Sakura bowed at Nadia, smiling broadly. She was happy to have won and gotten her friend back. It felt like...trying up loose ends.

Sakura just half-lidded her eyes at Bowser, unimpressed. "Yeah, maybe you're right, Mister King Bowser." She said, puffing out her cheeks. She gave Geralt a sidelong smirk. Rich people! Maybe the fact that King Bowser, the king of all villains, could relate to Karin Kanzuki, one of Sakura's best friends, was a bad sign.

But Karin wasn't a villain! She was just misunderstood. When it came down too it she always fought on the side of justice. Besides, Karin was at her worst when she was like, 15 years old, essentially a child! So it didn't count. Now she was just...rough around the edges.

Karin Kanzuki returned a short while later in her red buttoned top and skirt, white ruffles adorning the end of her sleeves. During that time Sakura had switched...back into her school girl uniform, without enough time to make any of her fashion decisions.

Ishizaki-san informed Karin of where the others had went.

"They left without me?" Karin asked.

"Um, yeah, but they aren't too far ahead, we can catch up." Sakura said. She had waited, and Ishizaki-san and her had chatted about sports in the meantime. "We should hurry up. I'm so hungry I could eat a horse." She had missed Karin's luncheaon, after all.

"Ugh." Karin said. "How crude. I still need to teach you some manners. Where are they going, anyway?"

"A place called the Rum for Ale." Ishizaki answers.

"The Rum for-?" Karin sneers at the name.

"What? What is it?" Sakura asks, a laugh in her voice.

"What is that some kind of...dive bar? Any place with a pun in it's name is full of unremarkable commoners. Especially if said pun is related to the consumption of some crude alcoholic beverage."

"Oh, shut up. Let's just go." She takes Karin by the hand and runs off, Karin having no choice but to follow behind.

The place wasn't as bad as Karin thought. Infact, it was well designed with a unique novelty. Though she was very dubious that they would let the customers work as wait staff. Incredulous, even. Regardless, she sat down next to Sakura and flattened a napkin over her lap. Her own napkin, with the monogram 'K K' on it.

"Wow, this place is cool. Reminds me of a place I'd see on Earth!"

"Indeed." Karin said, knitting her eyebrows together. She was still getting used to the fact that she was now on an alien planet of some kind. Or another dimension. And the truly disturbing amount of people with red eyes. It was everyone.

"...I'm of the mind to defeat every single person in Limsa in combat." She muttered to herself.

Things had gotten messy in a hurry between the mad scramble for badges and the frantic efforts of mercenaries and Seekers alike to secure a safe retreat for their comrades. While the sand worms posed little threat even if allowed to leap up directly under someone, the Sabogar pack and their twin Saboquill leaders posed a serious problem alongside their more flowery aerial counterparts, all of them boasting both dangerous powers and troublesome passive abilities, as those who took them on quickly found out. Unlike most of their comrades, Tora and Poppi Alpha dealt low damage but could soak up tons in return, making them best suited for tackling the thorny threat. Despite that, since their mission wasn’t to exterminate the Spectrobes but hold them off while their friends got going, a quick switch to Poppi’s Wind Core had allowed the pair to better keep the creatures at bay while taking minimal retaliation.

The others who joined them on the frontlines didn’t get that luxury. Whenever Vandham approached a Sabogar, his twin scythes eager to clear out some weeds, he could do little but grin and bear it as he fought it back. Luckily the Adult-stage Spectrobes reflected only twenty percent of the punishment they sustained, compared to their Evolved-stage leaders’ fifty, and in terms of hardiness Vandham had them beat. Rather than fight them directly, Shovel Knight strove to bury his enemies or flip them off their feet. Sectonia and Midna went on the offensive too, taking on some of the most threatening monsters around other than the stunned Molduga. With a little help from their friends they managed to squeak out a victory against the Florami and Saboquill, taking their spirits as they then fled to safety aboard the Virgin Victory.

While the Twilight Princess dealt with one, the second Saboquill gave its attention to Asbestos. After figuring out what its deal was, the Savra girl happily stopped attacking altogether, and for all its strength the monster couldn’t penetrate her shield. She continued to alternate between taunting the beast and deftly blocking its attacks until her badge warped her back to the ship, leaving her lightly winded and more than a little disappointed that her fun had come to a sudden end. Band shook his head in disbelief at the rambunctious operator, wondering how someone could get a kick out of all that. Regardless of her methods, a quick head count proved that nobody had been lost in the chaos, and the detective gave a sigh of relief. The fact that the extraction had gone off without a hitch was a cause for celebration, a better end than he could have ever hoped for to the craziest day that he’d ever had the misfortune of experiencing.



After the excitement died down everyone settled in for the trip as best they could. Some went inside in the hopes that a shower or similar facility might be present, but as a dual-purpose troop transport and war machine the Virgin Victory was lucky to even have an onboard lavatory. other than Wonder Toilet of course, who did not appear eager to fulfill his namesake’s function in any capacity whatsoever. Worse still, there wasn’t nearly as much room inside the ship as it might first appear, with much of its interior space split between the sophisticated engine room and a massive deployable cannon from midship to bow. When it came to a shower, Primrose and Midna would have to hope and pray for suitable accommodation where they were headed, but at least they could wash their faces in the bathroom and enjoy the air conditioning in the interior. Sectonia, unfamiliar with the technology in use aboard the Virgin Victory, attempted to get in touch with Commander Nelson via the intercoms he used to welcome the Seekers, but with the communication system offline she received no response from the wall-mounted apparatus.

While their companions took it easy in the hold below, Tora and Poppi stayed up top on deck. Watching the sunset was one reason, but the splendid spectacle they really wanted to see was their old friend. “Vandham!” they called together, jogging over to where the huge man sat against the deck’s railing with the wind jiggling his pompadour.

“G’day!” Vandham greeted them with a coarse smile. “Worked up a sweat there, eh kids?” He wiped at his brow to emphasize the point. With how hard he’d fought both his face and his brawny arms were shiny with the stuff, and when the wind blew across his body it helped cool him down just as well as the airship’s AC might have. Plus, his heaving lungs were glad for the fresh, clear air. No amount of sweat, however, would stop Tora from bouncing straight into Vandham’s arm and wrapping his wings around the guy in a big Nopon-hug.

The mercenary leader just laughed. “‘Ey now, what’s all this, then? Don’t tell me you lot were worried about me?”

“Yes!” Tora exclaimed, squeezing tighter. “We were worried that you going sacrifice yourself for us again, meh!”

Vandham shook his head, a quizzical expression on his face. “There ya go about me dyin’ again, just like back in Alcamoth. I mean, I can think of worse ways t’go, but I ain’t in any ‘urry to kick the bucket or anythin’, ya hear?”

“Sorry,” Poppi told him, her face apologetic. “It just sort of hard to come to grips with, after all. Things not make total sense. We just glad to be back with you, is all.”

“Very glad, meh-meh!”

Their friend chuckled and he tousled Tora’s hair, then reached out and patted Poppi on the head, too. “Well, I ain’t gonna question it. All’s well that ends well, as they say. I’m glad t’see ya again too, kids.”

After a moment Tora pulled himself away from Vandham’s chest and looked up at him, subjecting the man to his trademark unflinching eye contact. Memories of past losses, both distant and recent, swirled in his mind. “If you mean it, just promise Tora one thing, meh! If we ever get in bad spot, don’t stab belly with scythes! After everything Tora and Poppi been through, we heroes now, too! We strong enough to make sure all friends make it through, together.”

A flicker of amusement raced across Vandham’s features, but something else quickly replaced it–something like pride. “Heh. Well, if ya say so. Ya do look a fair bit tougher’n last I saw ya, Poppi ‘specially. So yeah, I promise. Won’t go stabbin’ meself, I swear.”

“Music to Tora’s ears, meh!” the Nopon sang. Vandham invited Poppi to sit beside him and Tora, and with a smile the artificial blade joined him. There, the three settled in to watch the sun set over the ocean together, the spectacular display long overdue for enjoyment in peaceful silence. Nestled between his beloved companion and temporary father figure, Tora breathed slowly, tired but happy. “Tora just wish other friends here to see this with us.”

“Me too, Masterpon,” Poppi murmured. “Me too.” She heard a funny sound and looked over to see her creator sound asleep, too tuckered out from the day’s trials to even see the sunset to its conclusion. Smiling, she made a mental note to pin the memory for later.

---

It was well past dusk by the time that the Virgin Victory set down on the outskirts of Gerudo Town. When the airship slowed down to fly a loop overhead, those who ascended to the its upper deck could get a good look at the desert settlement from above, and take in its unique features. The city featured a main avenue dotted with palm trees, the colorful silks and satins of market stalls illuminated by cheery firelight, and angular sandstone buildings whose rooves appeared to be pools of water that glinted in the moonlight, connected by aqueducts to form a circuit all throughout the city that began at the three great stone goblets that towered over the palace. All this seemed to be enclosed by a high stone wall, patrolled by statuesque Gerudo guardswomen armed with enormous spears and greatswords.

In the end, however, the Virgin Victory circled around and came down about a mile south of Gerudo Town, at an oasis bazaar in the desert. Thanks to the lake the ship could land without having to worry about the stabilizing fin on the underside, and thanks to the onboard short-range warp technology the passengers could teleport straight to the shore without having to worry about getting their feet wet, unless they happened to fancy a late-night dip.

Before anyone disembarked, however, Commander Nelson booted up the intercom to address them once more. “Welcome to Kara Kara Bazaar,” he announced. “As you may have noticed, we did not in fact land at our stated destination, Gerudo Town. To put things plainly, men are expressly prohibited from entering that settlement, for what we believe to be cultural reasons. And yes, that goes for males of all species, not just humans.”

Tora’s mouth had opened to say something, but he promptly closed it again.

Nelson’s explanation continued without missing a beat. “As such, all ladies aboard the ship can hike over and find whatever accommodations they might wish in Gerudo Town should they want. Only one member of the scouting team that came this way prior happened to be female, but she reported quite the incredible assortment of shops and dwellings within. Alas, gentlemen, no need to be envious, for while it is a far cry from true civilization, the Bazaar has everything we might need in order to spend the night, including a general store, and an inn. Be on your best behavior for the locals, and I’m sure we’ll all be right as rain, come morning.”

As the intercom clicked off, it left behind a number of mixed feelings. His curiosity ignited by the prospect of a town full of women and further stoked by the idea that he’d be denied entry because of his sex, a frustrated Tora slouched back down against the railing. Band simply sighed. “Well, there go any chances o’ gettin’ my tin can fixed up.”

Tora suddenly perked up. “Hang on, meh. If friend Band’s machiney bits giving grief, Tora can take a look!”

Band glanced at the little fuzzball with one eyebrow raised. “Ya sure ya got the know-how, li’l man? From where I’m standin,’ it looks like we’re on two totally different wavelengths when it come to tech.”

“No problem!” the Nopon declared. “Tora real whiz when it come to figuring things out, meh! Besides, it only fair that Tora do best Tora can. After all…” Wings akimbo, he closed his eyes and gave a sagacious nod as he huffed. “Us guys need look after one another, too!”

His companion, meanwhile, tapped her finger against her chin. “Poppi wonder if allowed in Gerudo Town, since Masterpon designed Poppi to be female.”

Her speculation overshot Tora completely. “Poppi!” he exclaimed, looking horrified. “Surely you not think to leave poor Masterpon out alone!?”

“What happened to ‘guys look after one another’?” Poppi stared at Tora’s pleading expression for a solid two seconds while Asbestos snickered. “Uh…no, Poppi stay with Masterpon, of course.”

“Hooray!”

A minute later, everyone stood on the shore of oasis, between the water and the path leading toward Gerudo Town. After an enthusiastic cannonball into the oasis, Tora got air-dried with the help of Poppi’s Wind Core and then pulled on his overalls. “Have fun in lady town, friends!” he called as he waved to the contingent headed toward the walled city. Among their number was the Virgin Victory’s pilot Alice MacGregor, who would be purchasing the supplies that Shirogane needed to repair the airship on the team’s behalf. Poppi waved them off too.

As she walked away, Asbestos turned and stuck her tongue back out of those left behind. “Sucks to suck, dudes!” she yelled. The Scout gave her the middle finger, which she promptly returned with two hands instead of one. Peacock joined in on the teasing by waving her arms around like noodles.

Once the others had left, the leftovers huddled up. At nighttime, the desert was actually pretty nice, with no humidity to retain the day’s heat. It pretty much went without saying that the inn would be everyone’s first choice, but someone had other ideas. “Alright gents, there ain’t enough room in there for all of us,” Vandham observed. He, Braum, and Big Band made for quite the larger-than-life trio as they stood together. “What say we grab some tents from the general store an’ rough it under the stars?”

“I have endured far worse. Count me in!” Braum declared, as jolly as ever.

“Beats gettin’ the stinkeye after my two-and-a-half-ton can squashes the hotel beds,” Band agreed.

“Roight then!” The three nodded together, then clasped hands one after another in a display of manly camaraderie, then marched off. Tora waddled behind, appreciative of his allies’ resolve but eager to collapse into a bed of his own, and ultimately split off with Poppi in the direction of the inn.



Once she pulled up a chair, happy to place herself by the Cadet even if he paid no particular mind to where he seated himself, Nadia launched straight into her perusal of the drink menu. While any of the many unfamiliar beers on offer sounded interesting enough to give a try, her eyes drifted toward the cocktail menu, where she found her mark. “Tequila!” she exclaimed. “Now we’re talkin’!” As much as she enjoyed a good rum, tequila was a quintessential drink for any self-respecting latina. Well, if popular culture was anything to go by, at least; a stray like herself couldn’t boast of much of an authentic connection to wherever it was she’d been born. But it felt right, and it was hard to go wrong with the succinct list of ingredients underneath the name of the drink she had her eyes on. A double-check confirmed that there appeared to be no price listed, but it would feel weird if she took the time to ask, and it wasn’t like this place was out to ruin her, right?

“One Tequila Screwdriver, please!” she requested of Cerberus when her turn came around. Ace’s order, made directly after hers, made her wonder if he knew just what he was getting into. That he’d enjoy himself she didn’t doubt, since given the name of the restaurant rum was probably its specialty, but if he planned to drink straight liquor without any flavoring or liquid to water it down, things could go south real fast. Maybe he’d gotten the wrong idea from how she downed her own mixed drinks earlier? It took some serious alcohol to compromise a body that constantly regenerated, after all, much more than would be normal for someone of her slender physique. But eh, he’d probably be fine. With how much he ate he had to be denser than a collapsing star, or something.

With everyone gathered together at what amounted to a single table, Nadia looked forward to an invigorating group conversation, even if that took the form of several concurrent chats that popped up and died out all around rather than a single all-encompassing discussion. Before anything could really get started though, she found herself distracted by Geralt. She caught the Witcher looking at her funny again, making subtle pointed motions in her direction. What’s his deal? she wondered. Was something wrong? Maybe she’d missed something while cleaning up after her little run-in with those unsavory locals. He might have noticed a splatter of blood somewhere that she couldn’t, or even spotted the hole in the back of her swimsuit where she’d been stabbed, despite the t-shirt she bought to cover up. Or maybe something altogether different concerned him, and it was Nadia Fortune in whom he chose to confide. Either way, it would be better to get whatever this was sorted out now, before she got comfortable and while the staff worked to fulfill the drink orders. Without excusing herself she pushed her chair back from the table, stood, and followed in Geralt’s footsteps.

The two met in the nearby overhang corridor that led back to the street, in clear view of the others but out of earshot. Rather than beat about the bush, Geralt told Nadia what he figured out straight-up. Hearing his discovery prompted no sign of fear or hostility, but instead a wince of embarrassment. “Oh man, I do?” She tugged on her shirt and pressed it up to her nose for a deep whiff. “...I can’t smell anythin’. You must smell pretty good.” She blinked, her brows furrowed. “Uh, I mean your nose smells pretty good. Or…well, ya know what I mean, right?”

Nadia took a quick breath in and out, involuntarily glancing back toward the others, before she faced Geralt again, leaned back against the wall, and crossed her arms. “But sure, no problem. Cat’s out the bag, as they say. Basically, uh, I was in a big hurry when I left my room today, and I fur-got to lock my door. Miiiiiight have, uh, forgotten to close it, actually…” A sudden itch on her cheek forced her to scratch it as she glanced sideways again, an embarrassed smile on her face. “When I got back, my gold was gone. Purr-loined. Couldn’t let that slide, right? Not only was it a stinkin’ ton of money, but it was from my folks, too. Or their ghosts, I guess. So I went and tracked the thief down to this dingy, scummy bar on the bottom level of the shanties. Ya know, the piers stacked up below the towers. I wasn’t plannin’ on things gettin’ messy, but…” The feral hesitated a moment, then sighed.

“There were a coupla nasty customers. Not just tryin’ to beat me, but tryin’ to kill me. One of ‘em was gonna torture me by choppin’ up my leg, one inch at a time. The same dude just flat-out murdered one of his own when they bumped into one another, ‘cause of Galeem’s thing. Another actually stabbed me in the back while her buddy put on the waterworks.” She twisted around, rotating her head to keep her eyes on Geralt as she pulled her shirt to show the hole in her one-piece, as well as the scar from the knife-wound below. The next moment she was back to normal, the reveal brief but highly informative. “At that point, it was kill or be killed.”

She exhaled slowly, thinking about the more pressing matter that Geralt mentioned. A stab wound didn’t necessarily mean much to an immortal catgirl, but the consequences of her actions, however justified, warranted concern. “As for enemies…I honestly dunno. There wasn’t anyone else in the bar, but even if nobody outside heard or saw anything…and they prooooobably did…word’s gonna get out. I only took out the two scumbags I mentioned before, so that’s five or six free to blab to whoever. In my experience, the authorities don’t give a crap about whatever goes on in the shady parts of town, but maybe things’re different here? And even if the cops or navy or whoever don’t check it out, chances are someone’s not happy. In places like that, everythin’s connected. Like webs in the dark corners of a room. Tug on something, and sooner or later the spider’s gonna come along to check it out.”

Nadia shivered despite the warm air. While she could fend for herself just fine, she knew all too well just how vicious someone could get if one stirred up the wrong hornet’s nest. Crime bosses didn’t appreciate being messed with, to put it lightly. How many more pickpockets, thugs, and thieves frequented that bar, paying their dues to the man behind the counter? And what were the odds that Barth stood at the top of his food chain, despite his claim to the lofty title of Pirate Lord? While brutish and cruel, in a straight fight he turned out to be nothing special, and he lacked the most crucial element of all: brains. That Red Band Rita seemed to have authority over him, after all, but why would their group’s head honcho be whittling at a wood shop right in front of one of the shanties’ entrances? There was no telling what she got herself into, simply because Nadia wished to reclaim what was hers. “Probably for the best we’re leavin’ soon, huh?”

There wasn’t too much more to say on the subject, so the two left the corridor soon too, and returned to the table. Most everyone’s drinks had arrived, but for now Cerberus seemed to be busy delivering bowls of complimentary chips and salsa to the diners around the table, so Nadia had enough time to take her seat and figure out what she wanted before the staff arrived to take the Seekers’ orders. She plopped back down in her seat, took a big sip of her Screwdriver, and began to pore over the menu. “What’d I miss?”



Even after leaving the frigid avalanche behind, the cold continued to seep into the bodies of the travelers as they pressed onward along the river as it wound and wove to the Frozen Highlands’ northwestern coast. Funneled by the icy river canyon, it blew straight through winter coats and clothing alike. Though slowed by weather-appropriate apparel, that indomitable chill gained ground bit by bit, and what territory it conquered it would not relinquish without an active source of heat to route its offensive. Despite Albedo’s assurance that he would be fine, Frisk continued to worry about his condition, as well as that of the others’. Linkle and the Prisoner might not feel the cold, but without body heat of his own to keep his muscles warm the latter could still succumb to freezing. It made sense, therefore, that the smoke signal of a potential campfire or chimney would get Frisk’s attention.

Albedo didn’t take long to consider the child’s suggestion. Frost had visibly gathered in his hair and on his clothes, even his eyelashes. The cold had even appeared to dull Linkle’s spirit, for she seemed to have fallen quiet ever since the foiled ambush. An odd hypothesis, perhaps, but more pleasant than the possibility of a burgeoning internal struggle with the Skull Heart. “Very well,” he agreed. “We should avoid risk wherever possible. Let’s seek out this fire, and hope that its current tenants are hospitable.”

With Albedo and Frisk at the forefront the group diverted from the bitterly cold river valley and began their ascent past snow-laden bushes, the spindly branches of long-dead trees, and obelisks of ice that cropped up from the ground. They kept their eyes peeled for aggressive snowmen, but the few specimens they found all shied away the minute they caught sight of the newcomers. Other than that they only spotted a handful of musk oxen shoveling through the snow for anything edible. As they drew nearer to the source of the smoke, they rounded an outcropping of rock and alerted a white rabbit a short ways ahead. It turned their way and froze, ears perked up, and instinctively the four stopped in their tracks as well. The bunny was adorable, a contender for the cutest thing Frisk or Linkle had ever seen, but before the rabbit could even turn to flee an arrow whizzed down from the sky and killed it with startling abruptness, pinning its body to the ground.

Albedo blinked a few times, largely nonplussed, and peered up to see a white-feathered bird man descend from above. He landed on the ground by his kill, his sharp yellow eyes narrowed with distrust. “Nearly scared it off,” he told the newcomers, his tone brusque. “What are you doing here?”

“Seeking relief from the cold as we journey along the river,” Albedo told him simply. “We mean you no harm, nor do we intend to steal from you.”

“That’s what they all say.” Unconvinced, Teba kept his eyes on the four as he knelt to retrieve both arrow and prey. His gaze lingered on Frisk, Linkle, and the Prisoner’s weapons, provided they didn’t hide or discard them, and he also couldn’t help but notice that only the Fallen Child appeared to be shivering. “Following the smoke, I assume? There’s plenty of wood around you know, just in case the thought of starting your own fire crossed your mind.”

The alchemist’s expression remained unchanged. “Be that as it may, we were hoping we could rely on another’s kindness. If my friends here were to disarm themselves, would that make a better case for our good intentions?”

Stubborn as a mule, Teba seemed intent on not giving one inch. He sidled to stand in the way, as if to get a clearer shot, or perhaps to place himself between the strangers and something farther up the path. “Only someone with a back-up plan would make such an offer,” he astutely reasoned, his bow not raised, but still held tight. “Plenty of people have hidden powers, and don’t think I don’t know about pocket dimensions. Give me one good reason why I should listen.”

Level: 2
Experience: 19/20
Currently In: Frozen Highlands, Dragonspine
Word Count: 248 (+1 Exp)
Albedo @Lugubrious, Linkle @Gentlemanvaultboy, Prisoner @XoXKieroBombXoX

It was either luck, or whatever not evil higher being watching over them giving the group a break from any further attacks. It didn't stop them from staying vigilant, but most of the creatures they caught sight of simply fled before either could act. A small rabbit for example. "Awe." Frisk couldn't help but smile at the sight for sore eyes. They were more than willing to let it hop away.

But then a sudden arrow killing it instantly said otherwise. Caught off guard, the youth's eyes were widened, and their jaw had dropped. What. The. Heck. Their expression barely change when the culprit and source of the smoke made himself known, and made his distrust apparent. As Albedo tried to reason with the bird man, the child hugged themself, deciding to try and ignore the abrupt interruption of peace. Once the bird man gave his piece, Frisk finally spoke up. They weren't even aware they were shivering till now.

"I'm not sure if my friends have pocket dimensions themselves, but the worst I could do is form a barrier-shield thing." They explained. "Our stop is intended to be temporary anyways. We just need to rest and get warmed back up, and we'll be heading back out soon enough. Snowmen ambushed us. If anything, we could help out around here, if you don't want to let this slide for free." Frisk shrugged. Their grip on their weapon remained slack, as if to show they don't intend to fight.

Teba's suspicious expression gained an air of incredulity as Frisk spoke up, as if the child could possible have anything to say that might sway the airborne archer when Albedo's best attempt to smooth things over fell short. In fact, all Frisk could offer was uncertain reassurance without confidence, and it left a lot to be desired. With a dismissive shake of his head Teba was ready to brush the kid off before they even finished speaking, but at the last moment he heard something that made him think twice. Frisk volunteered not just their help, but that of the entire party, for whatever ends the Rito might see fit so long as he allowed them a respite by his fire. The fact that his eyes narrowed in consideration told the heat-seekers that there just might be something he needed help with as well, enough to make him seriously entertain the thought of obliging the four even when curt refusal had been on the very tip of his tongue.

He didn't debate Frisk's proposal long, but stuffed the rabbit spirit into his pouch and turned to walk away. After a few steps, however, he turned halfway around and motioned for the others to follow with a flick of his head. Albedo complied, leading his party after Teba at a respectful distance, and aware of the sharp eye that his guide kept on his group the whole time, and the bow that never left his hand. Should he, Frisk, Linkle, or the Prisoner make any trouble he seemed ready to spring into the air at the drop of a hat, a deluge of lethal arrows left in his wake. The alchemist took pains not to betray his morsel of goodwill in any way.

Teba brought Albedo's group through a copse of bulky, misshapen trees, leafless and long dead. Their unusual mass and unsettling contours made it difficult to obliviously pass them by, and it took only the tiniest amount of examination to determine that these were no ordinary trees. Instead, they appeared to be giant corpses, their peeling skin and tough as hard as bark, with severed limbs that terminated in clusters of branches, and bodies pierced by multiple trunks as if grown from within. Eerie and macabre, even more than the grove of dolls that Frisk traversed near Treat's lonesome manor, the gravewood encouraged the visitors to hurry on their way, and Teba picked up the pace accordingly.

Just up the hill from the gravewood they came to a particularly large giant tree, those one crusted over in ruby-red sap with sinister connotations. Nestled as if in its lap was the bonfire that the four came to find, and around it were tents that took advantage of the branches and roots for stable construction. There, the newcomers spotted a little boy huddled up by the flames, as well as an older woman with her arms crossed. The moment she spotted Teba on his way, followed by a bunch of strangers, her expression turned as cold as Dragonspine itself. "...Teba. Who might they be?"

In turn the Rito glanced at Albedo and Frisk, his pointed expression saying that they ought to make their case for themselves. "Just travelers, in search of warmth and rest after a snowman ambush by the icy river," Albedo told them. "Your friend brought us here in return for us offering to help with some unspecified task afterward."

Teba's eyes narrowed, displeased that any words might be put in his mouth, no matter how minor. Before he could say anything, though, the little boy jumped to his feet. He seemed to have a haunted sort of look to him, as if anxiety had been eating away at him from inside for quite some time. "Are they gonna help find dad?" he blurted out, his desperate face possessed of only the faintest glimmer of hope.

The woman pursed her lips, then motioned to the newcomers to come over to the fire. "Sit." As Teba stalked over, she kept her eyes on Albedo and the others. "No funny business either. It's not just us here."

As if to emphasize her point there came a sudden surge of cold wind that flapped the four's coats, hair, and scarves. Albedo glanced around idly, but couldn't immediately identify a source. Whatever these campers might have in store, it would be for the best to make them feel as secure as possible. "Understood, ma'am."

Once he and the others seated themselves by the fire, and the boy fixed them with a pleading stare, the woman spoke again. "I'm Melony. This is Joel, and over there is Teba. Joel's father, Joserf, went up the mountain some time ago, but he did not return on time. Teba has been taking care of him since then, bringing food and such." The archer closed his eyes and looked away, as if the very idea offended him. "I myself was on an expedition with my three Pokemon to the caverns inside the mountain when we were caught in an avalanche." Her expression turned bitter. "When it was all over, I only found...one of them, no matter how hard I searched. And then, when my back was turned, my own partner attacked me! If not for Teba out on a hunt, I would have died. Chased it off, but it must have followed us back, because that night it returned, and Teba had to put it down."

Melony closed her eyes and breathed in. "I'm telling you this to warn you. There's something strange on this mountain. Too many have gone missing. Right now, what we need more than anything is to find Joserf for poor Joel."

"Trouble is, I'm the only fighter," Teba stated. "Can't leave either or both these two alone, and can't risk their lives bringing them with me on a long search up the mountain. If you're actually willing to help, then once you're all warmed up, here's what you can do. Go up the mountain, and find the kid's dad."

Following the explanation, Albedo gave a slow nod and looked at the others. "That sounds like a reasonable proposal. Though we have our own concerns, finding this poor child's father is of critical importance. Do you agree?"

”All this, impossible technology from the future, but they can’t even install a proper washroom on this thing?” Minda complained to herself as she took her turn using the bathroom sink to try and get the sand and ash out of her everything, and failing spectacularly. The inadequacy of the cleaning honestly only managed to make her feel dirtier, which was just a delight.

”Blech, whatever, I’m a rough and tumble princess, so who needs to look presentable when you kick ass like me” she said into the little mirror in the bathroom in an attempt to convince herself of that fact, before giving up shoving open the door and saying ”Next for the inadequate hygiene facility, step on in. Take a good look, because if we are going to be sticking around there are going to be some royal renovations around here” loudly, before traipsing off to make the one change she could make right now.

With how cramped the ship was it didn’t take long to get to her intended destination, which was the room they had warped into right after the intense exit battle. To this room Midna added a little teleportation related addition of her own, raising a finger and embedding sliver of Twilight into the ceiling, and setting up the start of her own personal portal network.

Priority number 1 for the development of that network? Finding a way to link up Shangri Spa to it, (be it by flying to wherever it was or sneaking into Al Mamoon and using their teleporter again) so she’d never have to try and wash herself in the ship's dinky bathroom ever again!

The Princess gave an impish grin at her cunning bit of handy work, and then moved off to find somewhere to wait out the rest of the journey, and got herself a bit more space afforded to her by both her new very spiky shield and her equally spiky minion whom she had decided got to enjoy the only good thing about this ship she had found so far: the wonder of ‘air conditioning’

She had no idea how you conditioned air to do as it was told, but you could not argue with the crisp and cool results that made it far to easy to just nod off in a corner, something the princess unknowingly followed Tra’s lead in doing, finally allowing the exhaustion and injuries to catch up with her.

---

The Princess unladily snorted awake with a ”Huh, what?” when the intercom blared and announced their arrival at Gerudo Town. She shook her head to wake up and then pricked her pointed ears up to listen to the explanation of how the place operated, and raised an eyebrow at its unusual operation, the princess being unfamiliar with the somewhat iconic all female race due to their absence both from her own time period and from the time crisis. Well, other than their most infamous and only male member that was. Oh, and the dead woman who’s spirit she held in her body and who’s power and skill she had developed extensively since she had slain and absorbed her.

She was reminded of Urbosa directly for the first time in a while due to her clear kinship with the people she saw guardian the town, and it caused her inconsistency with her reaction/treatment of that women and the rebels of Al Mamoon to rear its ugly head in her mind.

Had the Garudo also been controlled against her will, she was forced to wonder, or even just confused by Galeem?

Or was she right in her assessment that anything that stood beside the arch evil that was Ganon was irreparably tainted?

It wasn't really a question she wanted to face. Not today at least. She was much too tired for that sort of thing. So she sought out an alternative to sticking with the ladies of the group.

”Room for one more?” Midna asked the trio of big guys as she landed on Braum’s shoulder and used his bald head as an armrest as she waved her free hand nonchalauntly through the air while saying ”Because it hardly seems fair for you gents to be the only one roughing it under the stars now does it?” keeping her actual reasons for wanting to join them to herself.

Now as to why she was going with them rather than to the inn? Well, for one she thought some nostalgia for the times she and Link had roughed it out during their two person war against her usurper would be a balm for the soul. Plus, it wasn't like they were poor company. Quite the opposite in fact, if the big freljordian she was rather fond of at this point was any kind of representative of their amicableness.

Besides, she needed a change of clothes if she was going to sleep comfortably (that combined with taking a more refined and dignified lake bath) so stopping by a market like they were planning to do was right in line with her own needs.

Of course, if they really wanted it to be a lads night, she’d obliged and find other accommodation, but she hoped she wasn't being too imposing with her request.

Their answer was a trio of pre-offered fists, ripe for bumping, something the princess replied to with a toothy grin and a bit of one on three action using her orange glowing shadow hand to bump all three of the fists at once.

Jesse slightly creeping Therion out, getting chased by monsters, magic badges and teleporting onto an air ship, yadda yadda yadda you know the drill, just another day in the World of Light. Jesse was no fragile sunflower, but she was no tank either. Her durability was more geared towards keeping herself safe rather than taking damage in the place of others. Still, a telekinetic shield did come a little in handy against the latest batch of creeps trying to have the Seekers for lunch.

Soon they were way above the air in an airship, and there was a happy reunion with some big guy Jesse didn’t recognize. Though she was happy to know that the agents behind the liberation of the multiverse wasn’t solely comprised of what was essentially a bunch of hobos. Not that there was anything wrong with being a hobo- Jesse was a hobo! Migrant worker, rather.

Well, avoiding offending the people listening to her thoughts aside, Jesse spent most of the time on the airship awake. Sleep didn’t really come to her very easily.

Once they touched down, the situation was explained to them. The Bazaar was nice, but Jesse was really interested in their final destination. Gerudo town. Apparently, the place was women only. Like, big time. Which, having spent a lot of time on her own, Jesse totally got it.

But moreover, of course Jesse was interested in the new thing. The new place, the mysterious place. Oooh, what mysteries could be inside? Were all the women going to be astoundingly beautiful? Probably. All women only places are full of beautiful women in fiction. And if this place really is influenced by some kind of synchronized consciousness of fiction, or vice versa, than chances were that was how Gerudo would be.

Unless, like…a cave full of all of but three witches counts. Which, it probably does.

Jesse thought Asbestos was funny. Her name was funny. She was spunky and streetwise. Jesse wasn’t going to say anything about that though because she didn’t want to come off as a total stiff. Better keep quiet than remove all doubt, right?

Oh, God. What was that? Who thinks shit like that? Am I lame? Have I been spending too much time with Langston?

The extraplanar entity residing within her soul had no guidance for her in these troubling times. Shaking these thoughts from her mind, Jesse quietly continued onward. At this point she realized she hadn’t said anything since they got onto the airship. It would feel wrong if the entire group that went to Gerudo town was nothing but awkward silence, right? That’s like…minus points for feminism.

“So…this oughta be something. Huh. Are we thinking like a secret oasis or what? I guess it could just be a hole in the ground but that would be a bit anticlimactic. There’s been build up. It has to be cool, now, otherwise I’m gonna be disappointed.”

Level: 3
Experience: 20/20 Level Up!
Currently In: Frozen Highlands, Dragonspine
Word Count: 483 (+1 Exp)
Albedo @Lugubrious, Linkle @Gentlemanvaultboy, Prisoner @XoXKieroBombXoX

For a moment, it appeared their attempts to reason with the archer fell upon stubborn deaf ears. Maybe in a different case Frisk would've been more confident, but dang it, they gotta get warmed up before night falls and makes things even colder than they can take. Fortunately, it seemed their offer to help got a reaction from him. The youth didn't know what that meant, until the avian archer motioned for the group to follow. Frisk silently sighed in relief. Whatever he needed help with, they were determined to see their end of the deal through.

The path they were taken through appeared more worse for wear than the one the group had first walked through. Even Frisk couldn't easily focus on anything else besides the dead bark that littered the area. And soon they saw why. Corpses. Giant, evicerated corpses. The grim realization almost made the poor kid miss the dolls that littered the road to Treat's old haunt.

Well, almost. Though this was way worse in comparison.

Luckily they soon came upon a campsite hidden amongst the macabre scenery. The only ones besides Teba were a woman in white, and...a kid. A young boy. Frisk's face contorted in worry. Why was he in a place like this? Why were either of them, in fact? They quietly let Albedo do the talking first, nodding when he explained what had happened to them. Before the child could speak the boy, in desperation, asked if the group was going to help him find his dad. Well, there was Frisk's answer. The woman motioned for them to sit by the fire, essentially telling them that worser threats lurk around them. The gust of chilling wind passing by attested to that.

Once they all gathered by the campfire, the woman, Melony, introduced their small group. She explained why her and the boy, Joel ended up where they were. Joel's father dissapeared up the mountain, and Melony and her..._{what the heck is a Pokemon??}...partners were caught in an avalance, one of them apparently turning rogue for some reason. Frisk's brows rose once she mentioned that. "That's probably the same avalance that nearly hit all of us!" If that were the case, then good riddance to that Snow-baddie. Hearing how Teba, despite his cold nature, helped these two, Frisk glanced over to the archer for a moment. Wonder what he'd think of Undyne... They thought.

Corpse trees? Missing people? Ominous gust of wind? It was like this mountain was alive. That, or something much bigger than some mere snowmen possibly made mincemeat out of innocent lives.

Geez, they really shouldn't be thinking like that! They have someone they need to rescue!

"Don't worry." Frisk told Joel, giving him a reassuring smile. "We'll get him back." ...And maybe take out whatever took Joserf in the process. Whatever the case was, they couldn't leave another kid hanging like this.

With the men of the group and any of their sympathizers left behind, the remainder of their party made their way toward Gerudo Town. While not paved at all, the path there across the sand was a well-trodden one, and with the veil of nightfall pulled once more across the Sandswept Sky, it was a journey the lucky few could make in relative ease and comfort.

Asbestos, for one, seemed to be in a good mood. Compared to the others the savra girl had barely broken a sweat at all today, with nothing more than a few training exercises from that morning under her belt, followed by the boredom of sitting on her hands during both legs of the Virgin Victory’s desert voyage. The chance to bully some monsters with her explosive greatshield came as a rare treat for her, but the opportunity to explore somewhere new and exciting was something she treasured above all else. Without the fatigue accumulated by the others during the day’s ordeals on Split Mountain and the Railway Gun, she sauntered along at the forefront with pep in her step, her salamander tail bouncing along behind her with a lantern held tight in its curled tip. That said, a rather severe case of RBF suggested that she wasn’t frothing at the mouth to make new friends or bother with idle chit-chat.

When Jesse spoke up en route to Gerudo Town, therefore, she quickly found herself on the receiving end of a derisive snort from Asbestos. Her tail came around with its lantern to shed some light on the woman who disturbed the peaceful silence. “Huh! If yah came up on deck eahliah, yah woulda seen fah yahself, Red. Look!” She motioned with her head toward their destination. While the gloom made it difficult to perceive all the details, the light of the world’s moons plus the many blazing braziers of Gerudo Town provided enough illumination for a keen pair of eyes. From their position on the ground the campaigners could see only the sandstone walls that encircled the place and guarded the city inside from view, most of which featured tops of uncarved stone rather than battlements, but where walkways existed the fires of torchlight revealed the well-armed guardswomen that patrolled them. Beyond the walls, only the three goblet-shaped monoliths could be glimpsed, their sides and streams of crystal-clear water catching the fickle firelight from below. “It’s like an ancient walled city. And if that ain’t good for yah, just shut yah yap an’ pick up the pace!”

From a distance Gerudo Town appeared to be on the smaller side, judging by the two lady warriors guarding the main entrance, but as the party grew closer they realized their metrics might be a bit off. When she realized that things looked to be a little bigger than they first seemed, Asbestos scrunched her eyebrows up in bemusement, and her confusion only continued to grow until she and the others finally reached the front gate, where she stared up at the spearmaidens in astonishment. The Gerudo, side-lit by the fire bowls set in recesses to either side of the entryway, were no ordinary women; standing up to eight feet, these brawny lasses towered over every newcomer sans Sectonia, and over Asbestos in particular. At a mere five foot one, the defender barely even reached the guards’ belly buttons. When the Gerudo glanced back down at her imperiously Asbestos made sure to give both of them the stink eye, just to make sure they knew how little their stunning physiques impressed her. Anyone who dared look down at her, after all, would soon find that her attitude far outstripped her dimensions.

Although the surliness earned Asbestos a stern look, the newcomers passed the guards’ brief examination. In particular they seemed to approve of Tharja, whose attire suited both their purposes and their civilization’s culture, even if her mood remained murky and distant. After they unbarred the entrance corridor with their spears the Gerudo stepped aside to admit their guests. “Welcome to Gerudo Town,” the more elaborately-armored of the pair told them, her rigid features and commanding glare a little less hospitable than her words. “We hope you will enjoy your stay.”

The rather strict inspection at the entrance set somewhat of a dour tone for the group, but the moment Asbestos proceeded through the stone corridor and Gerudo Town opened up before them, she quickly forgot all about it. A beautiful main thoroughfare greeted them, floored by mosaic tiles, studded with tall coconut palms that swished in the evening breeze, and cut through by glittering canals that babbled softly in time with the flutter and billow of splendid storefront cloths. Masterful statues and obelisks, many with a decidedly Egyptian flavor, could be seen along the avenue at regular intervals. Even the sandstone walls of adjacent buildings featured lovely murals, which danced in the light of the braziers as they flickered and sputtered. Though much smaller in scale than Al Mamoon, the place possessed a sort of thematic, historic beauty that the Cream of the Eastern Desert did not. It also seemed to be much quieter and more serene in the dark, although with dusk only recently fallen and the night still young, plenty of its citizens were still out and about.

And for the most part, Jesse’s intuition was spot-on. A sizable chunk, if not a majority, of the town’s residents appeared to be Gerudo, and one would be hard-pressed to find fault with their appearances, especially if one possessed an affinity for height or musculature. That said, Asbestos noticed a bunch of other female characters as she looked around, a number of whom didn’t fit the place’s aesthetic, such as blue-skinned Elerians and the feline Kaka Clan, so she assumed that this area must be about as jumbled-up as the rest of them. Instead of the local people, however, Asbestos cared more about the town’s facilities. Quickly taking stock with the aid of a signpost, she spotted a handful of stores and stalls that seemed to be open, including a smithy, grocer, and loot exchange. To the left were the Sand Seal Pens, ahead was a commissions counter, and farther on she could see a pub called Warrior’s Honor, the Grand Cathedral of the Chantry (which judging by a cursory glance didn’t look as big as its name would imply), a large inn nestled among the residences, and one fortified structure closer to the palace that appeared to be a dual-purpose barracks and jail, complete with a training yard outside. There seemed to be some sort of commotion over at the jail, but the Savra girl didn’t care. Then there was the palace itself, but Asbestos certainly had no plans to go there. Instead, her hunger and thirst compelled her to set a course straight for the pub without so much as warning the others.

Alice took in the sights through half-lidded eyes, her manner languid as usual. “Hopefully this place is somewhat less medieval than it appears, or we may have some trouble procuring the fuel and material to return the Virgin Victory to mint condition.” She turned to face the others and bid them farewell. “What you do next here is up to you, but make sure you rest well. I would guess that you’ve all more than earned it.” With a slight smile she went off on her business, in search of a workshop or depot. She set her sights on a building of brick and glass, one that looked rather like a train station, which was odd since nobody had seen a train track to or from Gerudo Town since their arrival.



An eager smile briefly passed across Albedo’s face as he slowly nodded his approval of Frisk’s decision, as well as the reassurance it gave Joel. “My thoughts exactly.” When he leaned over and patted the child on the shoulder, his touch was cold. “We’ll get him back before you know it.”

The alchemist then addressed the group at large. “As for how we might go about doing this, I may have a plan of action. Linkle, while I’m sure you want nothing more than to aid in this search and rescue, since you are the strongest of us I would ask you to stay here, and keep young Joel safe from anything that might chance upon the campsite.” Though sympathetic, his expression and tone of voice were also firm. He spoke with the authority of someone who could figure out the best way to get things done, and despite any misgivings on the Skullgirl’s part he would brook no argument. “The purpose of this is so Teba can join us in our search. Since he is the most familiar with these environs, his presence would be an invaluable asset.” His gaze landed on the Rito archer, who looked annoyed at the proposition. “While I know we may not be on the best of terms yet, I urge you to put your suspicions aside, and to think of Joel. We need your help if we are to find his father, and not aimlessly wander until another avalanche buries us, and rob the poor boy of the last of his hope.”

Though he took his sweet time doing it, Teba couldn’t help but to concede when faced with such a potent blend of reason and pathos. “...Fine. Just don’t expect me to save you if you trip and fall off a cliff.”

“I am grateful.” Albedo paid the bowman’s brusqueness no mind as he focused on Melony, who he offered a reassuring smile just like Frisk had for Joel. “And we’ll keep an eye out for your Pokemon, too.”

The trainer smiled bitterly. “I appreciate it.” A second later, however, her expression tightened. “Wait…but how will you find them, if you don’t know what they look like?”

A moment of silence passed before Albedo blinked twice, his expression emphatically neutral. “...Excuse me, you’re quite correct. Could you describe them for us?”

Melony thought for a moment, then complied. “Yes. One is a Galarian Darmanitan, who looks somewhat like an ape, with blue skin, white fur, and a mustache. Answers to the name Gordon. A stubborn creature, but…lovable, and dependable when push comes to shove. The other is Frosmoth, an elegant insect with a pillowy ruff and iridescent lavender wings. His name is Fionn. Though quiet, he is jealously protective, and would always stay right by my side…”

“I see.” Despite the descriptions, Albedo did not seem confident. He crossed his arms. “These Pokemon sound quite precious to you. Are you sure you wouldn’t rather come with us, and seek them yourself? You seem like a tough, capable lady. I’m sure if anyone can overcome this mountain, it’s you.”

Already teetering on the brink, Melony was won over by the flattery. She was a premier gym leader, after all; it wouldn’t do for her to sit here by the fire while the others searched high and low for her precious companions. “...Yes, I think I will.”

“Hold on, that means living Joel in the company of this...girl!” Teba objected. “Let’s at least have them both come with us. With four fighters, we could definitely keep him safe!”

Albedo shook his head. “This mountain is incredibly dangerous, and no place for a child. Linkle here has a true hero’s spirit inside her. She would rather die than harm a hair on Joel’s head, or let him come to harm. Isn’t that right?”

For a moment Linkle looked uneasy, but hearing her heroism brought into question bolstered her resolve, and she clenched her fists to give a determined nod.

“Besides,” Albedo continued, “With my plan, we’re most likely to finish this mission and all get home as soon as possible. No more Dragonspine for anybody.”

His gaze landed on Teba as he said this, and the Rito’s complaint froze in his throat. While he did have a soft spot for Joel, and his conscience wouldn’t let him abandon the poor boy, it was true that he didn’t want to be here, doing this. He glanced at Linkle one more time, unhappy about the half-skulls in her red eyes, but ultimately sighed. “...Understood,” he grumbled, before stalking over to Linkle. “But if anything happens to him, I’ll hunt you down. Understand?”

Linkle did.

Melony, Meanwhile, had been thinking, her lips pursed. Something wasn’t quite adding up. Before she could come to any conclusions, however, Albedo rose from the fire. “I’m good to go, so let’s begin. No time to waste.” Melony rose, and since Teba was already up, he seemed ready to depart by default. The Prisoner joined the three without a word, and Frisk made four. Teba set off in the lead, with the rest right behind, and together they crunched up the snow-laden path.

---

In just a few moments the team left the camp behind, but they soon found they hadn’t seen the last of giantwood. The surface of Dragonspine was rocky, with large stone outcroppings piled high with snow, steep rises and falls, and countless dead trees, many of them a lot like the grim copse they just left. What trails they found were narrow, snaking up and down or curving along the mountain’s slope, but here and there the rescuers found traces of old ruins. Some of the more inhospitable climbs featured eroded stone steps, and both bridges and pillars hewn from the rock lay partially hidden under the snowfall. While Albedo kept his eyes out for any clues, he knew that if Joserf could be found this close to the camp, he would have been already. “Any idea where to begin?”

“Somewhat,” Teba replied as he walked on, bow in hand. “Since arriving, I’ve noticed a number of small camps of similar build, all with numbers. Like ‘Dragonspine Camp Six’.”

“Perhaps set up by experienced trail guides so that adventurers could find shelter anywhere on the mountain,” the alchemist mused.

“Right, but there are fewer now than before. At first I could find two, three, five, six, seven, and ten. But last time I checked, only two and seven still exist, and two’s already beneath us. Though, I haven’t gone up to check ten again, I guess. Point is, more and more have been torn up and buried. Too fast and continuous for the storms to have done it. Something’s been destroying them.”

Albedo’s expression was guarded, as if he didn’t want to worry Frisk. “Possibly. Have you found any trace from any campsites? Either from Joserf, or whatever destroyed them?”

Teba nodded. “Yeah, I found a bowl up by site six, plus a note from Joserf. Said it’s for feeding the foxes that kept him company while he went up to reach the peak, and asked whoever found it to use the bowl to feed them, too. What a softie. Who’d waste food like that?” He cleared his throat roughly. “Anyway, that’s where we’re headed. Last place we know he was.”

Well before they reached site six, however, the team found something else. At the top of a snowy path where a handful of autumnal trees held out against the cold, they found the half-buried wreckage of a campsite beneath a trio of strange arches, curved like enormous rib-bones through the air. Along with them were the remains of a ladder that once provided access to the cliff-top just ahead, without which there was no easy ascent. Teba had already taken to the air when he realized the others couldn’t follow him, at which point he landed. “...Right, you’ll need to find some other way up. This is site four, by the way.”

“I was wondering,” Albedo remarked. He knelt over the debris and sifted through the snow. “Have you checked these sites thoroughly?”

Teba shrugged. “Pretty much. I mean, snow’s not good for my feathers, so I just scratched with my feet a little.” Melony gave him an incredulous look.

A moment later, Albedo pulled a piece of rumbled paper from a frozen knapsack, scanned it, then handed it to Frisk. It read:

Nothing untoward happened on the way here. The weather remains fine indeed. It seems that my luck has turned at last. Perhaps I can make a run for the summit after all...I'll just give it a little go. If anything happens, I'll turn back right away.

“Promising?” Melony asked the two. She then looked at Teba. “It makes sense that he would stop at each of the sites in his path.”

The archer opened his beak to respond, but before he could there came a rumbling sound. From the earth clawed a squadron of Draugr, the fractured and warped remains of northern warriors, stiff with ice but burning with hatred. Among them were a couple Hel-walkers, the malignant souls spat out by Helheim to wander the earth as accursed beings. All bore vicious weapons in various states of disrepair, and a snapshot arrow from Teba right into the nearest one’s head failed to instantly put it down. Albedo held out his hand, and a frozen sword grew into existence. “I knew it!” Teba groused.

“Focus on the enemy! Come on, you two!” the alchemist urged as the enemies closed in. He charged toward the undead enemies, leaving a surprised and horrified Melony behind.

Once the two ladies had found the bathroom, Midna took her turn first. From outside Primrose could hear her complaints, and the dancer chuckled when she threw open the door and made her declaration. They swapped places, Midna departing and Primrose using the facilities. Primrose too found the ship lacking when it came to bathing amenities. She supposed it made sense, if it was similar to the ships she was familiar with just... able to fly. But given how futuristic it was, coupled with how large it was, she'd thought it might be advanced enough to hold a tub. Alas. The faucet was at least enough to wash her face and arms. She took her time, the meticulousness relaxing after the ordeal they'd just faced. Soon after she was finished the Virgin Victory touched down, with an explanation of the immediate area and Gerudo Town.

Men are prohibited, hm? Maybe it was a bit cold, considering all the men in their group had proven themselves to be good people so far, but Primrose was glad to leave them behind and sleep well in town. She made her way to the ship's main area, meeting up with everyone and being teleported to the oasis' shore.

The bazaar was lit by torches, casting it's modest buildings in a warm glow. After exiting the ship with the rest of the Seekers, Therion set his sights directly on the inn. He was no stranger to roughing it outdoors, and he'd even slept among dust and rocks in the Clifflands many times before. Given the choice though? He'd take a real bed every time.

He started to make his way there, only to turn suspicious eyes on Primrose when he noticed the dancer was following.

"Getting sentimental again?" he asked her, and she actually laughed.

"You heard what he said, right?"

"Yeah. Men not allowed, blah blah blah."

"I was speaking more about the be on your best behavior part."

"You wound me Primrose, you really do," Therion sighed, a touch dramatic. He was already tired, but suddenly most of the rest of his energy seemed to drain away. He was a thief by trade, yes, but right now the only thing he was thinking about was tucking his head into a pillow and getting some sleep. He lowered his voice before replying. "I actually can't tell if you're being serious, but I am too exhausted to try anything tonight," he assured her. Tomorrow is another story though.

She nodded, shrugged, and then gave him a smile before departing. It didn't hurt to make sure, she thought. Besides, maybe this Therion came from a time before he'd stopped nicking things just because he could. That was something she'd have to determine... another time. Tonight, rest.

"Goodnight," she bid the campers as she passed them, bound for the other women that had already started towards Gerudo Town.

"Have fun," Therion told the men (and imp) who were planning to camp out, giving them a sarcastic little wave over his shoulder. He followed Tora and Poppi's path toward the little inn.

---

The path to Gerudo Town was neither long nor particularly arduous. Primrose caught up the rest of the women quickly, who were being led by the foul mouthed lizard girl. Primrose was surprised at her abrasiveness, as earlier she'd only heard it directed at the monsters. Asbestos answered Jesse with a vague description of the town as 'ancient.'

"And I'm sure it will be cooler than the desert at least," Primrose added, misinterpreting Jesse's words. With the small waterfalls that they could see even from here, she was sure there was a nice source of water to offset the heat, and a breeze could even sweep it over the city too.

Though those that hadn't already seen it wouldn't actually know until they passed through the gate, given the high walls surrounding the settlement. They came up to the entrance and were greeted by women of impressive stature. This was definitely the right choice, Primrose thought. After passing the inspection she made sure her hood and face veil were in place, given the aesthetic of the locals it would be easier to blend in that way. She could also stow the cloak, which she would do as soon as entering the town proper.

"Thank you, ladies," she said after the guardswoman wished them well. The town behind the stone walls turned out to be much more beautiful than Primrose had expected. She admired the place, happy to note that indeed it was cool inside thanks to the water-filled canals and the breeze. There seemed to be quite a few interesting places here in town as well, though the only thing currently on her mind was a place to wash the sand off of herself and her clothes, and then lay her head to sleep. There would be time enough in the morning to explore most likely.

"Sectonia, would it trouble you to fly up and see if you can spot an outdoor bath?" She asked the alien queen. It was possible that the inn did have them indoors, but it wouldn't hurt to check. At that point Asbestos walked off without a word, and Alice wished them a good night's rest before heading off herself. Now that the Seeker's job was over in the area, if it took a few extra days to get the right parts and get back she didn't think anyone would mind. There were other teams looking into other areas after all.

With Asbestos and Alice gone, that left herself, Jesse, Sectonia, Tharja, Panther and Peacock. As for what their plans were, she supposed it would be best to figure that out.

"So," Primrose began, resting her hands on her hips. "My plan is to pick up a change of clothes, wash the rest of this sand off, and then turn in for the night..." She glanced over at the building that looked to be a jailhouse, where some ruckus could be heard even from here. If it wasn't dealt with by the time she was ready to sleep then she would check it out just to be safe, assuming none of the others got to it first. Anyway, with her plans laid out she prepared to set off toward the market area.

"If anyone wasn't planning to go right to sleep, I wouldn't mind the company," she mentioned, a small smile just barely visible beneath the transparent veil. As always she would be glad to have Panther's company, and she met the blonde's eyes in invitation - though given everything they'd been through, if the girl decided to turn in early Primrose wouldn't blame her. Any of the Seekers would be welcome as well, though after Panther Primrose pointedly turned her attention to Tharja. She didn't know what the poor girl needed most at the moment, to be in the presence of others or just to be left alone to come to terms to what happened to Robin, but at the very least she wanted the dark mage to feel that she had options.

Sectonia, unlike Midna, had ways of getting all the sand and combat grime out of her fluff. while the imp princess was trying, and failing, to clean herself in the 'washroom', something that was far, far too small for Sectonia. But unlike Midna, Sectonia had summons that weren't only beasts and could do more than just attack things, and as the other girls did what they could to get clean, Sectonia just used her antillions to do the same at a much better rate. It didn't compare to an actual hot spring, but it could get the Queen at least presentable.

While on the ship Sectonia looked over the two spirits she had taken as they had lifted off. Both looking like some strange cactus flower. One was weak, the other was strong, and Sectonia debated what to do with these spirits. The one she had fused with looked like it had quite a bit of cognitive ability, but these were beasts. One of them she would have one of her minions crush for her when she had the opportunity, but the other... she was debating exactly how to use it. Midna had taken in some beast spirits, but those have mutated her to be quite... strange. Perhaps she'd sleep on it and figure it out later.

Soon after though they had landed, getting ready to head out to the Gerudo village. Midna decided to stay back with the guys out of guilt, but Sectonia had no issues with seeing this 'female only' village much like the other ladies of the group. She'd maybe bring something back for the guys, maybe, if she found something that could pretty them up...

Speaking of these "Gerudo" beauty might be something Sectonia might have some issue finding in this village. Most of the other girls heading into the village with Sectonia were smaller than these Gerudo, who looked down at them, trying to almost intimidate them. At least until Sectonia came flying by, forcing the Gerudo to look a bit up at the bee queen, and lowering their intimidation factor considerably.

The strict inspection by the guards was pretty annoying all things considered. Sectonia made beauty a primary concern and it was clear to all she was a Queen, but having to 'verify' that was... Well she understood why Midna didn't come into this town somewhat. At least once they passed the gates, things looked and went by much better. The town was smaller than that of Al Mamoon, but it was more 'thematic' although a theme Sectonia wasn't too keen on having nothing like it in Floralia. The moonlight defensively helped give it a better appearance than if it was in the sun though, but it could use more flowers.

Still it would be best to tour the town. there were a few shops where they could shop which would be some place they'd have to visit, but besides that and some ruckus from some training ground area, there wasn't too much going on. The train station looking building, for a place that seemed to take its security semi seriously, felt a bit weird as well. But for now, Sectonia was going to look around for a proper way to beautify herself if this place had one, then the shops, then get some sleep.

As the rest of the ladies made their way into Gerudo Village Midna rode along with the big guys towards the out of town market to see if they could pick up supplies for their night out. Camping equipment and clothes were what they had intended to come here for, but as they approached the market a scent in the air got Midna’s stomach to remind her that it had been a very active day, and she hadn’t eaten anything since that sandwich on the mountain top.

She sniffed the air and her mouth watered as she got a better whiff of what was drifting on the wind. She clapped Braum on the shoulder and commanded him to ”Follow that smell!”

A few moments later and they’d found the source of said smell, a whole ass hog being rotated on a spit by a man in wearing a palm tree covered shirt and a six gallon hat who introduced himself as: “Tom Sheldon, purveyor of the best damn barbecue stand this side of the apocalypse,” in a typical Texan accent before gesturing a hand towards the main event of his stand in the market (if you could call an open fire a stand) “I see you fine folks smelt my succulent pig. Well lucky for you I’m putting my grilling skills to work as a little side business, so if you have the coin, you can get yourself some prime pork cooked up just right”

Braum couldn’t start combing through his inventory for loose change fast enough. For the Freljordan strongman the need to feast was pretty much a given in order to maintain his incredible physique, but Band couldn’t deny that a belly full of pork after a long, hard day’s work sounded very appetizing. Though much of him was machine, there was still enough of a man in there somewhere to crave sustenance as much as anybody. Unfortunately, his own wallet seemed to be a little light at the moment. Matching Sheldon’s price would cost him his bottom dollar. Still, the detective stepped up right after Braum, who had more than enough money after all the transport and delivery commissions he took in Al Mamoon while the rest went off to investigate the Resistance.

As he waited for Sheldon to carve off the lion’s portion for an eager Braum, Band considered that he might be able to find some odd jobs of his own to rack up some savings while out here. If the Virgin Victory was going to be stuck here any longer than tonight, might as well. While random commissions weren’t what Big Band was made for, it sounded like a nice change of pace, in a way. Even if there weren’t any tasks that catered to his specific skillset, it seemed like a lot of stuff in this world needed to be punched, and practically anything beat playing the sax on a street corner for nickels and dimes–or fighting against a Skullgirl, for that matter.

Behind him, Vandham cleared his throat. “Don’t reckon I saw ya with the group when they came by Alcamoth last, mate,” he said to Band. “Seems like the main teams make new friends wherever they go, eh?”

With all the people he saw join the Seekers even since he himself tagged along, Band could help but agree. “Sho ‘nuff. If today’s any indication, we need all the help we can get, too.”

Vandham raised an eyebrow. “Oh, yeah? What all’d ya get up to exactly, if ya don’t mind me askin’?”

”We got up there” Minda said jokingly while pointing a big shadow hand all the way up to the top of the split mountain as she waited in line to get her own, more modest, slice of pork roast ”Buuut that’s rushing ahead to near to the end of the story”

It was at that point, right when she was about to make her purchase, that she realized that, while the stuff she had looted from the catacombs was all shiny and currency, it wasn't exactly in a standard bullion around these parts.

”Don’t suppose anyone knows the exchange rate on silver for gold? Or… whatever these weird holly ones is?” she had to ask, looking rather embarrassed at having not thought of this til now.

Nobody really knew, but in the ensuing silence Sheldon looked over. “Well now, what’ve we got here? I dunno if I’d take those, mind, but the great thing about a market’s bein’ able to sell off all yer junk.” After delivering Band his portion he jabbed a thumb at the nearby stalls, some of which seemed to still be open, even if the owners had dozed off. “Cain’t say for sure if ye’ll get what they’re worth, but it’s better’n nothin’, uh?”

As he stood by, chewing on his pork slice, Band looked over the night market. “Oughta let young Tora know,” he mumbled with his mouth half-full. “Li’l guy was all over that tomb place, scrapin’ up whatever he got his wings on.” The detective put on a wry smile. “Bet ya he’s already asleep over at the inn, but the minute he hears a way to make money he’ll be wide awake. Then I can make sure he keeps his word, heheh.” Vandham chuckled as he dug into his own serving, which left a choice of shoulder or ham for Midna.

”Drat… well… at least i know exactly what this is worth” Midna said as she popped her no longer needed Arctic Shield out of her inventory, something she had acquired for exactly 325 gold ”So I can at least afford dinner, and then we can deal with pawning stuff off and buying stuff up in the morning” and presumably, maybe, find someone who would at least take the old coins for their base mineral value.

”I’ll be right back” She declared, before scampering off into the night to go find someone to whom it would be of interest and who looked at least moderately awake.

She returned a short while later with her spoils and, after acquiring a nice helping of ham, the sale left her with a few coins left. After joining the manly trio, she, Big Band, Vandham, and Braum shared a pleasant meal around the crackling fire in the quiet of a starry desert night. Music would have been nice, a slow and quiet melody to suit the overall mood, but for today the band was all played out. While Vandham didn’t feel nearly the physical toll that the others did, he respected their weary silence. Even if the little group didn’t exchange any words, in this moment they were connected, united by bonds forged in the grueling heat of battle, and tempered in the bitter cold of the frozen peak. Around them the fronds of the palm trees swished softly in the breeze, the whispers of the wind like a distant lullaby, and when they’d eaten their fill the diners’ next thoughts were of slumber. Sheets or sleeping bags from the bazaar would be stifling around them, provided they were big enough in the first place but beneath them they provided the comfort that the course sand could not, and the gentle darkness above could be their blankets. As the others stretched out, Band reclined against a tree, and closed his eyes. The rhythmic rise and fall of his iron lung grew more peaceful, and in a matter of moments the detective drifted off to sleep.

While the gentlemen rested their eyes the princess slipped away into the familiar comfortable dark of the night, a blanket of privacy her eyes adapted to a world of eternal darkness allowed her to navigate with ease. A half turn around the oasis later and she had a secluded spot by the lake side where she could get herself clean before sleep, the princess sliding into the water under the cover of darkness away from prying eyes.

All prying eyes but two. A pair of reptilian eyes attached to a crocodilian broke the surface and eyed an unaware and petite meal ripe for the taking that had stumbled in range. It started slowly creeping forwards towards its prey, passing by an unassuming spiky plant as it did.

The ‘plant’ raised its head, sniffed the wind and then it, the Vibrava, noticed that some of the sand was somehow moving towards the lakeside. It cocked its head in a moment of confusion, and then brought up its wings, rapidly buzzing them and sending a directional cone of horrendous sound rushing forth. The air that went along with the attack blew away the surface of the sand, revealing a Sanscale that had been swimming it, which scrambled first away from the sound and then rushed forwards to deliver a fowl chomp to the morsel’s defender when it realized that was little defense.

In response the dragon defender that Midna had used to drape her clothes over to air them out while bathing steeled itself rather than risking dropping the items in its care into the sand, and took the nasty nom head on, only for the sandy crocodile to hiss and startle back as a bit of the damage it dealt was reflected right back.

The moment of shock/surprise was enough of an opening for the Vibrava to blast out a beam of dragon fire, and then another, dusting the lower level pest after only a few short moments of combat.

”Hey, what’s going on back there!” came a low shout, the flashy fireshow finisher having brought the princess’s attention to the scuffle going on on the beach of the oasis. She got a reassuring cry back from her mon, and so finished up her wash/swim before floating over to see what had gone on

”Oh, huh. Good bug” she said when she found the spirit, before storing the spirit and using the not a bug but actually a dragon as a big hair blower (via holding it in a shadow hand and having it flap air at her super fast with its dragonfly wings) to dry off. Re-donning her shaken out and aired outfit, the princess then shadow snuck her way back to camp and into a sleeping bag, leaving no one the wiser of her little excursion.

Well, they might have guessed that something had gone on after lights out when they woke up in the morning and found Midna now had a wolfos napping beside her for nostalgia reasons, but as to what, well that wasn’t all to clear.

What mattered was that a new day had dawned!

Oh and that at least half of them had no money to buy breakfast, which was not an auspicious way to start the day it had to be said.

With Geralt and Nadia back from their brief exchange away from the others, just about everyone was settled in at the conjoined table. The Koopa Troop occupied an entire side and then some, the thief and the monster hunter were together, the witcher and the sorceress sat side by side, and the newest of guests found themselves welcomed shoulder-to-shoulder alongside veterans of the campaign against Galeem, who’d been there from the very beginning. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits–everyone that was here, at least. There wasn’t enough room at the table for Cerberus to sit separately once things calmed down, but since Peach couldn’t imagine the close-knit trio taking issue with the idea of sharing a single large seat or bench, the princess worried about them less than certain others.

While Nadia tried to focus on her menu in order to figure out what she wanted to eat, which made for a daunting task in and of itself considering how good everything sounded, she couldn’t help but notice the same thing Peach did when she looked up and glanced around the group. “Hang on a sec,” she piped up, her eyes narrowed. “Where’s Link? And Hatty? Didn’t I see her just a minute ago…?”

Peach clasped her hands as she put her elbows on the table. Since she arrived with the little one from Alcamoth, it fell to her to answer. “Well, I think she just wanted to do her own thing now that she’s feeling better. Run and jump around, explore, collect those pon things she likes. Hard to imagine her sitting still at a table, bored to tears as while waiting for food.”

Her explanation made total sense. “Oh yeah, fur sure,” Nadia agreed. “Not much of a talker anyhow, right?”

“As for Link…” Peach’s expression grew a little more cloudy. “I spotted him when I arrived, but I don’t think he joined us when we left. Maybe he wants some time by himself. I know that what happened last night weighed heavily on him.”

At that Nadia could only give a somber, slow nod. The events of Blackwater Bay, the Maw, and Carcass Isle weighed on everyone, and as wonderful as today had been for the most part, that horror wouldn’t be wiped away so easily. Seeing Rika reminded her that Bella wasn’t here tonight, either, or Mirage for that matter. Cursed and confused, the poor Seaplane Tender deserved a break as much as anyone, as well as the chance to better come to grips with her own newfound sense of self. And Mirage…? Nadia’s ears drooped a little as she looked back down at her menu. Though she’d known him only briefly, he’d been quite the card. It would be a sad thing indeed if she never saw him again.

A moment later, however, she perked up. Tonight was a night for joy and camaraderie, not sorrow and dejection. She downed a big gulp of her drink and leaned back in her chair. “Well, I hope they have even half as good a time as we’re gonna, wherever they are. Right guys?”

”Yeah, and it’s their loss missing out on this… whatever Cuban is?” Bowser scratched his head thoughtfully, realizing he had no idea what that was before asking, ”Does that mean all the food is going to be squares? Because that is kinda weird.”

”Nah, it’s food from an island nation called Cuba from where I’m from… I think?” Blazermate said, scratching her head. ”I know there was a cuban medafighter team at a tournament once anyway, and the words are similar.” Although as everyone here knew besides the newcomers, Blazermate didn’t eat food so she couldn’t comment on what it’d taste like or anything. ”Cube food sounds like it does exist somewhere though. It has to, with all the weird stuff here, so you might be right as well, you can never tell.” Blazermate then looked at Kamek and Rubick. ”So any chance you guys can show us some magic while we wait?”

The Cadet groaned, sinking down slightly into his chair. It seemed there was no getting out of the magic show then, if Blazermate was so keen to see some tricks. He couldn't get up to leave and risk looking uncool with Nadia right beside him. He distracted himself by perusing the food choices. While narrowing his choices down, he figured he'd had enough surf at the lunch buffet and now it was time for some turf. There were still plenty of things to choose from. All foods that sounded interesting and delicious, in cube form or not. The Cadet wasn't picky, and seeing as he'd eat pretty much anything he was leaning towards going with something new.

Susie only looked at the pair debating over what the food was with a vague interest, but overall she was just getting a read on everyone with these Seekers. The big strong one definitely showed his intelligence, or lack thereof, with her new ‘friend’ Blazermate almost humoring the big guy. For now she just decided to sip on her milkshake as she watched everyone else chatter.

”I don’t exactly do tricks-” the mage began to say, before seeing both Rika and Jr leaning over to look at her expectantly and sighing to herself.

”Oh all right” she said, before vanishing and then repairing a second later holding Bowser’s top hat, just shrunken down, and a magician’s wand she had gotten from pocus. She showed them it’s inside. ”Empty, see, but watch, with a wave of my wand and a magic word,” she said, before waving the sparkling wand above the hat and saying, ”Hocus, pocus!” before seeing the wand down and reaching into that hat while saying, ”And now you’ll find that within we have-” and finally pulling her hand up to reveal:

“Bwaaaaa!”

A rabbid, held by the ears.

Anyone looking at Kamek’s face rather than her spell would have found the mage quite confused by this turn of events, especially when the obnoxious bunny hopped out of the hat and vanished out of the door of the restaurant, rushing off to cause chaos in town.

Meanwhile, Rubick found this turn of events quite entertaining, giggling with delight as he clapped in applause. “Good show, good show!” Rubick exclaimed. “Are there any more of them?”

”Um, ta da?” she said, pushing the shadow clone of Bowser jr she had intended to pull out of the hat down before anyone could see it.

Geralt and Yennefer shared a raised eyebrow and a smirk at Kamek’s little trick, both quite content to keep their own magical talents off of display, especially given Yennefer’s current inability to access a wide variety of what was once available to her. Geralt was still thinking over everything Nadia had told him. She’d been robbed, and the thieves tried to kill her when she went to retrieve her belongings, showing a sick desire to torture her while doing so. Frankly, they’d reminded him of Whoreson Junior, who Geralt had ensured wouldn’t be hurting anybody else again.

He was still somewhat concerned that she might be confronted about the attack, whether it be by the survivors or the peacekeepers in the city, but as long as they were gone sooner rather than later, it shouldn’t pose much of a problem. He’d promised to fill Yen in on the details later, knowing she’d be able to keep the secret.

Other than that, he hadn’t been able to offer much other than the assurance that her secret was safe with him, and that he of all people didn’t -couldn’t, even- think less of her, not that he thought she needed the platitude.

When he turned to the menu, however, he found himself a bit overwhelmed by the choices. It didn’t help that he hadn’t heard of some of these foods at all, such as plantains and yuca. In the end, he settled for a meal combining stewed beef, rice, beans, and the aforementioned vegetables after a quick explanation from a waiter. Yennefer chose a lighter meal, a soup combining a variety of light ingredients, a small amount of meat, and potatoes. Each also added a glass of wine to their meal, despite the venue’s name.

On the other hand, Nadia had managed to zero in on something that sounded excellent pretty fast, despite being just as spoiled for choice as Geralt. No matter how much she leafed through the pages, nothing tickled her fancy quite as much as the Poor Man’s Steak. Just the description of juicy flank steak with fried eggs, black rice, black beans, and avocado slices was enough to make the feral’s mouth water. Rather than fruitlessly peruse other options further she decided to go with her heart then and there, which gave her ample time to be distracted by the magic trick. Kamek managed to expertly and very intentionally pull off the classic rabbit-from-the-hat, although the rabbit in question looked a little on the loopy side. As he hurtled off to cause problems on purpose Nadia rewarded the mage with a congratulatory clap. “That deserves a round of a-paws!” Blazermate clapped with Nadia, not clapping too hard to not drown the noise of the restaurant out with clanging metal.

Sakura clapped, smiling brightly. She nudged Karin with her elbow, and Karin also started clapping. For a little bit.

Kamek gave a little embarrassed head bob of a bow as Jr and Rika also gave him a clap, while the king just gave her a grin. ”Ah yes, well, thank you all it was nothing” she said, before glancing over at Rubick and asking ”Don’t suppose you would care to take over?”

“Oh goodness, my magicks aren’t really meant for showmanship,” Rubick admitted. “I am a duelist; most of the spells I’ve still retained in my memory are purely for combat.” Rubick then put a finger on his chin as he tilted his head, thinking about it a bit more. “Though now that you mention it, there is a fun little toy of mine that I often use to entertain myself.”

"More?" the monster hunter croaked. As the waitstaff was making their way around the table with the drink orders, he flagged one down to distract himself by putting in his food early while Rubick prepared the demonstration - an order of croquettes, empanadas, chicharrones, a dish of paella as well as roast chicken breasts to start. The pronunciation was, of course, totally butchered.

Whipping out his staff, Rubick tapped it on the ground three times, and the goopy head of his staff took on a more cubic nature as a green cube of evermoving cubic and rectangular pieces appeared. The pieces shifted in a way so that it always attempts to form a perfect cube, but never does, as bits and pieces constantly stick out, forcing the cube to rearrange itself again and again. “Behold: the Puzzle of Perplex,” Rubick announced. “A mysterious puzzle so complex that even I have yet to solve it. No one knows what will happen on the day it stops moving and becomes a perfect cube. Some say it will unlock the secrets of the universe.” After a second, Rubick tapped his staff on the ground again, and the cube retreated back into his staff, which also reverted back into its goopy nature. “Or so that silly little legend goes. I personally just find it charming.”

Sakura’s eyes widened, leaning forward to get a better look at the Puzzle of Perplex. As it vanished, she considered its mysteries. "My master always says that the answer lies in the heart of battle…has anyone tried punching it yet?" She ventured. At this point she was completely used to strange strangers popping in and out of their little group and had totally neglected anything like an ‘introduction’. She seemed to consider the wizard for a moment. ”Oooh! I get it! It’s Rubick’s Cube!" Laughing she sat back in her chair and crossed her arms, raising her eyebrows at Karin. "Get it? Rubick’s Cube? I think that’s the answer."

"...I suppose?" Karin said, humoring Sakura, looking a bit apologetically at Rubick. "She’s referring to a little trifle in our world called a Rubix Cube. A little children’s puzzle toy. So I doubt the pun is anything more than a coincidence. Or the answer to the secrets of the universe."

”Punching’s what I did with my puzzle cube” Jr piped in about his experiences with his universe’s own/non-brand Rubick’s Cube equivalent ”I smashed into little bits and then stuck it back together again”

”Wait you did? You told us you did it legitimately. We were all very impressed!” Kamek said, quite aghast at the child’s lies.

”Oh… Oops?”

”I’m not a fan of those cube puzzles. They take so long to finish sometimes.” Blazermate said, the irony of a robot having trouble with cube puzzles lost on a lot of the group.

Susie then said her piece, agreeing with Rubick’s assertion of his ‘magic artifact’. ”Agreed. I once had something called Star Dream, a supercomputer that could grant wishes and could do no wrong. In the end it was all a lie, so it's best not to put much stock in rumors, but instead what you see before you.” Susie was at a loss of what to actually order herself, but eventually she just decided to try the most expensive dish on the menu. If she didn’t like it, she’d just have her big bodyguard finish it off.

“Well, I’m not really the type for puzzles myself, so that cube thing is purr-etty cool to me!” Nadia told Rubick cheerfully, hoping he didn’t feel too bad after the others compared his inscrutable enigma to a kid’s toy. “My world doesn’t have magic. I mean, not the sort ya see in movies, anyway. People don’t cast spells, but parasites can pull off some real freaky stuff, lemme tell ya. Then there’s livin’ weapons that change shape, and this one kid called Peacock who’s basically just a big ball of cartoon nonsense.” She shrugged. “That said, even that wrestler guy Beowolf’s got some crazy tricks, and he’s supposed to be normal…I think?” She raised an eyebrow as the memories of what he could do came back from the time she fought him. The big bozo just came up to her, acting as if there was a film crew around, and proceeded to grapple the ever-loving crap out of her. Could you really call someone like that ‘normal’? No way. “Then there’s my whole thing,” she added. “I’d show ya, but a severed head might put people off their appetites, nyeheh.”

"Have to get into the right headspace before seeing it," the Cadet agreed. Letting alone appetites, it took some getting used to in order to remember that she was alright when it happened. He could imagine the shock it would cause their new friends.

While listening to the conversation the Cadet had the chance to sample his drink, the restaurant's namesake. The rum did not disappoint. It was strong, with an aftertaste of something heavy and sweet like molasses. Not what he'd been expecting exactly, but it was good. He took another sip of it before going on.

"But hey, be positive! There's always after dinner. Night's still young too! Bet there's plenty more to do in town."

”There is probably some kind of dance competition near that giant crystal thingy if you two are up to it.” Blazermate said, leering at Cadet and Nadia, trying to get an idea in their heads.

A competition? Nadia wondered if the Medabot had seen Shantae’s dance lessons from afar. As much as she’d enjoyed herself then, the feral assumed that the Octant would be free of such spectacle the vast majority of the time. Other than that, Nadia only got a glance at a number of sights throughout the city during her flight with Blazermate, and she didn’t plan on mentioning the shanty-town as an attraction the others ought to visit, so she found herself a little stuck when it came to recommendations.

The conversation came to a brief halt just then, however, as the staff of Rum for Ale arrived to take the Seekers’ orders. Nadia couldn’t request the Poor Man’s Steak fast enough, and neither could Bowser. After some last-second deliberation, Peach opted for Lechon Asado, figuring that she couldn’t go wrong with roast pork plus tasty sauce. Susie ordered the most expensive thing on the menu, not really caring what it was, while Blazermate just told the waiter to ‘surprise’ her. When she heard this request, Cerberus thought about it for a moment, then when Blazermate’s back was turned, tackled her from behind.

It took a moment to sort that out, with the Cerberus in question sent to time-out, before business resumed as usual. Kamek eventually found a herbivorous option in the form of Banana Fufu, which consisted primarily of mashed boiled bananas, while Jr and Rika ordered a spread of Tamales between the two of them, that would be filled with a variety of meats, cheeses, sauces and fruits.

Rubick perused the menu for a good while before ultimately deciding on a Bistec de palomilla. It was a beef steak marinated with garlic, lime juice, salt, and pepper. It was also served with black beans and yellow or white rice, of which Rubick chose the former option.

Sakura leaned in to listen to what the other people were getting. To be honest, she had no idea what any of this stuff on the menu was. She saw the word ‘hamburger’ and recognized it. El Fuerte was probably disappointed in her, somewhere. "I’ll have the…Frita Cubana, pretty please. It has Cuba in it so it can’t be that bad. You don’t just put the name of your country on bad food, right?" She started thinking about a dance competition.

Having actually been to Cuba before, Karin wondered if things would still stack up in this World of Light they were all apparently now stuck in. "The boliche for me, thank you. And a cafecito, please, barista’s choice."

”Wait- coffee for dinner?" Sakura asked. Karin just clicked her tongue. "It is a part of the culture. A refined beverage." She flattened her monogrammed napkin against her lap.

Geralt was quick to order the Ropa Vieja he’d decided on earlier from Cerberus, while Yennefer gave her order for the Ajiaco Cubano. Each ordered a glass of wine to go with their meals. Geralt chose to pair his meal with a red wine, while Yennefer selected a sweet white wine for her meal.

“So, Geralt, would you be interested in that dance competition tonight?” Yennefer asked with a subtly sultry voice, causing the Witcher to raise an eyebrow.

“Not sure it’s your kind of dancing, but it certainly should be interesting. Sure, we’ll check it out.”

Nadia’s eyes widened as she realized that the pair might be getting off on the wrong foot. “Oh, uh. Unless Blaze saw somethin’ I didn’t, the dancin’ thing ended this afternoon.” Her attention then shifted over to the Medabot in question. “Er, didja actually see somethin’ like that? Not that I learned enough today to even dream of competin’ at all’, but…yeah.”

Recovering a bit from Cerberus jumping her, Blazermate said. ”Well, I just figured it’d be a fun activity for you two.” Blazermate said, gesturing to both Nadia and Ace. ”A strong guy and an immortal girl who can detach her head… I’m sure you two could come up with some creative stuff.”

”Lucky them, because if it was on I’d have destroyed the competition” Bowser insisted based on one of the many weird side activities he’d done along the years along with the mario crew.

The feral flashed her pearly whites in a wide grin as she tried to picture it, her arms crossed with her elbows on the table. “Nyaow that’s somethin’ I wanna see.” Nadia did her best to move right along from Blazermate’s suggestion, wondering if she might have barked -or meowed- up the wrong tree when she enlisted the machine as a wingbot. With how well she and Ace got along on their own, the extra attention veered a little close to embarrassing. “What kinda moves ya packin’, big guy?”

Geralt and Yennefer shrugged and nodded a little sadly, respectively, at Nadia and Blazermate’s corrections. “Ah, that is quite a shame. It would have been fun to show off a little. Though I suppose if we really wanted to, we could host our own small dance-off.” Geralt let out an amused breath at that. She really did just want to show off, especially since he doubted she had any faith in the big man’s skills. Geralt, at least, had learned to go with the flow and accept that he was just oddly well-rounded for a so-called King. He figured the guy didn’t exactly mean ballroom dance when he boasted about his own skills.

”Oh, yeah, that’d be great! Oh man, I have this one move I invented- it’s so good. You guys would love it." Sakura nodded eagerly, bragging somewhat.

Rubick chuckled, then dejectedly said, “I enjoy putting a spring in my step every day, but I never did commit the arts of dancing to memory. I’m ashamed to say that I must sit this one out, but I will gladly enjoy the show.”

“Hmm…” Peach mused, seriously considering the suggestion of the sorceress. Despite appearances, the princess was no stranger to dancing thanks to the Mushroom Kingdom’s Dance Dance Revolution, the one and only time the seldom-relevant Waluigi had been anything but a vaguely antagonistic background element. “If we could drum up a location and some music, then, perhaps…”

Since the Cadet wasn't privy to Nadia's agreement with Blazermate, he gave the medabot a curious look. Dancing sounded fun, sure. He was always down for competition too, even if he thought he didn't stand a chance. That it was a suggestion specifically aimed at them was surprising. Or... maybe not? They probably hadn't been very subtle with their flirting after all. Well, no matter how the suggestion started it turned out to be a good one, with most everyone on board. Especially with Yennefer's further suggestion to host it themselves.

"Sounds like fun to me!" the Cadet said. He gave Peach and Yennefer a wide grin. "I don't think it'll be too hard to find a spot."

He turned to Nadia, giving the cat burglar a wink to accompany his next words. "Not to toot my own hunting horn, but I do have some groovios moves."

”I am more for singing than dancing myself. Perhaps I could give you all a rendition of the great Haltmann?” Susie said, a bit tuned out of the conversation herself unlike her other robot comrade since she didn’t know about the agreement between Nadia and Blazermate.

”I could try, but I think no matter what I do people will think I’m doing the robot.”” Blazermate said, chuckling to herself.

The sudden surge of ambient confidence, accompanied by the earnest proposition of a group dance-off, left Nadia just a little starstruck. Did this ragtag band of heroes really have so many talented dancers!? She’d only just gotten a crash course herself! Then again, Nadia Fortune was no shrinking violet when it came to spending time with friends. As long as she was amongst friends, who cared if she was any good or not? And she couldn’t disappoint Ace, either.

“Wow, you guys too? If you can bust a groove half as good as ya bust the bad guys, we’re in for one kickass party. Un-fur-tunately, all this cat’s best moves are for fightin’,” she admitted. Thinking about what she could do brought to mind the new stuff she’d tried that afternoon in the city, and the sudden remembrance of a half-baked idea perked her right up. “Oh, that reminds me! This is my first time really bein’ part of a team, and I figured if we put our heads together, we could come up with some really cool team attacks!” She looked over at Geralt. “Like when ya threw me at that water monster, like a giant sawblade. Course, you’re too small for that now, but I’m sure we can think of something! Like, uh…”

As she looked around the table, her gaze landed on Bowser, and in the moment that passed before a lightbulb went off the others could see the gears in her head tear in real time. “Oh-oh-oh! What if ya span around in your shell real fast, and I rode on top usin’ my blood jets to spin ya even faster, just shootin’ and breathin’ fire the whole time? We’d be unstoppable!” She made a frenetic spinning motion with her hands to try and show what she meant, before she calmed down and put her hand to her chin thoughtfully, eyebrows scrunched. “Gimme a sec and I’m sure I can make a pun name for the move, too…”

”Throw in these shooters,” Bowser said, briefly popping out his new setup for his shell mounted guns to show what he was talking about. ”And we’d be a real Carousel of Cat-astrophe”

_{"Heh, good one!"}

”That sounds… very dangerous,” Kamek had to point out, as in her mind's eye she saw the pair careening all over.

”Yeah, it sure would be! It’d be like the trick with the shy guy squad, only even better!” Bowser declared, referring to an as of yet unseen minion attack where the masked minions used a bungeecord to propel him at his foes at high speed.

”For us I mean,” Kamek clarified

”Oh... Eh I’m sure Nadia can handle it,” the king declared confidently ”right Nadia?”

The feral smacked her fist into her palm with a grin. “You betcher ass I can! When it comes to livin’ through stuff, I’m best in show–I don’t even need to be in one piece!”

”Again, I was mostly worried about… never mind” Kamek sighed, and then directed her gaze to the others, asking ”I don’t suppose anyone else has any similar ideas? They could be quite handy if they aren't so… collateral prone”

”Are you guys talking about some kind of combination attack? I don’t think I can help much with that besides buffing you. But combination attacks are something I’m familiar with.” Blazermate said, tilting her head as Nadia, Bowser, and his family started to talk about a combination type attack. Susie, not knowing what they were all talking about or what they could do, just listened as she started to finish her milkshake.

”So if you guys do one, what buff would be best then? Damage or invincibility? A bit of a shame I can’t do any other than those, but hey, it's still way better than just straight healing!” Blazermate said, trying her best to join the conversation but being a bit unable to.

“I would go for damage. More damage is more fun!” Rubick interjected, chuckling as he tried to add more fuel to the chaos.

Nadia tilted her head as she thought about it. “That’d be fun, I guess, but one person rushin’ ahead while the other stands back powerin’ ‘em up is kinda one-sided. If you and me both got fired up, Blaze, we could probably pull off a sick crossfire beam attack! I have a water beam now, by the way~” Her attention drifted back to Rubick. “If you’re gonna be rollin’ with us for a spell, I’m eager to see what you can do! Betcha got all kinds of hocus pocus!”

Rubick tilted his head as he turned to stare at Nadia. “Very well!” Rubick complied happily. He too was eager to show his stuff, or rather, other people’s stuff. “Allow me to show you just what a Grand Magus is capable of.” Then he proceeded to jump up from his chair and raise his arm, summoning his staff and twirling it around before pointing it at Kamek. A green wisp of energy trailed off from her and into Rubick, who then went wide-eyed as the knowledge of Kamek’s teleporting Power flowed into his mind.

“So that is how it is done…” Rubick muttered to himself. With a gesture of his staff, he teleported himself onto a table in a puff of smoke. He proceeded to teleport around the restaurant a couple more times while also pointing at Sakura.

Again, a wisp of green energy trailed out of her body and into Rubick’s, whose palms began to glow blew. He then proceeded to strike a few poses similar to Sakura’s before announcing “Hogosho!” and launching a short-ranged blue burst of energy into an empty space next to him.

Finally, he pointed to Nadia with his staff, and he gained a bit of knowledge of Nadia’s power. “Oh-ho~ does that water beam of yours go like THIS?” Rubick asked as he proceeded to fire a large stream of water from his staff towards the entrance of the Rum for Ale, blasting the door open while completely drenching the area outside of it. This lasted for a few seconds before Rubick ceased the attack. Turning back to Nadia, Rubick proceeded to ask, “What do you think?”

The wide-eyed surprise on the feral’s face told him just how impressed she was. “...Whoa, you really nyailed it. Just be careful with that thing man, it packs a punch!”

Peach clapped softly. “I admire your power, as well as your enthusiasm. But perhaps you could have fired up into the air?” she suggested gently. The restaurant staff looked on with an air of rather less constructive criticism as they gathered together for a hushed discussion. Since there had been no furniture in the arched hallway through which the mage’s copied torrent fired, nothing had been destroyed, and the water would evaporate in time, they decided not to take any sort of action. With the excitement over they went back to their duties, which included kicking Cerberus out of the kitchen since none of them knew a thing about cooking. It wouldn’t be too long before the party’s meals were ready.

Karin clapped, and so did Sakura, but the latter’s subtle pout indicated she was kinda miffed that someone was able to replicate her hard work so easily.

”Oh, oh, do me! Do me!” Blazermate said, excitedly clapping as she saw what Rubick could do. Apparently he could use abilities from the others, and since Blazermate was all support, perhaps he could start healing others too?

Rubick stared at Blazermate quizzically before shrugging and copying her Power as well. As the wisp of green energy entered his body, Rubick learned of Blazermate’s purpose as a robot and presumably her main method of performing her intended function. Pointing his staff at Blazermate, Rubick proceeded to fire a green beam of healing energy at her, which would begin to repair any damaged bits she may have. “One dose of healing beam coming right up!” Rubick said.

Geralt watched the self-proclaimed ‘Grand Magus’ proceed to point his staff at their allies and, somehow, copy their abilities. Some he knew came from Spirits, which actually made him somewhat curious as to what he could conceivably copy. Would he know how to perform a Sign if he turned his staff towards Geralt? Would he simply be able to recreate the effects of one if he did so? Deciding that he didn’t want a hyperactive mage wielding the powers of Axii, he once more decided against drawing attention to himself, instead watching curiously.

Most of the troupe were very impressed, but Jr did have to point out that ”Mimi can kinda do that too, can’t you Mimi?” which got his little mon to hop onto the table and, at the prompting of her trainer, show off her own power copying ability. With a “Mimik!” She used her newly acquired better version of copycat: mimic, to copy and temporarily learn the most recent move. In this case she thrust out her tail stick and shot a little healing beam at Rubick to show him he wasn't the only copycat in town (even if she wasn’t quite as good as him) and then turning it off only to shoot another one at Blazermate to show off her new ability to use the moves as much as she liked after copying it to her suitably impressed trainer.

”We could certainly get a lot of versatility out of triple attacks or skills this way. Being able to render 6 people invulnerable would be quite the boon, for example, or hitting something with three flash cannons or other big charged attacks” Kamek noted. Mimi alone had been quite hady and with Rubick being an even more versatile equivalent, that optioned up a whole host of options.

”You should give it a name like… Terrible Triple Trouble! Or something” Bowser suggested, giving the move a suitably cheesy name.

”I don’t think people who copy my healing beam could also make people invincible. It's a bit tricky to explain, but while they are related, the invincibility and my healing beam are very very different.” Blazermate mused at Kamek’s suggestion. After all, while they copied her healing beam, they probably weren't copying her medaforce that was needed to make people invincible.

“It is true,” Rubick dejectedly confirmed. “I believe they are two distinct abilities, so it is impossible to use them both at the same time. For now, at least.”

Watching this all unfold, Susie was more confused than anything. Sure it made sense for this mage to copy ‘magical’ abilities, but once he copied Blazermate, a robot, Susie couldn’t help but take notice. ”Copying a robot with magic…. That is curious.” Susie then decided to join the conversation about combo attacks, although she still couldn’t call her business suit. ”It can’t be helped. Haltmann tech can adapt a bit to magic as well so that working in reverse makes sense I guess. If any of you have elemental attacks, I can use one to infuse my equipment with those properties.” Susie then gave an expression as if she was thinking, before saying. ”Perhaps something could be done with my business suit… I’ll need to think on it.”

The sight of the newcomers already getting along with the rest of her group made Peach happy, but even after some time spent taking it easy, she couldn’t just wipe the fates of the Seekers’ last hangers-on from her mind. After taking a deep breath, she waited for a suitable gap in the conversation and chimed in. “Excuse me for spoiling the mood for a moment, but I should tell the both of you,” she said, addressing Rubick, Susie, and Cerberus. “We’re happy for you to join us, whether for an evening or for the rest of our journey, but you should be warned. What we’re doing is dangerous, and not just run-of-the-mill dangerous, but lethal even for people with advanced abilities. During our last mission, a few people we encountered joined up without understanding what lay in store, or having enough time to regain their old abilities, and they paid the price.” Delsin, Frog, and Mr. L never returned from those curse-shrouded seas, and though Brineybeard and Mirage still lived, Peach doubted she would see either of them again. It had been a miracle that the team didn’t lose Hat Kid, Bowser, and several others too. “So, I guess I just want to say, make sure you think it through. That you’re sure you want to achieve is worth the risk.”

”Thank you for your concern, But I assure you I have dealt with hard stuff before. Void Termina was some ancient galactic evil that destroyed an entire civilization of advanced ancients, yet it fell to Haltmann technology.” Susie said. ”Technology which is for sale, for the right price.”

“I also thank you for your concern, miss, but I am well acquainted with danger,” Rubick replied. “Back where I come from, I dealt with assassins aiming for my life almost daily. I earned my title of ‘Grand Magus’ by killing several fellow Magi in a single grand battle. And I played a large role in the Defense of the Ancients, a large-scale war where beings of all sorts of shapes and sizes came to participate. I may not have my full range of abilities yet, but you can rest assured that I am more than capable of looking after myself.”

Peach nodded her respectful approval. “That’s good to hear. I shouldn’t have worried.”

Luckily, the downer mood didn’t last too long, because the food had arrived. Cerberus and the restaurant staff marched out bearing platters of sizzling steak, pork, chicken, and eggs awash with spice and sauce, luxuriant beans and steaming rice drowned in flavor, expertly prepared yuca, rich stews and soups, corn husks stuffed with meaty, cheesy goodness, banana and plantain, croquettes fried to a tantalizing golden luster, and more. Some came on large, oblong plates where not an inch of the china could be seen beneath the blanket of food except for the colorfully patterned rims, but some of the dishes came on black iron skillets so fresh from the oven that the waiters needed to handle them with mitts and warn their customers to keep their hands off.

Nadia couldn’t stop her jaw from dropping as the servers piled the table high with her friend’s feast, drool eking from the corner of her mouth as her saucer-round eyes shone. If just the smell was almost enough to send her straight to heaven, how was this gonna taste!? Though so famished (despite the sizable barbeque lunch) she could pretty much dive into her plate head first, Nadia also felt oddly reluctant; it was all so incredible that it sort of felt like a shame to ruin it. Almost like she was defacing a work of art, or something precious. Well…almost. That weird feeling didn’t last very long, and after that, the feral seized her utensils, more or less vacuumed up her fried eggs, and started carving up her flank steak like a wild beast.

King and prince more or less matched her table manners and feral hunger, the toothy carnivores chowing down on their meaty meals with gusto, while Rika went about sampling every little thing she could get her hands on, including asking if she could try out other people's dishes, leaving only Kamek as a last bastion of civil dining among the koopa troop.

While Yennefer partook of her meal with the politeness and grace befitting an advisor to the Imperial Throne, Geralt abandoned much of his pretenses and began digging in readily, though not quite as ravenously as the Koopas. That would get him yelled at, though his current behavior was sure to earn him a sigh and an exasperated lecture later as well.

A couple of seats down, the Ace Cadet added to the chaos with his usual gusto when it came to eating. Scarfing up a meal like it would be your last was a hard habit to break. Unless necessary he forwent utensils, scooping up whatever food caught his eye on the plates delivered with his own order. He was equally as delighted by the new and delicious looking items as he was by those he'd actually seen before back in his own world, if under a different name. In between bouts of stuffing his face then washing it down with what remained in his glass, he flung some food Rika's way for the abyssal to catch like a fish leaping from water, though careful not to hit the koopa sorceress beside her.

Rubick was more mannered than some others at the table, neatly cutting into his steak with a knife and using a fork to deftly eat underneath his mask.

”Itadakimasu!" Sakura exclaimed gleefully as her meal was set in front of her. ”Thank you v-very much!" She took a big bite out of the burger. ”Mmm…no food tastes better than food someone else is paying for!"

Karin was firmly in camp ‘eating with manners’, though her meal seemed to disappear quite quickly whenever no one was looking. "I’m not sure it was ever established who exactly was paying for all this." She said coolly. The thought caused Sakura to freeze mid-bite. For a moment she panicked, worried that she had just blown all of her allowance. But then she remembered what she kinda did for a living now.

”Oh. Oohh well. Okay. I’ll just use…yeah I’ve got money left over. I’m an adventurer, so that means I have treasure or something. Wow, you gave me a heart attack with that one."

Nadia raised a hand for attention, although since she was still chewing she ended up signaling that she needed a moment. When her own steak was safely disposed of, she hastened to address the street fighters’ concerns. “I am, actually! All that moolah I got from the island last night was sorta burnin’ a hole in my pocket. Figured I might as well blow it on somethin’ that I could enjoy with everyone.” She took a big swig of her bright-orange beverage, then added with a grin, “If ya wanna pay for yourselves though, don’t let me stop ya! Any leftovers will sure help meowt if we go shoppin’ later.”

Seated together on a single bench next to Peach, Cerberus paused in their ravenous consumption of various scrap meats from the kitchen to look Nadia’s way, their ears perked up. “Oh, are we going somewhere exciting after this?” the Triple Demon chorused.

”Oh! Thank you Ms. Nadia." Sakura laughed slightly, wiping her forehead in an exaggerated manner. ”I don’t think I’ve really had a chance to go shopping yet. This should be fun! I want a bicycle. I’m gonna buy a bicycle." She said, nodding, satisfied with that. ”...Where I’d get a bicycle, I don’t know.”

“Well there was that big boat that came in while you were fighting. Supposed to be shops on it? I was thinking on going there afterwards” Rika helpfully supplied Sakura “Maybe they’ll have one of those bicycle things there?”

"Yeah, plus this city has a little of everything. I bet you'll find it, whatever it is," the Cadet said from across the table. He intended to go right back to eating, but a thought soon occurred and he swallowed the croquette he'd just popped into his mouth whole so he could get back to talking.

"Oh yeah, but speaking of shopping! I didn't get a chance to tell everyone earlier with everything going on at the beach, but I ran into this biiig carapaceon, and found some cool shells and all these sea pearls. Nadia said they're probably valuable, so I was gonna share 'em with everyone! We could all go on a regular seeker shopping spree and check out that ship." The monster hunter gestured widely as he spoke, including touching his fingers together in mockery of a crab's claws. He thought that there were probably enough pearls to split a small handful with everyone, including their newcomers and even save some for Link and Hat Kid too.

“Oooo, shopping! What fun!” Rubick said as he clapped his hands together. He had wanted to look for some items to fill in for his missing repertoire of abilities, but he had precious little opportunity to do so in the past. Now it seemed he would get his chance.

With the group’s next activity decided upon, everyone hurried to polish off the remainder of their meals, although not so fast that they couldn't savor every last bit of this hard-won feast. Princess Peach, thinking that she could make good use out of the coins stored in her new Inventory, elected to join everyone on their trip to the merchant vessel. Those less inclined to accompany the shoppers on their excursion could, naturally, turn in early, but from the looks of it a visit from the Argentum Trade Guild was a rare treat as the circus coming to town, and not something to be passed up lightly. After paying for the Seekers’ meal Nadia was left with only a pittance of gold pieces, but if Ace succeeded in his plan to pawn off the pearls, she’d at least have a little something to spend. Once everyone was ready the large group set off at a leisurely pace, too full of good food (and in some cases, potent alcohol) to do much but take their time.



Now that it was moored in the ocean waters just outside Limsa Lominscuttle Town’s harbor, everyone could really begin to appreciate just how massive a vessel the Argentum Trade Guild was. In fact, its size prohibited it from pulling into and docking at port, so once it arrived Limsa deployed a ferry service operated by volunteer shipgirls that pulled rafts filled with eager traders to and from Argentum. If not for the place’s rather rustic, copper-and-wood aesthetic, in fact, being dragged toward its bowels might have been intimidating. Even discounting Goldmouth, the colossal, whale-like Titan that floated in placid serenity overhead like an enormous dirigible, the ship was easily comparable to a cargo freighter, but this boat went far beyond the confines of a mere vehicle meant for transport. Instead, the immense merchant ship managed to achieve the status of miniature city in its own right, featuring not just the warehouse and floor space necessary to house and sell a wealth of goods, but its salvaging industry and its own residential area, complete with onboard dining, entertainment, and more. It even had its own flight deck up top, and an entire dock down at water level below, fully retractable into the side of the ship should inclement weather or a rogue sea monster make an impregnable hull a necessity.

When Nadia, already awestruck by the scale of the place, first stepped foot from the entry port into the belly of the behemoth, she looked up to see layer upon layer of spacious upper floors accessible by stairs and connected by well-lit catwalks. The patrons of Rumbletum Canteen, the Bower Lounge, and Lemour Inn were so high up that she could barely make out their features. Of course, the main event, and the reason why her group came here in the first place, lay directly ahead: the spectacular Argentum Bazaar.



There were so many shops that Nadia found herself struggling to take it all in. Even at their best, the open-air markets of Little Innsmouth had nothing on this! Everywhere she looked she found crates and barrels stacked so high that they more or less formed the walls between the stores. Right away the feral spotted ornate pottery, casks of exotic liquor, silks and rugs, various clothes, pastries, seafood, and produce, maps, sacks, bags, furniture, weapons, armor, trinkets and collectibles, and so much more, all cast in the cozy, warm glow of lights strung together across hanging cables above. Names like Cleo’s Cosmetics, Honeycomb Sweets, Strummer Instruments, Nopox Hobby Store, Reedirait Bookstore, Whiteside Salvaging, Shroomblade Smithy, Shynini’s Accessories, and Noodler’s Delight confronted her from every side. She, like all the shoppers from Limsa Lominsa, found herself so spoiled by choice that for a moment she didn’t know what to do with herself, so she decided the best thing to do would just be to wander around.

Nadia soon observed that practically every shop appeared to be run by a rotund, fuzzy creature. While she mistook them for mascots or something at first, a little listening-in quickly revealed that no, the Nopon weren’t just people in their own rights, but merchants of remarkable uncanny sense despite their cutesy appearances. They came in all colors, with hair that didn’t always match their fur, and most of them wore clothes of some stripe, but all sported stubby little limbs and a pair of larger, dextrous wings they used to handle their wares and their customers’ cash, the latter of which they seemed to covet with greed that was thinly-veiled at best. Nadia’s time spent in Little Innsmouth gave her a sense for when the Dagonian locals were trying to fleece outsiders, and if anything these guys seemed worse, offering dubious prices, whimsical embellishments, and hard bargains. Still, Nadia found it hard to take the idea of them being tricksters seriously. After all, with their round little bodies, funny outfits, and oddly endearing speech, they were just so cute!

One of the most eye-catching displays, however, sat amidships between the dividing wall that kept the public out of the warehouse block and the bazaar itself, flanked on either side by a giant marble statue of a hand whose palm overflowed with coins. Resembling a circus tent with its wooden supports and red-white striped awnings, the Grand Exchange featured a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree counter around its central shelves, manned by a full contingent of staff, and yet it still managed to seem rather small compared to the gargantuan crowd around it. A cacophony of voices rolled out from the throng across the bazaar, a chorus of offers to sell and requests to buy, prices, and currencies like gil, gold, zenny, and platinum. And as if that wasn’t chaos enough, a few of those present present seemed to be solely interested in starting rows of fires along the floor, even at the feet of the traders, all of which caught practically the instant the would-be arsonists plonked down a few logs and burned to ashes without actually igniting anything or anyone else, which came as a major relief to Nadia when she realized.

In short, the Argentum Trade Guild offered an absurd amount of merchandise for how little money Nadia Fortune had left to her name. Still, she could hear her bed back at the Mizzenmast calling out to her almost as much as this incredible marketplace. Between her reduced funds and flagging stamina, she didn’t know how long she’d be able to last before heading back. If she was going to buy just one thing among the vast smorgasbord on offer, she needed to get cracking.

Level: 3
Experience: 1/30
Currently In: Frozen Highlands, Dragonspine Foothills
Word Count: 456 (+1 Exp)
Albedo @Lugubrious, Prisoner @XoXKieroBombXoX

As Albedo set out a plan, Frisk mainly focused on getting warmed up again before they headed out. Of course they did their best to listen close. Looks like Linkle's staying behind with Joel. Despite hesitance from the others, at least there'd be someone strong to protect him. The Skullgirl might need a break anyways, if nothing happens. Frisk quietly wished them good luck in that regard.

The Alchemist then addressed Melony, reassuring her that they'll be looking out for her Pokemon, despite not knowing what they look like. With that the woman took a moment to describe them, a moment the child listened more closely. They'd take whatever info they could if it meant a better chance at finding the Pokemon. And to better those odds, Melony was convinced to join them on their search. Despite Teba's objection to leaving the boy in Linkle's care, he begrudgingly agreed to it, though not without a warning to the skullgirl. Kind of unnecessary, but they understood where the avian archer was coming from.

And with Prisoner joining the team as well, they were ready to head out.

...

The familiar glow of a golden star. Frisk subtlely saved their progress, just in case they needed to head back in a hurry.

The rescue team, through more grim trees and slim trails, old ruins and what was possibly a rickety bridge of similiar age, eventually came across another campsite. Site four, if Teba was refering to that, left abandoned. Frisk followed behind Albedo as he searched through the snow, assisting in the search. Maybe if the cliffside Teba flew up to wasn't steep, they could try and climb it themself.

"Hm?" The Alchemist did find something of note. No pun intended, it looked like a journal entry. Possibly Joserf's? When he had passed it to Frisk, they read it out loud for everyone else to hear.

Before they could offer any theories or lack there of however, trouble finally caught up to them in the form of hostile undead. Frisk's soul, like clockwork, appeared as is eager for battle. But this time, they won't have to rely on their agility alone. They looked over their shoulder to Melony.

"Might wanna stay back, Ma'am!" They told her, their soul turing green in an instant. Somehow, they felt more confident this fight. As if they were inspired by the kindness of their allies. In a bold move, the youth charged at an approaching Draugr to bash against it with their shield, then swung Vorpan at it's head. Frisk's intent stayed the same; providing support to the other fighters.

And like heck they're letting any of those freakshows lay a hand on Melony. Not when she's without any means of protecting herself!


Level: 1
Experience: 1/10
Currently In: Deep Blue Seaside, Limsa Lominscuttle Town
Word Count: 380 (+1 Exp)

There could have been many way he'd react to the sudden change in location. Confusion, fear, concern. But if he did feel any of those, Omori didn't exactly show it. He couldn't help but wonder. What happened back there, before he was ripped out of Headspace completely. Was that just a dream? A nightmare? Well, whatever it was, atleast he didn't have to worry about it now.

Still, where did his friends go? The rest of them? He felt a bit...weaker for some reason too. Nothing too concerning. For now the boy would have to figure out just where here is. Relocating his trusty knife and a journal, Omori set off to explore.

So far, not a familiar face had been found yet. Not even his sister. Hopefully she was okay. There was a bunch of new enemies that he faced in his travels, some a league above sprout moles or doomboxes. He couldn't let them defeat him easily. But eventually, the boy would have to get some new equipment. Especially some healing stuff. Whatever he had on him last apparently vanished. Luckily Omori stumbled upon a town he could stay in for awhile.

So when the Argentum Trade Guild payed a visit to Limsa's harbor, he felt like checking it out too. He could surmise that the giant ship housed a shop or two, but the monochrome boy would just be window shopping on his end.

...

..

Turns out, he was only somewhat right. This place was huge! Omori found himself wandering around the compact city, a faint expression of awe on his face. He quietly bobed and weaved around any people that passed by him, sometimes stopping to look around. Man, he wished he still had some clams on him. ...Did they even take clams as currency? Maybe not. It was still nice to take in his surroundings. He eventually made his way to the Bazaar. The shopkeepers, whatever they were, were kinda cute. Rotund, but shrewd. There was one booth that seemed jam-packed with people from where he stood.

...Nah, best not to get roped into that. He'd get squished in one wrong move.

For now, Omori stopped by the bookstore. Maybe once he can come back with some money, he could buy some gifts for his friends.

Three Draugr, no mere shambling, infirm cadavers, but warped warriors rekindled by foul sorcery and alight with malicious intent. One raider wielded mismatched hatchets, another a heavy, two-handed Dane axe blotched with rust, and the third a curved sword sword plus buckler. Two Hel-walkers, icy pale blue in color with eyes that smoldered with the uncanny green-tingue flame of seior magic. Neither held a weapon, but that same strange fire crackled in their hands. With cold, indifferent eyes Albedo took what stock of these new foes that he could, but with how quickly the undead marauders emerged to assail his group, there was no time for strategy. Only action.

He leaped for the nearest Hel-walker as it began to gather power to cast his way. With its hands occupied, the alchemist had a clear shot for the neck, but rather than even raise his sword to slice at the once-human monster he lashed out with a kick to the chest. Under his blunt force a web of cracks appeared from the impact point, and the Hel-walker staggered. Albedo wasted no time as he then slammed his hilt into his enemy's head, setting it up perfectly for a bash that knocked it back over an shin-high rock and into the snow. He couldn't capitalize on the knockdown, however, as his next enemy was already upon him. The Draugr raider swung its hatchets with vicious, reckless abandon, discarding any notion of safety as it sought to carve the alchemist into his constituent components. Albedo found himself on the defense and forced backward to the rocky face of the cliff behind him as he searched for a way to counterattack.

Meanwhile, Frisk had their own problems. The Draugr warrior met the kid's charge with a brutal axe swing, dealing such a powerful blow that it stopped Frisk in their tracks and jarred their arm to the bone. If not for their shield, it was easy to imagine the child split like a log for kindling. With just one interaction the power gap between the two combatants became clear, but in the heat of the moment, Frisk wasn't about to back down. Not when they had someone to protect. Seeking to end the clash as fast as humanly possible, Frisk aimed for a critical blow at the Draugr's head, but the monster was attacking, too. Whatever trace amount of intelligence that remained in the warrior allowed it to recognize a defense that needed to be broken, and without delay it shoved its weapon forward, striking and pushing Frisk's shield with the cold-stiffened wooden handle of its axe in a big to knock them off their feet. It was then that the second Hel-walker struck, unleashing a high-pressure, almost concussive blast of icy mist to blow away whatever hope Frisk might have had of staying upright. As if smelling blood, the warrior moved in, its axe rising to descend like a guillotine upon the fallen child.

With two enemies each attacking Frisk and Albedo, and the Prisoner still too far away from the others on account of his curious wandering, that left one Draugr unaccounted for. The shieldbearer charged straight down the middle between both fights, fixated on the defenseless woman behind them. Melony's breath caught in her throat as the monster bore down on her, paralyzed by a raw, primal fear, the likes of which she'd never felt in all her life. She screamed, but as she did her fighting spirit rallied inside her. Unfreezing, she dodged to the side, and that split-second decision turned what would have been a deadly cut into a glancing, albeit bloody, blow. Shock from the pain and the cold flooded through her, but Melony fought back. Albedo and Frisk had both been pushed back toward the rock wall, which left her boxed in and unable to escape. The only path to survival lay directly ahead of her, and it meant confronting the Draugr whose decrepit blade now ran red with her blood. Another scream ripped out of her, still full of terror, but bolstered by her furious will to live.

She went low as she threw herself at the Draugr, her arms held up to protect her head, swaddled in the thick, puffy sleeves of her winter coat that just might serve as armor against a sword in such terrible condition. The monster's weapon came around in a horizontal slash that could have easily ripped her throat, but against her sleeves the chipped, dull blade couldn't do more than tear out the stuffing. Then she slammed into the undead in a full-body tackle, managing to bring it to the ground thanks to her own not-insignificant weight. In a final act of desperation Melony tried to pin down its sword arm, but the Draugr punched her with its offhand shield, striking again and again at her head as it kneed her in the middle. The cruel assault took its toll in a matter of seconds, and Melony went limp, rolling off the undead and onto her back. With her nose broken, her eye blackened, and several skull fractures, she could only wait in feeble agony as the Draugr stood to finish her off.

Rubick skipped along as he followed the group, even riding his staff like a toy horse, complete with realistic clopping noises and occasional neighing sound effects. "Giddyup!" he said as he spun around in a circle. This continued even after they reached the Argentum Trade Guild, clip-clopping his way up the ramps, but he stopped as soon as he saw all the goods on display at the Argentum Bazaar. "Let us meet back at the entrance, friends!" Rubick said to the team before running off to browse the various stores.

Like Nadia, he too felt spoiled by choice, and the little furry Nopon merchants certainly made a big effort to advertise their wares. Rubick was tempted to buy a lot of their wares, but he knew he had to carefully consider what to buy. That vintage wine over here certainly looked interesting, but perhaps that gold necklace shined just pleasantly enough to tempt his wallet open. Truth be told, it almost did, but Rubick knew better than to fall for such tricks. Where Rubick came from, the shopkeepers were under an ancient pact with the gods: personal safety in exchange for high-quality, fairly priced goods and services. Failure to comply with this agreement, buyer or seller, would lead to a never-ending curse inflicted by every single god, known and unknown to the world. Here, these shopkeepers were undoubtedly under no such agreement, so there was no guarantee that what they were selling were what he needed. It was a pity, but these were not items that Rubick needed.

He continued to browse, but Rubick couldn't find anything that he absolutely needed. He continued to walk and walk, at this point only scanning items before moving on to the next store, then he proceeded to rapidly walk backwards as his eyes locked onto one item in particular. It was a blue eyepiece with a copper frame. It had a faint glow of power surrounding it. Rubick realized what it was at a glance: the Aether Lens. It was an item from his land, he was sure of it. It granted extra energy for the wearer as well as energy regen, which was nice, but the main trait of this artifact was the increased cast range, giving spells and items some extra range to reach their targets. He had been planning to buy it back in the Defense of the Ancients, though he couldn't then b̸̡̌e̸̜̽̈́c̶̦̲̒̓a̵͙̺͌u̴̙͗͑̃ͅs̷̛̼̺̊͊e̸͍̱͑ ̵̥̤̻̍ö̶̬̺͓́͛f̵̡̔̆ ̵̡̛G̶̨͌̓͊â̶̩̮̳̾l̴̫͖̇è̵̫͕̗̾e̷̛͍̦͌͜m̵̻̏̀. Now that it was here, he knew he had to get his hands on it.

And so the haggling began. The shopkeeper asked for a rather exorbitant price, to which Rubick laughed off in response and proceeded to ask for a price that was unreasonably low. Then they began to rapidly fire off prices, each getting higher and lower, respectively, until they finally settled on a price of 1050 gold. Feeling triumphant, Rubick happily attached it over an eyehole on his mask. The moment he did, he could already feel the newfound power surging into him. Satisfied, he left to continue his browsing of the shops.

Along the way, he eventually went over to what was perhaps the most interesting part of the Argentum Bazaar: the Grand Exchange. Making his way through the large crowd and occasionally stepping over a pile of ashes, he went up to the front desk and asked one of the employees what was being sold. As it turned out, literally everything. The only limit was the buyer's knowledge and funds, and of course, if anyone was selling the desired product. Curious, Rubick decided to test that claim. He first began to order three items: the Octarine Core, the Refresher Orb, and his father's prized scepter. To his surprise, all three items were available through the Grand Exchange, though the prices were quite high. It was to be expected; after all, these were high class goods, prized by any who even dabble in the arts of magic. Quickly realizing he couldn't buy any of these items, he decided to settle on something actually in his price range: the Blink Dagger. Although fabled to have been used by the fastest assassin in the world, its blade was actually rather dull. However, its main purpose was not to be used as a weapon. It was actually a magical artifact that instantly transported, or "blinked", its wielder in any direction several feet. His new Aether Lens would compliment it well, as he would be able to travel even farther than normal using it.

It sounded good on paper, until you realized its main drawback: the wielder must not have taken any direct damage for the last few seconds. Furthermore, after using the Blink Dagger, it would go on a cooldown for several seconds before it could be used again. Still, Rubick could work around those downsides. It was all he needed.

Rubick tried to set the buying price lower than the default of 1125 gold, but it seemed no one was willing to sell that low. Disappointed, he then set it back to the default price. Immediately, the trade went through, and Rubick received his item. He began twirling the Blink Dagger around his fingers, then pointed in the direction of the entrance. With a poof of blue particles, Rubick teleported past the crowd around the GE and found himself at the entrance, exactly where he wanted to be. Now that he found what he wanted, he then began to search for his companions. Perhaps they still had something they wanted to buy. Rubick still had some leftover funds, and figured it would be in his best interest to stay in their good graces and help them purchase something they didn't have the funds for.

In a lucky turn for Sectonia, her search for somewhere to freshen up didn't take her long. Crammed into one corner of Gerudo Town was an unusually large building in a rough cross shape, and though its distinctive domed glass roof the insect queen could see pools of crystal clear water lit from below. A speedy descent revealed that the bathhouse wasn't only unguarded, but unlocked and completely open to the public for free, so long as the guests minded the brief list of rules and did their part to keep the illustrious, beautiful Bath of Tefnut spick and span. With only women allowed in the city, it made sense (after a fashion) that no security or timing regulations would be necessary, but that any lady who needed a soak could come in and rest her weary head freely.



Within Sectonia found a beautiful, wide-open interior, full of vivid painting and lush plants. Purple pillows dotted with golden stars lay about the decorated columns, and a dozen or two town-clad, deific statues kept a solemn, regal watch over the pools. Aromatic wisps of smoke drifted upward from incense braziers, and obelisks stood tall above reclining chairs. Everything was calm, peaceful, and still. It would take a concerted effort in the low light to spot the half-dozen guests who lingered here currently, all scattered around the bathhouse in a zen-like state of total relaxation.

Sectonia was a bit surprised, but after thinking about it, it made sense, that they would hide everything from the harsh sands inside the buildings. Now this was what she expected. A bit of beauty that wasn't to her taste sure, but she couldn't deny that they tried, and did a pretty good job The fluffy looking pillows looked fairly inviting all things considered.

Finding a spot near the deeper end of the bath house, Sectonia got herself ready and cleaned herself up. While the waters weren't as good as the spa, it was still relaxing and she could get herself to look proper. Sectonia wondered if the few Gerudo here were a bit taken aback like the guards were at no longer being the biggest lady in the room.

Unfortunately for the giant bug's ego, nobody seemed to be paying her any mind. In the Bath of Tefnut's tranquil waters, everyone could sink into their own little worlds. After just a few moments of exposure the insect queen found the pleasantly warm water just as soothing. As she relaxed and let the balmy, almost soporific heat seep in, the soreness and fatigue of a day spent pushed to the limit began to subside, time started slipping away, and she could begin to feel a lot better.

For a good long while, the agreeable stillness endured, the whole place totally quiet except for the lap of the water against the pool's edge, and the occasional light splish-splash of another patron on the move. Some bathers came and went, their gazes lingering on Sectonia for a moment on account of her inhuman appearance, but with it more or less clear that she was here for the same purpose as they, everyone just minded their own business. Nobody made a scene, but after some time, one thing did happen. Nothing out of the ordinary really, but in this place any break in the silence tended to get one's attention. A loud snap rang out, clear and authoritative, and the moment it did a half-hidden shape moved in the shadows. One of the large, animal-headed figures that Sectonia took for just another statue emerged to reveal himself as a well-dressed hawk fellow, white-feathered and formidable of build, carrying a couple of neatly-folded towels like a butler as he hustled around the pool. While not too strange by himself, his appearance did beg the question: in a city exclusive to women, what was a man doing in the public bathhouse?

As he made haste, a beautiful woman pulled herself up from the water not too far away, almost regal in appearance despite her simple black swimsuit. Finished with her soak, she waited in silence for her manservant to arrive and drape a towel across her shoulder, before she accepted the second one to wrap around her waist. She then span around in a flurry of cloth, and when she finished her outfit had changed completely, the towels nowhere to be seen. After a final smirking glance around, as if despairing the quality of her bathhouse's clientele these days, she stalked toward the exit with her burly butler in tow.

"Hmph, another noble with their own servant, She knows to keep her beauty well maintained, although that butler isn't as elegant as my antillions." Sectonia thought to herself upon seeing this woman, nodding in approval but questioning how that butler was a lady. Still, leaving soon seemed like a good idea once she had her beauty soak, and after a few other bit of maintenance of herself, Sectonia eventually left the bathhouse looking almost as good as when she came out of the shangri spa. Seeing as it was nighttime, she doubted any of the stores or anything would be open for her to take a look at magic items or the sort, so she decided to look around for the other girls. They probably had taken this time to find a place to rest, and she'd need to affirm it was a good place.

A short, low-attitude flight eastward from the Bath of Tefnut brought Sectonia to what appeared to be an inn. It seemed nice, and made with the average stature of the Gerudo in mind, managed to be rather spacious. That said, its builders lacked the foresight to take either giant wasps or visiting royalty into consideration, so while clean, tastefully decorated, and plenty comfortable, the inn lacked the luxury and aplomb that Sectonia might be expecting. At the very least, it ought to be suitable for her lower-class minions (that being every Seeker other than herself), but when she briefly looked around the place and inquired at the front desk, she realized that Primrose, Panther, Asbestos, and Alice had yet to check in. Only Peacock was there, already snug in her pajamas so that she could be up bright and early the next day for the morning cartoons, although in this place it was just force of habit. Other than that though, Sectonia's allies seemed to be scattered throughout the walled city still, with no indication as to where they might be.

Sectonia just stood there, trying not to show her confusion, before deciding that, since no one else was here, she'd go and see what this town looked like at night, maybe even swing by the markets to see if they are even open. Under the moonlight this place had a good charm to it, so if everyone else was on the town, she'd just continue to explore herself. Being out at night isn't really a strange thing for her, considering her palace was under eternal moonlight.

“Nice.” Jesse replied, assuming Primrose made the pun on purpose. Haha. Cooler.

Jesse entered Gerudo town and did a brief spin, taking in its sights. Once again, the World of Light was an AWE of cataclysmic proportions, but it provided no shortage of things to do or look at. They finally killed that giant bastard of a worm, but the battle was epic and exhilarating and…

It’s still all just the right kind of insane. You know what I mean, don’t you? I mean, it’s dangerous, and yeah, a little tragic. But it’s right where I belong. Is the eye of the storm even the right turn of phrase? I think I want to be IN the storm. That’s where all the action is. That’s where all the people who need help are. That’s where I can be the most useful, be myself. Right?

Speaking of places to make herself useful, there was already a commotion happening over at the jail. Technically, this was the part where she was supposed to rest up. And spending more quality time with the people she was supposed to fight to the death alongside once again did sound practical. Even as some of them split off. The one Jesse knew the most was Primrose, ever since their encounter in that crazy museum, but when she looked over she saw the dancer already approached by Panther.

Practically the instant Primrose glanced Panther's way, the blonde made her way over. Without her Phantom Thief attire applied, Ann Takamaki looked like a completely different person; just a normal, everyday young woman, though thanks to her fusion with Naga she'd gotten both a couple extra inches (making her look more like a college girl than a high-school one) and her scarlet-scaled snake tail. Despite all the pain and fatigue she accumulated today, between mountain climbs, subzero skirmishes, high-altitude flights, and train rides both monotonous and far, far too exciting, the girl wore a bright smile.

"Guess it's you and me again, bestie!" she joked as she and Primrose partied up. Together the two had been through a lot these past couple days. Neither were quite the same as who they'd been when they first began. But their teamwork, string wills, and firepower had gotten them through some of the most extreme temperatures and threats imaginable. Everyone else separated, headed their separate ways. Even Peacock waltzed off without a care in the world, the gleeful smile on her face making Panther hope that the little lunatic wouldn't get the group thrown out. After watching Sectonia make a beeline for the public bathhouse, the thief looked over the market. "If you wanna, like, get some new clothes, I'll be right behind you. I mean, I don't really need anything, 'cause these clothes didn't get messed up any." She gestured at the crisp white outfit she'd purchased in Al Mamoon. "But shopping's totally my thing, so I'm super hyped to see what they've got!"

"So it would seem," Primrose said, matching the younger girl's enthusiastic smile with one of her own, if a bit subdued as was the dancer's way. She was more than happy to have Panther as company, whether they were fighting, shopping, or simply exploring the city and taking in the sights. "I'll be trusting your eye for fashion." It seemed that Panther was coming along strictly for company (and the joy of window shopping) too, as she brought up that she didn't need any new clothes at the moment. "Quite the blessing, after everything we've been through today." Primrose recalled that they were robes from a defunct religious order, one purged by the Grimleal. Perhaps there was some lingering protection in them meant for the priestess that originally wore it. As for the dancer's clothes, though scuffed and frayed most of her garments were saved from major damage by her outer cloak - which now sported some tearing and holes. Nothing that couldn't eventually be fixed with a needle and thread, but regardless Primrose thought it best to have a back-up outfit at least while her current one dried. She was planning to thoroughly wash it and at the moment she only the over-sized robe meant for hippopotamus people otherwise. It was a bonus that the Gerudo aesthetic was similar to what she usually wore. "I don't expect this will take long, but perhaps we can do more shopping and sight-seeing in the morning," she suggested while leading them both over to the market stalls were she'd caught a glimpse of some fabrics.

"Sure, if we've got time! I bet all this looks a lot better in the daytime. Still, I can hang around a while tonight too!" With soft, breathable cotton in the cool of night instead of the red latex catsuit she'd donned during the day's events, Panther seemed both happier and a lot more comfortable.

Jesse finally got done lingering, and decided to make her play. She took a few steps into conversational distance and cleared her throat. “Hey, uh. Mind if I tag along, too?” She asked. “Just as a team building exercise.” She joked dryly.

“Absolutely!” Panther exclaimed, although a second thought left her blinking. “Wait, uh, I mean I don’t mind at all, we’re happy to have you!”

Jesse smirked. “Great. When someone says ‘do you mind’, though, I think ‘yes’ and ‘no’ both mean yes. The best way to actually say ‘no’ is to start your sentence with ‘Oh, actually…’ and then blah blah blah, give a reason.” Jesse nodded wisely, tapping the side of her head.

“Oh, okay!” Scratching at her neck, Panther gave an embarrassed smile. “Trouble with knowing two languages, I guess. Hard to keep everything straight.”

“Don’t get me wrong, here. The English language is one of the most incomprehensible things in the multiverse.” Jesse said. “And I’ve seen some fairly incomprehensible things.”

Thoroughly amused by the exchange, Primrose chuckled lightly. "We'll take your word for it," she said, and then. "In the essence of clarity, of course you're welcome to come. I don't mind either."

Jesse rolled her shoulder, briefly looking down at her shoes. “All loud and clear, then. Let’s rock. Go window shopping, or buy something together. Christ, I dunno how long it’s been since I’ve got clothes shopping at anything other than by myself at a thrift store.”

Together the trio approached the market stalls along Gerudo Town's main street, sifting through the shops yet to pack up for the night in search of a tailor. As good as their initial prospects looked, however, the three soon realized that their task might be a little more complicated than they first appeared. These stalls, all on the smaller side, served a mostly general purposes, offering food and drink, base materials like ores and gems, and other various personal products and crafts from lanterns too cookware to soap. All of them used tapestries or patterned blankets as awnings and decoration, so visual cues were hard to make out. After a couple minutes spent looking, Panther decided to just cut to the chase and ask someone.

"A clothes store?" A Gerudo fruitmonger asked, a curious look on her face. "Ah, yes, you must be new. Well, don't you worry. There's only one tailor in town, but she's not on the main thoroughfare here. Just head toward the palace, and turn left down the street opposite the jailhouse. Right at the end of the alley!"

Panther flashed the lady a grateful smile. "Thank you! When we're on the lookout for breakfast tomorrow morning, we'll be sure to head your way!"

Following the shopkeeper's directions, the blonde, red head, and brunette departed Gerudo Town's main street and took a side path. Unlike what Panther envisioned when she heard the word 'alley', this route was no darker, dirtier, or disreputable than anywhere else in the little city she'd seen so far, just a little less wide. She and Primrose passed an off-duty guard in line for some late-night Squats Chicken (now with extra bones!), a scruffy caramel-colored stray dog curled up with a bone (probably from Squats Chicken) and a hard-eyedwarrior who leaned against one of the nearby buildings as if waiting for someone. At the end of the street, just as promised, sat the tailor, and Panther knew it was the tailor because of the giant pair of scissors that hung overhead. With no facade, the store was open to the air, its shelves stacked high with huge bolts of cloth that came in all manner of color and texture. On every available surface were mannequins dressed in various garments, a great many suitable to local tastes and desert living in general, but a number that ranged far beyond. At the center of it all hung a crimson changing booth, its cloth sutured together like Frankenstein's monster.

As they drew near, they spotted the seat tailor silhouetted by a golden lantern on her table, and she rose to great them in a single, fluid motion, smooth as silk. In contrast to her showy, almost garish store, Yuria was the very picture of maturity and elegance in a complicated but masterfully woven dress. She seemed to radiate some sort of natural power, like starlight, and even glowed after a fashion, though maybe it was a trick of the light. After stepping into the open, she offered a playful smile and winked. "Why hello there, ladies. What can I help you with this fine evening? One of my splendid pre-made outfits, or are you here to have your soul's radiance expressed in my craft...?"

Panther blinked, a little overwhelmed by the woman's presence. "That sounds...interesting, but what, like, does that mean exactly?"

"A custom outfit my dear," Yuria told her, her voice full of good-natured laughter. "Tailor-made. The process does take just a little time, as I must become acquainted with your truest of selves, but the garment woven by your thread of fate is, without question, the only clothes you'll ever have that a truly...you." Her manner was teasing, as if cajoling the newcomers to give it a try. "So, what'll it be?"

"I will admit that I'm intrigued..." Primrose said, touching a hand to her chin in thought. Initially she'd just wanted something clean and simple. The shop, as strange-looking as it was, did have nice outfits all ready for sale. But perhaps she should give this enigmatic woman a chance if she could truly craft such clothing. The dancer was used to the flowery language of salespeople, more so after having befriended a merchant, but she'd be happy for beautiful outfit made just for her either way. What woman wouldn't? Whether she went for itt would depend on a couple of things, though. "So long as you wouldn't mind waiting," she glanced at the other two as she spoke the first part, "then I'm not so concerned with the time, though I would like to get to sleep at a decent hour." Primrose matched the woman's playful tone, though she did raise an inquisitive brow with her next question. "What is the cost of such a service?"

The practical question failed to affect the tailor’s charming mystique in the slightest. “My, my. Well, naturally you would be concerned, and you could blame you? A one-of-a-kind garment, suitable for no other soul the world over, is a thing of remarkable intrinsic value, no? And yet, I have never accepted a single commission.” Yuria turned her head slightly in a coy fashion, her fingers tented as if presented with an intriguing proposition, or presenting a riddle. “For spinning one’s fate into apparel requires nothing but time, which is no concern of mine, and honesty, which more concerns you, I should think.” Her smile remained as her head tilted a touch and her eyes narrowed, searching for hidden secrets. “After all, what I seek -what I need- is to familiarize myself with the genuine nature of your soul, so that your outfit might be every bit as beautiful and sophisticated…or every bit as contemptible and hideous, should that be the case.” Yuria covered her mouth with a giggle. “Goodness me. Not everyone can face the truth!”

Jesse had lingered towards the back during this conversation, already having some extra pairs of clothes shrunk to the size of peanuts and hidden away in her jacket. Though she couldn’t deny her intrigue, she also couldn’t deny her skepticism. A business going along offering one of the most expensive ways to make clothes for free? ’Anything is possible, but it’s equally as possible that this is just a marketing gimmick. Guess we’ll just have to see, huh?’

As she listened, Panther’s face turned from mildly perplexed confusion to wide-eyed realization. Her first impression of Yuria painted her as nothing more than an eccentric professional, with possibly the most severe case of ‘ara-ara energy’ she’d ever seen (and that included anime), but as the tailor let slip more details her custom outfit service sounded more and more magical in nature. Almost like an aesop, Yuria promised to reveal her clients’ true selves through her outfits, which naturally begged the question: was Panther beautiful on the inside? In her time with the Phantom Thieves, she’d done some serious soul-searching, accepting the rebellious spirit within in order to try and take back the life almost stolen from her. Awakening Carmen, however, hadn’t just solved all her problems; that alone didn’t get her to a good place, or make her a good person. Instead, it catalyzed the start of her mental journey, and she knew that she had a ways left to go. Still, Panther believed that she now possessed the strength to face herself, to see and accept whatever lay within as a part of her, and to find the determination to change what she didn’t like. She did it once, so she could do it again here if she needed. Especially if it was free.

That said, it wasn’t Panther that Yuria was looking at, but Primrose, as if she sensed something fascinating ferreted away behind her eyes.

The dancer considered everything that Yuria had said. That she'd create this outfit at no cost was surprising, and a little suspicious. Though if it were some kind of scam, Primrose couldn't see how that would benefit the tailor in anyway - plus with so many guardswomen around, she doubted that they would tolerate swindlers of any kind in town. It was more likely that she was the kind of eccentric, perhaps of the magical kind, that took deep pleasure in their craft. For that Primrose did not fault her.

Time and honesty, hm? Though she did not like to discuss her past, Primrose was honest with herself. She knew what kind of person she was. The kind who would do anything to see her goals completed. The kind with the bloodstained past - and future. But to confide all of that in a stranger? Possibly to Ann and Jesse as well?

She hummed in thought. In the grand scheme of things, she likely wouldn't see Yuria again. Especially after Galeem was defeated and everyone's worlds went back to normal. Maybe no one would even remember their bizarre adventure, including those that had taken part in it. And if she ended up with a vile garment, she still had her regular clothes besides. Primrose recalled her conversation with Panther in Al Mamoon, about giving in to the vengeful feelings. Who knew, if the outfit Yuria made for her was truly a reflection of herself, it might even aid her in some way.

"...alright," Primrose said. After thinking on it her eyes twinkled darkly, but they were mostly curious. "Let's see what you have for the outfit that is truly ‘me.’"

“Now, in order for me to know your true soul, you must tell me your mother’s maiden name, your credit card number, and the three numbers on the back.” Jesse joked quietly, almost to herself. “I mean, could you imagine actually getting some ugly outfit because you’re a terrible person, Primrose? What if she just hands you a potato sack or something. Or a dunce cap. I don’t know if I’d be capable of letting an insult like that stand.”

"Well at least they would be free," she chuckled.

“Oh my, surely that’s not projection I’m hearing?” Yuria tittered behind her hand. “Ohoho, of course not, I’m sure that you’re well beyond such insecurities.” She allowed her fingers to rest against her lips as she looked over Primrose and Panther. “I applaud your curiosity–the both of you. I can that you’re intrigued as well, aren’t you dear?” she asked the Phantom Thief, who could only concede that she was. Yuria smiled all the brighter. “Excellent. Nothing can be solved by restraining yourself, after all.”

When those words left her, Panther’s blood just about froze. She remembered in crystal clarity the day she first heard those words, uttered as part of the contract between herself and her Persona, Carmen. Or something similar, at least. It was coincidence, right? It had to be. The girl cleared her throat and put on a smile of her own as the tailor continued.

“I’m so happy to have piqued your interest. Well, in order for me to begin, we would need several hours together. Chatting over some activity, perhaps. But while I’m something of a night owl, I get the feeling that you ladies might need some beauty sleep.” Yuria crossed her arms, a sympathetic expression on her face. “Tomorrow might suit you better. If you need something now, however, I’m sure that you’ll find something among what I’ve already tailored that’ll suit your fancy.” With a wave of her hand, a number of lanterns floated into the air around her shop, casting various articles of clothing she thought might befit her clients in the best possible light.

A couple of hours... Depending on if Alice could find the parts they needed, they might not have the time. Though with no payment needed, it wouldn't be a loss for any of them if they didn't show up. On the flip side they might have more than enough time, if the Victory wouldn't be in flying shape tomorrow. Primrose nodded to the tailor, letting her know that they'd see her again then, if they were still in town. In the meantime she would pick up something else to have on hand, then the three of them could continue on. The dancer went with something closer to her original plan, a red, white, and gold desert ensemble that was more in line with the clothes the locals wore.

Though she didn’t converse with Primrose at all, Panther was in agreement. While she’d try this service out in the morning if she got the chance, she couldn’t afford to spend a couple hours idling tonight, not after what she’d been through today–and not if she wanted her ‘true self’ to be anything other than delirious with exhaustion. While her friend made her selection, the thief told Yuria, “I’d really like to give it a shot, but you’re totally right. I don’t know if I could last one hour, let alone several.”

“I’ll see you all tomorrow morning then,” Yuria purred. “Sleep well~”

Once Primrose had her new clothes, Panther looked between her present company. “Okay gang, where to now?”

Primrose glanced up at the sky while the three of them slowly made their way back onto the main street from the alleyway. Though they were all tired, it hadn't been that long since they'd got to town, and it has been dusk then. "I didn't have any exciting plans, I'd be glad to get washed, get changed, and get to bed. Though if there were other ideas, I wouldn't mind either." She looked to Jesse to see if the director had any of her own to offer.

Jesse rubbed the back of her head. “Um. Yeah, that sounds good. I don’t wanna drag you two anywhere you don’t wanna go. Maybe we could hang out in the morning or something?” She shrugged, her smile a semi-grimace.

By the time the three stepped back onto Gerudo Town’s main thoroughfare, however, none to fail to notice that something was very wrong just across the way. From the jailhouse on the other side of the street they heard a terrific din that melded the roar of stricken and impassioned voices with the clamor of destroyed wood and heavy impacts. As they watched, two guardswomen struggled against the reinforced wood of the front door under the direction of their captain, not to break in, but to contain whatever was inside. Fists pounded and shoulders barged the door, knocking the guards back with each mighty blow, but they fearlessly surged back and pressed against it again and again. After another moment a big boot smashed through the center of the door and promptly withdrew, leaving a hole. The captain of the guard then charged, sliding her spear through the hole to strike whatever lay inside. There came a deep, husky groan from inside, and for a moment the assault stilled. Then:

“HaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAHH!”

The door, and the wall to either side of it, exploded outward. Both guards fell underneath the rubble, and the captain tumbled backward, disarmed. Gritting her teeth, she got to her feet with her eyes on the cloud of dust that had replaced the jailhouse’s front, only for a hatchet to hurtle out of the haze and lodge in her collarbone. Gasping in agony, she sunk to the earth as the Huntress emerged from inside. Though uncommonly tall and brawny, the killer moved with a deathly silence, or would have if not for the eerie humming that drifted across the street, and the clink of broken chains dangling from the shackles on her wrists.

The next second, a second prisoner appeared on her left. For a moment the dust made it difficult to tell exactly what the onlookers were seeing, until the second escapee stood up. At an astonishing twelve feet tall, Scythana towered over even the loftiest Gerudo by a fair margin, and despite her thin physique (and handcuffs), carried the limp body of a senseless guardswoman over her shoulder like a half-living bludgeon. Still, even the half-Gigan didn’t seem capable of the destruction inflicted on the prison’s front.

Just then, of course, the culprit became clear. A third and final jailbird stepped through, also having to duck to make it through. If the Huntress was strong and Scythana was tall, then their ringleader combined both traits and then some. Standing like a goddess of myth, freed from imprisonment and ready to unleash her wrath upon the world that dared to lock her away, the Amazon was a warrior of frankly ridiculous stature. Clad in nothing but boots, gauntlets, and an honest-to-God chainmail bikini, she made both her strength -and her pride- crystal clear at a single glance. In just one hand she held war axe with a handle nearly as tall as she, its blade wide enough to fell a redwood tree, and like an empress she surveyed her new domain with fiery eyes.

“Forward!” a distant voice cried. “Surround them!” From the palace a squadron of golden-armored Gerudo fighters sprinted toward the scene, but before backup could arrive Panther was already on the move.

The instant the guard captain hit the ground Panther launched forward, her white clerical robes burning away in azure flame to reveal the attire of a Phantom Thief. “Let’s move, Carmen!” Summoning her Persona, she slid on her knees to the side of the fallen woman, where she began to administer first aid with the healing skill Diarama. Neither Scythana nor the Amazon flinched at her use of magic, instead looking on with a mixture of amusement and scorn, but the Huntress hurled another hatchet. It harmlessly passed through Carmen to bounce off the ground and slam into a barrel behind her, and as the Persona disappeared Panther got to her feet, her patient stabilized. When she rose her hand it held her submachine gun, trained on the Huntress, but she did not fire. The question of whether to attack, or to leave the matter to the incoming authorities, remained.

It became a sudden stand-off, with the three escaped prisoners staring down the three recent arrivals to town. Oh, my. That Amazoness was quite the specimen. Primrose blinked a few times, as she hadn't expected that little commotion they'd noticed at the town's gate to turn into a full blown jailbreak. Now there were three powerful, and potentially criminal, ladies on the loose until the town's guard arrived. Or, until they intervened. Personally it didn't seem like the wisest choice to ignore a jail break right in front of you, especially if you wanted a safe town to sleep in.

"Well, ladies," Primrose began. She gently tossed the bundle containing her recent purchase to the side. It wasn't actually clear if she was speaking to the criminals or her comrades, but she went on, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she did. "Shall we dance?"

Jesse had drawn her Service Weapon, watching the brief tail end of the fight. Rolling her shoulder, she prepared for yet another fight. Her comrades seemed up to it, which was good, because so was she. Even if it was a little outside her wheelhouse, crime fighting was still a part of protecting people. Which was her job description. “Yeah, let’s do it.” She approached, standing by Panther’s side. “Seriously though, what’s with all the midriff around here?” She mumbled.

Primrose was not a strategist really, but she considered what the best buff in this situation would be and came to the conclusion that it was speed. She was under no delusion that the buff women had traded their own speed for muscles, but if they were as fast as they were strong then the Seekers would just have to be faster. She took a step back in order to perform the aptly named Panther Dance for Jesse and Ann.

Her magic waltz signaled the end of the standoff, and as the Huntress went to sling her third and final hatchet, Panther opened fire. A torrent of bullets rattled straight into the killer’s body, for the axe-wielding woman made no move to dodge, and with a sinking feeling the Phantom Thief realized why. Very much unlike a real-world firearm, her submachine gun was more a tool of intimidation than destruction. It dealt mediocre damage on a good day, only really useful for polishing off an enemy on death’s door or downing a foe weak to being shot, and the Huntress was anything but. She shrugged off the bullets as if they were spitballs, but they did seem to convince her that an hatchet to the forehead would be too merciful a fate for Panther, and as she plodded forward the Huntress stowed her hatchet in favor of an enormous timber axe with a blade stained in blood.

Still, even that wasn’t the most fearsome weapon present, and along with the Huntress the Amazon and Scythana moved in. “Three on three,” the half-Gigan observed with an excited smile. Unlike their scary but sluggish counterpart the other two picked up speed fast, their enormous strides bringing them over to Jesse and Ann in a matter of seconds.

Jesse realized with a frown that she might have to be the main damage dealer. Fortunately, fighting tough things was kind of her forte. Unlike Ann, her gun packed a helluva punch. As the two approached, Jesse took the few seconds she had to take aim at those legs of theirs and see if she could put begin putting the hurt on them to slow them down. Switching her gun to Shatter, she aimed Amazon’s knee and blasted a shotgun round into it. Then, she switched targets to Scythana’s knee and did the same.

“Stay back!” Jesse said to both Ann and to the oncoming menaces. She was prepared to use both her speed buff and her Evade to dodge away. She eyed the unconscious woman slung over Scythana’s shoulders, really having no idea how to get her safe. Seemed like that was about the worst spot to be in. The only worse spot would be if the hand was around her neck instead of her legs.

The first shotgun blast did some damage to the Amazon’s leg, but that was no ordinary skin she seemed so eager to show off. Despite the painful and bloody wound left behind, she suffered no crippled mobility, and though her brow twitched in anger she made no sound. At the same time Scythana, already approaching her enemies with a plan in mind, saw what was going to happen to her and without hesitation interposed the body of the Gerudo guard between gun and knee, so that her captive would take the blow. “Careful!” the half-Gigan smirked at Jesse. “That shoot-first attitude’s gonna get someone killed!” Using her foot she popped up one of the fallen guard’s polearms, and with spear and shield in hand she advanced.

At the same time, the Amazon had picked up speed, until all three opponents were well inside her absurd effective range. “...Fall!” Her axe swung around in a gigantic sweep that clobbered the poor guard who’d only just been revived. As Primrose ducked and retreated, and Jesse evaded with Scythana going after her, Panther leaped up and over. Her sideways vault brought her out of attack range, and since she couldn’t call it a safe distance due to how quickly the Amazon could cover ground, she acted fast.

Her gun disappeared, and when her red whip took its place she cracked it to cover the weapon in flame. As Primrose’s speed buff spurred her on, the thief lashed her whip against the Amazon’s flesh thrice in quick succession, pirouetting with the second hit and cartwheeling with the third to stay on the move and keep her distance. “Now, Carmen!” It ended with an Agilao from her Persona, whose burst of flame blossomed brilliantly against the surrounding shadows. The warrior, forced to block the combo by the searing, stinging pain, grit her teeth as the flames set her a blaze, much to Panther’s approval. “If someone has wind magic, now’s the- eek!”

Right next to her, a dark shape loomed, a large locker overhead. How easily the killer Huntress disappeared into the darkness of night! She slammed the locker down on Panther from above, smashing her into the ground with such force that she broke through the back wall and popped out the doors in front, then struck it with a simple but ruthlessly powerful kick that sent whole thing flying end over end in a shower of splinters. After making sure to collect the hatchets that spilled out along with the debris, the Huntress followed her prey once more. With the irksome firestarter taken care of, the Amazon could focus her full attention on Primrose.

While Jesse and Panther had had the ruffians distracted, Primrose went in for an encore with the defense-boosting Mole Dance. With the speed to help keep away from attacks and a bolstered defense in the case that they were struck anyway, it should keep everyone alive while they held off the prisoners. That was the plan anyway - and she hoped it was enough when Panther was ambushed.

Bad start. Jesse thought to herself, watching one of their number already getting knocked down. “I was trying to be nice.” Jesse said to Scythana, referring to her going for disabling shots instead of headshots.

Jesse Evaded backwards once more, putting some space between her and Scythana. “Sven.” She called out, and the mad alchemist appeared by her side. “Elastic Ooze.”

Jesse put away her Service Weapon and pulled out the Tool Gun. Switching it to inflate, aimed at the guardswoman Scythana was carrying. She doubled the woman’s size, making her nigh-impossible to carry in order to trip up Scythana. When she slipped from Scythana’s grasp, Sven’s Elastic Ooze, tossed between her and the ground, would launch her into the air. At the apex, Jesse quickly aimed to attach a number of balloons to her. Once she floated in mid air, she’d be out of reach for now.

As her hostage suddenly went from eight to sixteen feet in height, four more than herself, Scythana’s lips curled in a snarl. Even if she couldn’t claim the outrageous strength of full Gigan heritage, a woman who could lift and swing around the likes of Big Band in all his five-thousand-pound glory wasn’t about to give up so easily. Scythana chucked her spear at Jesse inexpertly and lifted the wounded guard’s above her head by the leg with both hands and a clenched jaw. Like an Olympic hammer thrower she then began to whirl her captive around, gaining momentum both as she picked up speed and Jesse’s rapid-fire balloons lightened her load. After a few seconds she let loose, and the unconscious body hurled Jesse’s way. With a knockout blow staring her in the face, the FBC director pulled her Tool Gun’s trigger for all it was worth, attaching enough balloons in a short enough time before she ducked that the supersized Gerudo sailed harmlessly overhead.

Scythana attempted to rush Jesse down, but Sven’s ooze came in handy in a different way. It bounced the half-Gigan’s foot up when she stepped on it, forcing her to get clear before she lost her footing completely. The brief exchange left her unarmed, but it also maxed out Jesse’s Tool Gun charges, leaving both momentarily disarmed. Just as Jesse could switch to her Service Weapon however, Scythana went for the guard that the Amazon laid out just moments prior.

Fortunately, Jesse didn’t feel the need to line up a shot with her Service Weapon. The inaccurate spear throw that Jesse had side-stepped earlier came in handy. Picking up the spear with her mind, she Launched it towards Scythana’s back. “Never too late to surrender.” Jesse called out as she did.

“Sven, healing!” She called out, and Sven reached into his pouch. He tossed a flask of Restorative Water towards the recently clobbered Gerudo captain. Jesse hoped it would be enough to undaze her so she wouldn’t become another human shield. With her Tool Gun out of charges, she would just have to have Primrose had some magic dances up her sleeve that could rescue any more human shields if they did get captured.

The stab in the back made Scythana stumble, groaning as she doubled over. Thanks to her handcuffs she couldn’t go for both the spear and the guard captain at the same time, so she reached over her shoulder to grasp and yank out the spear. “Grrrrr,” she growled, her face scrunched up into an angry scowl as she snapped the weapon in half. “I can’t!” Before she could grab the Gerudo again, the freshly revitalized woman scooted backward out of reach, leaving Scythana with no body to help her and a sitting duck for target practice. “Damn it!” She turned the spearhead around in her hand to hold like a knife and sprinted at Jesse full tilt.

“Oh, right. Sorry.” Jesse said, converting her weapon into the fully automatic Spin form. She did a few calculations in her head. That one guard needed medical attention, Jesse had accidentally shot her. Panther was on the run and Primrose was dealing with the biggest and baddest of them all by herself. Jesse felt like it would be irresponsible to go easy on these escaping murderers and risk losing allies and friends. So she opened fire, full blast right into Scythana’s belly, the recoil most likely bringing the bullets closer to her chest after a while. Her gun would lose speed and need to be recharged. If Scythana bullied through and got close, Jesse was once again prepared to Evade to the side. If Scythana obviously crumpled under the fusillade, she would relent and let her lay on the off chance she could be taken alive with healing magic.

At that range, and that size, there was no evading bullets. While tough as nails, Scythana lacked the sheer natural tankiness necessary to plow through it too, and when Jesse’s barrage pierced her exposed belly, her rush ended with her doubled over and on her knees, her hands stained with blood as they tried to staunch the flow. Instead of anguish, however, her face betrayed every hint of her anger and rebellious spirit, if only Jesse could see it. In a desperate ploy Scythana lunged forward from the kneel, throwing her long arms out before her in a bid to cover the last of the distance between her and her opponent. If her rather large hands didn’t strike her, the lash of her handcuffs’ chain just might.

Jesse had her gun trained on Scythana, but she had to admit, such a trick took her off guard. She didn’t imagine that her enemies, apparently blood-lusted beyond their control, would cease in their effort for some kind of trick. And in all of her experience, she’d never face an enemy that didn’t thrash and fight and bite until the very last. As a reflex, Jesse pulled the trigger of her gun, but if Scythana wanted to get her licks in, this was her chance.

The instinctive snapshot raked across Scythana’s shoulder, but even a direct hit might not have been enough. When the half-Gigan fully extended her attack, her fist knocked aside her assailant’s gun arm, and the next second their separation pulled tight the slack of her handcuff’s chain to wallop Jesse right in the middle. ”Oof!” Jesse’s cheeks puffed out, eyes widening. Its weight bruised her ribs and emptied her lungs, staggering her long enough that Scythana could roll forward after hitting the ground and bright both arms down upon her. Rather than a double hammer, however, she grabbed at Jesse and yanked her close. In a flash the chain wound around her, pinning both arms to her side. After that, the simple act of pulling her hands apart caused the chain to squeeze tighter and tighter.

Jesse’s grit her teeth, her eyes squeezed shut, a pained groan escaping her as she struggled, kicking her legs.

Meanwhile, with the Amazon's eyes on her, Primrose shifted seamlessly from her dance steps into a fighting stance as her magic began to shimmer in her hand. The bikini clad fighter wasn't free of the fire just yet. Eager to keep some distance between herself and that axe, Primrose let the Black Flame spell fly toward it's wielder, and then another. She was moving back away from the Amazon as she cast her magic, trying to think of some way to contain the situation quickly. Her thoughts moved through her spell list, her inventory, her strikers... Ah, there's an idea.

The warrior jumped over and swerved around the dancer’s pyromancy when able as she approached, not taking the unusual flame as lightly as she did more physical attacks. Being so big meant that she could cover a lot of ground in a single step, however slow it might be. She attacked with her axe repeatedly, using its range to whack and chop at Primrose despite her best attempts to stay out of harm’s way. Luckily, the speed buff she’d given herself granted her a critical edge and kept her one step ahead.

That also allowed her to sneak a quick glance toward where Panther ended up, flat on her back in a pile of wooden and metal debris in an empty, now half-destroyed market stand. The Huntress still advanced on her, but slowly, and though she threw a hatchet it got obstructed by the remains of locker and stall. Panther, meanwhile, called on Carmen as soon as she could to patch up her own wounds with Diarama, and in just a moment she was fighting-fit again. Thinking on her feet, she used her whip and her legs to spread the wreckage out around her, which she then ignited with her own fire breath, courtesy of her Naga fusion. In a flash she stood in the midst of a little inferno, protected by her double-strength fire resistance, and as the Huntress was forced to think twice. The sight of Panther doing okay took a weight off Primrose’s mind, at least, and allowed her to focus on the big, big task at hand. And she really did need to give her full attention to the warrior in front of her - only just keeping out of the axe's cutting path she could truly feel the force behind each swing in the form of air being cleaved apart. Even with an increase to her defense, one decent blow and she'd probably be cut right in two. Seeing that her current tactics wouldn't last her long, the dancer called forth some help.

"Hippowdon!" Primrose said, summoning the Pokémon's spirit in front of her. It took the brunt of the Amazon's swing, and Primrose could feel pain blooming in her own side through the striker's tough exterior. Even so, as soon as it manifested she began another dance, one that would grant the divine skill to spread effects to multiple targets. "Use your Yawn!"

It seemed silly, but the heavyweight Pokémon did exactly that - opening it's mouth wide and yawning so as to make any opponent drowsy. With the buff of it's master's dance, the yawn was loud enough to be heard by all of their foes. Even so the effect was not instantaneous, and the striker's time was up. It disappeared, leaving Primrose almost where she started.

"I'd be willing to trade dance partners," she murmured, conjuring her dark magic. The wide range of her Night Ode spell might serve better here. The dark circle formed under the Amazon, it's caster hoping to catch her in it before she could clear the magic's area of effect.

The drowsiness of Hippowdown’s Yawn spread from the Amazon to the Huntress and Scythana in an instant. Wary of a status attack whose called-out name suggested an ability to inflict sleep, the warrior hesitated a moment to take stock of how she felt, and take action as necessary. For now though, the effect was so minor that she couldn’t really tell the difference, and with the thick-skinned hippo out of the way, she moved to put Primrose down for the count. Before she could lift her axe for a running chop, however, she noticed the dancer’s stance, as well as the ring of dark magic that ensued. If the care she’d taken to avoid magic so far meant a susceptibility of some kind, it also probably meant that the Amazon knew well how to avoid it. With an annoyed grunt she jumped out of the blast radius, landed near Primrose, and threw out a hefty kick in the hopes of catching the dancer before she could speed away again.

The kick connected with Primrose's arms, hastily thrown up in defense as she backed away. She grimaced through grit teeth as her arms shook from the shock of pain. Still she counted herself lucky that she didn't have any broken bones - the Amazon's strength was something else. Had Primrose been a moment slower, or without the bump in defense, she'd have probably seen her arms disabled, and been a goner not long after that.

The Amazon's attack pushed Primrose back with it's strength, and what little time was afforded to her the dancer used to cast another spell. Her magic was her best bet, as she doubted her dagger would do more than tickle the warrior. She slammed her palm on the ground, giving life to the Black Serpent pyromancy.

At her bidding a trail of vile black-white flame tore across the ground in the Amazon’s direction. With Primrose pushed back, close enough to the wall on the far side of the thoroughfare that another such blow would leave her pinned, the Amazon moved fast. In just another handful of seconds the palace guards would arrive, and her odds of an escape from this place would plummet, but before she could make a break for it she needed both of her attackers out of commission. As the warrior rushed Primrose down, she moved aside only slightly to dodge her Black Serpent pyromancy, but the fire magic twisted toward her as if alive. A bitterly pained grunt escaped the Amazon when the flame crashed against her leg, breaking her stride despite her best attempt to plow through. With her left knee, calf, and foot all wounded, she put all her strength into her other leg for a mighty jump, carrying the momentum through into a terrifying, but ever-so-slightly sloppy, flying cleave.

At the same time, Panther had her own problems. Despite her hesitation at the edge of Panther’s field of fiery debris, the Huntress ultimately plodded straight in. The flames licked at her clothes, but she pushed forward as if they were make-believe, single-minded in her effort to slaughter the Phantom Thief where she stood. “Wha!? You’re kidding me!” In disbelief, Panther summoned Carmen to roast the killer where she stood, then added more fuel to the fire with her own flame breath, but from the raging blaze the Huntress appeared, slowed but visually undamaged. Part of Panther wanted to panic–her foe was just like a horror movie monster after all, inexorable, unable to be killed or even hurt in any way. But then again, the Huntress was slow, and the thief wasn’t about to lose track of her again. When she went to throw hatchets, Panther dodged, then sprinted out of her inferno to a safe distance. Naturally, when she looked back, there the Huntress was, just walking right through the flame. “Unbelievable,” she grimaced. No wonder Gerudo Town had tried to keep this nightmare in confinement. But what could she do to stop her?

She wracked her brain trying to remember her various spells, and after a moment snapped her fingers. “...Carmen!” Her Persona manifested in a majestic azure flare. “Tenta…Tentufu…I mean, Tentafoo. Damn it, you know the one!”

Carmen did. She cast Tentarafoo, and as the hex radiated over all three enemies, its debilitative
magic challenged their mental fortitude to scramble their minds and inflict confusion. It failed to affect Scythana, but mid-swing the Amazon threw her axe away, which both sent a lethal projectile at Primrose and left her disarmed. Primrose’s eyes widened and she ducked, though that seemed to be an action that the Amazon anticipated even in her confusion. As the axe slammed into the wall behind her, the Amazon still rushed forward directly at the crouched and trapped mage. The Huntress, meanwhile, stopped in her tracks, dazed and wobbling drunkenly. Panther grinned and gave one final command. “Now, Fire Break!”

Atop all three enemies, a red-hot, sun-shaped sigil appeared, then burst into flame. In an instant their resistance to fire was nullified, which in the case of the Huntress caused her to take damage as normal. Since her confusion left her standing in Panther’s inferno, she caught fire immediately, and growled in pain as her body began to burn. She hobbled toward her would-be prey, but the girl fought back, lashing the Huntress again and again with a fire-infused whip. Soon its cracks scoured away chunks of ash at a time. Succumbing to the wounds she shouldn’t be able to have, the killer sank to her knees, but raised her axe for one final throw.

Then the dancer’s Yawn took effect. At the same time, the Amazon, Scythana, and the huntress all fell asleep, despite their wounds. The grip of the half-Gigan’s chains loosened as her arms dropped, and though she tried to fight it, her head lolled backward, and a moment later she hit the ground. Though she struggled heroically, the Amazon met the same fate, and just in time to stop a massive punch that might have taken Primrose’s head off. Instead she stumbled forward and, unable to maintain her footing, toppled over to land face down on the ground, her hair spread out all over. For the Huntress, sleep meant that her final act of resistance ended before it started, a pitiable failure. Panther became a blur as she unleashed a final pyroclasm, ending in a cheeky pose as the ferocious killer burned away.

Jesse thought she might land awkwardly on the slumbering Scythana, still in her grip. Instead, she floated gently in mid air, instinctively. Oh, now you show up. Lowering herself to the ground she set her hands on her knees and coughed, wiping her lips with her sleeve.

“...That was a little close.” She said, voice strained. “Someone get on that hostage I shot, please.” She asked. Rubbing her face, Jesse knew she really fucked that one up. Her Health could only take her so far, and if she couldn’t move to collect it, it would just stay on the ground. If she had just shot Scythana in the face when she had the chance, that wouldn’t have been such a close call. But then Scythana would be dead, and that didn’t seem particularly fair. Still, the damage Scythana had taken would be returned to Jesse now as she walked over the blue crystals only she could see. Taking a deep breath, refreshed, she surveyed the field.

“You two okay?”

"More or less," Primrose sighed. Gingerly she stepped around where the Amazon had fallen to regroup with the other girls and check on their status. It wasn't quite how she had wanted to spend the night, but they couldn’t have in good conscience let criminals go free. At Jesse's instruction the dancer picked her way toward the bleeding guard with the healing flame of Warmth in her hand.

Breathing heavily, Panther made her way to the others. “I’m okay, I healed myself,” she told them as she swapped back to civilian attire, which allowed her to brush the sweat from her brow with the back of of her hand. “Whew,” she gasped, fanning herself with the sleeve of her robe. “That was a close one. They were for real!” Her eyes landed on the spirit of the Huntress, which sat atop her ashes. “That one, like, definitely wasn’t human. Like something from an old horror flick.”

“That’s good.” Jesse said. “You really saved my ass back there. Thanks…whatever name you go by now is. I feel like if I say the wrong one I’m going to blow your secret identity.”

The Phantom Thief gave a weary laugh. “Oh, it probably doesn’t matter. You can just call me Ann. Although, I think it was Primrose who saved you. I wish I thought about sleeping them!”

“Oh. Well. I guess I formally retract my thanks from you, Ann, and transfer it onto Primrose. Thanks, Primrose.” Jesse said.

The woman in question chuckled lightly. "Let's just call it a team effort."

At that point, the palace guard arrived. Four or five Gerudo spearfighters surrounded the Amazon and Scythana apiece, while the young Lady Riju approached the trio. “Thank you for your assistance, brave outsiders,” she told Primrose, Ann, and Jesse, speaking with the gravitas of someone far older than herself. “I deeply regret that my warriors were unable to quell this threat, and that you had to become involved. Rest assured that this incident shall not be repeated. You should go.”

She gave a stiff nod to Buliara, her guard commander, who called out, “For our fallen sisters!” Together the Gerudo readied themselves, using skills, oils, paper, and greases to enchant or empower their weapons. When Ann suddenly realized what was about to happen, she covered her ears and looked away. Then Buliara gave the word, and her cohort plunged their spears into the sleepers’ bodies.

Both awoke with guttural cries of pain, and though the Amazon struggled, Scythana couldn’t do anything about the polearms pinning her to the ground, except die. “Grrrrrah…” she gasped, her face contorted as her hands closed weakly around two of the weapons that impaled her. “It’s not…fair,” she gasped. “Why was I…even…here? Uuuugh…”

Buliara ignored her last breaths, instead hurrying over to where the Amazon was rising to her hands and knees, lifting the Gerudo who’d stabbed her off the ground. Her claymore rose, then fell, again and again until the juggernaut fell back down, never again to rise. The escapees’ still forms soon turned to ash, and only their spirits remained.

Just as fast as they arrived, the palace guards departed, the solemn-faced Riku safe in their midst. Though terrible, the violence visited upon market street was but brief, and the night’s stillness again took over. And yet, to Ann it seemed as though the peace that one occupied the place had been irreparably broken, and she couldn’t look at it quite the same way. While she felt no sympathy for the Huntress, an entity that existed only to slaughter and maim, Scythana and the Amazon had been real women–as real as it got in the World of Light, anyway. Galeem’s influence meant that they couldn’t retreat from any fight without a decisive finish, and with lethal weapons plus a pinch of desperation in the mix, things had gotten gruesome both here and in the past. Even if they were bad people, she came from a society where the idea of execution on the spot like that was a profound shock to the average civilian. She took deep breaths, shaking a little, as she tried to recover from the justice of a warrior race that operated by ‘eye for an eye’.

Jesse scratched the back of her head, not sure what to think. Her mind returned to practical matters, and she used her Tool Gun which had regained just enough charge to shrink the wounded Gerudo guard back to her original size before she woke up. That was definitely police brutality where she came from, too. But she wasn’t where she was from, and whatever she felt, she had no choice but to respect the customs of the people that lived here.

“Uh, yeah. That was pretty fucking brutal.” She said, holstering her Tool Gun and vanishing her Service Weapon. Stuffing her hands into her pockets, she rolled her neck. “Just one more reason to kill Galeem. It’s probably only a matter of time before places start tearing themselves apart.” She thought aloud. “We still staying here tonight?”

Once more Primrose regrouped with the others, after having watched the execution from where she was crouched over the wounded guard healing, unable to stop it even after they'd managed to incapacitate two of the three troublemakers. Without knowing anything about the people that had just died, witnessing the harsh punishment left a sour taste in her mouth. She agreed with Jesse's words and nodded, both in approval and to answer her question.

"Yes, I think I'll still stay in town," Primrose said. She wrapped an arm around Ann’s shoulders in a comforting gesture. "Though I'll walk you to the gate if you wanted to spend the night with Skull and the others."

While she hadn’t considered such a course of action herself, Ann couldn’t help but admit that her friend’s suggestion tempted her. Regardless of the circumstances, the whole episode left her a little unsettled, and some distance might very well help her sleep better. “Y-yeah, maybe,” she murmured. She appreciated the consolation, but her eyes lingered on the fallen spirits of the prisoners. Evidently the revelation of what spirits were and what they could do, privilege to only a few in Al Mamoon, had yet to reach Gerudo town. She stooped and collected the nearest one, which belonged to Scythana. Fusion with a Naga went a ways toward making her tougher, but if she and the others learned anything from this fight, it was that they might not be as tough as they needed to be. If not for Primrose’s specific combination of Yawn and Sealticge’s Seduction, their random encounter might have ended in a total wipeout. Scythana had been very strong, but pretty too, in a rugged sort of way. Could she be a good fit? Well, Ann could find out tomorrow. She pocketed the half-Gigan’s spirit, then rejoined Primrose. From the sound of it, the dancer wouldn’t be returning to the oasis, and if that was what a mature woman would do, so would Ann. “

I think…I’ll be okay. If I have you two and the others, that’s enough.”

The dancer nodded and smiled gently. That would be hard for them to forget, but at the very least they should move on. She looked to Ann and Jesse and said, "That's more than enough action for one day… Shall we get moving?" Now it was really time to turn in for the night. The climb, the descent, the train battle, and now this... Primrose was very tired, and sore even after healing. At this point she doubted anything but another apocalypse would be able to delay them on their way to a place to lay their heads. Primrose scooped up her purchase from where she’d tossed it, as well as the spirit of the fallen Amazon. It was a pity that she'd been reduced to his, but her strength could be put to good use if nothing else.

Jesse put her hands on her lower back, leaning backwards. “We gonna find an inn or something? I’m not exactly rolling in dough but I can pay for myself.” She said, pausing. “...Or you guys. If you’re really broke. But I don’t think you are, so, no freebies from me.”

The Huntress spirit was laying on the pile of smouldering ashes. Figure waste not, want not, as she spoke she went over, picked it up, and considered it. Well, she definitely didn’t want to combine herself with a slasher horror movie monster. And she didn’t think she had much common ground to link with. So instead of letting it go to waste entirely, she decided she would crush the spirit. Last time she did this, she got a creepy rocket launcher that came in handy once or twice. Midna had it now, if Jesse remembered correctly. Maybe she’d get something cool this time, too. Maybe some hatchets I could huck at people? Jesse floated the Huntress spirit in the air in front of her and then clenched her fist, crushing the Spirit into an item.



“Woooah, shit!” Jesse said, smiling. She moved the big axe into her hands and looked at the other two, clearly a little excited about her new serial killer axe. “Hey, guys, look at me.” She moved the axe back and forth as if she were chopping someone. “Blaaah.” She made a quiet ‘scary’ noise. “Here’s Johnny. Right?”

Primrose tipped her head in confusion, clearly not understanding the cultural reference.

"...as far as an inn, I believe I saw something that looked like one earlier. We can make our way there. I do still have some gold and leaves on me as well."

Panther looked as though she’d have appreciated the attempt at levity more if it actually succeeded. “Uh, yeah, that sounds fine. I think I’ve still got some money from Al Mamoon, too. Guessing they don’t take card.”

Jesse was just pleased with her new murder axe. She used her Tool Gun to shrink it down, reducing its weight to be smaller than even a hatchet, like it was a toy axe, and placed it into her belt for future use.

Without further ado, the trio made to put the experience behind them and headed in the direction of the inn. The walk was reticent and somber, and made all the more quiet as citizens dispersed for the night. It had grown dark, with only the moon and torches to light the area, but the three women didn't have to wander unfamiliar streets for very long. Queen Sectonia spotted them from above and flew down to join them. Having already visited the inn, she was able to lead them there with little issue. They could get themselves checked in, though whether any of them planned to venture out anymore that night remained to be seen.

Level: 3
Experience: 2/30
Currently In: Frozen Highlands, Dragonspine
Word Count: 351 (+1 Exp)
Albedo @Lugubrious, Prisoner @XoXKieroBombXoX

That confidence was misplaced, it seems.

Perhaps Joserf fell victim to a wave of these...these...Frisk couldn't even begin to describe the undead foes that took them down one by one. They were a new breed of annoying, weren't they? In death they kept bits their combat knowledge, far more experience than what the youth first assumed. They even teamed up with each other. Albedo was the first to get cornered.

Frisk's attempt to stun their targeted Draugr was brought to an abrupt halt, the blow against their barrier shook their arm down to the bone. But they couldn't back away then. Their attempt to attack didn't yield any good results either, the enemy knew to aim for their means of defense. One blow after another. Again, again, again, the child was unable to find another opening, and unwillingly found themself backed into the cliffside. All it took was a blast of icy wind from a Hel-Walker to knock them down to the ground. Their eyes were widened, petrified, as the undead warrior prepared to deliver their execution. Where was Prisoner? Was Teba in trouble too? Were they going to die? When there were people waiting for them to return alive?

They didn't want to die.

Then, their fears quelled themselves when they witnessed the brutal result of Melony's failed retaliation.

...They couldn't allow this. They won't. A familiar, yet unfamiliar thought crossed Frisk's mind. Three simple words, fueled by an old malice.

In my way.

Spurred on by a second wind, Frisk, quickly as they could, swung their pan at the Draugr's knees to immobilize it, hopefully long enough to break it's head off it's neck in another attempt. Though it didn't matter this time. They were more than willing to break it apart bone by bone, though they do wish they had something more sharper for the situation, would be easier to severe the limbs that way. Perhaps they could disarm one and steal it's weapon? Nah, they might be forced to ditch the weapon they already held.

Resulting wounds be damned, that no-good excuse of a shieldbearer was next.

Kamek stopped to let a small black haired child into the Reedirait Bookstore before exiting it herself, and strolling a little ways away from the storefront before pausing her stride cackling to herself merrily.

“You seem happy? Did you find something good” came a question for Rika, who had been shopping nearby in Shynini's Accessories where she had acquired for herself a nice yellow sundress and a pair of somewhat outdated sunglasses, which she had added to her existing haul of various traits and goodies found within a large shopping bag she was carrying around.

”Oh I got a wonderful deal, that fool of a shopkeep had no idea about the true value of this little number” she said, holding up a rather plain looking leather bound book that seemed nothing special till the mage flipped it open and reveal it to be titled the ‘Grimoire of Ruin‘

“Sounds spooky” Rika said cheerfully as she gave it a look, “Is it’s magic or something?”.

”Oh yes, very much so. It’ll certainly bring ruin to my foes, that much I’ll say” she explained, vaguely, before quietly laughing to herself.

“By doing whaaaat exactly?” Rika prodded the mage for details.

”Hmmm? Oh. well it has lots of tips and tricks on improving summoning magic, as well as being a good reservoir of power for exactly that kind of art” Kamek actually explained ”I’ll need to tinker with some of the run circles within to make them compatible with my specific magics, but my summons should be about, oh, 20% more deadly?”

“Neat”

”add that to this little number” she patted a coiled up leather whip now hanging at her side ”and my minions should be quite the nasty bunch”

“Cool. wait. You aren't going to whip them are you? That seems mean. And weird seeing as some of them look like our friends” Rika asked

”What? Oh no no no. Only the enemies shall feel this weapon’s sting. It's got a bit of magic in it that draws their focus and makes them do more damage to the target I lash you see.” Kamek explained, which got a relieved/satisfied nod from Rika.

Having talked about her haul already, the magikoopa turned the conversation around and asked Rika what she had gotten.

“Well I got this cute dress, and it just looks nice, but these glasses do something neat. You’ll have to shoot at me first to show it off thought”

”I don’t think that would be a good thing to do in public, especially with the Galeem touched all around. It would be quite bad if they misinterpreted the situation.” the mage pointed out, not wanting to be mobbed by blood-lusted bystanders trying to stop a villain, be it her, the attacker, or the former abyssal, who was still getting the odd bit of side eye despite her fusions and fashion changes mostly obscuring her origins.

“Hmmm. ok. Oh I know!” the ship girl reached into her bag of treats and pulled out a gumdrop before handing it to Kamek “Toss this at me like it’s an attack”

The mage cocked an eyebrow at this, but then did as she was asked, stepping back a pace or two and then tossing the sweet treat at the ship girl’s chest. The girl leaned back as a dodge, which should not have worked if it wasn't for the fact that the candy hit some kind of invisible field that slowed in its flight by a fair margin, letting the girl matrix dodge under the shot. Or, well, she would have if she hadn't craned her neck up and caught the candy in her mouth as it drifted over her limboing form.

“Shee?” she said with a candy filled mouth as she stood back up, shifting the treat to the side so she could speak clearly “pretty cool huh?”

”Very, though perhaps use a more practical dodge in actual combat situations?” Kamek said suggested

“Mmm”

”Oh, and before I forget, did you do as I suggested and not spend all your money in one place?” the mage asked, before swiftly adding ”I don’t blame you if you didn’t mind, there is just so much on offer here, even I only just managed to resist the temptation”

“Mmm hmm. Barely touched my own money” she told her friend, nodding proudly to herself as she did

”Good good, very responsible of you” Kamek praised her, before suggesting ”Now, how about we go find the royal family, see how they are doing?” knowing full well they would not be able to follow that advice.

She was not yet quite aware how right she was in that assessment, but found out soon enough as a quick stroll through the markets allowed them to spot the unmistakable looming form of Bowser standing amidst the piles of metalworking found inside a sprawling scrapheap of a store called Whiteside Salvaging. The mage wondered what her king was doing in a store like that until they got closer and spotted the much more mechanically minded young prince arguing with the stores owner, one of the Tora like creatures clad in some kind of diving suit who went by the name Rurui

”Come on, the piece of junk doesn't actually work right! I’m going to have to do sooooo much work just to salvage useful parts from it” Jr was saying, rapping the side of a hover vehicle that had once belonged to a certain doctor they were familiar with with a scally fist.

“Bah, it’s one faulty anti gravity lifter. Plus, you think the damaged state of this isn't already bringing the price down? If it was in one piece I’d be charging three or four times as much” the nepon retorted.

“Hi hello, what is that?”

”huh?” Jr blinked his eyes and then glanced away from his stare-down with the shopkeep (which he was losing due to said shopkeep’s eyes not being visible) and saw the shipgirl and magikoopa lady approaching ”Oh, hi you too” he gave them a wave and then explained ”This is one of eggman’s hover mobile things which I wanna use to upgrade my own car. Get more lifting power, shove some jets on the back, aaaand get a big wrecking ball as a bonus, what’s not to love?”

”That sounds like it will be a lot of work to do. Make sure you don’t stay up too late working on it if you get it” Kamek advised, before asking ”so how much is it?”

“2000” Rurui chipped in, and then, before anyone could point out that jr could afford that, the boy said ”Yeah, except if it is then papa can’t get that” pointing over at a severed robot arm sporting a boxy contraption strapped to the forearm. It didn’t look like much at all, till jr moved over, tugged at some exposed wiring and caused the weapon to deploy, the front pushing forward and two vents popping out to the side, revealing it to be a massive fist with two jet engines strapped to the side ”It’s a rocket punch! How cool is that gonna be?!”

Bowser raised a hand and covered the side of mouth to surreptitiously whisper ”He’s uh, really excited about it. But also the guy’s charging 3000 for it, so, you know, pretty pricey” to Kamek, revealing quite simply that this was all Jr’s idea. Not that the king didn’t also think it was pretty cool and powerful either. You couldn’t exactly deny that, hence the price.

“That is pretty cool. Maybe I can cover some of it? I’ve got money to spare” Rika offered, only to get shooed down by Kamek

”No no no, that is your money, you should spend it on yourself, just as I said” Kamek insisted, and then with a sigh to herself realized what that meant if she wanted to not put Jr down in the dumps ”I can cover the difference”

”You sure, the same advice goes for you too you know?” Bowser pointed out to his ever faithful servant, but she simply shook her head. ”It’s fine, it is pretty powerful after all ” she said. Plus it would be worth it to make the young prince happy

”Yeeees! Thank’s Kamek!” the prince gave the mage an unexpected hug, before immediately getting to work salvaging the weapon from the arm of its former owner while saying ”Oh this is gonna be so great!”

Then there came a cough from the Nepon who held out a hand “glad you’ve decided to buy. Now please do so before you start meddling with the merchandise.”

A few transactions and a bit of tinkering later, and the troop exited the store with Bowser hauling a (miturised) eggmobile over his shoulder with one hand, while his other one now sported the rocket fist strapped to his forearm. Jr was happily nattering away about designs, while Rika in her fresh new outfit nodded along, lollipop in mouth, and Kamek flicked through her magical tome.

All in all, a successful evening’s shopping, With Kamek and Rika having even managed to avoid spending all of their own money. Bowser and Jr meanwhile were back to being utterly broke as they had been only an hour or so before.

Sakura walked happily along, but as the giant bazaar came into view it became more of a skip. Karin strode confidently, assured in the knowledge that her summer estate would be taken care of while she was away dealing with this…Galeem issue. Karin stared at the back of Sakura’s head, wondering what exactly she saw out there. Karin wasn’t exactly protective of Sakura, but know that she had gone through trials and tribulations without Karin at her side made Karin feel…uneasy. Sakura hadn’t seemed to have changed much on the surface. It wouldn’t be the first time Sakura had flung herself into a preposterously dangerous situation just because she had the capacity to help. One time she ended up working with Interpol. Karin had guessed that she mostly worms her way into these catastrophes by following that favorite world warrior of hers, Ryu. She tags along regardless of what her elders think and since Ryu is always going around saving the world, usually she ends up right behind him. She needs one of those peasant jobs to keep her occupied.

”Karin, look! It’s huge!” Sakura turned around and pointed it out to Karin, as if she somehow missed it.

”Quite.” Karin said, not particularly impressed by large pieces of property.

”Are you thinking of buying anything?” Sakura asked. ”I’m getting a bicycle. It’ll be practical and fun at the same time! You should get a bicycle, too!”

”Perhaps we should purchase a tandem bicycle. Scoot around together, proclaiming our friendship.” Karin said dryly.

Sakura grimaced, unsure. ”Oh, uh, hmm…” She shrugged. ”It’s kind of hard to do tricks on a tandem bicycle. Sorry. I really want a one seated one. And I know you were being sarcastic or whatever but also, I really want to do tricks. Plus we might end up getting attacked and- no, no, it wouldn’t work. A tandem bicycle is a terrible idea.”

Karin blinked, eyebrows low. ”Well. Touché. I suppose.”

As they wandered from stall to stall, Sakura peered around, clearly looking for a place that would contain her favorite mode of transportation. Karin brushed a coiled strand of ringlets back over her shoulder and cleared her throat. ”So… you’ve been attacked? By what? Assassins?”

Sakura made a dismissive ‘as if’ noise. ”Man, I wish.” She started counting her fingers. ”Recently we fought a giant scary man baby that was flinging around what looked like its own frickin’ placenta. But before that there were zombie fishmen. And I think I told you about the giant scary boat that I’m gonna have nightmares about. And before that there was a few giant sea monsters, and then the Abyssals, but you already know about that.” Sakura shrugged. ”It’s been crazy. Craziest couple days of my life. Even crazier than my first couple of adventures!”

Karin was honestly still reeling from the most recent enemy. ”...My word.”

”Are you… alright? Mentally?” Karin asked quietly.

”Umm…I think so.” Sakura answered back honestly. ”The others had my back. Like Mister Geralt. I almost lost it a couple times, but, I mean, geez, who wouldn’t? In the end, justice prevailed! Like it always does.”

”Look, can we talk about this later? I really wanna buy a bicycle. With all this crazy stuff it might even be a magic bicycle.” Sakura jogged ahead a little bit.

”I recognize these guys!” She pointed at the Merchants. ”I met one and his robot friend a few days ago! They’re so cute. Speaking of cute!”

She passed by Rika and Kamek. ”I like your dress, Rika-chan!” She called out. She was glad Rika was picking out her own clothes! That’s a privilege Sakura has taken for granted.

”The hobby shop! They’ll have a bike there.” Sakura ran on over. Karin waved her off and began wandering about on her own. Nothing particularly interested her that much. She had everything she could want. If they were going to need supplies later, she would buy them at an outpost that was closer to their destination. She didn’t imagine they were just going to blast off into the wilderness with no civilization around. If they were, then she’d come back and buy something for it after all.

Meanwhile, Sakura did a dry spit take. ”Seventeen hundred and 50 coins!?” She whined. She held open the top of her coin purse. ”But I’ve only got 2100!” But the Nopon was resolute, and as evidence by what she just said aloud, she was probably lucky the price didn’t get raised. Being no master merchant or bargainer by any means, she took what she could get. She ended up buying a mountain bike called ‘The Scorcher.’ She had managed to get one in hot pink. As soon as she got her gloved hands on the handle bars, she felt proud of her purchase.

Immediately she went to show it off to the others, tracking down Geralt, Bowser, and Ace Cadet, Peach, just about anyone. One at a time if she had too. She navigated the busy bazaar quite easily, moving slowly, her legs cycling the pedals with a well practiced motion.

”Heeey. Look what I got, everyone! Pretty cool, right? This baby can go off road!” She said, circling as she spoke.