Murder Game XVII: The Infinity Parable

[Atomyk]

"I guess that means we can take pure-hearted off the list of requirements," Billy said with a grumble. Tommy was next to him, looking fine, all things considered. He'd managed to avoid the actual shipwreck thanks to being on the water at the time.

Billy wasn't sure what to say to this new guy. He thought the sword he was carrying was pretty cheesy looking, but Billy was into cheesy looking stuff himself. "I get this looks weird, but do we really look all that dangerous?" He gestured around himself as if it was plainly obvious what he meant.

The man seemed receptive to the group's assurances. At least, when his gaze lingered on Star and Marco, he lowered his weapon.

"... I guess most of you are just a bunch of kids," he said. "Still, something as odd of this doesn't happen every day. And today of all days... Did you mention Maleficent? Typical of her to be up to something..." The man turned his head slightly, evidently lost in thought.

"Hm. Just tell me what she wants with you. Better be a good reason for you to put Radiant Garden in potential danger."

"Er..." Billy shrugged. "She's looking for hearts of light. A few of us may be them, and we seem to have a knack for finding them ourselves, but beats me what being a heart of light even means."

There was recognition on the man's face. "Is that so..." He turned and nodded his head to a path leading out from the square. "I got a friend I want you to talk to. I think it's in your best interest to do so. If you got anything else you want to mention, better get it out before we get there. There won't be any detours because, as you so keenly pointed out, we're currently under a state of emergency."

He started on the path but paused to speak once more. "... You can call me Leon for now. Don't dawdle, or we'll have a problem."

"Oh, I'll try and keep up," Tommy said, smirking.

@Archmage Jeremiah @Crow @dalecOoOoOoOoOper @J A Y F R OM T H E 6 I X @Josh M @Kaykay @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Krieg @LuckycoolHawk9 @Mason Moretti @Midnight Maiden @Nater Taters @thatguyinthestore @York @Yun Lee @Takumi @Verite @Jeremi​

 

[Verite]

As the man who later introduced himself as Leon seemed to calm down, notably after the mention of Maleficent, and spoke with Billy who explained the situation, Hiro went ahead and changed back into his normal clothes, discarding his armor back into his nano-capsule for the time being. With Leon having been convinced of their trustworthiness, Hiro let out a relieved breath at the notion of not having to fight again.

As the man turned around and began to lead them, apparently to someone who might know more about the situation, Hiro nodded and pocketed his hands, following along with the rest of the group, as did Baymax.

"So... Guessing by how you recognize the name, Maleficent have something to do with those so-called state of emergency you guys are in?" The boy asked Leon.

@Atomyk @Jeremi @thatguyinthestore @Josh M @Takumi @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Midnight Maiden @Kaykay @Crow​

 

[Jeremi]

"I guess that means we can take pure-hearted off the list of requirements," Billy said with a grumble. Tommy was next to him, looking fine, all things considered. He'd managed to avoid the actual shipwreck thanks to being on the water at the time.

Billy wasn't sure what to say to this new guy. He thought the sword he was carrying was pretty cheesy looking, but Billy was into cheesy looking stuff himself. "I get this looks weird, but do we really look all that dangerous?" He gestured around himself as if it was plainly obvious what he meant.

The man seemed receptive to the group's assurances. At least, when his gaze lingered on Star and Marco, he lowered his weapon.

"... I guess most of you are just a bunch of kids," he said. "Still, something as odd of this doesn't happen every day. And today of all days... Did you mention Maleficent? Typical of her to be up to something..." The man turned his head slightly, evidently lost in thought.

"Hm. Just tell me what she wants with you. Better be a good reason for you to put Radiant Garden in potential danger."

"Er..." Billy shrugged. "She's looking for hearts of light. A few of us may be them, and we seem to have a knack for finding them ourselves, but beats me what being a heart of light even means."

There was recognition on the man's face. "Is that so..." He turned and nodded his head to a path leading out from the square. "I got a friend I want you to talk to. I think it's in your best interest to do so. If you got anything else you want to mention, better get it out before we get there. There won't be any detours because, as you so keenly pointed out, we're currently under a state of emergency."

He started on the path but paused to speak once more. "... You can call me Leon for now. Don't dawdle, or we'll have a problem."

"Oh, I'll try and keep up," Tommy said, smirking.

@Archmage Jeremiah @Crow @dalecOoOoOoOoOper @J A Y F R OM T H E 6 I X @Josh M @Kaykay @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Krieg @LuckycoolHawk9 @Mason Moretti @Midnight Maiden @Nater Taters @thatguyinthestore @York @Yun Lee @Takumi @Verite @Jeremi​

Well at least this guy was to the point, America thought to herself. "You mentioned something about a state of emergency?" She replied echoing Hiro's statement. "Mind telling us what that's about?"

"Not really...but I suppose I can," Leon replied back. "There's been sightings of a large amount of Heartless in the vicinity."

Heartless...were those the shadow creatures they had been fighting? "So what do you think it means?"

"Nothing much, until you guys mentioned Maleficent." It was clear that Leon had stumbled upon Maleficent in the past considering the way he was talking about her. "There's something bigger going on and that's why we issued everyone to stay behind locked doors until we've figured this out."

"If that's the case," Songbird spoke up. "Why are you walking around alone?"

"Because I can take care of myself," Leon responded back.​

@Archmage Jeremiah @Atomyk @Crow @dalecOoOoOoOoOper @J A Y F R OM T H E 6 I X @Josh M @Kaykay @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Krieg @LuckycoolHawk9 @Mason Moretti @Midnight Maiden @Nater Taters @thatguyinthestore @York @Yun Lee @Takumi @Verite

 

[thatguyinthestore]

​

"I guess that means we can take pure-hearted off the list of requirements," Billy said with a grumble. Tommy was next to him, looking fine, all things considered. He'd managed to avoid the actual shipwreck thanks to being on the water at the time.

Billy wasn't sure what to say to this new guy. He thought the sword he was carrying was pretty cheesy looking, but Billy was into cheesy looking stuff himself. "I get this looks weird, but do we really look all that dangerous?" He gestured around himself as if it was plainly obvious what he meant.

The man seemed receptive to the group's assurances. At least, when his gaze lingered on Star and Marco, he lowered his weapon.

"... I guess most of you are just a bunch of kids," he said. "Still, something as odd of this doesn't happen every day. And today of all days... Did you mention Maleficent? Typical of her to be up to something..." The man turned his head slightly, evidently lost in thought.

"Hm. Just tell me what she wants with you. Better be a good reason for you to put Radiant Garden in potential danger."

"Er..." Billy shrugged. "She's looking for hearts of light. A few of us may be them, and we seem to have a knack for finding them ourselves, but beats me what being a heart of light even means."

There was recognition on the man's face. "Is that so..." He turned and nodded his head to a path leading out from the square. "I got a friend I want you to talk to. I think it's in your best interest to do so. If you got anything else you want to mention, better get it out before we get there. There won't be any detours because, as you so keenly pointed out, we're currently under a state of emergency."

He started on the path but paused to speak once more. "... You can call me Leon for now. Don't dawdle, or we'll have a problem."

"Oh, I'll try and keep up," Tommy said, smirking.

@Archmage Jeremiah @Crow @dalecOoOoOoOoOper @J A Y F R OM T H E 6 I X @Josh M @Kaykay @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Krieg @LuckycoolHawk9 @Mason Moretti @Midnight Maiden @Nater Taters @thatguyinthestore @York @Yun Lee @Takumi @Verite @Jeremi​

Normally, Marco would have spoken up about being called a kid for like the tenth time today, but he supposed that it was a futile effort at this point. Instead, Marco just opted to stay silent and... oh yeah! He still had to return something.

Before long, Marco had approached Herbert with his Soda Bomber 3000 in tow before handing the machine to him. "Here. It's all still in one piece." Marco said as he held the weapon out in his right palm.

@Crow @Atomyk @Jeremi

---

Star's smile only widened when Emma tried to deny the fact that her and Killian had been hardcore flirting back on the ship, her shaking her head in glee.

"Noo! You two were totally flirting back there! He was all like 'I'm Killian and I think Emma is sooo pretty!' And then you were all like 'I'm Emma and I think that Killian is sooo handsome!' " Star said as they walked, complete with poor impressions of both Emma and Killian respectively.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Midnight Maiden
​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

Well, Emma's giggling had initially been short, but when Killian started laughing? She couldn't hold back, laughing herself. Oh, how she laughed, the sound full of warmth and heart, unlike any other she was typically apt to giving. His inquiry of why they were laughing only seemed to make her laugh even more. "I don't know!" she answered enthusiastically through her laughter. Well, at least Killian didn't have to be alone in his stupid acts and words. Nope. Emma was in it right there along with him.

Said laughter ended when Killian finally relented, offering her the flask. She seemed rather grateful despite him spilling on her, though, with her arms tangled around him, she couldn't quite accept it. So she did the next best thing: drank from it straight out of his hand, not breaking eye contact and grinning as she did. After taking a rather large drink from it, she finally pulled her mouth off of the flask, licking her lips after doing so. Ah, yes. The soothing, warm alcohol was plenty worth a little begging. Quite the reward, too- and she didn't just mean the alcohol.

That sentiment didn't carry through as she desperately patted Killian down, searching for her gun for reasons she couldn't recall. What she needed it for, she didn't remember. She just knew that she wanted it for something and Killian claimed to have it. And she would get it back, damn it! His statement that he didn't really have the gun made her pause momentarily in her seeming attempts at feeling him up, eyebrows furrowing and a frown on her face. "What? Of course I didn't drop it," she declared with certainty. No, she could never do such a careless thing. Surely he had taken it. She just knew it! "Don't lie to me. Just give it back. Or I'll... I'll....-" the words trailed off, the savior currently unable to think of a suitable threat.

"Yeah," the blonde agreed with Killian, nodding to emphasize such. "Hell, I'm not even buzzed." Yeah. Sure she wasn't. Especially not judging by how desperately she clung to Killian and how elated she seemed when he clung right back, even grinning and letting out a gasp followed by a giggle at his claim about being in the mood. He was so dirty. Haha. Fortunately for everyone involved, things went black after that.

---

"Ugh... What the hell happened...?" Emma muttered upon awakening, rubbing her pained and throbbing head. Man, she felt like shit. She couldn't really recall the last time she actually had a drawback from drinking, so it was a bit stunning. Not to mention, she couldn't even recall anything past chatting with Killian after grabbing drinks in the cellar of the ship. Indeed, everything after that was just a blurred haze. Which, little did she know, was a very, very good thing. Otherwise, she likely would have died of embarrassment--

"What?" she snapped, suddenly looking much more alert when Star explained what happened. But her surprise and horror that was visible on her feats didn't stem from the revelation that their ship had crashed, no- it came from something much more serious. "We were not flirting. We talked, and that was it." Yeah. She definitely couldn't have flirted with him after what she remembered. Totally. Still, she did seem just as concerned, despite her prioritizing of her response, about the crash. "We crashed? ...What happened to Jack?"

"..."

To the new man with the weapon, demanding to know about the group, Emma could only stare. "Relax. We aren't here to cause trouble," she stated. "Hell, if it makes you feel better..." she began, reaching to her waist and grabbing her badge, holding it up. "Police. And, well..." She glanced briefly to the others, trying to figure out how to describe this. "Company."

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @thatguyinthestore @Jeremi​

​

Normally, Marco would have spoken up about being called a kid for like the tenth time today, but he supposed that it was a futile effort at this point. Instead, Marco just opted to stay silent and... oh yeah! He still had to return something.

Before long, Marco had approached Herbert with his Soda Bomber 3000 in tow before handing the machine to him. "Here. It's all still in one piece." Marco said as he held the weapon out in his right palm.

@Crow @Atomyk @Jeremi

---

Star's smile only widened when Emma tried to deny the fact that her and Killian had been hardcore flirting back on the ship, her shaking her head in glee.

"Noo! You two were totally flirting back there! He was all like 'I'm Killian and I think Emma is sooo pretty!' And then you were all like 'I'm Emma and I think that Killian is sooo handsome!' " Star said as they walked, complete with poor impressions of both Emma and Killian respectively.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Midnight Maiden
​

When he would hear Star's and Emma's voice pipe up, Killian dropped his hand from his face, blinking his eyes a few times. His head was a tad sensitive to the light, but he needed to get used to it again. "Regardless, it's in the past. Some people say things they don't mean when they're drunk," he stated flatly. "As in some people, I mean Swan." If they were flirting, of course he had meant what he said, so he didn't claim to have said anything that he had never meant himself. He wrinkled his nose, however, unnerved by Star's impressions of them. "I find it hard to believe we sounded anything like that."

Killian cleared his throat, continuing to walk after the group. He didn't want to dwell on this subject. Emma certainly wasn't interested in agreeing with Star's claims and he wasn't in the mood to hear her brush it off. "Nevertheless, getting drunk back there was poorly timed. Let's make up for it now and listen to what this man, our new host, has to say about this place. If we're going to meet his friend, let's hope this person can help us." The man let out a disheartened sigh. "T'was a shame to lose that ship. May she rest in peace."

@Midnight Maiden @thatguyinthestore @Jeremi @Atomyk​

 

[Midnight Maiden]

Well at least this guy was to the point, America thought to herself. "You mentioned something about a state of emergency?" She replied echoing Hiro's statement. "Mind telling us what that's about?"

"Not really...but I suppose I can," Leon replied back. "There's been sightings of a large amount of Heartless in the vicinity."

Heartless...were those the shadow creatures they had been fighting? "So what do you think it means?"

"Nothing much, until you guys mentioned Maleficent." It was clear that Leon had stumbled upon Maleficent in the past considering the way he was talking about her. "There's something bigger going on and that's why we issued everyone to stay behind locked doors until we've figured this out."

"If that's the case," Songbird spoke up. "Why are you walking around alone?"

"Because I can take care of myself," Leon responded back.​

@Archmage Jeremiah @Atomyk @Crow @dalecOoOoOoOoOper @J A Y F R OM T H E 6 I X @Josh M @Kaykay @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Krieg @LuckycoolHawk9 @Mason Moretti @Midnight Maiden @Nater Taters @thatguyinthestore @York @Yun Lee @Takumi @Verite

Star's smile only widened when Emma tried to deny the fact that her and Killian had been hardcore flirting back on the ship, her shaking her head in glee.

"Noo! You two were totally flirting back there! He was all like 'I'm Killian and I think Emma is sooo pretty!' And then you were all like 'I'm Emma and I think that Killian is sooo handsome!' " Star said as they walked, complete with poor impressions of both Emma and Killian respectively.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Midnight Maiden
​

When he would hear Star's and Emma's voice pipe up, Killian dropped his hand from his face, blinking his eyes a few times. His head was a tad sensitive to the light, but he needed to get used to it again. "Regardless, it's in the past. Some people say things they don't mean when they're drunk," he stated flatly. "As in some people, I mean Swan." If they were flirting, of course he had meant what he said, so he didn't claim to have said anything that he had never meant himself. He wrinkled his nose, however, unnerved by Star's impressions of them. "I find it hard to believe we sounded anything like that."

Killian cleared his throat, continuing to walk after the group. He didn't want to dwell on this subject. Emma certainly wasn't interested in agreeing with Star's claims and he wasn't in the mood to hear her brush it off. "Nevertheless, getting drunk back there was poorly timed. Let's make up for it now and listen to what this man, our new host, has to say about this place. If we're going to meet his friend, let's hope this person can help us." The man let out a disheartened sigh. "T'was a shame to lose that ship. May she rest in peace."

@Midnight Maiden @thatguyinthestore @Jeremi @Atomyk​

At first, the blonde didn't even say anything in response to Star's very poor imitation of them. She just internally facepalmed, very unamused by the display and, more than that, with her throbbing headache? Not really in the mood to deal with it right now. That said, she actually was somewhat thankful for Killian's input on the matter, even letting out a relieved sigh. "Yeah. It-" Huh? Oh, come on. A disbelieving look was shot at Killian by the savior, who also didn't really feel like having everything pinned on her right now, either. "Don't act like I'm the only one," she muttered, seeming somewhat annoyed with the implication. Had she better recalled their exchange earlier, and the lack of evidence that he was lying when he hinted at liking her, perhaps she would have not thrown such shade. But she didn't, and she still found it hard to believe he really had feelings for her. That she wasn't just another woman in the bunch to play with for him.

Trying to ignore the aching of her head and how loud and bright everything seemed right now, Emma rubbed her left temple for a moment, trying to make sure she caught everything. "Even if we did... flirt, that's definitely not how it sounded. Hell, that's a big if," she concurred with Killian. The statement was followed by a heavy exhale, the woman looking slightly ashamed and disappointed. "Anyways, kid... Sorry you had to see that. The reason we went down there was to make sure you didn't." Or, well, that was part of the reason. In any case, Emma hoped they didn't do anything too unsavory, if what Star said was true.

...Oh God she really hoped they didn't.

"Yeah," she eventually agreed with the pirate. "Would be a real nice change of pace, being able to have help that was actually helpful. And, you know, to be able to protect the hearts of light." Yeah. She was feeling pretty shitty about how she had failed to protect every last one of them so far. Though, she was feeling shitty outside of that, too. Hangovers sucked.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @thatguyinthestore @Jeremi @Atomyk​

 

[thatguyinthestore]

At first, the blonde didn't even say anything in response to Star's very poor imitation of them. She just internally facepalmed, very unamused by the display and, more than that, with her throbbing headache? Not really in the mood to deal with it right now. That said, she actually was somewhat thankful for Killian's input on the matter, even letting out a relieved sigh. "Yeah. It-" Huh? Oh, come on. A disbelieving look was shot at Killian by the savior, who also didn't really feel like having everything pinned on her right now, either. "Don't act like I'm the only one," she muttered, seeming somewhat annoyed with the implication. Had she better recalled their exchange earlier, and the lack of evidence that he was lying when he hinted at liking her, perhaps she would have not thrown such shade. But she didn't, and she still found it hard to believe he really had feelings for her. That she wasn't just another woman in the bunch to play with for him.

Trying to ignore the aching of her head and how loud and bright everything seemed right now, Emma rubbed her left temple for a moment, trying to make sure she caught everything. "Even if we did... flirt, that's definitely not how it sounded. Hell, that's a big if," she concurred with Killian. The statement was followed by a heavy exhale, the woman looking slightly ashamed and disappointed. "Anyways, kid... Sorry you had to see that. The reason we went down there was to make sure you didn't." Or, well, that was part of the reason. In any case, Emma hoped they didn't do anything too unsavory, if what Star said was true.

...Oh God she really hoped they didn't.

"Yeah," she eventually agreed with the pirate. "Would be a real nice change of pace, being able to have help that was actually helpful. And, you know, to be able to protect the hearts of light." Yeah. She was feeling pretty shitty about how she had failed to protect every last one of them so far. Though, she was feeling shitty outside of that, too. Hangovers sucked.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @thatguyinthestore @Jeremi @Atomyk​

When he would hear Star's and Emma's voice pipe up, Killian dropped his hand from his face, blinking his eyes a few times. His head was a tad sensitive to the light, but he needed to get used to it again. "Regardless, it's in the past. Some people say things they don't mean when they're drunk," he stated flatly. "As in some people, I mean Swan." If they were flirting, of course he had meant what he said, so he didn't claim to have said anything that he had never meant himself. He wrinkled his nose, however, unnerved by Star's impressions of them. "I find it hard to believe we sounded anything like that."

Killian cleared his throat, continuing to walk after the group. He didn't want to dwell on this subject. Emma certainly wasn't interested in agreeing with Star's claims and he wasn't in the mood to hear her brush it off. "Nevertheless, getting drunk back there was poorly timed. Let's make up for it now and listen to what this man, our new host, has to say about this place. If we're going to meet his friend, let's hope this person can help us." The man let out a disheartened sigh. "T'was a shame to lose that ship. May she rest in peace."

@Midnight Maiden @thatguyinthestore @Jeremi @Atomyk​

"Nope, my impressions of you guys were pretty spot on." Star stated matter-of-factly. Yeah, she wasn't about to admit that something which she saw and both Killian and Emma don't even remember didn't happen. She was like an eye witness at this terrible crime scene!

When Emma would apologize for Star having to witness what went down between her and Killian, Star simply waved them off with a smile. "What? Don't be silly! It was fun watching you stumble around like a 'lil kitty cat lookin' for your cute 'lil gun." Star said with a short little giggle. Don't ask where that cat analogy came from, either.

Because I don't even think Star knows what she meant by that.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Midnight Maiden​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

At first, the blonde didn't even say anything in response to Star's very poor imitation of them. She just internally facepalmed, very unamused by the display and, more than that, with her throbbing headache? Not really in the mood to deal with it right now. That said, she actually was somewhat thankful for Killian's input on the matter, even letting out a relieved sigh. "Yeah. It-" Huh? Oh, come on. A disbelieving look was shot at Killian by the savior, who also didn't really feel like having everything pinned on her right now, either. "Don't act like I'm the only one," she muttered, seeming somewhat annoyed with the implication. Had she better recalled their exchange earlier, and the lack of evidence that he was lying when he hinted at liking her, perhaps she would have not thrown such shade. But she didn't, and she still found it hard to believe he really had feelings for her. That she wasn't just another woman in the bunch to play with for him.

Trying to ignore the aching of her head and how loud and bright everything seemed right now, Emma rubbed her left temple for a moment, trying to make sure she caught everything. "Even if we did... flirt, that's definitely not how it sounded. Hell, that's a big if," she concurred with Killian. The statement was followed by a heavy exhale, the woman looking slightly ashamed and disappointed. "Anyways, kid... Sorry you had to see that. The reason we went down there was to make sure you didn't." Or, well, that was part of the reason. In any case, Emma hoped they didn't do anything too unsavory, if what Star said was true.

...Oh God she really hoped they didn't.

"Yeah," she eventually agreed with the pirate. "Would be a real nice change of pace, being able to have help that was actually helpful. And, you know, to be able to protect the hearts of light." Yeah. She was feeling pretty shitty about how she had failed to protect every last one of them so far. Though, she was feeling shitty outside of that, too. Hangovers sucked.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @thatguyinthestore @Jeremi @Atomyk​

"Nope, my impressions of you guys were pretty spot on." Star stated matter-of-factly. Yeah, she wasn't about to admit that something which she saw and both Killian and Emma don't even remember didn't happen. She was like an eye witness at this terrible crime scene!

When Emma would apologize for Star having to witness what went down between her and Killian, Star simply waved them off with a smile. "What? Don't be silly! It was fun watching you stumble around like a 'lil kitty cat lookin' for your cute 'lil gun." Star said with a short little giggle. Don't ask where that cat analogy came from, either.

Because I don't even think Star knows what she meant by that.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Midnight Maiden​

"Do I look like I'm acting to you? If so, I doubt this ability you claim to have with discovering lies," Killian replied back, not bothering to look Emma in the eyes. The Savior wasn't a prize or someone to play around with in his eyes, not anymore. He never would've risked his life for someone he saw as a piece of meat. "You weren't serious, that's fine, but don't put words in my mouth." He continued to walk ahead of Emma, somewhat annoyed. That woman and the damn walls she kept up made it frustrating to interact with her. Killian had kept walls up himself after Milah's death, but nothing like the ones Emma had.

"We've failed to protect even a single heart of light thus far. This mainly has to do with the fact we haven't had a reliable way to detect who they are before they're snatched from our grasps," Killian replied back. "Nevertheless, we shouldn't dwell on our failures. All we can do is continue to move forward and hope we'll succeed eventually." They had to succeed. If they didn't, there's no way he'd ever get to Storybrooke and fulfill his purpose in life.

After hearing what Star had to say yet again, Killian chose to only focus on the last part of her statement, mentioning Emma's gun. "Now that bit sounds familiar. Did you ever find your gun, Swan?" he questioned, wondering if she had managed to reclaim it before their ship had been blown up. If not, well, then it was probably gone for good. Not that it mattered. Their lives were more valuable than a single weapon.

@Midnight Maiden @thatguyinthestore @Jeremi @Atomyk​

 

[Midnight Maiden]

"Nope, my impressions of you guys were pretty spot on." Star stated matter-of-factly. Yeah, she wasn't about to admit that something which she saw and both Killian and Emma don't even remember didn't happen. She was like an eye witness at this terrible crime scene!

When Emma would apologize for Star having to witness what went down between her and Killian, Star simply waved them off with a smile. "What? Don't be silly! It was fun watching you stumble around like a 'lil kitty cat lookin' for your cute 'lil gun." Star said with a short little giggle. Don't ask where that cat analogy came from, either.

Because I don't even think Star knows what she meant by that.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Midnight Maiden​

"Do I look like I'm acting to you? If so, I doubt this ability you claim to have with discovering lies," Killian replied back, not bothering to look Emma in the eyes. The Savior wasn't a prize or someone to play around with in his eyes, not anymore. He never would've risked his life for someone he saw as a piece of meat. "You weren't serious, that's fine, but don't put words in my mouth." He continued to walk ahead of Emma, somewhat annoyed. That woman and the damn walls she kept up made it frustrating to interact with her. Killian had kept walls up himself after Milah's death, but nothing like the ones Emma had.

"We've failed to protect even a single heart of light thus far. This mainly has to do with the fact we haven't had a reliable way to detect who they are before they're snatched from our grasps," Killian replied back. "Nevertheless, we shouldn't dwell on our failures. All we can do is continue to move forward and hope we'll succeed eventually." They had to succeed. If they didn't, there's no way he'd ever get to Storybrooke and fulfill his purpose in life.

After hearing what Star had to say yet again, Killian chose to only focus on the last part of her statement, mentioning Emma's gun. "Now that bit sounds familiar. Did you ever find your gun, Swan?" he questioned, wondering if she had managed to reclaim it before their ship had been blown up. If not, well, then it was probably gone for good. Not that it mattered. Their lives were more valuable than a single weapon.

@Midnight Maiden @thatguyinthestore @Jeremi @Atomyk​

Killian's response was enough to make Emma pause, even faltering in her forward movement and stilling for just a moment, simply staring at the pirate in front of her. But it didn't last terribly long, the female brushing it off for the moment and resuming walking. Albeit, at a slower pace. She didn't bother to reply to him, still not keen on getting tangled up with him. No matter how serious he seemed. It was nothing that she had against Killian, himself. Rather, it was a fear of getting hurt. Of letting the walls she had spent so much time building up back down- for this man or for anyone else.

"No need to remind me," she mused when Hook brought attention to the fact that they hadn't found any of the hearts yet. Or, rather, that they'd been unable to save any of them that they had found thus far. Funnily enough, it was still a better topic, to her, than that of her and the man's odd emotional predicament. "It'd be nice if we could find a way to do that, but if you haven't noticed, we really don't even have a clue on what to look for in a heart of light. There's been girls, boys, sweet kids, pirates with attitude. No solid basis anywhere," she pointed out with clear annoyance. She tried to think. Tried to consider what Henry would do in this situation. Surely her son would have ideas--

"Wait. What?" Emma inquired at Star's statement, looking appalled. Scowling deeply, Emma furrowed her brows, reaching to her hip where her gun was typically stored. Nothing. Frown only deepening, she continued to pat herself down, searching every other place it could be. Still nothing. Damn. "Apparently not," she muttered in response to Killian, mentally cursing for the loss of her weapon. Fortunately, she still had her sword, but that would do her little at long ranges.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @thatguyinthestore @Jeremi @Atomyk​

 

[Takumi]

Pocahontas was more than glad that they had made it to a new location with little to no injuries among their group, and hopefully things would look up regarding the hearts of light situation for them too if this Leon man and his friend had some form of knowledge on it.

@Jeremi @Atomyk @Josh M @Verite @Archmage Jeremiah @Crow @dalecOoOoOoOoOper @J A Y F R OM T H E 6 I X @Kaykay @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Krieg @LuckycoolHawk9 @Mason Moretti @Midnight Maiden @Nater Taters @York @Yun Lee @thatguyinthestore

 

[thatguyinthestore]

Killian's response was enough to make Emma pause, even faltering in her forward movement and stilling for just a moment, simply staring at the pirate in front of her. But it didn't last terribly long, the female brushing it off for the moment and resuming walking. Albeit, at a slower pace. She didn't bother to reply to him, still not keen on getting tangled up with him. No matter how serious he seemed. It was nothing that she had against Killian, himself. Rather, it was a fear of getting hurt. Of letting the walls she had spent so much time building up back down- for this man or for anyone else.

"No need to remind me," she mused when Hook brought attention to the fact that they hadn't found any of the hearts yet. Or, rather, that they'd been unable to save any of them that they had found thus far. Funnily enough, it was still a better topic, to her, than that of her and the man's odd emotional predicament. "It'd be nice if we could find a way to do that, but if you haven't noticed, we really don't even have a clue on what to look for in a heart of light. There's been girls, boys, sweet kids, pirates with attitude. No solid basis anywhere," she pointed out with clear annoyance. She tried to think. Tried to consider what Henry would do in this situation. Surely her son would have ideas--

"Wait. What?" Emma inquired at Star's statement, looking appalled. Scowling deeply, Emma furrowed her brows, reaching to her hip where her gun was typically stored. Nothing. Frown only deepening, she continued to pat herself down, searching every other place it could be. Still nothing. Damn. "Apparently not," she muttered in response to Killian, mentally cursing for the loss of her weapon. Fortunately, she still had her sword, but that would do her little at long ranges.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @thatguyinthestore @Jeremi @Atomyk​

"Do I look like I'm acting to you? If so, I doubt this ability you claim to have with discovering lies," Killian replied back, not bothering to look Emma in the eyes. The Savior wasn't a prize or someone to play around with in his eyes, not anymore. He never would've risked his life for someone he saw as a piece of meat. "You weren't serious, that's fine, but don't put words in my mouth." He continued to walk ahead of Emma, somewhat annoyed. That woman and the damn walls she kept up made it frustrating to interact with her. Killian had kept walls up himself after Milah's death, but nothing like the ones Emma had.

"We've failed to protect even a single heart of light thus far. This mainly has to do with the fact we haven't had a reliable way to detect who they are before they're snatched from our grasps," Killian replied back. "Nevertheless, we shouldn't dwell on our failures. All we can do is continue to move forward and hope we'll succeed eventually." They had to succeed. If they didn't, there's no way he'd ever get to Storybrooke and fulfill his purpose in life.

After hearing what Star had to say yet again, Killian chose to only focus on the last part of her statement, mentioning Emma's gun. "Now that bit sounds familiar. Did you ever find your gun, Swan?" he questioned, wondering if she had managed to reclaim it before their ship had been blown up. If not, well, then it was probably gone for good. Not that it mattered. Their lives were more valuable than a single weapon.

@Midnight Maiden @thatguyinthestore @Jeremi @Atomyk​

"Yeah, it'd be nice if we had like a 'Hearts of Light tracker' or something. It'd make this whole thing so much easier." Star said in response to both Killian and Emma's statements regarding their luck with the Hearts of Light this far.

When it became apparent that Emma had indeed lost her gun back on the ship, Star decided to lend a helping hand. Once twirl of her wand later and Emma was now in possession of a gun that was an exact replica of her old one!

Well, at least in how it functioned. 'Cause this one was pink and had unicorns all over it. You're welcome!

@Midnight Maiden @Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

Killian's response was enough to make Emma pause, even faltering in her forward movement and stilling for just a moment, simply staring at the pirate in front of her. But it didn't last terribly long, the female brushing it off for the moment and resuming walking. Albeit, at a slower pace. She didn't bother to reply to him, still not keen on getting tangled up with him. No matter how serious he seemed. It was nothing that she had against Killian, himself. Rather, it was a fear of getting hurt. Of letting the walls she had spent so much time building up back down- for this man or for anyone else.

"No need to remind me," she mused when Hook brought attention to the fact that they hadn't found any of the hearts yet. Or, rather, that they'd been unable to save any of them that they had found thus far. Funnily enough, it was still a better topic, to her, than that of her and the man's odd emotional predicament. "It'd be nice if we could find a way to do that, but if you haven't noticed, we really don't even have a clue on what to look for in a heart of light. There's been girls, boys, sweet kids, pirates with attitude. No solid basis anywhere," she pointed out with clear annoyance. She tried to think. Tried to consider what Henry would do in this situation. Surely her son would have ideas--

"Wait. What?" Emma inquired at Star's statement, looking appalled. Scowling deeply, Emma furrowed her brows, reaching to her hip where her gun was typically stored. Nothing. Frown only deepening, she continued to pat herself down, searching every other place it could be. Still nothing. Damn. "Apparently not," she muttered in response to Killian, mentally cursing for the loss of her weapon. Fortunately, she still had her sword, but that would do her little at long ranges.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @thatguyinthestore @Jeremi @Atomyk​

"Yeah, it'd be nice if we had like a 'Hearts of Light tracker' or something. It'd make this whole thing so much easier." Star said in response to both Killian and Emma's statements regarding their luck with the Hearts of Light this far.

When it became apparent that Emma had indeed lost her gun back on the ship, Star decided to lend a helping hand. Once twirl of her wand later and Emma was now in possession of a gun that was an exact replica of her old one!

Well, at least in how it functioned. 'Cause this one was pink and had unicorns all over it. You're welcome!

@Midnight Maiden @Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

Emma wouldn't respond to him. Of course she wouldn't. That's fine. He was okay with dropping the subject for now. After all, just because he was interested in her didn't mean that she had to be interested in him. The only thing that frustrated him was a feeling telling him that Emma was only acting that way because of her walls and not because she didn't find herself drawn to him. Nevertheless, all this Emma business had really been distracting him. Once this journey was over, he had work to do and he wasn't going to let feelings for a woman get in the way of that.

"Since we don't have a method, we best not worry our heads over it. We'll figure something out in time. Perhaps even our host's friend will have an idea as to how we might discover these hearts of light," Killian replied to both Star and Emma. This hero work that he had been dragged into was starting to become an annoyance. Even if he was only doing it to get out of here, this type of adventure just felt wrong.

"Bloody shame," Killian remarked when Emma stated that she had lost her gun. "Seems you weren't the only one to lose something," he said, sighing as he patted down his coat. "Me flask just so happens to be missing. That may be an even worse tragedy than you losing your gun," he complained. "Not that I intended to get drunk again for a while. It's just always a nice thing to have close by..."

@Midnight Maiden @thatguyinthestore ​

 

[Atomyk]

Chiming in on the heart of light talk, Tommy said, "Let's just start treating everyone we meet as hearts of light. Simple, right?"

"I got a question," Billy said to Leon. "Is that sword usual for this world, or...?"

Leon ignored him. After a moment, he chose to ask a question of his own. "That one... in the suit, can you vouch for him?" Leon spoke quietly enough for only a few of the group to hear him and he was looking pointedly at Xehanort, who had been largely silent recently.

"Uh, sure?" Billy responded. Compared to Krennic, that guy had been a saint, as far as Billy could tell. "We've all been pretty cohesive for a while now. Why... do you recognize him?"

Leon thought on that for a moment but eventually shook his head. "No, I think I'm just mistaken." He walked the rest of the way in silence, choosing not to comment on any of the proceeding conversation.

Eventually, he gruffly said, "enough." He turned around to face the group, having stopped before a small, unassuming building with a quirky, pointed roof.

Leon gave the building a look over. "Be thankful we didn't run into any of the Heartless. The majority of our people are out dealing with bigger problems on the outskirts of the town, and I wouldn't have wanted too many extra potential victims to protect on my own." He didn't seem to care that the group may have been capable of taking care of themselves.

Leon then walked up to the entrance. "Keep in mind, we already have a guest," he said, before opening the door and entering the building so that everyone could follow.

Inside was quaint and homey, but a tight fit for the entire group. Books were scattered haphazardly around, giving the home a feeling of being very lived-in.

Two people were already inside, a man and a woman, who seemed absorbed in conversation until everyone had arrived. The man turned around to face the group, his gaze examining them with curiosity.

"Are these the missing members of your committee?" he asked Leon.

In response, Leon shook his head. He moved toward the woman, who stepped forward to meet him.

"Ah, you... where did you find all these people?" she asked.

Leon didn't respond immediately, instead turning to the group so they could get a better look at the woman. "Everyone, this is the friend I wanted you to meet. Talk to her about these hearts of light. She--" Leon looked toward the corner of the room where a large computer sat. "Don't tell me Cid left as well," he said.

The woman sighed. "He said something about the castle's computer system before running off. I'm sorry."

"And here I thought we agreed we wouldn't go near that place until we were better prepared," Leon mumbled.

Looking a little uncomfortable, the woman regarded the group. "My name is Aerith. I'm not sure exactly what Leon means by hearts of light. Is this about the Princesses of Heart?"

"Ah, we were just discussing that," said the other guest. "Where are my manners? My name is Arthur." He bowed to the group.

@Archmage Jeremiah @Crow @dalecOoOoOoOoOper @J A Y F R OM T H E 6 I X @Josh M @Kaykay @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Krieg @LuckycoolHawk9 @Mason Moretti @Midnight Maiden @Nater Taters @thatguyinthestore @York @Yun Lee @Takumi @Verite @Jeremi​

 

[Crow]

Chiming in on the heart of light talk, Tommy said, "Let's just start treating everyone we meet as hearts of light. Simple, right?"

"I got a question," Billy said to Leon. "Is that sword usual for this world, or...?"

Leon ignored him. After a moment, he chose to ask a question of his own. "That one... in the suit, can you vouch for him?" Leon spoke quietly enough for only a few of the group to hear him and he was looking pointedly at Xehanort, who had been largely silent recently.

"Uh, sure?" Billy responded. Compared to Krennic, that guy had been a saint, as far as Billy could tell. "We've all been pretty cohesive for a while now. Why... do you recognize him?"

Leon thought on that for a moment but eventually shook his head. "No, I think I'm just mistaken." He walked the rest of the way in silence, choosing not to comment on any of the proceeding conversation.

Eventually, he gruffly said, "enough." He turned around to face the group, having stopped before a small, unassuming building with a quirky, pointed roof.

Leon gave the building a look over. "Be thankful we didn't run into any of the Heartless. The majority of our people are out dealing with bigger problems on the outskirts of the town, and I wouldn't have wanted too many extra potential victims to protect on my own." He didn't seem to care that the group may have been capable of taking care of themselves.

Leon then walked up to the entrance. "Keep in mind, we already have a guest," he said, before opening the door and entering the building so that everyone could follow.

Inside was quaint and homey, but a tight fit for the entire group. Books were scattered haphazardly around, giving the home a feeling of being very lived-in.

Two people were already inside, a man and a woman, who seemed absorbed in conversation until everyone had arrived. The man turned around to face the group, his gaze examining them with curiosity.

"Are these the missing members of your committee?" he asked Leon.

In response, Leon shook his head. He moved toward the woman, who stepped forward to meet him.

"Ah, you... where did you find all these people?" she asked.

Leon didn't respond immediately, instead turning to the group so they could get a better look at the woman. "Everyone, this is the friend I wanted you to meet. Talk to her about these hearts of light. She--" Leon looked toward the corner of the room where a large computer sat. "Don't tell me Cid left as well," he said.

The woman sighed. "He said something about the castle's computer system before running off. I'm sorry."

"And here I thought we agreed we wouldn't go near that place until we were better prepared," Leon mumbled.

Looking a little uncomfortable, the woman regarded the group. "My name is Aerith. I'm not sure exactly what Leon means by hearts of light. Is this about the Princesses of Heart?"

"Ah, we were just discussing that," said the other guest. "Where are my manners? My name is Arthur." He bowed to the group.

@Archmage Jeremiah @Crow @dalecOoOoOoOoOper @J A Y F R OM T H E 6 I X @Josh M @Kaykay @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Krieg @LuckycoolHawk9 @Mason Moretti @Midnight Maiden @Nater Taters @thatguyinthestore @York @Yun Lee @Takumi @Verite @Jeremi​

"Here's the thing," Herbert explained to Aerith, "the Hearts of Light are pretty much the same as these Princesses of Light I guess, but they can be both male and female, and assuming 'Princess' is literal, any social standing - pirate, decorative statue, regular young rebellious teenager, you get me."

"It was rude of me to not introduce myself, my name is Herbert P. Bear," Herbert introduces, "Esquire. I'd monologue, but even I know now's not a good time."

While saying this, Herbert has a good look at the castle computer.

@Atomyk @Jeremi @etcetcetc​

 

[LuckycoolHawk9]

Megara and Hercules

Megara was relieved that she hadn't been kidnapped by Maul or had died. She was fine with that and was surprised by the fact that Jack was a heart of Light. Apparently, it didn't make any sense. She knew that Drake's doctor, Jack and Brooklyn were all hearts of lights. She turned to Killian. " We haven't lost the two in our group, so we aren't entirely lost. Though, we need to stop losing them. Based on my math, we know that Thanos know about five of the seven and of those five, he has three of them and there is most likely one here. I wish we know what we were looking for," Megara said with a sigh.

Hercules was silent, still trying to process everything. He still didn't understand how he could help. " What are the Princesses of heart?" He asked.

@Archmage Jeremiah @Crow @dalecOoOoOoOoOper @J A Y F R OM T H E 6 I X @Josh M @Kaykay @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Krieg @LuckycoolHawk9 @Mason Moretti @Midnight Maiden @Nater Taters @thatguyinthestore @York @Yun Lee @Takumi @Verite @Jeremi

 

[Verite]

Leon didn't respond immediately, instead turning to the group so they could get a better look at the woman. "Everyone, this is the friend I wanted you to meet. Talk to her about these hearts of light. She--" Leon looked toward the corner of the room where a large computer sat. "Don't tell me Cid left as well," he said.

The woman sighed. "He said something about the castle's computer system before running off. I'm sorry."

"And here I thought we agreed we wouldn't go near that place until we were better prepared," Leon mumbled.

Looking a little uncomfortable, the woman regarded the group. "My name is Aerith. I'm not sure exactly what Leon means by hearts of light. Is this about the Princesses of Heart?"

"Ah, we were just discussing that," said the other guest. "Where are my manners? My name is Arthur." He bowed to the group.
​

"Ah, hi!" Hiro said enthusiastically with a wave toward Aerith and Arthur, "I'm Hiro! Nice to meetcha!" He exclaimed, before glancing at Leon curiously, "Your friend in trouble? We could go look for him if he's in danger!"

"I am Baymax, personal healthcare assistant," Baymax introduced himself as well on the side, giving a brief wave as he spoke, before continuing on to respond to Aerith, "I am not sure if I am familiar with the term Princesses of Heart; we had been under the belief that the ones Thanos was after were known as the Hearts of Light," he stated matter-of-factly, a curious tone in his voice as he attempted to compute whether the difference simply indicated a minor cognitive dissonance caused by differing references, or if they were in actuality, supposed to be different things entirely.

@Atomyk @Kaykay @Crow @Takumi @Josh M @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Midnight Maiden @LuckycoolHawk9 @thatguyinthestore​

 

[Josh M]

"With all the crazy stuff that's been happening lately, I'd be more surprised if something didn't happen," Hiro responded to Herbert, against his better judgment, before taking another look at the strange man that had appeared them, and the... rather intimidating (but also, impractical?) weapon that he slung over his shoulder. Guess it was a good thing he hadn't gotten a chance to take off his armor yet, even if he figured the sword... with a gun handle was probably strong enough to cut through it.

Always gotta sacrifice durability for flexibility, huh? What was the point of making armor in that case?

"Listen, dude, it's fine. We come in peace!"

...

Hiro looked at Herbert, Star, Xehanort, and some of the others, before clearing his throat.

"Most of us, at least. I think we have a common enemy though! No need for any weapons!" Hiro quickly tried to reason, appealing to the man as best as he could think possible, "The name Thanos wouldn't happen to ring any bells, would it? Maul? Maleficent? 'Cause they're, ah... Out to get us. And that'd be really bad for everyone's health if you ask me," he spoke, still sitting atop Baymax, still clad in bright scarlet armor.

@Jeremi @thatguyinthestore @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Atomyk @Kaykay @Crow​

"Bad for our health is an understatement."

Putting his hand on Hiro's shoulder, flash looked around the group.

"Wait, princesses of light? That's new news to me."

@Jeremi @thatguyinthestore @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Atomyk @Kaykay @Crow
​

 

[Midnight Maiden]

"Yeah, it'd be nice if we had like a 'Hearts of Light tracker' or something. It'd make this whole thing so much easier." Star said in response to both Killian and Emma's statements regarding their luck with the Hearts of Light this far.

When it became apparent that Emma had indeed lost her gun back on the ship, Star decided to lend a helping hand. Once twirl of her wand later and Emma was now in possession of a gun that was an exact replica of her old one!

Well, at least in how it functioned. 'Cause this one was pink and had unicorns all over it. You're welcome!

@Midnight Maiden @Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

Emma wouldn't respond to him. Of course she wouldn't. That's fine. He was okay with dropping the subject for now. After all, just because he was interested in her didn't mean that she had to be interested in him. The only thing that frustrated him was a feeling telling him that Emma was only acting that way because of her walls and not because she didn't find herself drawn to him. Nevertheless, all this Emma business had really been distracting him. Once this journey was over, he had work to do and he wasn't going to let feelings for a woman get in the way of that.

"Since we don't have a method, we best not worry our heads over it. We'll figure something out in time. Perhaps even our host's friend will have an idea as to how we might discover these hearts of light," Killian replied to both Star and Emma. This hero work that he had been dragged into was starting to become an annoyance. Even if he was only doing it to get out of here, this type of adventure just felt wrong.

"Bloody shame," Killian remarked when Emma stated that she had lost her gun. "Seems you weren't the only one to lose something," he said, sighing as he patted down his coat. "Me flask just so happens to be missing. That may be an even worse tragedy than you losing your gun," he complained. "Not that I intended to get drunk again for a while. It's just always a nice thing to have close by..."

@Midnight Maiden @thatguyinthestore ​

"Yeah... No kidding," Emma mused in response to Star on the matter of wishing they had a tracker for the hearts of light, and how much easier it would make it. If something like that existed, it'd make things a hell of a lot easier. Which would be really nice, with how hard they had been working their asses off. A little help or a break would be nice, for once. But they'd just have to make due with what they had, which, for now? Happened to be nothing. Or at least, nothing and a friend of a not-definitely-friend. Which wasn't really much to go off of, in her humble opinion.

Killian's statement that her missing gun was a shame was an understatement, but damn, his flask was missing, too? Who was she supposed to mooch alcohol off of now-- I mean, that wasn't nearly as bad as her gun being gone. She needed some sort of way to fight long range, but he could easily live without a drink, inconvenient as it may be. "Real sorry for your loss," she mumbled sarcastically. "But we can mourn later. Looks like we're here." And that they were. She was a little disconcerted by the situation, but--

"...Thanks, Star," Emma muttered under her breath as the new gun was summoned up, not bothering to complain about the design. She didn't really care, at this point. "Anyways, I'm really not sure what you mean by princesses of heart. Out of the hearts of light we've seen so far, two of three have been male. So unless you're saying Jack Sparrow is a Disney princess..." She really didn't want to imagine him in a pretty pink princess dress, prancing about and raving about love for someone he just met. Yup. She'd be having nightmares.

@thatguyinthestore @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Atomyk @Jeremi​

 

[thatguyinthestore]

replies

Chiming in on the heart of light talk, Tommy said, "Let's just start treating everyone we meet as hearts of light. Simple, right?"

"I got a question," Billy said to Leon. "Is that sword usual for this world, or...?"

Leon ignored him. After a moment, he chose to ask a question of his own. "That one... in the suit, can you vouch for him?" Leon spoke quietly enough for only a few of the group to hear him and he was looking pointedly at Xehanort, who had been largely silent recently.

"Uh, sure?" Billy responded. Compared to Krennic, that guy had been a saint, as far as Billy could tell. "We've all been pretty cohesive for a while now. Why... do you recognize him?"

Leon thought on that for a moment but eventually shook his head. "No, I think I'm just mistaken." He walked the rest of the way in silence, choosing not to comment on any of the proceeding conversation.

Eventually, he gruffly said, "enough." He turned around to face the group, having stopped before a small, unassuming building with a quirky, pointed roof.

Leon gave the building a look over. "Be thankful we didn't run into any of the Heartless. The majority of our people are out dealing with bigger problems on the outskirts of the town, and I wouldn't have wanted too many extra potential victims to protect on my own." He didn't seem to care that the group may have been capable of taking care of themselves.

Leon then walked up to the entrance. "Keep in mind, we already have a guest," he said, before opening the door and entering the building so that everyone could follow.

Inside was quaint and homey, but a tight fit for the entire group. Books were scattered haphazardly around, giving the home a feeling of being very lived-in.

Two people were already inside, a man and a woman, who seemed absorbed in conversation until everyone had arrived. The man turned around to face the group, his gaze examining them with curiosity.

"Are these the missing members of your committee?" he asked Leon.

In response, Leon shook his head. He moved toward the woman, who stepped forward to meet him.

"Ah, you... where did you find all these people?" she asked.

Leon didn't respond immediately, instead turning to the group so they could get a better look at the woman. "Everyone, this is the friend I wanted you to meet. Talk to her about these hearts of light. She--" Leon looked toward the corner of the room where a large computer sat. "Don't tell me Cid left as well," he said.

The woman sighed. "He said something about the castle's computer system before running off. I'm sorry."

"And here I thought we agreed we wouldn't go near that place until we were better prepared," Leon mumbled.

Looking a little uncomfortable, the woman regarded the group. "My name is Aerith. I'm not sure exactly what Leon means by hearts of light. Is this about the Princesses of Heart?"

"Ah, we were just discussing that," said the other guest. "Where are my manners? My name is Arthur." He bowed to the group.

@Archmage Jeremiah @Crow @dalecOoOoOoOoOper @J A Y F R OM T H E 6 I X @Josh M @Kaykay @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Krieg @LuckycoolHawk9 @Mason Moretti @Midnight Maiden @Nater Taters @thatguyinthestore @York @Yun Lee @Takumi @Verite @Jeremi​

"Here's the thing," Herbert explained to Aerith, "the Hearts of Light are pretty much the same as these Princesses of Light I guess, but they can be both male and female, and assuming 'Princess' is literal, any social standing - pirate, decorative statue, regular young rebellious teenager, you get me."

"It was rude of me to not introduce myself, my name is Herbert P. Bear," Herbert introduces, "Esquire. I'd monologue, but even I know now's not a good time."

While saying this, Herbert has a good look at the castle computer.

@Atomyk @Jeremi @etcetcetc​

"Ah, hi!" Hiro said enthusiastically with a wave toward Aerith and Arthur, "I'm Hiro! Nice to meetcha!" He exclaimed, before glancing at Leon curiously, "Your friend in trouble? We could go look for him if he's in danger!"

"I am Baymax, personal healthcare assistant," Baymax introduced himself as well on the side, giving a brief wave as he spoke, before continuing on to respond to Aerith, "I am not sure if I am familiar with the term Princesses of Heart; we had been under the belief that the ones Thanos was after were known as the Hearts of Light," he stated matter-of-factly, a curious tone in his voice as he attempted to compute whether the difference simply indicated a minor cognitive dissonance caused by differing references, or if they were in actuality, supposed to be different things entirely.

@Atomyk @Kaykay @Crow @Takumi @Josh M @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Midnight Maiden @LuckycoolHawk9 @thatguyinthestore​

"Bad for our health is an understatement."

Putting his hand on Hiro's shoulder, flash looked around the group.

"Wait, princesses of light? That's new news to me."

@Jeremi @thatguyinthestore @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Atomyk @Kaykay @Crow
​

"Yeah... No kidding," Emma mused in response to Star on the matter of wishing they had a tracker for the hearts of light, and how much easier it would make it. If something like that existed, it'd make things a hell of a lot easier. Which would be really nice, with how hard they had been working their asses off. A little help or a break would be nice, for once. But they'd just have to make due with what they had, which, for now? Happened to be nothing. Or at least, nothing and a friend of a not-definitely-friend. Which wasn't really much to go off of, in her humble opinion.

Killian's statement that her missing gun was a shame was an understatement, but damn, his flask was missing, too? Who was she supposed to mooch alcohol off of now-- I mean, that wasn't nearly as bad as her gun being gone. She needed some sort of way to fight long range, but he could easily live without a drink, inconvenient as it may be. "Real sorry for your loss," she mumbled sarcastically. "But we can mourn later. Looks like we're here." And that they were. She was a little disconcerted by the situation, but--

"...Thanks, Star," Emma muttered under her breath as the new gun was summoned up, not bothering to complain about the design. She didn't really care, at this point. "Anyways, I'm really not sure what you mean by princesses of heart. Out of the hearts of light we've seen so far, two of three have been male. So unless you're saying Jack Sparrow is a Disney princess..." She really didn't want to imagine him in a pretty pink princess dress, prancing about and raving about love for someone he just met. Yup. She'd be having nightmares.

@thatguyinthestore @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Atomyk @Jeremi​

"Did you just say... Princesses of Heart?" Star asked, holding up a finger in question. If they really did mean it literally, however slim that chance may be, Star was the only actual Princess here. At least, in literal terms anyways. Could she have been a heart of light all along? Was she one of the people Thanos was after?

God, she hoped she wasn't.

So, not knowing what to do, Star made her way over to a lonely corner of the room and pushed her back up against the wall. She then slowly slid down the wall until she felt herself hit the floor. Star then brought her knees up to her chest and securely wrapped her arms around them.

Marco of course tool notice of this sudden mood swing and approached Star cautiously. "Star? You okay?" He asked quietly in a comforting tone.


"What? Oh yeah, I'm fine. Just thinkin' over here all alone and stuff." Star said in her best attempt to lie, though that didn't mean she enjoyed lying to Marco. Far from it, in fact. It killed her when she lied to him. Even before they were dating. She was his best friend, after all! And best friends tell each other everything, right? The fact that they were dating now only made Star feel worse about it.

Marco, knowing that Star probably did need some space, simply nodded and forced a small smile. "Alright well, I'll be over here if you need me." Marco said before making his way back to the group.

When she was sure that Marco had left, Star buried her face in her knees and began to do something she hadn't really done in a while.

She cried.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Midnight Maiden @Atomyk @Jeremi @Verite @Crow @LuckycoolHawk9 @Josh M

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[Atomyk]

The computer, for now, appeared to be locked. Leon gave Herbert a pointed glare. "Don't even think of touching that," he said to the bear, before turning to Aerith. "These guys say Maleficent is looking for them. I don't think we have a reason to doubt she's also behind the recent happenings." Aerith nodded at this but didn't seem sure what to say. Leon continued regardless and turned now to Hiro. "Right now, I want to keep you guys off the streets. Cid wouldn't go out on his own if he didn't have a way to defend himself."

"So, wait." Billy couldn't even hide his confusion. "We're getting something mixed up, right?" he questioned.

Aerith shook her head, looking at a loss herself. "First of all, none of us here are familiar with a Thanos, as far as I know. If he's working with Maleficent, perhaps that is all we need to know about him for now. Second, while these hearts of light sound similar to the Princesses of Heart, judging by what you said, clearly they can't be the same. This is all very..."

Aerith faltered for a moment, prompting Arthur to speak. "Aerith and I were just discussing the matter of the Princesses of Heart. They are beings who possess hearts devoid of darkness."

"That does not sound like Jack Sparrow," Billy said.

"There's also the matter of them all being maidens," Arthur said, looking amused.

Tommy groaned. "So, are they related, or are they not?"

"I don't think it matters," Leon said, butting in. "You just went over that they're not the same, so you're not going to get a lead by comparing them." He shrugged. "Aerith, any clue what they're looking for?"

Aerith cleared her throat. "I think I have some idea," she said. She exchanged a glance with Arthur for a moment, who nodded back at her. "The Princesses of Heart serve as parts of a key to open... well, to open what I'll refer to as the heart of all worlds. However, when I refer to all worlds, I mean all worlds of this reality. Arthur here comes from another reality. Another... universe, you put it?" She waited for Arthur to nod. "Right, so perhaps then... all realities contain a heart. These lights Thanos and Maleficent seek may just be another reality's equivalent to this world's Princesses of Heart."

"That's... pretty heavy," Billy said. "Sort of makes sense, in theory..."

"I can't believe how boring this is," Tommy mumbled. He decided to linger around Emma, hanging just out of the corner of her gaze. He revealed an item he had been hiding, a certain gun she may have found familiar...

He was planning to draw this out and get a kick out of it, at least until Star started to mope about. She said something to Marco to make him leave her alone, but Tommy knew no kid who hid in the corner of a room was feeling all right. It just didn't sit right with him to let a young girl suffer alone.

"Seriously, what's wrong?" Tommy asked, appearing next to Star.

@Archmage Jeremiah @Crow @dalecOoOoOoOoOper @J A Y F R OM T H E 6 I X @Josh M @Kaykay @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Krieg @LuckycoolHawk9 @Mason Moretti @Midnight Maiden @Nater Taters @thatguyinthestore @York @Yun Lee @Takumi @Verite @Jeremi​