TruthHurts22

World of Light

You could probably word it a little different. Call it 'Tunnel Vision' or something, say he gets too focused on combat to notice traps or the like? You're allowed some leeway after all

World of Light

@Lugubrious That's all fair. Admittedly when I sat down to write it out, "RPG Nut" was a vague idea I had that sounded cool but I didn't really have many ideas for in the first place. My intent behind it was to give a unique spin on those game-y elements that are related to the game he's from, namely how the different status ailments would work and the ways in which Ichiban can (de)buff since it isn't magic or anything, it's mundane actions contextualized by Ichi treating everything like an RPG, you know? I'm okay with splitting that up into smaller strengths like you said, the HP and Inventory parts, maybe a third one to fill them out.

As for the MP weakness, I was going going for less of a stamina thing and more of a resource to be used for the big Powers like Essence of Mayhem or to apply status effects. For Essence attacks - which like you said I envisioned either as an 'invincible' move or a pocket dimension - which are too good to be always used, and being able to Stun or Brainwash enemies on a whim seems too powerful too. Moreso a weakness that mitigates more than hinders, though I can figure out a different one if you'd prefer.

Poundmates and Hello Work being Powers does make more sense, so I'll swap them out for other Strengths and save them for level ups.

World of Light

RANK 5 (6/50 EXP)
Level 2 (XP: 3/20)

Twilight Town

Even though Nadia's techniques weren't able to be taught, according to her at least, Raz was still pretty excited to get a better understanding of how it worked. Back home where everyone with powers was a psychic, you could generally understand what you were getting into in both fighting and teaming up with them. Here, though, every person was different, unique in what they could do and how. He thought it was pretty important to get a grip on his allies' abilities, in case of an emergency. An information-based emergency. It could happen!

Speaking of information, the kid in a weird black robe, Roxas, seemed to have some weighty info of his own. "Organization XIII," Raz muttered. Back when he first fell in with the group in Al Mamoon, Raz remembered there was another person who showed up in a robe just like Roxas, someone that the southern guy seemed to know. Lethal Ram? It was hard to place details, since that was also around when he was still under Galeem's influence, so memories were murky. Still, a secret cabal of robed figures operating alongside the Seekers was interesting, though with the way Roxas talked about them, maybe it was something to be more worried about?

The next introduction was Primrose, a dancer who turned out to be friends with Therion, followed by the thief himself. They made a really strange pair. Actually, they reminded Raz of Agents Nein and Vodello, though Therion was a lot more dour than Sasha. Hopefully he manages to come out of his shell at some point. If everyone was raging a campaign against some humongous threat together, being so withdrawn probably wasn't a good thing.

The Ace Cadet took the spotlight after. Wonder Red felt a little at ease now that another Seeker was withholding their true identity from the team. Even being a necessary precaution it was hard to feel like a real member with the barrier of a secret between him and the rest. "You have experience against large foes?" Wonder Red asked him once he left the impromptu stage. "We've been trained to combat such enemies too. Maybe we could trade techniques? I'm certain that we'll face enormous threats moving forward, so pooling our knowledge will be a great advantage!"

Hopefully Ace caught all of that, because Midna's introduction was so spectacular that it nearly drowned out Red's voice! Lightning, giant wolf howls - while not very subtle (at all), it definitely proved Midna's capability as a bruiser. And as a fellow 'big hand' user, Red felt some comradery with her.

Literally jumping at the chance to follow Midna, a tough act to do so, Bowser introduced himself and his "troop", which, as far as Raz could tell, was basically just his family. Bowser himself seemed like the muscle of the troop, and a pretty boastful turtle on top of that. 'Tyrant of terribleness'? Was he some sort of bad guy? Well, if he was helping to stop Galeem, it probably wasn't anything to worry about. His son had a lot less to say about himself, though magic portals, self-made hovercars, and his two, uh, pets? That was all pretty interesting to Raz. Must be hard to talk yourself up when your dad does it twice as loud.

Kamek, the lizard wizard, revealed a point that made Raz look around the group again. "Fusions? Body parts? Spirits?" So the people that looked strange might not be like that normally? Who was all fused up and who wasn't? Was it rude to just ask? And if fusion caused physical changes, did it change their mental state too? Way too many questions ran through Raz's head, so he tried to push it to the side and worry about answering them later.

After the troop, Sectonia. Both Raz and Red have journeyed with her for a decent amount of time, though Red only recently, but both were put off by her view of everyone as her minions or subjects. Neither liked the idea of traveling with somebody who saw themselves much higher than them, especially since they were all meant to be a team, but so far nothing she's actually done ran counter to helping them, so... maybe it was another thing that was fine, actually?

When Blazermate started showing off her moves, Raz started to feel a bit self-conscious. It wasn't like he had a big showcase of his abilities, and everyone else seemed a lot flashier than him, some literally. Had he just come off as a silly kid who couldn't defend himself? Rubbing the side of his helmet Raz tried to shake those thoughts away and focus on the intros. Blazermate was a healer robot, that was easy enough to understand for him. What really had him curious was whether he could actually project into her mind. Did a robot brain count, would his Psycho Portal work on her? He wouldn't try without asking first, of course, but that was for later.

Susie. Probably the shortest introduction of the group so far, and kinda confusing. She was a CEO who specialized in... roboticizing and making wishes? Wonder Red fix her with a look as she hopped down from her summoned "business" suit. For what little she divulged about herself, Red had an odd feeling about her. It could simply be that she was still new to the group and needed time to acclimate, Red convinced himself.

"Man," Raz said to nobody in particular as Karin took her turn, "so many people in this group are pretty smart. Tech geniuses, actual robots, joint business-owner-and-ninja-army-leaders. A whole lot of royalty, too. Kinda wish there'd be some normal people around to even things out. Like, the next person to join up being some middle-aged bum who has a mean right hook. Variety, you know?" Raz's semi-hope came about with Karin's friend, Sakura, who was seemingly as normal a person in this group as there could be. As far as anyone else was aware at least. Still, even if she didn't have a lot of fancy credentials, having another person fighting the big bad was enough of a help!

A monster hunter that looked like a monster, huh? Seemed... poetic, or something. Raz wasn't one to judge though, even if he was trying to track Geralt's pre-fusion appearance. Just, less monster-y? "Where were the monster hunters when we climbed that mountain?" Raz asked, "things might've gone a lot smoother there if we had you guys with us."

They had an angel on their side too? This group was getting wilder and wilder with each introduction! And another general on top of that. Having experience in the world-saving business was a real bonus as well. And he was servant to his own personal goddess! Raz wondered why they had to do this whole ground-level war when they could ask for Palutena's help with Galeem, even just a quick ride to them. She wasn't also Galeem'd too, was she? That was a scary thought.

A young monochromatic boy introduced himself now, Omori, and with it came a sense of apprehension for Wonder Red. While Razputin Aquato and Bowser Junior seemed capable and had proper protection, Omori looked like an ordinary kid, for a given sense of the word. HE may have managed to make it thus far but it still rubbed Red the wrong way, simply allowing so many kids to be part of this war. What if Omori got hurt? The abilities tied to emotions might help in part, but wasn't that too volatile of a safety net in all-out combat? Red would have to keep a better eye on Omori from here on, for protection.

Jesse Faden, the only person besides Razputin to have a surname it seemed - or at least willing to divulge one - came next. Seems she was another psychic, and an armed one at that. When she mentioned her friends in trouble, Red tried to ease her mind. "Do not worry Jesse Faden. The people at Alcamoth has plenty of capable mercenaries they can dispatch to help. It might do you well to put in an official word over there, before we all head off to the Metro."

Last but certainly not least (from what he said about himself) was Bede, who called himself a Pokemon Trainer, along with a whole heapload of boasting about his potential. Wonder Red didn't have much issue with showboating or talking oneself up - he just hoped that it wasn't misplaced ego and Bede had the skills to back it up with. Red also noted that Bede's Pokemon were similar to Mimi and Dazzle, Bowser Junior's pets. Interesting.

And that was everyone! Or, near enough everyone. Peach proposed lunch, which was a great idea in Raz's opinion. He was starving. Everyone walked down Market Street, preparing for the picnic as they went. Raz took the time to take stock of his belongings; he still has his handful of Psi Pops for a quick pick-me-up, health-wise, and he wasn't needing anything else... "Oh! Bacon!" Raz took out his little baggie with a strip of bacon in it, and carefully disposed of the meat. It was getting old. "Anybody know where there's a good slice of bacon? I'm gonna need it moving forward." For any strange looks that garnered, Raz elaborated, "Oh, see, Agent Cruller put a little psychic hook in my brain, so whenever I need to call on him I just need to wave his favorite food near my ear. Bacon!" That probably just made the looks stranger.

Neither he nor Red had money of their own, and nothing to really spend it one besides, so they helped with the lunch prep. Sitting down to eat, Raz piled his plate up with one huge sandwich, meats and cheeses and pickles stuffed like a small mountain between two pieces of bread. Wonder Red took a simpler approach and made himself several small sandwiches made for maximum protein. He was going to need his strength for the next leg of their journey.

Deliberations for what that next leg was began, and as the discussion started to narrow on a few key locations, Raz threw his two cents in towards this 'Dystopiascape' place. A technological hotspot that was also the bed for political intrigue? As Raz put it himself, "there's no better place that Sasha would end up going. Sasha Nein is one of my fellow agents, and my personal hero. Maybe there's other Psychonauts there too! I have to check it out."

Wonder Red also gave his inclination towards the place. "With Commander Nelson returning to Alcamoth to oversee the complete of the Virgin Victory's repairs, it's imperative that I help in dealing with the Timefall there. And, like Razputin Aquato said, a big hub of activity might house some Wonderful One-Double-Oh members."

Now that it was all decided, and all their stomachs full, it was time to get back to business. The trip back to the Metro was uneventful - it was just a train ride after all - but before anyone could split off for another search of Pons, things went south quickly. The large tolling of the clock and the sudden emptying of the Metro brought the hairs on Raz's neck standing. Red scanned their surroundings, fearing an ambush, as the young psychic pulled his goggles from his forehead over his eyes, a sign that anyone he'd traveled with knew meant things... were about to get dangerous.

As if they needed the help.

"Everyone for the Black Line, follow me!" Raz shouted over the growing noise of their feline pursuers, summoning his Levitiation ball and bounding down a safe walkway. "I got a good look at where all the rails went the first time we were here, I can figure out how to get to the station! Just keep up!" Rolling a bit ahead of the group Raz did his best to keep their path clear, Psi-blasting away groups of cats that broke from the surge to block their way forward.

In their mad dash towards their station, things were pretty hectic. Between the rush of the cats after them and the chaotic nature of the Metro itself, it was no wonder than some people would end up on a different rooftop or level than the rest. One such was Wonder Red, having been cut off from the group in trying to fend off a gang of cats flanking them. On a railway a bit above Raz and the rest, Red looked ahead, and saw the tide of cats starting to close around them. Thinking quick, he summoned his Howler striker; being surrounded by so many enemies triggered its piercing shriek quickly, stunning the few ambitious felines climbing towards Red, and summoning four Hollows from the brickwork just beneath them. Red hopped down from his railway, falling a very brief distance just in time for a train to pass in front of him...

"Wondeeeeeer PUNCH!!"

In a blink of an eye Red summoned his Unite Morph, slamming into the side of the passing train with enough force to send it flying off its tracks, crashing through the mob just in front of his companions, clearing the way forward. However, this left Red himself in a bad predicament, as he was falling further down now, towards an unending horde of cats that ended up beneath them like a wave of water. In a bit of a panic Red de-morph his Hand, twirled around so he faced downwards, and...

"Uniiiiiiite SWORD!!"

In the same one-billionth of a second a massive sword spawned from Red's extended fist, the tip planted firmly against the ground. He was balanced over the mob like a polevaulter mid-vault. Before any cats could climb the Morph to get at him, though, Red swung it sideways, up and around, striking the ground against from an angle, and using the momentum of the force to actually vault himself over the crowd to a safe metal walkway off to the side.

Once he touched down, Red dematerialized his Morph, letting his summoned Strikers land on the walkway alongside him... and, much less gracefully, some fellow Seekers that had been caught in the radius of his Unite Morph from the very first (@Yankee's Ace Cadet, @Lugubrious's Big Band, & anyone else who wants to follow to Frozen Highlands). For the first time, Red looked flustered. "O-Oh, I'm sorry about that," he said, helping them to their feet. "I didn't realize that, ah, you were close enough to be acquired like that. I thought my Unite Morphs were bigger than usual... Are you okay?" His fretting would have to be put on hold, however, since the group was now cut off from their designated teams, and no easy way back up.

"Anyways, uh, right. In my haste to protect our teammates I seem to have gotten us stuck away from them. I'm low on power from the Morphs, so we might have to consider as retreat."

Back up to the group heading for the Black Line, things weren't looking much better. After a couple of turns, hops, and daring leaps between moving trains later, and Raz skid to a halt in front of a vending machine right in what looked like a dead-end. "Up there!" Raz pointed straight up, where an opening forward sat, farther up the wall. Only a single, lazy vacuum was there, taking its sweet time coming down to them, so they'd have to get up on their own.

---

2,614 Words
+3 EXP

World of Light

Now it's time for personaje número 3! This one might be a biiiiit complicated - might've gone a little overboard with it already - but I like the challenge of intricate details that only I have to deal with! :B Plus I figure part of the fun with a character like this is in translating their unique game elements into the RP.

Some of it's vague still, mostly due to how you might want to change some things, but if things are okay so far I can work on adding whatever info needs adding elsewise.

The Part-Time Hero

Name: Ichiban Kasuga

Game Origin: Yakuza: Like a Dragon (aka Yakuza 7)

Appearance: Just a mop-headed ex-yakuza looking for a job.

Personality: Ichiban might seem simple on the outside - a well-meaning goofball who's a bit slow on the uptake and too stubborn to care - but there's a lot more going on under the surface. Ichiban has a rigid moral code, a sense of righteousness that colors everything he does. Heavily believing in one's honor and the responsibilities that come with it, he'll set straight anybody he sees as straying from the path. But don't think that makes him some holier-than-thou type. Ichiban is incredibly humble and will always see the best in those that get looked down on. He's no bully, and only uses his skills to protect those that need it, like a real hero.

He is really stubborn though, that part's very true.

Background: Ichiban Kasuga, born on New Years day, was an orphan who was found and raised by a soapland owner since he was a baby. Growing up in an unsavory environment didn't lend him much of a social life, but it afforded him an immense pool of compassion and empathy to people that others would see as lesser. His friendless childhood also drove him to spend most of his freetime playing Dragon Quest, leading to his obsession with the game and RPGs as a whole, eventually viewing life as one big one. Before then, during his teen years, Ichiban ran afoul of some local Yakuza and, in a bid to protect himself, name-dropped the Arakawa clan, hoping it would scare them off. Instead, it lead to the head of the Arakawa clan, Masumi, to show up in person and save Ichiban, at the cost of a finger and a humbling apology. Ichiban, shocked at Arakawa's choice to demean himself to help a random kid, all for the sake of upholding the clan's image, indebted himself to Arakawa in the hopes of joining his clan and learning from him. After months of hanging around the Arakawa office through rain or snow or shine, Arakawa eventually relented, and accepted Ichiban into the family.

Ever since, Ichiban was a loyal member to the Arakawa clan, becoming a personal favorite for the patriarch himself and even appointed as a sort of caretaker to Arakawa's wheelchair-bound son, although his direct superiors weren't so happy with Ichiban's goody goody antics. Eventually, at the turn of the 21st century, Ichiban's life would change forever; one of his commanding officers shot a rival yakuza member, and Arakawa asked Ichiban to take the fall and go to prison in his stead. Ichiban, ecstatic to finally have a chance to honor the clan's name as Arakawa had the first time they met, marched himself right to the police to confess to the crime.

18 years in the clink later, Ichiban was released to... nothing. Despite Arakawa's promises, no one was there to greet him back to the free world. Nobody save for a retired cop named Adachi, who delivers some poor news to him; the Tojo clan, to which the Arakawa family was a subsidiary of, was wiped entirely, with Arakawa now a member of the Tojo's sworn rivals the Omi Alliance. In complete disbelief Ichiban agrees to help Adachi get to the bottom of Arakawa's change in allegiance, if and why he would sell out the Tojo, and his apparent coldness towards Ichiban. However, this ultimately lead to Ichiban getting shot through the chest by Arakawa himself...

...but not dead yet. Waking up in a city called Ijincho, Ichiban was saved from death by a local homeless settlement, particularly an ex-nurse named Nanba who patched him up. Now without a job, a family, or a real place in the world, Ichiban set out to figure out the truth of his 18 year imprisonment, why Arakawa shot him, why he ended up in Ijincho, and maybe, just maybe, be able to afford dinner. (Ichiban will have been taken partway through the story - around a mid-point, rather than the start of his proper journey.)

Specialty: Adaptability, buffs & status effects, the power of friendship

Level: 1

Experience: 0/10

Powers:

• Tag Team: Essence of Mayhem - Ichiban's signature Heat Move, Essence of Mayhem is an all-out attack against a single target. Should Ichiban land a blow using this move, the target is stunned, setting them up for additional attacks from up to 3 other allies, one after the other, finishing it off with a dropkick from yours truly for devastating damage. Ichiban cannot use Essence of Mayhem if he is afflicted with a status ailment.

Strengths:

• Personality Stats - Like most people, Ichiban has a personality that's made up of several different traits - Passion, Confidence, Charisma, Kindness, Intellect, & Style. Unlike most people, these traits can provide bonuses to Ichiban; raising his resistances to ailments, increasing power for specific attacks, and boosting the effectiveness of his buffs. They all start off weak, at Lv. 1 (out of 10), though Ichiban can gain points towards their next levels by divvying up EXP gained from posts or through significant "dialogue choices" that best represent a related trait.
• Life is Like a Video Game - Having been so invested in playing RPGs in his youth, Ichiban has gained considerable knowledge of the various gaming franchises of his time. Despite being an unremarkable skill where he's from, this wealth of information is pretty useful in the World of Light, affording Ichiban details and foresight on what he may encounter that others lack.
• Inventory Space - Typical of any RPG protagonist, Ichiban possesses a near infinite amount of storage space on his person even though he realistically has, like, only five or six pockets to use. He's able to carry a staggering amount of different items, upwards of 99 of each unique kind, regardless of size, weight, bulkiness (though the common sense of it being able to be held in the first place is still required), with even perishable foods staying fresh and living creatures remaining healthy and content.

Weaknesses:

• Trying Hard to Beat the Stage - 18 years in the joint made Ichiban a fucking pussy lose his bearings in the video game world. Without the proper time to have caught up in all that he's missed, Ichiban's knowledge of video games cuts off past the year 2000, so anything that came after that time will be a mystery to him, though he may get by on context clues from long franchises.
• Flat Broke - On a level even more extreme than most, Ichiban is penniless. Or yenless. Not a single coin to his name, Ichiban's current poverty back in his home world has translated to a near cosmic constant in the World of Light - any funds he does get will be gone soon, meaning he has a time limit in being able to use the money he gains.

Inventory:

• Valuables: Cell Phone
• Weapons: Self-proclaimed Hero’s Bat (a metal bat with rusty barbed wire bunched up at the end)
• Consumables: None

Spirits:

Guest List:

• Nanba - a very close friend to Ichiban, though he views their bond as even closer due to Nanba's role in saving his goddamn life. Despite being a homeless bum, Nanba provides invaluable support, both in his knowledge of healing from his time as a nurse and his scrappy, street-level knowhow.
• The Hero - the descent of Erdrick, tasked with bringing light back to the kingdom of Alefgard. Ichiban used to play the early Dragon Quest games obsessively, so if he knew he was in the same place as this guy, he'd probably nerd the hell out about it.
• Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu - known as the "Ultimate Yakuza", Fuyuhiko was enrolled in Hope's Peak Academy with other notable Ultimates. Fuyuhiko has a few less scruples than Ichiban and a whole lot more cynicism, but much like the baby face he's stuck with, there's a softer bit of him somewhere in there.

World of Light

RANK 5 (4/50 EXP, holding 1 level) Level 2 (XP: 1/20)

Twilight Town

Seeing how little of what he said stuck with Tora, Raz's explanation of his psychic capabilities trailed off. "Uhh, nevermind. Thanks anyways," he said, awkwardly putting a bit of distance between them as everyone headed towards the docks. In spite of the stumble Raz's hopes were pretty high still. This seemed like a big deal, the entire team meeting up for what seemed like the first time in a while. He hadn't even met the rest yet! Would any of them question his being there, or would they have gotten used to random stragglers joining the cause? Was he hoping for too much that he'd be singled out? Not that he was the only newbie on board or anything.

Not to mention that, once the Seekers' ship neared Twilight Town and tied off at the docks, everyone was a bit more interested in greeting old friends than the short kid they didn't know. Raz didn't mind, though. He was more than content with sticking closer to the outskirts of the group and seeing what other sorts were part of this group. They were all pretty varied individuals, 'strange' as some might say, but Raz wasn't as quick to judge. People just looked how they looked.

More proactive in mingling with the crowd was one Wonder Red, who made a pretty quick beeline to Commander Nelson as soon as he was spotted. "Commander," Red began, "there's been a development I think you should be aware of." Red pulled up his Unite Morph specs... which... they would totally have access to, somewhere, probably. Maybe in the pendant. And pulled up the schematics for one very different Morph.

Power Get!

Unite Sword:
Wonder Red now has access to the signature Morph of fellow Wonderful One, Wonder Blue - the Unite Sword! It's everything you could want in a sword; long, sharp, and pointy. Much like any Morph it becomes larger and more powerful as it forms out of more individuals. It also has the capability of absorbing lightning and deflecting beam-like attacks.

"I'm not sure what this means exactly, sir. The way this world of Galeem works... could it mean that Wonder Blue is..." He let the sentence go unfinished. "Have any of the other Wonderful Ones gotten this morph?"

Whatever Nelson's thoughts on the matter were, Red didn't want to linger on the possibilities for long, so afterwards he turned his attention to the impromptu meet-and-greet proposed by Peach. And the first one to take up the spotlight following her was Big Band. What impressed Wonder Red the most was how similar a lot of worlds turned out to be. Much like himself and the Wonderful One-Double-Oh, Big Band was an ordinary citizen that chose to take up arms, to protect his world from a dangerous enemy. At least, that's what Red assumed - better to be optimistic about things after all. And being made out of instruments didn't lessen his expectations, too. Red's seen soldiers fight with much stranger techniques before.

After Big Band was Tora, quickly followed by Poppi. The two had been working pretty closely, Red noted earlier, but to think that one created the other? That was some impressive technical prowess. Red made a mental note to bring this up for discussion with the Commander at a later time. Maybe Tora and Professor Shirogane could trade research notes and provide some much needed support to the Wonderful Ones while they were here.

When it was Nadia's turn, she'd find herself bombarded by questions from Raz, gloved hand raised high as he bounced up and down for attention. "Excuse me, excuse me, Ms. Fortune? When you say you can 'split apart' does that mean literally, or that you can separate into individual, smaller versions of yourself? Is it only specific sections of your body or can it be anything, like, can you split your body in half length-wise, front and back? What happens to all the blood? Can you control your parts once they're split up? Is it a mental practice? If it is a mental practice, could you teach me sometime?"

Realizing that his verbal barrage had taken up more time than Nadia's whole introduction, Raz decided he might as well be the next one up since most everyone's eyes were on him anyway. He gave a meek wave as he approached the picnic bench, climbing up onto its seat in front of everyone.

"Hi there, everybody! My name's Razputin Aquato, but you can all call me Raz. I'm what's known as a Psychonaut - agent number 371, parentheses, Junior Division - trained in the arts of psychic combat, protection, and extrasensory manipulation, all in service of exploring the mental realm." He took a stance, knees bent and fingers to his temples, in an effort to look really cool. "...I guess to, uh, put it in simpler terms, I'm a psychic government agent who stops equally psychic crimes. Psychonauts like myself use this little device, the PsychoPortal," he continued, pulling out the device to show, "to project into people's minds, to help them handle whatever issues they face right at their source. So if anyone feels like they could use a mental check-up, don't be afraid to come to me!" He straightened up and gave a long smile, moving to leave the bench, only to stop short. "Oh, and if it ever comes up I'm also really good at climbing, jumping, tumbling, twirling, swinging, balancing, juggling, rolling, shimmying, leaping, diving, and other such acrobatic feats. I work in my family's circus."

With a nod Raz raised a foot over the edge of the picnic bench... then stopped yet again, and hooked his thumbs behind him towards the ocean. "And also if I ever go into water I'll die." He paused, thinking on if there were any other pressing tidbits he could give, before turning his thumbs into two thumbs-ups. "That's everything!"

Now, finally done with his spiel, Raz hurried off the bench and back into the folds of the crowd. When he returned to his old spot, a hand came down to pat him on his shoulder - Wonder Red, only barely taller than him. "That's an impressive set of capabilities Razputin Aquato, Psychonauts Agent 371, Junior Division, heir to the Aquato family circus."

"Thanks!" Raz said. Then, after a second to think, "wait did you say 'heir'?"

Wonder Red, however, had moved past Raz, taking his turn at the bench. "Hello, fellow Seekers! Pleased to make your acquaintance! I am known as Wonder Red, a member of the CENTINELS Planetary Defense Force, an international team of 100 strong that protects our world from intergalactic threat. Despite our current displacement, rest assured that we of the Wonderful One-Double-Oh will fight just as strong for this world and everyone in it as if it were our own! Any further questions can be brought to my superior, Commander Nelson. And I hope you all forgive our continued discretion in regards to our identities. Even though this isn't the world we come from, we still have to maintain a level of secrecy in case word managed to spread elsewhere." With a quick bow as curt and to-the-point as his introduction, Red stepped down, taking his place beside Nelson.

---

1,227 Words
+2 EXP

World of Light

RANK 5
4/50 EXP

Queen's Station -> Twilight Town

Raz was quick to put his hands up as a sign of peace. "It's okay! I don't pop into people's brains without asking!" He stashed the portal back into his pack. "So if we ever run into a situation that needs a Psychonaut's touch... well, you know where to find me." Raz flashed a dumb smirk to try and help ease Therion. The idea really seemed to freak him out, and Raz didn't want to leave the air too awkward between them. Well, any more awkward than it already was.

On the train ride to the next destination, Raz spent the time filling Jesse in on his whole deal as he did Therion, though with a little less theatrics. He didn't want to hit another passenger with a stray shot. "I should probably tell the people in charge about this," he said after the second explanation of his PsychoPortal. "Not like people know what Psychonauts are capable of in a lot of this world. Might be pretty useful somewhere. Say, who is in charge of our group? Is it that short, fuzzy guy and his robot friend? Or the big trombone man? Maybe even some sort've, anti-Galeem? Counter-Galeem? Galeem adjacent entity?"

Raz really wished they would've had time to stay at the MTT Resort. The underground area it inhabited looked pretty interesting, the area itself held potential mysteries - as Raz himself put it when they arrived, "How come the line is named after the Resort, and not the whole place?" - and he was seriously craving a good soda. Unfortunately, duty called, at the wrong time as it usually does, and the trio were sent back the way they came pretty fast. Raz looked wistfully up at the resort as they left it behind. "Maybe next time," he promised the building.

After a quick stop at the Metro to meet back up with everyone and collect their next line passes ("Man, this place should really invest in some easier-to-navigate architecture.") they were headed right down to Twilight Town. Much like Toro, Raz was surprised to find just how accurate the name was. Traversing a town where the sun was always the perfect level to shine right into your eyes was... annoying.

When the thought of participating in some street races came up, Raz decided to sit out, the excuse being, "the last time I was in charge of our wagon we ended up losing a wheel, one of our horses, and the entire kitchen tent. Better if I'm not within ten feet of an actual racecar. Or, uh, anything like one." Instead, Raz followed up on his earlier thought, and sought out who he figured were the closest to the "higher ups" of the organization.

"Hey, it's Tora, right? And... Poppy? I'm not sure if it'll really be helpful to the group but..." He began, going into a small discussion on the Psychonauts' modus operandi, and that maybe they didn't need to punch all of the problems they ran into all the time because of it. You know, if it helped.

---

522 Words
+1 EXP

World of Light

Level 2 (XP: 0/20)
Interactions: Scout, Sectonia @Archmage MC
Haven

With the ambush hitting its stride Wonder Red strategized quickly. The civilians' safety was paramount to his own at the moment, and while he and his compatriots could dispatch the melee advances easy, they were under the most threat by the enemies firing from cover. Without a proper team of Wonderful Ones to support him, he'd have to get creative.

Leaping into the air, Red landed on top of one of the decrepit cars sitting by the encampment's entrance. He grabbed it from above with his Unite Morph, lifting himself up in the process, and 'revved' the car, rolling it back and forwards on its rusted rims. Then, like a kid playing with a toy truck, he sent it careening ahead! And just as he let go he unmorphed, setting the borrowed Antlions atop the car as it barreled through the Ash Devils rushing towards them. The Antlions, collected so close together, sparked any Root their makeshift ride got close to and fried any bullet that wizzed past them, like a mobile electrical field.

It was a bumpy ride, between the car's neglected state, the uneven terrain, and the impacts of their enemies, but the strength of Red's Morph allowed it to continue on past the ambush, eventually upending over a deep trench, scattering Antlions everywhere. Everywhere, as it happened, behind what the ranged Root were using as cover.

As the enemy gunmen dealt and were dealt with by the Antlions and Sectonia's efforts, Red immediately went back on attack. He worked in tandem with Scout, delivering the final blow to any Ash Devil not felled by his gunfire, and soon the road to the gate was littered with bark and weapons. The only remaining problem for them now was the Hulk, finally entering the fray once more. Capitalizing on Scout's distraction Wonder Red jumped over the Hulk, delivering two swift jabs to the back and top of its head, injuring and dazing it enough for the other two adventurers to finish the job. Not quite enough to keep himself from getting hurt, though, as the Hulk lashed out with its cleaver, so big compared to Red that it more clubbed him off to the side, face first into the encampment's metal walls.

Luckily by that point the fight was largely won. The Hulk went down after the concentrated effort of the two adventurers, and what stragglers were left had enough sense to retreat now that their numbers were so low. Wonder Red looked a little worse for wear - his gauntlets scratched, bullet holes in his scarf, and a jagged cracked in the middle of his mask revealing pulsing blue circuitry - but he turned down any offer of healing supplies once they made sure everyone was inside safely.

"Excellent work, everyone," he said to not just Sectonia and Scout but also to the fighters that fended the attack off too. At least, the ones not tending to the wounded. They weren't very receptive to the praise, however, and Red didn't push the point. He turned to his partners. "We should get moving. There's not much else we can do to help here. We should make a note to inform Alcamoth about this location, too. They might be able to provide better help for the people here."

As they left for the train station, Red took a slight detour, weaving around the trenches to where the first monster had been. It had been caught by the sniper early on, and so Red decided to acquire its spirit for himself...

For Red

New Striker spiritbound:
Howler
A unique specimen of the all-consuming Root. While it seldom attacks, it will let out an ear-piercing shriek when it becomes aware of any enemies. In addition to stunning any foes close enough for a brief moment, it also summons a gang of four allied Hollows. While they have low life their small size and speed means they can swarm enemies and get some hits in with their nasty little hatchets. While the Howler is subject to typical Striker limitations, the summoned Hollows are not

Joining back up with the others, Red asked Sectonia, "Now that we're out of combat, what did you learn from the Moogle?"

- - -
Word Count: 614
EXP Gain: +1

---

RANK 5
3/50 EXP
Interactions: Therion @Yankee, Jesse @Zoey Boey
Queen's Station

Rather than stand around debating their path forward, Jesse went to go ask some locals for directions. That was a pretty smart move. Raz stayed at the crossroads with Therion, surveying the different ways to go a bit more.

"What's mana?" Raz eventually asked, looking up at the unfriendly thief, not that Raz could look at him any other way. "You mentioned it back on the train. Is that a kind of energy you use to do your powers?" Raz didn't know a lot about things outside of his psychic frame of reference, so he settled on vagueness to get through most of these conversations. A 'power' is a 'power' regardless of which universe you lived in, right?

"If you want, I can also tell you what kinda stuff I can do," he offered, "it's easier to trust each other if we're open about that, isn't it?" He summoned his levitation ball, used his TK to grab and wiggle the signpost around, and blasted part of the rock wall with a Psi blast. "That's all I can do at the moment." He de-levitated. "All my other psychic abilities are still... locked? Missing? I'm not really sure how it works. Oh! And I also have my mind reading back, too! It's not as easy like back home, but..."

Finally, he reached into his knapsack and pulled out his Psycho Portal, which just looked like a tiny door. "And there's this," Raz said, holding it up with pomp. "This is a Psycho Portal. It's what Psychonauts use to project into people's minds. I haven't gotten it to work in this weird mix-up world, though." He looked at it thoughtfully, turning it around, then glanced up at Therion. "Would you be willing to let me... try, on somebody not under Galeem's influence..."

It was around then that Jesse returned, with information. Raz nodded, looking back at the signpost. "Yeeeah, I'm usually all for a good climb, but after everything with the mountain, I wouldn't mind an easier ride, ahah."

- - -
Word Count: 349
EXP Gain: +1

World of Light

Level 1 (XP: 9/10)
Interactions: Scout, Sectonia @Archmage MC
Haven

While Scout might have seen fit to take the opportunity to rest, Wonder Red certainly didn't! He stayed standing on top of his root, keeping watch of the surroundings for any ill intent. Growing complacent wasn't the best course of action, especially in a location that seemed this hostile.

And good thing too! While Sectonia was gone, all hell broke loose; armed combatants popped up from cover, almost blending in with the nature-infested environment, and began attacking the encampment. With barely a moment's pause Wonder Red leapt from his small perch, soaring through the air towards the main brunt of the ambush. A flying, bright-red person was an easy target to aim at, but the CENITNEL suit was designed to handle small munitions with ease. Wonder Red's reflexes also made sure that any shot near enough to his exposed head was reflected away off the bracer of his Vulcan Knuckles.

He landed with a skid, kicking up some dirt as he fell in line beside the two shielded tanks, just in time for things to go from bad to worse. Out of the chaos came a real gnarled enemy, one that blew the sniper from the water tower. Regardless of her capabilities, Wonder Red did a fancy cartwheeling flip to her position in order to catch her, then leapt back behind one of the shields to safety.

"Everyone!" Wonder Red shouted to those around him, "head back for the camp's center. My compatriots and I will fend this attack off!" With that he jumped right up once more, over their cover, heading straight for the imposing Hulk. In the next blink of the eye, Wonder Red would finally show what he could bring to the table.

"Wondeeeeeer PUNCH!"

In an instant - faster than most anyone could see it - a gigantic hand formed over Wonder Red's fist. Nearly twice his size, Wonder Red maneuvered it with ease... right into the Hulk in front of him. With a spin in midair he slammed his Unite Morph into the beast, backhanded with a close fist, sending the thing careening back through the hole it made, through the line of shotgunners behind it, and embedding right into a concrete pillar on the other side.

When Wonder Red touched down again he pulled his Morph in front of him, shielding himself and those behind him from further gunfire, which plinked off the construct. Looking at it closer, one could see the green antlions Sectonia summoned within the translucent red, each one in its own piece that all seemed to lock into place like a jigsaw puzzle.

Over his shoulder, Red shouted to Scout, "No! We can't leave these people to deal with this on their own! We have a duty to protect the inhabitants of this world. They already have casualties!"

- - -
Word Count: 473
EXP Gain: +1
Level Up!

---

RANK 5
2/50 EXP
Interactions: Therion @Yankee, Jesse @Zoey Boey
Queen's Station

Raz nodded once, writing down the word 'wibbly' in his notes, before the group forged ahead. "Alright, up! Up is easy, you just find the stairs. Or, you know, an array of perfectly spaced platforms that you can jump across. Always works for me!"

Of course the one set of stairs to be found only led slightly further up than they were, nowhere closer to the surface at all. The road eventually ended at a crossroads, and while examining their options Raz suddenly spoke up. "Hey, I think I can read this stuff now!" He pointed up at the sign. "Guess writing everything down really does make a difference. Alright, let's see... Looks like that way is a Fog Canyon? And this path goes to..." He soon died down, once he realized it wasn't just him who could read the sign. "Well, okay, where should we go?"

He glanced down each way forward, making a mental note of the apparent difficulty, before giving his two cents. "Does any of these places particularly scream 'goes to the surface' to you two? We could also, maybe, go further in?" Raz gestured around them. "If this is a bug kingdom kind of place, then maybe they have a way to send signals out closer to civilization, and we're at some bug version of the outskirts? Just spitballing, here."

- - -
Word Count: 232
EXP Gain: +1

World of Light - Year Four

Lemme tell you guys, this thing is fire. Real lit. Very hype-pilled.

Nah but really, Lug is a great GM, and his commitment to making this RP engaging and continuing its long-lasting tenure is really something. If you got any interest in this genre, don't be shy!

World of Light

Wonder Red
Level 1 (XP: 8/10)
Interactions: Scout, Sectonia @Archmage MC
Nyakuza Metro -> Haven

"Everyone, if I can have your attention!" Wonder Red raised an arm, stepping away from the gathered group before everybody split off. "As I'm sure you're aware, Commander Nelson and I are part of a much larger organization; CENTINELS Planetary Secret Service, also known as the Wonderful One-Double-Oh. Even though we've managed to collect a few members after we were taken by Galeem, there are over 90 of us out there, potentially still under its influence. If you see one of our number while on recon, relay the information as soon as you can to either me or the Commander. Do not try to engage them yourselves. They could be very dangerous."

With a parting nod to Commander Nelson, Wonder Red boarded the Mint line train alongside his unusual group. The pairing wasn't as random as it might've seemed, though. Unlike his home on Earth, where civilians were familiar with the workings of the Wonderful 100, this hodgepodge world was full of people he'd never seen before. He didn't feel comfortable in using any innocents for a Unite Morph in a pinch while out in the field. Sectonia, however, could provide invaluable support with her antlions, at least until the team got their numbers up again.

Hoping to be on the same page there, Wonder Red explained all this to her. "...so you see, if we can coordinate between each other, I would be able to assist to my full capacity," he said, finishing off a long-winded speech on how their suits and Unite Morphs functioned. Their train pulled into the station just as Red wrapped up. Did he really talk for the entire ride?! Apparently not out of breath after all that, Red was quick to jump to his feet. "Stay close," Red warned his partners, even though one of them was a giant wasp and he himself was right red, not the easiest people to lose in a crowd.

When the surge of rough-and-tumble folk petered out enough to let them off the platform, Red took in the surroundings, from the derelict, rotted buildings, to the various monsters dotting the landscape. "This place seems dangerous," he noted. "Was it like this before? Or could this have happened because of this World?" Red thought this over as he took a few steps out from the station, onto a root big enough to stand on, putting him higher than the dwarven Scout. Eventually his gaze sat on the big blue tree, emanating a sense of comfort.

"We should call our Moogle someplace safer than down here," Red said, "maybe higher up? If those rooftops are any better. We could look for this area's largest hub, but there's no guarantee that would be a nicer spot for it." He turned to his compatriots. "What are your thoughts?"

- - -
Word Count: 476
EXP Gain: +1

---

Raz
RANK 5
1/50 EXP
Interactions: Therion @Yankee, Jesse @Zoey Boey
Nyakuza Metro -> Queen's Station

When Raz reached the end of the train's rails, he hopped off, landing with a little skid that turned into a half-jog back to where the group was supposed to meetup. "Got mine!" Raz held up his passbook, having managed to find the Purple line's booth along the rails. "Seems like three of us are going Purple," he said, giving his pass a wave to Jesse's and Therion's. It wasn't clear if the decision to break off into groups of three was because of Raz pointing that out, but there wasn't any harm in him thinking so.

Once they boarded their train, Raz was trying to contain his excitement. Sure, the mountain may have bested him in the long run, but this was his real strength: exploring! Being outside of such a large group meant his unique talents would pop out more, too. The actual ride to their destination would probably be the hardest part, since tiny Raz found himself between two tall, keep-to-themselves types. So, naturally, he went to break the ice, with a bit of, "So this place is going to a 'Queen's' station, AND a resort. Seems like a pretty easy mission," and some, "Ya know I've always liked purple. It's like blue... but redder!" When his attempts at small talk hit a wall, Raz too lapsed into an awkward silence. At least, until something came to mind.

"Oh, hey, excuse me?" Raz addressed Jesse, "I saw you flying around and lifting stuff with your mind before. You must be a psychic too. And a pretty advanced one, I can't even levitate like you or Milla can yet." This train of thought sparked another, and he turned his head to Therion. "Oh right, and you... Thermin? Uh, I remember you getting scared back in that mountain cavern, and I just want to assure you that my psychic abilities can't 'run out' or however you said it. They're pretty reliable!"

Whether he managed to spark a conversation or not, the train eventually reached their first stop. Not a lot of the other passengers got ready to leave, so there wasn't much rush to get to the exit. Raz took the time to dig into his pack, pulling out a small notebook and a smaller pencil. He flipped the page over. "Queeeeen's... Staaaationnn." He said as he wrote the spot's name down. "Dark," he continued, "a lot of plant growth, moist conditions, bugs. Many bugs." He scratched his pencil across the notebook three times, underlining the word 'many'. "Eh, actually, 'dark-ish' works better. Plenty of light, just scattered all over. Not quite dim, though. Foggy..."

Raz was lost in his note-taking for a while, nearly tripping over a patch of moss and into a bug-lit lantern that hung low. Eventually, though, he stopped, and took it all in properly. "Huh. This place is funky," he expertly observed. "Do you guys know how this Moogle thing works? It feels too echo-y to just call it, right? Plus I'm pretty sure we're underground... in Psychic Tales 171, Otto Mentalis was stuck in the Cavern of the Demids, and his long range Telepathilizer couldn't--" He stopped himself short, since neither of his teammates seemed interested in Psychic Tales 171. Their loss.

Clearing his throat, Raz spoke again. "Soooo. Would you guys say this place has a more wibbly or a wobbly atmosphere, exactly?" He asked, turning his attention to one of the sigils, trying to replicate it in his notes.

- - -
Word Count: 597
EXP Gain: +1