WAYFINDING: Icefall Lake (Kaiba Drama Edition)

[truthdecided]

Who: Akechi, Ren, Agnes, and Kaiba
What: Icefall Lake exploration... and Kaiba being stubborn
When: October, after Akechi and Ren's prior heavy quests
Where: Icefall Lake
Warnings: KAIBA...

To say Akechi is irritated would be a vast understatement.

Icefall Lake is a dangerous region even without a type weakness and a teammate charging ahead on his own. He was tasked with keeping Kaiba out of trouble due to his recent successes, but obviously, he wasn't about to tackle it alone.

Ren essentially inserted himself on the team before Akechi could protest, and Agnes... well, he knew from their previous conversation over the network that her Drought ability could potentially mitigate the cold.

But, rather than put all his eggs in one basket, he's come prepared. His trusty Safety Goggles shield his eyes, but he's also bundled up in a scarf and Wooloo wool sweater to ensure he stays warm on the journey. Naturally, he insisted Ren take similar precautions, and his satchel of supplies should mitigate any injuries.

Unfortunately, they still have to navigate treacherous terrain and catch up with Kaiba.

With a grumble and a scoff, Akechi snarls at the frigid winds. Just as he had with Heavy Downmoor, he beats h is wings in a Tailwind. "We should move swiftly. Until we locate Kaiba, he is a liability to this mission."

Comments

[firstrateduelist]

Of course Kaiba had immediately made off on his own at the start of their expedition, insistent that he didn't need help with the task at hand. And to a very slight degree, he had found himself at an advantage, at least at first.

Hail didn't batter his scales with any success--they seemed impervious to the physical strike of ice, which was a benefit for him. Unfortunately, while the hail itself didn't cause him problems, the low temperature was taking a clear effect on Kaiba. In the cold, he grew sluggish and unfocused, slowing down enough not only for the others to catch up with him, but enough that he begins to give in to the instinctual urge to forage.

He shouldn't be distracted.

And yet he'd been very much distracted by the overwhelming instinct to dig out a hole in the ground and burrow into it, just to try and fend off the cold. Eventually, it had felt as necessary as breathing.

There was a few signs of where he'd buried himself to try and stay warm, of course. Along the path, the others would happen upon a pile of powder that seemed to quiver as if struck by a localized earthquake. A glint of gold glittered just past the layer of snow--the tip of a rounded scale poking into view, while another seemed to breach nearly imperceptibly through the whiteness a few feet from the first.

That would be the scales on his head and tail, barely visible through the makeshift den he'd created with inexpert claws that hadn't dug deeply enough to make it warm. Hence the shivering.

[truthdecided]

Why Safety Goggles are so effective at preventing hail damage is a mystery to Akechi, but far be it from him to complain. It also helps him see through the frigid weather, and... is that gold?

Squinting, he flutters closer. "Well. I believe we've found our troublesome 'teammate.'" He waits for the others to move before getting closer; it'd do no good to get injured this early on, but he does raise his voice. "Dragon types are weak to ice! It would be foolish to proceed on your own."

SORRY this took forever rip

[colorsflyinghigh]

"Oh, jeez," Ren sighs. At least they found him. "Turning yourself into a dragon-cicle was never gonna do you any good." He sounds a bit flat and disgruntled.

Still, he's already digging into his satchel- they should have an Aspear Berry, which should help Kaiba warm up.

"Agnes, do you think you could give him a hand with a fire move?"

[pyrodulia]

After the recovery of the wayward Noelle, Agnes got some experience in warming frozen Pokemon safely. Ember, aimed near the victim, not directly at them. Slow, steady. Thaw them out gently, as much as you can.

It's not her usual sort of work, not something she's comfortable with. But she can, and she does, and for now that's enough.

[firstrateduelist]

Dammit.

The snow drift begins to move, parting to reveal a pissy Hakamo-o that's still shivering.

"E-Enough."

Ugh. No. He won't stutter. He has his pride to consider, after all, or at least what remains...

"I don't want to hear anymore about it," Kaiba grumbles, though he makes sure not to move entirely too much, in order to keep himself from getting burned by the fiery warmth being provided. He's not fully frozen, that'd be far more humiliating, but he is incredibly cold.

"I'll keep with the group from now on," he assents reluctantly. Teamwork is necessary, it seems.

[truthdecided]

"Good." With Kaiba's intentions made clear, Akechi digs into his satchel and tosses a scarf his way. "Dragon types are weak to ice. You'll want to remain as warm as possible, if we're to see this mission through."

Pausing for a moment, he surveys their surroundings. His Safety Goggles help him see through the snow and hail, and... "There are crevasses up ahead that may provide temporary reprieve. Perhaps we can take advantage of Agnes-san's abilities to remain warm. If we can gather sticks along the way, we may be able to build a fire and take a momentary rest before we continue."

But it's just a thought, and he'll let the others weigh in. How they proceed from here is pivotal.

[colorsflyinghigh]

"We should also watch out for any drops hidden by the snow," Ren says as he hands the Aspear Berry to Kaiba. His expression is still a bit flat, but at least it's not outright irritated anymore. "But sounds like a plan. Let's take a moment to warm up, and plan out our next steps."

He's... freezing his fur off. As a grass type, he's not exactly made for cold weather, and changing his type with Protean only takes him so far. Brr.