Red Light Tower

Red Light Tower
Date of Scene:	08 November 2012
Location:	The Grid
Synopsis:	Reize gotten himself lost while in Manhattan and wandered his way into The Grid. He encounters a pair of raiders who received mark about the current location having treasure. Meanwhile, as the group explores the tower, they get a guide in the form of a program.
Cast of Characters:	Reize Seatlan, Deelel, Mariam Highscribe, Salome Highscribe

---

Reize Seatlan has posed:
It all started with one bit of curiosity. Since his time out at Manhattan, Reize wandered along the streets of Manhattan. He managed to avoid getting mugged or attacked by muggers. He wandered into the arcade, curiously brushing past the Staff Only room. Lo and behold, Reize had managed to make his way into the simple room that led to the arcade.

One interaction with the terminal later....

Reize's world was turned upside down.

Gone was the deary presence of Manhattan. His new world flashed before him, pixelating into existence. Bits and pieces of data constructed itself into a new world.

Welcome to The Grid.

Red light flashes along the top and the bottom. It looks like a lightshow of a hallway, or rather a tunnel. Up ahead is likely a double set of doors. It seems that the place has morphed itself into a dungeon of some sort.

Reize's eyes widen, his head turns around to see everything around him. "Whoaaa...."

The tunnel expands, the entrance opening to the 'dungeon' that is apparently a tower.

In front of the boy is a sign, 'Welcome to the Game of the Red Tower'.

"Where am I...? This is amazing!" He brightens, looking rather excited. He approaches the door, still filled with awe. He doesn't even know how this area came to be.

Salome Highscribe has posed:
Another day another adventure. Another adventure means another nameless joe to exploit and more plunder for the pillaging, or something. Yes, well in this case it's not an Or Something, as a bit of travelling, maybe even a few rumors have led to a trip to this Grid joint and tower.
It's maybe only a breath after Reize makes for the door that he isn't alone.
"Hey sis, did you half-ass something again? There's some kid here."
That would be coming from right behind him, specifically from silver-lilac haired chick that is now drumming her fingers on her hips as she taps one foot almost testily.
With a zzzzzip, the hat on her head peels its teeth apart, tongue sticking right out in a 'thhhbbpt!'

Mariam Highscribe has posed:
"Huh? What? Sorry, I wasn't paying attention."

Beep beep ~game over~.

"Aww you made me lose."

Two! Two chicks. While Salome is slightly up ahead and already yelling at her, Mariam is hanging back a few feet and tapping keys furiously on some portable console of some kind. She was doing really good until she lifted her head to see what she was being yelled at about.

More importantly, Mariam and Salome are... nearly identical, short of the slight difference in hair tint and their clothes not being entirely the same. Mostly it's the gold vs silver motifs that separate them. Mariam's single pink eye settles on Reize and she hums.

"Don't look at me, I didn't do anything. Or talk to anyone. I've been trying to beat this lame game all day. You sure the job didn't mention a guy waiting for us here? Hey kid! Sup."

Reize Seatlan has posed:
Suddenly, voices...?

!

Reize turns around to see the source of the first voice. He can see that the silver-lilac haired woman doesn't look too pleased with his presence. And then there is another person, who is doing... something. Reize tilts his head over towards the more relaxed one.

Nevertheless, the indentical ladies earn a cheerful smile from the youth. He greets them with a lifted hand, "Oooooiiii!" The boy blinks a couple of times at the sight of the hat peeling its teeth and sticking out its tongue.

"..Errr..."

Blink.

"Looks like you two got lost here as well?" He asks, looking ahead towards the double doors. "I just wandered in and just came across this place!" His eyes lift up, gazing up at the red lights passing by before his attention draws back to the hats. "... Those are alive...?"

Blink.

With a cheerful wave of a hand, "Oh! I'm Reize, pleased to meet you!"

Salome Highscribe has posed:
Thaaaat's right! Voices!
And brieflt, the faintest flutter of irritation twitches across the first's face, lip quirking into a sneer for the briefest fraction of a second as she tap-tap-taps fingers on her hip at the youth's... Greeting.
With a light elbowing to silently urge her sister to 'put that damn thing' away, the first's hat zips back up as she tilts her head to a slight angle, putting on the act of a genial smile. "Nope~. It was supposed to be all by its lonesome." She chimes to the second as if Reize weren't there at all. Before actually focusing on him. "Oh they're not just alive... They eat hands, kid. What are you doing here, anyway?" Ah but he gave his name. Well it's only polite-- or at least fake-polite to give hers back, right?

"I'm Salome~."

Mariam Highscribe has posed:
"I'm Mariam~."

Spoken in near unison! The more relaxed sister gently pats her hat, which doesn't really... move or do anything in response. The glowing red eyes blink, if anything! Unfortunately for Salome, Mariam is all too willing to reveal the secret though. "Mimics! They're pretty tame. These ones anyway."

Mariam steps forward, reaching Reize in an instant to examine him. Very impolite, that one, and she's thorough in her examination. "I dunno sis, the kid looks reliable! Maybe we should take him along. Divide the workload by three instead of two!" She's already liking the sound of that math.

Reize Seatlan has posed:
Eat hands...?

Reize shudders, feeling his muster slowly falter. Eeesh. It looks like Salome will not be the most friendly of the two. The hand slowly pulls back, rubbing the back of his head. "Hello Salome, Mariam!"

The introduction to the Mimics, however, "Wow! Mimics?! First time I've seen them as hats! I think the last time I've seen them..."

CHIBI FLASHBACK
Chibi Lily: Wow, one of those chests that you were talking about!
Chibi Reize: ....!!! Wait! That chest has teeth!
Chibi Mimic: *leaps straight at Reize* RAAAWWWRRR!!! *OM NOM NOM*
Chibi Lily: Reize!!! Q_Q
Chibi Reize: Arghwhy?!

The flashback ends, the boy shuddering at the memories. His attention retus to the two before he looks up towards the entrance, "You think this place is some dungeon of some sort? It would be nice to explore the place! I can help out! Besides, I will have to find my way out eventually, but I want to see what this tower is about!"

Salome Highscribe has posed:
That's right. They eat hands. At least that's what Salome claims, despite her sister's counter-claim about how tame they are. But when the youth draws his hand back and shivers, the elder of the sister's lips quirk into an amused grin.
"Looks like he's got some bad blood with mimics, huh?" Sally snorts, jerking a thumb for Reize as she casts a glance at her twin. But with a heavy sigh her eye rolls.
"Splitting by three means an extra share." She points out in a grunt. "But..."

"Fine~."

Ah there's that faux sweet tone of voice again as she flashes a tooyhy grin. "As long as I get first dibs on whatever's in there. Oh I guess you can have second choice of the loot and... Well he can get whatever we don't want."

Mariam Highscribe has posed:
"I think every adventurer has bad blood with mimics at one point in their life!" Mariam seems content enough with this sudden turn of events, looking up to see how tall the tower is from this up close.

"Sure, whatever. A tower like this is bound to have enough treasure to split three ways without effort anyway. Maybe if it was a tent we were robbing we might have to be more careful about it." But it's not! And the easier things are the better. "I dunno if it's a dungeon but the rumors sure claim so. Why would you have to find your way out anyway? Don't you know how to cast Warp? You just have to make it to the end and then magic your way out, no fuss!" Best. Spell. Ever.

Reize Seatlan has posed:
"Hee!" The boy is pretty cheerful once the two finally make an agreement for the young boy to travel with them. The young traveler thinks over Mariam's question before he responds, "I don't quite know a spell like that." He muses, "Maybe Lily might..." He lifts his shoulders in a shrug.

"Ahhh well, let's just head in!"

As Reize runs towards the doors, they slowly open up, allowing entry for all who have entered.

A monotoned female voice echoes, "Welcome, level 1."

The area appears to be filled with darkness at first. However red light races by the group from behind, slowly lightng up the area. More red lights appear, flashing by while traveling about like wires.

The current area looks more like a labyrinth, each wall more enclosed than the other.

"Hrm, when there are places like this... either monsters or the Heartless are around." The boy reaches to his side, quickly pulling his twin boomerangs. Arming himself, his eyes shift around.

"Looks like we'll have to be careful, who knows what'll pop up here."

Mariam Highscribe has posed:
"Really? I feel so bad for you," Mariam muses, thanking the fact she knows that spell every single time she goes into a dungeon, cave or otherwise. "Well you're travelling with two mages, so getting out won't be a problem!" Unless Reize's aura of direction makes even the Warp spell unreliable. That would suck.

As the tower opens up and the intruders are greeted, Mariam casually strides forward, still armed with her game console. "Eh? Maybe! But for now, I hear if you just hug the right wall you'll eventually reach the exit of a labyrinth no matter what. Or maybe it was the entrance? Or the left wall?" Now she's not sure!

"Eh~. Let's just go right and see what gives."

Beep beep ~round 1, fight!~.

Mariam proceeds forward, hugging the right wall while apparently resuming her gaming. Sucks for Salome if she wanted to map this out first.

Salome Highscribe has posed:
So it starts, huh. Hand lifting to hold her snappy hat down in the gusting breeze of racing light, Salome waits. At least until the blazing awesome and trippy laser-lights are done. Things really are different here than back in Ivalice, huh.
Sigh.
"Sucks for you, kid. I don't exactly find it fun having to climb all the way back down from the top of every high place I get to. Waste of time." Salome mutters.
There is a stomp on Mariam's foot as Salome strides ahead, unbuttoning the fastener on her holster, hand resting on the grip of the gun resting within. "Can't you take this a little more seriously."

Reize Seatlan has posed:
The boy can only frown towards Salome's remark about his luck with the lack of magic. However, Mariam does offer some comforting words, "Thanks, Mariam! With you two mages, I'll be able to get help on the exploration!" He muses thoughtfully, then he turns his head over towards the space of the dungeon.

"I don't know, perhaps we should make it if we just go a--..."

And the Heartless makes its presence. To be specific, it looks like a very digitized Heartless with a pair of pronged hands and robotic legs. The yellow eyes glower towards the boy. Of course, it's not alone.

Three are there to greet the boy as he turns towards the next path.

"GAH!" He stumbles back, both boomerangs dropping as they swoop in near him. Both arms lift up, all of them starting to manifest a glowing ring on their 'cannon arms'.

(Un)Luckily(?), Mariam and Salome are a distance away to see the commotion.

Salome Highscribe has posed:
Unlucky for Reize most likely. Having halted her own advance, the elder of the siblings stops and... Just sort of watches the commotion, fingertips drumming on her gun as the Heartless show up. Reiiiize... Drops his boomerangs and she sighs.
"Sis."This is like the last warning, put the goddamn DSPSPStationBoy away.
Because she's already drawing her gun, kind if casually though.
What? If he dies that's more loot for her anyway.

Mariam Highscribe has posed:
Beep beep beep ~you suck, KO~.

"Aww come on that attack didn't even hit me!"

It is very fortunate that Mariam loses her round right on time to hear a shuffling noise and the appearance of the Heartless.

"Crap! I mean darn. Fiiiine." Language. "Those stupid black things again. It's like they're everywhere! Jeez." She's not a big fan since her world fell. But she also never paid attention to what they were CALLED.

"Reize, heads up!"

Mariam draws a pistol in the blink of an eye, slamming a green Materia into the loader. She can be KIND OF good when she tries and stops slacking. And then she shoots at Reize. Straight. At. Reize. There's a green flicker of magic around the gun as she does so, and the bullet isn't a bullet at all? It's a healy green blob!

This is totally how she casts Regen on people.

Reize Seatlan has posed:
Why did they have to surprise attack him?! Why?! Reize's eyes widen when he looks at the incoming creatures pointing their weapons, charging it his way.

Blast.

"GAH!" Reize eats laser rings as they send him smacking the wall. The strafers zoom in towards Reize, he winces to himself. He groans in pai, then he hears the cries of Mariam.

"Heads... up...?" He ses that she points the gun at him. "....Wh---hat?!" The magic bullet comes right towards him!! Except, it was not a bullet. No, it was a regenerative green blob. The goo melds along his body, "Thanks!"

Seeing the other intruders, the strafers shift and point their weapons towards Salome and Mariam. This time, the strafers fire lasers the two girl's way.

Using that it as distraction, Reize lunges towards the strafer at the rear to give it a harsh kick to the ground. "HYA!"

Deelel has posed:
Deelel was here too she fell into an animation error however she seems on edge very on edge. The grid ment MCP might become aware but it's very likely? He's out and about so Sark is all they'd have to worry about. He's powerful but not a horror who'd likely love to see if he could consume users. For now it's enough to show Reize and the others her world. She looked different here her clothing chaend the glowing lines on it matching her tattoos in the user spoace. The program has her disk out and is following the others up.

"So these things are now invading the grid as well this is madness!"

Salome Highscribe has posed:
Whelp, looks like it's time to roll into action. Snapping open the breech of her pistol, Salome's hat spits a blue gem into the palm of her hand, which she loads right in. A flick and the gun locks, thumb clicking back the hammer as her fingers crackle with a visible arc of electrical energy.
"Right then." Reize's surprise isn't paid much heed as Mariam plinks him with Regen.
Which is good because she snaps the pistol up to aim, lips splitting into a sly little smile as she yanks the trigger in a quick shot that sends loads of high voltage electricity from the barrel of her gun to one of the heartless. Possibly arcing and chaining to the next. ... Possibly chaining to Reize himself.
"What? Huh? Madness? No this is treasure hunting."
Seriously, will there need to be a fourth split? Lame.

Mariam Highscribe has posed:
Ack, lasers! And a new person with a glowing disk? This just got a little bit crazier, for a dungeon crawl. Heartless are normal, but so many new people just kind of popping around? This is a busy night.

Mariam ducks and rolls, off to the side! She doesn't want to be hit, Salome can do that if she wants. With a lazy motion she swaps Materia, putting a new green one in and firing at the Strafers. What comes out isn't a bullet, but a lightning bolt that mimics the one fired by Salome, chaining around. Maybe to Reize too. Mariam is too lazy to aim.

Reize Seatlan has posed:
The situation as gotten rather intense.

While it was formerly three, the now two stafers are firing their lasers towards the two gunners. Meanwhile, that one was occupied by Reize, who kicked it pretty hard to the ground.

Reize is ready to finish it, holding his boomerangs out before he charges straight ahead. "Haaaa!!" What interrupts his charge is the sudden discharge of lightning fired by the twins.

"Eh?!" It strikes each and every single one of them. They twitch and surge, but.... It looks like it healed them. The strafers' armors are shiny.

Yelping at the lightning his way, Reize dives away from the surging energy, "Oooooiii! Watch it!"

To make matters worse, the strafer that was near destruction... is healed.

If it could grin, it would give the boy a wicked grin. ...Before lasering him.

tAnd Reize is running back towards the group of three, who are also receiving even ring beams their way by the two strafers.

"I think lightning heals them! Oh hi Deelel." Blink, "Deelel?"
More beams at Reize, who turns and leaps away as they explode behind him, "ACK!"

Deelel has posed:
Deelel says "No the heartless being here! There should only be one way in yet they are here. There's no way they could have been smart enough to operate the laser." he now wonder what did let them in. "Besides what sort of program would I be if I let a trio of Users wander around without a guide!"

Well Reize is finally getting to see a part of her world and she nods "Greetings, Reize."

She shifts and launches her disk again and then leaps into the air for another trick shot. To the twins she introduces herself event hough her name's been dropped "The ID's Deelel!"

Salome Highscribe has posed:
"Huh." Well that sure didn't work.
Users? Heartless? Oh right those things ARE Heartless aren't they. Right, well for a moment, Salome is scratching her chin. Lightning didn't work, and with a snap she pops open the gun's breech, ejecting the spent Materia as her free hand snaps a spare pistol seemingly from nowhere. "Right. Deelel, got it, Salome. And busy."
Little miss Sunny Disposition snaps up that spare gun of hers.
"Let's try not using lightning anymore." She notes, taking a sideward leap and roll, just barely avoiding the lasers in the nick of time, stopping her tumble on her back, spare gun brought up snapping off a few... Huh.
Normal bullets.
That CATCH FIRE.

Mariam Highscribe has posed:
"Aww, that's so not fair."

It's always enemies with weird elemental alignments. The black-and-silver twin looks at Deelel, raising an eyebrow at the word 'Heartless'. It rings a bell, but not much more.

Oh and users, and programs, what weird words too.

"I have no idea what's going on, but okay."

Mariam swaps Materia again, and actually properly aims the gun at the Heartless again. When she fires, it's not bullets; it's firefalls, three of them in rapid succession.

"Oh, right. Mariam~."

Reize Seatlan has posed:
As Deelel tosses her disk, the shot sends the flying disk along the trajectory of the strafer. Lasers are fired towards it, but the weapon strikes against one of its arms, digitally cutting off the limbs to prevent them from having more artillery. Each of them are down with one arm, but they continue to fire.

That is where Reize tosses his boomerang out towards the group. It ricochets from the ground and towards the walls. They bounce around so fast and conk against the Heartless that they are dizzied from the blows.

This gives the window of opportunity for the twins to open fire.

As the bullets strike down the strafers, they catch on fire as the bullets dissipate. Then the flames fly from Mariam's shot, sending them scorching

...All of them explode into munny.

Now, what's left is navigating through the first floor.

Mariam Highscribe has posed:
Munny is amazing, but Mariam only lazily bends over to pick up a handful of it and tosses it up over her head. The mouth on her hat snaps wide open and gobbles the munny down like candy, before closing back up with a munch munch sound and then... nothing. It is just a hat, after all.

To say she's barely collected a tenth of her share is to put it lightly, she just doesn't seem to mind! She places the gun back into her vest, and pulls her portable console right back out. And unpauses it.

Beep beep beep ~round 2, fight~.

"So yeah, what do you know about this place, new person? And you alright over there, Reize? Healing spell still active?"

Salome Highscribe has posed:
Munny makes the world go 'round, so they say. And when the wave of Heartless go up and explode into currency... Off comes Salome's hat. A swish and a wave and it snarfs down as much as she can grab. "Okay, that's out of the--"
BLAM.
Taking a shot at Mariam's console, she holsters her gun.
"Way. Now let's get looking around."

Reize Seatlan has posed:
Oh god, the lasers hurt. Reize just remembers pain and lots of it. However,the young adventurer recovers enough to deal with the matter. He manages to get a bit of munny, but he soon gets back up to his feet.

He rubs his forehead, wincing earlier about the lasers. However, the regen effects are still healing him. That is good, all considering. Once the effects fades, he is feeling a bit better, "Yeah! I'm a lot better now!"

And then Salome takes a shot at Mariam's game.

"...Errr.." He walks over towards Mariam to offer her a pat on the back.

Navigating through the labyrinth is quite an ordeal. However, because this is the first level, it is easy enough. The group is reaching to the end of the level, per se.

"First level complete."

A voice intones.

Soon, four treasure chests are revealed.

Mariam Highscribe has posed:
"M-My game!"

Sob. Mariam looks incredibly sad, and is only slightly cheered up by the pat on the back. Now she needs to go buy a new one! ... eh, too much work. She'll just steal one off the first kid they cross with one. Yeah that's a lot easier. She'd have to find a store, find the console, find the money to afford it, find the game again, so much FINDING. Letting fate handle putting a new console on her path again? Much better.

The silver-and-black twin kind of trails behind the group as they explore the rest of the level, before they finally come across the treasure chests.

"Ooh. Prizes. I wonder who owns this place anyway?"

Salome Highscribe has posed:
"Doesn't matter who owns it. Stuff's ours now, right~?"
Salome shows absolutely no remorse in the least over Mariam's game. Besides, didn't she just get enough munny off these Heartless to get a new one anyway? Lazy.
When the voice calls out that the level is up, and four chests appear... Guess who's first to start going for one. "Sucks that we have to split it up even more, but I ~did~ call first dibs."
That she did, and that means she's trying to pry one of the chests open.

Reize Seatlan has posed:
At least the silver one is a lot nicer than the gold one.

Reize looks up along towards the chests ahead. He furrows his eyebrows. His attention drifts towards Mariam, "You know, I am not sure."

As said, Salome did call first dibs for one of the chests. She will find that there is some munny inside. About 120 worth of munny

He pauses for a brief moment, looking over the chests. As he creeps towards it, he finally kneels down and he starts unlocking the chest.

An healing potion is found inside of his. "Hey! An elixir!"

Mariam, however, will find an ether potion inside, while Deelel will find about 100 munny as well.

Mariam Highscribe has posed:
In all her enthusiasm, Mariam lazily kicks her chest open, picks the ether up, and... lobs it upwards at her hat. The mouth opens, noms the ether out of the air, and then becomes inert, if creepy, again. Mimics are totally tame if you treat them like inventories! They even let you take stuff out of them. Sometimes. Maybe Mariam's is just as lazy as she is and can't be bothered to bite her when she reaches in.

"Well I'm sure whoever it is is a total jerkbag. I mean, they have those black creatures in their tower. Those things end worlds or whatever, right? They suck." She's okay with hurting people! Usually okay with killing even! But the Heartless? Probably the one thing she can't really stand. Wouldn't work together with them even if she was paid. Probably. Guess it might depend on the pay.

Deelel has posed:
Deelel looks over at Salome and tilts her head. "It likely belongs to MCP but he stole this system in the first place so anything that slows him down is good with me." She looks to Reize for a moment and she's not about to ping the system to find out who just owns this place. That would alert the Black Guard and that's the last thing they need to deal with right now. She's also wondering why are there these chests here oh well she'll not think too hard about it she'll blame the heartless. She'll scoop up the mummy that's her cut, she has need of it the whole food and eating thing is costly.

"MCP consumes other programs like my self to gain their access rights and functions so yes. Yes he is."

Salome Highscribe has posed:
More munny for the taking. This is like a cakewalk, and if level one was that easy... Well there won't be much of a challenge. It's not exactly fun, though Mariam might enjoy herself. But it is money and first dibs on prizes.
For now, Salome can accept that quite happily.
"Neat." She snorts, hat snarfing down the cash. "You like your score, kid?" Elixirs are pretty nice after all. But she drums her fingers on the grip of her pistol, lips quirking into a frown, apparently agreeing with sister-dearest. "Yeahhhhhh. Those... Things aren't good candy. Let's just score what we can, put bullets in 'em and bail."
What. It's a good plan.
"MCP?" That's a new point of interest as one finger tilts her hat up, eye and mimic shifting to focus on Deelel.

Reize Seatlan has posed:
"MCP?" Reize looks at Deelel when she menion about this mysterious owner. Someone who consumes other programs to gain access to them? "Uhh..." He frowns. He is a bit confused, but it sounds bad.

Nevertheless, Reize smiles towards Salome, "Yeah! However, I want to learn more about this tower."

A voice slowly intones. "Prepare for level 2. Prepare for level 2. Step into the gate."

Before them is a circle a few feet away. It glows, beckoning them to step onto it in order to become transported to the next level.

As he steps inside, Reize looks at the other three. "It looks like we're going to find out more about this dungeon soon!"

Mariam Highscribe has posed:
"This MCP fellow sounds like a jerk alright. Well, let's wreck his tower, I guess. Maybe we'll find a new video game console on the way up. That'd be great." It would, in fact, be absolutely amazing. Too bad Mariam's not that lucky.

With level 2 announcing itself, the gunwitch steps into the circle, stretching her arms. "So do you do everything you do just to learn about places? That doesn't sound too fun. I mean knowledge is great but it doesn't buy you a feast and a premium suite in a hotel or anything."

Deelel has posed:
Deelel Says "Master Control Program. This is why I was hestant to let you into the grid, I do not know what he'd do to any user he got his hands on. I'm not sure I'd want to know." This place is a bit strange but she's never been through the entire grid before, she follows the others keeping her ID disk in hand as she goes. "Given I tried explainign the system to Reize? I think he blue screened..."

Salome Highscribe has posed:
Haha. Bluescreen.
That actually gets a bewildered look out of Salome, though, the term completely over her head enough for her hat to take a snap at the air. Nonetheless, she steps right onto the circle with the others as she folds her hands together behind her head.
"I could care less about this tower. Just about what's in it."

Reize Seatlan has posed:

Welcome to the Second Level.

A beam of light slowly materializes, transporting all four of the explorers into the next part of the dungeon.

Blue beams of light whisk past them. They shoot onward, traveling lasers across the surrounding area. They will find hat this part of the area is not like a labyrinth. Instead, it is a straight away path.

Right?

Not quite.

About a meter into the walking path, they will find that the ground leads to a ledge. However, there are floating platforms with the blue light about.

The first one comes from the left and move to the center, while th second one moves from the right and back to the center. They alternate their moving at a constant pace.

As the group arrive, Reize is looking around, his eyes widen and filled with amazement. "....Wow!" He looks around to see that the lights are blue. "It's blue this time!"

Mariam Highscribe has posed:
Fancy teleporting! Mariam steps away from the circle, watching the blue lights spread out and ahead, like the red ones of the level prior. It's so pretty, she wouldn't mind living here if it wasn't a creepy tower full of black creatures.

Sometimes it's the little things that turn you off.

Reaching the ledge, she looks down, then at the platforms.

"Ooh. Ooooh. Oh~. Oh!" She reaches into a pocket.
Pulls out her gun.
And shoots herself in the skull.

... with green-ish glowy magic. White magic, ho.

Mariam begins floating, just a few inches off the ground.

"Wheee~."

Salome Highscribe has posed:
Right. New level. More loot. This should be a cinch and... As soon as Salome is at the ledge, she is FROWNING hard at Mariam.
"Yeah. Blue." She vaguely acknowledge's Reize's masterful assessment while glowering daggers at her sibling. Yeah well you know what.
She steps on the damn floaty panel. And she is going to ride that damn thing.
"Are you both coming or what?"

Reize Seatlan has posed:
While they make it to the ledge, Reize can see the other side from the two platforms. He squints with a frown, "It looks like we'll hae to make our way through those platforms." However, when Mariam puts the gun to her head. His eyes widen while the pupils shrink.

"Wait! Mariam!"

Blam. The rapid heartbeat stops when he realizes that she sprays herself with magic. A sigh of relief comes when she is fine and floating. "Wow! That's amazing!" He frowns, a bit jealous of not having that capability.

However, when Salome moves in to start on the floating panel, Reize is following. "Yeah!"


For Mariam, it is easy for her to make it through. Given that she is floating, she is able to easily get past the panels and getting to the next section of the area. Meanwhile, Reize and Salome have to do some platform jumping.

Fate is by their side to where they time everything just right. They do not face too much difficulty in getting across the moving platforms. The precision lands them in the other side along with Mariam.

The path just ahead leads to a set of stairs.

There are some funnel, mechanical Heartless with diamond-shaped openings at the front. Twin black rectangular guns are mounted on the side of their bodies. There are four of them patrolling the stairway to the next section.

Mariam Highscribe has posed:
Float~ float~ float~.

Mariam very lazily floats over towards the other side, and then waits for the others to cross. Well that was easy. She loves easy! It's so great.

"See, this is why being is red mage is better, sis~. But noooo, you're all, pew, pew, I only wanna wreck stuff, rawr." She is terrible at immititating Salome, apparently.

As they spot the stairs, the red mage sighs.

"More of those black things. Lame."

Salome Highscribe has posed:
Soooo cheap. Sooo lazy. Begrudging her sister for taking the easy way out, Salome makes way across the floaty platforms with relative ease. Something that gets both her and her hat sticking their tongues out when they make it to the other side.
"Oh boohoo red mages are so cool." She snorts. "But when it comes to wrecking shit and ruining people's day, I'm the best. Just watch.
Yeah that path with the heartless, see? Her har spits a red materia gem into her hand, which she balances on the tip of her finger, alight with flame as she funnels more energy right into the materia-gem, snapping open the breech of her gun and loading it in.
To unleash a huge fireball at the four machine-like Heartless.
"Being a Black Mage is where it's at."

Reize Seatlan has posed:
It's time to run after the group.

Reize makes his way to gather with the group. "So wait..." He looks at Mariam "You're a red mage and...." That is when he sees Salome about to make her move.

The Surveillance Robots are everywhere. They hover around passively, their optics sweep around to make sure nothing comes their way. They occassionally switch spots to cover the other. However, they quickly notice that there are intruders and the take formation. Twin lasers fire from all sides towards the group. However, the interception comes when the fireball impacts against them, exploding all of them.

Reize's eyes widen, "Whoa...." He looks back towards Salome, "....and you're a black mage..." He blinks a couple of times, then..

WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! INTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDER ALERT!

"...We better hurry!"

And the stairs will lead to the next platforming section. While the ledge ends at the stairs, various panels are moving about. However, what complicates the matter is that there are strafers joined with purple mechanical Heartless that are large, spherical, and covered the funnel shaped armor. The latter have four cylindrical legs. They are Devastators.
...Platforming, with difficulty raised!

Mariam Highscribe has posed:
"I could have done that, I just didn't want to~."

The lazy sister brags, but she can't quite match Salome's output. The curse of a red mage, stuck being a jack of all trades. Although these Materia are really helping close the gap, so she can't complain too much. Mariam happily goes along, though, with the way cleared and alarms ringing.

More platforming, though. And Float isn't going to be a whole lot too useful here compared to earlier. They're too high up! Lamesauce.

"This is a drag. You got anything to offer besides boomerangs, Reize?" He didn't seem like a magician, so Mariam wonders what it is that keeps him alive to explore these kinds of places alone. Also she's just trying to make him do all the work.

Salome Highscribe has posed:
"Yep." Salome's reply is pretty simple as she blows away the smoke and steam wafting from the barrel of her materia gun. Black Mages. They make things explode. That alert... Alarm... That gets her hustling a bit more. Up the stairs to the next set of platforms.
Only way is to go forward, and she lacks Float. "How the hell do you get out of places like this alive?" That's to Reize. A more ... Blunt version of Mariam's query as she makes to hop onto a platform.
Hopefully the others might draw the Devastator fire.

Reize Seatlan has posed:
Reize Seatlan says, "Gah! More of them!" Reize yelps, looking a bit worried. Those things are everywhere! The young adventurer looks back towards Mariam. "...Well..."

He looks ahead towards the group, keeping a good eye out for the Destroyers and the Strafers. They are completely armed and dangerous and Reize can take care of them with the boomerangs, but...

They need to get past the area quickly.

Reize spints towards the ledge and he springs off, leaping onto the platform. Given that he'll draw the focus, the boy shouts, "You guys go in after me! I'll draw their attention!" Reize often takes risks... and hopes for the best.

Turrets and blasts are honed in on him. However, Reize proves to be pretty quick on his feet. He reaches to his side to pull out a small device: A hookshot. With a swing the hookshot launches out against one of the devastators and he flings himself in, striking out at the strafers with spinning kicks.%r "Oii! Let's go!"

For the most part, the majority of the strafers and devastators are focused on Reize. However, a couple of them shift focus owards Mariam, who is in the air.

Unfortunately for Mariam, she has to deal with the more dangerous of the Heartless around. It's hovering mid-air, revealing it's cannon. Proto shots are fired in the form of three homing shots aimed towards her. In fact, they curve to strike her down. Further complicating are strafers flanked besides the devastator to fire lasers out towards her.

Salome, however, gets greeted with two devastators. Two devastators direct their attention towards her. They come together and release rapidfire shots. So, she doesn't get just six, but twelve shots towards her.""

Salome Highscribe has posed:
If Reize is so bold and daring as to risk life and limb for the sake of playing the diversion... Salome doesn't seem to mind this at all. Takes more heat off her. Or it SHOULD, anyway as Reize proves to be rather spry and nimble. Huh. Seems to be slow in one area, but at least makes up for it in another.
Still, she's moving to a floating panel, only to be beset by the Devastator pair turning to face her.
Everything seems to be put on pause for one moment, when those barrels are aimed at her. Long enough for a single thought to run through her head.
'Aw shoot'.
It's like a dance except horribly choreographed, and more wild and erratic. Boots hopping around on the platform as she weaves and twists, trying to keep grom getting perforated, before taking a wild sidewards LEAP to the next platform. It probably won't be a good landing.

Mariam Highscribe has posed:
It's true, Reize being a Big Damn Hero does not bother Mariam either. If he wants to tank, he can! She'll just toss him another healing spell, no trouble at--

Oh hello there cannons. Homing shots. Lasers.
Craaaaaap.

Mariam is nailed head on by the myriad of shots headed her way, and slams hard into one of the platforms, vaguely thankful it 'cushioned' her landing, and mostly not so thankful it was there because ow. She is fairly obviously not a physical kind of person.

"Ow my everything whyyyyyy."

She crawls back up. Dusts herself. And whines.

"Screw you guys and your tower."

Old Materia, out. New Materia, in.

"Pew."

Magic: Fire
Thunder
Blizzard
Quake
Aero
> Comet

Mariam shoots. It is, as always, not a bullet. It's a god damn meteor, headed for the cluster of Heartless. Rule of the least effort, just blow them all up.

Reize Seatlan has posed:
Times are tough for Big Damn Heroes. Reize has had his moments of being successful in driving off a majority of the Heartless. Reize is pretty much nimble in dealing with the opposition. It's the matter of riding one of the devastators to slam against the strafers and knocking them off into the depths of the hole away from the platform. Majority of the Heartless have been focused on him.

Not all of them. The two devastators on Salome presents her a problem. They continue concentrating on her, releasing a barrage.

"WOOOHOOO!!!"

...At least, until Reize swoops in riding the devastator. The frantic devastator crashes onto the other, knocking it and its partner aside. This gives Salome ample time to get her bearing and deliver payback.

Meanwhile, Mariam launches out a large meteor towards the cluster of the Heartless. Their eyes widen.

****KAAABBOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!***

Munny explodes everywhere.

Mariam Highscribe has posed:
Yeah munny!

... eh it's all the way over there though.
Like, she'd have to make a detour.

Mariam does not collect any of the munny, except the one her hat is able to eat out of the air outright. She simply blows the smoke off her Materia Gun and smiles, hopping over towards the next platform to regroup with everyone.

MP: 0, though.

"I already said it but I totally can't stand those black things. Didn't the weird data person program thing call them something? I forgot." Or she wasn't listening closely enough.

"Oh, right. You okay, Reize?" She's not asking Salome because Salome is always okay, anyway. :|

Salome Highscribe has posed:
Salome is having the time of her life. Rolling around on the platform and trying to not get shot the hell up. Pinned by the suppressing fire laid down, by the Devastators.
This really is a problem here.
At least until Reize swings in /riding one/, and Mariam drops a comet on the load of them.
Picking herself up with a flourish and swish of her hat, it snarfs up as much munny as she can before setting it back on her head.
"Right."
Handled.
Salome is, in fact, quite okay. She's like a cat. Okay even when she isn't.
Stop looking at her right now.

Reize Seatlan has posed:
As the devastator spins around in Reizes grasp, the boy pulls his hookshot away and he jumps off of the creature's head and he rolls along towards the other side of the ledge. This leaves for the devastator to succumb to its wounds and fall down the depths.

The boy turns his head over the group, then he frowns towards Salome, "...Hey, are you okay?" He then looks towards Salome and then Mariam. A smile is given to the group, "Are you alright?"

Mariam Highscribe has posed:
"I'll be fine! Probably. Well, you know, once we're out of here. I wonder how much further up this place goes." Hopefully not another ten levels. That would suck.

"I really wanna punch the guy in charge of this place now though. Using those black creatures to stop intruders, how petty. They consume worlds, idiots! They're not toys or guardians." Mariam doesn't know that some people use them as toys and guardians, no. One of those things she may have to learn the hard way.

"Anyway, if we're all still standing, let's get going~."

Salome Highscribe has posed:
Fiiine, fiiine~. Salome is absolutely, perfectly fine~.
Except for the scorches and burns all over he clothes and some nasty red welts. She twirls her hat on one finger with a grin.
"As if I wouldn't be."
Fuckin' meow... Fuckin' meow, man. As soon as no one is looking she's probably going to sulk.
"I think. When we're done here we should just level the place. After we've gotten all the loot."

Reize Seatlan has posed:
Once the two affirm that they are in good health, Reize nods once more. "Good." A smile grows. "...Let's worry about getting the treasure and getting out of here. He looks ahead.

Those blue lights continue to travel onward. The ground itself is mostly black, but the blue lasers travel forward. They all lead towards a path.

Further up ahead, the lights of the field starts to become brighter. The floor and the walls change to a white hue. It shapes as a wide field. It almost looks like an arena, in a way.

It leads to a large set of stairs. Along that line, there is a large treasure chest at the top of the massive stairs.

Salome Highscribe has posed:
Stairs. More stairs. It's always stairs. Not even a neat teleporty-elevator like the last time, and right about now, Salome is getting kind of sick of this joint. But it's the sight of the chest at the top that spurs her on.
She's a bit more cautious now, though, she's already unholstered her gun again, popping in a different materia.
Yes. She can agree with Reize's assessment for once. Worry about the treasure. It's kind of Right There, after all.
"Opportunity knocking, and whatnot~."
Short of something stopping her, she's going right for it, pillaging boot primed to kick it clean open.

Mariam Highscribe has posed:
"Eh~ you can level this place up, I'll watch."
She'd have to, like. Cast Comet again. Or something.
She doesn't want to.
Her gun's already re-holstered anyway.

Up the stairs they go, following the lights, with Mariam trailing behind Reize and Salome slowly and cheerfully. When they spot the chest... she... doesn't rush ahead, and just kind of waits, knowing Salome is going to go right for it.

"I bet it's trapped or something."

Reize Seatlan has posed:
After getting a once over around his surroundings, Reize frowned. As the boy realizes hat the area is a little larger than it should be, Reize started to worry.

"Hey.... I don't think that this is a good idea..."

Suddenly, Reize's pendant glows with a blaring green light.

 !!!

"SALOME!"

Light forms at the ground of the large arena. Data manifests in the air, transmuting itself into something. The figure takes up the good portion near the stairs, blocking the entrance. Hexagon shapes appear to block the exits.

The figure itself forms... It's some form of giant robot. Its masked face has the yellow eyes and its mechanized body has massive set of hands that could transform into something.

It's held up by a chasis tractor.

TARGETS IDENTIFIED! ELIMINATE ALL TARGETS!

The optics level towards all three, setting its sights.

Mariam Highscribe has posed:
"Sooooo... trapped."
Mariam produces her cellphone. Beep beep beep~.

Materia Gunwitch @SilverGunTwin
@GoldGunTwin just set off a trapped treasure chest. #calledit

Mariam pockets the cellphone again and gets her gun out.

"Guess there's only one way out of this room, huh? Let's get this taken care of quick, I'm getting so boooored of this lame tower already."

The Materia in the pistol gleams as she pulls the trigger three times, letting loose a trio of fireballs straight for that gigantic and menacing Heartless. No specific aim either, but she might take notice of the optics eventually.

Salome Highscribe has posed:
Really? REALLY Mariam you're going to tweet this now?
"What?! WHAT IS IT?!" She snaps back at Reize before... Well.
Halting in her tracks as the exits seal off and something that is completely and totally Not Treasure suddenly arrives to ruin everyone's day, Salome is paused. Briefly... Her nose twitches thoughtfully as she's set in the face of a large masked robot. The reaction is almost delayed as she jumps back, flopping on her ass with a jolt of surprise before scrabbling backwards on her bottom.
"Bleh!" Her hat even declares in surprise as she fumbles for a spare gun. It seems to glow in her hands as she funnels a spell right into the mundane pistol, her Materia Gun snapping up to join it as she pulls the triggers of both. It's a sickly black bullet, and burst of fire that spit free.

Deelel has posed:
Deelel just kinda pauses going what for a moment as Mariam tweets something she just says noyhing this is a user thing she's not understood yet but clearly it. She shaker her head but the battle has started. It's time to get to it isn't it? She pulls the disk off her back its lights up and she leaps into the air throwing it with all the might she can can muster at the heartless attemping to bounce it off the terrain for several hits.

Reize Seatlan has posed:
"Gah!" The boy's eyes widen when he sees the massive droid in front of them. He frowns at the large robot, then he withdraws both of his boomerangs. With a deep breath, mentally prepares himself before he steps forward into his fighting stance; both boomerangs are behind him and they are held invertedly. He leans forward, his body shifting as he prepares to push off into a charge.

Both ladies open fire.

That gives Reize his moment to charge into the fight. He moves around to a wide run along the circle. His eyes keep watch as he flanks behind it. He leaps over towards the robot, running along tractor and the back. He reaches out to his bag of tricks to pull the hookshot. It launches at the back, giving him a close shot to its head. "Here I go!"

Now, making its way to the back of its neck.

Reize Seatlan has posed:
GUARDROID:ONLINE

The Sentry robot keeps its optics out towards on the intruders around. All of them are identified as targets and it moves towards them. It's tractor wheels begin moving their way. It is repeatedly shot by Mariam's fireballs as they make impact against its armor. It makes no flinch from the impact of the strike. Even the sickly black bullets that strikes against the GUARDROID doesn't cause it to flinch. The disks strike it down, but doesn't do much.

And of course, Reize is attached the hookshot to its back.

There are a lot of annoyances.

Time to deal with the hostiles.

TERMINATE INTRUDERS!

Turrets arises, and lots of bullets are flying towards the group. As for Reize himself, he gets the special surprise of its defensive mechanism: Lightning jumps out as static electricity. As the surge of lightning discharges, it shifts its other arm to release a ball to the ground.

That ball explodes, releasing a strange noxious gas.

Mariam Highscribe has posed:
Tweeting it was totally worth it.

Getting hit, on the other, not so much.

The hail of bullets is enough to distract Mariam, as she tries to seek cover, only to end up in the path of that exploding ball of gas. And then...

She's knocked up into the air, swapping Materia mid-flight and firing a blast of wind towards the Heartless, a vain attempt to ground it while she's, herself, airborne.

She can't FLY, mind, but she grabs onto a chunk of the ceiling that was damaged by the wild shots, and stays there for now, aiming her gun downwards. "Hey, hat! I'm thirsty!"

Her hat produces the ether from earlier, and then Mariam is coated in a brief, sparkly blue light. MP up! But more importanty...

"Say hi to the ground!"

She lets loose another burst of wind, slightly bigger than the last, towards the Heartless.

Deelel has posed:
Deelel has already started her assault and as chipper as Deelel is she's looking to be fair more serious now the fight has started. She recovers her disk as it returns she throws it again without much of a pause and smirkss as she's been left alone. She leaps into the air and throws the disk, if it hits and return she'll launch it several more times as she does so. She's trying to beat it into submission from the looks fo it.

Salome Highscribe has posed:
How about we not terminate? That would be nice. Thing is, with the advent of a whole load of turrets bearing down on everyone, there really is only one logical option to take: get the hell out of the way. Bullets lancing everywhere hitting Salome's... Shadow.
It's a straight LEAP up that carries her out of harm's way, given no choice but to take to the air to avoid the worst of it.
And boy can she jump when she has to. Arms and legs kicking and flailing as she lands herself out of the toxic gas cloud's sickening effect, she lands on her boots with a heavy slump and...
Is back on her ass.
"Nyahahahahaha!" Her hat seems to find it amusing as she hoists back up to her feet, quickly twirling to one side to keep herself as a moving target. "Oh shut up. Reize watch your ass!" That is the only warning he's getting as she snaps the Materia Gun up, funnelling another spell into the loaded materia and channelling it with the ~click~ of the trigger...
To unleash a big damn fireball.

Reize Seatlan has posed:
Reize is definitely noticing hat strange things are happening. This not a good sign. Considering that it is trying to activate its defense mechanism, the boy had been able to pick up on that and jumped off of the creature while throwing something from his bag of trick at the monstrous robot. Reize manages to jump off just inme, considering that the discharge makes that crackling nose.

"Whoa!" While in mid-air, Reize is looking over towards the guard bot when it is grounded. And that is when Salome shoots out a massive fireball. "WHOA!" His eyes widen, the boy extends both hands forward.

...And is pendant reacts.

He isn't going to let her do this alone.

As the boy lifts his hand into the sky, the pendant's light shines as bright as the star. That is when the aura manifests around Reize. It slowly drifts to his hand forming a glittering tarot. The hand lifts up as he utters. This... is magic. It is raw, unhoned magic.

"Flickering flame, burn!"

As he tosses the tarot into the air, it shatters.

Three flaming balls appear before him, then they spiral together into a large fireball at the Guardian. "FIREBALL!"

Reize Seatlan has posed:
Rocket Thrusters activate. The GUARDRIOD is taking off into the air. As the thrusters ignite, the large robot is sizing down the targets. There are a couple in the air, but it looks over towards the adversaries still grounded. While in the air, it forms its arms from the cannnons for now.

However, the massive security unit faces the projection of wind blasting it. Pushed towards the ground, its thrusters attempt to fight off the energy, but is soon met with impacting to the ground with a harsh thud. Its optics light up and it pulls itself up, revealing battle damage. Parts of its armor is torn, exposing its circuitry. Deelel's disks hack at more of the armor, letting those disks cut against its circuits and disable its systems. The massive fireballs from both Reize and Salome impact, more of its parts flying. This time, it loses an arm.

Its optics glow.

It goes berserk. Lasers manifest and they start blasting all over the place. Meanwhile, the exhaust fumes give off and clownfish are fired from its cannon. As it continues to lose bits of its armor, rusted springs explode all over he place.

Better avoid them!

Deelel has posed:
Deelel laughs "Not enough resourses? Your too slow!" She taunts the guard machine ass she just keeps moving. She knows that movemnt is life in the gaming grid. To get hit you die, she shifts as the laser comes,, left, right, up down, she's just moving at lighting speed evading each and every last shot. She's up again and throwing the disk in a powerful single shot at the drone.

The disk speeds along trying to just slam into the thing's body and prehaps unload some malicous data into it's systems.

Mariam Highscribe has posed:
"Reize, look out!"

That thing is going ALL OUT. And not just a bit. Mariam is lucky enough to be hanging onto the ceiling when it unloads every last weapon it has laying around, and so avoids being utterly wrecked by the attacks going off every which way.

But from her perch up, she sure can see both Reize and her sister getting nailed, and she cringes. Well... Salome looks fine. Ish. She always looks fine ish. Reize, though, not so much.

Materia swap!

And Mariam levels her gun at Reize.

BANG.

There's a not-insignificant blast of healing magic headed his way. Curagashot, ho! For when things aren't looking so good and you absolutely have to shoot someone back on their feet.

Salome Highscribe has posed:
Not as planned- not as planned at all.
Again Salome springs herself up in a leap, awkward and too fast to be controlled, grunting as she twists in the air, a few lasers scoring nasty red welts here and there as she just barely manages to avoid taking them full on but...
What the hell, clownfish, really?
Aren't those things poisonous?
It looks like they are as Salome hits the ceiling and grabs the closest damn thing she can, and...
"Uggghhh..."
She does not sound like she's feeling so good. But she's holding the hell on. "Oh sure healy shoot him and ignore your sibling." She does snipe at Mariam while snapping the breech of her Materia Gun open, ejecting the materia- which her hat lashes out to snatch up via tongue, quickly spitting another and slapping it into the loader.
A pull of the trigger as she channels a spell through it and...
That is a huge wave of concentrated cold, shotgunning out.

Reize Seatlan has posed:
What can we say about eating such powerful attacks? Reize has had it bad for the most part. The lasers had ripped straight into him, the fumes and the springs nailing him. It starts to give him a sickening feeling as the prick of the spring has him falter in his dive.

However, Reize attempts to dash forward and drive his foot down against the GUARDROID. However, because his body was weakening from the poison lingering. He lost the drive and fell on his knees. "Hgnn..." He staggers up, looking over towards the droid. He grimaces. His eyes drift towards Mariam, offering her a faint smile.

Eyes widen again as the gun points at him. However, he mentally reassures himself that she is just helping him. As the burst of the curagashots strike him, the boy feels the refreshing and soothing energy back. He pulls himself up, "Thanks, Mariam!" He frowns, seeing that Salome is not too good. "...Salome!"

The GUARDROID's optics kept watch and swept towards the group. As the guard bot rolls to the group, its movements are becoming more sluggish. Systems are slowly failing itself. But soon, it crawls straight to the group. The disk runs against its exposed circuits, sending a malware into its system. It shudders violently.

And then, the cold shotgun impacts against it. Bit by bit, the frost of ice begins eating away and covering its body. After several seconds, the ice completely encases its body.

...And it shatters.

Munny everywhere.

However...

The treasure chest reveals to be a sign.

WARNING! SELF-DESTRUCT COMMENCING IN 5 MINUTES!

Should Mariam attempt to use her warp spell, she will find that something its blocking its effects. The hexagon shield fades away, the area restructuring itself to be a linear path. Four Light Cycles appear.

Mariam Highscribe has posed:
"W-Whoa."

With Salome just kind of freezing the thing solid, Mariam lets go of the ceiling, landing with an elegant, if wounded, twirl on the ground. She even spins her gun, a telltale sign of victory.

... munny everywhere too. She lazily picks some up.

Too bad the peace and quiet doesn't last.

"Ooh. That's not good. Let's get out of here!"

She raises her gun, fires into the air and... nothing comes out of the gun. At all. She pulls the trigger a few more times. She winces.

"SO YEAH I CAN'T WARP US OUT."
She'd panic, if it weren't so exhausting to do so.

Deelel has posed:
Deelel says "This place is going to Derezz, we best get going. I have no idea if it would delete a user or not but I know it will end me. So I don't fancy the big end of line happening to me yet." She slams her disck back on to her back. "We should depart the system as well, before we're noticed by the Black Guard. Or worse Sark." With that she'll move to help any of her allies who need it.

Salome Highscribe has posed:
Problem. Solved. In the best, most awesome manner possible. Freezing the damn thing solid.
And with that out of the way, Salome detaches from the ceiling, landing in a wobble and looking a bit pale. Huff.
Munny means she's nabbing loot up until she spots the sign.
And Mariam can't warp the crew out. Okay so she can't take her time in grabbing the loot, but she's snatching up as much as she can before...
"Whelp, see you guys at the exit!"
Oh hey look at that she's hopping a lightcycle.

Reize Seatlan has posed:
Everything is going to blow. The entire place is collapsing.

In fact, they will all notice that the place is shuddering. Digital debris fall from the ceiling. As they collapse and smash onto the ground, it is going rather chaotic.

"Salome has the right idea! Everyone, let's go!" Reize looks towards the remaining group, moving to gesture and even tug Mariam to guide her. Since Mariam is more lazy, Reize will just help guide her.

With the lightcycle up, Reize is already getting onto one of them. He starts it up, the vehicle lights up and hovers.

It is ready to go!

Mariam Highscribe has posed:
That bike is amazing.
Oh hey Reize got one too.

"Yeah, I don't want to find out if it affects us either," she replies to Deelel, before... hopping onto Reize's lightcycle and clinging to him.

"How thoughtful, you got us a ride out~."

She can't drive anyway.

Deelel has posed:
Deelel wonders where she managed to get something from the gaming grid and is impressed at how resourceful she is. Deelel gets her own liberate rod she stole during her escape. It forms about her and she's getting the heck out of here. She watches as the bigs are derezing it's time to go. This is going to end poorly it seems.

Reize Seatlan has posed:
The funny thing? Reize can't drive either.

It shows when he starts the Light Cycle up. It does light up, but when he preses on the handles. ...He and Mariam end up going reverse.

*VRRROOOOOMMM!!!*

"AACCKKK!!!"

*THONK!* On the plus side, although they do hit the treasure chest, they do get the treasure from inside.

You get Mythril Ore.

However, after a moment, Reize stops and he sweatdrops, turning towards Mariam with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, let's try again." He turns his head over the handles again. He presses it.

This time, the go forward!

Salome Highscribe has posed:
Unlike Mariam and mister daring over there...
Somehow, Salome knows how to drive.
Probably picked it up while wandering and pillaging, and though she's rolling her eyes at her sister riding piggyback, she kicks on the throttle. She'll shake the two of them down for the loot later as right now...
She's just gonna zoom along~.

Reize Seatlan has posed:
The path is a straight one. This should be simple enogh, right? While previously, the blue fielded dungeon was a platforming area with blue panels, this time, it is a straight, expansive road. However, this are has a couple of ledges without the moving platforms.

As if to further complicate the matter, there is the presence of walls forming on each side. They just appear from one side and then the next. Not only that, but Light Cycle Heartless are forming to get in the way to smash the group to the walls. These heartless in particular has a single, large wheel that comprises it lowerbody. It's black with red circuitry. Magnum Loaders.

"GACK!" The boy looks toward the Heartless nearby. "We gotta shake these guys off!"

They zoom in at the group.

Mariam Highscribe has posed:
"Wheeeeee~"

Oops, backwards. Ooh, loot!

Mariam seems to be taking it easy, only really bothering to move when Heartless start giving chase. This tower really is out to get them, jeez.

"Let's see them drive straight on an iced up road!"

Click, she swaps Materia in her gun real fast.
And fires a couple of shots at the ground in front of some of the Heartless; the shots are bright ice blue, and are going to form large patches of ice on the ground where they hit. Just your typical blizzard spell, in gunshot format.

Deelel has posed:
Deelel is concerned to the point she's not using the light wall least she well catches the less experianced drivers. This could be a problem a big problem but they are users, it's her duty to help them right? Their kind created her in the first place. She will make use of the light wall very rarely but in short bursts never a long stream leas well she clip her allies.

Salome Highscribe has posed:
Heartless.
THEY KEEP HAPPENING.
Even now, while trying to burn rubber out of a self destructing gamespace tower, dungeon whatever on an awesome lightcycle and they just keep coming. And now on Light Cycles of their one.
Salome takes the controls one handed.
"This place sucks. Who the hell gave us this lead, sis we should shoot them." She calls back. "Reize for YOUR sake you better make sure you don't crash because if anything happens to Mariam it's a bullet in your skull!"
Speaking of bullets, there's a reason she's driving one-handed.
It's to fire her Mareria Gun with the other, launching a blast of wind to try and shove aside the closest Heartless.

Reize Seatlan has posed:
Thankfully, Mariam's application of the ice shot to the ground manages to buy the group some time. The Magnum Loaders that close in at the group wheel their way through. The wheel actually strikes along the ice, causing one of them to slip. With a jerk, it falls back to knock against a green Magnum Loader. The sound of crash against the wall occurs.

"Yeah!!!" Reize beams cheerfully, then he turns to face Mariam, "Great work, Mariam!" He grins, then he looks back at Salome who calls over to him. A wince is given, "R--right...!"

The Heartless, through the last of the wind, are shoved aside and they crash against one of the walls.

ESTIMATED TIME... 3 MINUTES!

This time, the path gets tricker.

Ledges form and and a voice chimes.

JUMP! JUMP!

The ledge is shorter than the first.

JUMP! JUMP!

The next is even shorter.

JUMP! JUMP!

How does Reize handle himself? ...Not too well. The first one, Reize manages to rear back and push himself up, barely scraping past. Then the second one, he jerks heavily. And the last? The Light Cycle is shaking really bad.

"Salome! Deelel! We may have to jump to yours! Pull in closer!" He tries to steer his bike..

Oh hey, more Magnum Loaders coming from the front to impede their path.

Salome Highscribe has posed:
Clock's ticking, and even with the first wave of Heartless bowled on by there is the issue of-
Jump!
Jump!
No slide, but another jump.
The first leap was pretty easy, but the second and third are a little trickier... But Salome manages to land them once she takes the controls in both hands again. There's a bit of a wobble as she nails the third landing but manages to even herself out.
"Are you kidding me?!" She snaps back to Reize
Jumping from bike to bike mid chase is dangerous.
Which means Salome will be awesome if she can drive well enough for them to do it.
"Fine, but it's your jump, not my driving that gets you killed if you miss!" Someone else handle the Loaders, Salome is going to be awesome right now as she lines her Light Cycle up to Reize's.

Deelel has posed:
Deelel is very used to it this sort of thing but she's more concerned. She jumps, jumps, and jumops some more She keeps an eye on the hostile along with her allies "This is getting interesting you all able to keep up!?!" She might have been out by now on her own but she'd have to ditch her comrades and that's something she wouldn't do. The loaders will be handled as Deelel starts dropping light walls again.

Mariam Highscribe has posed:
"Reize! I thought you knew how to drive this?!"
She never did ask, and he never did say that.
She just assumed. Oh man what a terrible mistake.

Mariam hangs on tightly, but the thought of having to jump... well, she doesn't really want to, they're going way too fast! Oh well. Better get this taken care of right now.

"Sorry but I'm jumping ship Reize~."

Mariam angles herself, and then with one (mildly) powerful leap, attempts to plop herself down onto Salome's own vehicle. Like a boss.

Reize Seatlan has posed:
"I never said I knew how to drive this!" Reize looks back at Mariam.

Unfortunately for Reize, the difficulty in getting the Light Cycle functioning again is slowly deterioating. As Salome closes in towards his own, he looks back towards Mariam. "Okay! You go first!"

Good, she is gone.

"I'll join you guys next, just gotta position myself!"

What's left is his. However, complicating the matter are the approaching Magnum Loaders. Thankfully, with Deelel dropping the light walls, this provides some window of opportunity to adjust itself.

A magnum loader unloads its laser towards the Light Cycle as its last ditch effort and essentially wrecks the back wheel. And it begins spinning out of control.

"GAH!" Reize's eyes widen in shock, he turns his headover to see that Salome and Mariam are stil there. Although the motorcycle wobbles, the boy quickly springs off of his wrecked cycle and clings up onto Salome's bike, "Whoooooaaaa! Not part of the plan!" He yelps, frantically trying to hold on.

Given that he is now positioned behind Mariam as he hops onto the cycle, his hands are desperately trying to wrap around her to not fall. "Wh-wh-whoa.."

...Unfortunately, his hands move a bit too high.

Squeeze. Squish.
....

Mariam Highscribe has posed:
Mariam is totally fine with holding closely onto her sister. This happens every now and again when she just kind of hugs and/or squeezes Salome for no reason whatsoever other than being able to.

Having Reize do it, though.
Well, Mariam vaguely blushes.

"Hey. Reize. Remember how our hats eat stray hands~?"

Screw the Heartless, screw everything else.
This is more important.

Deelel has posed:
Deelel says "It seems I'm the only one who checked the read me!"

Deelel keeps going and pause as the hatch of one light cycle opens and one of the twins leaps ove to the other bike. That's quite the stunt she totally approves and she's able to take out the heartless chasing them. "Move we don't have all cycle!"

Salome Highscribe has posed:
Salome is not the most touchy feely of individuals. And she usually responds to most of Mariam's huggings with... A pat at best. This is kind of different because it's a ride or die chase to get out of a self destructing dungeon and there's nothing else to really hang on to. As long as everyone keeps their arms around waists all should be-
"What. Yeah. They eat hands, what's going on back there? -You know what hold the hell on."
Figuratively she means. Because... IS anyone doing anything about those heartless?
No because the other two are playing grabass on the back of her bike. Well. Grab-boob really.
One handed driving skills go, as Salome thumbs back the hammer on a regular pistol. This is brought up. The barrel is aimed right in Reize's face.
"Get your head out of the way." BLAM BLAM BLAM. She's just kind of wildly firing backwards without looking, focusing more on trying to keep the Light Cycle steady.

Reize Seatlan has posed:
Why is this famili----

Brief flashback to Lenn. Brief flashback to Priel.

... Crap.

'Remember how our hats eat stray hands~?'

 !!!!!

"It was an accident!" His eyes widen as he tries to hold on. Then, he turns his head over to see the gun pointed right towards his head.

Eyes widen.

"ACK!" And her warning. Reize ducks his head low, his hands thankfully moving towards Mariam's waist this time.

Thankfully, Deelel and Salome's efforts send back the Magnum Loaders to crash against the walls. Many of the Heartless have cleared up.

TIME OF DETONATION, THIRTY SECONDS. GOODBYE!

And the explosion occurs. Those flames are traveling through. The compressed explosion and the heat washing its way to the group.

Thankfully, they are near the exit.

As they all pass the exit....

The explosion occurs, leaving the area to disappear.

By that time, Reize loses his grip and he falls off of the Light Cycle. "Ack!"

Salome Highscribe has posed:
There it is! The exit!
Salome doesn't even bother to see if her blindfire hit a damn thing as she tosses the empty gun away. It's just a spare and she has like a zillion more. But the time to make the break out is now as she guns the throttle. "Hang on!"
Now this time she means it literally, kicking the light cycle to top speed in order to make it out and escape the explosion to follow.
The Light Cycle hits a bump.
And ends up taking an incredible leap while fire and stuff burns behind it. Right about now would be a good time to cut to slo-mo as she yanks off her hat, waving it overhead as gravity takes over.
"Nyahahahaha yeehaw!" The Mimic-hat cackles as Reize falls off. It opens wide.
And makes for a bite at Reize's hand.

"NOMF!"

Hey at least he won't fall if it catches him right?

Mariam Highscribe has posed:
"That was awesooooome!"

Escaping from an exploding tower on an awesome neon motorcycle? THAT'S RIGHT, CHECK. It wasn't on her to-do list or anything but if she ever plays 'wtf bingo' it'll be one point in her favor.

"It's okay, I believe you."
To Reize, that is. That it was an accident.

Sadly Salome's hat does not seem to agree.
Mariam just laughs.

Reize Seatlan has posed:
CHOMP!

Reize's hand, unfortunately, is the recipient of the Mimic-hat's affections in terms of biting his hand.

Eyes widen.

DX!!!!

"OW!!!" Comical tears swell up as he is in mid-air of the chomp.