DUNGEON LOG: KEYSTONE REEF

[phantasmods]

Expedition day dawns, as usual, with an android mass text -

Okay, so, this time we're aiming to go out and stabilize the Fissure in the reef you can see up a little to the north of here. The waters are usually pretty calm this time of year, so if you can swim instead of needing to take a boat, that'd be a great help. We only have a few of them.

Also, I know that last time was a mess, so I'm just gonna say this: If you need to get out for any reason, just send us a message and a picture of your location. We'll get a drone out to you as soon as we can and bring you home. No questions asked.

( ﾟ▽ﾟ)/ Stay safe out there! When you're ready to go, meet us down at the beach. The rocky, sparkly one, not the sandy one.

Unlike previous expeditions, this time there's no rooftop sendoff - instead, as Charm noted, the tables are set up on Glitterstone beach, along with a series of boats pulled up on the sand. Two rowboats that could maybe sit six people but probably better suited for four, a trio of inflatable rafts (with motors attached to the back, all mismatched) of about the same size, a two-person dinghy and a long canoe that could hold two or three.

Besides the little fleet, there's also the usual bagged lunches (in gallon ziplocs this time, and other such watertight containers), and every boat is equipped with a large number of those chepa dollar-store water bottles, all with their airtight store seals. There's also a selection of life vests and other floatation thingies in a box next to the table. Strange hovers over the setup, checking watertightness of a handful of first aid kits with a spritzer and a bucket to submerge things in. They give a little wave to anyone passing by headed to the boats.

For those who opt instead to swim, everything seems perfectly normal until you reach the border of the Fissure... When, very suddenly, it isn't.

Comments

[seafoamgreen]

[A moment's hesitation, and then:]

Heck, I'd be willing to help. I'm pretty good at water magic, and these guys deserve to have plenty of friends.

[Even though she's resolved to try to be on at least reasonably polite terms with the humans here, it still feels a little weird to offer to help one of them. But he's been nice, and anyway she can make herself feel better by saying she's doing it for the sharks.]

[seafoamgreen]

That's... pretty cool, actually.

[She has to admit that.]

Mettaton mostly looks like a metal box with a wheel, but I know he definitely has another form. He doesn't use it much, though.

[myocordial]

She does, though. It's like... Medic level scary, at least? Mhm. I actually believe she'd try to stab me.

I don't get that from you.

[founderinglight]

[So Izunia has totally misparsed that as an actual medic rather than someone's name but he's also high and his fwb is the terrifying troll doctor so he just accepts this.]

Well, I don't have any desire to stab you and I imagine it's probably difficult to produce the right feeling of threat in this state of mind.

[myocordial]

I'm pretty sure Yuuri would never stab me either, but it still works for her.

...Mostly sure. Pretty, ah... Pretty sure.

[founderinglight]

That sounds like you've only just realized you aren't sure at all and don't know how to deal with this revelation.

[myocordial]

No, no, no, no. I'm fairly sure.

...I just... don't think I can rule out the possibility completely.

[nojohnyouare]

Evolving through combat. Is it like that?

[founderinglight]

[He's just going to laugh at that, sorry.]

Well, I know for certain she wouldn't hesitate to stab me, and yet I confess I don't find it particularly frightening at all. Perhaps it's because I can do it myself?

[myocordial]

[A moment of genuine confusion.]

...You're going to stab yourself?

[founderinglight]

No, I mean, the aura of violence thing.

[myocordial]

What, so you can't stab yourself?

[founderinglight]

I very much could, but it would be unpleasant and potentially deadly, and I'd rather not annoy Jetshard with any more self-inflicted medical shenanigans.

Honestly, what kind of Lucis Caelum do you think I am? I am always in possession of a multitude of sharp objects, it's who I am as a person.

Graveyard

[founderinglight]

[The thing about turning the rocks into tombstones is that it kicks someone who was taking a nap out of the cranny in one. Understandably, Izunia is very confused to find himself suddenly in mostly-open water, and wakes up blinking. His bangs are pinned back with a variety of bobby pins.

Also, you know, he's still part octopus, making Zel not the only eight-legged thing around here.]

Mmm?

[He blinks and peels out from under the tilted tombstone his rock has become. He hums, pausing to run his fingers over the engraving, before shuffling along the bottom among a couple of confused fish.]

Is this your doing?

[dubiouslychthonic]

[[No injury that would permanently disable her, cause her to bleed out and turn rainbow drinker, or kill her outright, please. Knocking her in the water's fine if you want to laugh while I scramble to decide what she turns into.]]

[The fight's already underway by the time Jetshard enters the above-water portion of the lighthouse, although from the ledge her ability to make out what's going on in the water below is naturally somewhat limited. Especially since, once she realizes that it's a drop straight into the water, she's keeping her back up against the wall.

Which might help a little in preventing the jellyfish to push her off, but she's still unwary enough that one brushes against her bare arm before she realizes they're a threat -

- once the mental paralysis wears off she's pulling a fairly large knife from her sylladex, and assuming she's still on her feet, slashing at any jellyfish she sees coming uncomfortably close.]

[myocordial]

Even so, I do apologize. Just for the sake of being polite, if nothing else.

[But it happens and it seems to be all fine, so whatever.]

Hah... Thank you. I'm trying my best to get used to this form. Swimming is simple enough, but that tail can be a little... unwieldy. But that doesn't mean it can't still be useful.

ii, featuring more junk, less shark

[founderinglight]

...Would you like a hand taking any of that back?

[Hey look, it's your uncle. Who you can probably mostly tell apart from Ardyn by virtue of the tattoo, given that you are, in fact, Arianna. Still, even if it's mostly junk, the Lucis Caelums understand the hoarder impulse well.]

[riderofcharlemagne]

[Astolfo catches onto that term of endearment, even if Izunia hasn't.

It's enough to give him a moment of pause, comfort breaking through the stream of panic. In all his fear of turning on the one he'd sworn to help, he forgot their relationship was not so one-sided. If he lost himself, he could surely trust that Izunia would reach out to pull him back.

He looks to Izunia with a gaze that's both understanding and appreciative, much calmer than before but still somewhat shaken.]

I- [His gills puff out in a deep breath.] I don't want that to happen again. Not to you.

[myocordial]

Oh, it could be much worse, I'm sure. If nothing else, it's certainly better than drowning.

[Oh, we're putting the bar real high here.]

So it would seem. I'm not really familiar enough with sharks to say what kind. My brief stay in an aquarium wasn't quite that illuminating.

I'm sure the tail serves an important purpose, but right now it just seems to get in the way of things.

[blackestwitch]

[ That voice... Black Witch pauses. Is that Izunia? Or... Ardyn?

....Well. "Black Witch" doesn't know him. Neither does her spider companion. So they simply kind of vaguely glance in the direction of the voice. ]

That's right, it is. This is my Zone.

Who are you? [ The sounds of this person swimming sounds off. Not fin-like, or leg-like. Hmm. ]

[founderinglight]

[Well, perhaps a bit leg-like. Too-many-leg-like.

The question is enough to make Izunia pause, and -

Well, even just awakened, it's not hard to put together. She'll be able to hear the exact moment, actually.]

Ah, my apologies, I - Madeline?

[blackestwitch]

Strong, huh...? [ Well, it's a compliment, at least. ]

I'm not sure how things are in other worlds, but you need to be strong in mine. Or weak. If you're weak, you can get overlooked. Anything past that, you need to be strong or else you'll die.

[myocordial]

Right. Humans are fragile like that.

...Fragile and also have an unhealthy obsession with blades and other sharp objects. I should write that down.

[founderinglight]

It is not an obsession, I just think they're neat.

[Pouuuuuuuuuuuut.]

ABOVE WATER - as ironic as it'd be, don't dismember or kill her

[serrata]

[ There's already a commotion going on inside, once Yuuri arrives at the lighthouse. She's certainly not prepared for a fight, but– no, wait, where did that sword come from? Was she always holding a sword? Listen, don't worry. It's fine. ]

If you can't fight, then anyone who can make it to the door needs to get out now!

[ Not that it's easy, with all the jellies, but Yuuri's doing her best to keep the path clear for anyone who wants to make a break for it. ]