Potemking

Kept In Mind (Mind-Bending, Brain-Exploring, Psychic Action!)

You won me over with the 'Pspecialty' wordplay. Let's get wacky.

World of Light

LOCATION:The Maw
WORD COUNT:810(+2 EXP)
MENTIONS:

---

The lack of an answer left Mirage feeling a little uncertain about the information he'd received thus far. He tilted his head, unsure if it was a delayed response or what, but once getting the door unlocked actually started he decided to move on and try to not think on it. Nervously he stepped away from the door, not wanting the lock to fall on his head, or something. And before long, they, along with their fellow captive, were off to a new unknown. He looked back with a bit of paranoia since they went first, wondering if this individual was an actual child, or in the same situation as them. Not wanting to voice such a thing and cause conflict though, he decided to simply keep an eye out. Even so, prisoners were prisoners, yeah? Teamwork made the dream work.

His face scrunched as they walked, catching whiff of a scent that was... Less than pleasurable. "The heck is that?" He questioned, feeling a sourness in his stomach from the scent, only causing more strife with his own hunger. Whatever it was, it smelled worse than a Leviathan patty. He momentarily managed to use that thought to distract himself from the horrid situation with how much he hated the King's Canyon arena, before the sight of that bad smell made itself clear.

"Those buckets look like giant meat smoothies." He simply stated with disgust, unable to accurately word just how much the sight bothered him. Man, now even meat was being ruined for him. At least the concept of porkchops seemed gross now, too. So that kept his mind off of his favorite food for the moment.

The sight of the butcher put Mirage on edge. He scooched against the nearest object to obstruct him from the bloated, fleshy figure. The audible sound of cleaver hitting flesh caused his eyes to widen, wondering if they'd be next if they got caught. Like hell he was going to find out, though. He'd much rather be a hiding rat than a butchered one. But where the hell were they supposed to go from here? He wouldn't know without a peek, so nervously, that's what he did.

Biting the inside of his cheek upon having to look at the flesh mesh that was the butcher, his eyes followed their new companion's gesture to a key. There was a locked door, an open one... Mirage wasn't sure what use he could be, but if a locked door took them here, to a giant doughy butcher man, then what if the second unlock was more of the same? And how exactly were they going to unlock it and escape without being swiped at by this guy? The thump alone would give it away, and then it'd turn into 'run or get chopped'. And some of them weren't very suited to running right now. "If we take the open doorway we could keep from being detected, that guy won't just... Not notice us unlocking the door like the last one, right?" He offered input, perhaps thinking of his mistakes the last time he messed up by making a lot of noise with Bongo Bongo.

Sakura turning around and gesturing for silence caused him a bit of confusion. He just nodded, figuring she might have the idea of not wanting to get the big guy's attention, but he soon saw that she was thinking the exact damn opposite. _{"Where is she going?"} He quietly questioned, concern growing as she climbed.

That jar falling sent him into full alert, however. He wanted to scamper along to the exit, but he also didn't want to be the only one doing so. If someone wanted to platform higher, he could offer Dart Gun assistance, but couldn't much climb up and parkour to the key by his own means. If they chose to scuttle along to the revealed exit now though, with how things escalated, they'd have Sakura to worry about. He wasn't about to leave anyone behind, so he decided to momentarily backtrack on his original suggestion and look around for a method to perhaps stall the butcher if they did get the key.

"Maybe we can use that distraction after all," Musing, he eyed the big pots on the hooks above. "If we can knock one of those down on him," He gestured towards the pots. "It might buy us enough time to get the heck out of here." But how? The Dart Gun wouldn't shake them off the hooks. It'd take more force. "I can still aim platforms, but I don't know how much else I can do." He felt bad, spouting ideas with no solutions, but he began to realize the logic of curse vs hunger. Not that he had an ample opportunity to go back and fix his mistakes. He muttered a _"Sorry." to acknowledge his inactive stance on the situation.

World of Light

LOCATION:Al Mamoon Northeast - Rocket Inc.
WORD COUNT: 841 (+2 EXP)
MENTIONS: Necronomicon, Braum

---

With the explosive expert's fuse snuffed out, Mao figured it was better to be unconscious than potentially have him chose a side anyways. With uncertainty on how the hell they were to exit this arena, running probably wouldn't have ended well either. With a lack of empathy, the blood from the brutal assault left on his blade gave a very accurate representation of how he operated. Shifting the blade in his hand, he wiped one side off on his shoulder, before shifting it again to wipe the other side as well, the crimson not impacting his coat much, perhaps darkening it slightly, but that was about it.

Necronomicon's compliment didn't go unnoticed, but Mao admittedly almost scoffed at it purely out of how he'd receive praise for downing some human that didn't even have his weapon anymore. Not that he didn't take pride in it; An unfair situation was miserable for the opposition, and that brought joy to any real villain. "Of course!" A confident response, fitting for a moment of evil and overdramatic laughter. "Human anatomy! They're so fragile, any hit is just devastating." Ignoring the fact that he was about as humanoid as it gets (At least in physical appearance), he aimed himself towards the main remnants of the Resistance.

Reinhardt being down both in size and capability to fight any longer was noted, but Mao wasn't going for a minion this time. Limbs ready, blade ready, and magic as a last resort, Mao planned to use Fox, Joker, and Jesse's struggle against Braum and Sven as an opportunity to go after the boss. Who's to say if he went a little too hard on the shield and destroyed what it was protecting too, that it'd really be his fault? One out of three being dead wasn't too bad, right? At least he wasn't in-fighting. "Let's see how your little shield protects against THI-"

Mao was cut off as he was caught in Sven's AOE. What was intended as a threat turned into a joke as he poofed into a fluffy Poro. For a moment, there was confusion, Mao trying to look at himself in his smaller form but only seeing a giant tongue instead. Rolling it back into his mouth he turned into the angriest fluff you'd ever seen, steam practically shooting off of him as he deathly glared at the group for what they'd just done. His ample opportunity, damn it! Not having seen Braum use anything aside from his huge shield, Sven became the one Mao focused blame on, but had no way to react as he was forced to scuttle away from the fight in his cutesy form.

Braum shaking the earth caused him to fumble and roll, getting blasted by Sven's magical vial sent the Porofied overlord back with an animalistic cry unbefitting of his usual nature. His horns dug into the sand, scratched against the metal below, before he finally plopped down into the sand completely. Poofing back to normal, Mao's eyes shot open and he sprung up to his feet, a shake of his head causing sand to fly off of him as he took quick observation of what was happening.

The gunfire ringing out, Mao now saw that Joker was going for Nastasia, knowing there would probably be a similar fate like he intended coming her way. That wasn't the ending he wanted, but maybe it was a sign. Mao was petty, brutally petty, but all things considered her actions, while absolutely disgraceful and deserving of his intended assault, didn't entirely have to be punished by his own hands. Kept his hands clean, at least of death, so he wouldn't have to deal with the goody-two shoes being on his case, yet he still might get what he wanted. Best of both worlds, his mind decided. Ah, genius... he thought to himself with a grin.

That large man with a now enlarged shield, Braum, had already been friend-hearted. Though Mao wasn't particularly aware of if you could use them as heals multiple times, he decided since the man had already saved him once, he might not try the same thing he did with Fuse. Instead, Mao took advantage of being blasted a short distance away by Sven's magical vial to make a move after Joker's stomp: Hopefully between the daze and Braum's now heftier shield, he could take an idea from Jesse's book and go for the legs.

Sven was a danger, but they had the numbers. With his constant tossing, Mao worried about approaching the homeless alchemist. Mainly because if he became a cute little animal again, he would be beyond furious. He knew Jesse had fancy tricks, and ranged weaponry, so he'd leave the guy as target practice now that she was returned to normal.

His move was clear; He took his longsword in both hands, and planned to dig it straight through the back of the jolly defender's legs in hopes of toppling the tower. Someone could heal him later, Mao figured. But for now, he needed to stop jumping about and saving the enemy.

World of Light

@Lugubrious

You already knew I was thinking about this, but I might put the Pathfinder CS on the backburner for this instead. If there's problems to be addressed, lemme know

Kazuma Kiryu

_{Theme Of Kiryu}

"I'm the kind of punching bag that hits back."

Name
Kazuma Kiryu
_{Also known as 'The Dragon of Dojima', 'Fourth Chairman', 'Uncle Kaz'.}

Game Origin
Yakuza Series (Specifically 0, Kiwami 1, Kiwami 2)

Personality
Kiryu can come off as quiet, imposing, and to most, terrifying. A fairly large man with a usually quiet demeanor upon first meeting, he carries a tone that marks the seriousness of his words. He's a straight to the point type of person, not liking when people stall or beat around the bush for too long. His mind is fairly grounded, melded by experience and it allows him to converse on numerous topics, giving a precise if short summary of what he thinks.

He's an understanding individual, thinking it clear to let people live life the way they prefer. He doesn't judge people on their choices, unless they appear harmful to those around the individual, though will still question someone to at least sate his own curiosity.

This is just biting the surface. While Kiryu may seem to have a somewhat cold exterior, he's quite colorful underneath it all. A fan of many activities you'd never expect, he can find a lot of joy out of life and shows willingness to give most things a try, at least once if they're within reason. Whatever he's doing, he puts his heart and soul into it: Taking it extremely seriously be it passionate karaoke, racing miniature cars, or golfing.

Despite being fairly wise, his quiet nature is also because he's a bit awkward. He doesn't have a lot of tact, and can be thrown off surprisingly easy depending on what's being said to him. He has a normal routine of methods he thinks can solve most problems, and they can occasionally make things worse, or generally don't make a lot of sense in specific context. He can find himself making an occasional misunderstanding varying in severity, his mind sometimes wandering to bizarre places that don't yield the result the other person is hoping for, which only adds to things sometimes going wrong.

But, despite this, he will do anything in his power to help someone in need. Be it buying a dirty magazine, beating thugs threatening a person, or playing couples' therapist, Kiryu will attempt to address your troubles if asked, and can surprisingly effective at things he's never even tried before. Despite his head-first approach, he has a fair amount of wit and strategy that allow for him to approach numerous situations. Seeing someone in danger, be it friend or stranger, can easily get the man ready to attack. He always looks out for those that need it, and doesn't expect much back unless it was something he was promised.

Kiryu's biggest soft spot is with children: To correct them, set them on the right path, or just generally look after them is his goal. That being said, being a soft spot doesn't mean he's always soft. He can be harsh when it comes to correcting kids, but also tries to make up for it where he can. Despite lectures he is mainly kind, and understanding: He's willing to go to quite far lengths to try and bring them a smile if they're upset, and if they are in need then he's the first responder.

Kindness aside, Kiryu also has a pretty rough side. When it comes to thugs, dirtbags, or any sort of P.O.S causing a problem, Kiryu is barely a step behind them. When confronted with someone who disgusts him, he's not above insulting and then assaulting them until they learn their lesson. And if they cross him in a severe way, such as harming someone he cares for, or absolutely stomping on his moral code, he will not hesitate to wage a one-man army against them with all his might until he has the opportunity to beat their face in. This rage will never lead him to kill, however. He refuses to cross that line, no matter how much his anger might push him to attempt to do so. He always keeps his morals first, which can be jarring when he's stomping someone's head like it's a watermelon, but they come out alive. His biggest hope is whoever he beats down decides to become a functioning member of society, rather than the scum of the earth.

He's not naive enough to trust that it will work, at least not anymore, but will still try, hopeful. He considers that at worst, he just has to beat them again. Which some people might think is wreckless, but it's just his worldview. It's not something that's changed through his entire adulthood, and it's not changing anytime soon.

History
A full summary of events can be found Here for the curious. It is too much for me to write in it's entirety, the beginning of Yakuza 0 all the way to the end of Kiwami 2, and this link provides a good writeup already. Instead what is provided is a not-totally awesome summary of these three games. I highly suggest if you care about the backstory to read the link's material instead. Thanks for coming to my TED talk.

A really bad summary ahead

Kazuma Kiryu is a man who has lived a life of constant motion, which was good in some ways and bad in others. From orphan to Yakuza grunt, he's always carried an ideal of how they should act. Respect, peaceful to the common man, not absolute thugs. Things a father-figure taught him mixed with naive dreams of comfort, and respectfully wanting to make the man proud. This reality has been shattered for him from a young age, specifically starting at twenty when he was placed into a situation involving him being framed for murder by Tojo Clan superiors in order to get at the man who looked after him.

Out of respect for the man who brought him above an orphan's life, he was one to fight back against this framing, to the point of leaving the Tojo Clan. Unfortunately, this only pushed the blame further onto his parental figure, bringing him grief and making him strive to find the root of the problem, which set him on a journey of pain and strife involving betrayal and the longed for piece of land known as the Empty Lot.

Through his journey, Kiryu found himself in many violent situations, and even taking time to run a real estate business to fund his mission. Though there were those that'd help him on his way, just as many would find their lives ending prematurely as the deeper delve into the entangling dramas of the Tojo Clan and it's subsidiaries. A steeled resolve and pure heart carried Kiryu forward through worsening situations, acting as a one-man army against boundless Yakuza trying to get in his way.

By the end of it all, Kiryu corrected what mistakes were made and managed to clear his name. He rejoined the Tojo Clan, and from there on he was 'The Dragon of Dojima', and noticed as one of the strongest men to ever grace the clan's presence. He planned to carve out a more peaceful life, but Kiryu never got to rest for too long.

In the coming year, he'd end up in prison for ten years, taking the fall for a murder for someone else of his own choice. By the time he was released, things were in turmoil, and he had to quickly work to try and patch things back together. Such has Kiryu's life been for a long time, when his fists would do the talking for a lot of troubles he himself had.

He attempted to reunite with his father figure after ten years, at the funeral of the third Tojo chairman. only to see him shot in front of his eyes. He lived, but Kiryu became the suspect of the attempted murder and it turned the Tojo Clan on him, especially with a large drama revolving around ten billion yen having everyone on edge. Once again, Kiryu had to fight to clear his name, beating down everything between him and the root of the situation. He found comfort and motivation in one Haruka Sawamura, a girl with similar origins to his own. The child was searching for her mother, and showed a determination that motivated Kiryu to not only help her, but to also take her under his wing as a protector as they worked towards their goals.

It was during this struggle that Kiryu also lost his father figure, who gifted him the will of the Third Chairman. This only fueled Kiryu's fury and drove him to barrel through every opposing force, trailing right up to the two sources of it all. A bloody fight proceeded, but it didn't stop Kiryu from coming out on top.

Unfortunately, Haruka would barely get to see her mother again. The last time would be after she was mortally wounded, being left with a few parting words. Kiryu took full responsibility for Haruka afterwards, attempting to clean his hands of the Yakuza yet again. However, in the will of the previous Chairman, Kiryu was appointed to become the fourth. Not one to take such a role, he passed it onto a man who tried to protect his father prior to his death, so he could focus on Haruka full-time and operate as a father.

While paying respects to his father figure, the appointed Fourth Chairman joined him. Where, tragedy struck as he was shot and killed by an at the time, unknown group. His death throwing the Tojo Clan into chaos yet again, Kiryu took it upon himself to yet again solve the problems the clan faced. This included finding a new potential chairman and attempting to form alliances, the former going decently but the latter absolutely going to hell through the betrayal of one Ryuji Goda, who had the view of one 'Dragon' being able to exist, seeing Kiryu as the ultimate test for his own worth.

Ryuji planned war against the Tojo Clan and the place they called home. Kiryu prepared as best he could, but numerous angles kept him on edge as more players entered the game. A thought to be purged mafia simply used Ryuji's need for self-worth to push their own wishes to destroy the Tojo Clan, and Kiryu came to discover that the man he thought was dead, the fourth chairman, was actually a member from this mafia seeking revenge upon the clan as well.

By the end of the conflict, most sides were dead. The only two standing were Kiryu, and the man he came to deeply respect, Ryuji. A bomb the fourth chairman prepared atop the building they stood on was ticking, there wasn't time to escape and neither wanted to. Kiryu gave Ryuji the fight he wanted, and proved through sheer strength, despite the bullets he'd taken prior and the blood leaking from his body, that he was nobody to consider a pushover regardless of the state he was in. Both were ready to die on that rooftop, injured and still trying to throw hands until their last breaths. Unfortunately, a conclusion to the fight or the explosion would never truly happen, as before a potential blast could take them, a light that engulfed the dark night sky. and everything around them, leaving Kiryu in yet another situation that he'd find himself having to fight out of.

Little did this World of Light know the Dragon it was unleashing upon itself by bringing him here.

Specialty
Neutralizing opponents non-lethally in the most brutal way possible, and accepting every side quest.

Level
1

Experience
0/10

Powers

Heat - Whenever Kiryu lands an attack or grab, the heat gauge begins to fill. Once filled to a certain point, he will begin glowing with a blue aura, making him more difficult to knock down and allowing him to unleash a Heat Action, a brutal attack on one or more opponents using weapons, the environment, or the enemies themselves if they're lucky and Kiryu doesn't feel like using his own fists. Kiryu can store enough Heat for up to two Heat Actions, though Heat is also lost when he is hit without blocking. If Kiryu goes on the defensive for too long, he will also begin to lose Heat at a rapid rate regardless of damage taken. When a battle ends, Kiryu retains leftover Heat and it flares up during the start of his next encounter.

Strengths:

• Dragon of Dojima -Kiryu is an experienced and powerful close-ranged combatant, able to stop pouncing tigers mid-air and blow them back with focused punches, pick up heavy items to weaponize by slamming or throwing, and lift people twice his size to toss them around. Add on his brutal nature when it comes to fighting, and you've got a living, breathing bulldozer (Hopefully) on your side.
• Komaki Style - Kiryu has been trained by multiple masters, but a notable one is Komaki. Kiryu has techniques to counter opponents or additionally, disarm them (Though disarming does require Heat,) and can quickstep around enemy attacks, or entirely around enemies of similar size before delivering devastating attacks of his own while his opponent is open.
• Kazuma Kiryu Never Kills - Kiryu, despite his brutal tactics, never kills individuals. Be it dropkicking you out a window to plummet multiple stories, slashing you with a sword, kneeing a knife into your stomach, or crushing you beneath a motorcycle with an added curb stomp at the end, though horribly beaten and left a mess, you'll still be alive. You'd probably wish you weren't with how you'll feel after one of his beatdowns, though.

Weaknesses

• There Just Ain't Any Winnin' Against An Old Hag - Kiryu has a weakness when it comes to elderly women. Due to... Difficulties, throughout his life, they entirely overwhelm him. Add onto the fact that he was bad with girls to begin with, and that he'd never hit a woman, and they can pretty much run all over him without issue, no matter the intent. This can also make him a liability against female combatants.
• Bullet Stun - Kiryu can tank a lot of physical damage, but bullets (And piercing projectiles in general,) are a problem. Where some heroes can keep running after such an attack, Kiryu will either be stunned to his knees or entirely floored after being shot. He can get back up, but enemies can cause him to lose valuable time in a fight because of it.
• Long-Ranged Issues - Kiryu's not much of a ranged fighter. He can throw items short distances, but enemies in good positions or distanced away from him have an advantage as he has to try to dodge while closing the gap. A lack of ability to fight at range only increases his projectile vulnerability.

Spirits

• N/A

Kindred Spirits

• Goro Majima
• Ryo Hazuki
• The Last Spirit Monk

Inventory

• Haruka's Marble - A pink marble ball, given to Kiryu as a gift from Haruka. A valued possession, but not really worth much outside of sentimental value.
• Toughness Z x2 - Drinks that restore the user's health by approximately 20% each.
• Cigarettes - A pack of cigarettes, mainly used for their intended purpose but he can also use them during Heat Actions.
• Lighter - A lighter, mainly just used for lighting his cigarettes. Though it has any applications a small amount of flame could, he figures.

Persona - Soldiers of Fortune

Dakota Rhett

_{November 29th? - ???}

---

Things felt horrible, but simple in a way. Dakota wasn't about to become a prisoner, but also had kept silent. The confirmation didn't help things, as it was frightening to think of staying in a place like this forever. But if it was the case, he didn't want to be chained to a desk. Offering himself up as a prisoner... It wasn't the trial he'd have to endure, but what would such a thing prove, anyways? Giving up his life to be rotting away, not accomplishing anything. That sounded like failure, to him. A bait. Maybe that was the thought process of a less educated mind, but he genuinely did not offer it much thought beyond that.

This more lucrative method, he wasn't sure if he quite understood what Pondwater intended. He might've questioned it, but words of other individuals brought his silence. Dakota's eyes darted between the guards, noting their willingness to jump at a moment's notice to pounce upon them. What was the point of this cruelty? Obviously the judge had to have some sort of intent with all the violence, as it was what these guards jumped to at the mere thought of an issue like Caelum speaking up. Pondwater's brunt vocal assessment of the man left Dakota with his mouth slightly agape, eyes fixated on the interaction. Dakota looked down at himself, thinking about what he was hearing. Hiding the scars beneath, and covering up shortcomings... He'd done both, from a few people now. Just to try and get his way again, even if someone always came along with the facts to ruin it.

He tried to not gauge too much on this, though a small but resounding 'No' pretty much caught the room. Dakota's eyes drifted to the smallest figure in the room, realizing how overwhelming this was for himself, let alone for what he assumed was a kid. His body tensed as the guard picked her up, attempting to make himself move. At least they weren't going to swing at her, but still, this was about as uncomfortable as it got. What the hell did he expect from her, exactly? It wasn't like this was normal for them by any means, no matter how common it seemed to him.

Alina was spared, however, as Nick had a bit of an outburst. The exchange was valiant and vile at the same time, but Dakota barely got to recognize that as the gavel hit the ground. Not having much else, he tried to prepare himself mentally and physically for whatever their judge had to say. Fighting?

As the guards lined up, Dakota felt pain in his gut. Perhaps because of what happened before, but the thought of their test being one of violence wasn't something that sat right with him. So, what? They won, and took their place? The process of replacing the already applicable with more capable members, pushing them out of what comfort they potentially had. Raising the bar ever higher, expecting anyone they cross to meet that bar. And when they do, they boot out those set under the new bar. Absolute bullshit.

"This barely made sense to begin with, but now it's crazy." He murmured. As he looked forward, he knew he wasn't exactly going to have much of a choice. If they were willing to kill him, then what exactly could he do? There weren't options for peace now. "I don't get what you guys get out of trying to kill us," He spoke directly to the guards, unknowing of just how worthless that was. "But I'm not letting you kill me! Screw that!" Hands curling into (admittedly) pathetic fists, he braced himself for potentially another beating.

But what Pondwater had in store was much worse.

The spasming guards exploding into what could only be described as 'monsters' in Dakota's mind were now apparent. Their hollow appearances made sense, if they weren't human to begin with. But these... Things? They were far less believable than the previous forms, and looked much more dangerous. Dakota's will to fight instantly disappeared as he recoiled, unsure of what exactly to do against these things. He glanced about, not seeing much to use as a good weapon. What good would it do, anyways? These things looked vicious, and he wasn't confident at all in handling the previous fight, let alone this one. "Magnificent? These things look like cheap horror movie monsters!" He spat, a bit of an insult Pondwater's way. "You bastard. Even if we won, you'd just make us monsters like them!" No way. He wasn't very strong, but he wasn't about to let himself be a piece of entertainment for this guy. Barney was having a hard time with this, too. And Dakota shared his sentiment that they couldn't fight these things.

As if things weren't chaotic enough, Pondwater ended up being struck. Dakota's eyes darted about, trying to find the source momentarily until it appeared in front of them, piercing that dog-thing's skull with a weapon of sorts. There were so many questions, but Dakota was stuck on one particular thing: While Barney exclaimed remembrance of this girl, Dakota was awe-struck, gushing "What a badass entrance...!" As his fingers brushed through his hair, scratching at the scalp beneath. She was telling them to run? Dakota wasn't exactly going to say no, but he was still stuck in place.

A momentary dilemma passed over him as he eyed what was essentially Vincent's corpse on the ground. Breathing, yeah, but not in very good shape. He didn't focus on the girl's actions, instead he dove down to try and shake the terrifying man to his senses. "Hey! HEY! Get up!" He demanded, shaking him more furiously. "Don't know if you see that shit, but there's literal monsters, and we got one chance before they just frickin' eat us!" Vincent being an entire foot taller than Dakota did not help as the scrawny boy tried to pull the man up to get the hell out. Despite what happened, leaving him to die to those... Things, was not morally acceptable by any means. If only Dakota's arm muscles were as big as his heart, then this might seem a little more heroic.

Goddamn, this guy was heavy. Dakota let out a groan of frustration and effort as he brought Vincent up, and tried to get him moving towards the exit from whence they came. It was a struggle, and he could obviously use some help, but a mixture of worry about the others getting out and knowing the big lug caused them all strife made him just try to carry the burden on his own. 'First positive thing since you got here, Rhett! Gotta use it!' He scolded himself in his mind, a lot of his own stamina going into this ordeal. Not to mention, his feet were already injured, which only piled pain from what weight Vincent needed to lean on him.

The Shaxes in front of their exit caused Dakota to start panicking. He was moving forward, but unsure of how he'd do anything against them. Barney's charging would be helpful, maybe, if Dakota could do it himself. But no dice in that regard, and he had no sort of weapon, either. This lead him into perhaps the biggest panic he'd been in since arriving, quick mumblings coming off as perhaps obnoxious to his giant and mostly silent passenger as they continued forward. "T-There's no way out behind us, things are exploding, there's evil DEMON flamingo things that are gonna kill us, we'regonnaDIE!"

Obviously he was out of ideas. As great of a self-preservation tool as throwing Vincent to the evil birds would be, it's something that wouldn't even pass his mind. He'd be relying on someone else, or his giant physically-gifted three-legged race pal Vincent, for a way past. It was a bunch of them versus a few stupid birds! Surely they could get past some stupid birds. Right?

Sum up your week in roleplaying in just 3 words

Beating The Elderly

Persona - Soldiers of Fortune

Dakota Rhett

_{November 29th? - ???}

---

Dakota's view shifted to look at Jin, glad to have some backing on this. A list of locations like that would surely be helpful to their case, as who would just have such a thing laying around, right? Though, Dakota's building enthusiasm was put into shambles as Vincent was tossed in among them. The man had caused them harm, and it was more than reasonable to be pissed with him. Hell, Dakota wouldn't mind calling him a damn dumbass for what he caused to everyone with his stunt. Yet there was a small amount of pity in his expression, with just how bad he'd been treated. His body was battered, and even if he had tried to run, he had to question if such treatment was necessary. The damage to their feet, and what he'd taken had been something, but this guy still wasn't a prisoner yet they put him through the ringer.

Pondwater's words pulled him from these thoughts, to an extent. The boy knew he couldn't confront these 'people' about it, or things would escalate. Though, things were escalating, just in a different manner. Slowly Dakota put his phone away, surprised by the man's willingness to accept their situation. "E-Eh?" He couldn't form an actual response, his brain pondering on how casual Pondwater seemed about this, and how it was an apparent 'stroke of luck' for everyone involved. He sure as hell didn't feel lucky right now.

Barney covered for where Dakota couldn't speak. The revelation that this wasn't much of an abnormal situation in Pondwater's eyes was a strange one, that caused Dakota to actually take a small step backwards out of a mixture of hesitation and concern for where this was all leading.

Pondwater's continued speech left Dakota's mind spinning, though to him it made sense in the worst of ways. He looked down in a moment of silent self-reflection, thinking about his own shortcomings. He'd failed, hadn't he? He proved faulty to a point where he lost his opportunity, losing what he'd strived for in life. The metaphorical line of 'Many will stumble, trip, and fall' felt right at home. In a path filled to the brim with competition, his own mishap lead to being left on the wayside and having no way to recover. Stranded, a failure, despite his own talent. Such cases weren't really considered in life, it was just too late. Despite this depressing acceptance in his mind, his blood boiled with a repressed anger. An irritation, a reflection of unfairness that screamed in his head. He was going to be successful by his own merits! He had the potential, but then fate dealt him a shitty card.

But if he had that much faith in himself, then why did he feel so down all the time? Why couldn't he progress towards anything else and feel better, despite the shortcoming? Why couldn't he just move on and figure out his own life? Was success in one area, now squandered, leaving him with nothing worthwhile? Was he just a loser? A failure? Unworthy of anything else out of life at this point? What the hell was the answer, here? And why couldn't he figure it out? The questions pounded in his head, and he fought between being reasonable and lashing out from his own emotions. Thankfully, for the fallen group, he kept himself relatively calm. But there was a clear mixture of emotions on his face.

"So," He managed to speak up, though he was feeling extremely off put by the situation now. The details outside weren't something he was piecing together outside of the initial horror, as he was more focused on what was being shoved in his face. An ultimatum of sorts, a judgement from this man. "We're going to be judged? To see if we're 'bound for greatness', or..." His gaze turned back towards the doors behind them, past the others. "Deserving to be labeled as failures?"

A part of Dakota still wasn't entirely believing all of this, from the sheer absurdity. How could a prison like this exist and operate, after all? Yet, Pondwater's lack of surprise about how they arrived was chilling, and Dakota couldn't have dreamt this all up even on the worst night of his life. Another part of him was angry; Feeling like something was scratching past his scalp, and directly etching claws into his skull. Anger that he was not a failure, and that he could prove otherwise. Not like they had much choice now, it seemed like Pondwater didn't exactly intend for them to leave. He said everything except that, after all. And in this moment of possible judgement, now having knowledge of it, Dakota felt an urge to not look weak.

He stood there, his foot placing back where it originally had been before. He kept his eyes forward, not wanting to associate with that sight behind those doors they came through. To say he wasn't scared was a damn lie, but in a sick way, something like this was what he wanted. An answer, one way or another, if he was a failure. Innocent, or guilty. If what Pondwater said was true, then maybe he really did end up falling here on purpose. He followed those cracks, after all. And he could've jumped from the gazebo if he really wanted to get away, now that hindsight was hitting him. Was he going crazy and trying to justify everything? Or was this just acceptance of Pondwater's words?

Dakota figured he'd know soon enough, and took to the assumption Pondwater was being truthful back to them. Regardless if this was a nightmare or reality, he had nothing going for him if he tried to run but another beating. And out of stupidity, his own pride banging around in his head, or a mixture of both, he was standing there. Deciding to see what exactly Pondwater planned to do in order to judge them, not leaving any side questions lingering in the air.

World of Light

LOCATION:The Maw
WORD COUNT:656(+1 EXP)
MENTIONS: General Group, but mostly Sakura

---

The situation began to escalate in it's own way, with people agreeing and disagreeing with eating. The pain in Mirage's gut only grew worse with seeing the others begin to find ways to gain access to the food beyond the bars, but things were leaving him really skeptical. A fear of the unknown could be a damning thing, but the idea of knowing you were on the path of starving to death wasn't much better. Or possibly worse? This whole situation was stressing him out more than he thought it could have, deciding to provide some input instead of just staring at the food in question. "This whole place is set up as a deathtrap full of disappointing crap," He turned away, crossing his arms. "Who knows, coulda been set up to make it seem like a challenge, only to bite us afterwards."

Was that a stretch? God, he didn't know. Nadia didn't seem to be affected by anything, at least at face value. Neither did the others. Though, Bella talking about 'taking one for the team' kind of made him feel guilty. Like his own refusal was a part of helping her drive to that decision, and if something happened, well...

"If you guys are gonna eat, just be careful, yeah? Could hurt to overstuff, too." His comment was quiet, perhaps from him trying to distance himself from the situation as a whole, a distraction coming from Sakura as she seemed to be in the same boat as him and Kamek. Despite his distaste towards the idea of cursed food, he felt bad that she was going without. But, hey, hunger-pals! They could form their own little posse at this rate. "Yeah, not exactly on my to-do list." He responded, though how far could they get? They'd have to be careful, excessively quiet, if they wanted to get through this now. There wasn't a whole lot of room for action, who knows what little fuel left in the tank would do for them?

Turning to the runaway child by following Sakura's own gaze, he blinked for a moment as he processed what was happening. He wasn't quite sure what they were on about, though when Link spoke to the mystery children a few moments ago, he'd mentioned a key. Must've scavenged something while he wasn't looking, Mirage figured. But a locked door sounded like a good route to take, if they could get through. Probably not as many monsters, or at least he hoped.

"Hey, hey!" He let out an aggressive whisper, following after Sakura and Link. He couldn't just sit there and watch the others eat, so following after these two and the larger, mysterious kid seemed like a good enough plan. "Don't leave me here with the cursed guys, I'm comin' too." half a joke, half serious, he couldn't exactly pull many action hero stunts, but he could at least do something or other to help out, right?

Oh, right! The Dart Gun!

"Ya did good work with this, but think I'll keep ahold of it?" He slipped the Dart Gun from Sakura's grasp, giving it a few playful twirls as he leaned against the door. Though, their moment of quiet as they waited to get the door open gave Mirage a minute to doubt himself about food again. He nervously looked back towards the feasting group, before glancing at Sakura with a question in mind, from what she said earlier. "So, this 'Master' told you guys the food would be cursed?" He tried to keep himself from looking back again, instead focusing on his questioning to try and quell his doubts. "You sure we can trust her? Sorry if I seem skeptical, but I'm just goin' off secondhand information, y'know?" The heck was a 'Master of Masters', anyhow? What a pompous name!

He'd have to write it down once he got out of here, it'd actually make a great costume name for back in the Apex Games.

World of Light

LOCATION:Al Mamoon Northeast - Rocket Inc.
WORD COUNT: 426 (+1 EXP, -1 EXP Friend Heart, Total EXP: 0)
MENTIONS: Fox(Phantom Thief), Fuse

---

Traversal to safety had gone mostly unopposed, but as with all dramatic fights, something had to happen at the last second. The closer he was, the easier it was to scan the situation at hand. There seemed to be some down and out, some missing, but their side seemed to be taking the victory. Braum was protecting Nastasia, but considering who she was, that meant enough sense to him. The big defensive wall got taken mentally, which was yet another problem on the checklist.

Another one of those being a grenade. Which Mao was not blown up by, but the explosion with the prior spectacle between Fuse and Joker was startling. That old bastard was trying to keep them out of the safe zone with bombs! Not as stupid as he thought some of them might've reacted, and he realized just how much he'd been played by the grenade when the water behind him got louder. He gritted his teeth as he tried to think of an evasive maneuver, but thankfully Fox had him and Gunnar covered. "Too close." He muttered, offering Fox a small nod as the waters died down.

Noting the new safe zone, he grinned knowing they were the defenders now. However, Fuse had full-intent to use that against them again. He intended to turn it into a blast zone with his grenade, but Mao was growing tired of getting attacked by the elderly: Though, HITTING the elderly, on the other hand, he'd happily continue doing. Seeing the explosive flung his way, Mao's mechanical limbs sprung to life as he made use of a secondary wave-evading plan he'd managed to cook up during that last mishap. The dangerous ends dug into the ice, allowing him to scale it at a fast pace with spider-like effectiveness and catch a glance of Midna's conflict with Ciella above. Not looking good, he could tell, but there was apparent help on the way and he could focus on his initial target for the moment.

Using his feet he kicked off the meteor, unsheathing his blade in a spinning motion as he descended from above. With a cry of "Time for a live dissection!" His main hand gripped on the handle along with his feet being planted on each side of the blade for stability, leaving a hand open to form another Friend-Heart if he succeeded in skewering Fuse through the chest and promptly pulling the sword out afterwards. Which would cut his area of denial hopefully out of their way, so they didn't have to worry about anymore grenades.

World of Light

LOCATION:The Maw
WORD COUNT:883(+2 EXP)
MENTIONS: Nadia

---

As the doors closed, Mirage let the silence after Moreau's final cry linger for a moment. Against everything, they'd made it out. Equal in number, yet, still missing one. His gaze wandered in the crowded space, eyeing Sakura still in possession of the Dart Gun for a moment before deciding to look down at the floor as he thought about the events that transpired. He felt an odd confliction, knowing he saw himself-- Or a version of himself, given live in something else, get killed. It's words echoed in his mind as he pulled on his goggles, seeing a little engraved "E" on the strap, with an assortment of small smiley faces. He had to wonder if it was too far gone to realize their mission had failed, at least on it's end. That left him carrying the torch for them both now: Get out of here, find mom. Wherever she was.

In a way, the horrific experience steeled his resolve. He was starving, and just about ready to keel over from a stiff breeze, but he wasn't ready to just lay down in the elevator and die. Blazermate's healing helped with that, though he kinda wished that walking microwave came with a food-beam, too. His back felt a bit itchy, and by reaching back it was easy to find his shirt was damaged from the acid. That, and he had some sections of skin that felt a little off. As an adult, he'd gotten a bit of damage on his face, but the magazines said that gave him a 'rugged handsome rogue' appeal, so maybe a few back scars would do the same. He had time to question ladies on that after he got out alive, though. And after he got some food in his stomach.

He pulled himself up as the elevator audibly began to slow. The calm was bringing him down from his more panicked state, and he shuffled out of the elevator like a damned zombie. He eyed Nadia as she slumped over, having done enough of that in the elevator but he was only wasting whatever meager time he had left. Like it or not, hunger and thirst were killers. And as his body cried from the inside, an absolutely feral growl being what came from his stomach, he tried to keep in mind what he said to Geralt before. But that only made him think of what Geralt had said, too. Maybe being cursed was better than dead.

He fought the two methods in his mind, a fictionalized process of Mirage and Geralt in a boxing ring with Nadia as the ring girl, staring off blankly into space momentarily as he continued walking the line between going crazy and just being himself. This broadcast was put on hold as his thoughts were interrupted by Nadia's laughter, and words that shot a bit of fear into him from the sign of her giving up. Not that he could blame her, he couldn't run anymore. All that parkour crap was long gone, and the next time they had to run, he was probably going to die. If he didn't just fall over dead first, that is.

"As least we got to spite that creepy fish guy!" He would've wished for more revenge, but he'd take what they got. He lost, and that obviously stung more than any of the pain he'd taken. If anything, the small spiteful gogglehead was glad he'd starve instead! Doesn't give anyone the satisfaction of beating him! It just means he beat himself! Realizing his own desperation with this thought process, he deflated, arms weakly dangling in front of him as he slightly slumped forward, looking close to just toppling at some point.

Stupidity ending at a whispered word he couldn't quite hear, Mirage turned his head towards Nadia. "Eh?" He reacted with a tilted head, following after her as she declared more clearly that she caught the scent of some food. Mirage did, too, as they got closer. Though the sight was partially disheartening as it was practically taunting them behind bars. Nadia's attempt to squeeze through made it obvious he wouldn't, and he was still not feeling right about eating, so that also halted any attempt.

Raising his hands defensively at the sight of the child on the other side of the bars, he winced at their intent to offer Nadia some food, which instantly sent him into alert. "Wait--" It was already too late. She snacked it down faster than he could speak, and his mental state went back to the boxing match. In which Geralt was on the ground with cartoony X's over his eyes, Mirage trying to defend himself with his equally idiotic and thoughtful mind. "I-Isn't the food like, cursed?" He cautiously questioned, watching Nadia for any abnormalities.

She just became a guinea pig to see how real of a claim that was. And that was making Mirage feel really anxious. He backed away from the bars somewhat, unsure of what the result of this would be. But, maybe it'd be a sign things were alright? Mirage had his doubts, with the hellish situation so far. He started to note that possibly he wouldn't have a choice, but while he still had a little time he'd observe.

"Do you feel like, weird at all?"