Yankee

Here for fantasy RPs!

Well hello and welcome!

World of Light

^{____________________________________________________}
Level: 8 - Total EXP: 200/80 ------ Level: 6 - Total EXP: 145/60
𝙱𝙿 ●●●●● ---------------------------- 𝙱𝙿 ●●●●●
Word Count: 521 (+1 exp)
Location: The Under

One way or another the collection of Seekers made their way through the hive, in groups or going solo. Once they reunited at the throne room they transitioned straight into a confrontation with the would be queen. Primrose and Therion were focusing on support throughout the battle with the robot wasp, content to let the heavy hitters of their group do their thing while they kept the worst of the swarm at bay or powered up their allies with invigorating dances. Naturally, the fight was not a straight forward one. Pretty much everyone was ready for the nature of the battle to change when the robot broke down and it's head compartment exploded.

Out of the two Travelers, Primrose was the only one on the ground when the bee's scepter struck. She had been between one dance and the next, and when the hexes broke apart she tumbled down. Less than a second later she came to a stop in the air, the sigils of her scarf lighting up and granting her temporary air time.

Therion had a gut feeling for what was about to happen, and so he jumped to avoid the shock wave. As he expected the floor opened up and a pit appeared below them. At least this one was filled with honey, rather than rocks or a bottomless chasm - but the thief still wasn't happy about it. He stood on one of the highest hexes until it would no longer hold him, and then he jumped to another. That princess bankrolling this whole adventure better give me a whole damn chunk of the treasury after this, he thought to himself, gritting his teeth and fighting to calm his heart rate. He was about to jump towards his favorite flying handhold, the ally queen bee in this case, when she summoned an enormous crystal for a more permanent perching place. Therion gratefully took a spot on it, and with some brief hesitation summoned a Shelleton next to him. When he didn't feel any adverse effects, he commanded it to fire. The gundead's eyes blinked red and then its laser shot upward, carving through the air and destroying any bombs it swept past. It focused on reducing Rumor's explosives while they were still in the air, any passes it made over the bee herself were incidental.

With everyone hurling projectiles up at the plane (and in some cases themselves), Primrose didn't think it a good idea to try and float up herself lest she get caught in some friendly fire. Still she got as close as she dared to the usurper queen, since there was no way for her to dance now it was time for her to go on the offensive as well. Her dress billowed around her legs and her hair around her face, in one hand she conjured the moonlight of Luna Λ and in the other the smoldering darkness of Moonlight Waltz. With the ring of Devout Beads slowly moving in a circle at her back, she looked the picture of a vengeful goddess. She let her magic fly, aiming solely at the plane.

Word Count: 492 (+1 exp)
Level: 4 - Total EXP: 177/40
Location: Dystopiascape - Midgar

Out of the cafeteria's impromptu maze and into another of dark hallways, the group left the specter behind them. Their rush for safety brought them even deeper into the hospital, and they only stopped once they were sure there was nothing else around save for the psychics and Seekers themselves. When Roxas explained how he'd healed Yuito, Pit whispered back a word of praise. "Oooh, smart. Even if its only once, good to know its more than a normal heal. Like a super-mega-heal." He'd definitely have to keep that in mind, along with all the other information about them he'd learned. He was glad to have a quick thinking friend like Roxas around.

When Hanabi let her relief show through, Pit gingerly stepped out of the closet to give the two some space after the Yuito's brush with death. His eyes flitted down the hall in the vague direction he remembered them coming from, and then down at rings of light that circled his arm. The divine weapons he could summon handily dealt with the likes of the Underworld army, so it stood to reason they'd probably work on ghosts from other worlds too. With the Watcher and Anima, he hadn't tried it - just following Luka's lead and prioritizing a swift escape over battle. That strategy had worked out so far, even with some close calls. In the future, he resolved himself to jump in and buy the others time to move while he test out the effectiveness of his arsenal. Especially since this place was more dangerous than Pit had initially assumed. The outside looked spooky, sure, but from what he gathered during Luka's brief rundown there was supposed to be some shady organization doing work here, wasn't there? How could they manage anything with so many monsters around? Maybe there's a secret entrance somewhere... or I guess they might be controlling the monsters somehow?

His attention was drawn in another direction by the soft murmur of distant voices. Behind him the closet door cracked open, letting him know that he wasn't the only one that had heard it. In silent agreement they all moved in the direction it sounded like the voices had come from. When they arrived they found an elevator, with it's lift already going down. They congregated around it. Pit answered Roxas' question almost as soon as it had left the other boy's mouth.

"Definitely," he said. Despite the danger this building held he was still ready and willing to keep going; they had people to help and a friend to rescue. He was sure he wasn't the only one that felt that way either. He glanced first at Roxas and Luka, then Yuito and Hanabi. "This might closer be what we were looking for, right? So we have to check it out! We'll probably be safer all together, but - what happened, Where's Raz?" There was no way that ghost had gotten to him, was there? "...should we look for him first?"

World of Light

^{____________________________________________________}
Level: 8 - Total EXP: 199/80 ------ Level: 6 - Total EXP: 144/60
𝙱𝙿 ●●●●● ---------------------------- 𝙱𝙿 ●●●●●
Word Count: 520 (+1 exp)
Location: The Under

Once the call was put out to summon the other Seekers, all Primrose and Therion had to do was wait for them to arrive. Therion drifted in and out of the temple, looking for anything interesting or valuable while he waited to flag the rest of their group down. Primrose kept the Water Lily Siren company, patiently explaining why "everything felt so different" after the friend heart had worked its magic.

The siren had been grateful that they hadn't left her at the mercy of the creeper vines, and after helping clear some debris from the area to make moving on easier and also promised not to eat any of the Travelers friends. She said it with such genuine emotion, clasping her large hands over Primrose's own, that the dancer instantly believed her. Even after she said, "but if you do find someone you don't like around here, I am kind of hungry after sleeping so long..."

When the rest of the Seekers (or well, most of them) converged on the underground temple beneath the arboretum, it was time to get a move on.

"Come back again if you want to!" The siren waved after them all.

Just inside the tunnel that would take them toward the Hive, as confirmed by Barnabee, Primrose held the spirit of the humanoid vine creature up to her face. She'd grabbed it while awaiting the others, and now she bound the spirit to her will.

For Primrose

New Striker spiritbound:
Animus of Will
A thorned plant monster with a shape that roughly mimicks a human's and a short cooldown. When summoned, she will always attack three times, either with advancing stabs, sweeping slashes, or root lashes. This quirk allows her to lock individual opponents down either in hitstun or blockstun, allowing the summoner to apply pressure or continue a combo, but it also means she's open to counterattack for longer, especially if she misses

Throughout the trek in honeycomb lined tunnel, the only living beings the group encountered were wasps and worker bees. Barnabee had warned them of the former, though he probably didn't have to. Sounds just like normal wasps, Therion thought, though considering these were almost as large as a person they were sure to be much more dangerous. The evidence of their hostile takeover of the bees was everywhere from the drones being forced work, to the paper nests affixed to surfaces, to the robots that surveyed the area.

Despite the occupation, the Hive itself was quite beautiful in an odd way. Rather than the inside of a gigantic bee's nest, it made Primrose feel as though the whole group had shrunk as they walked the path there. It was a strange feeling when mixed with the incredible view. Double so standing next to Barnabee, whose anger at the sight was palpable.

"Well... not for all of us," Primrose said, looking over at Ms. Fortune. "Perhaps a diversion would work to draw most of the wasps' attention."

The dancer tapped her chin, almost reconsidering the idea she'd suggested. It would mean less Seekers available to battle the usurper, assuming they would easily be found, but they'd done fine while split up before - even against a Consul. Of course, there was no guarantee that defeating the wasps' leader meant they would all leave. Thinning the swarm ahead of time might be beneficial. Sectonia's comment not withstanding. "That, or we just fight our way through."

Personally Therion didn't care one way or the other, as he would likely be trying to stay out of a direct fight either way. He offered an unhelpful shrug.

Word Count: 681 (+1 exp)
Level: 4 - Total EXP: 176/40
Location: Dystopiascape - Midgar

Once all of the teleportation was done, Pit let go of Raz's hand and shook his head briefly. It'd been a while since he'd been transported so many times in quick succession. He was right as rain by the time the small contingent hopped the fence, and he followed Luka through a side window into the building after agreeing with Midna's sentiment about the building. "Totally. There's no telling what kinds of ghosts or monsters would be attracted here. Plus if they're using it for evil experiments twice, what's to stop someone using it a third time? Or more?"

And to think they might be keeping the poor princess in a place like this. Thinking about it practically gave Pit the heebie-jeebies.

Inside there was already a team waiting for them. Introductions were short and sweet, with Pit giving his usual proud spiel about being a body guard captain. The impression that he got from the psychics were that they seemed like good people. If they were putting themselves at risk by looking into their own faction's shady business, they had to be. While they were listing off their psychic powers, Pit wondering if it was alright for the non-psychics to be here - but since Luka had taken them here with no complaints it had to be fine, right? Probably.

Speaking of Luka, Pit ended up with the group led by him as those gathered split up to investigate the building's right hand side. He wrinkled his nose at the state of this area - it definitely looked abandoned by people, but judging from the substance coating the place there was something else around. Then they came upon the calcified people... no, even if they had been humans at one point, they sure weren't now. And what were they made of anyway? Some kind of stone? Pit swapped to the Upperdash Arm, intending to shatter the strange statues per Luka's suggestion rather than attempt to cut or shoot them.

"Quick I can do," he said confidently, his tone dipping only a little when he continued, "and I'll try to be quiet."

As they came upon the statue-like things, Pit fired discuses to crush them in what would normally have been a human's vital spots, that or just smashed them with his weapon wielded like a hammer. The first time one of the albedo shuttered awake it startled Pit into hopping backward away from it. He landed in a puddle of psychoplasm, immediately regretting the action as he found it difficult to step out of it.

"Aw no, it's sticky!" he complained, raising his leg and looking at the plasma stretch as it held firmly to his sandal.

The albedo that had woken up jerked upright until it was standing, took a few stuttering steps toward the angel and then lunged - right into a standing uppercut with the divine weapon. The impact of the monster with the ceiling was dampened due to the psychoplasm still coating its body, but it still cracked apart as it hit the floor again. Pit extricated himself while the other two finished off a couple more, and then all together they could clear the area. Of albedos, at least. The next thing they encountered appeared to be a much different beast.

The group didn't need the shared telepathy via SAS to hear Pit's thoughts, as he voiced them aloud as soon as they came to mind. "Ew, what is that?" he quietly hissed to the others, peeking over a desk to survey it. It looked like it was made of the same stuff that covered the walls and floors, maybe trails left behind as that thing moved around? Pit narrowed his eyes at it, considering what the best way to go about fighting it was if it came down to that. Maybe the stuff its made of is flammable? Oh, or maybe those big glowy eyes are weak points? Wonder if it has an actual body in there or if its just a gross goo monster.

He looked over at Luka. "You could teleport us past it right?"

Heiseina: Memories Long Forgotten

tags: @Queen Arya

---

"Oho? I got plenty of beauty sleep last night. Can you not tell?"

The white haired woman laughed, striking an exaggerated pose as best she could with the kimono in her arms. Otherwise she stayed quiet as she awaited Fumiko's opinion, anticipation clear on her face, if a little dramatic. Though neither choice could be wrong, Sumiko nodded along in agreement once the decision was made like she'd expected that outcome all along.

"Excellent choice as always, Fumi-chan," she said, sounding quite pleased. Sumiko gently replaced the green garment, then held the purple close to her and spun in place as though she were dancing with a partner. "Purple, mysterious, noble and spiritual. Specifically, this is hashita-iro. The color is made from murasaki plants, and the threads woven silk. Aah, I'd love to try my hand at weaving something myself some time!"

Sumiko slowed her turns, the motion transforming into a soft swaying. She smiled at her friend. "I was thinking the scale pattern might be a little direct, but it always goes over well with the crowd."

Without further ado she carefully laid the kimono on the table, and went to rummage for a suitable cover to carry it in. The hastily cleaned up room was gradually returning to a more familiar state as Sumiko opened a sliding closet and pulled things out. Boxes to sort through, hangers removed, examined, and lightly tossed to the side. Eventually one cover seemed to satisfy her, and she began wrapping the kimono in it. When Fumiko brought up asking for some extra help, all the white haired woman thought at first was, good idea! 'Many hands make light work,' or so the saying went didn't it? Before Sumiko could say as much, Fumiko went on. The more excuses she made, the faster Sumiko's expression morphed into a knowing grin. When she turned back to the young Takamori, the poor girl could see a hint of mischief in Sumiko's eyes.

"That's the only reason, I'm sure," she said, her voice light and teasing. Did their little Fumiko have a crush? She'd have a lot of competition, apparently a lot of the village girls had a thing for Tsubasa. Some of the village boys too. Sumiko let out a goodnatured laugh at her friend's flustered words, scooping one of the crates of supplies off of the ground and depositing it into Fumiko's hands. "It's not a bad idea though. Everything is ready to move, we just have to move it!"

Of course between bundles of cloth, parchments, paints, brushes, and everything else that Sumiko deemed necessary, it would be easier said than done. Sumiko herself stood with her hands on her hips in the midst of the middle of it all with a can-do grin. That smile had promised many things, and this morning it promised to get everything delivery on time.

"Well, almost everything. I need to gather up the matched hair pieces, but that won't take long."

Her smile was still in place when she turned away again, diving into the drawer of a little vanity. It was a dark wooden thing, not the typical make of Heiseina's craftsmen, and the little scratches here and there proved it was put to good use.

"You can go ahead if you want. I wouldn't want to get in the way of you and strong, handsome Tsubasa-san," she giggled over her shoulder. If the young man agreed to help out then they'd make short work of moving everything, but if not it was no big deal - there had been years when Sumiko carried everything to and fro by herself, so she was confident it would get done with time to spare. Although, she would be lying if she said she didn't appreciate the help.

Ah ha! she raised an arm in triumph, a shimmering hair piece held between her fingers. The rest of the accessories would follow soon enough.

"You know Fumi-chan, you should show off a little more," the younger Hayashi sister said suddenly. Her eyes were still focused on her search, though her grin had melted to something a little softer. "Perform in the festivals sometime. I'm sure you would do great."

Her gaze flickered over to Fumiko. "It would draw you some attention too. You know, catch the eye of a certain someone!"

Heiseina: Memories Long Forgotten

tags: @Queen Arya

---

"Hey, it's morning already."

The eldest Hayashi sibling had padded by Sumiko's room a couple of times already, going back and forth across the quiet estate. In the cool winter season the household was often quiet. Himiko had always been an early riser, but by now her sister would have left her room in search of breakfast. However, hardly a peep left Sumiko's room since last night.

"Sumiko?" Himiko rapped her knuckles on the wood frame outside of her sister's room. A muffled reply found it's way out of the room. Himiko sighed. "I'm coming in."

The door only made it half-way open, sliding to a halt in it's track. With her hand on the door, Himiko gave it a quick rattle, but it refused to budge. She poked her head inside, expecting to find Sumiko bundled up and asleep. Instead, their eyes met and Sumiko bounded over to the door draped in a lavish robe.

"Oops, I left a box there. Hold on," she said, kicking something out of the way of the track and opening the door all the way. Himiko stepped in, marveling at the state of the room. Piled up on one side were papers, tools, and boxes. Above them all a parchment was hung on the wall with Sumiko's handwritten notes. A little table with ink and brush was set nearby, miraculously balanced upright. On the other, props and costumes laid out gently. The opposite wall too hand some parchments hung, rough sketches of dresses and kimono on human models.

"Tell me you slept," Himiko sighed once she'd taken it all in. Her little sister gave her a toothy smile.

"Oh I did. Very well! I had an amazing dream. The gods of art must have big plans for me, I was woken up before dawn positively inspired, and I've been putting the perfect finishing touches on my act since!"

Although her hair was a mess and there were shallow bags under her eyes, Sumiko's gaze was as sharp as ever. The elder sister returned her smile. "Well, I'm glad. The sun's been up a long time ago though, you may want to get prepared for the day, hm?"

Sumiko opened her mouth, a retort on her lips, but a rapping outside cut her off. A friendly, familiar voice reached the sisters and Sumiko snapped her jaw closed, her eyes growing owlish.

"Even Fumiko-chan has come to check on you," Himiko laughed, Sumiko pushing her out of the room and shutting the door with a snap. A fluffy of motion started behind her. "I'll be ready in just a moment!"

It didn't take long for Himiko to reach the front of the estate, and she opened the door to greet Fumiko warmly.

"Good morning Ojou-chan," she said with a smile. "Please, come in. I'm sure Sumiko would appreciate your help." She motioned in the direction Sumiko's room was, though she trusted Fumiko knew the way. "I have to get going myself. Have a nice day."

The eldest Hayashi bowed to Fumiko before she shuffled out. More than likely they'd see each other again back at the Takamori estate that day. The hall leading to Sumiko's room echoed with every footstep, but before Fumiko could reach it the silvered haired Sumiko appeared around a corner. Unbeknownst to Fumiko her appearance was much more cleaned up than just a few minutes earlier. She had a comfortable morning robe on now, and gone were all traces of bags or blemish from her face, painted over with a soft layer of make-up.

"Hello Fumi-chan! Don't worry, everything's ready! There's just one more thing to decide before I move everything over to the performance area."

She led Fumiko the rest of the way to a quarters that were just a little more organized than when Himiko had found them earlier.

Sumiko breezed over a rack where two kimono and matching obi were hung. She plucked the garments and held them both out in from of Fumiko. Both were quality material of glistening, vibrant colors. One, a fresh spring green embroidered with silvered and gold patterns. Plant leaves, flower petals, and swirls. The other, a cool purple marked with thick and bold white thread depicting scales and fog, with a fading pink and red sunrise streaking across one sleeve.

"Different color schemes I know, but I think they're both fitting and have plenty of matching accessories to complete the look for either one." Sumiko looked appreciatively over each kimono, one in each hand. She looked like she could barely hold back talking about the meaning she could ascribe to the design of each garment. Her eyes flicked over to Fumiko, excited. "So? Which do you think?"

"After The Fate I've been through I must continue."

Hey there, welcome! Should be plenty of RPs that would fit a character like that here. Good luck finding one, and have fun!

What Are You Listening To?

Expedition to Isekai

______________________________________________________________________

It was a weird feeling, having Stewart on his side for once. Though putting it like that seemed wrong, there shouldn't be any sides in a situation like this. Regardless, Masato listened to the taller boy shout that no one had made him the leader (technically true), and that he had a point. It was better than nothing. He didn't let Stewart touch him for longer than it took to push himself and Kanamori farther away from each other, shrugging the hand off of his shoulder.

Masato glanced at the other students to gauge their reactions. The unchanged, the ones they had protected, surely they felt the same way as he and Stewart. But the others, were they all as angry as Kanamori? If he had to guess, in regards to his childhood friend the answer was probably yes. Before Masato could look Kogen's way, Stewart's tirade continued into an attack on the fighting capabilities. He was going too far, so much so that Kanamori's rage crumbled and she bolted away from everyone.

"Kanamori..." Should he go after her? He really didn't want to split the group up now that they'd all found each other again, but she couldn't have gone that far. Masato had taken one step in the direction the girl had gone in before a sharp, broken shout echoed around the area.

His head snapped to Hoshino, sobbing on the ground next to Bansen. His reaction was alarming, but his words even more so - he wasn't able to heal the other boy? Why? Was he too far gone?

Masato's eyes first found Okumura, since she had basically been the class' nurse since yesterday morning. Just as quickly as his gaze found her, they slid off of her. Even though she was alive (thanks to leaving her behind, he reminded himself), there was still a small measure of guilt that made him look away from her. But there was still a student begging for help, a fellow council member no less, and who was Masato if he couldn't try to be the helpful council president?

He brushed past Stewart, rushing back to Bansen's side. He fell beside Hoshino, letting his knees hit the dirt while his hands hovered nervously in front of him.

"How?" He asked. How can I help? "What should- how do you heal them?"

They were both Awakened, so he should be able to do whatever Hoshino did to heal someone, right? He just had to learn it. If he could see it properly once, maybe he could imitate it. If he couldn't, then... another one of them would die right here.

______________________________________________________________________
_@baraquiel

World of Light

Word Count: 459 (+1 exp)
Level: 4 - Total EXP: 175/40
Location: Dystopiascape - Midgar

From what Pit could grasp while on the way to meet up with the other teams, the city's government agents had finally arrived. A whole third faction, but since they were late to the party all the work was already done for them. The Seekers had pretty much dismantled both DespoRHado and Vandelay, so what else was left for the administration to do? Besides swoop in and arrest people. People including the Seekers. Pit sighed as they rode the elevator down, crossing his arms while Giovanna and Korsica sent the map Sandalphon's way.

"It'd be nice if we could be celebrated heroes sometimes," he said, "you know with confetti, and food, and cheering and all that stuff." Since almost the entire world was brainwashed, it was probably asking a lot. But always being on the run was getting tiring. At least after collecting Benedict the old man's healing striker had made the angel physically feel better.

When all of the teams met up again in the courtyard, there were some relieved sighs but not much fanfare. There were also two missing, Raz and Tora. Were they alright? Pit fidgeted, asking after the both of them. Apparently Tora had decided to stay in order to research a way to help Poppi - he was alright. Hopefully he could escape the agents swarming the area so he could actually work on his project. It would be good to have Poppi back as soon as possible. Raz was a different story however, because he had disappeared in the middle of the mission.

...only to reappear again now at the end of it.

"You found Peach?" Pit repeated, hopeful. What a boon it would be if they could rescue her as soon as possible! With some luck maybe Tora would have a break through and the entire group could reunite. He and Peach went way back, sort of, so he'd feel like a jerk if he left her rescue to someone else - he planned to accompany Luka and Raz back even if he was completely out of his element.

At that point a huge tank-looking robot crashed into the area just after Giovanna's warning, spinning its treads and staring down the group. It looked familiar, but Pit didn't dwell on it. As Sandalphon advised, they had to escape as soon as possible lest they get surrounded by the city's forces. Most of the Seekers headed with Korsica to the escape route she'd been mentioning, but Pit turned to the Scarlet Guardians.

"I'll go too!" the angel exclaimed, diving forward to take Raz's hand while Midna took Sakura's, and Roxas took Luka's. He held his other hand out as if they'd form a ring together, regardless if it was needed or not before they teleported.

^{____________________________________________________}
Level: 8 - Total EXP: 198/80 ------ Level: 6 - Total EXP: 143/60
𝙱𝙿 ●●●●● ---------------------------- 𝙱𝙿 ●●●●●
Word Count: 3788 (+4 exp) (-6 Friend Heart)
Location: The Under

Therion was the first to the ground out of the two Travelers, dismounting the borrowed wyvern and giving it an awkward pat on its neck. He shuffled away from it and closer to the empty hut while taking in the area. It was incredible that a city of this size was so far down underground, but then again they had just come from the comparable Home of Tears. When Primrose alighted among the group a few moments later, her eyebrows were knitted together in concern. True to Barnabee's word the area was all but destroyed already, and pools of residue from the calamity covered a lot of the surface area. There didn't seem to any people left that they could see from here, only monsters - and not the sentient kind like the city they'd just come from.

Once everyone was together they could decide their plan of action, which turned out to be a simple one. After Barnabee told everyone what he remembered, both of the Travelers glanced in the direction of the arboretum. It was a no brainer considering it was the only place they could see that had visible roots growing around it. They would leave the extra exploration to the other Seekers now that their destination was decided. Therion started toward their destination without a word, only casting curious looks at the other points of interest. Primrose was soon to follow, taking only a few moments to make a comment to the others as everyone dispersed to look around.

"Don't forget to check in if you find anything... or run into trouble," she said, tapping her ear. After that she quickly caught up to her friend due to her longer stride, and together they made a beeline for the abandoned arboretum. They avoided the local wildlife as they walked, finding that most of it avoided them in turn. The black pools of sludge were the exception, as even though the Travelers gave them a wide berth if any of the hands reaching out of it spotted them with the eyes on their palms, the entire tar pit would move in pursuit of them. A blast of Primrose's magic felled many of the limbs, but upon discovering that they seemed to regrow themselves very quickly the Travelers focused on outpacing them instead.

Thick, dry roots blocked the front entrance at the building itself, large enough that they could be seen from afar. There was no doubt they belonged to the massive tree whose branches were stretching out of the broken roof. Thankfully windows lined the entire structure, most of them already broken or missing all of their glass entirely. Therion nimbly climbed through one of them, dry grass crunching under his boots once he dropped inside. He was greeted by a musty, earth-rich smell and distant rustling reached his sensitive ears, but the immediate area was safe.

"It's clear," he called up to the window, signalling Primrose to float inside and land beside him.

At first glance the interior seemed to be a large garden featuring a plethora of plant life, and while technically true it became immediately apparent that the whole area was neglected, dehydrated and left to rot. Entire trees withered where they stood, foliage both large and small drooped toward the ground, and many plants had long ago shed their leaves and petals. Many more were already completely dead and shriveled. It made sense - the caretakers of the arboretum had all either died or fled.

They walked slowly down a path of cracked stone. To say it was overgrown didn't seem right. Maybe it had been in the past, but now the plants that had threatened to overtake it were dried up and gone. The grasses that lined it were brittle and yellow. Crimson vines sometimes stretched across the floor, their thorns like jagged teeth. The Travelers avoided these whenever they came upon them.

"At least that foul looking muck isn't as dense here," Primrose commented. Compared to the city's streets and other buildings, the gloom inside the arboretum was little more than puddles - thankfully without any grasping hands growing out of them.

"Yeah, especially if that stuff about it breaking down weapons is true."

"Didn't Barnabee mention that it 'sapped away their lives,' and you're more worried about your sword?"

"Us non-mages kind of rely on them to fight and kill the things that are trying to kill us, like the hand monsters sapping life in the first place."

"You have claws now, don't you?"

Therion did not dignify her question with a response, just rolling his eyes at her as the two of them continued to pick their way through the area. "Anyway, he said the place we're heading is deeper underground right? So I guess we'll be looking for a staircase or something to go lower."

Once a little deeper into the arboretum, the first signs of actual life began to appear. Among the dead and dying plants seedlings scurried on their tentacle-like roots, chasing or being chased by more dried out plants. Without the original inhabitants here to explain, it was impossible to tell if creatures like these had always been here or if the plants evolved to eat each other when the lack of water and sunlight became too hard to bear. Larger, more dangerous looking plants were present but in much smaller numbers, mostly ambling around a small area if they even moved at all. These monsters weren't interested in trying to go after such large prey, so they left the Travelers alone as they walked on. The two of them agreed that if they were attacked, neither of them should use their fire spells. With how dry it was in here, one stray ember could lead to the entire arboretum being torched.

There was no sign of a stairwell or elevator that would take them down that they could see. At ground level, the huge tree's trunk took up a lot of their view. Plants were everywhere else, and along the walls and floors those red thorny vines stretched. However the inside of the arboretum was huge, much larger than it seemed from outside, so they still had plenty more ground to cover.

"What do you say to splitting up?" Primrose asked, glancing at her companion. If there was a way deeper, they were likely to find it faster that way.

"Sure. I'll go that way and put these claws to use."

Therion took his feline form, knowing it would be better suited to exploring a jungle like this even if it was mostly dried up. Primrose went up, using her scarf to get a higher point of view before the two friends went in opposite directions.

Therion slunk through the brush, checking out anything that might be alternate pathways. He did find a staircase that might have led to a lower level, but it was completely collapsed and seemed to have been buried a long time ago. After leaving it behind he decided Primrose's idea of a higher vantage point was a good one. He spotted a tree that might be able to hold his weight and climbed up, leaping from branch to branch. Not seeing anything yet. If this is really a dead end...

He didn't finish his thought, the branch underneath him snapped. He hadn't been that high up and landed on his feet, his fur standing on end. He landed beside a thorny brute, immobile and camouflaged until Therion had dropped in next to it. It uncurled itself, the light behind its eyes glowing bright as it activated. Ugh, I don't feel like dealing with this!

Meanwhile, Primrose had found her way to an area that looked unusual from above. It was a cluster of what looked like leaves and moss, most of it brown and wilting. When she arrived she found a few groups of little creatures, ball shaped with plants growing from them if they weren't already plants themselves. The korpokkur looked up at her sadly as she walked up to them. The few green ones in their numbers came to meet her and held out their little hands, gesturing to their leaves and the leaves of their dried out friends.

"...I'm sorry, I don't understand," she told them, seeing as they had some intelligence. "Do you want water?"

The word water drew the other korpokkur closer, and they all looked up at her with big, sad, hopeful eyes. All she had on her was her canteen, with no other way to conjure water for them. Then again, she could just refill her canteen at any of the rivers they came to pass. The dancer fished the canteen from her bag and poured a little of it on the nearest brown korpokkur. It wiggled happily and slowly turned green itself. The other brown ones queued up for the same treatment, making Primrose chuckle. She repeated the action, half wondering if there was a way to get an ice or water spell soon.

As she was doing this a furry, four legged shape nearby caught Primrose's eye. It was half hidden in the brush on the opposite pathway, stalking another small group of korpokkur. "...Therion?" the dancer asked, standing to get a better look. The shape stilled and then slowly rose to its own full height as the little seedkin scattered away from it. Its fur was matted, his claws long and sharp, roots covered its back and dug into its skin, and from its head a massive flower bloomed. Primrose stood her ground even as a second, previously unseen monster stood up as well. The pair of beasts loomed taller than the dancer, snarling.

So there weren't just plants here, she thought, though with the flowers on their faces that remained to be seen. The hulking animals lunged, but a moment later the dancer vanished. She reappeared behind one of them with her Ravaging Confession and struck. Dark magic rippled through the wounds left by her dagger, making the beast howl with pain. It turned on her quickly and swiped its claws, missing the dancer by a hair as she moved to the side. Its partner did the same, grazing Primrose's skin as it bounded forward and slammed its claws down at her. She jumped backwards, flipping her hair and raising a hand glowing with magic. When she closed it into a fist the Moonlight Waltz erupted around the injured bear, reducing it to ashes with a drawn out yowl.

Drawn by the sounds of battle another beast burst through a dead thicket, sliding to a halt between Primrose and the grizzly host. Therion barred his fangs and roared at the monster, and in return it raised its claws and roared back. Heavy thumping preceded the arrival of the thorned hollow that had been chasing after the thief, and when it crashed through the foliage it barreled towards all three of them. Primrose and Therion were deft enough to avoid it, leaving only the flowering beast to be trampled. It wailed and sank its fangs into the twisted vines that made up the hollow's body, leading the two monsters to start fighting each other.

The Travelers left them to it, departing the scene during the confusion with an entourage of korpokkur in tow. They moved until they were out of earshot, stopping under a willow that had lost most of its branches where Therion took his human form once more. The brown korpokkur trailed behind, while the green ones ran in circles around the both of them.

"So there were some dangerous things in here. I suppose that's to be expected..." Primrose sighed. There was still no sign of any path that Barnabee might have taken. Some of the green korpokkur started tugging at the hem of her dress, drawing Primrose's attention. At the same time, Therion's tail twitched and he turns his head, his nostrils moving.

"I think I can smell water," he said. But he couldn't tell where it was coming from. It could have been from outside if they were close to that small river in this area of the building. The korpokkur hopped on their little feet at this comment, continuing to tug at Primrose. She patted the closest one on the head.

"Maybe a spring somewhere?" she guessed. Standing up straight she gestured for the seedkin to go on, assuming they wanted to show her something. "These little ones seem to want us to follow them. Maybe they know where the water is."

With no other leads they followed the korpokkur, back tracking a little and weaving around the center tree. The creeping red vines grew thicker in this area, and when they stopped again the korpokkur were pointing right to a large cluster of them. They seemed to be growing through a hole in the ground, but there was nothing else to be seen. Therion frowned at the vines, then at the seedkin.

"Here?" The smell of water was a little stronger, but there wasn't any way to access it. Unless... Therion brandished his sword and swung at the nearest tendril. When the blade struck it barely cut through before the entire plant moved. Much more quickly than anything else in the arboretum the vines pulled together, lashing whatever was in their path with thorns. They tore through dirt and leaves, and their chainsaw-like ripping caught the thief as they retracted away from his weapon. He sucked in a breath and darted backwards as bloody cuts opened on his legs. They were quickly tended to by Primrose's Warmth spell while the vines retreated into the hole. After a few seconds they started to crawl back out, reaching towards the areas they had previously occupied. Some of the korpokkur that had run when the vines moved started to peek out from their hiding places.

"Well, what do you think?" Primrose asked, moving her hands to her hips once Therion was healed. The thief scratched the back of his head, frowning harder.

"The water smell got a long stronger when those vines weren't covering the hole. I think it really is a way down." Keeping his distance this time he threw a knife, and the same thing happened. The vines ripped through the immediate area to pull together for defense, and then unfurled themselves to grow back. "But how to get past these... a controlled burn?"

Primrose wasn't sure if that was the best course of action. The fire would surely destroy part of the vines, but there was too much danger of setting the rest of the garden aflame. "How about digging around them?"

She summoned her striker Hippowdon and commanded it to Dig. The Pokemon snorted and got to work while Therion and the korpokkur looked on curiously. It was surprisingly fast at digging, but at a certain point it struck vines that had burrowed into the earth like roots. They ripped into its thick hide when they pulled away and destabilized the soil where the Travelers stood, pulling the both of them and the group of seedkin down below the floor. Thankfully the drop wasn't very far, and the whole lot of them landed in a canopy of soft leaves. One by one they detangled themselves and hopped to the ground.

The difference between the floor they were on now and the one they'd fallen from was like night and day. For one, this new area was green. The plants here were all alive and growing well. On this level, larger plant creatures could flourish due to the water access, and some seemed only able to grow here in the first place. Rehydrated versions of some of the plants upstairs were spotted, much healthier looking than their counterparts upstairs.

There were even some lingering signs of life, like foliage set up around a table to mimic having a conversation. Another stone pathway wound through the area, and with the korpokkur already getting a head start moving along it Primrose and Therion followed them. It led to a great pool surrounded by well nourished korpokkur and other little creatures. The dehydrated korpokkur from above stumbled forward and hopped in, happily letting the water soak into them. Giant lily pads formed a walk way across the pool, leading up to a small stone temple that had seen better days. The Travelers glanced at each other, coming to the same conclusion. If there was a way to get even lower than this, it would be through that temple. They carefully crossed the lily pad road and went inside.

There wasn't much of interest to either of them inside the building. It almost seemed to have been a magic greenhouse of some sort far in the past. Pots lined the halls in many different sizes, along with soil and seeds. Maybe to another person, the prospect of such rich gardening would be like a treasure. Like the rest of the arboretum plants grew everywhere and vines curled around the walls and ceilings, including the aggressive red vines that had been on the floor above. They had smashed through the temple's roof and climbed up to the higher level before spreading... but they didn't originate here. When Primrose and Therion made it to the center of the building, a wide area greeted them. There were smaller pools of water here, and a lot more thorns. The red creepy vines were growing through another, much larger hole in the ground, suggesting another way forward.

"This has to be the right place," Primrose said. Her voice echoed slightly in the space, triggering movement. She and Therion tensed, spotting something - or someone - on the far side of the room. They were laying in a giant flower pot surrounded by the vines, and slowly rising.

The plant woman stirred, emerging from her pot with an exaggerated yawn. She was larger than the both of them, maybe even twice their size. She stretched her arms up over her head and shook her leaves out, and when she cracked her eyes open only to find two strangers in front of her she startled.

"Huh?! Intruders? Trying to ambush me while I was asleep?"

This is unexpected, Primrose thought. She took a step forward, holding up her palms. "No, we're looking for-"

"I-I won't let you! Hyah!" The siren squeezed her eyes shut and waved her arm. On the ground below the Travelers three seeds sprouted. They both knew better to stay in place - they dashed away from the seeds seconds before they erupted into huge, green vines. The vines punched through the earth and then retracted, and with another wave of the siren's arm the same thing happened, new vines sprouting from the ground where the two Seekers had just been standing.

"We're just looking for a way down!" Therion shouted at her.

"She might be holding a mask piece," Primrose reminded, preparing a spell in her hand. "We may have to take her down."

"Mask? I don't have anything like that!" The siren cried. This time she brought her arms in close to her chest, and when new vines appeared they were much smaller and bound into a humanoid shape. "Protect me!"

The animus of will fired its spear-like appendages, both of them breaking against Primrose's Baldur Shell. The dancer returned fire with her Moonlight Waltz. While the newest plant monster staggered, Therion moved in. Throwing daggers embedded themselves in the animus' chest, neck, and head. It twitched, clearly hurt but not yet defeated. Therion continued on past it regardless, headed for the water lily siren herself.

"Hey! You cheater!" She summoned a trio of giant vines to burst forth from the ground again, narrowly missing the thief as he ducked and weaved out of the way. The vines had been crashing against the stone every time they missed, and this time a chunk of rubble was dislodged. It fell onto the mass of creeper vines, triggering a deadly chain reaction.

The vines tore through the entire temple, whipping past Primrose, the animus, Therion, and the siren. They cut ribbons out of all of them, destroying the injured animus in the process. They cracked and shattered the stand that the siren's pot was sitting on, sending her tumbling to the ground where she was at the mercy of the vines when they started to grow back. They started to curl around her, and she did her very best not to shake in panic lest they retract again.

"Oh no... O-okay, you can have all of the seeds here just... please help me!"

The pair of Seekers were bleeding onto the grass while undergoing another bout of Warmth. Neither one of them seemed inclined to assist the siren, and when she realized that the plant woman's eyes started to fill with tears. "You said you were looking for a path down? I might know it! So, come on... please?"

Primrose sighed. The siren didn't seem malicious - maybe they'd just spooked her when they woke her up. Once she completed her spell she gingerly stepped forward around the vines on the ground. Reluctantly Therion followed her.

"We're going to have to pull you out I think," she told the siren, making the woman's eyes go wide. "It seems like it'll hurt, so just brace yourself. I'll fix it afterward."

The siren nodded, letting Primrose take both of her hands. The dancer looked to Therion next, grimacing. "We'll probably get caught in it again," she warned him. "But if you could cut the vine and make it back off for a moment?"

Therion grumbled something that she didn't hear, but he pulled out his shield, tensed his shoulders and raised his arm. When he struck the vines did as expected, and he blocked the stray whips as they moved. They cut up Primrose and tore through the siren's leaves and body while the dancer used her strength to drag the other woman out of the danger zone for when the zines grew back. Once she was free Therion came over to help, and the three of them moved as far from the vines as they could within the room.

The siren blubbered, big tears falling from her eyes and, strangely, her leaves. Primrose patted the plant woman's head and produced a friend heart from her own chest. As she tended to the siren, Therion gave them some space and pressed a hand to the link pearl in his ear in order to let the other Seekers know what they'd found.

"It's Therion. Primrose and I are under the big building with the tree growing out of it. We might have found the route Barnabee took here. ...just watched out for the vines on your way down."

Heiseina: Memories Long Forgotten

Hayashi Sumiko

_______________________________________________ // INFO P E R S O N A L D E T A I L S Full Name - 林純恋 (Hayashi Sumiko) Age - 23 Gender - Female Occupation - Traveling Artist - // PERSONALITY P E R S O N A L I T Y Passionate More than anything, Sumiko is able to pour her entire heart into things she cares about, be they projects or people. From her passion stems both diligence and confidence, as she works hard for results. Her passion is quite obvious when one views her work, and the individuals who have felt her helping hand directed at them say the encouragement can be intense. Pushy Sumiko really likes getting what she wants. Doesn't everyone? But at times she can be a bit forceful in pushing her ideas onto others. She even pushes herself to keep going at something futile, her perfectionist streak showing through. She does have a sense of pride that can prevent her from backing down as well. Free Spirit Since her "liberation" Sumiko has greatly enjoyed doing whatever she likes, whenever she likes. She keeps her options open, as being tied down to one place or idea doesn't suit her at all. Like anyone else she has her rough days, her arguments with others, but ultimately she tries to let everything slide off of her back. Forgive, live and let live. // SKILLSET S K I L L S E T Rhythm and Balance A self-proclaimed expert in traditional dance and hopping back and forth on stage, Sumiko has a very good sense of balance. She has a strong core and her coordination is top notch. She's dexterous and rarely fumbles anything, whether she uses her hands or her feet. Physical Artist Though performance is her greatest love, Sumiko is excellent at working with her hands. Her calligraphy is steady and smooth, her paintings and drawings are detailed and life-like, her pottery comes out even and clean, and of course she can read and write quickly. If you need something written or made for you, Sumiko is your girl - but she can be a perfectionist so it might be a bit of a wait. Persuasive Sumiko has a knack for roping others into doing what she wants. This isn't always aggressive badgering - in fact being a poet Sumiko can be quite cool with her words, and being an actor she can make anything sound like the truth. She doesn't go around lying to people though, that would be uncouth! Tt's just that she can be quite convincing. With some people after a conversation with her they end up running an errand and thinking it was their idea in the first place.

Physical Description Sumiko always stands out in the village due to her taste in clothing: elaborate and stylish. Of course the frames she wears over her eyes are no exception. Even if she didn't dress like that, her shockingly pale hair would make sure that one can always pick her out of a crowd. Her physical appearance is rather plain; her eyes are dull, she isn't the most busty or shapely of women nor is she that tall or short... but she does love to paint herself in varying degrees of make-up. This has the side effect of making her seem more attractive, but the enjoyment of making an art piece of her skin is why she does it in the first place. Although she tries to keep clean its very common to find her with ink stains on her hands, arms, and even her face. Character Conceptualization Painting! Poetry! Pottery! Dance! Drawing! Acting! Storytelling! ...stilling working on the music! Even small towns need entertainment, and Sumiko takes it upon herself to provide that. She's a "jack of all trades" type when it comes to the arts, with the notable exception of song and instrument. Please don't call her tone deaf though, she will vehemently deny it. She was born in Heiseina, her family the last of the dying Hayashi clan. Hers was an old family, once well respected in the valley, so it came as a shock when each passing year saw their prosperity dwindle. No one really knows what happened to the Hayashi family, though some claim that the family's head offended a spirit so badly that it cursed his line for generations. It would explain the sons' early deaths, the daughters' lack of vitality that presented itself through pallid skin and colorless features. Some subsequent family heads were obsessed with turning their luck around. Sumiko's father was one such person, but he died desperate for a son to carry on his name and ended up with two daughters. The clan's fate was sealed. His passing was a sad thing, but for his wife and children it was also a freeing experience. There was a certain liberation in knowing they didn't have to toil on behalf of a doomed family name any longer. Sumiko left Heiseina when she was barely old enough to travel on her own, exploring the valley they lived in and the small hamlets that surrounded it. She met many people and heard many stories - in order to commit them to memory she wrote them down. To keep herself occupied during trips she would doodle pictures to go with her writing. It didn't take long for her to fall in love with art. For her freedom came in the form of a song on the wind, or a brushstroke on canvas. Now, Sumiko is Heiseina's resident artist extraordinaire (self-proclaimed). She's also a decent source of news and gossip, bringing stories and paintings with her all over the valley. She travels very often, taking advantage of not being tied down to one place. When she returns to Heiseina she stays at her family home and mooches off of her more responsible and respectable elder sister. Their mother passed years ago, leaving the large, empty estate to the both of them. She always makes it back in time for festivals, where she insists that she put on the newest play she's written, play a role in local re-tellings of myths and legends, and participates in dance until she can barely move. Though she has a strong passion for all kinds of art, dance and Kabuki are one of her favorite pastimes, so when she can she goes all out. Lately, life in the valley has been slower than normal. There haven't been as many interesting stories to create art about, so Sumiko has been going out a lot more and pestering others in search of something to spark her creativity. Other Information Her older sister's name is Himiko (27) She likes to drink, but can't hold her liquor The only Sign she knows is Wind Her eyesight has started to get worse