Yankee

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

Word Count: 958 (+2 exp)(+13 from collabs)
Level: 9 - Total EXP: 466/90
_{Thursday Evening}
Location: Christmas Village, the Frozen Highlands

Ace had a newfound appreciation for toy makers, that was for sure. It had been fun though, making things so ugly they wrapped back around to being sort of cute and watching the automated soldiers stomp over the table tops. Still, after fitting the replacement wheels onto the stagecoach he was more eager to see what else the village had in store rather than get back to it. As the official festivities started up not long afterward, he was not disappointed.

Lights, warmth, song, food, and drink surrounded everyone in the area. The village had been a pretty merry place to begin with, but once the party started it was downright jubilant. The Cadet didn't know any of the carols that were being sung, but he was happy to contribute to the tune by clapping his hands together or on his lap. If he'd had an appropriately sized horn he could have even joined in with the music, but with so much other things going on it wasn't much of a loss.

More than the games available though, Ace mostly concerned himself with the food. He'd held himself back since the morning of their departure from the Avenger, the dwindling stores or meager stock of traveling rations meaning that if he ate his usual fill it would guarantee that someone else would go hungry. Here, though? There had to be more food than could even feed the entire village! And it was a celebration, so it'd be fine to indulge, right? Right?! Everything looked and smelled so mouthwateringly good that the monster hunter wouldn't have been able to restrain himself even if he'd wanted to. He piled up plate after plate after plate, everything from desserts to sides to savory pieces of meats. The humongous steak was of particular interest to him, and after tasting the coarse, gamey flavor he had to grill Geralt about what kind of monster he'd managed to carve it from. Then, of course, gush about the Witcher's successful hunt after identifying it was a Gammoth his group had tackled. Ace spent most of the evening at the buffet tables, getting the play by play from the older hunter and indulging in everything on offer a few times over.

I hope they'll let us take any leftovers with us! he thought to himself as he finished off yet another plate. When he finally started to slow down he'd taken a free seat at one of the picnic tables set up beside a campfire, watching children and fleas sprint throughout the fairground and people exchange shiny gift boxes with each other.

He recalled that Maeve suggested everyone to check under the massive tree in the center of town for any gifts, but Ace didn't expect there to be anything for him there. However, as other Seekers returned from checking for themselves with boxes in hand and equally surprised expressions on their faces curiosity eventually got the best of him. No one had mentioned seeing a gift marked for him, but as the hunter crouched to glance over the presents there it was clear why. Clearly displayed on a sticker atop one of the wrapped boxes no one had claimed, in handwriting he didn't recognize, was his name. Not the moniker that the Seekers knew him by, but his given name, Aiden.

Ace blinked at it, then quickly glanced over both shoulders. He had no idea who this could be from, since he was pretty sure he hadn't uttered his name even once since... ever, in this world. So if not one of the other Seekers, and not an appreciative village local... yeah, he was drawing a blank. If he wasn't a little flushed from the drinks he would have been a little more apprehensive about such a gift when the mystery giver was somehow privy to such private information, but the festive atmosphere was effective in dispelling a lot of those kinds of negative feelings.

Torn between opening it right there and tucking it away for later, the decision was made for him when there came a sudden, deafening shout from the direction of the dissipating storm outside of town. Shoving the box into his bag, Ace scrambled out from under the tree and made his way towards the source of the commotion. He arrived as the icy golems finished marching, standing with his fellow Seekers as a felyne appeared from the snow. It appeared to take some issue with the party, and when it transformed the hunter tensed in preparation for a fight.

"...did he say 'love me'?" the Cadet questioned.

Okay, so it was just lonely, felyne royalty? Of course with the Ice King's size, and those fangs, claws, and horns definitely not being just for show, there was a real chance that he could kill someone before the Seekers put him down. But since he was intelligent and requested some love...

Edward and the Professor (whom Ace had been introduced to in passing at some point during the party) had already taken it upon themselves to start with diplomacy. The group could probably leave it to them and wait on standby in case things went south, but Ace was pretty familiar with what felynes liked and he could appeal to a self proclaimed king, sure. He approached the saber tooth cat as well, raising both of his hands somewhat like a gesture of surrender. Then he wiggled his fingers, clear that it was an offer for scritches.

"Do mew want some pets to go along with the offerings fur you, purr highness?" he asked at the same time Sectonia's antlers walked over, ready to scratch under the king's chin. That was always a good spot, and he could probably reach from here.

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

_{Thursday Afternoon}
Word Count: 701 (+1 exp)
Level: 11 - Total EXP: 314/110
Location: Esaka's Pools, the Forbidden Kingdom
𝙱𝙿 ●●●●●

As Nadia answered her call and came over, Primrose put her people watching skill to use. Her gaze was not heavy as she did not scrutinize; it was actually rather light, casual, fluttering around the thief as she made note of the other woman's body language. She'd already had an inkling of what she thought was going through Nadia's mind today, and now she felt confident that she was right. Nadia hadn't even needed to speak to confirm it, although her mention of competing incognito was the proverbial nail in the coffin.

Ms. Fortune was avoiding the Seekers intentionally.

Primrose still didn't blame her, for that or for drawing any villainous ire. She didn't feel that any of the others would be particularly angry with her either. Some would give her a hard time for sure, but she found it unlikely that any would hold it against her. Even so, she hadn't come to give Nadia a pep talk or convince her to come back. The fact that she hadn't fled from Primrose either time was enough to say to the dancer that Nadia didn't intend to abandon them, even if she was avoiding them. If she just needed time, Primrose would gladly give that to her - and if she wanted to keep a connection to the others while she worked things out, Primrose was willing to act as her intermediary, covertly or not.

The dancer kept her own body language open and friendly, placing one hand loosely on her hip and a smile upon her face. It was perhaps a bit wider than her usual, but it wasn't exactly forced. She did still consider the both of them to be friends, after all, and she said as much out loud following Nadia's introduction of her metallic counterpart.

"I'd hope so as well. If left up to me, then yes - a friend." She turned to Robo-Fortune, her smile not slipping even a hair. "Nice to meet you."

This close Primrose could easily see the differences between the two Fortunes, besides that fact that Robo was a machine. The android really did appear to be designed as close to Nadia's original form as possible. If her chassis had been painted and clothed, she would have been a dead ringer for the feral. Now there were a few things that set them apart, but not enough to convince anyone that they weren't meant to be a matched set. It was curious, but since Nadia seemed to be in the dark about it there was little use in asking.

So she answered instead, turning her attention back to the original Ms. Fortune. Primrose figured that it it was alright for the kameo Fortune to hear their conversation, but she left a moment for the thief to send her away if not.

"I had meant to speak with you earlier. When you didn't show up or call back, some of us got worried," she started with, laying out the truth without any frills. "Of course since Pit found your arm, we knew you were still alive... but whether you were alright was up in the air. And now that I know you are alright..."

She let the statement linger, raising a gentle brow as she did. It was both an out and yet an invitation to correct the dancer if Nadia was not, in fact, alright.

"...then I suppose I came to learn what your plans are."

Primrose shifted then, settling her weight from one leg to the other while she gestured lightly with one hand. "If you're going to keep your distance, if you'd like a replacement pearl in the event you've lost yours, that sort of thing. I can't prevent anyone else from staking out your next matches, but if you rather I not mention anything to the others... rest assured that I know when a girl needs some space."

And that was it - no blame, no pressure, but a certain amount of expectation. It was clear that Primrose had some idea what was going on and that she anticipated an answer. If nothing else she felt she was owed that much, and whatever her friend decided she would go along with.

_{Thursday Afternoon}
Word Count: 940 (+2 exp)
Level: 10 - Total EXP: 366/100
Location: Bamboo Forest, the Forbidden Kingdom
𝙱𝙿 ●●●●●

Of the few things Therion had going for him, his swiftness was near the top of his greatest strengths. So it was that he could slip down from the Pools and search the outskirts of the Low Tier for the assault team's nebulous meeting point fairly quickly. If they'd set up the rendezvous ahead of time it must have been after he'd already departed the meeting. That was fine; if he missed their departure then it was no loss for him. In fact there was some part of him that wanted not to find the group, whether he ended up being late or early. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

He came upon Junior, Rika, and Yama, the latter having apparently just finished a crash course in accessing the armory aboard the Avenger courtesy of that Portsmith's magic. Also present were some of the faces of the UN reps in their own wheeled monstrosity, a veritable landship that even Therion could tell looked ridiculous.

He hung back, his tail twitching. Frankly he thought that this whole assault option was moving a little too quickly and a lot unprepared, which was saying something when coming from Therion who, when push came to shove, always tended to wing it. But it was for that reason he was both loathe to go along and felt that he should. He didn't relish the idea of babysitting the younger Seekers whatsoever (he squinted his eyes at Yayama, not recalling if she'd ever actually introduced herself or whether she was one of said younger Seekers or not), but who else was going to? Maybe if they weren't teaming up with a group they barely knew anything about the thief would have been more content to leave them to their own devices, but as that was not the case... eventually Therion padded forward to join the assault team, a last minute addition that shimmied up onto the back of the landship. The Koopas' and Yama's vehicles were either too small or unwieldy to cling to, so the Dutchman it was. When the UN reps eventually noticed him, he just returned their surprise with a flat, unimpressed look.

The drive wasn't difficult, and as they got even farther out from where Therion had explored yesterday the scenery got more green, more pleasant. Of course it was undercut with the impending mission, but in the interim Therion could look at the bamboo with some interest since there was no strategy discussion to pay attention to. Part of the crew was basically joy riding and part were discussing how to acquire the Dutchman, if Therion's sensitive ears heard correctly. So it wasn't until they'd all stopped in a clearing and the thief hopped off the vehicle and onto the grass that he even attempted asking after their plan.

"So what's our strategy here?" he said, speaking up for the first time during the trip following the earth shaper's suggestion of slowing their target in a pit of mud. "Or did no one think past finding this transport?"

Thankfully without Primrose there, no one was privy to how hypocritical a question that was. As it turned out, their plan of attack was just that: attack, with no real further thought put into it. Honestly, it tracked.

The assault team went right to it as soon as the armored vehicle was in sight, swift and merciless in their rendering of the thing useless. Its payload did not sit idle though, swarming out of it with no hesitation. At the same time the Seekers' group kept their pressure up. As it so often did, the scene became pure chaos instantly.

At first Therion hung back, keeping to his usual play of skulking on the edge of battle. Something had occurred to the thief: without Primrose there he wouldn't be able to debuff all of their enemies at once. There were too many to tag individually, which meant he had to be more selective about his targets. No organic enemies to poison or afflict with those living knives, no individuals split from the pack to pick off, and very little openings in general. The first few seconds after the Jack units cleared the mud would probably be crucial, so in the interest of giving his allies an early advantage Therion played to his strengths - which meant he wouldn't be using his literal strength at all.

He took his beast form, leaping towards the front line of Jacks and standing his ground just long enough to unleash a mighty roar. The sound was loud enough to cut through the early din of the battle and inflict stun on the first group of robots, ensuring they'd be locked in place for a few seconds. With some luck the sudden stop would hold up those coming up after them. As soon as that was done Therion sprang away so he wouldn't be caught in the crossfire when Junior, Rika, and Yayama let loose.

Back on the edge of their bamboo battlefield, Therion's feline eyes quickly identified what would most likely be the enemies that gave them the most trouble - those huge robots with the metallic armor and glowing veins. He used the chaos to slink around out of the way, awaiting his next chance. Once it was clear he leapt again, claws extended to latch onto the back of the first Jack-8. It translated into a decent handhold when he revert to human form and inflicted Shackle Foe to lower its attack power, and from there pushed off of it to land back on his feet on the forest floor, checkered scarf fluttering as he moved to avoid retaliation.

Masks & Magic: The Awakening

I guess I should have said the next week or two rather than day, but uh, finally posted!

Masks & Magic: The Awakening

^{_________________________________________________}

Following his declaration, the big long haired man was the next to speak, then summoned two weapons to his hands. Cade actually wrinkled his nose when Andrew mentioned that they could refer to him as Mr. Callum. Did he think he was a teacher or something? ...wait, maybe he actually was a teacher? Awakening didn't seem to discriminate in the kinds of people it happened to after all. Well, it didn't matter, he wasn't about to call the man mister anything. After all, everyone there stood as equals, allegedly. Though it would only be a matter of time before Cade ended up at the top of the totem pole.

Then, the familiar feeling of warm knuckles on his shoulder, his head, a hand in his hair. Contrary to what the rest of the group might have assumed he'd do when subjected to such teasing, Cade only rolled his eyes and leaned away slightly. If he was bothered at all by the fingers of molten rock touching him, he was remarkably good at not showing it - which only implied that he was not, in fact, bothered.

Physically, at least.

"CC," he said, the two letters drawn out slightly, a hint of exasperation in his voice.

She was really using him as a springboard today. If she was anyone else he would not have tolerated it, but being Cade's twin sister came with the perk of having to do something serious to draw any ire out of him. As it stood he just shoved his hands back into his pockets and hunched his shoulders. She always managed to do this, cut through tension (that often times her brother had created in the first place) and fit in. She would make a great hero.

The thought made his chest tighten, but he forced the feeling to pass with one deep breath. He'd make sure he was just as well suited for it, no matter how hard he had to work or how long he had to fake it 'til he made it. On that note, CC was right and he should probably introduce himself properly. He clenched his jaw briefly, but the expression on his face looked more like a pout than anything with real bite in it. He ran his tongue over his teeth, slowly shedding his stubbornness until he turned back to the rest of the group, his expression back to showing that he was not very impressed with any of them.

"It's Cade. Cade Sinclair. CC's big brother."

He cut a quick, sideways look at CC, his eyes squinting just slightly. It was as good as sticking his tongue out at her without actually doing it.

"And I'm serious. You run into trouble during the test, you call out for one of us."

There. That was better. And now that the floodgates were open, most of the others jumped into their own introductions.

First there was Shining Girl. It was a better hero name than Speak Easy, and since it was the only name she provided it looked like that's what Cade would end up calling her. But beyond the name, the dumb pose, and the girl's general vibe of friendly ditz, she followed the trend and summoned up her weapons. It was that which drew Cade's attention because... what. Not only did she have the most equipment of any of them, but he had no idea what the hoop or dinner plates were for - especially when she balanced and stood on top of the latter. He found his gaze flicking back to the short woman every now and then throughout the rest of the intros just out of pure curiosity.

The next woman also neglected to provide anything other than a moniker, but her introduction was only a little less bewildering as she summoned an old school picnic basket into existence and started snacking. At least it was easier to connect the dots as to what Red Riding's Awakening had led to, but it didn't inspire any confidence in Cade. Were they actually going to fail this assessment?

No, no, no. Not on his watch.

Lee's intro was short and simple, which Cade could appreciate. She certainly had a lot more optimism than he did at the moment if she could say that she believed in everyone with such confidence right after the last two introductions. Her gaze was heavier than he expected, assessing, but with little else to go off of Cade couldn't place any more faith in her than he did in the other strangers.

Her calm, steady confidence contrasted the next would be hero, who ended up being one of the people that definitely wasn't taking this seriously. After the back flip (was he trying to show up Shining Girl's front flip??) Cade looked over at Clive's outburst, getting an eyeful of abs first. Out of habit he looked up to search for a face but only ended up looking at the guy's crotch since he was upside down. Cade shifted his gaze down to find Clive's actual face, a spark of annoyance in his icy eyes rather than any embarrassment.

The final introductions came as the simulation's set up finished. Rashad, Elias, June, Kira, and finally Sarah. All of them more or less cemented Cade's first impressions of them, but he filed away all of the information they offered up. If he was going to made sure this ragtag group all passed, he'd have to keep some of what he was learning in mind. Of course it looked like there was someone else that everyone had decided was team leader. Cade muttered something disparaging under his breath while he cast his eyes up at the false sky. A moment later he looked ahead at the scene in front of them all, brushing past the other examinees to approach the line of cops outside of the warehouse.

Recently Cade had been at odds with law enforcement, but it wasn't like he was actually a criminal. Besides, these were fake cops. Holograms. No matter how real they seemed. And if he was going to be a professional hero then step one was cooperating with them. Taking initiative. Gathering informa—

Ah, there was one more introduction, the real last member of the group: that woman who somehow appeared mousy even when she was bigger than most of the other examinees. Now she was even larger still, and Cade looked up at her with surprise when she stated her name. Her transformation was even more extreme than CC's who so far had been the only person Cade had seen that had changed so much from her Awakening. Of course, CC did not have the luxury of turning hers off. A shadow crossed Cade's features as he regarded Clara, brief but unsubtle. "I can protect people," she'd said. There was an unspoken question in his stare, skeptical and accusatory at once. Can you? it seemed to ask.

He turned away from her, half-snapping the words of her inner monologue. "Gee, I'd hope so - you're half horse." Then, not much softer, he said something more constructive. "We'll see what's going on first, then make an opening for you to run in and grab anyone that needs help if we need to."

Now back to step one. The realism of the simulation was crazy; Cade could hear, see, and smell everything he'd expect to as if he was really on the street. He could even feel the slight dampness of the air on what little of his skin was exposed. It stood to reason then that the holograms would be as realistic as possible. They should be able to respond if spoken to.

Moving to stand in front of the officer in charge, Cade spoke up for the rest of the group, completely ignoring the fact that a lot of said group had elected Andrew as their representative. "What's the situation?"

Masks & Magic: The Awakening

@Lemons@Lyla Yeeaaaaaah it's been a rough December I'll say that :')
Apologies though, I really didn't mean to leave it for so long, and I'll be posting in the next day or two now that I'm back home and hopefully with the worst behind me! Feel free not to wait for me now or in the future though Lems if you don't want to!

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

Christmas Village - Play It Forward

Ace Cadet & Edward Portsmith

Word Count: 2750 (+3 exp/6 rexp)
Location: Christmas Village, the Frozen Highlands

Following the snowball fights (both the first that had, well, snowballed into something more involved, and the second which involved a much more casual battle of Seekers and locals trading cold projectiles with each other under Tenna's expert eye), Ace, Sandalphon, and Tenna needed to wind down. Of course they had different ways and definitions of winding down, so when they split up it wasn't too surprising to see them jump right into the next events, though at least these were less physically intense.

Ace returned to the central workshop. He might have gotten distracted before (twice), but this time he was determined to look into the actual work shop section. It wasn't hard to find, and as he took a good look around the room, he noted that the whole thing was basically dedicated to one thing at the moment: the creation of knick knacks and toys. There were sewing stations for stuffed animals, wood working stations for simple figures, metal working stations for more advanced casting of miniature vehicles and the like, and all sorts of other things to be found that were currently made for toy making. There were also a couple of small holiday golems which floated around the room, one cleaning up to ensure every station was clear and safe to use while the other slowly transported a few finished products down to the gift wrapping area elsewhere.

He also wasn't shocked to see that he was not the only Seeker present there. Within, he found Edward, leaning back on a chair and with his feet up on the surface of an elven workbench. Tiny crystal flakes glittered on the surface, scattered around both the man’s boots and a kettle from which the town decorator had poured himself the cup of hot cocoa.

Upon seeing Ace he set down the cup, removed his boots from the bench and called over ”Ah, Ace. Good to see you!” before gesturing at the kettle and enquiring ”Care for a cup?”

"Absolutely," the hunter said as he made his way over.

The temperature change from outdoors to in had made an almost pleasant sting spread across his skin, but it all concentrated in his hands when he took both a seat and the mug Edward offered him. The sweet, warm drink was nice, but it also didn't last long. Ace poured another cup.

"I never would have expected that we'd end up in a place like this. It's fun, right?" the Cadet said. "I've been wanting to check out the workshop since we got here but there's so much stuff to do!"

Edward shrugged non-committily before replying that ”It’s been enjoyable to use my talent for something other than destruction, I suppose, and I think the results shine for themselves” before vaguely gesturing out the window with his cup.

Ace followed the gesture with his eyes, then squinted for a moment at the lights and snow outside in thought until he realized what exactly Edward meant. "Oh, all the new decorations! That was you guys, huh? It looks good!"

The results of their decorating looked closer to the winter festivals that Ace was more familiar with, so maybe he was a little biased, but it really did look nice. He looked back at the dreadnought with a smile on his face.

"Did you come here to take a crack at making toys after you finished? I've been thinking maybe if we help out with that, they wouldn't mind if we tried making some stuff we need for the stagecoach too. Like..." he glanced around the area, pointing out a mold for casting little trains, complete with functional wheels. "...if we can scale up something like this and replace the missing wheels..."

He gave a half shrug. They could at least try it, or something else to strengthen the coach, as they still had a ways to go until Moon Mountain; and the rest of the journey was guaranteed to be harder than today's section.

Edward blinked once at the suggestion, before leaning in and saying ”now there’s an idea” with a point, before rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

After a few moments of this he agreed ”Might well work, though we should probably put the workshop to its intended use before we convert it to match our own ends” before setting down his drained cup and standing to do just that.

As he began to get the workbench prepped for, well, work, he casually enquired ”So, what activities have you crossed off of the list might I ask?”

"Early on Blazermate, Queen Sectonia and me got roped into picking clothes, but you probably knew that since I see you got yours," the Cadet started with. He gave Edward space at the elven workbench, getting up to wander the rest of the shop. It wasn't a huge area, but there was room enough for a lot of people to work at once. "Then I ended up in a couple of snowball fights with Tenna and Sandalphon. Now that it's already getting late, seems like the day's really sliding by."

He chose a station not far from Edward's so that they could still easily chat while they worked, dropping himself onto the wooden stool in front of it. Speaking of, he glanced over at Edward wondering if his smithing experience would translate well.

"Ever made anything like this before?"

”Not since my academy days" Edward replied, as he flipped his journal back to one of its earliest pages, and then began to assemble some pre-prepared parts together as he spoke ”and even then, it was an introductory project, getting students to create a small machine powered by magic before moving onto the larger, more dangerous, creations. Only so much damage you can do if the power supply for your toy soldier destablises"

Saying that, he completed the finishing touch on one such toy solider who was for some reason armed with a baguette. He placed it down on the table and then with a command of ”forward march!!" caused an amber glow to alight in the soldier's eyes, who promptly matched his way forwards..

”Never had much time for such frivolities since those early days. Everything that came after was so…. hectic" he said, as he watched his creation forwards, before calling for a ”halt!" before the soldier took a tumble off of the edge of the workbench.

Ace watched the toy's test with interest. He would never have thought that making similar little moving trinkets would lead to people learning how to work with their magic, but it made sense. And the toy soldier itself wasn't bad!

"Seems like you still got it - doesn't even need a crank or winding key! The kids that get your handiwork are gonna be lucky!"

The Cadet himself was working on a crude but sort of endearing doll. With plenty of basic shapes already sewn and stuffed, it was only a matter of attaching them together and adding a bit of personal flair. The head of what was probably supposed to be a person flipped upside down with the likely wings of an angel or snow fairy attached to the back, along with mismatched arms to a body, finished with a couple of buttons sewn on and it was just about finished. Ace held up the doll and turned it in his hands, giving it an in depth once over. "I think that looks pretty close..."

”To one of the creatures in your world? It certainly makes for a charming stuffed animal" Edward replied, as he finished scribbling a (far too technical) note with the commands for the toy soldier’s recipient, before attaching it to the toy and handing it over to one of the golems for transport to the wrapping team. It gingerly took the item and wrapped it in its cords before dutifully floating off down the hall with it.

"You think so? Thanks. It is supposed to be a Yian Kut-ku, but I was basing it off of a toy I'd seen before. I knew someone that made these kinds of things a lot and I always thought they were pretty cute." The hunter sat the plush down on the table next to him, a fond expression on his face. "And I've never really tried before so I figured, go with something you sort of know."

He cast his eyes over the rest of the creation options before cracking his knuckles. He wondered how many they ought to make before experimenting with the life size versions, but it was probably a lot more than just a few. "One or two more and then I'll be ready to try something more Kut-kurazy."

”No time like the present, I’d say" Edward replied, beginning to stand as he did so and then pausing to give half a laugh at his unintended pun, which had earned a grin from his fellow Seeker. Then he fully got to his feet and began examining their fabric options, saying ”Perhaps something traditional, however, as our first. Bears are a fairly popular choice in my reality, though, now that I think of it, I can’t say why? Perhaps it's hibernation and an association with sleep as a result?"

"A bear..." it wasn't a very common word in the Cadet's vocabulary, but there was something that came to mind. Something with massive fangs and claws, with sharp spikes protruding from its back and up its arms. Not very cuddly, but it did hibernate, so maybe Edward was onto something?

The two of them collaborated on the next toy, but perhaps because of their experiences the stuffed animal ended up looking a little meaner than a mass produced one, especially with the amateur stitch work. But at the very least whoever dared to hug it would find it to be a very warm bear indeed.

”Might have gone a little too far with the self warming"

"Nah, it seems alright! Let's do the next one with blue fur though," Ace said with a nod. "Or if we stick with animals maybe we could do some felynes - I think those are the most common stuffed dolls where I'm from."

The sewing stations did come with plenty of patterns to use, so other than the altered bear there were options for cats, dogs, and more available. While going through them, Ace pointed out the pig patterns too, and with time the two of them could make some friendlier looking plushies.

Although once they got tired of needles and fabric, they could always move on to knives, wood, and sandpaper, in which case Ace was happy to show off some basic carved figurines.

”You have a very deft hand at this, don’t you" Edward said, while whittling away, doing his best to copy the design but not quite managing it. Simple shapes for the ornaments had been easy, especially when a mistake didn’t cost too much time. Getting the carving right in one go was a little trickier.

What he found much more manageable was working with a material that could be shaped and reshaped till the desired form was found, and only after was everything ready to be set in stone. Or ready to be fired, as the case was with his creation of a miniature army of clay chargers defenders and arbalests, all utalising the same spell as the earlier toy soldier to allow locomotion.

By following Edward's example Ace took a shot at making the clay soldiers as well, the first one little more than a human-shaped smudge but each subsequent one getting better and better.

"Just learning as I go, but look who's talking," Ace said, nodding to the quality of Edward's toy army.

He handed his passable clay creations over for the dreadnought to enchant before each was collected by the string light golems and floated away. Experimenting with various mediums and designs still took a while even as the two got faster as the motions became more familiar, but it was hard to tell how much time was passing when the cloud cover still completely blocked the sun. And so they worked on.

"I wonder if we could get any of these over to the other team as souvenirs…?"

”I’m sure the two, ah, well, actual children among them would appreciate it at least" Edward replied after a moment of thought, before continuing that ”I’d have to lean on your experience when it comes to knowing which of the rest of those team members would or would not appreciate a gift like this. If they were sending us things, I don’t think, say, Ganondorf would appreciate one of these," before wiggling the hair tendrils of the to the less than stellar Mutant Aisha Plushie he’d produced.

Ace chuckled and really couldn't disagree. Though he wasn't sure he knew all of the Gold Team members that well, at least not enough to guess at what sort of things they'd like.

"Maybe just Bowser Jr. and Rika then," he said. "And Nadia too! Maybe Sakura and Pit...?" even the angel he was iffy about, and the rest of that group he hadn't a clue besides the fact he'd learned that Roland liked coffee, which didn't translate well to trinkets. Ace gave Edward a sort of 'what can you do' smile. "Let's see what we end up with and pick a few good ones to send."

A few more experiments led to some thematically appropriate creations, like a wonky gingerbread man and snowmen that doubled as keychains in various materials - which they could probably give to Roxas without much fuss. Little tiger toys in different colors were fairly simple to put together once they got the pattern down, especially since they could rely on pre-printed or painted fabrics for the designs.

Indeed they were so simple that Edward managed to get a squad of copper golems to make a batch of them, only to find himself admitting that ”It sort of takes the… whimsy out of it doesn't it" and dismissing the idea.

Making custom toys was simply more entertaining and, he hoped, would delight the recipients more even if the results, such as a bright pink car Edward managed to adapt his animation spell to, were a little off from time to time.

In agreement that unique and handmade were best, the two Seekers toiled on. They sewed, whittled, and cast their way throughout the workshop, sending stuffed toys, carved dolls, and army play sets, all among marvels of magic thanks to Edward's enchantments. Not to be outdone (not that it was actually a competition between them), Ace honed his skill as they continued crafting until he could present what was his magnum opus... or at least the best that he was going to be able to do: a monkey on a swing, deceptively detailed with his best stitching yet on a simple wooden seat that swayed when hung up but worked just as well as a regular doll when detached from it.

Eventually the craftsmen grew so focussed that they hardly noticed when the holiday light constructs had started carrying a few fleas away, three in total over the course of the Seekers’ time there, who’d snuck their way into the workshop and happily play tested what Edward and Ace had set aside before being lifted off and returned to their caravan.

Only once they’d made a miniature mountain of toys for the festival, both crude and polished, with a few tucked away to send to Esaka (they had originally planned to return them to the Avenger via the armory, but when Maeve had come to check in on them she assured them that the mysterious ‘Santa’ would ensure any Christmas gifts sent from the village made it to their intended recipient) did they start to come up with ways to help themselves out too. With some of the toy sets like that of a train for a basis, it was just a matter of increasing the size and durability of what they managed to make. Armor plating for the outside would be simple but use much more metal, while attempting wheels left a whole lot of room for error. Thankfully they could -and had- practice as much as they wanted just by making toy vehicles, so once the mini-wheels were perfected they gradually scaled up until they had a few giant wheels in a couple of different materials that they could try and fit on the coach.

And if it didn’t end up working, well, the wheels could always be recycled to make more gifts.

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

_{Thursday Afternoon}
Word Count: 1308 (+3 exp)
Level: 8 - Total EXP: 325/80
Location: Esaka's Pools, the Forbidden Kingdom

With plans to secure some lodgings for Pit's team later after they left the Pools tier, angel and demon headed for the other side of the Mortal Kombat area. They followed the rough stone pathway around, headed for the location of Sareena's last match of the day. The Seekers had barely spent two days in Esaka, but Pit was already starting to find the Pools to be a very familiar place even if he couldn't say the same for the rest of the city. It basically meant then he started to notice things about it, what was the same and what was different from earlier, and the first difference was...

"Is it just me, or are there a lot more yokai around now?"

The early impression of the Pools was that they generally didn't draw much of an audience. Competitors gathering info on rivals in their bracket, people supporting their fighting friends, and die hard fans that would never miss even one match featuring their bias were the bulk of the individuals on the side lines - so the fact that this particular area seemed to be packed with Esaka's ethereal populace stuck out to Pit. Ashrah too, as the woman narrowed her eyes slightly at the chattering crowd as it began to thin out. There were yokai of all types, but in particular there were tengu. Large, medium, and small ones, with varying features but enough similarities that it was easy enough to tell they were the same type of creature. They raised their fans or shook their staffs jubilantly as they began to take off, fading back into the stream or rising into the air.

"...I believe I know what's happened," Ashrah said after a few moments, recalling the opponent her sister was slated to fight against.

They weaved around the crowd. Most of the arenas on this level, besides being all obviously water-themed, were pretty wide open with plenty of natural light; but when possible the MK section seemed to be a lot more shaded. Idly Pit wondered if that was intentional, because of the tournament's whole 'theme.' It was a little silly if it was... though it did make for some decent areas where participants (or spectators trying too hard) could stand in shadow and brood. This was where they found Ashrah's fellow demon, her back to a pillar and her arms crossed tight over her pinched face.

At this point it wasn't hard to guess what might have happened, but it was made obvious when a fuzzy gray hand landed on Pit's shoulder and he looked up to see a buff tengu with its beak-like mouth curled up happily.

"You got here too late to see the mistress win!" it told him, its wings jittering. "She took both rounds one after the other, same as the first match! Ah, what a glorious return to the tournaments!"

The tengu gave Pit a shake in its excitement, but after feeling his head rattled around Pit wriggled out of the yokai's grasp. It didn't seem to mind, wrapped up in its celebratory mood as it was.

"'Mistress'? What are you talking about??" he asked somewhat impatiently, which earned him a confused tilt of the tengu's head.

"Huh? Y'know, the mistress! The princess?"

"I know a lot of princesses, you gotta give me more than that."

The yokai's eyes trailed from Pit's face to his wings and then back again, failing to put together that he was not in fact speaking to a fellow tengu. It took a another few seconds for Pit to realize the misunderstanding himself, but before he could correct it another hand landed on his other shoulder, nudging him forward once more. A lighter touch, belonging to his kameo partner who'd found him again among the leaf fans and feathers.

"He meant our next opponent for tomorrow," Ashrah clarified as she led the two of them to the edge of the area. Both her face and her voice were impassive, but Pit picked up the slight hint of both surprise and regret in them. He glanced back at the buff tengu, though it only rubbed its thumb over its chin as it hummed in thought, then shrugged and turned away from the retreating pair.

The angel traced the shape of the tournament bracket in his mind. "So Sareena really lost?"

The woman in question had already spotted them and met them halfway, her dark eyes glinting with muted fury.

"I underestimated her in the first round; a foolish mistake that I paid for," Sareena explained, clenching her fists at her sides. "By the time the second began, the momentum was already with her. Never before has the Order of Light been eliminated so quickly! I should have transformed..."

Ashrah laid a palm on her sister's shoulder. Sareena glanced at the gesture of comfort, her eyes flickering over to meet Ashrah's briefly before she made a tch noise and turned away. By now the three of them were standing in the open, part way between the arena-side and the lip of the tier as a whole, and the gathering of yokai had really thinned out. Only a few of the more playful ones still remained, poorly re-enacting their princess' moves from the fight. Frustration practically oozed off of Sareena at the sight. Pit knew from experience that it would be lingering for a while and there was little anyone could say after a loss that would ease it, but he spoke up anyway, gesturing to himself and Ashrah.

"You still got us! The Order of Light and Seekers of Light crossover team!" He smiled at Sareena, shifting to rest one fist at his hip. "I'm technically repping Fight of Gods, but since Ashrah's my partner we're kinda fighting for your dojo too. And we're going all the way, so don't worry - we'll protect your pride!"

It was a moment before the sisters replied. Ashrah was the first, returning Pit's smile gingerly. "Well said."

Sareena let out half of a sigh before nodding once.

"I suppose that's true. The rest of us in the Order will support you while we continue to look for other ways to strike at Shao Khan."

"Deal!" Pit chirped.

It was nice to know that it wasn't just Ashrah in the Seekers' corner, but her fellow fighters as well. If push came to shove extra help might be useful, especially when it was four separate bosses that the Gold Team would have to face.

But that would come later. As the afternoon wore on, the people gathered at the Pools grew fewer and fewer.

"Let's see who else still fighting, then we'll move on. Wanna come with us, Sareena?"

"No. I'll return to the Order of Light and suffer the embarrassment of filling them in on my loss," the demoness replied, the clench of her jaw signalling that she really was taking it hard. "I was looking forward to facing you, but... stop by later with Ashrah and I'll tell you what I know about your new opponent."

"Sure, maybe, gotta see what else is going on first," Pit said. He might not remember to do it after checking in to see what the other Seekers were up to, especially with regards to the meeting about G-Corp that he'd missed. Not to mention that when it came to getting the low down on fighters, Lady Palutena was always eager to share what she knew.

"See you later then," Ashrah said, bidding her sister a farewell. Sareena parted from them, making a solitary bee line for the nearest lift up to the Mid Tier.

Once more Pit and Ashrah were left to their own devices, not that the angel intended it to remain that way for long.

"Alright, let's go see what everyone else is up to!"

^{____________________________________________________}
Level: 11 - Total EXP: 313/110 ------ Level: 10 - Total EXP: 364/100
𝙱𝙿 ●●●●● ---------------------------- 𝙱𝙿 ●●●●●
_{Thursday Afternoon}
Word Count: 984 (+2 exp)
Location: Esaka's Pools, the Forbidden Kingdom

When the dancer arrived at her destination, she was one of a few bystanders who had gathered to watch. The stone paths circled a wide pool of water, forming a raised ring. In the pool's center, a circular concrete arena held an angular stage with bright red strips of light forming the border. Primrose rested her arms on the railing that stood around the ring of water, leaning against it as she cast her eyes down upon the arena.

Nadia's match had already started, but if Primrose had her timeline right it couldn't have been very long. She was not a fighting connoisseur, so the intricacies of the four women's technique or their skill in stringing combos together was mostly lost on her - but she had not come to watch a match per se as much as she'd come to support her friend.

...not that she couldn't get some entertainment at the same time. That was what this spectacle was for after all. She watched the fight with interest, following every flip, dodge, and thrust. Idly she wondered what Olberic might say if he were there spectating with her. He would probably appreciate that dagger wielder's expertise if nothing else.

The first round of the match ramped up gradually, and it concluded in the double Fortunes' defeat. Primrose's brows rose up when the golden flow of the Principles declared the round, nearly as surprised as Nadia herself when Maya pulled the win out with a quick turn at the end. She did not cheer or boo though, simply watching the pairs recover and start gearing up for round two.

Soon after the beginning of the second round, Primrose heard a soft buzz in her ear. She murmured back and settled in to continue spectating, and it was not long before the current round hurtled towards its conclusion that she turned her head to find her expected guest.

Before the impromptu luncheon had wrapped up, Therion slipped out a little early. He'd said what he wanted to say and heard what he'd wanted to hear; if anything important came up after the fact he was sure he'd hear about it soon enough, but he doubted there would be any huge revelations. He was still sorting out his own thoughts, but he really hadn't found much reason to doubt the 'United Nations' other than the fact that, well, the Seekers didn't know them. He was planning to help out, though healthy suspicion sat in his stomach as he made his way back down a tier to do as Primrose had asked and fill her in.

The thief leaned on the railing next to her, his ears flicking toward the battle below. He quickly recognized Ms. Fortune based on her unique fighting style, just in time to see her dunk her opponent into the ring of water. This was the first match he'd seen in person, and he found himself noting the wounds on both fighters as they regrouped.

"It's one and one at the moment," Primrose said. Therion hadn't asked, but it did satisfy his faint curiosity.

"Not going to give her a 'hurrah'?"

"No, I don't want to spook her, especially now that you're here."

"Spook her...?"

Therion glanced at his fellow Orsterran, though a moment later he connected the dots with Primrose's train of thought. Right, the whole reason part of the team was even thinking about running off after G-Corp in the first place. Still, he scoffed.

"She's not a wild animal, she's a grown woman."

Primrose turned to him, lowering her head to rest on her hands as she gave him an enigmatic smile. "And what would you know about women, Therion?"

He clicked his mouth shut with a tch noise. Can't argue with that.

He left the topic alone, shifting to rest his back against the railing instead. What would be the final round of the match was about to start, but he didn't have much interest in watching the rest.

"Whatever. I just came to tell you about that meeting."

Primrose had already turned her eyes back to the arena.

"By all means."

Therion spoke quietly, relaying everything. The dancer hummed in acknowledgement as he continued with recounting his opinions alongside the facts. It wasn't a long tale.

"Seems like a sound plan... and I don't mind lending a hand," Primrose said. "What were you planning to do?"

If she were to guess, then perhaps the thought of getting away from the city even for just a few hours would lead Therion to join the assault team. However, he minutely shook his head.

"Not sure yet. It's easier to find someone here than it seems, so looking into those celebrities night be quick. The group that goes after the reinforcements is gonna need preparation though."

"I agree, although considering the distribution of people already... what they might actually need is some patience."

"...ah."

It was definitely not only possible, but probable that the assault team could have already gotten started. Therion pushed off of the railing and scooted off, most likely to check things out on that front.

At the same time, Nadia's match had gotten more vicious. But it was soon to be decided, and in dramatic fashion. When the cat burglar took hold of Maya and began to spin with the woman in her clutches, even Primrose could tell it was over. The impact only drove the point home. A few seconds passed after the official declaration of Nadia's win before Primrose moved, circling around the arena to try and catch the victorious cat girl before she disappeared into Esaka's belly.

"Ms. Fortune~" Primrose called once she was close enough, loud enough to be heard but not too draw more attention than she wanted. She didn't have a plan thought out, but she was hopeful that she wouldn't be rebuffed based on their earlier meeting, however brief.

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

Christmas Village - O Holiday Outfitters

Ace Cadet, Sectonia, & Blazermate

Word Count: 5678 (+6 exp/12 rexp)
Location: Christmas Village, the Frozen Highlands

It was a little surprising to find such a bustling, welcoming town this deep into the Highlands, especially when most of what had preceded it were miserable, horror-filled lands. But as far as surprises went, this was a pleasant one - and the festive atmosphere was sure to be infectious. It wasn't long before a local ambassador came over to greet them all.

As Ace listened to Maeve's explanation of what type of holiday Christmas was, he came to equate it with similar ones of his own world. "So it's like Lumenhymn, or the Winter Star Festival," he said with a smile and a nod. The events sounded the same, even if some of the aesthetics differed. If they had to get stopped by a blizzard on their path, this seemed like a pretty great place to get stuck.

The Cadet also didn't mind helping the villagers out with their celebration preparations, and not just because there was a feast to look forward to. The Seekers would probably be able to get some supplies for the road here, and with the use of the market board for fast ordering maybe they could even get more outlandish things, like say... items to repair a giant steel carriage. So might as well get along with the locals and make merry in the mean time. So when Sandalphon volunteered them to assist, Ace gave her and Maeve a thumbs up.

"Sounds groovios to me."

Sectonia, upon reaching this Christmas town, was one of the few seekers that already knew what it was. Surprisingly Blazermate also knew what it was, and while there were a few differences in how the two knew Christmas, it was still mostly the same. And this town was following most of those core concepts. While Blazermate floated around looking at the town, Sectonia threw a couple Antlers at the blizzard. First ice to see how cold it was; they froze, and red to see if they could melt it; they couldn’t.

So finding her magic wasn’t doing much to it, she relented and went to check out the town more, eventually getting her hands on the ‘to-do’ list that would dispel the blizzard. Strange, but she had seen weirder rituals that weren’t as wholesome so... why not? At least the town was warm, compared to the other coldness of the trail.

The village’s decorative lights glowed all the brighter for the overcast sky, which had been made worse by the roaring blizzard just outside of town. It was as though the red, green, and gold shine of ornaments, string lights, and festive outfit accessories really might have the power to disperse a storm so long as they were charged up enough with cheer. It made walking around the village a pleasant experience, and that was without factoring in all the interesting sights, smells, and people. After one good lap around the place it was clear that Christmas Village was not as large as it appeared to be though. It had plenty of things to do: entertainment in the form of activities, dining and shopping, listening to locals sing impromptu little concerts outside in the snow… but they were all relatively clustered together, meaning it did not take long for any Seeker keen on exploring to have gotten the gist of the entire town.

So what was left? The insides of its establishments of course, and none drew the eye more than the village’s central hub, the huge meeting hall / workshop / mill / blacksmith / whatever else the people that lived there needed. From the outside it was hard to really get a sense for everything that could be found within.

So, naturally, Ace entered to check it out.

The interior was laid out almost like one huge open market, just with walls and a ceiling to keep the cold out. There were two large fireplaces in addition to a kitchen that kept the whole building heated, and multiple wide rooms across from and adjacent to each other. Each one had a similar but distinct function it seemed, though most were for getting creative. On the far side from the main entrance there was another door that led outside which included a patio for a kiln, and after peeking his head into most of the rooms that was where Ace had been headed. Originally.

He was stopped by a well dressed woman with a square head, who stood in the doorway of one of the public rooms. A small sign on the wall next to the entry read Christmas Clothier.

“Sigh,” she said, pronouncing the word rather than just actually sighing as she pointed at him. “So many visitors show up in plain old black and white. Good thing I’m here to get tourists into the spirit... or at least into some colorful clothes.”

Ace looked down at himself. He hadn’t thought he looked that bad, but the heavy coat he wore was just a dull, dark shade of gray. The colors of his gloves, boots, and belt didn’t pop much either, especially compared to the fashionista’s outfit of bold red and gold with a thick layer of matching makeup. It was on theme, but stylish and modern compared to some of the more silly looking getups that some citizens were walking around in. Although to be fair, plenty of equally garish and bedazzled pieces of clothing lined the racks in the room behind the woman.

She raised a thin, perfectly shaped eyebrow at Ace expectantly, and he gave in without much of a fuss, holding his hands up in surrender.

”You’re not gonna hear me hem-ming about new clothes,” he told her with a friendly little grin. ”Sew whatcha got?”

The woman seemed satisfied at the easy acceptance and gestured for the monster hunter to enter, though at the same time something else caught her eye. Well, honestly the large figure floating down the hall was impossible to miss.

While decorations would be what Sectonia wanted to do the most, she’d need to get an idea of what decorations they wanted here. Popstar used mostly stars, but Blazermate mentioned baubles that she'd put up for Christmas when the two of them met in town. So leaving the decorations for later, she instead took the medabot to help with the costume design. While not a crafter, Sectonia was sure she could at least teach Blazermate some basic motions that she could do with relative perfection. They'd entered the workshop to find Ace already there speaking with the person apparently in charge of costumes. The lady in question looked the alien bee up and down.

“And who’s this diva?”

”Queen Sectonia.” she said matter of factly. She wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to introduce herself.

”Oh, oh, I’m here too. My name is Blazermate. Although I don’t know how well I’ll do making costumes. Sectonia says I could probably do something though. I’m not a sewing machine though…” Blazermate said. As Blazermate was flying behind Sectonia, she wasn’t as easy to observe at first.

The fashionista looked impressed with Sectonia's title of queen, or as close to it as she could possibly look with her face mostly still with painted on beauty. Even if Blazermate's introduction was longer, it unfortunately fell flat since it followed literal royalty. But the woman wasn't as unfriendly as she might look to modern people, and she pursed her lips in a small smile at the two of them.

"Welcome to Christmas Village, now let's get you all into something more appropriate," she said. Though she added with a nod to Blazermate, "we do have bolts of fabric and some sewing and embroidery machines here, but you don't have to actually make the clothes."

With the three newcomers inside the clothier section, it was apparent why they might not need to take a crack at actually sewing: in addition to just the racks they could see from the hall, there were rows and rows and shelves upon shelves of outfit pieces to be found. Everything from plain, pattern-less clothes in holiday colors to intricately designed ensembles with detailed stitch-work, along with dozens of accessories and accent pieces, as well as literal costumes of classic holiday icons: reindeer, Christmas trees, nutcrackers, and of course Santa Claus.

"When we tell visitors to make outfits, we're talking about the actual coordination. You know, the fun part?" The fashionista placed her hands on her hips, indicating with a tip of her head to the huge assortment of clothing options and the dressing rooms in the far back. There actually was someone in one corner in the middle of making a knit holiday sweater who waved at them all before going back to her task, but otherwise just taking pre-made parts and dressing up was the name of the game.

"I heard we got a big group of people new to town today. Are you all part of that? If so, why not pick some festive outfits for your friends too? Giving is, like, always in fashion here."

”Ah I see, if that's the case…” Sectonia said, lowering her hand as she was about to summon Antlers to aid with the costume making. If it was making something out of an ensemble, that would be a lot easier. Perhaps a bit less to her exact style choices, but she could think of a few things.

”Sandalphon should have some angel looking outfit, complete with flowing robe. Tenna feels like some sort of reindeer outfit, or something with antlers… Mokou would need some holly wreath outfit. Ganondorf would have an amusing juxtaposition by dressing him in a Santa outfit. I will be a decorated tree-like costume, although for Roxas, Edward, and Ramattra I am not sure yet.” Sectonia said, thinking out loud about what would fit each person properly. She didn’t mention Ace and Blazermate as they were right here and could make their own decisions, although for Ace, Sectonia figured another reindeer would fit him.

”Oh, maybe some kinda snowman for Roxas? He could look alright like that?” Blazermate offered, totally unsure since she wasn’t much one for this kinda thing.

While some ideas were being listed the clothier herself went to find and pull out a few pieces that matched the suggestions. As she did that, Ace made a hmmm noise as he turned in a circle, looking at all the options. If this weren't all for fun the sheer amount of choices might have honestly been a little overwhelming. He was happy to choose something for himself eventually, but for the others? He'd have to really think about what they might like, or at least tolerate for the duration of their stay in Christmas Village.

"Did you just come up with those or had you been thinking about how to dress everyone up since we got here?" Ace joked, given how quick Sectonia was to decide what she thought would be best for most of the group. He tried to picture the various Seekers in her suggestions, though there was one that he didn't have the context for.

"What's a santa, by the way?"

”Oh Oh! I know this one! Let me do it!” Blazermate said, zooming over to the outfit ensemble and pulling out a santa coat and a santa hat way, way too big for her. Sectonia nodded, but made a correction. ”Where I am from, the tip of the hat is crowned by a star, not a puffball. But otherwise that's accurate, yes.”

Which didn't tell the Cadet exactly what a santa was, but at least what it looked like. Or dressed like? Maybe it was a person? At the very least since it was red and white he got why it matched with the rest of the holiday aesthetics. He nodded, then looked at the medabot holding the outfit up and asked, "what are you thinking, Blazermate? Are you gonna change into something too?"

”Uh…. I’ll probably just wear a santa hat. I know its really low effort, but anything too bulky and It’ll make flying a hassle. Also can’t cover my pigtails since thats where my flying mechanism is in.” she said. While fusing with the shipgirl sun goddess did give her the ability to wear a kimono and still fly, instead of the scantily clad schoolgirl look she had before, that was more an exception than the rule.

"Nonsense, we can find you a fit that's just as functional as it is fashionable," the clothier said as she walked back over with a load of clothes and costumes in her arms. She piled them all on a table in the center of the room. There were many classic Santa outfits among them, along with some more unique ones, but everything she brought over were just some of many options the Seekers tasked with outfitting the group could go with.

"Like if you're going to be flying... how about something that rings? To really get into the mood. Like this."

She tossed a red and green outfit at Blazermate that jingled when she caught it. It was probably familiar to her as something a Christmas elf might wear... or a medieval jester. Either way, it wasn't bulky at all and the loose parts would flutter prettily in the air. Ace had started picking through the clothes pile, and he grinned when he spotted a green version of the Santa hat Blazermate had just shown him. He tossed it over to her too, since it would fit with what she was holding. The complete outfit was pretty festive, but as for if it was to her taste...?

”I guess that’ll work?” Blazermate said, shrugging and trying on the outfit. She really didn’t seem to care one way or another. At least this was a temporary thing, flying with bells ringing might be festive, but they’d make her way easier to spot in the air if they had to fight. Really christmas stuff wasn’t her thing, but her style of things weren’t holiday themed really.

"It doesn't look bad," Ace commented, stroking his chin in thought. The hat and mantle combo with her glasses was pretty cute. Maybe if the colors were different it would match Blazermate's white and blue metal better, but that would defeat the purpose of wearing the garish red and green in the first place.

One outfit down, ten to go including Sectonia and Ace. Not everyone would be as casual about wearing a holiday outfit as Blazermate though, so the picks for the rest of the team would have to have a little more thought put into them.

...or not, since it was just for the day.

The fashionista presented her next pick to Queen Sectonia, a simple but pretty Christmas tree themed dress. It was cut in such a way that it would fit her unique body shape just fine, slim at the top but ballooning out at the waist. And though at first it didn't look like it would fit considering the queen's measurements (she was already brushing the ceiling of the room), if she tried it on the dress would grow to near perfect size.

Though if she didn't like the professional's choice, there was always the amateur's. Ace dived back into the massive amount of clothes and returned with something much more literal for a decorated tree costume.

"Check this one out!" he said, quite proud of the find.

Sectonia took the first choice, preferring the more elegant simpleness to it. Although she did comment on Ace’s pick. ”You should wear that one. The bulk fits your frame better.” She said, pointing out how it was so large and bulky instead of slender and voluptuous like Sectonia.

"You think so?" Ace held the costume up against his own body. It wasn't what he'd personally pick for himself, but he'd always been a function over form type of guy. For the most part. It might surprise some people to know, but professional monster hunters of his world did tend to hold fashion in high regard. While they mixed and matched armor pieces, they would also go out of their way to avoid wearing the dreaded "clown suit" - too many pieces that clashed and was sure to draw mocking comments from fellow guild members, whether hunters, handlers, or even scriveners (who were always sharply dressed in their uniforms or overcoats).

Well it wouldn't hurt to at least try it on. If nothing else maybe the girls would get a laugh out of seeing him dressed like a tree.

While he went to change (unaware the sweater he had under his coat actually fit the holiday theme already), their host looked back at Sectonia and Blazermate. "Alright, I heard angel, reindeer, wreath, santa, and snowman for your friends. Good start. How many do you have left? If you're running out of ideas, just tell me what they look like and I'll help you out."

Sectonia explained Edward and Ramattra. Discussing Edward, she did have an idea to give him a ”Perhaps a nutcracker outfit for him.” but Ramattra more or less stumped her. There was Krampus, but such an ugly thing wouldn’t work for a costume.

The description of their three legged, one armed companion also seemed to throw the clothier for a loop, but after a moment she composed herself. She normally didn't face such challenges when it came to outfitting the people of Christmas Village or their regular volume of visitors, but failing to include someone (especially on celebration day) was out of the question.

"I'll see what I can do... in the meantime, look around, see what appeals to you. Most of the gimmick outfits are on that side of the room." She motioned to a large array of costumes just past the pile, and with that she went to put her brain to work.

Not long after Ace emerged from the changing room, shed of his heavy coat and instead in the bushy tree costume. It covered him from head to toe, save for the cut-out where a few tufts of scarlet and gold hair poked out along with his face. He looked pretty ridiculous, and fully aware of that he struck an exaggerated pose for Blazermate and Sectonia.

"How do I look, ladies?"

”Like a fuzzy tree!” Blazermate said.

Sectonia knew she did this for a bit of a laugh, but at least Ace owned it. So she held back her little laughter from the joke she made and just politely clapped. To be honest, finding something that fit him might be a bit tricky. He’d probably be an OK Santa, but they already had one in mind for that. ”If its not to your liking, you could always take a Santa outfit, they tend to be quite common.” she said, offering him another choice.

"That's probably a better idea," Ace agreed. He didn't feel any particular need to stand out, and the Santa coats were both comfortable and inoffensive in appearance. Not to mention the specific one that Sectonia pointed out was among some of the nicer options.

Although as Ace was about to go try it on, Blazermate pointed out another costume that Sectonia figured was better. ”Actually, I think this one will fit you best.” Sectonia said, grabbing the outfit Blazermate pointed out and presenting it to Ace. A reindeer-like outfit that worked well with his physique. Funny enough, Sectonia knew that Nadia would love him in that outfit, if she could get a picture. Although knowing christmas tradition, a photo was almost required.

Now this outfit actually was a stand out. Thankfully Ace wasn't shy, and while he didn't have the urge to wear a showy outfit he wasn't actually averse to it. He did however raise an eyebrow at the girls. "Really?" he asked with a chuckle.

Well, he liked it better than the tree he was currently wearing - and they'd picked it out specifically for him, so he might as well go with it. With a wink he vanished back into the dressing area, and after peeling himself out of the Christmas tree he returned to them in browns, greens, and furs. Honestly, it didn't look half bad on him! He could do without the collar and would probably end up taking it off later, but the rest of it fit well, including the headpiece with the ears and little antlers. The exposed arms and inner chest didn't even feel any colder than the rest of him.

"Yaaaas, you all look great!" the fashionista said as she looked the three of them over, returning with yet another handful of clothes for them to look through. Once she dropped them she snapped her fingers in a Z formation and then held her hand up, striking a pose of her own.

"And now that you're dressed to impress, let's design a few more outfits!”

The three Seekers dove in with gusto. With plenty of Santa outfits in sizes large and small, in classic red as well as blue, white, and green, this getup was far and away the most common. It didn't take any time at all for the trio to locate a set of coat, pants, and boots in a size large enough to fit Ganondorf. With matching hat and a fake beard of course. Since Ace didn't know what Blazermate and Sectonia found so amusing about putting the warlord into this kind of outfit he figured that Santa must be a more jolly sort of guy compared to Ganondorf's dour personality. If that was the case, maybe he wouldn't like being the butt of a joke - so the hunter scrounged up a back up outfit that was still clearly Santa-inspired, but also functional enough that it could be worn outside of the holiday too.

For Sandalphon, a traditional flowing white angelic robe was a little harder to find... but they got close with a gorgeous choir robe with golden embroidery. Their fashion guru also suggested that if they wanted to really evoke 'angel' they could pair it with a wing accessory, which was lighter than the metallic piece made it look. It was a pretty garment, but given what Sandalphon normally wore maybe she would prefer a more stylish outfit for the modern era.

After some trial and error, the costuming team managed to put together an outfit that was reminiscent of a nutcracker's for Edward. They all agreed it would probably suit the man well, but that it was also rather plain. As they kept suggesting additional pieces or changes, it gradually became a separate outfit entirely. That was fine though, they still had the original laid out and ready to go.

At some point during the process of picking out clothes, holding them up next to each other, shaking or nodding their heads and then tossing them into a "yes" or "no" stack, Blazermate's scans picked up a small life form moving through the piles. When Ace stuck his hand in to pull it out, the critter turned out to be a little flea. One of the kids they were supposed to keep an eye for?

Well, it now sported a red knit cap with white fur trim and a star instead of puffball on top courtesy of Sectonia, and after being 'tagged' as found it was happy to help in choosing clothes - mainly by shaking its head in approval at every shiny piece.

Going with Blazermate's suggestion of 'snowman' for Roxas meant that they sorted through plenty of white clothes. Pure white, eggshell white, off white; sweaters, jackets, pants... and a very literal costume. If one chose to wear the head piece, they would be glad to find that the mouth opened providing an easy way to see and communicate. It looked cozy, if not a bit silly, but since Roxas was at that delicate age between child and adult it was hard to say if he'd think it was lame or not. He probably needed a backup outfit too, and the fashionista suggested something simple and classic that would suit a youth.

As for Tenna, Ace was very enthusiastic in his agreement that Mr. Ant-tenna needed some ant-lers for whatever outfit they went with for him. He was a very recent comrade, but friendly and funny. As an entertainer, would he want to stay stylish as a presenter, or wear something goofy to become the entertainment himself? It was on this that the three Seekers disagreed, spending much of their time trying to compromise on something both sleek and silly but not liking the results in the end.

Well, they'd come up with two options for everyone else so far, so why not for Tenna as well?

"How many outfits are we allowed to take?" Ace asked the fashionista, who was busying herself putting away all of the rejected clothing so far.

"Um, do you see how many we have? Take a bunch. Most people that visit end up returning the clothes before they leave anyway. If you end up falling in love with the looks though, feel free to keep them. They'll keep you warm."

That was all good news. At the last comment the hunter couldn't help but look over at a few of the display sets that were little more than festive swimsuits though. "All of them?"

The woman gave him a flat, knowing look. "All of them."

With the matter of how many outfits they could give out settled, they went with both interpretations for Tenna. The silly outfit consisted of a gift wrapped top with its hat swapped for a green cap with antlers and a shining red nose. The stylish outfit featured candy cane slacks and patterned vest, as well as a much more elaborate antlered hat.

While they were going down the list, the Cadet noted that the girls had forgotten Heismay. The eugief had the combo of being one of the older party members, but also one of the smallest, which meant kid's costumes probably weren't to his taste even if they'd fit. Luckily the Santa outfits were all ages, so there was a coat in just his size, not unlike the kind that one of the locals of similar build wore. If they used that person as inspiration, they could add themed boots and a hat that could sit on his head between his ears. Of course if that was a little too childish for him, there was another another set that might work, with or without the tree-like hat. The boots that came with this one were probably more Heismay's speed anyway.

Speaking of, Ace held up a similar hat when he spotted it. This one looked really close to Sectonia's chosen dress, so he offered it to the queen bee.

"What d'ya think, a corona for a crown?" he said, then paused. Did that pun make sense? Eh, whatever, they couldn't all be winners.

”I suppose… To be honest I’d prefer more crystal ornaments and gold trim, but that is traditional popstar...” Sectonia knew it fit the costume, but yeah, the lack of her own christmas costumes and such were becoming apparent. Although maybe she could do something with the decorations?

Luckily for her, "Decoration Station" was not far from Christmas Clothier, being in the same building. Now that she'd had a chance to see the town and get a feel for what kinds of things the locals looked for in both their clothes and their decorations, she would probably do well in making sure everyone and everything looked their best. Heck, maybe the stagecoach could use some decorations too - but first, they had to finish up with the outfitting.

Since they'd only recently met Mokou, she was a tough one to choose for. Wreaths were all over the village, but as for wearing them the team surprisingly came up short. There were wreaths as crowns or bracelets, and one scarf, but that was it. Wreaths were pretty much limited to accessories. But if that was the case, they could always pick the outfits that those accessories were meant to go with - like the cute red outfit with a wreath-wand. With Mokou's flowing white hair it would probably look pretty good. Ace did point out that with her lax personality, she might appreciate something like a set of jammies more, complete with cute, starry hooded cape.

Which left only Ramattra now. They had to not only take his physical changes into account, but his personality as well as he seemed to be one of the Seekers that was less inclined to put up with too much silliness. Hopefully being part of the cheerful village festivities would loosen him up some though. The easiest choice for Ramattra was something that disregarded pants entirely due to the trio of spider-like legs the omnic now sported. Ace, Blazermate, and Sectonia worked together to pick out things that ended up coming together decently well: a classic Christmas colored sweater and huge scarf, along with a set of glowing red and green lights that could easily wrap around even jointed legs without obstructing them. With the addition of some big, fake antlers that probably pushed it too far, the outfit wasn't half bad. Thankfully the antlers were not mandatory... although the fashion guru did end up adding one last minute addition to her own outfit suggestion after seeing them. Her pick was a long, open mantle that could easily fit over any other outfit or body type, and would conceal the missing arm if that's what the omnic ended up wanting to do. Of course it also sported some festive finery, and a fluffy brown scarf, a headband with ears and horns, and a pair and a half of reindeer-inspired boots that would fit just fine on Ramattra's new feet.

With so many Seekers to clothe and so many options to choose from, the three that had ended up in the clothier's spent the better part of the morning in there. At least looking at all the outfits and discussing what would look best on who had been fun. Slightly less fun was folding every individual chosen piece so they could be packed into colorful gift boxes and delivered to all of the others, but even so they could still chat while they did it, and try to puzzle out how to spell some of their friends' names as they wrote them on the box tags… which brought them a whole other issue in that they could understand each other’s spoken language, but their text and alphabets differed. Thankfully it was easy enough to get around by just including the same name a couple times in different letters.

When they were all done their outfit mentor shoved all of the boxes into a neat stack; two per person, with plenty of generic Christmas accessories thrown in to be safe. She also pulled out a few plain sacks, but assured the group that the boxes would miraculously fit and they wouldn’t be crushed unless something really, really tried to do it. And if an extra outfit had somehow ended up bundled with the others (a classy winter scarf, sweater, and coat combo with an added icy top hat), wrapped up and simply labeled "Professor", well, it would just have been a coincidence.

“Do you want us to deliver them to your friends, or do you want to deliver them yourselves?” she asked.

”If the ritual to banish the blizzard is ‘Christmas spirit’, it might be best if we deliver them ourselves.” Sectonia said, though a bit annoyed at the prospect. She knew how particular rituals could get though, so much like many things, she’d have to bite her tongue at the annoyance for now. She thought of having Antlers deliver them, but a fair amount of the seekers might get confused as to what is happening or reject them outright.

”I will take Tenna, Edward, and Sandalphon. Ace, I recommend you give Ganondorf, Ramattra and Heismay theirs. Blazermate, you have Roxas and Mokou.” Sectonia said, delegating giving the costumes out. She made sure to take note of who would receive the costumes the best from each person. Well, when it came to Ganondorf and Ramattra, she wasn’t entirely sure. Blazermate might be a good choice for them as no one on the team disliked her, but her frame couldn’t carry much while Ace was quite strong. And Sectonia didn’t want to deal with that whole mess, it would be far too embarrassing.

"That suits me fine," Ace said. With the sacks sorted, the costume team was officially ready to finish their task. "Let's get a move on, no time like the present, right?"

"Oh, wait!" came a new voice. The lady who'd been deep into her knitting now approached with another flea in hand, wearing a tiny version of the sweater she'd been making. "This little guy ended up being all tangled in the yarn. Can you take him with you?"

With no reason to refuse, the pair of fleas trotted along after the Seekers as they made their way out of the workshop and fanned out. Since they didn't know which members of their team were where, they ended up passing each other once or twice as they made a lap around town again to deliver the outfits. Ace did not go out of his way to explain too much to the people he gifted to, just mentioning that they were outfits for everyone for the celebration and they could wear them if they wanted. The fact that he was walking around in his own themed outfit said he was already getting into the festivities himself, and that the outfits would be warm no matter how they actually looked or what they were made of. The girls were a little more detailed in their delivery when they presented the boxes with bows to their own assignments.

The single box for "Professor" ended up in Sectonia's bag, which was also a lucky coincidence (or perhaps some Christmas magic?) since the man in question could be found around Sandalphon - and the queen bee would just hand the box off to their archangel to sort out, since she hadn't wanted to act as a courier in the first place.

And of course the little fleas ended up skipping home to the caravan to show off their own new duds as well. All in all it was a fairly productive morning, as far as knocking out some of the village's tasks went.

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

_{Thursday Afternoon}
Word Count: 1049 (+2 exp)
Level: 8 - Total EXP: 322/80
Location: Esaka's Pools, the Forbidden Kingdom

Victory did not feel as good this time as it had earlier. Pit was not one to wallow in unpleasant thoughts for long though, and soon enough he really had convinced himself that the outcome for his and Ashrah's match was for the best. The demonness seemed pleased, anyway. It was a little hard to tell, but she definitely had more pep in her step compared to that morning. As they crossed the threshold between their assigned area and the Pools Tier in general, she glanced down at the angel who was staring at the little mote of light he carried with a pinched expression.

"I meant to ask, what exactly is that thing?" she questioned.

"It's the spirit of that wraith," Pit answered, squinting his eyes at the image in the orb. It definitely did not have wings. After a moment he looked up at Ashrah, meeting her curious gaze. "Guess I didn't really go over that part yet? You can basically do a bunch of things with them, but I dunno if I want to use this one."

For a moment Ashrah looked conflicted. Her fingers flexed around the handle of a weapon that wasn't there. She had slayed Omen with the Kriss, and yet its spirit remained? But she had felt the blade sing with the demon's slaughter and a rush of relief that must have been part of the purification process... could it be that with the demon's death its evil was purged from the world, and the ball of light was only something like a husk, in place of corpse?

That must be it. She gave a barely noticeable nod of her head as she decided this truth.

Oblivious to the woman's brief inner turmoil, Pit was having an internal discussion of his own.

Lady Palutena? Did you hear from that Gargos guy when...?

It does seem like it would have been the perfect time for another god to barge in our conversation, huh? But no, I haven't heard anything. Either he is still under Galeem's control, like I was, and can't tune in to any divine radio stations, or... he just didn't care.

Even if Omen was evil, that's kinda sad. I never understood how anyone can follow someone like that.

Some people are only attracted to the power an evil being can grant. And for others, it's all they know. They can't even see any other option.

It was that last thought that Pit mulled over. He was far from the philosophical sort, but despite what some may think he did have a brain. A brain that he sometimes used, even.

"Hey Ashrah," he said, drawing the demon woman's attention back to him. "Were you always a nice demon?"

The question seemed to come from no where for those that weren't privy to angel and goddess' telepathic communication. Ashrah blinked at Pit, and he stared for a moment before he winced when he realized his wording. "Uh, sorry, is that weird to ask? I just meant since I've never met another demon who wanted to un-demon themselves? You told me a little about it but not from the beginning."

Ashrah let the faux pas pass, having dealt with much, much worse before. "It's fine. In truth, for most of my life I thought that Netherrealm was the same as everywhere else. A damned existence for all who lived. I was ignorant... or naive, I suppose. It wasn't until I finally left that I saw the truth for myself."

She paused, casting her gaze out over the city and the landscape they could see from where they were. "I saw Earthrealm, Outworld... saw happy people, a better way to live. I wanted it, and to have it I knew I had to leave everything I was taught, everything that I was, behind me.

"...does that answer your question?"

"Yeah, thank you," Pit replied, glancing from Ashrah to Omen's spirit with a thoughtful expression. If they had showed this demon a different way, another option, could they have turned him away from the path of darkness too? The angel did not regret what happened, but the thought stuck in his mind all the same.

Pit tucked the spirit away and then summoned a bright smile for his battle partner. "Alright! We're all done with Mortal Kombat for today! What's next on the agenda?"

Their wandering had brought them to one of the Pool's main entrances, so they could head anywhere - deeper in, or out of the Tier entirely if they wanted. Ashrah placed a hand on her hip when they stopped, pursing her lips slightly as she thought about what else she had to do today. Pools days were normally not that busy, especially if you won all of your matches.

"You were looking for new places to stay within Esaka, weren't you? I can point you towards a few, though if you end up in dire straits I'm sure the members of Fight of Gods wouldn't turn you away. We even have a few futons at the Order of Light, though you may have to deal with a well meaning lecture from some of the older masters."

Despite her straight face, Pit could tell she was making a joke and he chuckled lightly. "Crashing at a dojo is a back up plan. Plus we've got people that aren't part of any dojos, so yeah, let's go look at the other places."

Though after hearing that Ashrah had freed pretty much her whole dojo from Galeem, Pit had been thinking of visiting Fight of Gods again for that purpose... he didn't feel bad enough to take Zeus up on his offer of going there to get healed, but maybe if he stopped in later using that as an excuse he could throw a few friend hearts around.

"Oh! While we're up here though we could check on Sareena!" Not to mention the other Seekers still fighting that afternoon.

At that, Ashrah nodded. "I'm sure she'll appreciate it. If my memory serves me, her last match will have recently ended. She should still be in the Pools."

They weren't far from the section they'd come from, so it would be no trouble at all to turn around to head for the other Netherrealmer's last known location.

What Are You Listening To?