonviolent solutions. He imagined Djikstra would laugh and ask where the hell his nonviolent solution was when he put him to the blade, but Geralt would ask the same in return.

Still, they'd gotten out of that without slaughtering the people to the last, which...was a victory of sorts. The others seemed rather upset with the boy, Omori, but Geralt caught sight of Pit talking with him, and figured if they really needed to talk, it could be later. Part of him wondered how he felt himself, if that was the first life he'd taken. Pity it was somebody so seemingly well-liked. If the Spirits they had (which Geralt set about crushing the leftovers of when nobody claimed them) were anything to go by, they'd done plenty of killing today. Nadia and Peach had killed their own quarries as well. Was Junior right and Omori had killed when it wasn't strictly necessary? Had the boy overestimated his own ability to end the fight? The Witcher didn't, and likely would never, know. But he didn't care either. He wouldn't ostracize the boy for what happened, and when he passed him and Pit, talking, he gave them both a nod.

Soon enough, they arrived, and the Seekers piled out to greet their allies. It had been a while since they'd seen their allies, it felt. Especially for Blue Team, or at least those members who had endured the suffering of the Maw. They'd even lost some of those they set out with. Glenn, the Frog Prince, taken by the demonic denizens of the Maw. Mirage, who was still likely in Limsa. Though, he hadn't sought them out either. Perhaps he was content to keep things this way after seeing what their quest would be putting them up against. It was likely for the best. At least Link was merely staying behind for now. When they finally found Linkle, he didn't know how he could have broken that to her if he was really gone.

They didn't get long to talk among themselves, though, as Peach had a better idea: forcing them to take a moment to introduce themselves, one by one. Which, given the size of their group and the new faces (or the changed faces) he saw, was fair enough. He wondered how many would recognize him, or simply assume who he was based on his hair color and the fact that he still had his two swords. The Spirits he'd taken in had changed his appearance noticeably, after all.

First up was, of course, the Princess herself. He cocked an eyebrow when she mentioned her favorite sports, though he wondered how exactly 'gold' was a sport. Unless that was a joke. Royals...ugh.

After her came a large fellow who called himself Big Band. It sounded almost like a title, though he specifically called it his name. A lawman like the Houndmaster, forced from his duty and by circumstance and now fighting against the Skullgirl. He'd have to ask what he knew, given that they were trying to save Linkle from that very curse. And then he displayed exactly why he was called what he was, by causing a band's worth of instruments appear from his body and play. Huh. That...was very strange.

Tora and Poppi came after, each introducing themselves in their own way that felt nostalgically familiar to the old Witcher. Tora's constant excitement for the world, and his penchant for attractive women (which Geralt could hardly begrudge the little golem), and Poppi's serious demeanor. It was refreshing to see the two. He'd have to apologize to Tora for losing that weapon he made for him. It really did quite a good job for the time he had it.

Nadia followed, introducing herself to the others in her painfully punny way. Geralt rolled his eyes at the linguistic onslaught, but that was just who she was. Ace would have his hands full with her, that was for sure.

They were followed by two folks that Geralt didn't recognize: The first a kid who claimed himself to be a psychic warrior. It definitely seemed like a different sort than the telepathy he was used to from Yen, though, given that he required a physical device to use his powers. He wondered how useful that was in an actual fight, though he didn't say it. At least the kid supposedly had extensive training in acrobatics to keep himself safe.

The next was a brightly costumed man who named himself part of a world's defense force, though if they really were only one hundred in number, Geralt wasn't sure how they could handle an entire world. Presumably some sort of advanced technology or magic. Portals. Has to be portals, Geralt incorrectly assumed, his disdain for the magic coloring his thoughts. The man came off as perhaps overly earnest but dedicated.

Then came the ex-member of Organization XIII. Geralt felt his hands ball into fists, his claws digging lightly into his gauntlets, at the mention of those black-robed interlopers. From the dice-headed whoreson who'd tried to kill them to the fool who bid them enter the Maw, Geralt had a bone to pick with those folks. Kamek could claim they were trying to help all she liked, but Geralt wasn't sure he believed they didn't have their own shady goals. They'd likely have to be dealt with at some point. The boy himself, though, seemed a capable combatant. He knew looks weren't all that mattered, but he was curious as to how some of the others he'd seen so far would fare in a fight. With two magical 'blades' and actual magic, though, Roxas seemed like he'd fit right in.

Following him up was a dancer Geralt would admit to admiring perhaps a few moments longer than he should have (but never to Yen). Her outfit left some to the imagination, but much less than many others, and Geralt wondered if the agility offered by such light clothing was even remotely worth it. Unlikely, but it made for a pleasant sight. She stated that she would be able to enhance the magic of others, and invigorate them with her dancing, which Geralt assumed was merely an innuendo for a genuine magical talent. However, it was her final statement that caught Geralt's attention the most: the dark expression that crossed her face told Geralt of something deeper. What it was he had no idea, but few learned how to wield a dagger for fun.

Her companion who followed after her, however, was very succinct with his introduction. He was a thief of some talent, and able to get them where they shouldn't be without causing a disturbance like knocking a door open with Aard would. That could be useful, for sure.

Ace followed in their footsteps, his own monster puns earning a small sigh from the Witcher. He took it back, those two linguistic terrorists were perfect for each other.

He was followed by a floating creature, the nature of which gave Geralt pause. She was likely fused with Spirits, given the disparate nature of her attire, he body structure, and her magic, but what came from where he had no way of telling. She seemed almost vaguely familiar, but was likely a face he saw once at Alcamoth and never again at most. She introduced herself as the princess of Twilight, and Geralt sighed at yet another self-proclaimed royal being member of the Seekers, but based on the power she displayed, she was either telling the truth and had quite the bloodline, or she was a trickster trying to take a position of power. Either way, he saw no reason to challenge her or make an enemy. She at least wasn't as arrogant as Bowser.

Speaking of the big guy, he grabbed his little Troop and leaped to where they'd been introducing themselves, but not after critiquing Midna's style and saying he could do better. More bombastic, for sure. But better? Eh, Geralt wasn't sure he'd go that far. Vague claims with little to show he could back that up. Junior at least showed off his flying vehicle, indicating his engineering talent, as well as his Pokemon, who were decently powerful in their own right. Kamek, as always, was the most grounded of the three, dutifully listing her abilities and what she contributed to the Seekers. Rika closed the group's introduction, showing off her Shipgirl guns and explaining her more unique circumstances. Decent enough, all things considered.

Then came the robots. And the giant...bee...thing? He had no idea how to describe Sectonia, yet another royal. He rolled his eyes when she said she had command over time and space, though he watched with dread growing in his stomach as she displayed at least some level of control over those very things with magic. It at the very least seemed limited enough that she was less a master of time and space and more a talented sorceress who could manipulate the flow of time in an area, though what she did to the air above them...Geralt couldn't quite understand. But he knew it would be unpleasant to experience. Hmm. That...was disturbing.

Blazermate came next, and she demonstrated the invulnerability-granting energy that she collected from healing others with that weird weapon she had, among her other abilities including the zombie-creating. Though, he imagined others were as disturbed by that was he was. He'd mostly gotten used to it, but when he stopped to think about it...he tried not to think for very long.

Susie then introduced herself as the...owner...?...of a company that produced robotics and other advanced technology, none of which Geralt understood beyond something about harvesting. At least she had that giant suit to fight in. As much as money would benefit the Seekers, it wouldn't help them if she got killed because she couldn't defend herself.

Karin and Sakura followed after the cutesy robot, the former haughtily listing achievements as though this were some sort of interview for an apprenticeship, and the latter bumbling through an awkward introduction in her endearing and socially inept way.

When Sakura finished and the two Street Fighters cleared the table, Geralt raised his arm and quickly strode to the fore, his enhanced height making him readily apparent for all as he stepped onto the makeshift stage. He was different from how he looked when the teams went their separate ways. He was just over seven and a half feet tall now, his hair roughly unchanged in style but shaggier overall. Most noticeable, though, was the black conical horn protruding from his forehead. He seemed more gaunt than he had been, as though he spent a long period of time without food and hadn't been able to eat much since. His armor had transformed as well, now a suit of black plate instead of the leather-and-chain it had been earlier. His gambeson was longer, protruding further down, and was now colored in red and white striped. Finally, his arms were a bit longer, almost unnaturally so, and his nails had been replaced by claws which extended past and out his gauntlets, which had transformed to accommodate the natural weapons. All in all, he looked much more like the monsters he hunted than he had previously, even with his catlike eyes and scarred visage.

“I am Geralt of Rivia. Just call me Geralt, though. I am a Witcher, a monster hunter like Ace, though we hail from different worlds. I lack the raw physicality of hunters like him, but I make up for it with a near-century of experience. As for my…unpleasant appearance, that’s the work of some Spirits I absorbed, including that of one of Galeem’s Guardians, the Orphan of Kos. I am an expert tracker, I have knowledge of how to fight and slay a wide variety of beasts and monsters, though unfortunately I haven’t always been able to make use of that knowledge in this strange new world we’re in. I can also utilize a number of simple magical spells known as Signs.” Saying this, Geralt made the Sign of Igni with his hand outstretched and aimed upwards, a blast of fire exploding from the magical sigil.

“I’m a master in combat with swords, crossbows, and bows, though I can wield near about any weapon of war, given that it’s made for people who aren’t superhuman warriors like Ace,” he joked. “What you might find most interesting and strategically important, however, is this.” Geralt stepped down from the table, walked to the edge of the pier, and summoned the Breaching Bastion practically next to him. “The Breaching Bastion. A massive, waterbound cannon platform. With it, I can rival small armies, so long as we are adequately protected from vanguard units. It doesn’t repair itself, either, which means that I have to be very careful about where and when I use it.” Dismissing the Bastion, Geralt nodded. “If you’ve ever met Yennefer of Vengerburg in Alcamoth, she is my wife, hard as it may be to believe. That’s about it.”

Finished, Geralt made his way back into the crowd for the next person to speak.