2019-04-06: Queen Anastasia Sends Her Regards
- Log: Queen Anastasia Sends Her Regards
- Cast: Talia, Prissa, Rebecca Streisand, Lydia Seren, Avril Vent Fleur, Ivan
- Where: Mi'ihen Highroad
- Date: April 06, 2019
- Summary: The finals for the Blitzball tournament are rudely interrupted. A sudden escape from the stadium is warranted. Luckily, the small group of friends and family alike is well-equipped (with bombs)... if also relationally complicated.
<Pose Tracker> Talia has posed.
The city of Luca is abuzz with the start of the finals for the Blitzball tournament.
The stands are abuzz too. Despite the humidity and the heat (which are ever present in Southern Spira), people have turned out in droves. The stands of Luca are packed, to watch a match between the Luca Goers and the (shockingly, given how bad they were) Besaid Aurochs. The stands bustle, with fans of both teams crying out cheers and jeers, over the carnival-like barking of the people selling food.
And, at the center of the stadium is a playing field unlike any other: a sphere of water, suspended in the air by machines that let peope swim through and play three-dimensional sport with the eponymous Blitzball.
Talia decided to attend to get her mind off of...
...everything, really. She looks more wan and drawn out than usual, as she sits there -- but she invited friends and she is trying to be energetic. It mostly works, because she is discovering a simple truth: Blitzball looks amazing.
She is, right now, not thinking about her problems. She stands up, in between Lydia and Avril, and has her hands cupped around her mouth: "THROW THE BALL TO THE GUY! GET SOME POINTS! THESE ARE RULES I WILL LEARN LATER, NO!"
DG: That's not a valid party leader.
<Pose Tracker> Prissa has posed.
"So," Prissa says, from her seat with her feet up on the back of the bench behind her - which is being tolerated because the person in front of them is very fat and is wearing one of those fancy rigid bamboo grill structures that looks cool but is probably a pain to deal with - "you like the game how it is played, eh?" This is towards Talia, but of course, also Lydia.
Gesturing forwards, she says, "You see why I had to be vague about the rules, I had not the words to describe half of this. Anyway, you see those ones, the Aurochs?"
Prissa says, gravely, "This is a team so decadent and soft that their goal is to 'do their best' alone."
In the field, an Aurochs (it's technically singular AND plural!) passes towards - someone. "A bold maneuver," Prissa says, leaning forwards, "is it not, Lydia? Let us see if it will work for them."
"And pass me the snack."
<Pose Tracker> Rebecca Streisand has posed.
Rebecca isn't certain what she expected, when she went to see a Blitzball tournament. However she's as a wide eyed as a little kid watching it.
"Wow Avril - have you ever seen a spectacle like this?" Rebecca asks, "I've heard they have sporting competitions in Laila Belle - but like - I never expected to see anything this fancy here-!"
She's so animated with her hands she talks, "Hey Lydia - Lydia - let's all go try this some day together! That way we'll get to see how far you've come in your swimming practice - and have a lot of fun doing it."
Rebecca tosses Lydia a snack when Prissa requests it, before saying to her defensively, "Hey there's nothing wrong with that being their goal!"
In her eyes, it feels like she's defending Dean's honor a little. "Right Talia? I for one - think I'm going to cheer for the Aurochs! Their best got them to the finals didn't it?"
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
Friends.
Lydia likes blitzball.
Lydia loves blitzball.
Lydia probably does not love a blitzball that is like hell but that's probably not going to happen right? Right. No undead demon invasion today. Instead she is already partly standing up into the air (much to the chagrin to whomever is behind her) with one foot on the back of the seat in front of her.
"Kick their asses!" Lydia shouts, without actually speaking to which team. She is holding both banners. "I want to see the struggle, the desperation! Show me what it means to be a sportsball star! I want the world to see my Meteor Crash one day! My Galaxy Asteroid Swirl! I have the techniques I just need...!!"
Rebecca tells Lydia what she needs.
"The ability to maneuver in three dimensional space suspended in water that seems to exist as a spheroid in manipulated gravity...!"
She stops the edge of the seat as the pass occurs.
"YES! VOLLEY SHOT! POISON SHOT!!"
She tosses Prissa a shrimp tempura and then pauses as she hears what she has to say.
"Yeah but...the Aurochs beat your team, didn't they? I was cheering super hard for the Al Bhed Psyches but then they lost so now I have to root for the team that beat them so that they save face..!"
Stomp stomp stomp. She whistles shrilly into the air at every play she deems worthy which is a lot of plays.
"To be the best you must want to surpass all others, Rebecca!! Otherwise you're dishonorign the other teams!" She looks to her. "Oh by the way I meant to ask--"
<Pose Tracker> Avril Vent Fleur has posed.
Avril had come because her friends had come, and because she had no real reason not to.
...That is the sum total of what brought her here, but since then...
She is at present rapt, watching as the players make the most of the three-dimensional space available to them.
Rebecca's question intrudes into this altered state the strange young woman has found herself within and she lets out a quiet 'ah?' before she blinks, and before she hazards:
"I..."
She pauses, hesitantly beginning to shake her head, but stops short even here.
"I don't know?"
She has the odd sense -- nagging, at the back of her mind -- that something like this is... familiar.
"But, it is fascinating, is it not? Most athletic games such as this tend to take place in a roughly two-dimensional space. With three dimensions, the range of advance and maneuvering becomes so much more complex. I wonder..."
Is it possible to apply this in the field of battle, in a sense? In a flying machine, perhaps, or...
The conversation turns towards the teams at hand, then. "Hmm."
"All one can do is one's best. To keep trying, even if one is defeated -- to, as they say, 'fall down seven times and stand up eight', perhaps."
Her attention returns to the game.
"I think... I will cheer for them too."
<Pose Tracker> Ivan has posed.
Ivan thinks Blitzball is stupid, a bunch of people in weird clothing trying to drown themselves in a magic bubble, essentially. But given that everyone else is mad about it, he has decided to take the opportunity of the big game for some light pickpocketing. He pushes through the stands, exclaiming urgently about a seat he needs to get to further down the row, working with the distraction of the bumping and jostling to occasionally rifle through the pocket of a loose garment or cut open the bottom of a bag to see if anything interesting drops out.
He startles at the unexpected sound of his sister's cheer. This is not the time or scenario for another heated argument about the state of their respective lives, so he should just flee.
Where is she? Has she seen him? He looks over his shoulder and... immediately locks eyes with her, at the center of a group of people...including that weird puddle girl from before! Caught!! He glowers at Talia, as if she's the one who's done something wrong. He then tries to push back the way he came, but just at that time, everyone around him stands up and starts screaming about a big goal or something.
<Pose Tracker> Prissa has posed.
Prissa frowns at the reminder of the Psyches.
"Pfeh," she says. "Beginner's luck. So what, they get lucky." To Rebecca, she says, "Necessary....... but not sufficient!"
DG: A party led by Talia is now entering Fiend Assault on Luca. DG: Party formation is now over. An Entry Challenge will now be drawn and displayed to the party.
==========================<* Fiend Assault on Luca *>=========================== =====================<* CHALLENGE - An Animated Arrival *>====================== |Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 3 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- It begins suddenly. The air about the people here is energized and excited. The match between the Besaid Aurochs (astoundingly) and the Luca Goers is underway, in the huge sphere of water that acts as the court. Barkers in the stands offered shrimp tempura on sticks, while people supporting both teams cheer loudly. At first, one might not notice when the fiends appear. The first shriek of a bird blends into the crowds... until a swirl of pyreflies coalesces into a huge, swooping fiend. A Garuda -- a bird with massive wings and a terrible maw, rather than a beak -- swoops down from the sky. It slams down into the space across the stadium... but there is soon something larger at work. A chain smashes down from a glowing, black portal -- and pulls forth a bound, tall creature. Wrapped in bandages, vaguely fish-like, Anima rises from the ground and lets out a most piercing shriek. A gout of flame from this new creature, towering nearly over the stadium and with green eyes aglow behind stained bandages. It turns, screaming down at the fiends and those present. "Maester Seymour's Aeon!" a voice from the crowd cries. Hopefully, you have not thought to attack it -- for it may well direct its wrath on you if so -- and with a furious, unearthly blast of light that will sear into your bones. Flight would be wise. =Dungeon Conditions: Suffer, Exhaust, Reckless================================
<Pose Tracker> Talia has posed.
"Right!" Talia turns her head, looking sideways at Rebecca and grinning brightly at her. "It is better to do your best than to not do your best, no? Though--" She glances at Prissa. "I am sorry about your team. It is rough, no?"
She nods her head eagerly, and then chomps down onto a piece of battered shrimp. It's in her mouth, before she looks from Lydia to Avril -- grinning at the quiet woman, before she nods. She starts to say something, until her crimson eyes catch -- over heads, through spaces between seats and people, and a crowd -- a second pair of identical crimson eyes.
"My brother," she says, quieter. She hesitates -- and before Ivan turns away, she calls out: "VANYA!"
And then all hell breaks loose. A screech echoes over the stadium -- and another, and another -- as a huge, winged fiend drops down into a dive. Talia lets out a panicked shout, wordless, this time -- and then her insides turn into ice, as a black portal opens. A chain smashes down into the sand at the bottom of the arena. From it, as if from hell, a monster is drawn free: a bound, vaguely feminine shape, with a screaming mouth filled with sharp fangs and eyes alight with pale green.
Anima, the Aeon, emerges. Fire roils forth at her command, as her body strains and pulls at the bandages and chains binding her. The huge, bird-like fiend is unmade in a moment. But Talia finds herself staring at it--
And she reaches to her side, throwing down a small, golden hour glass. The golden frame shatters -- and the glass with it, sand spilling out, and time suddenly slows in a small, twenty-foot circle that includes Talia, her friends, and Ivan.
"Are we fighting that thing!?" Talia asks.
DG: Talia has used her Tool Golden Hourglass toward her party's challenge, An Animated Arrival.
<Pose Tracker> Avril Vent Fleur has posed.
Talia sees something. Avril's gaze follows the arc of her attention, jerking her head over towards the form of a single young man in the crowd. "You--"
something... isn't right
Her eyes widen and suddenly, she stands, even as Talia gives that explanation. Her attention leaps towards the sky alone, even Talia shouts out for her brother.
Just before everything becomes extremely complicated in a very short amount of time.
Too late, Avril threads the needle on her vague premonition. The Fiend swoops down from the skies; Avril's hand reaches beneath her wrap, reaching for--
A black portal opens.
A monstrosity is loosed. Lips parted, Avril can do little else for the moment but stare, dumbfounded, as the Fiend is simply annihilated.
She takes a breath.
And draws forth the mirror.
De Soto's mirror.
Tilting it towards the heavens, she simply breathes out, staring down into its depths. A pale auroral light spills from it, swirling about her and outwards.
"..."
"We cannot stay here," she states, staring still into the mirror. By this light, it's almost as if, for the moment, she became another person.
"We must hurry, out from this place."
DG: Avril Vent Fleur has used her Tool Mirror of De Soto toward her party's challenge, An Animated Arrival.
<Pose Tracker> Rebecca Streisand has posed.
Rebecca nods along with Avril, all smiles, trying to prompt her to go on. Like she wants her to try to get out - work through how she feels. As she chats up her in Lydia, "It really is-! It feels like all kinds of exciting trying to play in that space." She smiles warmly at her as she leans over and whispers to Avril, "Don't worry if you can't remember. I'm just glad to be here with you while you're making wonderful new memories of things like this."
Before grinning triumphantly at Prissa, "Alright! With Avril and Lydia's favor too - the Aurochs can't lose!"
However as Lydia starts to ask her a question, "Hm-?" She sees the look on Talia's face past her.
"Wait!? Who?"
As Rebecca stands up quick, trying to spy who Talia is looking at.
And then Fiends break loose in the arena - as a shape rises and - "You've gotta be kidding me-!"
Rebecca, not wanting to threaten it too much, reaches into her pack and quickly rips out a page from the back of her book. Tossing it into the air in front of a throng of fiends.
The Aeon's eye glows - and the ball of paper disintegrates instantly, with no actual sign of movement from the thing.
"Nope." Rebecca squeaks at Talia, "No we are not."
She doesn't move though until Avril glows with auroral light and - "Don't have to tell me twice-!" Though she does double take...
... was Avril different somehow?
She can think about that she guesses once she's far, far away from here.
DG: Rebecca Streisand has used her Tool Rebecca's Travel Diary toward her party's challenge, An Animated Arrival.
<Pose Tracker> Prissa has posed.
"It sucks on ice," Prissa complains to Talia. "But it is the average that matters. If you try to win every battle you may at times lose the war. And make no mistake, Blitzball is -"
'my brother'
Prissa blinks, and glances over to Rebecca and Lydia as if to ask with her eyes: Is that some kind of outlander metaphor?
No. "Huh," Prissa says as Talia starts moving forwards. "I thought she was not from Spira -" And then there is a shriek and the descent of the Garuda.
By the time Prissa is on her feet again, time has decelerated. She exhales with force at what Rebecca says, and with visible distaste, says, "We have things to worry about that are slightly more important than blitz this moment." She flicks open a pouch, digs out a handful of throwing dirks, takes aim --
And a mystery is revealed, because NOW -- Now, Lydia and everyone can see that her weighted throwing dirks aren't just for show. They are *fan merchandise* for the Psyches. Even down to the colored threads in the handle loops!
Then Anima appears.
"What in the hells," Prissa says. To Talia, she says, with audible and uncharacteristic uncertainty, "That - thing - I do not think should we fight, no - come on!"
DG: Prissa has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, An Animated Arrival.
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
Lydia Seren says, "Oh I wanted to ask you, Rebecca--"
VANYA! and. FIENDS!
Lydia pauses a moment and, barely lowering her voice, finishes what she was going to ask anyway. "--Do you 'Like' Avril? Like, 'Like like'? I was gonna wait until I caught you in person but every time we meet up something tries to kill us so--"
She then grimaces faintly as Talia mentions her brother. "Oh Talia. I should mention. I totally met your brother. We got along great so you have absolutely nothing to worry about there and we definitely didn't yell at each other too much. It's all good." She grins cheekily at Talia before giving her a big thumbsup. "No harm no foul, right? All good."
She looks at Ivan's glower, then back to Talia.
"I think he's in a good mood."
Then she looks up at the Aeon in the air and she says, "Sweet! A Guardian! I haven't heard of this one before... hold on..."
She places a cat (where did that come from?) on Ivan's head (once he gets near enough) and draws out a silver medium.
"RIGDOBRITE!" Lydia shouts.
And into the air, a giant asteroid shrimp thing ripples into space and hovers above the arena as well.
It doesn't attack anything. It just looks at Anima and bobs in the air a bit as if saying hi.
"Yeah we cool." Lydia baps herself in the chest a few times with her fist.
DG: Lydia Seren has used her Tool Schrodinger the Cat toward her party's challenge, An Animated Arrival.
<Pose Tracker> Ivan has posed.
"Nope! Not him!! You mixed me up with someone else!" Ivan calls back. But he overhears Lydia's asides, and turns back sharply to accuse her, "And you're a liar!"
Which is perhaps an odd choice of a thing to say immediately after lying.
What may have been the start of a promising exchange of petty name calling is cut tragically short when a monstrous bird swoops down and is quickly felled by an even more monstrous... horrifying bound figure wielding terrible magic.
And in response, Talia smashes an hourglass that seems to slow time itself around them. Ivan boggles at the feat in spite of himself.
"That was amazing--how did you do that?!"
The others in the group take the time Talia bought to make their own assessments of the situation -- whether clever, or seemingly mystical -- and then Lydia chooses to put a cat on his head.
Vanya freaks out as much as is reasonably possible to do without flinging the cat into the stands (although surely it would land on its feet?) and tries to hand it back to her, even as she's summoning some bizarre... thing, to do... nothing?!
Once that confusing bit of nonsense has passed, he sizes up the monstrosity, the poor decisions he is making visibly taking shape on his face in the form of a reckless smile.
"Well, I'm willing to try to take it down! I'll cover your escape, though, whatever!"
He sweeps out a hand, and a haze of smoke begins to arise. Perhaps in a few more moments he'll have some wiser second thoughts...
<Pose Tracker> Rebecca Streisand has posed.
Rebecca is caught flat-footed by Lydia asking that- "I - what - do I 'like' her - or 'like like' her!?" Rebecca gets caught up in panic, all red-faced and tongue-tied.
Before she blurts out, "Canwetalkaboutthislaterwhenthisthingisnttryingtokillus!?"
DG: Ivan has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward his party's challenge, An Animated Arrival.
=========================<* Fiend Assault on Luca *>========================== ====================<* CHALLENGE - An Animated Arrival *>===================== |Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 3 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- It begins suddenly. The air about the people here is energized and excited. The match between the Besaid Aurochs (astoundingly) and the Luca Goers is underway, in the huge sphere of water that acts as the court. Barkers in the stands offered shrimp tempura on sticks, while people supporting both teams cheer loudly. At first, one might not notice when the fiends appear. The first shriek of a bird blends into the crowds... until a swirl of pyreflies coalesces into a huge, swooping fiend. A Garuda -- a bird with massive wings and a terrible maw, rather than a beak -- swoops down from the sky. It slams down into the space across the stadium... but there is soon something larger at work. A chain smashes down from a glowing, black portal -- and pulls forth a bound, tall creature. Wrapped in bandages, vaguely fish-like, Anima rises from the ground and lets out a most piercing shriek. A gout of flame from this new creature, towering nearly over the stadium and with green eyes aglow behind stained bandages. It turns, screaming down at the fiends and those present. "Maester Seymour's Aeon!" a voice from the crowd cries. Hopefully, you have not thought to attack it -- for it may well direct its wrath on you if so -- and with a furious, unearthly blast of light that will sear into your bones. Flight would be wise. =Dungeon Conditions: Suffer, Exhaust, Reckless================================
====================<* Fiend Assault on Luca - Round 1 *>===================== ======================< Results - An Animated Arrival >======================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Rebecca Streisand 0 --(15)--> 15 Pass Rebecca's Travel Diary 2 Wits Effects: Enlighten ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lydia Seren 0 --(15)--> 15 Pass Schrodinger the Cat 2 Wits Effects: Enlighten ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Talia 0 --(30)--> 30 Fail Golden Hourglass 1 Wits Effects: Cleanse ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ivan 0 --(30)--> 30 Fail Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Prissa 0 --(30)--> 30 Fail Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Avril Vent Fleur 0 --(30)--> 30 Fail Mirror of De Soto 1 Wits Effects: Cleanse ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Talia 0 --(10)--> 10 Fail Conditions: Exhaust(1)|Reckless(2)|Suffer(1) Effects: Cleanse|Enlighten(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Talia has failed this challenge! The party gained 10 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
<Pose Tracker> Talia has posed.
Talia blinks at Ivan, and then her expression screws up: "That is ridiculous! You are ridiculous, no!?" she yells. There is a moment more, a look like she is about to yell at him more -- before she looks sideways at Lydia. She stares at her for a moment, for a second, and then looks back at Ivan.
She rubs a hand over her head. "That is--it is not the time! I will explain about the hourglass later, we need to move!" She glances sideways at Prissa. Her eyes widen, before she nods.
And Avril affirms it, along with Rebecca (and an embarrassed reaction that she is definitely filing away for later).
Smoke rises up. Anima's sunken, glowing green eyes shift from Rigdobrite to Ivan's smoke. Then those eyes flare -- and time resumes normal flow, and a blast of fire slams into the lot of them. Ivan is pitched back into Prissa; Rebecca is hurled into Avril; Lydia smashes into Talia, and the three fly through a hole in the stadium...
...and down to the street below...
DG: Avril Vent Fleur has drawn a new Challenge.
==========================<* Fiend Assault on Luca *>=========================== ========================<* CHALLENGE - Sahuagin Swarm *>======================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- The fish-like, scaled humanoid fiends known as Sahuagin are not individually dangerous. Their claws are sharp and fangs capable of biting; they can also summon water spells at a whim, crashing down gouts of water on someone's head. The danger, really, is in the numbers. As you run through Luca's streets, whether to escape or help, there are several gutteral screeches -- and then no less than a dozen Sahuagin leap down into your midst, slashing with claws and screeching all the while! =Dungeon Conditions: Weaken, Fright, Tire=====================================
<Pose Tracker> Avril Vent Fleur has posed.
Avril's expression eases somewhat. "Yes, of course. I do not intend on worrying about it, merely..."
It's just strange. Like attempting to put your finger on something that constantly eludes out, that continuously slides out of immediate reach.
She shakes her head. "If something would come of it, I would welcome it. Yet, it is as you say: I shall continue to make memories anew." And she smiles at her friend.
This transpires before everything goes south.
She turns, as if attempting to discover the best route of escape. But Anima's eye shines bright and--
Avril doesn't even have time to cry out. Thrown back -- and out of the stadium proper -- she falls into a heap with Rebecca and the others outside. The mirror falls with a clatter at her side; her glow fades.
She picks it up as she rises to flee, joining the rush of people racing through the streets.
"...?"
Avril's pace slows to a stop. "Something isn't... right," she utters, gazing ahead at the crowd. "I feel the presence of--"
A scream rings out soon after. The crowd ahead scatters as best they're able, in a tight section of the city like this one. But it seems escape is a difficult thing to attempt in a place like this, as the fishlike Fiends set upon the entrapped throng. "--They mustn't--" Avril starts to say. She breaks into a run.
She draws from beneath her wrap a single strange object -- part swordhilt, part section of a pistol. Even as she runs, she twists her wrist; from the device there sprouts a singular perfect blade. This, she drives into the first of the Fiends she meets with a fencer's finesse.
DG: Avril Vent Fleur has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Sahuagin Swarm.
<Pose Tracker> Rebecca Streisand has posed.
"Talia!?" Rebecca cries as she's hurled into Avril to impact her heavily. "Oh-! Your mirror!" She was about to help her pick it back up - glad that it didn't break.
Rebecca may have an ominous feeling when Avril says that something isn't right.
Now however, as she sees fiends advancing on the mob, she is glad to have an excuse to get far far away from that conversation about how she feels about her. "They won't!"
Rebecca promises, before she grasps her Medium.
"Because I'm going to make the Earth move for you-"
Rebecca had said it casually, but it causes her thoughts to go right back to Lydia's question, and now she's all red again.
Even as power rises up, and the stone rumbles as it surges out from the Ley point she's standing on, to blast into the Sahaugin with a mass of rocks that tries to smash them away from the crowd - and straight into Avril's assault.
That kind of banter is the kind of thing she says by reflex in a fight.
So she hopes noone thinks anything of it.
DG: Rebecca Streisand has used her Tool Sky Medium toward her party's challenge, Sahuagin Swarm.
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
"Yeah I am pretty much the princess of lies." Lydia agrees which is another lie, taking the cat back and putting it back on HER head. Rigdobrite continues to just like hang out. Is it supposed to fight monsters or just chill there? It seems Lydia just summoned Rigdobrite to show off to someone else's cool summon rather than to actually try to fight a Guardian she's not a dummy!
"She just froze time. Cecilia does it all the time. Except she rewinds it," Lydia tells Ivan as if it's no big deal (it is pretty cool though, she thinks to herself).
"Well, I mean, something's always trying to kill us, Rebecca." Lydia says reasonably. "I mean, I've been trying to catch you since before we fought 'Mother', you know? Like, I gotta ask eventually. I'm not as patient as Schtudark or whatever." She suspects that's the patient Guardian.
She is slammed by a blast of fire and crashes into Talia and they go flying into the street below together in a hilarious tableau but probably not hilarious for the people experiencing it.
Lydia rolls up to her feet surprisingly quickly, hand on her face. "Oof..."
She looks towards Ivan. "Am I hurt? How's it look?" She lowers her hand and--
--uh, half her face's skin has been ripped free showing silver metal underneath in a shape reminiscent of a half skull. "I think I got better at dealing with fire but..."
Her eye focuses like a camera lens on the fellow assassin for a moment.
Schrodinger paws Lydia's face shortly after, somehow completely unharmed through all this.
She looks over to Rebecca as she talks about making the Earth move for someone.
She raises an index finger into the air and opens her mouth to say something.
Rigdobrite, from the stadium, sends a laser blast crashing down on some of the Sahagin. Lydia doesn't lower her finger but at least it drowns out what she said.
But then she says, "You'll make the earth move for...who?"
<Pose Tracker> Rebecca Streisand has posed.
Rebecca makes a little noise.
"The... fiends...?" Rebecca answers helplessly shortly after.
<Pose Tracker> Talia has posed.
"We need to unpack this later," Talia opines.
<Pose Tracker> Prissa has posed.
Prissa raises her voice to shout at Ivan. "Do not call my friend a liar, monkey boy!" Who taught her that insult?
PRISSA'S FAMILY - FEATURING PRISSA, AGE 3
Prissa's father throws a spanner at Prissa's uncle as Young Prissa looks up from a wood-carved piece of machina, which she had had in her mouth.
What does Prissa's father call Prissa's uncle?
That's right:
HERE, NOW, FEATURING PRISSA AGE ~20
They press forwards. Ahead of them are fiends. "This is not usual," Prissa tells Lydia. "Unless someone is pulling some foolishness this may mean that--" A sahaguin interrupts her with a HISS!!! and Prissa grimaces at the wounding of Lydia. But the cat is there.
Prissa hurls a handful of those throwing dirks at the creatures. She reaches for another handful as she calls to Talia, "Your brother is stupid! Do not fight Aeons! Especially not that one!"
DG: Prissa has used her Tool A Disturbingly Large Quantity of Knives toward her party's challenge, Sahuagin Swarm.
<Pose Tracker> Avril Vent Fleur has posed.
Another, different Avril might have narrowed her eyes at such a remark.
And another Avril still might have giggled.
This Avril, though, is -- mercifully, for Rebecca -- in the midst of grappling with a number of the fishy Fiends, and has not caught the comment.
Pray that Lydia doesn't tell her later.
<Pose Tracker> Ivan has posed.
Ivan seems to be winding up gamely to summon some sort of counterspell at the Aeon, but the Aeon's blast is too swift and final, and the next thing he knows, he is flying through the air and colliding with one of Talia's as-yet-unidentified friends (the one who called him a monkey!!), and then falling down to the street below. Ouch. He rolls to one side, and springs to his feet.
"It just got a lucky shot in!" he says to Prissa.
Everyone around them is running and screaming. The monster invasion is this widespread?
And then, Lydia is asking how she is doing -- wait, no, asking him how she is doing? HALF OF LYDIA'S FACE CAME OFF AND THERE'S METAL UNDERNEATH?
"Wha-...? Wha-??? We don't have time for this!!" Vanya forcefully compartmentalizes that particular bit of confusion and horror to deal with the situation at hand.
And then he sees the form of their enemy...fish.
"Althena herself is mocking me," Ivan whispers.
But if his destiny is to fight fish, so be it. A light springs to life in the ring on his left finger, and flares out, before coalescing into a short sword. He rushes forward and cuts a swath through monster fish, spinning and dicing enemies at all sides. Can you eat these? Probably not, they are exploding into floating lights.
DG: Ivan has used his Tool Memory toward his party's challenge, Sahuagin Swarm.
==========================<* Fiend Assault on Luca *>=========================== ========================<* CHALLENGE - Sahuagin Swarm *>======================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- The fish-like, scaled humanoid fiends known as Sahuagin are not individually dangerous. Their claws are sharp and fangs capable of biting; they can also summon water spells at a whim, crashing down gouts of water on someone's head. The danger, really, is in the numbers. As you run through Luca's streets, whether to escape or help, there are several gutteral screeches -- and then no less than a dozen Sahuagin leap down into your midst, slashing with claws and screeching all the while! =Dungeon Conditions: Weaken, Fright, Tire=====================================
<Pose Tracker> Talia has posed.
Talia goes flying through the air. She manages to do a turn in the air, to get her feet under her, and then lands in a three-point stance. Her breath catches; her eyes shift to Rebecca, and then she nods. "This--ah--this is my brother, Ivan. As Prissa said, at times he is hot-headed and does things that are foolish and also we are--" she says to Rebecca and Avril; for their benefit, really. "He--"
She starts to explain more. Avril, however, distracts her to focus: 'Something isn't... right.' Talia looks up, eyes darting -- and she sidesteps from one of the rushing crowd, in time to spot the Sahuagin coming at them. Talia frowns, before realizing they are clustered. Then, slowly, she begins to smile.
She reaches to her belt. She flips open a leather pouch, and withdraws a small, round, black orb. It is a bomb: it has a small fuse, but it is curiously set inside of a green, leafy portion atop the bomb. She tosses it, once, and then pulls her arm back.
She takes note of where her brother is, first. This almost feels normal. Until it doesn't.
"Queen Anastasia sends her regards, fish-men!" Talia bellows, and then she throws the bomb. The fuse lights of its own accord, perhaps with the Queen's blessing. The bomb arcs up high, rising over the heads of Sahuagin; of energy blasts from Rigdobrite; of magically-hurled stone.
And then the bomb flower comes down, and explodes in a mighty blast of fire, smoke, and (thank Amaranth for this one) flashing purple and gold sparks of light, which finally rise to form the letters:
KA-BOOM! <3
DG: Talia has used her Tool Royal Bomb toward her party's challenge, Sahuagin Swarm. DG: Lydia Seren has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Sahuagin Swarm.
==========================<* Fiend Assault on Luca *>=========================== ========================<* CHALLENGE - Sahuagin Swarm *>======================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- The fish-like, scaled humanoid fiends known as Sahuagin are not individually dangerous. Their claws are sharp and fangs capable of biting; they can also summon water spells at a whim, crashing down gouts of water on someone's head. The danger, really, is in the numbers. As you run through Luca's streets, whether to escape or help, there are several gutteral screeches -- and then no less than a dozen Sahuagin leap down into your midst, slashing with claws and screeching all the while! =Dungeon Conditions: Weaken, Fright, Tire=====================================
=====================<* Fiend Assault on Luca - Round 2 *>====================== ==========================< Results - Sahuagin Swarm >========================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rebecca Streisand 15 --(3)--> 18 Pass Sky Medium 2 Combat Effects: Embolden -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lydia Seren 15 --(3)--> 18 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Talia 30 --(3)--> 33 Pass Royal Bomb 3 Combat Effects: Rally -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ivan 30 --(3)--> 33 Pass Memory 3 Combat Effects: Fanfare -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Prissa 30 --(3)--> 33 Pass A Disturbingly Large Quantity of Kn 2 Combat Effects: Embolden -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Avril Vent Fleur 30 --(3)--> 33 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Talia 10 --(20)--> 30 Pass Conditions: Fright(2)|Reckless(1)|Tire(2)|Weaken(2) Effects: Embolden(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Talia has passed this challenge! The party gained 20 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
<Pose Tracker> Avril Vent Fleur has posed.
"It is fine," Avril states, as Rebecca moves to help her with the mirror. "I made it to not so easily break."
Well, that might answer a thing or two about that mirror's provenance... and raise about ten questions more.
"Are you alright, Lydia?"
It's possible she regards Lydia for a moment or twelve, critically. Concernedly. "I can heal you if you would like."
But there is too Ivan -- and this is, unfortunately, nothing new where Lydia's... biology is concerned. Other than a spell, there is little Avril can offer here. "This is your brother?"
Avril gives Ivan a good ten seconds-long gaze, studying him, perhaps, critically.
"I see the resemblance," she says at last, as they take a moment to breath here in the city under attack.
"Perhaps we might talk once we escape, however." She is pragmatic, if in her own particular way...
But first, the crowd under attack by the Sahaugin Fiends takes priority.
Avril is soon joined by Ivan, as they take the fight to crowd directly while Lydia and Rebecca join the attack with spells of earth and light alike. Into the gaps, there come a flurry of daggers.
And then, finally--
An explosion that promises to dazzle with fabulosity. The few stragglers are felled, dispersing into Pyreflies.
Once the crowd is seen to -- they're shaken but not hurt -- it is at last possible to continue on their own way out through the city.
DG: Lydia Seren has drawn a new Challenge.
=========================<* Fiend Assault on Luca *>========================== ============<* CHALLENGE - When Chocobo Knights Need Direction *>============= |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- As you turn down the next street, escaping the fiends behind you, you find yourself face-to-face with local cavalry. A trio of armored knights (though their mail may be made of shell, rather than steel) comes riding up on the famous, gold-feathered bird mounts of Spira: chocobos. The trio of Chocobo Knights stop before you. The woman in the lead looks down. "Hail! I am Lucil, and we are the Chocobo Knights of the Crusaders! We ride to Luca's aid." She frowns, for a moment, glancing back, and then a nervous young knight rides forward on his mount. "I, um, I'm Clasko," the round-faced young man says. "At the next junction, should we go left or right? We're trying to tke the fight to the fiends." =Dungeon Conditions: Reckless, Hesitate, Tire=================================
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
"Oh I'm good," Lydia says. "It'll be back to normal in a jiffy." Lydia tells Avril, smiling at her. "Hey when this is all done I should talk to you too--" WHY DOES AVRIL GET TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION MINUS FIENDS/THE PARTY? Well it's because Lydia kind of doesn't want to have that conversation despite asking for it also several months ago.
"I mean," Lydia is saying. "It's not a big deal if you do." She tells Rebecca. "It's totally cool. And I mean, I get it, she's really ice and very cool and super chill. It's also cool if you don't. I'm just saying--"
They turn down the next street, a trio of Chocobo Knights coming to a stop before the group.
"Miss, are you okay?" One asks Lydia.
Lydia places the cat over half her face. They hang off Lydia's head with its hind lags, flopping right into that face.
"Yeah I'm okay." She says.
"Interesting piece of headwear..."
"I need my hands. For helping civilians and innocent people." Lydia says.
"Right. Ahem! Hail! I am Lucil, and we are the Chocobo Knights of the Crusadesr! We ride to Luca's aid!" The knight says.
A round faced man on the other chocobo says, "I, um, I'm Clasko. At the next junction, should we go left or right? We're trying to head towards the fiends."
"Hey that's cool I've got a question for you too." Lydia says. "Do you think we should be honest about our--"
"Meow." Schrodinger says.
"Oh--yes. I mean. Do you believe Althena is mocking Ivan?"
"MEOW." Schrodinger says, more loudly.
"Oh--Right, right--" Lydia begins.
"Right? Very well! We shall go right!"
"No I meant--" Lydia begins.
DG: Lydia Seren has used her Tool Schrodinger the Cat toward her party's challenge, When Chocobo Knights Need Direction.
<Pose Tracker> Talia has posed.
"Don't be so melodramatic!" Talia complains at Ivan. "They are fish-men. Terrible, no? But a bomb handled them well," she says. She glances sideways at Lydia -- and her eyebrows lift at that, and she starts to say more. However, the three chocobo knights have approached, and this presents an opportunity.
Talia sizes them up. They seem nice enough. Good armor, too; she thinks that looks tough. And they appear to have distracted Lydia, which means--
She grabs Rebecca by the wrist, yanks her a little over, and shatters another hourglass between her fingers. "There!" she says. "Now time is slowed down--or sped up? It is not important. It means we can talk!"
Talia beams at Rebecca. "You and Avril!? That is so cute! Have you asked her out? I can help you ask her out! I have a girlfriend, you know? She helped me with the bombs and--" A beat. "You aren't going to strangle me, no?"
DG: Talia has used her Tool Golden Hourglass toward her party's challenge, When Chocobo Knights Need Direction.
<Pose Tracker> Ivan has posed.
Ivan is faintly offended at the dazzling spectacle of Talia's bomb. Explosions are supposed to be his specialty! AND HOW DOES IT HAVE WORDS. "What queen did you meet that gave you a flower bomb, Talia?!" he demands.
Once the monsters have been dealt with in the immediate area, there is a little more time for other kinds of processing.
"Are you aware that there's metal under your face?" Ivan whispers sharply to Lydia.
He has heard of prosthetic limbs, but a prosthetic head is another thing altogether.
When the chocobo knights approach and request directions, Ivan looks back over his shoulder; he hadn't even noticed the fork. There's no obvious sign of fiends in either direction, so.... He turns back to the knights.
"Both," he suggests stridently.
The fiends are everywhere; can you really go wrong?
...also, what is blurry hyperspeed Talia doing over there...?
DG: Ivan has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward his party's challenge, When Chocobo Knights Need Direction.
<Pose Tracker> Talia has posed.
Inside the bubble, Talia hears:
'WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT QUUUUUUUUUUEEEEEEEN DIIIIIID YOOOOOOOU...'
She holds a finger up, pokes her head outside of the bubble of time-space nonsense, and calls to Ivan: "Queen Anastasia, the Bomb Flower, who is beautiful and perfect!"
She ducks her head back into the bubble and awaits Rebecca's reply.
<Pose Tracker> Prissa has posed.
Prissa looks at Ivan as Talia clarifies that that is, in fact, her brother. Her head tilts left, then right, and she then works her jaw a little after the royal detonation. After this, she looks forwards -
At the chocobo knights.
Prissa, who has what everyone probably now recognizes as a substantial Al Bhed accent, half-steps behind Lydia and sinks her legs a little as if to disappear from the view of the Crusaders.
DG: Prissa has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, When Chocobo Knights Need Direction.
<Pose Tracker> Avril Vent Fleur has posed.
"Yes," Avril says, for the moment grim as Lydia asks her question. "I suppose we must."
The blade vanishes once Avril is finished; she returns the device back beneath her wrap. At a glance she is an incongruous figure for one engaging in melee combat with the others. But...
"...Ah?"
Her gaze lifts... and lifts, at the sight of the Chocobo Knights. She then cranes her head to one side.
"I wonder... if Riesenlied has seen such birds before," she muses, before turning her attention properly on the mounted warriors before her.
"Which way...? Hmm."
Which way was the most fiendladen? Perhaps, the stadium, from whence they game. But -- no, no, she cannot say that is a sure answer. That creature within might serve well enough against the Fiends. But, what if more of those fishfolk returned?
Oblivious to the bubbled conversation taking place behind, Avril produces once again her mirror, and turns her attentions into its depths. There was something...
She can almost feel that...
The mirror shines brilliantly, pouring a banner of color from within it.
"...The left," she says, getting a proper bead on that impulse she feels.
DG: Avril Vent Fleur has used her Tool Mirror of De Soto toward her party's challenge, When Chocobo Knights Need Direction.
<Pose Tracker> Rebecca Streisand has posed.
"Um... well. Guess we've got a bit of a family reunion going on here..." Rebecca asides to Ivan, even as he asserts there's no time to deal with this. Rebecca gives Talia a sympathetic look.
And then the Chocobo Knights roll up and Rebecca is just trying to dodge Lydia's question, hiding her face.
Which is when Talia literally yanks Rebecca into a time bubble and Rebecca gapes like a fish -
"I- what- the two of us - well... I mean I said- and she said-and-"
Rebecca stops for a moment for her mind to catch up and - "No-! Of course I'm not gonna strangle you! I wouldn't strangle Dean even if he read my diary! I'm just - all of you - we're in the middle of a fiend attack and your Brother is here and-"
Everyone is more concerned on what she thinks of Avril.
"I told her how I feel about Dean... and she said how she feels about us... and... I tried to say we're Love Rivals - and she said loves me - and I said - I love her. And..."
Rebecca holds up a finger, "I... don't know what that means yet! I don't know if she means 'loves' me or 'love loves' me and I don't know what exactly how I feel either other than I meant what I said-!"
Rebecca remembers writing about it after...
Rebecca holds up both her hands, "All I know is I like Avril. Everything about Avril. Even the things other people wouldn't like. Even the things - I can't see." She takes a deep - calming breath. "We'll figure out what it means together. If it means... dating... or... something else. I don't know!"
Putting her face in her hands, she squeaks, "Ohmigosh I can't believe I'm talking about this right now."
She quickly pops her head out of the bubble and says- "Left!"
Then pops back in, looking beet faced yet again, feeling like she wants to die.
DG: Rebecca Streisand has used her Tool Rebecca's Travel Diary toward her party's challenge, When Chocobo Knights Need Direction.
=========================<* Fiend Assault on Luca *>========================== ============<* CHALLENGE - When Chocobo Knights Need Direction *>============= |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- As you turn down the next street, escaping the fiends behind you, you find yourself face-to-face with local cavalry. A trio of armored knights (though their mail may be made of shell, rather than steel) comes riding up on the famous, gold-feathered bird mounts of Spira: chocobos. The trio of Chocobo Knights stop before you. The woman in the lead looks down. "Hail! I am Lucil, and we are the Chocobo Knights of the Crusaders! We ride to Luca's aid." She frowns, for a moment, glancing back, and then a nervous young knight rides forward on his mount. "I, um, I'm Clasko," the round-faced young man says. "At the next junction, should we go left or right? We're trying to tke the fight to the fiends." =Dungeon Conditions: Reckless, Hesitate, Tire=================================
====================<* Fiend Assault on Luca - Round 3 *>===================== ==============< Results - When Chocobo Knights Need Direction >=============== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Rebecca Streisand 18 --(0)--> 18 Pass Rebecca's Travel Diary 2 Wits Effects: Enlighten ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lydia Seren 18 --(0)--> 18 Pass Schrodinger the Cat 2 Wits Effects: Enlighten ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Talia 33 --(5)--> 38 Fail Golden Hourglass 1 Wits Effects: Cleanse ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ivan 33 --(5)--> 38 Fail Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Prissa 33 --(5)--> 38 Fail Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Avril Vent Fleur 33 --(0)--> 33 Pass Mirror of De Soto 1 Wits Effects: Cleanse ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Talia 30 --(20)--> 50 Pass Conditions: Fright(1)|Hesitate(2)|Reckless(2)|Tire(2)|Weaken(1) Effects: Cleanse|Enlighten(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Talia has passed this challenge! The party gained 20 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
<Pose Tracker> Talia has posed.
Talia blinks a couple of times, not quite expecting the outburst. Her expression evens out from a manic grin to a subdued, surprised look -- and then finally a smaller, warmer smile at odds with the playful liar's smile that was so common. She reaches a hand out, patting Rebecca gently on the shoulder. "I think I see," she says. "It is okay, no?"
She tilts her head. "There isn't one right way to do it! If you do want to puzzle it out, ah--let me know, no?" She glances at Ivan, and then shifts the hat -- Ragnell's hat -- held on her back, by a cord of letter.
"...I could use something else to put my mind on right now," she admits. "I am happy for you, though. Even if you don't know... it is a good thing, no?"
The Golden Hourglass's comes down a second later. Talia blinks, then waves cluelessly at Clasko.
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
"Yeah," Lydia whispers to Ivan. "I told you about this before, I'm like 95 percent robot."
The Crusaders listen to the group for a while and then eventually settle on Left, because people are saying that a little more than right and there's three of them so 'both' isn't a great option. Hopefully this results in...something positive. It's honestly hard to tell.
"I bet she totally has the hots for her." She says to Ivan. "Because that's what happens. I crush a little on someone and then they get a girlfriend. It was pretty hurtful at first but then I decided to look at it like a scientist and that helped a lot. For example, first it was Virginia who fell for Maya, then there's Claude and I'm pretty sure he's with that blue haired elf lady who beats him up all the time."
Why is she telling Ivan about her failings at love anyway?
"Anyway, I forgot about Shane because I haven't seen him in a while though I'm not sure how he identifies? Anyway, they were my first crush crush but he doesn't have a girlfriend or a boyfriend but honestly I'm having adventures all the time so maybe they're not really a good option anyway. Oh and then there was Kaguya, but she also got a girlfriend and that one took a while."
"Then," She just won't stop. "Then came your sister, but now she's dating a Seraph like I told you and how can I compete with an actual angel? Well, anyway, then there was--"
She peers at the time bubble.
She walks right up to it and stuffs her head in.
"HEY WHATCHA TWO TALKING ABOUT?" She asks.
DG: Prissa has drawn a new Challenge.
==========================<* Fiend Assault on Luca *>=========================== ======================<* CHALLENGE - Sahuagin Launcher *>======================= |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- Fiends are not without their intelligence, though it is animalistic at best. As you make your way out of the blitzball stadium and into the streets, you find evidence of this. Some of the small, fish-scaled, humanoid fiends known as Sahuagin have taken to the ramparts of the stadium, and are using huge Luca Goers banners as... ...catapults? With an inhuman, fish-y screech, a trio are launching their fellows down. One smashes into a cart before you, its body exploding into pyreflies, but reducing the cart to so much kindling. The next few launched Sahuagin, however, have better aim -- and are hurtled right down at you! =Dungeon Conditions: Injure, Hesitate, Wound==================================
<Pose Tracker> Prissa has posed.
Prissa slides out from directly behind Lydia once the Crusaders have moved along. She breathes out, and proceeds forwards.
"You know," Prissa says, "it is funny you say 'Brother' because I know a man who is named that. I mean, it is just kind of a funny word, to us, right? And that guy, hah, wow, I guess you will probably not have the chance to meet him --"
Prissa was gossiping to get the topic off of people's affairs of the heart and/or siblingdom because Prissa has exactly one sister who, thank the heavens, was not here, and has not seemed very romantically oriented in general (Unless you're a sword). This happens as they emerge outside of the vomitorium (actual term, look it up) and into the overlooking path of one of the streets of Luca just in time to see -
FWAM! A fiend hits a cart, bursting into Pyreflies.
"... huh," Prissa says. "Heh heh! Someone must be fighting back!"
"WARRRRRRGLHRLHRLRHLHB!"
Prissa looks upwards.
A Sahaguin leans over the level up, near the Goers banners, and sees Prissa looking. It raises one horrid hand and waves hello. Then two of its kin sweep it up in a banner, one of them twists it around like a sling, and SWINGS -
WHAM!! A near miss, right in front of the ramp downwards.
"Agh!" Prissa says. Then, "Screw this." She reaches into her other hip pocket, which Lydia might have assumed she was using to smuggle in pistachios. And Lydia was right, but it also had a javelin with a rope on the end. She hands the rope coil to someone, says, "Don't hold tight," and then hurls it forwards at a nearby building.
Another Sahaguin bombards near them. Prissa steps up on the railing. "Time to swing," she says, "like the legendary hard-luck Blitzer, eh? You guys don't know that one, do you."
DG: Prissa has used her Tool Zipline Javelin toward her party's challenge, Sahuagin Launcher.
<Pose Tracker> Ivan has posed.
"I thought it was obvious from the way that I completely ignored you that I don't know what the word robot means!" Ivan snaps back at Lydia. "Who has the hots for who? Why do you keep telling me-- that's a lot of people, I don't know any of them and I don't know what to do with that information anyw-- wait, Kaguya? I do know that one! --what, you had a crush on my sister?! I thought her girlfriend was invisible, not an angel--..."
Trying to follow Lydia's threads of conversation makes him feel winded, like he's surrounded on all sides fighting a hundred enemies, except they're words.
The group continues on, traveling back into the heat of battle... and it's fish again. Fish launching themselves from above like weapons of war. This time he won't complain aloud. It's obvious the Goddess has no mercy to spare him.
Ivan's ring--and weapon--give another flare, and his sword transforms into a whip, which he cracks toward the nearest railing, catching and using it to climb out of the immediate strike zone.
DG: Ivan has used his Tool Whip toward his party's challenge, Sahuagin Launcher.
<Pose Tracker> Avril Vent Fleur has posed.
Romance is...
...a difficult question for someone like Avril, in the end. She watches on in mild interest, perhaps considering what Lydia has to say to Ivan. And Ivan's reaction.
...No one ever said she was without sin. She's quite the accomplished eavesdropper.
(even if she is standing literally right there)
Love is a difficult thing to attain?
Perhaps that helps underscore what Rebecca had said to her, before...
With that in mind, and leaving the Chocobo Knights behind, Avril, with the others, advances along the streets.
"Wait," she cautions...
Just milliseconds before a something hits the ground to one side. Pyreflies float up into the air. "Was that a Fiend? I hadn't seen--"
Another 'something' hits the ground. Avril's gaze slowly shifts upwards.
"Oh," she says.
"That could be a problem. Here..."
And this time she draws out...
Well, it's an approximately octagonal shaped item, all metal and engraved with alien designs. "Lucadia... please--" she intones.
The odd-shaped thing begins to shine, perhaps with the Sea Guardian's benediction.
DG: Avril Vent Fleur has used her Tool Sea Medium toward her party's challenge, Sahuagin Launcher.
<Pose Tracker> Rebecca Streisand has posed.
Rebecca kinda nods blankly at Talia. Then again. And when she asks if it's a good thing... Rebecca takes a moment, before she smiles and answers, "... it is."
"It's the most wonde-" And then Lydia sticks her head into the time bubble, "LYDIE!"
The bubble thankfully collapses soon after and Rebecca retreats with her head in her hands.
It takes her a while to breathe again, trying her best to smile as she gives Avril this little wave, and Rebecca mentally kicks herself over it.
The Chocobo Knights rush past her and-
Then Sahuaguins are being launched at them using the banners as catapults.
Rebecca simply stares at this event, before drawing her one of her ARMs. And grinning as she invokes Lucadia. She has this silly grin as she gestures at her like 'watch this.'
"Oh no - what's a slow and defenseless girl like me gonna do at a time like this. Why - if a fiend were to launch itself right at me I'd be totally help-"
WARRRGLHRLHRLHLHB!
Rebecca sidesteps and points the portal gun at the ground
"-less." Pressing the trigger as a portal appears in the pavement. She then points it up in the stands behind another Sahuagin, and presses the trigger to sharpshoot another positioned behind it
If she gets this right - then it'll definitely go through one portal - before ramming into the Sahuagin launching the others.
"You know Lydie I still can't believe you were willing to give these up..."
As she's learning, they have all sorts of entertainment value.
DG: Rebecca Streisand has used her Tool Portal Guns toward her party's challenge, Sahuagin Launcher.
<Pose Tracker> Talia has posed.
'It's the most wonde--' Talia starts laughing when Lydia sticks her head in the bubble -- and it vanishes away, the hourglass's effect dispelled. She giggles into her hand, glances at Lydia, and shrugs. "It is something to discuss later!"
She keeps walking; as she does, her eyes are briefly on her brother and Lydia as they speak.
"Vanya!" Talia calls out to Ivan. "You should not be mean to Lydia, no? She is a good friend!" Her voice wavers a little at the end of those words; trying to pretend everything is fine, that she will carry on and convince him to come with them, actually proves harder. He could decide to do more than sna at Lydia. Or any of them.
Her expression is more sober, with the thought.
She slows, though; Prissa's warning is apt, as a Fiend smashes into pyreflies on the ground. Her eyes widen a little, before she reaches to her side. Mirage is drawn, its blade whorled and strange, and she throws it -- and it slams into a cart down the street. A Sahuagin smashes down at where she was, but her body bursts apart into strands of shadowed darkness.
She reforms, hand clutching the hilt of her short sword.
DG: Talia has used her Tool Mirage toward her party's challenge, Sahuagin Launcher.
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
"Uhh it's clearly something everybody's ok with discussing right now." Lydia tells Talia. Despite Vanya being quite capable, probably, of doing something horrible to her it's...not like she knows his capabilities, really, beyond assuming that he and Talia probably share some talents. "What's the most 'wonderful'? Is it Avril? I must know for science." She may not have realized she essentially told Ivan that Rebecca has also been crushed on. Lydia crushes on people easily. She gets lonely sometimes and there are many, many incredible people.
When the bubble is dispelled she goes back to bothering Ivan, obviously, drawing out her skates and gabbing at him.
"Robots are like tiny machines. Or big machines. Like...I know you guys have machines. Except they're, like, thinking machines. With tiny little machine brains. Probably. I mean, I think that's how they work."
"Anyway, angels are invisible--keep up--" She huffs. "And it's not 'had' a crush on your sister, I'm still totally not over her--!"
She trails off as the fish start falling. Skate wheels pop out from under her feet and she skates forward quickly, several fish men splatting behind her before she leaps up and starts using falling fishmen as platforms before coming down near Rebecca.
"Yeah," She says. "Can't imagine why I'd give them up." dryly.
Her cheeks silver faintly at being defended by not one but two friends and she looks over to Prissa.
"What do you call brothers if Brother is also a name? And is he a brother? Or just Brother? Or is it like 'Ohhh Brother'..?"
She looks back down in mild frustration about, you know, the continued mess her (lack of) love life is. "It's because my face rips off isn't it?" She murmurs. "No, Lydia. Everybody's face rips off with enough tactile force. That can't be it."
DG: Lydia Seren has used her Tool Radical Skates toward her party's challenge, Sahuagin Launcher.
==========================<* Fiend Assault on Luca *>=========================== ======================<* CHALLENGE - Sahuagin Launcher *>======================= |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- Fiends are not without their intelligence, though it is animalistic at best. As you make your way out of the blitzball stadium and into the streets, you find evidence of this. Some of the small, fish-scaled, humanoid fiends known as Sahuagin have taken to the ramparts of the stadium, and are using huge Luca Goers banners as... ...catapults? With an inhuman, fish-y screech, a trio are launching their fellows down. One smashes into a cart before you, its body exploding into pyreflies, but reducing the cart to so much kindling. The next few launched Sahuagin, however, have better aim -- and are hurtled right down at you! =Dungeon Conditions: Injure, Hesitate, Wound==================================
=====================<* Fiend Assault on Luca - Round 4 *>====================== ========================< Results - Sahuagin Launcher >========================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rebecca Streisand 18 --(0)--> 18 Pass Portal Guns 2 Agility Effects: Stalwart -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lydia Seren 18 --(0)--> 18 Pass Radical Skates 3 Agility Effects: Fanfare -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Talia 38 --(0)--> 38 Pass Mirage 3 Agility Effects: Fanfare -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ivan 38 --(0)--> 38 Pass Whip 2 Agility Effects: Quicken -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Prissa 38 --(0)--> 38 Pass Zipline Javelin 2 Agility Effects: Stalwart -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Avril Vent Fleur 33 --(0)--> 33 Pass Sea Medium 2 Agility Effects: Quicken -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Talia 50 --(20)--> 70 Pass Conditions: Hesitate(2)|Injure(2)|Reckless(1)|Wound(2) Effects: Quicken(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Talia has passed this challenge! The party gained 20 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
<Pose Tracker> Prissa has posed.
Prissa adjusts her rope a little as Ivan whips out a sword that sword sinto a whip. Prissa gives it a second look, tells him, "Nice machina," and then contemplates the swing she wants to do.
Lucadia is summoned... A sahaguin lands in the water... and is bounced back upwards. "WHARRRGGARBL," it says, as its follow up strikes it, producing a poof of pyreflies in midair. (A sahaguin scale falls down. Item get?)
Rebecca thinks with portals. Talia taliaports. Lydia gets out her skates and asks her a question. "Well, I would say for my sister Linna, "so cecdan Linna." Brother is "pnudran." But this guy, he has the NAME, like, the word? This Blitzer I spoke of, we called him the water spider because he would whip ass and go around the edge of the field, he had a name like that too, an outsider word for a name."
Prissa looks dead ahead. "Parker," she says, before kicking off and s w i n g i n g across the plaza...
Fydan cbetan
Fydan cbetan
Clunac dra kuym yht fehc dra sydlr
Ec ra synneat? Mecdah, vneaht
Ra cumt rec synneyka du y veaht
Muug uid -
Rana lusac Parker dra fydan-cbetan
"WAAAAHOOO" Prissa shouts, letting go once well clear of the stadium. "So there cannot be THAT many more of these, can there? Did one of you bring from Filgaia a magic jar that pours forth Garuda?"
A Garuda swoops overhead. Prissa frowns.
DG: Ivan has drawn a new Challenge.
==========================<* Fiend Assault on Luca *>=========================== ================<* CHALLENGE - Getting the Drop on a Garauda *>================= |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- Bridges are not uncommon in Luca. Because so much of the city is built behind massive stone seawalls, the city has to go up sometimes. You find yourself moving up a bridge now, which places you -- strangely enough -- /over/ one of those huge, swooping birds. A Garuda is careening down the street below you, swooping at level with it, to get people. And it is about to fly under the bridge. If you collapse the bridge -- or maybe some of the nearby facades or statues -- at the right time (and quickly!), you could crush the Garuda before it sweeps down onto innocents. =Dungeon Conditions: Weaken, Injure, Tire=====================================
<Pose Tracker> Ivan has posed.
Robots...are tiny machines? Lydia is made of tiny machines? But how can that be? What does that mean???
"She isn't my friend, she's your friend!" Ivan calls to Talia. "Aren't you going to scold her for trying to drown me in gossip?
The Garuda spotted by Prissa seems to merely be scoping out the area, trying to find out who looks the tastiest; soon after, it sweeps down, ducking beneath a nearby bridge.
Ivan's eyes shine as it dawns on him that a rare, magical event has finally come...a time for justified property destruction.
"I have an amazing idea! Join me or don't! I don't care!" He dashes off toward the bridge, where the Garuda can be seen swooping over the water below before it takes another pass at fleeing townsfolk
Another flash transforms his sword into a great warhammer -- taller than he is -- that he swings down onto the stone of the bridge with a great CRACK. He trusts his reflexes enough to feel like he can get away from the impact zone if it starts to crumble here and now.
DG: Ivan has used his Tool Warhammer toward his party's challenge, Getting the Drop on a Garauda.
<Pose Tracker> Talia has posed.
"I definitely did not bring a jar that summons birds," Talia says to Prissa. "This thing you describe, it is not real, no? It had better not be."
Then she gives a look to Ivan -- and she opens her mouth, then closes it. She isn't going to scold Lydia for engaging in gossip; she certainly isn't going to get after her. Her eyes fall on the swooping Garuda, and then Talia pauses. She looks at Ivan again. She blinks -- and thinks she understands.
"Ah--"
It surprises her, despite knowing well what Memory can do, to see it shift like that. She sees the warhammer come down, and frowns -- and then holds a hand out. "Brr, something chilly, shiver, tremble, blah bah, snow... Freeze Lancer!"
And she starts firing ice spikes into the bridge.
DG: Talia has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Getting the Drop on a Garauda.
<Pose Tracker> Ivan has posed.
"You still haven't come up with words for that spell?!" a scandalized Ivan calls out.
<Pose Tracker> Talia has posed.
"RESPECT MY ART, VANYA!"
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
"IT'S NOT GOSSIP IF IT'S FACTS, VANYA." Lydia says, using the other name because she figures it annoys him.
Now it's Lydia's time to be baffled by words though to be fair, that's because a lot of them are in another language now. "Pnudran?" She says atrociously. "So Ivan is a pnudran?"
She then adds, more quietly towards Talia. "I think it's going to be okay," with a small pat on the arm.
She then draws a baseball bat into her hands and...
"RIGDOBRITE! AGAIN!"
God the asteroid shrimp thing appears in the sky again and this time...
..uh...
Lydia just has it crash towards the bridge.
"This will be fine!" She shouts to nobody in particular.
DG: Lydia Seren has used her Tool Good Luck Bat toward her party's challenge, Getting the Drop on a Garauda.
<Pose Tracker> Rebecca Streisand has posed.
"I have no idea what she's singing." Rebecca comments as Prissa swings across the plaza.
"I'm not saying your changes aren't cool!" Rebecca says cheerful Lydia's way. "You're incredible Lydie."
As they're about to cross the bridge, and Ivan says- "Uh..."
Rebecca looks searchingly to the others, "...anyone get the impression that he actually does care-?"
As Talia and Ivan bicker, Rebecca asides to Avril, "You know, for how much they fight-"
Rebecca quickdraws her Revolver, gunspinning it into her hand, as she sights down one of Talia's ice spikes.
"... sometimes I find myself a little jealous of how close they are."
Pulling the trigger, she tries to compromise the structural integrity of the frozen parts of the bridge - repeatedly.
DG: Rebecca Streisand has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Getting the Drop on a Garauda.
<Pose Tracker> Prissa has posed.
Prissa gives Talia an eloquent shrug that somehow involves her hips on the topic of 'there isn't actually a magic jar that vomits Garudas, are there?'
"That isn't the spell?" she says, rubbing the bridge of her nose even as Ivan speaks up. "Your brother, he's kind of a bird's ass, huh," Prissa tells Talia, even as she reaches behind herself and brings out -
A sledgehammer.
"You do?" she says to Rebecca, before she walks forwards and begins to add her mite to all of the ice spikes by DRIVING THEM EVEN FURTHER, with full body twisting force.
Given how hard the bridge shakes - not a lot, in absolute terms, but, not none either - Prissa's muscles are not just for show.
DG: Prissa has used her Tool A Hammer toward her party's challenge, Getting the Drop on a Garauda.
<Pose Tracker> Avril Vent Fleur has posed.
Prissa isn't the only one noting the... bird friend, overhead. Avril draws her blade soon after landing free of the Fiends' devilish trickery, guided by the power of the Medium, but it soon becomes quite clear that the creature is not going to come nearly close enough to them to hit...
And that worse, it is targeting the less-heavily-armed members of the crowd. "We should do something," the young woman says, beetling her brow as she watches on...
Before her attention shifts off towards the bridge, and collectively, they seem to share the same braincell.
"Do you?" Avril asks, tilting her head to one side at Rebecca's comment. "It reminds me of your relationship with Dean, in a way. You argue often, but it is only because you are close enough to do so." In spite of the situation, she can't help but smile, if briefly. "I wonder if I will find someone I can argue with, too. Hm, perhaps I am the jealous one..."
She turns then her attention towards the bridge, and, with a breath, focuses. Draws upon her sorcery. She needs enough. Enough to help weaken its structure, but without bringing it down too early. Frost begins to spiderweb the bridge, sinking deep into the stone, finding critical points and subverting them.
DG: Avril Vent Fleur has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Getting the Drop on a Garauda.
==========================<* Fiend Assault on Luca *>=========================== ================<* CHALLENGE - Getting the Drop on a Garauda *>================= |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- Bridges are not uncommon in Luca. Because so much of the city is built behind massive stone seawalls, the city has to go up sometimes. You find yourself moving up a bridge now, which places you -- strangely enough -- /over/ one of those huge, swooping birds. A Garuda is careening down the street below you, swooping at level with it, to get people. And it is about to fly under the bridge. If you collapse the bridge -- or maybe some of the nearby facades or statues -- at the right time (and quickly!), you could crush the Garuda before it sweeps down onto innocents. =Dungeon Conditions: Weaken, Injure, Tire=====================================
=====================<* Fiend Assault on Luca - Round 5 *>====================== ==================< Results - Getting the Drop on a Garauda >=================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rebecca Streisand 18 --(23)--> 41 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lydia Seren 18 --(23)--> 41 Fail Good Luck Bat 2 Brute Effects: Strengthen -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Talia 38 --(13)--> 51 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ivan 38 --(13)--> 51 Pass Warhammer 3 Brute Effects: Rally -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Prissa 38 --(23)--> 61 Fail A Hammer 2 Brute Effects: Stalwart -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Avril Vent Fleur 33 --(23)--> 56 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Talia 70 --(10)--> 80 Fail Conditions: Hesitate(1)|Injure(2)|Tire(2)|Weaken(2)|Wound(1) Effects: Strengthen(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Talia has failed this challenge! The party gained 10 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
<Pose Tracker> Ivan has posed.
It's... true that Lydia's "gossip" was mainly about herself. But that doesn't make Ivan any more able to withstand relentless amounts of it.
At any rate, the bridge! It is given a good whalloping. Ivan's warhammer crashes down, Talia's ice spikes crack through stone, and a mysterious shrimp visitor rams it with all it's got (or maybe a small percentage of what it's got, I don't know the shrimp's life). Rebecca and Prissa help continue what the ice spikes started, with Rebecca taking aim at the bridge's weak spots with her revolver to deepen the cracks, and Prissa hammering the spikes themselves ever deeper. Avril weaves ice through each crack and cranny, its expansion pushing them wider...
When each of them has done their piece, and they hang back to admire their handiwork, well...
The bridge holds strong. Truly a marvel of Spiran architecture.
Probably won't be safe for foot traffic for a while, though. The Garuda soars on, continuing to menace the populace.
DG: Lydia Seren has drawn a new Challenge.
=========================<* Fiend Assault on Luca *>========================== =====================<* CHALLENGE - Double Garuda Duty *>===================== |Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 3 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- Your rush through the city leads, finally, to where safety might be promised: the Crusader chapterhouse. You spot a red-haired man waving people owards the entrance. "Hurry! Gatta is not far ahead!" he calls to the people there. "Past the statue of Lord Braska, and you'll be in safe walls!" Except, as you run across the square towards that chapterhouse, a Garuda swoops down. The huge, winged fiend /slams/ into the aforementioned statue of Lord Braska, toppling it in the distance... and then crashes down before you. There is another shriek behind you -- and a second Garuda slams down to your rear. Both screech -- and then dive, striking at your party with talon and fang alike! =Dungeon Conditions: Weaken, Fright===========================================
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
Lydia was an only child. Her parents, in their own way, were uniquely awful. It's tough of her to have much respect for the pain Lubov has unleashed upon her friend (and friend in progress) ((no escape)) when all she can think about is how lucky they were to have it be so obvious but she knows it's a cruel way to think and she knows that deep down inside she has many such cruel thoughts, ranging in ferocity and strength, day after day after day.
The shrimp rock has been around for a while and Lydia is nearly out of juice so Rigdobrite vanishes eventually having been defeated by the 'Let's try to make at least one bridge Sin can't smash' engineering of the greatest minds in Spira.
She can't imagine what it's like to have a brother. She can't really tell how normal Ivan and Talia are behaving with one another when you get down to it. Her pattern is probably, in fact, the relationship of Rebecca and Dean. And sure, she 'siblings' now, but she hasn't grown up with them or anything. She knows she is terribly lucky to have them.
But in moments like this, she thinks about how much better it would have been if they had been in a family all along. Even her body hadn't felt right at the start--and that isn't about the horns.
So the good cheer that Lydia has been managing to have dissipitates in seeing all these alien experiences play out before her, experiences that she continues to feel as an outsider looking in on.
A Garuda comes swooping down and knocks over a Lord Braska (gosh, Lord Braska is having a rough time today) and then a second one slams down behind the group, landing behind the group, lashing out with its claw, ripping open Lydia's back. Her thoughtful expression doesn't even change aside from a faint hiss escaping from her lips and a hand placed on her wounded face, silver splashing fluid sprays across the field.
Rebecca had said something to her. What was it? Oh right. About her changes. Lydia looks over towards Rebecca, lowering her hands, seemingly uncaring about the hefty wounds upon her body.
"I don't think you're quite getting me right now, 'Becca." She says. "But it's fine. It's not that big of a deal."
DG: Lydia Seren has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Double Garuda Duty.
<Pose Tracker> Talia has posed.
"He can be sometimes," Talia admits to Prissa.
She doesn't quite register Lydia's mood or concerns -- she turns away from the bridge, so damaged, to stare after the Garuda. She jumps down, not really recognizing the Crusader chapterhouse; the man waving at them sees safer. And then it all goes awry, as the first Garuda slsashes into Lydia's back and smashes her down. Talia's eyes narrow for a moment, and then she lunges.
Even as a second one comes down. Talia tries to stab Mirage at the creature while it is still down. Her goal is only to get the blade into the side of its neck, twist the head around -- and then with her free hand, yank out a bomb.
"Open wide!" she calls out. The bomb, with the leafy green top, ignites. The fuse begins to burn down -- and Talia slams the bomb into its opened mouth.
DG: Talia has used her Tool Royal Bomb toward her party's challenge, Double Garuda Duty.
<Pose Tracker> Avril Vent Fleur has posed.
They all, bit by bit, lay in to weak and break the bridge's defenses.
And the bridge still stands. Avril stands there for a moment, silently watching as the Garuda continues to harry the crowd. "I... wonder if we could hit it from here."
Pause. She watches as ever more Fiends seem to take to the skies.
"...Perhaps we ought to keep moving," she decides at last, practicality winning over what might be fondly wished. Even if she tapped into her power...
It might not be long before they were overrun.
And possibly, she could collapse from doing so.
"Oh-- I believe we might find safety over there?" she calls out, pointing in the direction where a man waves.
One of those Fiends crashes into a statue just then; Avril wheels back from the rubble and pivots, just in time to meet the other that has come to join them.
"...Very well," she says, drawing her blade and bearing it towards the Fiend. Her gaze fixes on this one of many.
She twists her wrist.
Very quickly the blade ceases to exist.
"Rebecca-- please assist me!" she calls out, glancing once over her shoulder.
Silver hair spilling out behind her, she races at the Garuda with a bladeless hilt.
Only once she's close enough does she pull the trigger. Light lances forth, coalescing into a hissing radiant lash. This she drives, again and again, towards the Fiend, with all the practiced hand of someone well-acquainted with such an unusual weapon.
DG: Avril Vent Fleur has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Double Garuda Duty.
<Pose Tracker> Rebecca Streisand has posed.
"Well I mean - Dean and me is a little different-" Though she does have this goofy smile, "-I mean... just a little." It's true that Dean and her argue a lot though. While Avril and her just... don't.
She might have offered teasingly to argue with her one day just so she can have the experience.
But part of her thinks it's kind of nice to be friends with someone she doesn't argue with too.
The Garuda swoops down and Rebecca does a quick backflip to avoid Braska's debris, coming up shooting, as she squeezes the trigger and sends bullet after bullet hurtling at the fiend. She's reloading when Avril asks for her assist. "Don't worry-"
As Avril ignites her saber into a lash, she whips out her Medium, and invokes it upon the leyline, fire roaring out in a spiralling blast that careens into the second before it can dive into Avril. "-I've got your back!"
For all the times she's seen Lydia get injured, she freaked out the first few. Now it's a known factor to her. Now it's...
In the middle of a fight her ears feel like they're ringing. Rebecca looks at Lydia, her gaze surprised, and perhaps she looks a little hurt after a moment. There's a small frustrated noise and she starts firing again, spinning her ARM back and forth, up and down in this easy battle dance that she'd grown accustomed to.
"Doesn't sound fine." Rebecca somersaults backwards and squeezes the trigger again, steadying her aim to the recoil of the ARM. "Sounds like I hurt you and don't even get how I did." A beat, "Whether I'm right or wrong - sounds like we've got a lot to talk about once this is over."
DG: Rebecca Streisand has used her Tool Sky Medium toward her party's challenge, Double Garuda Duty.
<Pose Tracker> Ivan has posed.
"Quit comparing me to animals!"
After railing at Talia's companion and cursing at either the bridge, the Garuda, or both, Ivan is back into action. The Garuda is still at large, after all, and now there are two to deal with.
He flashes a glance toward Lydia as one of the creatures slashes her -- she seems all right, her blood is very weird, but "very weird" with regard to Lydia seems normal, now...
The sledgehammer is exchanged for the whip in another flash, and Ivan uses it to wrap around the neck of one of the Garuda as it attempts to take off. It seems willing and able to fly despite the dangling assassin, but Ivan uses the point of access to release a fireball into its face, grounding it for more punishment (which is a rather rough landing for Ivan as well, but it hadn't gotten very high yet).
DG: Ivan has used his Tool Memory toward his party's challenge, Double Garuda Duty.
<Pose Tracker> Prissa has posed.
A bird knocks over a statue of the high summoner. "Magic jar is rude," Prissa says, phlegmatically, as another creature comes nearer to them. In fact, it lashes out and attacks Lydia -
Which, though Prissa knows Lydia can bear injury very well, nonetheless prompts her to hurl a handful of dirks into the thing's eye! Or eye like area. "Ass! Get lost, Fiend!" she shouts at it, cursing again, "If only I had brought Galatine! Galatine would eat these things for supper!"
DG: Prissa has used her Tool A Disturbingly Large Quantity of Knives toward her party's challenge, Double Garuda Duty.
=========================<* Fiend Assault on Luca *>========================== =====================<* CHALLENGE - Double Garuda Duty *>===================== |Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 3 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- Your rush through the city leads, finally, to where safety might be promised: the Crusader chapterhouse. You spot a red-haired man waving people owards the entrance. "Hurry! Gatta is not far ahead!" he calls to the people there. "Past the statue of Lord Braska, and you'll be in safe walls!" Except, as you run across the square towards that chapterhouse, a Garuda swoops down. The huge, winged fiend /slams/ into the aforementioned statue of Lord Braska, toppling it in the distance... and then crashes down before you. There is another shriek behind you -- and a second Garuda slams down to your rear. Both screech -- and then dive, striking at your party with talon and fang alike! =Dungeon Conditions: Weaken, Fright===========================================
====================<* Fiend Assault on Luca - Round 6 *>===================== =======================< Results - Double Garuda Duty >======================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Rebecca Streisand 41 --(3)--> 44 Pass Sky Medium 2 Combat Effects: Embolden ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lydia Seren 41 --(13)--> 54 Fail Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Talia 51 --(3)--> 54 Pass Royal Bomb 3 Combat Effects: Rally ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ivan 51 --(3)--> 54 Pass Memory 3 Combat Effects: Fanfare ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Prissa 61 --(3)--> 64 Pass A Disturbingly Large Quantity of Kn 2 Combat Effects: Embolden ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Avril Vent Fleur 56 --(13)--> 69 Fail Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Talia 80 --(35)--> 115 Pass Conditions: Fright(2)|Injure(1)|Tire(1)|Weaken(2) Effects: Embolden(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: You have overcome the dungeon's trials! This run is a success! DG: The party led by Talia has successfully explored Fiend Assault on Luca!
=========================<* Fiend Assault on Luca *>========================== =============<* CHALLENGE - O'aka Donation - War Profiteering! *>============= |Type: Discovery |Dungeon Ability: Conclusion|Challenge Rating: 1 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- With the Garudas and the shattered statue of Lord Braska cleared, you are ushered into the Crusaders' chapterhouse. There, you find a red-haired merchant. He looks at you for a moment. "Need a potion? It's--" He starts to say the standard price of 75 gil. And then, O'aka has a dawning realization, and a slow, capitalistic smile spreads across his face. "...200 gil." BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Hj3U18FHgQ Please visit the following wiki page and update the current... er... donation...? https://dreamchasers.space/O7aka_Support_Fund =Dungeon Conditions: Bad Luck=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
"I don't know--" Lydia tells Rebecca. "I mean, maybe I'm just crashing. My pharmacist slash compounder joined a terrorist organization and I haven't seen them so I've been trying to ration my meds again, and maybe I need to find a compounder who isn't stabbing my employer because of reasons."
The Garuda catches her blade between its teeth and snaps it in half before sending Lydia flying with a bap of its neck. The blade splooshes into silver fluid a moment later but like Ivan noted as he whips his, uh, whip around the neck of the creature--this is all pretty normal weirdness for Lydia.
"But..." Lydia grimaces as Rebecca fires several bullets into the creature even as Ivan keeps it occupied, rapidly downing the creature (she even SPIRAL BLASTS the one bearing down on Avril to even greater effect as the Ice Queen seems to have some trouble with it, managing to keep it at bay but failing to get a concrete strike on it).
Talia manages to finish off THAT one by blowing it up. Garuda bits rain down from above before Prissa stabs the heck out of the one that was on Lydia before it can get up, taking that one down for good.
"But you keep saying you can't believe I was willing to give those pistols to you. Four or five times now. Was I unclear about why? Or should I have not believed in it or did I misunderstand...? Ugggh nevermind..." Lydia tells Rebecca, pulling herself up and making her way towards the Crusader's chapterhouse, placing the cat back on her face. She is trying to put some distance between them.
But honestly it doesn't work too well because she has to fast talk to the Crusaders about not actually being some sort of weird creature but there was just some molten metal from all the fireballs and such landing on her, she frankly looks exhausted by the end of it which is why when a red-haired merchant named O'aka approaches and tries to gilk the party, Lydia's eyes narrow sharply.
"It just so happens," Lydia says. "That I have potions I need to sell. If the going price is 200 to buy, then one hundred to sell is fair by the merchant's code."
She shoves several O'aka's way. "Thank you for such a wonderful deal, friend! Please shop at Carakin again!"
<Pose Tracker> Talia has posed.
Talia follows a little after Lydia. She stretches her arms over her head as she enters the Crusaders' chapterhouse, and feels something creak a little in her side. She feels sore, and it makes her sides ache. She stops, though, and gives such a glance at O'aka. But, Lydia has it handled. She flashes a smile.
Then, she looks back at Rebecca and Avril -- and there's some relief to express, and thanks to give to Prissa -- but it's her brother that she looks for first. "Vanya! Maybe--"
But when she turns, she looks at the people here; at the friends that came with them, and the citizens of Luca being treated, and she doesn't find Ivan among those faces.
The smile on her face fades, slowly, to an expression that -- despite her best efforts -- can't hide the hurt.
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
"Man," Lydia says in a vague attempt to cheer up Talia. "He pulled a you on you."
<Pose Tracker> Prissa has posed.
The words between Lydia and Rebecca impinge on Prissa's awareness, but she feels as if there is a nuance she is missing, a key detail. She cannot tell clearly, and some subtle twinkle tells her to butt out. She sucks a deep breath in through her teeth, and gives Lydia a squeeze on the shoulder.
THEN: O'AKA
Prissa stares at him, even as Lydia pulls a momentary counterhustle.
And she muses.
"In gratitude for the idea you have given me," Prissa says, raising a hand and wagging a finger, "I will buy one of your usury potions. You don't have any swords, do you?"
SOON
"Stunning Steel... Hm... a good blade... ...for me to wear to the festival! Of mummers! And I am also a mummer! You get my potion money and nothing else!"