Amidst a rain of burning rope pieces, Gyuto is unsheathed, and with it the burning, brutal force the Nakaraba Clan is known to cleave even the toughest cuts of Adamavenison. "Gah! What is this Cooking Intent?!" Cap'n Akimbold, having jumped into the boat, is forced into defense, meeting the avalanche of spinning strikes painting red streaks in the air with his wooden spoon, showers of sparks flying with every parry and landing sizzling in the Ramena waters. Every parry drives the kobold closer to the boat-bowl's edge and blackens his weapon further, until the final strike batters him off the vessel and into the air. The Spoonsage had not been ready for such an assault, his spoon being a bad match in the face of Gyuto's fury.
But Akimbold is far from defeated! Landing on and bouncing off the Ramenooze, leaving the creature wobbling and quivering in the rowdy waters ("Pwih!"), the kobold captain launches himself at one of the many ropes, hanging like noodles being lowered into the broth. He practically disappears in the ambient chaos of swinging kobolds, burning ropes, and rushing hot waters, only to emerge in the air right behind Santokumaru ("I have found your dead angle, Knivesman."), hitting him hard in the back with the full force of his swing and spoon! The Steak Knife Swordsman is thrown against the edge of the bowl, but Santokumaru's instincts are honed like his arsenal, granting him a chance to counterattack!
Tourna, meanwhile, is meeting the chaos by not caring about it much at all, rather cooking up a storm. The resulting stew is filled with an intricate profile of texture, tastes, and aromas. The moment the party tastes it, they feel their culinary horizons expand, like a regular soup vessel becoming the equivalent of the Ramena Bowl. With the experience comes a flash of insight, and in particular Eleanora feels for but a moment that her mind glimpses the near infinite vastness of Life and Death.
Not even the chaos of swinging non-captain-kobolds can ruin the moment, their coordination being unable to match their enthusiasm as they are busier getting their ropes tangled or crashing into each other, leading to their oversized paper fans most providing a nice breeze and helping spread the delicious stew aromas. Unfortunately, Cap'n Akimbold is more successful, as the singed spinning spoon bonks the little Stewbot in the head before ricocheting right back into the air and into the captain's hand, as he stands on the Ramenooze.
An adjustment of the gloves, a reflection in the glasses, and the glint of silverware. These are the only warnings prior to Vesper's display of his Elysian butling skills. The sheer surrounding chaos, the objects thrown down at them from above, and the dangerously moving bowl they are standing in makes the task a difficult one. However, one Vesper Douceur is rarely caught unprepared, just as his dedication to his work is beyond question. Thus, silver forks deftly pull upon knots in the network of ropes, while knives cut several important attachment points (and startling a few kobolds nearby, to boot). A number of ropes fall into the water, floating like noodles, and the rope network is showing more slack than before.
Today appears to be the day of creatures attempting to forcefully breath fumes in Vesper's direction, however this time, it does not seem to be on purpose. The Ramenooze, enjoying the bath and the massage (read: Cap'n Akimbold using it as a platform), "Pwih~"s a big sigh, sending out a white puffy cloud at the butler. There is little time to react, the butler dedicated to his vital work. Fortunately, the cloud is not of vile, outfit-ruining composition as the belch of the wizardly kobold stack. Unfortunately, the cloud is indeed quite hot, but also extremely spicy, hitting Vesper like a hangry dragon crashing through a throne room wall.
The kobolds above the fight are either busy carrying boxes and barrels towards what appears to be the Munchking's throne room, or throwing anything they can get down at the brave party. Honestly, they thought they had the safe, easy job. The silverware suddenly jabbing into the wood near them startled them a little (followed by briefly fighting over who would get to stash the shinies, leading to them just falling back into the party's bowl), but that must have been just a freak accident, there is no way that-
"IS DA CRAZY CURSE GIRL!" A shining whirl of blue and black, and an arc of light cracks across the distance and crashes into the poles holding up one of the main rope bridges, sending little kobolds jumping and scurrying to safety before the bridge snaps. Eleanora briefly sees the frayed end of the bridge burning with ghost-fire swing by at nearly eye level, and hanging onto it are two screaming kobolds flapping in the wind, before swinging out of view again.
The waters keep rising, as the rain of random objects continues. Anything from random boards and pepper mills to mugs and frying pans begins to clutter the bottom of the party's boat-bowl, while other objects keep hitting the edge, chipping away at it and making it sway dangerously.
Serving 2
Initiative:
- Chefs of the Round
- Cap'n Akimbold
- Chefs of the Round
- Ramenooze
- Chefs of the Round
- Kobold Krew
- Chefs of the Round
- Cap'n Akimbold
- We're Sinking! progresses
First enemy turn: Cap'n Akimbold has seen Vesper's magnificent silverwarework (even including spoons!), and he does not wish to be outdone! Holding his spoon in a throwing position once more, he aims at Vesper with a ranged attack!
Second enemy turn: The Ramenooze continues to have a great time, and it seems to want to thank the little kobold for the massage! Being concentrated ramen essence, this means a healing spell aimed at Akimbold!
Third enemy turn: The kobolds are having a good time swinging, but Cap'n Akimbold is watching and they should probably get on the whole blowing the hoomans over thing. They ready a ranged attack at Vesper!
Fourth enemy turn: That... that weird little creature is busy cooking instead of fighting! The nerve! Cap'n Akimbold is looking to swing a melee attack at Tourna!
Clocks:
Danger Clock: We're Sinking! ❎🔲🔲🔲
Goal Clock: Rope Budget Cuts ✅✅✅✅🔲🔲
OOC
Santokumaru hits Cap'n Akimbold for 26 fire damage, revealing a Fire Weakness!
Cap'n Akimbold attacks Santokumaru with Swinging Spoon, melee, targeting Def, and hits for 19 physical damage, putting him into Crisis! Santokumaru counterattacks for 12 fire damage!
Tourna's Alchemy grants the whole party +1 die size to Insight and Willpower until the end of Tourna's Serving 2 turn!
The Kobold Krew attacks Tourna with Fan Whoosh!, ranged, targeting MDef, but misses.
Vesper's Objective action for Rope Budget Cuts succeeds and fills 1 wedge of the Goal Clock (3/6)!
Cap'n Akimbold attacks Tourna with Spoonerang, ranged, targeting Def, and hits for 13 physical damage, also preventing the use of the Spell action on Tourna's next turn!
Eleanora's Objective action for Rope Budget Cuts succeeds and fills 1 wedge of the Goal Clock (4/6)!
The Ramenooze casts Spicy Breath at Vesper, and hits! Santokumaru uses Protect, taking the hit instead, and takes 18 fire damage!
At the end of the round, the We're Sinking! Danger Clock fills by 1 wedge (1/4)!
Vesper's Spell Mimic skill triggers! Vesper can choose to immediately the following monster spell (Species = Monster):
Spicy Breath, offensive spell, 5 MP, One Creature, Instantaneous: The target suffers [HR + 10] fire damage.