Coastal Paths

((From => A Distant Shore))
----------

When Lyntael arrived on the soft white sand, the first thing she did was unconsciously flex and wriggle her toes into the welcoming warmth. She kept her eyes closed for a moment, inhaling the faint salty scent on the air and listening to the heavy roll of the surf striking the beach. A breeze moved across the space and she let herself feel it, reaching out with her senses and tilting her head gently as the curling, invisibly eddies of current caressed her skin as they passed.

After another moment, she drew a deep breath, let it out and opened her eyes to look around. It was certainly a beach; broad and long, with rolling surf crashing onto white sand that climbed upwards towards eventual uneven dunes covered in wispy spinifex. She could see occasional pathways leading through the dunes, to the wind-sheltered spaces behind them, out of sight, and on instinct her eyes searched for a change block or showers without luck; such things were rarer when most people who visited could change outfit with a blink.

It didn't matter anyway, she knew – she'd come here to sort herself out, train and work out how she felt about things that were still uncertain within her. She'd initially contemplated coming out in her beach dress, but sadly this wasn't the time for it, and she'd arrived in her normal vest and skirt. Despite the initial calm and restful feeling of the space, Lyntael noticed that there were no other navigators, at least none in the nearby vicinity; even if it didn't look like it right away, she was in a deeper rogue layer, and it was more dangerous.

“I'm here, Rogan. In safely and no problems. It's... strange, almost, to be jacked in to a network properly just... just like regular people.” Her brow furrowed briefly with an odd note of sadness at the remark. “I almost started the integration filter and masking without thinking about it.” she stretched once and held her hands out to let them curl in the breeze, then began to walk along the beach at a leisurely pace, straying close to the edge of the tide and letting the cool water run over her toes.

“If it's any consolation, Lyntael, your presence is still serving an ulterior motive of sorts.” There was a wry humour in Rogan's voice, a rarity at the best of times, and she Lyntael herself smile too as he continued. “Your travel path has confirmed to my contact who I am and why we're here, after all.”

“I suppose...” she shrugged even though she knew the visual wouldn't be seen; Rogan would be focused on the meeting and exchange with their contact; she'd done her part just by visiting the locations before hand, and arriving here. She was here to train, supposedly – or at least to work out what conflict meant for her now. Unconsciously, one hand lifted to her chest, touching the place where her emblem had once been, but it drifted down again after a moment.

“It's strange...” She paused, hesitating. “Do... do you mind if I talk, Rogan? I know why we're here, but... it's more than just physical, and I have a lot on my mind.” The roll of the waves filled a short gap of quiet before Rogan answered.

“It's fine, Lyntael. Our friend only every communicated by message anyway, but just remember, this is not a vacation. We need to assess your capabilities now.” She nodded, pausing for a moment to look out across the foam-capped ocean swells, then continued her pace up the beach with firmer strides.

“I know. It's just... I know who I... There are all these... It's difficult.” She wasn't being very articulate, but her thoughts swam and shifted as she walked. She hated violence, and she exulted in testing herself; she didn't want to fight, unless she had to, but there was still the sense of satisfaction of doing so, of being victorious. The memories of the conflict she'd been through, driven by anger and determination and the satisfaction she'd taken from defeating her foes blended with the hurt and denial she felt when other creatures around her came to harm, virus or not. Who was she, now, after everything...? The girl continued into the network, waiting for a catalyst to bring clarity.

((Ready for Battle 1; Lyntael jacked in using Gust and Airstep, Bounty for Shellnerd active))

As Lyntael made her way onto the network, the soft crashing of waves would sound all about her, the smell of salt water in the air, sand beneath her feet and...well, a bunch of dirt on the outskirts that has gotten a bit too wet to be pleasant to walk across. Buoys bouncing on the waves while being held together by a bunch of rope in something of a line, some being pushed forwards towards the inland...others outwards, bouncing across what seemed to be an invisible wall, even as the waves crashed through it entirely, probably to keep navis and viruses from being pushed too far out they can't escape, but hard to tell from a simple glance. The buoys seemingly were well kept, if not completely new and were being constantly replaced. Rock outcroppings far beyond where she was on the beach, but could be discerned from the current distance she was at.

But before she could make a move on anything beyond just a casual walk, a muave-colored Metool was found sunbathing and taking a small snooze on the beach with a circular towel beneath it. Opening an eye, the virus would let out a loud MEEP noise before quickly hiding underneath it's helmet. Unfortunately for the dancer, this single meep was enough to alert other viruses in the area, a Shellnerd with it's dark yellow, orange top and blue dot coloring coming onto the beach with the waves, making some sort of noise as it stared at Lyn and settling into it's shell.

A large fish with arms popping out of the sea, a fairly bright orange coloring on it's scales and some yellow on it's fins. Whilst a Elemeror would shake off the sand above it, showing off a fairly dark-ish pink with blue accents would smile cheekily at her, a bright orange flame sprouting from it's nose. And finally, a blue Trumpy virus rose out of the oceans next to the beach, right behind the Shellnerd, as it looked ready to inhale and begin to blast it's horrible, horrible music. If Lyntael wanted to speak her mind, she needed to be good at multitasking, lest she had to wait till after the struggle.

-- Viruses --
Tuby2Tuby2 (Tuby)

Area: Beach

HP: 150
Attack: Confusion + To-All-Clause (Enemies)
Attack Accuracy: S
Attack Description: Plays a tune that confuses its enemies.
Element: Null
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): Discord (Rare), Zenny
Special: Attacks every other turn.: 150 HP (Sea)(Roughly behind the Shellnerd, just barely sunk into the Sea)
Elemperor2Elemperor2 (Elmperor)

Elemperor viruses are Planeswalker viruses: their attacks and abilities all depend on the terrain they stand upon. Pay attention to the special sections of their stat sheets, as those will tell you what types of terrain must be present for an Elemperor to appear (this terrain requirement naturally overrides the Network's terrain selection). All Elemperor are immune to any adverse terrain effects... except damage multiplication, of course. They attack every action they are able to.

Area: Beach, Sharo, Yumland, Netfrica, NetVegas

HP: 180
Attack Damage/Effect: 45 (Elemental Rage) + Small Rage Terrain Change + Ground Attack
Attack Accuracy: A
Attack Description: Fires a magic flare that changes the ground beneath the enemy's feet.
Element: Null
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): ElementLeaf, ElementalRage2 (Rare), Zenny
Special: Immobile.
- Always appears on Grass Terrain.
- Gains Regen 90 when on any terrain but Normal.
- If this virus is on Normal Terrain, its attack power is halved.
- Attacks assume the element of the terrain this virus sits on, and attacks create more terrain of the same type.: 180 HP (Sand)(Off to the East, near the sea)
Metool2Metool2 (Metool)

Metools not currently attacking will guard. Entering guard mode requires an action. Exiting guard mode does not require an action.

Area: ACDC, Electown, Okuden Valley, Kotobuki Town, Dentech, Beach

HP: 100
Primary Attack Damage/Effect: 50 Null + Piercing + Ground Attack
Primary Attack Accuracy: C
Primary Attack Description: Whacks ground with pickaxe, sending forth a shockwave.
Secondary Attack Damage/Effect: 50 Null
Secondary Attack Accuracy: B
Secondary Attack Description: Throws a mattock at an enemy.
Element: Null
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): Guard2, SonicWave, Zenny
Special: Can hide in its helmet to negate damage.
Special: Can use Recover150 on self once.: 100 HP (Sand)(Guarding)(To Lyntael's Left and down a bit on a small Metool-shaped beach towel)
Piranha2Piranha2 (Piranha)

Piranha viruses work as a hive-mind. They all move at the same time, attempt to detect targets at the same time, and once a targets is detected by any of them, they all attack that one target at the same time. Moving and searching for targets takes one action. Attacking takes another. Any Piranha just recovering from a status effect that prevents normal operation will resume acting in unison with the rest of the group.

Area: Yoka, Dentech, Beach

HP: 120
Attack Damage/Effect: 15 Aqua x 3 Shots
Attack Accuracy: B
Attack Description: Locks on and fires 3 tridents.
Element: Aqua
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): TriSpear, TrainArrow2, Zenny
Special: Floating. When multiple Piranha virii are on the field at once, they attack one target as a group.: 120 HP (Sea)(To the far right of the Shellnerd, turned towards Lyntael.exe)
ShellnerdShellnerd (ShellGeek)

Shellgeeks alternate actions between attacking and guarding. These are the only actions Shellgeeks may perform, and the first action of every battle is always guarding. Shellgeeks will not break from this pattern unless forced to by status effects. The secondary attack of Shellgeeks can be used to grant an ally of this virus a free movement, or even to knock an ally out of the path of an oncoming attack.

Area: Yoka, Sharo, Beach, Okuden Valley

HP: 140
Primary Attack Damage/Effects: 20 Null x 2 Spears
Primary Attack Accuracy: B
Primary Attack Description: Fires two spears at one target.
Secondary Attack Damage/Effects: 40 Null
Secondary Attack Accuracy: B
Secondary Attack Description: Fires a star tipped arrow. Can be used on an ally to move them. Causes no damage to allies.
Element: Aqua
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): TripleNeedle, StarArrow2 (Rare), Zenny
Special: Attacks every other action. IronBody when not attacking.: 140 HP (Sand)(Guarding)(Roughly in front of Lyntael.exe, on the edge between Sea and Sand)

-- Navis --
Lyntael.EXE: 350 HP (Mud) (Towards the edge of the Mud almost on Sand, about a movement away from the Sea)

-- Terrain --
30% Sea

• Fire Elementals lose 10 HP/action standing, 20 HP/action submerged. Other Non-Aqua Elementals lose 5 HP/action submerged. Nullified for Aqua Elementals.
• Ice attacks: 50% Freeze1 chance, Changes terrain hit to Ice.
• Terrain changes between Sea and Onsen do not inflict damage upon submerged entities, nor do they eject submerged entities to the surface.
• Elec attacks: +100% Source Damage.
• PanelShot: Imbue Aqua.

(The Outland area, stretches as far as the field can be seen in all directions, Buoys and rope can be seen fairly far out)
15% Mud

• Non-Wood Elementals get -10% Evasion penalty and reduced movement speed, 25% (+/-25% RP) chance to fall or get stuck (1 action to get free).
• Automatically triggers Aqua Boost for appropriate chip attacks.
• Wood attacks: Change terrain hit to Soil.
• PanelShot: Imbue Wood + Slow1.

(A minority of the inland region, on the farthest outskirts of the battlefield curved around the sand to some degree, mostly in the southern most field, with some on the South-West and South-Easternmost parts)
55% Sand

• -20% Evasion and reduced movement speed to all.
• Can Burrow as standard action, incurable Blind1 until turn after exiting Burrow.
• Wind attacks: +100% Source Damage + Blind1, change terrain hit to Normal, trigger Sandstorm for 3 turns: Lose 5 HP/action, Blind1, Fire attacks gain Slashing.
• Fire attacks: Change terrain hit to Glass.
• Terrain changes between Sand and QuickSand do not inflict damage upon burrowed entities, nor do they eject burrowed entities to the surface.
• PanelShot: Blind1.

(Right in front of the open waves of the Sea, a majority of the inland area, stretches out as far as the eye can see)

-- Objects -- (Going between Mud and Sea is roughly a movement's worth of space, two to reach the far end of the field where the Buoys are at. An invisible wall prevents going past the Buoys as an internet safety measure and the wall stretches upwards as far as the eye can potentially see)
Safety Wall: Infinite HP
Rope Line: 40 HP (In small chunks, surrounding the Sea, connecting the Buoys)
Buoy A: 40 HP (Towards the eastern sea, off to the left, fairly towards the edge of the inland sea)
Buoy B: 40 HP (To the North-Eastern sea, A bit less inland than A)
Buoy C: 40 HP (To the North-Western sea, roughly as inland as B, towards the right)
Buoy D: 40 HP (Off to the Western sea, on the far-right of the area's sea, fairly inland)

-- Rogue Battle 1 Ready? Start!! --

The network seemed surprisingly well maintained for a rogue layer net – but Lynael supposed that beach and beach adjacent nets were probably much more popular as social spaces than some of the other options. She hadn't walked too far and was just picking her way with delicate toe-point steps through a muddy section in the shore – and quietly delighting in the soft feeling of it between her toes anyway – when the sunbathing met came into view. She tried to approach quietly, but the little creature was more alert and twitchy than she'd hoped and its exclamation of surprise swiftly brought other viruses to the fore in a matter of moments.

Lyntael drew a breath and held it for a moment, her eyes darting around as she took in each of the new creatures and a thread of adrenaline and tension shot through her and quickened her heart. This was it, really; this was the first moment. Who was she now? Who did she want to be? As her heart beat quicker the soft pulse of her charge rose and filled her with warmth, though the pulse was still rhythmic and slow for now. She glanced to the hiding metool again, then across to the other viruses, trying to read their behaviour; the line between playful and violent was a thin and often fuzzy line with viruses, she'd come to learn, and it seemed like some of these ones could go either way. As she began to move in slow, careful steps, forward and towards the water, Lyntael lifted her hands, guarded but with her fingers loose and open while her steps shifted her into her familiar combat stance – light on her toes but ready.

“I'm not here to make trouble unless you start it...” She turned her gaze as she spoke, trying to address each of them at least a little, though her focus remained mostly on the piranha, who seemed the most likely to chose violence, at least to her... and the instrument-like one that seemed to be inhaling far more than was probably necessary to just speak. She called out the rest of her thoughts quickly, trying to make sure she got it in before it finished its long breath.

“If you're going to be violent, then I will put a stop to it, and if you just want to scrap for the fun of it, that's fine too... but that's not the only way this can go. It's your move...” As she spoke, she felt her charge growing, preparing, but she held it back for now; it filled her, ready to use, but the pressure of it was calm enough that it wasn't showing through as anything more than a faint glow at each of her strikers, for now. She was ready to defend herself and avoid whatever came her way, if it came to that, but for now Lyntael felt like what she really wanted to do was let the viruses decide how fighty they wanted to be. She kind of hoped the little metool, at least, would rather play than fight – it was kind of cute. That was sort of true of most metools, though, she had to admit, and she probably shouldn't judge them by appearances alone.

Summary

L*) First Armour: 20Hp Casing (as subtle outfit reinforcement)
L*) Gust: Knockback and Pull powered up, Microburst and Gravity can't cause harm, effects with Knockback, Pull, Microburst, or Gravity gain Wind Type.
L1) Dodge
L2) Buster Charge
L3) Movement (down to the water line and a little forward)
L4) Buster Charge
L*) Fast Armour: 20Hp Casing Refresh
L5) Dodge
L6) Leaving the first move open to them.

Cooldowns and Overcharge

Overcharge: Begin: 0, No major actions taken, End: 0

((OOC, I'm not specifically searching for non-combat resolutions, or for pure combat - both are welcome though; so if some encounters are intractably violent and others are more open to other possibilities, I'd be happy. Lyntael is experimenting and sorting herself out a bit, in this thread))

As the viruses readied themselves for attack, the dancer would slowly set herself up, the viruses seemingly flinching as she made her combat stance, hands in the air and spread fingers, waiting to see her make the first move...but all she did was speak, the viruses almost...hypnotically focused on her as she moved, addressing them as a group, her eyes darting about across the group as the quintet watched on.

She had said her piece, but the group were a little more than confused. It was a navi's duty to delete them, right? But she was giving them...a chance at least...to prevent conflict. A rare non-violent navi? The tubby she was near now would slowly exhale, no confusing music being played, no voilence against the dancer, just the quintet looking back and forth between each other even as the Shellnerd and Metool would leave their guarded states.

The quintet would wait a few moments, they could practically feel the power radiating off the dancer, and, while battle routines didn't end...the viruses seemingly relaxed a bit as she waited to see their reaction. And almost ironically, it was the Metool who would extend the metaphorical olive branch, as it waddled off it's blanket slowly.

Drawing it's mettock in front of the dancer, flipping the head to it's handle in a clean motion and extended the handle towards her as a sort of...well, handshake...looking up at the electrifying dancer with a happy expression, even if it looked like it was shaking in it's boots a little bit. The other viruses would look on intently, waiting to see what the navi would do, primed to attack, but their guards were let down

-- Viruses --
Tuby2Tuby2 (Tuby)

Area: Beach

HP: 150
Attack: Confusion + To-All-Clause (Enemies)
Attack Accuracy: S
Attack Description: Plays a tune that confuses its enemies.
Element: Null
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): Discord (Rare), Zenny
Special: Attacks every other turn.: 150 HP (Sea)(Standing there like a derp)(Roughly behind the Shellnerd, just barely sunk into the Sea)
Elemperor2Elemperor2 (Elmperor)

Elemperor viruses are Planeswalker viruses: their attacks and abilities all depend on the terrain they stand upon. Pay attention to the special sections of their stat sheets, as those will tell you what types of terrain must be present for an Elemperor to appear (this terrain requirement naturally overrides the Network's terrain selection). All Elemperor are immune to any adverse terrain effects... except damage multiplication, of course. They attack every action they are able to.

Area: Beach, Sharo, Yumland, Netfrica, NetVegas

HP: 180
Attack Damage/Effect: 45 (Elemental Rage) + Small Rage Terrain Change + Ground Attack
Attack Accuracy: A
Attack Description: Fires a magic flare that changes the ground beneath the enemy's feet.
Element: Null
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): ElementLeaf, ElementalRage2 (Rare), Zenny
Special: Immobile.
- Always appears on Grass Terrain.
- Gains Regen 90 when on any terrain but Normal.
- If this virus is on Normal Terrain, its attack power is halved.
- Attacks assume the element of the terrain this virus sits on, and attacks create more terrain of the same type.: 180 HP (Sand)(Prepared for an offensive action)(Off to the East, near the sea)
Metool2Metool2 (Metool)

Metools not currently attacking will guard. Entering guard mode requires an action. Exiting guard mode does not require an action.

Area: ACDC, Electown, Okuden Valley, Kotobuki Town, Dentech, Beach

HP: 100
Primary Attack Damage/Effect: 50 Null + Piercing + Ground Attack
Primary Attack Accuracy: C
Primary Attack Description: Whacks ground with pickaxe, sending forth a shockwave.
Secondary Attack Damage/Effect: 50 Null
Secondary Attack Accuracy: B
Secondary Attack Description: Throws a mattock at an enemy.
Element: Null
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): Guard2, SonicWave, Zenny
Special: Can hide in its helmet to negate damage.
Special: Can use Recover150 on self once.: 100 HP (Sand)(Extending mettock handle towards Lyntael)(A bit in front of Lyntael, on the edge of the beach)
Piranha2Piranha2 (Piranha)

Piranha viruses work as a hive-mind. They all move at the same time, attempt to detect targets at the same time, and once a targets is detected by any of them, they all attack that one target at the same time. Moving and searching for targets takes one action. Attacking takes another. Any Piranha just recovering from a status effect that prevents normal operation will resume acting in unison with the rest of the group.

Area: Yoka, Dentech, Beach

HP: 120
Attack Damage/Effect: 15 Aqua x 3 Shots
Attack Accuracy: B
Attack Description: Locks on and fires 3 tridents.
Element: Aqua
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): TriSpear, TrainArrow2, Zenny
Special: Floating. When multiple Piranha virii are on the field at once, they attack one target as a group.: 120 HP (Sea)(Prepared to attack if Lyntael responds badly)(To the far right of the Shellnerd, turned towards Lyntael.exe)
ShellnerdShellnerd (ShellGeek)

Shellgeeks alternate actions between attacking and guarding. These are the only actions Shellgeeks may perform, and the first action of every battle is always guarding. Shellgeeks will not break from this pattern unless forced to by status effects. The secondary attack of Shellgeeks can be used to grant an ally of this virus a free movement, or even to knock an ally out of the path of an oncoming attack.

Area: Yoka, Sharo, Beach, Okuden Valley

HP: 140
Primary Attack Damage/Effects: 20 Null x 2 Spears
Primary Attack Accuracy: B
Primary Attack Description: Fires two spears at one target.
Secondary Attack Damage/Effects: 40 Null
Secondary Attack Accuracy: B
Secondary Attack Description: Fires a star tipped arrow. Can be used on an ally to move them. Causes no damage to allies.
Element: Aqua
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): TripleNeedle, StarArrow2 (Rare), Zenny
Special: Attacks every other action. IronBody when not attacking.: 140 HP (Sand)(Prepared to attack in case)(Roughly in front of Lyntael.exe, on the edge between Sea and Sand)

-- Navis --
Lyntael.EXE: 350 HP (Sea)(Casing20) (A little off of Tubby2's position, on the edge of the waves)

-- Terrain --
30% Sea

• Fire Elementals lose 10 HP/action standing, 20 HP/action submerged. Other Non-Aqua Elementals lose 5 HP/action submerged. Nullified for Aqua Elementals.
• Ice attacks: 50% Freeze1 chance, Changes terrain hit to Ice.
• Terrain changes between Sea and Onsen do not inflict damage upon submerged entities, nor do they eject submerged entities to the surface.
• Elec attacks: +100% Source Damage.
• PanelShot: Imbue Aqua.

(The Outland area, stretches as far as the field can be seen in all directions, Buoys and rope can be seen fairly far out)
15% Mud

• Non-Wood Elementals get -10% Evasion penalty and reduced movement speed, 25% (+/-25% RP) chance to fall or get stuck (1 action to get free).
• Automatically triggers Aqua Boost for appropriate chip attacks.
• Wood attacks: Change terrain hit to Soil.
• PanelShot: Imbue Wood + Slow1.

(A minority of the inland region, on the farthest outskirts of the battlefield curved around the sand to some degree, mostly in the southern most field, with some on the South-West and South-Easternmost parts)
55% Sand

• -20% Evasion and reduced movement speed to all.
• Can Burrow as standard action, incurable Blind1 until turn after exiting Burrow.
• Wind attacks: +100% Source Damage + Blind1, change terrain hit to Normal, trigger Sandstorm for 3 turns: Lose 5 HP/action, Blind1, Fire attacks gain Slashing.
• Fire attacks: Change terrain hit to Glass.
• Terrain changes between Sand and QuickSand do not inflict damage upon burrowed entities, nor do they eject burrowed entities to the surface.
• PanelShot: Blind1.

(Right in front of the open waves of the Sea, a majority of the inland area, stretches out as far as the eye can see)

-- Objects -- (Going between Mud and Sea is roughly a movement's worth of space, two to reach the far end of the field where the Buoys are at. An invisible wall prevents going past the Buoys as an internet safety measure and the wall stretches upwards as far as the eye can potentially see)
Safety Wall: Infinite HP
Rope Line: 40 HP (In small chunks, surrounding the Sea, connecting the Buoys)
Buoy A: 40 HP (Towards the eastern sea, off to the left, fairly towards the edge of the inland sea)
Buoy B: 40 HP (To the North-Eastern sea, A bit less inland than A)
Buoy C: 40 HP (To the North-Western sea, roughly as inland as B, towards the right)
Buoy D: 40 HP (Off to the Western sea, on the far-right of the area's sea, fairly inland)

Still cautious, Lyntael let her eyes flick around to each of the viruses surrounding the area as she drew closer. A younger Lyntael might have accepted the uncertain calm without guile or caution, but she knew she wasn't that girl any more, and the truth of it sent a wistful thread of sadness through her awareness. Caution was just sensible, she knew, but it struck her that she'd probably never be ale to go back to the complete open-heartedness she remembered.

Instead, she approached slowly, guard still up and with careful, light steps. When she reached the sunbathing metool, Lyntael glanced down at herself and focused, closing her eyes for another moment or two. The lightly dancing charge in her skin receded enough to pull back from he hands and fingers and she crouched down, with one hand to make sure her skirt was still decent, while she reached out with the other hand to lightly brush and shake the extended weapon haft with her finger tips.

“Hey there...” After another moment, she smiled, then shifted to sit down on the sand, knees to one side and looked at the little met, then out past it to the other viruses and the ocean itself.

“Guess you guys don't see many visitors down here, do you? But... you don't seem like you're doing any harm or damaging anything.” She shrugged softly, and wondered if there was any way she could communicate more clearly. The more sapient viruses often seemed to understand her own words, but even the clever ones had never been able to really speak back in any way she'd seen. She'd heard stories though.

“Lyntael, this is not what you are here for.” Rogan's voice, speaking firmly from its usually source just behind and above her made the girl turn her head in its direction before she shook her head.

“Maybe not... But, it sort of is, as well, I think.” She sighed and leaned back on her hands, shifting to sit alongside the little metool's beach town and look out at the waves while her legs spread out and let her dig her toes into the sand. These ones weren't doing any harm. She could feel the pulse of her charge filling her still but she held it and resisted the natural stability pulse that wanted to cascade from her skin. Gradually, the tension settled down again and quieted back towards her normal resting pulse. She'd fight when she needed to, and she wasn't scared, at least... but that didn't mean she had to just attack without thinking. “I know, I know... It's not an excuse.” She shook her head again, this time more directed at herself than anyone else, and looked at the small cluster of viruses again. After a moment she pushed herself up again and carefully brushed the sand from her skin. Maybe it wouldn't have been such a bad idea to bring her swim wear after all.

“Play nice, you guys... I've got to go find the real trouble-makers.” She grinned and glanced at each of the others again, and her eyes lingered in the shelled virus an extra moment. “Say... I was sent down here because there's a big swarm of shelled ones, like you, but way too many and being destructive and dangerous... or that's what the Wrangler says. Do you know where they're gathering?” Once she finished dusting herself off, Lyntael stretched lightly and let her hands come to a rest gently clasped behind her back as she posed the question; she was focused on the shellnerd virus, but glanced around to the others as well to see if they had any input or understanding.

Summary

L1) Accept hand shake
L2) Take a seat and chat
L3) Hold charge and suppress stability pulses.
L*) Hold tension: (Overcharge +1)
L4) Relax a moment
L5) Be calm, and exist.
L6) Ask about dangerous viral presences
L*) Settled calm: (Buster Charges dispelled, Overcharge -1)

Cooldowns and Overcharge

Overcharge: Begin: 0, Tension held, then released, End: 0

As Lyntael took the mattock peace offering and shook, the Metool attached to it was extremely excited and happy. Happily holding on until she let go and began to talk, the viruses breathing a sigh of relief as the Piranha would slowly sink into the sea with a calm expression, fins sticking up out of the top as it enjoyed itself, Elemperor and Tubby seemingly laying against each other, the latter at a semi-relaxed angle, and the Shellnerd converging on Lyntael, with a few (albeit messy) hops to get near and listen to the navi. The metool nodding to her question as she asked, a few meeps and some gestures to (try) and convey this was a more or less secluded area of the network, so viruses didn't see a ton of navis coming about. Weather she could intrupret these or not, was a gamble, but the Met went out of it's way to try and express it.

The shellnerd listened in on the conversation Lyn and her op were having, but, the clamshell virus was patient much like with the Met and waited as she sat down to calm herself, electricity dispersed, the two could feel they were in the presence of a friendly as her battle routines would release. Lyn getting up, the viruses gave her a light breadth as she pretty much shook the sand off of her, but as she asked, a trio of needles whizzed past the group. They had come a long distance, probably further away than they should have by all merits. The Met and Shellnerd turning to see where they had come from, it seemed obvious where Lyn was headed next, but, the two viruses seemed a bit...perturbed at this development, seemed this place was fairly peaceful barring the occasional fights with net navis.

Battle 1: FRIIIIIIENDSHIIIIIIP!~
Rewards: The feeling something is about to happen
Also 2700z and ElementLeafDamage: 40 + Line Attack(3) + Wood Terrain Boost 60
Accuracy: B
Description: Shoots a wave of plant energy along a straight line, and grows stronger when on earthy terrain.
Duration: Once
Element: Wood
Special: If the user is on Grass, Soil, or Mud terrain, this attack's power is increased by 60, and acquires unlimited Line Attack for the duration of the attack.
Special: StageReset: If the Wood Terrain Boost for this attack is triggered, a zone of Normal panels is created around the user.
Trader Rank: C

As she stretched and listened to the efforts of the more chattery viruses, Lyntael nodded along; like before, there was no real way she could unpick their language, per se, but they each seemed to understand her, and elements of body language and gesture seemed to at least paint something of a picture.

“Not much activity around here... yeah, I guessed. I suppose that's all you really know, huh?” She smiled and crouched down enough to look at the little met properly, inclining her head in a polite motion. “Thank you.” With another small grin she stood and looked about, deciding which way to head – either direction seemed as good as the other, really. “I should really get moving then. I've got to—” the sudden interruption of needle shot attacks passing by snapped the girls eyes back the direction they'd come from, looking along the beach for the source; no other virus close by, and the sudden surprise from the other viruses around her probably meant they were as unaware as she was about the source. Without realising it, Lyntael's body had slipped back to a light combat stance, on unthinking instinct, one foot ahead of the other and her body turned side on to the direction she was now peering towards. Her charge beat in her chest, warm and bright along with the sharp catch of her breath.

“Guess that answers that...” she paused long enough to glance at the other viruses, but didn't find any words to say that would communicate the scattershot of sudden thoughts in her mind. She ended up just nodding once towards the group then taking off across the sand at a light run, her toes barely brushing the sand as the sea breeze ruffled her clothes, in the direction the attack had come from. If there were aggressive, destructive or hostile elements close by she'd much rather go the them than let them come closer and endanger any other more passive viruses; once by a hot spring, she'd had enough of that kind of failure.

((Ready for Battle 2... and if the first encounter is considered sufficiently resolved, actual battle payout would be appreciated ^.^))

As the navi rushed off, the feeling of chip data passed into her as well as a small-ish sum of zenny, seemed the viruses appreciated things enough to give her something, Rogan was likely getting a request to download the chip onto a blank shortly thereafter. Though she left the viruses in the dust, the Met and Shellnerd practically bidding her off as she rushed towards the shots.

It wouldn't take long, however, before the coastline would have some viruses in her way. Some...off-color viruses however, stood in her way. A trio of Starfish2s would be in front of her, but, instead of their "usual" coloring of a Mossy Green front and Darker Yellow back, these viruses saw themselves more a Chartuse color on the back, with a Crimson face. As they stood their ground, Lyntael could very well see lashes across their body, whitened scars and fresher ones across front and back. These were not wild viruses, they were "tamed"...as so much as a circus troupe would tame a Lion, at least, their data coloring having been altered at the very least.

While she waited for the first move, see if they were hostile, a pair of Shellgeeks in similar coloring would come out of the sand, revealing a BMD covered in the sand, it's top half just poking out of the sand as it stayed still. Sand blowing in the wind as a large, top with a red X would come down from the heavens, landing perfectly on top of the BMD and covering it. Turning to see a group of shadows atop a ridge, Heel-navis with some Punks interspersed in the group if she could tell correctly, a single navi drawing a thumb across it's neck as the Shellnerds opened fire, just barely missing Lyntael as they did, settling into their clamshells before she could react as the group walked away. Battle Routines flared up, and it was clear there was something amiss at this beach, and that group could be some likely culprits. But first, the quintet of viruses in front of her...the Starfish would make sure to have her in their crosshairs, whist the Shellnerds peeked from their shells, hardened expressions on their faces from what she could tell...one even having an eyepatch where an eye should have been...

-- Viruses --
Starfish2Starfish2 (Starfish)

Area: Yoka, Beach

HP: 180
Attack Damage/Effect: 30 Aqua + Bubble Trap + 3 targets
Attack Accuracy: D
Attack Description: Launches three slow moving bubbles that trap the targets in a bubble prison, immobilizing them. These bubbles act as 10 HP objects, and can be shot before they make contact to pop them. Conversely, the virus can block incoming attacks with them.
Element: Aqua
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): BubbleStar2, Zenny
Special: Bubble Trap: Any target hit with this virus' attack will be instantly trapped in a 10 HP Aqua Element Bubble that can only be popped from the outside. Targets trapped within these bubbles will take 100% more damage from Elec element attacks. The Bubbles will expire at the end of the turn, or when hit.
Special: This attack can hit the same target multiple times (up to 3), or attack 3 separate targets.
Special: Targets trapped in Bubbles are easier to move with Wind Effects, Knockback, and Microburst than normal. A: 180 HP (Twelve-o-clock position, right in front of Lyn) (Sand)
Starfish2Starfish2 (Starfish)

Area: Yoka, Beach

HP: 180
Attack Damage/Effect: 30 Aqua + Bubble Trap + 3 targets
Attack Accuracy: D
Attack Description: Launches three slow moving bubbles that trap the targets in a bubble prison, immobilizing them. These bubbles act as 10 HP objects, and can be shot before they make contact to pop them. Conversely, the virus can block incoming attacks with them.
Element: Aqua
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): BubbleStar2, Zenny
Special: Bubble Trap: Any target hit with this virus' attack will be instantly trapped in a 10 HP Aqua Element Bubble that can only be popped from the outside. Targets trapped within these bubbles will take 100% more damage from Elec element attacks. The Bubbles will expire at the end of the turn, or when hit.
Special: This attack can hit the same target multiple times (up to 3), or attack 3 separate targets.
Special: Targets trapped in Bubbles are easier to move with Wind Effects, Knockback, and Microburst than normal. B: 180 HP (Nine-o-clock position, near the path) (Mud)
Starfish2Starfish2 (Starfish)

Area: Yoka, Beach

HP: 180
Attack Damage/Effect: 30 Aqua + Bubble Trap + 3 targets
Attack Accuracy: D
Attack Description: Launches three slow moving bubbles that trap the targets in a bubble prison, immobilizing them. These bubbles act as 10 HP objects, and can be shot before they make contact to pop them. Conversely, the virus can block incoming attacks with them.
Element: Aqua
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): BubbleStar2, Zenny
Special: Bubble Trap: Any target hit with this virus' attack will be instantly trapped in a 10 HP Aqua Element Bubble that can only be popped from the outside. Targets trapped within these bubbles will take 100% more damage from Elec element attacks. The Bubbles will expire at the end of the turn, or when hit.
Special: This attack can hit the same target multiple times (up to 3), or attack 3 separate targets.
Special: Targets trapped in Bubbles are easier to move with Wind Effects, Knockback, and Microburst than normal. C: 180 HP (Roughly at the three-o-clock position, floating right next to the beach) (Sea)
ShellnerdShellnerd (ShellGeek)

Shellgeeks alternate actions between attacking and guarding. These are the only actions Shellgeeks may perform, and the first action of every battle is always guarding. Shellgeeks will not break from this pattern unless forced to by status effects. The secondary attack of Shellgeeks can be used to grant an ally of this virus a free movement, or even to knock an ally out of the path of an oncoming attack.

Area: Yoka, Sharo, Beach, Okuden Valley

HP: 140
Primary Attack Damage/Effects: 20 Null x 2 Spears
Primary Attack Accuracy: B
Primary Attack Description: Fires two spears at one target.
Secondary Attack Damage/Effects: 40 Null
Secondary Attack Accuracy: B
Secondary Attack Description: Fires a star tipped arrow. Can be used on an ally to move them. Causes no damage to allies.
Element: Aqua
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): TripleNeedle, StarArrow2 (Rare), Zenny
Special: Attacks every other action. IronBody when not attacking. A: 140 HP (Flanking left of the BMD) (Sand) (Defending)
ShellnerdShellnerd (ShellGeek)

Shellgeeks alternate actions between attacking and guarding. These are the only actions Shellgeeks may perform, and the first action of every battle is always guarding. Shellgeeks will not break from this pattern unless forced to by status effects. The secondary attack of Shellgeeks can be used to grant an ally of this virus a free movement, or even to knock an ally out of the path of an oncoming attack.

Area: Yoka, Sharo, Beach, Okuden Valley

HP: 140
Primary Attack Damage/Effects: 20 Null x 2 Spears
Primary Attack Accuracy: B
Primary Attack Description: Fires two spears at one target.
Secondary Attack Damage/Effects: 40 Null
Secondary Attack Accuracy: B
Secondary Attack Description: Fires a star tipped arrow. Can be used on an ally to move them. Causes no damage to allies.
Element: Aqua
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): TripleNeedle, StarArrow2 (Rare), Zenny
Special: Attacks every other action. IronBody when not attacking. B: 140 HP (Flanking to the right of the BMD, towards Lyn) (Sand) (Defending)

-- Navis --
Lyntael.EXE: 350 HP (Roughly at six-o-clock, on the edge of the field) (Sand)

-- Terrain --
20% Sea

• Fire Elementals lose 10 HP/action standing, 20 HP/action submerged. Other Non-Aqua Elementals lose 5 HP/action submerged. Nullified for Aqua Elementals.
• Ice attacks: 50% Freeze1 chance, Changes terrain hit to Ice.
• Terrain changes between Sea and Onsen do not inflict damage upon submerged entities, nor do they eject submerged entities to the surface.
• Elec attacks: +100% Source Damage.
• PanelShot: Imbue Aqua.

(To the right, bouys floating on the edge of the (explorable) sea-line)
20% Normal

• No effects.

(Off to the left-side, leading up as path to higher ground)
20% Mud

• Non-Wood Elementals get -10% Evasion penalty and reduced movement speed, 25% (+/-25% RP) chance to fall or get stuck (1 action to get free).
• Automatically triggers Aqua Boost for appropriate chip attacks.
• Wood attacks: Change terrain hit to Soil.
• PanelShot: Imbue Wood + Slow1.

(On the left-side of the area, minus the boardwalk leading upwards)
40% Sand

• -20% Evasion and reduced movement speed to all.
• Can Burrow as standard action, incurable Blind1 until turn after exiting Burrow.
• Wind attacks: +100% Source Damage + Blind1, change terrain hit to Normal, trigger Sandstorm for 3 turns: Lose 5 HP/action, Blind1, Fire attacks gain Slashing.
• Fire attacks: Change terrain hit to Glass.
• Terrain changes between Sand and QuickSand do not inflict damage upon burrowed entities, nor do they eject burrowed entities to the surface.
• PanelShot: Blind1.

(The coastline, in front of the sea)

-- Objects --
BMD: 25 HP (Half-buried in the sand) (About a feint away, near the edge of the sea) (Sand)
Metal Dome: 40 HP (Atop the BMD with a giant X in red)

-- Rogue Battle 2 Ready? Start!! --

Lyntael skidded to a halt in the sand as her chase gave way to a collection viruses on all sides facing down her approach. The shots had definitely come from some of them, but as she scanned the arrayed hostiles Lyntael glanced up to the ridge and caught sight of the figures above. Her eyes traced back from their gestures, to the viruses surrounding her, and the way the grizzled-looking creatures complied.

“Hey, stop!” She felt her charge rise, a hum glowing in her chest as she called out, but the other navis didn't seem to listen. She didn't know if they had anything to do with the upsurge of shell viruses in the area, but if they were using them to attack other navis for fun, that wasn't okay. With another quick glance to the hostile viruses, Lyntael began to give chase to the retreating heels, but another spear from a Shellnerd slammed into the sand across her path and she jumped back from it on instinct, her hair crackling and her hands coming up into a combat stance. All around her, it looked clear that the viruses weren't just going to let her run past. She grit her teeth.

“Alright... Fine...” She felt her own expression draw into a more serious frown as she faced them properly and embraced her charge. Her body sparked and crackled as a dancing scatter of sparks drifted from her skin in every direction and the lightly blowing breeze across the beach drew in and curled around her suddenly, kicking up sand and whisking the electrical fall-off into a briefly obscuring mesh of light. When it faded a moment later, Lyntael was gone.

She wasn't sure, exactly, what channelling her charge this way would do – just that the instinct for it was there, and as she felt the light bending around her with a distorted hum Lyntael only took a moment to glance down at her now occluded form. The memory of things that had happened in the depths of the net, and how the process had felt, came with it... She could work with this. She moved.

One quick step and then another shifted her to the side and then back around the star virus right in front of her until she was between it and the shell viruses, the only signs of her rapid motion slight shifts in the sand. The movement flowed by second nature first into a sweeping kick that carried her up onto one toe, then into a follow through with her second foot as the first landed. Wind ruffled through her clothes, adding to, then catching, her momentum so she could put power behind the elbow strike that followed, an over-head with her other fist and a final rising upper from the crouch it left her in. As her body spiralled, Lyntael let her charge pulse. A sharp series of bolts radiated from her body, seemingly from nothing, before dissipating; most reached towards the nearby starfish, though a few arced towards the two shell viruses, not far away.

Lyntael wasn't watching whether the bolts had the range to reach or not; still unseen, she raced on quickly – as long as the light twisting effect lasted, she meant to make the most of it. The faster this was done, the sooner she could catch up with the other navis and ask some questions. The brief emptiness left behind in the wake of her expenditure was filled by a growing surge, building up again, but it was almost strange how controlled it felt. She could handle far more than this pace, now.

Her dashing footsteps kicked up small puffs of sand as she darted towards the next starfish, on her left towards the hill. Don't give them time to react further. Even as she reached it the girl threw herself into a second rapid flurry of close-quarters strikes against her next target, flowing from one to the next with her toes barely touching the sand in between. From the outside, there was only a scuff of sand, followed by whatever impacts she could land, and a second radiating burst of electrical energy seeking to destroy the starfish and anything else in the handful of feet from its origin.

As the swift series of attacks ended, Lyntael glanced back towards the other viruses. Her charge cycled up again, a little faster still, and she could feel her heart rate rising along with it. Even if they weren't blocking her path from here, the shellnerds needed dealt with regardless. She kicked back off the sand lightly, the air currents carrying her an extra half step as she extended one arm and the shot came into line. Her charge flowed, drawing in from each of her strikers and combining into a maelstrom in her chest before flooding out again to her outstretched wrist. It burned as she embraced the release, and a searing flash of focused lightning lanced out from her with enough force to pierce through anything in its path. Lyntael tried to hold her focus on the strike, keeping it on target as best she could, until the drain of it left her empty and gasping a breath. If she could hold it steady, the flaring line of electricity ought to be enough to deal with both of them, closed and guarding or not, or at least she hoped so.

She landed in the sand after the strike tapered off, one knee down as she caught her breath. The void of emptiness was growing stronger each cycle, and the resurgence of her charge burning back through her faster and harsher, but even as it started to fill her being again Lyntael pushed back to her feet; still manageable. She kicked off the sand into a fresh dash, holding back her charge for now and letting it build. Instead, she chased down the line of her last attack, sliding into a rapid series of attacks with a grim determination that sought to finish off each and every virus that had endured her initial onslaught with as much precision and speed as she could manage; she could feel the haze keeping her form obscured beginning to thin. Best to get it done before they could see her again, if she could.

Summary
L*) First Armour: 20Hp Casing (as subtle outfit reinforcement)
L1) My Faith Trembles, and Forgets Laughter (Multi-Stage: (10Elec, Nova2), then (Invisibility, Dodge, Buster Charge)), Off-Target (2 Rounds, 1 Rank) (Overcharge -2)
L2) With Hopeful Stride (Multi-Stage: (Buster Strike: 30 x 5 hits, A), then (25Elec, Nova2)) (Overcharge +2) @ Starfish A (If in Nova range for Shellnerds, great, if not no problem)
L3) No More to Hide (Multi-Stage: (Buster Strike: 30 x 5 hits, A), then (25Elec, Nova2)) (Overcharge +2) @ Starfish B (If in Nova range for Shellnerd A, great, if not no problem)
L4) My anger Directed 'gainst Violent Threat (Multi-Stage: (Take Aim), then (ShotBase(50)Elec, Spread1, Splash1, Break, Impact, Slashing, Shot-type, A), then (Buster Shot: 30 x 5 hits, A) (Charge-Burner(1), 15Hp Sacrifice) (Overcharge +4) @ Shellnerd A, in line to Shellnerd B, and if possible to Starfish C if it's also in line (if not, no problem).
L*) Fast Armour: 20Hp Casing Refresh
L5) Basic Buster Strike (30 x 5 hits, A) to first in line along Shellnerd A, B or Starfish C
L6) Basic Buster Strike (30 x 5 hits, A) to first in line along Shellnerd A, B or Starfish C (Or I guess, bubbles if they are in the way)

Cooldowns and Overcharge
My Faith Trembles: 5TCD
With Hopeful Stride: 2TCD
No More to Hide: 2TCD
My Anger Directed: 4TCD

Overcharge: Begin: 0, My Faith Trembles (-2), With Hopeful Stride (+2), No More to Hide (+2), My Anger Directed (+4), End: +8

As she disappeared, the rolling thunder causing her form to disappear into the ether as lightning struck against the Shellnerd's closed off bodies, electricity dissipating as they struck leaving them no worse for wear in the end. The disappearing act had the quintent of viruses looking about, looking about for the disappeared navi as she began to make her move. The viruses on their toes as she rushed in to crush one of the starfish, multiple strikes ringing out almost immediately as she got close enough, three connecting (60!x3) and deleting the starfish almost immediately under cover of her cloaking, it's body falling back charred and scorched, disappearing a moment later as the blast of electricity exploded outwards, the blast catching one of the shellnerds in it along with the dome, unfortunately the former had kept it's head down during the discharge.

As she readied herself to move again, the other Shellnerd would quickly pop-up and turn to the one that had been able to shrug off the attacks, spitting out a star shaped arrow to send the other towards the path, spreading the viruses further out to avoid the crackling electricity that surged from the navi. As the other Shellnerd would open up, taking aim at Lyntael and take some potshots at where it thought she was at, only to hit the sand around her and miss entirely.

As these things played out, Lyn was well on her way to the Starfish on the hillside, leading herself to attack it before it could strike back in turn, and again, whilst she struck out against it, "only" three of her hits connected, sending the Starfish to the mud in a similar manner (60!x3), leaving it dead on the ground where it was the secondary pulse of electricity just reaching out enough to zap the Shellnerd on the path (50!). The remaining starfish would take a chance to send out a trio of bubbles at where it thought she was at, the slow moving things however would soon enough veer off course, leaving them to conga towards nothing in particular and popping before long, as the shellnerd that had moved it's ally would wind up hiding in it's shell again, hoping to avoid getting attacked.

But then she struck out, she directed her anger against violent threats, the attack quickly lashed out and struck the Shellnerd in no uncertain way, it's very existence being turned to ash before her eyes (100!). As the line lanced out towards the other, it attempted to hide within it's shell...with no chance to avoid it, being crushed completely and utterly from the attack, shell splintered across the area before disappearing (200!).

As the final virus watched on as it didn't know where Lyntael was at, the Starfish would prepare itself to avoid being destroyed in the same way as the other viruses had...it wouldn't help, the fight was all but wrapped up as she attacked the last virus rapidly, multiple strikes missing or just therein between the ten attacks she brought against it...and unfortunately, for the starfish at least, it would go down really quickly, disappearing as three shots connected, ending it's life just as quickly as the battle had begun. (60!x3)

With the battle won, zenny and rewards being hoovered to her PET, now, she could keep up on the line of the beach...or go up the path. Also, there was the BMD she could pick up if she was willing to risk a mimic.

-- Viruses --
Starfish2Starfish2 (Starfish)

Area: Yoka, Beach

HP: 180
Attack Damage/Effect: 30 Aqua + Bubble Trap + 3 targets
Attack Accuracy: D
Attack Description: Launches three slow moving bubbles that trap the targets in a bubble prison, immobilizing them. These bubbles act as 10 HP objects, and can be shot before they make contact to pop them. Conversely, the virus can block incoming attacks with them.
Element: Aqua
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): BubbleStar2, Zenny
Special: Bubble Trap: Any target hit with this virus' attack will be instantly trapped in a 10 HP Aqua Element Bubble that can only be popped from the outside. Targets trapped within these bubbles will take 100% more damage from Elec element attacks. The Bubbles will expire at the end of the turn, or when hit.
Special: This attack can hit the same target multiple times (up to 3), or attack 3 separate targets.
Special: Targets trapped in Bubbles are easier to move with Wind Effects, Knockback, and Microburst than normal. A: DELETED (PING!)
Starfish2Starfish2 (Starfish)

Area: Yoka, Beach

HP: 180
Attack Damage/Effect: 30 Aqua + Bubble Trap + 3 targets
Attack Accuracy: D
Attack Description: Launches three slow moving bubbles that trap the targets in a bubble prison, immobilizing them. These bubbles act as 10 HP objects, and can be shot before they make contact to pop them. Conversely, the virus can block incoming attacks with them.
Element: Aqua
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): BubbleStar2, Zenny
Special: Bubble Trap: Any target hit with this virus' attack will be instantly trapped in a 10 HP Aqua Element Bubble that can only be popped from the outside. Targets trapped within these bubbles will take 100% more damage from Elec element attacks. The Bubbles will expire at the end of the turn, or when hit.
Special: This attack can hit the same target multiple times (up to 3), or attack 3 separate targets.
Special: Targets trapped in Bubbles are easier to move with Wind Effects, Knockback, and Microburst than normal. B: DELETED (PING!)
Starfish2Starfish2 (Starfish)

Area: Yoka, Beach

HP: 180
Attack Damage/Effect: 30 Aqua + Bubble Trap + 3 targets
Attack Accuracy: D
Attack Description: Launches three slow moving bubbles that trap the targets in a bubble prison, immobilizing them. These bubbles act as 10 HP objects, and can be shot before they make contact to pop them. Conversely, the virus can block incoming attacks with them.
Element: Aqua
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): BubbleStar2, Zenny
Special: Bubble Trap: Any target hit with this virus' attack will be instantly trapped in a 10 HP Aqua Element Bubble that can only be popped from the outside. Targets trapped within these bubbles will take 100% more damage from Elec element attacks. The Bubbles will expire at the end of the turn, or when hit.
Special: This attack can hit the same target multiple times (up to 3), or attack 3 separate targets.
Special: Targets trapped in Bubbles are easier to move with Wind Effects, Knockback, and Microburst than normal. C: DELETED! (PING!)
ShellnerdShellnerd (ShellGeek)

Shellgeeks alternate actions between attacking and guarding. These are the only actions Shellgeeks may perform, and the first action of every battle is always guarding. Shellgeeks will not break from this pattern unless forced to by status effects. The secondary attack of Shellgeeks can be used to grant an ally of this virus a free movement, or even to knock an ally out of the path of an oncoming attack.

Area: Yoka, Sharo, Beach, Okuden Valley

HP: 140
Primary Attack Damage/Effects: 20 Null x 2 Spears
Primary Attack Accuracy: B
Primary Attack Description: Fires two spears at one target.
Secondary Attack Damage/Effects: 40 Null
Secondary Attack Accuracy: B
Secondary Attack Description: Fires a star tipped arrow. Can be used on an ally to move them. Causes no damage to allies.
Element: Aqua
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): TripleNeedle, StarArrow2 (Rare), Zenny
Special: Attacks every other action. IronBody when not attacking. A: DELETED!
ShellnerdShellnerd (ShellGeek)

Shellgeeks alternate actions between attacking and guarding. These are the only actions Shellgeeks may perform, and the first action of every battle is always guarding. Shellgeeks will not break from this pattern unless forced to by status effects. The secondary attack of Shellgeeks can be used to grant an ally of this virus a free movement, or even to knock an ally out of the path of an oncoming attack.

Area: Yoka, Sharo, Beach, Okuden Valley

HP: 140
Primary Attack Damage/Effects: 20 Null x 2 Spears
Primary Attack Accuracy: B
Primary Attack Description: Fires two spears at one target.
Secondary Attack Damage/Effects: 40 Null
Secondary Attack Accuracy: B
Secondary Attack Description: Fires a star tipped arrow. Can be used on an ally to move them. Causes no damage to allies.
Element: Aqua
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): TripleNeedle, StarArrow2 (Rare), Zenny
Special: Attacks every other action. IronBody when not attacking. B: Wrong move, buddy.

-- Navis --
Lyntael.EXE: 350 HP (Roughly at six-o-clock, on the edge of the field) (Sand)(Casing20)(Off-target(2 turns, -1 Accuracy rank))

-- Terrain --
20% Sea

• Fire Elementals lose 10 HP/action standing, 20 HP/action submerged. Other Non-Aqua Elementals lose 5 HP/action submerged. Nullified for Aqua Elementals.
• Ice attacks: 50% Freeze1 chance, Changes terrain hit to Ice.
• Terrain changes between Sea and Onsen do not inflict damage upon submerged entities, nor do they eject submerged entities to the surface.
• Elec attacks: +100% Source Damage.
• PanelShot: Imbue Aqua.

(To the right, bouys floating on the edge of the (explorable) sea-line)
20% Normal

• No effects.

(Off to the left-side, leading up as path to higher ground)
20% Mud

• Non-Wood Elementals get -10% Evasion penalty and reduced movement speed, 25% (+/-25% RP) chance to fall or get stuck (1 action to get free).
• Automatically triggers Aqua Boost for appropriate chip attacks.
• Wood attacks: Change terrain hit to Soil.
• PanelShot: Imbue Wood + Slow1.

(On the left-side of the area, minus the boardwalk leading upwards)
40% Sand

• -20% Evasion and reduced movement speed to all.
• Can Burrow as standard action, incurable Blind1 until turn after exiting Burrow.
• Wind attacks: +100% Source Damage + Blind1, change terrain hit to Normal, trigger Sandstorm for 3 turns: Lose 5 HP/action, Blind1, Fire attacks gain Slashing.
• Fire attacks: Change terrain hit to Glass.
• Terrain changes between Sand and QuickSand do not inflict damage upon burrowed entities, nor do they eject burrowed entities to the surface.
• PanelShot: Blind1.

(The coastline, in front of the sea)

-- Objects --
BMD: 25 HP (Half-buried in the sand) (About a feint away, near the edge of the sea) (Sand)
Metal Dome: 15 HP (Atop the BMD with a giant X in red)

Battle 2! WIN!
Rewards: 3600z, 31 Bugfrags, StarArrow2Damage: 100 + Carry
Accuracy: B
Description: Fires an arrow that hovers still in the air for a moment before rocketing forward. If anyone grabs the arrow at any point before it hits something, they are sent flying along with the arrow.
Duration: Once
Element: Null
Special: Carry: If anyone, user, ally, or foe, grabs the arrow at any point before it hits something, they are pulled along by it until it either hits something or they let go. This does not affect the arrow in any way.
Trader Rank: C
Open BMD?

With a faint shimmer and blurring of light, Lyntael's form shifted back into view; she felt the strange bending of light around her fragment apart and looked down at her hands for an extra moment. It was a strange feeling, but it had been effective, at least. She could still feel her charge beating, pulsing beneath her skin and straining for release as her hair sparked and crackled and faint light caustics had started to arc beneath her skin... the current still burned as it filled her, but the fury of it – an amount that would have made her cry out or collapse a month or two ago – felt mostly tolerable now. Not least, she supposed, because it was hers; she'd felt worse pain than this, from other, darker sources, and this just couldn't ever have that kind of weight... not any more. She took a deep breath and sought calm; a pulse of sparks rippled from her body and scattered into the sand.

The moment of reflection passed with the breath, and Lyntael looked about quickly; the heels that had set the group of viruses on her had disappeared over the ridge now, and if they were involved with the issue that the wrangler had pointed her towards then that was as good a lead as any to follow up while she was sorting her own mind out. Her eyes passed back towards the domed data crystal. Answers would be good as well, and if she could learn more without having to get into another scrap that would be preferable. The data had been covered and protected at the same time they'd given the attack command, so it might be something they were collecting, or something else important to whatever they were up to. She turned from the path up the dunes for a moment and inspected the crystal's situation.

The dome was marked, but aside from the large red 'x', she couldn't see any other sign of traps or safeguards - it was only the distant familiarity of the mark that gave her pause. Something in her mind said she'd seen a similar mark before, on the explosives that some viruses seemed to use. Carefully then. As delicately as she could, while still moving swiftly, Lyntael knelt down and examined the situation. It was just placed on the sand, she could probably lift it up, with some effort... Even so... The girl closed her eyes and concentrated for a moment, feeling the glow of energy as it remained in her strikers, and drew it to her chest before turning it outward. A static reverberation expanded from her, forming a familiar protective barrier. Two similar points of light formed at the same time, extending matching protective shells across both the data crystal, and the dome itself – though the latter-most Lyntael found her mind focused more on the idea of containing any unpleasant reactions, than actually protecting. The effort of splitting her power deliberately like that took her breath; it was a new feeling, built upon the most primary instinct that had always been with her, and it soothers the violence of her charge into a broader, more stable rhythm. Maybe she could even help protect her friends, in the future, if she focused. The idea felt nice.

With warding taken care of, Lyntael started to shift some of the sand around the base of the metal dome and get her fingertips beneath the edge, then both hands, so that she could slowly try to lift it up and over with as little jostling as she could manage. Chances were it was just simple metal, and the mark was just paint, but better safe than sorry.

If the covering didn't complain, or explode, or do anything else untoward by the time she lifted it clear, Lyntael only took an extra moment to reach one hand out towards the crystal buried in the sand. As much as each cache she'd found like this was unique, and had its own code structure, the process of accessing, unlocking and unpacking them was becoming mostly second nature to her now. She focused on the work and tried her best to stay alert for any anomalies. Rogan had remained quiet as she 'd fought and after. He might be conversing with his contact, true enough, but interactions with this particular mystery informant were always brief.

“Rogan... Are you busy?” She spoke quietly, still focused on the crystal. His voice came back a moment later, relaxed, but still thoughtful.
“My work is concluded, Lyntael. I am...” There was a second or two of hesitation. “It feels, strange to say it, and a little uncomfortable, Lyntael, but I am... trying to pay attention to... to who you are choosing to be.” She paused in her work for a moment, letting herself take in the words; what she wouldn't have given to have heard something like that, months ago, before any of this happened... But then, as dark as it all had been, he hadn't been the sort of person to ever consider saying something like that, then. Perhaps she needed to learn who Rogan was now, as well.

“Perhaps we'll find out together this time.” Her answer was a quiet murmur as she finished accessing the data.

((Yes, Open BMD; use of that signature normally has a Hp cost for Lyntael, so feel free to adjust her by -25Hp when the next combat starts))

As Lyntael would pull the fairly light-ish metal dome up, nothing activated, nothing would happen and more importantly as she accessed the data, the BMD would slowly unfurl it's top outwards. Crystalline structure splitting and opening up at her touch, a small golden nugget would sit there, coins fused together with a couple small parts of green bills sticking out of little crevices'. Easy enough to see that it was just a fused lump of zenny, but it would probably still be plenty spendable.

(BMD Reward: 9000z)

As the data unpacked itself, Lyntael scanned through the contents before converting it to a slim string of green data that curled around her fingers and slipped away up her arm. Just currency – so either the navis were making a lot of profit from whatever they were doing, or... or it wasn't related and they'd just found it, same as she had. No real information.

She shook her head and turned towards the sandy ridge where the figures had disappeared. Hopefully they hadn't gotten too far away and she could get some answers. In her own mind ,she realised, she had taken as a given that they must be involved in the upsurge in some way, and she mentally took a step back as light steps carried her slender form up the hill in a few wind-assisted strides. She'd assumed that, but they might not be. If they were just opportunists who'd tried to control some of the suddenly more populous viruses, they might not have anything to really do with it... As she crested the ridge, Lyntael dismissed her worries again; whether they were involved or not, they'd attacked her, or set viruses on her to do the same, and that was reason enough to make sure they weren't going to keep doing it to other navis, if she could.

((First post with Rogan 'absent' due to shop purchases))

As Lyntael wondered up the path, there was little that stuck out to her...until she was met with a wall just under her height, stretching across the area and entrance into what seemed to be a city. Large buildings stretching upwards into the sky as she went through the arched entrance into it, apartment buildings stretching far beyond her sight, so much so even the roofs of some were obscured into the landscape. The buildings fairly uniform in color and structure, tan and beige walls with eggshell white buildings that looked as identical as the other, maybe a few ornaments dotting their fronts, and even then some she could see beyond the walls had small plots of grass and dirt connected to other buildings, most while mostly unkept, some were well kept...at least without weeds...were there people still living here? Would explain the bouys out by the sea...

Before long, she would make her way a sizable distance into this beach-side city, a central area full of grass and mud surrounded by walls taller than the ones she had just passed through that had funneled her into here, likely a park area. As it stood, she was not too far into the city, but at least the buildings had shrunk down to more manageable sizes, while these weren't beach-side property, there were small-ish homes around, and likely had cost a small fortune before seemingly being abandoned. She had the feeling of eyes being upon her from behind, but nothing concrete, there were no navis or viruses here, but there were four paths including the one she had come from...and no footprints leading in or out of the area...just this rough path of concrete and stone surrounding a grassy, muddy, area...

As the sand gave way to firmer terrain and Lyntael crested the ridge, she paused and glanced around. She wasn't sure what she'd expected to find chasing the group of hostile navis, but the abandoned-looking cityscape, set back just a short way form the beach dunes, hadn't been in her initial thoughts. Had they gone in here? She hesitated, peeking over the wall and into the array of buildings and alleyways between. She'd lost their actual tracks, but there didn't seem to be anywhere else... The main problem, really, was that it was such a large space, with so many paths. A frown twisted across her lips; her chances of actually finding them again, unless they made themselves known, was probably pretty slim now.

More cautiously, the girl began to make her way into the city, keeping an eye on the buildings and thoroughfares as she passed them and looking for any obvious signs of habitation. The next surprise was that she soon began to see several, but not in the way she'd expect of any ind of gang of thug hide-out... it just looked like some of the homes were being looked after, amidst the many that were not. Perhaps rogue or unoperated navigators lived here, seeking the relative safety of out-of-the-way obscurity.

Her steps slowed to a more gentle wandering pace, trailing like an errant breeze though the mostly forgotten city and letting her gaze wander across the sights. If she found the navis she was chasing, what was her plan? It certainly wasn't right for them to be attacking people, or setting viruses on them, but how did she actually want to handle it? Two months ago, she might have tried to plead with a group like that, or been too worried for her own safety to approach them at all. Two weeks ago, she'd have thrown herself headlong into them and revelled in bringing a fight to them that she was sure she'd have been adamant they deserved. Now...? She wasn't... quite sure.

Her steps carried her through the streets, naturally letting her course be directed towards one of the open park areas, and she paused to stand still, toes curling in the soft grass, and close her eyes; the wind whistles through the forgotten buildings, curling this way and through down lanes and alleys and around neglected structures... she could feel it playfully whistling through convenient shapes formed of the different homes and properties. A sensation, like a prickle that made the hair o her neck lift and the muscles behind her ears tense, made Lyntael stop and open her eyes, looking around. She felt watched, but couldn't find the eyes responsible.

A thought occurred, and she felt the edge of a grin tug at the corner of her lips. There was little sense in running off blindly, without any true leads, but if something was watching her from somewhere, it might also be an information source... and whether marked with good intentions or ill she was still a pretty young woman travelling alone. Lyntael glanced around again, making sure she couldn't see anyone nearby, then rolled her shoulders and stretched, reaching up above her and then out to the sides with a long, content sigh. She found the nicest patch of comfy grass she could and sat down, smoothing her skirt beneath her and making sure it was decent. She settled with one knee up and the other stretched out, arms back to support her weight, but then lay back fully after another moment with her hands behind her head, eyes closed as she gave all the signs of taking a moment to enjoy the quiet and the pleasant sun in private.

As she did, Lyntael let herself feel the movements of the breeze, and listened; if her mystery watcher wanted to come closer or make a move, that would be her opportunity... but if not, she might hear some sound or other from the surrounding city that might let her know which way the group of heels had gone – with any luck they might not be interested in being too quiet.

Lyntael would begin to lay in the grass, the feeling of wind kissing her face and body as more and more she could hear things happening around her...footsteps coming from the front slowly descending on her...before stopping just short of the navi. When she would look up, she would see the..."face"...of the Metool from the group she had befriended from before. The mauve colored Met giving her the approximation of a smile from under the helm, it seemed to have followed her from the beach to look after her after the group had given her more or less free passage.

It swung it's pick in happiness at having caught up, seemingly wanting to join her for when she found these supposedly dangerous navis. It wasn't too much longer before something happened though, a shot ringing out from above the two, the Met immediately dropping it's helm and blocking the shot with little worry of it's own safety, the shot having rang out far enough away she couldn't pinpoint exactly where it had come, but the general direction seemingly was off roughly towards the east, there being a path leading off to it. Even though the Met had a near-death experience, it had already left it's helm's defenses and was swinging it's pick, ready to follow Lyn where she may go.

At the sound of something approaching, Lyntael cracked an eyelid carefully to see what it was, but the figure wasn't that of another navigator at all. Instead, the shape turned out to be the outline of a metool, stopping just shy of her. She gave it another moment, but when the virus made no hostile move to attack, the girl let her eyes open properly and sat up, crossing her legs and straightening her skirt decently as she did. She tilted her head, looking at the virus; there weren't any immediately defining features, but its reaction made her smile.

“Hi there...” At the creature's familiar little wave, she felt more confident in her guess. “It's you, from before, right? I thought I felt someone watching... thought it might be some of the other navigators I'm following. Guess not though. Can't hear where they went either, so I should probably get moving again. I don't want—” Another errant shot striking out towards them from long range cut her off as Lyntael skipped back an extra step, her charge sparking and faint lights electricity jumping to life in her hair. Her expression drew into a frown as she scanned the direction, trying to track where the attack came from. That way... Were they trying to take pot shots at her just for following behind?

“Hey, I'm probably going to be going into danger, little guy, Are you sure you want—” Once more, she trailed off without finishing the question, though this time it was because the metool with her had already popped up and began making motions towards the source of the attack. Well, if the little met wanted a piece of the action, she wasn't going to stop it. “Well alright then... Be careful though, okay? And try not to get too close to me, if fighting starts, alright? I... I can be a bit dangerous, without meaning to, sometimes.” She paused to crouch, hands about her knees, and look at the metool more closely, scanning its features for recognition. “You understand? If I look like I'm getting really sparky, and it's going to burst everywhere, you take cover, okay?” With another nod she stood up again, then turned back towards the direction the shot had come from, and returned to her pursuit. Time to find some answers, hopefully.

((Rogan is 'back' now, and no battle has started yet, so I'll say Battle Ready now))

Continuing through the area with a new friend in tow, more of the same made streets would corral her and the Met into the area, weather it was some sort of makeshift killzone with it's cramped streets or just a way to drag her down a preferred path, she'd not have to run for long before reaching a grassy courtyard of sorts, a few small stones and some sand patches off to the sides. It wasn't until they moved forwards that the area would lock down, leaving them trapped as all four walls had gates that clamped down upon their entry.

It was silent for a moment before digging out of the ground, a Killweed in it's native colors would make itself known, tendrils flailing around before a quartet of other viruses would make their way in. A Shellnerd, her prey, was lured into the fight, whist a Fishy2 and swarm of Skeetos would come in shortly thereafter, leading to the duo to hover on the sand towards the northern gates, as well as a Lark flopping in ungracefully with a splatter near the eastern gates. All these viruses were naturally colored, unlike the ones she had fought previously. Maybe the navis lured in natural viruses to capture? Either way, battle routines flared up, whist the Metool that had followed took the initiative to hide in it's helm, it wasn't likely to fight, but, could still probably be convinced to do so if Lyntael wished.

-- Viruses --
SkeetoSkeeto (Skeeter)

Area: Yoka, Okuden Valley, Beach, Yumland, Netfrica

HP: 80
Primary Attack Damage/Effect: 80 Drain (Null)
Primary Attack Accuracy: B
Primary Attack Description: A swarm of Skeeters flies at the target. They will drain HP if they connect.
Element: None
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): Drain2, Zenny
Special: Omnishoes: 80 HP (Near the Fishy2) (Sand)
BarkBark (Lark)

Area: Electown, Yoka, Beach

HP: 200
Attack Damage/Effect: 45 Aqua + Wide Attack
Attack Accuracy: A
Attack Description: Fires wideshot.
Element: Aqua
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): WideShot2, Zenny
Special: Omnishoes
Special: Can blind one enemy once instead of attacking.: 200 HP (Towards the Eastern gate, lining up a shot) (Grass)
ShellnerdShellnerd (ShellGeek)

Shellgeeks alternate actions between attacking and guarding. These are the only actions Shellgeeks may perform, and the first action of every battle is always guarding. Shellgeeks will not break from this pattern unless forced to by status effects. The secondary attack of Shellgeeks can be used to grant an ally of this virus a free movement, or even to knock an ally out of the path of an oncoming attack.

Area: Yoka, Sharo, Beach, Okuden Valley

HP: 140
Primary Attack Damage/Effects: 20 Null x 2 Spears
Primary Attack Accuracy: B
Primary Attack Description: Fires two spears at one target.
Secondary Attack Damage/Effects: 40 Null
Secondary Attack Accuracy: B
Secondary Attack Description: Fires a star tipped arrow. Can be used on an ally to move them. Causes no damage to allies.
Element: Aqua
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): TripleNeedle, StarArrow2 (Rare), Zenny
Special: Attacks every other action. IronBody when not attacking.: 140 HP (Middle of the field) (Grass)
Fishy2Fishy2 (Fishy)

Area: ACDC, Okuden Valley, Dentech, Beach, NetVegas

HP: 150
Attack Damage/Effect: 45 + Stun 1 + Line Attack(5) + Impact + Piercing
Attack Accuracy: C
Attack Description: Flies into a group of enemies, and stuns them.
Element: Normal
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): DashAttack2, Zenny
Special: Omnishoes: 150 HP (Up towards the North-Eastern corner) (Sand)
KillWeedKillWeed (KillPlant)

Area: Beach, Yumland, Netfrica, Dentech

HP: 160
Primary Attack Damage/Effect: 90 Wood
Primary Attack Accuracy: C
Primary Attack Description: The virus spits a large wooden seed at one target, like a bomb. If it misses, it remains on the field for one turn.
Secondary Attack Damage/Effect: 90 Wood + Ground + Line Attack + Aqua Boost(+90 Wood, +AccuracyUP)
Secondary Attack Accuracy: C / B
Secondary Attack Description: If the seed is left alone for one turn, it will erupt into a Wood Tower attack. If the seed is hit by any Aqua based attacks or it lands on a Sea Panel, it will double in power and speed.
Element: Wood
Possible Rewards (Per virus): TreeBomb2, Zenny
Special: This virus is immobile.
- The Seed is immune to damage.
- Fire and Impact will destroy the Seed.
- This virus attacks every other turn, starting on the first turn.: 160 HP (In the South-Western corner) (Grass)

-- Navis --
Lyntael.EXE: 325 HP (Near gates) (Grass)
Metool2Metool2 (Metool)

Metools not currently attacking will guard. Entering guard mode requires an action. Exiting guard mode does not require an action.

Area: ACDC, Electown, Okuden Valley, Kotobuki Town, Dentech, Beach

HP: 100
Primary Attack Damage/Effect: 50 Null + Piercing + Ground Attack
Primary Attack Accuracy: C
Primary Attack Description: Whacks ground with pickaxe, sending forth a shockwave.
Secondary Attack Damage/Effect: 50 Null
Secondary Attack Accuracy: B
Secondary Attack Description: Throws a mattock at an enemy.
Element: Null
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): Guard2, SonicWave, Zenny
Special: Can hide in its helmet to negate damage.
Special: Can use Recover150 on self once.: 100 HP (Near the gates) (Grass) (Defending)

-- Objects --
Gate A: 100 HP (Behind you)
Gate B: 100 HP (On the Northern wall)
Gate C: 100 HP (On the Eastern wall)
Gate D: 100 HP (On the Western Wall)

-- Terrain --
80% Grass

• Wood Elementals get +5 HP/action.
• Fire attacks: +100% Source Damage, change terrain hit to Soil.
• PanelShot: Imbue Wood.

(If you're not on sand, you're here)
20% Sand

• -20% Evasion and reduced movement speed to all.
• Can Burrow as standard action, incurable Blind1 until turn after exiting Burrow.
• Wind attacks: +100% Source Damage + Blind1, change terrain hit to Normal, trigger Sandstorm for 3 turns: Lose 5 HP/action, Blind1, Fire attacks gain Slashing.
• Fire attacks: Change terrain hit to Glass.
• Terrain changes between Sand and QuickSand do not inflict damage upon burrowed entities, nor do they eject burrowed entities to the surface.
• PanelShot: Blind1.

(In a quartet of small patches off to the corners)

-- Rogue Battle 3 Ready? Start!! --

As much as she was moving quickly to track down the ne'erdowell navis, Lyntael stopped and skipped back a half pace as the park she had been crossing suddenly turned itself into a lock box with gates one each side. Unconsciously, she felt her body slip into a combat stance, light on her toes and hands raised, ready. Her eyes darted to each exit as she scanned the situation, but none of the actual heels she had seen before were present here.

Movement all around caught her senses and she turned in place, rapidly taking in each of the viruses that had started to appear; it was almost like they'd been driven to the surface, so to speak, by the gates locking down. They weren't marked either, not like the other ones had been. Wild viruses then, but locked in. Maybe this was how they were catching them? She grit her teeth and tried to size up how each of the creatures around her seemed to be acting, then glanced down to her travel companion.

“Stay safe, little guy, this could get awkward...” Her heart had kicked up to a rapid beat, fresh adrenaline spiking the thrum of her charge from a warm glow to a pulsing beat. She extended one hand out from her body as she turned, making eye contact with each of the new arrivals as much as she could. A swell of energy followed the motion, building in her core then expanding outward in a shell of static energy that glowed brighter as it passed her strikers and drew stabilising energy from them. The shell faded form sight as it settled into place.

“I don't know which ones of you can understand me... but I don't think any of you want to be in this box any more than I do... not if it's what I think it might be.” Her eyes flickered from the viruses to the gates. They might be reinforced to stop viruses from leaving easily, but she doubted they were made to hold navis. Behind her shoulder, Rogan's voice reached her ear.

“Lyntael... it will be very difficult for you to assess your combat strength if you try to avoid every fight.” She shook her head, but there wasn't much time to respond without also moving, so move she did. Regardless of how aggressive the viruses actually were, she had a feeling that some of them, at least, were likely to just attack her on sight. That was a danger she would have to weather for now. She darted forward, light on her feet enough to let her duck and weave between any violent offerings made by the creatures around her as she crossed the part towards the far gate. Her body pulsed with energy as she ran, scattering sparks around her as she went.

“That's not the only reason I'm here, Rogan. I need to... I'm working something out. Just... give me a minute, please. I want to try.” She responded in a quieter tone as she ran, focusing on the gate in front of her rather than any of the viruses. In her hear, she heard Rogan sigh.

As she reached her goal, Lyntael leapt forward, twisting into a forward spiral that brought her left foot around to strike at one upper corner of the gate. Small trails of wind curled and rushed with her motions, supporting and keeping her stable through the attack; as the momentum carried her body her other leg snapped outward, aiming to connect at the opposite anchor before she landed in front of the mesh obstruction. Lyntael didn't slow, but turned her landing into a low sweep, crouching and extending her right foot again right away to strike at a lower corner of the obstacle, then switching as she turned to lash out with her left a second time, at the fourth corner as she rose to standing. She kept going, pushing off the foot to continue the second twist and add to its momentum; a twisting curl of wind flared her skirt as she jumped and turned pulling her arms in tight then thrusting out again, palms first against the centre of the gate as she faced it at the arc of her leap. The circling breeze rushed forward with her, attempting to batter the blockage down.

As she landed the second time, Lyntael spun back to face the other viruses, fists clenched. She could feel her charge filling her rapidly, eager to expend, and the sense of it under her skin buzzed.

“I'm not here for any of you right now. Any of you can go, and I won't stop you.” She darted back the other direction, her charge full and ready to burst while another stabilising pulse rippled from her skin into the nearby air; any viruses that had decided to come close to her only had themselves to blame for small shocks, right now, and she had to accept that while she looked after her own safety as best she could. It was danger she was taking on herself, she knew that, and if they were committed to hostility, she'd deal with it... but not before at least giving the smarter ones the chance to choose otherwise. Was this who she was going to be? Maybe...

“Actually, Lyntael...” Rogan's voice alongside her was hard to read in the moment. “You are here for some of them. That one in the centre is one you have a bounty for deleting.” Lyntael did her best to ignore his words. “And you're only endangering yourself by not quelling the immediate threats swiftly.”

“Maybe...” She muttered back to him under her breath as she approached the opposite gate and let her body flow into another fluid series of pin-point strikes, aimed at battering the gate from its anchors and knocking it away. “But that's my choice this time... and I'm making it.”

As she finished her second assault on the other gate, Lyntael turned back to the other viruses again, this time letting the glow of her charge manifest brighter as sparks crackled in her hair and light caustics danced across her skin, ready to explode into lightning. She walked back towards the centre of the area, looking left and right as she spoke.

“This fight isn't any of yours, and it's not one you'll win. Go live your lives somewhere else... that's my offer.” Maybe she was talking to insapient data programs; she knew that was possible, but is the little metool that had followed her was any proof, not all of them were... not all the time. She'd fight the ones she had to, but if a few extra bruises meant giving a choice to the ones that could actually make one, maybe that was worth it.

Summary
L*) First Armour: 20Hp Casing (as subtle outfit reinforcement)
L1) My Heart Falters, yet beats anew (Buster Charge, 80Hp Barrier, (Off-Target1, 1 Round))
L2) A Manifest Spirit, and eyes that dance (10Elec Nova2, Take Aim, Dodge, Movement, (Off-Target1, 1 Round))
L3) Basic Buster Strike (30 x 5 hits, A) at the forward gate.
L*) Fast Armour: 20Hp Casing Refresh
L4) My Faith Can Heal, with time for laughter (Buster Charge, Feint, Movement, 10Elec Nova2, Knockback, (Self-Slow1, 1 Round))
L5) Basic Buster Strike (30 x 5 hits, A) at the rear gate.
L6) My Pain is Real, it lingers after (Counter (On Hit): (10Elec Nova2, Knockback, Time Delay (Start of next turn): Counter (On Hit): (10Elec Nova2, Knockback)), 15Hp Sacrifice)

Cooldowns and Overcharge
My Heart Falters, yet beats anew (3TCD)
A Manifest Spirit, and eyes that dance (3TCD)
My Faith Can Heal, with time for laughter (3TCD)
My Pain is Real, it lingers after (2TCD)

Overcharge: Begin: 0, My Heart Falters (-3), A Manifest Spirit (-1), My Faith Can Heal (-2), My Pain is Real (+1 per counter Triggered), End: +0/+1

The viruses took up their owndefensive positions as they watched Lyntael move, the navi quickly making sure her defenses were up and ready to block anything sent her way. The viruses would be quick to respond in kind...but froze in their tracks as they noticed the met that had followed her into this situation. It had been defending, but did not take up arms against Lyn herself. They were, in many aspects animals of all sorts, but even this was a bit on the strange side for this quintet.

The viruses side eyeing one another (or at least trying to) as Lyn lept at the gate, trying to talk the viruses down like the first group, even as she was interrupted by her op in her ear, the Met peeking it's helm up as lightning flashed across Lyntael's body, fits and feet crashing against the gate straight ahead of her as it buckled under her power with ease, crumpling with one hit, foot going through it with another...and the last two would bring it off it's track, sending it flying through the air, wind carrying it far further as it crashed against the ground...

The viruses were frozen as she continued to assault the gates, even as the charge exploded outwards against the air, it inadvertantly clipped the met. But it's helm had taken the damage and none to the wearer as it watched Lyntael do a repeat performance on the second gate they had gone through, the same gate crashing onto the ground mere moments later...she had more than just made her point, as the Bark lazily moved to the Shellnerd and gently picked it up between it's lips, beginning to float away from the field of battle, the viruses had a mutual understanding, they weren't about to fight this time if they could leave without a scratch. The Fishy would make a nod of understanding towards Lyn as it flew over to the Killplant, plucking the virus up and managing to put it on it's head before beginning to fly out of the killbox. This left the Skeeto swarm to float there for a moment, before moving to Lyntael. The swarm would gently tickle at her as data could be felt downloading to her before the swarm would disperse, leaving the navi and met alone.

-- Viruses --
SkeetoSkeeto (Skeeter)

Area: Yoka, Okuden Valley, Beach, Yumland, Netfrica

HP: 80
Primary Attack Damage/Effect: 80 Drain (Null)
Primary Attack Accuracy: B
Primary Attack Description: A swarm of Skeeters flies at the target. They will drain HP if they connect.
Element: None
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): Drain2, Zenny
Special: Omnishoes: 80 HP (Near the Fishy2) (Sand)
BarkBark (Lark)

Area: Electown, Yoka, Beach

HP: 200
Attack Damage/Effect: 45 Aqua + Wide Attack
Attack Accuracy: A
Attack Description: Fires wideshot.
Element: Aqua
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): WideShot2, Zenny
Special: Omnishoes
Special: Can blind one enemy once instead of attacking.: 200 HP (Towards the Eastern gate, lining up a shot) (Grass)
ShellnerdShellnerd (ShellGeek)

Shellgeeks alternate actions between attacking and guarding. These are the only actions Shellgeeks may perform, and the first action of every battle is always guarding. Shellgeeks will not break from this pattern unless forced to by status effects. The secondary attack of Shellgeeks can be used to grant an ally of this virus a free movement, or even to knock an ally out of the path of an oncoming attack.

Area: Yoka, Sharo, Beach, Okuden Valley

HP: 140
Primary Attack Damage/Effects: 20 Null x 2 Spears
Primary Attack Accuracy: B
Primary Attack Description: Fires two spears at one target.
Secondary Attack Damage/Effects: 40 Null
Secondary Attack Accuracy: B
Secondary Attack Description: Fires a star tipped arrow. Can be used on an ally to move them. Causes no damage to allies.
Element: Aqua
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): TripleNeedle, StarArrow2 (Rare), Zenny
Special: Attacks every other action. IronBody when not attacking.: 140 HP (Middle of the field) (Grass)
Fishy2Fishy2 (Fishy)

Area: ACDC, Okuden Valley, Dentech, Beach, NetVegas

HP: 150
Attack Damage/Effect: 45 + Stun 1 + Line Attack(5) + Impact + Piercing
Attack Accuracy: C
Attack Description: Flies into a group of enemies, and stuns them.
Element: Normal
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): DashAttack2, Zenny
Special: Omnishoes: 150 HP (Up towards the North-Eastern corner) (Sand)
KillWeedKillWeed (KillPlant)

Area: Beach, Yumland, Netfrica, Dentech

HP: 160
Primary Attack Damage/Effect: 90 Wood
Primary Attack Accuracy: C
Primary Attack Description: The virus spits a large wooden seed at one target, like a bomb. If it misses, it remains on the field for one turn.
Secondary Attack Damage/Effect: 90 Wood + Ground + Line Attack + Aqua Boost(+90 Wood, +AccuracyUP)
Secondary Attack Accuracy: C / B
Secondary Attack Description: If the seed is left alone for one turn, it will erupt into a Wood Tower attack. If the seed is hit by any Aqua based attacks or it lands on a Sea Panel, it will double in power and speed.
Element: Wood
Possible Rewards (Per virus): TreeBomb2, Zenny
Special: This virus is immobile.
- The Seed is immune to damage.
- Fire and Impact will destroy the Seed.
- This virus attacks every other turn, starting on the first turn.: 160 HP (In the South-Western corner) (Grass)

-- Navis --
Lyntael.EXE: 325 HP (Near gate A) (Casing20)(Barrier80)(Grass)
Metool2Metool2 (Metool)

Metools not currently attacking will guard. Entering guard mode requires an action. Exiting guard mode does not require an action.

Area: ACDC, Electown, Okuden Valley, Kotobuki Town, Dentech, Beach

HP: 100
Primary Attack Damage/Effect: 50 Null + Piercing + Ground Attack
Primary Attack Accuracy: C
Primary Attack Description: Whacks ground with pickaxe, sending forth a shockwave.
Secondary Attack Damage/Effect: 50 Null
Secondary Attack Accuracy: B
Secondary Attack Description: Throws a mattock at an enemy.
Element: Null
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): Guard2, SonicWave, Zenny
Special: Can hide in its helmet to negate damage.
Special: Can use Recover150 on self once.: 100 HP (Near the gates) (Grass) (Defending)

-- Objects --
Gate A: 100 HP (Behind you)
Gate B: 100 HP (On the Northern wall)
Gate C: 100 HP (On the Eastern wall)
Gate D: 100 HP (On the Western Wall)

-- Terrain --
80% Grass

• Wood Elementals get +5 HP/action.
• Fire attacks: +100% Source Damage, change terrain hit to Soil.
• PanelShot: Imbue Wood.

(If you're not on sand, you're here)
20% Sand

• -20% Evasion and reduced movement speed to all.
• Can Burrow as standard action, incurable Blind1 until turn after exiting Burrow.
• Wind attacks: +100% Source Damage + Blind1, change terrain hit to Normal, trigger Sandstorm for 3 turns: Lose 5 HP/action, Blind1, Fire attacks gain Slashing.
• Fire attacks: Change terrain hit to Glass.
• Terrain changes between Sand and QuickSand do not inflict damage upon burrowed entities, nor do they eject burrowed entities to the surface.
• PanelShot: Blind1.

(In a quartet of small patches off to the corners)

Battle 3: WIN (by technicality)
Rewards: 4500z, Drain2Damage: Drain 70
Accuracy: C
Description: Summons a cloud of Skeeto viruses, and sends them flying at one enemy. They surround the target, proceed to drain HP from it, and send the stolen energy back to their summoner before vanishing. This attack has a slow travel speed.
Duration: Once
Element: Null
Trader Rank: C