suddenly slayers everywhere

[chimerad]

Characters: It's the Lina & Zelgadis show

Setting/Location: Tippity-top of the caravan

Date & Time: Day 11, early morning

Warnings: Lina

Summary: Prior to finding the robot, Lina finds the chimera

Comments

[fireballed]

Lina had been trying to find anything to do, really. No Gourry to keep her company, no Amelia to go on random escapades with. Well-- She wasn't sure if they weren't really there or not. So the search began! And she's start from the very top this time, so to the roof!

And lo and behold, someone beat her there. Who seemed to be fighting with a piece of paper and the wind.

"Whatcha got, Zel?" Are you gonna share? Are you.

[chimerad]

If Zelgadis were going to count the times Lina had randomly appeared out of nowhere with no context, he was going to have to sprout a few more hands and feet. Rezo had the excuse of being able to track the magic in his body, but this was completely without excuse. Wasn't it? Who actively sought out a brooding, heartless swordsman for company? Even the familiar ones?

He'd guess she was lonely if he didn't already guess she was nuts.

In any case, his initial shock was brief (you'd think a guy would be used to it by now), exhaled in a slow sigh.

"What are you doing up here?" he asked, countering a question with a question. And so early...How does she wake up so perky?

[fireballed]

"I was looking for Gourry," said oh so matter-of-fact. As if Zelgadis didn't know; what other reason would she be on top of this stupid thing? She wasn't Amelia, for crying out loud.

She looked out at the landscape in thought for a moment, then down at his paper. "What're you doing up here, then?"

[chimerad]

It was a fairly acceptable reason, to be sure, but...Zelgadis wasn't so sure Gourry would take the time to look up enough to consider a rooftop visit. Still, he could see where she was coming from. Weirder things had happened.

"Trying to get a crude map of this place," he replied, emphasis on crude. "Or...something. There's really nothing else to do until we stop."

[fireballed]

"And who knows when that'll be." Kneeling down, she glanced between the paper and land around them, then back to the paper. Well, the wind picking up his paper wasn't making it any easier. Without bothering to ask, she sat across from him.

"Spread it out." It was an order, yes, but she started digging through her cape pockets.

[chimerad]

"What do you think I'm trying to do?" he grumbled, becoming annoyed rather quickly by being ordered around. Even so, Zelgadis leaned over and smoothed out half of the over-sized parchment with his fist, holding it flat at a corner while another still flapped madly.

[fireballed]

The redhead grinned a little sheepishly. Right, of course he was trying to, but he wasn't trying fast enough. Nevermind she was taking her time finding these things.

"Ah!" And in a flash, she had two large, red, oddly shaped jewels at the ready. One she put on the corner he held down on her side and the other she slid over the paper to the opposing corner on the same side.

"Here, take these," she ordered, holding out two more.

[chimerad]

He wasn't exactly sure what she was getting at from first glance; he blinked blankly, hands automatically responding to the command and twisting out to hold two more. A split-second later, Zelgadis' train of thought matched hers, finishing what she started and letting her smooth out the unpinned side before planting the stones at the corners. How the hell she managed to bounce around with all that heavy loot on her all the time was a mystery.

[fireballed]

"There. That should make it easier."

And then she sat. Well, back to work, Zel, chop chop, she wants to watch. It's not like she has anything better to do right now.

[chimerad]

Zelgadis made a sound that could've passed for a thank-you in some way. The rest of the marker for Sleepywoods was significantly less of a inky blotch; wrestling a page flat while trying to keep ink from spattering was not something he'd trained hard to succeed at. Now, at least, he could worry less about turning his clothes two-toned on accident and try and stay on-task. In fact, Zelgadis actually enjoyed the work for a little while.

That is, until the fact that Lina was sitting there. Well-behaved, even. Zelgadis wasn't much for an audience, really, and even though he hardly minded her company, there always seemed to be gain involved when she did anything.

He glanced up. "Well?"

[fireballed]

Why would she ever have something to gain from this? She could be off finding food, tormenting some poor soul who couldn't handle her, practicing magic... There was nothing to be gained by this!

Except possibly figuring out their location to see how far they've gone to figure out how far behind Gourry might have gotten left behind and how long it might take her to catch back up with the caravan were she to leave.

But you know, nothing to gain. She just smiled. "Well?" Lina echoed.

[chimerad]

His expression instantly soured, matching his flat tone. "Well," he repeated, twisting the pen to match the course of a stream. "Did you find out anything new? About this place? Or Gourry?"

[fireballed]

At that, her face went serious instantaneously.

"He's not here. I tried everything I could think of to draw him out." She sighed, elbow sinking to her knee so her hand could hold the weight of her chin. "What kind of idiot is he! I'll bet he got himself left behind at that castle. I swear, when I find him, I'm gonna-- I'M GONNA...." Do what? Can't fireball him or anything. The thought ended in a growl-turned-roar.

[chimerad]

"He's disappeared before," Zelgadis pointed out in a less blunt tone; it was always safer to try and soothe the savage beast than instigate her too much. That was especially true when one was hundreds of feet above the moving ground without a decent levitation spell to cast. "He was gone for days that time you gave him the Philospher's Stone."

[fireballed]

She returns her chin to her hand, more thoughtfully this time. "I was able to track that, though. I don't have anything here I can track him with. Or know if it'd even work." She hadn't gotten to try that back at the castle, what with the sudden masquerade going on and all. Besides, wasn't that disappearance back then Zelgadis' fault anyway?

[chimerad]

Oh. Right. Zelgadis glanced back down at the paper, thinking. "He did get lost on that stupid mountain shrine when Jillas duped us into that dumb trap of his." He shrugged. Not exactly the best memory to bring up as an example, but he was really running short right then and there.