Private/Closed Bootleg Bros. Ultimate - The Muspell Campaign

[Captain Cardboard]

Abandoned Nifl Fort

"Akira... and Nikki..." The woman said. She closed her eyes and nodded. "You have my sincere gratitude. My name is Fjorm. I am... Or, was... A princess of the kingdom of Nifl. My homeland, however, was destroyed by the Fiery Hordes of our enemy, Muspell."
Fjorm looked to Akira and Nikki. She watched with curiosity as Nikki fiddled with her phone, before gesturing to one of the chests.
"Please take no offense. But the pair of you are dressed rather strangely for this climate. One of these chests should store armor and cloaks, clothes more suitable for the conditions of this place. Please, help yourself to them before the cold sets in to you."

"I see your... bird... has already helped itself to some of the rations store here." Fjorm said to Nikki. "I've never seen a beast like that before. What is it?"

 

[Mokko]

Nikki Prez
Nikki gave a slight wave to Fjorm as Akira introduced the both of them by name. Her attention was still split between the topic at hand and the possibility of getting a phone call through to someone back in Porto… but sadly, she must’ve skipped class the day they went over interdimensional cell-service, because she really had nothin’.

The more stressed she got about it, the more her Destiny Marble began to bother her. She shot a glance down at the red-and-black sphere attached to her friendship bracelet, clicking her tongue in disapproval at the emptiness and dread emanating from it, numbing her wrist in a static-y way.
Didn’t seem like her ‘partner’ really approved of the new environment.

But on the bright side, it sounded like the others had arrived. That was good, as a group, they could maybe start to formulate a plan, especially since they had someone here that clearly knew a lot more about this place than they did.
Not to mention… maybe she knew of a way to send them back home.

“It’s good to meetcha, Miss Fjorm! Um, sorry to hear about your homeland- so Muspell is what that Loki and her gang of mega-weirdos belong to? What a disgrace!” she shook her head- as a fire enthusiast herself, she was ashamed to share an elemental affinity with them!
Standing up to explore the potential additions to her wardrobe, she glanced at Gazpacho, who continued to snooze on the floor.
“That’s Gazpacho- he’s a Windrome! I don’t think I can expect ya to know what that is, though… he’s native to, uh, somewhere pretty far from here, I guess!” she chuckled nervously, putting her hands on the back of her head and strolling toward the chests Fjorm had mentioned- some armor sounded great, considering she’d nearly been turned into a Nikki-kebab by that poleax earlier. “They’re pretty, uh… silly- yeah, that’s a good word for it, silly by nature! But they’re super reliable, absolute units, best headbutters in Porto, honest! And this one’s one of my prized partners… which makes him the best one out there, in my book!” she declared smugly, pulling the lid of a chest up, hoping to find something cool.

 

[Gamingfan]

Shovel Knight
As Shovel Knight followed the other down the stairs, he noticed Bennet slowing down, trying to move to the back. The knight made sure to slow his pace down as well, giving Bennet a careful glance.
"What are you doing?" he asked. " We are surrounded by unfamiliar land. You should stay close."
Bennet seemed to be a practiced adventurer, but he was still rather young. As a Knight of Shovelry, Shovel Knight felt a responsibility to keep him safe.
Eventually though, they would reunite with the other half of the group. Shovel Knight managed to catch the tail end of Fjorm's words
Muspell...that name was unfamiliar, yet it gave Shovel Knight a sense of dread.

 

[comic]

ANAKIN SKYWALKER​

As Anakin led the other three down the stairs, the crow and Bennett taking their time for various reasons, Anakin was greeted by the sight of a now-conscious ex-prisoner, Nikki with her snoozing large bird, and Akira, who greeted the others with the briefest of greetings.

Anakin returned it with his own nod, before he set his sights on Fjorm. “You’re already looking better,” he commented and started to take in the surroundings, watching Nikki dig in one of the chests for a moment.

This was an armory, no doubt about it. A bit... Well, he didn’t want to say ‘primitive’ but honestly what other word could he use? Even lightsabers, a tool used by jedi for thousands of years, was considered ancient. He’d likely just stick with what he had. Besides, Jedi rarely parted with their lightsabers, and ideally, one would always be able to rely on the force.

The knight had to keep himself from bombarding this woman for answers. Much as he wanted to find a way back home, he didn’t yet know if she had the information he sought, or if she was just as lost as the rest of them. He wasn’t really the type to go probing a mind for information, anyway, not unless it was absolutely necessary.​

 

[Psymallard]

Little Crow
The avian continued down the stairs, passing Bennett and Shovel Knight, as they seemed to be in no hurry. Whatever the reason, he didn't stop to think about. The Reaper, continuing on to the warmer room. He spotted the Windrome conked out on the floor, the two humans that had gone ahead, and the princess that they had pulled from the snow.

As Little Crow continued into the room, his gaze then shifted to the weapons. Much like Anakin, he didn't bother with them. His weapons of choice were all forged with soul power- nonmagical blades just didn't stack up. However, the chests certainly struck his fancy. As Nikki searched one, he wandered over and peeked inside as well, hoping to find something shiny.

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Bennett


"What are you doing?" Shovel Knight asked. "We are surrounded by unfamiliar land. You should stay close."

"Y-Yeah, right! Normally I'd agree. But uh...there's something I should-"

Upon rounding the bend, Nikki, Akira, and the girl were made visible. Bennett raised his head, registered it was them, and ran out to greet them, interrupting himself.

"Hey! You guys turned out alright! Take it there were no enemies down here either, even better. Did you guys figure out what those two back there wanted?"

 

[Captain Cardboard]

Abandoned Nifl Fort​

Nikki opened up the chest, which contained pieces of armor. Breastplates, greaves, gauntlets, and pauldrons, all in good condition. The armor was in colors of blue, gold, and white, with small icy crystals decorating different parts. Each piece was also lined with soft feathers and wool, something that would keep its wearer warm. Within the chest were also heavy white and blue cloaks.

"Yes..." Fjorm said quietly to Nikki's sympathies. She watched the others arriving, taking in the strange and different appearances of each of the heroes.
"Heroes from other worlds..." The Princess whispered in awe. Anakin's comment snapped her out of her thoughts, and she nodded to the Jedi Knight. "Thank you."

The Little Crow opened a different chest. This one contained six bottles made of tan glass, wrapped in hide to keep them upright and from rolling around within the chest. The were filled with a liquid of some sort. Some kind of potion?

Bennett ran over to Akira and Nikki, and Fjorm watched the boy curiously.
"Akira and Nikki told me a bit of what happened. I owe all of you my life." Fjorm said to the group. She noticed Little Crow going through one of the chests, and gestured to the crow.
"Ah... Excuse me." Fjorm said to Little Crow. "Could you bring me one of those Vulneraries?"

 

[Psymallard]

Squawk
The crow opened a chest! Inside was... relatively large bottles of some sort of liquid. Sufficed to say that the Reaper was disappointed at his find. He peeked into Nikki's chest as well, and although the armor was shiny, it wasn't all too interesting nor useful otherwise. The bird didn't have all that long to dwell in his dissatisfaction, however, as Fjorm began to address the group.

A polite creature, Little Crow turned around to hear what the princess had to say, and then gave a small bow in response. When she gestured to the crow specifically, he straightened up a bit and turned his head sideways to look her in the eye.

Ah, she wanted "one of those Vulneraries". The bird put together that she meant one of the liquid potions, and then also made the connection that it was probably a concoction that could heal the user. Still, he'd have little use for them with his own Life Seeds. Little Crow turned around, reached into the chest, and grabbed one of the bottles with both wings. He then made his way over to Fjorm to present the brew.

 

[Mokko]

Nikki Prez
Nikki beamed as she watched the others come down one by one, shooting Bennett a thumbs up as he spoke.
“Yup, this place turned out to be a nice, cozy safehaven! I think Miss Fjorm is going to be just fine,” she continued to rummage through the chest, pursing her lips as she eyed the blue. “Not exactly my color…” she admitted, more interested in the white and gold, “it’s no red or cream, but this’ll do.”

She spared a glance toward the Crow’s chest, and didn’t find the contents very interesting. It seemed suspiciously like alcohol to her, and she wasn’t old enough to drink, not that she was very interested in the unknown, probably-room-temperature alternate world bev regardless. The bird didn’t seem very enthused either, but then Miss Fjorm specifically requested one, using a fancy word Nikki wasn’t familiar with. Maybe she wanted to numb the pain- or maybe Nikki was just wrong about it being alcohol. Either way, no judgment!

As Nikki started to gear up, it felt slightly reminiscent of putting her old academy suit on. That year she’d spent training at the village had been… a really cool experience. Hard, though. Admittedly, this stuff did look cooler. And she felt like some kind of awesome knight!

“How do I look?” Nikki wondered, having equipped a mix-and-match of white and gold, striking a valiant pose. “Like a hero, I presume!”

 

[comic]

ANAKIN SKYWALKER​

“Did you guys figure out what those two back there wanted?”
“Heroes from other worlds...”
“Like a hero, I presume!”
“Anakin...! Anakin, please, you’re hurting me!”

Anakin flinched. Not a very obvious movement, just a flexing of his facial muscles before he turned his face away from the others. He’d tuned everyone out, somewhat unintentionally. This moment of respite was simply allowing him to remember where he’d been before showing up here, but...

He hadn’t hurt Padme. Why had he heard that?

“You turned her against me!”

“You have done that yourself!”

His voice, Obi-Wan’s, echoing through the throes of the force, taking advantage of his slackened mind... Anakin grasped a mental hold on the force, pushing away its cries. “I’ll go keep watch,” he told the others, before heading back up the stairs without waiting for a response.

Back into the bitter cold.

Coming to a stop outside of the entrance, Anakin crossed his arms and put his focus into keeping his teeth from chattering, but he could still hear faint voices echoing in his mind. He didn’t like what he was hearing, and he didn’t understand where it was coming from.

He just wanted to tune that out, too.

He just wanted to get back to Coruscant. Get back to Padme. He needed to make sure the chancellor wasn’t killed by Master Windu or anything of the sort, Palpatine knew how to prevent Padme’s death, Anakin just needed to learn the technique...

“When I left you, I was but a learner. Now I am the master.”

A cold voice. A dark voice. Yet it was hauntingly familiar. Anakin grit his teeth and shook his head, as though that would physically throw the force off. He needed to focus... to meditate... Master Yoda’s teachings always came in handy when his mind was buzzing, even if this particular buzzing was new and alarming.

Closing his eyes, Anakin drew in a deep breath, and gently nudged the force, rather than roughly handling it. He felt through it, to connect to every living thing it touched. The snow, his new allies, a bird that was flying by, the whistling wind...

His breathing began to calm.

And he started to remember how cold he was.​

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Bennett


He was glad that Nikki not only seemed to bounce back, but was still in high spirits too! She grinned back when she gave him a thumbs up, Fjorm informing them about how thankful she was while Nikki continued rummaging through the chests.

"It's no worries miss, nobody deserves to be out in the freezing cold like that!"

It's still a wonder why they were after her in the first place. Was it because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time? Or was it some kind of deeper connection? He thought about it for a moment, but his thought bubble was burst by Nikki, showing up with some flashy new apparel.

“How do I look?” Nikki wondered, having equipped a mix-and-match of white and gold, striking a valiant pose. “Like a hero, I presume!”

"Oh wow, totally! Thats some awesome get up you got there!" Bennett beamed, his eyes lit up in wonder. "Look like the cover of an old fairy tale!"

Bennett knew by nature not to ask to look in the chests himself. Curiosity killed the cat, or rather the Bennett in this case.

 

[Captain Cardboard]

Abandoned Nifl Fort​

Fjorm gladly accepted the Vulnerary from the Little Crow. With shaking hands, she pulled the cork from the bottle and downed its contents. In moments, the injuries she had faded even more. Letting out a breath, she gave the Little Crow a grateful smile. The Princess shakily rose to her feet and walked over to the chest Nikki had opened. Nikki struck a pose, and Fjorm looked over the armor before nodding approvingly.
"Very good. It suits you well." She said. Fjorm pulled armor from the chest, working quickly to put it and a pair of boots on.

"From what you have been saying, it sounds like Loki and Fakemon were able to escape. They move quickly, soon enough they'll send more troops to hunt you down. The tracks in the snow will lead them right to us." Fjorm said. As she finished tightening the straps, she looked to each of the heroes.
"I'm sure you all have many questions. How long have you been in this world?" Fjorm asked. She hesitated a moment. "... You are heroes from other worlds, aren't you?"

 

[Gamingfan]

Shovel Knight
Once they had regrouped, Shovel Knight had taken up his own corner in in the floor, sitting cross-legged and with his Shovel Blade embedded into the floor. He laughed heartily as Nikki showed off her new equipment. Her cheery attitude faintly reminded him of Reize
"Indeed you do!" he complimented. "Like a true knight!"
Fjorm had spoken up, asking two rather strange questions.
"Not long at all. That fight was rather sudden for me. " Shovel Knight replied, shaking his head. "But if you need a hero, I assure you I am up to the task."

 

[Fraseandchico]

Akira Tadokoro

When Fjorm recommended they grab new armor, Akira and Nikki's outfits hardly fitting the weather, Akira's eyes rolled with a sigh. Of course, before he could say much, the others were looking around, and Bennett asked them if they'd found out what Loki and her little posse had been looking for...
And as the puzzle pieces clicked into mind, the esper was almost thankful with everyone moving around so much - he didn't have to say it outloud just yet.

But above all, there was a buzzing the air...No, not the air. The mind.
And not his.
Anakin's.
"What the...?" Akira muttered under his breath.

He'd handle it later. Not yet, there was stuff to do yet. Like answering Fjorm's questions while getting his own armor.
"Yeah, he's right about that - not being here for long. I was happy just working away at my little food stall, you know..." First one answered, and the second.
"The humble answer'd be 'oh, I'm no hero' or whatever, right? Nah, I'm a badass hero from another world. And if this whole mess is my only way to get back, 'cuz I'm almost betting I need to help you out, then I might as well."
Removing his jacket, something that instantly pushed a harsh breeze onto Akira's now completely bare torso, the psychic grabbed a few pieces of armor. He... wasn't used to metal armor, and that was clear, but he managed to struggle the armor on.

"Covers more than I like, but I'll take the heat." Over the armor, Akira put his coat back on - Matching in place of the cloak offered by the chests - and a pair of strange gloves - Instead of the gauntlets. "Not bad at all, though. Better than ass-naked."

 

[Mokko]

Nikki Prez
Nikki watched as Anakin disappeared up the stairs, saying he was going to keep watch. He seemed kind of distracted about it, but it wasn’t a bad idea to have someone up there in case Loki came back with an even freakier army. Still… it seemed like he was pretty troubled by this whole world-hopping thing, she suspected all of them were to some extent.

“Yeah! Like a knight! From a fairy tale!” she seemed pleased by the positive feedback. “All I need is an Aegislash- hopefully one that won’t steal my soul, and I’ll be all set! I already have the princess-rescuing covered, and I’ve beaten plenty of Dragon-types too, so that’s two boxes checked!” she cackled, swinging her hand through the air as if showing off a sword. But, of course, she had to come back down to the actual, serious situation unfolding, clearing her throat.

As the others answered Fjorm’s inquiries, she nodded in agreement with them, their stories all pretty much the same. They’d shown up here pretty recently, that fight had been the only real event since the ‘landing.’ How long had it been exactly, like, an hour maybe? Her phone’s clock was bein' a little wonky, so she couldn’t quite tell. Would people notice her being gone by now?

“I like the confidence!” she complimented Akira, clunking her knuckle against his newly equipped metal armor, and then against her own. “Yeah, looks like all of us here are pretty awesome heroes from other worlds! Especially me, though, so I’ll be sure to have your back as long as I’m here, Miss Fjorm!” the Alolan bragged jovially, snickering as she yanked another white cloak from the chest. “Except for like- the next few minutes! I need to make a quick delivery to that Anakin,” she swiftly added.

Heading over to the stairs, she hopped up them two at a time (before realizing it was maybe not a good idea while she was still adjusting to the armor), clicking her tongue as she thought about all the events leading up to this point. Hopefully, they could turn this whole thing around for Miss Fjorm while they were here.
“No scarf, Laser Boy?” she greeted Anakin as if he wasn’t significantly older than her. “Here, I brought you a tactical one, you can blend in with the snow!” she presented the cloak of white fabric to him proudly.

 

[comic]

ANAKIN SKYWALKER​

Both he and the force had calmed, for the moment. Why was it so strange here? He couldn’t quite grasp it, yet he could still access it like ever. It would need investigating, certainly, but he had no idea how he’d go about doing it. He had a seat on the council, but he hadn’t been granted the rank of master. It had been frustrating, but even Anakin had to admit that the masters, like Windu and Yoda, even Obi-Wan, knew more about the force itself. They’d no doubt be capable of figuring this anomaly out.

Opening his eyes, Anakin stared out across the snowy banks into the distance, seeing and sensing nothing out there just yet that was setting upon them. Loki and Fakemon had gotten away, and Anakin’s time as a general had taught him that the enemy would ALWAYS come back more prepared. So he, and his strange new allies, would just have to do the same before that inevitable confrontation.

That is, unless he found a way back home, first. Anakin certainly felt for the plight of Fjorm and her people, it was horrible, really - but what was at stake back home was just... far more, Anakin felt. He could help out while he was here, but the moment he could find a way back to Coruscant, he’d be taking it, no question.

“No scarf, Laser Boy?”

Anakin’s brows came together, slightly confused for a moment, and he turned his head to see that the dark-skinned girl had followed him up, sporting armor that really didn’t seem to fit her, just a little too big and wide for her frame. He was reminded of Ahsoka again, this time because of the nickname. ‘Skyguy’ she’d always called him. It had been annoying, even a little humiliating at first. A new padawan, his first ever, and she had the disrespect to call him nicknames and question his orders.

It wasn’t until Obi-Wan reminded Anakin that he’d pretty much done the same, himself, that Anakin had been more accepting of Ahsoka, enough to nickname her in return. ‘Snips,’ in regards to her snippy and snappy attitude. Plenty of knights and masters had found their dynamic strange and unprofessional. They were more like friends than master and apprentice, but honestly, Anakin preferred that. It was why Ahsoka had been placed under his care in the first place.

He had a feeling Nikki would be of similar character to Snips, at least when his padawan was younger. More recent events had made her jaded and hardened, which hurt to see, especially now that she’d left the Jedi, but he had to let her walk her own path. Ahsoka would have liked Nikki, if his assumptions were proven true.

“Here, I brought you a tactical one, you can blend in with the snow!” Nikki presented the scarf, a somewhat rough fabric the color of white.

The jedi general gave a short hum, before he held out his hand and let her set the scarf in his grasp. “Thank you,” he said, wrapping the fabric loosely around his neck. It didn’t help much, but it did a little. At least his neck and chin weren’t in the biting cold.

He faced forward, drawing in a deep breath. They’d need to start moving soon. This was the only obvious place within walking distance of where they’d fought Loki’s soldiers, so it would be the first target of a return party to head to. Fjorm would likely know where to go next, this seemed to be her stomping ground. Hopefully she was well enough to move, he was getting anxious to keep going.​

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Bennett


Aegislash? Stealing souls? Why would she want something like that?? Sounds like some kind of cursed artifact or something...and did she say she captured dragons...? Like, Stormterror type of dragons?? Wow...Nikki gets more impressive by the minute!

He was abuzz with questions about her journeys, dragons, and history, but the damsel they had rescued had asked a question that took him by surprise. If they were the heroes of other worlds. Heroes was a bit loaded of a term, and by other worlds, did that imply they all came from a separate one? Was he still in Teyvat anymore? So many questions in such a short timeframe.

"Heroes? Uhhh I'm not sure I'd go that far. But I'd like to be one some day! From the sounds of it, I might be the dud of the group...heh...heh.."

He rubbed the back of his head with a twinge of embarrassment. Sure he might not have anything nearly as impressive as anyone else here, but maybe he could learn a lot about how to be a hero from his time here? Nothing was ever truly bad, there's always a silver lining to it all.

 

[Captain Cardboard]

Abandoned Nifl Fort​

The Princess paused putting on her armor to watch Nikki. Despite the situation, the Pokemon Trainer's cheery disposition was admirable. The others answered Fjorm's question, saying they have been here 'not long'. She gave the heroes a sympathetic, sad look.
"I'm sorry." Fjorm said. "All of this must be very confusing. I know it was for me."

She finished putting on the armor and picked up a backpack. Fjorm began to load up the pack with rations and clothes, strapping one of the tents and bedrolls onto it as well.
"This world isn't my own either. It's... strange. This place, it's so similar to my homeland, and the land of Muspell. Too similar. It's as if... Well, as if these places were created by someone who had heard about Nifl and Muspell, but never seen them. Everything is just a little off." Fjorm shook her head, and placed a pair of Vulneraries in the backpack.

"I don't know how to return you back to your worlds. But I promise you, I will help you find a way home." Fjorm said. She grabbed a lance from the rack of weapons, and slung it over her shoulder.
"But... Before that..." Fjorm turned to face the remaining 4 heroes, and bowed to them. "Please! Help me defeat King Surtr!"

 

[Psymallard]

The Crow
Little Crow watched as Fjorm healed up and relayed some important exposition. She spoke of this place as an artificial world, a replica of her own homeland. That was another mystery worth looking into. She also mentioned that the enemies would be mustering forces to take them down. That was a little nerve-wracking, as the last battle was rather tough, and the second wave would likely be worse. The Reaper hadn't faced a regime quite as aggressive before, usually he would be in and out before any faction could mount a true counteroffensive. It was a little thrilling, to be hunted for once.

Fjorm then asked of a hefty task of the group. She wanted them to help her win her war. For reasons aforementioned, the corvid was against using his abilities solely to infringe on mortal matters. He would be hunting Loki for her crime of enslaving creatures from other universes. However, if this Surtur had a giant soul, he would have no qualms with slaying the king. He had no use for a giant soul (for the moment), but the creatures that possessed such bloated souls were unnatural and evil. In fact, reaping giant souls was what he specialized in.

The Little Crow stared up at Fjorm with a vacant expression. He could not promise that he would follow through once Loki was finished, but his lack of speech made such a complex response impossible to convey easily. He would let his actions speak for him. The crow looked around at his fellow heroes he'd be fighting alongside for however long it would be, and then walked up the stairs and out into the cold once again.

There he found Nikki and Anakin, but no sign of enemy forces. They'd have some time to get moving, but how much time exactly was difficult to say. The rest of the group would be coming up soon, so the bird wasn't worried. The Reaper simply stood there, peering over the horizon, chilled wind blowing through his feathers as he waited for someone to take the lead.

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Bennett

Fjorm really seemed in need. She wasn't too picky who she summoned it looked like, even if it were someone like him. She was in dire straits for sure. Despite knowing his luck would surely try to bring him down from achieving her wish, he couldn't help but blurt out a response.

"Of course we'll help!" He exclaimed. "Adventurer's always help those in need! I may not be a great hero like the rest of the people here, but I promise to do my best not to hold everyone back!"

He unsheathed his sword, holding it up to the air. Right as he did so, the sound of booming thunder was heard alarmingly nearby, like lightning struck the top of the structure. Bennett blinked twice before giving a single short laugh to Fjorm before awkwardly sheathing his blade.

 

[Gamingfan]

Shovel Knight
Shovel Knight gave a good natured laugh at Fjorm's apology.
"Strangely, this isn't particularly new to me. I'm rather used to it by now!"
Her request seemed to light a fire in Shovel Knight. He jumped to his feet and raised his blade at the same time as Bennet. If he noticed the lightning, he didn't seem to dwell on it much.
"Do not fear! I swear on my blade, I will deliver justice onto this tyrant! Shovel Justice!"

 

[Fraseandchico]

Akira Tadokoro

Unlike his stalwart allies in the room, Fjorm's words gave Akira pause. The now-armored teen looked to the floor, his hand on his hip and eyes averted from his peers.

"You don't know how to get us back? You're asking us to join what is, honestly, a war, and you aren't even certain how to get us back home?" He scoffed a little, looking back after Fjorm's little bow finished and the others answered.
"I get I called myself a hero, but honestly I'm looking out for myself, I got a little sister to look after back home and I don't know time's relevancy or whatever that bullshit is. So I'd much rather just figure out how the hell to get home immeadiately." The answer wasn't kind. In the slightest, and Akira knew that as he turned around.

He got halfway back through the room, a rougher following of the little crow who left prior, before stopping. He did still have his own questions, so he turned back towards not only Fjorm, but also those who accepted the offer.

"...Uh, one more thing; Heard you mention a couple names before, Hríd and Ylgr," A half truth, he could easily pass it off. "Don't suppose you could give a description? They sounded sort of important to you, so if I find them I can let them know you're fine. It's not like I give a damn, just figured I'd give some courtesy or whatever people like you call it."

 

[Captain Cardboard]

Abandoned Nifl Fort​

The Princess was unsure how to interpret the Little Crow's reaction tp her request. But the others were a bit more understandable to Fjorm. Relief was clear on Fjorm's face at Bennett and Shovel Knight's support. This relief quickly faded as Akira voiced his own opinions.
"Oh... I... Please, wait!" Fjorm said, walking after Akira. "I... I know this may seem like a revenge quest, something selfish of me. But there is something far greater at stake then just the fate of my people!"

Fjorm's fists tightened, and she looked at her hand.
"My older sister, Gunnthrá, was the one that noticed it." Fjorm said. "This place. Note only is it a strange facsimile of my own world. The barriers between worlds are far weaker here. You heroes are examples of that, somehow being brought here. There is some force that is bringing people from other worlds here. If Surtr and his forces find this force, they could use it to travel to other worlds. Your worlds."

Fjorm grimiced at the thought.
"Surtr would not stop at the conquest of Nifl. Unbound by the barrier that separates worlds, his flames would spread until all were consumed or enslaved." Fjorm said. She looked back up to Akira.
"... If you still desire to return home instead, I understand. Especially to protect family." Fjorm said. "Hríd and Yglr are my siblings. Hríd is my older brother. He's... he's a little taller than you. With brownish grey hair, that turns blue at the end. I... I don't know what's happened to him. Many people speak of him, but they are all saying something different. That he was captured, he escaped, he's leading a resistance, he was slain. I..."

Fjorm had to stop for a moment, and turned away from the others. She was shaking slightly, but whether it was from the remains of her wounds or something else was difficult to tell. When she spoke again, her voice was shaking with emotion.
"If... if you do find him... Tell him I am sorry for my failure..." Fjorm said.

"As for Yglr... She is my younger sister. She's... she's just over four and a half feet tall. 12 years old. Short white hair." Fjorm said. "Captured by Muspell. People say she is still alive. I tried to... Tried to save her..."
The small bravado afforded to Princess Fjorm from Akira's healing and the Vulnerary left her. She leaned heavily on her lance, and it was clear for all to see just how exhausted the young woman was.

Realizing others could see her, Fjorm straightened up. She let out a deep breath and put on a brave face, looking to Akira.
"Sir Akira." Fjorm said, her voice clear once more. "I cannot, with good conscience, have you head out into this world all on your own. Among my people, if one rescues you from the snow you owe them a life debt. I owe such a debt to you, and these other heroes."
She took another step closer to Akira.
"If you are to leave this place to search for a way back to your world, allow me to accompany you as your guide until my debt to you is fulfilled. Take all the supplies you need from this place." Fjorm said, gesturing to the weapons, packs, potions, rations, and tents.

 

[Mokko]

Nikki Prez
Nikki seemed proud of her selection, watching as Anakin wrapped the ‘scarf’ around his neck. He offered her a simple but sincere few words of gratitude, prompting her to stick out a thumbs-up.

“Looks great! Now you won’t be shivering up here!” she declared. “Even though… I don’t think we’ll be hunkering down here too much longer. The food and warmth is cool and all, but now’s not the time to get cozy… but boy, I want to get cozy so bad…” she clicked her tongue, looking down defiantly at the bitter snow, kicking at it a little as she slipped her phone out. At the top of the screen… ‘NO SERVICE.’

She clicked on one of her contacts to make a call anyway, holding it up to her ear.
Nothing.

She lowered it, clicked again, and once again held the phone up.

Nothing.

Again.

Nothing.

Again.

Nothing.

She turned on the emergency call setting, and dialed again- and once again, the response was absolutely nothing. It felt dumb, but she didn’t know what else to do. She was cut off completely from everything she knew, and suits of cool armor could only do so much to distract her. This wouldn’t even be THAT bad, if she could just get a little bit of confirmation that she wasn’t completely and utterly stranded…
No- mind off of that. It was proving literally impossible, but she needed to keep herself busy. She cleared her throat, continuing to dial fruitlessly, until her attention was captured by the ascent of that little crow. It was a little confusing, because it was definitely the closest thing here she’d seen to a wild Pokemon… but the very concept of Pokemon didn’t even seem to exist around here, that probably also applied to wherever this bird came from. She wondered if a Pokeball would even work, but that would be really inappropriate to attempt right now.

“Sup!” she greeted the corvid simply, just barely managing to offer a smile as she gave up on the phone call- for now.

 

[Fraseandchico]

Akira Tadokoro

Fjorm's initial attempts to dissuade Akira while approaching with claims on how Surtr will set his sights on other worlds, including his own, next, didn't do much. Yeah, they could go to his world, but Akira would fight the idiots off their. The Steel Titan already tore through one army like paper, what's a second?
But hey, she understood he wanted to protect his own family, and gave descriptions of Hríd and Ylgr.

Descriptions that gave the punk pause.
"Hríd is my older brother ... a little taller than you. With brownish grey hair, that turns blue at the end ... don't know what's happened to him... he was captured, he escaped, he's leading a resistance, he was slain... Tell him I am sorry for my failure..." Akira's previously neutral expression turned to a harsh frown.
Older, a brother... colorful hair, possibly leading a resistance or fought to the end. I really can't escape people like Matsu, huh...?
Fjorm continued.
"Ylgr ... She is my younger sister. She's... she's just over four and a half feet tall. 12 years old ... Captured by Muspell. People say she is still alive. I tried to... Tried to save her..." And in response, Akira's frown turned to a faint scowl, teeth gritting.
Kaori's age... Her size... In danger. Like Kaori so often...

The thoughts troubled Akira. If Kaori were in this Ylgr's position, Akira wouldn't hesitate to storm right up to the nearest base belonging to Muspell and rip the kingdom a new one for even the smallest piece of information, even if such a task were suicidal alone. It was always such a shame that Kaori's frequent illnesses weren't something Akira could punch away. The thought of Matsu dying was much easier to come to mind, though no less distressing, and something Akira would rather prevent from happening a second time, if that were even possible.

But even with Fjorm's own worries for her family and sadness over 'failing', not to mention her own physical struggle and injuries, the Princess still insisted she owned some kind of debt and would help him on his own task - Guiding him and offering supplies. She was being too kind to him, the psychic teen's fist clenching as he mulled on his own thoughts.

"Don't call me Sir, first- I'm a delinquent asshole who gets mistaken for a gang member with good reason, not some noble knight. Just call me Akira, and we'll be good, Princess." From his hip, Akira's hand moved to his chest - Still tightly clenched.

"Second, I've made up my mind, going home can wait for now. People who hurt kids made me sick, let alone people that'd hurt my own family if they had the chance."
A deep breath. A flash of memory of those who kidnapped Kazu back then, planned a fate worse than death for Akira's fellow orphan - And Akira and Matsu's rage fueled storming of the facility the kid was taken to.
"I'm gonna to help you defeat that bastard. Let's rip this so-called King apart."

Compared to Bennett and Shovel Knight's declarations and poses that showed their clear wills to fight was for what was right, Akira merely shuffled his hands back to his pockets and looked Fjorm in the eye. To those with even the barest understanding of aura-like energies...
Akira's Rage was clear as the brightest spark.

 

[comic]

ANAKIN SKYWALKER​

Nikki seemed pleased with Anakin’s curt yet polite thanks, before she procured a small device that she became increasingly frustrated with. Some kind of communication tablet? Anakin wasn’t familiar with its design, but it did remind him that he had a couple tools on him. He’d actually completely forgotten about that. Normally he’d have all the essential tools of a jedi, but given he’d been off-duty at the jedi temple, there hadn’t been a need to lug most of it around.

Which meant no aquata breather.

He still had his Holonet Transponder in a pocket, which fortunately hadn’t been inside of his outer robes.

Reaching into his dark vestments, Anakin produced his transponder as the Little Crow arrived to join them, greeted by Nikki, whose frustration sounded even through her cheery voice. The little black box in Anakin’s hand beamed a holographic display of the galaxy before him, a large image that ensured the knight had to hold his arm out so he could see it. Small red ‘x’ marks littered the stars of his display.

A deep frown settled on Anakin’s face as he lifted his other hand, and swiped his hand. The galaxy faded, replaced with blocks of alien letters - Aurebesh, the written form of Galactic Basic Standard. Each of the blocks were colored with a red display, whereas they should have been blue.

He wasn’t picking up any receivers in... the entire galaxy...

He really was outside of its domain.

The hologram shut off as Anakin stuck the box away, troubled by this, his frown remaining beset.​

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Bennett



Wait, that Akira guy wasn't an adventurer after all? A punk sort, and he lied to me? Well, that would explain why he seemed so brash and vulgar. His heart seems in the right place, but how much about this guy can we trust...?

"Woah woah, hold on. You don't owe us any debts - who's keeping track of that sort of thing anyway?" He reassured. "People are in trouble right? Family and friends? That's way more important than keeping track of stuff like debts and all the little stuff, right? It's alright! Please just take some deep breaths, this will all work itself out."

Bennett didn't want her to over stress herself, as it seemed she had a lot of boiling emotions in her. Regret, anxiety, despair, and shame. These thoughts weren't doing her any good, but he wasn't sure if words alone would abait them.

 

[Psymallard]

The Reaper
As the crow crested the stairs, he spotted the humans fidgeting with what he assumed to be communication devices. He empathized with the frustration that could come from a broken phone.

Despite this, the girl greeted Little Crow rather jovially. His eyes widened, attentive, but when it was clear she had nothing else to say, he simply trotted over to join the two. Anakin continued to brood, but the corvid minded his own business.

He was still wounded from Fakemon's blast, and while it didn't hamper his fighting ability in the slightest, he was a little annoyed that there was nowhere to plant a life seed. The soil in the area was frozen solid- and likely infertile on top of that. Oh, well- it was beyond his control.

The bird grabbed the hammer off his back. He inspected it, watching the crackle of lightning ripple across it. Then, it disappeared in a flash of light- replaced by two knives. His Rogue Daggers were a much quicker weapon than anything else he had access to. He'd try using them in the next encounter with the enemy.

 

[Captain Cardboard]

Abandoned Nifl Fort​

Princess Fjorm met Akira's gaze. At first, she was taken aback by the intensity of the punk's stare. That uncertainly quickly turned to recognition and equal determination. She gave the psychic a grateful nod.

Fjorm turned her attention next to Bennett. The adventurer had spoken up, attempting to reassure her. She looked over Bennett, then sighed and shook her head.
"I wish I knew that for sure." Fjorm said. She managed a small smile. "Thank you for your kind words. But we've wasted too much time here already."

She adjusted the straps on her backpack and nodded to the supplies.
"We need to move. I am not sure when we will be able to get more supplies, so take what you feel you need." Fjorm said. With that, the Princess quickly walked up the stairs. Or at least, she attempted to. With a loud clinking of metal, Fjorm was reminded once more that she was still wearing shackles and manacles.
"Do any of you have a way to remove these?" Fjorm asked the trio.

The blank faces of the other heroes told Fjorm what she needed. She gave the others a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry. I'm sure we'll find a thief of someone that may help us out." She said. She climbed the stairs, leaving the hidden shelter behind. Fjorm took a deep breath of the cold air, nodding to the others.
"Any signs of Muspell troops?" Fjorm asked.

In the distance to the south, a plume of smoke could be seen growing larger...

 

[Mokko]

Nikki Prez
It didn’t look like Nikki was the only one making no progress when it came to establishing some kind of connection to her world- Anakin was similarly unsuccessful, but the device he was using was far more advanced than a phone, it functioned a lot more closely to one of those fancy-pants Kalosian Holo-Casters. Nosily peering over at the display he was viewing, she took a nervous gulp, seeing that his device had a much, much further reach than her simple cellular device, and even so, disappointment was etched on his face- meanwhile, the crow came over to join the pair of humans, switching up his choice in weapons to a pair of small blades in a flash of light- that was pretty frickin’ cool.

With both of their efforts fruitless for the time being, Nikki turned to look out toward the horizon, absentmindedly plucking a Pokeball from her waist and spinning it around on her fingertip. She wasn’t really expecting to see anything of interest out there, and so the rising smoke caught her off guard- were Loki and the creepy-patrol already coming back? She’d known it was inevitable, but never anticipated it to be THAT fast… if only Loki hadn’t walked away from that encounter unscathed, maybe then they would’ve been able to buy more time.

“Gazpachooo!” she called down the stairs, but it was Fjorm who emerged first, the bird only marching back upward once the blonde had stepped back out into the snow, popping out from the doorway behind her and beginning to walk around in the cold, flapping his wings around.
“Oh, hi Miss Fjorm!” Nikki greeted politely. “Uhh, ‘fraid so, if that’s anything to go off of…” she pointed off into the distance, squinting suspiciously at the smog. "I don't suppose that could be a nice traveling barbecue salesman?"

 

[Psymallard]

The Crow
The bird sensed movement, and its head swiveled to spot the warrior princess emerging from the stairwell. They were ready to go now, it seemed. Nikki pointed out a plume of smoke in the distance, which probably meant soldiers. The Reaper hopped through the snow towards the fire, before looking back at the group. He had never been one to make decisions in this kind of situations, he usually saved that for others. As long as it got him closer to the source of this cosmic evil.

Then, Nikki mentioned barbecue, and Little Crow's mind began to wander...

 

[comic]

ANAKIN SKYWALKER​

The others finally surfaced, just when Anakin was growing antsy again. Nikki was the first to respond to Fjorm, drawing total attention to the distant and growing smoke. Its source was difficult to determine at the moment, but it meant people. Whether they were hostile or not was up for debate, but given what the jedi had learned about the two factions in this land so far, one favored ice and the other fire.

So that alone didn’t bode well for the sight of smoke. Nevertheless, the general wasn’t one for fear.

Or caution, for that matter.

He glanced toward Fjorm, noticing she was still bound in her shackles. Had none of these people stepped forward to get her out of them? Anakin was thankful shackles hadn’t been the most prominent thing in his childhood, but the mere sight of them still made his blood boil under the surface, simply for what they represented to him.

With a flash of light, the jedi had procured his weapon, the saber’s blade fedtly cutting through the shackles and freeing Fjorm. The blade had been razor close to her flesh, yet Anakin had been careful not to cause any actual harm, both as a testament to his skill with precision... and his need to showboat his skills wherever possible.

“Only one way to find out,” Anakin told the Alolan as he quickly sheathed his lightsaber just as soon as it had been conjured, and he set off at a rapid pace in the direction of the smoke, not elaborating on his own suspicions to what the smoke belonged to. He wasn’t sprinting off, as he had before, going at a much more manageable pace for the others to reliably follow without getting left behind - and if the Little Crow opted to hop onto the jedi, as he had before, Anakin would hardly mind giving a free ride.​

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Bennett


Was a good thing Anakin was there to break her bonds. He thought about breaking them himself with a well placed slash...but knowing his luck? That was just asking for the worst result. But it seemed even after just coming out from their refuge, the enemy may have been spotted already.

"Say guys, if we are going to be working together, we need a team name don't we?"

Anakin was already walking off towards the cloud in the distance. Bennett broke out in a jog to catch up. Picking up where he left off, he looked around to the group to judge their expressions.

"If we don't want to make a team name, maybe you guys could consider joining my official adventure team?? We are kinda small but tough, and with all you guys we can be one of the best adventure teams out there, I'm sure of it!"

 

[comic]

ANAKIN SKYWALKER​

With the jedi knight taking the lead, Bennett was quick to fall into step beside him, maintaining his energetic quality. He had a strange air about him, and now that Anakin wasn’t as focused on other things, he could actually pick up on it now, as though the force were gently nudging him and telling him that there was something up. Not enough to make Anakin suspicious of Bennett’s intent, but certainly enough to make him aware to an underlying quality the boy possessed.

It was probably nothing.

The platinum-blonde rattled off about adventure teams, and team names. Anakin cast him a glance before he stroked his chin, pondering for a moment. “I don’t know if any names would do a group like this justice. We make a...” he glanced back at the others. “Colorful bunch.”

Anakin quickly raised a finger. “Don’t make the team name about rainbows just because I said that.” His tone was lighter than it had been, an obvious indicator that he was just joking, and really didn’t care that much about their ‘team name’ being as colorful as them.​

 

[Fraseandchico]

Akira Tadokoro

Fjorm seemed to accept Akira's agreement, giving him a nod. Looked like she was just as determined as him - Made sense. You didn't need mind-reading to tell someone held anger when the ones they cared for were hurt...Akira didn't.

Though, it wasn't like he could do anything about the shackles, sending the psychic's look back to the floor in mild annoyance at himself. Sure, technically he had the option of brute forcing the issue, but chances were Princess Fjorm wouldn't appreciate any bruises to the areas of the shackles from that - And by the time he could've thought of other solutions, she was already up the stairs.

"Hngh... Well, she did recommend supplies..." While Bennett had followed fairly quickly, Akira instead decided to grab stuff. Out of his jacket pocket, there was a small pouch - The few Taiyaki he had on hand - but that was all Akira had on him on arrival. It dawned on him then, though, that Akira had practically no experience with sorting ACTUAL supplies. Sure, he could handle weapons and knew a few key basics, but he was a city kid with a loving home (Granted, that home was an orphanage, but it was still a loving home.) - Not exactly used to these scenarios. So he just grabbed anything that looked important and uncomplicated - like one of those 'vulneraries' Fjorm had asked for earlier, probably some kind of healing drug, but it generally wasn't the most competent supply grabbing. If Shovel Knight were still in the room to watch...Well, the process of panic appearing Akira's face as he realised his lack of ability with supplies wasn't hidden.

After that, Akira went up the stairs. There, he arrived just on time for the sight of Anakin and Bennett jogging away, towards a dark smoke cloud in the distance.
"Hell's going on now?" He was quick to say, before huffing - Watching as the air from his mouth was visible in the cold air. "Ah, whatever." Finally, Akira began to trudge along to follow. He wasn't moving at quite the same pace as Bennett and Anakin, not to mention he started moving later than them, so he had a fair bit of distance between them even once he sped up enough to slowly catch up. Still, he could hear the conversation, and decided to pitch in, talking relatively loudly so he could be heard.
"I vote for Team Rainbows, then." Though it was...probably, a joke, the teen let out more of a grunt than a chuckle. "Nah, but seriously - This is a temporary thing, with the other worlds stuff. We don't need to put much thought into a 'team name'." The concept of considering this a Team wasn't...exactly appealing to Akira, but it didn't upset him and if Bennett the adventurer wanted to make it so, who was he to stop the guy? "But, if you want an actual suggestion on my part, maybe something regarding the whole 'war' shit? Like the guys we're fighting, or Princess... You get the idea. You better, anyway."

 

[Mokko]

Nikki Prez
“Oh! Me, me, I’m great at coming up with team names!” Nikki waved her arm around in the air at Bennett’s suggestion for them to have one, climbing back on top of a well-fed Gazpacho so she could properly keep up with Anakin- she’d probably be able to anyway, but she was still sort of adjusting to the armor.

“Hey, Team Rainbow ain’t bad!” she clicked her tongue at Akira’s joking idea, looking up at the sky as her Windrome marched and stomped forward, claws sinking and slicing down into the layers of snow with each step. “While the whole ‘other worlds’ thing is true… and it does make it a bit harder to find anything the lot of us have in common that we could name ourselves after…” she racked her brain, humming. “We’re still all here together now, working toward a common goal, and that’s to dunk on some Muspell weirdos! That’s why it’s gotta be something like… the Muspell Mashers!” she exclaimed, throwing a few rapid punches in the air as if it helped to sell the name somehow.

Satisfied with her pitch, she lowered herself back down, almost laying on her stomach atop the huge Gazpacho, who seemed pretty intrigued by the smoke. He’d had a bit of time to rest and came out of that first battle mostly unscathed, but admittedly, the cold weather probably wasn’t ideal to a bird Pokemon, even if he could resist a bit better than most. Cold temperatures were actually one of her team’s bigger weaknesses, come to think of it, and that went for her personally as well. Soaking up the sun back home in Alola was more her speed.

All that was to say, she probably needed to figure out a new game plan if they were about to get into another fight, especially with Skyr still recovering from earlier. Staring down at the four remaining options (in the form of her Pokeballs) on her belt, she began to mull over the possibilities in her head.

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Bennett


Anakin didn't seem super opposed, maybe because he was otherwise occupied by something? Akira...his answer stung a little bit. A temporary deal until they parted ways. So it was all business to him? Bennett was about to step back a bit from it all, getting a little awkward that he mentioned it at all. That is, before Nikki came in with healthy dose of optimism. It stoked his flames to see her lively and entertaining the idea.

The colorful bunch sounded like a circus rather than a serious suggestion, and Team Rainbow was missing a sort of epicness to its tone. When Muspell Mashers was said, Bennett barley held back a laugh, Nikki punching the air in a vigorous way

"Pffft! The Muspell Mashers? Huh...sounds like we are up to curbstomp some big evil guys. I think that name sounds awesome! What about the rest of you guys?!"

He looked back and forth at the faces, bird beaks, and helmets with a certain twinkle in his eye. The idea of solidifying an actual team was something Bennett couldn't even dream of just early today - one made of such big heavy hitters too! It wasn't his birthday was it?

 

[Captain Cardboard]

Team Rainbow?​

In a flash of azure, Fjorm's shackles fell away. She blinked in surprise at the sudden freedom, rubbing her bruised wrists. She nodded to Anakin with gratitude, but the group was quickly off. Anakin, taking charge and leading the group towards one of the more prominent plumes of smoke . Fjorm hesitated for just a moment, worry plain on her face. But she joined the march, trying her best up with the rest of the group. Even with the group taking a slower pace, Fjorm was having a difficult time keeping up.

"Mashers?" Fjorm echoed. "That's a bit of an unusual name. But not terrible."
As she moved through the snow, she looked from Anakin to Bennett.
"I don't believe I got either of your names." The woman said to the pair, breathing heavily between her sentences.

 

[comic]

ANAKIN SKYWALKER​

While he didn’t care all that much about it... Anakin was thankful his joking ‘Team Rainbow’ wasn’t a hit. What would Obi-Wan say when he found out Anakin had not only been part of a ‘Team Rainbow’ but also contributed to naming it?

Probably something along the lines of “oh Anakin” with that mildly disappointed head shake. Obi-Wan was REALLY good at those.

A few others gave their approval for ‘Muspell Mashers’ as presented by Nikki. It was a much more ragtag name, it felt oddly fitting. Catchy, too. It was easy to go with. Princess Fjorm (Akira had called her by that title, and while Anakin had met his fair share of princesses and queens, Fjorm didn’t look or sound much like he would have expected) then turned a question unto Anakin and Bennett as the group walked along.

“Anakin,” the jedi general said simply, letting Bennett introduce himself to her.

They were getting nearer to the source of the smoke. He tried to extend his senses with the force in an attempt to pick up anything useful in that direction. Emotions, or instincts, carried along the waves of the force to let him know if what they were approaching could be friendly or otherwise. It wasn’t always an accurate way to ‘scout’ ahead, empathy could be misleading. Sometimes something with dark intention could be particularly happy about something.

He just wanted to know if they were walking into a situation that could be ‘negotiated’ or not. It was a lot harder to reason with an angry person than a melancholic one.​