Lugubrious

World of Light

I have two more Lost Numbers, leaving me about 2/3 done with the NPCs I mean to make.

Open, yet to Close

Name: Bracket Brace
Origin: Colons (Cave Story)
Appearance: Bracket is a female Mimiga, very typical of her species, with short white fur, a short muzzle, long floppy ears, digitigrade legs, and a puffy tail. She stands just a two feet in height. She wears a black apron and a white chef’s toque, also floppy. She has a small green pouch with a heart on it, which she treasures even more than her pan
Personality: Cheerful, energetic, friendly, and feisty, Bracket possesses an attitude that far outstrips her humble stature. She’s a no-nonsense perfectionist who has no problem taking charge of situations and controlling chaos. She’s painfully honest and would wear her heart on her sleeves if she had any. Determined to repay every kindness, she wants nothing more than to uphold the legacy of her forebears and make them proud, whether on the battlefield or in the kitchen. Some might say that she’s willfully oblivious and ignorant to the darker parts of life in the World of Light, but at the same time, her positive attitude is a bright spark that everyone needs
In the Now: Just five years ago, the most recent incarnation of a robot soldier named Curly Brace -alongside a number of people from her past like Quote and the Doctor- encountered one another and became gradually embroiled within a reenactment of their original chain of events, each storied character following along their predetermined paths. In the course of this tale, Curly Brace took four orphaned Mimiga known collectively as the Colons under her wing, caring for them like a mother.

However, a difference in the time scale of the conflict meant that two of the Colons had enough time to form a relationship -and have a child- just weeks before their stories reached their fated conclusions–that being mutation into monstrous, mindless Rabils as a result of consuming the Doctor’s red flowers. Curly herself was forced to put the transformed Colons down, and the experience drained her will to fight. Escaping with young Bracket, she became determined to save this one Mimiga and ensure that she at least could grow up happy and healthy, a mission that became as important for her as life itself.

The two happened to stumble into a battle between the Lost Numbers and Consul R’s forces on one of the very rare occasions where Moebius managed to track the Avenger down and force an emergency landing. Unable to mobilize a sufficiently large power to deal real damage, however, the Consuls’ dinosaurs were defeated and the Avenger escaped, but not before Curly and Bracket snuck aboard their ship. Once discovered, the two were welcomed, freed, and given shelter as new Lost Numbers. Growing as quickly as any Mimiga, Bracket made it her own mission to repay all the kindness shown to her, and after learning the culinary arts she became an indispensable fixture of the group. One day, though, Curly left on a mission, leaving behind only her little green hip bag with a heart on it. Curly never returned, and Bracket kept the bag as her prized possession, determined to find Curly again someday.

Job: Chef
Specialty: When not cooking food, she’s making mincemeat of her enemies with slash attacks that cause bleeding and handheld burners, racking up status effects to cash out on with a frying pan finisher
Inventory: Her trusty frying pan

Lv: 5
Abilities:

• Tools of the Trade - Bracket can pull items related to her profession seemingly out of thin air, including various knives that have a high chance to cause bleeding, a peppermill that can lower foes’ accuracy, a blowtorch, and even plates that she can hurl. However, doing this depletes her SP and she has to rest or eat to regain it
• Wound Opener - a special attack that removes all bleed stacks on its target but applies a random stat debuff for each stack
• Vanquishing Pan - when Bracket gives her foes a taste of cast iron, the damage goes up 33% for every unique status effect on the target. Her quintessential finishing move

Skills:

• Chef Supreme - this Mimiga is a kitchen champion, able to cook and serve with amazing speed. Just about everything she makes is delicious, boosting any effects the food may have, and leaving those who eat it satisfied for longer. Even her field rations are pretty good!
• Never Say Die - Bracket is a lot of determination in a very small package. Just fighting alongside her is inspiring enough to increase allies’ accuracy, status effect chance, and critical chance a little…maybe they don’t know what they’d do without her cooking?

Weaknesses:

• Pint-sized - as one might expect from a Mimiga, Bracket has low strength and very low durability. She really can’t take a hit to save her life, meaning that when she’s fighting on the front lines, she badly needs a tank to protect her
• Prey Animal - there are some fears no amount of determination can quell. When she’s up against large and/or scary carnivores, Bracket’s resistance to Fear bottoms out, making it easy to scare her into fleeing or paralysis
• Malodor - bad smells affect Bracket quite strongly, debilitating her fighting ability a lot n their presence

Great Grandson of Sparda

Name: Eleison
Origin: Nero (Devil May Cry) + Kyrie (Devil May Cry)
Appearance: A young man of nineteen, with a thin but wiry build, pale skin, and short hair of a very light auburn shade kept slicked back, horn-rimmed glasses frames, and a politely neutral expression with his eyes kept half-lidded to the point of looking closed. His eyes are hazel with a slight bluish tinge around the pupils. He wears a long white coat like a doctor’s over a priestly collar with a red cross-shaped tie, as well as black slacks and fingerless gloves.
Personality: Born of two intersecting worlds, Eleison himself is of two minds. Under normal circumstances he appears to be an upstanding young man, soft-spoken and polite, composed enough to endure all manner of hardships and still focus on the well-being of others. However, if sufficiently pressed he can turn very hotheaded, aggressive, and crassly thuggish, to the point where even his posture changes. That’s the Eleison who emerges when it’s time to fight, though even when enraged his end goal is still the same: to help the weak and downtrodden, and make sure all his allies who fight for a better tomorrow are able to live to see it. Eleison’s favorite pastime is singing
In the Now: In their lives just one cycle prior, Nero and Kyrie lived in Edinburgh MagicaPolis, together operating an orphanage that Nero funded through odd jobs, mostly handling various threats that drifted over from the Sunless Sea to the west, and occasional incursions by Abyssals from the Bottomless Sea farther to the southwest. With neither major crises nor key figures from their past lives to trouble them, they spent their evenings together in blissful peace, and eventually they’d have a single child, a boy that Kyrie named in her defunct Order’s tradition.

As Eleison steadily grew from infant to toddler to youngster, however, the passage of time brought about strange revelations. Though he developed normally, the orphans around him never seemed to grow older, and for that matter, neither did his parents. Yet the number of orphans steadily grew, forcing both Nero and Kyrie to work harder and harder. Though his mom in particular always made a concerted effort to raise him right, both she and Nero gradually grew more distant, and bit by bit Eleison’s overwrought mother became convinced that something was horribly wrong–that this world wasn’t real, even if she couldn’t understand why. One day Kyrie vanished without a word, leaving Nero and Eleison alone. Though the devil hunter searched for her, it wasn’t long before he too began to weaken. One day he took Eleison to the secluded historical district, where the told the boy a vital piece of information he’d discovered in his searches–and that he’d have to go it alone from here. Then that Nero dissolved into light, and Eleison continued his journey by himself.

With nowhere else to turn, Eleison spent every day using the clues he’d been given to track down what his father had wanted him to find. Eventually, word of his searching reached the Lost Numbers, and they found him first. Eleison joined the crew, becoming the student of a German medic by the name of Ludwig II. Being a flawed clone of the original, now-deceased Ludwig, the good doctor was aging at an increased rate, and took Eleison in as his own son. In his own strange way, Ludwig II taught the young man everything he knew over the course of years, eventually degrading to the point where he, too, passed on, leaving Eleison with yet another legacy to uphold.

Not long after, the Avenger stumbled upon the survivors of the Alcamoth massacre, which happened to include a brutally familiar face. Eleison has been subconsciously avoiding Nero since.

Job: War Monk
Specialty: Flexing between the support role of healing allies and the combat role of punishing enemies, particularly inhuman and unholy monstrosities, in style
Inventory: Three med kits that take a little time to use but restore 80% health, a Crippling Rod that can periodically release a huge electric burst to stun evil beings or be wielded as a beatstick, and the Crusader’s Crossbow which can heal allies and hurt enemies with its bolts

Lv: 5
Abilities:

• Angel Whisper - a spell that can be used to revive downed allies, granting them a second wind in a slightly weakened state. It takes ten seconds to cast and has a hefty five minute cooldown
• Devil Trigger - the inherited ability to transform into a demonic being once enough DT gauge is accumulated. While in Devil Trigger, all of Eleison’s stats are greatly boosted and he heals quickly, but it drains his DT gauge with equal speed. While in this form his melee attacks also cause delayed lightning strikes that can juggle grounded enemies or slam down airborne ones

Skills:

• Healing - While he doesn’t have a medical license, Eleison was taught the healing arts by his mentor and is skilled at mending others’ wounds quickly. He can use healing abilities and equipment 20% faster than normal, including both usage and cooldown
• Nephilim Resilience - given his unique lineage, Eleison is much more durable than the average human, and has resistances to both dark and light attacks along with curses
• Packs a Punch - also owing to his lineage, Eleison is actually pretty strong and can deal good damage if given half the chance, especially at melee range

Weaknesses:

• One-track Mind - it’s difficult for Eleison to do more than one thing at once. When healing he needs to focus, requiring protection from his allies, and if he’s enraged enough to fight he can tend to leave his allies behind in favor of all-out offense. It’s difficult to switch between these two ‘modes’ on the fly and it doesn’t always happen when convenient
• Item Dependent - Eleison doesn’t have many innate healing or offensive abilities and relies on his equipment to get the job done. If he’s deprived of his items, it’s much harder for him to play his role
• Affliction Weakness - when it comes to status effects, afflictions, and debuffs, Eleison’s resistances are mostly quite low, meaning that it’s relatively easy to interfere with him

World of Light

Carnival Town - Ballyhoo's Big Top

Level 13 Ms Fortune (130/130) Level 8 Goldlewis (66/80) Level 7 Sandalphon (25/70)
Roland, Sectonia, and the Robot Girls’ @Archmage MC, Midna and the Koopa Troop’s @DracoLunaris, Geralt and Zenkichi’s @Multi_Media_Man, Pit and the Octopath Travelers’ @Yankee, Roxas and Ganondorf’s @Double, Osvald’s @Dark Cloud
Word Count: 3057

After linking up with a bevy of allies, confirming the elimination of a sixth Guardian, and getting the good news about a new mobile base in the form of the Avenger, Nadia was riding high. Leading the pack to Ballyhoo’s Big Top through Carnival Town, she practically skipped through the streets, her smile indelible. She and the others who’d slogged through the depths of the Under had already been planning to reward themselves for their hard work, but a lucky break like this went beyond anything she could hope for. Even though the road here had been hard, paved with painstaking effort and more than a couple sacrifices, the feral felt completely confident that the Seekers really could do this. And with literal fun and games next on the itinerary, things were only going to get better from here. What a homecoming this was turning out to be–insofar as Carnival Town could be called her home.

By the time Ballyhoo concluded his introduction and explanation of the Big Top’s workings, Nadia was pumped to get started, but the heroes didn’t charge after the cartoonish carnie straight away. Someone new showed up to say hello, a larger-than-life hotshot with a braggadocious attitude, and for good reason. Even with just half an hour under her belt in Carnival Town, Nadia had seen her fair share of that distinctive blue racing suit, red helmet, and lantern jaw. As it turned out, he wasn’t just some highfalutin local celebrity, either. According to Ganondorf and Bowser this man had a history with the Seekers, or at least the few who challenged Galeem ‘in the beginning’. That turn of phrase left her intensely curious, since she’d never heard anyone mention anything like that, nor considered whatever preceded the worlds’ destruction. It seemed important. That aside, though, she understood the importance of this Captain Falcon, and that the Seekers should save him from Galeem’s grip. If he planned to join them for games, they’d probably get an opportunity to do so.

With that in mind, Nadia treated the Captain to a smile. “Sure! I’m game if you are. Just don’t expect us to take it easy on you!”

Given how much ground they’d covered, and how much they had yet to cover with one another, it made sense for the Seekers to take a quick break to get ready before plunging into a minigame bonanza. Some heeded Ballyhoo’s pleas and went to the snack bar to chat over some food, but the pita pockets Nadia bought in Al Mamoon had satisfied her, so she looked elsewhere. With a huge cast of twenty compatriots to interact with, the catty chatterbox found herself spoiled for choice when it came to conversation, but at the same time, she didn’t feel compelled to go after people just yet. After all, they’d have plenty of time to get friendly in the days to come, especially aboard this ship of theirs. Right now, though, something else occupied her. When Ballyhoo mentioned token rewards for doing well in the upcoming minigames, he ignited her competitive spirit. “Five tokens for first place, huh? Well, you guys better watch out then,” she declared, looking around at her friends with an air of mischief. “‘Cause if there’s money on the line, I’m all in!” With that in mind, the cunning catgirl set off to make some new friends: any bystanders who’d already played these games and could tell her a thing or two about how they worked.

Of course, Sandalphon meant to do some data collection of her own. With no need for food after the tasty pumpkin soup noodles she enjoyed back in Everdream Valley, she went the other way to see what she could find among the aisles of apparel in the Big Top reward center. If her efforts would be rewarded, it made sense to learn what she stood to gain. Most of these items offered no tangible benefit, but like Therion she took interest in what Ballyhoo referred to as an Orb Machine, and moved in for a closer look. She quickly confirmed that it contained real spirits, which cast this whole affair in an entirely new light–not in terms of macabre implications, but of value proposition. The random nature of distribution, paired with the fact that nobody could see what any of the spirits were capable of beforehand, would make efficient use of them tricky. She couldn’t fully believe what Ballyhoo said about customers getting ones they wanted either, since how could that possibly be quantified? On the other hand, if the players would receive one rift token per game for the mere act of participation, that meant only three games to attain the ‘guarantee’ he mentioned, and a whopping five guarantees for winning just three games. They were practically handing out spirits like candy.

Sandalphon quickly concluded that the people in charge here must not have the slightest clue about how valuable spirits could be. Of course, the average customer here probably didn’t know either. If they saw spirits as nothing more than sparkly but useless collectibles that faded after a time, it made sense that they’d spend their rift tokens elsewhere. That very ignorance, though, left an enormous potential bounty for the Seekers to claim, and they could not pass up this opportunity. If nothing else, they could trade the spirits they received amongst themselves, and maybe Roland’s ability to transmute spirits into more informative books would be of use. Pit had alluded to one other way that even the most undesirable spirits might come in handy, as well. “If all else fails, we can offer these spirits to the individual Pit mentioned, Vulgrim.” Something about that name and his alleged trait of eating spirits rubbed her the wrong way, but for now Sandalphon reserved her judgment. “That way we can transact unwanted possibilities for more certain gains, be they material or informational.”

Meanwhile, Goldlewis browsed the cosmetic rewards, wondering what sorts of incentives the team could redeem their tokens for. He found a wide assortment of outfits, mostly stereotypical getups associated with various professions like policeman, doctor, firefighter, biker, and so forth rather than anything he’d consider fashion. It reminded him of a Halloween costume shop more than anything else. It did feature an abundance of different hats, from what he’d consider fairly ordinary to stuff that looked downright wacky. “What in tarnation,” he muttered, shaking his head at a ridiculous propeller cap. Even if its propellers could actually be used to hover like the label claimed, he wouldn’t be caught dead in that thing. He did inspect the different kinds of combat fatigues, but overall Goldlewis wasn’t all that impressed. Where were the spurs? The horseshoes? The metal skulls and extra belts? He had a very particular sense of style that he couldn’t just toss out for ordinary garb like this. His fusions had already watered down his iconic look a little, and subsequent fusions would make it worse. At least if fusion messed with his hairdo, it looked like he could count on Karlie to fix it up. After watching her in action with a customer, he could only describe her as a miracle worker. How else could she not just cut, but also lengthen somebody’s hair to style it like that?

After a couple minutes Goldlewis headed back toward the curtains, where he found Nadia with a handful of strangers she’d accosted. Evidently the cat burglar had cornered them just a few moments after they pushed through the curtains, a round of minigames freshly concluded. Though she planned to pester them with questions, Nadia changed her mind when she saw the man bringing up the rear, a dour farmer with a huge nose, no chin, and a haunted, distant expression. “Whoa, you okay?” she asked, her genuine concern overriding her plan to get ahead. She raised an eyebrow at the curtains. “Was there something wrong with the games? Is this place actually some kind of carn-evil?”

The farmer shook his head, a little bemused by the pun. “Nah, it ain’t like that. Took some gettin’ used to, but it ended up bein’ pretty dang fun. I didn’t want to come, y’see, but my farmin’ buds here dragged me out.” He motioned to his companions, who’d made sure his new acquaintance seemed friendly before heading toward the snack bar. They were an odd bunch, consisting of a bipedal sheepdog, a mustached agave farmer, and a biomechanical warlock with black metallic flesh shaped into a hood over an inhuman face. Given his current company, though, Goldlewis knew he wasn’t one to talk. “I had a good time, though, honest. It’s just hard to get my mind off what happened, is all.”

Nadia knit her brows together. “Aw. What happened?”

Putting his hands in his pockets, the farmer took a deep breath. “Well, a li’l while back, a tornado came outta nowhere an’ tore up my whole doggone farm. My equipment, my crops, my animals, years of effort, all that money…all gone.” He gritted his teeth, his hands tightening into fists. “I ain’t never been angrier ‘bout anythin’ in my whole life. For a while I just about lost myself, ragin’ against the storm.” He sighed, shaking his head. “But it wasn’t any use. After things calmed down, my friends helped me get back on my feet. Reckon that’s why they brought me here, to get my mind off what happened.” He chuckled, a defeated look on his face. “But here I am bein’ a stick in the mud, like always.”

“Don’t say that!” Nadia interjected. Perhaps sensing he was needed, Chucho floated over to the former to be petted. Though surprised at first, the man obliged, and some of the misery drained from his face. “I mean, it’s totally understandable. You had your whole livelihood ripped away. But you still have people who care about you, and you’re still moving forward. I know I’m just some girl you just met, but to me, it looks like you’re doing alright. So…I hope things get better soon!”

Despite everything, the farmer managed a smile. “Thanks, miss.” He sighed again, much faster this time. “Guess I oughta catch up with the guys. See ya ‘round.”

“See ya!” Nadia waved as the farmer took his leave.

By that time, all the Seekers who’d dispersed throughout the Big Top’s parlor were gathering up again. With everyone refreshed, satiated, motivated, and somewhat informed about what minigames were, the team seemed ready to start the party. Nadia grinned as she looked over the gathered heroes, trying to imagine the likes of Therion and Ganondorf catching fruit or herding penguins. “Alright, team!” she sang. “Let’s have some fun!” With that, the twenty pushed through the curtains and tumbled weightlessly through a tunnel of kaleidoscopic color. After a moment spent stunned by the sheer sensory overload, Nadia and the others plopped down onto a solid surface, cold, hard, and shiny as a golden coin.

“Oof,” the feral grunted, more than a little dizzy. With some help from Chucho she got to her feet and looked as the discombobulation wore off. She and the others appeared to be atop a large golden disc, with red and black stripes radiating outward from its edges. Each one sported a rut separated from the next by small dividing walls, as well as a number. Beyond the outer rim lay a sloped ring of wood with perimeter walls, and above them Nadia could see only a strange expanse, less like a sky and more like a static texture boxing everyone in. Her immediate surroundings intrigued her more, though. “Is this…a roulette table?” Even if she’d never been rich or welcome enough to see one in person, she recognized the imagery from TV. That said, all this felt uncomfortably like getting trapped in a dream last night, so who could say. “Well, can’t roulette out, I guess.”

Goldlewis rubbed his head. “Y’know, for some reason I didn’t think it’d get this weird. We’re sure in for it now.”

After studying her surroundings for a moment, Sandalphon glanced at Nadia. “I was under the impression you’d done this before?”

The feral gave a nervous laugh. “Uh, heheh. I mean, I wanted to, but I never got the chance. It's no big deal though! We’ll just…y’know.” She shrugged. “Roll with it?”

Just then, Ballyhoo and Balan poofed into existence in a double blast of confetti, accompanied by a chorus of goofy party horns. “Welcome to your very own private lobby!” Ballyhoo declared to the Seekers. “The minigame roulette is about to begin! To find out what’s next, we’ll just have to SPIN!” Lifting his hand, the gamemaster conjured a white ball with a ghostly face on it and hurled it down into the table’s outside ring. It began to hurtle around the perimeter at high speed, and at the same time, Balan floated down to give the roulette wheel itself a push. Much to Nadia’s relief the plate beneath the Seekers didn’t actually spin, but the red and black grooves around them whirled for a moment before slowing to a standstill, and after another few seconds the roulette ball came to rest in one of the many pockets, number twenty-three. That number held no significance for the Seekers, but both Balan and Ballyhoo seemed to light up, smiling with arms spread wide.

“Connected Climbing Chaos!” Ballyhoo exclaimed. “For this minigame, everyone will be divided into teams of two!” He held up three fingers. “It’s a race to reach the top of a snowy mountain! Sounds like a breeze, but boy is there a catch! Each of you will be given climbing gloves and physically tethered to a random teammate. You’ll have to work together to make the climb, leveraging your weight to swing and fling around! All damage is disabled, but so are special movement abilities! Ready, Balan?”

His companion bowed silently, his toothy smile even wider.

Ballyhoo took this as affirmation. “Then away we GO!”

Before anyone could object, their surroundings dissolved in a wash of color, quickly giving way to a brand-new wonderworld of peaceful purple skies and gentle snowfall.

Much to Sandalphon’s relief, her feelings of queasiness and disorientation faded much faster this time, allowing her pupils to switch from spirals back to power symbols before anyone noticed. From the beginning she'd wondered how exactly the Big Top functioned from a practical standpoint, but after seeing Balan work his magic firsthand, she supposed that it all boiled down to dimensional trickery, with custom pocket dimensions serving as these ‘wonderworlds’ to host a variety of games. She didn't like the idea of being at this enigmatic entity’s mercy, but as long as it abided by the rules Ballyhoo laid out, the archangel reasoned that she could endeavor to be less suspicious for once. Plus, now that the Seekers had arrived, the competition was about to begin.

Sandalphon looked around. True to Ballyhoo’s explanation, Balan had deposited them at the foot of a small mountain, a couple hundred feet in height. Around them stood a smattering of tents, and plenty of friendly-looking penguins milled around the area. Soft, powdery snow covered the whole area in carpets and drifts, creating a winter wonderland where the flightless birds fished, threw snowballs, and made snow angels. Large rock formations surrounded the penguin village on both sides, reaching upward alongside the mountain to form an intricate vertical labyrinth of ledges, tunnels, wooden platforms, icy slopes, and death-defying jumps. It looked like a good challenge, especially if she couldn't rely on movement abilities like Vault or Heavensent like Ballyhoo said. Though that disappointed her somewhat, she knew that an even playing field was the basis of any true competition. Otherwise people like Blazermate could just fly right to the finish line.

After taking stock of her surroundings, Sandalphon noticed the more subtle changes on her person. She’d been given gloves with a very grippy material on their palms, but she'd also received a nice white scarf and a beanie, and a glance at the others confirmed that every Seeker had received a slight costume change. Nadia’s even had holes for her ears, while Goldlewis got one in red, white, and blue. He also spotted a rope tied around his middle, and when Sandalphon’s eyes followed it, she found that it connected to the rope wound around her waist.

She blinked. “Oh.” The archangel stared at Goldlewis. “This must be the tether.” She looked around with a slight frown on her face, wondering who happened to be tethered to Zenkichi.

Goldlewis took her expression to indicate disappointment with her teammate. “I’ll try not to let you down, ma’am,” he told her. “Even if they ain't gonna let me airdash, I reckon I'm a bit more spry than I look.”

“I know,” Sandalphon replied, shutting out distractions as she locked onto her teammate. “My only fear is not pulling my own weight. Let’s do the best we can and win this together.”

The veteran grinned. He's been pretty dubious of this whole affair since arriving, but after seeing that the first challenge was just a little rock climbing, he was getting fired up. “Hell yeah!”

Meanwhile, Nadia has been so distracted by the adorable penguins and not thinking about the implications of none of them being real that she didn't even notice that she’d been tethered to someone until she felt a tug on her midriff. “Huh? Oh, I'm with you?” The feral smiled, jumped to her feet, and looked up at the mountain as she fearlessly pumped her fist. “Alright, it's snow problem! Whenever you're ready, cl-I’m good to go!”

From Realms Beyond — An Isekai Crossover RP (Now Accepting)

Lewa

As bad as things looked for Lewa's fellow otherworlders from an outside perspective, the mercenary leader seemed to take things in stride. Apparently he subscribed to the notion that anyone whose pride outstripped their ability could stand to be taken down a few pegs, be that the Gensokyoites or his own crew. And with how definitively the otherworlders had humbled his subordinates, they'd more than proven themselves, and it fell to him to squash the smoldering resentment of the defeated and make sure they learned their lesson. He even went as far as to approve the request to travel together, in the process admitting that nobody on his side could reasonably have much say in the matter. Realistically speaking Lewa's side couldn't have asked for a better outcome, but the whole resolution did leave the toa a little incredulous. Though he did have only a few days' experience with 'humans' under his belt, were people typically that gracious to admit defeat, or obliging to the victors? For his part, he couldn't tell of Remilia meant to be genuinely encouraging or insultingly smug about the mercenaries' ability. Then again, this Syldon Hest could simply be trying to salvage the situation as best he could, giving up on any pretense of dignity as he attempted to appease the monstrously powerful fighters who'd effortlessly thrashed his crew. So far, it looked lost most of the other otherworlders were so mighty that this world seemed to bend around them. No wonder nobody else felt like a fish out of water like Lewa did--they possessed confidence borne of terrifying strength.

Regardless, with the 'sparring' concluded, Lewa couldn't very well wander away again now. He joined the others, his manner more guarded and wary. Forget soldiers, centipedes, and strangers; these people might be the greatest risk to his chances of getting home again if he ran afoul of them in his ignorance of human behavior. This went double for Sanae, who'd revealed that she possessed unseen guardians ready to appear from nowhere and, oblivious of the context, kill on her behalf if she couldn't stop them in time. Her explanation didn't ease his concerns any, as most of the lingo went right over his head. Few things frustrated him more than the fact that he seldom understood what anyone else said, and he found it difficult to maintain his typically carefree, friendly demeanor like this. The fact that the others could contact their home world certainly didn't lift his mood. Rayne tried to look on the bright side when it came to world-spanning connections, but her words didn't offer Lewa much consolation. Did anything from his home fit the bill? Mata Nui might be the source and sustainer of his world, but for all the veneration offered him, the Great Spirit never stirred from his slumber. Lewa was alone and in the dark.

As Anne brought up village defense with Sanae, the toa of air took a deep breath. The situation might be dire, but despair would only make things worse. As long as his heartlight still shone, he could keep moving, searching, and eventually return home. There had to be a way, and if anyone could find it, it would be this unbeatable band. If the Gensokyoites planned to run roughshod over this land until they discovered a method, he just needed to follow them, and their much greater power meant less risk for him if he let them take the lead. For once, Lewa reasoned, he could hang back and be smart about this rather than rushing blindly forward like usual. As long as he stayed on their good side, the others were his best shot at returning home. Until then he'd need to just...not worry...about what might be happening in his absence.

It's fine, he told himself. The Le-matoran have Turaga Matau to lead them, a far wiser and more capable hero than I. They can take shelter, or if worst comes to worst, consolidate their strength in Ko-koro or Ta-koro. After another deep breath, he stepped forward with a smile. "Very cool-strong, everyone. I do not know what a capital is, but if it has puzzle-answers, I am eager to make the journey."

World of Light

No objections here! Looks like the Lost Numbers have their pilot.

World of Light

I see, that does make more sense.

World of Light

Definitely a neat twist on the idea, and that would make for a good pilot considering there isn't any dedicated cockpit on the Avenger I'm aware of. The only qualms I'd have would be about giving a previous iteration of the rebel force a whole fleet that logically must have been dismantled by a stronger Moebius fleet, and if our enemies have that lying around we'd probably be screwed. Maybe finding a way to downsize the previous operation would be a good move. I'm curious about what parts of Hope relate back to the four component AIs that combined elements of their source code to make Hope.

World of Light

I'm back with another pair of sheets, these ones for the siblings Dawn and Cirrus who are NPCs aboard the Avenger who'll help you guys out in a support role (please excuse the one placeholder...)

Clear Skies

Name: Dawn Strife
Origin: Cloud Strife (Final Fantasy 7) + Tifa Lockheart (Final Fantasy 7)
Appearance: She’s 5’7”, 36 years old, and sturdily built, with the relatively stocky physique of a construction worker, not necessarily bulky or brawny, but still thicker than average. Her eyes are a bright ruby-blue gradient, with long lashes, and her spiky black-blonde hair in a large, low ponytail. Her face is kind, often with an easy smile, but with a few smile lines. She wears a set of baggy black overalls (with pants) over a white sports bra, with red fighting gloves and woven hairtie
Personality: Combining some of the best traits of her parents, Dawn is a kind and considerate ‘team mom’, with a strong will and a never-say die attitude, determined to fight for her friends and family. She puts others first and prefers peaceful solutions, but she’s unafraid to take matters into her own hands when need be. She’s very protective, especially of her younger brother Cirrus, and can be a worrywart about both him and her daughters. Secretly, she’s a bit of a dork, with ambitions of grandiose heroism. She believes in both bringing about a better future for everyone and upholding the legacy of her parents. If she’s self-conscious about anything, it’s about what she’s managed to achieve with her life
Background: N/A
In the Now: Forty years prior to present day, previous iterations of Cloud and Tifa fought alongside Barrett, Aerith, and many others in a group that proceeded the Seekers of Light, all to overthrow Moebius and Galeem. Though they managed to defeat two Guardians, mounting losses throughout the campaign backed the group into a corner, and a pincer attack by Moebius shattered the heroes’ forces. Cloud’s team in particular ran afoul of Moebius A, forcing Barrett and Aerith to sacrifice themselves so that Cloud and Tifa could flee. They escaped to a remote part of the World of Light with their lives, but their spirits never fully healed. After meeting with the Lost Numbers, they decided to have children of their own, but when Dawn and Cirrus were at a young age Cloud and Aerith both reached the ends of their ten-year lifespans and dissolved into light.

Dawn was raised by the Lost Numbers alongside her brother. Completely committed to the cause and determined to pave the way for a brighter future someday, she played the role of overdramatic heroine well into her teenage years, but even as she mellowed out her big heart and spark of resolution never faded. She kept on fighting and caring, no matter how bleak things seemed, and despite the odds Dawn stood the test of time. Eventually she and (PLACEHOLDER) fell in love, and at the age of thirty she had children of her own, triplets that the proud parents named Ciel, Aurora, and Soleil. Though life may finally be starting to take its toll on Dawn, she’s more determined then ever to safeguard hope for the future.

Job: Demolisher
Specialty: The thorough and methodical destruction of easy targets that don’t fight back, especially shields, structures, emplacements, and so forth
Inventory: The Sanctioned Gunhammer, a brutal heavy weapon that can fire off shells to boost its own fire attack, a bandolier of said shells, two power drills, extra battery packs, basic survival kit

Lv: 5
Abilities:

• Unbridled Strength - after building up power through landing attacks, Dawn can assume a stance and boosts her chi level, which also allows successive attacks to further increase her chi. More chi means extra damage, more flinch resistance, and higher stun power, increasing her ability to break through enemy defenses (or defenses, period) and leave them vulnerable. Each level also enhances her finishing move, from Bang to Big Bang to Big Bang Reignition. She can reach a maximum chi level of 3

Skills:

• Sunny - a friendly, cheerful, and optimistic outlook, coupled with a lot of compassion, means she’s great to work with and be around. She can be counted on to have her allies’ backs, both on the battlefield and in day to day life
• Strength - Dawn is surprisingly powerful when it comes to lifting, carrying, and smacking things
• Determination - even in dire circumstances, Dawn never wavers. She’s more likely to resist status effects and afflictions, and when pushed to the brink, she’s much more prone to a resolute second wind than a meltdown
• The Power of Love! - one per day, Dawn can survive any attack that would otherwise KO her at 1 HP

Weaknesses:

• Slow - Dawn is neither fast nor agile when it comes to moving around or fighting. Quicker opponents can dance around her and avoid her attacks, and she’s ineffective at long range
• Defense - with neither heavy gear nor good defensive fighting instincts, Dawn has few ways of mitigating damage and has to tough her way through whatever comes her way
• Overtrusting - perhaps neither quite as perceptive nor pragmatic as she should be, Dawn is susceptible to tricks, traps, and ambushes

Stormy Skies

Name: Cirrus Lockheart
Origin: Cloud Strife (Final Fantasy 7) + Tifa Lockheart (Final Fantasy 7)
Appearance: He’s 5’11, 35 years old, with a thin, wiry build of very lean muscle. His eyes are a dull ruby-blue gradient, with long lashes, and his messy black-blonde hair is shoulder-length, with an equally scruffy beard and sunglasses. Most of the time he sports a sour expression. He wears a flashy but relatively cheap suit jacket and slacks, gray with a cloudy silver pattern, over a yellow collared shirt with buttons undone, and his black dress shoes go with his belt. He wears a red woven wristband like a watch.
Personality: In some respects very much like his father, Cirrus is brooding, melancholy, and a little awkward, which he tries to mask under a veneer of nonchalant coolness, very much envisioning himself as the strong and silent type. He’s got something of an inferiority complex, and has always lived in his sister’s shadow, even though he really does love her and would do just about anything for her. Crushed beneath the World of Light’s cruelty, he considers himself a harsh realist; he doesn’t believe his side can win and decided a long time ago it would be better to not bring children in a world like this. That said, he’s fiercely protective of his nieces, who view him as a ‘cool uncle’
Background: N/A
In the Now: Forty years prior to present day, previous iterations of Cloud and Tifa fought alongside Barrett, Aerith, and many others in a group that proceeded the Seekers of Light, all to overthrow Moebius and Galeem. Though they managed to defeat two Guardians, mounting losses throughout the campaign backed the group into a corner, and a pincer attack by Moebius shattered the heroes’ forces. Cloud’s team in particular ran afoul of Moebius A, forcing Barrett and Aerith to sacrifice themselves so that Cloud and Tifa could flee. They escaped to a remote part of the World of Light with their lives, but their spirits never fully healed. After meeting with the Lost Numbers, they decided to have children of their own, but when Dawn and Cirrus were at a young age Cloud and Aerith both reached the ends of their ten-year lifespans and dissolved into light.

Cirrus was raised by the Lost Numbers alongside his sister. He was a sullen, withdrawn child, who made few friends and always looked for escape. Even as he matured he remained in the shadows, standing back in a quiet support role while stronger shoulders bore the mantle of responsibility for the future. Even if he’s pessimistic about everything, he’s more or less accepted to his role in life, however doomed it might be. To that end he serves as the bartender in Stolen Moments, giving others a place to let out their misgivings and melancholy while he provides comfort as best he can. His goal is to lift others higher, all the while hoping that he’s wrong about it all being hopeless, and when the chips are down, he’s ready to do whatever it takes for the Lost Numbers, his sister, and her family.

Job: Host
Specialty: Keeping the party going with skills that boost the party’s damage output or wear down enemies with elemental ‘spells’ and other afflictions
Inventory: A bottle of Electric Reserva wine that’s nigh-unbreakable and deals electric damage when wielded as weapon (though it’ll lose its special properties if opened), Never-melt Ice, cocktail kit, basic survival kit

Lv: 5
Abilities:

• Here’s to You - Cirrus can pull a couple kinds of items out of nowhere to use as ’spells’, including frosty sparkling wine bottles that inflict water damage and the Cold status, birthday cupcakes that inflict magic damage and attack reduction, and roses that inflict Fire damage, Burn, and possibly Charm
• Hyper Shout - boosts his and nearby allies' attack with a festive cheer
• Coercive Shout - boosts his and nearby allies' Magic, imploring them to keep the party going
• Wonder Cocktail - a miracle of mixology that doubles the damage of his next ‘spell’ and gets him a bit drunk

Skills:

• Mixology - Cirrus has a talent for making and serving tasty, comforting drinks, and doing so will reduce stress for both himself and his customers. This is the one way he manages to be charismatic, and he can appeal to people through this art in ways he otherwise couldn’t

Weaknesses:

• Cloudy - his pessimistic, untrusting, and acerbic attitude makes fighting alongside him -and even being around him- an unpleasant and impractical proposition at times
• Durability - he has relatively low health and physical defense, meaning that he’s not a good frontline fighter and would much rather stay at the rear of the pack
• Sensitive - Cirrus cares more than he lets on and receives more stress from all sources, particularly tragic events surrounding his allies, and is more likely to miss attacks, take extra damage, and so forth when stressed

World of Light

Sandswept Sky - Carnival Town

Level 13 Ms Fortune (126/130) Level 8 Goldlewis (62/80) Level 7 Sandalphon (21/70)
Roland, Sectonia, and the Robot Girls’ @Archmage MC, Midna and the Koopa Troop’s @DracoLunaris, Geralt and Zenkichi’s @Multi_Media_Man, Pit and the Octopath Travelers’ @Yankee, Roxas and Ganondorf’s @Double, Osvald’s @Dark Cloud
Word Count: 2667

From her vantage point high atop the Gold Saucer, Sandalphon kept a careful eye on the encounter below as the situation developed. While the confrontation between Midna and Ganondorf did not end in a way that satisfied either of them, much less the archangel herself, it looked like they’d managed to put their feud on hold for now. Still, she made a mental note to keep more of an eye on them, and keep them separate however she could. As their squabble subsided, she turned her watchful gaze elsewhere, peering through her scope to check on the others. It looked like everyone had escaped their hellpods unscathed. Goldlewis seemed to be the last one out, having gotten stuck as he tried to pull himself out of his pod. The fact that he’d managed to squeeze in there in the first place still beggared belief, but it looked like Dawn had been right about them being magical.

Soon enough the two groups on a collision course came together at last, their inevitable meeting catalyzed by the chance encounter of a playful Yamper and spirited Polterpup. Though the two sides would be well within their rights to be on guard, they exhibited no hostilities, and when one of the other team’s frontrunners theatrically announced herself as a Seeker, Roxas realized that this must be the campaign’s other contingent. A reunion like that seemed like such an impossibly lucky turn of events that Sandalphon herself had trouble believing it until multiple people on each side started recognizing one another, leading to a round of handshakes and hugs. Pit even confirmed that this group represented a huge chunk of the Seekers’ missing members. Hearing this, Sandalphon relaxed, stood up, and stowed her sniper rifle, more than a little amazed. Not even an hour ago the Seekers’ situation had been truly dire, but with that violent storm over, the blue skies were more beautiful than ever. After a moment spent staring off into the heavens, Sandalphon jumped from the edge of her building and floated down toward the others. “Mistakes into miracles, as they say.”

Down below, the Seekers’ confusion quickly gave way to excited conversation as they greeted one another, introduced themselves, and began to fill in the blanks. Goldlewis arrived at the grand reunion a little late, having tried to salvage as much dignity as he could from the sticky situation that greeted him upon landing, and found quite the colorful cast of characters assembled before him. So these were his new comrade’s friends? At this point he pretty much expected an ambush, so a welcome party was a welcome surprise indeed. He’d never seen those turtles before, nor the surly, homeless-looking sorcerer, but he actually recognized that elegant brunette and that bejeweled wasp from the Sandswept Sky. Though their time together in Al Mamoon had been brief, he remembered fighting alongside Primrose and Sectonia as they strove to quell the desert city’s turmoil. They both looked a little different, and he figured he knew why, but both still seemed true to themselves. Thinking about it from their perspective, Goldlewis imagined that the same went for him. Their last few companions seemed to be a scraggly little rogue, a dark knight of some stripe, and a young woman with feline features. He waved a hand and extended the other team his own tried-and-true greeting. “Howdy, y’all.”

Goldlewis caught the tail end of the reply Roxas gave about missing teammates. Luckily for that kitty lady, most of them just happened to be somewhere else. What happened to Peach was still a sore spot, but considering what the city team had been up against, just one casualty was pretty incredible, even if it had been the Seekers’ leader. Looking around, he wondered who that role fell to now. Both he and Sandalphon had both skill and experience in leading, but they’d both joined late, and the veteran at least neither wanted nor deserved that responsibility.

Before anyone could set Ms. Fortune straight about Geralt, the conversation turned again. With this many people in one place, all bursting with curiosity, it was bound to happen. Roland introduced himself, and Sectonia gave her name -plus title- in return. When she mentioned expecting good things, he raised an eyebrow at her. These ‘newcomers’ would have to fill her in on everything they’d already achieved. After that Geralt filled Ms. Fortune in, and though initially surprised the feral understood soon enough. The Witcher’s remark about her still being unmistakable even after many fusions made her very pleased. “Ohh, ok. Thanks!” With the revelation in mind, she looked at Geralt in a whole new light. After remembering that he’d fused with that enormous Harbor Demon back in the Deep Blue Seaside, she could definitely see the ramifications. “So that can happen, huh…? Welcome to the club, I guess? Well, if it’s any consolation, I think you look great!”

Even with so many distractions around, Nadia was able to notice another unidentified flying object inbound. After spotting something in the corner of her eye, Nadia looked up to see another woman heading towards the Seekers, gliding with the aid of what looked like her own halo. When she directed her new allies’ attention toward the newcomer though, they saw nothing amiss, and a moment later Sandalphon touched down. Though this professionally-dressed, blank-faced businesswoman lacked wings, she did look rather angelic, and Nadia found her strange eyes fascinating. Amongst other things. “Wow. I’d ask how’s the weather up there, but I can see it’s clear…” She looked around at Bowser, Ganondorf, Geralt, Sectonia, Goldlewis, and now Sandalphon, all of whom really inflated the heroes’ average height. “...That I just drew a short straw.”

Sandalphon stared at her, humorless, with pupils like question marks. “I’m afraid I don’t exactly parse your meaning, but if you’re an ally, it’s my pleasure to meet you.” She bowed politely to the Seekers from the Under. “I am Sandalphon, former leader of the Apostles, cleric of the Lateran Church, and DespoRHado communications officer. Please let me know if I can be of service.”

While Nadia wasn’t sure if she could ever really be friends with someone who hated puns, Sandalphon’s genuine demeanor made her feel bad for being impolite. “Er, thanks, haha. Likewise.” With Geralt having just given out her first name, she didn’t feel pressured to re-introduce herself, though. Instead, given what that Zenkichi guy said, she felt more than a little worried. Had the other team really destroyed a whole city!? Even if they’d taken down a Guardian (which was awesome) that was a hefty price to pay.

Seeing Ms Fortune in a somewhat awkward-looking situation, Goldlewis distracted her with a nod of approval. “I like your jacket, li’l missie. You got a mighty fine style.” Anyone who could rock a flashy leather jacket like that couldn’t be all bad.

The feral grinned at him as if he’d just validated something very important to her. “Thanks, mister! I like your whole formal cowboy getup. Guess that’s what they call yee-haute? Ooh, ‘specially those metal braincases. They’ve got a certain skullure!” Faced with compliments and jokes like those, it was hard for Goldlewis to suppress a smile of his own, and the two shared a chuckle together.

Once the introductions concluded, the explanations began. Midna clarified the scope of the destruction Zenkichi alluded to, then essentially reiterated everything that Roxas said about Sakura, Karin, and Susie, though she went into a little more detail about Peach. To that part at least, Nadia listened with an uncharacteristically solemn expression. After everything the feral and the princess faced together in the Deep Blue Seaside, it was hard to believe that she’d suffered such an awful fate. That poor woman didn’t deserve it–she’d just been doing her best, in over her head but determined to help, since well before Nadia herself got involved. By this point, Nadia had also become painfully aware of one other glaring omission. Ace, the person she probably wanted to see the most, was not here, and nobody had stepped forward to assuage her concerns, either. Did they not know where he was, either..?

Nadia took a deep breath. “Well, it looks like we have some loose ends to tie up. And friends to track down.”

Slightly concerned, Sandalphon spoke up. “Our partners at Bridges are working on Chiral Network integration for the Avenger as we speak. Once the communication systems are updated, we should be able to track down and recover lost personnel with a high degree of efficiency” She paused for a moment, considering the other team’s perspective. “I should elaborate that the Avenger I mentioned is the name of a large airship operated by an organization called the Lost Numbers, offered for our use. Our current plan is to use it as a mobile base in the weeks and months to come.”

“Oh!” Nadia perked up, turning an inquisitive look to the sky much like Therion had. “I was wondering how you guys got here too, actually. It must be autumn already, ‘cause that sure was an unexpected fall.” She snickered, then sighed. “I dunno much about…all that, but if we’ve got a solution in the works, I guess there’s no use worrying.” The feral looked around at everyone. “In fact, we should have some fun! You guys said you sent a Guardian to the boss-uary too, right? What’s that then, four down? Five? Well, you know what that means, right?” She bounced around with a grin on her face, trying to hype everyone up. “We’re actually doing the im-paw-sible right meow! We oughta celebrate!”

Releasing her pent-up blood pressure, she rocketed into the air, then flipped over everyone’s heads to land at the edge of the crowd. Then she swiveled her head around and beckoned them to follow her. “C’mon! I saw an ad in the train station for a place called Ballyhoo’s Big Top that does minigame parties. Said it’s got food and drinks, a hundred minigames, fabulous purr-izes, the works! After everything we’ve been through, we deserve a good time or two.” She put her hands on her hips. “How about it?”

“Minigames, huh?” Goldlewis stroked his whisker, eyes thoughtful. “Eh, what the hell. I guess I could stand to enjoy myself for a change. Somethin’ nice an’ lighthearted might be just what the doctor ordered.” He glanced at Sandalphon, curious. “Whaddya think?”

The archangel nodded. “I think it would be wise for everyone to participate in activities that can boost morale and deepen bonds.”

“I reckon that goes for you too, ma’am,” Goldlewis replied. “You ain’t sittin’ this out, are ya?”

Sandalphon shifted her weight from one leg to the other as she looked out into the middle distance, considering. “I cannot imagine that participation would confer the same benefits to someone like me. With my lack of experience, it is probable that I am ill-suited at these ‘minigames’, regardless.”

Sighing, Goldlewis shook his head. “Dunno how you’d be any worse off than an ol’ fart like me.” He crossed his arms, eyes narrowed. “How ‘bout this, then. It’d ‘benefit’ me -and all of us, I reckon- to have you join us. Dunno ‘bout the others, but just havin’ you around sure boosts my morale, and seein’ you enjoy yourself would be even better. No matter how ‘improbable’” He chuckled as he looked over at Zenkichi. “Ain’t that right, Detective?”

After another moment, and a glance at Zenkichi, Sandalphon nodded. “Very well. If it would benefit the team, I could not -in good conscience- decline.”

“Great!” Nadia beckoned everyone again. “Then what’re we waiting for? C’mon!”

---

On one edge of Carnival Town, away from the coast and just out of the Gold Saucer’s shadow, lay the Seeker’s destination: Ballyhoo’s Big Top. Though the only actual circus tent in the whole city, it made up for that fact with its scale, towering above the nearby buildings even if the Gold Saucer -and of course Split Mountain behind it- outdid it in terms of sheer size. Around the enormous tent stood giant flag poles with flapping banners big enough to wrap the Enderdragon in and equally large umbrellas, all connected with cables that flew hundreds if not thousands of colorful pennant flags. Judging by the amount of townsfolk around, this was a popular spot. Sandalphon hoped that the Seekers wouldn’t have a hard time getting in. After reaching the Big Top, they wasted no time in heading inside.

Just inside the Big Top’s stretched-wide tent flaps lay a wide room with a black and white checkered floor. On the far side hung a het of heavy stage curtains, and after a moment a short cartoon character flew out from between then, backlit by kaleidoscopic colors. He sported a huge mouth, stubby limbs, a red bowtie, and tiny eyes shadowed beneath an animate blue top hat with a goofy expression. “HAW HAW HAW!” he guffawed, holding his mic so close to his bright orange lips that the sound just about blew Sandalphon away. “Welcome to the star of Carnival Town! I am Ballyhoo, and if you’re here in this Big Top of mine, that must mean you’re ready for some amazing minigames!”

“Yeah!” Nadia piped up. “How do we play?”

“SIMPLE!” Ballyhood practically bellowed. “When you’re ready, just have your whole party step through these curtains, and you’ll end up in your very own lobby! After that, my partner Balan here will spin the minigame roulette!” He pointed behind the Seekers, drawing their attention to a much taller, more dapper carnie with a wide smile. He waved, and Ballyhoo continued. “Whatever you roll, he’ll whisk you away to your very own miniature wonderworld to play it out! Some games will force you to WORK as a TEAM! Then you’ll return to the lobby with Rift Tokens depending on how you do! Five for first, four for second, three for third, and one for just playing! Isn’t that GREAT?”

His hat opened its mouth and stuck out its tongue to reveal a starred coin on the end of it, evidently one of the Rift Tokens everyone would be playing for. It flipped the token into the air with a ping and Ballyhoo caught it. “You can call it quits whenever you want, and once you’re done, you can take your tokens to the gift shop!” He pointed to the right side of the parlor, where there were a lot of displays of various articles of clothing, knickknacks, and baubles. “Our cosmetic shop is updated daily with items from all over the world! We’ve also got a menu of all the hairstyles we can think of, made possible by our very own Karlie!” That seemed to be the stylist lady who was currently reading next to a barber’s chair at one end of the shop. “And if that’s not enough, we’ve even got an Orb Machine where you can roll for random collectible Character Orbs™ for one token apiece! What you’ll get is random, but our pity system’s the best in the business! On your third roll, you’re guaranteed to get one you want! SOMEHOW!”

Ballyhood then flew the other way, pointing out the snack bar on the parlor’s left side. “And, if you’re feeling peckish, we’ve got all kinds of stuff to eat and drink if you pay REAL MONEY! And PLEASE do, because like movie theaters, that’s where we get our PROFITS!” After spinning in place, he stopped suddenly and extended his limbs in dramatic fashion. “And that’s that! Are you ready for some unforgettable FUN???” He turned around and zoomed through the gap in the curtains. “Then follow MEEEEEeeeeee_eeeee....!”

From Realms Beyond — An Isekai Crossover RP (Now Accepting)

Lewa

As an imminent fight turned from a possibility to an inevitability, Lewa stood by, uncomfortable and confused. Though by now he'd been stuck in this bizarre world for a few days, he still found himself having a tough time wrapping his head around the notion of people fighting one another. Of course the matoran of his world disagreed with one another, and even his toa brethren didn't always see eye to eye, but their conflicts never devolved into combat with one another. At the end of the day, his people always found unity in the philosophy of 'us against the world', and it went without saying that infighting worsened the situation for everyone. But as he'd learned with the Raven Heralds, and even right now with both his teammates and these mercenaries, different 'factions' were more than happy to fight with and even destroy one another, all for seemingly petty reasons. What good could come of this...?

Having another bystander around did not lift his mood much. While he could appreciate the fact that Anne wanted to look on the bright side, Lewa didn't know what he could really do to intercede if things did escalate out of control. Despite their small size, most of these organics outclassed him completely in terms of power. Several had shown off a lethal mastery of bladed weapons that made him look slow and clumsy in comparison, and the one called Sanae wielded stronger wind powers as just one of her myriad abilities. He had a sneaking suspicion these mercenaries were about to learn, much like he had, that appearances could be deceiving. Hopefully the organics wouldn't thrash them too badly, but by looking down on them the mercenaries had given them something to prove. And that had Lewa worried. With that in mind, he couldn't very well wander off, and joined Anne to watch the proceedings.

When the fighting began, things went about as he suspected, at least for the most part. Mokou made a mockery of her opponent, humiliating him with a slow burn defeat while demonstrating that she couldn't be so much as touched. In terms of showboating, though, Fran did her one better, inviting her bearded adversary to learn for himself just how futile his hard-earned strength and skill was before demolishing him. Lewa watched her strut off with a smile on her face. How could anyone take pleasure in something like that? Not even a friendly competition, but a one-sided beatdown? Joker needed to put a little more effort, clashing blades with his opponent repeatedly, but if he got so much as scratched Lewa missed it. After a couple hits and a single spell, which looked uncomfortably like darkness to one who followed the light, the lady rogue got defeated, too. As with the dwarf, she got punished for her pride with the destruction of her weapon. Lewa knew that if he lost his axe, just like that, he'd probably be ruined. His 'teammates' sure weren't here to make friends.

In contrast, Youmu's duel was rather unceremonious. Maybe noticing what had happened to his allies, his foe had given it everything he had in a desperate effort to not be defeated so pitifully, but he too failed to land a single hit, then went down in two smacks. What followed, though, really took the cake. For a few moments, the fight between Sanae and the mercenary mage looked almost fair as they traded flashy spells. Her opponent's efforts culminated in an impressive array of pursuing thunderbolts, and it astonished Lewa to see such an elusive and destructive element wielded so effortlessly. For a moment, it even looked like the mercenary's magic actually scored a hit! While Lewa knew he should probably be cheering for the otherworlders, he was secretly rooting for the underdog, happy that one person at least would be able to preserve some dignity.

When the smoke cleared, however, Lewa quickly realized how wrong he was. If the sight of floating boulders baffled him, the sight of yet another small organic that Sanae somehow knew baffled him even more. The reunion took a dark turn, however, as the new arrival turned her attention on the mage with lethal intent. As she called upon a maelstrom of diabolical magic, giving rise to horrific serpents, Lewa -usually the first to leap into danger for the sake of another- found himself paralyzed by a mixture of fear and indecision. Why was this interloper trying to kill that poor mage? Could he even reach her in time? If he tried, would he be destroyed alongside her? Luckily, his fellow bystander was able to act more decisively, not to mention speedily, fast enough to rend the earth beneath her feet in fact. While Anne moved to save Suwako's target, Sanae tried to stop the assailant herself. Luckily, the priestess managed to defuse the situation, and with some words of admonishment the newcomer vanished again. Her disappearance offered just one more life through Lewa's heart--if she'd somehow gone back where she came from, why couldn't he be sent away like that!?

Without the words to describe how he felt, Lewa just shook his head, mouth ajar.

World of Light

It did take a bit to retrofit everything, but without further ado here is Nadia's sheet redone and organized to fit the new format. Hopefully it proves helpful and instructive. I definitely went into a lot of detail on things, even going as far as to spell out her rapport, but you can decide how deep you want to go for yourselves. Take not of both the 'interplay' abilities and the usage of the various jobs for clarity purposes. Switching formats is your chance to rework, consolidate, and trim down things as well, so feel free.

Name: Ms Fortune (Nadia)
Origin: Skullgirls
Appearance:
Originally a Feral latina, with catlike ears and tail, Nadia has undergone some changes due to fusion, but remains relatively true to the core of who she is. Nadia stands at 5’8”, but boasts a fuller figure. Her hair is a fluffy and voluminous bob cut, and has a distinctive calico pattern, primarily cream-white but with splotches of black and orange. This includes her tail, of which she has only one. Her skin is slightly darker, and her eyes are as electric blue as a TV screen. Her current outfit is tailor-made by Yuria of Gerudo Town. She wears a dark blue, fur-lined, leather bolero jacket with a lighter blue inside and fishbone badges over a small white shirt with buttons undone, with shorts that match her jacket and a leather belt with lots of pouches. The bell on her heavy collar, like her fishbone badges, is silver, and she wears stylized black Mantread boots. Slung over the jacket is a somewhat hefty metal case, which is the storage form of her shipgirl rigging blended with her Kagari Rokushikisouken blade case
Personality: A sunny-spirited extrovert who likes making puns almost as much as making friends, Nadia is a kind-hearted but not afraid to stand up for herself or what she believes in, nor to take those who misuse their privilege or power down a peg. Though a dedicated jokester, she's also brutally creative fighter, able to come up with ideas as harebrained as they are cunning, even if she’s not the sharpest tool in the shed. Good food, sports, and small dogs headline as some of her favorite things, and she can be as generous as she is greedy, but more than anything she wants people to like her. To that end she doesn’t mind being a caricature of herself, making herself the never-say-die life of the party if it means lifting the spirits of others. Her catlike behaviors are true enough, however, and in addition to being able to fall asleep anywhere, she can be temperamental–able to change in a moment between gentle and sisterly to violently competitive
Background:

Picking Up the Pieces

When she was just a kitten Nadia was found by four Dagonian thieves wandering the alleys of Little Innsmouth in search of food. Filled with pity, they took her in, quickly becoming family. Nadia grew up in their charge, taking to the port town and its people like a fish to water, and proved herself adept in their trade. The Fishbone Gang stole from the rich to give to the poor, and making them a beloved band of outlaws, always welcome in Yu-Wan's restaurant after a hard day's work. Yet for all their noble thievery, conditions in Little Innsmouth improved little.

One day they set their sights on bigger prey: the dreaded and infamous Medici mafia. After a daring heist the Fishbone Gang escaped with a jewel of incomparable value stolen from Lorenzo Medici himself, only for his loyal enforcer to track the robbers down. Black Dahlia butchered the Dagonians one by one, until only a horrified Nadia remained standing. In a final show of defiance she swallowed the Life Gem, daring Black Dahlia to carve it from her corpse. Nadia was brutally butchered, but the gem nowhere to be found. Her pieces were strewn into the depths of the Little Innsmouth harbor, but she did not die. The Life Gem had made her immortal. After pulling herself together Nadia began her quest to avenge her family.

After a protracted campaign, however, Nadia began to realize that despite her newfound immortality, she was barely making a dent in the colossal criminal organization. She began instead to seek the Skullgirl, planning to use the Skull Heart to circumvent vengeance and bring her loved ones back to life. Galeem never gave her the chance.

In the Now:

There and Back Again

Nadia showed up on the Sandswept Sky’s northern coast in Carnival Town, the party capitol of the World of Light. Though she enjoyed the festive atmosphere for a time, she never forgot her ultimate goal, and eventually could stomach the place no longer. She hitched a ride on a traveling desert caravan that eventually brought her to the Forsaken Boneyard. There the caravan got ambushed, and Nadia narrowly escaped, making her way across the mountains to what looked like the nearest city. Instead she found herself trapped in the hellish nightmare of Redgraccoon City, where she learned of the Skullgirl’s presence, and eventually holed up in a police station alongside other survivors.

Eventually the Seekers of Light showed up and helped the survivors mount an escape, using a teleporter to reach the safety of Lumbridge in the Land of Adventure. She would return to the Dead Zone, however, and fight through the hellscape to track down the Skullgirl alongside new allies. In the end she did not wish on the Skull Heart, which fell to Linkle instead. With no other goals, she joined the others and traveled to Limsa Lominscuttle Town, where she began her journey as a Seeker of Light for real.

Nadia lent her unique set of skills to the campaign of Peach’s ‘Blue Team’ throughout the Deep Blue Seaside, both in Limsa Lominscuttle Town and beyond when the Azur Navy went to war against the Abyssal Fleet. During the intense Battle of Blackwater Bay, she and the others took a detour through the Luma Pools to reach the Bottomless Sea, where they found themselves beset by monsters. When a dangerous situation forced them to rake refuse in a massive armored submersible called the Maw, they found themselves reverted into children and forced to brave the nightmare in a depowered state. This came to an end when the Maw ran aground on the shores of Carcass Isle, a place stewed in eldritch curses. Alongside her friends Nadia fought through the island’s many horrors, culminating in an impossible battle against the Orphan of Kos in Where All Things Must Come.

After narrowly emerging victorious, she and the others returned to Limsa Lominscuttle Town via Warp Graffiti in the early hours of the morning. Once she emerged from an alcohol-induced stupor, she joined the others at Karin Kanzuki’s estate to take the rest of the day off and relax at Heaven’s Edge. The next morning the campaign resumed, starting with a return to Alcamoth, the headquarters of the Seekers of Light. By lowering the floating city itself, the Seekers were able to deploy by boat into the Eryth Sea and navigate the mountain rivers to the Sea of Serendipity, bound for Twilight Town. On the way, however, they ran into a three-way ambush orchestrated by an unknown mastermind, who revealed the existence of the secret organization Moebius, declaring that its members would hunt the Seekers to the ends of the earth before retreating. In Twilight Town, Blue Team reunited with Yellow Team and set off into the extradimensional train network of the Nyakuza Metro together, only for Consul N to appear and put a hit on them, initiating Rush Hour. In the mad scramble, the Seekers got separated into three groups, with Nadia’s arriving at the Chasm above the vast subterranean region known as the Under.

The newly-minted ‘Purple Team’ set out to explore the Under, hastened on their way by Consul F’s attempt on their life. After reaching the Temple of the Black Egg and learning of the nine mask fragments needed to open it, the team got split again, with Nadia a part of the contingent that delved into the Basement and eventually the Womb until they reached the Home of Tears. Once reunited with the others, everyone joined forces with Iguana Gallo Valetto to take down Consul P, the despotic ruler of the Home of Tears. After succeeding, and proving that the Consuls could be beaten, their journey through the Under continued, amassing mask fragments from different bosses throughout the caverns. This reached a head with a dream battle against Robin Goodfellow in Mercy Dreams, foreshadowing the Seekers’ fight against the Radiance the next morning. With the defeat of the Radiance, the Under was freed from the scourge against the Infection, and the Seekers could move on for a much-needed break. They headed back through the Metro, first to Gerudo Town, and then to Carnival Town itself, leaving Nadia right back where her story began.

Job: Bloody Hellion
Specialty: Nadia is a highly sustainable, agile dexterity fighter with a focus on single-target rushdown, able to split into pieces and launch high-speed attacks to overwhelm her opponents, then destroy them with combos–be those combos long chains of attacks, or elemental reactions

Inventory

• Lockpicks, 9500 zenny, six-pouch utility belt, magic wallet, Hivestone, Lumenite Crystal
• Havel’s Ring (?) - A ring for warriors keen on heavy accouterments. Increases maximum equip load. This ring was named after Havel the Rock, the battlefield compatriot of Gwyn, the First Lord–or so it should be. This ring is but an imitation, only providing a measly 15% extra equip load instead of the original 50%
• Blue Dancer Charm - A cloth doll depicting a dancer garbed in blue. Increases physical damage as equip load lowers, with a maximum of 14% extra damage dealt at the lightest threshold, but unfortunately since the ratio is not percentage-based, Havel's Ring doesn't really gel with it
• Bait Launcher - A gun that fires steaks. When a steak hits the ground, it leaves a small pool of red liquid and a tiger will appear, run to the nearest enemy, and maul it. The damage dealt by the steaks themselves is negligible. The tigers don’t attack allies. The Bait Launcher has 28 shots left, a 1 shot magazine, and 1 second reload time. The steaks are perfectly edible and pretty tasty, but the quality varies
• Kagari Rokushikisouken - A pair of grips, designed to be triggered when held in a reverse grip, and a case (fused with her rigging) with fourteen disposable segmented blades with a single razor edge. The blades can be inserted into the grips easily and quickly, and detached with a squeeze of the triggers. These ‘box cutters’ are dexterity weapons that can slash, stab, and sever with speed and finesse, leave their blades inside stabbed targets, or send them flying with a well-timed trigger pull
• Athame - a dagger that increases attack and speed somewhat in combat against a wounded enemy. Weakens enemies' physical and magical defense on hit for 15 seconds. Grants ‘Vantage’: while blocking an opponent’s offensive pressure, Nadia can counterattack with this weapon, essentially functioning as an alpha counter. This attack cannot lead into a combo
• Ripened Heart - On use, which involves holding it up to her chest, provides a quick burst of fast healing (about 20%) provided by a prolonged stretch of slower healing, about 40% over 5 seconds. Only three uses between rests
• Second Stomach - A gastrointestinal mutation that doubles the health received from health-restoring items
• Free Lemonade - A pitcher of lemonade with no strings attached that can either be drunk or emptied to create a puddle that lasts 10 seconds, damaging enemies that step in it. It can be stashed when not in use, and after four minutes it will refill itself

Lv: 14
EXP: 41/140 (1 level upgrades stocked)

Abilities

• Life Gem (Bloody Hellion) - the Life Gem lets Nadia separate herself into pieces without dying, each of which can be puppetted remotely, and it steadily replenishes her blood, which allows her to regenerate at a constant rate. Overuse hinders blood resupply
• Claws for Alarm (Bloody Hellion) - like all ferals, Nadia can harden -and therefore weaponize- parts of her body, usually her nails but also her tails, ears, and even hair
• Full Mrow-tation (Bloody Hellion) - Nadia can rotate parts of her body at the separation points, turning them into impromptu weapons with high speed and attack power once fully revved up
• Blood Purr-essure (Bloody Hellion) - allows Nadia to pressurize her blood within parts of her body for explosive release, allowing her to launch herself (in part of in whole) for mobility and offense
• Undivided A-tension (Bloody Hellion) - Nadia can begin building up Dramatic Tension by dealing and taking damage. If she accumulates enough she can perform Blockbusters, powerful super moves that take different forms depending on Tension expenditure
  
  • Fur-serker Purr-age - a grounded level 1 Blockbuster that sends her forward in flurry of claw slashes that are difficult to escape from, ending with a strong finisher
  • Feral Edge - an air-only level 1 Blockbuster that’s a high-speed plunging attack with blades extended, which can be extended with Feline Allergies if her head is on
  • Fifth of Dismember - an aerial level 3 Blockbuster that sends all of Nadia’s parts flying on bloody rockets, hurtling through the air to reunite in a bloody explosion
  • Blue Monday (Unchained Luchadora Interplay) - a level 1 counter Blockbuster. She lifts her knee, and if hit with a melee attack, she grabs her attacker, slams them down, then does an powerful elbow drop
  • Rapid Fire (Deadeye Huntress Interplay) - a level 3 Blockbuster that allows her to unleash her ranged weapons at lightspeed without resource consumption, lasting 3 seconds
• Ship Shape (Battleship) - gives Nadia a set of shipgirl rigging that can be deployed when her feet are in contact with water, allowing her to hydroplane across the water’s surface. When deployed, the rigging arms both act as stabilizers and can be used as weapons
  
  • Viscerain (Bloody Hellion Interplay) - Only usable when the cannon batteries on Nadia's rigging are deployed. Nadia can form missiles of condensed blood inside the cannons and shoot them out, though each shot costs 1% health
• Elec-tricks (Lightning Beast) - grants Nadia access to the lightning-type moves Smack (a normal hit), Charge (a dash attack in the form of lightning), and Battery (a 2-hit attack that crits if used after Charge)
• Fluffy Soft (Super Anthromorph) - allows the host to partially transform into a white tiger for 5 seconds max. Tiger attacks inflict a Mark for 6 seconds that decreases defense by 5%, which can stack up to 4 times. When in use, Fluffy Soft also decreases damage taken by 30% and increases max run speed by 20% (legs only) for the transformed portion
• Unchain (Unchained Luchadora) - changes her Cat Scratch rekka into a customizable three-hit Unchain series composed of an Unchain Starter, an Unchain Circle, and an Unchain Finisher, many of which are new normals (two of the Unchain Finishers are also command grabs)
• Roll and Gun (Deadeye Huntress) - allows her to instantly equip, fire, and reload a ranged weapon during a combat roll, then unequip it again

Skills

• Cathletic - As a Feral in good shape, Nadia has enough lean muscle to be acrobatic and agile, with plenty of stamina. Her sight and hearing are enhanced as well
• Pawsibilities - Nadia is highly creative when it comes to using her power, and generally everything she has at her disposal. For instance, she will use jets of her blood to change her direction in midair, use her detached head as a projectile or distraction, extract her own muscle fibers to use as binding, extend her blows using tendons like ropes, spin her hand or limbs like a drill, wield her detached tail as a weapon, and more
• Purr-ty Thing - owing to both her (cheery, forthcoming, and slightly dorky) personality and looks (scars aside), Nadia has no shortage of charms, and she’s aware enough that she can play them up if need be
• Tag Team - Camaraderie in the face of adversity has allowed Nadia to work much more effectively as part of a group. She can better help her friends out and follow up their attacks, potentially even continuing their combos
• Feast - Eating anything will restore health in addition to its actual effects. Also, receive a fast-diminishing attack boost after eating
• Su-purr-conductor (Lightning Beast) - Cat-5’s typing cause a few useful reactions. Ice attacks grant her Multitarget for thirty seconds, and so do Air, Metal, and Water attacks. Multitarget causes her attacks to burst on successful hit, dealing splash damage in a 5 ft radius of an appropriate type (her normals ‘burst’ with blood)
• Big Mamie (Battleship) - for each ally fighting alongside Nadia, her ranged damage, damage against airborne enemies, and evasiveness increase by 8%, stacking up to 24% at 3 stacks
• Quick Draw (Deadeye Huntress) - upon reloading, her outgoing damage is boosted by 20% for 3 seconds

Weaknesses

• Cat-strophe - Nadia relies completely on the magic power of the Life Gem, which is suffused throughout her body. Anything capable of extracting or reforming it would kill her instantly. If subjected to an anti-magic effect, like Silence, for any longer than a second or two she would also die. Additionally, blood manipulation is an incredibly hard counter for her
• Close Clawrters - Nadia has few projectiles at her disposal, all of which have conditions, making her weak at long range, and to fast aerial enemies. She needs to be able to physically reach her foes in order to deal damage
• Phagophobia - the fear of being eaten alive. This can apply with things like leeches, maggots, and piranhas, or even mouth-shaped things like cave entrances, but especially with large monsters. If being eaten is on the table, and with it the chance of an eternal, undying existence of torment within the wet, crushing, acidic guts of monsters, Nadia can’t keep her head on straight. She’s also highly averse to being bitten in general even if it wouldn’t really harm her
• 2,700 Pounds of Justice (Battleship) - increases her effective weight by 2.7 times via density, to over 350 pounds. This lowers her air mobility, makes her easier to combo, and makes her harder to be carried, lifted, or thrown. Unfortunately it doesn’t boost the damage of drop attacks, either
• Overt Reactions (Lightning Beast) - If hit by Earth, Plant, Glass, or Plastic-type attacks, the host will be Grounded. If she has Multi-target, that buff will be removed, and if she doesn't, her accuracy will be reduced for 30 seconds
• Darkbane (Super Anthromorph) - increases the damage taken by Dark-type attacks by 30%
• No Meterless Reversal (Unchained Luchadora) - removes all armor from her DP, Fiber Upper
• Fire Bane (Deadeye Huntress) - boosts damage suffered from fire attacks by 30%

Spirits:

• Massachusetts - Fusion, gave the Battleship job
• Cat-5 - Fusion, gave the Lightning Beast job
• Kanna - Fusion, gave the Super Anthromorph job
• Ángel - Fusion, gave the Unchained Luchadora job
• Rosetta - Fusion, gave the Deadeye Huntress job
• Rhodeia of Loch - Spiritbound as a Striker. The Oceanid can spend 10 seconds to create 1-3 Hydro Mimics when summoned, the number depending on the size of the copied entity. Hydro Mimics outlast this Striker and attack independently, inflicting the Wet status. Mimics have their own health pools and explode when killed. The Oceanid has a 3-minute cooldown, and new mimics replace old ones
• Harbor Water Demon - Spiritbound as a Striker. This huge Abyssal has a 1-minute cooldown, and can be called in to provide burst damage or minions. She can lunge forward and deliver a massive double claw swipe, fire her anti-air Abyssal Aviation Battleship’s 20-inch Twin Gun Mounts, deploy 3 airborne CAT fighters, or deploy 3 Hell Dive bombers

Rapport

• Ace Cadet - 9/10 REXP
  
  • Ace seemed perfect to Nadia right from the get-go, thanks to his looks, positive attitude, cool fighting style, and of course their shared love of puns. While they made a good team in the Maw, they got to actually hang out for the first time at the seaside called Heaven’s Edge, where they really hit it off. Even once they got back on the road, they could still chat in quiet moments, opening up to one another. Now definitely crushing on him, Nadia likes him a lot and wants to get closer, but she’s afraid of how much losing him would hurt
• Sectonia - Rank D, 3/5 REXP
  
  • Sometimes Sectonia’s presumptuousness rubs Nadia the wrong way, and her attitude of superiority makes her tough to get closer to, but they can still work and joke around together, and after getting her hair styled Nadia can appreciate the big bug’s talents
• Primrose - Rank B, 11/20 REXP
  
  • Though she started out feeling inferior to and jealous of Primrose, Nadia got to know her better during and after their shared campaign in the Under. After chatting at the Terminal Cafe, Primrose gave her a crash course on dancing in the Crypt of the NecroDancer, and when they went together to get new clothes in Gerudo Town, they both got a little more real. Nadia now respects and looks up to Primrose, and enjoys her company

If I remember any more rapport conversations I will be sure to add them!