2021-11-29: This is a Rescue Mission
- Log: This is a Rescue Mission
- Cast: Josephine Lovelace, Rikku, Lulu, Margaret
- Where: Kattelox Ruins
- Date: November 29, 2021
- Summary: When a Servbot's companion has a terrible mishap and falls into the sewers, what's to be done? Surely this won't stand without someone taking the lead to lend a helping hand! And if mishap means that a little rescue turns into a full-fledged expedition... well.
DG: A party led by Josephine Lovelace is now entering Kattelox Ruins. DG: Party formation is now over. An Entry Challenge will now be drawn and displayed to the party.
==============================<* Kattelox Ruins *>============================== ==============<* CHALLENGE - The Incredibly Unplanned Entrance *>=============== |Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 1 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- Sometimes, a Drifter does not come to the Ruin. Sometimes, the Ruin comes to /you/. Such is the situation today, an incredibly ordinary day that finds you and your friends spending time in the Downtown district of Kattelox City. Perhaps a leisurely walk in the park is the order of the day, or some light reading in the library piques your interest. Whatever the case may be-- "I'm so~rryyyy!" A tiny humanoid machine in blue with a bright yellow head that can only charitably be described as "lego-like" (whatever that means, strange Earthlings and their terminology) is whimpering before an open manhole. A manhole that, after a cursory check, leads to the sprawling Underground Ruins rather than the sewers. There's a break in the ladder, so you'll have to lower yourself very carefully if you choose to. But this isn't a Digging day, right? You had business in the Downtown area-- "My friend fell insiii~de!" Oh /no/. It's too cute to ignore. =Dungeon Conditions: Slow=====================================================
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
AS OF THIS MOMENT, Josephine Lovelace, archaeologist of ill repute, is in Kattelox for purely benign reasons.
Which is to say, she's in town to do a little information gathering for a certain group to which she is attached, and not as a part of any imminent plot or affair, which is what passes for benign from her these days.
(Other than the drinking, that is. The drinking is benign, if potentially a little raucous and/or maudlin depending on the night.)
This is going: not as well as expected! Either the lead expected is just not forthcoming from any she's followed up on thus far, or someone's on to her. Being an optimist -- and given no one's looked like they're up to anything silly just yet -- she's been leaning on option A, while also readying herself for plan C, which is 'get the hell out of Kattelox'.
So there she is, meandering about the Apple Market, following up on one of the ragged threads she has uncovered, when she spots something unusual:
One of those little yellow guys (hey, doesn't she remember these from somewhere) whimpering by an open manhole.
"Huh," Josie says to herself, more or less.
"Drop somethin' down there, little guy?" she says, ambling on up. She crouches by the opening.
It's a long way down. "Well, that's just hard luck--"
"My friend fell insiii~de!" sobs the little yellow automaton.
Josie's face contorts in a strange strained way.
Reaching over, she can't help but pat it on the head with perhaps surprising tenderness. "Well, don't you worry or none. Auntie here's gonna go and get your friend back!"
And with that, she swings her long limbs over the edge and drops down onto the ladder. ...This might be a neat trick with one functional hand, but she's had way worse than this.
DG: Josephine Lovelace has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, The Incredibly Unplanned Entrance.
<Pose Tracker> Rikku has posed.
Not long after Josie's head vanishes from the descent down the ladder.
A scene might just be replaying?
"What's that little guy? Aw- don't worry! Yunie's Guardians are on the case."
Rikku then pops her head down in the sewers so that she's upside down, and calls to Josie's back.
"Say! Are you his friend?"
Before she then calls back up, "I think I found his friend Lulu! Mission~Accomplished~"
Presumably upon learning that the mission is not in fact accomplished, she climbs down herself.
And probably sheepishly says something along the lines of 'My mistake!'
DG: Rikku has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, The Incredibly Unplanned Entrance.
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
"Nope!" Josie calls back up from the depths. "Wouldn't say 'nay' if you wanted to help fish the little bugger out, though!"
<Pose Tracker> Lulu has posed.
Lulu is in town, looking at the various machina with somewhat more interest than she once did. But mostly she is following Rikku for the moment, because this is Rikku's playground, and that's fine with her. ...As, believe it or not, is Rikku's plan to find this guy's friend. Lulu doesn't even mind.
"Looks like it won't be that easy, Rikku."
Lulu steps forward after, and starts to climb as well, shaking her head slightly in something like amusement. How on earth she manages to do so in such a heavy skirt, however, is a mystery that has yet to be answered for the moment. However, she doesn't do it alone...
A little moomba doll drops straight down the manhole and becomes a light to show their way down, crackling with harmless electricity and other elemental matter to show them the way down and take care of anything in the way.
"We may as well."
DG: Lulu has used her Tool Moomba Quartet toward her party's challenge, The Incredibly Unplanned Entrance.
<Pose Tracker> Margaret has posed.
The woman known as Margaret is here. Rather than her usual semi-armored battle mobility dress, she is in one of those dresses they call "cheongsam" in the Seed Cities, although it has managed to meet her usual inimitable style, being made of purple "silk" and with electric-metallized red thread making embroidery suggestive of stalks of a desert flower.
She is with some other people, also in purple clothing. They seem to be having an animated argument over the price of some kind of water-pumping machinery. Margaret seems to be losing, based on how hard she stomps away from the shop counter of the junk dealer (it's a junk dealer), which is when she sees --
The little yellow-headed figure -- and also the Servbot.
Margaret, momentarily at odds and ends, sees Rikku go down the hole (and likely also Lulu). She looks over her shoulder for a moment, then back.
She goes back to the junk shop.
"Tell me something," Margaret says to the junk shop owner, interrupting her colleagues, "are you interested in taking like for like?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean if we were to somehow obtain junk comparable to the junk we're trying to purchase," "RECYCLING"
"The Recycled junk we are trying to purchase from you, would this be easier for you? I mean like, like for like. I don't know how half of this works, I'm just paranoid that you're trying to rip me off."
"I'm not trying to rip you off, but, I admit, that you ain't got no reason to believe me, because it's definitely a case of the ol' paradox where one hob always tells the truth and the other hob always lies, ennit?"
Margaret thinks for a moment and pivots a finger forwards. "Yes," she says. "It's EXACTLY like that. Anyway, I'd like to call for a pause to negotiations. Isn't it around lunch time? Why don't you go have a good lunch and I'll see if we can find you some extremely viable equipment for... re-cycling."
SOON
Other people are coming down the ladder, a ways after Lulu and Rikku and by extension Josie. 'oh, gosh, you're all going to help my friend out...?? Wowwww... You must be really nice people! I'll tell miss tron all about your gang!'
"We're not a gang," Margaret says clearly while descending the ladder. "Hallo down there~! You're looking for another of these charming little fellows, yes?"
DG: Margaret has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, The Incredibly Unplanned Entrance.
==============================<* Kattelox Ruins *>============================== ==============<* CHALLENGE - The Incredibly Unplanned Entrance *>=============== |Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 1 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- Sometimes, a Drifter does not come to the Ruin. Sometimes, the Ruin comes to /you/. Such is the situation today, an incredibly ordinary day that finds you and your friends spending time in the Downtown district of Kattelox City. Perhaps a leisurely walk in the park is the order of the day, or some light reading in the library piques your interest. Whatever the case may be-- "I'm so~rryyyy!" A tiny humanoid machine in blue with a bright yellow head that can only charitably be described as "lego-like" (whatever that means, strange Earthlings and their terminology) is whimpering before an open manhole. A manhole that, after a cursory check, leads to the sprawling Underground Ruins rather than the sewers. There's a break in the ladder, so you'll have to lower yourself very carefully if you choose to. But this isn't a Digging day, right? You had business in the Downtown area-- "My friend fell insiii~de!" Oh /no/. It's too cute to ignore. =Dungeon Conditions: Slow=====================================================
=========================<* Kattelox Ruins - Round 1 *>========================= ================< Results - The Incredibly Unplanned Entrance >================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Josephine Lovelace 0 --(5)--> 5 Pass Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rikku 0 --(17)--> 17 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Margaret 0 --(17)--> 17 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lulu 0 --(17)--> 17 Fail Moomba Quartet 1 Agility Effects: Cleanse -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Josephine Lovelace 0 --(20)--> 20 Pass Conditions: Slow(2) Effects: Cleanse ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Josephine Lovelace 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> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
"Seems likely, ennit?" Josie calls back to Margaret. "Them lot seem to travel in packs!"
In any case, there's a ladder, it's leading down. A few rungs are missing a little over half the way downwards, though--
"Hup," Josie vocalizes, releasing her grip on the ladder because it's the easiest way down over the gap for her, currently.
And she grabs onto it again a short distance below the gap. Unfortunately, in doing this, the whole length of ladder shudders ominously, particularly for those higher up. Stepping down onto the stone far below, Josie has enough time to regard the glowing doll that has just plopped down alongside her and then the little yellow machine person who waves at her with surprising cheer.
"Oh wowww, did you come here to save me~?"
"Right, guess it's just a matter of gettin' you on up again--"
Famous last words: the latter, already destabilized from earlier acrobatics upon it (Josie) and then further unbalanced by more individuals above,
creeeeaks
and then gives way entirely.
"What in the green hell--" is as far as Josie gets before the other three come falling down upon her.
The little yellow guy, by contrast, is left completely unscathed by this incident.
"Oh wow! Are you okaaaay? That looked like it hurt!" they squeak.
With the ladder gone, another way out will need to be found.
DG: Rikku has drawn a new Challenge.
=============================<* Kattelox Ruins *>============================= ======================<* CHALLENGE - Snip It Snip It *>======================= |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- *bedeep* You hear the fast clip of metal trotting to your position, and a pair of extremely dangerous scissor-hands comes your way! (IMG: https://i.imgur.com/piWiCxN.jpg ) This is the Sharukurusu, an extremely agile and dangerous Reaverbot with razor-sharp scissor-claw arms. It possesses a remarkable amount of intelligence, capable of leaping back and reassessing the battle when it feels outnumbered or outmatched. And it's difficult to talk about at length with its particularly twisty name. Don't bite your tongue.. and don't get the snip! =Dungeon Conditions: Wound====================================================
<Pose Tracker> Rikku has posed.
Rikku while in transit:
"We could be a gang!" She chirps up towards the hole in a sort of spell of cheerful contrarianism at Margaret. Before she looks over her shoulder at Josie. "Oh hey! I think it was that easy Lulu! Look! She found him-"
There's a creeeakkkk, and Rikku's eyes grow wide and...
"...poopy."
Rikku falls down on top of Josie moments after she utters that single word... with the others crashing on top of her.
"Ow... ow..."
Not long after she's passing out healing potions to make up for the incident, "Aha... sorry about that, who'd have thought the ladder in a really advanced Machina city like this would give way? A ladder! It's so basic!"
*bedeep*
The rescued servbot immediately resounds, "Oh nooooo it's a Sharukurusu-!"
Rikku turns to it with a puzzled look, "A Shaka... Sharu- Say that again! It's a real tongue twister." "A Sharukurusu! They're extremely dangerous!" "Now five times fast-!"
Whether he would say it five times fast or not is beside the point the dangerous Reaverbot comes at them immediately after she says that. Exending razor sharp scissor arms, and snapping at them, before then leaping backwards on it's stubby little legs.
Rikku responds by throwing money at it, "Hey! We're talking here...! So what if it's about you?"
Whether a Reaverbot falls to the allure of shiny gold or not, it's mostly a feint. As she'd be trying to snatch a part away that looks particularly vital with her own thieving grabby hands.
"It's not polite to interrupt!"
DG: Rikku has used her Tool Bribe Budget toward her party's challenge, Snip It Snip It.
<Pose Tracker> Lulu has posed.
"Yes," Lulu replies to Margaret on the way down. Except for the part where they end up falling down the ladder. Creak creak. Fall. Lulu hits the ground, and scowls. The little yellow guys... mention that it looks like it hurt. "A little," she allows, picking herself up and dusting herself off before she looks over Rikku and then the others, in that order, to make sure no one is too hurt. She accepts a potion. "Advanced machina city or no, there's no substitute for regular maintenance, I suppose."
Shaka...
Lulu sets down a terrifying Cait Sith. It gestures with her, as she works her magic, and suddenly--
Whatever's left of the monster after Rikku finishes with it has to contend with a sudden phantom of Death itself reaching out with a scything claw.
"Rude."
DG: Lulu has used her Tool Ominous Cait Sith toward her party's challenge, Snip It Snip It.
<Pose Tracker> Margaret has posed.
"This is going down quite a ways, isn't it, Alice?" Margaret mutters.
Alice gets on the ladder. "Yup."
Behind Alice is Bn'habra, or rather, above Alice. "Yeah," he echoes.
Climb, climb, climb, creak...
CRASH!
"Althena's padded brasserie and discreet support flats, this is a fine mess you've gotten us into, Bn!" Margaret says after there's been recovery.
"Oh c'mon," Bn replies, "it's not MY fault. How deep does the sewer here go...?"
"You could get up there again, couldn't you?" Alice says. "Maybe," Margaret muses.
Margaret turns on her heel then and smiles beatifically at the others. "Hello! I see we're all in the same, mm, boat here, aren't we? That hole went far deeper than I expected, as the actor said to the priestess, so I'd be glad to work with you all. This is Alice, this is Bn, we're all glad to meet you."
Bn takes the healing potion as he fell on his ass.
After this she glances towards Lulu, contemplating for a moment. To Rikku's question, she replies, "Well, the ladder could be more recent work, couldn't it? And it's up that high - it's probably gotten, mm, rained on and had trash poured on it, possibly for thousands of years. We also might have overladen it accidentally, but I didn't see any markings for a weight limit."
AND THEN! AN ENEMY!
"A Shadow Karasu?" Alice tries.
"A Shaka the Zulu?" Bn guesses.
"A what the what?" Margaret says. But even so, she reaches behind herself. And draws out...
"Steel's Kiss! The premonition of the blade that shapes the future!" declares Alice, who is already moving forwards to pick up the money Rikku threw away. Bn has gotten out a semi-collapsable key-harp sort of thing from Guild Galad and is strumming a lively tune.
Margaret grimaces for a moment, grasping the weapon with both hands and circling round the floating machine. She speaks spells, and sparkles, and doesn't seem to do much beyond that... until at a moment of retreat, she says, "OH NO YOU DON'T" and kicks off of a wall, coming up for a double-handed thrust up into the thing's guts!
DG: Margaret has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Snip It Snip It.
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
Several choice expletives escape from Josie's end of this particular affair once she's able to breathe from under the six-or-so car pileup. Should... should someone be covering the servbot's ears? ...Do they have ears?
"Damn," Josie caps the whole situation off with, once she's back up on her feet. Shading her eyes with her left hand, she gazes up towards the small circle of blue far above. "So much for proper maintenance," she quips, glancing at Lulu. "Anyone got a grappling line? No? Ah, well... figured it ain't hurtin' to ask. Well, guess we're a gang after all, eh? Just call me Josie -- that'll do you for now. So, Alice, Bn, and..." Josie looks at Margaret expectantly.
*bedeep* goes something not terribly far away.
"...A shark... what?" Josie is already turning towards the servbot as well. "Say again? A Sharucross?"
Someone's going to fail this tongue-twister tournament. But who is going to fail this particular combat encounter, meanwhile--
"Ah, forget it!"
A gunshot rings out as Josie pulls out her rifle and lets fly with a well-timed bullet.
"Won't matter none once it's a pile of scrap!"
DG: Josephine Lovelace has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Snip It Snip It.
=============================<* Kattelox Ruins *>============================= ======================<* CHALLENGE - Snip It Snip It *>======================= |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- *bedeep* You hear the fast clip of metal trotting to your position, and a pair of extremely dangerous scissor-hands comes your way! (IMG: https://i.imgur.com/piWiCxN.jpg ) This is the Sharukurusu, an extremely agile and dangerous Reaverbot with razor-sharp scissor-claw arms. It possesses a remarkable amount of intelligence, capable of leaping back and reassessing the battle when it feels outnumbered or outmatched. And it's difficult to talk about at length with its particularly twisty name. Don't bite your tongue.. and don't get the snip! =Dungeon Conditions: Wound====================================================
========================<* Kattelox Ruins - Round 2 *>======================== ========================< Results - Snip It Snip It >========================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Josephine Lovelace 5 --(0)--> 5 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Rikku 17 --(12)--> 29 Fail Bribe Budget 2 Combat Effects: Embolden ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Margaret 17 --(0)--> 17 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lulu 17 --(0)--> 17 Pass Ominous Cait Sith 2 Combat Effects: Stalwart ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Josephine Lovelace 20 --(20)--> 40 Pass Conditions: Wound(2) Effects: Embolden(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Josephine Lovelace 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. DG: Margaret has drawn a new Challenge.
=============================<* Kattelox Ruins *>============================= =====================<* CHALLENGE - We Did Our Beeest! *>===================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 3 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- "Is this the right waaay?" "I thought yooou were supposed to read the map!" "Oh noooo! Miss Trooon!" You accidentally come across and eavesdrop on three tiny mechanical... persons? Just around the corner. Not more than one feet in particular, their heads are yellow and cylindrical, much like some kind of popular ancient Earth building-block toy. They look pretty darn lost, though, so maybe if you strike up a friendly conversation you can find out why they're here... and figure out a thing or two about their leader? These poor little fellows are extremely easy to scare, however, and might flee on the slightest provocation... =Dungeon Conditions: Secret===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Rikku has posed.
"Sure but you'd think it'd be made of... you know, alloys? Ones that could withstand the elements! Or-" She points at Josie, "-yeah! So much for proper maintenance!"
Rikku tries to reach for a part, and it's snappy hands tries to snap her hand off. "Hey! There's no reason to be like that! All I'm trying to do is rip your guts out!" Still she takes the hint and backs off, which lines it up for Lulu's death spell to slash down on it. The creature lets out a synthetic screech. Did it do it!?
Margaret however in a feat of acrobatic finesse manages to kick off the wall and come up under it's underbelly...
... at the same moment that Josie puts a rifle bullet through it's ocular sensor.
The Reaverbot falls dark.
Rikku seeing Alice picking up the gold respects her gumption! Which is why she doesn't contest it aloud!
Attack
Use
Special -> Pilfer Gil
Item
She does however promptly and surreptitiously try to take it back.
All the while though, the little Servbot. "-rusu! Sharukurusu!"
"Hey! You really did say it five times fast-!"
"You all kept saying it wronnnngggg!"
<Pose Tracker> Margaret has posed.
"Margaret," says Margaret, in mid-air, just to fill in a gap.
ENEMY SLEWED!
SLAIN.
WHATEVER
Alice slides the money into her pocket and then moves over to help collect the Sharukusuru components, which seem... valuable, and certainly like junk. They are put into a burlap sack, even as Rikku reclaims most of the gil. (A few coins seem to have simply.. vanished. Did Alice miss them?)
"My apologies for my poor pronounciation," Margaret tells the Servbot, looming deliberately over it and sliding her sword back into its back-sheath. "I'm not familiar with the language."
Then one of her ears twitches.
"Shh," she says. Holding up a hand. And then--
She points.
Down further, around a slight crook and a bend, are three little fellows, just like their new friend! They're stressed, near to tears, working with empty tummies (power cells?) and generally displeased. She contemplates the topic for a few moments, and then looks at the others.
"If we shout at them they're likely to run," Margaret murmurs. "No doubt the noise attracted them, but --" The servbots are already moving towards a completely different subsidiary pathway. Margaret grimaces and puts her fists on her hips in frustration.
Alice eats a gil she had in her hand. You have to invest in yourself.
DG: Margaret has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, We Did Our Beeest!.
<Pose Tracker> Lulu has posed.
"Sure," Lulu agrees with Margaret about working together, a woman of few words. "Lulu." But that's before the enemy. And before the ladder talk.
"Not bad," Lulu says of Steel's Kiss, and regards Josie for a fw moments at the use of her firearm. She does not have a grappling line.
Lulu doesn't even try to pronounce the... the thing. Not because she can't, but because reasons. Instead she looks around at the stressed little guys. Alice...
"Well, I'm not exactly the friendliest among us," Lulu points out rather than stepping in directly. If she walks up to them they'll definitely scatter.
<Pose Tracker> Rikku has posed.
"Hmm." Rikku peers around the corner to view the problem herself. "Wellll... I have a few ideas."
But Lulu just starts walking towards them! "Uh! Lulu!"
Rikku feels like she has to act fast - fast!
An idea suddenly occurs to her, as she rushes ahead of Lulu.
-=-=-
"Congratulations! You've found me!" Rikku is suddenly just there behind the three, speaking quickly and gregariously, "As a representative of Kattelox's black market - I've got what you need-! Take a look!"
Rikku just holds up one of her pouches and opens it from a hidden side snap, which then... unfolds, and unrolls into numerous potions and doodads, doohickeys, many small spheres and frankly mostly alchemy components which are useless if you're not an alchemist but very shiny!
By no means should any of this fit into the tiny pouch that she had.
"Ta~da~ For reasonable prices you too can own all this delicious contraband!"
There's a pause as she looks at them, "Hey... something wrong? The three of you look like you could really use a hand... and I have many skills that might help!"
DG: Rikku has used her Tool Quickpockets toward her party's challenge, We Did Our Beeest!.
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
Alice isn't the only one who pockets a few choice components. You never know when you might need a few odd screws. Or... a fragmented ocular sensor? What is Josie planning on doing with that?
"Sure did," Josie remarks to the servbot, not one to cover for her slights regardless of the cuteness of the accuser. "Maybe it needs a good nickname. Like... 'Snippers'. How's that? We could call it Snippers instead." She grins in a way that could be loosely called 'shit-eating'.
But Margaret calls for silence, and within an eyeblink, Josie has dissembled appropriately, flattening herself against the wall and listening well.
"Hmm," she muses, when Margaret assesses the situation. "Y'think so?" She looks to Lulu as if to assess the veracity of the mage's statement. "Hmm. As for me, well... good thing we've got a li'l good-will ambassador. So, kid," she says, crouching down before the servbot they'd met at the bottom of the ladder. "Whatcha think about goin' over to your buddies there, tell 'em we'd like a little meet-and-greet? Here," and this is the point where she extends a fistful of cigarettes to the rescued servbot. "A little present never hurts to seal the deal. I'll have you know these here're Merian Starlights -- ain't nothin' cheap about 'em! --huh?"
Rikku has just gone on ahead.
"Go on, go on!" Josie exhorts the servbot, practically pushing them out from behind their hiding spot. "Wow 'em, kid!"
DG: Josephine Lovelace has used her Tool Pack of Cigarettes toward her party's challenge, We Did Our Beeest!. DG: Lulu has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, We Did Our Beeest!.
=============================<* Kattelox Ruins *>============================= =====================<* CHALLENGE - We Did Our Beeest! *>===================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 3 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- "Is this the right waaay?" "I thought yooou were supposed to read the map!" "Oh noooo! Miss Trooon!" You accidentally come across and eavesdrop on three tiny mechanical... persons? Just around the corner. Not more than one feet in particular, their heads are yellow and cylindrical, much like some kind of popular ancient Earth building-block toy. They look pretty darn lost, though, so maybe if you strike up a friendly conversation you can find out why they're here... and figure out a thing or two about their leader? These poor little fellows are extremely easy to scare, however, and might flee on the slightest provocation... =Dungeon Conditions: Secret===================================================
========================<* Kattelox Ruins - Round 3 *>======================== =======================< Results - We Did Our Beeest! >======================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Josephine Lovelace 5 --(5)--> 10 Pass Pack of Cigarettes 1 Wits Effects: Cleanse ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Rikku 29 --(5)--> 34 Pass Quickpockets 2 Wits Effects: Enlighten ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Margaret 17 --(17)--> 34 Fail Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lulu 17 --(5)--> 22 Pass Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Josephine Lovelace 40 --(20)--> 60 Pass Conditions: Secret(2)|Wound(1) Effects: Cleanse|Enlighten(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Josephine Lovelace 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> Margaret has posed.
"Oh thank you, we workshopped the name," Margaret tells Lulu quietly. She too agrees that she isn't the ideal figure here, and olds har arms loosely as she looks over her shoulder. Rikku is tensing up --
But!
Let's get to that in a moment.
Josie offers their little friend a bunch of coffin nails. "oooooooo," the servbot says. "Cigarettes...! Wow, and they're really that fancy...? I don't know though... Miss Tron said that only shady, fast people smoke cigarettes."
"Oh, that reminds me," Margaret says, leaning over. "Do you mind?" she asks Josie, but she's already taking one. The Servbot gathers up one of the cigarettes afterwards, tucking it behind its ear... but... it doesn't have an ear...? How...
It is thus Rikku who makes the first approach, as her legs are a lot longer than our friend the extremely cool servbot.
The Servbots up ahead all gasp in chorus, like so:
"gasp"
"gasp!"
"gaaasspppp"
But then Rikku comes closer, more friendly-like, and she unfolds a bevy of goods with an unrolling flourish and the servbots all say as one, "Oooooooo...."
"They look so pretty..."
"Those are a bunch of cool potions! And... wow... chemicals and everything!"
"That's so much cool stuff... Do you have pipis?"
"This lady and all the other ladies lurking back there are really nice! Even if this lady's the only lady who doesn't have a scary face!" the servbot from the ladder says, waving its little nipper claws.
"Really!?" "Yayyy!" "Wow, they DO have scary faces."
Margaret frowns and looks at Lulu, then Josie, then Alice. Bn shrugs his shoulders, as if to say: I'm not gonna make a comment on this one.
Soon enough...
* Servbots increased by 3 (was 1; now 4).
DG: Lulu has drawn a new Challenge.
==============================<* Kattelox Ruins *>============================== ====================<* CHALLENGE - Mesh Ado About Nothing *>==================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- The intricacies of the Underground Ruins' layout is something of a marvel not even the most advanced consortiums in Aquvy have fully understood -- and you come across one such example when you spot a floor underneath completely blocked off to you by mesh grating. After some exploration, you realise that there's no path down... and the floor below looks unexplored, full of Reaverbots and treasure! Surely the Diggers' Guild won't mind if you add some passageways to the map, right? =Dungeon Conditions: Treasure=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Lulu has posed.
Lulu nods in quiet approval of Margaret's statement. Sometimes you have to work at style. That's just how it is.
"I do," Lulu answers Josie, who thus far has seemed, if shady, very friendly. But between Rikku and the little servbot she likes their chances well enough. "Rikku's good with people," Lulu explains, and nods to Margaret. She has noticed people pocketing things but... What does she care? She travels with Rikku. Pocketing parts of things is pretty normal.
She doesn't take a cigarette, but does step out from her Lurking to talk to the other sonce they're waved over as being nice. "That's true," Lulu says of scary faces as she steps in. She seems... amused. Even when she looks at Margaret, Josie, Alice, and Bn.
But as they travel, a new party of many, eventually they come to a floor that's blocked off by msh grating and... is full of treasure. Delicious, delicious treasure.
"Hmmm," Lulu says. "Let's see if this isn't as fragile as the ladder."
Breaking and entering!? To accomplish this, she kneels down, and sets loose a little Moogle doll. Mog approaches the grate cutely, stepping on stubby little doll limbs. Wobble wobble wobble wobble. Mog rears back a doll fist.
CLANG!!!!!!!!!!
Mog breaks the shit out of a small part of the grate, and is about to do more. Lulu looks on in approval.
DG: Lulu has used her Tool Power Mog toward her party's challenge, Mesh Ado About Nothing.
<Pose Tracker> Rikku has posed.
Rikku at this point has handed out some Machina parts to the new servbots. (Free Samples help draw them in after all!)
"I got this one from a Machina that was this big-!" She holds up her hand way over her head, then takes a small hop to show it off to them, hoping they'll be impressed.
She gives Josie, Lulu, Margaret, and Alice a surreptitious thumbs up!
"Aw - they're not so scary when you get to know them! Lulu for example is a great role model. Life goals, you know? And Margaret? You should see the way she cares for her people! And..."
There's a distinct pause as she reaches Josephine...
"... she's forgiving! Like we literally landed on top of her on accident and she hasn't held a grudge!"
Yes, Rikku is just trying to wow the Servbots and keep their attention.
The grating however, blocks their way and... Rikku waits for Mog to stand aside before...
"Now just to show off the merchandise! This is how much BOOM a single basic grenade has-!"
Rikku flings one at one of the grates blocking their way, the inevitable explosion happens after.
DG: Rikku has used her Tool Far Too Many Grenades toward her party's challenge, Mesh Ado About Nothing.
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
"Shady? Fast?" Josie has wrinkled her forehead, as if not entirely sure what to make of these 'allegations'. "Now," she starts to say, turning her head as Margaret interjects.
"Well--" Josie also starts to say.
Margaret has already taken a cigarette. Josie wrinkles her forehead more.
Which dissipates, the moment the servbot tucks one of the cigarettes behind their ear (?? ???) and trots on out.
Rikku's routine is a smashing success! The servbot vouching for Rikku: also a success! But, those remarks...
And that pause.
Josie glances back at Margaret and gestures vaguely towards her face with her off-hand, looking puzzled. And then she shrugs.
Whatcha gonna do about it, anyway.
"Weren't kidding, right," she remarks to Lulu in passing, as if to remark belatedly on her friend's people skills. "But you know what they say 'bout a pretty face. Ain't even mad."
SOON
"Well, I'll be," Josie drawls, hand on her hip as she regards the obvious glittering from behind the grate. She rubs at her chin, as if in anticipation. "Looks right promising, that. Now, let's see if--"
She has drawn her mattock, yes. But fortunately she has been around those prone to using explosives long enough to wait a moment first.
"...let's see if the ol' one-two works, then!" Soften it up with an explosion, and then come at it with mattock and... moogle.
"Cute toy," she remarks, on Mog.
DG: Josephine Lovelace has used her Tool Well-Used Mattock toward her party's challenge, Mesh Ado About Nothing. <DICE ROLLER> Margaret rolled 1d3 <3> + 0 = 3
<Pose Tracker> Margaret has posed.
Margaret leans forwards as if she's going to get a compliment. Then she lights the taken cigarette. One brief drag later, she remarks to Josie, "These really are convenient, aren't they? They're a bit too hot, though. And you'd burn your fingers. Still," and she flicks ash off to the side, immediately.
The Servbots, suitably overawed and potentially endowed with pipis, mill around nervously. They seem to have potential labor power, yet something prevents them from stepping forwards.
This is where Bn does exactly that, pausing to turn away from the set charges and address the four servbots. "Hey, team," he tells them, "we're gonna need to shore up the passage we make down there. Because lemme tell you, I could see some good **** down there."
"Yayyy!" "Good ****!"
"And we aren't trying to escape... we're not doing this for some kinda justice, right? You guys - boss, you take over here."
Margaret takes a deep breath.
"You aren't doing this for the glamour or the fame, are you? You came down here, deep into these ruins hiding as a sewer system, because you wanted to get money."
"Yeah!" "For Miss Tron!" "****! ****! **** **** **** ****a ding dong!"
"And that, my little yellow headed friends, is what we're going to do! Do you have tools!?"
"Yeah!!!"
"Those tools are tiny as heck," Alice observes, before looking over towards Mog, nervously. "But maybe size isn't that important, right?"
"So come on, little fellows. Dig! Dig for glory - for your reputations - for your pocketbooks - and for..."
Margaret gestures grandly.
"MISS TRON!" "MISS TRON!" "**** **** ****!!" "MISS TRON!"
"Are they saying mistron or referring to a woman named Tron who hasn't yet been married or prefers to retain an independent identity without identification as either a married woman or in affiliation with her husband," Margaret asks Rikku, as it turns out.
Alice and Bn advance to help the servbots, mostly by being taller than them. Margaret supervises.
DG: Margaret has used her Tool Some People in Cheap Purple Suits toward her party's challenge, Mesh Ado About Nothing.
==============================<* Kattelox Ruins *>============================== ====================<* CHALLENGE - Mesh Ado About Nothing *>==================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- The intricacies of the Underground Ruins' layout is something of a marvel not even the most advanced consortiums in Aquvy have fully understood -- and you come across one such example when you spot a floor underneath completely blocked off to you by mesh grating. After some exploration, you realise that there's no path down... and the floor below looks unexplored, full of Reaverbots and treasure! Surely the Diggers' Guild won't mind if you add some passageways to the map, right? =Dungeon Conditions: Treasure=================================================
=========================<* Kattelox Ruins - Round 4 *>========================= ======================< Results - Mesh Ado About Nothing >====================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Josephine Lovelace 10 --(17)--> 27 Fail Well-Used Mattock 2 Brute Effects: Strengthen -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rikku 34 --(5)--> 39 Pass Far Too Many Grenades 2 Brute Effects: Strengthen -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Margaret 34 --(5)--> 39 Pass Some People in Cheap Purple Suits 2 Brute Effects: Strengthen -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lulu 22 --(5)--> 27 Pass Power Mog 3 Brute Effects: Rally -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Josephine Lovelace 60 --(35)--> 80 Pass Conditions: Secret(1)|Treasure(1) Effects: Strengthen(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Josephine Lovelace has passed this challenge! The party gained 35 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. DG: Margaret has drawn a new Challenge.
=============================<* Kattelox Ruins *>============================= ==================<* CHALLENGE - Hanmuru the Bridge Down *>=================== |Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- You finally come onto a long bridge overlooking a deep mechanical ravine within the Underground Ruins not labelled by the Diggers' Guild. Fail here or not, you've made progress! However, further advancement is cut disappointingly short when the ground... *thump* ...begins... *THUMP* ...to shake. (IMG: https://i.imgur.com/a7Xx5k9.jpg ) An enormous Hanmuru Doll, one of the most dangerous known types of Reaverbots, starts marching in on your vicinity. Your position is terrible for straight-up combat, but it occurs to at least one of you-- The bridge you're on can't possibly sustain the Reaverbot's weight. With some ample trickery and a copious amount of explosives or brute force to shatter the bridge, you can likely dispose of this enormous threat using gravity as your tool. =Dungeon Conditions: Collapse, Weaken, Suffer=================================
<Pose Tracker> Lulu has posed.
Lulu nods to Josie. Mog is very cute. The little doll turns and waves while it waits for Rikku's grenade to go off, and then resumes punching debris out of the way. In fact, this whole thing goes on pretty well. The grenade makes a lot of BOOM. The mattock hammers away. The Servbots... work hard.
And they get good ****.
The treasure is all taken and interesting and cool, and Lulu even takes a few things for herself, though there are plenty of useful parts for those who like that kind of thing.
"It's true. We aren't exploring for 'justice', I suppose."
She seems kind of impressed by the work with the Servbots.
As for Josie, "They do say those things."
<Pose Tracker> Margaret has posed.
Down they go. Down, down, to -
"Hm, I guess we had to cut this way..."
"And... We..."
The group emerges into what looks like yet another random ass hallway procedurally generated by God to mock them. Margaret takes a somewhat agitated drag on the cigarette and exhales with exasperation. "Why aren't we just... at the treasure, Alice? What happened?"
"Well," Alice begins.
"No details! At least there's only one way to go. We have to be close, I can't feel any magic that would be throwing off the space..."
And sure enough, after a zig and two zags, the group comes upon a wide open space. And it's not even a case where the actual treasure is down below them! Oh no: Instead, up ahead of them is a sort of T-bridge. Consider it like this:
=Group ========= Golden gleam
||
completely harmless
empty space!
"Aha!" Margaret says, marching forwards. And partway down the T-bridge, with Margaret in the lead along with one of the servbots (the servbots have, strangely enough, now chosen to follow the principals of this mission), something shifts and rises upwards.
THUMP. The bridge rattles.
Margaret looks towards the Servbot, which clings to her skirt. "Oh n-n-n-no-- Miss Margaret, look!"
Margaret looks three directions before
THUMP
Looking in the right one.
The Hanmuru Doll, still visibly powering on, is stomping forwards from the previously empty and negligible space, which was apparently less negligible than hoped.
"All of you, run! Bn, Thunder Road them!"
"This bridge is like sixty yards long! We'll never make it in time!"
Margaret puts her hands on her hips, and then
THUMP
Looks downwards, at the bridge. Then at the Hanmaru, which is now actually stepping ONTO the bridge... which is making noise.
"Unless...?" Alice declaims, choristically.
DG: Margaret has used her Tool Some People in Cheap Purple Suits toward her party's challenge, Hanmuru the Bridge Down.
<Pose Tracker> Rikku has posed.
Rikku hears the question, and leans over, cupping a hand and whispering back to Margaret, "I wouldn't know! We don't use titles like that in Spira." Before calling back towards Lulu, "DO people explore for justice? That feels like a weird thing to explore for! Though wait, maybe my justice is taking every interesting thing that isn't nailed down! In which case - I explore for justice!"
Margaret may find Rikku listening in pretty closely as Margaret discusses the treasure with Alice. Before glancing towards the Servbots and putting a finger up to her mouth in a universal 'shhh' gesture.
When they hit the T junction though she's following pretty closely...
And looking up, and up at the size of the Hanmaru Doll.
"Ohhhh that's a big one."
The bad news about working salvage in Spira ruins is that Machina are rarely in THIS good a condition! That is also the good news - go figure!
Rikku strangely - immediately leans way over the bridge to check its supports. "Yep. That's a real sturdy bridge."
And proceeds to immediately throw a petrify grenade just in front of where the doll is going. It... hardens that section of the bridge, making it very, very brittle.
"Lulu! Can you show this thing your secret to staying so down to earth?"
DG: Rikku has used her Tool Far Too Many Grenades toward her party's challenge, Hanmuru the Bridge Down.
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
"Ain't as good as a cigar, mind," Josie remarks to Margaret. "Still, nothin' like a good drag after a long day, right? ...Eh, well, you get used to it. Not as much a problem as one might s'ppose," she adds, rolling her shoulders in a very lazy shrug.
Still, there's digging to do if they're going to get something shining and sparkling, and hell, they came this far already out of their respective ways without much (well, aside from machine parts) to show for it, so why not go for the gold, so to speak?
"Well, lookit them go!"
Josie swings as hard as she can for the mesh once the servbots are finished their business, but the mesh is made of sturdier stuff than her arm. "Guess I should work on my form, eh?" There's some stuff sparkling beyond it! ...Some stuff is sparkling a good distance beyond it.
"Trick 'o the light?" she murmurs, low. Well, they might as well--
--keep going?
"You think we got turned around or such back that ways?" Josie remarks, jerking her head back in the direction of the way they'd come. "Tunnels like that one can be mighty tricky--"
The bridge rattles.
"...That's sure a big one, right," she says, glancing over at Rikku. "And me without my big gun! What's a girl to do? So, what, you think we should run it?"
She pauses for a good five seconds. "This lout here's lookin' fit to go right on through the wall after us," Josie remarks, glancing at the others. "Assuming we tried." She glances downwards. The bridge is shaking.
"So maybe let's try a li'l... creative thinking!" Josie shouts instead, rolling her shoulder and rear back to slam the mattock for the section of bridge closest to her. And this time, she's going to put her entire body into it*!
(*said body, better at gunnery and enduring the abuses Josie forces upon it than any feat of strength.)
DG: Josephine Lovelace has used her Tool Well-Used Mattock toward her party's challenge, Hanmuru the Bridge Down.
<Pose Tracker> Lulu has posed.
"That's not a form of justice," Lulu says to Rikku, but she says it more gently than someone would expect. But Margaret and her friends(?) show them the way, just in time for the bridge to rattle and the Hanmaru Doll to stride forward. "Don't be so pessimistic," Lulu says to Bn, and Alice's Unless is pretty perfect timing, actually. "A very big one," Lulu agrees with Josie. "And I could do with some creative thinking..."
Rikku sets Lulu up. Lulu sets down Mog, who begins to mirror her motions as she raises both hands to channel what the westerners of Lunar call Althena's Blessing. There is a sudden, sharp feeling--
"It's time to get down."
Gravity explodes at the weak point of the bridge, where Josie and Rikku and perhaps others are already weakening it. Lulu will run when she's done.
DG: Lulu has used her Tool Power Mog toward her party's challenge, Hanmuru the Bridge Down.
=============================<* Kattelox Ruins *>============================= ==================<* CHALLENGE - Hanmuru the Bridge Down *>=================== |Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- You finally come onto a long bridge overlooking a deep mechanical ravine within the Underground Ruins not labelled by the Diggers' Guild. Fail here or not, you've made progress! However, further advancement is cut disappointingly short when the ground... *thump* ...begins... *THUMP* ...to shake. (IMG: https://i.imgur.com/a7Xx5k9.jpg ) An enormous Hanmuru Doll, one of the most dangerous known types of Reaverbots, starts marching in on your vicinity. Your position is terrible for straight-up combat, but it occurs to at least one of you-- The bridge you're on can't possibly sustain the Reaverbot's weight. With some ample trickery and a copious amount of explosives or brute force to shatter the bridge, you can likely dispose of this enormous threat using gravity as your tool. =Dungeon Conditions: Collapse, Weaken, Suffer=================================
========================<* Kattelox Ruins - Round 5 *>======================== ====================< Results - Hanmuru the Bridge Down >===================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Josephine Lovelace 27 --(13)--> 40 Pass Well-Used Mattock 2 Brute Effects: Strengthen ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Rikku 39 --(13)--> 52 Pass Far Too Many Grenades 2 Brute Effects: Strengthen ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Margaret 39 --(25)--> 64 Fail Some People in Cheap Purple Suits 2 Brute Effects: Strengthen ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lulu 27 --(13)--> 40 Pass Power Mog 3 Brute Effects: Rally ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Josephine Lovelace 80 --(35)--> 115 Pass Conditions: Collapse|Suffer(1)|Weaken(2) Effects: Strengthen(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: You have overcome the dungeon's trials! This run is a success! DG: The party led by Josephine Lovelace has successfully explored Kattelox Ruins!
=============================<* Kattelox Ruins *>============================= ======================<* CHALLENGE - Guilt Free Gear *>======================= |Type: Discovery |Dungeon Ability: Conclusion|Challenge Rating: 1 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- With the Hanmuru Doll disposed of, you discover a pathway leading to a enormous underground hangar that hasn't been disturbed in a very long time. Within, you discover... Several Gears. After some inspection, it looks like these Gears still work and with some conditioning and maintenance with the Ethos or Diggers' Guild, could even be used for active operation. With the threats to Filgaia coming in all shapes and sizes, this may be the time to get suited up. (OOC: You've discovered a Gear! If your character doesn't yet possess a Gear, this is a venue for apping a new Gear Form on your next Advancement Application! The particular appearance and capabilities of the Gear is up to you to decide. You may also decide to hand this Gear off to someone else who needs one.) =Dungeon Conditions: Treasure=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Margaret has posed.
"You maniacs! You're going to die, you know!" Margaret shouts out, even as Bn runs to her side of the bridge with two Servbots tucked under his arms. Alice has to run UP THE BACK of the Hanmaru Doll, and Margaret is grimacing as she raises up the hand with that odd ring on it -
When a chunk of bridge goes thunk -
Just ahead of a space that has been suddenly petrified into vulnerability -
Before a sudden surge in anomalous levels of gravitation JUST as the enormous Reaver strides into a perilous place and is summarily surrounded by two SNAPS and
well
It'd be dramatic in some cases. An explosion and what not, but the fact of the matter is that instead a fifteen-foot stretch of bridge just sort of falls off and the Hanmuru Doll, looking kind of confused, falls down with it.
Into...
the ground.
Margaret looks to the side, then back across the bridge. "Well d" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i85iMapeTfs
Margaret XP.............
Alice subXP....
Bn subXP....
Josie XP.............
Rikku XP.............
Lulu XP.............
Servbots XP.............
AFTERWARDS, when people have figured out a solution to the low pressure problem of crossing a big gap in the bridge, there is some momentary annoyance when it is discovered that the golden sparkle was in the largest part because of a bunch of concrete and dirt and rubble which, at some point, had some kind of immaculate golden lacquer paint poured on it.
"Just our luck," Margaret sighs. To Josie, she says, "I've found pipes to give you the best sort of experience but I understand you've got different blends up here? The big leaves for the wrapper, yes? Very clever. Of course I'm told you have to approach them differently..."
Some reconnaisance discovers two boxes containing ancient and somewhat rusty cannisters which seem to contain the same golden paint which explains all this sparkle, a couple of very small reflectors, a Heal Berry (somehow), 162G exactly...
And a ramp downwards.
"Rikku," Margaret then says. "And, Lulu as well, I'm just not sure if you're being quiet because you're in a sore mood or anything."
"... It's been a while, hasn't it? How's Yuna, and Tidus, and the.. other one? I remember you had at least one other person in your group but I was honestly exhausted and I was somewhat focused on keeping Dollie from killing herself at the time. I owe you all a vote of thanks and once I've gotten our new secret base all fixed up, I'll have you all over for dinner. How does that sound?"
("They convinced me to betray my ancestral faith and the oaths of the Goddess," Margaret explains to Josie.)
("Me too," says Bn.)
("Same," Alice says. "She shoulda' bought an afterlife if she wanted to have authority.")
(Bn concurs. "Meanwhile, these guys, they do, so, you know, I'm just sayin', I'm just *SAYIN*.")
And at the bottom of the ramp...
There are several Gears here, wrapped partially in tarping and generally stored against-- something. But there is one that is not.
It sits out there. Garish. Painted entirely in that same glossy gold from upstairs, immaculate and pristine against the ages.
Margaret points at the hideous garish thing. "Dibs," she states.
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
It all works out fairly well, in the end. Sure, there's the gap to worry about, but it's a minor issue when compared to the whole 'enormous Reaver about to step on them' problem from moments before.
AND THEN
"So much for all that," Josie sighs. "Guess it'd be too much to hope to find unclaimed treasure down here." Even if, as the local word goes, there are plenty of unexplored corners and sectors -- and perhaps even more left by those seeking the former. She picks up one of the cans and shakes it, experimentally. It rattles.
"In a pipe? Can't say I've done," she remarks, as if considering this one thoughtfully. "But right you are. Smoke it like a cigarette and you've set yourself up for a bad evening." She doesn't elaborate, at least not immediately.
Wait, there's a ramp.
But first, a few words from Margaret towards the other two.
"Huh," Josie remarks, noncommitally. "That so."
"Always wondered 'bout that. The afterlife."
She doesn't elaborate on that, either.
Down here, they find many Gears.
"Well, I'll be," Josie remarks, once she's able to remark anything for the gaping.
"...Ain't taken apart a Gear in a dog's year."
is she really going to
Yes.
<Pose Tracker> Rikku has posed.
"How big is your big gun?" Rikku says with a grin at Josie in the aftermath, "Big enough to do that?"
As she gestures at the wide open space where the Hanmaru doll fell through.
-=-=-
"Hm?" Rikku pauses in her disappointment that the Golden Sparkle was not so valuable after all, to place a hand on Margaret's shoulder, "Oh Margaret... I'm not sore at all! Granted - if you came after Yunie! We'd blow you up-!"
She thumbs over her shoulder at Lulu, "Twice-! But... we're not mad at you or anything." Pause, again thinking of Lulu, "Well, I'm not mad at you. I can't speak for Lulu. Anyhow... Yunie is... ahhh..."
Rikku looks away for a moment, "... well... she's hanging in there. Tidus is fine! And 'the other one' is - well she's grumpy, but more like normal grumpy rather than bad grumpy. But anyhow - dinner sounds good! We can catch you up-!"
Then at the Gear...
... Rikku takes one look at it and says, "Wow that... is..."
Rikku leans over to Lulu and whispers, "Lulu help me look and see if there's Al Bhed Graffiti on that one... I can't help but think my brother was in charge of that paint job."
<Pose Tracker> Lulu has posed.
Lulu is fine with the loot and lack thereof at first. But what gets her attention is Margaret speaking to her. The things she says...
"It has," she agrees, been a while. "We have a large group," she allows to having at least one. And they do, as Summoners and their Guardians go, have a very large group. "...No, I don't think you would," Lulu remarks to Margaret about having to come after Yuna. "...I'm not angry. To be honest, I've found this to be... a good day. It was nice to see you, too." She does not smile at Margaret or at the others, but she does not scowl at them, either. She even sounds sincere.
"We'd be happy to come over when you're ready. Thank you for the invitation."
Lulu looks over the Gears, and is thoughtful. "We might need power like this," she admits. Then she leans over to Rikku and says, "...I'll look. But no promises."
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
Josie can only grin lopsidedly at Rikku, at that question. "Maybe with some fine-tunin' or such? But as it stands, eh..."
And before long, there's work to be had.