Lugubrious

World of Light

Tora, Poppi, and Big Band

Location: Sandswept Sky
Level 9 Tora (170/90) Level 9 Poppi (170/90) Level 5 Big Band (108/50)
Midna’s @DracoLunaris, Sectonia’s @Archmage MC, Primrose and Therion’s @Yankee, Jesse’s @Zoey Boey, Raz’s @TruthHurts22, Raiden’s @XoXKieroBombXoX, the Phantom Thieves, Braum, the Scout, Peacock, Mao, Robin, Tharja, Ciella
Word Count: 968

With the entire train and everyone aboard on the line, the heroes scrambled to scale the behemoth sand worm and lay the hurting down. Using whatever means at their disposal they flew, levitated, hitched a ride, and otherwise made a beeline for Red Eye’s spine. The few who raced upward left behind those without the means to ascend or the damage output to capitalize it, struggling to not just avoid a disastrous fall from the precariously tilted Railway Gun to the inhospitable sand below, but also to get the Dragonfire cannon ready again.

With Midna up and away, Sectonia spitting out magic, and Braum surfing the sand on his shield as he held onto a railing for dear life, it fell to Big Band to get the shells where they needed to go. The last one that the Twilight Princess fetched had rolled across the deck of the Railway Gun and nearly parted ways with the train itself, but a Brass Knuckle charge brought him close enough to Emergency Break and catch the shell just in time. With it tucked under his arm like a football and Peacock helping to push him from behind, he pulled himself along with one pneumatic arm, his struggle both to stay upright and to hold back a string of vehement curses in front of his young protégé. He hauled himself into position and deployed a kick pedal to smack the ever-loving hell out of the console. The one currently in the loader moved on to the cannon itself, while he slapped a new round into the charging station. Or rather, he tried to. “What in the!? It won’t go in!” After one more try just to make sure, he stuck the Wrath shell in the reserve slot and put the Cobalt in instead, without issue. “There we go, jeez. Thing’s gonna make me throw a tempo tantrum.” When Jesse arrived to help with the loader, he repositioned his drum pedal to the charger console and applied it with gusto.

Unfortunately, there was one other problem. As Red Eye tilted the train sideways, the main cannon’s immense counterweight dipped lower and lower, until its back began to dig into the sand. It would have served as a last ditch support to keep the train from toppling if not for the friction that immediately started turning the cannon barrel toward the front of the train, throwing off both the main gun’s aim and the whole train’s balance even more. Primrose and Theron strove with all their might to turn the cannon the other way, but the mechanism just wasn’t strong enough. Any second now the Railway Gun would capsize, and just like that the whole operation would be up in smoke.

Up above, however, the team’s attackers were giving a hundred and ten percent. Raiden carved up and pumped electricity into the wound while the others shot skyward. After blasting whatever looked vulnerable on the way up they focused on the behemoth’s spinal cord, whaling on it with a slew of weapons and powers. Hoping that their gigantic foe counted as earth-aspected, Poppi had switched to her Electric Core, so it was with a blade of crackling yellow lightning that Tora laid waste to the exposed nerves and vertebrae. Midna fractured bone with her immense bludgeon before roasting it with lightning of her own, then sicced a bloodthirsty mimic on the spot for good measure. As she backed off a familiar purple AoE appeared on top of the spinal column, followed shortly by a rain of torrential arrows whose incredible destructive power Midna knew all too well. Sectonia’s magic followed suit, a fusillade of light rings that sliced into flesh and bone alike. Even so, with the cord just too big and thick to be severed, it was Raz who sealed the deal. Using his telekinetic hand he dealt the spine a critically precise blow, driving a wedge into the perfect spot to shatter Red Eye’s composure. With that mechanical damage plus the intolerable agony inflicted by the others, the Guardian hit its breaking point and was forced to back off.

With a tremendous screech it tore away from the Railway Gun, allowing train and track alike to slam back down into place. Everyone aboard, including those holding on to either allies or the train itself for dear life, hit the deck hard. As brutal as that impact was, the narrowly averted catastrophe was a cause of celebration. Tora and Poppi swooped down to snatch Raz as Red Eye fell back, diving back down into the sand for shelter. The tremors that its continued warpath left behind, however, left nobody believing that this was anywhere near close to over.

As the reunited team tried to get their bearings, Joker ran over from the locomotive at the head of the train. “Conductor says we’ve got a junction coming up!” he shouted over the general commotion of rushing wind, clamoring track, and chugging engine. “We need to figure out somewhere to lead this thing!”

Scarcely did he get the words out, however, before the desert to the train’s right erupted. Red Eye surfaced a distance away from the train, the grievous wound in its body on the opposite side. Worse still, the main cannon -primed and ready to fire- was now facing the complete wrong direction. Another swarm of trilid was on its way, and though smaller than the first, it came alongside a second giant Bolsepia pod that soared like a beach ball through the air. This time, however, the heroes knew just how important stopping it was. Ciella and both right-side turrets opened fire, pushing back against the incoming calamity. Joker, the Scout, Poppi, Robin, and everyone else possessed of firearms or magic joined in, but like a meteorite the pod bore down on them nonetheless.

The Chalk Prince, the Fallen Child, and the Skullgirl

Location: Snowdin Outskirts
Linkle’s @Gentlemanvaultboy, Frisk’s @Majoras End

The air was brisk as ever, but the oftentimes biting wind was mild, and the fresh snowfall light. For Albedo, the big flakes brought to mind images of young children on their rare trips to Dragonspine, wide-eyed with amazement as the beheld a landscape blanketed in powdery white. After gallivanting through the drifts to catch the biggest snowflakes on their tongues, they’d plop themselves down to make snow angels, or start packing together ammunition for impromptu snowball fights. Theirs was a childlike joy, pure and simple, that Albedo never minded coming down from his usual haunts to see. As one who frequented the lonesome mountain in search of solitude for his studies and inspiration for his arts, he often ended up serving as a guide to such visitors, and it was a rather similar journey that he, Linkle, and Frisk undertook now. Though hidden for now by the snowy clouds and fog, Dragonspine awaited them far to the northwest, and beyond that lay their passage to Edinburgh MagicaPolis. By this point, most adventurers would be too accustomed to the climate to delight in these simple pleasures, and too knowledgeable about its horrors. Winter was beautiful, but it was also cruel, a fact not lost even to children from his world like Joel, whose father Joserf was lost in the mountain for the longest time. Albedo had no doubts that even if he managed to guide his new friends on the safest path imaginable, they would encounter resistance on their journey.

Before any of that though, there was the pressing matter to which he’d already alluded. After putting enough distance between her group and the town that any unusual spectacle would go unseen and unheard, Linkle brought the trio to a halt so that they could have the sparring match she’d suggested earlier. Albedo nodded his approval, tacit in his understanding of the Skullgirl’s true intentions and, despite the undeserved pain that entailed, complicit. In silence he pulled back to give the combatants room to maneuver, as well as to keep himself out of the crossfire since, knowing what he did of Linkle’s fighting style, there would be plenty. A Solar Isotoma both elevated him out of the way and gave him a bird’s-eye view of the fight as it began just a couple seconds later.

It began uneventfully, with Linkle holding her ground as she sent a steady trickle of crossbow bolts Frisk’s way. With their tips unmodified, every single one could do some real damage to the rather normal-looking child should they hit, but Frisk managed to exceed Albedo’s expectations right from the get-go. They evaded each and every projectile, dodging and weaving even as the barrage intensified, turning from a trickle to a stream and finally a torrent. It wasn’t long before Frisk soldiered all the way into melee range and managed to actually throw a punch. They did well, although Albedo could be only so impressed whilst knowing just how much Linkle was holding back. Things quickly escalated after that, with Linkle launching an offensive that ended in a knockout kick. The alchemist couldn’t help but wince, despite his new friend’s quick intervention to make sure that both the injury and Galeem’s influence came to an abrupt end.

With the fight suddenly and definitively finished, Albedo stepped off his isotoma, landed in the snow with a roll, and approached the two as they spoke together. Frisk’s blurred memories seemed to be returning, and with them the inevitable realization that this coagulated reality couldn’t be allowed to endure. They didn’t even question it, but proceeded straight into an explanation of one of their more esoteric abilities, to which Albedo listened with interest. The power Frisk described turned out to be a real whopper: the reversal of causality to a prior point in time, able to undo untold disasters and give Frisk another shot at achieving their goals. Though he masked it well, the casual dispersal of such information left Albedo reeling. “Incredible,” he breathed. “And nobody else retains their memories of the erased time? In essence, such an ability makes you…well, theoretically unstoppable.”

He cleared his throat and gave Linkle a chance to speak, ruminating on the possibilities. Obviously what he said wasn’t quite true; even with the benefit of infinite attempts, experience alone couldn’t overcome every obstacle. It also sounded like Frisk abhorred fighting, though whether or not that principle would continue to hold true in the World of Light was up in the air. In a way, the idea of being ‘undone’ by such a power was a terrifying one; it robbed him, and by necessity everyone else, of agency. Albedo found himself feeling grateful that Frisk’s ability seemed to be diminished somewhat, at least by their own admission.

Misgivings aside, everything seemed to be in order. Frisk had been freed, hands had been shaken, and everyone was ready to proceed in earnest. Albedo took the chance to shake with the child as well. Even if he didn’t typically engage in such gestures, after being hugged by them a couple hours ago, it was small potatoes. “You did very well,” he told Frisk. “Countless are the hands who bring destruction, but few are the hands extended in compassion. I am happy to have you as an ally on this journey.” With that, he turned and began to lead the way onward.

A good deal of trudging brought them across the trackless snowfield outside town. Aside from the rolling white hills and heavily-coated shrubs there wasn’t much to distract from their forward progress. At one point Linkle did catch a glimpse of a familiar ravine, and when she jogged over to check she found a yawning hole in the immense seal of ice placed there yesterday, the belligerent she’d trapped there on the loose once more. Not much could be done about that, though, and the journey continued.

Albedo led the others from the snowfield into a rugged coniferous forest, its bushy boughs of green needles caked in icing snow. With the ambiance of the town long since faded into the distance it was very quiet, with only the whisper of the wind accompanying the crunch of the travelers’ boots through the snow. While Albedo wasn’t expecting the woodland creatures to roll out the welcome mat, he noticed the utter lack of any sign of wildlife, wondering if the local animals were avoiding them for any reason in particular. It was a while before he picked up the telltale caws of crows, and not just one or two, but a handful. Though the source of the noise lay off the path he’d planned for his group to take, his curiosity got the better of him. “If neither of you mind, could we chance a brief detour? I must say I’m interested to see what’s going on.”

It wasn’t long before they tracked the scavengers down. Their answer lay just beneath a slight knoll, in a perfectly unassuming and unremarkable spot, but the sight of it made Albedo visibly dismayed. It was the remains of an animal, a normal deer if he had to guess, stripped of any worthwhile meat and left in a pile for the crows to peck at and squabble over. The alchemist shooed the protesting birds away and knelt over the corpse, taking hold of a bone to test its weight and consistency. Only after his silent examination did he finally speak. “How strange,” he murmured. “As you both are no doubt aware, in this world, all living things are reduced to ash shortly after expiration. The stuff of creation, which in my world could be termed ‘dust of azoth’. Yet this animal is dead as it should be.” He glanced at the others. “So even though this is, in a way, completely normal, it is also a startling abnormality. Without a solid grasp of why bodies turn to ash in the first place, I cannot tell why, either…” There were no clear-cut signs of tracks around, thanks to the snowfall, but the disturbance of snow on nearby branches marked the passage of something else through the area. With a sigh Albedo rose. “Sorry, let’s be on our way. Only, perhaps we should be a little more cautious as we proceed. These woods may house further anomalies.”

Now on the alert, the group continued through the pine forest. They kept their eyes and ears wide open for any sign of trouble, and sure enough, the sounds of commotion eventually reached them through the trees. Albedo picked up the pac, running alongside the others until they came to the lip of a small ridge, overlooking a clearing. Down below they spotted a batch of snowy ruins, but it was the fight in front of them that caught their attention. Linkle recognized the great Gammoth that she saw yesterday, now fighting against a squadron of men in a mixture of robes and armor. As the onlookers watched, the humans worked as an effective team. They fought with a backline of clerics that alternated between the use of holy incantations both against their giant adversary and to heal any injured, while melee fighters whaled on the Gammoth’s legs between attacks, all of them spread out enough so that no stomp or slam would hit multiple of them. Judging by the wounds all across the Gammoth’s body, the hunt had been in progress for quite some time already, and Albedo saw no reason to interfere. Though the Gammoth fought with brutal desperation and overwhelming strength, the clerics and paladins were a well-oiled machine. Three in particular stood out among them: a priest in blue who commanded the power of wind, a warrior in red whose tenacity and martial prowess just about stole the show, and a knight in silver and gold whose assault wove tirelessly around the Gammoth’s attacks. Thanks to their efforts the beast was already flagging, and as its rampage neared its end, it was the knight who stepped forward while the others held off. He sheathed his sword and spread wide his arms, casting a circle of golden light that surrounded the beast. Runes sprouted from within like trees, then burst like twinkling stars. A moment later the death blow was dealt, and the Gammoth thrashed its last before slamming to the ground hard enough to shake the whole forest with the tremor.

Albedo crossed his arms, a hypothesis in mind. He watched the giant animal for any sign of decomposition, but as the seconds went on its massive corpse failed to turn to ash whatsoever. Down below the men and women were already talking amongst themselves, swarming around the body with carving knives at the ready. Their leaders and their chief healer, meanwhile, stood by. “Well, that’s one mystery solved,” Albedo remarked. “Convenient timing, too.” He glanced at the others. “I’m interested to learn more, but it seems as though they intend to butcher the creature. Shall we introduce ourselves, or pass on by, do you think?”

World of Light

Ms Fortune

Location: Deep Blue Seaside - Kanzuki Beach Estate
Level 8 Nadia (68/80)
Koopa Troop’s @DracoLunaris, Blazermate’s @Archmage MC, Hat Kid’s @Dawnrider, Geralt’s @MULTI_MEDIA_MAN, Ace Cadet’s @Yankee, Sakura's @Zoey Boey, Link’s @Gentlemanvaultboy
Word Count: 1809

“Whoo!” Nadia breathed, a wide grin of unadulterated joy plastered on her face. It was a wondrous thing not just to see but to feel the improvement of the others as the games progressed, each more exhilarating than the last with new feats of synergy and athleticism. Then, once the players had three normal games under their belts, the whole thing culminated in a no-holds-barred superpowered bonanza so crazy that it even caught the eyes of the Lethal League competitors practicing next door. Holding back or not, Nadia’s blood-powered mobility and extendable reach made her a force to be reckoned with, but no amount of clever tricks negated the incredible advantage that was Blazermate’s flight. Even when she brought out copycats for increased coverage, Junior powered through with such a superfluous spike that Nadia couldn’t help but be impressed. No matters how handy her doubles were, they were no substitute for the real thing! As absurd as it ended up getting, it had been a total blast, a spectacle of sportsmanship, self-improvement, and good old-fashioned fun. While fighting together against impossible odds most certainly made the Seekers allies, it was stuff like this that allowed Nadia to call them ‘friends’, and she couldn’t be more happy.

Of course, she also couldn’t be more winded. When the rush of adrenaline subsided, Nadia just about keeled over where she stood. Her chest heaved as she doubled over with her hands on her knees, glistening with sweat all over. “Hah…hah…” she panted, wiping at her brow. “That’s definitely enough for now. Good games, guys!” It went without question that this was the last game, so after she traded high-fives with the other players, the group started to disperse. Some just wanted to plop down, others to grab some drinks, but Nadia fixed her eyes on the ocean blue, her eyes shining almost as brightly as the gentle waves that glittered like diamonds in the afternoon sun. It called to her with a siren’s song, and this time she couldn’t paw-sibly resist.

As Nadia jogged over she pulled off her tank and then slipped out of her shorts, leaving just her swimsuit. She stopped by her chair only long enough to fling her balled-up clothes into the seat, then spun toward Ace to beckon him to follow her. “Time for a sea-esta!” she called as she made her way toward the water. “Don’t keep me wadin’!”

Without further ado she sped past shells and seagulls, leaped over a bastion of sandcastles, splashed through the shallows, and hurled herself into the drink. Immediately she was struck by a wave of relief, both literally and figuratively. Though a slight shock at first, the water was perfect, warm enough to be comfortable but cool enough to be so wonderfully refreshing. Delighted, Nadia immersed herself completely, allowing the crystal-clear water to wash away all the sand, sweat, and fatigue built up over the course of her volleyball matches. For a moment, everything seemed to drift away–her tension and her pain, her past, her worries for the future, the crisis facing the world, even her thoughts. It felt like heaven. She had slept last night, she’d enjoyed going back through Limsa Lominscuttle Town, and she’d taken it easy right after lunch, but now -for the first time- Nadia Fortune could really relax.

After a few seconds she bobbed to the surface, floating on her back with her eyes closed and her shell-white hair spread out in every direction. Down below her fish-tail swished back and forth in contentment, which helped keep her up, but even without its aid Nadia felt lighter than a feather. It did occur to her that she never liked getting wet anywhere near this much and this newfound appreciation of the water might be a byproduct of her fusion with the aquatic Oceanid, but right now Nadia couldn’t imagine the change as anything short of a blessing. Who could say no to the ability to enjoy more of life’s great joys, after all? Still, it did feel sort of surreal, and not just the physical change to her body, but existing in this crazy world in the first place. It probably wasn’t real, all things considered, but after all she’d been through it couldn’t possibly be a dream. Either way, while stuck here she might as well hold onto whatever morsels of happiness happened to come her way. Speaking of which…

As a shadow fell over her Nadia’s eyes slid open to find Ace standing right next to her, his head and chest above the surface. True to what one might expect from coral shallows, the water wasn’t really very deep here. Still, a devilish idea took hold of her. “Wah!” she blurted out as if startled, then began to flail her limbs about. “AaaAAaah, help me!” the feral cried as she splashed, neither panicking nor suppressing her smile very convincingly. “I’m just a cat in the water, I can’t swim! Oh, save me~!”

Ever the hero, Ace sprang into action without a second thought. He bent down and scooped Nadia right up out of the water and into his arms, holding her beneath her knees and behind her back. It was another bridal carry, just like when Ace caught her last night, albeit in much happier circumstances. By instinct he held her close and tight, like a giant egg that might splatter if so much as a stiff wind blew his way, and it was everything the feral wanted. She threw her own arm across his shoulders, giggling as the monster hunter’s face betrayed the gears turning in his brain. “Nyahaha! Either ya really forgot I can swim just fine, or ya really can’t help holdin’ me! I’ll have to return the favor sometime.”

While it would have been well within Ace’s right to drop her back in the drink then and there after the practical joke, he took a few steps to set her down in knee-high water anyway. “Why thank you, thank you,” she grinned as she put her hands on her hips. “Man, isn’t this place awesome, though? It’s gotta be, I dunno, what’s that one phrase you like? Rad-alos, yeah? You’re gonna have to explain that one sometime.” Eyes bright, she scanned the water for signs of movement. “For now though, let’s check this place out!”

Heaven’s Edge, the shallow coastal zone just beyond the tropical shoreline, pierced by winged holy swordblades, was as versatile an area as it was large. No two spots were quite the same, for the terrain underfoot fluctuated wildly in terms of elevation. In some places the sand formed flats or bars that were knee or even ankle deep, but elsewhere there were basins or ravines between the bars that went as deep as thirty or even fifty feet, some of them very large, where seagrass bloomed around coral mountains and sandstone formed all sorts of delightful formations. As Nadia quickly found out, she could dive from the top of a sand plateau all the way down to the depths of a trench to get a firsthand view of the wildlife. No matter where one went within Heaven’s Edge one couldn’t avoid witnessing its incredible array of flora and fauna. Even on the flats there were various crabs among the corals, but things really got interesting underwater. All kinds of fish, both the tried and true and weird but wonderful, swam and schooled throughout the azure reef in an incredible display of color. There were eels, otters cracking shellfish, lobsters, rays, big snails, squid, and even a bizarre fish with a human head that earned a double take from Nadia. When she waved at him, however, he just rolled his eyes in a rather brusque manner and carried on. She happened to catch a glimpse of the ocean beyond Heaven’s Edge while diving, and though the sight took her breath away, so did being underwater, so she turned back toward safer shallows. At one point a curious otter swam up and pawed at Nadia’s fish tail, and when she reached out to scratch its head, it was so delighted that it began doing somersaults in the water, just for the fun of it. Of course, Nadia then had to join in, until she got so dizzy she could do little other than float back up to the surface.

There were less natural structures, as well. The winged swordblades remained stolid and mysterious, their origin and purpose nebulous. During her dives Nadia spotted a number of fragmented ruins underwater, most overgrown with barnacles and such. On the largest sand flat, beneath only a few inches of water, she and Ace also found a faintly ominous circular depression of stone brick, with a central emblem that gave off a deep purple glow even in direct sunlight. It didn’t seem to do anything, but Nadia didn’t check very thoroughly, either.

At one point, after getting a good way out, she cast her eyes back toward the shore. The Kanzuki Beach Estate really was beautiful, but from here she could see a good deal more than that alone. Farther south on the beach was an inlet fringed by palms and formations of large, light gray hexagonal stones. An old shipwreck stood in its center amidst all sorts of strange food-based bugs, apparently converted into a dwelling place by the lone grumpus within. Beyond that lone encampment the beachfront showed signs of development for a good distance, though not quite as high-profile as the resorts to the north. Even farther still, the tropical jungle gave way to rocky upheaval, beginning with smooth cliffs and natural overhangs and ultimately becoming forested marble cliffs that overflowed with waterfalls. It made for quite the picturesque coast.

A little north of the Kanzuki estate and not too far from the volleyball courts, meanwhile, something was afoot. Some posts had been embedded in the ground by resort staff and tarps stretched around them to form a big letter C, a good fifty feet in diameter at least. After the workers positioned some machinery by the tarp, they switched it on, and the giant blower began to fill the area with bubbles. The suds came thick and fast, quickly covering the whole zone, but light enough that they quickly began to pile up. As onlookers gathered around to watch in eager anticipation, the bubbles amassed into drifts like snow, becoming a sudsy heap higher even than Ace in some places. Once the mountain had risen, party music began to play, and kids and adults alike waded into the mass to goof around and dance.

By now Nadia was feeling pretty refreshed, but all the swimming, climbing, wading, and jumping she’d done around Heaven’s Edge left her even more pooped than she’d been after the volleyball game. “I think I’m out of gas,” she confessed to Ace. “Think I’m gonna go back and crash in the shade, at least for a minute, 'cause that bubble pile's got me curious. Appreciate cha comin’ with, though! This was really great.”

World of Light

While the Malaise and Desecration weaknesses could probably be combined, there's nothing wrong with the sheet I don't think. Playing a mute character could pose some challenges, but if there's a definite personality there anyway, it could be doable. And with our discussion of how to reconcile fusion with the desecration system, he should be good to go. I see that Raiden is pretty much level 3, so you could begin straightaway, once we settle on an entry point.

World of Light

Tora, Poppi, and Big Band

Location: Sandswept Sky - Apex of the World
Level 9 Tora (168/90) Level 9 Poppi (168/90) Level 5 Big Band (106/50)
Midna’s @DracoLunaris, Sectonia’s @Archmage MC, Primrose and Therion’s @Yankee, Jesse’s @Zoey Boey, Raz’s @TruthHurts22, Raiden’s @XoXKieroBombXoX, the Phantom Thieves, Braum, the Scout, Peacock, Mao, Robin, Tharja, Ciella
Word Count: 1680

The dispersal of Bolsepia all across the locomotive, littering it from engine to Railway Gun to caboose, added a whole new dimension to the heroes’ already hectic struggle. Their suicidal self-destruction not only threatened the wellbeing of the Seekers, but the train itself, and nobody needed to point out that if their well-armed ride went kaput, the entirety of their campaign in the Sandswept Sky would soon follow. Skittering like puffed-up spiders, the oversized bomb bugs swarmed over the exterior of the train, moving as if by instinct to where their death detonations would do the most damage.

Fortunately, Raiden had just the tool for the job. His blade could carve through Bolsepia bodies without hindrance, and the precision of his Blade Mode meant that no matter how much carnage he left in his wake, his targets’ volatile heads went totally untouched. Killed too quickly and cleanly to explode, the Bolsepia that fell before him could do little but blow away in the wind, reduced to unsightly pieces and then, in short order, to ash.

He moved up top to the Railway Gun counterbalance, where the defense against the Akrid was the fiercest. There, the cyborg lent Raz and Ciella a hand against the Bolsepia, alongside Peacock after she popped up to add even more mayhem to the mix. Freshly armed with the knowledge that these things blew up when given half a chance, the little devil used a pair of striped flags to summon miniature biplanes flown by cartoonish bombs. Whether by sawing into Bolsepia legs with their propellers or just dive-bombing themselves, the planes helped send the unwelcome guests packing, but preemptively starting their countdowns and knocking them around quickly proved just as much a dangerous hindrance as a help.

With her own targets taken care of, Poppi joined her allies in their efforts to stop the Akrid sabotage. Cognizant of just how much danger these creatures posed, Midna and her assistants worked overtime to take them out as quickly as possible, while Sectonia cast her speed boosts down to make the most ruthless pest controllers among her allies that much faster. The insect queen kept her eyes on the prize, however, and though that meant she could deal some damage to Red Eye’s soft spots, she left the other Akrid unattended. Not many Trilid remained at this point, but those that did found Sectonia to be a tempting target, and as she slung light rings at Red Eye she got divebombed by a handful of the wretched things.

Down below, the Railway Gun remained in a state of chaos despite the Seekers’ fast action. The defense force by the charging station had splintered as the main cannon turned, with Raiden separated and Poppi -after hearing the cyborg’s shout- abandoning her post to save her Masterpon. With wild desperation she fought her way toward Tora, but in her haste she fell prey to an explosion that flung her down toward the tracks. Only a full-force thruster burn got her out of harm’s way, but it also forced her away from the train, and as she struggled to regain control and catch back up she could see the pandemonium caused by the Bolsepia all across the train. Joker had his hands full with the engine’s defense, relying on Arsene’s long limbs and Jinx’s stun gun to keep the scuttling bombs at arm’s length. One of them climbed up on top of Skull’s turret to blow itself up, and while the panicking thief managed to blast it back with his shotgun in time to save his own skin, his assailant still managed to take his turret with it. While Big Band’s Giant Step managed to knock down the critters on the roof of the caboose, it dealt only minimal damage, meaning that the Akrid were still very real threats. The one-man band went on the offensive, using Overblow, Brass Knuckle, and his patented 5000lb Slam dropkick to send the Bolsepia flying from the train. Even with the Scout’s assault rifle fire covering him, however, he couldn’t clear them all in time. A chain reaction from three of them tore a gaping hole in the armory car’s roof, leaving the remainder of the Railway Gun’s ammunition exposed.

Meanwhile Tharja, distracted by Robin’s injury, did not notice the Bolsepia priming itself behind her until it was already too late. Only one person did, in fact: Ciella. The furious red glow caught the archer’s eyes as she prepared a four-shot spread of rebounding arrows to clear the upper deck once and for all. For a split second the Agito wavered, reconsidering her choice of target. Then the Bolsepia in front of her surged, and Ciella let loose her shot straight ahead, washing the Akrid away in a torrent of maelstrom shots. At the same time, a loud burst on her periphery seemingly heralded the fate of Ciella’s former adversary, but when she glanced back over she saw that another magician had come to Tharja's aid with a well-placed couple of hexes. Ciella sighed, and turned her focus back to the enemy.

Tora’s own emergency, at least, turned out a little better. Midna saved the day at the last possible second, yanking the Bolsepia out of the Railway Gun’s passage in the nick of time and hurling it out to pop harmlessly in midair. Though it would be a minute before his heart stopped pounding, the Nopon breathed a sigh of relief. He’d been on the verge of tackling the Akrid to the floor and using his own super-spongy body as a shield for the machinery, but the Twilight Princess spared him such an unpleasant fate. “Thank you, meeh!” he gasped as he slumped down against the metal, fully aware that the array of red damage alerts on the screen beside him meant that despite his brush with disaster, he didn’t have any time to sit and rest. With a groan Tora wiped his brow, picked himself up, and busied himself with the repair console once more.

A moment later Poppi dashed in, her amber eyes wide with worry. “Masterpon!”

“Here!” Tora said, poking his head out. Though a little sootier and singed, the rotund engineer was none the worse for wear. “Glad to see Poppi okay!”

The sag of his companion’s shoulders suggested palpable relief. “Whew. Poppi also happy Masterpon not hurt.”

“What happen up there?” Tora asked, his eyes on his screen as he continued to work.

“Big slug cover train in bug bombs,” Poppi replied. “Mostly dealt with now, Poppi thinks.” She ducked back out into the sunshine, determined to stand guard over this section of the train. Thanks to the ingenious idea of Raz, the Seekers had cleaned up the leftover Bolsepia by returning them to sender. With all onboard Akrid eliminated, both the functional turrets and the capable Seekers were pounding the weak spots with all they had. As Poppi watched, one of the red spots, already tenderized by cannon fire, Bolsepia blasts, and projectile punishment, erupted in a visceral shower. When the extra-chunky salsa cleared, only a pulpy crater in the behemoth’s hide remained. The good news didn’t stop there, either. Thanks to Therion and Raiden’s effort spent keeping him safe, the cannon was in position ready to fire once more. This time it packed an energized Devil’s Roar shell instead of a bog-standard Cobalt, so once Jesse dialed in her aim on the sore spot her allies created, she could unleash one hell of a payload.

In that fateful moment, all the work put into that one shot paid dividends. The Railway Gun thundered, but its roar was nothing next to the calamitous bellow of Red Eye as the shell ripped a huge gap into the side of its thousand-plus foot body, revealing skeletal and spinal structure within the scarred, blackened flesh. It was a terrible, grievous wound, and yet…the behemoth did not back down.

Its response was immediate. Amidst its thrashing, Red Eye veered sideways. Its massive body slid closer and closer, keeping pace with its target. Big Band swallowed, the sweat beading on his forehead beneath his hat not just from the desert heat. “Hooh, I got it bad. And that ain’t good.” Unable to do anything but brace himself, and as frustrated as he was alarmed because of it, he hunkered down and watched until Red Eye grew so close that it began to push up against the train. Suddenly the both the track below and the train atop it began to tilt precariously to the right, its immense weight pitted against the incredible strength of Red Eye’s body. Suddenly the smaller turrets were so close to their target that they couldn’t hit anything but armor, though that was still small beans compared to the issues facing the Dragonfire main cannon. As its barrel shifted up, its counterweight shifted down, threatening to pull the entire train off the tracks with it.

“Meeeeh!” Tora cried as he climbed up from below, waving his wings in panic as the Thieves shot uselessly at whatever they could hit. “We going over any second now, meh! Maybe friends should abandon train!?”

“And then what!?” Band shouted back. “We got no chance without this thing!”

Poppi stood by her Masterpon, ready to grab him and hover at the drop of a hat should it come down to it. “If we mean to stay, we need get this thing off, now!” She jumped up on top of the cannon, making sure Jesse was okay. “Can we fire?”

That depended on whether or not the cannon was loaded, which it wasn’t. In the tumult of repelling the Bolsepia, no more shells had been either energized or loaded. It would also be much harder to aim while tilted, both for the gunner within and the Octopath Travelers beside. Something had to be done, and fast. Still, Red Eye being so close surely presented an opportunity of its own, and as Tora looked up, an idea hit him. A way to force Red Eye off, and maybe even save the train. “Poppi? Need boost up top, meh!” he pointed at Red Eye’s exposed spine, not directly aligned with the train but still feasibly close. “Friends! We need give biggy big monster back pain!”

World of Light

Tora, Poppi, and Big Band

Location: Sandswept Sky - Apex of the World
Level 9 Tora (162/90) Level 9 Poppi (162/90) Level 5 Big Band (100/50)
Midna’s @DracoLunaris, Sectonia’s @Archmage MC, Primrose and Therion’s @Yankee, Jesse's @Zoey Boey, Raz’s @TruthHurts22, Raiden’s @XoXKieroBombXoX, the Phantom Thieves, Braum, the Scout, Peacock, Mao, Robin, Tharja, Ciella
Word Count: 2034

The sudden expectoration of Akrid swarms worked wonders to make the Seekers realize they were on an even tighter schedule than Red Eye first made it seem, and like eggs the whole crew scrambled to their stations. The undisputed ruler of flying insects, Sectonia took to the sky to cover her teammates while on the move, rebuffing the incoming Trilid horde with a veritable fireworks display of sorcery. Given the velocity of the train below and the rather more worrisome speed of the Guardian in pursuit, Sectonia needed to work her poor wings overtime just to keep up while also raining down magical mayhem on the Trilid, but if there was anyone who could accomplish such a feat of aerial acrobatics, it was her.

Under her protection, Raz reached the charging station in a matter of seconds. Midna and her new impromptu bodyguard Raiden were making tracks to the train’s caboose to plunder the onboard armory for heavy ammunition, but until they returned with ordnance, the psychonaut cadet had nothing to do. Rather than just stand around, he lent his psi-bolts to the fusillade of projectiles that Sectonia, the rear turret gunners, the Scout, and Peacock had brought to bear. As he shouted at the Akrid a shadow fell over him, and when Raz glanced sideways he realized it belonged to Ciella as she adopted a firing stance. Standing beside one other really put the size difference between the pair into perspective, with Ciella at six foot ten and Raz at just four foot four, but the Agito did not deign to look the boy’s way. Instead she pulled taut her bowstring, her hair streaming beside her, and unleashed four water arrows in a spread formation. Each tore through any Trilid in their path before disappearing into Red Eye’s cavernous maw. Whether or not they dealt much damage in there Ciella couldn’t really say, but without delay she drew her bow once more.

Compared to Raz, Primrose and Therion had even less distance to travel before they reached the stations they’d volunteered for, but once there they couldn’t exactly stand idle. Despite the ranged fighters’ efforts, some Akrid nevertheless managed to slip through. That remainder fell to the rest to deal with, be they strictly melee fighters like Braum and Big Band, or mages who couldn’t afford to waste mana on single-hit small fry, like Robin and Tharja. Trying to slap dive-bombing Trilid out of the sky, however, was like trying to hit an entire baseball game’s worth of fastballs, and Big Band wasn’t doing so hot. “Ow, gah!” he grunted, reeling from the explosion of one monster that struck him square in the middle. He recovered just in time to duck out of the way of a second Trilid, which promptly blew up against the surface of the cannon behind him. The blast dislodged his hat, but before it could fly away on the wind the brazen detecting snatched it out of the air. With another Akrid already on its way down, he hurriedly popped his hat on and pulled off a well-timed Beat Extend. Two halves of a giant tambourine deployed from his torso and slammed together like pincers, catching the Trilid before it could hit him. The noise of the jingles inflicted sound stun, allowing Band to catch the dazed creature and hurl it back into the Trilid cloud like a stick grenade.

“These things got me all kinds of funked up,” Band complained, looking over his shoulder at the cannon. To his dismay he found that the Trilid he dodged had gone on to detonate on the main cannon’s turning track, warping the metal enough to pose an issue. “Hey, we got a hit over here! Who we got on fixin’s?”

A little panicked and very distracted by everything going on, Tora looked over with wide eyes. Nobody had claimed repair duty, not that anyone was much of an engineer except, of course, Tora himself. “Meh, me, I guess!” Using Poppi’s stored ether he released a parting volley of missiles from his Mech Arms at the trilid swarm, then took one final look around. Before he could say anything about the main cannon, Jesse volunteered to take control, which meant that every position was accounted for. Or did it?

“We need someone up front!” Tora suddenly realized. “If enemies get yellowpon, we all doomed!”

Taking potshots at Trilid nearby, Joker narrowed his eyes. “Hey, you guys good without me?” he called down to the Phantom Thieves in their turrets, shouting above the wind.

“All good here!” Skull shouted back. “It’s basically one big arcade game!”

“Except the ducks are trying to kill us!” Panther added, her pigtails flapping in the wind.

Joker gave a parting salute and dashed off toward the front of the train, where his varied skillset would be invaluable keeping the Conductor safe.

Meanwhile, Poppi switched to QT Pi mode and jumped up on top of the cannon. “Poppi run defense up here for Jesse!”

“Oh…” Tora looked uneasy at the prospect of separating from his treasured companion, but at the same time he knew it had to be done. The team couldn’t afford to lose either the critical weapon or the woman controlling it. “Okay! Stay safe and kick monster butt!”

“Roger, roger!”

In a jiffy Tora reached the repair panel, where he started redirecting T-ENG for repairs. “Friend Therion and Primrose!” he called as he worked. “We need cannon face backwards, right away! Can load normal rounds at any time!” Once Tora made the requisite connections, a little button mashing would push the T-ENG where it needed to be to make turning the big gun possible.

It wasn’t much longer before Midna and Raiden returned, fending off Trilid all the while. The Twilight Princess deposited the giant shells on the top of the train next to the cannon, and Tora shouted the instructions she needed. “Meh-meh-meh! Put in loader, and charger, quick quick quick!” When she complied, some mashing would plug the round straight into the main gun itself. From there another could be put into the loader for immediate insertion after the loaded shell was fired, and another in the reserve slot to take its place. Meanwhile, the charging station could energize a shell with all the power drummed up by Raz’s mashing, then added to the queue. After Primrose and Therion decided on which of them would be turning the cannon one hundred and eighty degrees, since both mashing their buttons would get them nowhere, the barrel of the Dragonfire cannon swung around. As it span so did its counterweight, which included the charging station, the loader, and everyone on top of it, which took Ciella by surprise and would have resulted in a fall from the train if not for a timely grab by Raz. Another few seconds and the turn was complete, and it was down to Jesse to make the final adjustments.

Poppi was crouching above Jesse when she asked if her targeting looked okay, and after a quick focus of her optics the artificial blade gave her a thumbs-up. Without Blazermate on hand to scan for weaknesses, anything seemed as good as anything else, and Jesse was right to conclude that it would be hard to miss. While Poppi didn’t know what the FBC director meant by graduating high school’, now was a bad time to need reassurance, so Poppi told her, “Poppi not do that either, so it fine!” At Jesse’s warning, everyone in earshot braced themselves, and the next second the roar of the Dragonfire rang out through the desert sky.

Nobody saw the shell actually travel through the air, or what happened inside Red Eye’s gullet. They only staggered from the physical force that shook not just the train, but the very air, and witnessed the monster’s reaction. It let out a terrific roar as it bucked wildly, thrashing from one side to another as it let the whole desert know of its pain. As it fell back, the train tracks began to curve, averting the locomotive from Al Mamoon as per the Conductor’s strategy. Even as the behemoth receded, however, Poppi kept her eyes on it. In no world would one shot, even from a weapon of this ludicrous caliber, be enough to end this fight.

"Pow!" Peacock grinned. "Right in the kisser!"

Big Band whistled through his instruments. "Now that's what I call percussion."

Despite the general elation, Red Eye didn’t stay staggered for long, and after mere seconds began tearing across the sand again. It cut through the arc the train was taking, and with terrifying speed began to pull up alongside the Railway Gun. From there it couldn’t just eat the train if it caught up, but the Dragonfire cannon couldn’t shoot down its mouth, either. Still, its reload was already in progress, and once the Octopath Travelers turned it again Jesse could line up another shot. All along the behemoth’s side were large, meaty red masses situated at intervals among the chitinous plates of armor, which to anyone with even a morsel of genre awareness looked tantalizingly like weak spots. For the rest, Necronomicon spelled it out.

“Shoot those red mounds!” the Persona advised, and the Phantom Thieves on the train’s right side, Mona and Fox, hurried to obey. Their turret rounds pounded the eye-shaped spots, rupturing bloody craters in the exposed flesh. As the Seekers opened fire, however, so did Red Eye. From a blowhole it launched an absolutely massive spiky pod that hurtled almost lazily through the air, and despite any attempts to shoot it down, the sheer mass kept it going until it hit the Railway Gun. The whole train shuddered under the impact, knocking the main cannon -and any heroes without firm footing- askew. To make matters worse, the pod then erupted into a horde of Bolsepia that landed across the entire train.

Seven landed on top of the cannon section, four on the counterweight around the charging station and loader and three on the barrel. Counting on the others to tend those behind her, Poppi focused on the ones ahead. She morphed the Variable Saber into shotgun mode and unleashed two blasts apiece into the nearest Akrid. Their force dislodged the crab-legged pests and sent them flying from the train, but the third skittered forward toward Jesse’s cockpit. Poppi dashed forward and extended her saber’s laser blade, skewering the Bolsepia through the head. That head, however, began to swell and glow, which in Poppi’s world meant only one thing. In a panic she switched off the saber and burned her thrusters to execute a backflip kick, popping the Bolsepia far enough off the cannon that the ensuing explosion caused no damage. The artificial blade breathed an entirely cosmetic sigh of relief before calling out, “Everyone be careful! These things explode!’

By the time she gave her warning, however, other Seekers had already learned firsthand. Robin cut through a Bolsepia head with an electrified slash from his Levin Sword, but couldn’t get clear before it blew up, slamming him into the metal hard. “Robin!?” Tharja snarled, grabbing hold of the second Bolsepia with hands of darkness as she bent to heal her beloved’s wounds, unaware of the third climbing up behind her.

“Grrah!” Big Band groaned. “I’ve had it up to here on this chattanooga choo choo. He leaped down from the Railway Gun to land with a bang on the roof of the armory car, where Bolsepia were massing to blow the whole thing sky high. “Giant Steps!” he cried, deploying a huge kick pedal to sweep the monsters’ legs out from under them. From there it was a matter of picking them up one or two at a time and tossing them off the train, but if any of the leftover Trilid joined the party, things would get explosive fast.

Down in the Railway Gun’s fuselage, Tora was working on repairs when one explosive Akrid crammed itself into the same cramped passageway he was in. “Meh-meh!?” he exclaimed, realizing that a blast in here would be very, very bad. “Poppi!” he cried. “Need Drill Shield! Copy? Need Poppi Alpha, pronto! Poppi!?” As the Bolsepia crept closer, the Nopon swallowed nervously, struggling to figure out something he could do.

World of Light

Tora, Poppi, and Big Band

Location: Sandswept Sky - Apex of the World
Level 9 Tora (156/90) Level 9 Poppi (156/90) Level 5 Big Band (94/50)
Midna’s @DracoLunaris, Fox’s @Dawnrider, Sectonia’s @Archmage MC, Primrose and Therion’s @Yankee, Raz’s @TruthHurts22, the Phantom Thieves, Braum, the Scout, Peacock, Mao, Robin, Tharja, Ciella
Word Count: 1621

Rough landing or not, there was no time to waste, so the Seekers hit the ground running. The sheer size of their foe was staggering, even in comparison to the colossus the team had already tangled with, now disappeared beneath the sand to shelter until such time as it felt safe enough to take to the skies again. What Red Eye lacked in length it made up for in bulk and weaponry, with sectioned jaws big enough to chow down on office buildings and a plethora of giant arthropod legs to help drag it through the sand. Once it came to its senses the behemoth could steamroll anything in its way, be it a forest, a city, or a ragtag bunch of heroes, and nobody harbored any delusions about fighting it head-on. So while Sectonia bravely buzzed off to harry the monstrosity while it was down, the rest used her speed buff to turn tail and run like they were getting paid for it.

The Psychonaut cadet Raz joined the wasp queen in pelting Red Eye from a distance in an effort to grab its attention, but to his chagrin his psi-bolts turned out to be even less effective than his comrade’s magic. Neither of their attacks, even those landed on the creature’s many eponymous eyes, seemed to register at all. It quickly became apparent that their efforts were mere drops in a vast, vast bucket, which meant going out on a limb like this promised a lot more risk than reward. “Raz!” Necronomicon hailed, floating down to where the kid was waging his one-man standoff, unaware that he planned to levitate away when things got hairy. “It’s not working! We’ve gotta get you outta here now, or you’ll be left behind!” The flying saucer extended her tentacle limbs, ready to grab hold and whisk Raz away to safety, or as near an approximate as she could manage, if he agreed.

Meanwhile, the others were making tracks. Big Band trucked along the desert toward the Tostarena Town train platform as fast as he could go, kicking up grit as he belted out baritone, and the groove he plowed through the sand paved the way for the others to follow. Still, a couple team members blazed out ahead of the pack, Tora and Poppi among them. With the artificial blade’s thrusters at full burn it took only a couple moments to reach their destination. Fraught with worry, Tora lingered a moment as he caught sight of all the dumbfounded townsfolk, many of them already fleeing in whatever direction their panic-stricken minds struck upon. He couldn’t bring himself to shout words of worry, for where could these poor people possibly run to escape the horror that he helped to unleash, if the Seekers failed in their duty? Instead he focused on the job at hand, determined to not allow such a thing to come to pass.

He and Poppi alighted on the immense train right by the cab, and immediately the Nopon started pounding on the door. “Conductor? Conductor!” he yelled. “We need to leave, right now, very, very fast!”

“Ya don’t peckin’ say!” The supposed bird, reclined with his feet up for his late afternoon nap until mere moments ago, already had preparations well underway. “Ya better make sure ya friends are on board, laddie, ‘cause we sure en’t waitin’ around! All aboaaaaaaaaaaaard!” As he yelled he reached up and pulled the train’s whistle, sounding out two piercingly loud notes of alarm. Even if the noise didn’t stack up to the ground-zero tolling of Jondo, everyone in the vicinity could be assured that the last train in town was about to depart.

As the locomotive’s engine blazed and smoke belched from its stacks, Tora and Poppi left the Conductor to do his job, and ran toward the back of the train to attend to the second most important ingredient in the team’s recipe for success: the Railway Gun itself. There they found Midna, who was already doing her darndest trying to figure out how to get the massive cannon working, bless her technology-illiterate heart. Tora approached at a fast waddle, waving his wings. “Meh, meh, meh! Before friend Midna start slamming things together, wait moment! We need turn on weapons system first!” Suddenly very glad that he’d spent hours geeking out over the Railway Gun back in Al Mamoon, Tora approached the main terminal and got to work. As it booted, Poppi looked fretfully back toward the gargantuan sand worm, as well as the rest of their friends fast approaching. The Phantom Thieves were a fast bunch, but even then they were only slightly ahead of Primrose, Therion, and the Scout. Robin and Tharja repeated their strategy from before to teleport onto the train, while just a moment later Ciella landed in her Agito form, setting a now conscious but still dazed Braum down on the upper deck. In only a few moments everyone would be aboard, but how long they had before Red Eye recovered was anyone’s guess.

After a couple tense moments the onboard mainframe came online. “Warning!” an electronic voice instantly declared. “Category G Akrid detected. Activating emergency response protocols.” On his screen a popup appeared notifying Tora that the STORMBREAKER AI was speaking, as well as a complicated diagnostics readout. “Verify Chimera system initialization criteria.”

“Mehh!? Sure, sure!” Tora pounded whatever prompts looked affirmative. He glanced over toward the behemoth, saw it rolling itself upright, and began to bounce in place with manic energy. “We need big gun, and we need it now!”

The console seemed to accept his input. “Chimera system verified. Stand by to begin operation.”

With a sudden lurch and the loud creak of mechanical parts, the train began to move. The stragglers jumped aboard with only seconds to spare, and as Big Band doubled over on the railing to breathe a sigh of relief, he noticed an unfamiliar face among those present. Though he didn’t exactly seem like the most trustworthy individual, he did look capable with that sword of his, and Band wasn’t about to turn down an extra fighter. “Right on,” he told his fellow cyborg. “It’s lookin’ like we’ll need all the help we can get!”

With the Conductor working the controls for all they were worth, the train began to pick up speed, and in only a few moments it left the platform -and Tostarena- behind. Unfortunately for its passengers, and in all honesty the world at large, Red Eye was starting to move, too. Partially immersed in the sand, it started working its forelegs and quickly gained traction. Its innumerable eyes took stock of its surroundings, searching for anything unusual or interesting, and it didn’t take long to find something that looked like prey.

“Chimera system initialization confirmed,” STORMBREAKER declared. “Prepare to negate Category G Akrid Threat.” With a series of loud clicks, four smaller turrets unlocked around the central gun platform, two on either side of the train. “Dead Eye firing system initialized,” the AI added, followed shortly by the activation of the main gun control, which was basically a little cockpit of its own in the giant, rotatable metal mass. “Dragonfire main cannon initialized.” Down below, inside the sizable Railway Gun chassis, the armory unlocked. Shells bigger and much heavier than barrels were now available for collection, coming in three increasingly rare varieties: Cobalt, Hell’s Roar, and Wrath. “Dragonfire operating system Shellshock activation confirmed. All crew members begin operating procedures.”

It was go time. With the urgency of the situation, Joker made a split-second decision based on the fact that most of the Seekers present came from a pre-industrial society. “Leave the turrets to us!” he volunteered, scrambling the other four Phantom Thieves to man the smaller guns. “Now that we’ve got some firepower, let’s get that thing’s attention!”

“Maybe it’ll notice us, but I doubt we can put it down with those,” Band observed. “We’re gonna have to roll out the red carpet for this sucka. Any idea how?” He glanced over at Tora.

“Yes, Tora think so, meh!” the Nopon announced, raising his voice so everyone could hear his instructions. “Controls are simple, but there lot of them. There left and right stations for fast turning cannon, manual loader for cannon, thermal energy charge station to make shell stronger, two repair panels, and crane loader for special Wrath shells!” He looked around at the Seekers, practically bursting with both energy and nerves. “Meh, meh meh! We need friends bringing up shells from below, charging them, loading them, turning cannon, and if cannon overheat or damaged, someone on repair duty! Button need mash to make machines do jobs!”

“Begin thermal charging procedure,” STORMBREAKER insisted. “Thermal energy charge will increase firing speed.”

Big Band shook his head, sweat beaded on his brow. “You gotta be kiddin’ me. I’m too old for this shi-!”

A roar resounded from Red Eye as it began to pursue the train, encouraged by Skull and Panther as they opened fire with their turrets. Ciella, back in human form, joined in with charged typhoon arrows that struck even harder than the turrets themselves, albeit slower. More angry than hurt, the fearsome titan bore down on the train, tearing up the track behind it. As fast as the Conductor had the locomotive going, it wouldn’t be enough to outpace Red Eye if its passengers didn’t start properly fighting back. It wasn’t an easy process, and the behemoth was only too happy to complicate matters further. From its gullet flew a swarm of Trilid, and the trilobite-headed flyers quickly homed in on the Seekers to divebomb them where they stood. Even if they went down in just one shot, and the rear gunners Panther and Mona could fire at will, their numbers made them a problem that the heroes couldn’t ignore.

Bridges to Alcamoth

Starring Yuri, Pit, and Wonder Red
Word Count: 4300

While common sense would typically dictate that an important meeting ought to occur first thing in the morning, the circumstances of the Seekers’ late-night return to home base meant that this one needed to wait until one-thirty in the afternoon. All things considered, it was an understandable delay. After naval warfare, the Maw, and the unfortunate turn of events on and beneath Carcass Isle, the triumphant but stressed-out away team couldn’t press on even if they wanted to, no matter how impactful the business at hand might be. Of course, the delay also meant that a full half-day of vigorous activity had already come to pass, and at Smash City Alcamoth, no day was uneventful.

That period had already seen a number of smaller-scale mercenary missions dispatched and completed, each one drafted, assigned, and overseen by Mission Control in the Garfont Center’s Dispatch without the need for any input from the Hero Teams, as they’d come to be known. It took a lot of infrastructure to support both the floating city and its ever-growing army, which in turn demanded a bevy of quests both for the sake of the city and the surrounding areas to secure resources, knowledge, and revenue. Through exploration, experimentation, and plain-old interviews the wisdom of many worlds came to be gathered in places like the Spirit Board, slowly but surely. At any time of day a small contingent of skilled fighters, known colloquially as the Door Bosses, could be found at Alcamoth’s front entrance as the welcome party to ensure that nobody brought in from the outside remained under Galeem’s influence for long. Those not on the job spent much of their time training. Whether in the gym or in matches throughout the city’s holographic arenas the Mercenaries worked to better themselves, gaining the experience to regain what the World of Light had taken from them.

Today marked some exciting new developments, however, and not just for Alcamoth, but the campaign against Galeem itself. That’s why Princess Peach and however many of her cohorts could possibly be spared needed to come to this meeting. Vandham was already seated at the Garfont Center’s great roundtable, poring over the world map for the live updates delivered that morning, when the first of the attendants arrived. The Devil Hunter Nero appeared with his crew, including Banjo and Kazooie, casual but a little tense. Whether it was due to what they experienced or just the gravitas of such a grand meeting itself, Vandham felt sympathetic. “G’day,” he told the newcomers, waving them over. This party represented the Mercenaries’ firsthand knowledge of the Dead Zone, so their willing cooperation was vital. “No need to stand on ceremony, mates. Feel free to put your feet up, long as ya don’t crack the map, heh.”

“Thank you, sir.” Yuri said stiffly, taking a seat but not putting her feet up. In her hand she had a small cup of coffee, not for consumption but to hold. It helped steady her nerves for if she was given a significant amount of attention.

Next came the new ingredient in the mix, the strangers whose chance encounter had provided an easy way home for the scouts, and whose assistance might very well prove quintessential in the journey yet to come. The eccentric doctor Elvin Gadd rolled in on a mechanized chair, wearing a navy-blue cap and pushing a futuristic stroller before him. With its bonnet down the carriage concealed its contents, but Vandham could only assume that a baby or two lay nice and snug within. As for why the scientist might have babies with him, well, the mercenary commander was still grappling with the brief explanation he’d been given the night before. Along with Gadd came two more figures of comparable stature. Captain Lawrence Nelson served as the leader of the security detail responsible for bearing Gadd’s party so far south, while the masked Wonder Red represented his fighting force. The last four members of their group, being the pilot, the engineer, and just two additional superheroes, remained with their ship. Despite the severe lack of manpower, the pair seemed to be perfectly composed and ready to begin. “Good afternoon, Commander,” Nelson greeted with a raise of his cup.

“G’day yourself, good sir,” Vandham responded in kind.

Last to arrive was Peach. After a night of restless, fitful sleep she couldn’t claim to be feeling fine, but the princess did her best to seem as professional as she could. With her clothes in the laundromat she came wearing a simple sweater-and-jeans combo so ordinary that they stood in sharp contrast to her tri-colored hair, done up in a fluffy ponytail, as well as her station as leader of the campaign against Galeem, but what could she do? The clothing preferences of the regal princess Peach, hardass punk Grimm, and elegantly evocative Chao Ho had left her fashion taste so scattered that she couldn’t do much better than the bare minimum. Her gaze swept over the assembled people. “Hello, everyone.”

“Welcome back, princess.” The mercenary commander crossed his arms as he took stock of everyone present. “Well then, now we’re all ‘ere, we can get started. On behalf of the Alcamoth Mercenaries I bid ya welcome, be it welcome back, or welcome for the first time. My name is Aquila Paronet Sol Esteriole, but you can call me Vandham.”

With introductions were in order, Peach bowed her head in respect for the newcomers. No matter how ordinary one’s clothes, a little decorum was expected from the head that wore the crown. “Princess Peach, of the Mushroom Kingdom. Pleased to meet you all.”

“Lawrence Nelson, at your service,” the Centennial leader told her, returning her gesture. With a cultured British accent he seemed every inch the gentleman, even in battle regalia. “This is the field leader of the Wonderful One Double Oh, Wonder-Red.”

At his introduction, Wonder Red saluted the room at large, his movements quick, snappy, and slightly rigid. ”Greetings, everyone! It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

After that, the elderly scientist had his say. “Nice to meet you. I’m Professor E. Gadd, longtime assistant to the Mario Brothers and current representative of Bridges.” He tented his fingers, giving a crooked smile as he peered around through swirly glasses. “And that, my friends, is the chief reason we’re all gathered here today. Now, I could ramble on about the who and what of Bridges, but I figure I might as well leave it to my boss, eh?”

“Your boss?” Nero looked around. “We missin’ somebody?”

“That would be me.” A bright light turned on in both arms of Gadd’s chair, establishing a connection. There was a bright flash, a loud PING, and beside the inventor a heavyset man appeared. Gray-haired and spectacled, with a trim beard, black suit, and lateral scar across his forehead, he stood with his hands raised. “Ah, no need to be alarmed!” he said, taking in the sudden change of scenery, his low voice accented by a slight Spanish twist. “What you see before you is merely a chiral hologram. I myself am still in Midgar. But ah, where are my manners.” He put a hand over his heart. “I am Deadman, coroner, leader of the Bridges Medical Team and acting director of Bridges, until such time as Die-Hardman is found.”

Vandham lowered himself back down into his seat. “Roight. G’day t’ya as well then, Mr. Deadman.” He crossed his arms again. “Professor Gadd was just sayin’ y’know all there is to know ‘bout Bridges, and we were ‘opin’ you’d spill the beans.”

“Certainly.” Deadman clasped his hands together. “So, Bridges. Put simply, it is a logistics company charged with the reunification of the United States of America. At least, back where we’re from. Though this world is divided and under siege, it is very different from our own. Yet our purpose here is much the same. This world is full of cities, towns, villages, all sorts of places kept in stasis by the forces at large. Their citizens hail from all over, with vastly different understandings of society, science, and yes, even magic! We are here to…close the distance between the people. Make the connections needed to bring about a better society, so that we may make the most of this strange world we’ve been stranded in.”

He went on to pull up a couple holographic screens, displaying various pictures as he talked. The first one was of a massive, roughly circular city, walled in on all sides, with another entire city a layer beneath the plates suspended high above the ground. “This is our home base, the capital city Midgar. I say that though it is not part of any true country, nor is its governance concerned with any place but itself. Nevertheless, it is the biggest and most technologically advanced city on the continent, and where reunification must begin.” He pulled up the next slide in his presentation, a visual of Bridges HQ. “We do not have the resources or manpower to lay down power lines, or signal towers, or build roads, but we do have the power to unite

“Of course, we have encountered more than our share of issues.” For a moment, Deadman’s face looked downcast. He walked forward toward the center of the group, his hologram’s lower half phasing through the table. “As if its internal issues weren’t enough, Midgar is under constant threat from outside, so much so that many refer to the situation as the Ever Crisis.” He placed emphasis on each word, punctuating them with taps of his hands. “Simply going and coming is a risky business. Our organization is scattered just like everything else, our ranks sorely depleted. So we took to hiring anyone with a mind to help, including the good professor Gadd.” He held out a hand to the scientist, who waved, then turned in the direction of the Centennials. “We also enlisted our friends at the Wonderful One Hundred, suffering from a similar predicament, to help us go out into the world and do good for its people.” Deadman smiled as he began to account for the organization’s achievements. “To date, we have made connections to Esaka, the Tiered City, Al Mamoon, the Cream of the Eastern Desert, and even Edinburgh MagicaPolis up north. Many smaller towns and such too. This is all made possible by the Chiral Network. Of course, to explain that, I would need to delve into the Beach.”

Peach’s eyes widened, remembering the night. “The…Beach?”

“Indeed,’ Deadman nodded sagaciously. “It is a liminal space between this world and the next, the realm of the dead, where time does not pass. Once built and connected to the network, our nodes can use the Beach to instantly send data between one another, turning it into the greatest repository of knowledge that the world -any world, in fact- has ever known. As Die-Hardman put it, a very ‘spiritual’ successor to the internet.” Deadman smiled at his little joke, but when nobody laughed, he cleared his throat and continued. “Ahem. Gadd’s chair has been configured to serve as one such node, which is how I am able to speak with you.”

“You’ve been to the world of the dead?” Yuri asked, shock radiating across her face. She remembered the dark ocean where she had confronted Ose for the last time, lit red by an eternally setting sun, both infinitely deep and shallow enough to stand. “And you ran the internet through it? Are you sure that’s safe?”

Deadman shook his head, specifically for the first question. “Not physically, and not all the way there. We can only interface with the seam between the two worlds, where they’re bound together.”

With Peach too stricken by the relation to the pocket dimension beneath Carcass Isle to comment, Vandham spoke up. “While this is all very interestin’, I’m sure, ‘ow exactly does it pertain to us? You just want us to ‘elp you settin’ this network up?” He rubbed his chin. “If we can send people around the world like that, I can definitely see the benefit...”

“Oh, no,” Deadman corrected him. “It cannot send people. Well, nobody without sufficiently advanced DOOMS, I should say. There is another avenue we’re aware of for such travel, which would be the Metro, but as for your main point…” He clasped his hands together. “We have had our eyes on one particular place for some time. Redgraccoon City, the place overrun by the living dead. Just recently we sent our best man inside, to drop off a certain package that, once triggered later that day, would destroy the whole place in one fell swoop. Kaboom, game over!” He spread his fingers wide, then clasped them.

Nero squinted at him, remembering suddenly both the name and the deeds of the porter Sam Bridges, but he didn’t say anything.

“Alas, there turned out to be unforeseen circumstances. Even though the contamination should have been minimal, the entire area was covered by Timefall, as our recon team found out.”

Captain Nelson looked grave, a single tear rolling down his cheek. “The storm caught us by surprise. The moment that rain hit us, the Virgin Victory began to age. It is a miracle we escaped with our lives, and another that after meeting with your own recon team, we were able to make it here.”

“That lines up with what we found,” Nero concurred, a little irritated. “But if the rain seriously ages everything it touches, how are we supposed to take down the Qliphoth? How is it still standing, in the first place?”

At that, E. Gadd perked up. “Well! It just so happens we got a plan in mind, sonny. Turns out, not everything ages as bad as yours truly. Magic for one, so if we got anyone with magic barriers we could walk straight in. But option two is coatin’ stuff in Chiralium, ‘cause bein’ from the Beach, that stuff doesn’t age either! So if you whippersnappers find any strange golden crystals shaped like hands, let us know!”

Peach raised her hand. “Actually, we might have a lead…”

After explaining what she’d been through early that morning, both Bridges members seemed taken aback. “Well, criminy!” the professor exclaimed. “Sounds like we got more than enough!”

“I wonder if that means you and your team have contracted DOOMS?” Deadman mused. “That may be important for step two. See, wherever Timefall falls, BTs aren’t far behind.” After a few confused glances, he went on to explain that, too. “BTs…Beached Things. Dead souls that could not reach the other side, and returned to their decomposed bodies. If they catch you, they can trigger a void-out. A nuclear explosion, everything for miles…gone. They must be avoided at all costs.” His chiralgram walked out of the map table and over to Gadd’s stroller. “Luckily, if there are DOOMS sufferers among you, we have the solution.”

Gadd pressed a button on the carriage, and the bonnet popped open. Inside were four bright orange capsules, and inside each of them was a baby. The professor picked up one that held an infant with a remarkably familiar hat, leaving the babies in green, pink, and blue. Peach’s eyes nearly bugged out at the blonde one, for though she didn’t resemble the baby anymore, it looked unmistakably like a younger version of her own self. “BBs!” Gadd said. “These tykes are tied to the other side, and they can sense BT’s even if most people can’t. Once hooked up to Odradeks, they’ll help ya steer clear of the nasty things and get where ya wanta.”

Vandham exhaled deeply. “Well, that seems dubious…but moral quandaries aside, it sounds like we mighta solved the Dead Zone. And maybe gotten a lead on a couple other zones, too.” He looked at Peach and the other mercenaries present. “Whaddya think?”

“It’s despicable.” Yuri said sharply, staring intently at the babies. “Why would you use children for this?”

Deadman looked almost hurt, but he had a ready reply. “Normally, BBs are excised from their stillmothers’ at seven months, since the mother -being braindead- cannot give birth. The stillmother’s womb is what facilitates a connection between the BB and the world of the dead. These BBs are older and more stable than we’re used to, but otherwise they exhibit the same traits. Logically they would have mothers, but they do not. They are incapable of growing into their own people, but are ‘locked in’ at their current state until they expire. The pods are, in fact, necessary for their survival.” Deadman pressed his hands together, his brow furrowed. “They may look like children, but functionally, you should consider them as nothing more than equipment.” Despite his reassurance, however, the others remained ill at ease.

”Understand that it is a necessary precaution,” Wonder Red pitched in, ”Without these Bridge Babies there would be no way to circumvent any BTs out in the field, leading to disasters that nobody would be prepared for. It’s thanks to their help that Bridges can avoid such things.”

"That's cruel," Pit began, bending down to look at the babies in their pods. Even if they didn't look so uncannily familiar, they were still just kids. "They aren't equipment, they're alive! And they'd be in a lot of danger if some "doomed" person brought them out there. With all the crazy stuff in this world there has to be another way, right?" He looked up at Deadman and the people they'd met on the aircraft before glancing towards the well traveled Princess Peach. "Some other way to see or fight those BT things. I bet we could find some wizard or necromancer that can spot them."

The princess could offer no solution, but it was clear she felt the same way. Deadman gave a slow nod, understanding where everyone was coming from. Even if it carried over some elements from the post-Stranding world he knew, this new realm was fundamentally different. The average person wasn’t a helpless civilian, isolated and trapped in their bunkers or Knot Cities in fear of the outside world whose horrors they were powerless to face, so embroiled in the despair of chiral contamination that only artificial dopamines let them reach the next day. In a reality where things weren’t nearly so bleak, such desperate measures as BBs were a much harder sell.

“That very well may be true. With seemingly infinite worlds conjoined, we cannot discount the possibility. BBs are tried-and-true, but if you wish to wait until another method is found, that is your decision to make. In the meantime, we would like to install a terminal in your city of Alcamoth and connect you to the Chiral Network. If there is any way Bridges can be of service, we will do what we can.”

“I might be able to.” Yuri said, more softly this time. “If BTs are what you say they are, the souls of the dead wandering the world of the living…I’ve been able to see them for most of my life. So, in a way, I’m like one of these babies all grown up. And I have this.’’ Yuri reached down and placed the Camera Obscura on the map table for everyone to see. “The Camera Obscura was designed to take pictures of things that humans were never meant to see, and I’ve used it as a weapon against ghosts before. But, I’m only one person.”

Deadman stroked his chin, nodding. “Fascinating, fascinating! Well, that is lucky, indeed. Even if it’s just you, you can keep watch for the rest of your team, navigating them quickly and quietly around BTs. Just be aware that one slip-up could prove fatal, not just for whoever gets caught, but everyone else for up to miles around. Are you up to the task?” The coroner looked at the girl pointedly.

“No,” Yuri said gravely, looking down.”Like I said, I’m just one person.” She didn't have any illusions about her ability to protect a whole group. Without a practical solution to offer she felt herself deflate.

”Uhm, excuse me! If I may interject - Commander?” Wonder Red addressed Nelson standing beside him. ”Could the Camera Obscura be reverse-engineered? Perhaps Professor Shirogane, or Professor Gadd, can replicate its design so that more people can use them instead of this one girl.”

“It might be possible.” Yuri said. “Their creator, Kunihiko Asou, was a normal man as far as I know. He even made multiple cameras, but they’re so rare and valuable as antiques I don’t think anyone has ever seriously studied how they do what they do.”

Her testimony seemed to capture Gadd’s attention. “Ooh, that so? Well, maybe I oughta give it a li’l look-see.” He adjusted his glasses with a smile. “Wouldn’t be the first time I rigged up some tech to deal with ghosts. That’s part of why I’m along for all this hullabaloo to begin with.”

“Is that so?” Yuri replied, surprised at the little man’s field of study. Talking to a doctor that actually believed in ghosts could be worthwhile.It might even benefit Bridges once they returned home, so they didn't have to resort to something like the BBs. “I wouldn't mind helping you, though I only really know what my mentor passed onto me.”

“Sounds like a fine arrangement to me,” Vandham declared, pleased that the team had come up with a promising plan of action so quickly. “And for the record, I’m in favor of hookin’ Alcamoth up to this network of yours, as well. Nice as our Moogles are, bein’ able to radio whoever we needed at the drop of a hat would be a lot more convenient. Between that, and the possibility of aerial deployment once the Virgin Victory is back in action, a partnership with Bridges might be our savin’ grace.” Despite his affirmation, however, the mercenary commander maintained a solemn bearing. “I have just one question for you, Deadman. When they arrived, your associates were Gleaming, an’ ‘ad to be freed by the Door Bosses. But you sir don’t look the part, an’ you’re able to talk about the world like normal. Yet you’ve never left this city of yours called Midgar, where nobody on our side’s ever been.” Vandham raised an eyebrow. “Now, ‘ow might that be?”

Deadman seemed perplexed. “Hmm. You’re talking about the bright-eyes, yes? How most everyone is suppressed in a certain way? Well, I…I do not know. For as long as I can remember, my eyes have been normal, while everyone else has been glowing. Thought I was crazy for a while, trapped in some sort of limbo, until I realized. It meant I could take charge and start things happening again. A new game plus.” Fists tightened with determination, he put on as brave a face as he could. “I’ve been acting director for Bridges for about a month now, working to make the connections that nobody else seems willing to. In part to fulfill the dream of a world united, but also so that I might ask....for help.”

Clearing his throat, Deadman treated the room to an imploring look. “Do you remember what I said early, about the Ever Crisis, in Midgar? Well, it is serious, more serious than I can even convey. The city is under attack from the mysterious Others, bizarre creatures who feed on human brains. There are Chimeras, invisible to the naked eye, who can infect civilians with Redshift. And if that wasn’t enough, a seemingly inexhaustible machine army waging war from the swamp valley ruins to the south. The OSF, Neuron, Desperado, and other security divisions are hard-pressed merely to defend the city. And right now, things are even more tumultuous, thanks to the upcoming presidential election. The question of who will define the city’s future, and how, is on the mind of every man, woman, and child.”

Deadman took a deep breath. “That is why I was hoping that Bridges would establish contact with someone who could help us. Someone who can work with us to keep the city safe, and find a way to bring the Ever Crisis to an end. Someone like the Alcamoth Mercenaries.”

Once he finished, a few moments of silence followed. He’d dropped some big news, and in the wake of that knowledge bomb everyone was left with a lot to think about. Of course, the decision ultimately lay with Peach and Vandham, who had a number of factors to consider.

Peach ultimately decided to speak up. “Well, it goes without saying that we would want to help out whoever might be in trouble, if we can. I’m sure that the city of Midgar would not allow such aid to go unrewarded, either. But one thing we have to keep in mind is our campaign. Thirteen Guardians must be eliminated before we can defeat Galeem, and we have only three. To dedicate our resources and manpower to a cause that may not advance that all-important goal, or at worse cripple our ability to accomplish it, is no small matter.” She inhaled deeply, in through her nose and out through her mouth. “I would like to confer with the others, once they’re done with their respective assignments. Can you give us that time?”

“Of course,” Deadman confirmed.

“Thank you. We’ll have much to discuss when the others return.” With the meeting all but concluded, Peach stood up from her chair. “Until then, let’s see if we can research the Camera Obscura, as well as set up this network of yours. We have someone lost somewhere on the continent, and with any luck a few contents will help us find her again.”

Vandham nodded. “Sounds like a plan. Let’s hop to it, ladies and gents! This little world of ours just got a ‘ole lot bigger!”

Infactorium: A New 4Xpansion (Overlord RP) [DISCONTINUED]

For a little longer the overseers of Infactorium continued to debate, with the smith Cormac inadvertently leading Gammaton down a small tangent that culminated in a diatribe on the superiority of cockroaches over humankind. Personally Mae didn't value bottom-feeding bugs with no sense of taste over regular people, who at the very least possessed the creative and mental ability to make and appreciate food, but Mae wasn't about to argue with a bug about bug supremacy. For the most part, her fellows seemed to share her opinion that Anzelgard would be better off left standing, and based on the testimony of the majority the dissenters began to reconsider. It wasn't much longer until Faetalis' raid council came to a unanimous decision, misgivings aside. The people of that ill-starred kingdom live on, ignorant of just how close they came to eradication as a result of this meeting, their wanton destruction a mere matter of course prescribed by the unknown arbiters of their fate.

Lady Faetalis accepted the decision readily, and quickly advanced the Raid Council's agenda to the next item on their docket. Though normally not one to overthink things, Mae couldn't dismiss the possibility that the whole thing had been a test, but it seemed as if her Supreme One really did intend to leave such important decisions to her overseers. That, or the answer they'd given had been just the one she'd hoped for. Either way, there was no time to lose, for whatever else Faetalis had planned wouldn't take place in this room.

When Faetalis set off, Mae plodded after the her readily, eager to see (in a manner of speaking) just what lay behind the curtain of the guild's greatest mind. Her mind raced with possibilities, but in the end got only a few moments to wonder before the secret realm of the Supreme Being was laid bare. The headless chef's blindsight roved in astonishment over the myriad dolls that festooned the exhibition hall, each slain god recreated and preserved in its climactic final moments as a grim, macabre testament to Faetalis' power. It sent a chill down the spine even for Mae, who herself had an ability called Spine Chill, and though she shivered she loved every second of it. This was what a Supreme Being must truly look like. Sure, there was something to be said for the high-and-mighty braggart sitting upon a throne, showing off his grandeur for the whole world to see, but this? The subtle, creeping horror of victories unnumbered, stashed away in secret to give credence to the quiet but absolute confidence of Infactorium's ruler. Truly, no greater guild must exist in all the world.

At length the cohort of monsters stopped in front of their mistress' work station, an impressive array of tailoring tools custom-made to handcraft nothing less than functional bodies. For a second what Faetalis said left Mae confused; only when Levia began to reply did her boss's intentions really start to sink in. "Oh!" In order to bring about the annexation of Anzelgard that the Raid Council agreed to, Faetalis planned to plant her overseers among the humans, which demanded suitable disguises. Mae didn't question the practicality of it, since magic made anything possible. If a whole kitchen's worth of tools and ingredients could be stuffed inside Mae's cache, she saw no reason that a monstrosity weighing upwards of six tons could be stuffed into a body the size of a human. But wait...now that she thought about it, didn't she already have something sort of like this? An item, or rather a gift, meant to obscure her abominable form and render her less of an eyesore for Lord Sugi's rather particular compatriots...?

"Hold up a sec, I think I got somethin' along those lines before." The headless chef popped open one of her pouches and plunged her arm inside, groping around in its impossible depths for the article that came to mind. "Hmm, no...ah, not that, doggone it, where is that blasted thing? Ah!" After a few moments of rummaging she pulled out a silken veil, adorned with occult charms. "This doodad! A ways back some o' Lord Sugi's buds got sick o' lookin' at my ugly mug and got me this. It's a..." Not to well-versed in magical artifacts, she scratched at her chins as she tried to explain. "Well, some kinda glamour thing. Makes me look like just like a human, watch!"

Without any head to wrap it around, Mae simply plastered it on her chest like a name tag, and in a poof of smoke the giant ghoul vanished. When it cleared there stood a lady chef among the monstrous overseers, pretty as a picture with long white hair and sky blue eyes. Mae blinked furiously, eyes wide, and nearly fell down from the change in balance as she struggled to come to terms with this very different form once more. She reached up and pulled at her cheeks with both hands. Though just a magical construct of the glamour, her face felt just like the real thing, not that she'd know or anything. "Dadgum!" she said after a moment, staring at the glamor in the provided mirror. "I mean, I ain't gonna pitch a hissy fit or nothin', but this still just don't feel right, no sirree. I'm basically skin and bones! Feel like I'd fly off on a stiff breeze." She patted the glamor's flat stomach, then twisted half-around for a rear view. "Least my center o' gravity's still low, whoo-wee! Guess this is what Sugi's buds had in mind, geheheh!" she chuckled with a goonish smirk, her behavior completely at odds with her dainty new appearance.

After a moment Mae settled down, clearing her throat. Something else had occurred to her, making her glance over at Faetalis with a worried look and furrowed brows. "Uh, not that I'm meanin' to refuse your uh, generosity, boss. This veil thingie's pretty high-level an' all, so if ya don't want me goin' out with it, I'm right happy to try somethin' else." As she spoke she played around with her hair, partly from nervousness and partly from it being a new experience for her.

World of Light

The Chalk Prince, the Fallen Child, the Skeleton, and the Skullgirl

Location: Frozen Highlands - Snowdin
Linkle’s @Gentlemanvaultboy, Frisk’s @Majoras End, Papyrus’ @Dark Cloud

Hearing that Linkle had yet to encounter Rex came as something of a letdown, but Nia didn’t get long to be disappointed before bewilderment took over. “Hu-what!? Vandham? But he’s…dead…” Perplexed by the impossible news that this girl and her friends had met the mercenary in the flesh, she scratched the back of her head. She’d been there when the big man sacrificed his life, when the avian blade Roc reverted to his core crystal after the death of his driver. It couldn’t be true, but what reason might this stranger to be lying? Sure, she looked kind of menacing with those scarlet half-skull eyes and deathly pale complexion, but Linkle herself seemed incredibly nice and well-meaning. Could it be an imposter–a successor seeking to keep the legacy alive, or something more sinister? This just didn’t make sense.

Albedo could sense her confusion, but being very far removed from the turn of events that now left Nia distressed, he couldn’t offer any reassuring hypothesis or logical conclusions. Perhaps this misbegotten world offered some other, cleaner means of reviving the dead than his own method of creation, but he felt that such conjectures would only serve to muddle the waters.

After a moment though, Linkle bailed them both out by taking the conversation in a new direction. She brought up a particular Eye, which Albedo supposed to be a legendary magical artifact or some such, which like the all-seeing crystal balls of myth could evidently see the future. The idea of such a thing being possible fascinated him, not just hypothetically, but practically, for who could say that such an extraordinary thing did not exist in the World of Light? Unfortunately, he could offer nothing to the Skullgirl beyond a piqued interest. “My apologies, but I am unaware of any such object.”

“Yeah, likewise,” Nia added. “No special eyes ‘round yurr, I’m afraid.”

The alchemist did, however, venture a few more of his thoughts. “If such a thing is truly out there, and as vital to our quest to restore the worlds as you make out, I doubt it would be found in public spaces. More likely is it would be sequestered in some remote hideaway, surrounded by mystery and majesty, inaccessible to the average man.” Albedo crossed his arms, frowning. “That, of course, is a best-case hypothesis. I doubt our foe would want it somewhere that we could even stumble across it. Something so important may very well be kept under lock and key, guarded by the most powerful foes this world has to offer.”

As that ominous possibility hung in the air, Nia’s ears twitched. Brows furrowed, she went back to something that Albedo let slip that caught her attention. “‘Ang on a tick, didja say ‘restore the worlds’? I mean, I wasn’t aware that anythin’ was wrong with the world, but if that’s what this big group o’ yours is all about, maybe we could lend a ‘and?” Though still in her pajamas, Nia put her hands on her hips in heroic fashion. “I mean, we en’t got much to offer other’n healin’, but I’d feel bad knowin’ I’m sittin’ here dozin’ around while the world needs savin’.”

Albedo mulled over her words. “Well, we appreciate the offer. I’m not sure if we can say anything on this group’s behalf, however. At the moment we’re cut off from the rest of her team, completely isolated. Before we can look at the bigger picture, we need to deal with the matter of the Stranger.”

“You mean that tattoo-covered drewgi?” Nia’s eyes went wide. “Good flippin’ luck! Nothin’ gets through to that guy, believe you me.”

“That is what our trip to the Edinburgh MagicaPolis aims to solve.” The alchemist mustered a wry smile. “So for now, just keep your head down. I’m sure we’ll all breath easier knowing we’ve somewhere to go if we sustain injuries.”

After that the chatter turned back to Treat. “Don’t ‘ave another bedroom sadly, but livin’ room’s fine with me if it is with you,” Nia told the wolfgirl. Once Treat agreed, Linkle went out, then returned with her stuff. Along with Treat’s things the Skullgirl carried something new, a small and unassuming intricate figured gained from the destruction of the dollmaker’s essence.

For Linkle

You have acquired:
Small Doll
Small silverwork doll depicting a young squire.
In the legendary old city of Irithyll situated in the Boreal Valley, the Pontiff Sulyvahn gave this doll to valued subjects, so that they might use it to cross the barrier when they return home.
Listen carefully, and you can hear it say, "Wherever you go, the moon still sets in Irithyll. Wherever you may be, Irithyll is your home”

Not long after that, Frisk returned. The child sported some new gear, nothing that Albedo would actually conceive of as battle equipment, but if they seemed sure that it would help then he wasn’t about complain. With Treat situated for the time being, it was as good a time as ever to begin the next -and much more promising- leg of the journey. This time, Albedo looked forward to no strange temples, no wrathful goddesses, and no death-defying zipline rides through wintry skies. Just a long march northwest through the Frozen Highlands, a nostalgic trip around Dragonspine, a chilly boat ride into civilization, and hopefully, answers at last. He removed his coat from the closest, thanked Nia and Dromarch for their kindness. “We’ll make sure to visit upon our return,” he said. “Please take good care of my dog for me.”

“Sure!” Nia smiled. “Does ‘e ‘ave a name, by the way?”

Albedo’s brows rose. “A name?” Such a thing never really occurred to him. He’d met the friendly little corgi some time ago, and the animal had taken a liking to him despite his rather passive demeanor. No matter where he went, the short-legged hound was sure to follow. If chalk follows gold, he wondered, What follows chalk? He knew the answer, and though it didn’t sound like much of a name, he couldn’t think of anything better. “Soil.” Then he stepped out into the snow.

As eventful as things had been lately, it was only early afternoon. Still, the voyage ahead was long, and Albedo figured that his band would be very lucky to reach Edinburgh before nightfall. That meant that he and Linkle could either make the trip or try to find her mystery man in black, but not both. It was an impasse he couldn’t overcome on his own.

“Linkle,” he began. “It will almost certainly be dark by the time we reach the city, and that’s if we move at a good pace, without delay. That means we would have to forgo our search for the hooded patron you seek, at least for the time being. Or, we could stay in town and pursue that line of inquiry, among other things, if you prefer.” He glanced toward Frisk. “There’s also the matter of our new company. We may wish to…fill them in, before we proceed too far ahead.”

Infactorium: A New 4Xpansion (Overlord RP) [DISCONTINUED]

Will be posting before too long, sorry for the delay!

World of Light

Tora, Poppi, and Big Band

Location: Sandswept Sky - Apex of the World
Level 9 Tora (150/90) Level 9 Poppi (150/90) Level 5 Big Band (88/50)
Midna’s @DracoLunaris, Fox’s @Dawnrider, Sectonia’s @Archmage MC, Primrose and Therion’s @Yankee, Raz’s @TruthHurts22, the Phantom Thieves, Braum, the Scout, Peacock, Mao, Robin, Tharja, Ciella
Word Count: 2670

In the aftermath of the colossal fly-by, the Seekers picked themselves up with renewed resolve. Thanks chiefly to Braum’s heroic efforts they had been spared what would otherwise have been a deathblow to the team, though Tora and Sectonia’s efforts to rescue isolated team members -and passers by- played a small but crucial role as well. Having been one brawny Freljordian away from a harsh reality where even those blessed by the white-robed council’s afterglow would have been dashed upon the surrounding rocks, the party knew that even if Phalanx wasn’t the Guardian of the Sandswept Sky, they couldn’t get away with ignoring it any longer.

Naturally, nobody knew that better than Midna, who appeared eager to make up for the small part her arbitration played in the barely-averted disaster. Before Phalanx could completely pass Jondo and the Seekers by, the Twilight Princess delivered her ultimatum, then warped herself up to the immense creature. Once aboard she made her way toward the head, where she planned to take advantage of the phenomenon she and the others had forgotten to string the gleaming colossus along and get it away from her allies. After that she could deal with it for good, one way or another. Unwilling to give Midna the benefit of the doubt a second time with so much at stake, Sectonia followed along as a failsafe. This time, nothing would be left to either assumption or chance.

Their departure alongside Phalanx left the remainder of the team with mixed emotions, pumping adrenaline, no immediate threat, and only so many options. As it turned out, Braum’s life-saving ice wall wasn’t the only thing in pieces. Among the wreckage lay the fragmented remains of one of the four multi-man statues on Jondo’s perimeter, its bronze so green and rusty with age that just the solid impact from a windblown Therion had been enough to crumble it. Neglected amongst the chaos, the great chain had been dragged down into the abyss of the bell by its own weight, and the monumental clapper was one step closer to freedom from its restraints.

That wasn’t the only unintentional consequence of Phalanx attacking, however. Now that he’d been hurt by the colossus, Therion fell victim to Galeem’s influence as well, and with the target of his ire not only being dealt with but also actively departing the Apex of the World, that suddenly became a serious issue. Big Band recognized the problem at once, as well as the necessary solution. “I got this!” With a burst of sonic power he charged after the thief with a mechanical arm deployed. He moved fast for a big guy, but it wouldn’t have been enough without an assist from Peacock. Thinking quickly, the girl pulled her head into her hat. A black hole opened on the ground below Therion as he opened his glider, and from it Peacock’s head poked out. She shot out her metal dentures like a bear trap, grabbing onto his foot just in time to stop him mid-takeoff. That gave Band just enough time to get close, open wide his fist, then catch Therion in his anti-air grab, Take the A-Train. “Take five!” The instrumentation in the arm pumped twice like a pile bunker, slamming Therion both times, and on the third sent him tumbling along the ground. Band immediately launched into the same move again, and with the thief’s aggro now on the detective, Therion got up into a low stance ready to strike back. Before he could be counterhit Band canceled his charge with Emergency Break, then sent a friend heart flying with a tip of his hat. The heart flew true, and just a brief moment later Therion was a free man.

With a sigh of relief that everything went to plan, Big Band extended the thief a hand. “Sorry ‘bout that brother, but this player don’t miss a beat. Welcome to the in crowd. We’ll fill ya in later, so try an’ focus on the fight for now.” He straightened up and looked over to see Phalanx receding into the distance, currently reconciling its differences with its boarding party. “Although, if that thing’s peacin’ out, we don’t got much of a fight on our hands.”

“Maybe we do,” Tora suggested, rubbing his chin. “Now that Tora think about it, biggypon snake-beast have normal gleaming eyes, right, Poppi?”

The artificial blade pursed her lips thoughtfully as she consulted her memory banks. “Correct. Previous bosses have unique eyes. Megadragonbowser orange, and Enderdragon purple. Masterpon agree with Midna, after all?”

“Meh!?” The Nopon cut short his sagacious nodding to flash his companion an irritated look. “That beside point! Tora just think that because of baddypon Master Hand, boss must still be around. Friends should definitely ring bell and see what happen, meh!”

Joker seemed to agree. “Couldn’t hurt. Stuff like this is almost always here for a reason.”

“There’s no such thing as coincidence,” Fox mused.

“Agh,” Mona sighed, rubbing his big head with one paw. “I mean, it’s not like we’ve got any better options. But we really just always end up winging it with whatever we’ve got on hand, huh?”

“Hey, man, that’s just how the Phantom Thieves roll!” Skull grinned.

Panther rolled her eyes. “For better or worse,” she grumbled.

Tora gestured at what brazen wreckage remained of the first statue with one wing. “Plus, it looks like friend Therion already get started, meh! Good job Therion!”

“Finally, we’re doing something!” Mao gruffed. “I’ll go left.”

“Tora and Poppi fly to far side!” Tora volunteered without delay.

Tharja looked sideways at Robin. “Can’t you shoot them from here, or something?”

“Theoretically, yes,” the tactician admitted. “Thoron could most likely go the distance. It is an incredibly difficult shot, however, and I would rather not expend the mana if we can help it.” He trailed off as he became aware of Ciella charging another typhoon arrow. The rabbit lady built up her power, took careful aim, and let loose. After a moment in flight the arrow ripped into the right-side statue, shattering it into pieces, and like clockwork the second chain descended. Ciella glanced his way, her half-masked expression one of thinly veiled self-satisfaction. Robin ignored her.

But by this time the team had already scrambled. Together Tora and Poppi jetted off across the iron-sided pit known as Jondo, with Poppi loosely following the route of the spanning bridge in case something unexpected happened. Even with a greater distance to go and a very competitive Mao hurrying to get his job done, the dynamic duo managed to reach their statue first. After the artificial blade cruised in and dropped her Masterpon off, Tora started whaling on the conjoined human effigies. To his surprise, the statue gave up the ghost after only a couple hits, releasing their chain so suddenly that it whipped past and struck him. “Ow!” he cried, rubbing his cheek, but in a moment his out-of-battle healing kicked in and quickly left him with an annoying stinging sensation. He looked up at Poppi, half expecting her to be laughing, but even his sometimes-derisive companion wasn’t that cruel. She gave him a sympathetic pat on the head, then hoisted him into her arms and took off.

At about that time Mao reached his statue, and after a few moments of applying his oversized surgical tools it broke apart, too. As Tora and Poppi flew over the yawning pit, they got a bird’s-eye view of the clapper as its last restraint came off. For a moment there was nothing, just the sound of the wind blowing and Poppi’s thrusters burning. Then something snapped, and the clapper began to fall. It took the bridges with it, caving in the entire span in a matter of moments. It would have been a brutal trap had anyone been on it, but nobody had, so instead it turned out just brutally inefficient. All the effort that it took to rig it in the first place, wasted. The pair watched the clapper plummet into the darkness, bracing themselves for a deafening clang. Several seconds passed in near-silence, until finally a loud THOK echoed up from below, a single meaty note.

Tora shook his head in disbelief, absolutely let down. “What dummypon design this thing, meh!?”

“Don’t demand refund just yet, Masterpon,” Poppi warned, keeping her eyes peeled as she flew. “Poppi get feeling this not over.”

“Yeah, that sound about right,” Tora allowed. “Meh.”

Barely did another moment pass before a terrific, hideous moan erupted from below. Unfathomably deep and awfully loud thanks to the reverberation of the bell, it swept across the Apex of the World, an apocalyptic howl of primeval fury. Amidst the tumult, swathes of spade-shaped fliers swarmed up from below, filling the air with a symphony of shrieks and the beat of myriad fins. Tora and Poppi dodged between the creatures, mowing through them with the Variable Saber when the torrent grew too thick, as they fought to reach their allies. They touched down a few moments later, with Tora’s heart racing and Poppi’s ether furnace burning bright, then joined the others in a defensive formation. Nobody believed for an instant, however, that they were ready for what was to come. And they were right.

Deep within the shadows of Jondo, the creature began to thrash. It threw itself against the sides of its great iron prison, over and over again, each calamitous impact enough to topple a skyscraper. Dutifully Jondo replied, each shockingly loud peal resounding through the earth itself, audible across and well beyond the Sandswept Sky itself. The mountain trembled, its very stone cracking under the sheer, absurd force. As the party struggled to maintain consciousness, Tora squeezed his hands to his ears as hard as he could, only dimly aware of the colossal shape soaring toward the time. When he finally noticed his eyes nearly bugged out, knowing that if Phalanx came in for another pass right now, the team was done for. This time, however, Midna and Sectonia were at its helm. Above the absolute clamor nothing at all could be heard, so they waved with everything they had, beckoning the rest of the team to get aboard. Tora suddenly realized that Phalanx wouldn’t be the team’s doom, but their salvation. Gritting his teeth, he set the Variable Saber to full blast, and with it glowing as bright as he could pointed the way for the team. It was flying low, but they would have only one chance–one shot to use their afterglow or other means to get aboard, and escape this head-pounding hell.

Poppi nodded. She tucked Tora under one arm, grabbed the near-senseless Redento, and took off. The Phantom Thieves opened their gliders and ascended on the updraft, while Big Band blasted off with Peacock holding on for dear life with her teeth, the big, white fingers of her cartoon gloves plugged in her ears. Ciella transformed into her Agito form and took flight, pausing only to grab Braum in her talons, perhaps beholden to the man for saving her life before. Before she could flap off the Scout latched onto her, holding his grapple gun with the tightest death grip of his entire career, and with no other options Mao grabbed hold of his ankles. Tharja used her dark magic to warp onto Phalanx, then her Rescue staff to bring Robin up with her. It fell to Raz, Jesse, and Fox to find their own way, for in just a moment’s time the window was closed. Phalanx flew out from over Jondo and into the wild blue yonder.

Right on cue, Jondo split apart. It sounded its last hurrah across the land as the prisoner within finally broke free, crashing through the narrow layer of stone that encircled the great bell and plummeting downward. It was a catastrophic sight, but a mesmerizing one; like a train wreck, one couldn’t just look away. For the life of him Tora couldn’t quite tell what he was looking at, amidst all that debris, but it was huge. Oblong, greenish-beige, with no visible limbs. Like some sort of caterpillar. More than that he couldn’t tell, since the monstrosity plunged down through the clouds and into the Graveyard of the Peaks. A landslide of elephantine proportions was in progress, but even then the cacophony gradually faded, even if the ringing in the Nopon’s ears did not.

“...Whatever it is, if that thing survives its li’l tumble down the mountain, and you can bet yo’ behinds it will, it’s gonna run hog wild across the whole desert!” Big Band was shouting. Midna and Sectonia were already steering Phalanx downward toward the clouds. As it began its forced nosedive Tora turned around and took one final look at Split Mountain’s peak, so tantalizingly mysterious, so near and yet so far. Then it disappeared from view, and he gave a forlorn sigh as he held on tight to the colossus’ hair. He’d have to see some other time just what awaited at the journey’s end.

Band continued. “Wherever it ends up, that place is history. Tostarena, Al Mamoon, you name it. Guardian or not, we gotta take it out.”

“What do you mean, take it out?” Ciella snapped. The statuesque archer was back in her human form, and even with her mask on she looked incredulous. “I mean, I agree, but let’s not delude ourselves. How do we even fight something that size?”

Tora’s eyes went wide. “Meh, meh!” he cried. “What about Railway Gun? It cannon stupid huge, and Tora bet it fast enough to stay ahead of big evil even with it full attention!”

“I was just about to suggest the same thing,” Joker agreed. “This thing’s slow and can’t attack other than ramming the other creature, which I feel like wouldn’t do much. The train’s probably our best bet.” In a massive poof of vapor Phalanx plunged out from the clouds surrounding Split Mountain, and the Sandswept Sky unfolded below. Tostarena Town was little more than a colorful blotch at the bottom of the canyonland foothills, but the team’s drivers kept the colossus right on course for it. More importantly, the team caught sight of the monster once more, still plowing down the mountainside at the head of a tremendous avalanche. Driven more by its own gargantuan weight than any power of its own, the creature seemed to be floundering limply, but that wouldn’t last forever.. “Let’s just hope we can get moving before that thing gets itself together,” Joker added.

How long it took to swoop down Tora couldn’t rightly say, but with adrenaline surging through his veins it felt like ages. Acting on some defensive instinct, Phalanx was headed straight for the sand, so when the ground grew near everyone needed to either jump or take flight once more. The last of the mountain’s afterglow was fading away, but those final traces helped everyone get down more or less safely in close proximity to Tostarena Town. Tourists and Tostarenans alike had gathered at one side of the settlement to gawk at the spectacle, both of Phalanx descending to the desert with the heroes upon its back, and the other creature that came to a stop not that much farther away, surrounding by the cloud of dust and heap of debris it kicked up on its way down the mountain. For now it lay still, stunned by the ordeal but still very much alive. The heroes took off across the sand, going as fast as they could toward the Railway Gun that glinted like hope in the late afternoon sun. As the dust cleared behind them, those who looked over their shoulders could get their first good look at their true opponent, the towering abomination whose countless eyes burned not with the waxing sunset of Galeem, but a true and absolute red, the blood-fire scarlet of hell itself.

Warning. Boss discovered

Red Eye

A boss fight has begun. For those involved in the fight, and for the entirety of the fight, tensions and stakes are high--but so are the rewards. With GM posts accelerated to the point of both Wednesday and Sunday updates, Prompt Failure may result if you endanger your character but don’t post. However, rewards are accelerated:

<500 words is 2 points, 500-1000 is 4 points, and 1000+ is 6 points.

Objective: Defeat the Behemoth of Crimson, Red Eye, and claim its spirit

Ms Fortune

Location: Deep Blue Seaside - Limsa Lominscuttle Town
Level 8 Nadia (59/80)
Koopa Troop’s @DracoLunaris, Blazermate’s @Archmage MC, Hat Kid’s @Dawnrider, Geralt’s @MULTI_MEDIA_MAN, Ace Cadet’s @Yankee, Sakura's @Zoey Boey, Link’s @Gentlemanvaultboy
Word Count: 1136

Famished and impatient, Nadia rocked back and forth on her heels behind the big guy in line as the Koopa Troop queued up behind her in turn. In the light of day she could really appreciate just how different -and strange- both Bowser and Kamek looked. Even Link, when he appeared, looked very little like the boy he had been. Small changes to one’s face were all it took to make someone nigh unrecognizable, and now the young Hero of the Wild was basically a grown man. Nadia tried not to stare, but in her heart of hearts wondered if only fusing with girls like herself from now on would even be enough to stay…well, her. With a sigh she chased the thoughts from her mind. Weird philosophy could wait until after she’d had her fun in the sun. Besides, there was Ace! Leave it to that goober to show up to a beach party in full plate. And was that a wink? It caught Nadia so off guard that she couldn’t think to do anything but smile back at him.

Glad to hear that someone else liked her eyepatch, Nadia gave Junior a big grin over her shoulder. “Meowdy there, folks,” she greeted everyone, putting on a southern accent for no real reason. “And thank ya kindly!” After looking forward again to see if Birdie was done yet, she continued to fidget until a lady’s voice cut through the line, sharp and commanding enough to startle the cat burglar even more than it did the freeloader ahead of her. Nadia’s head snapped around to face Karin as her ears and tail stood on end, frozen as if she’d been caught in a searchlight, but after a disarming smile from her hostess her surprise quickly turned to a slight embarrassment, both to be so tense still and to be referred to as an ‘honored guest’. The dude in front of her, evidently named Birdie and an associate of the lady in charge, twisted about to give Nadia a dubious glance. Any other day Nadia might have felt bad to be skipped ahead to the front of the line, but not today, so she looked up at him with a big, smug cat smile. You heard the lady, it seemed to say.

Begrudgingly Birdie stepped aside, and as if a curtain had been thrown open before her, the lavish buffet stretched out in front of Nadia in all its mouth-watering splendor. She stepped forward gingerly, still unconvinced that she wasn’t dreaming. Seafood, baked goods, and the meats, dear lord! There was brisket, pulled pork, chicken breast, sausage, bologna, turkey, hot links, tri-tip! Spoiled for choice and paralyzed by indecision, Nadia hung over the feast for a moment, eyes shining and fingers wiggling with greed. Then she began to rack up her kebabs, skewering something of everything. If anyone made the mistake of offering Miss Nadia Fortune their undivided hospitality, they could bet top dollar that she’d make the most of it.

As she helped herself, her hostess approached. Miss Ringlets stood at least four inches shorter than Nadia herself, but she spoke and carried herself with such gravitas and social expertise that even in her swimwear she made the feral feel like a street urchin. Which, to be fair, she was. But after offering her apologies on Birdie’s behalf the noblewoman took pains to extend Nadia her warmest welcome, and her honored guest was only too happy to accept it. “No problem!” Nadia assured her, turning around with three barbecue-laden kebabs held tight between her fingers on each hand like big, meaty claws. “You must be miss Karen, right?” she asked, completely but accidentally butchering the pronunciation. “Man, thanks a million for the invite! I’d’a been dyin’ for some food if that letter hadn’t come ‘round. And a free pass to a sweet beach party, too!? You’re seriously the best!” Without another word Nadia excused herself. She didn’t want to be rude or anything, but friendly conversation could come after chowing down.

Basically the moment the feral stepped away from the buffet with her ill-gotten gains, she began disposing of them in earnest. For a cat Nadia could really wolf down her food, and these kebabs didn’t stand a chance. She’d already annihilated one by the time she passed by Blazermate, and as the Medabot rose to inquire about her eye, Nadia took the chance to catch her breath. “Oh no, my eyes are fine, see?” Using her free thumb she lifted the clear eyepatch, giving Blazermate a good look at the black sclera and bright blue iris she’d gotten from her fusion with the Oceanid, Rhodeia. “Just thought I’d get something to sorta, hide it, y’know? I look freaky enough as is, don’t need heterochromia makin’ me look like some kinda anime princess to boot. Plus, it looks cool, right? Right!” With a nod of her head she slid the patch back down into place, and without further ado Nadia made her way to a vacant couple of beach chairs beneath a thatch shade. Once seated she could really start doing some damage to her lunch.

The battle was vicious but short-lived, and in the end Nadia emerged victorious. She planted the last of the skewers in the sand beside her chair like the spears of fallen warriors, wiped her lips with the back of her hand, and breathed a long sigh of contentment. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten quite so well, and she was very happy to find that her worries about the Maw ruining food for her forever turned out to be wholly incorrect. Of course, when it came to feasting she’d always been a lightweight, and that hardly changed even after going hungry for a full day, but right now she was satisfied. Now, all she needed was something wet to wash all that meat down. Normally Nadia wouldn’t drink so soon after waking up, but what the heck. It was the afternoon, anyway! Plus, she had an awesome idea. With a wave of her hand she brought out a copycat, who offered a salute before running off to find the Kanzuki Estate’s beachside bar. Nadia busied herself pulling her beach chair out into the sun to lay out her towel, then laid herself down on top of it. By the time she finally got herself comfortable, she looked up and found that her copycat had returned with a delicious mojito in each hand. “Purr-fection!” the feral laughed, taking both drinks before she pulled the double back in. She took a long, cool sip of sugary, minty, rummy, lime-tart goodness, looked out across the gorgeous sea, and let her eyes slide shut. “Man, maybe this hero stuff isn’t so bad, after all.”