2017-03-05: Why Didn't She Do That To Begin With

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<Pose Tracker> Lucia has posed.

Port Timney is, for the moment, the Vile Fiends' port of call, but it's hard to keep Lucia in one place for very long. After walking through town, marching straight up to everyone she could find, and asking, "Can you take me to the ancient technology required to travel between worlds?" she was eventually directed towards Sult by a combination of the amused, the weirded out, and the worriedly helpful.

All such people suspect they'll never see this strange woman again. To make sure that isn't the case, some of her friends avoid letting her out of their sight. They have to break into a run to keep up.

On the way -- there's a boat, and another island town -- she starts making conversation with anyone she can find, once again. "Do you want to join me in the Sult Ruins to search for the ancient technology required to travel between worlds?"

Direct little thing, isn't she? 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

Talise is still irritable about yesterday. All that punishment for the sake of an old man who wasn't even the right old man.

She's buried it, of course. She had a drink in the morning. A little stiff cactus whiskey helped to wash away the frustration - and healing magic helped to wipe out the pain. She even had her breastplate fixed. Once again she's paired it with a set of reinforced-looking chaps, with her gauntlets and boots making up the rest of the ensemble. The effect is very much black-and-steel. It makes her look like she's not from around here, despite the pants.

It probably made her a glaring target for a woman interested in moving between worlds.

Which is probably why she's currently striding up beside the blue-haired woman, the Rastaban Sword sheathed for now as she tightens the length of tape she's bound up the long hilt in. "Nice to know I'm not the only one looking for that kind of... technology," she says with a rough smile, cinching the tape into place, then slinging her sheath back over her shoulder again, before stretching her arms and legs to limber up for the journey.

A smile follows. "I'm Talise, by the way. Tal's fine."

One meets more people this way than she expected. Apparently caving is big business. 

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

Sephilia, on being invited to explore ancient ruins by a total stranger, has the natural reaction one would expect from a thoughtful young woman.

"Yes! I absolutely want to come along!" It doesn't hurt that Tal is going along too, mind you, but she'd still go even so.

"I'm Sephilia, Sephilia Lampbright. And this is my bodyguard, Lord Chauncey of Foxington!" She holds up the battered fox doll by way of introduction.

Chauncey doesn't react.

"Are you looking for a way to Lunar? Oh, or are there even more worlds out there?" Sephy's eyes widen at the thought of even more worlds to explore. 

<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.

Leon Albus had been into the Sult Ruins earlier this week. It didn't go well.

He had, in fact, been thinking of how to return. When Lucia approached, it was something of a surprise, because he had been discussing that very thing. He hadn't been there -- instead, he was standing by the docks. His arms are crossed over his chest and his brow furrowed, as he looks at his fellow former Black Wolf.

"The soldiers at the entrance," he says, quietly. "That could still be a problem. If we're unlucky... but maybe--"

'Do you want to join me in the Sult Ruins to search for the ancient technology required to travel between worlds?'

The blonde-haired man stares a moment at the blue-haired, red-garbed woman, uncertain of what she means by words. But, he could hardly pass up the opportunity. His silver eyes flicker sideways, to his partner, and then he turns to face Lucia. He walks towards her -- and Talise, Sephilia, and the rest.

He adjusts the collar of his white shirt. "Er, yes, actually," Captain Albus says. "Yes, we would." 

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

Lily Keil has also been into the Sult Ruins earlier this week. It really didn't go well.

And when Lucia approached, Lily was looking thoughtfully at Leon. "Yes, we--"

'Do you want to join me in the Sult Ruins to search for the ancient technology required to travel btween worlds?'

When Lucia asks about the Sult Ruins, the black-haired woman pauses. When she follows up about ancient technology, she looks with interest. When she mentions it's to travel between worlds, she stares for a few heartbeats.

Leon answers first, as Lily's topaz eyes flicker towards him. She looks to Lucia a moment later. "Yes," Lieutenant Keil agrees with him.

She walks ahead too, skirts shifting with the motion as her boots touch on the ground. 

<Pose Tracker> Hiro has posed.


"Doesn't she have any idea what low profile means?" Ruby crosses her tiny paws indignantly. Hiro on the other hand has this tiny grin as he rubs the nape of his neck, "She's just really focused Ruby. And I mean it got us somewhere didn't it?"

"They were obviously just telling us whatever to get rid of us!" Hiro however doesn't answer that, instead saying, "Come on Ruby- won't it be fun? I bet Lucia thinks so."

Possibly wishful thinking. "You really think she knows what fun even is?" But he doesn't answer that one.

"Hey Tal. Sephy-" Hiro grinned a little as he bobbed his head at Chauncey, "-Foxey. Fancy meeting you two around here. Glad we'll have some familiar faces working with us on this one."

Hiro just nods, momentarily seeming a bit more serious, "Yeah we need to get back as soon as possible. Lucia's mission is important." Leon and Lily walks up though and joins in and Hiro does not at all suspect he's using them as just an opportunity to get past the guards, "Oh hey! Really? Well we could definitely use more hands on this." He grins again, affably, "Sounds like you two are looking are really looking to travel." 

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

Sephy beams at Hiro. "Hi HIro! Hi Ruby! It's good to see you! 

<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.

There. At the ruins of Sult, there stands a familiar man. An individual who has appeared at the gate of the ruin utterly unbidden, whose every waking moment seems to be driven by the hands of fate to find its way into the most awkward or incovenient meetings possible. He has green hair, he has a scarf, he is unmistakable to all those who know his name.

Yes. That is... The Ultimate Macho Man. The Grim Reaper's Pen Pal. The Most Definitely 100% A Fellow Human, ZED!

But... But what is he doing here?

IS HE LOOKING FOR PASSAGE TO ANOTHER WORLD, TOO!?

"Hmmmm, these are Baskar ruins, right?" He says, mostly to himself, as he stares at the shattered remains of the sunken structure. "...So that means... That means the secrets of FUTURE SIGHT must lie somewhere within--!"

Is... Is he planning on going in on his own!? 

<Pose Tracker> Lucia has posed.

Lucia is a very grave person; she exchanges introductions with everyone solemnly, including Chauncey. Her name is Lucia, it transpires, and she must return to Lunar in order to meet with the Goddess Althena. She is grateful for your assistance, and now we must hurry. She's wearing a dramatic red cloak and has gorgeous blue hair, but that's just a coincidence, right?

She also overhears Ruby. "Do you think I stand out too much because of my height? I will try to stoop lower. Thank you, Ruby."

Yeahhh, there's no way this woman is the Destroyer. She just spent five minutes bending over a seagull perched on the railing of the ship. She gazed up at the clouds like she'd never seen them before. And the way her eyes shone when the sailors broke into a shanty that night...

Her innocence lends her an eerie and otherworldly air... of fragility, that does not compute to Lord of Calamity. Red robes (and cute matching hats!) must just be an 'in' thing this year.

Now she's standing at the gate of the ruins, staring up at a huge, though rather modern-looking, barricade.

"It seems someone wishes to prevent our entry," she observes without any serious concern.

Or any serious effort to help, apparently. Her hands remain hidden beneath her robe.

"Baskar? Future sight?" she asks Zed, cluelessly. Somehow she wound up right behind him. 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

Talise hasn't been into the Sult Ruins. But hey, she has Sephy and Lord Chauncey with her, so that's gotta count. She reaches down to give Sephy a pat on the shoulder, smiling.

The colour of Lucia's robe hasn't even occurred to her. She just assumes she's another weird girl trying to get home.

Lily and Leon get curious looks from her; she at least doesn't have to look down /too/ far to make eye contact with the former. She can, at least, read a certain bearing in them. She flashes a smile to the pair, hand moving to rest at her hip. But Hiro's sauntering-up distracts her; she brightens a little, grinning broadly at the young man and his flying companion. "Hey, it's you two! Nice to see you again. And--" Her smile grows crooked as she tilts her head. "-Yeah. Yeah, it'd be nice to get back," she says as the group trudges towards the barricade.

She peers at it for a few seconds.

"This is fine," she says.

Curling her fingers, Talise focuses for a few seconds. A subtle chord of power flows through them; her shoulders bunch up as she gives them a slow, preparatory roll. The tall woman pushes a long breath out through her nose. Then she steps forward, planting her heels, then reaching out to grab ahold of one of the barricade blocks.

A low, mounting growl builds in the pit of her throat as she begins to laboriously try to lift the entire massive chunk of the barricade out of the ground - and if she can manage it, she'll lawn-dart it across the landscape as if it didn't weigh a hell of a lot more than she did. 

<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.

"You could," Leon agrees with Hiro, though he says it in a friendly enough manner. "Lily--" He motions to her with a hand, to indicate who means. "--and I were there earlier this week. There were some complications that we ran into."

There is a moment's pause, before he thinks the obvious. "Leon Albus," he says. "Pleasure to make all of your acquaintances."

Which leads them to the entrance of the Sult Ruins, and he stares up at what appears -- for all intents and purposes -- to be a massive stone head. The mouth is familiar, but last time, there was another problem. There wasn't a barricade -- instead, there were soldiers patrolling the area. This prompts Leon's eyes to narrow a moment, in thought.

He looks at Lily. "I don't see any sign of the guards posted here, last time," he says. Then, he looks at Lucia, and he frowns before he steps forward. He stops in front of the barricade -- but his eyes widen a little, before Talise steps forward.

"Not bad," he says. "I haven't seen gauntlets like that before." Then, he grabs hold of some of the barricade -- and yanks, hard, trying to pull it free. 


<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.

"Yes! Baskar! I was told that they might hold the secret of awakening the seventh sense! That way I could finally see through those... Those... SNEAKY INVISIBLE SORCERERS!!" Nevermind that he could probably do that with just plain old spirit sight. It takes Zed a minute to realize that the person he's been ranting at (with???) is actually... His good friend, THE WALKING CALAMITY, Lucia!

"Oh! Lucia!" He spies Hiro over the girl's shoulder, too, AND RUBY. Ruby and her PRETTY PINK PAWSIES. No. Calm down Zed. There can be time for that later. "And Hiro! And... Other people! Hello! I am Zed. It seems we're all going the same way, but... BUT...!"

He turns, and opens his arms to the WALL OF RUBBLE! "Someone has barred our path! But worry not... I HAVE A PLAN!"

The plan is apparently 'flying kick as hard as he can.'

'Repeatedly.' 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

Talise strains as she attempts to lug her hunk of barricade up. She manages to shoot a rough grin to Leon. "'s amazing what you can find in a treasure chest if you know the right caves," she grunts pleasantly enough.

"ZED," she shouts, "Try not to break your ankle on it!" 

<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.

"MY BONES ARE MADE OF STEEL! MY TENDONS... OF TITAAAANIUUUUUUM!" Zed shouts. He might not be exaggerating. 

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

Sephilia, too, introduces herself (and Chauncey) to everyone. On seeing Zed, she scrunches up her nose. "Are you going to eat things you find in this place, too, scarf guy?" she asks him. On the subject of Lucia's identity she is too oblivious to even wonder, since she herself has a similar wide-eyed attitude of wonder at all the sights and sounds around her, and just sees a kindred spirit.

Soon enough, though, there's a barricade between Sephy and further explorations. "That's fine," she says, carefully withdrawing a pair of smalldigging claws from her satchel and affixing them...to her doll's arms?

Then she holds Chauncey up. "Go, Chauncey!" she cries, and Lord Foxington bulges and grows to monstrous size in an instant, with Sephilia dangling from his back, piggy-back style. Chauncey knows what his job is, and charges forward, button eyes blank but otherwise with apparent enthusiasm. There's a tremendous crash as the girl and her doll smash into the barrier. 

<Pose Tracker> Hiro has posed.


"What? No! I mean you're about as subtle as a brick!" Hiro just sort of grins and says, "Nah Lucia, there's no need to crouch down or anything while we're in town. Besides you might hurt your back." Isn't he going to explain what Ruby means? Apparently not, right now at least.

Hiro always seems to close eye on her, seeming to admire the amount of wonder she shows at things, like a seagull, or the blue sky.

"Hiro." He offers his hand to Lily, and Leon in turn to shake it if they want, but doesn't seem offended otherwise. "Ruby." His companion offers. "Nice to meet you both." Once they've arrived he holds up his hand in the distance and waves, "Hey Zed! Looks like you heard the rumors to!" "I just think he turns up everywhere we go, like some bad silver coin we can't get rid of." "Ah come on don't be like that!" The giant stone head makes him wonder- "Huh- wonder why it has a fan on it's head? Ceremonial? Or is it just to stay cool?"

But there are barricades and Ruby nods, "It's okay. Pretty sure Tal's got this one." "Heh! If it's anything like last time? She sure does!" Hiro of course contributes on his own, shoving aside- parts of the barricade others have smashed or cleared out, putting his back into it. Ruby supervises. Fire isn't the solution to everything. 

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

"I like travelling," Lily answers Hiro in an understated voice. She nods when she's gestured towards, by way of greeting, and to account for what Leon says. In that pause she thinks the same thing.

"Lily Keil. It's good to meet you all."

The explanation from Lucia is taken in calm blankness. But then, soon, they're there.

"Maybe they decided to step up their defenses after we broke through," Lily suggests, and listens to all this... get back business as she sees Tlise just start lifting blocks ou of the ground.

"My, that's impressive. I suppose I should participate..." Lily steps up closer to the barricade, to a pile of crates before her, and holds out her hands. Suddenly a lance of ice rockets between two of the crates and /explodes/ outwards, to shove crates out of the way and let her sidestep where one might fall. 

<Pose Tracker> Lucia has posed.

BACK IN TOWN

"....Yes, my clothing is brick-colored," Lucia agrees serenely.

---

NOW

Lucia files 'sneaky invisible sorcerers' away for another time -- 'guards' too, though she doesn't follow up on that with Leon, and watches with a sort of detached interest as people heft, kick, smash and otherwise disabuse this barricade of the notion that it can block their way. Her gaze settles especially on Talise's gauntlets and the wondrous Lord Foxington, sharpening to open curiosity when Lily invokes her magical prowess.

Everyone is /quite/ effective. Talise drags a huge portion of the barricade away with as much effort as lifting a lawn chair, while Leon and Zed jointly demolish the next piece, Chauncey pours straight down the middle like a digging machine (...accurate?), and Lily and Hiro ensure that anything taken out of the way will /stay/ there.

At last Lucia steps forward, several minutes after her lack of contribution became rude, and stares blankly at a huge boulder that was somehow rolled into the way. Maybe it triggers bad memories of the last dungeon she was in. Her eyes narrow.

There's no dramatic gesture -- indeed, her hands remain in the cloak -- but a moment later, it simply explodes, vaporized in a wash of blue plasma.

"Onward," she murmurs. 


<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

"I'm... glad you like it," Talise grunts to Lily with an approving nod, before winding up and hurling the barricade block across the landscape. It lands a good distance away, leaving a big dent in the turf.

Stepping to one side, she brushes her hands together briskly, her smile eminently satisfied. "Nothing to it," she says before starting forward -

Only to pause as Lucia just vapourizes it without doing anything. Talise pauses for a moment, staring at the woman in the red cloak.

She looks at Hiro for a moment, her eyes full of questions.

Setting her jaw, she nods to the group and starts forward, drawing her sword with a glint of light across the blade. "Let's go," she says as she ducks down a corridor. She turns, passing through a cave mouth -

Only to skid to a halt at the edge of a precipice. Tal gasps and backpedals rapidly. "Careful, pit!" she shouts back.

Narrowing her eyes, she squints across it at the door beyond the massive gap. "...Maybe there's a way to jump it," she murmurs, scanning along the edge of the cliff. Her gaze falls to the cluster of mechanisms on her side of the gap, practically begging for someone brilliant to tinker with them.

Tal's expression falls visibly. 

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

Sephilia is too busy commanding Chauncey gleefully to notice either Lucia's early lack of contribution, or her rather impressive accomplishment when she does contribute. Instead, she beams at everyone. "That was fun!" she says brightly. "I hope we get to do more of that!"

She chatters happily at everyone as they make it to the pit--but then her chatter stops as she stares, wide-eyed and excited, at the mechanisms.

"Oooooh," she says, "this looks really coooooool! I wonder what it does? This one goes here and that one switches that way and..." She taps her nose, deep in thought as she tries to figure it out. 

<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.

"They could have," Leon muses back to Lily, as he rips a chunk of barricade free -- and throws it backward. "We should keep our eyes open. If they're competent, they've left spotters to see if someone's doing precisely what we are."

Then, he looks at the others. "Keep your eyes open. When Lily and I were here earlier, we ran into some sort of armed guards." He shakes his head. "Only the Holy Mother knows what the hell they might want here."

And then he stares, as Lucia simply blasts away something -- or, maybe, unmakes it. His silver eyes narrow; his expression becomes more guarded, for a moment, and he looks pointedly at Lily again.

He walks until he stops, abruptly -- and instinct makes him throw a hand out to motion Sephilia to stop too. She is the youngest. "Pit," he agrees, before he looks at the mechanism. His eyes narrow a moment. "Maybe there's a pressure tile."

He slams his hand on the wall behind him. There is no click.

"Maybe there isn't a pressure tile." 

<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.

ZED KICK!

Is... Less effective than Zed would have liked it to be. Not that the ZED KICK is INeffective, just that there is so much for him to kick and only two legs to do it with. It's a good thing he has a band of HELPFUL NAKAMA to pull him out of a bad situation! These humans really are quite remarkable.

...Especially Lucia. Because Lucia apparently brooks no boulders and can evidently vaporize them without a second thought. Zed doesn't stare, Zed laughs. Because of course she can blow things up! "Hmhmhm, I guess that title of yours isn't just for show, eh? Eh??" You don't get called the Lord of Calamity because you like petting bunny rabbits or watching seagulls, after all!

He had absolute confidence that they'd be able to get in the door. Never before has that been a problem! But this... This next obstacle... This is something else.

Zed stares across the gap. He looks at Talise, then back across the pit. Then down to his feet.

"...I'mma jump it," he says, perfectly seriously. "Iiiii'mmmmmma jump it," he says, walking back just a little bit, before breaking into a sprint--!

BUT WILL HE MAKE IT!? 

<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.

"Lieutenant," Leon says flatly. "Add that one to the... list. Page 23, column I, in your notebook." 

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

Sephilia sighs. "He's jumping it, isn't he," she asks. 

<Pose Tracker> Hiro has posed.


BACK IN TOWN

Ruby facepaws with herpretty pink pawsies.

NOW

Hiro does however stop briefly to wince at Zed's flying kick to the barricade, "Well- that was something like a plan!" Lucia's not helping out is grating on Ruby- despite her not helping out herself, "Hey space case? You think you could be bothered to-" Lucia twitches a hand and a boulder is vaporized, "Hey good work Lucia!" Ruby's face twitches- Hiro glances at Tal and sorta gives her this sheepish grin as if to say- I'll explain later!

How he's going to explain? He'll figure that out then.

Following the group, his hands resting behind his head, they come to a giant pit. "Huh-" And then his eyes move over to the mechanisms, "Maybe-" Hiro reaches under his orange cape and into his pack to grab a notebook. "What are you thinking Hiro? Did you think Grandpa ever encountered something like this?"

Hiro flips through the pages like he's only browsing until, "Huh. Alright." He puts it away.

Not long after he grabs a handful of dust, walking over to the edge, and starts walking down the line of that ledge while crouched down, spreading a line of dust. "What are you doing?" "Well sometimes they camouflage parts of the gap to make it seem invisi-"

Zed is trying to jump it!? "Whoa! Zed! Hey Zed! Wait!" At this rate- Zed might careen right into him! 

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

"I for one," Lily adds, "Hope to find /out/ what they want here."

but then Lily's gaze snaps towards Lucia at the way the red-cloaked woman uses her magic. There' something more intense than mere curiousity in her gaze, though shelooks away quickly enough back to Leon. She meets his eyes and holds that gaze for a few moments. "What..?" she says softly, and flickers her eyes to Lucia again.

She saw it, too. Even if Lucia hadn't helped at all before then.

But then they reach this... pit, and Lly frowns at it, thoughtfully, before looking to the mechanisms and looking thoughtful. She reaches and then pulls from her satchel a batterd notebook. "I'll look at it," Lily says to Leon, and then he pauses, as Zed talks about just jumping it.

"...Yes, Captain. Column I."

She pulls it out and glanes to Hiro as she sees him flipping through a noebook of her own. "Yes, I think you might be right," she says. "This sort of machinery though..." She flips through, "It resembles.."

Lily starts tinkering as Zed goes. ...While ducked so she doesn't get trampled. 

<Pose Tracker> Lucia has posed.

Lucia doesn't seem to notice the effect she has on other people, just continuing forward calmly until she is told to stop. There at the edge, she hardly gives the mechanism a second glance. Maybe she doesn't know what it is. Maybe she does know, and is confused that nobody else does, and has decided to just let that play out.

Though she gives Sephilia a tiny, encouraging nod at one of the girl's ideas, and seems interested in Lily's notebook. Hiro spreading dirt around, that leaves her completely blank, but she did perk up, the tiniest amount, at 'Grandpa'. (Lucia likes Gwyn as much as she likes anyone, and more than she likes Leo. Admittedly a vast gulf of possibilities, there.)

She is in no way prepared for Zed to make the leap, and even less so for the feeling that seizes her heart in a vice grip, that turns her veins to ice. Even externally, her shock is potent. She looks like her best friend just died. Her eyes are hollow pits of grief.

And then her hands come out, at last. They are shrouded in black gloves. They spread wide, arms sweeping outwards.

An enormous wave of concussive force manifests behind Zed at the apex of his jump, blasting him forward towards the other side. Perhaps the impossible will become possible, after all. 

<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.

Hiro... Hiro is in his way!? NO. THIS CANNOT BE! If Zed stops, then he'll lose all his momentum. If Zed keeps going, he'll run right into Hiro, and then they'll both go TUMBLING INTO THE PIT! But if he stops, then he'll skid, and...

AND...

AAAUGH, TOO MUCH THINKING!

"HIIIIIROOOOOOO!" Zed roars and REDOUBLES HIS SPEED. He throws his arms open wide, and GRABS HOLD OF HIS RIVAL. The background briefly goes sparkly and bubbly at this DISPLAY OF MANLY BONDING for a split second--

Before Zed leaps boldly into the air, with an unwitting protagonist in tow.

...He's... He's going to make it! He's arcing through the air! He's... He's--!

Oh, wait no, there's gravity.

But then, just as his jump begins to slow, just as his zenith is reached... There's a bolt of force from behind, forcing him forward another few feet--!

IS IT ENOUGH!? 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

"Pressure tile?" Talise asks with a slow blink, scratching at her cheek.

Zed says something - something about Lucia's title. Talise pauses and squints at her again. THen she's distracted by Mr. Big Metal Hero making a QUANTUM LEAP across a gap you should not be able to QUANTUM LEAP across. "Are you /high,/" she shouts at him in disbelief. Then Lucia blasts him.

Tal stares at Lucia again. She coughs into one hand. "...That's one way to get him, uh. Higher," she comments.

Whisking over, she leans in to watch Lily and Leon tinkering. Her eyes widen a little. "It always amazes me how complicated all this machinery stuff is," she murmurs with a touch of wonder. Her cheeks colour. She presses her lips together, once again feeling like an incredible moron for being unable to grasp all this machinery business.

Nevertheless, all the tinkering of the two apparent soldiers - and the help from Hiro's notebook and Sephy's curiosity - set something to churning. Mechanisms clunk and grind as something begins to lift out of the gloom far below. It's a broad wooden bridge with a couple of rope railings on either side, a couple of vast pistons pushing it up from the bottom of the chasm until it drops into place across the span with a heavy clang of locking bolts.

"When we get back to town I'm going to have to find a book or something and read about all this machinery crap," Tal grumbles bitterly as she beckons the group on, sword in hand as she bustles towards the portal on the other side of the gap.

She pauses to shake her head at Zed, rolling her eyes and leaning in towards Lucia with a sigh. "/Men!/" she confides. 

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

Zed jumps, and Sephy just...stares. How is he so DUMB? H-how?! And then something hits him and he -- he makes it over.

"Buh. Buh. Wuh," Sephy explains. 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

"/Men!/" Talise echoes for Sephy's benefit. 

<Pose Tracker> Lucia has posed.

Lucia tilts her head at Talise, unsure. "...yes...?" 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

An awkward silence hangs there as Talise blinks at Lucia a couple of times.

"...Never mind," she says with a big forced cheery smile, gesturing forward. "I'll explain why men are weird later!" 

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

"Wuh." 

<Pose Tracker> Lucia has posed.

"Thank you," Lucia says simply. "You are very kind, Tal." 

<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.

"Doesn't look like there was one," Leon answers, with a frown, but really -- his eyes are on Zed's back as he goes flying. And, then, Lucia gives him that little boost. He doesn't quite catch the way that it all works. He sees Sephi and Lily fiddle with it, working with machinery. He isn't as good at this part.

But he knows who is. He nods, once, and then sees the bridge come up. He nods, momentarily cheerful, and starts to stroll across the bridge. It is much easier than jumping. "Good work, everyone," he says. "Keep alert, though. No telling what's ahead." And then he glances back at Talise. "It's a lot to wrap your head around. I can do maintenance on my ARM, but I'm no ARMs Meister." 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

Talise just blushes at Lucia's words of appreciation. "Oh. Heh. Thanks." She scratches the back of her neck and grins sheepishly.

Then Leon hustles up, and she too turns to hurry along, nodding back to him firmly as she moves her sword back into both hands - a ready stance. "I'm not much for ARMs either," she admits. "They don't use them where I'm from."

The light armour and the two-handed sword probably gave that away. 

<Pose Tracker> Hiro has posed.


It's like watching a trainwreck- in that you can't look away! Zed redoubles his speed, grabs Hiro by the collar, and he has enough momentum built up that Hiro can't get away! "Zed really wait let's talk about-hup!" Scruffed like a cat- albeit a cat with a cape, he's hefted bodily and- Ruby shrieks, "HIROOOO!"

The entire leap might as well be in slow motion, sparkly- filled with bubbles- somewhere along the way Hiro stops looking panicked and just sorta looks at Zed with this grin like he might actually pull it off!

And then on the other side he's laughing like a fool as he claps the metal demon on the back, "Wow Zed! That was the ride of a lifetime! You're really strong you know?" "Hiro! You need to tell him off! He could have gotten you killed!" "Well I guess- but he didn't, and it was actually kind of fun!"

Well at least they aren't bonding over the Man's fantasy of STEAM DRILLS! 

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

The page open as Lucia looks at Lily's notebook is a diagram for some kind of machine; she doesn't look up, focused on it as she is. Neither does she look up at Talise, still resting the notebook on her knee. She speaks quietly, distractedly, as her eyes go, as her hands work and she compares to her manual. It starts churning, and she smirks in satisfaction.

"/There/," she says, peering up at the remnants of explosion and Zed flying across the gap.

"...That's a good plan... Talise, was it? It's rewarding, when you get to know how it works."

She puts her notebook away and hurries along after the others, stepping up beside Leon and leaning forward to see Talise around him to the two taller individuals. "I have a little more experience," she says. A pause to Talise, "But really? No ARMs at all? That's very interesting, where are you from?" 

<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.

Zed... Finds solid ground beneath his feet. The impossible has been made possible. THE CROWD GOES WILD. "H-haaah... Hahahahaha... HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Zed's laughter echoes across the gap between here and there, rising high even over the sound of machinery clattering a bridge into place. "That... WAS AWESOME! Hiro!" Zed shakes the becatted protagonist he so suddenly absconded with. "Hiro, did you see that!? THAT WAS AMAZING! I knew it-- never skipping leg day even once has paid off in the BIGGEST POSSIBLE WAY! Ahahahahahaha! Of course I'm strong! I LIFT!"

The worst thing has occured. Zed now believes he has SUPER JUMP.

Which, to be fair, as a Metal Demon, he... Kind of does???

"Well, anyway! WE'D BEST BE ON OUR WAY, FRIENDS!" Zed turns to face the DEPTHS OF THE RUINS and jabs a finger boldly into the darkness, "Onwards! To glory and adventure!"

Glory and adventure here meaning, apparently, a stroll through a damp and soggy corridor. Unidentifiable liquid drips from the craggy, cavernous roof. Lots... of unidentifiable liquid. In fact, it's the kind of liquid that sends shivers down the spine and causes sudden onset numbness as it attacks the nervous system and--

Oh. That's a monster, isn't it?

The fluid begins to gather into a single flubbery mass that menaces at the party with flailing, numbing pseudopods. A touch feels vaguely like being stung by a jellyfish, sapping strength and paralyzing limbs! Zed gawps at this thing's arrival... And then frowns.

Severely.

"No, no, no! That's not how this goes at all!" Zed chides, and then hurls down a series of BRIGHTLY COLORED, GLITTER-FILLED EXPLOSIVES. "You must make an APPROPRIATE ENTRANCE!" Zed instructs, "Like THIS! Now..." His sword erupts from its sheath in a flash of dark steel, "TO BATTLE!"

Somehow the glittery, powdery compound seems to be... congealing the slime somewhat? And protecting exposed skin from poisonous contact!? Common talcum powder can be pretty useful sometimes! 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

Talise grimaces as Lily asks the hard question. "Let's just say where I'm from isn't on the map and leave it at that," she says with a rueful smile. "Unless you know where Lunar is."

Zed leaves the way to glory and adventure. Or in this case, a corridor full of goopy slime. Talise scoots to a half, dropping back half a step and inhaling, then letting it out, steadying herself as she drops into a defensive stance. It's one some might recognize, though it's imperfect.

The next move is somewhat less so - it's an aggressive push forward into the slime crowd, a wide, sweeping arc of the Rastaban Sword splattering a glob of slime, then batting away a tentacle. "Don't let the tentacles touch you!" she shouts back to the crowd as she pivots away again, dropping her hand to her belt and coming up with one of her knives. Violently sidearming the blade, she hurls it towards the thick of the flubbery mass, aiming to bury the dagger blade in the centre of it.

The knife goes off like a bomb. Lightning bolts cascade out from it, then channel up the blade, blasting all around the slime cavern - and then pouring up the knife itself to try and deliver a massive jolt to the gooey thing! 

<Pose Tracker> Lucia has posed.

It turns out that Lucia is not only lazy and indifferent, but worse than useless in a fight. She doesn't even seem to notice the slime (this is something of a recurring pattern), and indeed with every glittery explosion, every flash of a sword, every retort of an ARM, her eyes grow blanker and blanker, her expression paler, more withdrawn.

Veterans might recognize symptoms of dissociation -- possibly a flashback. Mages, on the other hand, might feel a strange dark power flowing from her, an undercurrent of suffocating darkness. Perhaps she's drowning beneath it. Perhaps she wants them all to drown.

Perhaps not -- even when the slime has, for some unknown reason, taken a special interest and lunged out to engulf her completely, wrapping her in a whole brace of limbs, she just hangs there, helplessly. Steam is rising from her cloak, a horrid, acrid smell.

Her head will be covered in a moment -- and even if she'd finally scream, she can't. Her paralysis is complete, be it from her own mind, a dark curse, or the slime's terrible poison.

DG: Lucia has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, A Slime Most Green. 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

"Damn it, someone pull her out of there!" Talise shouts as she tries to follow her knife into the slime pile to clamber towards Lucia, mostly ending up stabbing at fried flubber aggressively. 

<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.

"Maybe we should underline his name in Column I," Leon muses to Lily, idly.

And then he freezes up, when he spots the fluid that gels together. He recognizes it after a moment -- and his eyes narrow sharply. "These damned things," he hisses. Then, he reaches into his coat. He draws a flare gun out, first, and fires it -- shoots well past the slime, before exploding brightly over it. And then the slime, half-congealed already, finds itself caught in a blinding flash.

During that flash, Leon's ARM comes out. The shotgun is snapped up -- and folds with a flick of his wrist. The barrels split in half, so a long straight broadsword blade unfurls from it. The soldier leaps through the air, coming down in time with Zed. He goes to the left, letting Zed go to the right, though his eyes widen when he sees her engulfed. "Get her free!" he yells, "Quickly!"

Argent Divider cleaves for the side of the slime, though Leon tries his best to not cut Lucia directly. After he gashes a hole, he kicks with his boot -- trying to smash Lucia free from the slime, though he isn't particularly gentle given the circumstances. 


<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

Sephilia is unspeakably irritated. She has no idea what's going on, but a little while ago the entire world stopped making any sense whatsoever. There's no explanation for how Sephy is now on a world where...where THAT worked out all right, and Sephy is not okay with that.

Chauncey doesn't give a damn, but he sympathizes with Sephy out of solidarity.

And then there's something she can smash. Or...well, maybe SPLAT would be a better verb choice--but by the time Sephy realizes that she's already riding Chauncey charging into the fray. These slimes are going to pay for the world being wrong! 

<Pose Tracker> Hiro has posed.


"I sure did! I was with you the whole time!" A beat, then, "Wait- Leg Day? Lift? Is that part of your training?"

Well it does make sense that metal demons would be all about- pumping iron.

"Hiro. Hiro please, I'm begging you. Don't actually listen to this guy for training advice!" "Why not Ruby? He really does seem to know his stuff."

But a drop of liquid drips on his cape, and he almost brushes it off and- he looks up- "Ah! Heads up!" He unsheathes his sword

But Zed tosses a glitter smoke bomb to really make an entrance, "Wait- so-" He looks up at the monster, then at Zed, "Are you saying we should- I could always-" He sort of vaguely waves back, as if he was saying to leave and come back. But then Lucia gets engulfed, "LUCIA!"

While he's obviously distressed at her being engulfed in acrid slime, he doesn't so much panic as he becomes really focused.

He makes several measured cuts with his blade, backing up the others by trying to cut off the tendrils, but only having limited success because. And then- juts out a hand- his lips murmuring an incantation and- "Ferocious Winds!"

Even indoors, a squall of wind picks up- and tries to blast the reforming pieces of slime off of her! 

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

Lily looks up at Talise at her answer. "I won't pry," she answers, "Though I admit I'm curious."

"Hmmm, you think? There's still room to grow," she says to Leon.

But there's the monster at hand, and Lily grimaces. "I hate these things. I still feel my arm tingle."

Leon goes, and Lily freezes briefly at this sheer darkness from Lucia. "What...?" It staggers her backward for a moment, before she grits her teeth.. and the monster engulfs Lucia.

"I'm on it!" she calls, and holds out her hands as she charges forward, a greatsword-shaped rift in the world around her erupting into dark being as she hacks down at the slime with Leon. "Come on!" 

<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.

As the situation evolves, the mission quickly moves from 'kill the slime' to 'save Lucia from getting eaten.' The ooze seems to sense her weakness, or perhaps it's thriving on the dark energies seeping from her paralyzed form. It grows rapidly over her skin like a creeping mold, threatening to swallow her completely. Zed's eyes widen at the slime's sudden change of tactics-- and at the Lord of Calamity's apparent inability to deal with her situation. "Lucia! No! I know slime is gross, but this is no time to give up!"

Leon and Zed hack at the goo, though as one might expect, purely physical attacks are not nearly as effective at damaging slime as those enhanced by magic... but with enough physical force, the ooze splatters just fine! Talise's knife explodes at the heart of the slimey congregation, sending pulses of electricity arcing through the mass. It seems to boil and bubble at the shock, dissolving into a fine mist of toxic vapors. Chauncey's fists hammer at the waves of ooze, shattering them into sprays of venomous seafoam that coat the walls in a sickly, oily slick.

A windstorm whips up as Hiro goes for broke. The slime responds poorly, dissolving before the might of the gale. Even the toxic aftermath is swept away by the winds. Lily's black blade cleaves through what's left, as if erasing the slime from the very fabric of reality with every swipe.

Soon, the ooze is slain... But have they taken a casualties for their effort? 

<Pose Tracker> Hiro has posed.


Fortunately, Lucia is cut out- and Hiro starts brushing away the acrid slime from her cloak. "You okay Lucia?" On Zed's earlier comment though- "It's definitely not like that. Lucia's a real fighter. She /never/ gives up."

As the party moves along, they might start to hear squeaking in the darkest crevices of the ruins. It's actually rather cute at first. "First person that makes a joke about me catching mice gets a face full of flames."

And then suddenly there are eyes in the dark. Just a few pairs glowing at first with sinister eyeshine, but then more and more and more appear.

They don't all pounce at the same time, but pounce they do. The first member of the party who is attacked is of course- Ruby. Who looks more indignant than frightened- "You dumb dirty rats! I AM NOT A CAT!" She spews a blaze at one, "Dragon!" She follows it up with another mouthful of flames- "RED Dragon! Why can noone on this stupid world tell!?"

Hiro is too busy and too polite and too scared of retribution that he doesn't mention that noone on /their/ world can tell either.

That was only the first rat though, when there's at least a dozen, all the size of giant mastiffs. He's sticking near Lucia to help give her time to recover from her last experience. 

<Pose Tracker> Lucia has posed.

Rescued by the joint efforts of many helpful companions, Lucia bows her head and thanks them quietly. "You are strong fighters," she observes. "I owe you my gratitude." Hiro gets an extra, reassurring look, though it isn't a full smile. "I am fine, Hiro."

Her cloak is in tatters, but she restores it with a wave of her hand -- its heavy folds riffle in an unseen wind, and when they lie still again, they are whole again.

Then she follows along at the rear of the party, surrendering any pretense of leadership to the others. She seems deep in thought, though what about, she doesn't seem inclined to share. Unfortunately, her taking the back rank doesn't save her from the rats; like the slime, they seem drawn to her with disproportionate interest, and in short order she's invisible beneath a whole crowd of them.

There is a moment of silence...

But apparently Lucia has forgotten to be useless. Or maybe she's just had enough.

"Do not interfere," she commands, and the words shake reality itself with nascent power. A moment later, there's a blinding flash of white light, and the giant rats which had dogpiled on her go blasting back in all directions, each of them wide open to a follow-up attack.

This raises a few questions, like 'why didn't she do that to the slime' and 'why is she just standing there now' but, more deeply, 'what the heck was that?'

There are no answers to be found in Lucia's inscrutable face. 

<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.

"Are you all right?" Leon asks Lucia, before he gives Hiro a look. He shrugs, a moment, and then he nods. Then he glances back at the sorceress, and sees her terribly tattered cloak simply repaired with a wave of her hand. His eyes widen a little more.

And then he opens his mouth -- and promptly closes it again when Ruby talks. He may have been about to make a joke.

"Spread out!" he yells. "They can get underfoot, send you toppling into others!" And then, he pulls out the flare gun again. He almost drops it when he hears Lucia speak those strange words -- and he almost misfires, but only almost. The flare shoots up and explodes, sending rats scattering.

Then Leon snaps Argent Divider -- and the barrels of the ARM slide back into place. He lifts the shotgun one-handed; the rounded, lower barrel fires, shooting slugs into the midst of the rats, as he tries to shoot them down one-by-one. 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

Talise tries not to grit her teeth too hard as Hiro starts blowing on things. Is she the /only/ Lunarian who doesn't seem to be blessed by Althena?!

She pants for a moment as the Slime goes down. "Okay," she says with a grimace, darting towards Lucia. "Hey... are you okay?" she asks, her eyes intent as she leans in towards the woman. "Try and stick close to the group... it's dangerous in here."

And indeed, there's squeaking, and eyes peering out of the gloom. Again Talise drops into a defensive stance. It looks like the sort of stance a member of Althena's Guard versed in Waning Crescent style would put to use, but her foot positioning is all wrong, as is the angle of her shoulders. She looks more like she's waiting to pounce rather than waiting to parry.

The next move is nothing like that style. She steps into the rat crowd and pivots hard on a heel, whipping the Rastaban Sword in a violent backswing aimed to slash a handful of the rats away all at once. "Hyaaht!" she shouts as the two-handed sword's blade whistles through the air with a steely hiss.

She whirls again, swinging her sword up -

She pauses and stares as Lucia just bombs out the Rat Pack. Again she stares at the woman in the red robe.

Something clicks together in her mind. She clicks her teeth together --

-- and lets out her breath, forcing her mind back to the matter at hand. Namely, cleaving through another rat with an overhand slash, then pivoting to kick another. Her style is nothing like Waning Crescent now - it's fluid and opportunistic. 

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

Sephilia is not so mad anymore. Mostly she's just grossed out by the splatting slimes. "Let's not do that again, Chauncey," she says, then adds, "Don't worry, I've still got my sewing kit, I'll patch you up in a minute. Sorry I can't patch up anyone else, though,"she adds, glancing at Lucia with evident concern. Working as she walks with surprising but practiced ease, she repairs the doll's rips and tears.

And a good thing, too, since momentarily they're attacked by big rats. Sephilia may not be so mad anymore...but she loves making monsters get smashed! "Chauncey! Foxington Style Double Axe Handle!" 

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

Lily lets her sword burst out of being again in black smoke. But she does it only after the slime is /gone/, and the lets out a breath when she does, short and clipped. Her fingers flex and curl as she turns towards the group. "...You're welcome," Lily says simply to Lucia. Then she adds, "Don't be afraid to tell me if you're injured," as Leon asks whether she's all right.

She looks to the magic of cloak resotration in some shock, and almost says something before Ruby speaks up. Lily doesn't even speak up; she just rushes to the side away from Leon, her skirts swirling with the way she whirls in place and lifts both gloved hands.

She stops at te /ommand/ to reality and stares--or tries to stare, as she finds her arm racing up to try to shield her eyes against the flsh of light. "That..."

The rats are wide-open. Lily turns towards the ones closest to her.

The black-haired sorceress's eyes widen in focus and an explosion casts out before her, followed by another and another, red-orange flames bursting in a semicircle all before her. 

<Pose Tracker> Hiro has posed.


Hiro definitely agrees with Tal's sentiment of Lucia staying close to the party.

This time however Lucia's has had enough- and Hiro knows what that means when she says that, immediately acting to step aside. Lucia's power explodes over the rats with a blinding flash vaporizing a pair of them. "Why doesn't she always do that?"It scatters their 'ranks' and despite being more wary- Leon's flare continues the strategy, the nocturnal rodents not taking to the flare's light. A few of them retreat back into the dark, while others move forward. One of them tries to take a bite out of Chauncey, and gets slapped back with little effort. The tear is easily repaired by her needlework- while Talise decimates a few more with her swordwork, the strength of the Swordswoman more than enough to match those of the dire rats. Hiro and Zed adding in their own efforts in the role of time honored roles of 'keeping the party spellcasters and healers well defended'.

Zed looks way better doing that than Hiro. Since he really knows how to look cool- and make an entrance.

Another takes a shotgun to the face from Leon- and while the result is likely gruesome, it's blown back far enough away that the results go unseen other than it isn't moving.

A semi-circle of orange flames is what finally stops the rush. Only a few rats escape, and only very few. Ruby flies up towards Lily, spotting her flames, then looking at Lily, then the flames and- "Nice." She says in approval. 

<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.

Leon watches the spells unleashed on the rats. Lily's bursts of fire are familiar, by now -- /almost/ familiar, really -- but the other fighting styles are different. Some are sword schools he hasn't seen before, like Talise, Hiro and (he hesitates to call it a real school) Zed. One is an animated puppet. And there is whatever sorcery that Lucia does.

His eyes drift to her, again. She looks familiar, somehow, even though he cannot quite place why. But, the rats demand more attention than any ruminations.

And the rats are cleared in short order. Leon lets out a sigh, then wipes at his brow. His short blond hair is matted with sweat, now, and the Drifter steps forward, sliding his shotgun back into his coat. "Good job, everyone," he says, plainly, before he walks to the next door. "We didn't have nearly as much luck when we were here by ourselves. We were turned back at the end."

Captain Albus opens the door and takes a step inside -- and then he is yanked, hard, to the side. With a brief shout, he moves -- in time for a huge orb, covered in spikes, to drop down and bounce towards his head. He ducks low, before he looks at the door across the way. Leon cries out: "Be careful!"

He reaches to his belt, pulling free a spool of rope. He attaches a hook to one end, even as he shifts to the side -- and then throws the rope. The hook lands, catching the ceiling, and with a tug, it secures. Leon jumps first, swinging across, before he lands on a more stable platform, and throws the rope back across. "Use this if you need help!"

DG: Leon Albus has used his Tool Climbing Rope toward his party's challenge, Bouncy Death Trap. 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

Rats are no match for Talise Gianfair. She pivots on a heel and swings the Rastaban Sword in a vertical blow downward, cleaving past a rodent. It hangs in the air for a moment before sliding apart.

Horizontally.

She moves past it with a nod for Leon. "Simple enough," she says as she pushes into the room beyond - only to gasp and lunge back as a spiked ball nearly slams into her. "Damn," she growls, pressing against the doorframe to keep herself clear of the bouncing spikes.

With her bottom lip bitten, she checks out the cavern, and the way the spiked balls are bouncing around. Looking for a pattern isn't beyond her, especially when Leon helps out with that rope. What helps her out all the more is that she's finally learned a thing or two about patience over the years.

A few spiked balls bounce by. She watches them. Watches how they roll; plots their momentum.

Then she glares at the rope, remembering all too well how things went in the Lightless Shaft. "If you screw me on this one we are going to fight," she mutters acidly at it.

Then she breaks into a sprint. She lunges, aiming to grab ahold of the rope at just the right time - and use it to swing across the gap and to the stable platform near Leon! 

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

Sephilia, as always, is oblivious about Lucia's abilities. She's prepared to accept anything as normal in this new world.

Except this room. "Who even comes up with something like this?" she complains. "Maybe there's a way to turn it off? Ugh...Chauncey, shield me!" She hates to use her best buddy like that, but she's really worried about those spike balls, and, well, she knows she can fix whatever happens to him. Besides, if they're lucky going across the room, she won't NEED to repair him.

Right? 

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

'Nice.'

For the first time since Lily has been introduced to the group, she smiles. The expression is for Ruby who looks between her and her fading flames, and there's a light regard in her eyes for the little dragon.

In fact Lily glances to Leon, pleased, but not long. She dusts off her hands instead, looking ahead to the others.

Remembering how they were turned bak, she elects not to chime in when Leon mentions that it happened. She just nods along, checking her pistol at her side and follows after before--

"Leon!" But he's fine. Lily stares out at the room before them for what eels like a long few seconds, but she moves forward. "I hate these," she murmurs darkly.

But there's the rope, and once Talise is through, Lily starts into the room... and /grabs/ out at the rope as she starts to bounce. She kicks off of the doorway once she does and starts to cross. 

<Pose Tracker> Lucia has posed.

Lucia has to be gently tugged away from the rats -- she seems to want to spend a long quiet moment examining their corpses (not with any tools, she's just staring, and thinking). There is a clear sense of her distress; again there's immeasurable sadness dwelling deep in those dark green eyes.

However, she comes along when bidden. Her boots make no noise on the ground, and her silent pensiveness demands a few looks back to confirm that she's still there.

But she is! And her eyebrows raise at the trap as it unfolds.

"Inventive," she murmurs. Then she starts walking forward, heedless of the danger. Indifferent again!

Maybe she can afford to be; blue energy flares around her whenever one of those spiked balls is about to bowl into her. A force field repels them.

WHY DIDN'T SHE USE THAT ALL ALONG?!?

DG: Lucia has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Bouncy Death Trap. 

<Pose Tracker> Hiro has posed.


"Oh yeah?" Hiro comments to Leon, "Well I'm sure no ruins are a match for all of us tog-" Leon opens a door and suddenly a spiked orb topples out of a hatch and starts to bounce around!? "Whoa!" "You may want to rethink that statement Hiro!"

Tal glares at her rope and Hiro grins at her, "I'm sure it won't be like last time-" But Lucia just walks straight out there, "Hey Lucia wait! Care-" a force field repelling them and- "-ful... " -despite her seeming alright he still calls out to their companion, "Hey Ruby! Give her a hand!" "She seems like she's got it well under control Hiro!" She harumphs.

"Well yeah but I might need some help getting across-" Though honestly he's really looking forward to it. "Oh? Well leave it to me!"

Ruby flies upwards, wings flapping furiously, as she quickly assesses the situation. Despite her demeanor she's an old hand at this by now, flying forward and- "Aha! More of those traps!" Ruby breathes a line of flames along the edges of a hatch, trying to melt the edge where it opens and seal it shut.

If one looks like it's going to start to open, she even rams her body up against it and tries to hold it shut for a while with a grunt of effort.

Hiro on the other hand, warily starts to cross, a smile unsuppressed as he follows Leon's rope along the springy floor. 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

Talise falls off the rope about halfway through.

"WHAT IS IT WITH ROPES ON THIS STUPID PLANET," she yells angrily before getting run over by a giant spike ball. 

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

"I-I'm turning back!" Sephy cries, wincing as Chauncey is ripped even more by the spike balls. "Oh my poor Chauncey! I promise I'll make it all better, okay, buddy?" 

<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.

Leon lands -- and he watches the others. But, it isn't easy. For one thing, Talise gets hit by a spiked ball. For one, he finds the 'safe' platform is anything but. It shifts, too, and he takes a perilous step backwards -- and then there is a soft click.

"Wh--"

And down he goes, plummeting into a chute. A chute that, in fact, is at the center of the room's gravity -- as all of the floors begin shifting to send everyone rolling down it. Lily comes, too, tumbling after she lets go of the rope. Sephilia and Chauncey slide down a little after -- and Lucia's shield isn't so great against that. Talise is the last through, and the spiked ball slams into the opening.

The chute is a narrow slide, shooting left and right, sending them flying -- until they pop out of a small hole on the hillside. Bright daylight greets them, as Leon falls out, feet first, and lands prone. He stares up at Filgaia's sun, eyes blinking, and groans.

"...that... also happened, last time," he says with a sigh. 

<Pose Tracker> Lucia has posed.

Lucia's force field flares as she hits the hillside, then collapses, sending her bouncing several times on the way down. She slides to a stop, looking... nonplussed. She starts to get to her feet but... can't, dizziness sending her straight back to her knees.

"Let us return... later," she says, instead of the demand to go back immediately that she was about to make. 

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

Talise fights like hell to keep from sliding down the hole. She fires up her gauntlets, snarling and bracing herself for dear life against the pit edge, even punching it hard enough to create a fingerhold; the gauntlets came in handy. Punching another handhole, she snarls angrily and begins climbing right back up.

Until a big spikeball lands on her back and knocks her off the ledge.

A minute later, Tal comes sliding out through the hillside and sails majestically through the crisp Filgaian air before hitting a patch of dry grass and skidding. She lies there prone for a moment.

"FUCK!" she vents before punching the ground hard enough to leave a fist-shaped dent. 

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

Lily hangs onto that rope with a fierce grip, as she tries to make her way over to the other side--at least to Leon's platform. She glances to the side to see Hiro and Ruby moving past, and takes a breath, trying again--

Leon falls, and Lily loses the rope immediately, tumbling right after him. There are others behind her. She goes left and right, narrowly sliding, all the way down...

Lily comes out feet-first too, and hits the ground rolling, curled over herself without so much as moving except to lift her head to find Leon. "Ugh..."

Her head falls again. "It... did."

Lily hears Lucia's voice and sighs, letting her face rest against the ground. 

<Pose Tracker> Hiro has posed.


Hiro comes down the chute. Ruby follows, flying down after the party and- he impacts hard. "Hiro? Hiro!? Are you okay?"

Instead of immediately getting up, he groans. "I'm okay Ruby. And sure Lucia." And then he rolls on his back- shielding his eyes against the sun's glare as he looks at the Filgaia's blue sky. For a moment he thinks about Lucia staring at it earlier.

"At least it's a beautiful day." 

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

Sephy, during the fall, has time to realize one thing: This may be more than Chauncey can take.

So she does what a best friend is supposed to do: she lets Chauncey shrink back down to tiny size and this time, shields him with her own body.

She lands hard, with an "oof" as the breath is knocked out of her. For several moments, she just lies there, gasping for breath.

Then she checks Chauncey, sitting up, panicked. "Chauncey, buddy, are you okay?" she cries, examining him. He's going to need several more patches, it seems...but he can be fixed up. She breathes a great sigh of relief.

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