Ruins Expedition - Dated to Mid-week

[somnambulatory]

[Jinxie's feeling pretty good after that expedition to the Old City last week to calm down the raging Pokemon and stop the earthquake.  And she's always been curious about what kinds of things exist in the Ruins, so she's recruited her cousin and fellow spookygirl spiritualist Maya Fey to mount an expedition to go down there and look for interesting artifacts and Pokemon.  She's got her trusty companion Dokuro with her as usual, her Warp Band attuned to a full complement of five additional Pokemon, and her sleeves packed full of protective charms she stayed up all night making, so she's feeling as confident and ready as Jinxie Tenma ever gets.]

Are you ready, Maya?  Shi?

[Turning to Maya and her own Duskull, Jinxie nods at them both before looking toward the dark and mysterious entrance.]

((note for myself: Rex, Brownie, Sable, Wooster, and Goo are attuned for this log))

Comments

[bravenewmods]

[The humanoid-ish figure stands with its arms raised high above the sphere...

The stairs down are crumbling from years of disuse. It abruptly breaks off into a ten foot drop onto crumbling bits of rock - not too terrible if they hang off the ledge and lower themselves.

The floor is decorated with more coloration that might have once been decorated with beautiful pictures and carvings. It seems a bit strange, though, that the ancients would want to walk on something they put so much effort into. The walls are similarly decorated and like the first floor, they are corroded to an extent that its difficult to make out what's going on.

The carvings here seem to be mostly script. There is the script of the Old City, recognizable. ...But there are also symbols that seem... different.

The center of this floor is once more marked by a giant stone slab in the same position as the stone slab from earlier. Owing to the way this stone slab has collapsed over the years, it is nearly impossible to walk around it. However, there is an opening inside.]

[somnambulatory]

[Jinxie slowly makes her way down the stairs, keeping hold of Maya's hand the whole way and helping her down to the next landing. She treads lightly and carefully around the floor, feeling a little bad to be stepping all over something so colorful.]

Do you think the scholars have already been down this far? Maybe we should try to copy down these weird symbols before we keep going.

[She'll wait for Maya to make that call, but she does pull out some paper and a pencil just in case while she wanders over to peek into the opening in the stone slab.]

[missleadingquestions]

Too bad we don't have a smeargle.

[She can't help but look around in awe; where did all of this come from?]

You'd think they'd say something, right?

[Suddenly she looks a little mischievous, following Jinxie over.]

What if we are the first ones to see it? Let's keep going deeper!

[bravenewmods]

[As Jinxie stares into the opening in the slab, her eyes may need some time to adjust to the darkness. No sunlight drifts in from above here - the opening is quite dark.

...There can be heard the sound of rustling from within...]

[somnambulatory]

Stay close, Dokuro.

[Jinxie's voice is a whisper as she huddles close to her Pokemon, once again reaching out for Maya's hand. Taking out a flashlight with the other, she starts down the dark passage.]

[missleadingquestions]

[Curious, Maya follows alongside Jinxie, pulling a bit of her hair aside to call Shi to her shoulder.

The red light of her eye doesn't illuminate much, but it helps a little, and Maya knows that at least Shi (and Dokuro) has a better view of where they're going.]

I... guess there really haven't been many people through here at all yet...


There's not even lamps set up.

[bravenewmods]

[Almost the moment the flashlight clicks on, something large and furry smashes into it to try to knock it out of Jinxie's hand.

Something else large and furry will smash into Maya's face. There is a screeching noise - and the sound of rustling as of wingbeats.]

[somnambulatory]

Eek!

[Jinxie is no fighter herself, and her reflexes aren't all that great, so the flashlight goes clattering straight to the ground as she ducks down to avoid... whatever that was.]

M-Maya...! Are you okay?

[missleadingquestions]

[Maya, however, proceeds to tumble backward.

She wasn't expecting that. At all. With a bit of a shriek, she pushes at whatever's gone and gotten in her face, trying to get it off without letting it get tangled in her hair.]

Nonono-- stop flapping! Shi--!!

[A bit disoriented, the duskull shines its lantern-like eye around, trying to give Maya enough light to see-- but red light isn't particularly effective at all.]

[bravenewmods]

[The Duskull's light will be enough to reveal the outline of what's flapping about them! The screeching continues as something swoops down to smash into Maya again - or rather to stamp!

Wild Woobat have appeared!

It's unclear how many of them there are, but there must be at least two!

The wild Woobat has used Heart Stamp!]

((This encounter is for Maya to Bond with!))

[somnambulatory]

[Jinxie, still ducking down in an attempt to try to avoid the Woobat attacks, fiddles with her Warp Band.]

Hang on, Maya!

[Pressing a button on the band, Jinxie summons her Houndour into the battle, pointing it toward the attacking Woobats.]

Sable, use Ember!

[With a momentary glance to Jinxie, the Houndour nods its assent, stepping forward cautiously and releasing a gout of flame from its mouth, aimed directly at the Woobat that isn't attacking Maya.]

Sorry for the slowassness, my computer is d e a d

[missleadingquestions]

Whoa-- whoa whoa, wait a second-- ow!

[Maya grimaces, grasping at woobat's fur in attempts to get a hold of it.]

I'm not trying to fight-- [But, she realises, it's probably the only thing she can manage.]

Shi! Use confuse ray!

[With a nod and an empty chirp like a thick, hollow bell, Shi attacks, the light from her lantern-eye distorting into a yellowish light.]

[bravenewmods]

[The flame strikes the Woobat fluttering about right before it swoops down towards Jinxie! It lets loose a squeal of irritation before flapping its wings hard and sending a gust of razor-sharp wind towards Sable! An Air Cutter!

Confuse Ray successfully strike's Maya's Woobat and it begins to flap about awkwardly in midair! It randomly begins to strike at things with its oversized nose, Heart Stamping anything within reach, including, on occasion, slamming into the wall.]

[somnambulatory]

[Jinxie once again ducks down low, covering her head with one hand and swatting at the Woobat with the other. Sable takes the Air Cutter on the nose, staggering back a few steps and letting out a small whimpering sound.]

Don't give up, Sable! Use another Ember attack!

[It's really all it's got going for it. Stepping forward with its knees shaking almost as hard as Jinxie's own, the Houndour roars out another blast of fire at the Woobat.]

[missleadingquestions]

[Maya, on the other hand... instantly feels bad.

Oh man.

That's kind of pitiful.

which is why she's totally laughing holy crap poor Woobat.

Reaching out as if to touch it, Maya tries really hard not to laugh. This isn't funny. This is so serious. Jinxie is over there having a real pokémon battle, okay.]

Stop, stop-- hold on a second, don't do that--

Shi, help me out here!

[Shi takes that as a cue to use Astonish on Woobat, trying to knock it out of its confusion at the same time.]

[bravenewmods]

[Jinxie's Woobat gives another indignant squeak - it turns towards its fellow, and... seeing its state, decides that this was a losing battle. It aims another Air Cutter at Jinxie and Sable before attempting to flap back into the darkness, ditching its 'friend'. They probably didn't know each other all that well anyway.

Maya's Woobat continues to be Confused, but as Astonish strikes, it is now Flinched and Confused so.... well, maybe that's an improvement.]

[somnambulatory]

Are you all right, Maya?

[Jinxie will let her cousin do her own thing if she wants, but she's ready to lend her help if she needs it.]

[mastermedium]

What-- yeah, I am.

[She's... not sure about that Woobat, though.

It's not even funny anymore. It's kind of pathetic.

Poor thing.

She walks over to it, stooping to pat its head.]

Hey, you're not gonna keep being mean and stamping everything, are you?

[bravenewmods]

[As soon as it unflinches, it Stamps her hand.]

[somnambulatory]

...I think it likes you.

[mastermedium]

..You know, there are better ways to say that.

[She smooshes the Woobat's nose a bit playfully.]

Do you really think so?

[bravenewmods]

[The Woobat snaps out of confusion!

It stares at Maya for a moment or two. Then flaps up and Stamps her nose.

???

...Maya has bonded with a wild Woobat? Possibly. It's going to follow her around and Stamp her whenever it feels like it, though. The Woobat is Level 19 and its other stats are up to your discretion.]

[somnambulatory]

[Jinxie can't help but giggle a little at that.]

Uh huh. I think it does.

[Leaning down, she pats Sable on the head.]

Good job, Sable. I know you were scared, but you did great back there.

[mastermedium]

O-oh.

[Maya pulls the woobat off her face, rubbing her nose and stuffing the thing under her arm. She looks at Shi, pouting a little as the ghost starts to jingle a little laugh.]

Well, bats get through these places using um... Echolocaaation, right? Maybe it can help us out.

[Patting Woobat's head, she lets it go and straightens out. They have ruins to continue being nosy in.]

[bravenewmods]

[Woobat flaps up to Maya's head and promptly decides that it's a suitable place to take a break, which it proceeds to do.

Lanterns back in hand, creepy ghost eye lights glowing once more, the two spiritualists will find that they are in a large hollow carved into the center support rock. There's still a significant bit of rock left in the middle, but it seems Pokemon have taken up residence in this area as there's... debris and waste underfoot here and there. Woobats - or something that can be assumed to be Woobats - can occasionally be heard softly fluttering about overhead, but nothing more will attack them.

There's two openings to either side of the central support rock - there's a glimmer of light from the left, it seems, but the right remains pitch black.]