Some Personal Time

Blessed with the perfect mixture of good technique and desperation, Lyntael's swimming lets her outstrip the ominously-floating bubbles by far, scampering up into the boardwalk wet but unharmed. The Swordy makes one more swipe for the Bandcoon, making a series of high-pitched squeals of frustration when it misses yet again; if the Bandcoon possessed human features, the grin it gives its Navi friend as she clambers onto the stonework would be downright devilish.

The Swordy looks to the Bandcoon, then over to Lyntael. Back to the Bandcoon, now back to Lyntael. Sadly, nothing spontaneously appears to crush the two opponents to oblivion as it wishes would happen, and its frustration only grows until it could feasibly self-delete from sheer unbridled rage. Lyntael finally puts the poor thing out of its misery, courtesy of an electric kick straight to the noggin...not that that's especially descriptive, given that Swordies are mostly noggin, but the point still stands.

The bubbles loom overtop Lyntael and her Bandcoon friend, seemingly about to envelop the two of them and leave them stranded on the boardwalk until the next helpful soul comes along...only for the three spheres to pop, rather anti-climatically at that. Perhaps they recognized there were no more viruses on their side, or perhaps their coding just expired. Whatever reason, they were gone, and nothing remained to block Lyntael and her virus friend from continuing along their adventure.

=Foes=
Swordy-AA: DELETED
Swordy-AB: FALCON KIIIICKED
StarfishA: DELETED
StarfishB: DELETED

=Terrain=
50% Normal
50% Sea

=Allies=
Lyntael: 145HP [Normal] [My Pain is Real: Ready!] [Overcharge: +1]
Bandcoon: 60HP [Normal]

=Cooldowns=
My Pain is Real: Ready, not that it matters

=BATTLE #2: VICTORIOUS!!=
Rewards: AquaKnife, 600z

Quote ()

AquaKnife
Damage: 60 + Slashing
Accuracy: B
Description: Creates a sword imbued with water energy, with a blade comparable to a large knife. Hits one target per slash.
Duration: Until Overridden/Broken. Breaks automatically after 6 swings.
Element: Aqua

It's another moment or two before the young girl recovered herself and sat up a little straighter. Though she remained crouching, she lifted her hands enough to rest them about her knees while she looked at her brave little companion. Her skin was still charged from the fight and her hair still snapped occasionally; she definitely wasn't safe to touch, so she didn't reach out to him, but at the least she managed a weak grin.

"Are you alright little guy? The virus didn't hurt you, did he? You were really very brave, you know. Braver than me. I'd have just run away, if not for you. I was really scared. I can still feel my heart racing." At some point it had begun to sound more like she was talking to herself, than to her companion, but a moment later she shook her head. "We should probably get away from the sea, before more things show up."

She stood and looked around, the sound of dripping water trails abating slowly as she claimed what looked like chip data from the remnants of one of the viruses. There wasn't much she could do with it, certainly, but at the least she encapsulated it and converted it to a string that darted away up her wrist to begin circling in a small, tight loop around her upper arm. It could be transferred as soon as she re-established the connection with her PET. The thought gave her pause for a moment. This was only the second time she'd ventured out on her own, using Rogan's link emulator on her own and effectively breaking her connection with the PET in the process. If anything happened to her like this, the emergency system wouldn't even be able to find her, to pull her out. For all of that, her fear and trepidation was only a shadow of what it might normally have been, and it made her wonder why. A soak in a nice spring, no matter how restorative, didn't seem to account for that.

None of this musing was particularly helpful in getting the water out of her clothes. Wet and cold was proving to be notably more uncomfortable than wet and warm, and there was an irksome pinch of tightness around the hems of her undergarment in particular but she did her best to ignore it for now and looked about instead.

"Let's head that way. What do you think, huh little guy? Look promising?" She pointed to a small trail that gradually led back inland, away from the sea, though in truth it seemed to stay quite close. Since the fates seemed against the young girl staying dry, maybe she could find some more of those warm springs to wade in, or something else peaceful. Waiting to see if her Bandcoon friend was still interesting in following her, Lyntael set off.

((Wandering obliviously towards encounter 3))

Lyntael's efforts to journey landward are successful: her path takes her on a winding journey back into the more land-locked regions of Yoka Net. Even here, however, she is foiled in her attempts to keep away from water, as giant twin hot springs loom across a sizable portion of her immediate view. The springs are separated by a raised bed of coals, and each one contains a large, thick spire right in the centre, reaching toward the heavens. She could strafe around the pools and keep herself out of danger... but on the other hand, the hot coal divider between the two springs is giving off a fair deal of heat, and eases a lot of the uncomfortable dampness from her sodden outfit.

Her Bandcoon's soft growls alert her to the fact that she's intruding on a veritable virus menagerie, who seems to have overtaken the lovely bastion of warmth. seems more or less safe, and in fact makes for quite an adorable sight. A Lark and a Snoozy are flopped against the edge of the pool, the two of them sharing the Snoozy's pillow as they nap; the fact that the fluffy down is getting rather wet doesn't seem to bother either of them. Opposite them, two Piranhas float atop the water of their pool, circling their spire with fierce, guard dog-esque expressions. A Heavy rocks and rolls along the coal bridge, seemingly there to roll the hot rocks out good and flat...though it does seem very bored with its job, at least as much as a Heavy can look bored in the first place.

None of this group seems to notice Lyntael upon her initial appearance, or her jittery Bandcoon. She could try sneaking into the hotspring with the sleeping viruses, she could battle the Piranhas, she could try and find some way to brighten up the Heavy's day...heck, she could even try all three if she wanted. The choice was hers...and her little Bandcoons, too!

=Foes=
Lark: 100HP [Onsen L] [Sleeping!]
Snoozy: 60HP [Onsen L] [Sleeping!]
PiranhaA: 60HP [Onsen R]
PiranhaB: 60HP [Onsen R]
Heavy: 75HP [Coal] [Bored!]

=Objects=
Spire L: 500HP
SpireR: 500HP

=Terrain=
20% Normal [Ring around battlefield]
60% Onsen [Two large pools, dubbed Onsen L and Onsen R]
20% Coal ['Bridge' between two pools]

=Allies=
Lyntael: 145HP [Normal] [Overcharge: +1]
Bandcoon: 60HP [Normal]

=HOT SPRINGS EPISODE (TAKE 2)!!=
=BATTLE #3: BEGIN!!=

Lyntael put her hands to her mouth for a moment, as she came across the springs. At first because she's found another lovely looking spot, then to prevent a small gasp at the number of viruses in the area. Then after another moment of holding her breath, she kept the hand covering her mouth in order to muffle a delighted squeak as her heart melted a little. Those two on the pillow there were sleeping and all cuddled upanditwasjustsoadorable!

Crouching down, she winced for a moment as her undergarments pinched. If she didn't know better she'd say they'd begun to shrink slightly. Maybe the water had been too hot after all. She shook her head, refocusing on the reason she'd dropped down, and looked at her hands briefly, working out if she was calm enough. After a second she nodded and reached out to stroke her Bandcoon friend softly.
"Shhh... it's ok, little guy. Don't worry. Look over there." She pointed off towards the two sleeping viruses. "Aren't they just so cute? Let's not wake them, ok?" Her hand continued to stroke and pet her little friend as she looked about properly.

The warmth coming off the central strip would be perfect for getting her clothes dry again, but she didn't particularly fancy getting undressed again, even if the only company was viruses. She'd already encountered ones that were far too sentient-seeming for her to be comfortable being exposed around. Maybe if she could just hang around for a little while, without nay of the viruses nearby getting upset at her?

Walking slowly, she began to head out across the central strip, but she'd only taken a step or two before biting her lip and darting to the right quickly, putting her feet in the water. Those coals were hot! Really hot! She took a few more steps into the water of the right pool, shifting from foot to foot as she tried to soothe the lingering sensation of stepping bare-foot on coals that were far hotter than she'd expected.

Without meaning to, she'd waded into the pool that had apparently been claimed by the Piranhas, and she looked to them, flinching. Her hands came up, palms out as she shied back from them, hoping that she hadn't intruded enough to upset them any more. They both looked so fierce, and ill-tempered to begin with.

"Sorry!" It was closer to a stage whisper than anything else, caught up in the idea that she wanted to be quiet, and not disturb the others. As usual, she had no way of knowing just how much of anything she said was understood by any of them, but she finished the thought anyway. "I didn't mean to... I don't want to, ah... I'm not going to fight you, honest!"

She edged a little further along the inner edge of the pool, wondering if it would be better to brave a hop across the coals to stand in the other pool. She didn't want to disturb the other two though, they were just too cute, snuggled together like that. Her thoughts were curtailed by the movement of the Heavy, nearby. It certainly wasn't a virus that Lyntael recognised, or had ever seen before, but it didn't look particularly happy, rolling back and forth on the coal bed, smoothing it out. It looked like it was made of metal, but even so, it couldn't be comfortable work. As it passed closer, she turned to face the large dumbbell virus, trusting with the unthinking innocence of the still young that the Piranhas wouldn't shoot her in the back.

"Hey... Aren't those coals really hot? Doesn't it hurt to roll around on them like that? Why are you doing it anyway?" She spoke quietly still, and it was hard to tell if she was even addressing it properly, but amongst that, the futility of asking such a complex third question of a virus that likely couldn't talk back at all, was lost on her for the time being. She continued to shift from foot to foot, calf-deep in the water as she spoke, the soles of her feet tingling. At least the heat coming off the coals was probably beginning to work its magic on her, admittedly quite thin, clothing. Or it would, so long as she didn't end up getting it all wet again, that was. She had the strongest itch to pull at the hem of her underwear where it was pinching, but resisted the urge to do something that improper while anyone might see.


Summary

((Rp based summary, since she's not taking combat actions))

- Comfort and calm the Bandcoon
- Squee like a little girl over adorably sleeping viruses.
- Discover that coal-walking is not an innate personal ability of hers
- Try not to offend Piranhas while cooling feet.
- Try to talk to Heavy about its work, in a sympathetic way.

Lyntael's Bandcoon ceases growling almost immediately as she leans down to pet it, almost...yes, definitely purring in satisfaction. Antipathy forgotten, it visibly relaxes back into its general playfulness, hopping about on its little paws. It spots the two sleeping viruses in the left pool, and its little dark eyes light up from behind its mask. It noses its way into the hot springs, paws doing the ow-hot-ow-hot dance for a few seconds before it's happily paddling through the steaming water, towards the cuddling couple. Its intentions are anyone's guess, but one thing's for sure: the two viruses have caught the cheeky little rodent's eye, and that could mean any number of things.

Meanwhile, Lyntael herself goes off to try her hand at coal-walking...and finds her feet rather lacking in their ability to take hot coals. Thankfully, the spring water, while still very hot, does a wonderful job of easing the burns from her feet, leaving her body feeling most refreshed and rejuvenated. Unfortunately, the Piranhas already inhabiting the spring seem to have a bone to pick with her: the moment she sets foot in their waters, they immediately turn on her, angry white eyes glaring at her. They both open their mouths as though to ready their formidable needle-shots...only to be bewildered at the Navi turning her back on them. Their mouths snap shut, and they whisper urgently to one another in their virus-tongue, wondering what on earth to do with this curious, non-aggressive intruder.

The lone remaining virus, on the other hand, appears to greatly appreciate the attention Lyntael gives it...at least, insofar as a virus without a mobile face can look appreciative. It makes a long, electronic beeeeeeeeep that, for all its robotic intonation, sounds strangely like a sigh in response to Lyn's line of questioning, almost as though to say, "What can you do?" It then turns its face to look straight at Lyntael, then shifts its body such to stare in the direction where she and her Bandcoon had arrived from, then turns all the way around to eye the Bandcoon's antics in the other pool. Finally, it slides back to face Lyntael, and wobbles back and forth in place. Its intentions could be construed as just about anything, but it seems...curious, possibly?

=Foes(?)=
Lark: 100HP [Onsen L] [Sleeping!]
Snoozy: 60HP [Onsen L] [Sleeping!]
PiranhaA: 60HP [Onsen R] [Confused!]
PiranhaB: 60HP [Onsen R] [Confused!]
Heavy: 75HP [Coal] [Curious?!]

=Objects=
Spire L: 500HP
Spire R: 500HP

=Terrain=
20% Normal [Ring around battlefield]
60% Onsen [Two large pools, dubbed Onsen L and Onsen R]
20% Coal ['Bridge' between two pools]

=Allies=
Lyntael: 150HP [Onsen R] [Overcharge: +1]
Bandcoon: 60HP [Onsen L] [Curious, approaching Lark and Snoozy!]

Lyntael watched and listened, trying hard to grasp what she could of how the large virus responded to her. I was hard to tell, but it certainly didn't seem to be enjoying the work it was doing. She should have realised it couldn't properly answer her why, but there was something meaningful about the way it looked around and gestured to her. She did her best to decode it, or at least to cover some of the possible bases. Smiling softly, now that she felt more confident nothing was going to try to hurt her on sight, she tilted her head.

"Me? Well, I'm just exploring really. Looking around, clearing my head, you know?" She stretched, putting her hands behind her head as she spoke. Her feet felt better now, and the warm vapours from the spring water was, once again, loosening her up and making her a bit more languid. "I met the little guy at another spring. He's really friendly, and..." She had glanced over to where the ever-curious bandcoon was creeping closer to the adorably snuggling viruses. And she hissed another whisper to him quickly.
"Shh... Play nice, and don't disturb them, ok?" Grinning again, she looked back to the heavy. "Are you friendly, too? It didn't look like you were enjoying all that rolling before. Do you want to take a dip in the spring instead?" She ducked her head, teeth flashing as her smile became a daring grin. "Hehe... come on, it's really relaxing and so soothing. I had a rest in one before and it was so nice I feel asleep... I'm not even tired and I think it'd be nice to take another little break, myself. It feels wonderful."

Taking the initiative, she darted quickly across the bed of coals, from the edge of one spring into the other, moving her feet as quickly as possible so as not to burn them, then wading across the water slowly, she turned and beckoned to the larger virus, motioning for him to move down a bit towards her, before coming in, so as to not encroach on the sleeping adorables. That was what they were called now, in her mind.
"Don't worry, I'm sure the coals are plenty flat enough. It'll feel really great after rolling around on those scalding things for so long, I promise!"

As she waited to see if he would follow her, Lyntael waded out a little more, until the water came up to her thighs, just short of getting her skirt wet again. She bent enough to trial her fingers in the water for a few moment,s before turning back. Her eye caught sight of the two Piranhas, and it only now occurred to her that, as angry as they'd looked before, they might have actually shot her in the back. Only, they hadn't, and now, when she looked at them, they didn't seem so angry any more, just... puzzled? Her slow wading had gradually carried her back towards where the adorables rested, but she was mostly looking at the piranhas across the way still. She didn't want to raise her voice, but lifted both her hands so that she could wave to them in as friendly a manner as she could think of, and then gesture to them both with a more inwardly waving motion, inviting the pair to come and join the rest.

Perhaps it was the coals, but the water here was hotter than the last spring she'd rested in. Even so, it was no less blissful. Perhaps moreso. She glanced to the adorables nearby. Hopefully her little Bandcoon friend wasn't being too mischievous. Looking at the two, sleeping so peacefully on their little pillow together, while she waded with the water up to her knees, Lyntael found herself wanting to slip down and sit for a while. It wasn't that she was tired, just... it seemed so inviting.

That would mean taking her skirt off again, but... She bit her lip. There was no arguing the fact that her undergarment was tighter and more pinching that it started, and if the last spring had been hot enough to cause that, this one would be worse. What to do? She didn't want to take a rest here and spend the whole time standing up, that was for sure. As she glanced around at the viruses, she rationalised to herself. Most of them were preoccupied, and beyond that, they might be a bit clever, and friendly, but they certainly didn't seem particularly interested or knowledgeable about decency, or the like. The only other navis she'd actually seen had been a long way off, down at the waterfront; neither of the springs had seemed to have anyone else around for ages, and that was probably why there were viruses relaxing here at all. She was perfectly safe.

Even so, it felt more than a bit naughty. She blushed and fought down a giggle, then unfastened her skirt again, wading back to the edge of the pool, and bending to lie it out neatly against the hot coals. They didn't seem to be dusty at all, so there was no fear of the garment getting marked or dirty, but the heat would ensure it dried very quickly indeed. She hesitated more over the next bit, and looked around, even after rationalising everything to herself. Good, no-one. Taking one foot out of the water carefully then the other, she whisked off her slightly shrinking undergarment as well, and bunched them up in one hand. She couldn't leave it with the skirt; the heat would probably make them unwearable. In the end, she did what any sensible girl does when needing to hide a discretely removed undergarment on one's person; she folded it up and tucked it into the top of her vest. The straps were tight enough that there as no fear of it falling down, so it rested securely above her left breast, with just a pale yellow corner sticking out.

That done, she waded back out until she was in the water not too far from the adorables, and sat down. The water came up just past her navel piercing, not quite reaching the bottom of her vest, and she sighed, happy, waving to the Heavy again. Then she yawned. Blinking, Lyntael looked over at the snoozing adorables. That was odd. She hadn't felt tired at all just a few moments ago. She stifled another yawn with the back of her hand. How strange.

summary

-Talk to Heavy about making friends, and ask if it wants to be friends.
-Go to OnsenL and invite Heavy to take a break and come bathe and relax
-*Hope that the Bandcoon isn't misbehaving.
-Wave to the Piranahs and invite them (quietly), to come and join the rest.
-Dress down and settle into the water near Snoozy and Lark

The Heavy does a spectacular job of keeping itself a part of Lyn's dialogue, while at the same time being utterly incomprehensible. It makes little series of electronic chirps and beeps in all the right places, sounding as though it's responding...but god help Lyntael if she could understand a bit of it. It continues rolling on for another few moments more, then stops and wriggles over to the edge of its coal bed. It shuffles until it's right at the edge, staring down at its reflection in the steaming waters. One couldn't help but ask themselves...was this virus having a moment of introspective contemplation? Possibly...possibly...

The Piranhas continue their circling around their pillar, convinced that Lyntael wasn't about to try and wreck their hot spring, but shoot her wary glares every time they circle to face her. They look almost like two guard dogs, protecting their home until their master gets back. The question is...who was their master, and where were they?

Paying the two guard-fish no mind, Lyntael hot-foots her way over to the opposite pool. Her Bandcoon friend, she sees, has already reached the Lark and Snoozy, and is giving the two of them a thorough going-over with his nose. The Snoozy is completely, utterly dead to the world, but the Lark's eyes are clearly twitching under their lids (the sheer thought of a fish with eyelids notwithstanding...). If the Bandcoon isn't careful, it might accidentally wake the larger fish up! On the other hand, Lyntael finds herself growing quite sleepy herself. Whether it's the Snoozy's sheer presence that instilled an aura of drowsiness, or just the hot water and the new-found comfort in going commando working together, but a sublime feeling of peace works its way into Lyntael's systems, relaxing her beyond anything she's ever felt before. Her latent static buildup dies down along with her nervousness; all is well, for the moment.

=Hot Spring Inhabitants=
Lark: 100HP [Onsen L] [Stirring!]
Snoozy: 60HP [Onsen L] [Sleeping!]
PiranhaA: 60HP [Onsen R] [Vigilant!]
PiranhaB: 60HP [Onsen R] [Vigilant!]
Heavy: 75HP [Coal] [Contemplating the waters?!]

=Objects=
Spire L: 500HP
Spire R: 500HP

=Terrain=
20% Normal [Ring around battlefield]
60% Onsen [Two large pools, dubbed Onsen L and Onsen R]
20% Coal ['Bridge' between two pools]

=Allies=
Lyntael: 150HP [Onsen L] [Chilled out! Relaxed beyond compare!] [Overcharge: 0]
Bandcoon: 60HP [Onsen L] [Curious, sniffing Lark and Snoozy!]

Lyntael stifles another yawn then sits up straighter, stretching. Honestly, she'd already slept more than enough, dozing around before, and shouldn't be feeling drowsy now, comfortable bliss or not. A glance at the deeply sleeping Snoozy made her wonder if it wasn't somehow responsible, but she shook the thought off and climbed to her knees.

Moving slowly, she waded over to where the Heavy contemplated its reflection in the water, doing her best not to disturb the surface. Staying on her knees, rather than standing let her disturb the water less, as well as keeping the essentials below the line of the water still. When she was closer, she tilted her head, hands clasped behind her back as she murmured to the virus.
"If you aren't happy here, I know a place you can go, where you'll be taken care of really well, and you won't have to worry about anyone trying to hurt you ever again. They look after friendly viruses really well, I've heard." With a grin, she reached one hand up to her chest emblem and produced another small yellow crystal. "This will take you there, if you're interested." Before she set the crystal down next to the Heavy, she attached a foreword to it, mentioning that despite how it looked, this virus seemed to be quiet and contemplative, and should be given a peaceful and relaxing place to stay. That done, she grinned at it again, then turned her attention to the two piranhas. They were still a worry.

They seemed to be actively guarding the other pool, and the Heavy had originally looked like it had been put to work in a quite specific way. It was beginning to make her wonder if there wasn't something more going on here. The thought that the patch might belong to someone made her, quite suddenly, all the more self-conscious about effectively skinny-dipping, and she looked down to make sure the water level was still up to her hips at least.

There was nothing much she could do to placate the agitated piranhas from over here though, not without shouting... and she didn't feel altogether comfortable resting further with them circling like that, and clearly on edge.. It would have been fine if she hadn't noticed how ready to attack they had been, before, but since she had, it wouldn't leave her mind completely. She bit her lip, looking around for a nervous few seconds, then stood, dashed across the coals and slipped into the other pool. It wasn't quite as deep initially here, but for the moment she still needed to make her intent clear, so, modesty would have to wait. She'd already checked and double checked that no-one who might understand or care was around, anyway.

Instead, she stayed standing as she waded in, fully expecting the patrolling fish to get their hackles up again, and spread her hands to the sides slightly, low down and with her palms open and facing outward. She moved slowly towards the two, swallowing her nerves.
"I'm not going to fight you. None of us are. Please calm down... we aren't going to hurt anyone, or damage anything, or steal anything..." Her voice was low and soft, as much to keep from disturbing the adorables as to placate the piranhas. Unlike before, she was now very much aware that they might attack her at any moment, but she was committed to her words by this point. "We'd just like to have a good time. It would be nice if you both joined us as well, and relaxed. Please don't hurt anyone... just come and join us." By this point she'd crossed half the distance to them, and the water was, mercifully, up to her waist again, even standing. Her hands were still out to the sides in a peace-offering gesture as her eyes flicked back and forth between the two, to see what they would do. Mentally, she promised herself not to scream if they did attack her. She wasn't sure how well she could keep that resolution though.

Behind her, she hadn't managed to check up on her little Bandcoon at all, as it examined and explored the sleeping air, though she remembered how ticklish its nose had been when it had woken her up before. She was going to give the little guy a stern few words if he managed to upset the sleeping viruses, but for now there wasn't much she could do.

Summary

- Talk to Heavy some more, offer it a zoo-link
- Move to Piranhas' pond
- Try to negotiate peacefully with the two, to get them to stop being so threatening, and maybe come join the others to relax.
- Hope that her little friend isn't getting up to too much mischief behind her back.

Several seconds passed before the Heavy looked back up from the water. It looked to Lyntael, and looked to her yellow crystal, and something in its unmoving gaze seemed, for a brief instant, longing. In the end, it wiggled just so that it's flat face shook side to side, rather like someone shaking their head. It seemed that, despite its dull job, it was still attached to this hot spring...or at least, something was keeping it here. What it did do, on the other hand, was finally give into some internal argument, and with a gentle roll, slid down the coal embankment and into the hot water. The water was deep enough that, while rolling, it was completely submerged; it fixed this by propping itself on one end, its face pointing straight up into the air. Had it possessed moving facial features, it would have worn an expression of utter bliss.

With the Heavy pacified, Lyntael turned her attentions to the Piranhas. Steadfastly, they continued ignoring her, focused with an intensity that bordered on the single-minded on guarding their pool. Whatever they were guarding in that pool, it must have been something very important.

The silence of the peaceful moment was broken by a gargantuan yawn, coming from the other pool. The Bandcoon's nose was as ticklish as ever, and the Lark couldn't hold onto sleep any longer. Its eyes opened, but remained half-lidded, as though it were either old, tired...or perhaps both. It had been impossible to tell while sleeping, given that one virus was more or less identical to another, but in animation, there was a clear hint of elder age to the Lark's motions: its Lark-ly noises were quiet and somehow grizzled, and its swimming was lethargic and unhurried as it carefully detached itself from its Snoozy partner. This was only confirmed by the Snoozy waking up for a brief moment; the unintelligible language it spoke in was aged just as the Lark was. It seemed to question the Lark, who hushed it with a comforting fin rubbing the Snoozy's back. Satisfied that everything was alright, the Snoozy dropped right back off.

The instant the Piranhas noticed the elderly couple waking up, they shot across the coal bed, crowding the elderly Lark, who...patted them along their sharp dorsal spines? Sure enough, the Lark had both its fins running along the Piranhas, a rusty chuckle like a teasing grandfather emanating from it. The Piranhas' faces tried to remain fierce and white-eyes, but they couldn't hold out for too long, and before Lyn's eyes the two fish-viruses' eyes were closed, their protective fury quieted. The Heavy fell back into the onsen with a splash, trying to roll back to its coal hill, but the Lark noticed it before that could happen. The dumbbell-virus was given more grandfatherly affection, and seemed to get the message that its little break was okay; it stopped its efforts to get back to work immediately, and resumed its Nirvana-esque chilling out.

The Lark then finally noticed the two unknown variables. The Bandcoon, still scurrying all across creation in its hyperactivity, was given a rueful grin and a huff that, were one to guess, might have meant something like 'kids these days'. Lyn, on the other hand, was a decidedly odder newcomer, and the elderly virus swam to a stop in front of her. Rising out of the water and hovering above it, the Lark met her eye to eye, curiosity alight in its stare. It seemed like it was trying to get a grasp on Lyntael; what would she say to it?

=Hot Spring Inhabitants=
Grandpa Lark: 100HP [Onsen L] [Good-natured Grandpa?!]
Grandma Snoozy: 60HP [Onsen L] [Sleeping!]
PiranhaA: 60HP [Onsen R] [Good boys!]
PiranhaB: 60HP [Onsen R] [Good boys!]
Heavy: 75HP [Coal] [Relaxing!]

=Objects=
Spire L: 500HP
Spire R: 500HP

=Terrain=
20% Normal [Ring around battlefield]
60% Onsen [Two large pools, dubbed Onsen L and Onsen R]
20% Coal ['Bridge' between two pools]

=Allies=
Lyntael: 150HP [Onsen L] [Meeting the grandpa!] [Overcharge: 0]
Bandcoon: 60HP [Onsen L] [Just generally excited!]

As much as the Heavy had seemed to be tired and bored of its life here, it had still felt bound enough to remain, and even though it had relented enough to relax, at last, its hesitation had only added to the sensation that something or someone else was keeping these viruses here for some reason.

The thought turned over him her mind once she realised that the piranhas were now ignoring her completely, in favour of their stern vigil. Maybe she'd succeeded in proving to the that she wasn't a threat, but they, too, seemed unusually bound to their duties. In fact, the only ones that didn't seem to be held here by some greater power, now, were the Snoozy and Lark, or so it seemed to Lyntael. Unless their duty was napping.

Satisfied at least that the piranhas weren't going to attack her if she remained a while longer, Lyntael nipped back to the other pool and settled down in the shallows, enough to make herself decent again, to think about the situation. Once again, moving too close to the adorables made her want to yawn, so this time she sidled over a little way, far enough away so that she didn't feel completely like simply lying back and closing her eyes.

It was about at that moment, however, when her little Bandcoon friend sniffed a little bit too much, and the Lark stirred. Lyntael bit her lip as she looked over at it rousing, one hand jumping up to her mouth. She'd warned him not to wake them. A wince was all she could mange as she hoped it wouldn't be too startled or angry, but, against all expectations, the Lark seemed to wake from its slumber in a very peaceful fashion. Extremely peaceful in fact. At first she thought it seemed unusually dopey and docile, but as it made reassuring sounds to the Snoozy beside it, and she could hear the softened, worn sound of its voice, another thought occurred to her. Was it... old?

The young girl could only watch in amazement as the other viruses in the pool all greeted and received attention in turn from what she realised she could only think of as a grandfatherly virus, now. So... it wasn't anything sinister at all, then. They weren't stuck here, or being forced to stay... they were simply looking after and looking out for this good natured and aged pair of viruses? The scene made her heart melt a little, and the traumas of her own recent days slipped a little further away.

Her status as a heart-warmed observer came to a halt rather quickly, however, when the elder noticed her at last, and made his slow, tired way over. When it rose up to the surface of the water, then climbed higher, to float above it and get a better look at her face, Lyntael found herself fighting off a sudden, mortified blush. The cause was the subtly inverted realisation that, in order to rise out of the water to examine her more closely, the Lark had first to have been swimming in front of her, below the water, and relaxed in the shallows as she was, Lyntael was not exactly sitting in the most decent of poses.

She did her best to regain her suddenly scattered composure, and it was very fortunate indeed that her skin didn't begin to tingle. She took several deep breaths in a row. It was easy enough to tell herself, again, that they were viruses, and they didn't really have any knowledge about, or awareness of, those sorts of things, but it was much harder to reassure herself of that in a convincing way when she felt the need to show this gentle old Lark proper respect.

Self-conscious, her hands slipped below the water to surreptitiously cover herself as she bowed her head. The latter was as much to disguise her blush as to be respectful, and she swallowed once and blinked a few times while she groped for words. It seemed like everyone's attention was on her suddenly, not just the old Lark. Being as subtle as she could, she shifted to fold her legs to the side, in a much more lady-like position.

"H-hello. I'm sorry if my friend woke you up. I'm sure he didn't mean to. I.. ah, I, my name is Lyntael. I'm a NetNavi, but I, ah, I really don't like conflict at all. I was just exploring and looking for somewhere to relax. I hope you don't mind me resting here for a while?" She could hear that her own voice sounded nervous and uncertain, and in a way it was strange to feel like she should speak so formally to a virus. Especially when she had no way of really knowing if it even understood her words or not.

"Are, ah... are these all your friends as well? It-it's hard for me to tell, but, it looks like they all really care for you a lot. I really don't want to intrude, if I'm in the way, but, ah... you all seem very friendly, now, and I could kinda do with more friends, at least for a little while, if you don't mind, that is..." She was flushed with the sort of nerves one might be expected to have, feeling like she was half naked while trying to speak to some sort of dignitary, and it took all of her focus and many deep breaths to keep her skin from charging. As it was, a small, nervous flicker of spark played in between the spikes of her hair, but she did manage to at least keep her skin completely safe.

Summary

- Be largely overwhelmed by the heart-warming scene.
- Be mortified by her own condition in relation to it.
- Apologise for waking.
- Introduce self politely.
- Friends?

While Lyntael hastily attempted to prepare herself for her meet-the-grandpa moment, her Bandcoon continued nosing about the slumbering Snoozy. His ticklish nose successfully made the little gooey virus stir, and a few seconds later, the Snoozy was no longer snoozing. The pitching of the elder virus' yawning as it stretched confirmed that, were the Lark to be called male, this one was female. She finished her stretch, and then looked to the virus responsible for interrupting her nap...and even without much in the way of facial features, one could practically see her heart melt at the sight of the Bandcoon.

Without a moment's hesitation, the Snoozy wrapped her one arm around the Bandcoon, and promptly pulled it into the pool with her; the Bandcoon didn't seem to mind, snuffling happily and relaxing into the grandmotherly virus' hold. The Piranhas peered closely at the foreign virus from the other pool, but forgot their troubles after another moment and continued their own relaxation. The Heavy, staring straight into the virtual heavens from its own spot, made a long buzztone that...could have possibly been a sigh? Regardless his intention, it was clear that peace reigned strong in this little haven.

The Lark, meanwhile, had clearly been around long enough to have figured out human speech, as it was listening quite intently to Lyntael's stammered introduction. It nodded again, hrmming every few seconds and eying Lyntael's electrified hair with curiosity. It didn't seem to mind, or perhaps didn't even notice the Navi's half-dressed state; if there were viruses out there capable of understanding sexuality, none of them were living here.

It came time for the Lark to make its decision...and if the way it was gently ushering for Lyntael deeper into the pool was anything to go by, it had definitely accepted the Navi's extended hand. As they made their way into the pool for a good soak and what would likely be a grand old time, the Lark withdrew from...somewhere, a Zenny token, pressing it into Lyn's hand with a fin. A token of friendship, perhaps?

=Hot Spring Inhabitants=
Grandpa Lark: 100HP [Onsen L] [Good-natured Grandpa!]
Grandma Snoozy: 60HP [Onsen L] [Cuddling Bandcoon!]
PiranhaA: 60HP [Onsen R] [Good boys!]
PiranhaB: 60HP [Onsen R] [Good boys!]
Heavy: 75HP [Onsen L] [Achieving Nirvana!]

=Objects=
Spire L: 500HP
Spire R: 500HP

=Terrain=
20% Normal [Ring around battlefield]
60% Onsen [Two large pools, dubbed Onsen L and Onsen R]
20% Coal ['Bridge' between two pools]

=Allies=
Lyntael: 150HP [Onsen L] [Meeting the grandpa!] [Overcharge: 0]
Bandcoon: 60HP [Onsen L] [Being cuddled by Snoozy!]

=FLAWLESS FRIENDSHIP!!=
Rewards: 1050z

Awhile after the acceptance, an ominous rustling echoed from the bushes around the hot spring. The Heavy beeps again, this time in what could have been resignation, and falls onto its side with a splash. The Piranhas instantly shoot up and circle their spire precisely as Lyntael had first seen them doing. The two elder viruses cluster together in their pool, the Lark wrapping its fins around the Snoozy, who in turn cuddled Lyn's Bandcoon. Something was afoot...but what could it be?

<(Investigate noises Y/N?)>

Lyntael was briefly distracted from her uncertain introduction by the soft splash of the Snoozy taking the bandcoon as a secondary snuggle-pillow, and the flash of worry dissolved into something approaching a soft giggle at the scene. By the time her attention returned tot he elder lark before her, he was nodding and ushering her to join the rest of them properly. She sighed, relieved to be more sure, at last, that none of the assembled viruses were going to turn hostile on her, and gladly shuffled over along the shallows of the pool to rest closer to the others. She kept the small token in her hand, along with her Bandcoon's gift, for now, content to hold it and value the present more for being the token it was, given in friendship, than for being actual currency.

Getting comfortable, she shuffled back towards the water's edge, until she could lie back, and let her back rest on the warm coals without her top getting wet, while her lower half was still stretched out in the shallows of the water. Why couldn't all her outings be like this, she wondered. Her eyes closed and she put her hands under her head, deliberately not thinking about what she would return to once it was time to go home, and instead simply soaking up the calm.

The extended reverie was only broken a while later by the sound of something new approaching, and Lyntsael snapped alert quickly, sitting upright and looking around. How long has she been resting? Her skin was flushed a bright pink and she felt a little baked, between the warmth of the air and the steamy waters. The viruses have sprung to alert too, and the piranhas and the Heavy seem ready to protect the elder two. A thread of worry raced through the girl and her free hand balled into a small fist beneath the water. She hoped whatever it was wasn't someone following her; it would be terrible if she'd ended up bringing strife to such a peaceful group.

Cautiously, she climbed at least up to her knees in the water so she could look around and try to pinpoint the sound, but she'd been half asleep when she'd first heard it, and there were a lot of concealing bushes around the small spring. A crack of static snapped in her hair, and it made Lyntael herself jump, startled. Swallowing her nerves, the girl crouched, then waded across to the far side of the pool ,where she guessed the sound had first come from, doing her best to keep the water no lower than her waist for now. If it was another navi, she very much didn't want to get caught like this, but if it were viruses that weren't so happy to be friendly, then there probably wasn't time to be afraid about modesty, or taking the time to get out and put her skirt on again.

((Investigate: Sort of-yes-slowly-kinda-but-not-getting-out-of-the-pool-just-yet))

The viruses murmured worriedly amongst themselves as Lyntael got up to investigate. The grandma Snoozy cuddled Bandcoon for security, her aura of sopor sending the two of them off into a peaceful slumber. The Lark made to sink underwater, eyes wary of the forest-shrouded borders. And as Lyntael peered into the abyss...the abyss peered back at her.

And then tried to lick her. Wait, what?

A haunting cackle rang out throughout the onsen as Lyntael was very nearly assaulted by a Spooky's long tongue. The ghost materialized right in front of her, leering at her state of undress; while none of the hot spring's inhabitants were that versed in sexuality, apparently this particular virus was. Its tongue waggled more than a little suggestively as it hovered just barely out of reach of Lyntael's practiced kicks.

With the cover blown, other viruses began to show themselves. The Piranhas growled (how fish were capable of growling was anybody's guess) at an Elebee, who broke from its twin to buzz the two guard-viruses around their pillar. A Teddy lumbered out of the bushes, gnawing happily on a handful of leaves as it sank into the hot spring; its pleasant demeanor evaporated the moment it noticed the viruses already inhabiting the area, growling at the half-submerged Heavy with surprising force for such a cute teddy bear. Another Spooky showed itself, laughing at its brethren's antics, and hooting most inappropriately at Lyntael from across the pool.

It looked like that was the last of the viruses, until finally out of the same foliage came a hapless Mudfeesh, splattering wet earth everywhere it went. A more motley crew of viruses you'd rarely see...but their point was very clear: they wanted this hot spring for themselves!

=Intruders=
Teddy: 100HP [Normal]
ElebeeA: 90HP [Onsen R] [Omnishoes]
ElebeeB: 90HP [Normal] [Omnishoes]
SpookyA: 30HP [Onsen L] [HENTAAAAAAI!]
SpookyB: 30HP [Normal] [Wingman?!]
Mudfeesh: 60HP [Mud]

=Objects=
Spire L: 500HP
Spire R: 500HP

=Terrain=
15% Normal [Ring around battlefield]
60% Onsen [Two large pools, dubbed Onsen L and Onsen R]
20% Coal ['Bridge' between two pools]
5% Mud [Beneath Mudfeesh]

=Hot Spring Inhabitants=
Lyntael: 150HP [Onsen L] [Overcharge: 0]

Bandcoon: 60HP [Onsen L] [Asleep]
Grandpa Lark: 100HP [Onsen L] [Submerged]
Grandma Snoozy: 60HP [Onsen L] [Asleep]
PiranhaA: 60HP [Onsen R]
PiranhaB: 60HP [Onsen R]
Heavy: 75HP [Onsen L]

=DEFEND THE CASTLE HOT SPRING!!=
=BATTLE #4: BEGIN!!=

Lyntael's instincts kicked in ahead of her more sensible thoughts, and her first action upon the sudden attack was to stand upright so she could jump backwards. A pulse of energy surrounded her without any conscious input from the girl herself, beyond the sharp catch of her breath. Standing up left the water line well below her knees where she was currently, and made the act of moving back much easier, but by he same token, well, it left the water line well below her knees.

She realised this at the same time that the two spookies mocked and taunted her, and though there was no intelligible translation to their sounds, that kind of calling meant the same thing in any language, human, navi or virus, and it left her feeling quite sullied as a bright fire raced to her cheeks.

Crude behaviour aside, the group of viruses that had showed up was clearly looking to rumble with her new friends for the right to the spring. To the young girl, there was surely enough room for everyone, but she was caught right in the middle of two groups that didn't seem to feel the same way. Underneath her shame at being so exposed to something that, unlike the other more friendly viruses, clearly grasped the fact, the fear that everything was about to dissolve into violence was quickly rising in her chest Her hands shook as she stopped herself from covering her own face with embarrassment, and instead curled them into fists, one still holding tight to the gift from her Bandcoon friend, and the other holding the token given her by the Lark. She could run, of course, but not without abandoning her new friends to the fight, and she couldn't bear to do that. A quick look back showed that, in sudden anxiety, the older Snoozy had managed to put both herself and the Bandcoon to sleep. No, she definitely couldn't run away or do nothing.

Her skin crackled and her hair snapped as the girl tried to fight down her trepidation and will her body into something more than standing with her fists clenched. She had to do something; she'd never forgive herself if she let any of these peaceful, friendly viruses get her because she was useless. Electricity was building up inside her, and racing beneath her skin, but amidst everything else it was a little hard for her to focus on anything else beyond the virus that had taunted her so crudely in the first place and she grit her teeth. It was hovering out of her range for now, but she could fix that, hopefully. A few short steps through the water towards the virus with far too much tongue, and Lyntael struck out at it with a sharp, high kick. ... Or at least, she started to.

It was only as she began the action of lashing out at the virus that she realised what doing so meant, between her skirt warming on the coals, and her underwear tucked into her vest. Her heart lurched and her stomach sank with the sudden realisation of what she was doing, and worst of all perhaps, she froze, still halfway through the action of leaning back to counterbalance the high angle of bringing her left leg up and around.

Freezing still in panic was, in reality, the very last thing a girl wanting to preserve her modesty wanted to do in a position like that, and it was with a mortified shriek that the leg she was standing on buckled a second or two later, and Lyntael collapsed down into the onsen with a splash as she sought desperately to somehow take back the exposure. Her shrill cry was accompanied by a burst of unconscious static, but Lyntael herself barely noticed, huddled beneath the water's surface for the moment, with only her head above. She began to collect herself right away, after the initial horrified shock passed, but even so, it took her a moment. or two.

Though the thought hadn't occurred to Lyntael just yet, all of this did mean, among other things, that her vest was now, once again, thoroughly soaked.


Summary

L1) Instinctive: My Heart Falters (40Elec Barrier, Buster Charge, Off-Target1, Overcharge -1)
L2) Buster-charge
L3) Movement: To SpookyA (Knee-deep water; evasion down?)
L4) Basic Buster Strike Oh gods, not like that!!
L*) A Manifest Spirit (10elec, nova2)

Cooldowns and Overcharge

Overcharge Begin: 0 Situational shock +1, My Heart Falters -1, Manifest Spirit -1, End: 0

Lyntael made to lash out at the Spooky with her signature electrified kick...and whether due to an attempt at preserving her own modesty, or the Spooky clearly grinning in anticipation as the bare leg lifted higher and higher, she buckled and fell back into the steaming waters. The Spooky, seeing this as its chance, teleported right next to her, ready to give her a good licking. Its attempts were foiled two-fold, however, when its tongue encountered not soft skin but crackling electricity, and a burst of static blasted it off its non-existent feet. It screeched in anger and pain, ready to keep trying for its sweet reward...and was promptly rewarded with a giant dumbbell appearing out of nowhere and blindsiding it, smashing straight through it with inexorable force.

The Heavy stopped its out-of-nowhere attack, turned towards Lyntael, and its expressionless face nonetheless stared straight into her eyes. It sounded off a long beep that ended in the universal upswing that heralded a question, rather as though it was asking if she was alright. It made no attempt to touch her, thwarted by her repelling aura and its general nature of hurting things via contact, but did its best to be there regardless.

Then, just as abruptly as the Heavy's own appearance had been, the dumbbell suddenly had another Spooky appear in its face. The wingman's face was twisted in rage, and its tongue was aimed not at Lyntael, but at the Heavy; the impact made a small crater in its face, and it buzzed a long, high tone that was probably a scream. The Spooky, its retaliation shot made, snorted at the unlikely duo of Lyntael and the Heavy, and teleported back to the edge of the pool.

In the same hot spring, the Teddy jumped into to the steamy waters. Its fur soaked into a sodden heap in an instant, but it was far more interested in the Lark hiding beneath the surface. It bent down, trying to swipe at the old virus, but the grandpa, despite its advanced age, was still a fish in water, and handily avoided the clumsy blow. It retaliated with a wave of water, shot straight through the pool and splashing against the Teddy's face with enough force to snap its head back.

The second Elebee promptly decided to join its mate in buzzing the Piranhas around the opposite pool. Even as the Piranhas, acting in perfect unison, locked eyes onto the initial intruder and opened wide to expose their tridents, the bees' own stingers lashed out and buried deep into them. The two flying fish writhed in the electric pain, but resolutely continued tightening their bead on their target.

Lost in the chaos of the scale warfare, the Mudfeesh didn't really seem that threatening at all. Rather than picking a target and moving in for the attack as the rest had, the odd little fish simply continued flopping around the perimeter of the hot springs, splattering mud as it went. It had managed to flip-flop itself entirely around Onsen R, and just continued on, flopping and splattering on its own little private quest.

=Intruders=
Teddy: 88HP [Onsen L]
ElebeeA: 90HP [Onsen R] [Omnishoes]
ElebeeB: 90HP [Onsen R] [Omnishoes]
SpookyA: DELETED
SpookyB: 30HP [Normal]
Mudfeesh: 60HP [Mud]

=Objects=
Spire L: 500HP
Spire R: 500HP

=Terrain=
10% Normal [Ring around battlefield]
60% Onsen [Two large pools, dubbed Onsen L and Onsen R]
20% Coal ['Bridge' between two pools]
10% Mud [Beneath Mudfeesh, trail stretching behind it]

=Hot Spring Inhabitants=
Lyntael: 150HP [Onsen L] [30HP Elec Barrier] [Buster Charge x2] [Overcharge: 0] [Off-Target!]

Bandcoon: 60HP [Onsen L] [Asleep]
Grandpa Lark: 100HP [Onsen L] [Submerged]
Grandma Snoozy: 60HP [Onsen L] [Asleep]
PiranhaA: 20HP [Onsen R] [Locked On: ElebeeB]
PiranhaB: 20HP [Onsen R] [Locked On: ElebeeB]
Heavy: 68HP [Onsen L]

Some might consider it an unusual peculiarity in the nature of Lyntael's barrier, while others might think it perfectly sensible, but in this particular situation, the most apt term was probably 'unfortunate'; though it would stop most energy-based attacks, it had a nasty tendency to let low-level kinetics and physical extensions pass easily through, simply nullifying their damaging potential as they crossed it; she still had to deal with the physical sensation of such things, even if they couldn't harm her directly. The word was unfortunate in this case, because though it saved her from harm, and gave the pervy Spooky an unpleasant dose of tongue static to boot, it failed utterly to stop the tongue itself from reaching her.

The saving grace keeping her from something truly defiling was that she'd already been going down by the time the gross ghost attacked her, and the slimy appendage only managed to drag across her half-turned away rump, in what was admittedly, still, an exceptionally unpleasant and mortifying feeling. It probably didn't get anything out of it either, with its tongue still numb from passing her barrier. Her reviled indignation didn't actually add any force to the electrical fall-off that followed, but it felt like it should have.

Another unfortunate side effect of the inappropriate virus's attempt on her was the natural reaction of her own body that followed the offensive contact. Lyntael tried to resist it, to force it down and suppress it, but in that moment she was in too much shock to stop the defensive current that swelled up under her skin, ready to burst out at the next provocation.

Startled as she was by the heavy blind-siding her assailant before it could bring its tongue to bear at her again, it was actually the worry about her own poor control that make Lyntael back off fearfully from her ally. She had turned over in the shallow water, instinctively trying to get rid of the icky, slimy sensation where the tongue had touched her, and had wound up sitting now with her hands braced behind her and her knees up as she looked up towards it.

"Th-thanks, I'm alright, I—" Her attempted gratitude was cut off as, understandably, the battle refused to stand still for them, and The Heavy was repaid for its defence of the girl with a nasty tongue in the face. As it cried out, Lyntael started up from her sprawled repose in the water.
"H-hey! Don't you..." She leaped up without thinking, springing to her feet with one fist forward, as though to pay the second spooky back, but she was far too late, and it had already retreated. The spark of indignant anger found fuel at the sense that her friend had only been hurt for protecting her, and she felt both her small fists ball tightly as she looked to where the tongue-waving creep had teleported to.
"Stop it! Stop looking like that!" Her stance had widened considerably as she faced it directly, her unfortunate garment situation momentarily forgotten amidst her shouting. "Why do you have to be so cruel, and... crude, and... and... so Gross!?" Her hands snapped up as she shouted, wrists coming together directly in front and extended as she felt a surge of electricity draw up through her body as it gathered in from each of her strikers and unified into a solid torrent at her core.

She was braced firmly for the recoil of the burst, but in the moments that the current coursed down to her wrists, her eyes caught sight of the Piranhas both convulsing and writhing in electrified torment, harassed by the pair of electrical bees. She didn't deliberately change what she was aiming at, but as naturally happens when one's focus shifts in the moments before firing, her hands wavered too. Then it was too late, and the bolt of bright lightning crackled out from her joined wrists in a fierce strike that arced across both pools, heading not for the Spooky now, but more towards the bees.

Last minute re-directs, especially accidental ones, rarely hit their mark, but Lyntael didn't have a chance to see what eventuated. The strain of such a complete discharge stole her breath and made her knees sag slightly. She lost control of the bolt in the last moment or two of the expend, the final few minor sprays of it arcing upward as her arms shook and her head dropped. It was starting again; she could feel it already. No more fighting... please no more fighting; she couldn't deal with the terrible give and take or current that threatened to scour her away every time she ended up in danger. She put her hands to the sides of her head, unconsciously trying to wish herself back five minutes ago to when things were still good. The build of her current made sparks crackle on her skin and leap between the strands of her hair and Lyntael caught a sharp breath. She was still standing next to the Heavy, but the natural balancing fall-off of her charge was trying to pulse. She grit her teeth, fingers gripping into her own hair with the effort of holding it back.
"No, not here. Get away... please get away, I don't know if I can..." The rest of her request, gasped quietly as it had been, was cut off in a tight grunt of strain through clenched teeth.

Summary

L1) Reflex: My Pain is Real (Counter(Receiving Melee Damage): 40Elec, Nova2, Self-Slow1, CD 2, Overcharge +1 on Set, +1 on Trigger)
L2) My Anger Directed (90Elec, Shot-type, Charge-Burner 1, CD 3, Overcharge +2), @ SpookyB ElebeeA, A B (Off-Target)
L*) A Manifest Spirit: SUPPRESSED this turn

--Turn Splice--

2 Actions Remaining

Cooldowns and Overcharge

My Heart Falters: Cooling Down
My Pain is Real: 2 TCD
My Anger Directed: 3 TCD

Overcharge: Begin: 0, My Pain is Real (Set) +1, My Anger Directed +2, End: +3

Everything happened at once. The Spooky teleported back up, right into Lyntael's face once more, and wound itself back; its still-numb tongue hung out of its mouth, flecks of drool falling into the hot springs. It smirked around the gross appendage, aiming its uppercut to impact the young lady right where it counted. Fortunately for Lyn, the Spooky's tongue was evidently still numb, and it misjudged the distance, coming up only looking rather foolish as it licked at empty air. Fortunately for the Spooky, the static buildup in its target would have proved most fatal for it.

At the same time, her Piranha allies let loose their TriArrow salvos, peppering one of the Elebees with a series of hooked barbs. Four of the six found their way home, and the two bees made to retaliate with deadly force...only for the uninjured of them to fly square into the path of Lyntael's hastily-thrown electric blast. The bolt blasted it out of existence, but couldn't stop the second Elebee from charging its targets. Its stinger slams home, and one Piranha is torn asunder by the overgrown insect's own arrow-strike. The Lark, dueling with the Teddy the next pool over, cried out in dismay from underwater, but there was no time to mourn the lost warrior; the fighting was still fierce.

=Intruders=
Teddy: 88HP [Onsen L]
ElebeeA: DELETED
ElebeeB: 70HP [Onsen R] [Omnishoes]
SpookyA: DELETED
SpookyB: 30HP [Normal]
Mudfeesh: 60HP [Mud]

=Objects=
Spire L: 500HP
Spire R: 500HP

=Terrain=
10% Normal [Ring around battlefield]
60% Onsen [Two large pools, dubbed Onsen L and Onsen R]
20% Coal ['Bridge' between two pools]
10% Mud [Beneath Mudfeesh, trail stretching behind it]

=Hot Spring Inhabitants=
Lyntael: 150HP [Onsen L] [30HP Elec Barrier] [My Pain is Real: Ready] [Buster Charge x1] [Overcharge: +3] [Off-Target] [Slow]

Bandcoon: 60HP [Onsen L] [Asleep]
Grandpa Lark: 100HP [Onsen L] [Submerged]
Grandma Snoozy: 60HP [Onsen L] [Asleep]
PiranhaA: DELETED
PiranhaB: 20HP [Onsen R]
Heavy: 68HP [Onsen L]

Lyntael sagged further, hands still clutching tight in her hair as she fought off the resurgence of her charge. Already the sensation of it was an ache in every muscle, and it felt like her own body was taking objection to her efforts at restraining the energy and stopping it from rolling off her. She registered the Spooky having another go at her, but only managed to stumble back a couple of steps in response. If she'd actually needed to to avoid the pervert, it wouldn't have been very much of a dodge.

Though the girl wasn't aware of it, one upside to her current condition was that it left her completely unaware of events over the other side of the pools; if she had seen or been aware of the destruction of one of her new friends, now, it might well have robbed her of what composure she still retained. She did feel something besides the growing burn of her traitorous electricity, but it wasn't anything potent enough to really register in her thoughts; a slight sensation of warmth feeding back to her after her errant strike destroyed one of the bees. Another time she might have felt it, and been confused, but for now Lyntael only groaned and tried to keep her balance.

It was another moment before the worst of the attempted pulse subsided, giving up temporarily, but the part of her that was still thinking clearly knew it wouldn't last; the all-over surge of current under her skin was only getting more insistent. With nowhere else to put them, her fists were still tightly curled around the presents she'd received on her outing so far, and the feeling of the smooth little stone pressing into her palm was enough of an outside influence to bring her eyes up again, and back into focus. Her strikers were crackling, even her ankles, underwater, and there was a lot of arcing between her wrists and her hair, until she lowed her hands back to something resembling a fighting stance.

The little stone also put another thought in her head; as vile and perverted as it was, the ghost was the only virus that wasn't right next to one of her friends, and she needed, absolutely, to keep herself and her cursed electricity away from them. With an effort, she grit her teeth and made a run towards the gross tongue-thing, with the static haze clouding her mind and giving her a rather limited perspective on matters.


Summary

L3) Precluded: Buster Charge
L4) Move/Feint to Melee range of Spooky

Cooldowns and Overcharge

My Heart Falters: Cooling Down
My Pain is Real: 2 TCD
My Anger Directed: 3 TCD

Overcharge: Resume: +3, No Other Modifiers, End: +3

Half-delirious with her own self-induced shock therapy, Lyntael built up yet more static charge and waded across the pool. As she climbed out, dripping wet and no more clothed than she had been five seconds prior, the Spooky's eyes bugged out at the view. It waggled its eyebrows, or at least eye-ridges up and down in a manner that was impossible to interpret as anything but salacious, and licked its nonexistent lips in preparation for another go at the delectable young lady.

Down in the onsen, the battle between Lark and Teddy continued. The Lark, despite its no-doubt failing vision, was just as spry as any other of its breed, and nailed the ursine virus in the noggin with another Wideshot. The Teddy roared with anger, and then bellowed even harder when the Heavy appeared out of nowhere to blindside it. In its frustration, the Heavy grabbed the living dumbbell by the bar, hefted it high, and threw it straight at the Lark. The two collided with a sickening crunch, the Heavy's innate weight exacerbating the damage taken by the old fish. It groaned, unable to wriggle free from under the Heavy; its unwilling captor gave a long, low beep of apology, unsure how to move without hurting its grandfather-figure more.

Utterly ignoring the battle, the Mudfeesh continued its journey around the two pools. Its face was set in an expression of dopey bliss, splattering mud every which way and generally having a grand old time, oblivious to the chaos unfolding within the pool.

=Intruders=
Teddy: 61HP [Onsen L]
ElebeeA: DELETED
ElebeeB: 70HP [Onsen R] [Omnishoes]
SpookyA: DELETED
SpookyB: 30HP [Normal]
Mudfeesh: 60HP [Mud]

=Objects=
Spire L: 500HP
Spire R: 500HP

=Terrain=
5% Normal [1/4 of the ring around the battlefield]
60% Onsen [Two large pools, dubbed Onsen L and Onsen R]
20% Coal ['Bridge' between two pools]
15% Mud [Beneath Mudfeesh, trail stretching behind it]

=Hot Spring Inhabitants=
Lyntael: 150HP [Onsen L] [30HP Elec Barrier] [My Pain is Real: Ready] [Buster Charge x2] [Overcharge: +3] [Off-Target] [Slow]

Bandcoon: 60HP [Onsen L] [Asleep]
Grandpa Lark: 78HP [Onsen L] [Trapped beneath Heavy!]
Grandma Snoozy: 60HP [Onsen L] [Asleep]
PiranhaA: DELETED
PiranhaB: 20HP [Onsen R]
Heavy: 61HP [On top of Grandpa Lark!]

Lyntael's eyes were beginning to sting again as she stumbled out of the water and face to face with the only target she was actively able to pay any sort of attention to. Anyone watching would be able to see the electrical feedback washing back and forth over her eyes, obscuring the deep green with static white, but as usual, Lyntael herself couldn't see it. What she could see, through thoughts that were gradually breaking apart under the burning electrical haze, waggling its stupid, perverted tongue at her again.

There was no room in her mind for thoughts about her own state of undress; one proper train of thought was all she could hold together right now, and at the moment it was fixed on stopping this particular virus from being such a creep.

"Don't you... Stop..." Her voice was ragged and a small part of her awareness noticed that her breath was coming in heavy, laboured gasps. Lightning danced over her skin as she tried to focus and hold herself steady. "Stop begin so...Arghh!" A sharp pulse of energy rolled off her, spreading into the surrounding air and water, and making her hands twitch out to the sides and her back arch as it surged. Gasping a proper breath she staggered back, disoriented for another moment, and squeezed the small stone in her hand harder until she could feel the press of it through the more general burning in her limbs. It was another few moments before she managed to bring her head up again. "Just... Just stop!"

Stance wide, she pushed one foot forward and swung hard with her left hand. As her body committed to the attack, there was a brief moment of pure relief: the weight of the current surging inside her flowed and shifted again, drawing through all her limbs to mass as her core, unite, and then flow outward through to the striker in her left wrist. For the moments that it flowed and blazed, the pain was pushed aside, and the simple cessation of pressure felt almost euphoric by comparison. Most other sensation was gone as the blinding flash engulfed everything close to it; her eyes squeezed tight against the glare, and her skin tingling so fiercely she couldn't even feel whether she hit anything or not.

Other things she didn't really feel included the way her strike held far more effort and momentum than she'd really thought about, and also the way the way that, in turn, this left her off-balance and over-extended. As the energy poured out of her slight frame, the moment of relief passed, replaced by the yawning, drained void that always felt worse the more she expended. Her balance failed and momentum carried her forward until she fell to her hands and knees, limbs shaking.

For the few moments of clarity she had, Lyntael spent them staring at the ground between her hands, gasping, before the inevitable rage of her current charging up again filled the drained hollowness and coursed back towards full force faster than ever. Her fingers curled, right hand clutching the small stone even as she clenched her teeth and squeezed her eyes tight. The painful prickle of excess fall-off creeping through her eyes was joined by a hotter bite; small tears working to escape, unnoticed by the girl herself. She just wished it would stop. Was there any way at all to just make it stop?

The swelling overcharge within her grew, unheeding of her thoughts, and within moments had returned to the point of trembling electrical ache in all her limbs, building further still without showing signs of stopping. Lyntael lifted her head, trying to look around. She couldn't even just run away. The thought of leaving these friendly, caring beings to fend for themselves, after they'd been kind to her, was something she simply couldn't live with. When here gaze fell on the scene more towards the centre; the largest and angriest of the attackers, in full rage, bearing down on where the Lark and Heavy were trapped, her heart lurched badly and she could feel an ill, fearful sensation in her gut.

It was enough to force her to her feet again, though the muscles in her legs twitched and spasmed in complaint. The charge was worse than before, eroding her ability to string thoughts together beyond a repeated wish for it to end. She had to help, though. Had to try to protect them, while she was still able. Wild sparks of electricity leapt about the strikers at her wrists and ankles as she focused her gaze on the Teddy.

"Leave..." One foot in front of the other. Her first step was unsteady, but the second one was better. "Leave them... alone!" Gritting her teeth through the torments of her own body, Lyntael managed to break into something vaguely resembling a run as she closed on the Teddy, fists clenched and electricity dancing over her skin. That it needed to be stopped from hurting her friends was as far as her thoughts could make it now, though a quiet wisp of thought, somewhere in the background, was sure there was something else important that she should consider. Holding her thoughts together was growing too hard to pay any attention to it, though, and she joined the central fray with her teeth bared.

Summary

L1) Overcharge Difficulty: Action Lost
L*) A Manifest Spirit (10Elec, Nova2, Overcharge -1)
L2) Full Charge Buster Strike ((3+1)x20)80Elec, A, Overcharge +2) at Spooky
L3) Precluded: Buster Charge
L4) Movement: To Melee range of Teddy.

Cooldowns and Overcharge

My Heart Falters: Ready!
My Pain is Real: 1 TCD
My Anger Directed: 2 TCD

Overcharge: Begin: +3, A Manifest Spirit -1, Full-charge Strike +2, End: +4