Yankee

World of Light

Word Count: 1245 (+3 exp)
Level: 9 - Total EXP: 160/90
Location: Edinburgh MagicaPolis

Two hours, and then meet back at that little tavern. As the three men separated, the Ace Cadet gave them a warm send off and then took a few moments to memorize the area around the establishment so that he wouldn't get lost trying to find his way back to it. Although if he really did end up getting lost in the city, he could always rely on the scoutflies to sniff out a path back to Big Band and Wonder Red.

He had set off in a random direction opposite the other two, content to take his time and explore. He didn't feel any particular way about leaving them to investigate while he pretty much just went shopping. Everyone had their own element after all, and he was not in his. Better to leave it to the people who actually were. Besides, having the proper gear was important. As he walked, the breezes that managed to weave themselves between the buildings carried the deep chill through him. Every now and then he had to duck into open establishments and out of the cold in order to warm up some before moving on. It was in doing this that he began to notice certain things about the city.

He probably should have taken note of it earlier, but running around an unfamiliar place trying to transport an unconscious person to a clinic in the least suspicious way possible took some focus away from the metropolis itself. And maybe the modern looking aesthetic disguised it, in a way. It had been staring him in the face this whole time though - in fact it was in the name: Magicapolis.

There were glowing runes inscribed into lampposts, fueling ever-lasting light. Shop signage that floated and rearranged itself, twinkling playfully to attract the attention of passersby. Vehicles with intricate magic circles in place of wheels, rolling along by their own power. Little devices that traveled the sidewalks and glowed hot with inscribed spells, clearing the paths of ice until the next time they frosted over. While at first glance the city seemed technologically inclined, there was undercurrent of magic so prevalent that it must have been commonplace. No one batted an eye at the weird fusion of magic and machine, no one except the Ace Cadet.

"Eegh..." He let out a little noise of discomfort once it really sunk in. Hopefully the guys found some clues that lead out of the city, the Cadet thought to himself. He continued window shopping with his shoulders hunched, avoiding the more obvious magical influence. He passed up shops that he otherwise would have stopped in, like one clothing store advertising robes meant to withstand the cold, but also boasting enchantments woven into them, and another with a felyne-looking shopkeeper that drew him towards it until he realized what kinds of goods they actually sold.

After walking by many different types of places, from dining establishments to boutiques, he ended up pretty far from his starting point. This was taking longer than he'd expected it to. Should he suck it up and just buy something even if it was enchanted? He could tolerate only so much, and the thought of wearing magic clothes made his skin crawl. I'll keep looking a little longer.

Finally, he ducked into what looked to be a general goods store that showcased a more mundane looking winter outfit as part of it's window display. The inside was spacious, and though it's inventory seemed pretty random it was well organized into sections. The temperature inside was much better compared to the street, but it wasn't exactly warm. Perhaps that was because the proprietor was covered in fur. Behind the register was a leporine person, fiddling with something outside of the Cadet's field of vision and grumbling to himself. When the shopkeep noticed a customer he dropped what he was doing by shoving it under the counter.

"Well, come on in! Welcome to Niccolo's! Niccolo will bring smiles to all." The man cupped his hands together, fixing the hunter with a wide smile. "...I am Niccolo, if that wasn't clear."

"Wouldn't have guessed," the Cadet replied with a grin before cutting to the chase. "I need some winter clothes and 'thaw' the coats in the window, figured I'd stop in to see what you have."

"I have whatever you need! My ability to procure items to sell amazes even myself," Niccolo preened. He gave the Ace Cadet a good once over though, his bluster dying down a little as he took in the hunter's get up of steel and scales. "Though... as painful as it would be to turn away a customer, are you sure you aren't needing something from down the street instead?"

The rabbit-like man pointed outside of the store, and curiously the Cadet turned to look. Squinting through the glass window into the shop about a block away, he could see a large suit of armor displayed at the storefront. The hunter swooned over the extravagant equipment, but knew it's price tag would be way too high. He had some money on him but not enough to afford something like that, as much as he would have loved to buy it. He shook his head to refocus on the task at hand.

"Aha... nope, just regular clothes will do. Anything that's warm and not too restrictive."

Niccolo perked up at this, bouncing around the counter and onto the sales floor. He gestured toward a section of the shop that held attire as he spoke. "That's good to hear! Then Niccolo will take care of you. I've got plenty of options to choose from so don't be shy!"

The Cadet was ushered toward the racks of clothes without delay. He made one amendment to his preference to Niccolo, which was just "the most normal clothes you got." That earned him a strange look, but it was worth it to avoid any kind of magical garments. It didn't take him long to pick out a large and very warm coat with an empty metal slot on the front of it. Niccolo informed his customer that it was empty on purpose, intended for anything the wearer wanted to put there - when in reality there was a missing heating component that was previously built into the coat. Naturally the Cadet paid full price, oblivious. It worked out anyway, as he found that the scoutfly cage fit pretty snugly in the slot and made for a dull green lantern at his chest. With a few more pieces purchased his coin purse was much lighter but he didn't feel the cold at all anymore, so it was a fair trade.

"Thanks again!" the Cadet said as he pushed the door open to leave. "Come back anytime!" Was Niccolo's reply.

With shopping finally out of the way the Cadet decided to head back toward the meeting place. By the time he made it there the two hours would probably be over anyway. He shuffled quickly through the street with his hands in his pockets. He'd stowed the ship rigging into the square backpack while he was trying things on, and there they stayed for now, giving the Cadet a much more local look. Despite the appearance he still couldn't navigate like a local though, and ended up relying on his scenting insects after all. The glowing bugs floated out from their new spot and led him back in the direction of his fellow Seekers.

^{____________________________________________________}
Level: 7 - Total EXP: 160/70 ------ Level: 5 - Total EXP: 35/50
𝙱𝙿 ●●●●● ---------------------------- 𝙱𝙿 ●●●●●
Encounter Reward +11 exp
Word Count: 1010 (+2 exp)
Location: The Under - the Chasm

The Travelers didn't worry about dizy much longer, as Jesse came to their rescue using much the same tactic as they had earlier: using another monster against the bigger one. Jesse's version of this strategy was to hurl the entire body of ang at the dizy which resulted in a gory acid bath, but there was no complaint from Primrose nor Therion. If it worked, it worked. The corners of Primrose's mouth twitched up as she held back a laugh at the red head's deadpan humor.

After that, the group of Seekers handily dealt with the remaining monster and started the process of patching up anyone that needed it. The battle and the healing took a toll on Primrose's mana reserves, so once things quieted down she sat herself down on a small boulder to rest. She remained seated there even as the new group of monsters made their way into the area. These ones spoke, bemoaning the loss of their aggressive and frankly bloodthirsty friends. The Travelers did not feel any sympathy for them whatsoever - both were about to go back on the offensive despite how weak the new monsters had showed themselves to be, but Sectonia got to them first.

"That takes care of that," Primrose murmured, dispelling the magic she'd been gathering in her hand. Therion stowed the throwing knives that had suddenly appeared in his hands. Had the alien queen mentioned a mind-controlling minion in her introduction earlier? He couldn't remember, but after seeing it in action he wouldn't forget. Wanting to steer clear of that whole business, the thief went on down the path after Ms. Fortune, Rubick, and Bowser.

While some of the group went on, Primrose stretched out and listened to Sectonia's very brief questioning of the small group of eye monsters. Simple motivations, and simple answers. The name 'Toriel' meant nothing to the dancer, and it seemed the same for the others too. More interesting was that there was another stranger with them now, one that seemed to have fallen in and only just woke up after the battle was over. He was lucky he hadn't been trampled in the chaos. She listened as the young Koopa explained everything to the 'Adventurer,' her chin propped on her palm. She had no notes, it had been thorough and to the point even if filtered through the kid's pointed way of speaking.

With everything more or less wrapped up here, they'd better catch up to the ones that went ahead.

Meanwhile Therion came up just after the action, having kept pace with everyone besides Ms. Fortune. He was tagging along, not racing. When they arrived, there were a few odd exchanges of words.

Did he just say 'unbottled evil?' Therion thought, raising a brow. The man before them definitely looked the part, with his dark clothes and menacing smirk. The broken chains laying at his feet amidst scattered ash painted the rest of the picture for the thief. Still, Therion wasn't about to judge the guy for his morals - he made his living by stealing after all. Plus it seemed Bowser knew the guy even if that wasn't reciprocated. And the man, Ganondorf, was eager to help by repaying a debt to Ms. Fortune - which the Feral quickly cashed in. So if he really was "evil," wasn't it only to the same level that the two feuding royals down here were?

"..." Even so, he'd keep an eye on the man. The same as he did on everyone really, as even though they were working together now one never knew when that might change.

Therion wandered around the area, taking in the sealed door as the remainder of the group arrived in time to hear Ganondorf's thoughts on the location of the next Guardian. It took Primrose by surprise that the Guardian would be sealed up in a similar way to Red Eye. It was less that these beings were guarding something, and more that they were keys being guarded. If the Under's final obstacle was here in front of them though, then it had ended up being quite the lucky fall to end up so close to it. Of course, the hard part was still to come.

"Hmm~" Primrose peered at the temple, the carved faces, and then at the Gerudo King. He offered to be a guide for them, not even bothering to hide the fact that he had an ulterior motive. Oh, this one is trouble, the dancer thought to herself as she appraised the group's newest addition. After years of dealing with all kinds of unsavory, powerful men she could sense that his malice was not directed at the Seekers - not yet, at least. So whatever plan he had in mind, it was not to lead the group into a trap. For now she thought it worthwhile to accept his offer; it was as Bowser Jr. said earlier, they could use help on the team.

"How fortunate we would find not just one guide, but two," she said, giving the little Knight a nod of her head. "It seems like a fine plan."

"Speaking of Fortune, she mentioned a map-maker was down here," he reminded the group. "We should find him first. If we're going to be running around underground tunnels fetching masks, it'd be a good idea to have a one to go off of."

It was a subtle dig at their proposed guides, given that one was mute and small enough that it would be easy to lose in the dark, and the other was some kind of arrogant warlock that had just been imprisoned - so it was obvious that guy wasn't up and about memorizing the routes around this place. Even putting aside Therion's skepticism about being led by those two, a map or two would just be handy to have in general.

"I really doubt they'll be that easy to find," he finished, replying to Jesse. His tone implied that he had experience with this sort of thing. Wish it would be that easy for once though.

Word Count: 502 (+1 exp)
Level: 3 - Total EXP: 45/30
Location: Dystopiascape - Kunad Highway

Agathion may have been the smallest and presumably weakest threat out of the bunch the Seekers currently faced, but a win was a win. It was especially nice after his volley of arrows had been sent back at him earlier courtesy of the skull-faced flyer, putting an early end to Pit's first plan. After successfully sending the little demon soaring Pit giddily whirled around to clap his palm against Raz's. The Arm had faded by then, bringing the Palutena Bow back into existence in his other hand. "Woo teamwork!"

Just after that exchange, Princess Peach alighted beside them. "We're fine!" Pit reported first. Second, he considered her strategic proposal. It was a good idea. Most of the Seekers were limited to in their angle of attack, so changing it up would be effective. Raz even had an idea about which angle to strike from already, though the brainstorming was quickly interrupted.

The nuclear light of Mafreidyne blossomed around the chaotic battlefield. The pillar of light that preceded them was all the warning the fighters had to get clear. Pit's protective instinct as an angel kicked in, and he pulled Peach out of epicenter of the attack in order to fling her and give her a boost in escaping. He was relived to see that Raz had managed to dive out of the sphere's range, and as for himself? He quick summoned the Guardian Orbitars in an attempt to reflect the attack. The shields stood rigid in the air in front of him, but Mafreidyne was on another level. It spread fast and bypassed the Orbitars as it was neither a physical attack nor a projectile, searing the angel. Pit jumped when he realized that his plan was once again ineffective against the Trumpeter, throwing himself backward towards the front edge of the truck he was on. He landed on his side, curled up in pain. That had hurt, it was a powerful attack. If there was one saving grace though, it was that facing the nuclear force head on had saved his wings from any harm. He didn't want to think about what would have happened if they had been caught in the sphere.

"I'm g-good, just... give me a sec...!" He wheezed, mostly to himself. Pit was made of sturdier stuff than most, so he knew this wouldn't debilitate him. He took a deep breath and then pushed himself up, steadily recovering enough to stand again. Once he was up he let out the breath.

Okay. Let's get back to it! All of the remaining demons were engaged with the Seekers, so it was a fine time to try offering some supporting fire once again. He avoided the Trumpeter this time just in case, but the winged demon was already swarmed anyway. Pit shot a few arrows at the other enemies, the light constructs zipping through the air to avoid friendly fire. As he did he kept an eye out for openings where he could jump in and get up close.

Hello lovely people

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Welcome, good luck with your endeavors!

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World of Light

Word Count: 961 (+2 exp)
Level: 3 - Total EXP: 44/30
Location: Dystopiascape - Leaving Gutsford

LEVEL UP!

New Power: Upperdash Arm. An Arm-type weapon that fits over the entire limb, used mainly for melee damage that can be deployed in two ways: Smash-style where it can be briefly summoned for a fast forward dash and uppercut that plows through attacks and projectiles to deal significant damage and heavy knockback, or Uprising-style where it replaces Pit's currently equipped weapon. When in Uprising-style it keeps it's forward dash attack and gains the ability to fire short-range discs and a back-dash charge shot that sends foes flying into the air, leaving them vulnerable to follow-up attacks. Both dash attacks have a short recovery period, instead leaving Pit vulnerable if he whiffs.
***

While Gutsford couldn't exactly be described as a sleepy town, it also wasn't anywhere close to a noisy metropolis. So when there came a hellish scream from back in the direction Pit had originally come from, it was impossible not to hear. The sudden noise spooked him from his leisurely exploration of the city and he jumped to attention. A signal from Princess Peach! And it sounded like it'd come from the trade depot. Maybe she'd ended up there and came to the same conclusion he had about stowing away?

Pit wasted no time in started back toward the depot, breaking into a run more in anticipation of moving on than with any sense of danger. When he arrived he found the majority of the Seekers already gathered there and... in various states of exhaustion. Plus there were some strangers with them, people who Pit could only assume were new allies. They were all scrambling up onto the tops of the trucks and Pit hopped up to join them as the vehicles began pulling away from the depot. The more frantic of the group started calming down, and Poppi made a comment that things had been getting dangerous.

"What happened?" he asked curiously, tilting his head. Obviously the others had a more exciting time in town than he did. The one to respond to his question was a newcomer, and the woman promised to fill everyone else in at a later point. She also mentioned they stay away from any "G-men," which Pit had no idea what she meant by that, and something about a chopper.

"Chopper...?" he started to ask, the phrase only vaguely familiar to him due to mingling with people from other worlds semi-frequently. Then his face lit up as he realized what she was talking about.

"Oooh are we gonna ride a helicopter into the city? So cool, like an action movie!" Of course that was putting aside that his own life was chock-full of action already, and he'd played the hero in it plenty of times.

Enjoying the feeling of the wind, Pit looked ahead to Midgar towering in the distance and then around at the dry landscape. He barely had time to even think about making himself comfortable and getting more of the story about what the Seekers had been up to within Gutsford before his action movie wishes came true even sooner than expected.

A school bus was hot on their tail. That was strange enough, but then an older man and a bunch of red-eyed weirdos in hats and coats climbed out from the hatch on top. What's with these guys? Pit thought, though as usual no one responded to his thoughts. He fixed the newly arrived bus and it's passengers with an odd look right up until the man - who seemed to be in charge of that group - spoke up.

"Under arrest?!" Pit squawked, completely taken by surprise. He expected some kind of villainous monologue, not that. "You've got the wrong people, we're innocent!" he shouted back to Benedict, before rounding on the other Seekers and loudly whispering "What did you guys do?!"

Unsurprisingly Pit's bid of innocence did not sway their pursuers especially with Giovanna's provocation. The crew backed away from the bus full of enemies as much as they could before the trench-coated men suddenly transformed. They'd given off a weird vibe before, but now it was doubly so. Their demonic forms ranged from the more humanoid to the strange, including a skull-faced angel and a devil on a toilet.

"Gross!" he said, echoing Midna's feelings on the monster. They had boarded the rear trucks and spread out much like the Seekers had, with their heavy hitters in the front and their casters in the back. Getting around the vanguard had never been a problem for Pit before, and his bow was already forming in his hands.

Light arrows whizzed by Karin, Midna, and the rest of the two front lines as they streaked around to target Atropos, Trumpeter, and Agathion. A few volleys to hopefully interrupt whatever spells they'd been planning to unleash just before the melee attackers moved in. And then a few more for good measure! Leaving the rest of the demons to the other Seekers for now he widened his target area to include Sandman, hopping up into the air a few times to get a better starting position for his arrows so they'd have an easier time zigzagging and arcing toward their targets. He'd thought it was going well until a poorly timed jumped ended with a clang a sharp, if brief, pain in the back of Pit's head as he collided with an interstate sign posted over the roadway.

Owwww. He held in his little noise of pain and hopped back up after being momentarily knocked down. He noted that he'd seemed to have been sent sideways onto one of the other trucks, finding himself on the same one as Razputin. The psychic was engaged in his own battle already, and managed to trap the smallest of their foes with his power.

"I'll take you up on that!" The angel told Raz. He had just the perfect move too, if the slight tingling in his arm was an indication that this particular power had come back to him at just the right time. Pit dashed forward toward Raz's captive, and as he did so his left arm shimmered until it was fully encased in metallic red and gold, with a colorful disc at the end. He winded up his attack, bringing his arm low and then swinging it up toward Agathion.

"Fore!" he shouted as the disc struck the suspended shadow and with a mighty crack sent the potted devil flying into the distance.

Pokemon: Ascendancy

_{_ _ _______________________________ _ _
mentions: Fiona @Psyker Landshark, Isiah @PrankFox, Sawyer @Vertigo}

Nordrin had to hand it to the cabbie, the man got him to Wyndon in record time. The ride had been anything but smooth, but in the face of some kind of emergency neither driver nor passenger cared. It was all too easy to spot the scene from the air - smoke and dust billowed upward in curling waves. The flying taxi touched down a couple blocks over. Nordrin ran the rest of the way.

To say the scene at the lab was chaotic would be an understatement. Masked goons were scattered about sending their Pokémon to rampage in broad daylight and succeeding at it if the rubble and unconscious bodies of police officers were any indication. Nordrin couldn't fathom what the attack was about - vengeance, a diversion, stealing some kind of secret lab tech? - but he didn't really care either. His job right now was not to solve a puzzle, it was to help but this battle to it's end. Nordrin released his Pokémon as he got closer to the epicenter of the attack. He hadn't had time to gather all of his Pokémon, but the ones he had on him were more than enough.

He arrived at the action just behind Isiah and Sawyer, giving the two men a sharp nod of acknowledgement. Despite any feelings he had about his fellow gym leaders, it was still good to see more help than just himself had arrived. The only other person still standing by the time the three of them got there was Fiona.

The sight of her toothy grin despite the circumstances was like a breath of relief. If you wanted anyone in your corner, it was that firecracker. He didn't quite smile back at her, it was more of a grimace, but it let her know that he was backing her up and about to get into the fight.

While Isiah went straight to business in tackling the three strange looking Pokémon (Steel-types by the looks of them. They seemed to be Bisharp, but with unnaturally long limbs and torsos that looked like they belonged to a Bug-type. They were weird, dangerous, and unfortunately for the fairy leader super-effective against his team.), Nordrin took a different direction.

"Marquant, Chiot!" he called, the Azumarill and Slurpuff jumping to attention. He pointed toward the other Pokémon that were still causing havoc and their masters, his own Pokémon already running in their direction even before he shouted his commands.

"Use your water gun to put out the fires and deal with those Fire-types while you're at it!" This order clearly meant for Marquant, the Water-type responded with a hearty "Azu!" and let out blasts of water. The lab fires were systematically doused, and any interfering enemy Pokémon were met with the water gun shooting them back.

"Now a fairy wind, drive them back and take them out!" The Slurpuff barked and skidded to a halt, doing a quick twirl in place to summon it's own attack. The fairy wind spread wide over the area, dealing heavy damage to the enemies' Dark-types. Chiot held it's stance, ready to let another wave loose at the first opening.

So far so good, but the sheer number of opponents meant that he and his team had their work cut out for them. Beside him, Feefee and Puck shifted anxiously. The Granbull was snapping her jaws open and closed, her eyes darting around at every source of danger. She usually wasn't one for battling, but she'd sensed her trainer's urgency back at the gym and had come along to protect him. She felt Nordrin's hand come down to pet her head once, comforting, and snorted with renewed confidence while keeping guard. Meanwhile, Puck's orders were the next to be issued.

"Fly up and use pollen puff, as wide an area as you can." The Ribombee saluted and flew up high, dodging moves and the flight paths of Fiona's Pokémon. Once he judged it high enough he let the spores loose over the area, the small puffs injuring any enemies they touched and healing any allies.

World of Light

^{____________________________________________________}
Level: 7 - Total EXP: 147/70 ------ Level: 5 - Total EXP: 22/50
𝙱𝙿 .●●●●● ---------------------------- 𝙱𝙿 .●●●●●
Word Count: 2991 (+3 exp)
Location: The Under - the Chasm

Therion Level Up

New power: Wildfire. A flame spell, and Therion's only natural magic. As an attack it deals heavy fire damage to a single foe.
***

Primrose and Therion were glad to give away the bulk of the equipment, especially the heavier or more awkwardly shaped items. For themselves they kept only the essentials: rations, canteens, and the like. Some extra rope joined Therion's own in the thief's inventory, as well as the compass and a pickaxe - never knew when that would come in handy. They both took a lantern, for as useful as Therion found the headlamp he also found that it was too awkward to wear in combination with his feline ears. Considering most of this group of Seekers featured members with horns, animal ears, or straight up in-human skull shapes the helmet was summarily plopped onto Omori's head once the stragglers caught up with the rest of the team.

After traveling down a few levels, the next step was to take a lift to the bottom of the Chasm. Ms. Fortune had been kind (or crazy) enough to test the platform for them before the rest of the Seekers piled on. It seemed safe enough - after all it must have been used to bring miners and their equipment up and down plenty of times. However, if the tense expression and clenched jaw on Therion's face was anything to go by, he was skeptical and uncomfortable with the ride. He would have preferred to walk the entire way down had their been paths that went that deep. While Primrose was content to listen in on the scattered conversations and explanation of what had gone on with the thugs from the Barge (and for her part, Primrose didn't mention Confessor Jiji. Only once she confirmed that Jiji's power was the real deal would she let anyone know), Therion was unable to relax. He had his arms folded under his poncho, his head tipped up as he avoided looking down into the Chasm's depths, his ears and other senses on high alert. So when the malicious stranger appeared, his ears swiveled and his attention snapped to him. Seeing the armored person taking hold of the rope supporting the lift, Therion's heart clenched and his tail puffed out.

"He's going to cut the rope!"

Because what else would someone like that do, especially after the corny one-liner?

Primrose jumped into action, preparing to fend the Consul off. She didn't know how long they had to go before reaching the bottom of the pit, but she didn't want to take the chance that a fall wouldn't be lethal. She raised an arm, intending to use a spell when she hesitated. Would she be risking damage to the rope herself if she used magic? Using pyromancy definitely would be, she wasn't sure about her dark magic - but she didn't get the chance to think on it anymore as the stranger summoned his light storm.

"Bastard," she cursed, using the Devout Beads to counter as many shots as possible - though it helped keep some of the Seekers from harm, it did little to stop the Consul's actual plan. He succeeded in blasting through their lifeline, and the wooden platform under their feet fell away.

A feeling of nausea rose through the dancer, the rush of air passing them by filling her ears and muting the screams of her allies - and her own scream, ripped from her throat once her mind caught up with her body. She tried to focus, knowing that someway they could get out of this. Couldn't they? She could, at least, save herself and another with the scarf if she timed it right.

Therion had gone pale, finding that the glider he'd had during the trek up Split Mountain was ripped through with holes from the Consul's light barrage and rendered useless.

No. No way. I can't believe this is happening again! he thought to himself. Just how many times in his life was he going to plummet from high places? It really wasn't fair in his opinion. Therion's expression hardened, his brain making the difficult shift from fear to survival. No glider and no Raz to save him now, so he had to look for other options. Plenty of the group had flight options, from magic to psychic abilities - but he couldn't rely on them.

Unfortunately, neither Primrose nor Therion succeeded in their plans. His grappling hook scrabbled along the stone walls, finding no purchase on the surprisingly smooth rock. The dancer took hold of his hand and activated her flotation, but as the others fell down they could see that there was a long, long way to go. Whatever spell was weaved into Primrose's scarf did not last forever, and so once the last sigil disappeared until the next recharge the duo resumed their fall.

...

The Travelers woke up at the bottom of the Chasm, Primrose with a start and Therion with a gasping cough. The latter bolted upright, dragging his hands over his chest and legs. No broken bones. No blood. Nothing impaled. He lifted a shaky hand to his face, pressing it against the scarred side. It was the same as ever, though it took him a moment to remember why his hair was a little shorter. I'm alive, he thought.

"Holy hell," he breathed, pushing himself up to his feet and fighting the urge to puke. At the same time Primrose also stood up, casting her gaze around at the ruins, the flowers, and the cavern's ceiling that featured the lengthy hole they'd fallen through.

"...some places seem to have a mind or a spirit of their own," she said, looking over at Ms. Fortune and Rika. The question they posed didn't call for an answer really, but Primrose thought on it anyway, recalling how Split Mountain itself had given the Seekers the strength needed to complete the climb. "Perhaps the borehole here saved us itself, who's to say."

Sure it was an outlandish theory, but given the state of the world they were currently in? Maybe it wasn't so far-fetched. A late arrival in the form of Kamek put forth a new theory that the flower bed they'd all landed on was just very, very strong and cushiony though. While the Troop moved to tend to their elder, Primrose made to offer her healing flame - but soon found that the Seekers weren't alone down here.

Alerted to the monsters' presence, the group's attention moved to the darkness in front of them. Therion held out his hand and snapped his fingers, a reflex more than anything. When a spark of fire bloomed showing that his magic had returned to him it took the thief by surprise, but still he cast it in the direction he could hear lumbering footsteps. The flame illuminated grotesque horrors shambling towards them, making Primrose recoil at the sight. By the time the monsters got close enough for the meager amount of sunlight to reveal them, both of the Travelers had drawn their weapons.

"What a warm welcome." Primrose had shifted slightly to give herself room to dance, but unfortunately the battle began before she could perform more than a couple of steps. It started with a blast of blue-green fire headed for Sectonia, and continued with the rotund junicorn taking aim at the closest targets.

There was a distinct whooshing noise as the red horn cleaved through the air. The projectile was hard to miss, so it crashed into the ground between Primrose and Therion as they separated to evade it. The horn sparked, not quite exploding but bursting into volatile pieces. Another horn shifted into place on the junicorn's body, and it positioned itself to take aim again.

At that point the Travelers were on the move. Therion dashed in on the junicorn's flank, while Primrose intended to move in on it's other side. She sprinted toward it, vision tunneling in the darkened chamber, when suddenly she was knocked off of her feet. Caught in the mid-section by a powerful limb, she grunted as she landed on her back a few feet away. The pale, discomforting, cloven-hooved form of a dizy emerged, baring it's claws. It towered over her and some of the other monsters, it's whole body swaying as it stalked toward her.

The sounds of the other Seekers engaged in battle echoed around them in the cavern. With one opponent a piece, the Primrose and Therion fought. The junicorn favored into horn in attacking, attempting to stab or whack the thief with it whenever he got close. Therion made sure that he was close enough to prevent the thing from shooting that horn at him whenever possible, for as much as he kept closing in on it the junicorn would hop backward and try to fire. More annoying than that was that when Therion did strike at it, aiming for the bright red limbs, the junicorn would pull them into it's armored shell like a tortoise.

"Tch." Therion darted around the junicorn in a circle, blade catching against the steel shell. When he felt the sword connect with the monster's flesh, it was met with a retaliatory stab - that small knife the monster held so much less imposing than the creature itself sinking into the thief's shoulder.

He backed off, clutching the wound.

"No good, I'm not making a dent," Therion said, figuring that Primrose was nearby given that he'd caught glimpses of her and the monster she was fighting while he was working on his own.

"I'm having the same problem." Her fight against the dizy was not going well. Because of it's size, in the tight space the monster had no trouble keeping Primrose within it's reach. It's claws weren't the only problem, as the razor-like spines on it's arms and back caught her during hasty evades forming cuts that oozed on her arms and legs. The dizy also seemed completely unharmed, and showed no signs of slowing down. Even where there were no scales, it's skin was packed in layers, solid enough that it might as well have been dressed in iron like the junicorn. Primrose's attacks weren't getting through, whether she used her magic or her might. Her own stamina was drained, but she held her dagger up defiantly. Where and how could she strike at it to actually do damage?

"Primrose!"

She turned in time to Therion's shout only to see the crimson horn of the junicorn meant for Therion headed straight toward her after the thief had rolled out of the way. In a spot of quick thinking she teleporting behind the dizy with Ravaging Confession, using the creature as a meat shield. The horn struck the monster's leg, boring a hole into it and combusting. Unable to cry out with no mouth the dizy flinched and shuddered in pain while Primrose struck it with her magic and dagger. Even with the few times she'd felt her power increase with her attacks, she was still just barely able to leave marks on the dizy's flesh. Where the junicorn had struck however, the wound sizzled and bled.

It was the only thing that had done any real damage to dizy so far. So naturally, an idea came to mind.

"Once more," she said, "get it to shoot another, we'll point it toward this thing." She didn't dare look away from the dizy after it had recovered, but since she heard no argument from Therion's side of the ruins she counted on him following through. Staring down the knotted muscle of a monster in front of her, the dancer lashed out with a spell. The dark energy hit dizy dead on but had as little effect now as it had before, simply washing over it. It slammed it's claws down hard, shaking the area with it's impact but narrowly missing the dancer. She had jumped up, using the recharged scarf to hover above the monster. It shifted it's focus up and raised it's arms in an attempt to snatch her out of the air.

Then came the second horn. Therion had been endeavoring to line of the shot with an uncooperative creature by going against his instincts and leaving openings for the junicorn to shoot at. It swiveled it's body while trying to catch him, the moment of truth being when he'd jumped onto it's armored exoskeleton and kicked off of it, suspended in the air for just a few scant seconds the junicorn fired at him. Therion lurched, flinging his body weight to the side to avoid the horn - it scraped by him, carving a burn just below the stab would on the same arm, and sailed right toward the dizy.

The missile struck the abomination's center where it's muscles twisted and collapsed in on themselves. It sunk deep, and when it began to sizzle to signal it was about to burst the dizy dropped it's arms from pursuing Primrose in order to try and remove the offending object. The horn combusted before it could, blowing a bloody hole into the dizy's core. It flailed wildly and fell over backward, twitching and writhing until it went still.

Their battle wasn't over yet. Unconcerned with the fate of it's fellow monster the junicorn was already preparing to fire again, it's horn able to regrow with insane speed. It took aim at Primrose, but it's shot went wild as it was suddenly jerked down, the projectile colliding with the ceiling and sending a rain of dirt over the area. Therion was attached to it's back, his tail swishing back and forth as he scrabbled around on it's shell to try and avoid it's blind stabbing with it's knife, unfortunately being caught by a few.

"Now how do we deal with this thing?!" he asked. He doused the thing with an Armor Corrosive while he could, not a moment too soon as it had the bright idea then to pull all of it's limbs into it's body and roll itself backward in an attempt to crush the thief. He leapt off of it, landing in a low stance and ready to jump back in.

Primrose appeared at his side then, covered in cuts, bruises, and scrapes. Her eyes darted all over the junicorn's form, searching for some weakness. It's arms and legs reappeared and it started to wobble to its feet.

"It's limbs, the ones it can pull inside, are they made of steel too?"

"No."

"Alright," she paused, took a breath. "And your fire has returned to you?"

"Yes," he said, his eyes narrowing as he tried to figure out the plan she was putting together. "Burn it?"

"From the inside," she said. A smirk made it's way onto Therion's face just before he nodded. Without further deliberation they moved in. This time with no dizy to get in the way when the Travelers split up to flank the junicorn they were successful. It turned first to Therion and then to Primrose, unsure of which to focus on. It felt the sting of Therion's sword against it's arm and turned again, pulling the limb in to safety. Soon after the same thing happened with Primrose's dagger, and then both of it's arms were inside it's iron shell.

The Travelers reached in after them, taking hold of the junicorn's limbs. Together, they cast their magics.

"Burn up!" "Wildfire!"

The junicorn reacted violently, shaking and kicking the two humans. They held firm, and though it seemed to be effective it wouldn't be enough to kill it. Primrose grit her teeth, knowing that her pyromancy had been weakened. She activated her Boost, her body glowing as the power of her spell increased. Across the junicorn's body she heard Therion snicker and join in, Boosting his flame until the monster was cooking alive inside of it's shell. The Travelers yanked their hands out when the heated metal got too hot for them to stand, watching the monster thrash around until it fell over, smoke billowing out of it's arm holes and it's body collapsing into ash.

The Orsterrans both let out a huge sigh, taking but a moment to collect themselves. Other battles were still going on around them, so they couldn't afford to sit back and relax until the rest of the Seekers were safe. Primrose opened her palm and summoned the flame of Warmth to deal with the worst of their wounds, though she didn't get far in the healing process before an unwelcome interruption. Next to her, Therion's ears flickered toward a shifting sound.

"You're kidding me," he said, incredulous, as they both looked over and realized the dizy's body had never disappeared. It was rising to it's feet despite the hole in it's chest... did it's wound get smaller? Primrose realized, eyes widening in dread. Though the process was slow, the dizy's muscles were gradually knitting themselves together again.

It flexed it's claws as if to make sure it still had it's full range of motion. Satisfied, the monster ran at the Travelers with it's arms swinging wildly. With razors concentrated on it's hands and running up it's arms, the sudden and vicious attack sliced ribbons into both Primrose and Therion. The former caught one of it's arms was it slashed away, using her temporary strength to throw it off balance. It staggered back, heaving and weakened - for the moment. It it healed the open wound it would be that much harder to damage it.

Primrose summoned a fireball and threw it at the cavity in the dizy's center. It halted the reformation of the skin for as long as it burned, but once the spell was finished the process began again. The dancer was breathing hard and nearly out of mana. Therion held his blade up but was wary of getting too close to it and couldn't find a weak point save for the one they'd had to make.

"...we made need a hand with this one," Primrose said, earning a half-amused noise from Therion. The dizy recovered and rose to it's full massive height, headed toward the Seekers once more.

World of Light

Word Count: 651 (+1 exp)
Level: 2 - Total EXP: 62/20
Location: Dystopiascape - Gutsford

Pretty much everyone agreed that they didn't want to hoof it all the way to Midgar, so slowly they made plans to look around town for supplies and transportation. Even though they were on a mission, there was no reason not to make it fun - as Sakura was trying to do. Pit probably would have joined her on her escapades, if not for a comment from their Pokémon Trainer.

"No they are not just for show! Watch!" Pit said, his cheeks coloring. A petulant pout formed on his face, but it was hard to see when he crouched low and then sprang up, using his wings to propel himself high into the air. After three wingbeats and he was able to get a great view of the immediate area even if not the whole of Gutsford, but that was his limit. He fell straight back down, using his wings to slow his landing toward the end. Once back on the ground he crossed his arms.

"See? They work perfectly fine!" It was pretty obvious during the demonstration that Pit had not actually flown though. After a moment spent chewing his cheek in thought, the angel let out a short sigh. "I just... can't... fly with them, that's all. It's a whole thing, okay?"

There, now the crew knew he couldn't fly. Better to get it out of the way now anyway, he'd hate to have someone expecting an airborne rescue from him... even if he wanted nothing more to be able to do just that, and would probably pitch himself off a cliff to try it anyway. He had before.

Pit was eager to make himself useful after divulging that he couldn't fly, so instead of going the fun route and following after Sakura he went another way to focus on finding some vehicles. He made a point of hopping up onto the rooftops within reach, just to show that he could. Bede may have touched a sore point.

Gutsford wasn't a maze-like city by any means, but the higher point of view did help with getting around. He moved straight toward any areas that looked promising, but mostly he just looked for any kind of vehicle in general. He did manage to find a few larger ones, but they weren't for sale, rent, or borrow. All deployed for specific jobs already. After getting rejected he'd move on, then rinse and repeat.

...he was getting no where fast, but he kept at it until he was sure he'd tried everywhere he'd seen. Then, he took a quick break.

"This town feels weird," he said to himself. He was lounging at a roof-top cafe, just gathering his thoughts. Maybe he was just unused to college towns, but whenever he was exploring on the ground he felt like someone was looking at him funny. That wasn't the weirdest thing though, the weirdest thing was that no one seemed willing to give the Seekers a ride. It was strike out after strike out!

He looked out over the roof toward the road, thinking about what to do. If they wanted to get to Midgar fast, they could all probably stow away on the cargo trucks. It wasn't allowed by whatever company they drove for (hence, stowing away), but if they were sneaky about it then it'd probably work. Otherwise... nope, he was out of ideas.

Pit swung himself over the edge of the building, landing at the shop's entrance. Had it been long enough to meet back up with everyone? He didn't really know, but considering the Seekers were scattered around town he figured if he looked for them he'd find one or two. Maybe one of them had gotten luckier than him with the whole 'find a ride' thing, and if not - then they'd better hurry up if they wanted to try and slip into the truck beds headed for Midgar.

------

^{____________________________________________________}
Level: 7 - Total EXP: 144/70 ------ Level: 4 - Total EXP: 59/40
𝙱𝙿 ●●●●● ---------------------------- 𝙱𝙿 ●●●●●
Word Count: 2264 (+3 exp)
Location: The Under - Dirtmouth, the Chasm

Primrose and Therion's search for equipment took them all throughout the small fading town, it's far edges and outskirts. As expected of a practiced thief, Therion put his skills to use and swiped anything useful looking that he could get his hands on. Primrose's approach took longer to execute, but earned her better quality equipment than her friend - a compliment or two, a batting of eyelashes, and the miners were putty in her hands all too eager to help out. They didn't necessarily stick close to each other, but whenever they did work together they fell into a familiar routine. Primrose would flaunt her looks and distract the mark, while Therion snuck up and did his thing. They'd separate then, leaving poor men and women wondering what had happened.

After she was done flirting and, frankly, manipulating people out of their spare equipment Primrose shed the overly long habit she'd been wearing and donned the twin crown. The spiked and feathered headband was added to hold the longer white cloth away from her face, giving Primrose the look of some barbarian queen. It was a nice look, she decided. She waited in a wide open area, searching for a glimpse of purple and then reminding herself that she should be looking for orange now. Eventually she spotted her partner in crime, waving him over.

The two of them reconvened, sharing their spoils with each other. They'd done surprisingly well, and though the items they'd gathered were too much to comfortably carry alone for long the two travelers grinned at each other, sharing the feeling of accomplishment.

As they started back toward where they'd last seen the other Seekers, Primrose tossed Therion an empty hand-me-down pack she'd been generously gifted by one of the working men. It was decently larger than the satchel she knew Therion to carry, and without delay he started shoving what he could into it.

"Thanks, this was getting to be a pain to carry."

Primrose couldn't agree more. Between the two of them there were ropes looped around their bodies, bedrolls and wood tucked under their arms, cookware and mining equipment attached to their persons, all number of things tucked into their bags, and Therion had his new cat ears flattened by a helmet he was carrying by wearing. She'd taken Midna's spatial storage for granted. While wondering if she could convince someone to part with their wheelbarrow, Primrose glanced at Therion.

"No extra 'goods' this time?" she questioned, tone playful.

In response he wordlessly held up a lump of something that glinted when the sunlight hit it in a certain way. Of course, how silly of me, the dancer thought. If it was ore from down in the mines, it might even come in handy if sticky fingers or a honey voice couldn't do the trick.

"Got this too," he said, swapping the copper for a compass.

"Do you think it will work down there?"

"Why wouldn't it?"

"If we'll be surrounded by iron veins or other metals, it might affect the compass..." Primrose peered at the device, curious if it even worked at all. She was no scholar, but she knew compasses pointed north because of the world's poles... did the patchwork world of Galeem work the same way? Apparently it did, or at least there was some force attracting the compass' needle, for it held steady in Therion's hand.

The thief shrugged, pocketing it. "Well, whatever. Doesn't hurt to have it, and if it doesn't work I'll just toss it."

As they walked, a flicker of light caught Primrose's eye. It was unlike the shine of sunlight on steel, or the wink of electric devices. It was a flame atop a candle, opposite it's twin, both of them on either side of a stone door set into the rock face of a cliff. It was a curious sight only because none of the other buildings featured candles. Most of the dwellings looked either completely abandoned like those above the chasm, or overtaken by miners or bandits like those closer to the pit. The glow of the candles, set against a foreground that Primrose came to realize was a graveyard, gave off an eerie feel.

She hummed in thought, drawing her companion's attention. Therion followed her gaze to the door. "Spooky. Want to check it out?"

She thought about it. Dirthmouth left a lot to be desired in many areas, and it's lack of what Primrose would consider magical or spiritual places had led her to believe the person she was looking for was further in... or further down, as it were. But while they were already here, a door like this could give her some clues. Even if it didn't, they had time to explore.

"Let's go," she said.

The Travelers made a beeline to the door. If not for the candlelight it would have been half-hidden from the rest of the town. After navigating through the tombstones Primrose and Therion arrived, and were met with a lock.

The dancer knocked, and wasn't surprised to receive no answer. She pressed her ear to the cold door, and couldn't hear anything inside. The only sound that reached her ears was a faint scraping noise, and she glanced down to find Therion already kneeling at the door's keyhole with his lockpick inside.

"Really?"

"Don't even pretend you aren't curious what's inside," he scoffed. "Besides, this is a simple lock. Not anything like that ass Orlick's manse lock." Ugh, that thing was a nightmare. "It'll take me no time to pick."

True to his word, the door clicked open only seconds later. Pleased with himself, Therion stashed his tools, stood up and made a sweeping gesture for Primrose to take the lead. She refrained from speaking so as not to inflate his ego, but she did take his invitation - pushing the door open and stepping inside.

A wave of thick, musty air greeted them, and within the pair discovered a dingy chamber, more of a hollow than a home. Draped in murky vegetation like tattered curtains and aglow with the flickering flame of a few dozen candles, it featured no other amenities, and only a single occupant. A rotund insect swaddled in cloth, with a bulbous head not unlike a giant turban, stirred as if from a deep slumber when the light of day fell across her face. Glowing white eyes blinked open, and they regarded the newcomers curiously.

“Welcome, strange intruders. I've been sound asleep in here for some time… Some, time?” She paused for a moment. Her voice was strange, a chittering murmur, far from human. “Ah. Yes. Yes. Well now you've gone and woken me up. It's no matter, I suppose. I might even be able to help you. I am Jiji, and if you have found your way into my chamber you must need my help.”

Primrose and Therion spared each other a quick, confused glance. Given that they'd apparently just broken into someone's home while they slept, the friendly reception of the occupant was unusual. If the plethora of working miners outside weren't commonplace, they might have even looked the part of burglars too - what with all the equipment hanging off of them. Still, rather than let this chance slip by and the old bug come to her senses about helping out strange intruders, Primrose took a step forward and greeted her.

"Just so. Thank you, Jiji. I've heard that there is someone in this land that deals with departed spirits. A 'Confessor,' though that's all I know. I was hoping to find some information about their whereabouts."

“How fortuitous that we should meet, then. For that is I.” The Confessor tilted her head. “You see, sometimes we leave our regrets behind in the world, like black stains. If we don't deal with these regrets, hope starts to drain from us. As a service, I can return your regrets to you, so they can be dealt with. You have regrets of your own, yes?”

There was a pause as Primrose blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected to find the 'Confessor' so quickly, or so easily. Rather than hope, the dancer felt some anxious energy begin to grow. Either there would be a catch, or the journey ahead would be fraught with hardship, or both. She remained silent for the moment, and Therion the same behind her, not answering Jiji's rhetorical question. The stains of regret... it was an apt simile, if that was all it was.

Then, the Confessor went on. Jiji closed her eyes, bowing her head. “Ah, but I am very hungry. Perhaps you'd be willing to part with a little of your food? Sleep for as long as I have and you build up quite the appetite. Can return your regrets to you, if you share your delicious food with me.”

"...food?" Primrose questioned, skeptical. "Of course you can have some food."

She gestured for Therion to come forward and the thief rolled his eyes, digging through their packs for the rations and lunch leftovers. He held a small wrapped bundle of food out to the Confessor, while Primrose went on to question her.

"Jiji, when you speak of returning regrets - can you return spirits to life?” She asked. “Surely there is a price involved besides feeding you.”

The bug peered among the offered morsels, as if scanning for something she couldn’t find. “Life...?” she murmured quizzically, distracted. “Regrets... are a part of us. My ritual can only bring them here, from wherever they might be. What you do with your regret is up to you. Bury it, destroy it, accept it, I am but the usher...” She looked up at Therion. “Hmm, but you don't have any food on you. At least nothing that interests me. I can't perform on an empty stomach, so please return once you've found something truly tasty... something nourishing.”

"Pretty picky for a- oof."

Primrose retracted her elbow. "What kind of food do you eat?"

“The food I like... it's soft and round and bursts delightfully in your mouth. The smell it emits... just thinking about is getting me excited. It truly is the most sumptuous thing in the world.” Jiji gave a wistful sigh.

"I see." Primrose closed her eyes, considering the Confessor in front of her. She didn't get the feeling that Jiji was a fraud or otherwise untruthful. She also doubted her feminine wiles would work on an old, sleepy, shamanistic bug, so they wouldn't be convincing her anytime soon. Likewise, threatening Jiji was out of the question - not only because it would be tasteless and cruel, but if they wanted to use her services more than once, it would be best not to get on her bad side.

She opened her eyes and nodded. "Then we will be back with something for you. Farewell until then."

The Octopath Travelers left Jiji's hole in the wall, the bug bidding them goodbye. As they found their way back to the only road through town, Primrose remained deep in thought. Usually Therion wouldn't try to break the silence, but he found himself chatting as they walked.

"Well, now that you know where she is you can come back anytime." The dancer hummed to show she was listening so he continued, his tail flicking. "No clue what she eats though. ...berries?"

It was his best guess, and he followed it up with a shrug. Primrose glanced up, tapping her chin.

"I'm not sure. Hopefully it isn't too difficult to find. I'm sure we'll run into it somewhere in the Under."

A bit of unusual food was a small price to pay for what she thought Jiji would be able to do. Although as they'd talked with her, she was beginning to doubt that it was true resurrection. Even so, she was sure that it would be useful.

They eventually arrived to where they'd last left the other Seekers, a spot between Dirthmouth proper and the lip of the Chasm. That they didn't see all of the Seekers there wasn't surprising, but it wasn't just a few that were missing - it was all of them. Primrose and Therion set down most of the equipment they'd been lugging around to rest, peering around for any sign of the others. Were they still exploring the town, having somehow avoided the Travelers on their way back? Or...?

The final sounds of a battle below drifted up out of the Chasm, echoes of shouting and gunshots. When thief and dancer poked their heads over the side of the pit to look down, they found the Seekers of Purple Team minus Ms. Fortune and Sectonia having just driven away some bandits and about to head deeper in. Primrose sighed as the two Travelers straightened up.

"So much for gearing up first," Therion said, clicking his tongue.

"Eager to explore, I suppose. It wouldn't be the first time we've been part of an unpredictable group, hm?"

"Sure. I do know someone who loves going off alone to 'handle things'."

"Speak for yourself," she laughed. Primrose went down the path into the Chasm a little, waving and calling out to Kamek, Bowser, Rika, and any who weren't too far down yet. "Yoohoo~ We'd appreciate some help up here."

Splitting the haul would make it that much easier to carry, and both Travelers were eager to shuck all but their share onto the others. While they coordinated to go deeper and meet with the rest, hopefully the final members of the group would appear so the entire team could descend as one.

World of Light

Word Count: 805 (+2 exp)
Level: 9 - Total EXP: 157/90
Location: Edinburgh MagicaPolis

It was lucky that the tigress woman hadn't woken up while being transported. It would have made the already awkward situation a lot worse. With only a little difficulty they were able to find a doctor, after which they dropped her off and made themselves scarce.

They'd only seen a small part of the city so far, but from what the Cadet could see it stretched into a massive icy sprawl. Skyscrapers were dwarfed by brick towers, roads and aqueducts cut through pedestrian streets... just from their short time walking around, the place seemed even larger than before. At least it would hard to get lost, seeing as they could always find their way back to the city's centerpiece.

The trio soon found themselves in a pub, and after settling in they contacted the Seekers' base of operations via Moogle.

Hearing the news that the three of them were indeed far from the others, the Alcamoth, and everything that had come to be familiar in general, the Ace Cadet started slumping further and further into his seat. He was still one hundred percent sure that everyone else was fine, but still, what a bummer to be separated from them. Especially Nadia - he wanted to spend more time with her in general but after their conversation on the Tinkerslug that feeling was particularly strong. He would have tolerated being surrounded by four mages to stick close to her, but of course it didn't happen that way.

He couldn't fault the Moogle for trying to cheer them up. In all honesty it worked, at least for the monster hunter - seeing her little cheer, he couldn't just mope. There was adventure to be had! The Cadet dragged himself back up until he was sitting properly in the chair. He slapped his palms to his face to get back into the right mindset, putting on a grin.

"She's right. Getting stuck in a whole new places means there's a ton of new stuff to see. Gotta go with the 'snow', right?"

It would also be pretty great if they could figure out the where and whats of the local Guardian, and come up with a plan of attack by the time the cavalry rolled in. Big Band had mentioned before that he was a detective, Wonder Red was a crime fighter, and if their search led them out into the wilderness then the Cadet himself was pretty good at tracking. Between the three of them, it was possible. The little flying creature mentioned not to go fighting it on their own, buuuut maybe they could just play it by ear. After all it would be even better if they could return triumphant.

So that was that. The Moogle left them to their own devices. They were, unofficially, a third contingent of Seekers investigating the furthest reaches of the world now. The Cadet brought the mug of warm liquid up to finish it's contents, then kept his hands wrapped around it to siphon off any lingering heat.

He turned to Wonder Red. "By the way, that unite-thing? Pulled me out of a tough spot back there. Could come in handy that way if you work out how to do it on purpose," the Cadet said, clapping Red on the back good-naturedly. Then he looked to Big Band, ready to get a head start in this region. "I'm in!"

With Band's suggestion for new clothes, the Cadet glanced down at himself. His armor was sturdy, more protective than most given it's use in withstanding wyverns and other monsters, but... it wasn't built for the cold, that was true. Even now whenever the pub's door opened, he could feel the wind right through what he was wearing. Thinking back, Astera and the rest of the 'New World' barely got colder than a slight chill, all of the ice concentrated where Legiana made their nests. And in Lumbridge, the End, the Seaside, the Carcass Isle... the cold had been from being drenched in water, not the bone-chilling frost of winter. And of course because he hadn't planned on ending up a frozen place, he hadn't made any 'hot drinks.' Yup, Band definitely had the right idea.

"Don't need to worry about that, I hardly get sick," the hunter mentioned, proving the adage 'idiots don't catch colds' true. "But you're right - if we'll be here for a while, we are gonna need something warmer. I've got some other clothes with me, but they probably won't be enough."

Plus, getting new equipment was always something the Cadet enjoyed. He imagined hardy pieces of armor lined with warm fur and thick animal hide coats that were tougher than they looked. "Step one, find some new gear - step two, find the big, bad boss."

In a city this huge, there was probably nothing they couldn't find... with time, at least. And some directions.

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