Yankee

World of Light: the Endless Now (The Ultimate Videogame Crossover)

_{Thursday Afternoon}
Word Count: 368 (+1 exp)
Level: 11 - Total EXP: 311/110
Location: Esaka's Pools, the Forbidden Kingdom
𝙱𝙿 ●●●●●

While the rest of the Seekers that had met to discuss how to handle G-Corp left to continue that discussion in a meeting with a whole new group, Primrose remained in the Pools tier. She was rapidly getting familiar with the area on just the few pass throughs, and she expected she would be spending even more time there throughout the week. With four separate tournaments running concurrently, and only throughout the next couple of days, there weren't any scheduled breaks for the participates - so there were just as many fighters competing now as there was earlier, despite it being the traditional lunch hour.

The dancer rechecked the various brackets for any changes she thought she should be aware of. So far all of the Seekers were still in Winner's, save for that man Kim... ah, scratch that. The World Warrior listing flickered with golden speckles as another relevant name dropped down into the Loser's Bracket: Harry Du Bois. That was 'their Harry,' wasn't it?

"Hm." Primrose made the mental note but ultimately didn't find herself all that surprised. The two men were new recruits without any sort of outstanding power let alone magic. Frankly it was more shocking that they'd gotten through any actual martial artists, even the amateurs one could expect in the early stages of the tournaments. Though they technically had the chance to keep making their way through the Loser's Brackets, there were still other Seekers still winning that they could rely on. Left now were Zenkichi and Roland in Tekken, Sakura and Bid Band in World Warrior, Pit, Nadia, and Yayama in Mortal Kombat, and the team of Terry, Amaterasu, and Captain Falcon in King of Fighters.

She didn't expect those members standings to change today, but there were a few matches left for the afternoon. On that note Primrose rechecked her intended destination, then headed once more to to the MK section of the Pools. She passed by a few excited yokai chattering about how Mortal Kombat might be more exciting that usual this go around, but as far as she could tell it was just the hopes of fans of the blood sport.

Not worth her time at the moment.

_{Thursday Afternoon}
Word Count: 936 (+2 exp)
Level: 10 - Total EXP: 362/100
Location: Esaka's Mid-Tier, the Forbidden Kingdom
𝙱𝙿 ●●●●●

Moving as part of a large group was something Therion had gotten used to. Not just with the Seekers, but with his companions back in Orsterra as well. It didn't normally bother him as much as one might expect given his personality (or original personality, or whatever), but at the moment he was a bit antsy about it. Not because he was nervous about Kazuya, because it wasn't like the guy had been after all of them in the first place. It was for the fact that one of the region's Consuls was in the city. Hiding in plain sight as a fine strategy and all, and Esaka was a fairly large city, but the Seekers were not exactly inconspicuous. It would be easier to assume that Moebius was already aware of their presence and chose not to engage them, but to be safe they actually had to assume the opposite. And clustering together as they weaved through the Mid Tier was not the opposite.

At least it was a fairly quick trek. One that Terry managed to fit an entire long winded story into, but still quick all things considered. Therion took a moment to raise a brow at the exterior of the establishment they ended up in front of before he entered it along with the rest of the gathered Seekers. His ears stood high on his head, listening for any signs of ambush. So far so good though, he supposed. Just a handful of apparent do-gooders whose leader jumped right into business. The thief was grateful for that.

He chose to stand and listened as Chevalier proposed his alliance and his plans, though many of the specific names and terms he used escaped Therion. Especially when Terry jumped in to speak. Rather than try and keep any of the background of these characters straight, Therion focused just on the general outline Chevalier gave them. The man concurred with Therion's earlier thoughts that blindly raiding the G-Corp building was a bad idea, offering the alternative of destabilizing the company itself to get to its leadership. Therion wasn't adept at this sort of thing, but after mulling the information over he found that it made sense to him.

It honestly surprised Therion that the Seekers hadn't been flat out betrayed yet, at least to his knowledge. One would think that there were plenty of villains around who would eagerly try and take advantage of a group of heroes. Then again, wasn't this world full to the brim with heroes in general? The amount of genuinely good people must outweigh the bad ones, so it was likely that this, too, was just a bona fide offer of cooperation. If they seriously wanted to go after G-Corp, they'd have more of an advantage if the Seekers took them up on it.

...but Therion was not without his suspicions. And his questions.

"If your goal is the Four Kings, why bother going after G-Corp?" he asked during a lull in the back and forth between the UN and the Seekers of Light. In fact wouldn't it make more sense to use the distraction of the bounty to take a stab at the Kings?

Or perhaps they wanted to curry some favor with Esaka's rulers, in order to do the stabbing in the back later on? A long con would be better suited for this kind of thing, although...

"The reward," Therion said next, tone flat. "Are you planning to claim it, even if they don't let a whole group up there?"

Chevalier had emptied the last of his wine from his glass as Therion spoke, though his expression suggested he wouldn't tolerate the cup being empty for long. "...Simply put, because G-Corp is bad for everyone. Their removal will only benefit Esaka and its people. For now, eliminating them is more achievable than the Four Kings." He paused he considered the thief's next question. "I think that 'reward' is a fool's errand. As far as we know, nobody has even successfully communicated with the Heavenly Principles, let alone convinced them to alter the balance. Our stance is that Heihachi's offer is a bluff. After all, how can we bring back a head if bodies turn to ash?"

A fair assumption. It did sound a little too good to be true. Though he'd thought the same, Therion had been lured in by that sort of temptation before; the easy mark, the unguarded treasure. Bringing the head was simply an expression, and there were ways to confirm Kazuya's death without it. Even if it didn't result in an audience with the Heavenly Principles, it would at least give them an opening at one of the Kings, if not all of them at once. It was a chance too good to pass up, even if it wasn't true.

"I guess you wouldn't mind if us fools took them up on the offer then," he said. "you know, just to be sure."

Without replying, Chevalier gave a shrug, as if to say knock yourselves out.

Which meant that if they did work with this altruistic group, they had nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Therion's tail twitched. He didn't say anything more, just listened to the others talk and clear up their own misgivings. Until they had a time table like Yayama had brought up there was no need to split up now, but he did consider where he'd rather be when they kicked of this whole thing. A fair few Seekers already looked convinced, so it might as well have been a done deal already.

⤫ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 ⤬

𝚌𝚞𝚛𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 - it's morning

𝚕𝚘𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 - New York City: The Rookery

𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 - General Roth, Mary, Five, Seven

Meetings like these rarely dragged on, even with such... prominent attendance. Even then, this one was wrapped up in near record time. Orwell supposed that having so many creatures like them stuffed into such close quarters was giving the military men goosebumps or something. They blinked, tried to catch the gaze of a few of the stoic, silent soldiers that did nothing but stand by the door, but gave up quickly when it became obvious they were going out of their way to ignore everyone in the room. Instead Orwell looked over at the Archbishop just as the old man's eyes glanced at them, flashing a small but toothy smile at them.

Which was when the orders were given that Nine was to stay in the city for the time being. So there was no change from those early plans, then. Orwell saw O'Brien finally move, just a shift of his weight and a twitch of his face in acknowledgement of the orders, even as they closed their eyes and hung their head backwards, letting out a low groan. "I always get all the boring stuff..."

There was some saving grace though, and that was the fact that they would not be the only one of the Numbers left behind in New York. Seven and Five were going to be along for the ride - or whatever the opposite of that was in this case. Orwell observed them from their casual sprawled position. The were so very different from each other. And from Orwell too.

Nine was looking forward to getting a sense of what they were really like.

While Orwell half-dramatically lamented their role (lately they had really been playing up their pretending, O'Brien had noted), their handler turned to one of his colleagues. Calmly his gaze moved from Mary to Five, and then back again. He gave her a short nod.

"Of course," he told her. O'Brien had been at this job for a long time now, and he was at least passingly familiar with most of the Numbers, including Five. He very much doubted the man would get up to much trouble in the time Mary dealt with whatever her business was. He would come to know it sooner or later whether he wanted to or not.

He had his own business to attend to as well, but most of it could wait. As the general moved to leave, granting Thirteen's request for some downtime (which surprised both O'Brien and Orwell enough that the latter abandoned their acting), O'Brien cleared his throat to get the man's attention. "Sir, a few packages have been prepared for those heading to the border. In the east wing's conference room, for collection at your earliest convenience." A simple reminder.

He turned his attention then to Five, but Nine had already gotten up out of its seat and wandered close to its 'older brother.' Abruptly his gaze snapped to Orwell. He could already picture the words forming in their mouth, what kind of game was taking shape in their mind. He clasped a hand on Orwell's shoulder, knowing that Orwell had let him do it, and gently spun them away from Five. "Not now," he said.

Not now. That was permission for later, as far as Nine was concerned.

Orwell smiled, little bit of their tongue poking out as they let O'Brien gently steer them away from the table. He could tell the expression was not as innocent as it looked, but... Resisting the urge to shake his head, O'Brien pulled out the chair two down from Five, and gestured for the golden haired man to retake his seat.

"Patience, Number Five," he said, purposely neglecting the familiarity of using the name Five had been given. "The threat has yet to be confirmed, and patrol is more than covered at the moment. As soon as we confirm an attack is imminent and determine the targeted area, we'll need your power. I'll go over a few key defense points with you and Mary as soon as the next report gets back to me."

O'Brien collected the business card and pointedly handed it to Five. "And in the mean time, why don't you two take up Number Thirteen on his suggestion? Get to know the city you'll be protecting."

Not that the Empty Vessel would actually reflect much of Big Apple, and he doubted it would dull Five's edge, but it was either that or keep the man cooped up here, anxious and unguided. Once Mary returned, he would speak with her and Mo Ye about immediate plans whether at the bar or at HQ.

Speaking of Mo Ye, or rather not of Mo Ye, after being turned away from playing with Five, Nine drifted toward Seven. It ignored the handler completely as it crouched in front of Seven, though of course it was watching even without looking. Orwell mimicked Seven's pose, though with their arms hanging down in the space between their knees. They tilted their head, more curious than friendly for the moment.

"I've been wondering about the mask," Orwell said to her. "Can you speak through it? It looks loose enough, but you haven't said a thing! And you've still got your head."

Even the shyest Numbers had spoken up at this point, even if only a word or two. "Take it off," Nine suggested. Then, a pause. A lowering of its voice, playfully conspiratorial. "Want me to?"

What Are You Listening To?

{ ᴀ ᴛʀᴀɪʟ ᴏꜰ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ & ᴛᴇᴀʀꜱ }

Sentinel of the Pack

..NIKA SURT-KALLIN _{^{21, HE/HIS}
......^{▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇}}

_ Relevant Experience: Though he remembers pleasant days in warmer climates and hungry nights on an unforgiving road, Nika spent most of his life growing up in Fenris. Adopted into the vassal family Surt after his own was saved by Kurt Fenris himself, Nika was raised alongside their sons as a ward of the noble House Fenris. His more docile early upbringing gave way to a lifestyle of ferocity and camaraderie, and as the years went on it became apparent the Luxu-born boy could keep pace with any Northman with some hard work. As a youth he traveled to Heavenspeak to complete the ritual slaying of an ice wyrm with the Lord Fenris and his daughter as witnesses, and following that hard won battle Nika was sworn into service as Brigitte's pact knight in spite of opponents to the decision. He has taken instruction from masters of arms and expert huntsmen, competed with Fenris' veteran warriors in tests of endurance, slayed monsters of the frontier, and lent his body for the sake of developing and testing anti-magic stratagems. All the while he has accompanied Brigitte when and wherever she had need of him, devoting himself to the next head of House Fenris and the protection of their nation. Why You Should Hire Me: "The ornery eldermen still spit mageblood at me, but I don't pay them mind. You'll not find a more loyal knight in the whole of Fenris, and there's no love lost 'tween me and where I was born, believe me. Lord Fenris and his people saved me and my parents from death; gave us food, a path, a home. And the dastards from Luxu? Took that from me again. I'm not lettin' 'em get away with it this time! We're not gonna let 'em keep hurting people. I'll follow Brig to the edge of the world, cut down anything in our way with might or magic. Gladly I'll lay down my life, if that's what it takes."

AURA CHARISMA GUILE TENACITY EFFICACY C D D A C ____________________ ________________________________________

World of Light: the Endless Now (The Ultimate Videogame Crossover)

Word Count: 1334 (+3 exp)
Level: 9 - Total EXP: 451/90
_{Thursday Morning}
Location: the Frozen Highlands

As it turned out, sometimes an empty house was just an empty house. A pretty nice one too, with no hidden hostiles or secret death traps.

It was still pretty dim outside when morning rolled around, but there were working clocks around to tell the time once everyone began to rouse themselves. Having slept in the spacious living room, Ace wouldn't have been able to stay asleep once the group got up and around even if he wasn't prone to waking up early. At first he laid still with his eyes closed, just enjoying a peaceful morning in the still relatively warm lodge. The ambient sounds of Seekers waking up and getting ready were more calming to him than he expected, but then again it did make sense. Lately he'd been sleeping solo in rooms all to himself, when back in his world it was more often that he'd bunk with other hunters, or at minimum his handler if they needed to camp out. This soft, early morning noise was nice; a different vibe than communal breakfasts or strategy meetings.

"Hup!" Ace said to himself as he swiftly pushed himself up and got to his feet. Yes, the morning feel was nice even with the weather outside, but it couldn't last forever. He wouldn't want it to anyway. It was a quick thing to clean up his sleeping space (just stuff the things he'd left out into his bag and roll up the sleeping mat), so the hunter was redressed and ready to go within a couple minutes.

"Good morning everybody," he greeted once just about everyone was gathered. Compared to the previous morning, Ace was more chipper today. He hadn't had any issues falling asleep, and his prior worries about being surrounded by so many magic-wielding allies had softened. The amulet Edward had forged for him was even worn properly around his neck rather than tied onto his belt.

Once all of the White Team was prepared and headed out to the coach, the discovery that the stew pot hadn't miraculously filled itself once more had been a pretty big damper on the morning though. There were still the fruits and such that Ace had collected last night, as well as what Ramattra had brought back in a second foray into the woods, plus the travel rations... but it was hardly a filling breakfast, especially when they had to be, well, rationed.

But! It was fine. They'd been through a couple of towns yesterday so it stood to reason they would find at least one today. First chance he got and the Cadet was prepared to spend what remained of his zenny on as much food as he could stomach. Or carry. Or both, preferably. He heard Sandalphon's suggestion of hunting, but it really was tougher than it looked to carve off a piece of an animal or monster before it died and turned to ashes.

He had been getting practice doing just that though, so Ace nodded to her and said, "got it, boss."

This time Ace had opted to ride outside of the stagecoach this go around as given the carriage's size the driver's seat was more than wide enough to fit multiple people. He doubted his sense were as good as Heismay's but they were pretty good and he could still help keep watch. Not to mention it would be easier to quickly disembark to grab anything interesting or edible.

Maybe they'd get lucky with some spirits, since sometimes they turned into food or entire plated meals.

Either way, as part of his morning preparation the matched pair of blades (if one could really call them that) obtained from one of the leviathan spirits were somewhat eagerly hung at the Cadet's waist, meaning the the longsword Yato had been bumped to being sheathed at his back, and his native Master Bang was tucked into his pack. Even now it didn't feel wrong to hope to get a chance to use the new weapons soon, but even so he kept the thought to himself. He'd gladly venture out to test the dual blades if he got the chance, but he wouldn't invite danger onto the rest of the team if he could help it - so when the morning's journey got underway and nothing rushed to attack or sprang an ambush on the Seekers, he couldn't be too disappointed.

And it even happened that the carnivorous impossible creatures did just fine on the hunting front, being able to strike out and then catch back up with the stagecoach much more easily than a human could. So it was that Ace had little to do while on the move but lean back and take in the snowy landscape.

Eventually the Seekers did make it to another town, though it didn't seem likely there'd been any kind of grocery or restaurant in this one. As the coach slowed Ace stood up with the intent to hop down and explore it anyway. He patted Edward's shoulder as he disembarked, saying, "let me know if you want a break driving today. I think I can get the hang of it pretty fast."

Besides his natural affinity for adaptation, he'd watched the man drive the steeds for long enough that he could at the very least sub in if needed... after getting through those weird ramps, though.

While Edward fiddled more with the creature chamber, and Tenna and Ramattra tried their hands at making and setting traps (only for Ace to let them know there were more robust traps in the coach, since neither had actually been around when they'd been purchased), Ace poked around the town. Besides the mammals it seemed totally abandoned. The hunter poked his head into various wilting buildings to see if he could spot anything interesting before making his way to the huge furnace to inspect it.

Place is a ghost town probably because it broke, the Cadet thought to himself as he walked up to it, looking straight up at its highest smoke stack before drawing his eyes back down its metal surface to the big door on its front. It look just like a regular furnace as far as he could tell, just giant sized. What could have happened to it? Was it fed in some special way that malfunctioned?

Ace walked around it, the change in perspective making something hanging on the cold furnace catch his eye. It was a little awkward to spot given his low vantage point and the darkness of the cloudy, snowing morning, but there seemed to be chains wrapped around it. Pale, ghostly chains that obscured the hatch that would have otherwise been used to feed the fire inside. Was that the reason it had gone out, or had someone sealed it up after the fact?

"Huh," Ace murmured, intrigued. There wasn't a way to tell when the furnace had been chained up, but if they were gone then maybe it would bring some life back to this town: a warm little bastion in the Frozen Highlands.

...or not, as the hunter quickly discovered the chains were very, very durable. He'd tried shooting them with a few arrows (so as not to startle his allies or anything else in the area with gunshots), but even if they were strong enough to pierce armored hides and metallic robot chassis they left not a scratch on the chains. After a moment to steel himself into getting closer to the lowest hanging chains he'd tried again with the Yato, and with the severed arm of that crimson Naytiba, but it was the same result. In other words, not something he could do anything about.

Anything besides report it, at least. "That big stove is locked up tight, I couldn't get the binds to budge," he said as he regrouped with the others, nodding towards the furnace. "I thought it would have been nice to get it running again, but... guess that idea went up in smoke."

Though if anyone else planning to investigate or take a crack at it before they moved on, the Cadet would definitely accompany them to see if anything came of it.

World of Light: the Endless Now (The Ultimate Videogame Crossover)

_{Thursday Afternoon}
Word Count: 3100 (+4 exp)
Level: 8 - Total EXP: 320/80
Location: Esaka's Pools, the Forbidden Kingdom

"Woe to those who stand against me, for I am his herald and the sign of things to come. I. Am. Omen!"

So it was gonna be like that, huh? Fighting against a spooky looking demon with a flair for dramatics. That suited Pit just fine - it was right up his alley, in fact! He could tell that Ashrah was tense, so he flashed her a reassuring smile as she and Omen's partner took their places on the arena's edge. He looked back at Omen, totally un-intimidated by the demon's opening taunt. Pit's smile morphed into a confident grin as he summoned his divine bow.

"I can tell you one thing coming up right now - your loss! 'Cause I am Pit, servant of the Goddess of Light! And you. Are. History!"

There wasn't much more preamble before the match's start. Omen growled, Pit fluffed out his wings, and the Heavenly Principles swirled around the grotto. Their golden sparkle lit up the area briefly, just long enough to form the fighters' signal in the air above them.

ROUND ONE: FIGHT!

Omen shot forward, unsurprisingly an aggressive fighter. He stopped short when the first of Pit's light arrows struck his face, backpedaled when the next stung his abdomen, and stopped the next with a well timed block. He got used to them quickly, blocking high and low when the bolts of light began to arc and curve. The arrows had been a mix of blue and gold, once again confirming to Pit that elemental advantage wouldn't come into play in these fights - at least not without some teamwork.

He didn't call on Ashrah just yet, though his other unseen teammate chimed in with her guidance.

This fighter is a follower of Gargos, a demonic god with a penchant for stealing the powers of others.

Lemme guess, he also wants to steal rule over Earth for himself too.

Got it in one. As his servant, Omen gets his shadow abilities from Gargos. He was originally a being of energy, so fighting with a physical form must be new for him.

So watch out for his special moves and get in close to take him down is what I'm hearing! Physical attacks have gotta be his weak point!

Just keep on your toes - an unpredictable fighter is a dangerous one.

Abandoning the ranged play, Pit let loose one last dash shot before sprinting behind it toward his opponent. Omen's hellish blue glow burned behind his mask, not so easily fooled. With a snarl he suddenly dropped into a demon slide, sailing below the arrow and catching Pit with the sliding kick. The angel stumbled but kept his footing, twisting just in time for a block of his own as Omen came up behind him and lashed out with a one-two of fast claw swipes. Omen pressed in, feinting another slash only to grab Pit. His claws sank deep into the angel's shoulder before he lifted Pit up slightly and delivered a hard straight kick, launching his opponent away from him.

Pit recovered before he landed flat on his back, feet skidding on the waterlogged rock as his wings spread out to stop his backward movement. He glanced behind him once, trying to get a sense of where the stage boundary actually was. When he looked back at Omen not even a moment later, his eyes widened when they caught sight of three swirling shadowy fireballs forming in front of the demon.

"Feel the power of Lord Gargos!" Omen crowed, launching the triplet blobs of energy and immediately conjuring more after the fact. Must be mad about the arrow thing at the start! Pit thought, easily fending off the first projectiles. The rest were trickier as it quickly became apparent that the shadow balls did whatever they wanted. Some flew fast and straight, some swayed in circles or changed speed, some even bounced along the ground as they chased Pit down.

It was definitely unpredictable, and a little annoying, but nothing a little Orbitar action couldn't solve! After a couple of the rashakuken caught him off guard, Pit snapped into a quick summon of his Guardian Orbitars before he could be interrupted. They crashed against the shield and flew back at Omen, who was more than a little surprised to have his dark fireballs reflected. Still, it was a simple matter to block or evade his own shadows. While Omen ceased his deluge of rashakuken and dealt with the return fire, he missed Pit's eyes flicking to Ashrah's, and the subtle nod the both of them shared.

Pit dashed forward as the shadowy fire dispersed, bladed bow at the ready. Omen gathered dark energy around him in preparation to meet the angel head on, growling out a "hrraah!" as he spent part of his shadow meter. He shifted to slash again, but at that point Ashrah had already moved. She leaped into a spin cycle with her kris, body twisting even before her feet touched down. Her wavy sword sliced ribbons into Omen's back, each cut deeper than the last until she ended with an upward swing, sending Omen flying high. Pit jumped up after him to capitalize with his own spinning cycle, twirling his bow in both hands in front of him with a series of slashes that cut up Omen's front just as well as Ashrah had his back. He ended by shifted the weapon to one hand and swinging it in a hard horizontal slash, knocking Omen back and over what must have been the hard-to-spot edge of the area.

There was a swirl of darkness around Omen, so fast as to be instantaneous, suddenly forming a dark of dark webbed wings on his back. They stretched out in much the same way Pit's had earlier, slowing Omen's momentum and then killing it completely with a hard stroke of said wings through the air. Now Omen was upright, floating above the water's surface.

"Wha-? Wings? You can fly?!" Pit exclaimed. Omen did not answer him, and the expression carved into his mask did not change, but Pit still got the feeling that the demon was smirking derisively at him. "Aw, come on!"

Pit had already fallen back to the arena at that point, but he sprung up again immediately. So what if his opponent was airborne? Even if he couldn't fly, he could fight in the air too! Omen conjured another dark fireball, but Pit cut through it as he ascended. The demon blocked preemptively as he guessed that Pit would be attacking from below, but the angel's wings brought him up higher than Omen - so that when he did last out it was with an under arc slash, powerful enough that when it connected with Omen's unprotected top half it sent him careening directly down with a meteor smash. The demon hit the water with a huge splash, and Pit somewhat hastily glided his way back down to the stone stage.

ROUND ONE: PIT WINS
RING OUT

Pit let out a satisfied little puff of breath, giving Ashrah a thumbs up. On the opposite of the area, Omen's partner Shadow Jago stood by impassively. It was hard to tell what the thrall was thinking or feeling, if he even was at all. Since Pit's linkpearl was still in his ear he heard Rika's message, turning his attention from Jago to the audience. Pit himself had mentioned to the royal siblings that he didn't mind if they left part way through given he was confident this was going to be a sure win for him, and so far that did look to be the case. He waved at them as they began to shuffle out and meet up with a few other Seekers. Then, it was back to the match.

It's not that surprising that Omen gets his own version of the Power of Flight from his god.

Yeah, but it IS unfair! How come he gets it but you can't cast the Power of Flight on me?

Pit could practically hear Lady Palutena shrugging. Why don't you just think of it as a handicap? They have to nerf the warrior ward of the one and only Goddess of Light somehow.

She might have just be placating him, but Pit grinned at Palutena's words all the same. He knew he was super strong, so it did kind of make sense. He spun the bow into a battle ready stance as Omen burst out of the water a moment later, landing on the arena and glaring as his dark wings melted away.

"Foolish child! I may have underestimated you, but no more! You stand no chance against me, or the might of Lord Gargos!"

Pit scoffed. "He's got nothing on Lady Palutena!"

Once more the golden wind swirled, bidding the fighters to settle their religious differences not with debate, but with violence.

ROUND TWO: FIGHT!

Omen's starting strategy was much the same - he rushed forward, eager to close the distance. Of course Pit did the same. Now that both fighters got the sense the keep away projectile spam wasn't the best option they clashed almost as soon as the proverbial bell rung. Claw met metal, over and over again, each of their strikes bouncing off the other. Neither wanted to be the first to budge.

"Jago!" Omen barked out, and finally the monk moved. With a plume of shadow he disappeared from his spot on the edge of the arena, reappearing in the air above and behind Pit poised for a dive kick. With only a split second to make a decision, Pit quick summoned his Orbitars once more. One caught Omen's slash as they formed, forcing the demon back as they pushed out in front and behind Pit... which was exactly the issue. In a free-form fight the shields could move in any direction, and in a one on one their restricted flight wasn't much of an issue. With an opponent on two fronts it proved not as effective, as Shadow Jago's angle of attack meant that it bypassed the Orbitar completely and connected.

The kick struck Pit square between his shoulder blades, shoving him forward into Omen's range. "Ha!" the demon laughed as he lashed out with a standing kick. Several, in fact, a furious flurry of kicks that battered his angelic opponent.

By now it was clear to Pit that Omen was a step above his previous opponent. A proper fighter built for this kind of kombat, one that could put him in danger of being locked into a combo. Omen went for it, finishing his barrage of kicks with another demon slide. But if Pit blocked the follow up once before he could again, putting a stop to Omen's aggression by spinning around into a high block against the demon's roundhouse. Omen backed off as Pit reset his stance, spending another chunk of his shadow meter and this time being able to utilize it. He summoned his projectiles, even more at once this time, but they ended up going wide as Pit ducked low and dashed in close. He caught Omen with a few slashes on the torso before the demon put up his own defenses.

Unable to break through the blocks with pure strength Pit tried to shift his direction, but his stature made it easier for Omen to adapt. Pit pulled back, giving the illusion that there was an opening to exploit, but when he noted the shift in Omen's own stance Pit struck out again like a viper, his bow split and each sword stabbing out in a scissor-like chop, pincering Omen's forearms before the demonic herald could complete his own slash. Omen immediately drew back himself, and summoned his wings to swoop away into the air to narrowly avoid Pit's further forward slashes.

"Now Ashrah!" Pit said, and the demoness -cloaked in her own darkness- rushed in to meet Omen as he landed. She swiped at him with her enchanted kriss, connecting the first slash cleanly while the others Omen raised his arm against. With a growl he swiped at Ashrah as she retreated, his claws barely catching the woman. He didn't notice the dark debuff she's left on him, but he did see Pit coming in at him bow-first.

Omen's greater reach let him snatch Pit in both of his claws, his spectral heart starting glow bright as it gathered power. Behind his mask the demon bared his teeth, though he ended up catching a sharp kick to the chin as Pit broke out of the hold. There was a brief flash of light from Pit, long enough for Omen to note there must be another attack coming his way.

"To me!" he demanded, and his thrall appeared once more. This time he teleported in front of Omen just as Pit's Upperdash Arm flew forward. It drove into Shadow Jago's stomach, launching the monk away and leaving his partner unscathed and in position to counter attack.

Omen flexed his claws and raked them against Pit, attempting to back the angel into a combo once more. But Pit didn't panic, and as his back hit the flooded floor he kicked out with his leg to stop Omen's third sliding kick. Lady Palutena was right, like she always was; an unpredictable opponent was dangerous, but if the demon was relying on the few moves he'd learned since taking a corporeal form then Pit's instincts could guide him to anticipate what Omen's next move might be.

The clash was brief, and Pit twisted while still grounded to slice into Omen with his bow. Now on his front he got one foot under him and pushed up into a rising slash, making the demon stagger as the blade carved up the length of his body. Finally the bow began to glow a soft gold as Pit imbued it with elemental light, bringing it down in a falling stab into Omen's shoulder and dragging it out with a quick buzzsaw-like spin. The light reacted with Ashrah's dark debuff, consuming the shadow with a little implosion that dealt extra damage.

Omen fell to his knees, dazed and not likely to stand again before the Heavenly Principles declared Pit's second round win. Pit drew in a breath after a moment spent making sure Omen wasn't about to rise with a sucker punch, and though it was technically a bit early he grinned and made to turn to Ashrah and the scant few remaining in the audience: the sleepy yokai and one or two curious mortals. "Another vic-"

A flash of white and gold passed Pit, though it was headed not for the angel but the demon kneeling in front of him. Unbidden, Ashrah had taken to the field again. She slammed her palm against Omen's defenseless chest, a burst of holy light swimming through his spectral body and out his back, rupturing the demon's heart. Then she spun with her kriss in hand, the blade slicing through Omen's neck. His head fell from his body in a spray of blue-black blood which splattered across both Ashrah and Pit. It rolled to a stop at Pit's feet, and thought he might have been imagining it the angel could have sworn he heard a whisper from the decapitated head. "Lo... G...ar...os..."

ROUND TWO: PIT WINS
BRUTALITY

The words formed in the area almost casually. Pit blinked, initially confused as that what had happened. He looked from the disintegrating head to the blood coating his light clothes, then raised one hand to touch to his cheek, which came away with the same viscera.

"Ashrah...?"

The demoness looked pleased with her work, staring reverently at her sword before looking at her partner. She noticed his confusion and stowed the kriss away. "I explained yesterday, about myself and the kriss. Each demon slain is another step closer to the total cleansing of my soul."

Shadow Jago was nowhere to be found after being flung, but it was likely she would have killed him as well if he'd showed back up. She didn't pay the missing fighter any mind though, just fixing Pit with a look that said she was trying to understand what the angel's hangup was.

"Killing them here in Mortal Kombat affords them more dignity than they deserve. It is a warrior's death, and not uncommon in these tournaments," she patiently explained. "...you disagree with my method?"

"No- I don't think so? I..." the suddenness of the decapitation had caught Pit off guard, but Omen had been a demon. No, that wasn't right - Ashrah was a demon too, and she was... Pit shook his head slightly. Regardless of the fact that Omen was a demon he was clearly evil, working for a god that wanted to take over the world. He probably wouldn't have been able to make his master's plan come to fruition, but it wasn't like it was a bad thing to make sure.

After thinking about it, Pit couldn't disagree with Ashrah at all. He'd put down plenty of demons and monsters in his life so he'd be a bit of a hypocrite if he did. It just felt a little weird in this context, a literal execution. Though like Ashrah had said, this was Mortal Kombat. There was always the chance for death... even for an opponent who had already been beaten, apparently.

"...no problem," Pit decided, bringing the smile back to his face. It was a little smaller than normal, but he gave it to Ashrah all the same. She smiled back in relief when he followed with, "I want to help you purify yourself any way we can!"

In the viewing area of the grotto the slumbering yokai had fully woken up, and it was joined by a few more friends that chirped excitedly at the impromptu execution. For Mortal Kombat fans it was the Loser's Bracket where they could expect to see fighters actually put their lives on the line, but it was a real treat to see it happen unexpectedly in Winner's, especially so early in the Pools. A few of the kappa swam off, likely to spread the word.

Which left the victorious pair to take their leave of the arena. Omen's spirit twinkled darkly on surface while his ashes dispersed in the shallow water. Pit almost wanted to leave it there, but he picked it up to bring with him as he and Ashrah made their way to the walkway that would lead them under the stone arches and out of The Grove.

Masks & Magic: The Awakening

More C names, and yes I am including Mr. Callum lol
Also forgot to mention unicorn aesthetic very near and dear to me heart so was nice to see Clara's theme!

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World of Light: the Endless Now (The Ultimate Videogame Crossover)

Word Count: 561 (+1 exp)
Level: 9 - Total EXP: 448/90
_{Wednesday Night}
Location: the Frozen Highlands

Following the make-shift dinner that Ace and Edward had thrown together, there wasn't much left to be done that evening. Extra ingredients joined the raw materials in the coach (the cold would keep them just fine outside), those who could spare the manpower established a loose perimeter to keep watch, the spider hairs used as bio-samples were stored... wherever they were stored, and at some point a few of the Seekers who'd apparently been sucked into some sort of game enabled by Tenna returned. That had been a strange thing to hear had happened.

Though Ace had joked with Geralt earlier about getting first pick of rooms, the hunter didn't actually need one all to himself. Sure, it would be nice, but he wasn't shy and didn't need more than a mattress (or a couch, or a sleeping mat really). Once people got around to actually retiring, he gladly offered Mokou, Sectonia, and even Blazermate (who was a robot but also a girl) the chance to have a space to themselves. Sandalphon had already made herself scarce, or else she would have been included. He'd have to ask her about the space video tomorrow.

As the night wore on Ace covered his mouth to stifle a yawn. He had some things he could take care of now, and probably should, but a few could be pushed off until the morning. Anything he could make in the Alchemy Barrel could be done during the next leg of the trip, for example. Speaking of, he sort of wanted to see if could make a Pal Sphere with it - but, that too could be an experiment for tomorrow. After shedding his coat and resigning to sleep in the rest of his clothes once they were dry in case the group needed to move out quickly, the Cadet flopped down onto one of the sleeping mats he'd bought earlier in an unclaimed space in the living room. He did indulge in making a sphere the way it was intended with a few small tools (that he'd ultimately leave shoved to one side close to his sleeping spot overnight) and found that it was actually as easy as it sounded. Definitely reproducible. Pleased with the result, he dropped the sphere into his bag.

One other item of house keeping, that didn't actually involve the house they were staying in, was making use of the last couple of spirits before they expired. Ace's preference was, predictability, to itemize them - and he had a few that hadn't yet been crushed including the one he'd just brought back. Without bothering to mess around with the chest-shaped helmet again (which would have involved going to bother someone connected to the Avenger's armory), he crushed the two somnacanth spirits and one giant wooly spider spirit between his hands.

Once everything was more or less done, the Cadet crossed his arms behind his head and laid down properly. The mysterious pup had wandered over once more, but it didn't bunk with him - heading off toward someone else after a few scratches behind the ear. Though thoughts of the trek ahead of them and how the other contingent of Seekers were doing circled his head, it wasn't enough to keep the monster hunter from sleep. It wasn't much longer until he drifted off, more or less comfortable and snoring softly.

^{____________________________________________________}
Level: 11 - Total EXP: 305/110 ------ Level: 10 - Total EXP: 355/100
𝙱𝙿 ●●●●● ---------------------------- 𝙱𝙿 ●●●●●
_{Thursday Afternoon}
Word Count: 1518 (+3 exp)
Location: Esaka's Low Tier, the Forbidden Kingdom

Primrose ended up missing the end of Ms. Fortune's first match, which wasn't all that surprising - they only lasted so long after all. Though it definitely contributed to missing the match, she didn't regret taking the time to chat with Yayama whatsoever. She'd gotten to know a little about the diminutive woman, which was a worthwhile endeavor even over seeing the end of a battle she knew that her friend would win. Though the dancer still wanted to get a chance to talk with Nadia properly following last night, since it appeared that Nadia wasn't intending to drop out of the tournament series... well, it would be easy enough to know where to find her later. All Primrose had to do was look at one of the bracket boards.

She did just that, confirming that Nadia had won her first match up. She noted that Pit had won his as well, and she'd seen the tail end of Yayama's victory for herself. Mortal Kombat was going well for the Seekers so far.

The bracket postings between sections shifted between the four different tournaments, and Primrose noted the standing of the rest of the Seekers while she was there. She'd continued on her leisurely stroll, but didn't particularly want to pace the length of the Pools to look out for her teammates. There was another place and another person she intended to meet up with.

On her way she passed a rather eye catching woman in a short robe with a huge purple braid that rivaled Primrose's own. She turned heads as she walked on the water's edge, including Primrose's, the Seeker watching her go by as they passed each other. Her gaze lingered not just because of the other woman's features. She didn't look like a fighter... but then again, the variety of people Primrose had seen around town and in the Pools might beg to differ.

Eventually she made her way down a level, inadvertently missing a few of the others running around the Low Tier. The dancer sauntered into a nondescript establishment, drawing a few eyes herself. There was a small handful of yokai floating around, watching mounted screens and hanging over the shoulders of other guests, arguing with each other and half-whispering recommendations, but for the most part there were humans and humanoids ordering rudimentary food fare and passing zenny and slips of stamped paper between each other. It was far from the classy backrooms of Mesón De Las Flores, but it served the same purpose.

Unsurprisingly Therion had a seat on the far wall, a few slips of his own in his hand and his ears twitching on top of his head as he took in the myriad of conversations going on. He was not surprised to see Primrose, as the two of them had spoken briefly again over the linkpearl on her way over. He nodded to the only other chair at his small table, which Primrose claimed without a second thought. She rested her elbow on the wooden top, dropping her chin into her waiting hand as she surveyed the room for the second time.

"Do you want a nicer venue? I could introduce you to that members only club..." she murmured, glancing at Therion from the corner of her eye. He shook his head lightly.

"Starting small. Moving up to higher minimums will be after these first rounds."

Because after so many weekly tournaments run, there weren't many people betting on Pools matches. The screens in this parlor didn't even show live fights, just the same bracket boards that could be found throughout Esaka and a few highlights from standout fighters or long time fan favorites. Those betting now were chronic gamblers, desperate losers, or Esaka newbies throwing peanuts into the pool for fun. Therion was part of the last group. He wasn't about to show up to a higher tier parlor just to embarrass himself.

"Besides, there's a lot of loose lips around here," he added.

He'd learned some interesting things so far, like which fighters were 'sure winners,' which were currently considered dark horses, and which were 'fool's bets.' For example, that buff blonde the Seekers had recently seen join their ranks? Fool's bet, a fallen star with a fan base but fallen all the same. There was also a returning champion making a surprise appearance in World Warrior which apparently killed the chances of every other fighter in it making it to Bison. And, not really important but talked about all the same, Mortal Kombat had a few highly appealing partnerships that were sure to draw in donations from yokai if they went far enough: two tiny terrors with big swords, two feline fighters with a penchant for splitting up and getting back together, and two siblings with a vicious streak in complimentary colors. Female fighters unsurprisingly drew in a lot of attention.

Therion let Primrose in a little on the gossip, and afterward she pointedly looked at his betting slips. He spread them out on the table so she could see. He'd been attempting a joke earlier when he said he was planning to bet against the Seekers, but in the end he actually did have several slips in favor of their competition. That wasn't to say he hadn't put money on his comrades either, and in a couple of matches he had bets on both. He hadn't lost much money, but he also hadn't gained much - not that he minded. It was a way to pass the time, learn some things, and ingratiate himself to Esaka's technical outlaws.

Of course he couldn't spend all day there. Well, he could, but after the day's pools matches were finished there was little reason to stick around. Now that he had his slips he could leave at any point in fact, and just return later to settle the bets. He knew that inquiring about his plans would be Primrose's next question, so he cut her off before she could ask.

"I figure after this, finding a good spot to lay low should be our next move. Maybe spread out this time," he said, not that he thought there would be another attack on par with the bombing now that the perpetrators had a bounty. An amused little smile crossed Primrose's face. Then it smoothed out, and she replied.

"Not a bad idea. I imagine that's not a high priority for many of the others today." She lightly tapped the fingers of her free hand on the table. "I know it's early still, but I think I'd like to look into finding a way for more than one of us to confront the kings when the time comes. Though with a few days to go, I suppose we can take our time."

All the signs so far pointed to just a one on one, but who knew - maybe it would be as simple as catching the rulers on a good day and requesting an entourage.

"...and there is the Consul to deal with too," Therion murmured. Though she hadn't expected him to bring it up, Primrose agreed. Not long ago Therion had said he was fine, and she had to believe him until he showed otherwise.

"Let's see if the others think a preemptive strike is in the cards," she said. "It would certainly make things easier later on if we got rid of her ahead of time."

And if she was honest, she sort of wanted to face down the woman herself even if the thought of vengeance over the events of a past life -one that wasn't even her own- sounded a bit silly. Therion seemed to pick up on some of her thoughts, an expression that was half exasperation and half fondness coming over him.

"The sooner the better," he said. Maybe then his antsy-ness would disappear.

They both knew it was easier said then done. They fell into soft chatter after that, filling each other in on what little the other didn't already know. There was still plenty of time left in today's Pools matches, let alone the day itself, but the two of them were content to sit around for now. After some time, a voice filtered through the linkshell network - Rika's voice, requesting a meeting to go after G-Corp's bounty.

Right, there was that too. The Orsterrans looked at each other.

"Could be a good distraction, get the mind off of some things," Primrose suggested innocently. Therion was on to her though, his one visible eye narrowing slightly.

"Does it look like I need a distraction?"

"Do you want me to be honest?"

Therion's tail thumped once against the chair he sat in, propping his head up on his elbow to mimic the dancer's earlier pose. No, he supposed he didn't want her to spell it out. He let out a puff of a sigh, and Primrose turned to check the clock on wall. She glanced back at the thief, raising her eyebrows slightly.

"Come on, I'll accompany you part way there. I have another match to catch soon anyway."

Masks & Magic: The Awakening

Winter months are real busy for me, but hopefully I'll still find some free time on weekends since they're when I can usually post anyway.

Also bonus height chart for player charas 'cause I like to see the spread. Guessed on a couple, and no NPCs 'cause not sure where to start with how tall they might be haha.

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Masks & Magic: The Awakening

^{_________________________________________________}

When Commander Hensley looked over at him to respond to his question, as rhetorical as it may have been, Cade drew himself up taller. He closed his fists at his side with as she delivered her words. Maybe he was being a little impatient, sure, but it was only so that they could trim the fat from this group and move on. The thought that he and CC might not make it through the first stage didn't cross his mind even once, so the quicker they got it out of the way the better.

As for CC herself, after she met Cade's eyes in turn she just had to make a snappy comment. Though to be honest, he was a little surprised it had taken her this long. He could tell she was playing around even if she hadn't smiled at him, and he sighed once through his nose and gave her a half-smile back, though it was fleeting. "How long have you been waiting to use that one?" he said to her under his breath.

None of the commander's responses came as a surprise to Cade, and though he listened intently regardless he did find his attention drawn more to Dr. Brandt when he realized the man was muttering some of his notes aloud. The doctor's commentary was pretty optimistic to say the least, though Cade could still feel himself preemptively stiffen when Brandt inevitably got to himself and his sister. Ultimately he didn't hear anything disparaging though, and he wasn't wrong either - even when they were little, the twins had made up for each other's weaknesses.

And Cade was definitely going to push the 'operational boundaries.' If all went all they'd be giving him a new record in whatever they were about to do. The longer the pre-show questioning went on the more confident Cade felt, and by the time the room itself reacted and began to manifest the trial the red head was even more ready to get started. His eyes traced the mechanisms in the walls as they moved, his posture shifted so that it would be easier to charge in running when the test kicked off for real. There wasn't much that could throw him off at this point... save for Captain Redd's last minute mention of a key rule.

It turned out that the first of the second round of questions came from Cade, as he let out an incredulous, "what?"

Passing or failing as an entire team?? That meant if even one of these dipshits messed up badly enough they'd ruin it for everyone else!

Blindsided, Cade's eyes widened and he looked over the recruits in the room once more. Other than the lantern he spotted with one, he couldn't tell what their awakened weapons were; and besides the ones he'd already scrutinized there were three women and two men - at least one of each seemed ready for the task ahead, but there was also a space case and someone way too nervous to be here. The glasses girl was harder to get a read on, but judging solely by the rest of the group? Suddenly Cade didn't like his chances so much.

No, no, this was still doable. He could still do this. He would do this. Like hell was he going to fail at this. Even if he had to drag the rest of the group uphill with him, he was passing.

Doing his best to get over his initial bewilderment, Cade's gaze sharpened not on their proctors, but his fellow test takers. He didn't have to worry about CC, but the rest of them were a different story. And so he declared to all of them, his voice hard but determined:

"I'm not letting any of you drag me down - we're all passing, even if I have to carry every single one of you."

It was hard to tell if he was being sincere, but he was serious about making sure the group as a whole succeeded, even if his delivery left a lot to be desired. He did not try for a heroic, encouraging smile or anything like that. His words would have to be enough for now. Since they were technically supposed to work as one big team he even threw out an offer for help, even if it did end up coming out as, "when you start slipping, call out for Sinclair."