Yankee

World of Light

Word Count: 556 (+1 exp)
Level: 2 - Total EXP: 61/20
Location: Dystopiascape - Gutsford

Pit only made it to the train just before the duo of Tora and Poppi, having covered where he could for the others. They squished inside, deemed safe once the cat-pulled train car took off. The Seekers sprawled out, healing, relaxing, and otherwise decompressing from the hectic chase.

"Did they really have to sic the entire subway on us? There were way too many!" the angel complained, leaning back in a seat with his legs stretched out.

He awaited Roxas' literal awakening after being spiritually awakened by Geralt's friend heart. He had been the most injured it seemed, and now that everyone else was patching themselves up or being patched up by the team's healers, all that was left during the ride was to fill the boy in on the nature of the World of Light. As it turned out, when Roxas regained consciousness he already had a good grasp on it.

"Whoa, you already know a lot," Pit said, surprised. "Yeah, I'm sure we'll run into them eventually! There's still a lot of people missing out there, but they're only missing until we find them!"

He pulled his legs up to sit cross-legged in the seat, nodding along to Midna's explanations. He only added a little more to it, like bringing up the 'army of master hands' - "So if you see a giant white floating glove, he's not that friendly right now. ...if he ever was?" - and mentioning the Seekers' base at Smash City Alcamoth, where he and a few others had come from to make it to Twilight Town in the first place. With that, Roxas was pretty much caught up.

After that, Midna asked about the symbols on her new guns, but since Pit didn't have a clue he just gave her a shrug. Soon enough the train came to a stop, arrived at it's destination. It turned out to be a bustling town, modern and colorful. The buildings were mostly brick and mortar, including three huge structures with many people going in and out, mostly on the younger side.

"So what's this place?" Pit questioned, squinting at the lettering on the buildings that he couldn't even read in the first place. Nearby, Blazermate answered the question with enthusiam.

"Schools? Uh, why would there be superpowers in a school?" he asked of the Medabot, his tone incredulous. Besides the superpowers, why would they find 'terror' there either? "Don't kids just go to learn stuff there? It's probably pretty boring.

"Plus we're not in the right place. Midgar is supposed to be a super big city." As he said that, the Twilight Princess exclaimed about a mountain-like city, and sure enough when Pit turned to look in that direction there was no way to miss what she saw. "Skyscraper" was an understatement, the metal buildings they saw from here were crazy big. He could scarcely imagine how large they were up close!

"Wow, it's huge! That must be it!" Well, finding the place had been easy thanks to the immense size of it. Getting to it would be another issue, as was pointed out. "I guess it is a little far to walk."

So the first mission for the "Black Team" would be securing transportation, which would give them a chance to explore the town a little. Borrowing some wheels shouldn't be too difficult!

World of Light

^{____________________________________________________}
Level: 7 - Total EXP: 141/70 ------ Level: 4 - Total EXP: 56/40
𝙱𝙿 ●●●●● ---------------------------- 𝙱𝙿 ●●●●●
Word Count: 1122 (+2 exp)
Location: The Under - Dirtmouth, the Chasm

The Travelers slammed into the train car, along with their allies. They arrived more or less around the same time, the space quickly becoming cramped with both Bowser and Sectonia squeezing in alongside Junior's clown car, but soon enough the doors closed and the cat attached to the train started running, doing it's thing to get them out of the metro. They'd all made it out in one piece.

...hopefully. As the train was moving and the Seekers could spread out a little, it became clear that the Purple Team were down two members: Big Band and the Ace Cadet. Neither Primrose nor Therion commented on it. During the ride, the former was happy to let someone else do the healing. Both the travelers felt their wounds mend and their pain fade, and they thanked the Koopa prince - one warmly, the other quietly.

When their train stopped, it was not at the Queen's Station, though it looked similar. Maybe it was the same place, but a different area? As one of the only two that had taken the Purple Line before, Therion didn't think it mattered either way. They were underground, or in "The Under" or whatever, so they were where they needed to be. As the group moved on they didn't see much around, save for a contraption made for taking people up.

The Travelers looked up at the lift, letting the more excitable of their group take the first ride while others just flew up the shaft. As they waited their turn, Therion said offhandedly, "I kind of get it now. The whole fusing thing."

Seeing the demonstrations, and the boons it had given the others - from the healing, to Primrose's teleportation, and no doubt many more - it wouldn't really matter how freakish they ended up looking. It was all a means to an end. The dancer looked over at him, waiting for him to continue.

"All of the skills from learning a new job, none of the hard work."

"There are some drawbacks," she told him, following with an example. "You get the good with the bad. I noticed since my recent fusion that the pyromancy I gained from another spirit seems to have been weakened."

So it was a good thing that the Seekers traveled in such large groups, they were able to accommodate each other's weaknesses. She did not say this aloud, but Therion seemed to sense the thought anyway if the curl of his nose was any indication.

"But if you want to try it, here." Primrose produced the spirits she had, that of a few of the metro cats and the one humanoid that had attacked Therion. He took one in each hand, raising a brow at his friend. When had she had time to grab these?

The thief considered the spirits in his hand, where the face of a metro cat and the blue haired man he'd killed stared back at him. In general, he wouldn't turn away from getting stronger. Who would? Besides, it wasn't permanent - he'd seen that princess take the spirits out of people back in Twilight Town, however unpleasant it looked.

"What the hell," he said, pressing both spirits to his chest.

For Therion

Notable spirit and fading spirit consumed:
Ranulf and Metro Cat
The host's skin tone has gotten a bit healthier, his shirt has lost its sleeves, his pants have gotten bluer, and his poncho is now mostly orange with an ochre lining above the fringe. His boots are green-tinged, and so are his new fingerless gloves. His hair goes from white near the roots to blue around the middle to black toward the tips, all low saturation, and it's a bit shorter and straighter. He now has a tail that follows the same color scheme, as well as cat ears. His eyes are now yellow with black slits. In terms of personality, he's gotten friendlier and cheekier. These Spirits confer the Powers Laguz Shapeshift, which allows the host to temporarily assume a strong, agile beast form, and Cat Sense, which gives heightened senses of hearing and smell. These spirits also confer the Weaknesses Beast Bane, which causes the host to take double damage from weapons that are effective against beasts, and Water Aversion, which makes the host dislike getting wet.

When the light faded, he felt the changes right away. The scent of the earth was stronger than ever, and his ears, or rather his hearing, seemed clearer... speaking of his ears... Therion reached up to the top of his head, feeling the new additions there. He felt a tail flick behind him, his tail, and that sensation was so weird. He looked up at Primrose - Did I just get shorter? - who noted his new bright eyes in the dim cavern light. Or, eye - one of them was still obscured even though his hair had gotten shorter along with the color change. From below the bang, a facial scar peeked out, no longer fully hidden.

"Orange doesn't look that bad on you," Primrose teased. As expected, Therion rolled his eyes at her, though this time he couldn't keep a small grin from his face.

They rode on the lift next, out of the sunken station and into a dingy town (where Primrose offered the other cat spirits to the rest of the group). It looked pretty sad, but the town itself was only a part of the view. It sat in the shadow of a massive spire, on the edge of something incredible.

There before them was the Chasm, a hole wide and deep into the pit of the earth. The jagged rock around it suggested that some kind of sweeping, powerful blow had carved the Chasm into what it was now. It was quite beautiful in it's own way, the trees striking against the stone backdrop. Even with all of the man-made equipment and structures, it gave off the feeling of raw, powerful nature.

But when Therion looked at it, he had only one thought.

"Are you serious?" he groused. He had expected that they would start off underground, but now they had to descend? Whether it was a mountain or a pit, a long fall was a long fall.

While the Seekers took in the sight and no doubt came to the same conclusion that they'd have to descend, Primrose hailed the hunched, masked figure sitting nearby. "Might you tell us the name of this town?"

The Elderbug looked up, though his mask disguised his expression he seemed helpful at least. "Oh! Well, this is Dirtmouth. I hope you aren't too disappointed by our little town, travelers."

"Not at all," she replied. The town's name sparked some recognition in Therion, and he glanced at Jesse. Back at Queen's Station, she'd said something about Dirtmouth. The bugs had told her about it being hours away. The other stations must really have been dead ends, and wherever the train had just taken them was a new place - which meant they wouldn't have to do a grueling climb up before going back down.

"We lucked out, huh," he commented to the Director.

Rika and Kamek then set about scouting the Chasm, a smart idea. She watched the constructs, magical and mechanical, fly out over the gigantic pit and then turn down, scoping the route out. Then came the suggestion of gathering some things to prepare themselves for the descent.

"Just what I was thinking," Primrose agreed. She looked at the various miners and workers going about their business, figuring that even in a ramshackle town like this there must be a supplier of equipment somewhere close by, if not in the town itself. Perhaps some safety equipment for those of them that couldn't fly, like the gliders they'd used back on Split Mountain as a protection against plummeting down.

Sum up your week in roleplaying in just 3 words

Working on it.

Pokemon: Ascendancy

_{_ _ _______________________________ _ _}

A few days ago.

With: Hestia @Ambra

A Dinner Conversation

The body was a strange thing. Most people’s appetites seemed to vanish when they were overly upset or concerned, but for Hestia it was the complete opposite. She craved sweets most of the time, and luckily it was easy to satisfy herself. Pine and Orion shared whatever cupcakes and ice cream she brought home with her, and together they munched away at the unhealthy snacks, sometimes late into the night as they watched drama movies. It was nice… for about two days, until she couldn’t stand being huddled away in Hammerlocke any longer. She had to get out, do something, anything to get away from the negative thoughts that stormed in her mind, even if it meant eating somewhere completely different. A singular place came to mind.

It wasn’t something she was wont to admit, but High Steaks granted Hestia a certain amount of comfort during times of extreme stress. It was exactly what she needed at the moment, no matter if her already wounded pride was even more wounded in the process. She was only grateful that she arrived at the establishment with good timing– it didn’t seem as full as it usually did, which meant she didn’t have to deal with too many people at the moment. Good grief, if she had to withstand paparazzi or those types of fans, she was sure she would lose it.

”I’ll have the apricorn and Poke-tail coconut curry, please. Oh, and can you throw some pechas in there too? And your best beer on draft," Hestia asked the waitress who had walked up to her table by the window. The woman smiled tenderly, nodding as she took the order and left. Sighing, Hestia leaned against the back of her chair and turned her gaze towards the window. Perhaps her usual dish would help lift her spirits.

After a couple of minutes the staff returned with her drink. The waitstaff kept an eye out in case she needed anything, but mostly left her to her thoughts. She didn't need to wait for very long to receive her meal, though it was preceded by a familiar voice.

"There's only one person that dares adding Pecha berries to the curry."

The owner and head chef stood by her table, a glass of amber liquid in one hand and Hestia's order perfectly balanced in the other.

Thanks to the chairman's decision to cancel the league, the first few days the restaurant had been swamped with people trying to get information out of Nordrin. Even the poor staff had been pestered with questions just in case they'd heard anything. After it was clear that the gym leader wouldn't be saying anything and threatened to start throwing overly nosy patrons out, patronage had gone back to its normal levels.

Well, for the most part. Truth be told business was a bit slower than usual, reservations to watch Pokemon battles while dining had been canceled, and everything piled up on top of Ryker's continued disappearance - leaving Nordrin in an even more sour mood than usual over the last couple of days. When he heard this particular curry order called through to the kitchen, he took over the ticket as he usually did. It was a couple seconds later that his brain caught up to him and he realized who it must be for, though.

It had been a while since Hestia last visited. If she was doing so now, given the circumstances... she probably needed a distraction. Nordrin needed one too - which is why after he'd set the Dragon-type leader's food down with professional grace instead of standing over her to gloat as he'd done in the past, Nordrin stripped off his apron and claimed the opposite chair at her table. It seemed the extra glass was for him, and he took a long drink from it, eyeing Hestia over the rim.

"I know I own the place, but if you'd rather dine in peace feel free to tell me to fuck off," he said.

The taste of wheat and a slight hint of citrus teased her tongue as Hestia sipped delicately from her glass, her eyes briefly skimming over the people outside the window for a few more moments. A long, quiet sigh drifted out from her lips as she settled back into her chair and pulled out her phone. Still no news on what was going on with the whole kidnapping incident, great. She’d hoped there would be some sort of update by now, but alas…

Hestia blinked up at Nordrin when he had appeared by her table, critiquing her for her choice in adding pecha to her otherwise hearty dish– though her look of distaste morphed into curiosity when he sat down across from her. She cocked her head at him as if pondering whether to shoo him away from her table, but the smell of food was too enticing to ignore. Instead of indulging in Nordrin’s suggestion, she instead tucked into her curry.

“I have to ask, what’s the occasion?” Hestia jabbed her fork in his direction, referring to his decision to sit with her. She smirked at him teasingly, though not before swallowing another mouthful of food. “Usually you’re holed up back there doing fuck all. The kitchen too much to deal with today?”

Nordrin raised an eyebrow at her choice of words.

"How you managed to make it sound like I do no work and too much work simultaneously I don't know," he scoffed. He leaned back in the chair and took another drink while he considered just blowing off her question. After a few seconds he put the glass down and sighed.

"Believe it or not, the chefs get breaks. It just so happens to be mine, and you happened to be sitting at my favorite table," he said in a completely humorless tone. He didn't care if Hestia believed him or not (and to be fair it was kind of a stupid fib) because he moved the budding conversation right along.

"I'm more interested in what you're doing here. I know the food's good, but we do takeaway now, y'know." A slightly bitter smile crossed his face, the same that denoted his particular brand of sarcasm. Hammerlocke wasn't that far away, a curry would have still been hot if delivered by flying taxi.

Hestia glared at Nordrin over the rim of her glass as she took another sip of her beer. It was tempting to go along with his tune, but she wasn’t really in the mood to carry on the back-and-forth with her usual gusto. Instead, she gave him a furrow of her brow and a slight frown.

“I had to get away from Hammerlocke for a bit. Things are getting too crazy over there. Every time I go out, people run over to me as if I had all the answers.” She took another bite of her food, although the Pecha berries had soured in the course of a moment. Hestia glanced down at the table as a flurry of questions and doubts threatened to resurface from the depths of her mind. “I tell them that the challenge is still going on, but you know how people are. It isn’t enough for them.”

Her conversation partner blinked, evidently not expecting an honest reply like that. He'd thought that she'd needed a distraction, but he'd also thought she'd snap back at him. Nordrin let a moment of quiet pass between the two of them before he sighed again, more heavily.

"Ah. I had to start throwing people out on their arses for pulling the same thing here, so everyone else's too scared to try asking anymore," he told her. "So for hideout spots, you picked a good one."

Nordrin crossed his arms over his chest, tilted his head back and fixed a glare at the ceiling. "I can't wait for this to be over."

Though for every day that passed with no sign of Ryker, the more confusion the situation was to Nordrin. Sure he hadn't been bugging the police, true to his word, but that was because he was choosing to trust that the chairman would let them all know of any developments. So far there was nothing but radio silence. No clues, no leads, not even a ransom. Maybe some of the other leaders were right and he just skipped town on his own, but damn, he should have left a note if so.

Hestia hated to admit it, but seeing Nordrin bothered about the travesty at hand soothed her a bit. Yet, no matter how much more she felt at ease, she couldn’t bring herself to polish off the plate of food in front of her as she usually did. It felt like there was a big rock in her abdomen that blocked off a section of her gut from the rest of her body. The Pechas had only grown more bitter as well. She clicked her tongue and dropped her gaze to a certain spot on the table.

“Don’t worry. The police has this all covered. It’ll be over soon, like Hyacinth says. Best to just focus on our work and it’ll blow over in no time.” Hestia spoke the words, though there was no emotion behind them; it was a blatant cover for how she truly felt. Betrayed. Hurt. Worried. But damn her if she allowed Nordrin to see her vulnerable side. Who knew, maybe he’d use it against her the next time they faced each other in battle.

Hestia forced a smirk on her face as she looked back over at Nordrin, her tone of voice regaining some of its typical furor. Though, despite her desperate attempt of maintaining her charade, the fire behind her eyes did not rekindle. “You’ll be even busier than usual soon, so no need to worry too much about something you can’t control. Might accidentally let a few more challengers than usual squeeze past you if you don’t focus on your gym leader duties~”

At that Nordrin scoffed, having brought his attention back down to the woman across the table.

"You remember I told Hyacinth I was only going to run the restaurant side of High Steaks, yeah? 'Sides, I doubt any challengers are even going to make it to me. They have to get through Iris, Isiah, Bianca and Holly first, and who the fuck knows what they're doing. Doubt it's their job, though." And that wasn't even counting the minor leaguers who had to get through Astrid, Sebastian and Sawyer first. The chef really didn't expect anyone to turn up this year while everything was still going on with the champion's disappearance. This was even more true for Hestia in her position as the final obstacle before the real deal. Poor girl, battle was really in her blood. It was apparent that she wasn’t acting like her usual self either.

Nordrin regarded Hestia through narrowed eyes, working his jaw as he turned his next words carefully over in his mind before saying them aloud.

“...”

Hm, this was harder than he thought it would be. He and Hestia didn’t really have the kind of relationship where they could confide in each other. He barely had that at all with any of his peers in general. But he wasn’t a quitter, so after an extended pause he finally asked, “...how are you holding up, really?”

There came the tense silence. She almost expected it; Nordrin was obviously too smart for her to fool. Her eyes flickered back towards the window as the quiet only thickened, only for it to be cut through by Nordrin’s question. “I’m fine.” Her answer came forth through grit teeth as she crossed her arms. Her fingertips buried themselves into the sleeves of her shirt. “Like I said, I’m only stressed out because of the people hounding me for answers.”

Her vulnerability had turned into frustration– which in turn transformed into anger that was promptly aimed at the man sitting across from her. “Why do you care so much, anyways? You hardly gave a shit before,” Hestia huffed as her cheeks turned red. “You trying to catch me off guard or something?”

Nordrin stared at her, and then promptly barked out a laugh. The restaurant's few other patrons glanced over at their table.

"There's that fire. For the record, I still don't give a shit," he said. "But Hestia Joy, moping around just because of some nosey arseholes? That doesn't add up."

Was he actually concerned for his fellow gym leader? Of course he was, you didn't spend years working with someone without developing some sense of camaraderie, even a twisted one. For Nordrin, it was unnerving to see the spunky woman acting so out of the ordinary. When she snapped at him just then it was much more like their usual interactions. If he had to play the bad guy to breathe some of the usual life back into her, he'd do so gladly.

He lifted his hands in an exaggerated shrug, but he finished his next sentence with a toothy smirk. "If you don't want to talk about it, we won't talk about it. I'm no shrink after all. But when I see a fire that looks like it's going out it makes me want to stoke it, is all."

Nordrin’s response only drew out a deeper, much more crimson blush from Hestia’s cheeks. So, that had been his plan– to nag her enough just to break her facade. Of course, that was just like him. She gave him a deadly scowl, one that could kill, before she reached over to her glass of beer. Her intrusive thoughts begged her to just chunk it at him. Instead, she tossed back what remained of the stout and slammed the glass down on the table.

“You’re an asshole,” she grumbled, half-defeated as she turned to dig through her purse. Her haphazard rummaging ended with her producing a wad of money– which was enough to pay for the meal, drink, and provide a hefty enough tip. She slammed that down on the table as well before she shot up from her seat and glared down at him.

“Thanks for the food, but next time you should add a little bit more Pecha,” she snapped. Before Nordrin could reply, she turned on her heel and left.

He watched her go, all the way through the restaurant until the doors closed behind her. Then he gathered up the dishes, nodding for her table's server to come back and grab the cash. The waitress glanced at Nordrin, and chanced a comment.

"You blew it, boss," she said, raising an eyebrow at him. The two of them made their way back towards the kitchen.

"Ha? How so?"

"Well you were trying to cheer her up, right? Seems like you just pissed her off."

She was surprised when Nordrin laughed. "Seems like it worked to me. She didn't leave with that mopey expression on after all."

The waitress sighed, figuring she wouldn't have been able to understand her boss' thought process even if she tried. Once Nordrin had freed his hands he clapped them loudly together, getting the attention of the staff that had been not-so-subtly watching the two gym leaders earlier.

"Alright, chop chop! Show's over, back to work!"

---

Present day.

The sudden call itself did not come as a surprise. Nordrin had been waiting for further word from the chairman, whether it was good news or bad news. Some kind of update at the very least. After a week of silence from the man, the chance of the eventual call being "good news" was almost completely diminished. He did not, however, expect the call to asking for help.

"What-" he managed to ask, just before the call dropped. Hung up on, probably in order to ring the other gym leaders. The quick, frantic message had barely processed in Nordrin's head, and he felt a vein of frustration become visible on his forehead once it sunk in.

"Do you know how fucking far Wyndon is from Hulbury?!" the leader shouted into the dead receiver, just before chucking it in frustration. Luckily Puck had flitted into the kitchen at the sound of his trainer's agitated voice and he caught the phone before it struck the wall, flying it back over to Nordrin. The fairy leader pointed at the Ribombee, commanding him to, "get some of the others and meet me 'round the front, now!"

Puck gave him a chirp and salute, speeding away to sound the call to the other Pokémon. Nordrin ripped off his apron and made to leave the kitchen. It was another slow day, though as Hestia predicted business had picked up since they spoke - probably due to Iris entertaining the first challengers. That was today, wasn't it? And a robbery now, of all times?

"Trouble again, chef?" One of the cooks asked as the leader walked by.

"Of course," Nordrin scoffed. He stormed through the gym, dialing the city's taxi service as he did and demanding their swiftest Corviknight. If emergency calls and meetings were going to be a thing for the future, he'd have to invest in a flying Pokémon large enough to carry him on short notice. As it was now, at least he'd have a ride waiting.

When he exited, he found the taxi just touching down and a group of his own Pokémon ready to go. They were returned to their Pokéballs and Nordrin hopped into the cab before it landed, barking the destination: Wyndon.

Hey, hey you! Come read me please!

Welcome to the site! Enjoy your stay!

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.

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