Yankee

Current Mood in One Gif

Grayscale: Psych/Horror/Drama

Interested! I already have a character forming in mind.

World of Light

Ace Cadet & Frog

Word Count: 1261 (+3 exp)
Level: 6 - Total EXP: 32/60
Level: 1 - Total EXP: 5/10
Location: Edge of the Blue: Limsa Lominscuttle

Cadet took the frog warrior’s hand with a grin, giving it a quick enthusiastic shake up and down. He wasn’t all too surprised that Frog hadn’t spotted Hat Kid, she could be fast and crafty after all, but the hunter was still glad to accept a guide to her last known location.

“I’m called the Ace Cadet!” he told Frog, mimicking the other’s introduction. That was the title he was most comfortable with anyway. After a brief moment of thinking about how the others addressed him, he added, “Nicknames are okay too.” The sooner the group got back together and up to speed the better, so Cadet didn’t waste any time with the helpful newcomer. “I appreciate your help, Frog. Lead the way!”

"Very well." Frog humbly nodded then turned opposite of the direction he had been planning to go, yet he had Ace Cadet to help now and he believed in doing so he would be doing what his friend Cyrus would have done. "So tis Ace Cadet thine real name or thy honorific?" the amphibian swordsman asked as he walked, staying at Ace Cadet's flank.

"That's the second time I've been asked that today," the young man laughed, recalling his conversation earlier with Kamek at the marketplace. "Where I'm from, everyone goes by titles." He didn't elaborate anymore, if he did he'd be debating with himself if he should be going by "A-Lister" or something since his position change... or picking up a 'normal name,' since apparently the customs in his world were weird. "Doesn't seem like it's that common in other worlds though. Oh, as far as worlds go..."

He looked at Frog. "You're familiar with the city you said, yeah? Are you from Limsa?" Being that the guy was literally part amphibian and surrounded by water in the city, Cadet wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. "Gaurdia twas my home but I hath traveled Limsa for quite a time," he told Ace as Limsa's more bustling city center disappeared from sight. It seemed just like every where else they'd traveling, people are scattered about far from where they originally were from. Still, everyone in Limsa Lominscuttle so far was so welcoming and helpful, no matter if they were true locals or not. It made Cadet feel even more so that the Blue Team's current strategy of dealing with tempest at sea was the right one.

As they drew closer to the Hatchery, they kept up the conversation.

"Are you an adventurer? You've got that groovios sword and armor. Do you know anything about that reviving enemy fleet the navy's been taking on? Or..." A glance out toward the water, through the white brick buildings of city showed a dark and stormy ocean in the distance. "What about the Bottomless Sea?" Following Ace Cadet's gaze the amphibious swordsman looked out to the vast open ocean that looked dark and dangerous. "I hath little to no experience upon the ocean blue," Frog admitted then turned back to Ace and drew his blade. "My sword is Masamune the legendary sword of antiquity," the blade shone in the sunlight and in the reflection Frog saw himself as he was before his transformation for just a second.

While it was unfortunate that Frog couldn't offer insight into their objectives, the topic the warrior quickly switched to was one near and dear to the Cadet's heart: equipment. He let out an oooooh sound, admiring the blade as the pair stopped off to one side of the path they were on. "Do you mind?" The redhead asked, holding his hand out to accept the blade if Frog let him inspect it. Frog held the blade out to Ace but hesitation stayed his hand. "Twas given to me by an old friend," finally he extended it to Ace Cadet. "Thine blade tis my destiny," Frog said as he handed the broadsword over.

Cadet nodded, carefully taking the sword to give it a closer look. It was well made; the blade itself sleek and simple while the hilt and guard had a little more flair to them. Masamune was a solid weapon for sure. Though the hunter wasn't one for equipment sentimentality, he nonetheless handled the sword gently in respect to Frog's feelings about it. When he handed it back to the amphibian warrior, Cadet seemed content, if a bit confused. "That's a nice sword for sure. What do you mean it's your destiny...?"

Frog took the weapon in his gloved hand and gripped the hilt as he slid Masamune back into his scabbard. "Cyrus my mentor and friend bequeathed it to me before he was killed." as they walked Frog slowed his pace and looks to the ocean. "I was to use it in protection of Guardia's royal family but," Frog gestured around them with his hands "Now there is no Guardia and the blade has lost it's twin spirits Masa and Mune." sighing he looped his thumbs through his belt. Cadet nodded along with his explanation. He certainly wasn't the first troubled soul the group had met. Frog's mention of the blade's spirits piqued the Cadet's interest again, and the hunter thought to himself that he'd have to ask about that. A sword being able to be fed spirits would be the most radalos thing ever. However, the warrior made another mention of a royal family, and it brought a certain other royal to his mind. He didn't have time to get distracted over a cool sword and it's tragic backstory, he had a quest to complete!

"Speaking of royal families, I should find Hatty and get back to the princess," Cadet said, more to himself than to Frog. He glanced ahead, finding the path familiar looking - but then again, it was the same pale passage as all the others in Limsa. He looked at Frog before speaking again. "I can introduce you to her if you want, but I don't know if she'd know anything about a masa or a mune."

Frog considered Ace Cadet's offer then nodded "Aye your offer tis gracious I shalt accept it." The amphibious swordsman slowed pace noting the passage ahead. "Thine spirits Masa and Mune arte blade in living form," he explained "Naught thoust typical spirits." Frog said with confidence as he knew that the two entities truly were unique but stopping short of boring the red haired warrior with tales of old the swordsman decided it best he save that story for another time.

The duo approached the Hatchery. From inside, the sounds of various animals could be heard. Squawking, growling... shouting? The voice was muffled through the brick and heavy wooden door, but it definitely sounded like a human being. Frog and Cadet looked at each other, then one quickly opened the door while the other sprang inside. Luckily it didn't seem like there was any particular danger present. Instead, the pair found an upset looking woman surrounded by all kinds of sky traveling wildlife, as well as the girl Cadet had been looking for. Although their barging in was a little awkward, Cadet pushed on through and spoke up, waving to Hat Kid.

"Hey, there you are! We're all gonna meet up, share news." He beckoned the girl over, and should she comply, introductions were in order. "This is Frog, he's gonna come along with us to meet the princess. By the way," he lowered his voice slightly, glancing toward the woman before he looked back at Hat Kid and cupped a hand on one side of his mouth. "Any luck here?"

_{@Blackmist16@Dawnrider}

---

Word Count: 646 (+1 exp)
Level: 3 - Total EXP: 2/30
Location: Sandswept Sky: Vah Naboris
𝙱𝙿 ●●●●●

The easy out of the pyramid was a more than welcome end to the thieve's little escapade inside it - and with Naboris quickly approaching, getting back to the group was even easier. Primrose supposed either the advance team succeeded and they were finished with the lakeside battleground now, or they failed and were making a direct getaway. She'd find out soon enough.

As soon as they stepped onto the camel, the wolfos went to reunite with it's master. Mona was also quick to announce their return and introduce Alibaba to the group. The very much expanded group. Mercenaries of all shapes gathered close together, chatting and introducing themselves. Primrose blinked, slow and deliberate. The times of cozy desert car rides were over, now they had a giant construct filled with even larger personalities. I take it they really were successful then, Primrose thought. She glanced backward at Lakeside, where glimpses of people could still be seen and dim noises still sounded. ...in one way or another.

Usually at this time Primrose would go off somewhere like Joker and Alibaba had - stand off to one side, lean against something and think to herself, more than content to leave the spotlight when she wasn't explicitly looking to stand under it. However, she stayed nearby to the others, the original yellow team. Maybe she was just being paranoid, but the newcomers they'd picked up while she was away were not only still under Galeem's control, but up until that point they'd been happy to battle each other over and over. Those facts didn't exactly lend themselves well to being excited for new teammates. Primrose eyed the lot of them, and only felt slightly foolish when everyone that glanced over and met her stare gave her a smile and greeting.

Just slightly. One could never be too careful.

With some healthy suspicion alive and well within Primrose, the dancer followed Mona over to where Midna was settled. "It will be a shame to lose this," she chimed in, sparing a few moments to look around at Naboris' interior. "Mona won't be able to carry all of us anymore either."

As far as "all of us" went, were they going to take this whole group to the mountain? If they left a few with Naboris and tried to send it back to the Alcamoth, would that prove problematic? Surely they couldn't usurp it without that woman, Urbosa's, know-how. If that was the case, sending them away into the waiting arms of a dozens of free people willing to throw hands might be a very good idea.

"If we must abandon it, I think your idea of sending it back is a good one," she said, her brows furrowing slightly from her previous thoughts. Ultimately, giving her opinion is not why she approached the imp though. Primrose willed a smile onto her face before she looked at Midna again. "Thank you, by the way. Your hound was very helpful."

While Midna floated away to speak with Fox, Primrose thought about going to find one of the others that had been at Lakeside to get a more detailed story. Before she could make any move, she was intercepted by a tall, angular, and heavily accented man with a strange contraption on his back. One of the new recruits, gathering "medical information" as it were. He was far from the caregiver Primrose had grown to know during her own travels, and his enthusiasm was a little... creepy. She'd been looked at like she was a piece of meat before, but not quite like this. She hesitated, before releasing a long sigh out through her nose. Beggars can't be choosers... and we could use a healer or two. "Primrose, human female," she said, humoring the man, "Just the usual with me... though I prefer a hands off approach to healing if possible, doctor."

The Voyagers of Duonia: A Medieval Fantasy RP

Dular, Cleric of Yurtus

_{“Are you ill, or just need sense beaten into you?”}

_______________________________________________ Dular, Succorer _______________________________________________________________ 27 | Female | Half-Orc _______________________________________________________________ Lawful Neutral | Cleric | Acolyte _______________________________________________________________ [+] ▼ A T T R I B U T E S ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ ► Medicine ► Religion ► Survival ► Insight ► Melee Weapons ► Magic (Healing) - [+] ▼ I N V E N T O R Y ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ ► Armor - Underneath the heavy fur capes Dular wears armor made of leather and bone. Despite her size and strength, Dular is a healer first and foremost. She isn't a front line fighter so her armor is simple and practical. ► Weapons - Dular carries only one weapon, a heavy dark wooden cudgel. It's completely smooth and has been lovingly decorated with white speckles, like an inverted birch tree. The handle is wrapped in blanched leather with a few bones handing from it. ► Coinpurse - A few trinkets sit alongside an amulet of whittled bone in the shape of a hand. There are some small, interesting crystals and fossils from her home as well. Although her tribe mainly deals in trade and barter, Dular does have some coin on her just in case. Humans do love their coin after all, and apparently enough of it can get them to do pretty much anything. ► Misc. Items - Besides her mess kit and bed roll, most of Dular's pack is taken up by medicinal plants and spell components, as well as mortar, pestle, and clay pots to hold her potions in. -

P E R S O N A L C H A R A C T E R In the North where the population of orcish tribes are dwindling, it is not uncommon for members of said tribes to take human consorts, filling their yurts with half-orc children. As one of those children living among the tribe, Dular grew up strong and tough alongside her siblings. Her mother, a pureblood orc and one of the tribe's few shamans, had a vision soon after Dular's birth of a plague destroying their home. The vision was unlike any she'd experienced before, and it spooked her so much that she turned the entire family to the service of the orcish god Yurtus. With years of dedication the family became respected healers in their community, Dular especially. She was good at resisting the mark of Gruumsh that urged all those with orc blood into rages, making her an adept apothecary as well as care giver. Mixing potions and natural medicines came more easily to Dular, and though at first she struggled to learn healing magicks despite her mother's shamanistic ability, with persistent effort Dular was able to cast spells with concentration. Because of her prestige as a faithful cleric and her half-blood making her less likely to fall into rage when things didn't go her way, after reaching adulthood Dular was commonly given the role of liaison between her tribe and the various other civilized settlements nearby when they needed to trade or otherwise negotiate. Especially when the traditional orc tactic of intimidation didn't work. Through the years living in the cold North with her tribe as well as interacting with those outside of it, Dular grew into a responsible, uncompromising woman that worked hard to see her fellow tribesman live healthy and die the way they should: gloriously, not succumbing to cold or disease. However, the plague from her mother's vision always loomed in the mind of her family, making Dular just a bit paranoid and superstitious. She can't leave well enough alone, always snooping with the intent to help people whether they want assistance or not. Thankfully, her thick skulls makes it easy for her to laugh off annoyed people telling her off for her "help." F A V O R When that plague finally reared it's ugly head, Dular's tribe was not as prepared as they hoped. Despite Dular and the other healers work, the disease ripped through the village. When the death toll grew large, the orcs reached out to human settlements near and far. However, most were unwilling to help. Those that had established trade relations were afraid of catching the disease, and those that didn't had history of bloody skirmishes whenever human expansion encroached on the tribe's territory. There was one man who after catching wind of the orcs' plight offered his aid. Dular didn't know why Ordrin, a stranger, chose to donate his time and money to help her village, but she was forever grateful that he did. With the extra supplies he brought to the village, they were able to survive the plague and steadily recover. After it was over, Ordrin asked if he could use the tribe's land to stage expeditions into the tundea. Dular helped convince the tribe elders to accept his proposal as thanks for his help. When word came from Ordrin again, this time asking Dular personally for her help in seeking a missing shipment of his, she was packed within in the day. In this way, she would fully repay the man for helping to save her village.

The Voyagers of Duonia: A Medieval Fantasy RP

_____________________________

"That is a good saying."

The voice was smooth and even; and tinted with warmth it pushed it's way through the cold air easily. The largest passenger in the wagon, standing taller than even the horses that drew it, was a half-orc woman named Dular. She carried no family name, only her epithet: succorer. Her orcish blood was quite obvious in her thick ashen skin, long knobby ears, and of course the tusks that poked out of her mouth even while her lips were closed. Despite her title, these traits of hers unnerved many - this Dular was not unaware of. Anytime the carriage driver glanced back at their motley party, Dular evenly met his gaze with a toothy smile. The man wisely said nothing.

If any of the others were uncomfortable with her presence, they did a good job of pretending otherwise. Though Dular chose to believe they weren't. After all, the other women were comprised of scholars and survivors, both the kind of person who knew there were much worse things in this world than someone with pointy teeth and a temper.

As they approached Auonar and the women all roused, Dular pointed an appreciative face in Entyrea's direction. It was a good saying after all, "knowledge is power." She'd have to bring that back to her tribe. Ilneval knew they needed some brain power to go along with their brute strength focused culture. Some kind of popular tagline like that might inspire a few more studious types to emerge. But, that was something to think about in the future. For now, Dular joined the others in looking ahead at the familiar fortress city.

She met eyes with the driver again.

"If weather is killing you Gudrik, seek out tribe. We have the good healing hands," she said, wiggling her fingers at him. Teasing out of the way, Dular leaned back in her seat, comfortable to stay put until the carriage came to a stop. She crossed her arms over her chest and let out a content puff of air, breath crystallizing in the cold. Then, she looked down at Chip beside her. "After hibernation like that, you will be needing food," she told him. Apparently she was in good humor today, frigid wind doing nothing to damper her mood. "We all share a meal together before more business, hm?"

Greetings RPG!

Baked goods? You have my attention

Welcome! The forum could always use a bit of sunshine. I hope you enjoy your time here! If you have any questions, pretty much everyone is friendly and willing to help out.

Fate/Charonioi Klimakes

An application appears

The man who was called 'Bellerophon'

---

True Name: Chrysaor
Title: Bellerophon, "Slayer of Enemies"
Class: Rider
Gender: ???
Birth and Death Dates: Age of Gods
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Motivation for the Grail: Agape, Philia, Philautia, Storge... to experience "love."

---

Personality:

For a famous, daring hero, Rider is on the sullen side. Bitter memories fill his head, making him slow to trust. However, underneath his apparent guarded exterior, Rider is an optimist who wears his heart on his sleeve. His cool demeanor is a flimsy shield. In this world, anything is possible... if one didn't go through life believing that, their existence would be pitiful indeed. Rider cherishes victory and praise, so he is unafraid to take risks or to seek the easy way out - so long as it will earn him the adoration of his allies. He wants desperately to open his heart to someone, and to be reciprocated, and this desire clashes hard with his past experiences. Will the "love" he finds be conditional again? Will it disappear as soon as he makes a mistake, or says the wrong thing? It's a fine line Rider walks when dealing with people. To find love he will go to any lengths, and to avoid rejection he will do anything. If he senses this is possible with his master, he will make a loyal companion. However, if he senses it is impossible... he may find another hand to feed from. At his core, he must be selfish after all.

Appearance:

A slender hero, delicate enough to ride the picky Pegasus, yet curiously strong enough to lift boulders over his head. Because of his slim frame, sparkling golden eyes and long, flowing purple hair, it is not uncommon for Rider to be mistaken as a woman - even with a height of 172cm. Speaking of his hair, he usually keeps it tied back into a pony tail to control it. He dresses in dark feathers and furs, and his right ear is pierced with a golden bone fragment.

Bio:

This is indeed a twisted version of events. There exists some confusion in the modern world on the lineage of "Bellerophon," some sources even citing the same family tree as the being Chrysaor. These conflating stories are correct: the hero "Bellerophon's" true identity is that of Chrysaor, son of Medusa. "Bellerophon," meaning "slayer of enemies," is nothing more than a title given to the man who angered Olympus and was all but forgotten to history because of it, his true name erased.

Chrysaor was born a winged piglet with golden tusks along his twin brother Pegasus. While Pegasus flew away, Chrysaor was too heavy to fly - he was stuck on the island with only a rotting headless corpse for company. One day during a sorrowful rage, one of Chrysaor's tusks was broken off. The sound as loud and, perhaps taking pity on the beast, his father Poseidon turned him into a man. Chrysaor fashioned his broken tusk into a rudimentary sword and escaped the island.

On the road, Chrysaor met with a man fleeing a murder charge. The poor scared man plead of Chrysaor, a stranger, to go to Tiryns in his stead and plead innocence. From here, the traditional legend of "Bellerophon" begins... and ends, when Chrysaor is thrown to Earth after attempting to fly to Olympus, crashing to the ground and losing the god given gift of manhood, his legacy erased and replaced with only a mysterious "slayer of enemies" attributed to it. "Bellerophon" and Chrysaor both never heard from again, suffering alone until death once more.

Basic Equipment: A spear and bow.

---

Parameters:
Strength: C
Endurance: D
Agility: B+
Mana: C
Luck: D

---

Class Skills:

• Riding A+
  • A high level riding skill due to his taming of the divine beast, Pegasus. Rider is able to expertly handle any vehicle or beast mount, including phantasmal beasts, except for those of the dragon kind.
• Magic Resistance C+
  • A resistance built up over his experiences battling magical creatures. Rider resists magic of and under this rank, and can much more easily dodge and deflect magic above it, even with his bare hands.

Personal Skills:

• Divinity E-
  • Although he is related to Poseidon in one way or another and should hold a higher rank in divinity, his gorgon blood and resentment for being betrayed by the gods has caused it to lower substantially.
• Monstrous Strength C
  • A skill held by those with a monstrous background that amplifies one's strength. In close quarters combat, Rider's rank in "strength" is increased by one. Like his mother, the more he relies on this skill, the more Rider resembles his monstrous self.
• Mantle of the Hero (Monster) B+
  • The role that Rider assumes in playing the part of "Bellerophon" is an adept monster slayer. As such, his damage and effectiveness is heightened against such creatures. In the heat of battle, his visage can even cause weaker monsters to cower and run... on the flip side, if Rider is returned to his true form as Chrysaor, that fear becomes admiration for the son of the gorgon, and he can command lesser monsters to his will, assuming he is in his right state of mind.
• Animal Dialogue C
  • Being the twin brother of Pegasus, Rider can easily understand and communicate with him. He also capable of speaking with any animal, but he gets along best with horses, hippocampus, boars, pigs, and similar hooved animals.

---

NOBLE PHANTASMS

True Name: Bellerophon
Title: Bridle of Jealousy
Rank: A+
NP Type: Anti-Army
Range: 2~50
Maximum Number of Targets: 300
Description:

The Noble Phantasm shared with Medusa: mother of Pegasus, and Perseus: usurper of Bellerophon’s legend and the catalyst of Pegasus’ birth. It is the golden bridle gifted to Rider, under the guise of "Bellerophon", in order to control Pegasus and bring out his full potential. Passively, this treasured bridle allows Rider to call upon his brother and summon him into existence. Pegasus is among the most famous and powerful of phantasmal beasts on his own, but when fastened with the golden bridle, his maximum potential is unlocked. It raises Pegasus’ stats, attack and defensive power, speed and destructive capabilities many times over, transforming Pegasus into a comet-like entity able to physically destroy nearly anything.

True Name: Chrysaor
Title: Golden Blade's True Form
Rank: A
NP Type: Anti-Unit (Self)
Range: 1
Maximum Number of Targets: 1
Description:

The golden sword that Rider carries. That in itself would be a hint to his true identity, if he weren't forgotten. The blade is simple in design, the only thing that sets it apart visually from a common sword being it's golden luster. The weapon is one of Chrysaor's tusks, reforged into something more befitting of a hero. The sword itself is strong, much stronger than any mortal weapon that isn't a Noble Phantasm of another servant. For those able to sense that kind of thing, the sword gives off a certain feel, as though it were part of a living organism. Of course, that's because it is - and Rider is able to use it with great ease, being that it's literally part of his own body.

The other tusk takes the form of a golden bone fragment, acting as a makeshift earring, driven through Rider's right earlobe. When this earring is removed, the sword and earring change back to tusks and Rider’s gorgon blood boils and transforms him into his true self: the monstrous, giant winged boar. In his boar form, Rider’s abilities increase as he becomes a phantasmal beast himself. While his strength, endurance, and agility go up, his consciousness takes a nosedive. He is still aware of himself and able to follow a master's orders, but the longer he is in his true form the more his sadness and self-loathing rises. He will begin to rage and thrash about as his instincts take over, concerned only with completing his current objective: usually destroying the opponent in the fastest way possible. It is possible to calm him, but doing so is extremely dangerous. He can be returned to human form by breaking off one (or both) of his tusks, and again piercing his ear with it. He cannot summon Pegasus in this form, as the brothers were only reunited as hero and steed in life.

Cacophony Concord

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_{HP: 510/510 - MP: 500/500 - SP: 450/450}
^{_________________} _@OwO

Inspect User

I want a space here.

CHARACTER

Avatar Appearance
Username: Ames
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Height: 176cm | Weight: 69kg

Classes: Warrior lvl 33 (+10% HP | +10% STR | +10% END)
_{Weapon Proficiency: LVL 1}

Attributes:
HP – 42 (510)
MP – 50 (500)
SP – 42 (450)
STR – 42 (61)
AGI – 40 (50)
END – 35 (39)
DEX – 42 (52)
LUC – 43 (51)

Abilities:
Power Attack _{Actively consume SP while preparing for an attack; unleash for increased damage on attack.}
Combat Stance _{Passive. Increase STR, END, or DEX by 10% at will. Five second cooldown.}
Double Strike _{Active. 25% SP cost. Attack twice with your weapon, dealing incremental bonus damage based off SP consumed. Can be combo'd into from Power Attack.}
Sundering Blow _{Active. 40% SP cost. Strike downwards, causing a burst of energy around you and dealing damage to all enemies. May inflict Stun. Range increases by 5 meters for every 100 SP consumed, starting from a radius of 10 meters. Can be combo'd into from Power Attack.}

INVENTORY

Funds: 3883 Rishi

Item Pouch (Common):

• Wargtooth Halberd
• Ankle Bells
• Common Health Potion x4

Equipment

• Main Hand: Adventurer's Sword C
  • No extra effect.
• Off Hand: Adventurer's Buckler C
  • No extra effect.
• Head: Battlerider's Cowl R +50 HP +10 AGI
  • Increase [Charge] attack damage by 20%. Increase [Riding] proficiency by 10%.
• Armor:
• Arms:
• Legs:
• Shoes:
• Accessory: Divining Rattlebones C +8 LCK
  • No extra effect.
• Accessory: Banner of the Raid Chief R +30 SP +15 STR +10 DEX
  • x% chance of increasing ally’s damage by 10% when they attack. X equals 5 x the amount of party members. This effect does not stack.
• Accessory: Deep Red Cloak C
  • No extra effect.
• Accessory:

Current User Experience

Perception: Fantastic
Gore: Pixelated
Pain Setting: 40%
Clothing Damage: On
Nudity Censor: Personal
Profanity Censor: Off
Combat Action: Stylish
Spell Incantations: Stylish

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 aмeѕ

^{_________________}
Ames was wont to bounce around from thing to thing, idea to idea, and she was torn between the lax behavior of the dog-man, his sniffing around in her space, and the sudden escalation with the hammer guy and Mags. Even with the rest of the guy's party members doing nothing hostile, Ames still tensed - ready to jump in and fight with her friend if need be. It didn't come to that however, the more level headed of the strangers convincing him to back off.

While the situation was deescalating, Ames let out a sigh. Somehow the tension of not knowing whether she'd be getting into a battle or not was more stressful than the fighting itself... and that was like the third time today of it. She shot a glare towards Magpie after the other girl's comment, silently telling her not to mention it. 'Cause yeah that was pretty weird, but the shifter was, well, dog-like now - and Ames did approach him first, so she couldn't exactly be upset with him about it.

With discussion over, the party made to leave. Ames crossed her arms over her chest, taking a little offense at the shifter's (named Mich, apparently) assumption.

"We're not...! Augh, whatever," she sighed. "But yeah, you're right, we should get out of here. Thanks. Oh - " Ames brought up the game's menus, sending Mich a friend request on a whim. They seemed like a competent party, even including the quick tempered hammer wielder. The red head nodded at the group as they left, and let out an even bigger sigh once she and Mags were alone again in the upended chamber.

"Jeez... hope they escaped," she said, walking back over the Magpie. "The dog guy... he said something about unlocking a class? Do you think we somehow completed some pre-reqs?"

Speaking of classes, she'd learned that trans-morphing your face into a dog's was "basic Shaman stuff." Once again Ames brought up the UI, looking to send a quick message to Lew along the lines of "hey you might want to look into becoming a Shaman!" only to see that Lew was currently dead. And he wasn't the only one.

"What the - Lew and Raime are dead! Why does this keep happening?" Seriously, when would they all learn to just stick together?!

World of Light

Word Count: 542 (+1 exp)
Level: 6 - Total EXP: 29/60
Location: Edge of the Blue: Limsa Lominscuttle

As it turned out, what Cadet had found was not the hatchery. Really, Ace Cadet could have sworn the path up past that big fountain on the upper decks was the right way, but instead he'd found himself in a completely different place. Could one really blame the hunter for subconsciously letting his nose guide him around though? It wasn't the first time it'd happened and hey - dragging all those gold coins around worked up his appetite. With a clumsy smile Cadet backed out of the guild restaurant, the lingering aroma of finely cooked food following after him.

I least I know where I can bring the rest of the team when they get back, he thought. Surely he wasn't the only one hungry. Hopefully the Princess didn't mind going dutch.

Making his way back to the courtyard, the Cadet scratched the back of his head thoughtfully. If he looked up, among the various tall spires and rooftops in Limsa the hunter could make out what he believed was the hatchery, the only question was how exactly to get there. He glanced around, but there were so many passages and alley ways it was hard to tell, especially with the crowd. The hunter reached to his belt, pulling the small illuminated cage that hung there. Inside, the scoutflies were abuzz, their undersides pulsing in an uneven rhythm.

"No luck, huh?" Cadet said, peering into the cage. It seemed like the bustling city would be too overwhelming for the insects. Much like any hound, they were bred for wilderness hunting, and too many strong scents at once confused them. Even if he forced the scoutflies to try and follow a specific scent here, he didn't know how effective it would be. So long as it wasn't an emergency, he'd let them be.

Now how to go about finding Hat Kid himself? The hunter thought about pushing his way through the densest area of the crowd to see if the pretty purple haired dancer would humor him with some directions, but at about that time a voice reached out to the Cadet from very nearby.

"...?" Cadet clearly heard a voice asking if he needed help, but he didn't see anyo— oh, wait, there was someone! A sort of short and distinctly amphibian-like someone. Cadet blinked at the frogman, pausing for only a moment before he offered a wide smile and quickly tucked the scoutflies back in their rightful place.

"Hey, speak of the Deviljho! I was just thinking about asking around for some directions," Cadet said to Frog. The little warrior's had no need for caution here - despite the Cadet's scaled armor, hammer at his hip, and trio of much larger weapons strapped to his back, the red haired hunter looked friendly and at ease. When Frog's sword did catch the Cadet's eye, it wasn't with suspicion but instead appreciation. Equally so for the gold breastplate the amphibian currently wore.

"I'm looking for a girl, about this tall..." the hunter bent down a little, indicating a short height, but after a moment he raised his hand a little higher. "...with a big hat. Last we knew she was in the Sky Hatchery. If you could point me in that direction that would be rado-cool."

_@Blackmist16

---

Word Count: 3655 (+3 exp) (Collab with @Lugubrious)
Level: 3 - Total EXP: 1/30
Location: Sandswept Sky: Futaba's Palace

LEVELED UP!

New Power: Battle Point Boost. During battle, Primrose accumulates Battle Points (BP) up to a maximum of 5. BP can be expended to strengthen or "boost" her abilities: either to deal more damage, attack more times in a row, or use more powerful versions of her skills depending on the amount of BP expended (up to a max of 3 in one "boost").
***

When the spirit in her hand responded, Primrose could tell instantly. There was a connection between them somehow, warm and solid somewhere at the back of her own soul. Information about the spirit came to her - it's strengths, weaknesses, and of course it's name.

"Hippowdon!" Primrose called the striker's name and it appeared in front of her, staring down the quickly approaching boulders. The sand at the Pokemon's feet swirled upward with some sudden wind, but it's special ability was not why Primrose called it. She shielded her eyes from the sand and raised her voice.

"Bear with the sand," she told the thieves offhandedly, before she made her order of Hippowdon: "Dig us a way out of here!"

The Hippowdon set out a loud rumbling grunt of assent, shifting it's red eyes to where Skull and Kidd were throwing themselves against the stone. With a growl and a "Pow!", the Pokemon turned and used the move it's new 'trainer' commanded.

With a crash and tremendous noise the weighty beast slammed through the wall. Without hesitation Joker threw himself into the team, knocking everyone through the hole to land on the other side in a sandy pile of tangled limbs, surprised but more or less unharmed. The boulder thundered by, but noise from the passage hinted that more would be coming.

After a little struggling the group freed themselves and got to their feet. The chamber they found themselves in was large and rectangular, with a height ceiling, a raised walkway on one side, and two lines of sarcophagi extending down the middle. Mona nodded officiously. “Ah, yes! The binary puzzle, as Oracle called it. I don’t remember the combination, but it shouldn’t be hard to find. Hop to it, Skull!”

The blond boy blinked. “Wha, me? Shouldn’t scurrying around be a critter’s job?”

As the two bickered, Joker made his way over to the line of sarcophagi with blue lights. He thought for a moment, then reached into a pocket. Sorting took some time, as if he was carrying a lot more than the size of his pockets implied he could, but before too long he held a little book in his hand. He flipped through the journal in search of the combination, which he recalled writing down before.

While the thieves got to work, Primrose dusted herself off. She removed her cloak, shaking the fabric out and watching the sand scatter from it. It wasn't the first sandstorm she'd weathered and certainly wouldn't be the last, Pokemon or no. Still, it was much preferable to being crushed under a giant boulder. Hippowdon looked pretty proud of itself too. Despite it's rough looking exterior, the Ground-type creature was oddly endearing when in the flesh.

"Good job," Primrose told the Pokemon, patting it's snout. The Hippowdon grumbled appreciatively.

It seemed the wolfos was alright as well, if not a little shaken up and dusty. The dancer set about running her hands through it's fur, getting it was sand-free as possible while she watched the Phantom Thieves move about and discuss the room.

Binary puzzle... The words meant nothing to Primrose, but what Mona said implied once again that the pyramid was more than just a little familiar to them. She thought back to what Joker had said just before they were faced with the boulder trap - about going through all this before. He'd also said something about a "Metaverse," and this being it. That got Primrose's attention. Did the group know more about this patchwork world than they were letting on?

Grooming finished, Primrose let the wolfos go sniff around the area and recalled Hippowdon, already feeling a drain. With her cloak tucked in her arms, Primrose slunk over to the blonde haired young lady. 'Ann,' if she recalled correctly, but they wanted to stick with code names.

"Panther," Primrose said softly, getting the girl's attention. The dancer would help them find and rescue their lost companion, but she wanted more information: info the thieves seemed to have. "Your friend, they've been trapped here before? Not here in a pyramid..." Primrose let her gaze drag from Panther, moving to where Joker roamed the room. "...Joker called it the Metaverse?"

Having been mostly occupied with filtering the sand out of her pigtails, Panther gave one final shake before turning her attention to the dancer with a smile. It went without saying, perhaps, that the teenager appreciated a female friend in the male-dominated Thieves, and she only hesitated a moment before replying. “Er, yeah. It shouldn’t be a problem talking about it, though to be honest I don’t really understand it myself.” She held up her hands, more as a talking aid than to make any sort of helpful gestures. “It’s a mental world, formed from people’s collective cognition. Things don’t necessarily work as they should in reality, but how people think, so anything’s possible. Changing people’s cognition changes the Metaverse, and so can major distortions.” She crossed her arms, squinting. “Is...this making any sense?”

Primrose very much wanted to reply with a 'yes,' but instead she gave Panther an apologetic little smile.

"A little," she said, "but if this is a world of thoughts, would it mean that it isn't... real?" Primrose felt real. She felt that Ann standing next to her was real as well. Like the Master of Master's crash course earlier, she found the metaverse information to be a bit much to take in at face value.

“Um…” Panther realized she should have thought this through. A cognitive being probably wouldn’t take very well to being told she wasn’t real, after all. “That’s right, yeah. I mean, it’s not the world you came from, right? Or anyone else. Instead it’s a mishmash of everything. Even dreams feel real when you’re in them, right? And we’re here to undo the distortion and set everything back to how it used to be.” She breathed a mental sigh of relief, happy that she thought of a reasonable analogy in time.

The dancer nodded, finding that explanation reasonable for the most part. She couldn't say that her whole experience so far didn't feel as though she were dreaming after all. Although...

Primrose looked back at Panther, her eyes narrowing slightly, thinking. She searched the other girl's face... and found that she was hiding something. Not telling the whole truth, despite saying earlier it was fine to talk about. Primrose was no expert, but a decade of watching people, studying them up close and from a distance, she could tell that much at least. But what? Panther's eyes were clear blue, betraying nothing more than what Primrose already knew: she was keeping something inside.

Primrose smiled. "Yes, if this is all one big, collective dream... those of us that have woken from it want to see it put right and come to an end. Midna, Sectonia, Fox, Tora, Poppi... Myself, you, and your friends."

Something about what Ann said bothered Primrose, but she wasn't sure how to go about getting her answers without accusing the girl of misleading her - and that just wasn't Primrose's style. She watched, seeing if the female thief would give anything away even unknowingly before her comrades were finished with the room's puzzle.

Panther beamed. “Yeah, that’s the spirit! Well, we’re darned glad you’re here.” She watched as Joker moved between the coffins, turning a few of them on using their slabs. “By the way, that move back there, during the All-Out Attack? That was super cool, and really cute! No, maybe I should say ‘elegant.’ I could learn a thing or two from you for my modeling. Hopefully we get a chance.”

“Oh.” She changed the subject pretty quickly, to Primrose’s disappointment. Still, the dancer returned Panther’s smile with grace. “Of course. If we get a chance.”

They wouldn’t have one at the moment, however. At about that time Joker finished the inputs, and sure enough, the walls shook as some kind of hidden mechanism went into overdrive. Heading over to the hole in the wall offered a remarkable sight: a parade of giant boulders rolling down the corridor, one after another. It took just a couple moments for the monolithic procession to clog up the pipeline, then the hallway itself, and the whole thing ground to a halt.

Joker climbed onto the raised walkway, then onto a boulder. From there he could easily lead the way across the parked spheres, jumping from one to the next. Primrose’s borrowed wolfos had no trouble there either, ferrying the woman across.

The door at the far end of the trap hallway led the troupe to an elevator. Though their medieval companion boasted no knowledge of such a mechanism, she didn’t take much coaxing to enter the lift and ascend alongside the Phantom Thieves. Skull, Mona, and Panther looked reasonably excited for a rendezvous with the very palace ruler whose traps and mobs very well could have taken their lives, but the ever-cool Joker looked grim. Primrose glanced at him, thought said nothing.

When the doors of the elevator slid open, they admitted the Thieves into a brightly lit room with raised platforms. The density of green glyphs, codes, and runes achieved a record high here, but the Thieves had eyes only for a figure not so far away from them. She was a slender red-headed girl dressed in regal if strange attire, whose hollow expression and empty red eyes bored into the intruders’ souls. As for Primrose, she hung back observing while the thieves moved toward their friend. Their happiness at being reunited seemed infectious, but there was one person that it didn’t reach. That person held back as well as the others went ahead and greeted the girl.

“Oracle, hey!” Skull greeted enthusiastically, waving with both hands.

Panther skipped forward. “It’s so good to see you!”

Grinning, Mona put his paws on his hips. “Our trusty navigator! You kept us waiting. Huh…?” His words trailed off, and the sunny demeanor of a few Thieves evaporated like morning dew. The girl before them, Oracle, held out her hand signalling them to stop. Her face betrayed no recognition.

“Come no closer,” she told them. “You’ve come to take something that isn’t yours. I won’t allow anyone to disturb my tomb.”

A nervous laugh issued from Skull. “H-hey, cut the act, Futaba. You haven’t forgotten?”

The girl, whatever her name was, said nothing. Panther put a hand on Skull’s shoulder as Mona stepped forward. “She doesn’t. There’s no mistaking it...this is Futaba before we saved her. Just like the pyramid, she...she started over. Can Galeem really do that?” He stared into the electronic ceiling, as if he could sense the lord of light beyond. “Did it not only splice together space, but time?”

Realization crossed Panther’s face, and she looked back. Behind her, Joker was staring at the floor. As she watched he reached up and removed his mask, revealing a face of anguished pain. “Futaba,” he said, his voice low. “Do you really not remember?”

Panther gasped. Skull looked back, clueless, and for both him and Primrose she whispered urgently. “After we rescued her, he took her under his wing. They were close. Really close.” The dancer nodded. So that was what he meant earlier by wishing it wasn't the same as last time they found her. This was an unfortunate turn of events then. Her heart went out to the boy.

Nothing but a blank stare met Joker’s gaze. After a moment longer, he forced himself to look away, and after wiping his eyes he replaced his mask. “I see. So that’s the way it is. But...since this is your Shadow, here in the metaverse, I hope that you’re outside this place. That wherever you are, the time we spent together, taking away your pain, has not been wiped away. And that we’ll be back soon.” He turned, his hands thrust in his pockets, and made to leave.

The room was silent for a few moments after that, until it was broken by an incredulous question.

"That's it?"

Primrose crossed her arms and stared after Joker, her pretty face now painted in a scowl. Now she understood why Joker was so worried the whole time, but she never could have expected that he would just leave the girl here upon discovery that they situation wasn’t ideal.

"You came all this way to find her, and now you have. She's here. She's alive." As she continued to speak, Primrose's voice slowly filled with anger, righteously so. "And you abandon her? Over memories?"

Primrose gripped her arms a little tighter, bottling her emotions up as best she could. She'd felt for Joker and his crew. Missing someone was hard. But their friend was right there. Maybe Primrose couldn't understand their perspective and their thoughts about what this amalgamation world was, but it seemed to her that Joker was running away in the face of one setback.

What Primrose wouldn't give to see Yusufa again. Even now the keepsake from her friend resonated with her inside her bag. She wouldn't care if Yusufa didn't remember a damn thing about her, at least the other girl would be alive again. Primrose's scowl grew a little deeper.

"You can save her again now. Make new memories. Was she not happy knowing you? Don't you want that for her again?"

The Thieves looked between Primrose and their leader. After a moment Joker turned back, his face cold. “You’re misunderstanding.”

He extended a finger. “This is not Futaba Sakura. It’s her Shadow. An embodiment of her repressed negative qualities. This is her loathing, her condemnation, her loneliness and despair, all for herself. This is the part of Futaba that blames herself for the death of her mother, who shut herself away from the outside world, and wishes she had never been born.” His eyes fixed not on the dancer, but on the palace ruler. His words came out more as an accusation than explanation as he scoffed, “Shadow selves torment their human counterparts until their true selves succumb, and the shadows takes their place as dominant to spread their negativity through the world. The darkness within us all, if you will.” Joker sighed, returning his eyes to Primrose, and his hands to his pockets. “The real Futaba is not here. Maybe she’s somewhere else. Hopefully she’s outside in the real world. All that’s here is her wrath.” The woman leveled her stare at Joker, though she kept her lips sealed, letting the boy get his frustration out.

Mona stroked his chin. “Mrrrr...but wasn’t Futaba’s Shadow unusual? Sure, she antagonized us for a while. But during the fight with the Sphinx, which wanted Futaba to kill herself, she confronted the real Futaba and helped her out. Helped her realize the truth.”

Skull looked around angrily. “Do we gotta fight that thing again to save her? Let me at it!”

“Even if it is around, we would need her here in order to regain her will to live,” Mona cautioned. “And that’s assuming she got reset, too. If we find her, she could still be her current self. Galeem stole all sorts of stuff to make this place, right? Maybe it just...randomly picked her Palace?”

Joker considered it for a moment, but responded with a correction. “‘When’ we find her.” Though for a moment he seemed defeated, a look of cool determination had possessed him once again. “Our search isn’t over. We just need to keep looking. Let’s not waste any time.”

Lacking the experience the thieves had with this kind of thing, Primrose wasn't so sure that the red-eyed girl wasn't herself. Was that really so? Galeem conjured two versions of this girl, Futaba, one false and one true? Why? This supposed shadow didn't look very wrathful at the moment, her features clear and blank. While the teenagers talked amongst themselves, Primrose approached her. Slowly, carefully.

"How can you be so sure?" She asked, her question floating in the room for any one of the thieves to answer. "It looks like she is... under control. Forgive my ignorance," she said, voice rather clipped, "but don't you want to free this one and find out? Or if she is a 'shadow' as you say, take her spirit with us to your true friend?" Leaving the girl alone in the pyramid didn't sit well with Primrose, even if what the thieves said was true. If these were the worst qualities of their friend, were they not still apart of her in the end?

Panther shook her head. “From what we’ve seen, Galeem doesn’t change personalities. So freeing the Shadow wouldn’t do anything. And if the Shadow dies, so does the real person. We can’t risk it.” She crossed her arms. “That said, with how this Metaverse seems to work, anyone could just barge in here and take her down. We can’t let that happen either.”

With raised brows Mona glanced back at the ruler. “So...what? Are going to try hearting her? Or just...steal her?”

“Guess we don’t have a choice.” Joker moved forward. “You.” He held out his hand. A Friend Heart formed above it. “You want what’s best for Futaba, don’t you? You wanted us out because you thought we would only hurt her more. But in the end we put an end to her distortion and help her live again. Would you like to find your true self with us?”

The ruler blinked a couple times, thinking. She looked deeply into the faces of those assembled, mask or no, as if she could read them one bit at a time. “It is true that we’ve lost each other. I haven’t spoken to her in some time. Perhaps...she stopped needing me? And she’s grasped the truth…” She crossed her arms. “If that is the case, I want to see her for myself. And if I’m here, of course, her Persona is not by her side.”

Mona nodded sagaciously. “Yes, that’s right...Oracle couldn’t possibly have Necronomicon if you’re here, in this form.” He came to a decision, and boldly clapped his paws together. “Well, what’s one more shadow? Don’t you worry, not-Futaba! We’ll take you to see your true self, and figure things out together.”

Laughing, Panther said, “We can’t exactly call her ‘Not-Futaba’, sushi brain. We oughta think of something else.”

“Ooh, how about that codename she used before?” Skull chimed in.

“Alibaba.” Joker remembered. “The man who confounded forty thieves. And in Japanese, a play on Futaba’s own name.” He sought confirmation from the Shadow. “What do you think? The name, and our proposal.”

“I’ll accept them,” the girl declared, and with a final push she accepted Joker’s hand, as well as the Friend Heart. Somehow, despite suffering no external wounds, the ruler absorbed the heart without issue. Her eyes turned from sunset-red to glowing gold. “Hmm...something feels different. Better? Hm. I think so. Our deal is paying off already.”

The Thieves cheered. “Alright, one step closer to bringin’ everyone back together!” Skull exulted.

While the others prepared to leave, Mona tugged at Primrose. “After what just happened, I can’t believe we were just gonna walk right out of here. You pushed the right buttons just then, even if you didn’t know how things worked.”

The dancer was relieved to see the girl freed and willing to come along. Her tension dropped, and she looked down at Mona, giving the cat a much more friendly face compared to the one she'd been giving the thieves' leader just moments ago.

"Well. Glad to help, I suppose." She looked back at Futaba - or Alibaba, as it were. She knew looks could be deceiving, but the girl didn't seem nearly as bad as Joker made her out to be. If she'd left the shadow behind, it wouldn't have stopped bothering her. She hoped that the two Futabas could reunite soon. Primrose smiled to herself a little, her next words soft and teasing. "Mission succeeded, for now, hm? After we return to Naboris and you all continue your search, don't be afraid to reach out for help next time."

Mona put his oversized head to work giving her the old north-south, as it were. “Fair enough. We’ve been through a lot, but there’s lots more to go. Only an idiot stops learning.” With their new member in tow, the group made their way onward. A route on the other side of the chamber led to the pyramid exterior, dazzling the Thieves with sunlight as they stepped out into the open air. From up here, taller even than Vah Naboris, they could not only see the Divine Beast waiting for them at the base of the pyramid, but across the desert to the north. “Whoa!” Mona gasped. “Across the dunes There’s...some sort of giant wall. Pieces of a bridge. Ruins on the other side. Then...I can’t see.” The breathtaking sight only compounded the sense of tininess the heroes felt earlier.

Alibaba, too, felt very small. She saw for the first time the colossal, foreboding mountain looming many miles away like an uncertain future. Yet for all its frightening grandeur, the peak of the mountain seemed bright indeed.

Skull peered down over the edge. “Hey, it’s smooth! We can slide the whole way down. And man, it’ll be nice not running for our lives this time.” He jumped over the edge and began to accelerate. “Wooooooooo!” It looked like such fun that his friends could scarcely avoid following suit. At the top three remained: Alibaba, Primrose, and the wolfos. With a nudge the beast jumped, sliding down after the thieves, eager to return to it's true master.

Primrose laid a gentle hand on Alibaba's shoulder. "Are you scared?" she asked.

"No," Alibaba said with a small shake of her head.

"Good." Primrose donned her beige cloak once more, and the two girls leapt, sliding down the ancient tomb to join the rest of the group.

First Roleplay Idea: A slice of life about comically self-aware villains

This sounds soooo fun. If I wasn't swamped with other RP responsibilities I would join in, as it is I look forward to reading along good luck!