Balcerzak
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Posts posted by Balcerzak
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When Lavinia leaned up against her, the small gesture of intimacy, and request for more, caused a sudden slight catch of guilt to strike the zombie. Jade had pumped the brakes a little, after all, but perhaps today would be a good time to lean back into things, probe her level of comfort again and see how things go? After all, small though it were, Border was an actual town, with real lodgings, and not just caravan camping and keeping their own watch.
The small kernel of an idea was planted. Jade leaned back against Lavinia, reciprocating the vampire's touch, and answered truthfully, "It has been a while, hasn't it? Well then, how about I be yours for the day, hmm? I'd been thinking about maybe visiting the arena after we wrap up our business here," There were fond memories of their last trip to the arena after all. Not only because of the results, but also there had been Asami's meddling afterwards, and well... despite the discomfort it had initially caused Lavinia, the end results... "If you had a different plan though, by all means?" The merchant's invitation for a counter-proposal trailed off with an upward tone. They'd just reached the vendor by this point, but she decided to just stay relaxed here for the moment, awaiting an answer rather than rushing in to sort out any business.
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Well, here they were, the last civilized stop before the wastelands. It had been years since Jade had last traversed them, but she didn't expect they'd have changed much in the intervening period. Especially not when considering they'd persisted in their current state for some dozens, hundreds?, of years by now already. Many of the others had already begun dispersing, focusing on whatever tasks they had in mind. That was fine, as a zombie she had become accustomed to losing out in physical initiative. Lavinia, however, was still nearby, perhaps waiting on her before making a move, so she aired her thoughts.
"I'd been thinking of picking up some caparisons for the mounts. Since the wastes aren't your typical scorching heat, swirling sand desert, the extra layer shouldn't be much of a detriment. Most importantly, they'll help to cut the reflection of the sun off the pure white of the ground. If we only had to worry about the rays beating down from above, that would be one thing, but as it is, I feel more comfortable getting them proper coverage instead of just relying on parasols or the like. I imagine something like that to be available at the Vendor, and if not, at least some raw fabric that could be purchased to produce them should be. Care to join me, or did you have anything else on your mind?"
The merchant figured that once business had been wrapped up, it would be easy enough to change focus to pleasure in the time remaining before they left. Not that there was a ton of options for that either, here in Border, but...
Jade rescues Lavinia, moves to 4,8
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The zombie grinned as the human magician answered back in a way that was obvious he was taking her ribbing in good graces, but something he said at the end there caused her smile to dry up and vanish. She wasn't about to interrupt him over it, it could wait until they'd sorted things out with the goat woman, but as that seemed to be just about wrapped up, she doubled back.
"Your people bled and died for Vaia. Nobody could have asked you for more," Jade's voice went soft and serious, a hint of something stiff and stern beneath the surface. "And I'm only speaking while knowing of the two we lost to poor positioning at the end there. I know not how many more lives you sold to buy the time for us to arrive."
It may have been dodging the issue then, or maybe just stalling for time, but it was aptly pointed out that Lucille had quite fallen asleep, in the short time Jade had taken her attention full away from the girl. Turning and confirming, as she laid eyes on that rather sweet sight, her features softened back up. "Well, well... quicker than I expected, but yes. Let's get this one taken care of, shall we? You're willing to help me set it up, I assume?" The merchant certainly did have some tents, whether they were 'spare' or not was now irrelevant, as one had just been reassigned.
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I'd actually started chipping back away at this game starting around August, but with my schedule it's been pretty slow going. Since I don't actually own V yet, let alone a console that supports it, I may continue to focus on this until I can get that situation sorted out. I'm a fair bit further than tonight's update suggests, but collating and posting chapters hasn't been super exciting to look forward to compared to trying to puzzle out the next chapter's solutions, generally speaking. But I gotta take pride in my work and get it out there sooner or later, so here's starting on that. Might be a slow drip feed of content though. One interesting thing to note was that Kamille actually came with two ReGz, which was not anticipated by the drafting pool. I guess if you fail the Dijeh secret that's just how it is? I'm going to be using both of them, since I did draft one ReGz and the Dijeh was given to us as a free unit, due to numbers and nobody picking it. I'm honestly cool with letting everyone else use one of the ReGz but not both, and have the ReGz I drafted be the Dijeh's equivalent (that is, the one Kamille shows up in), rather than the one that you would be getting for free either way (the one that comes empty). That seems a lot more equitable than claiming I get two units for the price of one draft, and also far superior to just saying nobody can use it because the actual details of the game's unit list weren't fully understood when setting up the draft. Anyway, that digression out of the way, let's start to get right on into it.
Chapter 15, Bonds Placed on Both Wings, in 4 turns:
Spoiler
As the first chapter in a new scenario, we're not given a choice, we're going to the space research lab for a fun time.
Standard fare conditions for no battleship in play.Turn 1:
Luckily, my draft team gives me a strong player on the initial field, unluckily, deployed in the least ideal position relative to the enemies.
Enough move parts makes that not the burden it might otherwise have been. For the plan I put together this top one needs to die on EP, otherwise it won't have range to attack us and kill us in the future. IIRC it doesn't move first, though, so we can't just cast Bless and reap the rewards. I instead have to cast it on Michiru so she can get her SP regen ticking.
Everyone else files up behind. Getter will feast on all the mini ufos.Turn 2:
Michiru heals from a position only in range of one of the Gilgils. You'll also note I did leave on ufo alive on the right, that was intended.
This nets her an important level up for going forward. We won't make use of it here, however.
We need one extra space of movement toward our goal, and can stay lined up to kill the other Gilgil.
Sayaka sneaks a quick heal in here, for some juicy xp before I have full-time access to her. Kouji has also chipped Michiru's Gilgil to the point where she can easily finish it.Turn 3:
We have new objectives, now that Maria has sortied. Bring the Double Spazer next to the Grendizer.
First we're going to drain her of her SP. If we'd killed all the enemies by now, we wouldn't save time, and we wouldn't get this chance.
We'd also miss out on another chunk of Sayaks heals, and just making sure we had everything the way we wanted it, as regards the use of the undrafteds.
The position from which Getter makes this attack is important, as well as just being able to reach to do so.
Now Getter Q will kill the last non-Boss, and trigger Maria's arrive event for free.
We now have our battleship, and our final conditions, alongside enemy reinforcements.
First order of business is a full retreat for undrafted Grendizer behind the relative safety of my frontlines.
This shows the arrangement we deployed with.
Hugo charges downward at a hefty clip.
Valors this to cash in on Aqua's Luck.
The Evas are setting up for next turn.
Bright does similar, with Hit and Away.
And Raideen continues to chunk at the Motherbarn.
Mari gets some heal XP off of Michiru. Best friends?
Enemy phase has this guy attack Getter from the top, as it's chasing after Grendizer.
Also an idea on the current state of the Motherbarn.Turn 4:
MAP here doesn't actually kill, but it does important softening.
This tagteam from Hugo and Hayato does kill.
Bright uses his Command powers for free crits.
Letting Getter swoop in and use their Luck.
Hugo is in range and hurt enough for heals from both my bots.
Akira gets this last of the beefier enemies tenderized enough that EP will take care of it.
A beautiful display of fiscal efficiency.
Enemy phase sees everything finished off.
And we end with our typical intermission status screen.Finish 15E Char Lv XP K PP Mel/Sht/Hit/Eva/Skl/Def HP/EN/Mo/Ar/Wn/Ht/Ct Skills Parts ================================================================================================================================================================================================================== Shinji 18 23 6 37 161/159/168/143/181/103 00/00/00/00/05/00/00 SwordL1 | SupAtkL1 | SupDefL1 | AssistL2 | Morale | || AlloyZ | ImageSensor|------------|------------|| Rei 20 288 10 79 158/160/167/143/185/109 00/00/00/00/00/00/00 SwordL2 | SupAtkL1 | SupDefL2 | Concentrat | | || Minovsky | Shuffle |------------|------------|| Saegusa 19 262 0 34 ---/---/---/---/---/--- --/--/--/--/--/--/-- | | | | | ||------------|------------|------------|------------|| Torres 19 262 0 34 ---/---/---/---/---/--- --/--/--/--/--/--/-- | | | | | ||------------|------------|------------|------------|| Bright 19 262 24 12 109/160/184/129/196/110 00/04/00/00/02/00/00 Command | SupAtkL1 | SupDefL2 | ESave | Hit&Away | || AlloyZ | AlloyZ | BeamCoat |------------|| Hayato 24 327 35 94 167/164/191/185/195/126 00/05/00/00/09/00/00 PrevailL4 | CounterL4 | SupAtkL1 | Attacker | | ||------------|------------|------------|------------|| Benkei 24 327 0 114 165/159/171/150/189/137 00/05/00/00/09/00/00 PrevailL3 | SupDefL1 | Guard | Concentrat | | ||------------|------------|------------|------------|| Michiru 25 26 4 15 131/159/180/158/183/128 00/05/00/00/03/00/00 SwordL1 | SupDefL1 | SP Regen | | | || Jammer | HighAccSgt | Booster |------------|| Ryouma 24 327 14 94 172/158/179/152/192/130 00/05/00/00/09/00/00 PrevailL4 | SwordL2 | UnyldSpirit| Attacker | | || MBooster | MBooster |------------|------------|| Akira 22 70 7 73 166/166/185/160/190/124 00/00/00/00/00/00/00 Telekinetic| SwordL2 | ShieldL2 | SupAtkL1 | | || LargeGen | NewAlloyZ |------------|------------|| Mari 24 426 1 44 132/158/183/175/187/117 00/00/00/00/00/00/00 HardWorker | UnyldSpirit| SupDefL2 | | | || Booster | Biosensor | Chobham | EWAC(Weak) || Aqua 28 40 0 55 165/168/194/185/190/124 --/--/--/--/--/--/-- InfightL3 | ShieldL1 | SupDefL1 | SP Regen | Concentrat | SPUpL1 ||------------|------------|------------|------------|| Hugo 28 40 62* 35 171/154/192/190/199/126 00/05/00/00/11/00/00 Fortune | SupAtkL1 | SupDefL1 | Attacker | Morale | InfightL4 || Radar | | |------------|| Fuuinsaki 19 116 19 88 158/104/179/184/184/121 00/00/00/00/00/00/00 SupAtkL1 | SupDefL1 | Hit&Away | | | || Biosensor | MagCoat | Chobham |------------|| Judau|SG 19 62 18 74 166/169/198/193/192/118 00/00/00/00/03/00/00 NewtypeL3 | SwordL4 | ShieldL3 | AssistL2 | | || MagCoat | ScrewMod | |------------|| Plu|SG 12 153 1 3 151/157/188/184/183/110 00/00/00/00/00/00/00 NewtypeL2 | SwordL1 | SupDefL1 | | | || | | |------------|| Elle 10 5 0 0 133/143/177/160/162/109 00/00/00/00/00/00/00 NewtypeL1 | SupAtkL1 | SupDefL1 | | | || | | |------------|| Sayaka 17 404 0 50 127/150/170/142/176/128 00/00/00/00/00/00/00 Guard | SupAtkL1 | SupDefL1 | | | || | | | || Boss 17 180 0 50 158/097/169/122/152/130 00/00/00/00/00/00/00 PrevailL3 | SupAtkL1 | SupDefL1 | | | || | | | || Total Cash: 91664 Total Turns: 66
Chapter "16"E, Bright you now, in 4 turns:Spoiler
We're heading to the temple for more timely access to our Gundam Fighters, as their damage is a higher priority than Venus A enabling additional Bless. Especially given the enemy content of the other branch.
So that brings us to the title card.
Our first objective is to reduce Argo's Bolt to below half health.Turn 1:
Sai comes with Valor at base. This is so good.
We straight up just murder. Hey, it's cash and xp we wouldn't have gotten if we didn't.
"It was just a prank bro, the real DG clone is over there."
Now we have two DG clones to deal with.
Argo also comes with Valor at base. Less SP so he can only do it once. Still amazing.
We queue it up and sit him next to Sai to unleash it on the Enemy Phase.
Which happens according to plan.
Remember, in MX Valor can crit.Turn 2:
Queuing up another Valor from Sai,
We can bring DG Sai below half, and trigger an event.
This results in the enemies getting a full heal, but my units also get full heal (including SP restored) as well at 150 Will.
With his SP full again, Argo uses Valor to Point Blank Gaia Crusher, and get some serious damage back on the boss.
The Enemy Phase will see DG Sai take care of himself nicely.
DG Argo is quite a bit thicker, however.Turn 3:
Argo vs DG Argo.
Since DG Argo chases Sai, we can bring him over here and wait, holding a Valor charge for EP. This lets us get valuable distance toward the enemy reinforcements and helps us to save a turn.
With a crit, it's just enough.Turn 4:
Two sets of Death Army/Birdie goons spawn in, the first start moving toward Sai, Argo, (and now Allenby).
The second set remains stationary, but right near where the Argama and our reinforcements arrive.
The final shift to the conditions. Rout the enemy, don't lose your Battleship.
We deploy with the following configuration.
We have to use Michiru's Valor here, but given the tight timeframe we're working with we don't actually end out missing the extra Bless too much.
The first order of business is getting Hugo right up in Michelo's face. This means we lose out on Aqua's Luck as well, but like I said before, only so much we can do and still clear. Aside from the boss most of these enemies are extremely cheap as far as rewards anyway.
After the Gamraid we bring in the Getters.
The combination attack lets Q do real damage. Well, that and the Valor.
A pair of chips on some birdies.
Sets up a MAP for Shinji to clean them up. He doesn't hurt Rei too much.
Raideen needs to wound this one, but can take care of the rest of them on the EP.
Flashing back to the top the real threat here is the three birdies, which had no postmove options so are at full health. We soften one with Argo.
We use a Valored flag attack to OHKO another, and then we just need to budget our EN to afford the True Comet Butterfly Sword for the last one.
Michelo falls to Ryouma on the EP as well, which was the last real threat to the clear.
Now that we have Valor here, a lot of things become much easier going forward.
As was foretold, properly using the Shadow Kick where we could and saving EN was key.
And that's a wrap.
Here's the Intermission.Finish 16E Char Lv XP K PP Mel/Sht/Hit/Eva/Skl/Def HP/EN/Mo/Ar/Wn/Ht/Ct Skills Parts ================================================================================================================================================================================================================== Shinji 19 258 8 43 162/160/169/144/182/104 00/00/00/00/05/00/00 SwordL1 | SupAtkL1 | SupDefL1 | AssistL2 | Morale | || Shuffle | ImageSensor|------------|------------|| Rei 20 311 10 79 158/160/167/143/185/109 00/00/00/00/00/00/00 SwordL2 | SupAtkL1 | SupDefL2 | Concentrat | | || Minovsky | AlloyZ |------------|------------|| Saegusa 19 329 0 34 ---/---/---/---/---/--- --/--/--/--/--/--/-- | | | | | ||------------|------------|------------|------------|| Torres 19 329 0 34 ---/---/---/---/---/--- --/--/--/--/--/--/-- | | | | | ||------------|------------|------------|------------|| Bright 19 329 24 12 109/160/184/129/196/110 00/04/00/00/02/00/00 Command | SupAtkL1 | SupDefL2 | ESave | Hit&Away | || AlloyZ | AlloyZ | BeamCoat |------------|| Argo 23 41 1 86 170/151/191/185/198/134 00/00/00/00/00/00/00 SuperMode | PrevailL3 | SupDefL1 | Guard | | || | |------------|------------|| Sai Saici 24 33 11 115 170/147/195/192/199/123 00/00/00/00/00/00/00 SuperMode | PrevailL3 | SwordL3 | CounterL3 | | || | |------------|------------|| Hayato 28 142 35 101 170/167/194/188/198/129 00/05/00/00/09/00/00 PrevailL4 | CounterL4 | SupAtkL1 | Attacker | | ||------------|------------|------------|------------|| Benkei 28 142 0 121 168/162/174/153/192/140 00/05/00/00/09/00/00 PrevailL4 | SupDefL1 | Guard | Concentrat | | ||------------|------------|------------|------------|| Michiru 25 97 4 15 131/159/180/158/183/128 00/05/00/00/03/00/00 SwordL1 | SupDefL1 | SP Regen | | | || Jammer | HighAccSgt | Booster |------------|| Ryouma 28 142 15 101 175/161/182/155/195/133 00/05/00/00/09/00/00 PrevailL4 | SwordL2 | UnyldSpirit| Attacker | | || MBooster | MBooster |------------|------------|| Akira 23 164 13 91 167/167/186/161/191/125 00/05/00/00/00/00/00 Telekinetic| SwordL2 | ShieldL2 | SupAtkL1 | | || LargeGen | NewAlloyZ |------------|------------|| Mari 25 367 2 47 133/159/184/176/188/118 00/00/00/00/00/00/00 HardWorker | UnyldSpirit| SupDefL2 | | | || Booster | Biosensor | Chobham | EWAC(Weak) || Aqua 28 77 0 55 165/168/194/185/190/124 --/--/--/--/--/--/-- InfightL3 | ShieldL1 | SupDefL1 | SP Regen | Concentrat | SPUpL1 ||------------|------------|------------|------------|| Hugo 28 77 62* 35 171/154/192/190/199/126 00/05/00/00/11/00/00 Fortune | SupAtkL1 | SupDefL1 | Attacker | Morale | InfightL4 || Radar | | |------------|| Fuuinsaki 19 116 19 88 158/104/179/184/184/121 00/00/00/00/00/00/00 SupAtkL1 | SupDefL1 | Hit&Away | | | || Biosensor | MagCoat | Chobham |------------|| Judau|SG 19 62 18 74 166/169/198/193/192/118 00/00/00/00/03/00/00 NewtypeL3 | SwordL4 | ShieldL3 | AssistL2 | | || MagCoat | ScrewMod | |------------|| Plu|SG 12 153 1 3 151/157/188/184/183/110 00/00/00/00/00/00/00 NewtypeL2 | SwordL1 | SupDefL1 | | | || | | |------------|| Elle 10 5 0 0 133/143/177/160/162/109 00/00/00/00/00/00/00 NewtypeL1 | SupAtkL1 | SupDefL1 | | | || | | |------------|| Sayaka 17 404 0 50 127/150/170/142/176/128 00/00/00/00/00/00/00 Guard | SupAtkL1 | SupDefL1 | | | || | | | || Boss 17 180 0 50 158/097/169/122/152/130 00/00/00/00/00/00/00 PrevailL3 | SupAtkL1 | SupDefL1 | | | || | | | || Total Cash: 138624 Total Turns: 70
Chapter "17"E, The Terror of Space Monster Gilgilgan, in 1+6 turns:Spoiler
The second Free Select of the route split takes us to Shanghai.
The first map of the chapter is a simple one, with just Jun and Tetsuya in their forced machines.Turn 1:
With a Breast Fire crit you can easily just feed Jun. Alternately you can get the kill on EP, just depends which pilot you plan on investing in.
There's more story segments to play out, and then the real map will begin in earnest.
Lead Gilgilgan to the designated area without shooting it down, or letting Boss get shot down.Turn 1:
Boss needs a move part to get out of the enemy's 7 range stationary attack.Turn 2:
Just keep moving.
Defending is fine, even with the poison ticks.Turn 3:
Just keep schmovin'.
Nice, everything worked out!Turn 4:
We get our battleship and can actually do things now.
We lose if there's a turn where we damage but do not destroy the Gilgilgan.
This was the arrangement for the peeps. Rei is riding inside the Argama already.
Getter gets right in there.
Which provides healing for Q to do.
Boss retreats toward the group.
Sai and Shinji do some more chip damage thanks to Accel.
Bird mode Raideen for extra move, and extra healing (thanks to not using the shield).
We've put on more than enough damage here for Hugo to clean this up with Aqua's Luck.
This triggers more enemies, and they revive the beast once again.
Great Mazinger arrives at this time (Venus A does not, sadly), and is immediately benched.
We do some move positioning with our last two units and not much else.
The KoaKoa have immense range and a lot of health.
Chip XP vs the enemies nets a very important Battleship level.
Gilgilgan must be evaded or defended. Otherwise Game Over. Don't forget and mess up!Turn 5:
Boss loads onto the Battleship and out of harm's way.
The first couple chunks against Gilgilgan, part 3.
Mari heals up some EP damage on Getter.
Freeing it up to get right in the thick of the other group of enemies, while killing the first of the JinJin (who couldn't attack with their postmove for a reason I forget at the moment, I think it was because Sai and Hayato were grounded).
This activates Super Mode for Sai, unlocking his true potential.
I don't use it for anything cool yet, just wipe up another JinJin.
I believe that put Hugo at 130 for Attacker, but it's been awhile since I actually ran through this stage. At any rate, we line up a good kill on the boss.
Unlocking another Valor for the team.
The goalposts shift. Stop me if you've heard this before, you need to: Kill everyone.
Unit 0 pops out and does some softening. Not just the damage needed here, but also body blocking with positioning.
Meanwhile, the Argama itself fires at the last JinJin and stays put.
Unit 1 comes up and does a Double Attack, which I almost forgot was a thing because usually enemies aren't standing next to each other.
The chip we did earlier with Bright lets Hugo kill this with Aqua's Luck from a good range to allow Support next turn.
Hayato's Get Change Attack having an S rank really helps the damage here, and gets a good headstart on Jigra.
We do have to be a little careful with our EN though, so we split the difference on these KoaKoas.Turn 6:
Support bots on heal duty to gain XP.
We cash in a Bless kill. Support attack helps.
Chip the boss.
We cash in a Luck kill. Support attack helps.
Healing for XP.
We actually pull our punches here a tad, to allow more people to chip vs the level 28.
Like my Evas, who are quite a bit behind on levels at this point.
We carefully preserved this MAP, and our planning was much rewarded.
I toss the final kill to Sai. Lacking a favored series bonus means it's not quite as huge a jump, but it's still good gains.
That's the map cleared!
And the final status page.Finish 17E Char Lv XP K PP Mel/Sht/Hit/Eva/Skl/Def HP/EN/Mo/Ar Wn/Ht/Ct Sh Skills Parts =============================================================================-======================================================================================================================================= Shinji 19 484 8 43 162/160/169/144/182/104 00/00/00/00 05/00/00 -- SwordL1 | SupAtkL1 | SupDefL1 | AssistL2 | Morale | || | ImageSensor|------------|------------|| Rei 20 462 10 79 158/160/167/143/185/109 00/00/00/00 00/00/00 -- SwordL2 | SupAtkL1 | SupDefL2 | Concentrat | | || Minovsky | AlloyZ |------------|------------|| Saegusa 23 81 0 43 ---/---/---/---/---/--- --/--/--/-- --/--/-- -- | | | | | ||------------|------------|------------|------------|| Torres 23 81 0 43 ---/---/---/---/---/--- --/--/--/-- --/--/-- -- | | | | | ||------------|------------|------------|------------|| Bright 23 81 30 33 111/162/186/131/198/112 00/04/00/00 02/00/00 -- Command | SupAtkL1 | SupDefL2 | ESave | Hit&Away | || AlloyZ | AlloyZ | Shuffle |------------|| Argo 23 180 1 66 170/151/191/185/198/134 00/05/00/00 04/00/00 -- SuperMode | PrevailL3 | SupDefL1 | Guard | Morale | || | |------------|------------|| Sai Saici 26 141 14 87 172/149/197/194/201/125 00/05/00/00 04/00/00 -- SuperMode | PrevailL3 | SwordL3 | CounterL3 | Morale | InfightL1 || Shuffle | MBooster |------------|------------|| Sayaka|V 17 404 0 50 127/150/170/142/176/128 00/00/00/00 00/00/00 -- Guard | SupAtkL1 | SupDefL1 | | | || | | | || Hayato 28 316 38 35 170/167/194/188/198/129 00/05/00/00 09/00/00 -- PrevailL4 | CounterL4 | SupAtkL1 | Attacker | InfightL3 | ||------------|------------|------------|------------|| Benkei 28 316 0 30 168/162/174/153/192/140 00/05/00/00 09/00/00 -- PrevailL4 | SupDefL1 | Guard | Concentrat | SP Regen | ||------------|------------|------------|------------|| Michiru 27 75 4 15 133/161/182/160/185/130 00/05/00/00 03/00/00 -- SwordL2 | SupDefL2 | SP Regen | | | || Jammer | HighAccSgt | MBooster |------------|| Ryouma 28 316 15 110 175/161/182/155/195/133 00/05/00/00 09/00/00 -- PrevailL4 | SwordL2 | UnyldSpirit| Attacker | | || Booster | Biosensor |------------|------------|| Akira 28 239 15 107 171/171/190/165/195/129 00/05/00/00 04/00/00 00 Telekinetic| SwordL2 | ShieldL3 | SupAtkL1 | | || LargeGen | NewAlloyZ |------------|------------|| Mari 27 126 2 47 135/161/186/178/190/120 00/00/00/00 00/00/00 -- HardWorker | UnyldSpirit| SupDefL2 | | | || | | Chobham | EWAC(Weak) || Aqua 28 217 0 73 165/168/194/185/190/124 --/--/--/-- --/--/-- -- InfightL3 | ShieldL1 | SupDefL1 | SP Regen | Concentrat | SPUpL1 ||------------|------------|------------|------------|| Hugo 28 217 65* 53 171/154/192/190/199/126 00/05/00/00 11/00/00 -- Fortune | SupAtkL1 | SupDefL1 | Attacker | Morale | InfightL4 || Radar | | |------------|| Fuuinsaki 19 116 19 88 158/104/179/184/184/121 00/00/00/00 00/00/00 -- SupAtkL1 | SupDefL1 | Hit&Away | | | || Biosensor | MagCoat | Chobham |------------|| Judau|SG 19 62 18 74 166/169/198/193/192/118 00/00/00/00 03/00/00 -- NewtypeL3 | SwordL4 | ShieldL3 | AssistL2 | | || MagCoat | ScrewMod | |------------|| Jun 22 450 1 87 157/158/175/153/187/134 00/00/00/00 00/00/00 -- PrevailL3 | SupAtkL1 | SupDefL1 | | | || | | | || Plu|SG 12 153 1 3 151/157/188/184/183/110 00/00/00/00 00/00/00 -- NewtypeL2 | SwordL1 | SupDefL1 | | | || | | |------------|| Elle 10 5 0 0 133/143/177/160/162/109 00/00/00/00 00/00/00 -- NewtypeL1 | SupAtkL1 | SupDefL1 | | | || | | |------------|| Boss 17 180 0 50 158/097/169/122/152/130 00/00/00/00 00/00/00 -- PrevailL3 | SupAtkL1 | SupDefL1 | | | || | | |------------|| Total Cash: 85584 Total Turns: 77
Total Turns: 77 -
Jade spared another look to Lucille, but despite any concerns about how the rider was slumped against her pegasus, it didn't seem quite so bad that the woman was about to fall asleep or fall off. Not yet at any rate, and with the way the conversation was progressing in a rather interesting direction, short of anything dire that was where her attention preferred to stay.
"Your negotiating skills sound like they need a little work, not quite up to the standards your brother set," she chided Seilan gently, before giggling so that it was clear nothing serious was meant by it. "You should have gotten something in writing, if not from the General then from someone at the fort. But it's never too late..." Being from Hwein herself originally, she had her own interests in not having to hear about the place suffering under the iron heel of Coteon.
The new arrival's own surprise at the precise gravity of the situation she found herself embroiled in was like icing on a schaudenfreuden cake though, and the zombie indulged in some private feelings of smugness. "Yes, the Demon King, who looks to have just finished speaking with the Head of her Royal Knights, and..." a sweep of her gaze trying to locate, aha, spotted, "Over there, the General of her Armies. Which is it you would be preferring an audience with?" It wouldn't have been too hard to keep her smile quite neutral, merchant's training and all, but Jade decided turn about was fair play and she could let herself slip a little, just a touch, for now. "Ah, but maybe someone not quite that high up would be more to your speed? Hmm, do you think the Captain from Tepel would be a better choice?" Turning to Seilan for input, the zombie asked. "You've had a closer working relationship with her than I, what do you say?"
-
The goat woman's explanation was mostly reasonable. Certainly warded off any overt anger on Jade's part, leaving just minor rumpled feelings and a slightly guarded attitude. The merchant could well imagine seeing herself in Verah's shoes, had she such easy access to those sorts of abilities.
"That does sound a rather awful position to find oneself in," the zombie agreed, as the newcomer elaborated, her smooth and wandering style of speech doing its part to ease concerns as well. A technique Jade also employed as part of business, but that was part of its charm, it had an effect even if one were rather used to it. Lucille seemed to be warming over as well, but perhaps that was just the fatigue talking, as the rider swiftly deferred question-answering to the others.
"Well, I know that Hwein has been having problems of its own, so perhaps that is the next step? Though there are some other foreign threats as well," the oni's story came to mind here, and surely it wasn't the only other danger than the Church. Turning to Seilan for the man's own input on circumstances, she asked directly. "What sort of arrangements did you manage to secure in exchange for your assistance, I have been somewhat removed from a lot of the decision making processes of the higher-ups... though perhaps I should speak with Lavinia about changing that, becoming more involved on that front personally..." Jade pursed her lips and mused about possibilities. There were a lot of thoughts about the future and going forward, and just where her place fit in the scheme of things.
-
It was early into their trek from Tepel to Mixoco, a few days into the first week of travel only, but one evening after dark Jade found Bridgit a bit apart from the others and invited her to have a moonlight walk-and-talk, to get to know each other better. Since the zombie was dating Lavinia, she figured it appropriate to work on building a friendly rapport with her younger sister as well. Depending on how things went, maybe she'd inquire a bit into the family history, or ask for advice on various matters. Who knows. Jade didn't have any particular set goal she was working for, this was more of just putting in the time so things in the future would be better. Anything more than that would be gravy.
There was the trouble of where to start though. Jade had already been brought up to speed on the vague generalities after they'd first encountered Bridgit at the ruins Morwen had been haunting, so it wasn't like they were starting off from square one. On the other hand, they certainly hadn't spent the kind of time together where they could be called 'close', not by any stretch of the term. Honestly, that was pretty much the reason behind tonight's walk, after all. But that did make they questions weighting most heavily on her mind--"How do you feel about me taking Roman's place," or "In a relationship with a vampire, ultimately it's best for the partner to be turned, isn't it,"--far too awkward to just up and ask. That didn't stop them from circling around and crowding out most of her other possible approaches.
In the end, she did hit upon an idea for what was hopefully a softer approach:
"This trip on the road these past weeks must surely be ever so different than life at Castle Tassion. If you wouldn't mind, I'm curious what a typical day there had been like. ...Before this most recent Hero's attack, I mean. What sorts of things did you and Lavinia do on the daily?"
While finally getting the chance to speak with her sister's intended, Bridgit is currently at a loss for how to start said conversation. True that the proposition had been for a walk and talk, there's been much walking and not a lot of...talking. She guesses this is mostly due to them not knowing how to breach a subject, or being careful with what to even say.A little too careful. Ugh, such is the awkwardness of first conversations with your sister's girlfriend.
Fortunately, it's Jade who breaks the ice and opens with a pretty tame question that Bridgit is content to answer. "You could say that. For one I'm spending more time with Lavinia than I had been at the castle," she answers first while reigning in the tone in which she says it. "No fault in that really, since she is the Head of the King's guard and her knights. Oftentimes I was left to my own devices, and when she had time I'd seek her out and offer my company."
Her fingers find a stray lock of hair, and she proceeds to play with it. "As for her own pastimes...she trains, maintains her equipment. When she's doing neither, she's either reading or writing in her journal." She keeps it to the point, voice clipped but more out of politeness than anything.
"I suppose, given the time, she'd indulge me in my own requests here and there," she continues, her tone turning wistful at the memory. "Most of them quite silly, now that I think on it. I..." and here her voice drifts, before calling back her composure and closing off once more.
"Anything else you'd like to know of my sister?"
It was a bit surprising to hear that Bridgit and Lavinia were as far apart at the castle as the younger vampire was making it sound. The responsibilities shouldered by the head of the King's royal guard were truly a fearsome thing. That didn't bode particularly well for Jade going forward."Ah, um, no... I mean, thank you, yes, but... I didn't come to you today to dig up dirt on her behind her back or anything. I'll ask her myself about those sorts of things." If anything, the conversation so far only reinforced the hope to focus on the sister herself, fed into some of the zombie's slightly guilty feelings about lurking ulterior motives that really ought to be rejected. "It's kind of you to offer, and I appreciate it, but really, this time I'd intended to be just about us. Getting to know each other better, I figured, would be a good way to keep it from feeling like I was stealing your sister away from you, you know?"
"So, mmm, mind telling me about one of your 'silly little indulgences', why don't you? I'm quite curious now."
Bridgit can't help but pause in her step when the other reassures her about the reason they were having this conversation. To say the pureblood finds this surprising well...let's see how this goes."You'd be one of the few then," she truthfully answers with an upper twitch of her lips. For someone to be interested in her, in what she has to say about herself and not of what she may know about Lavinia, Bridgit's mood shifts to a lighter emotion. It also amuses her to see Jade fumble a bit at the end, and seeing as she's actually trying the pureblood simply waves a hand at her with a small giggle leaving her lips.
"No need to fret. I know where I stand when it comes to my relationship with Lavinia," she says while perking up a bit at the next question. "Oftentimes Lavinia would stop me from going overboard, but there have been some cases where I have been known to...cause a bit of trouble," she emphasized while offering a more noticeable yet mischievous smile.
Oh, that was a... it sounded like there was some hurt and resentment in there. Jade had to admit to being a little surprised that a pureblood was the one left as a satellite in orbit, she'd been under the impression that Lavinia had been marrying upward, so that the former farm girl from Hwein had achieved so much sway really spoke to both her skills and to how well Vaia rewarded merit. Or perhaps just to Bridgit's young age? A quick bit of mental math would have had her just barely born at the time of the disaster. And with all the upheaval that ensued... hmm.Well, at least little sister had confidence in one thing it seemed, and was willing to trust Jade had no intentions of being a homewrecker. Full details of any of Bridgit's misadventure were not forthcoming, however it became abudndatly clear she was quite the prankster. "Ah, I see... I dare say my own hobbies must seem dull in comparison then. Sewing rarely stirs up a fuss, and reading even less so... though, way back, before I died, when I was engrossed in that one book of logic puzzles and slacked off on my chores, I did earn quite an earful. Heh." Remembering the sound of her father's voice berating her was surprisingly nostalgic, almost to the point of homesickness.
While Jade tries to downplay her own likes, Bridgit's eyes catch a spark at the other's interests. "You may be right about sewing in general, although i do commend those that take it up as a livelihood. I will admit that I'm more interested in the end products more than anything, but respect the effort put in said work."Now, onto the fun part. "Still, now that you mention puzzles..." she lets the sentence trail off, smile ever present as she looks at the zombie. "That's more up my fancy. I would also get quite the reprimand when I lacked the attention in my studies and focused on more frivolous activities," she pipes up with a bounce in her step.
"Although, I...do prefer jests and japery more than anything else. Being prim, proper, listening to my elders," she drawls and lets out a sigh, as if the pureblood finally dropped the invisible weight on her shoulders. "I am trusting you with this because I see you as someone good for Lavinia for a very very very long time, but...it's tiring, to put up a strong mask and keep people just at length where they stay acquaintances and nothing else."
She takes an unnecessary breath, but it helps her stay calm and continue with her thoughts. "I do apologize for thrusting my troubles onto you. I will admit I'm no good in socializing, but I'd like to think that we can...maybe...." At the end her words end up as a soft muttering, fingers tangling tighter in her hair as she looks away.
"If...it's not much trouble..." If I'm not a burden or a nuisance....
It felt like Jade had finally broken through. The cagey, cautious, half-answers had evaporated, and clear communication was rolling in. The zombie nodded as Bridgit bounced off the springboard she'd put out there, and while it was entirely likely the sort of puzzles each of them preferred might not overlap perfectly, it was certainly something to start from. And as the vampire continued, mentioning jests and japery, that brought yet something else to mind, and Jade carefully saved the idea until her hopeful future sister finished speaking, loathe to interrupt now that things were finally flowing freely. Smiling, she sprinkled in a few 'mhmm's as appropriate, and then Bridgit seemed to pause, trailing off, hoping for validation, acceptance.Leaning over, she reached and arm out and putting a hand on the other girl's shoulder gave her a reassuring squeeze, as they walked side-by-side. "No problem at all. In fact, you just gave me a wonderful idea. I quite enjoyed some comedic plays, back in Hwein. Maybe we could..." Then it was Jade's turn to falter, realizing as she was now, they'd probably be denied entrance. "...Find a similar sort of playwright here in Vaia. There has to be someone good around, right?"
As the conversation continues and lulls into a comfortable rhythm, Bridgit knew then that Lavinia had chosen well. When Jade didn't seem to interrupt and merely responds with her own little sounds of affirmation, instead of sounding condescending or seeming to brush her away Bridgit knew she still had the zombie's attention. The thought only seem to cement as Jade places a hand over her shoulder, which in turn gives way to the rest of the tension she's been feeling throughout the walk."Plays? Oh, that's actually a splendid idea!" she offers, the note of childish excitement at the end prominent as the pureblood feels her smile widen. "We could scour the area and ask around. Who knows, maybe we'll find something you could enjoy with my dear sister~," she then adds, daring a giggle to slip in genuine mirth. It doesn't bother her to bring up her sister this time, if only because Bridgit knows now that Jade is willing to put the effort to not only be with Lavinia but also learn more about herself.
It's a wonderful feeling. A bit scary, but wonderful all the same.
-
When Seilan confirmed her strong suspicions, but more importantly told her his brother was indeed alive and well, a peaceful and relaxed smile slipped across the zombie's face. While Jade had had no real reason to suspect otherwise, it was always good to know for certain. And that he'd be taking over the shop, settling down and not having to be on the road as much, well, that was as close to most merchant's dreams as any. Sure, the travel could be exciting, but it was much less reliable. And certainly more dangerous. Her thoughts wandered temporarily to wondering when she would be able to settle down and build a brick and mortar establishment, before she recalled that the mage's question, honest confusion evident in his voice, still needed answering.
"Oh, we met on several occasions when I was still alive. It would probably be a bit of a stretch for me to call him my rival?" Jade paused and tilted her head, trying to figure out if that were actually true or not. Maybe she had thought of him that way without fully realizing it? "Anyway, I obviously haven't really been in position to visit Hwein recently, so..." She shrugged, trailing off and leaving it at that for the moment.
Her lull was quickly filled by an unexpected party, who somehow knew her name? Slowly, Jade swivelled to face the newcomer. Blinking slowly, she asked the horned woman in the white dress, "Where did you come from, again, Verah...?" Lucille hadn't been bothered by her lecture, rather seeming eager enough to leave that conversation behind and taking this opportunity to go ahead and follow the suggestion for introductions. Probably for the best, there, truth be told? And maybe the zombie would have been more accepting of things herself, if she hadn't been the one singled out to be used as a form of unearned familiarity. It was hard to say, but for the moment she was on her guard.
-
Ah, when Lucille suggested that perhaps it had been because she and Seilan were humans that they hadn't known, that was probably the time to step in and gently correct. Grunting a bit as she pushed herself off the ground, Jade took the few shambling steps needed to come out from around the back of the tree where she'd been sitting.
"That's not... entirely accurate. One of the other humans was the first to know, if I remember right," the zombie explained. "I don't remember the General's reaction, but I do recall it having been quite the shock to the head of the Royal Guard when she found out. Ah... and this is obviously excepting Erephis, of course. Ithraxl's sister was the reason the rest of us found out Taliyah was her niece. I'm not sure what prompted her to have told Agni first, or if she'd have brought it up to the rest of us on her own, given enough time, but... I don't think it was really meant to be a secret. Not entirely? Just... an uncomfortable and unfortunate truth."
Her face slipping into a bit of a bitter frown, she continued. "That's... civil wars for you. Ugly. Divisive. Tragic. Personal. Thankfully this one was stopped while it was still somewhat a minor insurrection; put down before it embroiled the whole nation. But that doesn't ease the pain for those affected." A flash of realization crossed Jade's face, and she faced Lucille directly, apologizing. "...That's actually terribly unkind of me, isn't it? Lecturing you in this way after you were just forced to fight against your old unit? I wish I could have been of more help, but it was quite a chaotic time."
A moment's silent pause, then she turned her gaze to the other, and tried steering the conversation to a hopefully less dreadful path. "On the subject of family not being kept secret for any particular reason, though..." Jade's eyes narrowed slightly as she took in one last good look, confirming enough of her suspicions. Even having never met Seilan personally before arriving at Tepel, family resemblance, and stories from the elder about his 'baby brother' went far enough. "How is Dorren doing these days?"
-
Lavinia had had the right idea, and luckily it seemed Jade's good first impression with Villkiss still carried some weight. Lucille hadn't put up much fight either, dozing in and out as it were, and aside from a few soft words of explanation the zombie hadn't tried to press her with questions or conversation, taking them outside the fort, and setting up "camp" as it were near a few trees. It didn't quite feel right to leave the girl completely unattended, what should happen if she fell and needed help or something, so Jade sat down at the base of one of the trees just on the other side from where the pegasus was standing. Given her speed she wouldn't be close enough to actually stop a fall, but she could react after the fact at least and there was something to be said for allowing some personal space as well.
Before long, the rest of the troops had gathered, the Demon King saying a few words, then passing the torch to the Hero for a few more. For the most part, the speech was generally comforting, but Jade would be lying to herself if she didn't acknowledge some discomfort and apprehension about the notion of a return to Hwein. Her situation there was... complicated. The zombie found herself idly toying with the end of the rope laying in her lap, though the more than enough slack she'd left on the line meant there was no effect on the steed it was connected to. She absently watched many of the others split off into small groups, but remained unaware of Lucille's near slip from her saddle. Honestly, it wasn't until Seilan approached and began speaking to the former church soldier that Jade pulled herself back out of introspection and began to listen.
She had some unresolved questions about that boy. There had never seemed to be a right time to ask, especially when weighed against the then-upcoming fight against Ithraxl and how there would really be no importance one way or the other what the facts actually were. But, with the insurrection now firmly in the past, and the path their future seemed to be leading...
Mmmm, she should just listen for now, interrupting so soon would be rude. But perhaps after the two had wrapped up their pleasantries she would step out and stop him before he left.
-
"That was a warning shot," Jade lied to the priest before continuing with an ultimatum for him and his friend. "Drop you staves and weapons and line up against the wall if you want to live." With their general dead--dying?--it seemed the smart bet to take for any remaining enemy forces, but it couldn't hurt for her to verbalize the demand for their surrender.
Speaking of dead and dying, thankfully the zombie was far enough away from the wounded (on both sides) that so long as she wasn't looking at them, it wasn't a difficult matter to keep an unpleasant... urges under wraps. Putting a little more purposeful distance between herself and them, and... ah, here came the rest of the side-door squad. The sight of Lavinia, Lucille, and Gabriela's arrive, after everything had wrapped up, not even in time to see the climax--much less contribute to it--asking 'what happened?' It really sparked the sudden wonder in the zombie of whether anything they had done on their little trek had even mattered for the assault. But those were certainly not the sort of thoughts one could speak out loud.
"Well, I'm not exactly sure quite how to describe it," Jade struggled to explain the events that had occurred to her new-come friends. "Most of the action was around the corner, out of sight, I didn't even properly engage with him myself, was focused on corralling his support troops and keeping them from causing trouble. But at one point Ithraxl transformed into a dark blue dragon," her pitch turned upwards here, questioningly. "It was rather massive given the available space here. As his life began failing him, it seems that power has come undone..."
As for the pegasus rider and her question, Jade merely gave a thin, tight-lipped smile and nod in response, then changed the subject. "How is Vilkiss?" The woman herself seemed not to have been physically hurt, just some exhaustion from spellcasting at worst, but there had been something of an episode, she remembered, though she'd been too far to see quite what had gone on. Her best guess was something had spooked her steed and it had taken a bit to regain control.
It wasn't until after Jade had spoken that she realized she might be coming off the wrong way, caring more for the pegasus than the human.
-
While Jade was reasonably she could survive one go with the raging dragon, with that mindless husk of the insurrection commander's former self, she wasn't sure she could put him down with a single shot. However, she'd seen the priest right behind him go on the offensive, and if he incapacitated whoever was holding back the bulkhead on the other side of the corridor... Or even if he just topped up the insane monster. No, better to remove that elf from the field, weather whatever hit came her way in the meantime, and then withdraw to safety.
Jade to 10,24, Rifle Priest 2
-
As Lavinia came up beside her, healing Gabriela, the sound of shouted voices carried out, an extended back and forth. The siren flew up ahead, to check things out no doubt, and there was no denying that was the right call. Jade smiled with a touch of resignation, "I suppose that's our cue then. I'll be just around the corner, if the big man kept on his warpath, that should be just out of his sight, yet maybe close enough to snipe at the rearguard. Catch up as you can; with any luck Gabriela and I can get the magical threat pruned down some before you arrive."
Jade to 8,29, Rifle Mage 4
-
"No sign of our main forces that I could tell. They must not have penetrated so deeply yet. There were, however, about a half dozen mages in there and, I have to assume from his hubris, the mastermind of this foolhardy rebellion." Jade scowled as she remembered the man's insults, whispering one of them under her breath so she wouldn't forget it. "Were it one or the other I might have held ground at the doors up there, but in this case discretion really seemed the better part of valor. How is everybody faring here, no lasting wounds I hope?"
-
"Ah, no, that certainly won't be necessary," Jade carefully backed her way into an apology. "Clearly my flight from those Coteon pegasi, followed by my chase of an obvious rogue has landed me into a situation quite above my head. Worry not, this lowly zombie shall now depart." The half-embarrassed, half-ingratiating smile on her face only looked so natural because it was a well-practiced expression. The customer was always right, after all.
Wheeling about, she returned to the base of the stairs marking the side entrance, and quickly beckoned to the other party members nearby. She could explain more when they were closer.
Jade moves to 6,26
-
"I'm gonna poke my head in, see how things are inside. If it looks too dangerous, I'll be right back."
Jade to 6,30 Glacial Gun the Thief, Canto to 6,32
Between the thief and the pillar it was hard to get a good look, but after moving in a bit deeper, Jade could catch sight of several mages and quite the monster of a man. Depending on if they saw her, and how they reacted, it very well might be a good idea to just slip back out the side entrance. Time to watch and see.
-
At the sound of the screams behind her, the new girl's seemingly included in the mix, Jade turned to look, worried she'd made the wrong choice in leaving the cleanup to her rather than finishing the enemy captain herself. ...No, the enemy had been dispatched things were just... hmm.
Well, Lavinia seemed to be on top of things, and their enemies weren't going to stop pushing to let them all group up and address whatever had just happened. The zombie would just have to trust. At least for now. Maybe once this was all over...
The armor knight seemed like the largest threat currently, though it had so far refused to engage her. Jade pulled out the magic pistol, and prepared to fire, but saw Gabriela moving in on it from the corner of her eye, so she adjusted to follow up on Lavinia's shot on the mage instead.
Jade shoot Mage 9 with glacial gun, canto to 6-25
-
"I'd rather be a zombie than a mindless slave to some church..." Jade scowled, reloaded, and aimed at the flier she'd missed on the first pass.
Jade Rifle Peg 1,
if she hits, canto to 2,22
"I'll show you holey soldiers."
if she misses, canto to 1,17
"Am I losing my touch, or is she really just that fast? Huh..." -
Jade thought she heard raised voices arguing behind her. She hoped she was wrong, now was not the time, but even more reason to just do a quick hit and run and maybe put out some fires if needed. Unfortunately it seemed the pegasus were slightly more wary than she'd hoped for, so she'd need to advance further and retreat less. It should still work out though, hopefully.
Jade to 1, 16 Rifle Peg 3, Canto back to 1, 18
SpoilerAriana was... Stuck. For almost the entire trip... She didn't know what to do at all. Ever since Ayane... She was blushing thinking about it, aimlessly walking around the camp. Who could she turn to for advice? There was no way she could ask Marina. She'd felt guilty about doing that with Marina's face in the first place... Agni likely would be biased against the monsters. Seilan... He was a genuinely nice man, but did he know anything about relationships? She wasn't sure... Lavinia surely knew something about it, but she didn't want to press her luck. The monsters were incredibly wary of her in the first place... That left...
"Jade?" Ariana had walked up to the merchant half without thinking about it, staring at the zombie in her cart. She'd only been turned undead recently... And she was with Lavinia right now. Surely she knew something! "I... Can, I ask you... A few things? About... Well, relationships? I... I've, recently... With someone else... I, I just need to ask you some, questions about what I'm supposed to do in a relationship with someone else. Is that alright? If it's not, I'm, sorry for bothering you, I just... Would really, like to know. I don't know who else to ask..."
Jade had heard someone walking around the vicinity of her wagon, but that certainly wasn't an uncommon occurrence after they'd finished their daily travel and set up camp for the evening. So the zombie simply continued to enjoy the leisurely smoke she'd started up, puffing a little on her pipe until a familiar voice actually called out her name, indicating the footsteps were here for real business, and not just for ambling around."Ah, Marina, certainly. One moment," the merchant swung down from her place at the driver's seat, intending to speak face to face with the Hero at ground level, rather than staring down at her from above. It was only proper, especially given the question. She was far from an authority in the field, so they'd be just hashing out the particulars of whatever was troubling her, brainstorming through it together as equals.
When her boots hit the ground though, as she turned to look the other woman in the eye, about to ask for a little bit more detail, Jade was taken a bit aback. She had gotten the identity of her caller ever so slightly, but ever so importantly, incorrect. She drew up short at the sight, stiffening slightly, unconsciously. While the threat associated with the warning about white armor she'd received had almost certainly passed, and the woman before her was now at best a toothless menace, there still was something a little off-putting about the whole... you know...
"Oh, um..." Well this was awkward, how to salvage the situation? "I'm sorry, I guess I still haven't quite gotten used to... It's fine though! Don't worry about me backing out just because I agreed before I realized." Jade attempted to quickly patch things over. "I can't promise that I can really be of help, I know I feel a lot of uncertainty at times with my own situation, but let's see what we can't figure out for yours."
"Ah, Marina-- Ariana felt herself flinch, realizing that without actual vision of her, Jade would have definitely assumed... There it was. The physical reaction she would have to get used to for a while. People were still nervous around her, and for good reason. She'd simply have to bear with it until they got used to her presence. The Marina bit... Still stung. Not because Jade had gotten it wrong, but because it reminded her of her initial hesitation to this situation. She had Marina's face, her voice... Should I really be getting into this with her... Everything, like I am? I...Jade had come around to the idea of giving her some advice, so the quandary was shelved for the moment. Ariana tried to pick herself up, smiling slightly. "Well... Um. It's Ayane. She... Came to see me the other, night. I tried, to... Push her, to get her to be honest for why she'd kept me alive. And... She, uh, w-well..." Ariana felt herself grabbing at her arm, holding herself a bit. "Pushed back. And. K-Kissed me... Saying she liked, me. I, er... I'm not quite sure how best to take this. I, I, definitely agreed in the moment. But. But... Me? I... After what I did to her... E-Even if I wasn't, in control, I..." The conflict was clear on her face; biting her lip, looking away, eyebrows furrowed...
"Am I allowed, to be with her...?"
A part of Jade wanted to instantly cry out, 'Of course you're allowed to be with her. If you and she want the same, then what's to stand in the way?' It was a pure, innocent, girlish part of her, and that it still reacted that way brought the zombie choice comfort. But despite all that, this was certainly an adult discussion, with deep dimensions, and she owed the girl more than just a skin-deep childish approval.
"That's not the sort of question I can immediately answer, not with what little information I have to go on," Jade began a little diplomatically, with a quick transition to follow. "Would you mind telling me more? I only know that on our first day in Tepel, you attacked her to cause a commotion and escape, and then later in the following assault you two crossed blades and she came out on top. What exactly else went on between you two? If she liked you strong enough to kiss you, I have to assume she has a reason, and before I weigh in on these concerns I think I'd like to hear what that is, or at least your best guess on it."
"I... I don't know if she does. I appreciate the affection, but..." Ariana sighed, going into the memories of what had happened between them. "I... Took her for a small day on the town in Tepel. It was espionage, really, getting her to show me around the town to give me a better view of the layout. We... We had fun. Sparred with the fort's soldiers. Spent a good bit of quality time together... And when general Nessraya and her group showed up around the corner..."Ariana bit her lip, looking down. "I put a knife to her neck and used her as bait to get away... Even ended up... Cutting her open, to distract Nessraya. I knew she wouldn't have died. Nessraya was right there, after all... But... Even if I didn't want to, even if I couldn't, have stopped myself, I-I..."
Was Jade going to understand? Maybe she'd feed that nagging voice that continued to say this was a terrible idea. That Ayane deserved better, these were just, first time feelings; a crush, if anything. "She beat me when we attacked the city. Could have killed me, but she didn't; she even stopped Asami from finishing me off, if what I was told is correct... I... I don't get it. I don't get why it has to be me... Or what she even, sees. If I even... Deserve this much forgiveness and positivity."
"Hmmm," Jade rumbled thoughtfully as she listened to Ariana's story. "Depending on the princess, I imagine life could be pretty sheltered. Maybe that was her first day ever, out on the town, one-on-one with someone?" If they'd been talking about a local farmgirl or something it would have been a whole nother story, but the zombie could actually picture things playing out the way she'd just supposed. "And maybe you're right that it didn't have to be you. After all, anyone could have taken initiative like that... But the way things have played it, it was you, and she does appear to care..."
Jade brought a hand to her temple, rubbing it briefly as she thought. The new information was good to have, but there wasn't much in it that definitively addressed the question at hand, so perhaps it was time to just dive into that more directly. "The way you've been phrasing these appeals for advice from me almost seem like you're looking for an excuse to say 'no'. What are you afraid of here, can you walk me through your worst case scenario?"
Ariana sighed... There was only one thing eating at her. One thing that made her afraid of agreeing to this with her whole heart. "What if the church manages to take back control of me? What if I'm not even aware? If I use Ayane's trust, and end up hurting her again... I can't feel it right now. I'm in complete control of my own actions... But what if that's not permanent? What if... I..."
She shivered, shaking her head. "That's... My biggest worry. I could still feel everything, but even screaming at myself to stop, I couldn't. If I couldn't do that again... I... S-So I'm, worried about that... I don't want to hurt her. She deserves so much more than my betraying her... Twice."
"Are you worried about how Ayane will feel upon being betrayed, or about the guilt that you will feel for betraying her? If it's the former, then that's really her decision to make, whether she's comfortable with that risk or not, whether she thinks the joy you would give her before then would be worth it, wouldn't you say?" Jade tilted her head a little, trying to gauge the reaction this would prompt. She... unfortunately didn't have an easy answer if the concern turned out to stem from the other branch, though...
"I... It is the former, so I guess, you're right." Ariana didn't have the stomach to say that she didn't care about the guilt because she didn't care about herself. Jade had made a good point, there was no reason to sully it with self loathing. "I'm sorry for all the trouble, then... I should, I should really ask her about this, I just... She's a bit... Uhm. Big? Her personality is really, loud... So I think I'd end up agreeing to whatever she said, even if I was still worried. Thank you, Jade... I, still am worried, but I can at least rest a bit with that reasoning. I just need to trust Ayane... Even if I can't trust myself." -
Jade to 1,23, use Glacial Gun on Draco 7, canto to 2,19
The current flying threats were nearly all dealt with, but a quick look behind revealed more trouble. Sure, there was trouble closer afield too, but rifles were made for long distance shooting, and her nightmares were pretty fast. Maybe should could get a quick shot in and be back before anyone missed her. Well, first thing was first. Time to clear the immediate danger.
SpoilerAyane had been quite busy these past few days, moreso than she ever had been after she joined the army. This was the first time in a long while she had broken out of her near eternal anger, and it was all thanks to Arianna and Ren's duel. 'It really did feel like I was under a trance...this curse is so strong.' She looked at her hand as she wandered about the camp. 'I have to find a way to control it somehow, maybe someone knows some techniques that will help quell my anger.'
Granted, she had some ideas herself. Combat seems to do a pretty good job at lowering her anger levels, but she nearly killed Ren just to get back to neutral so maybe a sparring partner isn't a good idea. There was always actual combat, but that isn't exactly in her control at the moment. The oni stood still at the edge of camp and stared out to the sky above, perhaps hoping for an answer from the heavens.
In the aftermath of Tepel, and particularly the successful double-date she'd gone on with Gabriela and Ren, her curiosity toward the pair of oni had taken on a bit of a new dimension. Now not only were they merely exotic foreigners, with perhaps the teasing potential of a closer relationship unlocking some novel new avenues for profit, but the merchant was now also interested in making sure her friend didn't end up getting hurt somehow. That said, there was also something deeper there too, wasn't there? The onis were also humans that had been cursed, and if Jade remembered right, they worried what would happen as the curse advanced... were struggling to keep it in check, to prevent its advance. Much the same as herself. Maybe it was another thing they could talk about... they could commiserate over their fates, swap tips for dealing with whatever fell urges they had to keep under control, and deepen their bonds that way?
The opportunity to have such a discussion didn't come immediately. For one reason or another, either Jade or Ren or Ayane were busy or unavailable for the first couple nights since setting out from their successful repulsion of Ithraxl's forces, the initial few days since embarking on what would hopefully be the final chapter in his saga of rebellion. However, tonight... the princess was standing at the edge of camp alone, and the zombie had no other pressing business. Deciding Ren didn't really need to be present, and that waiting for a perfect opportunity would just be leaving behind several decidedly reasonable ones in its wake, she shambled over to her. She could always hunt down the cousin later, and maybe there were even things that could be better asked with him not around? You know, the sorts of questions revolving around Ayane's opinions on Ren and Gabriela's suitability with each other, and the like. With him absent, the answers could flow unfiltered, yes?
When Jade was close enough, she called out softly. "Pardon, I hope I'm not interrupting anything, but... would you have some moments to talk, tonight?"
"...hm?" The Izunan princess turned to the voice, the source happened to be a certain zombie merchant. Ayane had seen her around from time to time, truth be told she stood out to the oni. Zombies weren't exactly people you break bread with, they were creatures meant to be put back in the grave. This was something she learned with Ouka and her sister who...well, she didn't want to think about that situation now.
All things considered Jade was very intelligent for a zombie, and she wasn't out for human flesh. So Ayane had no reason to act hostile toward her. 'What even is this woman's story?' She cleared her voice and turned to Jade. "Good evening, Jade. I'm free for the moment, so sure...actually while you're here I could ask you something as well." No reason to turn her away after all.
"I'm sure you may have seen how I act around camp and especially in battle, I've been known to be quick tempered. That is mostly from the curse. You're a merchant right? Maybe you know some potions or medicines on the market that can settle that anger?"
Oh, curious. The princess had been meaning to ask her something as well? Far be it from Jade to shut that down. She blinked twice and nodded slowly, at which point the oni continued. Ah, yes, her curse. Similar thoughts must've been going through Ayane's head as the ones that had been tickling her noggin earlier. She could imagine it from that perspective now: See the zombie. Pity its urges. Begin to wonder just how dissimilar they were to your own. Picturing those gears turning was a rather easy feat.
But, hmm. Anger. Not that different from Hunger, when one got right down to it, and not exactly rare for the two to be linked. A bit ironic, no? With a plain request laid out like this, the merchant unconsciously made the shift from curious mode to customer mode. "Mmm, well... I'm not aware of anything that will just, keep one from getting angry, or that will cleanly whisk the rage away once it's manifested. But, I've heard of a variety of products designed to sooth the soul, reduce and manage stress, and the like, which may help with alleviating some of the symptoms? Roots from a couple of plants, ground into supplement pills to swallowed at mealtime. Leaves and flowers from some others to be steeped into a calming drink. And I especially remember one vendor who was extolling the virtues of adding some distilled oils to a steamer, to be released into the air and absorbed that way. Either by the skin or the lungs, I guess? I'm not exactly sure how it was supposed to take effect, to be perfectly honest, but well, I must admit I do find smoking my pipe to be relaxing, and that probably isn't all so different in the grand scheme of things..."
"Now, of course, there's no guarantee what works for normal anger issues would have any effect on a curse," Jade drew out the key words for emphasis before heading back into things. "And I think I only have some of the chamomile for one of the hot drink methods on hand. ...Unless you cared to join me in smoking tobacco some time, as a test, in which case I could see about finding a second pipe and sharing one of my favorite blends. But for any of the other options, they would have to wait until I was able to acquire some stock."
Oh, she may have rambled a little. Better to stop here, hopefully she hadn't already overwhelmed the girl.
Oh my, Ayane hadn't expected so much moxie from the zombified saleswoman! She had brought up so many solutions the oni hadn't thought of, if she had a pen and paper she would have been on the fourth page by now. The princess was a little overwhelmed on top of that. "Err yes well...perhaps you have a point about those products. They would probably have less impact on a curse vs natural anger, quite a shame I must say..." She took a huff. "But I think I'll pass on tobacco. My father used to smoke and I swiftly found a distaste for the scent. Though tea does sound nice I will admit..."
Well, that was sure a first impression. It's nice that the zombie had such a passion for sales pitches but it must be hard hanging onto customers with her current state....ah, it just hit Ayane that Jade approached her not the other way around. "My apologies, Jade. You had something to ask of me?"
"Ahh, I hope I didn't bring up bad memories... And that I'm not too steeped in it myself to be objectionable. I'll try to remember to stay downwind when I indulge, going forward." The zombie replied a bit apologetically when it came up that tobacco reminded the oni of her father. And knowing that the man had died in the tragedy that left the princess nearly alone in the world, well, that forbid any discussion on how different blends or aging processes produced different scents and there might be one that didn't upset her nose so. No, best to just take that loss on the chin and move along.
Jade had been pondering whether to suggest brewing a cup or two of tea to share now, to see if--calming properties or not aside--the flavor was even to Ayane's taste, when she found the gears had suddenly changed on her, the conversation turned back around to why the merchant had initially approached her at all this night.
"Ah well, this is a little embarrassing, now that I'm about to say it out loud, and perhaps presumptuous of me, but, uh, given your condition... it got me to thinking we might be something of kindred spirits? I worry about slipping myself... hurting friends or family." Jade stopped short of actually bringing up her recent failings in that regard: one definite case, the Bladen bite; and other the near miss, with Ren in the wake of the attack. She especially didn't mention any of what the rumor mill had been churning about why he had been hurt so bad that afternoon. "Maybe it's a stupid thing to seek someone out over, but I thought... maybe we could bond, be friends?"
The other oni on her mind now, Jade tried transitioning to that other, lighter, reason for seeking Ayane out, "Plus! I gotta look out for Gabriela. You should know him better than anyone, right? Does Ren treat the ladies right? There's no need to worry about him two-timing or anything, is there?" Mmm, maybe that was too forward, and even if he were a scoundrel, family would cover for family, wouldn't they? Well, the ship of phrasing that right had sailed, no use worrying about proper diplomacy now.
"It's alright. Those memories are behind me now..." 'They have to be. I can't carry this weight while I seek out Ouka. She'll use it against me.' "But thank you for thinking of me, don't let my presence stop you from doing as you please." She folded her arms and thought a little bit to herself. For a zombie, she certainly was human like. She's probably more human than the princess herself in fact. At least at the moment.
"Embarrassing?" She briefly responded in between Jade's words. Kindred spirits? Slipping herself? Ah, she must mean urges to bite. Yes, despite how human Jade may act she's still a zombie. Ayane still kept that fact fresh in her mind as she listened. Luckily for Jade Ayane had heard no rumors about the zombie merchant, the oni's tenacity to keep to herself has more or less shut her off to gossip from the army. She especially did not hear about Ren or Bladen's situations with Jade, otherwise this talk may have gone in a completely different direction.
"...friends? With me?" She pointed a finger at herself, a little in shock. Ayane didn't think of herself as an interesting person to want to get to know, given her first impression to the army. She just came on a personal mission and only contributed to the army when there was a battle. Beyond that the oni was more or less an outsider to the interests of group. At least until very recently. But before Ayane could respond on the friendship deal Jade mentioned Ren and...Gabriela?
Ren and Gabriela...the siren girl as Ayane recalled. She was one of the first to greet her, though at the time she was too consumed by her personal mission to really take that in. She didn't take the time to commit many people to memory too hard other than a few exceptions like Erephis, Taliyah and Marina. Of course things had changed, and now that she thought about it... "...is my cousin Ren dating Gabriela?"
Yeah, Ayane didn't know.
Good, she hadn't offended, either with her comments, or with her smell. That was one piece of relief for Jade. It was a bit harder to read the oni's initial reaction to her offer of friendship though. This was in large part, her own fault, as her excited question immediately after that appeared to have been shockingly new information for Ayane.
"...I'm, I thought you knew. Sorry, yes," Jade smiled warmly, blushing slightly as she remembered back to date night. "Gabriela and I organized an outing together. I brought Lavinia as my partner, and she had Ren as hers. For my part I had a lovely time, and I do believe they both enjoyed it as well, but you know. After it's over and time's passed you think back and wonder, and realize what you should have said, or asked, or known, and..." The zombie trailed off, imaging what might have happened to the other pair after they'd split up for the evening. The siren hadn't come to her afterward and complained, at least. There'd been no attempts to organize a follow-up, either, but that could certainly be easily explained by everyone being on the road toward this final stop in putting down the insurrection.
Ayane just looked aside as she took this in. Ren had been dating that siren, and he didn't tell her? Well, to be honest Ayane should have expected this. Ren had always been his own free bird, he always sought out whatever caught his interest. Especially when it came to girls. It was never Ayane's place to stop him, so long as it never interfered with their missions. Though she had to admit she was a bit jealous of how fast he got close to the army. 'I suppose now wouldn't be any different...' She sighed to herself. 'Well actually, I have even less of a right to dictate who he sees...now that we're separated.' After that realization she just lifted her head up. "My cousin has a right to give his time to whoever he wants, it's not my place to stop him."
That aside, there was a current problem before Ayane. "...you say you want to be my friend? I'm sure you spent time with Ren, he may have given you the impression we're well mannered and kind." Ayane held her own hand. "But I'm not like my cousin. I don't have the control he has over his anger, mine is...stronger than you think." She frowned. "It wasn't until very recently I had finally broken free from my rage. But I know the next thing will set me off again, and I may hurt people around me if it happens." She clenched her hand harder. "I am not the sort of person you want to befriend, Jade. Not if you value what life you have left."
Ayane must have been so shocked by the news of her cousin she didn't really answer the way Jade had been hoping for. Or maybe since he was family, even if he was a philanderer she wouldn't tip his hand for him. Very well, the merchant could just wait and see, watch and learn. And in truth, she probably should stop being any sort of busybody and let Gabriela take her own risks, but... No, this amount should be fine, right?
When the oni princess turned back to the other matter, it was a similar sort of stonewalling. While Jade can't say she'd been expecting smashing successes, carefully chiselling away impediments for minuscule progress was nonetheless frustrating. "I'm no stranger to rage. You know the risks, and so do I. I won't press you for any sort of commitment, but... I might not be so brittle as you expect. At any rate, no man is an island, and that still holds true for us too, after our changes. Just, something for you to keep it in mind, then." The zombie slipped into a bit of a sad smile and prepared to leave.
No man is an island...funny considering where Ayane came from. She was a foreigner in a land she hadn't been to before, it was almost scary to think about. But here Jade is, trying her best to welcome the princess. "...I have my own issues to work out, the last thing I want to do is burn someone close to me just because they got in my way at the wrong time. That said..." She turned to Jade. "I appreciate the concern, Jade. You, Erephis, Taliyah, Marina, Bladen...all of you had been kind to me and you even tried to help me, despite my fits of anger. I have no way to repay that kindness other than to be a blade when everyone has need of me. Nonetheless you have my thanks." She bowed her head a little.
Jade's kindness aside something in Ayane's mind was eating at her, and it was about a certain siren she had briefly met when she joined the army: Gabriella. She wondered when the two started dating each other, and when Ren even found the time to spend with her. Perhaps it was during the moments Ayane was training, or asleep. Then again with how the rage made Ayane tunnel vision so hard they could have even kissed literally behind her back. She was almost ashamed of not realizing it sooner, even if Ren did keep it from her. 'He's done so much for me and I...hm...' She paused for a moment to reflect. 'But I have to make sure she's prepared for the future...I have to speak to Gabriella soon.'
-
Jade frowned a bit as her companions seemed about to squabble. Nothing overtly rude or provocative had been said, thankfully, by either party, but there was a tension to the atmosphere that was almost palpable. Just focus on the enemy, she whispered a small prayer in her mind as she advanced, lining up a shot with her rifle.
"Gabriela, I'll grab the other flank here. With the two of us keeping up a defensive line, I have a good feeling about this." A little positive reinforcement never hurt.
Jade move to 2,22, Rifle Draco Rider 11, Canto to 1,22
-
Hmm, there were enemies oncoming, and Jade wasn't sure she trusted the pegasus rider to form an effective frontline with her. Maybe it was prejudicial of her, but she seemed more of a hit and run type from personality. Lavinia might be an option, but she didn't like the though of her getting up close with the enemy when her favored weapon was a bow. So that left, Gabriela. The siren could handle herself well enough, she knew that from experience. But between the two of them, if anyone needed this shield...
"Gabriela, I'm thinking we might need to hold the line together, so I'd like you to have this for now, at least until the current danger is met and we can re-evaluate things. What do you say?"
Jade Trade Iron Shield to Gabriela, Rescue Lavinia, Move to 2,18
-
Jade had been amused when the reformed church mage landed her pegasus nearby and began a belated introduction. She smiled and waved at Villkiss, wondering if the beast remembered her. When the woman half-asked who was in charge, the zombie nodded to Lavinia by her side and was about to reply with words as well, but apparently Lucille's nerves got the better of her. The new recruit spooked, and took to the air, flying ahead.
"Haaa," Jade sighed, "She's really not going to be that much faster than us. The only thing she has on my 'mares is the air..." Which wasn't an advantage to be fully discounted, disgruntled though that might leave her. The woods ahead would slow them down some, that was to be sure.
Jade to 2,13 drop Gabby to 2,14
-
"Sure, hop aboard. Should be plenty of room on the roof, your favorite spot if I remember right. You don't have any competition this time around!"
Jade rescue Gabby, canto to 3,10
Hero, Don't Kill The Demon King! Chapter 1: Lives Not Yet Thrown Away
in Roleplay
Posted
With the strength of Lavinia's pull, and how Jade's own mood was trending, the perfect play would have been to roll into it, be pulled across the vampire's lap and straddle her face to face. And in fact, if they'd been seated on a park bench, or the edge of a bed, or anything similar, she would have gone for it too, but the backing to the carriage compartment of the wagon thoroughly prevented any such undertaking from being remotely comfortable, if at all possible. Instead, she settled for worming her own arm behind Lavinia's back, bringing her hand to rest on the far side of her waist and squeezing in time with the pressure applied to her from the arm wrapped around her shoulder.
When the hug eased off, Jade twisted her torso, and stretching up just enough to make it work, lightly kissed the side of the vampire's neck before settling back down and resting against her shoulder. "Mmm," she intoned, the murmur carrying a trace of disappointment. The knight was right, of course, and she couldn't very well argue, but... "A real holiday, that would be perfect, yes..."
"So long as we don't end up some 'for want of a nail' story. I already..." Regret, no, that's too charged a term perhaps. "Mm, let's just say, lately I've been finding it harder to keep from getting lost wandering along corridors of what ifs." What if I hadn't been a coward that night... "There always seems to be other business in the way, though."
Speaking of other business, the vendor... No, she was in no hurry. Until Lavinia pulled away, they were just gonna stay here like this. Yes, it stood between them and the now agreed upon date at the arena, but...