Yankee

World of Light

Ace Cadet & Pit

Word Count: 1910 (+3 exp)
Level: 9 - Total EXP: 154/90
Level: 2 - Total EXP: 60/20
Location: Nyakuza Metro

Once the meet and greet was over, it was time for lunch. With no personal matters to attend to nor any particular wants or needs, Pit stuck close to Peach and the others tasked with organizing the picnic itself. A blanket large enough to fit all twenty-something of them (with some much larger than human sized to boot) would be impossible to find, so the angel fetched a few and ran on ahead to spread them out, all the while throwing food suggestions at the others while they were in the process of buying. Viridi always said he was a glorified errand boy, but Pit had never minded that type of work. Besides, it wasn't really true anyway!

Meanwhile, the Cadet visited a few of the stores that they passed. He was curious to see if there were any unique shops, but he found it was mostly the same kind of goods one would find in any town. Not that it stopped him from perusing them, picking up little things here and there to restock his own inventory. He'd done most of that at the Alcamoth, but seeing as they'd just come from a battle on the sea and they just happened to be a in nice town, he figured he might as well top off. It was not pride that stopped him from taking Peach up on her offer of gold, but the promise of embarrassment if he had to rely on her treasury. While he still had his own funds he'd try not to mooch too hard.

The lunch itself was very pleasant. There was an incredible spread, not just in variety but sheer number - as expected, with so many food fiends in their group. Conversations were lively, and Pit flitted from one to another, jumping into any conversations he could hear with comments or questions and generally would have been making a nuisance of himself if not for the warm and relaxed atmosphere. As people were still getting to know each other, most didn't mind it. The Cadet noted Nadia's haircut back into the shorter bob style she'd sported before. It was a look she obviously preferred, and it did look good on her - he told her as much as everyone settled down onto the blankets. Afterward he took Wonder Red up on trading techniques, although their discussion didn't get very far into "techniques" per se. The hunter gleefully spent time talking about the Hunter's Guild, how it handled missions and monsters, and how it functioned in general. He also listened with interest to the more in depth details on the Wonderful 100, and the kind of threats they faced and how they were deployed. Their talk was cut short when Bowser Junior got back from the Alcamoth and mentioned a surplus of items, which was something the Cadet didn't want to miss. He took a trip back to Smash City, and returned not long after with a interesting weapon tucked into his backpack.

Finally, on the topic of who was headed where, the hunter would be headed underground and sticking with Ms. Fortune and the Troop, and other allies new and old. Meanwhile Pit declared he would be going to Dystopiascape to follow through with the end of the "Neo Red Team" mission. Anything that wasn't eaten during lunch, which wasn't much, was wrapped up safely to go.

One train ride later and the Seekers were in the subway's main lobby. Like the other newcomers to the Nyakuza Metro, both the Ace Cadet and Pit were impressed with the place. The colors, the look of it, the smell even. Sadly, they didn't have long to take it all in before things went... well, as they usually did. Not in the Seekers' favor.

"Already?" the Cadet asked. It had barely been a couple hours since the last ambush! And yet here they were with an actual bounty on their heads. He couldn't help but laugh at Karin's exclamation that said bounty was too low. At first he prepared himself for a fight, but soon after seeing the sheer number of cats advancing on them he agreed with Peach's assessment: it was time to run.

The Seekers scrambled, splitting into three groups: those bound for the Under, those heading toward Dystopiascape, and the Phantom Thieves on their way to the Gray Line. Those that knew their way around already took the lead, and the rest followed in anyway that they could.

When the cats swooped in front of the group and seemingly blocked the way, everyone else headed to the Purple Line got around it - some leaped, some flew, some took detours. The monster hunter, for all his strength, endurance, and at times cleverness, had always been lacking in speed. The wave of metro cats was quicker than he was, and by the time he was close enough to try to grapple an overhang and swing over the mass he was surrounded on all sides. He tried the grapple anyway, but the crowd of cats as not keen to let yet another Seeker pass - a few daring kitties jumped up and knocked the clutch claw off course where it fell to the ground. When the Cadet reeled it back in, a metro cat rode the contraption right back towards him and jumped onto his shoulders. Rather than a friendly purr, it took hold of his armor and tried to tip him over into the waiting claws of it's fellow felines. Just one cat trying was useless, and the Cadet quickly shook it off, but the others seemed encouraged and all at once the horde rushed in and swallowed the hunter.

"Get - off -!" he struggled, fending off cats from literally every direction as they scrabbled not just around him but above and underfoot as well. This was quickly becoming a cat-astrophe, and though the Cadet's armor saved him from any dire wounds he could feel the cats trying to get into the spaces between and try prying his protection off or otherwise immobilizing him.

"Okay, enough kitten around!" The Master Bang was in his hands, and though it was with some difficulty due to the sheer number of cats mobbing him, the Cadet pulled off his sword art of Round Force. The spin was wider than the length of his blade, and the force that was enough to push fellow hunters into the air flung all of the cats surrounding him off. With some breathing room now the Cadet could see that he'd been pushed backward away from the direction he'd been heading. It was with a sinking feeling in his chest that he noted he didn't see any of the other Seekers around at all.

The was until he felt a weird pull, his vision stretch and blur, and then suddenly he was not on the ground floor surrounded by metro cats but splayed on a walkway with Wonder Red and Big Band standing around him. The Cadet scrambled to his feet, eyes wide and a little freaked out.

"What happened?" He questioned, getting a quick explanation from Red that he and Band had been dragged into his Unite Morph. Seeing as that's probably what saved him from being captured or worse, the Cadet wasn't mad - he'd have to thank the guy later, in fact. For now, he made to escape with the other two men in any direction they could, even if it meant they'd be separated from the others.

Meanwhile on the path to the Black Station, everyone hurried after Raz. Though many had only met the psychic that day, it said a lot that they were willing to trust him to lead them to safety in this situation. Pit sprinted along after him, keep a close eye so as not to lose him in all the twisting, turning, and general chaos of enemies on their tail. He also tried not to think about if he didn't have a guide to follow, he would definitely have gotten hopelessly lost and overrun.

As it was, the cats were fast - and the fastest among them did try to outrun the heroes. With the Palutena Bow split into it's two blades, Pit fended off any cats that tried getting in their way. His haste combined with his natural quickness had Pit toward the front of the group. By the time they got close enough to the station's entrance where Raz pointed up, the angel was covered in scrapes and scratch makes where cat claws and improvised weapons reached him before he could reach them.

"Aw man, all the way up there?" It didn't seem like the elevator would make it to them in time, and even if it did those kinds of doors were notoriously slow to close. Climbing it was. Or in his case, jumping. With a running start Pit leapt up and pushed off the side of an indoor shop, and with the help of his wings he got pretty high before he had to kick off the pipe itself and do it again, heading up.

As he was ascending, Pit caught sight of a pair of slightly different looking kind of cats. They shuffled around a level or two higher than the one the Seekers were on, and then peered over the edge. In their paws they produced something cartoonishly bomb-looking, so much so that Pit could only assume that was exactly what it was. And the cats held it out over the side, ready to drop it on the group below. The bomb didn't look very big, but still - wasn't that a little much?!

"Oh no you don't!" Pit kicked off the tube and clicked the two halves of the bow back together. He soared toward the group, spinning his sword in hand when they threw the little explosive at him as he predicted they would. It bounced off of the attack, striking the underside of the walkway instead where it blew in a small fiery wave. There didn't seem to be any structural damage, but the pathway shook from the miniature explosion, giving Pit enough of an opening to flap his wings and join the cat guards on the walkway where they put up little fight. With them taken care of and, unbeknownst to Pit the other ambushing sniper cats already handled by Midna, the rest of the Seekers at least wouldn't have to deal with any nasty surprises from above. They would still have to deal with the cats on the ground floor, but that was something angel could help with as well.

Pit finished making his way to the Black Station, and taking up a high spot he looked back the way he'd come for any stragglers. With the bow pulled back and light arrow formed, he could reverse the situation just a little bit and take shots to cover the other Seekers that hadn't made it up yet. Pit was competitive, but they didn't need to win they needed to escape, so any opening he could give them would be useful. The angel loosed his arrows, pinging off of any cats that got too close to the others. The largest and most dangerous looking opponents were his targets for the most part, whether they were burly catmen built like mountains giving chase or sneaky catmen firing at his friends, the brilliant blue arrows found their marks. Due to the way the arrows could change direction they provided some good cover fire.

Current Mood in One Gif

Fate/Grand Jackpot - Gamble For Humanity [DISCONTINUED]

Things are moving along I see. It's gonna be a bit longer for me, so I'm just checking in for now.

World of Light

^{____________________________________________________}
Level: 7 - Total EXP: 139/70 ------ Level: 4 - Total EXP: 54/40
𝙱𝙿 ●●●●● ---------------------------- 𝙱𝙿 ●●●●●
Word Count: 3564 (+4 exp)
Location: The Land of Adventure - Twilight Town

After the meet and greet, the mob of Seekers made their way into the heart of town. From their they split up, each with their own tasks, wants, or needs. Primrose had already been down Market Street a couple times at that point and had already made a personal purchase, so instead of window shopping she volunteered to help procure some food for the group. Therion kept an eye out for any treasure chests he wouldn't have been able to see from the race track, but didn't mind any. He thought about finding some kind of appraiser, or at the very least a pawn shop to exchange the gems he had into leaves - or gold or whatever currency was widely accepted here. Then again, if a princess was footing people's bills, there wasn't any pressing need for that.

And just like that, the Seekers were laid out on a grassy hill, eating and chatting like they weren't the would-be saviors of the world.

As the entire group went on to discuss the mysteries other groups out in the world as well as their next move, Primrose recalled the conversation she'd had with the Master of Masters before she set off with the Yellow Team. "There is someone in the Under who can deal with lingering regrets. A Confessor. For the right price, she can summon lost spirits." That was what he'd told her, right before chuckling and adding, "At least, that’s what I hear." Primrose liked to think that she was a good judge of character, and although the Master of Masters had been hard to pin down, she was not inclined to think he was a liar after all this time. So when the time came to vote on what to do and where to go, the dancer put forth her opinion: the Under.

She didn't explain why to the group at large. It wasn't like the information she'd been given was a secret, but... she felt more comfortable keeping it to herself. Even after fighting side by side with new friends and fusing with spirits, Primrose still kept some things close to her chest.

Once that was sorted out she leaned back and propped herself up on her elbows, just enjoying the view and the loud, but comfortable, peace before they all had to head back to the subway. Unsurprisingly, Therion was sat next to her with his legs crossed in front of him. He wasn't shy, he just wasn't the type that made friends easily. Or at all, given he'd only become Primrose and the other Travelers' friend by both coincidence and convenience. At some point he had wrangled an entire fruit platter into his lap and was picking at it, and he'd deigned not to join in the conversation about which areas to go to. He was wholly unfamiliar with the new world after all, and even if he wasn't he didn't really care which spot they tackled next. He did glance over at Primrose though, curious as to her reason for choosing the Under.

"Any reason you picked that place?"

When she answered him it was in a slightly hushed tone, and though mostly drowned by the voices of other Seekers it was not soft enough that she couldn't be overheard. "Do you know what a necromancer is?"

"Yeah. I think." Therion closed his eyes, searching his memory. "After the stuff in Quarrycrest, Cyrus mentioned them and some other kinds of forbidden magic." He cracked his eyes open again, giving the dancer a sidelong look. "...why?"

"I'm told there is a necromancer of sorts there, somewhere in the Under. Someone that can call spirits back from the other side. I want to meet such a person. That kind of power, here in this kind of world..." she let her head fall back, facing the sky. "It feels too important to ignore."

"Hm." He supposed she was right. He didn't know much about that kind of magic, but from what he recalled from the professor's long winded and jargon heavy explanations, necromancy mostly ended in shambling bones and animated corpses. But in this messed up world where you could hold someone's very spirit in the palm of your hand? Maybe it would be like true resurrection. "Under works for me. Rather be under a mountain than on top of one again."

With the two Orsterrans decided on their path, they spent the rest of the time trying to relax and privately thinking about the other Seekers. The two groups had mingled and now the composition of each was different. As for the group headed for the Under alongside Primrose and Therion...

"The Ace Cadet" came off not as capable as he wanted himself to sound, though Therion thought the more bodies between some monster and me, the better. The "Koopa Troop" were a lot, and they certainly made an impression. Whether it was a good or a bad one remained to be seen. Primrose thought the father and son dynamic was rather cute, and that Junior's diverse skill set would certainly be useful. Therion was sure that Bowser was a blowhard and did not take a single word the king had said seriously. He was more interested in the weird little granny, who actually seemed like she had the most information out of any of the Seekers. She was one to keep an eye on and an ear out for. Rika was a mystery to them both - a human arsenal seemingly only born a few days ago. She did seem about as capable as most of the other Seekers though, so she did have that going for her. As skeptical as they might have been about the Troop, Omori's introduction had them even more so. He appeared to be just a boy in loose pajamas, and he explained his abilities worked based on emotions. What about fear? Love? Loathing? Primrose thought, while Therion wrote the whole thing off more or less. These guys really do take anyone, huh? The reptilian looking sorcerer was an enigma.

Besides Band, the only others from the desert team going underground were Sectonia and Jesse. Primrose had gotten used to the insect queen's eccentricities already, and Therion was only beginning to catch on to the fact she considered herself a literal lord over the rest of the Seekers. He would have to try very hard to stop himself from doing things to spite her, and most likely he would fail and do them anyway. By contrast Jesse was more or less a regular person, save for the psychic powers. At times she was insightful, and at others so blase it was shocking. Therion didn't know what to think of her, but Primrose had liked her almost immediately - it was why she had invited the woman to join the Seekers after investigating the museum in Al Mamoon together. The admission that people that she knew were in danger was a surprising one. They'd have to make that their next stop after conquering the Under.

The other Seekers they probably wouldn't see for a few days. More of the Yellow team were headed to the Dystopiascape than the Under. Bede they'd only met this morning, so Therion held no real opinion of him other than that the kid could stand to get a reality check. Primrose hoped that he'd be alright going forward, and that his Pokémon were enough to protect him. Once an enemy saw through his link with the Pokémon as she had during their earlier battle, it would be dangerous for him. Midna was an intense ball of energy, who had strong emotions and opinions - and she was one of the Seekers that Primrose felt closest to, given that they set out together and everything that had happened. She was looking forward to seeing her again and what new changes she went through.

The others they would have to get to know more another time, as they were strangers headed off in another direction. Of those, the ones that made the biggest impression were Karin and Blazermate. The former, with her many accolades and confident nature, drew opposite reactions out of the Travelers. Primrose could not bring herself to dislike a woman who knew what she was about, while Therion thought that she was exactly the type of person he loved robbing. Wonder what her mansion looks like, he commented to himself with a smirk. The latter had a bubbly personality and boasted of some impressive healing abilities, which would always be useful. After them, a robot that was also a businesswoman (who made others of herself? The Travelers couldn't really tell), and a nervous brunette who claimed to be good at fighting. On these two Seekers, Primrose and Therion's thoughts were almost the same. For the both of them, Tressa came to mind. It would be interesting to introduce her to everyone, but especially to Susie and Sakura. Primrose was glad that Sakura and Karin had each other, too. Finally, another monster hunter and an angel. Between the two hunters, Geralt looked much more experienced and actually could use magic. He apparently also had a wife, which made Primrose giggled when he mentioned it so nonchalantly. As for Pit, a winged boy wasn't so strange when compared to the rest of the Seekers. If he actually was an angel in a traditional sense, then they supposed it wasn't far-fetched that he actually did have "world-saving" experience. He didn't mention any divine powers, which was... surprising, to say the least. It would be pretty sad (or pathetic, as Therion would say) if his version of Aelfric didn't bestow any, when even humans in Orsterra had the ability to gain a god's favor with enough hard work.

Overall, the Seekers were a varied and interesting bunch. As a group their members ranged from small to huge, from the martially inclined to the magical, human, not-so-human, and everything in between. Primrose was looking forward to getting to know them all just a little better and, begrudgingly, Therion was too.

---

Soon enough it was time to get going. On the way back to the station Primrose put some thought into the single spirit she still had in her possession, that of the battle nun. She considered fusing with it, but even with the Snacktivator it didn't seem worth it. She decided just to itemize it and move on, though with Rosaria's spirit being a part of her now she wouldn't be able to completely put that abbey on the mountain behind her.

For Primrose

New item obtained:
Night Maiden Twin Crown
A fanciful piece of protective headwear that incorporates elements of both nobility and asceticism into an understated whole. Much better than nothing or purely decorative headwear for physical defense, but stronger against magic, particularly sorcery and incantation. Boosts resistance to poison as well

Throughout the walk to and through the Metro, the Travelers did not stick close to each other. While Therion hovered around the outside of the pack of people, Primrose walked with the Phantom Thieves. They were headed out on their own, and though the dancer knew they were capable she couldn't help but worry for the teenagers. She wanted to bid them a proper farewell, until next time.

"Keep an eye on the boys, they'll be completely lost without you," she told Panther, giving the girl a warm smile. If Primrose was one for hugging she may have offered the girl one, but she was not, so after a few encouraging words and a wave to Alibaba, she moved off to find Therion and prepare to depart on the Purple Line.

It was only a matter of time until the afternoon peace came to an end, but that it happened so soon and in the Metro of all places came as a surprise. The unsettling voices that echoed throughout the area, and the sudden disappearance of the subway's patrons signaled something nefarious was beginning. It all fell into place when Ms. Fortune exclaimed that there was a hit out on them.

Gods damn it, Therion thought, he and Primrose pressing in toward the group and preparing for the unexpected. What were they expected to face now? The dancer had steeled her expression into one of indifferent determination, getting ready to battle... only to met with hundreds of enemies, so many that their steps shook the Metro itself.

With the swarm coming in, there really was only one thing to do: run. As the Purple Line was the path he, Raz, and Jesse had taken earlier Therion knew exactly how to get there, so he wasted no further time standing around.

"This way!" he shouted, bolting in the direction of the Purple Station. Therion was quick, and garbed in clothing matching the station's color he made a good guide for the others headed to the Under to follow - as long as they were fast enough. He wasn't about to wait around risking his life for any slowpokes. Primrose ran after him, and though she could feel a new found distaste for fleeing bubbling in her gut, she knew the right move here was to run. Unfortunately she couldn't exactly dance in this situation to raise the Seekers' speeds, but if nothing else she could help clear a path if it came down to it. Her magic began to pool in her hands as she followed her friend, his poncho billowing like a signal flag ahead of her.

The metro cats surged, not only chasing after Seekers but trying to get ahead of them and block their escape routes. Therion's eyes flickered up, but the balconies and walkways above were also littered with cats. Seeing two crashing waves of black fur rushing in from the left and right ahead of him, the thief drew his dagger. It was more for security than anything else, he did not intend to fight his way through. As the two waves met in the middle and began flooding the area leading to the Purple Line, Therion ran straight for them. Then he leapt, pushing with both of his feet right off a cat's head. Packed as tight as they were, even the most lightweight cats were supported by their brethren around them, making it possible for the thief to literally travel over them. He kicked off of their heads, backs, and continued straight towards his destination. The felines underfoot swiped at him with their claws or blades of their own, and some pulled themselves from the flood to lunge at him, but all were fended off with the sting of his dagger.

"It's not too much farther down!" he called back as he continued hopping from head to head, avoiding sharp claws.

Primrose had taken a similar, though fundamentally different approach. She could sail over the mass of metro cats thanks to her scarf's floating magic, putting her out of harm's way - for the most part. While the cats on the ground focused on the other Seekers, tumbling over themselves to get at anyone they could, the ones that waited on the levels above peeked over the edge and brandished their weapons in anticipation.

"Beware," she warned her teammates, opening a circle for her Night Ode spell in the middle of the seething group of cats. Sensing danger, the cats parted and left an open spot for people to rush through. The spell erupted afterward taking out any felines that weren't able to get out of it's way fast enough, and the remains of the magic left the opening for a few more moments before the swell of cats was too great and closed the gap as they continued trying to catch the Seekers.

At that point the cats above put their plan into action. They began flinging themselves at the flying Seekers, including Primrose. Their aim wasn't anywhere near perfect, but they only had to get lucky a few times. If a couple of cats could drag them down into the thick of waiting fur and claws, their prey would be in for a horrible time. Whenever a cat managed to land on her, she grabbed it and flung it as far as she could. Only a few managed to scratch her before being thrown.

True to Therion's word, the lighting began taking on a more purple color the closer they got to the station. He knew it was only a matter of seconds until it came into view. They wouldn't be home free until they were as far away from the Nyakuza Metro as possible, but when he caught sight of that ticket booth the first hints of relief began to form.

Then, a blur of orange and blue to his left. Therion snapped his attention toward it just in time to see an attacker swing down from the level above, and feet first the man used the swing's momentum to deliver a harsh kick into the thief's side. Therion went crashing from atop the river of cats into a wall, feeling his bones rattle as he connected with the brick. He lifted his head, seeing the cat-earred man standing in the throng of metro cats - just before the masked furballs all rushed toward him at once. Therion pushed himself off of the wall and dove out of the way, rolling and coming up crouched as the cats smashed into the spot he'd just been.

He didn't stay in place for long, as the feral little animals turned and gave chase. They forced Therion to back away down an adjacent corridor where he disappeared from the other Seeker's eyesight, breaking off from the main horde of kitties to corner him. Before they could overwhelm him, the thief lashed out with blade in hand. Swipes and stabs deterred them from getting too close, for now at least.

"Do you mind? I'm gonna miss my train," Therion said, raising his blade defensively. His words may have been light, but his heart was starting to really hammer in his chest as he realized the cats were trying to isolate him and make him into easier prey.

"Sorry, nothing personal," came the stranger's voice. It was relaxed, unhurried, and the man even smiled at Therion as he spoke. Unsurprisingly, the red glow of Galeem's light covered the cat man's mismatched eyes. "You know how it is. You heard the boss lady, right? So, prepare yourself..."

He stalked toward Therion, a powerful aura beginning to surround him as he appeared to transform. "I'm gonna bring you down."

Meanwhile, the Purple Station was in sight at that point in all of it's neon glory. Beyond it were the cat-pulled trains that would bring them to safety. Primrose didn't even want to entertain the thought that those cats, too, would be out for their lives. Here the mass of enemies wasn't as thick, though that was sure to change soon. Primrose alighted to let her scarf recharge it's magic, running on foot with some of her allies.

She'd seen a group of the metro cats break off and chase Therion off of the path, so she needed to take a detour to collect him. "Go ahead," he said to the other Seekers, letting them know that she and her fellow Traveler would catch up. Then she darted off.

It had been no more than a minute, but then Primrose rounded the corner she found a scene of ash and blood. In the corridor Therion was locked in desperate battle with a feline beast about the size of a tiger. Teeth and claw marks dripping red marred his arms, and from beneath the hair covering one side of his face blood ran from his temple to his chin. The laguz sported wounds of his own, including a cracked fang where it had bit down on the thief's metal bracelet, but most were shallow cuts and the poison laced in Therion's dagger only slowed it down instead of debilitating it. Around the both of them were the remnants of metro cats, their ashes scattered over the ground and their spirits floating. Some metro cats still lived, tense and waiting to jump into the fray at a moment's notice, but Primrose would make sure they didn't get the chance.

At the moment that Therion managed to put even a little distance between himself and the wild cat, Primrose moved in with Ravaging Confession. She appeared in the blink of an eye behind the beast, sinking her own dagger into the skin just in front of it's haunch. From the impact point, dark magic bloomed. The cat roared out in pain, turning on her as the second stab fell short, becoming a slash instead across it's side. She stepped away, preparing for a fight, but with the cat's back to Therion the thief took his chance to end things. He lunged at it, and straddling the beast he fisted one hand in it's fur and raised his blade high in the other.

"Gotcha," Therion hissed, bringing the dagger down at the base of the cat's skull. It was a critical blow, and the laguz could do no more than mewl before it's body crumbled.

The metro cats, at first stunned at what had happened, grew restless again and prepared to pounce - though the Travelers were already on the move again. There was no time to exchange words, together they just booked it back toward the Purple Station. It was only by habit at this point that Primrose scooped spirits up as she ran. The dancer's longer strides and Therion's overall speed saw them back at the station quickly, and they hurtled toward the train - ducking, dodging, shoving, and flat out sprinting through the mad furry obstacles.

~Hello Friends~ New Person Alert :)

Welcome! Fantasy RPs are pretty popular around here so hopefully you find some you're interested in. Enjoy your stay!

𝘌𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘈𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘴 - 𝘈𝘳𝘤 𝘐: 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘭

_{Location: Dante's Run - Fito's Ferry // Evening}
^{_________________________________________}

Yrga was actually going to help him out? That was a relief. Barbatos kept cool, letting her explain. She wasn't going to get directly involved - Fair enough, that's smart. - and instead she produced a key. To a door.

"Coy as ever," he commented. Discretion like that, playful or not, was what made her one of the better agents for hire out there though. Barbatos fixed his eyes on the key, examining it visually before he reached out to split it into his hand. It felt as ragged as it looked. His eyes flickered back to Yrga's face as she went on.

"Ah... my favorite goblin," he said, clearly facetious. Truth be told Rooster wasn't the worst to deal with, and he would have to talk to the little man sooner or later when dealing with Pepito. Might as well make it sooner. That worked out fine for Barbatos - and perhaps if he hustled he could even catch that band of travelers making their way into town before they got eaten alive by the city.

With that thought in mind Barbatos lingered for only a moment or two more before he pushed his chair back and stood. In one swift movement the debt on the table was cleared away and safe in his bag, and the bartender had a few coins tossed his way. The demon blooded man had laughed off Yrga's earlier comment when he mentioned he'd pay, a deep chuckle that he couldn't help. Many people in Goeta couldn't wrap their brain around the fact that a little charity (or in this case, paying one's tab) went a long way. Yrga was proof of that even, she chose to help him because he'd shown her kindness in the past, and now here they both were.

"I'd better get going, see if I can catch him in a good mood then." The key and the finger were tucked away on his person. "Thanks. "

He offered her a small smile and a corny two fingered salute before making for the door before he could hear those oh so familiar words, you owe me one.

Xiaolin Showdown: Fight for the Shen Gong Wu!

Sounds fair enough!

What Are You Listening To?

World of Light

Word Count: 2275 (+3 exp)
Level: 2 - Total EXP: 56/20
Location: The Land of Adventure - Twilight Town

When the crowd of people quieted down and the introductions began, Pit paid very close attention to each and every one. In the past, he would rely on the Goddess he served to give him information about the foes he faced, or the allies he fought with. She held vast knowledge not only their own universe, but those beyond. She even mentioned once she had access to an "arch-villain database," so her information was not limited to high profile heroes. Now though, he was flying solo. Well not exactly flying, but the point stands! So in lieu of Palutena's guidance, he concentrated on what the Seekers chose to say about themselves. This way while they were in the field, he could better fight alongside them.

One of the first to speak was 'Big Band,' an total stranger and definitely a heavyweight. The man just exuded cool - after all there was almost no way to make a cyborg detective sound lame. He didn't go into the 'twist of fortune,' but Pit hoped it was something awesome and not, well, awful. He also hoped that the two of them would get along, even if Pit wasn't yet mature enough to develop a taste for free-form jazz.

Following him was a duo, and something about them struck Pit as familiar. His brows scrunched together in thought as Tora went on, and then the light-bulb went off over his head. Oh, he's like Shulk's friend! Uh, what was his name again? Ricky? Something like that! Pit was patting himself on the back that he managed to recall another Nopon, and because of that he already felt closer to Tora. Plus, his skills as an inventor were amazing if he was able to build a robot as advanced as Poppi. Speaking of which, Poppi said something that caught Pit's ear in a big way.

"You can transform?" the angel asked with sparkles in his eyes. He couldn't wait to see what her other modes looked like. He pictured her offensive mode as some kind of robo-ninja with blade extensions all over, and her evasive mode with wheels and jet thrusters. "That's so cool!"

Next up was Ms. Fortune, who he'd met earlier that morning at Smash City Alcamoth. He knew that her claims about splitting up and staying alive were nothing but truthful. He also saw her shoot a laser from her eye, so she was also on his "cool list" (which to be fair was not a great achievement, since most people Pit had met were on it). She also made plain her love of puns. "...Oh! I get it now. 'Peach-Pit.'" He said, seemingly out of the blue. That was a terrible joke! The angel grinned all the same though, as it was something he could picture Lady Palutena saying during one of her pieces of advice.

The next to go was a boy named Raz, who followed up his multitude of questions with a ton of information about himself and his organization. All of which Pit boiled down to one thing: he was psychic. Pit crossed his arms and nodded as if he perfectly understood everything Raz was saying. Psychics were strong, he knew from experience. Plus the way they floated around and used their PK moves made them hard to catch, which seemed to apply to Raz as well. The Psycho-Portal was new though. "I always wondered what it looked like inside my own head!"

Pit was not as starstruck as Junior when it came time for Wonder Red to introduce himself, but only because he has technically already met the hero before. It had been when the Virgin Victory first made contact. The meeting following their return to Alcamoth wasn't the most pleasant, but it didn't put any damper on Pit's feelings on the man. He was a bonafide superhero with a whole super team, so he was pretty cool in Pit's book. It was pretty amazing that their group had both robots and superheroes.

Something about the next to go up seemed familiar to Pit as well, as it had with Tora earlier. It wasn't just that Roxas shared his spiky blonde hair and dark outfit with another Smasher, there was something else he couldn't put his finger on. Maybe he'd been on the list of invitees for the latest tournament before Galeem ruined everything? Or maybe he just had one of those faces? Well whatever! he thought, dismissing the feeling, Looks like he's got his own reasons to join. Maybe once he gets de-Galeemified I can ask if he ever got one of those invitation letters.

Primrose's charm had not real effect on the angel, besides that his face turned slightly red at the display. She seems like one of those... uh, what are they called... femme fatals? Basically, a seductress. Without some serious magic Pit was confident nothing like that would work on him, but Primrose was an ally anyway. She claimed to be a mage, but she looked physically strong too. In contrast the man that went after her (who wasn't much taller than Pit himself) did not look too strong nor magically inclined. Instead, he was a rogue archetype. It was hard to tell if they were a duo or not, but with their skill sets they probably worked well together either way.

Moving on, the next was the Ace Cadet. It was a pretty neat title, but didn't it actually mean he was kind of low on the totem pole? Being a 'Cadet' and all. Pit grinned to himself and puffed up his chest proudly, since he technically outranked such a strong looking guy.

It took a little while into Midna's introduction for Pit to recognize her. She'd definitely been to a few tourneys, participating as an assist fighter. She looked pretty different now, the result of a lot of spirit fusions no doubt. It seemed like she had a bunch of abilities to show off besides that big hand she always flung people with. Once she was finished, Pit gave her a little wave of acknowledgement.

Following her up was the Koopa Troop, whom along with Princess Peach the angel knew well. Ever since that battle against the Subspace Army and Tabuu, he'd been fighting against and alongside them since. He recalled a time that he'd been pretty nervous around Bowser before he realized the king was more kind-hearted then he let on. And more goofy too. The members of the mushroom kingdom denizens he knew the least about were Kamek and... Rika? For one, Pit had thought Kamek was male. Maybe she originally was? For second, Rika didn't fit the troop's aesthetic at all. He had met her earlier too, and was surprised to know she was part of the Troop. She went on to mention she had been part of the Abyssal fleet, which made sense. Seeing former enemies freed and fighting together with them was really encouraging.

Sectonia, one of the weirder looking people among the group, made a lot of claims and showed off a lot of abilities. She was big, alien, and on top of being strong - Space AND time? Isn't that pretty over powered?! - she had the attitude of one of those kinds of royals. More like a Dedede than a Daisy, then. The implication she made that she considered the other Seekers as her minions went right over Pit's head, and since he didn't see any of her 'minions' around he thought she might be as full of hot air as Dedede was too.

After her were more robots, this one much more robotic looking than the others. Plus a healer to boot! He wondered if Blazermate and Poppi could combine, given they were both completely artificial. Or if Blazermate could transform into a new mode like her. The medabot mentioned that (pretty gross) shield, so this heavily armored version could be her defense mode!

In comparison, the next robot girl looked more on the girl-side, like an in-between of Blazermate and Poppi but missing a lot of limbs. She was cute, in a doll sort of way. Once she starting going on about business Pit was beginning to get lost, not able to follow her words, but when she summoned her mech suit his eyes sparkled once again with interest. A tailor-made mech that she could just summon whenever she wanted? That was awesome.

Next was Karin, and despite the disagreement back on the Tinkerslug Pit could tell that she was a good person. Somewhere deeeeeep down under her haughty words and self-importance. She was the type that Pit tended to bicker with, so he could only hope that she wouldn't hold it against him in the long run, as he wouldn't be holding it against her. As long as they were on the same side, he'd consider her an ally if not a friend. There was one thing, though.

"Did she say ninja army?" The statement was made so casually that Pit almost didn't catch it. Having a whole army of ninjas would not only be super helpful, but also super awesome.

Her friend Sakura did not boast the number of accomplishments that Karin did, but what she did mention was, honestly, impressive. Pit couldn't even read, so knowing two languages was cool. Plus forty pounds of hotdogs? That beat his own record of most hotdogs eaten in one sitting. Sakura had clapped for a few other people, and so Pit returned the favor and gave her a round of applause. She seemed nervous, so hopefully it helped.

And after that...

"..."

Geralt was a way better person than he seemed to think he was. It was still crazy that the man didn't seem to hold a grudge against Pit, true to his word. Pit still felt bad about what had happened between them, but if Geralt was putting it in the past then so would he. Remember and be better, Pit had told Omori. He took his own words to heart. The angel hoped that if they worked together more, he would not feel as awkward around the Witcher, even if it took a while for it to happen.

Once Geralt was finished there was another short lull before anyone else went up. Should I go next? Pit thought to himself. For some reason it felt weird to do it right after Geralt, but... well, it didn't have to be weird if he didn't make it weird. So without further ado, Pit decided that he would be next up to the plate.

Eagerly he hopped up onto the table before the crowd. He took a very deep calming breath to get out of the mindspace he'd put himself into. It took a second, but then he fixed a sunny smile onto his face and stood with his feet planted apart both of his fists resting on his hips and his wings spread out wide. He made himself look as tall as he could, which wasn't much considering that he appeared to be a fresh faced boy of about thirteen years of age. He sported a white tunic, leather leg and arm guards, and a golden laurel crown that sat on his fluffy brown hair. He was the very picture of a classical angel. His looks did not do his experience as a soldier justice, though Pit was happy to remind people of this.

"My turn! My name is Pit! I'm a proud servant of the Goddess of Light, Lady Palutena. I'm also the captain of her royal guard, and as you can see I'm an angel too!" For emphasis on that last bit, he flapped his wings dramatically.

"I've been around the block a few times too, definitely saved the world more than once. Well my world anyway, and helped save some others kinda. Worlds... plural?" He didn't think much about how the three realms in his universe were all called "-world." Regardless, he continued. "I've got lots of fighting experience, including with a bunch of different weapons, but I'm best at long range. My light arrows can pull off stuff like this!"

Pit didn't plan on doing any fancy display, but something came to mind that might be fun and informative. He summoned the Palutena Bow into his hand to show off the sleek gold and blue weapon, as he did the halos of light appeared around his wrist. He pulled back on some invisible, ethereal bowstring and shot the light arrow into the air where it proceeded to zig-zag and do a loop-the-loop before vanishing.

He wasn't about to show off his entire arsenal, especially since he didn't have access to much of it still. That would have to be good enough. There was something else that he left out of his introduction, a weakness that he hoped wouldn't come up too much during the course of the Seekers' adventure: his flightlessness. It wasn't that he was ashamed of it, because he definitely wasn't, but... it just was something personal that didn't need to be brought up! Besides, plenty of his fellow Smashers already knew. Maybe. He did have Lady Palutena's help during the early tournaments. Once they found her in this world too, then she could lend them all her power - including the Power of Flight, so it didn't matter if he couldn't fly right now anyway. Or so he told himself.

Satisfied, Pit turned his smile back on the group of Seekers. He dispelled the bow and pumped one fist into the air as he finished off his introduction. "Everyone I've already met, and everyone I'm meeting for the first time... it's good to be fighting with you! Galeem might have got the best of us the first time around, but we're gonna kick it's butt this time!"

World of Light

Word Count: 1214 (+2 exp)
Level: 9 - Total EXP: 151/90
Location: The Land of Adventure - Twilight Town

"Hey, long time no Ceadeus!" The Ace Cadet said to the members of the Yellow Team he had already gotten to know before they all split up, flashing them a wide smile. He was getting caught up in the chaotic greetings, eager to swap stories on how the battle across the desert had gone, but he reigned in it enough to listen to everyone's introductions.

Mechanical people were far from the weirdest thing the Cadet had seen so far in the World of Light. In fact, he thought it was pretty cool in general. This included Poppi of course, but it was especially so for Big Band, who deployed a bunch of different musical instruments all at once. It was like he was fused with a hunting horn or something, which by the way would definitely be one of the Cadet's top picks if he had to fuse with a weapon. Band seemed like a cool guy. When he made mention of the 'Skullgirl' though, the Cadet was reminded of that conversation at the inn in Limsa. Bowser and Nadia had explained what went on in the Dead Zone, including what ultimately ended up happening to Linkle. That dinner seemed so long ago now, but it tickled his memory enough. A glance over at Nadia confirmed that he was remembering it right, since it seemed like she was familiar with what he was talking about.

The hunter didn't spend much more time thinking about it, figuring that Nadia or one of the people that had actually been in the Dead Zone at that time would be better equipped at asking information from the guy. Besides, there were a lot more people to meet. Tora and Poppi went next, and it was nice to see the energetic pair again. They seemed just the same as he'd last saw them, which was a good thing. After that was Ms. Fortune herself, whom needed no introduction.

Wonder Red he had kind of-sort of heard of while back at the Alcamoth, along with the commander he mentioned and the group he was part of. The Cadet had wondered what was up with the mask, if it was just for aesthetic or what, but apparently it actually was for hiding his identity. That was kind of silly, given the circumstances. Wouldn't that hurt their chances of finding the 'displaced' members of their organization? The Cadet scratched his head, confused at the logic there.

Speaking of 'Organization,' Roxas mentioned one numbered thirteen that he'd been a part of. His black cloak certainly looked familiar, and by his own words he had been a member of that group that the Seekers constantly ran into. The one that they couldn't tell was friend or foe. From the fraud dice-headed guildmaster, to the suspicious woman who'd convinced them to try their luck on the Maw... ugh. Still, putting aside any feelings about the mysterious Organization, Roxas said he was joining up with the Seekers. Whatever his reasons were, the Cadet would take him at face value and welcome him to the group.

The next introduction was a complete change of pace. This stranger was a sultry woman who'd introduced herself as Primrose - and the brown hair swept into bangs in front of her pretty pale face, feather sticking out from her headpiece, and combined with the beauty mark by her lips reminded him so fiercely of a certain guildmarm that he'd been enamored with that it felt like someone had just punched him in the chest. He coughed into his hand, tried to play it off subtle and cool but didn't quite succeed. As if sensing the reaction, the dancer's eyes flicked over to him and she raised a brow in triumph. Not fair, the Cadet thought. He composed himself quickly after the initial surprise, and listened to the intro after the woman's. Not all that interesting, and between the two 'rogues' in the party he knew which one he preferred.

And with that the floor was open for whoever wanted to go next. Don't mind if I do, the Cadet thought, striding up to take the spot in front of the table.

"Okay, so! Hello everybody. I'm the Ace Cadet, and I am a professional monster hunter."

He certainly looked the part too. He wore a full suit of sleek plate armor, with sections where rough green scales were overlaid. At his waist a red skirt lined the faulds of his armor, and at that level from his back two metallic rigging extensions with mini guns and a sharpened red blade were worn. On one arm an unusually shaped firing mechanism was attached, and on his back was an angular backpack and a matched sword and shield with wicked looking spines on both. Under the armor, a white dress shirt poked out complete with tie, and above that a cheery face with messy red hair, save for the tuft of gold at the front.

"I won't bring up a bunch of specifics but basically I was... am? I am part-knight, part-explorer, part-weapons master, all badass." The Cadet grinned as he continued, amused at his own playfulness. "I'm pretty strong, tough, got good aim, usually carry a bunch of useful stuff with me. I guess you could say I'm an all-rounder type, but I specialize in hunting wyverns and other monsters like that. The bigger the better.

"Oh, but no magic here. I'm uh, pretty bad with magic actually. Like in general," he said, his tone growing just a bit sheepish. Might as well get it out there, it was important for teammates to know each others weaknesses. Maybe even more important than knowing their strengths. Plus if that junior psychic Raz could divulge something like that, then he could do it too. That kid was pretty cool, a government agent at his age, plus the ability to go into someone's mind? That was super weird, but also super neat. Oh, wait, he was supposed to be introducing himself.

"What else... well, I'm happy to get to know everyone. The kind of stuff you learn from people from other universes is Kut-kurazy. And if anyone's Quru-ous about me, just ask and I'll answer!"

That was pretty much it, right? Nothing else came to mind. The hunter made to vacate the spot for someone else, when a last minute thought crossed his mind and he turned on his heel to walk right back in front of the group.

"One more thing! Like I said I'm the Ace Cadet, it's kinda my title but everyone usually just calls me 'Ace', which works for me. So, feel free to call me that!"

Now that was everything. For now anyway, he wasn't about to explain the naming conventions of his home and how the people there put much greater stock in one's occupation than their family name. The Cadet signed off with a quick touch of his fingers to his temple in salute and made space. Man, this was a great idea. It was fun to talk about himself and see everyone else show off a little. After his own introduction there was a bit of hesitancy where no one immediately jumped in, so the Cadet spoke up one last time.

"So who wants to go next?"