DUNGEON ♛ GISELA TOWERS

[boardmaster]

GISELA TOWERS
20 MAY (VALLARIA) 2016

High in the skies, the howling winds tangled around the Gisela Towers make it difficult to hear anything. The monolithic structures believed to exist only in legend or harpy memories loom over you. The thick ropes of ivy crawling up the length of each tower is the only sign of life. Every now and then, shadow seems to pass overhead. It might just be a trick of the light.

Instead of the usual suspects, another familiar face comes forward to greet our Heroes: the devil-may-care Lei, captain and commander supreme of the Airy.

Lei Nervous that your commanders ain’t here? Don’t worry, you’re in good hands. So! Here we are at this… thing. Something something tragic romantic tale about a dragon and a phoenix. Anyway, it’s stupid and you don’t gotta know. Ask one of your commanders later or bribe me with a drink. Now for something more important— [ the winds roars loudly, muting lei’s voice. but heroes can watch his hand gestures and actions as he teaches them how to use the grappling hook: aim and shoot the gun. maybe twirl it with a fancy flourish first ] —did you get that? All right, good! I don’t have enough hooks, so you’re gonna have to share. And take good care of them, I want them back! Now get in there and clear it ASAP! I ain’t got all day to fly you all back home!

Basic info on the dungeon can be found here. Dungeon mechanics can be found here. All OOC questions about the event may be directed to the thread below.

ONE ♙
One does not simply walk into the Gisela Towers. The only way in is up the long and weathered staircase that wraps around the structure. However, the thing is riddled with missing steps, weak stones and slippery condensation from the cloud cover, so you’re going to need a little help. Should you attempt to climb the stairs, they will crumble beneath your feet at best and bury you beneath their rubble at worst.

This is where Lei’s newfangled(?) contraptions will come in handy! The pockmarks and small ledges created by weathering in the first tower’s structure could prove useful. There are, of course, a limited number of grappling hooks available, so you’ll have to partner up if you want your party to get anywhere. Parties of four are given two of these guns, while the poor souls with less party members get one.

Gisela’s gale-force winds will knock you around and make it seem like the towers are close to toppling over. However, as you make your way up you’ll see that the towers are actually far from abandoned.

MONSTER ♟ Ocypete
Weak against Lightning	Strong against Wind	Immune to None
Regarded as abominations of the avian world, ocypetes are BIRDS the size of horses, which would be incredibly advantageous if they had wings. The offspring of a human and a harpy, ocypetes have HUMAN ARMS that they use to scale surfaces and strong TALONS that can crush rock. They don’t fly, but they do RIDE THE WIND with the use of their long tail feathers, which possess magical wind properties and are nearly twice as long as they are tall. They would look almost elegant if they didn’t have a tendency to flap their arms while gliding. Legend has it that when the phoenix left the towers, the ocypetes were accidentally left behind because dragons plucked their wing feathers, making them look kind of funny. Now with a few millennia’s worth of abandonment issues on their semi-feathered shoulders, they’ll seek to prevent Heroes from ascending the towers by any means necessary with an odd variation of Airy MARTIAL ARTS. Their TAILFEATHERS may be acquired as loot.

What will Heroes encounter once they finally make it inside? More broken staircases, more monsters, even stronger winds blowing in from cracks in the walls and the foot of the tower (which is open to the air), and no floor whatsoever. Gisela’s Towers are hollow! The only footing to be found is on small ledges: some similar to those outside the tower, some that look more artificial; and intact sections of the stairs winding around the walls. You’ll need magic or some ingenuity to stay on your toes—literally! If you lose your grip or footing, it’s a several thousand foot drop back to Gresser. The quickest way down… and the deadliest.


TWO ♙
The treacherous and exhausting climb brings you to a more sturdy area that looks a little less like a wrecking ball just passed through and more like some kind of hive. Blocking your way are dozens of sturdy-looking nests suspended like particularly ugly balls of twine from the walls. These are home to the insectoid Aellos. Tearing the nests apart for loot is only a good idea if you want angry swarms after you.

MONSTER ♟ Aello
Weak against Fire, Lightning	Strong against None	Immune to Wind
Aellos resemble large eagles more than the DRAGONFLIES they’re supposed to be. Mature Aellos can fly, but the flightless and fuzzier larvae are just as formidable. They can HYPNOTIZE with their dozen kaleidoscope-like eyes, rendering targets IMMOBILE but still aware of their surroundings. In order to free them, a fellow Hero must gaze deeply into their eyes for at least 15 seconds. These monsters are also able to SPIT a gelatin-like substance that will stick Heroes to any and every surface and also each other. FIRE will reduce its stickiness. The larvae use hit-and-run tactics: they hunker down in their nests, peek over the edge and launch gobs of spit. The flying aello like to drop their SPIT BOMBS from above and occasionally also release a POWDER that ruins visibility and makes you sneeze. Feeling adventurous? Why don’t you give the spit a lick? It’s actually totally EDIBLE, tastes like jello, and is filled with mana. Just be sure to heat it up so you don’t get your mouth stuck shut. Their GELATIN SPIT and INSECT PARTS may be acquired as loot.

The staircases at this altitude are in better shape than the ones you have—or haven’t—been using. That doesn’t mean they’re any less dangerous. Not only do the Aellos chase you down here; traps are hidden in the steps as well. Some may act like quicksand, trapping an unwary Hero halfway into the stone. Others are enchanted with wind spells that can toss you up in the air, the long way back down to the ground, or blow your skirt upward. There might even be some that provoke the pesky bugs even more!

This floor has flowers and trees creeping their way in from the outside and covering every inch of the place, including treacherous weaknesses in the path. Behind these overgrown plants is a mural depicting a sensual dance between a dragon and a harpy. In order to advance, at least two Heroes will have to mimic the dance painted on the walls to open the door.


THREE ♙
A barrier prevents you from progressing any further. Magic, physical attacks or sheer willpower will do nothing. To dissolve it, you must create a concoction from the random ingredients available on the table and splash it on the barrier. There is no set recipe, so trial and error and a little creativity will be your friends! Along with your trusty party Bishop, of course. (You did bring one, didn’t you?) Those not well-versed in alchemy may end up with potions that explode upon completion, splashing party members standing too close with a variety of strange side effects ranging from mild body horror to a bad case of halitosis. The unfortunate effects seem to differ from Hero to Hero, and they last for a few minutes to a couple of hours.

Once your party crosses the barrier, you will find yourselves outside. The skies are darkening, but you’re still able to discern another tower wrapped in the clouds. A bridge once connected the two structures, but most of it is missing. Use those grappling hooks!

Upon entering the second tower, a marble floor at odds with everything from the last tower will greet you. Lift your head and you’ll find that the rest of the tower is also hollow all the way up; those heights allow room for fountains and waterfalls. It’s a suitable area to replenish mana and rest. Parched throats can be quenched with the sparkling water all around you, but approach any waterfalls and they will start moving in a very unwaterlike way.

MONSTER ♟ Celaeno
Weak against Lightning	Strong against Fire, Earth	Immune to Water
Possessed by pride and cursed by the phoenix’s wrath, these dragons are nothing like the ones you encountered before. Celaeno resemble huge snakes made of water and possess ENCHANTED SCALES that float through their bodies and render them extremely RESISTANT to both magical and physical attacks. You will have to find WEAK POINTS in their protective aura. Hopefully you have a Knight or Bishop on your team to find those weaknesses as soon as possible! Each dragon’s weak points differ. Fortunately, all Celaenos go down easily once you find that soft spot. They use their long, slender tails like WATER WHIPS to knock down or douse their targets; the force of a tail may equal that of a fire hose at full blast! The only time it sheds its armor is to shapeshift into a WATER PRISON that can trap one or more enemies. Try not to attack it while a Hero is trapped inside; it will hurt your friend as well! Use STATUS EFFECTS to confuse or distract them so the prison loses shape. Their ENCHANTED SCALES, SMALL GEMS, and DRAGON WATER may be acquired as loot.

Without any stairs in sight, the way up lies in those dragons. After their defeat, their magical scales can be put together to form a boat that can ride the waterfalls upwards to the top floors.


FOUR ♙
The skies continue to change once you reach the top. Black clouds begin to close in, stray bits of land that have broken off from the main island hover nearby, and a sudden torrent of powerful mana may disorient your party. A storm is approaching.

Just as the first chunk of hail falls from the sky, a mighty roar reverberates through the darkness. Something very large lands on the walls of the tower and causes a tremor that whittles chunks from the tower and actually rolls the clouds back; is that the toll of thunder, or just more roaring?

Finally, an impressive three-headed dragon emerges from below. Once it has perched itself on the tower, one head speaks in a rumbling growl.

BOSS ♟ Tianya the Thrice-Scorned
Weak against Lightning	Strong against None	Immune to Wind, Fire
“Did that phoenix send you?! Tell her she cannot return! Not even over my dead body!” Unsurprisingly, Tianya ─the dragon once wed to the phoenix─ is more than just a legend. He lowers his heads and another loud, guttural cry fills the skies. For now, he remains STATIONARY at the top of the tower. All three heads attempt to SWALLOW a Hero whole if they get too close. Should you go on the offensive, you may be able to chop off at least one head before he’s pissed off enough to move. The fallen head writhes in agony as it moans: “It hurts… it burns…” At this point, Tianya takes flight. The strong GUSTS from those wings can launch a Hero right off the tower. Use your grappling hook(s) to play floating island hopscotch: evade devastating dive attacks and run from the MANA BEAMS shot from his mouths. “You’ll never understand! I never wanted her!” As you travel from island to island trying to get close enough to deal some real damage, Tianya hides in the CLOUDS to launch ambush attacks. Eventually, a PHOENIX descends from the heavens in a burst of fiery light. However, it’s not the phoenix of legend; it’s actually one of Tianya’s spells, and it will burn away most of your mana if any of its flames make contact. MANA EXCHANGE may be the only way to continue this battle... Once Tianya is down to one head, he will immediately rise higher into the sky. “My last words are for her and her alone.” After Tianya is defeated, the storm clears; Enprise’s twin suns shine once more. That precious DUNGEON CORE floats down, blanketed by a SINGLE LARGE FEATHER, golden and shining in the light. “It’s warm… She was always warm…” A SCORNED DRAGON HEART and a MYSTICAL PHOENIX FEATHER may be acquired as loot.

As soon as both core and feather touch the tower, an ominous rumbling and shaking begins. The Gisela Towers are falling apart and it’s now a race to escape before you’re buried under the rubble.

And don’t forget the grappling hook(s); Lei wants them back.


FIVE ♙
All that’s left of the Gisela Towers is rubble. The dungeon has been conquered, the island reclaimed, and the ruins of the old regime can now become the foundations for something new: the site of the harpies’ homecoming after hundreds of years.

LOCATION ♟ Gisela

An ancient sky island that has existed since time immemorial. What enables Gisela to RIDE THE CLOUDS may be an even greater mystery than the mechanisms powering the Airy. The island appears most frequently above Gresser, though its extraordinary altitude makes it DIFFICULT TO LOCATE. The landscape of Gisela is overgrown with JEWEL-GREEN FORESTS, crisscrossed with gorges and dotted with networks of small caverns. But its crowning glory is the THIN GLEAMING WATERFALLS that flow from its edges and into the sky beyond. The water is embraced by RAINBOWS and condenses into CLOUDS when Gisela is high enough, lending to its unusual weather patterns. Although the island initially seems largely uninhabited apart from the Gisela Towers, there is a SEALED OFF AREA that, when viewed from the air, looks suspiciously like LUSH, TILLED FIELDS. Should you ask Lei about this, he will only give you an unusually stern warning against disturbing it. Looks like you’ve solved the mystery behind the pai tiles. Now that the menacing Towers have been demolished, a variety of animal life — usually airborne — will begin to appear on the island. Some of them you’ve never seen before! The fall of the Towers also uncovered the existence of HOT SPRINGS below; newspapers speculate wildly about the source, but most agree that it must have something to do with the renewed vows between phoenix and dragon. The few structures already in place on the island have been speedily converted into BAZAARS manned by Airy harpies. Most specialize in legal alchemical gimmicks, but there’s always another side to these things. Everyone’s here to soak in the breeze, and by that we do mean everyone. In response to the tourism boom, NEW AEROPORTS have also opened in both Gisela and Gresser to provide reliable transportation between the two locations.

Comments

[long_live_the_queen]

[Kaede had discovered a small benefit to these not-quite-vectors; they were good at finding tiny anchor points instead of just cratering whatever surface they touched.

The gales certainly did their best to test her ability not to fall to a messy death, though. As did the bird...things, and getting used to being thrown around on some gravitational slingshot over the largest gaps.

The diclonius had been in the middle of trying to shake her hair out into less of a horrible mess when she heard buzzing wings, a glob of spittle sticking to her elbow. Her fire vectors smashed one bug against the wall she was closest to, the heat starting to melt and loosen the substance.]

It'll take me a minute.

[She glared at the walls; it wasn't just one nest, or even a few—of course not. Just one bolt of fire wouldn't cut it. But Kaede was reluctant to disperse the vectors just yet; finding their echoes in her mind was surprisingly difficult.]

[houndumb]

Why the hell would you eat locusts? WHEN did you eat locusts??

[Look, Nora might be a growing boy who will eat just about anything you throw at him at the right moment, but even he has limits. Sort of. Flexible limits that may include crying demon food and trying to put dragon bits in his mouth at some point, but desperate times sometimes call for desperate measures.

He (and the rest of them) is probably covered head to toe in feather dust and bruises at this point from being karate-chopped by arm-birds and gravity bullshit and wind bullshit, but they've made it this far; and Nora's a little more in his element this battle thanks to the sturdy spear he picked up at some point after getting tired of not having enough pointy things to stab everything Enprise keeps throwing at him.

It's probably more of a defensive weapon than anything in this place, but it also manages to double as a perch whenever he can get it stuck in the wall well enough...]

And you, it's been a minute! It's been at least two minutes, are you asleep down there?!

[Part of the reason he's impatient might be because a bug just stuck both his hands to his spear; he's doing his best to try and kick it in the face while he's hanging there, though.]

[glorifiedtrash]

When in Altamira... Thanks Kaede. [Reaffirming his grip on his sword Zelos quickly traces a cross with his free hand. What he wants to do...] Champ, you'd better catch me. I'm going to haunt you to the grave if you let me die.

[You know. Cause that's a warning. And an incantation apparently. HE REALLY HATES TO LEAVE HIS SHOE BEHIND, but whatever yanking his foot out he leaps into the air with all the grace of a ballerina trained fighter.]

Demon spear!

[A flash of red traces the path of his sword, much like vicious claws blah blah. ANYWAY WHIRLWIND OF BLADEY DEATH except. You know. No place to land so... While he does clear most of the immediate area of bugs--

Totally falling to his death now. Help plz and thx.]

[long_live_the_queen]

[She was just sitting back to start casting (it always took a long time to charge up for anything, even when she didn't feel like her axe was needed) when Zelos...sailed off into space.

Well, nevermind that, keeping a teammate from turning into a splatmark on the distant ground was more important. Kaede broke out of the casting stance, one of her vectors reaching out to grab his ankle before he got completely out of range. They still felt uncomfortably warm and would probably start burning for real after a few moments, but at least didn't immediately brand Zelos' ankle with fingerprints.

Meanwhile, one of her other vectors threw some dead bug parts at Nora's head.]

Fuck you, I'm busy here!

[Kaede and Nora bickering is going to be like, constant dungeon theme music isn't it.

But a third vector picked up a fist-sized stone to pitch it like a bullet at the insect that was bothering him without further prompting. Look, she's helping!]

[houndumb]

[It's always a bit disconcerting when one of your teammates start growing extra bits, even if Nora has no room whatsoever to talk about extra limbs and heads and things. He's just about ready to start trying to choke the Aellos thing to death with his legs when about five things happen at once (three of them are Kaede's fault) and Zelos does his swan dive thing.

First things first: he makes a sort of offended squawking noise because now bug parts are stuck in his hair, not that his hair is really good for much of anything besides getting shit stuck in it, so those are probably not... the first bug bits in there.

It's the principle of the matter.]

Maybe you'd be less busy if you were faster in the first place! And you, I'm startin' to get tired of you flying around!

[Then he takes advantage of Kaede's rock-shaped distraction to kick his personal bug away with gusto...

... only since he's above them, it probably goes FWUMP on one of the nests in between, and now you guys are getting a rain of whatever bug spit was stuck to that thing. Maybe your people chain could use more sticking power...?]

[glorifiedtrash]

[NORA WHY...... Fucking, fuck, fuck--]

Guardian! [The green sphere that covers him and Kaede is a poor man's barrier against the spit barrage. The fact it only lasts a few seconds not exactly helpful either. But it's enough to hold out his hand to Kaede...from...upside down..... SHOULD HE BE THE ONE OFFERING SALVATION HERE???] Kaede- jump!

[long_live_the_queen]

-seriously?!

[He was asking her to...what? She was all ready to pull Zelos up and now he was asking her to leap off of the ledge? It was just a rain of bugs, why this?

But Zelos hadn't given her a reason to distrust him so far.

And thinking about it too much would complicate things.

So she jumped, arms and vectors free for the moment.]

[glorifiedtrash]

[There's something here that bares some serious contemplation. Like what the hell eh's doing to these kids lives. Anyone trusting him... Is he the good guy in this world? The bad guy? Hell if he fucking knows, but he's never been the right guy. For anything.

Now's not the time to have an episode of PTSD. Falling as they are, it's an heady rush. He's been here, done this, but what about Kaede? No way to know unless he asks and now's not the time. Reaching up he grabs her sleeve to pull her into an one-armed embrace and-- starts tracing crosses like his fucking life depends on. Cause it kind of does.]

In the name of the Lord, your strength and your mercy, let's not die today-- turbulence!

[A sudden gust of air, powerful and rudely aggressive explodes beneath them sending them, the uh. Other way. It's up now. Nobody vomit on this rollercoaster ride. Specially not you Nora as one of them, Zelos or Kaede or idk the vectors, someone yanks that spear out and drags it along for the ride.

I'M TOO LAZY TO CONTINUE THE ACTION CHAIN. The floor is achieved...! Except now they're in a spit laden heap with a few bugs who hopped along for the ride and are doing their care bear stare. This is like Casual Friday: The Dungeon.]

[houndumb]

Wait, serioUSLYYYYYYYYYY--

[Look, at this point in his fairly puny life Nora hasn't actually had much opportunity to work on a team with... well, anyone, actually. Or anything. So it's a miracle he hasn't managed to stab someone in the eye at this point, never mind being a positive force for team synergy yada yada.

Meta aside, he'd started trying to gnaw his hands out of the sticky bug shit (desperate times, DESPERATE MEASURES) and making very peculiar faces when Zelos and Kaede did their weird two-man windy cartwheel up the tube and yanked him with them. His poor arms, but at least since he was sort of lifting himself up to reach the bugstuff they don't get knocked around in their sockets too badly.

No, that'd be the rest of him once they roll onto whatever floor there is in this junkheap.]

... Mmmphhhphh... [Seriously, guys, is this dogpiling thing a tradition we really want to keep and--] MFFFFF!!!

[That would be Nora sitting up and promptly headbutting an Aellos that was trying to squash him. Also, his mouth kind of got stuck shut by bug spit, great job, genius.]

[long_live_the_queen]

[Kaede would have bristled at people being so close to her, if this was any other circumstance or any other people. But the ascent made her too dizzy to do much more than squeeze her eyes shut after grabbing Nora and his weapon with a vector. Even those jointless arms had pressed close to her back, though there wasn't much worry that they'd sprain anything.

With her eyes closed like this, Kaede didn't see the floor coming; on impact she shouted a curce (the usual), pried her eyes open (also the usual), and promptly threw her vectors into a grasping, whirling spiral of fire at the insects and the gel and gross they had all landed in.

Sorry about the friendly fire but she needs some space, okay.]

[glorifiedtrash]

[Juuuust gonna grab Nora if possible and shove him back down to the floor. Avoid the flames plz, plz avoid the flames. If he comes out of this with roasted kids he's going to have more personality problems than he already does. Nice side is the flames melt all the spit.

Bad side?





He's still missing that fucking shoe.]

...Thanks. Everyone okay?

[houndumb]

--BbbluhGAH!!

[Well, it wouldn't have been the first time Kaede set him on fire, so he can probably take a little roasting -- but luckily, Zelos' timely intervention means no real burns this time. Except. Nora's sleeve might be a little bit on fire because he was trying to punch the bug away at the same time, but that's normal.

Who needs sleeves, anyway? Here's Nora yelping a little and slapping the sleeve against the remaining bug gunk, which has the upside of putting out the fire and the downside of... leaving him with half a sleeve and melting bug gunk all over the floor under them. What color is this shit, anyway, are they getting another dye job......]

Watch where you're thrashin' those stupid fire tentacles, we really can't eat these things!! [what are your priorities actually, Nora]

wow that was sure a typo

[long_live_the_queen]

[Okay. Space now. Space was good. The vectors stilled, hovering mostly inertly and innocently over Kaede's head and shoulders like they definitely weren't involved in any of that.

The spell's caster is far less apologetic, glowering over her shoulder and mostly at Nora.]

You sounded better with the muzzle on.

[At least the fire was deterring the insects—for a moment.

Kaede reached down, offering Zelos a hand—and by proxy Nora since he was also right there.]

[glorifiedtrash]

...Heh. I guess I did forget to bring you guys lunch.

[He's so bad at this. Isn't that something Raine would have thought of? He's not used to...kids. His eyes look at Kaede's hand. Fuck. Reaching back he takes Nora and puts it in hers. They should help eachother. They're the important ones here.]

You two go on ahead. There's something I need to do.

[houndumb]

What'd you just say say, ya damn horned HARPY--

[You are now picturing bird!Kaede with vector arms. Possibly more efficient than the actual Ocypetes, but maybe not as noisy. Unless present company is involved, of course; Nora's already started back up into a sitting position and is trying to rise and get into her face when his hand is suddenly grabbed. That handily (heh) distracts him from his latest moment of temper.

He makes a noise vaguely like a muffled, angry teakettle and tries to give Zelos and Kaede both a swat for whatever the hell is going on here. He doesn't need help, he's not actually stuck to the floor (anymore)!!]

How the hell're we supposed to be going on ahead without whatever damn magic you were using?? [OK, the stairs are in better shape, but that's like saying the bug spit is now melted; is it going to stay that way? Is it really?] And it's lunchtime, anyway, and there's nothing to eat except those stupid caterpillars!

[.......... thoughtful pause.]

The sticky stuff's not too bad... Except for the stick.

[long_live_the_queen]

Did I fucking stutter?

[For further harpy consideration: owls do this when they're startled or mad.

Kaede was about to swat back at Nora like a very mature individual when Zelos made his little announcement. Which...surprised her; where was he going?]

You're coming back, right?

[not that she cares!!!]

[glorifiedtrash]

[Much cute. And thus did the Grinch's heart grow like 0.2mm that day. ANYWHO Zelos does laugh softly. KIND OF FONDLY?]

Of course. I'm a little stuck to you two.

[You know. Physically. Metaphorically. Punifically. Hideous.]

I'll bring back something to eat. And Nora? [Raising his head the slightest with some weirdass smile cause he's crazy Zelos.] I'm counting on both of you.

[Aka don't ditch all the work on Kaede. BUT OFF HE GOES. To retrieve his shoe. And bug bits. By fuck he will find out more about these monstrosities brought forth from his past. Or. Try anyway.

The floor itself is an overgrown jungle of tress, flowers, vines and roots. It keeps the wind out for the most part, but it makes getting anywhere a difficult hazard. But there is a path! To a tall and heavy pair of art deco doors. That are sealed tight. Ain't opening. Nope. Some squinting around will yield spots of color peeking out from behind the foliage surrounding the doors though.

Welcome to what I can only assume is like Egyptian tomb frescoes if Egyptians got down with their sweet selves in them.]

stares blankly at typo in last tag

[houndumb]

[Zelos' crowning moment of heartworming dere is well-timed, because Nora had just scooped up a handful of rapidly congealing bug gunk that he was probably planning on stuffing in Kaede's mouth like you'd do in a mudfight or whatever extremely mature adults in a dungeon are meant to be doing with conveniently sticky gross stuff.

... So instead, before their resident walking gravity catapult runs off, he also gets that handful of bug gunk to the shoulder -- just in case he wasn't sticky enough already -- while Nora makes an irritated huffing noise and turns away towards what looks vaguely like the way forward.

Probably he smacks himself in the face with one of the fronds sticking out of the overgrown jungle by moving too fast, but let's pretend he meant to do that, also.]

You better get back quick before I get hungry enough to eat her. [..... even if she's not human or anything, the mildly demonic habit of threatening to eat anything sentient out of pique is alive and well] It's not like she's that helpful in the first place... What the hell're we supposed to do to keep going, anyway?? Burn the damn plants down?

[To underscore this (and this is in no way petulant), he yanks the abovementioned frond out of its stalk and glares at it suspiciously.]

I hate it when that happens D:

[long_live_the_queen]

[Kaede still stared after Zelos, shifting uncomfortably. She had gotten used to his presence, and that absence seemed strange.

Nora pitching that spittle at Zelos' shoulder shook her out of that strangely sentimental and complicated mindset, and Kaede's expression flattened into a harsh line again.

Though there was a brief moment of an almost-smile.]

Oh, what a good idea.

[The fire part, not the cannibalism.

Her axe felt like cooperating now, bursting into flame at her command—and lighting some of the dead and dried foliage at her feet into crackling, orange-red embers as she shoved the blade amidst them. The tiny fire wasn't hot enough to consume anything green and growing and full of sap—but it could certainly clear away the trash if left to its own devices.]

[houndumb]

... It is??

[Look, nobody ever actually agrees with his ideas right off, they either get dragged into it kicking and screaming or it gets dragged to them kicking and screaming -- or he just keeps blowing hot air until somebody else comes up with a better idea, but let's be real here, sane ideas are a little in short supply with this outfit.

Not that any of them are actually all that aware of it, because where would be the fun in that. Granted, Nora's starting to suspect he may have thrown his lot in with a pair of geniuses crazier than Kazuma or Rivan on their best days -- which means Zelos running off might be a bigger problem if he actually thought things out that far -- but.

Hey, they also conveniently set things on fire when he tells them to.]

Are you-- are you serious with that stupid tiny spell?? Weren't you throwing fire spells everywhere a second ago?! [... of course, being Nora, he completely fails at expressing any satisfaction even as he dances away from the flames] We're gonna be here till next year if I wait for you! So watch and learn, harpy!

[He brings his arm up in a peculiar embarrassing pose aimed at the nearest and thickest bit of foliage, and:]

I declare Ignis Magia, Flame Fang Explosion!

[.... what looks like a rather cute, fiery will-o'-the-wisp pops out of his fingers and wanders over to roll around on the tree. It's like, the size of a soccer ball, maybe.]

[long_live_the_queen]

[Questionable Life Decisions, the team!

Kaede was about to just scowl at Nora again when he started casting a spell; she held her tongue at least until that was done with. Fire spells were a terrible thing to misspeak. That's how she lost eyebrows once.

...she does scowl when all that results from Nora's dramatic-sounding spell is a rather languid fireball. That doesn't even start any fires! At least not immediately. Kaede's brush fire was at least merrily scorching away the dead leaves and detritus at the trees' base. Keep up, Nora!]

...that's it?