[QUEST] Trouble at the Mines

[nekomatarita]

Party: Rita & Jay (Dist can stalk follow if he wants)
Location: From the Guild House to the Mines
Goal: To break the seal and free Col. Curtiss.
Status: Closed
Affection: Yes -2/+1

[Rita arrived at the Ad Libitum guild house with a note she had been writing since leaving Col. Curtiss to fend for himself at the Mines. She read over her note a few times

Comments

{Yaay, I get to RP with my brother!!}

[iknowjj]

[Jay wanted to take a nap. It was just one of those days, what with getting out earlier than usual and running into Goede, and encountering the black mist again. And then he had to take the time to write another report on the encounter.

On the other hand, perhaps the cheesecake incident had screwed up his sleeping patterns permanently.

The boy let out an exasperated sigh of exhaustion as he stepped into the guild building. However, he was surprised to see not Kratos or Yuan, but rather a girl he'd never seen before. She didn't look like any of the Blessenwood residents, so Jay assumed that she had to be a newcomer. Jay flashed her a cheerful smile as he greeted her.]

Hello there. Are you a new member of Ad Libitum?

Re: {Yaay, I get to RP with my sister!!}

[nekomatarita]

[Rita snapped out of her thoughts as she saw someone enter the guild house. She repressed an out-burst of utter shock at the look of this guy, but couldn't help but think alittle...]

(A mime?)

[However, as he asked Rita about being involved with Ad Libitum, her assumption that he's a mime was lost and realized that his outfit was far different from the natives of Blessenwood. Quite likely he was summoned by the World Tree as well. At any case, she answered him.]

Uh... Yeah. I was just admitted today under the Ouin branch.

[Rita wanted to ask if he knows Jade, but she remained quiet, even though she didn't want to. She needs to pick her allies wisely to ensure the colonel's safe return.]

{Interesting how our characters are the opposite gender, no?}

[iknowjj]

The Ouin branch, huh? So you must have joined under Colonel Jade-

[He stopped suddenly. If Rita just met Jade, it could only mean that she knows where he is.]

Wait...did something happen to him?

{Indeed. Must be fate pulling a prank on us.}

[nekomatarita]

[Rita wasted no time replying to Jay. Time is ticking away as they speak still.]

Yeah... We had just defeated a giant monster, and he was suddenly snatched from behind by some kind of ghost monster, and pulled through a sealed door.

On his behalf, I came back here to submit a quest and find someone who might know a thing about breaking seals. I could do it myself but... This world lacks everything I need to do so...

[iknowjj]

[Jay stopped at the cave's entrance.]

Hmm...I can't say that I have. But I'm fine with seeing in the dark. Although I'm surprised that you didn't get another one.

On the other hand, we can make a light if necessary. What do you say?

[nekomatarita]

[Before replying, Rita paced around, looking at the ground as if to find something.]

That we could. Perhaps a good stick and some cloth to wrap around one end?

[She soon found a stick that would be of use. On the other hand, she was a bit short on the said cloth. Either way, Rita returned to Jay's side with the stick. If he had anything, then she could supply the fire magic to light it.]

[iknowjj]

Yes, I was thinking that myself.

(But now I'll have to take off my backpack. Oh bother...)

[Jay pulled the item pack from his back and dug into it, retrieving a white strip of cloth. It was actually a bandage, but there couldn't be any harm in using it for the torch. He tied it around the end of Rita's stick.]

There you go. Do you have something to light it with?

[nekomatarita]

Of course. Just give me a second.

[Without doing her usual spell casting movements, energy particles still floated around her coming from a red magic glyph beneath her. She held out her hand, palm up, and a small ball of fire appear. She held the fireball and makeshift torch together, and the torch was lit.

Rita seperated them and put out the fireball. She then held the torch out for Jay.]

Here. I don't think I have what it takes to spot any pitfalls so I'm leaving that job up to you.

This okay?

[runnyrose]

[That girl was proving to be almost as horrible as Jay.]

Is that a threat?! I won't just back down, you know! Not after I've come this far! You'll regret getting on the bad side of Dist the Rose!

[He backed away, pulled out his puppet, and began to make it grow. He would get to Jade, no matter what it took. Never mind that he had no experience whatsoever fighting with puppets - it couldn't be that much different from controlling a giant robot, right?]

Re: This okay?

[petapetakapu]

[Jade had heard a faint voice echoing down the dark, rancid corridor. Had they already returned? He sighed, pulling out a white cloth with which he polished his glasses. Shrugging, he tilted his head, a smile on his face. Then, he slipped his hands in his pockets and proceeded back toward the sealed door, sidestepping the stilled bodies sprawled across the hall. Really, he preferred not to make such messes, but at this point, options such as burning the bodies would only give off smoke in a closed area while worsening the putrid odor emitted on the other side of the door by that monster.]

[Once he reached the other side of the door, he heard more chatter--at least this time, despite the muffle provided by the door, he could make out the individuals' voices as well as the words they uttered.]

[Well, it might have been nice had he not heard a certain voice. He lowered his head and massaged his temples.]

(Oh dear...I had never expected him to show up in Atlas. I'm afraid Martel and I may have different opinions on what is amusing.[Oh

Re: This okay?

[nekomatarita]

[Rita, not being one who is skilled at multi-tasking, struggled to keep her Fire arte delayed, keeping an eye on Dist and listening to everything Jade had to say

Re: This okay?

[iknowjj]

[Jay was somewhat annoyed at Rita's rant.]

Oh, don't be too alarmed. Usually, we guild members start out in the Blessenwood chapter, but you can easily transfer to another branch at anytime. So I wouldn't concern myself with that if I were you.

[Then he flashed a devious smile as he was instructed to deal with the doll freak. He pulled out one of his daggers and began tossing it lightly into the air and catching it repeatedly.]

Oh, this shouldn't take long at all...

*Resurrectioned*

[nekomatarita]

[Rita's fingers continued to dance over the mystical keyboard even after everything that just went on. Even now as Jay asked for a progress report, Rita continued.

But soon after, she stopped all togethered and brought her hands down to rest.]

Hah...Yes. I found a way to rewrite the spell here and replaced it with the formula for Strihm. But I'm still missing the one vital kay item...

[Rita took a moment to think before slowly turning to face Jay. She remembered he picked something off of the big monster. It made her instantly think "Apatheia" but she knew better than to jump to conclusions like that. She needed to ask about those "Eres Stones."]

Jay... What are eres stones exactly?

Re: *Resurrectioned*

[iknowjj]

Eres stones are the stones that monsters usually drop after we defeat them. They contain the source of life, and they allow eren to use crystal eres...more commonly known as magic spells.

Re: *Resurrectioned*

[nekomatarita]

[Rita went wide-eyed. She never expected there to be anything even remotely similar to Apatheia. She approached Jay and held her hand out, palm up, to him.]

Let me see one.

Re: *Resurrectioned*

[iknowjj]

[Jay blinked at her, somewhat startled, as he handed her an eres stone.] Ah...all right...

[atephilic_sage]

[As they all left, a female voice echoed from deep within the cave.]

AHAHAHAHAHAHAH!

Now that the cliffhanger has been hung...

[iknowjj]

{Affection Results:}

{Jade: +1}
(I'm glad the colonel is safe...but I'm too tired to know what else to think...)

{Rita: +1}
(She shows a lot of promise after passing Colonel Jade's thorough test. I just wonder if she really needed my help here...)

{Dist: -1}
(I like him less and less each time I see him. Well, at least it felt good to put him in his place.)

Re: Now that the cliffhanger has been hung...

[runnyrose]

[Several hours later, Dist woke up charred, soaked, bewildered, and angry - and yet suffering surprisingly light injuries, considering what he'd been through. He dragged himself up and began limping in what he hoped was the right direction to get out of here, muttering to himself about the injustice of it all.]

{Affection:

Jay: -2 (How dare he! I'll get him for this! Once I rebuild my Kaiser Dist, I'll show him a real fight!)

Rita: -1 (Another brat! I won't forget how she insulted me!)

Jade: ... let's just say no change. (Jaaaaaaaade... whyyyyyy...?!)}

Re: Now that the cliffhanger has been hung...

[nekomatarita]

{Affection Results}

{Jay: +1}
(Thanks to him, I learned of a alternative to Apatheia. I strongly believe I can make working blastia now.)

{Jade: -2}
(I don't understand this guy anymore. I think I'm liking him less and less!)

{Dist: -1}
(He stalked us. He's delusional. He fights with dolls. And dressed like a flower. He's a nut job, plain and simple.)