Avalon Adventurer's Guild: Eorzean Style

[warbun]

🧙 WHO: Lizzie and Blaze
⚔️️ WHAT: Saving Bucca!
🕒 WHEN: early May
🗺️ WHERE: off the Silent Shore
⚠️ WARNINGS: man-eating animals and the killing thereof, given the quest



[Now that they're well-settled, Lizzie and Blaze have been keeping an eye out for tasks that require the sort of services that two adventurers can provide. An opportunity provides itself with the missive posted on QuestBoard requesting assistance with culling nudibranchs that have been feasting on... well, people, from the sounds of it. It's exactly the sort of work they've both done back in Eorzea, and therefore a perfect fit for them.

The only catch is having to go underwater, where Blaze has a major advantage over Lizzie as far as swimming ability. At least they'll be able to breathe for an hour before the risk of drowning comes into play. Just means they'll have to work quickly.

Standing on the shoreline, Lizzie does one last check-over of her equipment. She's less armored than she'd prefer, lest she sink like a stone, but it seems to be all attached correctly.]

Ready, friend?

Comments

[firesinthesky]

[ There’s a second where it looks like Blaze wants to protest, but she knows better. She can still swim, but given how quickly she was caught unawares the first time, that’s a risk they’re better off not taking. ]

All right. Let me do something first.

[ She doesn’t offer up much of an explanation, she simply splays her hands in front of her, eyes closed in concentration. Nothing happens at first, but then a slightly luminescent orb flickers into being around them - a shield of light, soft colors swirling around on the surface like a soap bubble. Blaze cracks an eye open and then grins. ]

Sorry I didn’t think of this sooner. We should be safe from any more surprise attacks, at least.

[warbun]

[Lizzie watches the protest rise and fall in Blaze's expression, familiar with how that logic goes. Gods know she's been in her position more than once. It's frustrating to have to step back like this.

She calls no attention to it, instead keeping the focus on everything else.]

In fairness, we thought our eyes and ears would be enough. But this will work wonderfully the rest of the way--thank you, friend.

[After a pause, she dares a jest.]

Remind me to keep this ability of yours in mind the next time we need to exclude Claude for some ladies' time.

[firesinthesky]

[ Thankfully, the joke lands, prompting a laugh. ]

Gods, he'll be so sad. Like a puppy in the pet store window.

[ Picturing Claude pressed against the light of her shield will get her to the village. It's awkward, having to swim with a leg that's gone half-numb and stiff, and more often than not, she's the one holding Lizzie up.

She feels bad about it, because who wouldn't, but she's glad that it's dear, sweet Lizzie she's stuck in this mess with. ]

Almost there. Sorry for the abysmal pace.

[warbun]

[Oh good, it worked as intended. Lizzie giggles alongside Blaze.]

I wonder how long it would even last before one of us gave in. He's the sort to know exactly how pathetic he needs to look to get his way.

[She's also imagining it, and honestly it's adorable and hilarious enough for her to suggest in earnest when things are less urgent and underwater.

The slow pace doesn't bother her any, although she can see that it's bothering her companion. She waves dismissively at the apology.]

No apology needed, or at least not from you. And the one whose fault this is is too busy lying in chunks on the ocean floor to be able to speak up.

[They continue their slow but steady pace, eventually entering the village proper. It's quaint, and not really what Lizzie would have expected living under the water's surface like this, but given the safe harbor it holds she has little room to complain. She approaches a naga that she assumes is a citizen.]

Excuse me, but my friend and I are--

[BZZZZT. The electrical current that hits her isn't enough to kill or even render her unconscious, but it certainly hurts and leaves her stunned.

This really isn't their day.]

[firesinthesky]

[ Lizzie knows what to say to put her at ease, at least. Though she still feels bad for getting hurt, she stops apologizing.

Once they reach the village, Blaze's shield flickers away. In part because she can only maintain it for so long, and in part because she assumes they're safe.

Perhaps she was a bit too optimistic. ]

Lizzie!

[ She reaches over to catch her friend by the shoulders, even if there's no chance of her toppling over underwater. Thankfully, she just seems stunned and not badly injured. Lightning under the water could be quite deadly. ]

We didn't mean to frighten you-- [ this to the villager, who is eying them warily. ] We were simply looking for a remedy for paralysis.

[warbun]

'mmmfine.

[Is the response Blaze receives, Lizzie being too dazed to communicate anything further.

The villager, for his part, relaxes a bit when Blaze addresses him and demonstrates that they aren't threats. Not completely, but enough that he isn't liable to give either of them another shock. When he speaks, his pace is rapid and anxious.]

"Run-in with the nudibranchs, I take it? Poor things. Here, follow me. We can give your friend something for her state, too. Very sorry--just didn't expect anyone from the surface today. You understand."

[He leads them to a small apothecary, where another naga is sitting behind the counter. Leaving Blaze and Lizzie at the door, he goes to the counter and begins speaking to her. With a nod, she disappears into the back room.]

"Won't be long, please have a seat. Sorry for all of this trouble. These nudibranchs really are awful, aren't they? I suspect you were just out for a swim and that's how they get you."

[firesinthesky]

[ At least the locals are accommodating, even if it does little to help Blaze feel less like a fool. She gently guides Lizzie along through the water as best she can with a half-paralyzed leg, all the while watching her friends to make sure the damage isn’t worse than they first thought. ]

Thank you so much, and you needn’t apologize. Our apologies for intruding.

We mean to go back out there to see if we can eliminate some of those troublesome creatures once we’re both in working order.

[warbun]

[Lizzie, luckily, is merely dazed despite the fact that such a shock really ought to have been fatal. It's probably something magic. Don't think too much about it.

For his part, the naga lights up a bit when he hears of their plan.]

"Oh, is that what the two of you are here for? You and your friend certainly look like you could handle a fight. That's kind, very kind, thank you very much."

[He still speaks a mile a minute, even if it's clear that the worst of his anxiety has ebbed away.

The other naga comes back from the back with two concoctions in hand. She hands them to their guide, who, in turn, brings them to Lizzie and Blaze.]

"Here, this one is for you." [He hands her a flask filled with a purple liquid.] "Tastes a bit like grape, or what they tell us grape tastes like, anyway.

"And for your friend..." [He pops open the other flask and removes a small pill, which he pops into Lizzie's mouth.

The effect on her is immediate. She startles, and then looks around as if she hasn't been present for the past several minutes.]

The hells?!

[firesinthesky]

We're happy to help - and hopefully we'll be a bit better prepared having run into one now.

[ Blaze is contemplating just how one drinks a potion underwater - probably normally, because something something magic - when Lizzie suddenly perks up, prompting a laugh. ]

Welcome back. This dear fellow apologizes for the nasty shock.

[ She tips her bottle at the naga in question before popping the cork off and draining it in one go. It's... a very poor approximation of grape, but Blaze gets it down without complaint. She does wrinkle her nose, though.

The redness of her skin begins to abate almost instantly, followed by a rather unpleasant pins-and-needles sensation as she gets feeling and movement back. ]

Ah-- hm, well, it certainly works.

[warbun]

...oh.

[This underwater thing has just gotten weirder and weirder. Lizzie's at the point where she's decided that she's done questioning it.

The naga, for his part, looks between the two of them before settling his attention on Lizzie.]

"Sorry again for the shock, I suppose I'm just a bit on edge. Your friend tells me you're going to help with the nudibranchs, and we are very very grateful to you for it. Don't worry about paying the apothecary--I will cover both treatments as apologies and as thanks. You both seem to be well, and I will let you get back to what you were doing. Thank you again, and sorry again, and goodbye."

[He gives a small bow and takes his leave. Lizzie blinks a few times in the silence that follows.]

....anxious sort, aren't they?

[firesinthesky]

Quite.

[ With the rather swift exit of their impromptu guide, Blaze is free to make a face at the lingering taste in her mouth, turning to Lizzie with it in full force. ]

They also have a very poor concept of what grapes are meant to taste like.

But, let's not linger. The time on our potions is waning, and we've some slugs to kill.

[warbun]

[Lizzie can't help but laugh at that face. Sorry Blaze, she's sympathetic but can't help herself.]

Let's leave them to their delusions of flavor and get to work, yes.

[She smiles and punches her fist into her palm, then heads to the apothecary door and opens it.]

After you.

[firesinthesky]

[ Blaze makes her way out, then, trusting Lizzie to follow. Once they’ve made it past the bounds of the city, she lifts her hands to reinstate her shield. There will be no making that mistake twice. ]

Do you suppose we ought to go looking for them or lure them to us?

[warbun]

I think luring would be faster, but aside from dangling some poor creature as bait I'm not sure how best to accomplish that.

[Lizzie taps her chin thoughtfully.]

Do you suppose they react to blood in the water?

[firesinthesky]

[ Oh, Blaze already has an idea of where this is going, but she can’t say she has a better idea. ]

If their only purpose is to feed, I don’t see why they wouldn’t.