[Quest] Desert Rescue

[absolute_pact]

Party: [Genis, Luke, Asch, eventually Sheena]
Location: [Nahlan and the Solare Plateau/Desert]
Goal: [Sheena went on a different quest in the desert and never came back. Genis heard about it, and got a few guild members together to go and find her!]
Affection: [----]
Status: [Ongoing]
Open/Closed: [Closed]
Warnings: [...None except perhaps language. That

Comments

[elvengenius]

After meeting Luke and Asch at Nahlan's Inn, Genis had taken the liberty of double-checking their supplies before walking with them to the edge of the Solare Plateau. He'd stocked them up on apple gels, lemon gels, magic lenses, and the like - it was Genis, he wasn't going to leave anyone unprepared - and even upgraded his kendama to something more practical for the occasion.

Adjusting his bag strap, Genis took a breath and turned back to his colleagues. (Asch in particular probably noticed the difference in Genis: his voice had cracked and become significantly deeper in the few months they'd spent apart.) "Okay, so. Sheena was last spotted taking a quest from the natives looking for some supplies - herbs, cactus juice, the like - and never came back. You think she might've taken refuge in Taime's temple?"

Here, he was speaking directly to Asch: unlike him, Genis had never actually ventured into the Solare Plateau until today. (He would've asked Arielle to guide him, but she'd been busy with "other things." Whatever that meant.)

I'm just gonna tag the post instead of chaining so this thread doesn't collapse, is that ok?

[ariseandresound]

And it was a good thing, too. Though Luke was getting better about shopping lists and staying a step ahead of the game, there were still a few things that happened to escape the replica's mind.

Now he stood around close to the other two, gazing out across the plateau. Really, he didn't care what they called it - a desert was still a desert. And this one was unbearably hot, even with short sleeves and his stomach opposed. If they stayed here for too long, Luke wouldn't be at all surprised to see his arms and legs begin to physically melt.

There was no good in voicing a complaint, though. Luke got the feeling Genis wasn't going to take whining too well, and he already knew Asch wouldn't. At Genis' question, Luke turned his head a little to watch Asch's reaction from the corner of his eye; he wasn't about to interrupt.

No. :| And sorry for the postfail.

[arisenfromashes]

"Yeah," replied Asch. "It's safer than wandering around outside

[elvengenius]

That then begged the question of where Taime's temple lay. Honestly, Genis was grateful that Asch showed up - he, Arche, and Sheena were the only members of Ad Libitum that knew the temple for sure - and accompanied them, even if searching with his twin brother (replica?) might be a little awkward.

Staring at the desert before them, Genis couldn't help a slow smile. He'd been through this before, when he traveled with Lloyd (the King of Unprepared People) to reach Triet, and he could bare the weather again. He brushed some stray sand off his long bleached blue jeans and gestured for Asch to lead the way.

"You know where the temple is," Genis nodded. "Why don't you lead the way?" This was also an unspoken plea to cover him in battle - unlike either Luke or Asch, he needed space to cast his artes and successfully attack enemies.

[ariseandresound]

Asch as leader... This was sure going to be a new experience. Luke continued to watch the other two in relative silence, trying to recall what the others had done back when they were making their way through the Zao Desert. He wasn't a big fan, and the monsters that lived in deserts were completely unhindered by the heat, unlike the rest of them.

It wasn't going to be easy, even if they didn't run into any trouble along the way.

"So, which way?" he finally asked, turning his attention to the other redhead.

As for himself, should he go second or take up rear guard? Well, knowing Asch he'd probably tell him exactly what to do. Luke didn't like it when Asch talked down to him, but given the heat, Luke didn't want to waste the energy arguing about it, either.