Difference between revisions of "Bodiccea (Chapter 31)"

Latest revision as of 19:46, 13 February 2017

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Bodiccea (Act III)#Chapter 31

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-After crawling out of the sewers (Bodiccea cracked a joke about really knowing how to make an entrance) the three amigas set out into Upper Kurast.  The waypoint is always near the Kurast Causeway, so they headed towards the center and east side of the area.  On their way, they were intercepted by a pack of Faithful, mixed with some Zealots -- or "red naked guys" and "black naked guys" as Bodiccea called them.  They weren't dangerous, but they ran away so often, half the monsters in the area soon got in on the fight: Thrashers, Winged Nightmares, even a few purple-robed Cantors found it in themselves to wander over.  After it was all over, Bodiccea looked around at the number of bodies scattered around, and decided there couldn't be that many monsters left.  Since the waypoint would be near the Causeway, they might as well clear Upper Kurast out completely.
-On the west side of town, it was deeply satisfying to finally get all those Cantors -- the ones who just love dropping Blizzards on your head from the other side of the canal.  They don't do so well when you can actually reach them; one even teleported right on top of Aphie and died.  Other than them, and a few stray packs spread out along the north and south sides, Upper Kurast was practically empty.  That first big fight did almost depopulated the whole area.  Seeing how there was so little opposition, Bodiccea decided to clear out the temples and the Kurast Causeway.  They could always run into Travincal and hit the waypoint there if they wanted to save time tomorrow.
-Inside the Forgotten Reliquary, some Wailing Beasts ambushed them right inside the door, again.  They were normal, so it wasn't a big deal.  Another pack of Beasts was waiting down the hall, along with some Flesh Hunters.  They didn't seem too interested in attacking; maybe men make for better eating.  The Forgotten Temple was much the same, only with different monsters: Flesh Archers, Blood Divers, and a champion pack of Serpent Magi.  Being from a tropical island, Bodiccea had no love for snakes, but these came in such bright and pretty colors, it was almost a shame to kill them.  Maybe someone could make something nice out of the hide... especially the blue one.
-"Hmm..." Bodiccea said, examining a tower shield one of the serpents dropped.  "You know, tower shields are supposed to be the biggest shields anyone ever really used.  Why is it that in the game, Tower Shields are smaller than Gothic Shields?"
-"I dunno," Heather said.  "It never seemed that important."
-Aphelia smiled. "None of us use shields.  It might be more appropriate to wonder why the Giant Axe is smaller than the Gothic Axe."
-"Oh, yeah," Bodiccea smirked. "And Great Mauls are smaller than Mauls."
-"That's true," Aphelia said.  "Great Mauls have more reach and do more damage, but are visibly shorter."
-"Maybe the graphics got switched during development," Heather said.
-"Could be.  Either that, or the names would up getting assigned a little randomly.  I think a Glaive is really a kind of polearm, not a javelin."
-Aphelia laughed.  "Lucky they didn't make the Claymore a bow."
-The Kurast Causeway was empty -- no Faithful, no Temple Apes, nothing.  The two temples were just like the ones they'd cleared already.  It got so dull, Aphelia actually disappeared out of sheer boredom and Bodiccea had to summon her again.  During one trip back to town to sell and repair stuff, Heather wandered out to the south docks, where the other mercs were sleeping.
-"Hi, guys," Heather said, looking around.  "Are you all asleep?"
-Paige: "We were." (yawns)
-"Hey, Heather," Khaleel mumbled, staggering to his feet.  "How's it going?"
-"Great!  Miss B is happy, and our new friend Aphelia is really nice.  They knew each other from back on the Amazon islands, and she's got lots of really funny stories about her."
-Khaleel grinned.  "Yeah?  Like what?"
-"Well... there was this one time... no, I shouldn't tell anybody."
-"Aw, come on!" Khaleel laughed.  "We won't tell."
-Paige: "If they do, I'll beat 'em up for you."
-Blinking blearily, Kasim shook his head.  "Uh, yeah.  What was it?"
-Turning red, Heather shook her head, still grinning.  "Well... ok.  This one time when they were young, the temple guards took them all to the beach.  I guess Miss B was developing early and fast; her swimsuit was too small, but her mother wouldn't buy her a new one 'cause she'd outgrow it too soon."
-Paige: "Uh, oh."
-Khaleel said, "With her, that might be a threat to civilization as we know it."
-"Um..." Heather blinked.  "Yeah.  Anyway, I guess she was getting uncomfortable, so she got away from the others, hid behind a sand dune, and undid her top.  Then she fell asleep."
-Paige: "How?"
-"I don't know," Heather said.  "Maybe she lay down or something."
-"Did anybody see her?" Kasim asked, his interest perked.
-Heather shook her head. "No, but I guess she moved around enough in her sleep that her top came off completely, and she got a really bad sunburn where she shouldn't have."
-Khaleel laughed.  "Oops!"
-Paige: (laughs)  "Bodice burn."
-Heather laughed.  "It was worse when she had to put her top back on and go back."
-"Ouch!"
-"Yeah," Heather grinned, looking a little guilty.  "So... I better get back."
-Khaleel nodded, frowning.  "Are you sure you'll be ok, Heather?"
-"Guys!" Heather laughed a little.  "You're really sweet, but I think I'm ok now.  I've been really happy lately; I've even talked back to Miss B and she's been ok with it.  We're getting along really well, and I don't think I need a support group anymore."
-"But..."
-"It's ok.  You've all been really nice, and I like talking to you.  I'll come back sometime, you're all great friends."
-"But I..."
-Heather gave Khaleel a nice hug.  "You've been really nice too!  Thanks.  Miss B is looking for me, I have to go.  Bye for now!"
-As she scampered off, Khaleel sputtered a bit more, then went quiet.  Heather rejoined Bodiccea, and as they ran back to the portal, he snarled, "Damn it."
-Laughing, Kasim clapped him on the shoulder.  "Sucks to be you, I guess."
-"Aw, man!  I thought I had a chance with her."
-"What can I say?  The 'sensitive nice guy' bit sometimes makes 'em think you just wanna be buddies."
-Paige: "Excuse me?  What are you guys talking about?"
-Both men went quiet; Kasim started looking off into the distance, and Khaleel stared at the tops of his shoes.  "Nothin'."
-For the first time, Klatu spoke.  "The mage has been trying to woo her."
-Paige: (blinks)  "What?  Why?"
-"Well..." Khaleel shrugged, nervously stepping back and forth from foot to foot.  "She's cute, and stuff."
-Paige: (stares) "So... you like her?"
-"Look, I said so, ok!?" Khaleel snapped.  "Do I have to send up flares?"
-Paige: (still stares) "Why didn't you just say something?"
-Khaleel glared at Paige, then shook his head, appalled by her ignorance.  "Like what?"
-Paige: (frowns) "I don't know... something like 'I like you'?"
-Laughing ruefully, Khaleel said, "Yeah.  The thing is, whenever you just come out and tell a girl you like her, she'll say she's not interested in a relationship right now, or she's too busy with her career, or there's just no chemistry, whatever.  A week later, you'll see her in a bar in a halter top and harem pants, snogging some Barbarian or somebody."
-Paige: (glares) "That is not true!"
-"Hell yeah it is," Kasim muttered.
-Khaleel pointed at Kasim.  "What he said!  Paige, I know you're a girl, but I'm not talking out of my ass here!  This is the outcome of many years of observation."
-Paige: "Get out.  Klatu, do you get women in halter tops crawling all over you in bars?"
-Klatu smiled.  "Yes."
-Paige: "Of cou -- what?"
-Folding his arms, Klatu quirked an eyebrow and broke into a broad grin.  "Chicks dig wild men.  What more can be said?"
-Paige: "That is so not true."
-Khaleel and Kasim said, in unison, "Yes it is."
-Klatu laughed.  "I will say they come to me more if I have bathed that week.  But no less than three days before.  Any cleaner, and I do not smell as a man should."
-Paige: "I KNOW that is not true!  Are you guys done playing your little joke?"
-"What joke?" Kasim asked.
-"It ain't a joke," Khaleel grumbled.
-Paige: (fumes) "Ok, maybe the kind of women who hang around in bars wearing halter tops and harem pants go for big slabs of smelly muscle.  Heather is not like that!"
-"Blondie probably is," Kasim surmised.
-Paige: "Oh, there's no doubt about that.  Anyway, Khaleel... if you like Heather, why don't you just tell her?"
-"'Cause she'd tell me to fvck off?"
-Paige: "You don't know that!"
-"What woman wouldn't?" Klatu grinned still.  "No healthy lass would want a wizard."
-"Shut up!" Khaleel snapped.
-Klatu laughed.  "I'll be kind to you, little man, and ignore that."
-Kasim laughed.  "Sorry, Paige.  I know you're gonna deny it, but chicks go for jocks."
-Paige: (frowns darkly) "Maybe that's because the jocks don't play stupid head games, lying about their motives and pretending to like you and want to be friends when all they want is to get you in the sack!  Do you guys know, do you know what you're doing, Khaleel?  You're pretending to be something else, and putting on a front.  That's what Barbie does!  That's exactly why nobody likes her, and you are being exactly like her!"
-There was a long, thoughtful pause, before Khaleel finally spoke.  "Yeah, I guess.  At least head games work sometimes."
-Paige: (stares)  "Ok, I'm leaving.  You three are disgusting."
-"Hey, I'm not..." Kasim said, but Paige had vanished back behind the screen.  "Aw, man."
-Khaleel shrugged. "She'll come back.  It's not like there's much else to do."
-"Time will cool her anger," Klatu said.  "I have seen this before."
-"Like you know a lot about women," Khaleel scoffed.
-Klatu smiled.  "Someone here has to."
-"Ah... fvck it."

Difference between revisions of "Bodiccea (Chapter 31)"

Latest revision as of 19:46, 13 February 2017

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