2019-08-27: The Little Lightnings vs. the Meria Buers
- Log: The Little Lightnings vs. the Meria Buers
- Cast: Yue Rohay, Acacia Saitani, Marivel Armitage, Isolde, Kamui (as the Blitzball)
- Where: Mushroom Rock Road
- Date: 27th August 2019
- Summary: Struck by the sudden worry that her dau-- Minder has no friends, Yue summons Marivel, Acacia and Isolde to help coach children in a community game of blitzball.
DG: A party led by Yue Rohay is now entering Community Blitzball.
DG: Party formation is now over. An Entry Challenge will now be drawn and displayed to the party.
==========================<* Community Blitzball *>===========================
========================<* CHALLENGE - Trash Talk! *>=========================
|Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 1 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
Community Blitzball 101: This is a pick-up game of blitzball, played at Luca
in the off-hours, when the arena is not in use by the pros. The exploration
cards will assume that you or your opponents have the ball roughly half the
time each, but if you'd like to ignore that suggestion and go the other way
with the card's scenario, that's completely fine. The score is rarely
mentioned; keep as much or as little track of it as you find fun! (You are
broadly encouraged, for purposes of excitement, to assume that it's a close
game at all times.) Much as one doesn't necessarily detail walking down
every single corridor in a dungeon in a pose, this Dig isn't so much
designed to simulate every continuous moment of a blitzball game as it is
made to create Great Sports Moments In Blitzball for you to enjoy.
Today's Opponent: The Little Lightnings don't technically have a maximum age
but in practice none of them are more than ten years old. They play after
school, and they play to win -- underestimating them would be a big mistake
(and one that people make constantly). Their size is a real disadvantage,
though, one that they overcome by being clever, sometimes infuriatingly so.
LF: Jeri of Luca. Most likely to hog the ball. Also most likely to score,
so...
RF: Makki of Besaid. The new kid in town; homesick, but enjoying the
attention they get by being great at blitzball. Can perform the Sphere Shot.
MF: Elsa Guado. Somehow both the tallest and lightest of the team; extremely
quick to get the ball, but can lose it very easily. Kicks shins.
LD: Katy of Luca. A biter, but her tongue is as sharp as her teeth -- she
nasty.
RD: Rels Ronso. The youngest, and the biggest. Too good for this world.
GL: Pike of Luca. Team captain which is unusual for a goalie. Shouts a lot
of encouragement and instructions... and trash talk.
BGM: Blitzoff! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iJdLRpS_zA
NOBODY is meaner than a little kid, and before the game has even started
these brats are going at it with obscene gestures, silly faces, and, worst
of all, absolutely dead-on impersonations of their opponents, right down to
both expression and swimming style. When the ball enters play they're going
to get it first simply because your team is too distracted to act quickly,
unless you can keep from rising to their bait.
=Dungeon Conditions: Stupify==================================================
<Pose Tracker> Yue Rohay has posed.
Yue has put out a call for a most dire of situations through the Travel Sphere, and through judicious coaxing of Nob by scritching it on its underside who's a good little machine-sphere yes you areee bawww now go tell Marivel the dire news.
The dire news:
My dau-- minder doesn't have any friends.
The Minder erupts upwards from the bottom of the frame with her straw hat limping as she exclaims, helmet erupting into a >_< emoji: "I have friends!! Back home! CR-S01, this is all your fault! I demand you rectify this situation--"
NOW
The skies are shining. The ocean is a glistening sapphire. The sands of Mushroom Rock Road, given Luca is a little occupied by an invading army, are beauteous and white. All is right with the world--
"CR-S01! You do not mean to make me play this... this... this water sports-ball!!"
The Minder is dressed up in a different enviro-suit, one suited for water... though her helmet is still there. She has Kamui's Trask Floatie around her waist.
Yue is still in her ulster coat because she can't actually change clothes, shackles and all, which probably means she really stinks but maybe presdigitation is in effect.
"... you told me to rectify the situation, and this is the solution I have engineered, dear minder," Yue smirks.
"B-but-- these kids're...!" the Minder whines as she looks towards the pack of six currently practicing with a Very Special Blitzball, Mui.
... yeah, it's Kamui's Head. (Take that, Rule of Eels!!)
"Surely you can rise up to the challenge, dear Minder?" asks Yue.
The Minder's cheeks puff (despite it being hidden under her helmet). "Fine! I'll show you I can cavort with Spiran children! They're no better than me--"
The Minder bobbles up and grumps, "T-teach me how to Blitz!"
The six stare towards her... and start hollering and laughing. "Look at helmet-face here!!" "She's tiny!" "You don't even know how to blitz?!"
>_<!!! Minder pinchi!
<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.
"Dorca! Ranna! It's time for another adventure!"
Dorca looks at Marivel who has, as usual, appeared out of nowhere and, as usual, has come with a dire pronouncement.
"Our village is under occupation I have enough adventure...!" Dorca manages.
Ranna says something in Al Bhed that neither of them understand but probably involves a curse.
"Now, now. Someone is in need of friendship," Marivel assures the two of them. "And it'll be fun! A game! You'll like it. You'll love it."
The three of them appear shortly only for Marivel to realize at this point that this seem to be a sportsball scenario and Marivel, it should be noted, is a killer vampire monster who also is a
NEEEEEEEEEEEERD
So she sort of blinks a few times and she says, "It seems...your challenge today is to help Minder--"
"Who's Minder?" Dorca asks before recognizing Yue's general, uh, Veruni-ness. "Wait... aren't they the ones occupying us??"
"It's okay." Marivel assures Dorca. "Minder doesn't have anything to do with that. You should help her learn how to Blitz."
Ranna and Dorca approach Minder, Dorca handing off that flower crown of his to Marivel before edging closer.
"Um... do you... Do you need a team?" The unfortunately named Spiran asks.
Ranna crosses her arms and endures. "We'll...be on your team." Ranna manages, clearly not wholly great at the language.
DG: Marivel Armitage has used her Tool Wisdom of the Crimson Nobles by M. Armitage toward her party's challenge, Trash Talk!.
<Pose Tracker> Acacia Saitani has posed.
Acacia is here for a few different reasons. The most important one right in the moment is because Kamui's head is currently in play, and she'd like to make sure it remains in one piece. Somehow it's proved startlingly resilient to games of ball in the past... but better safe than sorry, right?
Besides, like she said to Fei and Citan just a couple of days ago, it feels like the Meria Bouletin is overdue for something more pleasant than the war efforts and Odessa rumblings. Between their take on Guadosalam and this, that should add up nicely, and it's a nice chance to get the tension out.
Thirdly, there's the fact that Yue practically grabbed her by the arm to yank her out here. At least it was the early morning rather than the dead of night... and besides, she likes the Minder - and is curious enough about her - that the idea of helping just came naturally.
She can't help but feel a little awkwardly out of place, though. Aware that she's probably going to end up in the water, she's had to leave her beloved jeans and jacket behind for lighter clothing, and can't even remember when she last wore shorts. At least she remembers how to swim... she thinks.
Around her neck is a battered whistle that rattles every time she moves; she picked it up on a whim from a peddler on the way here, thinking that it might come in handy or make her look more like a referee. She blows in it, holding it in her teeth until she's done fussing with her camera.
"Alright, alright," the reporter calls over the din with a grin, then brings the viewfinder up to try to catch the kids' attention. "This is supposed to be a friendly match, isn't it? It's where people learn, right? So, everyone line up and give me a smile. You too! Kamui, face this way a bit!" she calls to the poor Minder.
Her idea of 'helping' the Veruni girl might be just a little bit too blunt.
DG: Acacia Saitani has used her Tool Thrifty Drifty toward her party's challenge, Trash Talk!.
<Pose Tracker> Yue Rohay has posed.
"I'm on it, Master!" Kamui's Head... starts rocking on the sand as she tries to reorient herself to face Acacia. ... it's a lot harder than she expected.
DG: Yue Rohay has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Trash Talk!.
<Pose Tracker> Isolde has posed.
"/Master/," Isolde says. "How scandalous."
ISOLDE is in the ocean. This may in some cases be a bad thing but she seems to be strong enough to resist the pull of the ocean. (She periodically calls out 'aqua' and has tutored people to call back 'frio', which seems to be a game that is also helping her stay situated.)
She is on the side not rooted in that of the little lightnings. "Everyone, introduce yourselves," Isolde calls out with an air of gentle authority, her hands on her hips. "I am Isolde, and I will be the stone against which your offense breaks!"
Isolde's sword and other rustable gear sit on the shore, possibly near the Mui head. The dice have turned up a result: E-Z
DG: Isolde has used her Tool Cubic Prisms of Stochasticism toward her party's challenge, Trash Talk!.
==========================<* Community Blitzball *>===========================
========================<* CHALLENGE - Trash Talk! *>=========================
|Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 1 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
Community Blitzball 101: This is a pick-up game of blitzball, played at Luca
in the off-hours, when the arena is not in use by the pros. The exploration
cards will assume that you or your opponents have the ball roughly half the
time each, but if you'd like to ignore that suggestion and go the other way
with the card's scenario, that's completely fine. The score is rarely
mentioned; keep as much or as little track of it as you find fun! (You are
broadly encouraged, for purposes of excitement, to assume that it's a close
game at all times.) Much as one doesn't necessarily detail walking down
every single corridor in a dungeon in a pose, this Dig isn't so much
designed to simulate every continuous moment of a blitzball game as it is
made to create Great Sports Moments In Blitzball for you to enjoy.
Today's Opponent: The Little Lightnings don't technically have a maximum age
but in practice none of them are more than ten years old. They play after
school, and they play to win -- underestimating them would be a big mistake
(and one that people make constantly). Their size is a real disadvantage,
though, one that they overcome by being clever, sometimes infuriatingly so.
LF: Jeri of Luca. Most likely to hog the ball. Also most likely to score,
so...
RF: Makki of Besaid. The new kid in town; homesick, but enjoying the
attention they get by being great at blitzball. Can perform the Sphere Shot.
MF: Elsa Guado. Somehow both the tallest and lightest of the team; extremely
quick to get the ball, but can lose it very easily. Kicks shins.
LD: Katy of Luca. A biter, but her tongue is as sharp as her teeth -- she
nasty.
RD: Rels Ronso. The youngest, and the biggest. Too good for this world.
GL: Pike of Luca. Team captain which is unusual for a goalie. Shouts a lot
of encouragement and instructions... and trash talk.
BGM: Blitzoff! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iJdLRpS_zA
NOBODY is meaner than a little kid, and before the game has even started
these brats are going at it with obscene gestures, silly faces, and, worst
of all, absolutely dead-on impersonations of their opponents, right down to
both expression and swimming style. When the ball enters play they're going
to get it first simply because your team is too distracted to act quickly,
unless you can keep from rising to their bait.
=Dungeon Conditions: Stupify==================================================
=====================<* Community Blitzball - Round 1 *>======================
==========================< Results - Trash Talk! >===========================
Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yue Rohay 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass
Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Marivel Armitage 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass
Wisdom of the Crimson Nobles by M. 3 Wits Effects: Fanfare
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Acacia Saitani 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass
Thrifty Drifty 2 Wits Effects: Enlighten
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Isolde 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass
Cubic Prisms of Stochasticism 1 Wits Effects: Cleanse
----------------------------------< Party >-----------------------------------
Leader: Yue Rohay 0 --(20)--> 20 Pass
Conditions: Stupify(2)
Effects: Cleanse|Enlighten(1)
==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Yue Rohay 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> Yue Rohay has posed.
Yue seems really fired up today, at least for her general outwards demeanor of never really reacting all that much unless eclairs are involved, so she turns to Marivel with a sage nod.
"Thank you for coming out and bringing your children along, Mari, Isolde, Acacia," she says to them in the exact tone of... well, in Marivel and her case, two (three?) moms bringing their children out to soccer practice because... that's what this kind of is??
Aren't they the ones occupying us?
"Rest assured you can blame me all you like, but the little Minder has no part of it, as Marivel says," Yue remarks with no hesitation.
The Minder turns as Ranna and Dorca approach, blinking as she stammers, "I--I don't--"
A pause, as she sags.
"Yes, I need a team! Also, Minder is my, um, title. Because mom said I should never give my name out people outside."
Yue pauses at this, her expression growing just a little bit colder for a moment.
Isolde calls out for them to introduce themselves. "U-um, I'm Minder Number Seven, Miss Isolde, and I'll play the role of... um."
She looks helplessly towards Dorca and Ranna. What positions are there even in Blitzball?!
Yue then recovers as she smirks as she says, "Ah, look, dear Minder, Acacia is getting ready to take a picture. Pray give her your favourite expression."
The Minder turns and has a o_O expression of surprise as she says, "Wait-- picture--?!"
- SNAP*
DG: Isolde has drawn a new Challenge.
==========================<* Community Blitzball *>===========================
==========================<* CHALLENGE - Nap Pass *>==========================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 1 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
They have the ball and you don't. And they're going to KEEP the ball, and
get a really easy score, if something isn't done; their best passer just
busted out their most dangerous technique, Nap Pass, and threw a
terrifically tricky one. It all but INVITED people to get a hand on it as it
went by, and everyone who managed to touch it has to contend with the
powerful, nigh-unstoppable urge to take a nap.
Mind over matter. Can you stay awake? Can you stay awake AND figure out how
to get the ball? It's still charged with mystical sleepy energy, and SOMEONE
is going to have to touch it... twice.
=Dungeon Conditions: Overzealous==============================================
<Pose Tracker> Isolde has posed.
Isolde doesn't look toward the photo for obvious reasons, although the wind catches her long and gently-curled red hair in a very scenic way.
Names are called off. Jeri! Katy! Pike! (R-rels. Hi...) Elsa, Makki.
And soon enough...
SPORTS begins.
There are a few passes back and forth meant, somewhat grudgingly, to get the outlanders such as Minder used to the game. Isolde causes a momentary hesitation of energy when she dives over and catches the ball, SOMEHOW, before tossing it back towards the center of play -- not well aimed. But she caught it. Spooky!
But after a warmup round, Makki clutches the ball and gets a cruel smile on his face. "I'm gonna show you the ultimate move I learned from my uncle!"
His uncle?
"ULTIMATE GUBA STRIKE! Nap Pass!" he shouts, before swim-swim-swimming diagonally and HURLING the ball forwards --
-- which skids over the wavetops --
Before Isolde catches it, raises it, and begins to toss it back.
At which point the Mui speaks.
"Take it easy mui."
The toss... loses all strength... and Isolde crumples face down into the water, floating immediately afterwards. And the ball is still live!!
DG: Isolde has used her Tool Cubic Prisms of Stochasticism toward her party's challenge, Nap Pass.
<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.
It's hard to not be charmed by Minder. Dorca and Ranna, being precocious kids themselves, have some resilience but the quick story of how Minder isn't allowed to friggin' share her name, well, that's weird. That's really weird. But Dorca is a fairly empathic child and doesn't comment much past that, sensing that Minder is a little nervous, Dorca offers her a sunflower. He seems a little uncertain because she's in this LED HElmet thing and he isn't sure where to put it. So he just sort of puts it in her hands. He is a flower guy.
Ranna frowns and crosses her arms for a bit and starts explaining the game to Minder in Al Bhed.
Marivel heads out into hte water as well though she doesn't seem so interested in playing personally so much as being a nuisance.
"Don't worry Minder. There is but one rule: Have fun!"
"I'm pretty sure there are more rules than that." Dorca says despite not actually being a sportsball dude himself.
Marivel raises her hands up to catch a passing Nap Ball and immediately passees out.
"zzzzzz...."
DEAD: MARIVEL
DG: Marivel Armitage has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Nap Pass.
<Pose Tracker> Yue Rohay has posed.
Yue's face falls as she exclaims, "Acacia! This daughter of yours is truly a force to be reckoned with!" as she watches Isolde and Marivel fall to the powerful force of taking it easy, mui. She's a little worried for the two, but the waters are shallow enough...
She furrows her brow and says, "Now is the time to rally, dear Minder! When your team is imperiled, they need you to step up."
The Minder looks flabbergasted as she stammers, "W-what am I even supposed to--" She gets pacified by Dorca giving her a flower.
A pause.
"... n-no one's given me a flower before--"
She starts up.
"Look here! I'll use the power this Flower has to, um, resuscitate my teammates! Esuna!"
She holds up the flower. ... she doesn't know white magic, nor Mystic, nor any ability to make the flower special.
But it's the thought... that counts??
DG: Yue Rohay has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Nap Pass.
<Pose Tracker> Yue Rohay has posed.
(Also, Ranna might find to her delight that the Minder actually perfectly understands her because her receiver actually includes an advanced translator.)
<Pose Tracker> Acacia Saitani has posed.
"Picture," confirms Acacia as she lifts her head up from the camera, waving it in her hands. "A few, in fact, so I can pick the best ones. Don't worry," she glances across towards Yue as she continues to speak, as if watching for permission - and accepting the other woman's thanks - before she looks back to the Minder. She'd started out mischievous, but offers an olive branch as her grin turns quieter. "If you really want, I'll blank you out a bit, or crop them. No pressure."
It takes her a moment to realize she's feeling excited. Spiran seas look inviting, and this is something she hasn't done anything similar to in ages. "Well, to make up the numbers, I guess I'm on one of the forwards," she comments as she starts to stretch, wincing a little as her muscles crack before stepping down into the water. She can't bring her camera into the water for shots of Isolde's miraculous save, sadly, but she can probably trust Kamui to be taking photos at the same time.
"... isn't there something about 'running water' and Crimson Nobles?" she grumbles as she goes past Marivel, before blinking in sheer surprise as Kamui's presence abruptly sends the vampire to sleep along with their goalkeeper. The reporter jolts back, eyes wide, as she briefly has to have the strangest of internal wars - turn them over, or leave them alone? - before deciding it's probably best not to look like they're playing with a couple of corpses and thus turning Marivel face-up.
"Kamui, hey, you're supposed to be impartial! That's cheating!" she has a moment of puffing up as she makes her rather dubious claim, before her determination turns in the direction of the other team. The whistle is still hanging around her neck, so she pulls it up to her lips in hopes that it might be piercing enough to wake the others up, grinning despite herself as the Minder tries for a cast of Esuna.
"You've got the environment suit, go for the ball!" she calls to the Veruni - before deciding to just aim for Kamui's head as well, kicking forwards through the water as she trusts in her experience of dealing with sleepy Kamuis to try to keep her awake...!
DG: Acacia Saitani has used her Tool Thrifty Drifty toward her party's challenge, Nap Pass.
==========================<* Community Blitzball *>===========================
==========================<* CHALLENGE - Nap Pass *>==========================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 1 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
They have the ball and you don't. And they're going to KEEP the ball, and
get a really easy score, if something isn't done; their best passer just
busted out their most dangerous technique, Nap Pass, and threw a
terrifically tricky one. It all but INVITED people to get a hand on it as it
went by, and everyone who managed to touch it has to contend with the
powerful, nigh-unstoppable urge to take a nap.
Mind over matter. Can you stay awake? Can you stay awake AND figure out how
to get the ball? It's still charged with mystical sleepy energy, and SOMEONE
is going to have to touch it... twice.
=Dungeon Conditions: Overzealous==============================================
=====================<* Community Blitzball - Round 2 *>======================
============================< Results - Nap Pass >============================
Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yue Rohay 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass
Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Marivel Armitage 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass
Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Acacia Saitani 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass
Thrifty Drifty 2 Wits Effects: Enlighten
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Isolde 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass
Cubic Prisms of Stochasticism 1 Wits Effects: Cleanse
----------------------------------< Party >-----------------------------------
Leader: Yue Rohay 20 --(20)--> 40 Pass
Conditions: Overzealous(2)
Effects: Cleanse|Enlighten(1)
==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Yue Rohay 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 ma y begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
DG: Acacia Saitani has drawn a new Challenge.
==========================<* Community Blitzball *>===========================
=======================<* CHALLENGE - Smash and Grab *>=======================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 1 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
They have the ball and you don't. They've given it to their fastest swimmer,
who is taking a big risk by coming up the right side of the arena all by
themselves while their buddies try to block people from coming over from the
left.
Not coincidentally, this speedster is not an especially tough person.
It's time to go fishing; they're the bait, and you're the tackle.
=Dungeon Conditions: Bad Luck=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Isolde has posed.
Isolde floats in the sea, silently. "zzzz" she says.
Or would. It's more of a burble. As the ball flies upwards, Yue raises up her flower and declares that it's time to take it -
Easy?
No.
It's time to Take it Esuna.
The seventh wave rises and washes forwards, gently bobbling Isolde over - and making her sink and then splutter, thrash, and wake up. "What??" she says, followed by "Agua!" (frio, chorus a couple of the other team members, in the spirit of fair play.) Isolde splashes back towards where she was, sweeping a hand behind her hair and tossing it dramatically back--
So in the final analysis, other than killing Marivel, the play didn't succeed in leading to victory. Just like real soccer!
Er, Blitz.
"Bluh," Isolde says. "Don't do things like that, darlings, someone could get drawn under while they're asleep!"
"Safety first, mui..."
"What?" Elsa says, a moment later. "I didn't muin to put it like that."
<Pose Tracker> Acacia Saitani has posed.
"Maybe if /some of us/ knew how to hold our breath for ten minutes at a time," Acacia grouses back at Isolde's comment. Despite herself, she's kind of impressed it's even an option, though even now she's yet to rule out the idea that maybe Spirans are just amphibious as hell and have secret gills or something.
"Good job," she adds to the Minder, aware that she could probably do with a bit of a reinforcement - and then her snort towards Yue is tinged with a lot more pride than she'd ever admit. "Well, of course. But we're more like partners, aren't we? --normally, I mean," she tries unsuccessfully to argue, before having to concentrate on swimming once more as Kamui's head comes shooting past in the other direction.
- * *
Some minutes in and the reporter's enjoying herself. She's a bit prone to rushing forwards, especially given the rest of her team isn't exactly seasoned, but it's good exercise and a good way to burn off some of the excess stress and energy she's been feeling. She does-- have a tendency to take it easy on her kicks, which is kind of understandable given the ball that's involved. Once or twice, her dribbles have turned into quick wellness checks that let her get tackled out of the blue.
Still, she wouldn't say she's doing /bad/... if you asked her.
She's lunging up out of the water enough to catch a pass from Dorca, already looking around her for where everyone else is as she winds up for a followup throw. "Minder! Coming from your rooorf--" she starts to call, before a rather overzealous shoulder in her chest sends her tumbling back into the water; disoriented, she grabs for where she's fairly sure the ball was, but it's too late and all she gets is the sight of Makki haring down the side of their play area towards where Isolde waits.
"Isolde! Uh-- 20 degrees to your left, ish!" she blurts, and her mind races - before she squints, and a dangerous thought trickles through her mind. They're-- professionals, right? Even if they're kids? So a handicap wouldn't really hurt, would it? Before she can rationalize any further there's a soft spark of Ether in the air, and a remarkably sudden swell of water threats to send not just Makki but all the players tumbling towards the beach.
DG: Acacia Saitani has used her Tool Mana Egg toward her party's challenge, Smash and Grab.
<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.
The flower is a tiny flower, all told. With enough belief, it may boost Minder's luck a little bit. Dorca is big on flowers.
Dorca says, "Wow! She knows white magic!" to Ranna even though Minder hasn't used white magic at all and the flower is only really good at boosting your luck a small amount. He quietly floats in the water thinking about which flowers best suit the others on the team. Maybe he should've gotten her the flower later once he better understood what flowers were good for Minder but he was a little shy and sad about making her nervous.
Ranna says, "Nap shots are pretty rough but don't forget about the venom tackle."
Marivel still looks like a corpse face up as she floats aimlessly through the water. She seems comfortable and kind of turns over.
"I can sleep in if I want to," Marivel mumbles in her sleep. "Immortals pick their own bed...times.zzzzz."
Dorca tries to get the ball from the speedster. "Umm. May I...please have the--oh you're gone already."
Ranna on the other hand throws herself into a tackle to try and get that ball. She plays a little, uh, rougher than Dorca. Just a bit.
"Zzzzzzzz" Marivel adds.
DG: Marivel Armitage has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Smash and Grab.
<Pose Tracker> Yue Rohay has posed.
Yue joins in briefly on the lecture on keeping safe, ever at odds with her, er, terribly menacing and evil countenance as a prisoner on solitary row. "That is right, everyone. Do not believe that sports must be as vulgar and crass as those depicted by adults in the competitive sphere. Keep your honour as sportsmen and women and treat your teammates and opponents well both!"
... someone's biased, perhaps, with Duogrammaton ...
The Minder lets out a tired huff after the latest bout of play, but-- at the same time you could catch the tinny laughter through the speakers as she splooshes about, having... having fun?
"Partners? Hmm, my goodness, Lady Acacia..." Yue remarks. "Perhaps so?"
Minder's LCK stat, thanks to Dorca's white flower, has gone from DX to merely :S. That's a pretty good improvement, all told.
She looks to Ranna as she stammers in turn, "Y-you can understand me... right? I can understand you. W-wait, what Venom Tackle?!"
Yue calls out to Marivel as she rolls over and says, "You're setting a bad example for other immortals, Marivel! Kamui!"
Kamui lights up as she continues to reveal her true colours and looks to the speedster. "Shoot me Mari's way, mui!"
BETRAYAL
DG: Yue Rohay has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Smash and Grab.
<Pose Tracker> Isolde has posed.
Isolde puts her hands on her hips as she reaches her desired depth again, the water washing over the singlet and torso wraps she has on underneath it. To some extent this is a breezy fashion choice but Isolde has also intimated that she has a really gnarly scar she prefers to cover.
Like Major K*ts*r*g* perhaps...
Her head snaps up as she's given an update, and she turns in the inclined direction, tsking her tongue and saying as she does, "Don't think you can get past me so easily -in the depths of the sea, we are all as -"
"Venom tackle?" Isolde asks, a moment before betrayal muist fowl occurs. "Gasp!" Isolde says, a hand going to her forehead!
DG: Isolde has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Smash and Grab.
==========================<* Community Blitzball *>===========================
=======================<* CHALLENGE - Smash and Grab *>=======================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 1 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
They have the ball and you don't. They've given it to their fastest swimmer,
who is taking a big risk by coming up the right side of the arena all by
themselves while their buddies try to block people from coming over from the
left.
Not coincidentally, this speedster is not an especially tough person.
It's time to go fishing; they're the bait, and you're the tackle.
=Dungeon Conditions: Bad Luck=================================================
=====================<* Community Blitzball - Round 3 *>======================
=========================< Results - Smash and Grab >=========================
Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yue Rohay 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass
Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Marivel Armitage 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass
Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Acacia Saitani 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass
Mana Egg 2 Brute Effects: Stalwart
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Isolde 0 --(0)--> 0 Fail
Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC
----------------------------------< Party >-----------------------------------
Leader: Yue Rohay 40 --(15)--> 55 Pass
Conditions: Bad Luck(2)|Overzealous(1)
Effects:
==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Yue Rohay has passed this challenge! The party gained 15 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> Acacia Saitani has posed.
The swell of water isn't so much a riptide as the direct opposite of one. Acacia certainly isn't mean enough to send everyone spiralling out into the open sea. ... ... after all, that's where their /goal/ is.
So instead it sweeps most of the players back a few spaces towards the shore. The effect is short-lived - her Ether can't affect an entire ocean for long - but it's enough to buy them all a little more time.
"Ranna, get 'em!" she calls when she crests the next wave, kicking forwards as she tries to catch up but hopelessly outmatched by a collection of well-trained kids who spend every day near to or in the water. At least her stalling's given Ranna time to catch up, unable to take Kamui's head away from the other blitzballer but able to stop Makki from diving straight towards Isolde's goal.
What Acacia isn't expecting is for betrayal to occur, as Yue and Kamui conspire to teach the Crimson Noble a lesson; there's a smirk from the blitzer, before she sweeps around in a complicated mid-water motion, bicycle kicking - or rather Sphere Shotting - Kamui's suddenly-charged head rocketing towards Marivel at speed.
"Kamui?!" blurts the reporter in sheer astonishment - and Isolde too is left open in her confusion, the goal open as the Reploid head makes contact with the vampire-- Marivel Armitage has partially disconnected.
DG: Marivel Armitage has drawn a new Challenge.
==========================<* Community Blitzball *>===========================
=========================<* CHALLENGE - Tiki Taka *>==========================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 1 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
They have the ball and you don't. And they keep PASSING IT!
'One Touch Blitzball' is really hard to do. The idea here is that you just
keep passing the ball around, all over the arena, throwing it onwards with
the same motion with which you caught it. Short, quick, safe passes. Back
and forth and back and forth and back and forth -- advancement to shooting
position is almost an afterthought. If done well, it can disorient and
exhaust your opponents; once they make a mistake, you go for the goal.
But it's often done poorly, because it requires an extraordinary amount of
skill.
And this isn't exactly the big leagues.
There are many opportunities to catch up with that ball, if only they can be
seized....
=Dungeon Conditions: Exhaust==================================================
<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.
Marivel continues to snooze...
....But then...! Kamui asks to be thrown at Marivel! BETRAYAL!!
Kamui's head goes sailing towards Marivel who--at the last moment--vanishes in a puff of smoke, quickly reappearing in her bat form, hovering over Kamui's head. "Heh heh heh...! You're one thousand years too early to--GUWAAHH..."
The GUWAAHHH is because one of the children from the other team caught Kamui and flung her right back at Marivel, catching her from behind.
Bat-Marivel spins through the water as she she gets swirley-eyed and sputters out water from her bat-mouth @_@. Defeated! @_@!
Ranna meanwhile seems surprised that she is understood. "Oh uh. Hey. Uh. Venom Tackle... Poisons you. So uh. Don't get hit by that." Ranna suggests.
Regardless Kamui bounces off of Marivel and now the other team is throwing Kamui repeatedly towards one another.
"Yaaay!" The children cheer as they toss Kamui into the air liek a champion. "Yaaaay!" Back and forth back and forth.
It might be tough to catch that ball... Meanwhile Marivel, INJURED, sits on the sidelines to sip 'tomato juice' to recover from her injuries.
At some point a giant bandaid appeared on her head.
DG: Marivel Armitage has used her Tool Tomato Juice For Grownups toward her party's challenge, Tiki Taka.
<Pose Tracker> Yue Rohay has posed.
Kamui's head splooshes into the water as Marivel explodes in a puff of smoke!! She rolls her head up frantically to exclaim, "So Mari! You assume... the Form of Bat!"
A pause.
"No fair! I want to be a bat too, mui... but I can't Get that Ability!"
One day, Kamui will finally sprout wings from her ears and have her own chibi-bat form, but then--
One of the children grabs Kamui and a glint forms in her eyes. "Kamui isn't done yet! Go, me!"
She plonks onto Marivel from behind and laughs as they both sploosh into the water.
The Minder looks aghast at Ranna. ._.. "Poison!? What kind of game is this?!".
But as Kamui gets picked up and passed, she starts really get into it. "Yaaay! Yaaay!" she cheers in tandem with them. "Master, look at me! Catch me if you can, hehe, mui! Isolde, you better catch me if you don't want them to score!"
Yue sits next to Marivel as she pats her on the back and also puts another band-aid on her head so it forms a cross.
Cross band-aids are an important form of healing in comic scenes.
"... they're all having fun," Yue smiles and quietly confides, looking over to Isolde and Acacia in particular as well. "I'm very grateful for both their support..."
Yue reaches for the box of tomato juice and takes a sip from it too.
She pauses.
Her face turns a little blue as her face... SCRUNCHIES up, cutely.
DG: You use your Tool Cute Scrunchie against your party's Challenge, Tiki Taka!
DG: Yue Rohay has used her Tool Cute Scrunchie toward her party's challenge, Tiki Taka.
<Pose Tracker> Acacia Saitani has posed.
By now, Acacia's a little focused on Kamui's duplicity and the game as a whole to really pay attention to the way in which Yue moves to one side to be a proud mother next to Marivel. That said, she can allow herself a moment's quiet warmth and pride at the way in which the Reploid starts to cheer happily, and she makes a little note to herself that a craft project to make a couple of fake bat wings wouldn't go amiss in the future.
She's smart enough not to beeline for the ball - rather than chase after Kamui, she waits for Kamui to come to her, marking one of the kids behind her. Trying to, at any rate - she's still not the best swimmer in the world. "Spread out!" she calls to the others, gesturing them towards one side each. "Try to make sure they can't get past you! If there's no-one to pass to, they've gotta pass to us! Minder, you've got Rels!" she adds, aiming to knock the Veruni out of her worrying and into action.
For all that she's got a head for strategy, though, that kind of goes out the window when it's a friendly game - and at the first chance she gets, she lunges for Kamui as the Reploid skims past. "--you bet I'm gonna catch you fair and square!" she calls.
DG: Acacia Saitani has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Tiki Taka.
<Pose Tracker> Isolde has posed.
The prospect of poison being involved is not very encouraging to the mind of Isolde Lastnameunknown, but fortunately for her she isn't hearing all of that clearly. Also...
... She doesn't have any Al Bhed Primers...
But she recognizes the language. To Minder, Isolde says, "Oh, do you speak that too?" but she otherwise - otherwise -!! She absorbs this subtle ambiance, the feeling of youthful joy here, in this place, at this time. Her face actually colors slightly as she smiles at nothing in particular, taking in a deep breath of the sea air and placing a hand at her collarbone.
"What a lovely," she says, before Kamui's noggin skips off a wave and rebounds upwards, smacking her in the chest and sending her toppling back with a k-splash!
Bubbles rise from the sea bed.
Isolde emerges, holding a crab in one hand. She crosses her arms, despite the inevitable pinching that ensues. The crab, she is sure, will soon enough realize its dilemma.
DG: Isolde has used her Tool Enigmatic Whistle toward her party's challenge, Tiki Taka.
==========================<* Community Blitzball *>===========================
=========================<* CHALLENGE - Tiki Taka *>==========================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 1 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
They have the ball and you don't. And they keep PASSING IT!
'One Touch Blitzball' is really hard to do. The idea here is that you just
keep passing the ball around, all over the arena, throwing it onwards with
the same motion with which you caught it. Short, quick, safe passes. Back
and forth and back and forth and back and forth -- advancement to shooting
position is almost an afterthought. If done well, it can disorient and
exhaust your opponents; once they make a mistake, you go for the goal.
But it's often done poorly, because it requires an extraordinary amount of
skill.
And this isn't exactly the big leagues.
There are many opportunities to catch up with that ball, if only they can be
seized....
=Dungeon Conditions: Exhaust==================================================
=====================<* Community Blitzball - Round 4 *>======================
===========================< Results - Tiki Taka >============================
Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yue Rohay 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass
Cute Scrunchie 3 Agility Effects: Fanfare
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Marivel Armitage 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass
Tomato Juice For Grownups 1 Agility Effects: Cleanse
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Acacia Saitani 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass
Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Isolde 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass
Enigmatic Whistle 2 Agility Effects: Quicken
----------------------------------< Party >-----------------------------------
Leader: Yue Rohay 55 --(20)--> 75 Pass
Conditions: Bad Luck(1)|Exhaust(1)
Effects: Cleanse|Quicken(1)
==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Yue Rohay 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> Marivel Armitage has posed.
Marivel looks to Yue who takes a sip of... uh, takes a sip of that 'tomato' juice. Marivel blinks a few times before adding, "You...know that is not tomato juice, yes?" She takes a moment to dab as Yue's chin with a kerchief. Sadly, the tomato juice IS for grownups but it's also for vampires and well isn't very palatable to non-vampires.
Marivel seems to feel better after sipping that 'juice' however and reforms into her usual state shortly thereafter.
"If we're not careful, the other team...might come out a head!" Marivel says very seriously.
"O-oh no...!" Dorca says. "Wait--"
Ranna seems perplexed by The Minder's question and says, "It's Blitzball." Poisoning the other team is normal, Minder!
Luckily Kamui bouncs between lots of friends without sticking on any particular side for very long at which point Yue makes a grab but how does it go?!?
Check the next card to find out!
Nevertheless, Isolde saved the team from a goal. Maybe on accident.
DG: Yue Rohay has drawn a new Challenge.
==========================<* Community Blitzball *>===========================
======================<* CHALLENGE - Full Court Press *>======================
|Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
It's the final seconds of the game and total chaos; all tied up, both sides
are basically chasing the ball, frantic to get it, move it, and score it. At
times like these, what determines victory?
Teamwork.
But that's easier said than done, when the other team is throwing checks,
slams and wild tackles with the enthusiasm of a shoopuf stampede.
At times like THESE, what determines victory?
DETERMINATION.
=Dungeon Conditions: Overzealous==============================================
<Pose Tracker> Yue Rohay has posed.
Yue is horribly blue in the face as she answers:
"...it says... 'Tomato Juice for Grownups' on the box... and I believed it..."
She hangs her head in defeat as Marivel dabs her chin as some blood dribbles out of it. It might be hers. It might not be hers. It's a total mystery. Is Marivel the type to only consume pig's blood, like W****y S****s?
Kamui laughs as she gets bounced around but then gasps and goes :O! as she bounces against Isolde. "Oh no! Is she all right, Master?!"
A pause, as she stares at Isolde holding a crab. "M-muii! An enemy crab has appeared!" as Acacia rushes to go grab her. "Oh, you got me, Master. N#-1 FUNCTION (ANSI) EXPECTS 2 ARGUMENTS BUT GOT 1."
The Minder looks to Isolde and stammers, "U-um, it's more like my suit... does. ... you don't mind, do you, Ranna?" She feels lame for faking it, it seems.
But as the final few seconds of the game come to a head, it becomes total chaos! Everyone starts going rowdy! Makki is trying more nap passes! A venom tackle gets added to the mix! Poor Rels looks like he's gonna cry! The Minder looks really groggy and weak. Just as it looks like it's going to end up as one big mess--
- FWEEET*
Yue is standing at the edge of the beach's shoreline, her leg raised high into the air.
"Look at you all. Carousing around as inebirated shoopufs do in a wild stampede! I have seen better-behaved vouivres in the Highroad!"
She raises her leg high into the air and drops her heel with those shoes of hers--
--and the oceans literally part as she makes a neat little dividing line on the playing field.
"Hear me out."
She's doing her best to do the Gunb****r pose despite the fact that she literally can't fold her arms with the shackles in her way.
"What is it that holds a Blitzball team together? Is it skill and money? Is it fancy techniques like Venom Tackle or Sphere Shot?"
Her eye glints.
"I say -nay- to that! 'Tis determination that will set you free! 'Tis hard work and guts that shall create a miracle for the ages!"
She lowers her head. She coughs, and some blood comes out of her mouth because some errant Tomato Juice for Grownups just regurgitated up her throat but it makes for a timely substitute for Space Cancer.
"Now, Little Lightnings, Meria Buers--" did she just name the team on the spot??
The line on the ocean crashes back into water as time resumes.
"Make me proud... and Blitz!!"
She looks to Mari and gives her a thumbs up.
"I need to lie down."
DG: You use your Tool Zantetshoeken against your party's Challenge, Full Court Press!
DG: Yue Rohay has used her Tool Zantetshoeken toward her party's challenge, Full Court Press.
<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.
Marivel Armitage prefers the blood of Drifters honestly. It tastes really good and if you're real nice, Marivel might trade you something from THE BLACK MARKET. But that's a story for another day. Right here on Lunar, the BLACK MARKET isn't open for business.
"I...um..." Ranna says, feeling kind of put on the spot here. "...It's nice talking to someone." She admits, though she's kind of grudging about it but she seems to have finally accepted 'sure we can pal around' if in a kind of TSUN way.
"Of course, I try not to hurt anybody too much to obtain it. Blood is easy to ethically come by if you know enough about its extraction--"
Marivel pats Yue on the forehead. "Likely a good idea. Luckily, I doubt you ingested enough for it to be a problem." Pat pat. Pat. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU TRY AND STEAL ANOTHER LADY'S BEVERAGE.
MEanwhile Dorca gets tackled about and looks distressed by this. Ranna tackles others and--well---it's working out at least.
Even now after everything, it seems that innocent joy such as this still flourishes.
DG: Marivel Armitage has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Full Court Press.
<Pose Tracker> Acacia Saitani has posed.
Acacia gets propelled back through the water a little way from the force of catching Kamui's head, but she manages to stop herself in a short enough amount of time to catch a glimpse of Isolde. "... I think she's okay," she says after a moment, not sure exactly how the other woman is going to take the sudden introduction of crab into her life.
Maybe it'll end up as dinner, she thinks. Either way, she offers the Reploid head in her hands a bright sort of grin, then ruffles her hair for a moment. "As your senior, I've got to try to look cool sometimes, right?" she hums pridefully, before winding up a throw as she sights down the 'pitch'. "Anyway, hang on!"
Before long a whistle tweets, and Acacia pokes her head up towards where Yue is waiting, her eyebrows raised. "... look," she replies. "It's not like we've had any training from the coaches over there--" she starts to shoot back, but most of it is long as the seas suddenly shift and churn, and for a very disorienting moment she's swimming next to open air. Her flail away from it makes her miss some of the inspirational speech, but she catches enough of it that she's struggling to hold back an amused sigh at the end of it, fishing some of her wet hair out of her face.
"What she means to say is, let's finish this up then go get something from the waystation while we dry off, alright?" she suggests to the teams at large, huffing a little to herself afterwards - and quietly covering the faint spark of Ether that she summons.
In the end, maybe bribery and cheating will be what lets her win^H^H^Hscore a point maybe^W^W^W^Wdo reasonably well...
DG: Acacia Saitani has used her Tool Mana Egg toward her party's challenge, Full Court Press.
<Pose Tracker> Isolde has posed.
Isolde's main contribution here HAS been to prevent the Little Lightnings from scoring goals. But isn't that the purpose of a mom? To keep you from scoring guard things and make it so you don't lose, even if you can't win? To protect you? TO guard you?
Or is she just bigger than everyone?
Isolde does secretly like being the biggest person present.
And there's another advantage...
Imagine a sea of black foam static, like a television tuned to a dead channel while connected to an antenna. (Those words don't mean anything, of course.) Now imagine that sea is stretching out in front of you, almost to the horizon, but once in a while -
'mui!'
Something fills the smooth glossy black above.
"Ranna! Dorca!" Isolde declares.
"Unite your hearts!" W-whoa
And then she leaps up - managing to clear the water entirely - driving HER HEAD into the underside of the Muitzball.
Pomp! A pop high fly towards--
Isolde falls into the ocean again. "blb"
DG: Isolde has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Full Court Press.
<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.
Dorca and Ranna turn heads towards Isolde, "Huh??"
And they promptly collide into one another. It's pretty hilarious.
==========================<* Community Blitzball *>===========================
======================<* CHALLENGE - Full Court Press *>======================
|Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
It's the final seconds of the game and total chaos; all tied up, both sides
are basically chasing the ball, frantic to get it, move it, and score it. At
times like these, what determines victory?
Teamwork.
But that's easier said than done, when the other team is throwing checks,
slams and wild tackles with the enthusiasm of a shoopuf stampede.
At times like THESE, what determines victory?
DETERMINATION.
=Dungeon Conditions: Overzealous==============================================
=====================<* Community Blitzball - Round 5 *>======================
========================< Results - Full Court Press >========================
Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yue Rohay 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass
Zantetshoeken 4 Brute Effects: Efficient and Rally
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Marivel Armitage 0 --(0)--> 0 Fail
Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Acacia Saitani 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass
Mana Egg 2 Brute Effects: Stalwart
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Isolde 0 --(0)--> 0 Fail
Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC
----------------------------------< Party >-----------------------------------
Leader: Yue Rohay 75 --(35)--> 110 Pass
Conditions: Overzealous(2)
Effects:
==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: You have overcome the dungeon's trials! This run is a success!
DG: The party led by Yue Rohay has successfully explored Community Blitzball!
==========================<* Community Blitzball *>===========================
=======================<* CHALLENGE - Keep The Ball *>========================
|Type: Discovery |Dungeon Ability: Conclusion|Challenge Rating: 1 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
Victory! Bragging rights are yours, and as a mark of esteem, your opponents
have all signed the blitzball you played with and given it to you to keep as
a memento... and an invitation to come back and play again.
You now own a blitzball.
BONUS! If you defeated the Secret Ultimate Challenge in Double Overtime:
On your way out of the locker room, you're approached by a man in a very
fine suit. He oozes charisma as well as wealth, but that doesn't make him
untrustworthy, necessarily. Especially since he's looking at you like you're
the Second Coming of Blitzball.
He hands you his card; he's an agent!
"If you ever want to play professionally... get in touch."
=Dungeon Conditions: Treasure=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Yue Rohay has posed.
"... i-it's nice to talk to-- to friends my age too," the Minder answers, confident that by speaking Al Bhed she can save from having to admit it in front of Yue or Marivel or the others. Oh, how little she knows!!
But in the end, everyone overcomes it with determination and hard work and guts--
Or-- well-- wait.
Acacia is cheating using Ether and bribing Kamui with food...
That cheater.
But Isolde soars into the air and headbutts Kamui-- "Muiii!"
and she sails, sails, sails, she's gone--
Goaaaal!!
...
...
The Little Lightnings are laughing and kicking around and having fun when one of them (probably Rels) hands Dorca... Kamui's Head, which is scribbled all over with markers now. "H-here, we signed Mui so we'll keep in touch...!"
Kamui looks prestigious to have her face written on. This is the true destiny of a ball, mui.
Then the poor little Ronso runs away, embarrassed as his friends goad him on. One day he'll show them his ronso rage. His true blue magic.
The Minder looks towards Kamui agog and then Dorca and Ranna, before stammering, "I--I had fun too. I had fun, Ranna. Um. Um--"
She folds her arms. "W-we can be friends. If you want. CR-S01 is a-- a-- filthy invader so she can walk into occupied territory and bring me along all she wants so we can visit and such--"
Then she starts doubling over and coughing again.
Yue is there, though, to pick her up -- actually pick her up and pat her on the shoulder.
"There there. ... you did well today, dear Minder," she answers, looking towards the two children with a softer smile. "Thank you as well."
Then, towards Isolde and Acacia and Marivel.
"... I should go make her medicine now. But it was fun. Thank you."
<Pose Tracker> Acacia Saitani has posed.
Acacia has one hand on her hip as she watches Kamui get signed, feeling the exertion wear off as she catches her breath. "... man, I miss going swimming," she finally decides with her eyebrows raised, as if it's kind of a surprise to realize after so long. As pleased as she sounds, though, she can't just stop her instincts, which is why she catches a quick snap of Dorca accepting their prize.
She nearly starts forwards when the Minder doubles over - but hesitates, well aware that Yue must have things well in hand. "... okay," she says after a moment, offering a light nod as she studies the Minder and the way Yue reacts to her. Something tells her she should keep some of the photos out of the issue itself, and offer them quietly over in private instead. "I'll make sure the kids get home safe. It's not that far, but being careful never hurt. Isolde, which way are you headed?"
She glances towards Marivel, half expecting a 'NICE FOOTBALL' sticker to ensue-- and then stops dead, looking askance at Kamui. "... you know, getting signed isn't going to get you out of bath time," she points out, stone-cold to the last...!
<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.
Dorca and Ranna, upon recovering, turn to look towards Minder though Dorca is distracted shortly by the ball which he also signs (and apologizes quietly to Kamui while doing so because it feels mean to him even though, he supposes, Kamui seems to be enjoying it).
Ranna (and if you look carefully, Marivel) both get concerned expressions when Minder starts coughing. Ranna assures her, "Yes. We can be friends. Rest well, fellow blitzballer." in halting but accurate enough language.
She isn't sure about any of that weird stuff but she visibly frets over Minder's suffering.
"Take care, Yue." Marivel says quietly. "And take care of her."
Kamui later gets a sticker: 'THINKING A HEAD'. It's a sticker of Kamui's head!
Yeah that one was pretty easy.
<Pose Tracker> Isolde has posed.
"Oh, either way; just walk with me, if you don't mind," Isolde tells Acacia agreeably. "I'm not looking for anywhere in particular, right now."
"I'll remember all of you," Isolde tells the assembled teams, as she recovers her sword, coat, and pants. "Please, take care of yourselves."