loot: 03 action post with Balthier, Cloud

[vierasanswood]

[Fran waits outside the mines and hears the roiling tides of Cactaur & Company as they skitter back and forth within the earthen tunnels. Where her hands wont for a bow they are forced to stand empty, but this is little impede for a Viera. It is first venture into the mines; those within equal level 13 at best; on equal footing, she stands good

Comments

[paradoxicalhero]

The map that he had been given a look through by the odd looking Moggle showed him where he needed to go in order to reach these mines and his pride-bruised male companion. Of course, he had required a quick stop along the way at the weapons shop to buy a small knife, since he wasn't certain they would have the type of sword he could actually use.

Plus, he had a point to make. He found a nice looking tree with an overhand of foliage and simply used the knife to beam blade it off. He would have taken the entire tree, but someone might have gotten offended. He had said that he would use a stick after all, and so a good sized stick he had.

Of course, everyone seemed to stop and stare as he walked down the maze of streets with a five foot tall branch and a smaller piece he had broken off. Maybe he'd leave the big one at the entrance. Either way, he approached the mines with the branch across his shoulders, ignoring the stares as he came to the top landing and could look down towards the entrance of the mines.

Two stood at the front of it, and he assumed that they were the ones he was supposed to be meeting. He walked casually down the stairs towards the entrance to the mines, able to hear the chattering of cactaurs inside. He stopped in front of the pair, diverting his glowing eyes towards the entrance.

"Looks like you'll have to duck down after all."

[Sorry, I got half-way through the post before realizing I was supposed to do action post. XD Next time, I promise!]

[vierasanswood]

Fran sensed the approach first and cast a glance to her partner in subtle warning. Being stripped of the Gil intended to purchase a bow in the morn's light, her mood fell to a state beneath pleased. This level, however, stood above Balthier's. He did not radiate it, but she felt it in his manner, the way he held himself when he took position beside her at arrival.

That he came bearing a large stick might strike as odd. There are weapons stranger that she has seen and so Fran restrained all thought to comment. Her attachment to the Wood ought have seen offense taken, but those thoughts are fifty years and greater to the past. Though even Viera know and use the Wood, both in the living form and as parts taken from it.

Yet strange it still seemed.

"They hide in the mines," she said, ignoring the comment to stride towards their goal. Time does not do well wasted; they have party formed and she will use that. "What has been stolen waits with them."

[ooc; I have no problem doing prose! ♥]

[elementofpiracy]

All Balthier's not-inconsiderable restraint couldn't keep him from rolling his eyes at the boy's opening words. Just what the world needed - one more blonde stripling of a boy playing hero.

"Well, time waits for no man," he said, dusting his hands together, pointedly ignoring the comment. Though he would by no means be as efficient as Fran at hand-to-hand, he still possessed a repertoire of spells, though the magicks of this place had stripped him of all but the crudest levels. It seemed that their strengths were to be proportionate to that of the monsters - which set him back by more than a year of training.

It was a strange phenomena, to again feel so weak. Strange, and unwelcome. But he would still not be made to run. Cowardice was not a trait that Balthier had ever held in high esteem. Intelligently avoiding an unwinnable fight, however, was another matter entirely.

"Shall we?" He jerked his head towards the opening to the mines. And then, lest the whippet come up with any jaunty commentary, he fell into step with Fran. Lead by example, and all that.

[ooc; Nor I! PROSE FOR ALL]

[paradoxicalhero]

It appeared to him that it was a pressing matter to retrieve the items stolen. If it had been his items stolen, well... he had had his items stolen in the past, so he knew what it was like. Why did he ever let Yuffie join their party anyway? Right, because not doing so would end in a larger headache and possibly a loss of more materia.

Whatever. He shrugged his shoulders and followed along after the pair without so much as a glance back. It had been awhile since he had entered any kind of human-made mines, not since tracking down the Midgarian Zolom he supposed. Regardless, the mines that they walked into were well-constructed. No wonder little critters lived in here.

He took the steps two at a time, studying the lay-out of the stonework. Upon seeing the shadows of odd cactaurs further in the mines, he shifted from outward arrogance to all business. He stalked purposefully towards where they were apparently dancing around in taunting.

[vierasanswood]

The stray which tagged along possessed some greater wit than the last they had encountered. Fran saw that he moved first, arrogance shed as the Viper did on the Ozmone Plains. Competence worn as mantle can be either truth or guise; which he would display is what she waited upon.

Though not thoroughly idle. Those which bore most familiarity to her wore weakness to Aero; she needed no Libra to confirm this. Existence on the Estersands bade tolerance to heat, sand, and life's affinity for water's consumption. Winds like the sandstorm's birth stood best chance and ice close second.

Magick tingled at her fingers and she looked to Balthier. "He stands not idle," was her remark, a nod to Cloud's direction. "What strange errand did you find this one in?"

[ooc; gotta bounce for a while; will respond to tag(s) when I get back! hearts!]

[elementofpiracy]

He was going to concuss himself, if he wasn't careful about how hard he slapped his palm to his forehead. "You're like to be better off not knowing," he said in a marginal undertone, with a nod to Fran as he followed after the boy. His magicks were not so potent as Fran's - having her as the sole vanguard would serve more purpose than the two of them hanging back, and would serve his pride greater still.

He stepped up beside the boy - no branch necessary, thank you very much. "So does our intrepid hero have a name?" he asked dryly, magicks curling at his fingers. Aero, was it?

Cactoids weren't his favourite of fights, by any means. But anything was better than another Ba'Gamnan, in this place.

[paradoxicalhero]

He rounded the corner to a long corridor and paused, sizing up the amount of foe that they were actually dealing with here. He would have much preferred to have Ultima Weapon in hand rather then a big branch, but he figured that so long as his SOLDIER-based strength remained intact, he would be dandy. Though, he was curious when cactaurs turned into short squat little creatures.

"Cloud," he replied simply before he began to advance in front. He felt the press of magicks in the air around him, and there was a sense of loss for not having any materia along with him.

He side-stepped the attack of the first cactaur, pulling the branch off of his shoulders and taking a hard swing one-handed. It was like that ball-bat game everyone in the slums played, except with cactaurs. He batted the small squat creature from one end of the corridor almost to the other end; it didn't rise again. "Not bad..."

[vierasanswood]

"Finer than the failure of a block or miss." It was all she afforded, focus needed on the battle and the casting lest the distraction cancel her strike.

Aero sent two to join the first, scattering them down the well-mined corridor with the violence of tempest minute. Fran watched them muster needles and limbs -- effort wasted when they tripped and fumbled into one another's paths. Neutralised by their own tangle, she shifted attention back to the mob.

Fran spied the glint of a firearm familiar between parted fronds and pointed. "There," came the statement simply. The firearm disappeared beneath the waves of green once more. She looked to Balthier, then to Cloud; he displayed early more competence then absence, worth the inclusion of information passing.

[elementofpiracy]

Having a similar amount of accumulated experience aimed at the requisitioning of objects both mundane and extraordinary, Balthier saw the flash of his gun in the moment before his partner spoke of it. At her word, he directed the spell at hand towards the sea of milling green, scattering cactoids at its tempest touch.

It may not have been his to start with, but he would have it back. Adding an 'or else' seemed an unnecessary quantifier, considering the nature of their venture and the unseemly extermination of the cactoids they'd met with so far. Be it by stick or magicks or his own bare hands, the creatures were no more challenging than they should have been, when handled one at a time. If they grew bold enough to surge forwards like a roiling tide, they might have a problem.

It was a problem he was willing to overlook, for the moment, in favour of more mercenary pursuits. There had been, thus far, no sign of the belongings of any of the other unfortunate residents of the place. Balthier would have gladly requisitioned those as well, and returned them to their rightful owners for a properly piratical emolument.

"Balthier," he allowed in return. The middle of a potentially lethal cactoid swarm was as dramatic a moment as any, he supposed, for the handing out of one's name. "My partner is Fran."

Keeping well to the distance of the overlarge stick, he stepped up beside the boy and delivered a sharp jab to one enterprising cactoid that had crawled atop its fellows and looked to be readying one of its needle attacks. No, thank you.

[paradoxicalhero]

His eyes shifted from the swarm of cactaurs to where Fran directed, noting the weapon that was in the throng of little beasts. It didn't look like much, but it was better then his dynamically colourful friend not having anything but magic. At least Balthier could bash the cactaurs if worst came to worst.

Now that he had a better direction to head in, he turned towards where the weapon was last seen, glancing at the pair that he fought with. "Pleasure's all mine, I'm going to assume," he replied before paving a way through the cactaurs.

Stepping forward, he began to swing the branch through the larger areas of cactaurs swarming. If only he had his comet materia, this would be finished already. No, he had to do it the long way. The length and the width of the branch allowed him to plow the little chattering beasts hard against the walls of the cavern. "Why don't you follow along and scavenge anything I uncover?"

[vierasanswood]

Fran looked to the opening and then to Balthier; the intent to her gaze could rare be misinterpreted. The rearguard held no design to delve into the fray. The position held would not change, nor would the effect of her Magicks increase were she to approach. Balthier was welcome to follow, she to keep the path clear without a step inside.

"'Pleasure' oft mingles in language and situation unsuited," she remarked, struck twice by the word inserted where pleasantries were unsuited. Ironic statements were more Hume than Viera; she grasped them, yet foolish they seemed. A frivolity that earned a look and desired a patience to hear without cringe.

"Mind the path of a sky pirate," she added, fair warning to ignorance founded with inexperience. "Allow him to tarry and no spoils will await you." These were the words she offered to let Cloud hear, should he listen.

[elementofpiracy]

Balthier hadn't been given so much in the way of gentle suggestion since he could last legally call himself an Archadian. He shot an irritated look to the boy - why not indeed? but Fran's words calmed his ire. Somewhat, anyways. He snorted in amusement instead, shook his head. He was letting himself fall under the sway of annoyance, and at so minor a provocation. Age had taught him nothing, apparently.

"I am certain no one lies of pleasure when it comes to you," he called over his shoulder to the Viera, his smirk a match to his words.

Still, following the boy had its benefits. Some wayward gil pouch very much not his own was left in the wake of his ferocious branch-wielding - Balthier picked it up, tossed it to asses its weight, and stowed it on his person. "Giving away our secrets so soon?" he said, again to his partner. "For shame, Fran."

Ah, and there it was. The gun that he'd taken possession of in the Bone Village, lying in the prickly fronds of one of the little creatures, injured already no doubt by someone better named for a tempest storm than nigh-inert water vapor. The creature he dispatched with further marshaling of the air, the gun he retrieved with impunity.

The leading man, armed once again. But their task was not yet over. Past experiences had lead him to believe that, where cactoids gathered in such numbers, something greater than the sum of them tended to be secreted away, masterminding the entire thing. It probably had a flower on its blasted head.

[paradoxicalhero]

Bashing cactaurs out of his direct path was only effective for so long, and once some of the missing items were appearing, he paused to start cracking down on the struggling creatures. With them shoved against the stone walls, it took only a harder bludgeoning to end their struggle to rise and shoot their needles in his direction.

Of course, he heard Fran's warning at their rear, and he smirked as he cast the look over his shoulder towards her. He disregarded Balthier's half-hearted attempt to buff her words. "I care nothing for spoils of battle. He can have them all; I'm here because I chose and want nothing in return."

Drawing the small knife from his belt, he threw it into a nearby cactaur setting up to shoot its entire body-worth of needles at him. It flopped over, and he simply bashed aside another in order to retrieve his knife.

alive!

[vierasanswood]

These are the things familiar, lost at times since their unwitting arrival in this world. Fran smiled at the comments and shrugged a shoulder. "Consider it fair warning," she replied with ease apparent, "lest he drop possessions of his own and wonder where they went."

Aero once again sent to spin the needled creatures, dizzying more than destroying. The Mist existed here stronger than any locale yet uncovered and the magicks rose sufficiently, but repeated castings wore down resilience. She would need strides and air to recuperate what has been spent.

"How else is one to raise your bounty without reputation earned?" she added, drawing two steps back and one to the side as a cactoid separated from the group and approached her. Magicks being her wont did not fully deprive Fran; she had fought without weapons many times past and prepared to do so again.

The pause, a wait of preparation, and then she struck. Thrice it was battered, ending with a heel skidding it across the mine's floors until the body faded. Fran nodded satisfaction to the result.

And then Cloud's words, curious when one lived long as sky pirate. Selfless or careless in nature; either way paved profit fr them both. "This one seems pleased to bear tribute for you." A playful edge to the words, silent reflection to his choice. What brings a man to beat upon the Cactaur flood?

The flood parts before her answer is made manifest, a red flower first seen within the crowd.

"There!" she called, pointing down the corridor where the Flowering Cactoid meanders, size and again larger than the rest. "Our problem's source rises from the defeated."