May Quest Catchall: Angry Bird Edition

[truthdecided]

Who: Akechi and those he's questing with.
What: TRAINING MONTAGE... through questing!
When: Throughout May
Where: All over the place!
Warnings: Implications of Pokémon predation, plus a very prickly bird.

DRAK-LOST (Locked to Ren, Firepaw, and Courier Six)

[The sea is an ominous and dangerous place, but one Akechi, Ren, and Courier Six have explored before. Firepaw, on the other hand, has a type disadvantage. It's risky to bring him here, but with Courier Six's size and buoyancy, perhaps it won't be too big of an issue.

As everyone gathers by the shore, Akechi appears... restless, to say the least. After the failure in the Northern Forest, they have to get this right.

The fact that it's Purrloin's quest adds a bit more of a personal connection, adding to the stakes.

Adjusting his weight and the angle of his tail feathers, Akechi gazes sternly at his teammates.]

I believe it would for the best if Firepaw-kun rode on Courier Six-san. However, I will be soaring above, in case anyone requires a brief respite from swimming.

[He can't carry Courier Six, of course, but that goes without saying. The cats shouldn't be an issue, at least.]

Wooden it Be Nice (Locked to Ren, Junpei, and Anasui)

[One might wonder how a small bird like Akechi intends to chop wood. He's little, round, and is more suited to picking things up than slicing and chopping...

But he can spin, and he can Drill Peck.

Regardless of his small stature, he regards his teammates with a stern disposition, puffing out his chest and holding his head high.]

Junpei-san and Anasui-san should be strong enough to handle larger pieces. With my abilities, I should be able to break off branches and organize the lumber into piles. Ren... also has claws, which should aid us in our efforts.

[So they just need to stay focused, stay organized, and prove their mettle! Surely it won't cause any issues along the way.]

Scattered Bug (Locked to Ren, Shoka, and Laios)

[The Northern Forest... Akechi refuses to fail this time. As they make their way toward the destination, he's noticeably tense, eyes narrowed more than usual.]

It shouldn't be too far, but we need to remain cautious.

[There's a reason he procured a face mask for the occasion. Not that it helped before, with the sudden onset of unwanted Effect Spore...]

If you see Foongus or Amoonguss, engage carefully or not at all. They will not hesitate to douse you with spores that may very well poison you.

[Ren being an exception. So long as he remains a grass type, he'll be safe from the effects...

But hopefully it won't come to that.]

Comments

[telewarped]

[Sure, it was just bad luck, Shoka is about to say. So what's the big deal?

Before she can, her gaze meets Ren's for a moment—and with a roll of her eyes, she chooses silence instead. Fine, Ren; for you, she'll lay off your lameass boyfriend.]

[dunchies]

[ Laios continues onward, only slowing once he notices Ren trying to catch up. He smiles down at the Sprigatito, oblivious. ] Actually, I did manage to catch something with Vivillon’s scent. It’s still faint, but I think if we make a right up—uh. [ Ears now flat, he glances back at Akechi with a confused look, still none the wiser. Did he miss something? His eyes move to Shoka, quiet this time, but not looking particularly thrilled, either. ]

... She was just making a pun. I’m sure she doesn’t mean anything by it. [ Because what else could Akechi flustered about. ] Anyway, we're all prepared for what's around here, so we won't have to worry about luck now. [ Given another moment to think on it, his nose crinkles a little. ] There's no suspicious smells yet, but the forest... it's really overpowering. Was the air this thick last time?

[truthdecided]

[Akechi's feathers fluff up a bit at the scent, and he perches on a nearby scent.]

Yes. Moreover, it may mean that there are Gloom in the area, which may require a detour.

[He gazes down at Ren, expression softening somewhat.]

Even with the type advantage, it'd be unwise to open hostilities carelessly.

[telewarped]

[Shoka says nothing when Laios looks her way. She doesn't even meet his gaze, her real eyes staring right past him, giving away nothing. Only when Akechi suggests a detour does she speak up again—abrupt and blunt, but not unkind (or, at least, not trying to be unkind).]

All of this part of the forest feels like that. Down to the core.

[Not just the parts with Gloom.]

... But if you wanna take a detour, lead the way. Since you know the territory so well.

[colorsflyinghigh]

Guys, [Ren says, his voice low with warning, eyes narrowed. He's really not in the mood to deal with a squabble between Akechi and Shoka.

With an exhale, he turns to Laios, trying to keep his cool.]

But yes, the forest was like this last time. Still, it got worse when we got near the Gloom, so it may be a good idea to keep an eye out for them.

[The memory of the smell alone is almost enough to make him gag.]

You've got the best nose. If you pick up on something foul, we'd best find another way.

[dunchies]

[ There's a lot happening here, and most of it is going right over his head. The tension at least is obvious enough for even Laios to pick up on, though the cause has yet to make itself known. At least Ren appears to be in the right headspace, which he quickly latches onto instead of trying to mediate whatever is happening with the other two. ]

Got it. Let's make a small detour, then. The silver powder shouldn't be too far, but I'd rather not risk it. [ He pauses, taking a few sniffs. The smell definitely is strong enough to make him shudder. ] Let's keep straight for now, but then loop back around once we're far enough. The Gloom, I should be able to alert us on, but the plants... if they're just plants, it might be hard to distinguish from normal foliage.

[truthdecided]

The detour is only a precaution, if we encounter Gloom or Vileplume. If Laios-san doesn't detect any, then we'll simply have to bear with the lingering stench.

[For now, he'll let Laios lead and return to the air. Still, not to leave out important details...]

We do need to stay sharp. As previously mentioned, the foliage itself is a threat, and the paths often seem to shift on their own. It's as if the forest has a mind of its own.

That being said, keep an eye out for anything glowing.

[telewarped]

[At Ren's chiding, Shoka glances back at him, about to protest, What? I didn't do anything.

Ultimately, that comment—along with any others that come to mind—are kept to herself as she follows along at the back of the group in silence.]

[colorsflyinghigh]

[Ren isn't unaware of Shoka's stare, but he's grateful that she doesn't protest, giving her a small smile in return. He returns to walking alongside Laios, keeping an eye out for the Silver powder-- as well as any strange plants. His ears and nose twitch as he tries to get a sense of where what is, but, like Laios, he can't make out much. His nose is strong, but not a strong as a dog's-- er, well, Boltund's.]

Seems we're fine for now, [he comments, looking around the area. There's a certain... impatience to his next words.] You think we're close now, Laios?

[... Maybe he's having a bit more trouble keeping up than he'd like to admit. His joints ache, dammit! He hopes to get this quest over with soon.]

[dunchies]

Alright. I'm fine with that. [ Despite his seniority by age, Laios knows when to take a backseat when it comes to experience. All but him travelled through here and made it out before — for better or worse, from the sound of it. He watches Akechi fly up above before looking over at Shoka, still silent even during the back and forth. He's still curious about the plants; she did bring them up first, after all. ] Shoka, do you remember what the plants might've looked—oh.

[ Turning to Ren again, he doesn't quite catch the impatience, but he does nod affirmatively in response. ] Yeah. Very close, actually. [ With that, he pauses, sniffing at the ground before making a hard right. The new path is a lot more dense with foliage, but he's certain it's not too deep into the thick of it. ] Without a detour, we'll need to cut through this way, then. No sign of Gloom yet, so we should be in the clear for now. [ He motions with his head for them all to follow. ]

[truthdecided]

If Gloom do appear, my flying type moves should give us an edge, although...

[Just to be safe, he whips up some Tailwind. It's been a while since they got here, but added speed should ensure they get what they came here for and retreat in an efficient manner.

With that, he follows a long, sticking beneath the shadows of the tree branches. Best not to let grass and bug types know a potential threat lurks nearby.]

[telewarped]

[Very close. Good; the sooner this is over with, the better. Why did she even bother coming along on this one anyway?

She appreciates the Tailwind, at least. In past quests she'd taken with Akechi, the speed boost it gave her always made her feel a little more powerful... But she still feels pretty much the opposite of powerful right now.

Laios was asking her a question before the subject shifted. Still dutifully watching the team's back despite her foul mood, she picks up her pace somewhat so she can give him a delayed, uncharacteristically meek-sounding reply.]

If you still wanna know... The plants we saw were mostly just vines. Huge ones that came straight out of the ground. They were big, so... right before they broke through, I could see 'em moving around under the dirt. [She might have been the only one on her team who could, however, on account of her keen night vision.] And when they did break through, there was this smell—different from the rot smell. More like fresh soil, I guess?

[Considering they were tossing up a whole lot of it when they tore free from the earth.]

Anyway, it was really strong. So I bet you'll smell 'em coming if they decide to show up, too.

[colorsflyinghigh]

[Shoka's mood doesn't go unnoticed by Ren either-- it threatens to bring down his own, which isn't great to begin with. He's doing a decent job at keeping a neutral look, though, nodding along to Shoka's explanation.]

That sounds like what we experienced when we initially explored the forest with Doc, [Ren says,] so that checks out.

[... Ugh. He hopes the silver powder is as close as Laios says. His joints really ache, and he probably needs to stretch them. He rolls his shoulders mid walk, tipping his head back-- and just as he does, something catches the corner of his eye.]

Hey, guys? There's something over there.

[It's sparkly and shimmer-y... could it be the silver powder?]

[dunchies]

[ Having never felt the rush of Tailwind before, Laios struts ahead without thinking, further outpacing both Ren and Shoka. He remains attentive, at least, craning his head back at the two with a curious look. ] ... Interesting. Sounds similar to something we have back home. Well, without the fresh soil part.

[ Though neither mention venomous stingers, which he infers to be a good sign. Not that paralysis seems to effect him anymore, anyway. His nose twitches, still unable to catch any scent of danger, especially with the silver powder far more overwhelming at this point. When Ren speaks up again, his eyes light up toward the direction in question. ]

Oh! That has to be it. Good catch. [ He bounds over toward the shimmering pile to give it a quick sniff before wagging his tail. ] How should we... I think it spilled a bit. [ He glances around the area to confirm that it's all there until, suddenly, he feels his skin crawl. Without a word, he looks up, past his teammates, ears falling back. All he can smell now is an unmistakable rot. ]

We need to hurry. That scent—there's something coming.

[truthdecided]

...We should act quickly.

[Swooping down, Akechi opens his satchel.]

We can store the powder in here. Once we've secured it, we should take a detour away from whatever's tailing us.

[He'd whip up another Tailwind, but he'd rather wait. No sense in scattering th e powder further, really.]

[telewarped]

[Laios' warning makes Shoka tense and swivel, scanning their surroundings for any sign of the threat—but she sees nothing yet. Normally, she'd much prefer the role of attacker or defender to the more delicate role of gathering, but...]

Well, I'm the only one of us with hands, so...

[So excuse her for shuffling her way into the center of their group so she can start carefully, delicately scooping the powder into Akechi's satchel.]

adhd moment OOPS

[colorsflyinghigh]

Right.

[Ren's senses are on high alert the moment Laios warns them, hackles raised as he looks around, ears swiveling. Flanked by Laios, they've got a pretty good view of the area, but the danger here is nothing to sneeze at. Last time more than proved that.

... Ugh, he can smell it too, now. It's definitely getting closer.]

We don't have much time, [he says lowly, risking a glance at Shoka and the silver powder.] How much more?