KH: Visions of Destiny 2

[Ristridin]

With Tempest.

[JamestheFox]

IG
Day 31
The Highwind
Time - Twinkle Twinkle

You smile right back at Kairi as you lift her up a bit in your arms, bowing your head towards hers. Time seems to slow down.

"Wha- Sora-"

You noses are almost touching. You can see her face nigh-on GLOWING red as you look her in the eye.

Then you bump your forehead lightly against hers, and pull back. "Tag! You're it. No tagbacks."

Kairi's jaw has dropped. She's sputtering, trying and failing to form words and sentences.

"Y-yo-I-um-I... Er, wha-wh-hu-eh-tha-erk!"

"What? What's wrong?" You're having way too much fun with this.

"U-h-er-you-"

"You're not getting through to me here."

She pouts.

"Well, you're it. Ready?" You shift her weight in your arms, and get ready to run. You have your target in sight.

"He-hey, wai-"

And the two of you are off...

Tag Roll: 24

Dashing straight past a still-gawping Riku, who just barely dodges Kairi's leg...

Tag Roll: 97

And pouncing at an off-guard Donald. Kairi regains her composure (or some of it) just in time, and lands a hand on Donald rather roughly. "Oh, s-sorry... Er. Um. I mean. You're it."

"No tagbacks!" You LEAP away. Is it just you, or can you jump a little higher than usual...?

Donald scowls at you, until Goofy's laughter draws his attention. "Oh, a wise guy, eh?" He pushes Goofy. "Now you're it. No tagbacks." He winks at Goofy.

Goofy blinks, and nods. "Well, here I go!"

He's pretty darned fast as he starts giving chase.

Dodge Roll: 100

You're lucky enough to avoid him. He stumbles to a stop, giving you a chance to get FAR. FAR. AWAY.

The game becomes even more chaotic as time flies on. You're pretty sure that by the end, every single Luma in the observatory has been tagged at least once, and you and the other non-lumas have been tagged countless times. Rosalina was least tagged, though not for lack of trying on your part. And you're sure she spent the least amount of time It.

By the time lunchtime arrives, you are all just... tuckered out. You haven't played tag like this since... since before the islands were destroyed.

"Honkhonk HONK!" Gus calls out, carrying dishes in each hand as he steps out of the nearby kitchen. Some Lumas wearing aprons help by balancing meals on their heads. The bunch of them go in and out of the building, bringing dishes to each and every hungry inhabitant.

"I must thank you for offering your services to us, Gus." Rosalina smiles. She doesn't look tired at ALL. "It allowed me to get acquainted with your captain, and to spend a little more time with my children."

"Honk!" Gus bows a little, without dropping the dishes in his hands.

"Wow, this looks delicious, Gus!" Donald accepts the sushi salad Gus offers, and takes a few bites as you recieve your meal. "It... IS delicious... Wow... And it looks a little... different."

"Honkhonk honk honk honkhonk honk."

"Er... a new ingredient?"

Gus nods enthusiastically.

"We helped! We helped!" A few chef Lumas chorus.

"Er..." Donald starts. "Are you sure-"

"Don't worry. Star Bits are perfectly safe." Rosalina says.

"Okay..." Donald takes another bite. "It sure is tasty, though."

"Honkhonk?" Gus sighs in relief. "Honkhonk honk honk honkhonk honk."

"That so?"

The two continue talking throughout the meal, Rosalina interjecting every now and again.

Meanwhile, you eat the skewer-in-soup Gus passed to you... It's got this almost honey-like taste mixing pleasantly with the natural flavors of the meat. The whole thing tastes... almost heavenly.

"Gus always makes some amazing meals..." Kairi mutters. "I wonder how he got so good?"

"Lots of practice and a passion for the art." Goofy says as he settles down next to you. He looks at Gus and Donald. Looking closely, you're noticing that Donald's ever so slightly moving a bit out of the conversation. "Donald doesn't have much interest in food and stuff, but he recognizes that to Gus, it's the most important thing in the worlds, so he makes sure to support him."

"Huh."

"His family is something else. Each and every one of them has a passion like that. Cooking... Magic... Business... Science... That ambition and love for their field has made them among the best Disney Town has at what they do. I think that's what Donald's teacher saw in him, when he took him on."

Kairi nods. "His entire family is like that?"

Goofy nods. "His nephews are something else, though. They all have their own interests that are as different as can be, but somehow they've gone and weaved them together like nothing else." He shakes his head. "But I don't think anyone was surprised. Those three are closer friends than I've ever seen." He scratches his chin, as though thinking. "Donald's real proud of them."

"... How about you?" Riku asks.

"Hm?" Goofy tilts his head.

"You mentioned a son, on that world a while back."

"That's right... Max. He's a good kid. We've had our rough spots, sometimes... but we've always stuck together." He gazes up at the stars. "He's following in my footsteps, I guess; he's in charge of his own little squad in the Royal Guard, now. I worry about him every now and then... But I'm proud of him. Gwarsh, am I proud..."

Riku nods. He looks... saddened a little. "I'm sure he's proud of you, too."

"Thanks... You alright?"

"... Yeah. Just... thinking. It's been about a month, since... All this started."

You and Kairi fall silent. That's right... it's been a whole month since you had that dream... since your battle with Tidus. Since you met Celsius, and that... thing in the cave. Since your parents left on that fishing trip...

You can't help but feel that even though you started work on the raft and even had strange dreams before that day, THAT was the day all of this started for you...

"Don't worry. We'll stop the Heartless," Goofy says. "And we'll find a way to get yer families back. I'm sure of it."

"... Thanks, Goofy." Riku says. You and Kairi nod. But... what if you can't?

"Gwarsh, it's nothing. Yer all still young... You really shouldn't have to be involved in any of this. But you are. But you shouldn't be going through this alone, either. And I'd kick myself in the rear before I let you." He nods, looking each of you in the eye. "If you need anything... an ear, a shoulder, advice, you name it... feel free to call on me. I'm not the best... But I'll do what I can to help."

Goofy Gained a Disposition: "Fathers are People."

The three of you nod.

The four of you eat together, and when you're done, and Gus has collected your dishes, you spend some time wandering the observatory. You eventually find a library, and spend some time reading. There's a lot of info here on stars, and the Space Between, and the Lumas are happy to guide you to them... Donald and Goofy eventually join you.

Research
Sora: 19*2=38
Kairi: 7*2=14
Riku: 2*2=4
Donald: 9*2=18
Goofy: 13*2=26

The library's peace should have been interrupted by the Lumas that fly in and play... but... for some reason, it only helps the gentle atmosphere of the place.

Day 32
The Comet Observatory
Time - Twinkle Twinkle

While playing with the Lumas, playing something called "Ring Around the Comet," one of them suddenly stops in the middle of chasing you... and starts to vibrate.

"I'm... I'm... ready! TRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSFFFFFFFOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!"

It gives a scream of delight, and suddenly... explodes into many, MANY little lights.

"Wha-" You stare as the lights fly off, bumping into the Observatory's outer barrier a few times as the ship slows, stops, and then opens a hole for it. As the hole opens up, the lights suddenly become a great deal of strange planetoids, shaped like flowers. "Wha... what happened!? Is he dea-"

"Don't worry!" One of the Lumas says. "Let's keep playing-"

"But he- he just exploded!" Riku says with shock.

"No he didn't, silly. Didn't you hear? He transformed!"

The others chirp "transform" over and over again.

"What do you..."

Rosalina steps into view. "Don't worry, he's just fine. You see, Lumas are very special creatures. They are star children, who grow up and transform into many things. Rocks and buildings, items needed to help others on their way... a rare few even join the stars in the night sky." She smiles, though it's one slightly marred by sorrow.

"You mean... some of them become worlds...?" Kairi asks.

Rosalina nods. "And all life carries the essence of those stars. Even you."

"Someday," a rather chubby Luma exclaims suddenly, "I wanna be a star, covered with continents of candy and cookies! And oceans of ice cream! And marshmallow mountains!" He flies in front of you. "Then you all can come and play and eat! No one on that star will ever go hungry!"

"I think I'd just be happy becoming a couch for two," sighs another dreamily. "Where lovers can sit together. It sounds so... romantic."
"I wanna be a sword that smites evil! Maybe... something key-shaped!"
"I wanna be a shooting star, and hold onto the wishes of everyone!"
"I wanna be a new part of the Nursery! Like, like, a swimming pool!"
"I wanna be the biggest mountain in the universe. I want people to climb me, and see a sight that changes their life."
"I wanna be a home for people who don't have a home."
You stand there, dumbfounded, as all the Lumas start shouting what they want to be. It's so... strange. The things they're saying are so outlandish, kinda like a child saying what they want to be when they grow up... but after seeing what just happened... you think... maybe they could do it...

"...I don't know what I want to be..." You hear a collection of gasps, and you see the Lumas turn towards the little Luma that said that. He's so tiny... He startles a little at the sudden gasps, and starts to sniffle a little.

Rosalina smiles as she comes close. "That's alright. No one knows what the future holds for them, and not everyone even knows what they want the future to give them. That search could take a lifetime... just keep looking."

The little one nods.

"Now, what were you all playing again?" She asks. The Lumas suddenly start sitting in a circle. A few pull on Rosalina's sleeve to bring her into the game.

"Sora is it! Sora is it!"

"W-wait, why me?"

"Because Lula transformed while chasing you! So you're it!"

You pout a little, but give a resigned sigh before smiling. "Okay..."



After lunch, you, Kairi, and Riku join Donald in the Library. When you ask about Goofy, it turns out that he's adding something onto the Gummi Ship with the help of many Lumas.

Research Roll
Sora: 20*2=40
Kairi: 15*2=30
Riku: 11*2=22
Donald: 3*2=6

You can't help but be somewhat... awed by the things you've learned today. You're not sure what you were expecting when the three of you had begun murmuring about going off to other worlds... But more and more, you're certain those expectations have been smashed apart by something far and away beyond your thoughts. You just want to learn more and more...

Donald seems to be studying as well, but you notice that it has nothing to do with anything that might help the Gummi Ship's development. It looks like some kind of arcane text, though not one you recognize from your cursory examination of the Gummi Ship's library.

He notices you looking over at him, and he gives a small, tired smile. You smile back, and he returns to his reading for a while, before rubbing his eyes and his forehead. He then puts the book to the side, and collects a different book from the library.

Day 33
The Comet Observatory
Time - Twinkle Twinkle

You wake up to find both the Highwind and the Observatory in a tizzy. You eventually find the others gathered at the core of the Observatory, where everyone is watching a screen.

Finally, the screen shifts, and you see what appears to be some kind of animal person.

"Fox McCloud, of Star Fox. It's pretty early in the morning for civilians. May I ask who's calling?"

"Princess Rosalina, on behalf of my friends," She gestures to Donald, who introduces himself and the rest of you.

"... We're here because we have a bit of trouble, and thought some hired help might get us through with minimal trouble."

"How much help are you talking?" Fox replies.

----------Star Fox Base Prices (Subject to change, feel free to try and haggle)--------------------

Fox/Arwing II: 450 Munny (Available)
Slippy/Bullfrog: 400 Munny (Available)
Falco/Sky Claw: 450 Munny (Available)
Krystal/Sky Runner: 425 Munny (Available)
Peppy/Arwing I: 475 Munny (Available)

ROB 64/Great Fox: 5000 Munny, bundles all available pilots. (Available)

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Music:
Super Mario Galaxy 2: Rosalina
Super Mario Galaxy: Gusty Garden Galaxy
Super Mario Galaxy: Purple Comet
Super Mario Galaxy: Slide Theme
Kingdom Hearts: Destiny's Union
Super Mario Galaxy 2: Starship Mario A
Super Mario Galaxy: Family
Star Fox 64 Menu Theme

Characters:
KHVD Main Party Sheet
KHVD Main Party Growth Chart
Link Shards
Gummi Ship
KHVD Minor Party Members Sheet
Shop Sheet

[JAGwin]

oog: Quick question, James. When did you start using invisitext?

ig: Uhh... what are their stats? Also, switch Goofy to Fathers are People. And shall we switch Riku's Disposition Macro so that he switches to Tag Prince in combat?

oog: Why does Fathers are People give Goofy a Command he already has?

[MrRigger2]

What's the difference between hiring all the Star Fox pilots separately for 2200 Munny versus hiring the bundle for 5000 Munny? Never played Star Fox, so I don't know. If we're going to haggle, and we should probably make at least a token effort, let Kairi do it. She's the one with the experience and talent for it. Also, don't think we've got enough money to think about hiring the bundle package, even if Kairi is a master haggler. See if we can't get at least four of them down to the price of the three Munny piles we have in the Storage hold.

MrRigger

[Tempest Kitsune]

I say that we turn Kairi loose on them to haggle them down. Right now we've got 2655 in liquid funds. We've also got a number of materials that could be worth quite a bit to them. Perhaps offer that Fire Crystal to power up their flagship's weapon systems? I'm personally in favor of hiring the entire squad along with the Great Fox (nice Smash Bros reference in there btw James); but at the least I'd suggest hiring Fox and Falco as a pair. Those two have been wingmen to each other the longest, and only Peppy has more experience.

[gamebrain89]

Definitely try to negotiate on the prices. I'd really rather not burn ALL our cash in one go on this. I'd suggest, going for some combo of Fox, Falco and/or Peppy, for a decent extra chunk of firepower, without burning a huge chunk of our total liquid assets.

[bookworm702]

Oh, and don't forget to tell them all the information we have about the enemy, so they can make a well informed decision.

[Ristridin]

oog: Aw, one of the Lumas wants to be a keyblade.

ig: I'd really like some stats as well before making a decision, and I agree with bookworm to informing the Star Fox team about the enemy stats, so they also have an idea what might be good. I also agree with letting Kairi do the haggling; let's improve that Disposition! Seconding switching Goofy's Disposition to Fathers are People.

Also, it seems we have enough exp for another ship upgrade, even after installing Living Room! I wouldn't mind getting a WMG Blaster so we can damage the Star Tiger more reliably (and also because I have some hope it might get us closer to something like a Keyblade Cannon), but Moogle Gold Pick or Training Hall wouldn't hurt either. We can also have some people Hang Out (with double roll!) before the fight.

[Bezzerker]

I also am onboard for the "Let Kairi do the talking" plan. Would switching her disposition to Munnymonger have any affect on the negotiations?

I agree with Book, tell the Star Fox team what we're up against.

For the Gummi ship upgrade, I would like to get the Blast Shields, as that gives us a boost to our DEF as well as giving us the ability to cut damage in half for a turn.

[Ristridin]

I just thought up a use for the Blast Shield ability. Use it in the first round to see how much opponents are boosting their attack with HF, so we only need to put our HF in defense if necessary. So I'm less firmly opposed to Blast Shields now. Won't help us if enemies wait for a round to invest their HF, but that's ok.

Still think that generally, enemies aren't going to hit us for 100+ damage with a single attack, or use homing attacks though... And if those things are not the case, 50 HF in defense is more useful (especially over multiple rounds).

[JAGwin]

For the Upgrade, I'd rather get the Moogle Gold Pick, since we're gonna need the Munny after this. Additionally, it'll also boost our HP and HF so that they're higher than the Star Tiger's.

[gamebrain89]

Yeah, Blast Shields for my vote. The Gold pick is not necessary. I do think we should pick it up sooner or later, but right now its just a superfluous luxury add on, and not one we're gonna use alot before we hit the fight we're going to.

[bookworm702]

Blast Shields are awesome. They guard us from the infinite void of the Space Between which is probably good for our health. And they probably look cool. And score higher on standardized tests. Oh yes.

[Tempest Kitsune]

I'll toss in a vote for Blast Shields as well. I would like to take Iron Pick after that though, in order to increase our possibility of getting something from excavations.

[JamestheFox]

OoG:

Invisitext: Since... about the beginning of this thread. Maybe a little earlier. And it's going nowhere.

It usually represents something that's only BARELY within Sora's perception, such as funny background events or some prick skulking in the background or baddies whispering bad juju at you. It's not always wise to react to it, though, as words spoken in it by others only reach Sora's conscious thoughts if YOU as the players choose to answer to it. And Sora, in-game, won't always take what he hears well.

TLDR; It's often just fluffy Easter Eggs, but sometimes you can get useful or soul-crushing info from it.

IG
Day 33
The Comet Observatory
Time - Twinkle Twinkle

Donald opens his mouth, but you tap him on the shoulder. "Excuse us a moment, please," you ask.

"Certainly," Fox replies.

You pull Donald aside, with Kairi. "Maybe we could let Kairi handle this. She's... pretty good with people and business stuff."

Donald raises an eyebrow at that. "You sure about this...?"

"If you're up for it, Kairi. You think you can barter with them?"

She thinks for a moment, and nods. "I'm... not exactly familiar with trying to hire bodyguards... but I can try."

The three of you head back to the screen, and Kairi takes the lead. You watch as she introduces herself. "I'm sorry to say I'm not too familiar with your team. May I ask what kind of skills you can bring to the table?"

"Hm. That sounds reasonable. Our ships are built on our own patented G-Diffuser 5 technology for maneuverability. It's a fairly tricky system; even the guy who made it can't use it to its fullest potential-"

"Hey!" You hear a somewhat young voice cry out. You see a young... frog-guy poke his head out from behind a entryway behind Fox, looking quite cross.

"-not to insult you, Slippy. It's just that you don't quite have quite as great of flight instinct that the rest of us do." Fox chuckles. "Anyway, it's pretty finicky, but it gives us a level of receptiveness that's hard to reach naturally. It can move faster than you can think, and the diffusers can even deflect shots if you get the timing down."

"That's pretty amazing," Kairi says. "So, Slippy made this?"

"Yeah. He's not the best fighter, but he's a genius mechanic. His knowledge keeps our ships in top condition and on the cutting edge for a fairly decent price, even in the middle of outer space."

Slippy blushes at the praise.

"He's also a keen thinker. His ship is outfitted with what he calls Smartbomb technology. It's a bit bulky for most of us..."

"Bulky? That's an understatement," a cocky voice mutters. Slippy looks down the hall, glowering.
"Hey, you can USE bulk, Falco. Attach it to that frail little skeleton you call a ship." Slippy mutters.
"...but it packs a punch."
"Like hell I need bulk. Small, sleek, keen as a razor. That's how I LIKE her."
"I... see." Kairi looks behind Fox, to where a blue... bird guy is now arguing with Slippy in hushed voices.

"Oh, heh. Sorry about the lack of professionalism. We just did a run, and they like to take jabs at each other afterwards to blow off steam." He turns his head to look at them. "Oy, Falco, Slippy! Easy. We've got customers here. Best foot forward."

"Right, right... Oy, you sure about this?" Falco's looking at Kairi. "Doing business with a little girl? Man, this is gonna be lame..."

"Erk!" Fox glowers at him before looking apologetic towards Kairi. "... Just a sec, Miss Kairi."

"Of course," Kairi mutters. She looks a little offended.

"ROB? Get the Sky Claw ready. Falco here's going to do another run."

"Aye aye," a strange voice from somewhere in the ship replies. Fox gets up, and walks over to Falco and Slippy, pulling the bird aside to talk. "You did NOT just insult a prospective customer. What crawled into your feathers and died?"

"I... wonder what they're talking about." Riku mutters.
"-and you might find yourself in business when you get back," Fox says. "And you're going to-"
Kairi shrugs, though you can see from the glint in her eye that whatever it is, it's clearly in her favor.
"-I'm going, I'm going... Geez louise."
Falco walks off in a fuss, and Fox walks back up to the screen. "Sorry about that. Falco's... pretty brash. And a grump. But he's one of our better pilots. We normally ask 450 Munny for his services, but I'm willing to give you a discount."

"How low of one are we talking?" Kairi asks.

"How about a 20% discount?"

"I don't know... if he isn't going to respect me as a prospective client, then how could I trust him to respect my orders when he's actually on my payroll? I'd rather not pay over 350 for a bodyguard who isn't going to take this job seriously."

"Hmmm... Tell you what. I think he needs to understand customer appreciation. I'll put him on a bundle with one of our other pilots... Peppy should keep him in line. I usually ask 475 for him. His ship's a bit out of date -- he likes it that way, and he's a stubborn old hare -- but in terms of experience, he's the best we have. They're both yours for this mission... for 700 Munny."

"Hmmm... I'll think about it."

"Thanks. If nothing else, can you play along with me for a little bit when he gets back? Even if he isn't going with you, he could stand to learn that making fun of our clients is not okay."

"Of course." Kairi gives a smile. "So, are there any other pilots I haven't met yet?"

"Well, we do have Krystal, and myself. Krystal's a fairly new member of the squad, but she's showing a lot of potential. She's a crack shot with the blasters. For her, we usually ask 425 Munny."

"I see..."

"But since you're being such a good sport about this, I'm willing to give you guys a 10% discount on any of our singular pilots... Also, there's one more note. If you want to hire the entire team, as a whole, we can bundle in our full resources, complete with our main ship, The Great Fox. It's usually 5000, but I like you guys, so I'll lower it to 3500 as a one-time deal."

"Hmm... I'm not sure we have quite that much to spare, as much as we'd love to have you all along..." She whispers to Donald, and the two come to an agreement. "... At least, not in pure Munny. If you're interested, we have some materials worth decent amounts of munny aboard our ship. We can send you an inventory of things we're willing to part with, if you're interested in taking them as payment."

"I see... We don't usually go for things we can't immediately use... But I can have Slippy take a look at them. Send them along."

"Thank you. We'll also send along some of the info we have about the foe we're likely to meet up with."

"I appreciate it. We'll keep communications up so you can send those once you gather them together."

Kairi nods, and Donald sends Goofy to the Highwind to gather everything and have the info sent.

In the meantime, Kairi and Fox chat on, and you get a basic feel of what his team is like. The team seems to have been inherited by Fox from his father, with Peppy Hare being the only remaining member of the original team. The aforementioned pilot makes an appearance once or twice, and true to his name, he's pretty peppy for an old guy. You get the "cool dad" feel that you sometimes get from Goofy from him.

Krystal appears as well. She seems, oddly enough, to be similar to you, Kairi, and Riku - in awe of so many things she's never seen before. You pick up that she used to live on a small, recently Opened World, before she decided to join Star Fox and explore the world beyond her own.

When Slippy returns with the data, Fox looks it over, and leans back in his chair. "A Star Tiger? Interesting. They rarely lurk solo, but as long as they don't have too many others in their pack, or as long as the others in the pack aren't too strong, this should be a fairly simple matter to deal with. I don't know how good your ship or pilots are, but if I were going on a mission to beat this, I'd be comfortable sending any three of my team out there."

----------Star Fox Base Prices (Subject to change, feel free to try and haggle)--------------------

Fox/Arwing II: 450 Munny (Availible) (Haggled down to 405)
Slippy/Bullfrog: 400 Munny (Availible) (Haggled down to 360)
Falco/Sky Claw: 450 Munny (Availible) (Haggled down to 360, declined by Kairi.)
Krystal/Sky Runner: 425 Munny (Availible) (Haggled down to 382)
Peppy/Arwing I: 475 Munny (Availible) (Haggled down to 427)

ROB 64/Great Fox: 5000 Munny, bundles all availible pilots. (Availible) (One Time Deal: 3500)
Peppy and Falco/Arwing I and Sky Claw: 700 Munny (One Time Deal)

Items Star Fox is interested in and prices:
Lucky Shard: 400 Munny.
Thunder Shard: 500 Munny.
Power Shard: 500 Munny.
Lucid Crystal: 1000 Munny.
Fire Crystal: 800 Munny.

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Music:
Star Fox 64 Menu Theme

Characters:
KHVD Main Party Sheet
KHVD Main Party Growth Chart
Link Shards
Gummi Ship
KHVD Minor Party Members Sheet
Shop Sheet

[MrRigger2]

Take advantage of the Peppy/Falco one time deal, and hire Fox on too.

MrRigger

[JAGwin]

oog:

OoG:

Invisitext: Since... about the beginning of this thread. Maybe a little earlier. And it's going nowhere.

"He's also a keen thinker. His ship is outfitted with what he calls Smartbomb technology. It's a bit bulky for most of us..."

"Bulky? That's an understatement," a cocky voice mutters. Slippy looks down the hall, glowering.
"Hey, you can USE bulk, Falco. Attach it to that frail little skeleton you call a ship." Slippy mutters.
"...but it packs a punch."
"Like hell I need bulk. Small, sleek, keen as a razor. That's how I LIKE her."
"I... see." Kairi looks behind Fox, to where a blue... bird guy is now arguing with Slippy in hushed voices.

Fox gets up, and walks over to Falco and Slippy, pulling the bird aside to talk. "You did NOT just insult a prospective customer. What crawled into your feathers and died?"

"I... wonder what they're talking about." Riku mutters.
"-and you might find yourself in business when you get back," Fox says. "And you're going to-"
Kairi shrugs, though you can see from the glint in her eye that whatever it is, it's clearly in her favor.
"-I'm going, I'm going... Geez louise."

ig: With Rigger.

EDIT: Oh, and what happened to the Journal Entries?

[Ristridin]

Fox said any three of his team would be enough for this mission... without saying anything about us. And we have one of the best ships there is, and Rosalina as an ally. So I'm guessing we need two at most (especially since failure doesn't have death as a consequence).

So I vote for the Peppy+Falco combo. For payment, DON'T use the Lucid Crystal (for obvious reasons). Other than that, I prefer to pay in Munny when possible.

As for travel arrangements for the next day... We'll be at the Star Tiger in two days, so I suggest Goofy installs our upgrade (probably Blast Shields considering the current votes), and the rest of us Hang Out for bonus HF versus the Star Tiger.

(mostly) oog:

I would like to take Iron Pick after that though, in order to increase our possibility of getting something from excavations.

Also fine with that. Gold Pick gives an expected additional value of (50+60+...+200)/20 = 100 Munny per Excavation; Iron Pick gives an expected additional value of 10% of the value of a Treasure Chest; depends on how much that is. I prefer Munny because we'll at least get something in 80% of the cases (reduced risk of bad rolls).

Blast Shields are awesome. They guard us from the infinite void of the Space Between which is probably good for our health. And they probably look cool. And score higher on standardized tests. Oh yes.

You could just say that you want a point in DEF, since this is currently the only thing that ups our DEF. :P
But yeah, that's a valid argument.

It usually represents something that's only BARELY within Sora's perception, such as funny background events or some prick skulking in the background or baddies whispering bad juju at you. It's not always wise to react to it, though, as words spoken in it by others only reach Sora's conscious thoughts if YOU as the players choose to answer to it. And Sora, in-game, won't always take what he hears well.

What exactly is your definition of a reaction? More specifically, does quoting invisitext like JAG just did count?

[gamebrain89]

Agreed with the others. Take Fox up on his Combo deal with Falco and Peppy, and hire Fox as well, just to be on the safe side. That'll be about 1100 munny. Don't sell any of our crystals. I think selling them the Thunder Shard, then cover the remaining price tag with cash would be good. Or if we really don't want to part with a lot of cash, add the Lucky Shard in there as well, to drop cash spent to about 200.

[Tempest Kitsune]

Agreeing with Gamebrain, though I'd also put forward that we use both the Power and Thunder shards as part of the payment in order to conserve liquid assets. And no way should we part with either Crystal, especially the Lucid one.

[JamestheFox]

OoG:
I'm glad you asked about the Journal. I've been working on it for a while now.

Invisitext: Quoting it doesn't count as reacting to it. If you make a choice of action that is influenced by the text (for example, having Sora reply to it), that is reacting to it.

That said, quoting the entirety of it can sometimes create an inflated post, and I understand that some people don't like it (It's been argued that it lessens the point of having hidden text). I for one don't mind if someone reveals it, but I also don't particularly like having to scroll past it in the larger cases. I'd appreciate it if it's put in a Spoiler Box, so as to ease both problems.

IG
Day 33
The Comet Observatory
Time - Twinkle Twinkle

After some discussion, you decide to take the offer Fox gave. You also hire on Fox himself as an extra precaution, and after you give him your coordinates, the transmission ends. A few hours later, three ships fly into view. Rosalina takes them into her own vessel's orbit, and your journey continues.

Peppy seems even more fatherly than he did before, and he hits it off with Goofy almost immediately. Fox seems stern and highly professional at first, but the relatively lax atmosphere of the comet chips away at it by the hour.

Falco, however...

"I. Hate. Kids."

You smirk a little as you spy him sitting crosslegged, being poked, prodded and surrounded by Lumas, who seem oblivious to his irritation. His eye twitches.

Boons Gained:
Peppy: Teacher (Peppy can serve as a Teacher. EXP Worth: 40.)
Falco: Ship EXP Up (Exp Earned for the Ship via battle is boosted by 25%.)

IG
Day 34
The Comet Observatory
Time - Twinkle Twinkle

Hang Out:
Sora: 15*2=30
Kairi: 23*2=46
Riku: 22*2=44
Donald: 6*2=12

Upgrade:
Goofy: Blast Shields

You are taking a walk around the observatory when you hear Donald and Rosalina talking. Curious, you decide to eavesdrop a little.

"Are you sure you want to come with us for this?" Donald asks. "We'd feel awful if you and your children got hurt." You frown. You... hadn't quite thought of that.

"Don't worry. If things become too dangerous, it will be easy for my ship to escape. But I would likewise feel awful if something happened to you all. Especially the three children."

"... Yeah."

"They are truly children of the stars. I can tell they have a long road ahead."

"..."

"The girl is especially important. You must protect her." There is a sternness in her voice that you haven't heard once during this trip, at least not from her.

"Wait! What do you know about..."

"Not much," she admits. "But... it is rare for anyone... or even anything, to shine as brightly as she does. Such precious light will always be coveted, or abused towards one's own ends. I don't doubt that this has taken a toll on her."

"..."

"I could see the pain in her eyes, and in the eyes of her special ones. It was why I wanted to help. If, by giving them a reprieve, I can their journey easier, then I will do so."

"And I'll thank you for it. If there is ever anything we can do for you..."

"It is nothing. Just doing a mother's duty, as best as I can." Her voice has grown lighter.

"... Do you mind if I ask a very... personal question?"

"Of course not."

"No offense meant, but... just who are you, really?"

There's a long pause. "How odd... It's been so long... I don't quite remember the true story myself, except as the foggiest of memories. But... there is a book. Section 5 of the Library, top shelf, the brown book with a star emblem. Should be third from the right."

"Huh?"

"For the longest time, I would tell my children stories, including parts of my own story. They've always been my children's favorite, so I eventually wrote them down in a collection." There's a short silence. "But... I seem to have forgotten quite how the rest of it went in real life."

"You don't seem disappointed."

"The parts I've forgotten weren't truly important. Otherwise, I wouldn't have forgotten them. Not for good. Our most important memories stay with us, even if we're made to forget. They're always just a heartbeat away." She laughs.

"If you remember the important parts, why not just tell me?"

Another laugh. "There's another problem with that. As soon as I begin to speak the words, my children will come flocking here. And then I'll have to make it a proper naptime story, as I always do. And this place is far from ideal for a nap."

This time, it's Donald's turn to laugh. "I can imagine how much trouble that is."

"Indeed. I imagine you'll get the same reaction the moment you pull the book from its place. It's like they can sense when my stories are about to be told."

"Oh boy. I don't think I'll be the best storyteller."

"I'm sure you'll do fine. Good luck."

You hear Donald start to walk off.

"Oh, and I must ask you to promise me. Those three children... Sora, Kairi, and Riku... take good care of them."

"I will."



"Oy! Sora!" You are snapped out of your reverie when Kairi finds you and pulls you over to the Fountain section of the Comet.

"Wh-whoa! Kairi! What's-"

"Look!"

You follow her gaze, and you see what looks like a cascade of rainbow-colored threads in the distance, spreading out for what appears to be an eternity. As each string weaves and twists, they vibrate, and you can hear little chimes, like those from a harp.

"A Luma just... transformed into that. It was so small when I saw it... but it's already so... big..."

"Wow..." You can see, in the corner of your eye, several Lumas flocking towards the Library. The threads seem to be expanding this way, too. They envelop the ship, passing through like it's not even there, until you can see them no matter which way you turn, or how fast the ship is moving.

You consider taking Kairi to the Library to hear the story Donald's about to tell, but decide against it. Instead, the two of you just sit by the fountain, and watch the changing threads and listening to the tunes they make.

You feel Kairi lean a little against you.

"It's amazing, isn't it? Such tiny creatures can become such amazing things...?"

"Yeah."

"... I wonder what it'd be like. To just... become something like that."

"Oy, you're not thinking of becoming a Luma or something, are you?"

"No, no! It's just, recently, I feel like... there's something out there, waiting for me." Kairi mutters.

"What do you think it is?"

"I don't know. I... can't put my finger on it. The feeling's been getting stronger, every now and again... But..." You feel a small dampness on your shoulder. "I feel like, if I answer that call... everything will change. It scares me, a little. What if, after I answer it, I lose you, or Riku, or...?"

"You'd never lose me." You grin. "I'm too stubborn to let that happen."

"Yeah. I'm being silly..." she giggles a bit.

"Besides... our destinies are tied together, now, remember? Wherever you go, I'm going, too." You hug her with one arm.

Kairi nods. "Mm hm."

The two of you continue to watch the rainbow harp play its song.

"... Hey, Sora?"

"Thanks. For everything."

"Huh?"

"You... you're always... there. I don't remember much of anything, when I... you know, pass out. But... every time, I know I hear your voice. I don't know if you know, but... it helps so much. So... thanks."

"Heh. You're welcome." You smile, watching the strings continue on. Eventually, you head back to the Highwind, and spend a while just mulling over the day in the new living room. The strange circular design glowing through the carpet below is faint, but beautiful. You can still see the strings of the rainbow harp.

You think back to Donald and Rosalina's conversation. The important memories stay with you, huh...?

Somehow, you're pretty sure you'll never forget today.

IG
Day 35
The Highwind
Time - Twinkle Twinkle

The next morning, you wake up, rested and ready. But Chip and Dale's predictions, you all either entered the Star Tiger's territory very recently, or are about to do so.

Looking outside, you see that you are no longer attached to the Comet Observatory, and all ships are moving cautiously.

After breakfast, the Highwind opens up comms with the other ships.

"Well, no sign of them yet..." Falco mutters. "Geez, you sure your intel was accurate?"

"It was from the Enterprise, right? I doubt they'd be wrong about this..." Peppy replies.

"Just keep an eye out," Fox says. "If anything happens- wait. What's..."

You look at the auxiliary screens, which are showing every direction the cockpit's windows can't. There's something... rising...

"OH JEEZ!" Falco scowls as he tries to dodge literally MILLIONS of long, thin reeds, and ends up hidden from your view by them. It's like... extremely tall grass. It rises a bit past him, obscuring most of the space around you.

"Shoot! Can't see anything like this... Permission to ascend, Captain Donald?"

"Granted!" The Highwind and Arwing start flying upwards... but before your eyes, the grass grows LONGER to keep everything obscured. "What the..."

"I was about to say..." Peppy mutters. "This isn't ordinary grass. This is Star Tiger Grass. It's fairly rare, but I've heard stories of it."

"And you didn't bother to tell us?" Falco growls.

"I thought they were just stories." Peppy replies. "The Star Tigers generate it to hide themselves. It's always just a little higher than the highest-flying one of their foes. So..."

"So we need to fly down?" Fox asks. "Simple solution."

"Precisely." Peppy sounds proud. "You're showing your father's wit."

"Tricky punks," Falco huffs. "It's my first instinct to fly up to get out of stuff like this..."

"Right. Let's hold our course, while moving downwards at about a 45 degree angle. Men? Open the wings to Acceleration Mode."

You can see the Arwing II's wings spread out a bit, settling into a new position.

"Check your G-Diffuser system, and weaponry."

"I'm good," Falco says.

"I'm ready to go," Peppy says.

"Highwind, Comet? You alright?"

"We're well." Rosalina says. Behind her, you can see Lumas flying about excitedly, looking at the reeds with amazement.

"We're all set!" Chip says.

Dale is at the controls, muttering to himself... "...OhmygoshI'mflyingwithStarFoxOhmygoshI'mflyingwithStarFox..."

"Right. With your permission..."

"Granted."

"... Let's rock and roll!" All of you pick up speed, and begin moving downwards at an angle.

As you go, you notice the grass dropping in height with you. However, there doesn't appear to be any end in sight below. Hopefully Peppy was right... You see something moving among the grass for but a split second.

"... It's quiet. Too quiet." Peppy mutters.

You're inclined to agree.

"... SHOOT SHOOT SHOOT!" Falco cries out as you see him pop out from a tuft of grass, followed by a huge... cat... thing. It's hazy, and looks strangely superflat, like a window to a dimension full of clouds and orbs of light. Its claws slash at Falco.

Preemptive Strike

Spoiler: show

Star Tiger>Sky Claw
325+89+10(Tall Grass) vs 300
124 Damage

Falco makes a valiant attempt, but is smacked by one giant paw. "Ack! I'm hit!"

"You alright?" Fox asks. The cat vanishes back into the grass.

"Yeah, I'm swell! That cat only NEARLY TORE MY WINGS OFF!" The ship has a large gouge in it. "Slippy's going to be laughing his keister off when we get back... Stupid... frog... 'bulk' my feathered-"

Fox growls. "Shoot... All ships, gather together! We can't afford to be surprised like that again. Falco, stay with us-"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Really. I've been worse."


Gummi Battle Results So Far
Highwind: 475/475 HP, 482/350 HF
Comet Observatory: 725/725 HP, 400/400 HF
Arwing II: 400/400 HP, 300/300 HF
Sky Claw: 186/300 HP, 300/300 HF
Classic Arwing: 375/375 HP, 300/300 HF

Distance till "Goal:" 58
Reaction Command Possible: Haste (Sacrifice your Attack. This turn, the party uses a d10 to move towards the Goal, instead of a d6.)

Star Tiger: 450/450 HP, 375/375 HF

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘χ⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

Music:
Star Fox 64 Menu Theme
Super Mario Galaxy - Luma

Characters:
KHVD Main Party Sheet
KHVD Main Party Growth Chart
Link Shards
Gummi Ship
KHVD Minor Party Members Sheet
Shop Sheet
Jiminy's Journal

[JAGwin]

oog: Invistext:

Spoiler: show

As you go, you notice the grass dropping in height with you. However, there doesn't appear to be any end in sight below. Hopefully Peppy was right... You see something moving among the grass for but a split second.


"Yeah, I'm swell! That cat only NEARLY TORE MY WINGS OFF!" The ship has a large gouge in it. "Slippy's going to be laughing his keister off when we get back... Stupid... frog... 'bulk' my feathered-"

ig: Use our HF to counter how it uses its HF. It boosts its Attack, we boost our Defense, it boosts its Defense, we boost our Attack. Put the spare HF (as in, HF that puts ours higher than 375) into Defense right now.

EDIT: Hang on, shouldn't the Blast Shields have given us an HP boost?

[bookworm702]

Our HF tanks are so full they're probably groaning under the strain. 100 to Attack and Defense should help with that. And hey, you know what really puts a damper on sneak attacks? Seeing the future. Let's see if we can Ka-Vision and intercept/blast it into oblivion.

[Tempest Kitsune]

Agreeing with Book here, in this type of terrain we need all the help we can get.

[MrRigger2]

I'm good with Book's plan.

MrRigger