Duty Session 633: Crystal Lake

The lake around Eas shines a calm crystal blue color of its namesake. Fir trees dot the region and the crisp mountain air sings of nature. It is a perfect place for a cabin, a campsite, and a dock to go fishing off of.

The ideal is shattered when the fish fight back.

A trail around Crystal Lake is marked by skirmishes with the Sahuagin, aquatic monsters known for savagery. Drag marks go off the path and into the water where the less fortunate met their end. The trees are scarred by tooth, claw, and trident from resistance. The deep blue waters no longer evoke tranquility, but instead a veil which predators could ambush the unprepared.

The trail towards the entrance of their lair is obvious, as if to provoke the bold to seek these monsters out and dole out despair against their might.

Uta, who organized a party to go investigate the strange happenings at lake Ease and cull the numbers of the Sahuagin, stops. One moment ago her walk was calm, rhythmic, her staff quietly marking a leisurely tempo. Now, she is still.

Her gaze is lost in the distance, as she scans the surface of the waters.

"Longing." That is all Uta says, with her usual distracted air, eyes lost in the distance, before falling into silence. "This lake is beautiful. However..." Silence. "Something is missing, and the lake itself is clearly longing for it."

She spins on her heels; her hand sweeps the air, and the anatomically-correct-heart-shaped gem of her staff is thrusted to point at the expanse of water. "A kaiju-sized slime! This lake -needs- an Essie! It's practically -screaming- for it! I can hear it!"

That said, she closes her eyes. Her ears twitch a little, as if she was extending her muscles to listen more closely.

A duck quacks in the distance.

"See? That was the plaintive wail of a lonely Lake's heart longing for a kaiju-sized slime!" She looks down and clenches her fist. "There is no mistaking it!"

    Fuka watches on as Uta goes all contemplative and distant, a slight grin on her face. Well okay, that's nothing unusual. There's almost always a smile on the diminutive sylph's face, but this is a grin. One more step from there and it'd be a smirk. No, in the range of pleased expressions of the Lightning Lass, this is definitely something more than mere baseline.

    She swallows the grin when Uta cries out for a giant slime, nodding solemnly. It was worth the wait indeed. "As I thought, Songbird. So it does, so it does." she says in her wise old crone impression, voice creaky and sagacious. "But this begs the question, where will we find a kaiju slime? Will we deprive some less deserving land? Will we create one? Oooh I know, slimes take on aspects of what they eat right? We just need to get a slime to consume a kaiju!" she nodnods enthusiastically.

Dealing with monster activity and investigations were two easy ways to draw Shiruba's curious interest into the matter. So congrats, you've earned a wolfgirl hunter for the trip this time. All the same, Shiruba just rubs a palm over her face for a moment. Not that the reaction is any surprise when coming from Uta. She's not going to point out that was just a duck and ruin the girl's ethusiasm, but it does need to be kept from straying too far off track.

Another soft sigh as Fuka is just encouraging her. "Uta, Fuka, focus." That's a somewhat pointless request but it is what it is. "No giant slimes until there's no fishmen to aggrivate it." Easier to frame it in the current objective than try to actually stop them.

Yeowang has come here today to help her friend and occasional business partner with a piece of business, or rather, to track down some Sahaugin and give them the business. Pointy-end first. She is always glad to help out Landers, of course, it is what she likes to do, and fills the hours and keeps her from pining for Jayu, lost, found, and lost again.

She peers sidelong at Uta interpreting a chatty duck with nature calling out for a giant slime. There's somethings that are better left un-discussed. How to help a girl with such a deep obsession with slimes? She's no psychiatrist. She simply says, "If there were a giant slime in the lake, what would you do with all the water. And the fish?" She considers Fuka's question, and asks, "Can we get a slime to consume some of the giant monsters in the Palace Lands?"

Gwen has long been a friend and ally of Wake. So when murlocs and their ilk needed to die? Well here she was and she was looking fairly serious though she's in her heavy armour today and likely has an quick swap to an armored/statted swimsuit. She cracks her neck and she says. "Its time for a fish fry." She'll pause for a moment and somehow attempt to lean on Fuka, well more set a hand on her with a grin.

"Your lucky I didn't roll a slime werefang."

Well that's not possible and Gwen knows it it was just a joke and she looks over to SHiruba and grins.

"Hey Shiruba good to see you too! Oh Morri has outfits for you...and says you'll onlyt be fashioned tired if you flee."

She looks to Yeowang for a moment and nods for a moment. "That is an interesting idea..."

"...I like the way you think, Fuka. Yes!", Uta replies, staff swung and halted abruptly to point at the diminutive Sylph. Her shoulders relax, and the staff returns to be held vertical, bottom part resting on the ground, while she scratches her head with the other. "But, honestly, I was mostly thinking of creating it by progressively feeding larger and larger items to it."

Uta blinks, and nods in agreement with Shiruba. Focus!

She turns towards the path, and begins to lead the party again. "I mean, slimes will eat -anything-," she replies to Shiruba, "so, if we plan this properly, we might actually be able to employ the fishmen as extra food. Two problems solving each other. It's like getting two birds with one stone!" Silence. "Wait, no, there isn't even a stone involved. It's like getting two birds with each other."

Uta gives Yeowang's questions serious considerations. "I have not worked out the details yet. But those are all points worth investigating. I believe the water is not going to be an issue, if we pick the correct variety of slime to evolve. Fish might be more of an issue." She turns to look at Yeowang with a glimmer in her eyes. "And I'd -LOVE- to test the giant palace land theory on the field!"

When Gwen tells Shiruba that there is Fashion by Morri awaiting for her, she looks at them, then looks away, as if nothing happened. Side-eyeing monkey meme.

The first beast that greets the Adventurers is not a Sahuagin at all. It is a hulking golem made of scales, bone, limestone, and malice. A crude '13' is etched into the largest torso rock serving as its core. It stands as a sentinel before the yawning cave behind it. The golem is crudely constructed yet durable.

"I remember this one!", Uta exclaims. "The entrance to the monster's den lies behind it!"

She points at the goal, and shouts, "Get behind it by any means necessary!"

Yeowang nods to Uta about testing her Palace Lands with good ol' Yamato slimes, to see how the communists like their monsters eaten. Or something. But a giant golem, one of at least 13, it seems, is obstructing the path forward. But we're not here to deal with golems, and if it just sits here by the entrance and doesn't hurt anyone, there's no reason to destroy it. That conclusion having been reached, she makes use of her considerable speed and the modicum of stealth she possesses to quickly slip by while its attention is focused in a slightly different direction. Her boots make little sound as she crosses the distance and slips past the golem without drawing an attack.

    Fuka loves encouraging Uta though, not to mention it's fun to taunt Shiruba, as attested by the previously-mentioned Fuka grin factor escalating to something very near a smirk. "But Shiba." she says in her wise-old-crone voice. "As Songbird says, if we had a kaiju slime in the lake, we wouldn't have a seewhoagone problem!" she says reasonably enough, leaning in to Gwen so as to more effectively prop up the much larger sylph. "Ah yes, those who flee fashion will only be fashioned when tired. So says the wise elder Morri." she smirks. "I'll have to remember that one! But yes, let us focus."

    So saying, Fuka orients herself onto the golem, working her magic to try to cause the earth to push the thing aside. It's a bit heavier than she'd expected though, and as she tries to get past it's in range to swat at her, a blow she only partially deflects. Oh well, at least she's a good distraction! And tough too, of course. Buff little battle fairy.

Yeowang and Gwen are here too! Good to see so many of her friends coming out for some old fashioned fishman bashing. She's about to point out werefangs can't be slimes, then lowers her hand again when she realizes it was a joke. Followed by another sigh of exasperation when Morri and fashion are brought up. But now was not the time to consern herself with the whims of her adopted big sister and surrogate parental figure. "We'll deal with your mother -after- we deal with the finbacks." She's the guild moderator, she has to try and keep people on track. Nevermind two of them aren't the same guild. It's become somewhat of a habit by this point. "... Turning animals against them did help with reclaiming our base camp. Monsters might be a little more tricky."

Oh, the coral golem guardian. She remembers this. "Move it people!" She darts along the side a bit, then turns as she nocks an arrow in her bow and fires. Not at the golem, at least not directly. She shoots the ground nearby, using her Spell Fletcher elemental abilities to create jaggeded barries of stone out of the ground to keep the guardian monster from immeadiately pursuing them.

Gwen looks over to Uta again for a moment nods once then tilt her head at her friend for a moment. "Well lead the way my friend." she grins at Fuka for a moment. she's wise on that." Gwen operates on that premise too. Only she's a bit kinder about what she wants to fit people into. She grins and says "Come on you'll turn heads in what she's got planned."

Oh godddesse, Gwen likes this one. With that she readies he blade an join the others into diging into the thick of the enemy intending to rip it apart.

"If I remember correctly," Uta states, as if she had gone through a similar mental process as Yeowang, and was answering possible doubts the rest of the party might or might not have, "The number 13 was etched on the creature the last time as well. Interesting. I wonder if there is a special significance to it."

Uta looks at Fukaziroh. Then at Gwen. Back and forth a few times, with increasing panic. "W-wait, Morri is one of those exhaustion predators that out*last* the prey rather than outrunning it?!"

Cut to Uta-vision cartoon of Uta wandering a spooky graveyard by night, and Morri bursting out holding a swimsuit, Uta screaming and running, and Morri shuffling after her, slow and determined like a slasher movie serial killer, confident she'll eventually reach the victim. Cue appropriate Morri laugh.

Uta snaps back to reality with sweat on her face.

"Right!", exclaims Uta, brought back to reality by Shiruba's call to action. The Spriggan narrows her eyes, lowers her stance, and prepares her muscles to move. Once she judges the moment to be ready, she thrusts forward into a zigzag so quick she is hard to follow -- one moment she's here, then she's there, then -- zip, zip, zip, changing direction abruptly and bouncing off walls, she's so fast one can't even see a streak when she disappears; despite this not being the case, her bursts of sudden movement timed against the opponent's blinking and/or blid spots make it look like she's just disappearing and reappearing all over the place.

The monster seems to eventually have discerned her pattern, and thrusts its hand to grab Uta -- only to be skewered by one of one of Shiruba's barriers that lifts from the ground at that time. "Excellent timing, Shiruba!", Uta exclaims, as her bouncing has now more vertical surfaces to use as hiding places.

The Golem was about to direct all its attention to the battlefield again, and just as it was getting close to Yeowang, Fuka's drawing aggro creates the perfect distraction, leaving Yeowang free to dart into the next room. And just as the Golem lets out a scream and thrusts a punch towards Fuka, Gwen's blade strikes true, leaving it incapacitated. The perfect opening to slip through! Unless, that is, the duo decide to stay there and DPS the heck out of it.

The legends about Water Temples being the worst are true. The door deeper in is immediately recognizable by a XIII on the keystone, an ornate aquian door, and a trident-shaped keyhole that bemoans further puzzle solving will be required to get access beyond it.

Corridors lead away from the antechamber where Undine or excellent swimmers would not struggle to do the platforming necessary to obtain a piece of coral. The less aquatically inclined may struggle. The struggle bus continues on with the assembled pieces being fragments of the backup key that need to be assembled before it is used.

    Rubbing her ... self where the golem managed to swat her but good (or is that swat her butt good?), Fuka tromps along with the group, grumbling something about water temples. She's a bit distracted, in fact, when the puzzle room comes up. Somehow, Fuka's managed to convince herself she loves game puzzles and is great at them. Sure, she's actually not bad. But she's far from the puzzle master she sees herself as.

    "Hey, I got it!" Fuka announces boldly. "The letters there!" she points. "They're the same as on the golem! So we have to lure the golem here to solve the room!" So saying, she turns back to head back towards the golem room. Someone stop her. Please.

Yeowang approaches the door deeper in with a thoughtful expression. Her thoughts are how the actual experienced gamers are certainly better at this sort of problem solving than she is. There's a Tao of solving game challenges, and she's not hipped-in to that yet. She's generally quite good if problems are similar to real life, but she's never had to bypass an ornate aquian door with a trident-shaped keyhole before in RL, and it's not the sort of challenge she's faced in her life before the game.

There's something about if something and something else were like some other way and ... her mind spins around in clueless circles as the clues make no sense to her at all. She winds up watching as the others are much more productive and useful than she is, which frustrates her, but what can she do. She stands patiently and observes. Maybe she can learn something. It could happen.

Shiruba reachs over to grab Fuka before she wanders too far. "No," she corrects gently, "It likely means they were created by the same people." After making sure that disaster is avoided, she gets to looking around. And notices a piece of coral that is shaped a little differently from the others. She walks over to pick it up. Examines it for a moment, then holds it for the others to see. "This almost looks like it would fit into the slot on the door. But not the entire portion. There's got to be one or more two." She for one has no issue with there being another puzzle involved, she likes puzzles. Especially old ruins puzzles.

Gwen has suprising skill with figuring out crypto related things and she will set to work with it and she grins for a moment at Uta. "Yes you only now understand that? I think she had something for you as well." Oh dear Uta is in danger too then again when is she not? She gets out ot work mutting as she works out what she can it may not be enough yet, Gwen is no dim vally shopping girl and this is a very big hint to that.

"Lure the Golem here?!" Uta asks, startled, too eager to avoid thinking about Gwen's recent revelations about Morri to have heard Shiruba's explanation. "I don't think the Golem- Wait. Is this like one of those toys where you have to put the shape-shaped blocks into the shape-shaped holes?"

Uta nods, determined. Brow furrowed, she point at the door. "Fetch me the Golem! Wait, no, I'll go and get it!"

She disappears into the next room.

There is a repeated noise of rock against rock with the additional wet slap of squishy Spriggan flesh caught within.

Back in staggers Uta, limping, one eye red, her whole body covered in flashing red light.

"I believe our guest has a previous engagement..."

The time to open the Temple doors was more finite than expected. A muscular Sahuagin appears at the entrance wielding a trident with two of the prongs broken off. What is left of the metal spear has been honed down into a singular long blade. It does not wear armor except a dirty white mask that goes over its face. The hunter approaches the party in a slow, determined pace.

"MORRI!", Uta exclaims as a result of the hunter's modus operandi.

With a loud KYAAAAAAH!, Uta hurls herself at the FishMonster, her whole momentum focused into a punch to the stomach; this attack shows how much health the Masked Hunter has. It is an aberration to fish kind! An inspect shows it as 'Jayson' and stats show him as a buffed up murderfish on two legs.

The party has their back against the temple walls and will have to coordinate in order to escape uninjured from the predator. "We need a combination of ranged attacks and light artes to draw it away long enough!", Uta shouts out. "In the meantime, we'll maneuver around it and position for an escape!"

Yeowang asides to Shiruba and Fuka, "It means there might be twelve other sites like this, with guardian golems and puzzle-guarded entrances." Or maybe not? She doesn't understand or trust game designers. But fumbling around with the puzzle has resulted in too great a delay, and now there's a great awful monster looking to pounce us, no wait, that's Uta. "What happened to you?" she asks worriedly.

Then Jayson arrives, with its horrible makeshift weapon and it's gigantic store of HP, it'd take her a week to DPS it, and her DPS is pretty fierce. She nods to Uta's plan, and will strike and draw back, to keep its attention while staying out of reach. Just barely.

    Fuka blinks at Shiruba then blushes. "I knew that!" she nods. "I was just... joking!" she lies, meanwhile the self-reflection means she doesn't notice Uta slip away to do what she'd intended to do. Okay that's bad. Fortunately Uta comes back. Unfortunately she's beat bloody when they're about to face.... a fish!

    Fortunately Fuka's on the ball, when it comes to actually working together to fight Jayson the murderfish! Unfortunately, that means explosions. Or is that fortunately? "Ranged attacks, GO!" she cries, inverting her greatsword and plunging it into the temple floor as she begins to chant harrowing runewords of fire and stone. Uprooting massed rocks which hover before her, she ignites rocks into explosive magma shards and fires them at the fish. Fortunately, it's quite effective! Unfortunately, it's probably too much of a shrapnel-based weapon to allow them to get fishy food drops...

Looks like they have an answer to the puzzle, but not the time to find and put the pieces together before the group gets an unwanted interruption. Alas, temple puzzles will have to wait for another time, though Shiruba does make mental notes of the matter so they don't have to take so long next time.

Then turns her attention to the real matter at hand. "Ranged attacks, coming up." She readies herself to be able to move when the moment comes, then grabs the bowline and pulls it back, drawing on Thundersnow Howl's magic to create an electrified arrow of ice directly and fire it at the monster. Even if he's too tough to take down in a few shots, the elemental combination should be enough to stagger him long enough for the group to make for safer ground.

Gwen likes the idea to lure Golem about heck she wouldn't be shocked if Morri is waiting outside for everyone to finish the dungeon. Spoilers she is waiting for there them with Uthere. If Gwen knows? She's not saying. She will attmept to use a light spell to help with the latest of issue but the spell end up fizzling out as she tries to blast the hostile with magic.

"It's nothing, really!", Uta reassures Yeowang. "Just lost a bit of HP! I'll be better soon, I just need to chug down a little HP potion and apply some black eye balm."

Fuka's drawing of aggro allows Yeowang's massive DPS to be even more devastating, and enough freedom for Uta to vocalize her melody, which causes tendrils of light and magic to dance on her staff, focus in the gem, and-

AUGH! MY EYES!

That (or something like that) must be what Jason thinks after the gem in Uta's staff flares to a blinding light directed straight for the fishman's face.

And that's when the explosive magma shards hit, followed by Shiruba's electrified arrow.

While the fish is busy convulsing under the crackling lightning bolts.

"Go, go, go!", exclaims Uta, as she urges everyone into the next room.

The world has creepy critters and that Hunter is one of them. Even after escaping there is this feeling that the party is being watched from the treeline and from the water. It provides the proper spooks feelings as the Adventurers regroup.

Maybe this is the Sahuagin threat that the Hunter's Guild was talking about? They wouldn't have to wonder long before coming to a nearly abandoned campsite by the lake. There are enough placements at the site to fit a dozen campers, but only one Lander is still around and they are in a state of heightened fear. They, too, have run into the Hunter out here and survived to tell the tale.

Yeowang escapes with the others, running from an unwinnable fight. It rankles, but there's no dishonor. They just need to work out a better technique. But their escape from the slow-moving Jayson has taken them to the camp of survivors of Jayson's actions. Survivor, anyhow, and it seems like he's not in great shape. But Yeowang is all about connecting with people, and she will approach him calmly, put him at as much ease as he can be, and pump him for information which may help us. She's good with people, but not conventionally /nice/, and this guy needs a bit more understanding than Yeowang's giving him. Sadly, she's coming at this from the wrong angle.

They managed to escape the monster for the time being, but they come upon what is likely the site of his previous handiwork. "This is... distressing..." she mutters. But sets about investigating the ravaged camping grounds with intent, looking for more clues about what happened and what they can do about that horrible creature. If it can be dealt with then they wouldn't have to rush dealing with that temple puzzle.

Gwen is still tough s she is fashion crazy, though if some people pay attention Uta may indeed be stronger than even /gwen/. Its always the ones you don't suspect after all. She get away form the monster with everyone else and she'll start to look around the campground to see what she can find...

    Putting pretty much her all into the explosive magic, Fuka is happily drained of mana as she bounces along to follow the group in fleeing past the Nightmare of Eas Street. Or Crystal Lake. The two are a bit similar right?

    The post-mana crash is painful, giving Fuka a headache which she resolves by chugging a potion as the group ends their mad flight, making a face at the paste-like taste of the brew. Oh well, better than a headache! She pauses to look back, bemused. "Weren't we supposed to kill the fishguys?" she asks. "Are we going to have to try this again?"

    She shrugs, and instead looks to the lander. Hearing Uta break into calming song, Fuka smiles and seats herself unthreateningly near the poor lone lander. Trusting the others to do what they do well, Fuka does what she does well. She talks, open and friendly. She tells their story, and encourages the lander to tell his. Slowly, eventually, the details begin to mesh and the truth becomes at least somewhat apparent.

Uta's voice intones a different melody. One that people might remember hearing a lot on those trips to the Phantom Atoll.

A Song of the Sirens.

As she does so, the usual effects of her staff can be seen: helical tendrils of magical light coalesce in the gem, but this time, the gem looks... different. The pulsating light within seems to bring life back to it, and the music... it reverberates all around. The Crystallized Heart at the top is that of a Siren, after all, and resonates with the Spriggan's voice, amplifying its magical effects all around, especially for the Lander, who falls into the same kind of trance the Sirens can cause.

It certainly is effective in making them temporarily forget about any trouble! Or anything at all, really. They seems fixated on Uta only. Or her staff, really. Hard to tell.

In any case, he meekly answers all of Yeowang's and Fuka's questions, distractedly but truthfully. Good thing Yeowang and Fuka are there: Uta is too busy singing to ask questions.

Shiruba manages to collect important information as well, especially from the remains of weapon heads and chips. And marks on the rocks. And messages scrawled by who-knows-who

And one can only guess Gwen's reaction when it is revealed that the secret to beating Jayson is axes... and sweaters.

"Well its a good thing we brought Gwen along," is about the best way Shiruba can sum up that particular advantage she's uncovered. Though she doubts Gwen is going to complain about it. Maybe make them regret it. Make sure to remind her it's specifically sweaters, apparently.

But more on that later. The wolfgirl strides back out to the edge of the camp and crouches down to inspect the ground. The remains of habitation. Scuffs and scrapes and whatever else she can find. If she can determine where the monsterous stalker has been and where he goes, she can find a pattern to his movements and then they can find him before he finds them again.

Gwen was always about the clothing even back on earth Shiruba would know this as she dragged her adopted sister to several conventions! The name of this monster concerns Gwen, it concerns her very much. She mutters something about looking out for it's Mother as well. She set to work tailoring out sweater for every one sadly these are menu crafted as she does not have a day to crank out proper ones, still they will work in the end right?

    This is kind of bizarre. A weakness to sweaters? Well okay, Fuka can do that, so long as Gwen contributes her part. "Ah, it's almost like I'm Miyu again!" Fuka muses cheerfully. For her part, mana somewhat restored, she works on her own sort of magics since she's unable to contribute to either the axework or the sweaters. A massive AOE debuff that will follow them around, debilitating anything trying to attack them. Maybe it'll be at least somewhat effective!

Yeowang will help prepare for the coming fight by helping to scout out the lay of the land. Knowing about the monster's routes, and how we can predict and subvert them is an essential element to strategy. But to do that, we will have to know where he's been. So Yeowang investigates and checks the lay of the land like a general planning a battle, so she can predict where things will happen, and what can be done about things happening.

Rematch. This time the party is prepared for Jayson. Location? Check. Arms and Armor? Check Check. Time for Jayson to pay the bill? Yes, check please.

The hulking Sahuagin in a mask shambles from the trees where the party tracked him to. He is used to being the hunter, not the hunted. It puts him off guard on his already sluggish reaction times. The party will get one good shot at this so they need to coordinate and make it count.

And will do so while wearing sweaters.

At the end of June.

Yeowang is prepared for the menace, and of course she's an absolute brute in melee. Apparently somehow wearing the hastily-made sweater has dropped Jayson's huge damage resistance to a much more fightable value, and Yeowang fights it hard. She's pulling out all the stops, and it's not hard to see she didn't learn this all in-game. She moves from form to form, each one dealing heavy blows to Jayson, kicking him in the head over and over and over. It's not going well for the fishy monster. Hopefully our Lander friend will be OK?

Shiruba won't complain about the sweaters. Maybe it's some kind of camouflage because the fishman sees in a different color spectrum? She's avoiding thinking too hard about it so it doesn't distract them from their turning the tables on their would be predator. The Hunter hunts, but who hunts the Hunter?

Apparently more Hunters, considering Shiruba and Yeowang are here, with friends.

All that matters is it works, and Shiruba gets the chance to fire off a couple of strong shots, opting for physical arrows with piercing tips rather than magical ones, to punch through that thick scaly hide.

    Once again too low on mana to make for an effective spellcaster, Fuka doesn't care. They've got Shiba here to handle that sort of thing, so Fuka can do what she loves... charge in swinging at balls! Tennis balls that is. Do fishman have... no, never mind. Fuka's aggressive style is just what the doctor ordered. Well no, the doctor probably ordered chicken soup, or in one particular doctor's case, balls of flaming shards of earth. But the thought is what counts. She whales on the fish man until he wharrrrgls his last!

Gwen will call out what she knows of the movie and will get to it using the seerats to inflict a status effect on Jayson but thge big thing she does is is break out the stupid level Skill with Wall of the Godesses and Jayson is treated to the power of the sun just about what could go wrong for everyone after the beast is felled!

Still awaiting the party when they exit will be Morri. She's also wearing a hockey mask of some sort where did she get that. "Oh Uttttttttttaaaaaaa and Shirubbbbbbbbbaaaaaaa I have presents for you!" She lookjs at the rest of the party "Don't think I don't have things for the rest of you!"

    Relieved and exhilerated from their victory, Fuka's even more pleased at the final boss of the adventure showing up unexpectedly to ambush them! Fashion is, after all, the true endgame.

    She smirks broadly, waving cheerfully in greeting. "You didn't need to get me anything~" Fuka purrs. "I will be more than merely appreciative seeing what you do to Uta and Shiruba!"

That might not be what the doctor ordered, but that's definitely what the -nurse- ordered!

"Fuka, keep hitting the fish with the stress balls!" And turning to Shiruba, she adds, "It's impressive how versatile stress balls are! You'd be surprised at the amount of aliments they can take care of!"

"You keep up the good work, Yeowang!", Uta yells, impressed at the swift and devastating blows of the martial artists. "And Gwen! Did... did the sweater really have to show the midriff? I mean, I understand that you might have been short on yarn for the trip, but-"

Holy fish fry, it worked! The party is able to strike hard, strike fast, and strike with the minimum necessary mercy to shatter through Jayson's defensive buffs and obliterate his health pool. His regenerative ability is halted long enough to deliver the finishing blows in the shortest boss-not-boss battle that was won before the first attack was landed.

Jayson shatters into light and shards of magical glass that glitters in the area to signal new peace for Crystal Lake. Only the remnants of his mask and single-pronged trident remain to remind of his legacy...

...until another unfortunate soul dons them to continue it.

This would call for a celebration! But Morri's voice echoes through the room.

And Uta stiffens.

"Honestly Uta, I don't doubt their effectiveness," Shiruba replies. "I'm more surprised that Fuka hasn't made some manner of questionable comment about it."

But in the end, they win! For now. No telling when another finback will take up the mask and mantle of their monsterous hunter (or be made by them, it's not entirely clear), but for now they have victory.

Which is promptly interrupted by Morri. Which gets another long sigh for the night out of Shiruba, ears wilting back. How did Morri even manage to follow them this far?!

Yeowang sighs as we're threatened with Morri and fashion, and she says dryly, "I'm not sure why it is any of you feel threatened by these half-hearted threats. Is your self-esteem so low that you can't imagine yourself well-dressed and looking suitable for a formal supper or a conversation with a civic leader, with eyes upon you from those who wish they were in your shoes?"

Clearly Yeowang has no such hangups, and when they exit and encounter her, she will say sternly to Morri, "-If- I find your wares suitable, I may wear what you suggest, but I am no closted gamer and I know what is suitable for which occasions, and I will not be intimidated by a dressmaker."

Gwen pauses as She's Morri's first victem I mean subject as she gets a trade window and knows better than to say no as she gets a swimsuit from her mother and it's quite the one as she tries it on. It's a sling bikini and morri is just grinning thankfully hte others would be far more sensiable at leas tin the case of Yeowang and Uta. Shiruba though gets similar Experimental swimsuits as Gwen and Fuka fall prey to that as well.

"Well I can't make you wear them now can i?" Morri notes whild Gwen has jut accepted her fate.

"It's not about nobles! It's about- wait, why am I suddenly in a swimsuit?" Uta wonders, looking down at the ornate affair she appears to be donning. In true MMORPG fashion, it's based on a real world one-piece swimsuit, but with swirls and arabesques, especially around the neck area. And of course, a gem where a brooch would be. Likely her own Kein-Eintrag, incorporated into the design, as is her Songbird Pendant.

    Fuka's relationship with fashion is a bit of a weird one. She has absolutely no shame so there's nothing she wouldn't wear, but she's picky. She's the sort of gamer that spends literally hours in character creation or working on outfit matching; building a look, making sure every piece of gear matches every other in theme, picking colours, all that. Fashion is serious business!

    Bikinis however, that's all about a look too. There's no accessorising, no particular direction or aesthetic. You just pick one thing and in this case, you take what the fashionista gives you and you rock it!

    In this case she's basically a smaller version of Gwen. Smaller in many ways. But she stands taller in attitude, proud to show off that she's... likely never going to win a swimsuit competition when Gwen's around.

"Because Morri happened." At this point Shiruba just goes with it, because what else can be done. Okay, it's not THAT bad, if a bit more up the scale of flashy and showing off than she would pick of her own. It's not going to show off -too- much even if it is a revealing cut, thanks to the fluff around her neck and shoulders.

Yeowang is the only one here not in a bikini or other bathing attire? Did her challenge come off as too standoff-ish? Or did Morri simply not feel that there was no way of making her uncomfortable against her will? She shrugs off the bathing suit issue and says, "In any event, we've bested the Sahaugin for now, we had best get back to Eas before the mission resets.

Gwen seem to have accepted the very darriong swimsuit and just is enjoyn it now grinning "Lets go have a beach BBQ somewhere that there isn't spawns the food will be on me!"