First Blood Shed

Taiyo stares at the cuddlefish which will probably take off once it sees Safian if it hasn't already.

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They make for the shore and seek cover.

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The two don't partake in their laughter because it's stupid.

"These are tunicates. So is this."

*Euryale gestures to the bell-like structures, before picking up what seemed to be a rock & bashing it against the wall. It cracks open, revealing what appear to be guts, which she proceeds to eat. Meanwhile, Thiera grabs Hinode by the shoulders & starts shaking him.*

Th"I! WAS! EATEN! BY! A! SHARK!"

E"Whoa, Thi, Glut's gone. Take it easy."

Th"I will NOT 'take it easy'! The last time I did so, I was EATEN BY A SHARK!"
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*So now presumably everyone else is running into the jungle as well.*

L"I don't think it can get to us in here! Seems specialized for flight!"

*Unfortunately, they are not the only enemies in Neverland. In a partial clearing with a trio of large trees, [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] appear out of dark clouds. A Wild Bruiser, pair of Triple Wreckers, & trio each of Thornbites & Mandrakes, which immediately begin lashing out at them as they pass.*
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*Senthose once again creates a door with his Keyblade, this one resembling doors found in the Castle That Never Was.*

Originally Kyohaku was going to head off for the marine invertebrate that Euryale apparently found appetizing, even though he didn't necessarily think that the organism looked all that appealing in the manner that she apparently did. For once he passively allowed Thiera to work out her obvious fears on him without fighting back. "Uh, Thiera, are you feeling any better now? There are hazards everywhere, but I'm pretty confident that we can get through almost anything that we got put up against." It would seem like he saw fit to give a team pep talk for the moment.

Seeing Euryale rip open a rock and eats its guts makes for a very unpleasant sight and so far the second trip to Atlantica has not been a good time.

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They run through the trees, swatting at the Unversed that get too close for comfort. It'd be more beneficial to burn the forest down.

*Safian tries to eat some of the tunicates, likely hindered by her shark mouth. She tries to stay in Thiera's line of sight*
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*Monu uses Wind Raid on the Mandrakes as they run past*
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*Eve heads through the door. Artexi waits for Nero*

*Because Safian isn't a mermaid, they taste really sour, & she finds the pulpy texture unappealing, but she manages to force them down. Thiera lets go of Hinode, crossing her arms in irritation.*

Th"No, I still feel like I was eaten by a shark. Probably because I was."

E"Well, regardless, you & Taiyo need to eat. The hard-shelled tunicates are sweeter & more nutritious, but they're rarer than the bell variety. You want mine?"

*She holds her once-living rock thing out to Taiyo & Thiera, in offering.*
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*As they increase their distance from the ship, the music from the Heartless band or whatever begins to fade, & they hear faint [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] from elsewhere. In any case, Lilith joins in attacking the Unversed that get too close, & they successfully manage to knock back the smaller Unversed. This doesn't stop them all from being bowled over by the gorilla-looking one, though. Once they're down, it turns to Monu, since he's the nearest, & tries to slam its massive fists down on him, but Monu suddenly finds himself snatched up by a greenish blur that turns out to be [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]*

???<Hoohoohoohooooo! What's going on here? More lost boys & girls? Are you guys running from that monster that wrecked Hook's ship?>

*The Unversed, meanwhile, has been looking around, scratching its head in confusion.*
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*[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]*

Lexeaus<Surely we'll need more plans than simply turning off the magic and rushing this woman.>

Saix<That is for the Inner Organization to discuss. As always, I will inform you what we have decided.>

Taiyo tries her best to not look repulsed by Euryale's offering.

Taiyo: "No thank you."

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The two cast a Darkra and Blizzaga on the Unversed.

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The two go to do whatever until the time comes to totally not defeat Binah.

Eventually Kyohaku looked over and smiled toward Euryale. "I'll eat whatever, why don't I try the regular bell type you had mentioned before?" Apparently he wasn't going to concern himself with the choice of food since pretty much all food still sounded pretty interesting to him at this point.

Soon enough he turned back toward Thiera and softened his smile for a moment with an exhalation before saying one of the more pro-team things he'd said in a while. "I trust you, but anytime you need some help let me know, alright?" He felt she might have been shaken to the core over this whole shark thing it had looked like.

*Monu attempts to wiggle out of Pan's grasp, casting Skyclimber to kept himself afloat*

Monu:<Whaa, no, not exactly!>
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*Safian eats some more, because she doesn't want to skip breakfast*

Safian:<You all should eat! It's not...ok, it's not that good, but still.>
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*Eve goes and does whatever she's supposed to do. Artexi follows Nero*

E"Sure, help yourself."

*Euryale flicks her tail in the direction of the many yellow, blue, & red bell-shaped tunicates covering the ocean floor. In no mood to be reassured, Thiera merely grunts vaguely at Hinode, before snatching the tunicate away from Euryale & taking a bite out of the fleshy portion & crossing her arms.*

Th"Oh, all right, I will try it! ...It is actually quite delectable. Much like red meat on land, only sweeter. Presumably due to the fact that I now possess a mermaid's taste buds."

*Meanwhile, Euryale tilts to her side & flicks her tail, drifting over to Taiyo. She puts her right arm around her shoulders & rubs Taiyo's stomach--which is growling--with her left.*

E"You see? Nothing's going to bite you, & there's plenty of variety. If you don't want meat, there's still seaweed, or plankton. Trust me, you'll feel better after your belly is full."

Th"...If I investigate your friend's grotto, am I going to be assaulted by yet another shark?"

E"You should be fine if you take Safian with you, keep a lookout, & don't go far."
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*Roatha follows along.*

R"You should go warn Queen Bitch if you want to. I won't tell."

N"Yeah, right. Anyway, who said I wanted to?"
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*Meanwhile, Lexeaus & Zexion reluctantly turn to leave. Senthose grabs Eve by the shoulder to keep her from leaving, since she is in the Inner Organization.*

Vexen<It would be logical to attack from multiple vantage points. This Binah may not be able to attack us directly, but we will have the disadvantage of having to come in from below. She could easily direct a rock slide towards us.>
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*The mystery boy noogies him before letting him go, brandishing his knife.*

???<So you're part of Hook's crew? Then you'd better be ready for a fight, y'old codgers!>

L"We're not pirates, but we ARE busy! Go away!"

*While the weaker Unversed are destroyed, the gorilla-Unversed examines its injuries before becoming enraged. Glowing slightly red, it pounds the ground repeatedly, sending stone spikes at its attackers. Lilith jumps, using her root attack to grab onto a tree branch & swing up on top of it. She aims at the Unversed, but before she can attack, a stone spike rams the tree & causes it to tilt, forcing her to hug the tree to maintain her balance. The mystery kid looks from her to Monu in confusion.*

???<You're not pirates, but you can't fly. Except for you, for some reason.>

*He points a knife at Monu, then starts lazily flying around him in circles.*

???<You're not one of MY men, so where'd you get the pixie dust? How come you didn't share it with your cronies?>

Taiyo squirms a bit, aroused by Euryale's touch.

Taiyo: "I guess I could try the seaweed."

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Azuma stands in front of Hitomi and blocks the incoming attack while she casts Aqualung a few times on the Unversed. Although it would be more practical to use a fire spell.

"I'll try the seaweed too soon if you don't mind, Taiyo!" Apparently Kyohaku was completely oblivious to the fact that Taiyo was the least bit aroused. For the time being he figured that he might as well try the yellow, blue and red tunicates in turn, still not entirely sure if they tasted any bit different. For that matter, considering that he survived on a diet of liquid energy before, he wasn't completely sure that any food tasted any bit different at all. "Mmm, marine invertebrate animal tissue!" Apparently he was trying to get into the whole eating thing, but it wasn't completely working for him really.

*When Peter Pan is out of the way, Monu throws his keyblade at the gorrilla's chest, using Wind Raid. He then attempts to fly over and help Lilith get in a better position*

Monu:<Just hold on, we can sort this out in a minute!>
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*Safian's head and fins droop*

Safian:<...Maybe someone else should go with her...I don't want to...you know.>
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Artexi:<Can't you go bother Xyukuse or some shit?>
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Eve:<Battle plans are not my forte, however that does seem like the logical thing to do. We will also need to find a way to divert Binah's attention while I activate the anti-magic field.>

*The tunicates taste mostly the same. Euryale stops rubbing Taiyo to drift them over towards a patch of seaweed, some of which she pulls to pass along to Taiyo. She glances at Hinode.*

E"Flavor has more to do with the shape of the tunicate rather than the color. Different shapes mean they're less closely related."

Th"Let's just get this over with."

*So she swims partly out of the hole, looking around to make sure Glut isn't nearby. She then darts to the grotto, summoning her Keyblade just in case. Once she gets there, she begins pushing the stone out of the way.*
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*The Unversed finally succumbs, dissolving into darkness. The mystery kid looks back at the Ruler of the Sky, putting a finger to his chin.*

???<Well, that monster looks a bit too big to take out by myself, & a bit too tough for my Lost Boys....>

*He strafes over to hover in front of Monu & Lilith.*

???<But you all seem to be able to fight pretty well. And you say you're not pirates. How about it, would you like to join my men?>
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S"The whole idea is to go in with it activated. A single generator should be able to cover our forces, & then we can send another in on an ambush route."
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R"Why, you have something you wanna do that you don't want me to see?"

*They come upon the rest of the Organization on their trip down the stairs.*

Zexion<You were once a guard, Lexeaus. What should we do if things go horribly wrong?>

Lexeaus<There is no single solution. It is best to coordinate your movements with the others.>

Luxord<Just as well. A game where we don't know all of the rules is more fun, wouldn't you say?>

Axel<I dunno, I'd kinda like to have more to go on.>

Luxord<True. Would that word from above more readily trickle down to us below.>

*He looks over his shoulder.*

Luxord<Speaking of games, if you're looking to have a trump card up your sleeves, you may want to get your Gliders repaired. I hear there's a new hangar at the bottom of Crooked Ascension where the process can be sped along.>

Taiyo is disappointed that she is being left blue, but still eats some salty green stuff.

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Azuma: "Who are these men you speak of when the only adults are pirates?"

"Well, you know Euryale, for most of my life I've eaten the same type of food if you even wanted to call it that." Tilting his head, he soon found himself following Thiera as he still spoke. "All food really tastes the same to me, because I learned to live on nothing more than a diet of pure energy." Anything that she could have told him, therefore, would have kind of been meaningless since he wouldn't really have had much of a frame of reference for what food should actually have tasted like. It would have been like him trying to tell her anything about his former life really.

*Monu looks at Pan, still slightly annoyed about how he was treated earlier*

Monu:<We may be willing to join forces with you, if you tell us who you are.>
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Artexi:<No, you're just a pain in everyone's ass.>

*She looks over at Luxord*

<Thanks for the tip.>

*She heads down there, hoping Nero will follow*
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*Eve dips her head*

<Understood.>
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*Safian swims around, keeping watch while Thiera digs*

*Pan puffs his chest out & thumps it with his fist.*

<Peter Pan, leader of the Lost Boys, & greatest treasure-hunter in all of Neverland!>

L"So you ARE a pirate.'

*He darts right into Lilith's face, wrinkling his nose at her & putting his fists on his hips. Lilith leans back because fuck this guy who must have terrible breath because Peter Pan obviously doesn't have the maturity to so much as brush his teeth.*

Pan<No! Treasure hunters & pirates are COMPLETELY different!>

L"Whatever, just tell us who these 'lost boys' even are."

*Pan drifts back slightly.*

Pan<They come to Neverland because they don't want to get old, & then we go on adventures forever! You can meet the others if you join me.>

L"Uh--Can we have a minute or 2 to talk privately & think about it?"

Pan<What is there to think about? You can go on adventures with me & never get any older.>

L"Well--we, uh--have to be sure--that we can, uh, help you with the monster in the sky. We have to be sure we're ready. Yeah, that's it."

Pan<Hm--well, okay, but make it quick. I want to get started just as soon as I find Tink.>

*And so he flies off.*

Pan<Tink? Tiiiiink!?>

L"Okay, that guy's obviously a cult leader, but we may need whatever power he has to fight effectively in this world."
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*It tastes a bit like spinach, the wetness & salt masked by the fact that she's under the bloody sea. Euryale smiles at her, holding her at the waist & swimming out to join the others.*

Th"Urgh--no, I do not--not require any help! ...Thank you for--asking!"

*Finally, she shoves the boulder out of the way, revealing the sight of Ariel's grotto--covered in soggy soot & the broken remnants of Ariel's prized possessions. Euryale lets go of Taiyo & swims inside, darting around frantically.*

E"Oh no--what happened here?! Is Ariel okay?!"

*Finally, she notices the 2 creatures occupying the grotto: A pair of Mushroom Heartless, holding what passes as hands as they stroll around. One is 5 feet & all black, save for a peach strip around its abdomen, with a little black tail, cat ears, tiny useless claws, & a bell collar. The other, a full 6 feet, has a muscular bronze upper body & a red lower body, which is stylized a bit like a mermaid's tail. Its cap is also red. Euryale darts down, puffing her shoulders out threateningly.*

E"Did you do this?!"

Th"Euryale, be realistic, these are obviously non-hostile Heartless."

E"Non-hostile my tail fin, look at what it's doing!"

*She points to the bronze Heartless, which has mimicked Euryale's posture & put up its fists like a boxer. The cat-mushroom hides behind its fellow, wrapping its arms around it & peeking out from over its shoulder.*

Th"That is only because you are threatening its mate."

*Without warning, the mushroom socks Euryale right in the jaw. Euryale blocks the other punch & decks it right back. Pretty soon Euryale & the red mushroom are rolling around, beating the shit out of each other. The black mushroom jumps on her back & starts pounding its fists against her, but it's unclear if Euryale even notices it. Eventually, it's knocked away by a swing from the mermaid's tail, making the characteristic squeaking noise as it's struck & as it hits the wall. Thiera rushes in to try to pull Euryale off.*

Th"What are you doing!? Leave that poor creature alone!"

E"It punched me!"

Th"It does not know any better!"
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R"Now, why would I be a pain unless I was causing trouble?"

*The Organization enters the large elevator platform & the force field activates. It stops at various floors, letting members out at different spots, until it descends to a point near the bottom of the castle, opening up to a vast hangar with thick doors for craft to enter or exit. Suspended from the ceiling by magic energy ropes are various half-finished craft built from Gummi Blocks. Black-cloaked Moogles work at podiums below them, covered with more Gummi Blocks, which they examine with various tools. Nero walks out & notices what look like a row of enormous keyholes on the wall. He turns to a Moogle.*

N"Are these the Glider Regeneration machines?"

<Yes indeedy, Kupo!>
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S"Now, as Inner Organization Members, you're all responsible for coordinating the others into attack formations. This will be crucial, as many of them do not have any kind of formal training. We may also wish to take some of the Moogles for healing & supplies. They can handle themselves, though."

Azuma: "You think he's the cooperating type?"

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Taiyo swims to Euryale probably getting closer than necessary.

Taiyo: "Are you okay?"

Well, this sounded looked like it was more up to Kyohaku's speed than Ariel's grotto would otherwise have been. Nevertheless, he wasn't all that surprised to see Heartless under the ocean as it were, because he had been prompted that they were going to end up with some confrontation while they were here. Still, it didn't look like these were all that threatening. "Euryale, if Thiera is right and these little guys are harmless, then how did they end up inside of Ariel's grotto and why would they have?"

Regardless, his aggressive personality was getting the better of himself and he got into a position to, well, apparently punch back if they got close again.

*Safian watches the back and forth*

<Hey Euryale, the mushroom that punched you kinda looks like you, don't you think?>
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Monu:<I think trying to cooperate may be our only option. According to Peter, people on this island never age, so they may all be children. Besides the pirates, of course.>
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*Artexi mentally kicks herself for engaging in conversation with Roatha again. She heads over to the keyholes in the wall*

Artexi:<Do we just summon our keyblades and stick 'em in?>

Th"Oh, Heartless can tear open holes in spacetime called Dark Corridors, so it is not really feasible to prevent a Heartless from accessing a given location. They then tend to imitate the inhabitants of a world in order to carve out an ecological niche. These little ones seem to simply wish to be left alone, making the enclosed grotto the perfect habitat for them."

*The mushroom flips Euryale over & tries to elbow Taiyo in the face, but Euryale grabs its arm.*

E"Oh--no--you--DON'T!"

*And with that, she uses her tail to flip it. The mushroom's own lower body begins flicking like a tail, allowing it to right itself. Euryale does a sort of spin to get upright again, massaging her jaw. Meanwhile, the other mushroom is also rushing back to the red one's side.*

E"Yeah, I'm fine. That thing's a chump. I don't know what those 2 are talking about, it's NOTHING like me."

*The red mushroom gently drifts back down to the sea floor before raising its "fists" above its head & smashing them down, creating an enormous trail of stone spikes that shoot towards Taiyurle.*

E"Beasts of the deep!"

*She grabs Taiyo by the wrist & motors out of there.*

E"Okay, you win, we'll leave it alone!"

*Thiera turns to watch them flee, grinning smugly with her arms crossed. She follows along, because getting crushed to death by a deep sea mushroom would be detrimental to the mission.*

Th"Still believe it is nothing like you?"

E"Shut up! Yes!"
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L"We don't need his cooperation, we just need whatever power he can give. There's a good chance we'll have to take him down later anyway."

OOC: Man, I hope so.
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R"Wow, you figured that out all by yourself? You must've been selected for your brains there, Sandy."

*He sticks his Keyblades in a pair of keyholes & twists. The "locking" sound ensues & they are bathed in light. When the "unlocking" sound ensues, he removes his Keyblades & dismisses them.*

*Artexi summons her two keyblades and sticks them in the holes furthest away from Roatha. She then gives them a twist*
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Monu:<So, have we decided we'll tell Pan we'll join him?>
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*Safian follows along as well*

Safian:<No, it makes perfect sense! The other mushroom, the black one, is Taiyo. It was dressed like a cat and everything. Plus, they looked like they were a couple.>

Kyohaku was originally designed as a security program to keep people from making copies of video games without permission, so he was all too familiar with places that it was hard to keep closed off. He accepted Thiera's answer without further question. He then followed along with them and Safian, listening as the now shark-like individual gives out an explanation. "Are we supposed to ignore them in that case?"

Taiyo follows as not only does she not have crushing fantasies, that shit looks like it'd hurt unless one were a practioner of the Toad Style.

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Azuma: "So learn his secrets and tell him off. Sounds like it won't work that way."