Think Smart, Think K-auchemart.

Simple trees with green leaves, to be sure, but a place worth mapping.

That seems to be what Jaz has decided. She's been making a point of going slow, for accuracies sake, and right now she's stopped to observe a particularly salient point of view. The way the sun crests overhead, shining through the tall trees. She's drawing it, right now, and yet there's something achingly mournful in her portrayal of it, a palpable sense of loss eminating from her sketch, as if the trees themselves were reaching for something unknowable.

She, of course, has her tongue sticking out the corner of her mouth as she pours over her parchment drawing of the grove, a second map set aside for the moment that's more topograpgical versus this more artistic, set aside representation. Her hair slips down in front of her face and she simply puffs the latter to part just enough for her to see.

... it makes her look terrifically anime.

In a strange new world the feeling of being watched was a common experience. Some Adventurers learned to ignore it. Others used it keep themselves constantly alert for danger. And the Landers...
Actually most of the Landers present were sailors, and they're so inherently paranoid and superstitious it's almost a natural state, and not really all that fun to mess around with.
Especially when their anxiety is probably right out here. So the last thing we need to cause is any 'cry wolf' scenerios.

So the presense has gone elsewhere to find entertainment. "I shouldn't be surprised." And there the Nightmare was standing just behind the sea witch, one hand cupped over her jaw in typical thinking pose manner. "You'd be the one to capture true depressing nature of the morning behind the false positive of sunrise." True to form one moment there's no one, the next she's there. Especially now that she's honed her Blink ability into smaller but more precise movements. "Another long day lying ahead, of tribulation and wanting, or work and toil. Yet there is no choice, for it is only in the light that they live, hiding in their beds amonst their dreams when the cold call of midnight's bliss comes."

Absolutely no one is surprised that Kauchemar prefers the nighttime.

"You've been listening to Norwegian Black Metal again, haven't you," remarks Jazz.

Oh, don't get it wrong: she was absolutely surprised by the arrival of Kauchemar. There was a jump, a wordless squawk of protest, and then a whirl to stare in that direction, where that voicew came from, before the halting pause and the exhalation that told her she had nothing to fear. Or at least, she presumes she has nothing to fear from Kauchemar. For the moment.

"If not, you really missed your calling as the frontfor a band from there or Finland." She even scrambled away from her on instinct. She rises to her feet, brushing herself off and brings charcoal stained fingers together.

"I wasn't expecting to see you here."

Kauchemar means no harm but that doesn't mean she doesn't enjoy the reactions she gets with her little not-where-you're-looking trickery. Especially from people not paying attention to more than their point of focus. There's a lazy smirk as she lowers her hand from her chin, the other still resting idly on her hip. "I was a club DJ, after all. I've got a taste of a bit of everything." As usual there's no admittance to quasi-illicit acts to aquire music during the Dark Age of limited internet accesses, but the implication is there.

"Why would I not be here? Take your pick. Music is the classic form of entertainment for long voyages." She uncurls fingers to count off as she goes. "Some sailing civilizations prize a skilled musician as much as they do gold and rum. I'm also a Messenger, and since Landers don't have chimlinks someone needs to take their communications back to Yamato and bring new missives to the camp."

"Besides, Wake wanted to come to flex her diplomatic skills and Proteus came to... well... you know her and puzzles. This whole land is still one big mystery." A general encompassing wave is giving towards their surroundings before lowering her arm back to her side. "I may be many things, and even a smarmy jerk on occasion, but I'm not going to leave guildies hanging."

Jazz gives her a skeptical once over and 'hmphs' softly. It's adorable.

"Yes, well. Word travels fast and you're at least partially responsibel for it. Wake will be useful to have, presuming we can *find* anyone. This whole land may be a myustery, but so far, it's a dangerously empty one. I spend more time running away and hiding than I do mapping." The cracking of a bush causes her to suddenly hush and stare off in one directino, tentacle-tips twitching in anticipation before it's simply seen to be a harmless animal that wanders off.

She turns her gaze back to Kauchemar. "Mmmhm," she remarks to the rest of ther comments as to her own nature.

A shrug of bare shoulders. "It keeps the supplies and fresh bodies coming in, and the Ninetails sailors cycling their ranks so they can return home... And nothing stays secret forever. Especially not with the events that happened around the point of discovery." Though the mention of lack of contact has Kauchemar glances off for a bit. "For whatever reason it seems the inhabitants of this region have not spread out like we have across Yamato." The critter scurries out of the forest brush, and off into the water. "The wildlife here probably has something to do with it, and I don't just mean the stuff being extremely high level. Crazy Fuzors and shit..."

Kauchemar turns her head a bit, back in the direction of camp, squinting. "Hold on." There's a brief flicker in the morning sun in the distance. "That might be a signal. Excuse me a moment, I need a better angle."

Before her companion can really reply the Nightmare takes off down the beach and to the water. Her graceful speed is one thing, but she actually glides -onto- the water, trotting across the surface like it was a solid rather than the watery depths.

Then a moment later she calls back "Never mind, they're just signaling morning guard rotations. Everything's groovy."

"...well. That's something," says Jazz, "Who knew she was a green basilisk in addition to a weird horse person?" she asks more to herself. And then Kauchemar is BACK and she startles and gives her a slight look. She raises a hand up to the back of her head and then proceeds to say, "That was something. How'd you do that one? What's the power called?"

She's definitely curious. She'd rather be on the water rather than in it, if we're honest. She's no fan of the underwater levels.

It's clear that she's been on the water because beach sand sticks to her wet hooves as she trots back, but the mare is otherwise no more damp than usual. "Oh, that was the Tidal Gallop. I honed a means of using the control of water to run upon its surface instead of swimming. Makes getting across rivers and lakes a lot less of a hassle. Can't cross an entire ocean but getting from ship to shore and back or to another ship certainly has uses."

Kauchemar pauses a moment to shake sand off one of her hooves. "Or to skate on the ground via hydroplaning. Leaving a watery wake makes you hard to chase in battle, you know how us spellcasters like to keep our distance." Most of the time. Being an equine she's far from the 'glass cannon' kind of mage.

"Clever. I approve," says Jazz, casually.

"I'd like you to teach me how to do that. It's up my alley. I can offer you something in exchange."

She sizes Kauchemar up thoughtfully, "Seems like you know the sea well enough to do it." She lays a finger on her chin, studying her intently, yes, but without the capital I.

Kauchemar flicks a hand through her bangs idly to brush them back into their usual sideswept style. "Oh, it's entirely instructable~. I taught it to Fukasa when she taught me her Drowning Field technique." Unintentially confirming two potential questions at once she is. The Nightmare leans forward a little with a curious glint in her eyes. "Oh, and what pray tell would you offer for my services?"

Though after a moment it's clear that Jazu is likely considering just trading technique for technique. ".. Oh, yes, any other means of turning the mysterious depths of the sea to my favor is acceptable. I shift the water ways much as the moon guides the tides."

"I've learned that one too. If you're capable of that, you should be capable of learning my technique," remarks Jazz, leaning back from her with a skeptical look on her face. "I was thinking of a technique." Her tentacles twitch once at their tips, "Presuming that's acceptable to you." She tilts her head.

Kauchemar chuckles softly as she lowers herself to kneel, if just to be closer to the other's height. It gets to be a pain, literally, in the neck having to look down to people while talking to them. Tall Girl Problems(tm). "Yes, that is quite acceptable... and now I am curious of what mysterious method it is you have devised, besides." The moment was there and the moment has passed. Onward like the flow of everything else in life. "People do not expect to encounter such prospects when upon dry land... And that's half the fun in learning how to bring them forth when least expected~"

Jazz does often require kneeling to talk to for the tall, yes, for she is the smol. Very smol. There is a pause, the. she shrugs her shoulders. A bit of water is generated as she draws a circle in the air with a pointing finger. It spins in place like magic, because... it's magic.

"This one, you'll share with no other. I say because it's a surprise. Reach into the water."

"Oh you know how to tempt a girl don't you." There's a playful smirk as she raises a hand and wiggles her fingers with the same tensive anticipation of a kid about to reach into the candy bowl on Holloween to see what treat (or trick) they get. "As concerning as your choice in phrasing -should- be..." It is simply part of the presentation, being one that oft plays with the fears of others Kauchemar has little in actual hesitation before reaching into the bubble of water as instructed.

"What?" says a befuddled Jazz to Kauchemar. She looks a little lost, then waits for the hand to go into the water. Immediately, Kauchemar can feel it. Something swimming against her hand, several somethings. When she pulls it back, many adorable jelly fish with ... are those smiley faces?! Anyway, they didn't sting her... but they could have. And it likely would have proven highly unpleasant.

There was probably another witty remark to that. But it never comes as Kauchemar pulls her hand back out of the water when she feels -something- moving against it. "Whoa!" she wickers in surprise, and perhaps a bit of realization of how much worse that could be. Gently but firmly she shakes her hand a few times to dislodge the small jellyfish and drop them back into the water bubble.

Then looks to Jazu. "Those what I think they were? I'm not completely up to spec on every species of poisonous ocean jel but I know a few are quite.... volatile."

"Yes," remarks Jazz

"Never been stung by one but the poison is pretty painful and debilitating from I've observed." The Jellyfish fall off her back into the water and the water dissipates.

"I need to move faster. In exchange, you get a sneaky attack with poison."

Kauchemar shakes some of the lingering moisture off her hand idly. "Perfect~. A trade useful to both parties involved." That lazy smirk returns, but with a more mischevious glimmer in her eyes. Poison is one of her main methods of dealing with other tanky combatants, next to her prolific choice in curses. "People will think twice about going to the water..." She pauses. Then makes a face. "Wait, that's sharks. Bah. Sharks getting all the media attention. These's are much more... subversively a threat. I mean, a shark is what?" She holds up her hands with fingers curled like teeth. "RAWR I'M HERE TO EAT YOU." Then settles back down. "One jellyfish is a danger you don't know until it's already potentially too late. And if there's more than one..."

The twee jellyfish are gone as Jazz sort of stares for a moment at Kauchemar. "... we'll," she begins, "they're concealed in the spray. Let's start with me teaching you this. Then you can tutor me in your movement power." She flicks some hair out of the way idly.

"Excellent, excellent!" Kauchemar replies as she springs back onto her hooves. She's genuinely excited, but it's hard to determine how much of that is her playing it up simply because getting excited over learning something so potently poisonous is a little off-putting, and we all know how she likes to give those off-putting vibes. "It's time for the Jellyfish Jam~"

Jazz merely mouths 'jellyfish jam' to herself with a slight roll of her eyes.

"Just remember what I said, all right? We'll get started soon." A nod follows and she just stares at her.

Kauchemar ahems softly into a clenched fist to compose herself. "Right. Concealed in the seafoam. Oh, how everyone thinks bubbles as harmless.... Well unless it's soap bubbles and they get in your eye. That's just a tiny hell in itself."

"Yes," replies Jazz, glancing back down towards her parchments. She starts to gather them up, but an eye is kept on Kauchemar.

Kauchemar still has that coy smirk of hers. "You keep looking at me like you've got something else on your mind, but lets stick to one focus at a time, hmmm?" She then turns and sashays down to the edge of the water and kneels on the beach. Puts one hand palm down to the water. After a moment a flickering of foam starts to bubble up between her spread fingers.

If there is one thing she has learned about harnessing the elements of this world sometimes it helps to work with the actual medium before you go about trying to pull new things out of them.

"That I don't completely trust you, yes," remarks Jazz, pointedly, a look of consternation briefly crossing her face as she carefully rolls things up. She's done here for the moment, it would seem.

"Oh, yes, that is also a wise option," Kauchemar comments over her shoulder.

"I hope to be wrong," remarks Jazz. Exactly how, she does not immediately offer. She taps her chin once in thought, then adjusts the floppy point of her hat.

Kauchemar scoops up some of the foam she's made in one hand so she can examine it more closely. "I'm not saying if you are right or wrong... just that a bit of precaution never hurts in these times."