XxD: Meridell v Darigan Lists

     One is a Buzz, with pitch black armour, and the other is a Techo with white armour. You can almost tell immediately that the Buzz was Darigan, but what about the Techo..?

      The Techo turns toward you and nudges the other quickly. You jump back as the Buzz glares at you, his red eyes glowing as his gaze pierced into you.

     "Well, what do we have here?" the Buzz speaks, his voice sending chills down your spine, "Have you come...For dinner?"

     The Techo takes notice of you holding onto objects to take notes with and replies, "This is the one who came to talk to us! Y'know...About...THAT THING."

     The Buzz's vicious glare left at this, and he walks up to you, the shadows following behind. He stares you down for a moment, before a smirk forms on his face.

      "Heh. So you are." he chuckles, "Come. Have a seat."

     He walks over to a long couch, the Techo following behind, then sits down with him beside him. He then flicks a finger, bringing a chair for you to sit in.

     Despite the horrible sounds of the chair scraping the floor as it drew near, you carefully sat down, doing what you can to remain calm.

      "Before we begin, allow me to introduce myself. I'm Lord Xero, but if you must, you may just refer to me as Xero." the Buzz said.

     The Techo ran a hand through his hair, his voice suddenly growing soft as he added, "I'm Destructo. People from your world know me as "Robodread", but please...Don't use that name toward me. I should inform you that, as of now, my goal is to become a robot. Right now, I -- like Xero -- Am Darigan."

      You were surprised that both of these mechanical beings were actually Darigans, especially Destructo; Despite his large size and muscular figure, he wasn't really that intimidating like a "typical" Darigan.

     Destructo saw your face and stood up, then slowly took off his coat, revealing sharp spikes along his back, and lowered his head.

     "I hate it." he says softly, "I hate being seen as evil because of this colour. I just want to be my true self..."

      Xero gives his hand a pet and pulls him back down, allowing him to put his coat back on.

     "You will be someday. I promise." he whispered, "Even if I have to rig the ray myself...I'll do whatever it takes for you to be what you want."

     Destructo looks at him and smiles slightly as Xero added, "But no matter what you become, you'll always be perfect to me."

      After a moment of silence, Xero spoke again, but this time to you.

      "We've analysed a lot of Darigan Neopets, and realised that some are...Rather unloved by your kind. Some are rejected, others just aren't seen as often. They're...Underrated, so to speak. We've decided to make a list of our top ten underrated Darigans, and hopefully...Someone will actually listen this time."

      Destructo chuckled and chimed in, "He does have a way of influencing others."

      ||| Top 10 Underrated Darigans |||

      Xero raised his hands, and the shadows formed into more detailed versions of certain Neopets, and you knew that these were their picks. You noted down everything that was said, along with additional notes that may be needed later.

     *NOTE: From now on, Xero will be listed as X and Destructo as D. These are also not by PC standards, only from what I've seen via general appearance as Active Pets.

      10: Flotsam.

      X: Two words: Demented Fish. We know of a few of these, which is why they're last on the list - mind you, it's not really in any particular order because we had some disagreements on placements - but Flotsams, in general, are an underrated species.

     D: These guys give me the creeps...Their eyes, claws, and even their markings all scream "Sea Terror" to me. I know of a few tolerable ones, though, including a Desert - Darigan crosspaint who resides in the Lost Desert area as Pharaoh. By the way, while Xero has piercing eyes and sharp claws, he's different from these other Darigans.

      9. Tonu

      D: I...Actually, like these. I'd love to watch them work under Xac as tanks or demolishers...

     X: They wouldn't listen to him. But I agree that these guys are very fierce. Yet, they're still underappreciated as a species. Maybe it's because they have egg allergies..? But one is needed in order to earn a certain something...If it's even still able to. I heard this "Battledome" needs some work.

      8. Koi

      X: Why don't people like demonic fish? I personally would love to see one I know in a tank!

     D: He...DOES live on land, y'know.

     X: Ah, yes. I'm thinking of his brother. But look at them: Large horns and, honestly, a fabulous mane. These are the Lionfish people keep talking of, and no one will change my mind.

     D: I wonder if I could get my hair that shiny...

      7. Quiggle and Nimmo

      D: I DON'T LIKE FROGS! But I...Admit the Quiggle has neat spikes. Did you get yours from one?

     X: Heh, no, I did not. But now I'd love to see the dark energy one would get if they put a Darigan Nimmo and Wraith Nimmo in the same room.

     D: ...I'll pass.

     X: JUST IMAGINE IT!

     D: I'll still pass. By the way, isn't putting these two together considered cheating?

     X: Not when I do it.

      6. Ruki

      D: I see a few of these, honestly. I almost feel like Xac took the form of one before.

     X: He didn't, trust me. But yes, while these are somewhat common, they're not seen as much as say...The Aisha. Besides, being a "creepy bug" myself, I had to give these a shoutout. Would you tell Xac to change into this if he doesn't get to be silver this year?

     D: I don't think so, Xero. As far as "creepy bugs" go, you're not one of them. But XAC...He's worse than "creepy", he's TERRIFYING!

      5. Poogle

      D: I personally feel like this should be almost at the bottom. I see these a lot too.

     X: I don't.

     D: Because you don't analyse others like I do. But have you seen the old version? Such big eyebrows!

     X: Ugh...Reminds me of Electro.

     D: Let's not talk about them, shall we..?

     X: Your mentioning of "big eyebrows" gave me the thought.

      4. Kiko

      X: I know one of these. He lives in the Haunted Woods and holds concerts with -- Get this -- A BLACKBOARD! HA! Love that!

     D: *shudders* I don't. (admittedly, the sounds of claws on anything gives me the creeps)

     X: I saw the original idea for these as well. Unsure if I prefer it or what we have...I'm more of a "red eyes" kind of guy, so that's my main preference.

     D: The original wasn't that bad...But I admit, green eyes? Doesn't really "fit" the theme...(but again, we get big eyebrows)

      3. Gnorbu

      D: Fl-FLUFFY! I hope my hair is that soft!

     X: It's softER. But yes, these guys are rather neat in design. Get a closer look, and you can see some scales on them!

     D: You don't think they're markings?

     X: Possibly. But either way, these have a decent look to them, with their spikes and tiny claws. Why do all of the more underrated species have little to no claws?

      2. Tuskaninny

      X: Honestly, these and Chias are deserving of this position. We don't see Tusks at all in this colour, and then Chias, in general, are just...Made for "jokes".

     D: Or to become food. I...Could use a Blueberry one now.

     X: We'll send for some. I am running out of meat anyway.

     D: I keep hearing of someone from another world wanting to become a Robot Tuskaninny, though...Do you think he'll ever arrive?

     X: *too busy thinking about food*

     D: Oh dear...

      1. Ogrin

      D: I can just hear the uproar, the song...The hateful chanting...

     X: "WE DON'T TALK ABOUT OGRINS!" But guess what, they always say, "We don't talk about Xero" as well, so...Payback!

     D: I admit, I feel bad for them. I must have a weakness for awesome hair. But honestly, they're just under...EVERYTHING. No one loves them -- Except for a select few. No one wants them -- Again, except the same few. No one even wants to be NEAR one! EXCEPT THE SELECT FEW! I'm going to put an end to this! I'm going to ensure everyone acknowledges the Ogrin's existence, and they'll do it RIGHT!

     X: Plus, look at the Darigan design! I admit I love their expression and spikes on their...Ears? Whatever they are, I can see them doing some damage with them. Hmm...Maybe I'll create an army. They'd be better than that ONE wraith I had.

     D: If you do that...Do you think I could...Be their leader..?

     X: Heh. Perhaps. I can sense your dedication, and I bet they'd love you as their leader. Great hair has to stick together!

      ||| Honorable Mentions |||

      X: Special shoutouts have to go to the Chomby and Vandagyre. Chombies are seen more often, but they're still rather underrated as a species.

     D: Vandagyres suffer the same fate as the Ogrin. It's not their fault! So their Darigan squawking is loud and offensive to the ears...But honestly! Darigans have all sorts of quirks, you can't expect anyone to be perfect (unless they're Xero).

      The room grows quiet, and you watch Xero intently as he leans back on the couch, laying his boots on a table between your seats.

      Destructo knows what you're thinking and whispers toward Xero, "You forgot the other half."

     Xero turned his head toward him, and a sly smile formed on his face, to which Destructo gave him a somewhat scolding stare.

      At this, Xero sighed heavily and spoke.

     "FINE. While I couldn't care less about those stupid Meridell citizens, I was able to come up with a list of top five OVERrated pets."

      Destructo smiled as some of the shadows vanished, and the remaining ones shifted into other Neopets' shapes.

     However, these weren't Darigans. They were Royals. And you could tell that Xero had a serious grudge against them, so remained silent as he gave his..."Honest opinion".

      ||| Top 5 Overrated Royal Pets |||

     *NOTE: Some involve both genders, others are just the RoyalBoy or RoyalGirl variant.

      5. Kyrii

      X: So, guess who thinks these are the "best Royals to ever exist"? EVERYONE! Especially that "Princess Perfect, Queen of Supreme" ROYALGIRL KYRII! Am I the only one who gets sick of these two being called the "most handsome/gorgeous thing ever on this planet"? I AM WAY BETTER THAN BOTH OF THEM!

     D: ...I admit, the RoyalBoy gives me major "snooty" vibes. Either that, or he really does think he's "all that and more". Lord Xero may be boastful, but I prefer him over that guy any time. Heh...

      4. Gelert

      D: Talk about "barking orders"...

     X: While these could potentially be for "crosspaint" outfits, I still bet while they remained their Royal colour, that's exactly what they did. "This pillow isn't plump enough!", "I WANT MY BONE NOW!"...Ugh.

     D: I admit I quite like the fluffy collar on the RoyalBoy. But that hair...I'll pass.

     X: And to think people actually like that clown outfit...

      3. Aisha

      X: If you didn't see this coming...I have nothing else to say.

     D: Aishas, in general, are popular, and we don't even mean by Pound Chat standards! EVERYONE loves them, it seems!

     X: Two words: Alien Cat.

     D: True. And I do see a lot of RoyalGirls popping up due to the "Unconverted" pet. I would probably like them more if they were more...Cyber royalty compared to this. They and Grundos should both be based around space in my opinion. At least Grundo was done right.

      2. RoyalBoy Uni

      D: So first thing's first: The original list was just going to be two pets: This and the top pick. But what kind of list is that? Due to the whole Meridell theme, we decided to go with variants that "fit" their timezone and world in general. Hence why other picks such as Korbat and Kacheek aren't in this list -- commonly found as they are.

     X: Plot twist! The top two are the only ones who have Meridell colours in their outfit! We'll get to the other one next, but first, the Uni. I admit that, yes, it's rather cool looking and fits the role of "loyal steed". But...It's Meridell. It's from that sickening realm of nature and Rubbish Dumps. While the Darigan Uni is also seen a lot, at least it didn't come from THAT place! And let's not forget that this one is actually baring the MERIDELL CREST!

      1. RoyalBoy Cybunny

      X: EVERYONE. WANTS. A. BUNNY. And what's their job? They announce the arrival of royalty. Do they think they're really worth the title of "Royal" anything, except pain?

     D: Maybe "Royal Messenger"? Yet the RoyalGirl is actually a princess or queen...Most likely princess. The boy got a downgrade from your typical "Royal"...Honestly, like the Aisha, who looks more like the "Village Poet" type compared to a prince or king.

     X: Either way, I hated my visits to Meridell because every time I was near the castle...That bunny blew their trumpet and would announce: "HIS HIGHNESS, KING SKARL!!!" ...To which no one would then come.

     D: Maybe he hates their trumpeting as well. Heh...Funny considering how they also have Meridell colours and the crest on their outfits! It appears they even have a flag on their trumpet! So much for that!

      The two kept laughing for a moment, before remembering you were still there. Despite your somewhat confused gaze, Xero removed his boots from the table and stood up.

     "I do believe you have everything you need, yes?" his gaze was suddenly intimidating, and he raised his hands, scraping his claws together.

     You nod slowly, unsure if he had more to say, then jump back as six pairs of glowing wings emerged from behind. The wings flared to each side, and bright lights shaped like eyes shone in their centres, all fixed on you.

     Xero hovered in place, his gaze still fixed on you, and the smirk from before reappeared. You knew this wasn't going to be good and tried to move, but the wings' eyes held you in place.

      "Oh, trust me. You'll be heading back." Xero chuckled, hovering over the table before landing on it gently, "But you'll be doing it MY way!"

      Before you could react, the eyes shot out bright beams, of which created a portal around you, before you teleported back into Neopia, in front of the Neopian Times office.

      When you handed the report, the strangest words were said, and you don't know if it was by you or another force...

      "Lord Xero will return. Watch the skies. When they turn pitch black, the world will become his."