Boredom is a symptom [Open]

[Anonymous]

Could there really be a creature without DNA? Not that Zelph knew. He'd never been good with science and schooling and all that boring crap. If he wanted to learn about something, he'd go out and learn it, not sit around with a class full of geeks.

"Great. They're all female. That makes things so much better." He still didn't want a bug getting jiggy with him. What if it laid eggs in his brain or stomach or something? He'd be all relaxing and feeling safe and then BLEEH! Out the little tiny bugs would come, and wow. What a mental image. He could have done without that. It didn't help, combined with the smell. He waved a hand in front of his face. "You're lucky you don't have a nose right now."

Then the earth began to shake and Zelph caught his balance against a slimy cave wall. "Ewww." He wrinkled his nose and tore his hands away from the wall with a squelching sound, looking up as the source of the earthquake made itself known. The smaller bugs swarmed around it and past it like it was just another rock. But it wasn't. It was literally a tank-sized bug with what looked like some tough outer armor.

"Can I burn it?" He looked to Vex for confirmation, probably sounding way too eager about this. His ears had even gone up at the prospect. "Please tell me I can burn it."

The thing noticed they were there. It was moving forward now, and it didn't look happy--for a bug, anyway. It made a strange screeching sound that echoed down the cavern walls and the smaller bugs still around them all stopped and began to look about, as if confused.

[Anonymous]

Vex grinned at Zelph, and listened to him rather passively. He could be quite chatty when he wished to be. Eventually he heard Zelph speak of burning the monstrous creature in front of them. "Go ahead." Vex said dangerously, he eyes wild and ready to see what would happen. He got information from his visions, sure, but there was always room to figure out something else. He grinned as the creature charged them, and was stopped when Vex merely rose his hand, and grabbed one of its mandibles.

He held it in place for his pyro friend nearby, and waited for it to burst into flames, or something else to happen. He didn't know what to expect, so he waited for anything, whether it was good or bad. The creature snapped at him, but he almost effortlessly kept it back, and the insects that were hiding on him crawled off, sensing the danger instinctively.

Vex meant business.

[Anonymous]

Yess! Zelph loved toasting things. If he'd been stuck with some boring element like water, he didn't think he'd quite love magic so much. As it was, he embraced the fire. Embodied it. Okay, not so much. Nobody ever claimed he was passionate or fiery or anything like that. Taking his cue as Vex held the beastly bug in place, Zelph called the fire energies around him, gathering up a great strong force before directing it at their friend, the tank bug. If worst came to worst, he'd be blown away too. He had the ability to shield himself from fire, but at the moment, he didn't think he'd have the time to reflect a blowback.

The fire enfolded the tank monster, and at first, nothing seemed to happen. In the event it was going to come back at him, he thought, what the hell? Might as well get that shield up. Up went the shield and he glanced at Vex. Would the fire effect him?

[Anonymous]

Vex let go of the beast at the last minute, allowing it to catch on fire, or briefly. It paused for a moment before suddenly bursting into a concussion blast from hell, probably from the heat burning up 90% of it's insides and turning it into gas. Vex went flying quite a ways, and hit the rock wall hard enough to burst a few rocks out, and he looked very, very beat up. He laid on the ground for a few moments before grumbling. Suddenly, he sprang up.

"Ha! I never knew they were explosive!" Vex said, and laughed like a madman for a moment. He seemed completely unharmed. Was Zelph? Wait, where the hell was Zelph? Was he blown back that far or was Zelph hit by the concussion blast as well? He looked around before scratching the top of his hood, a symbol for confusion. "Zelph? Hello? Where'd you go off to?" Vex said, wondering.

Huh. Weird.

[Anonymous]

For a moment, Zelph didn't think he did it. He thought Well, crap. Now what? And then, BAM! He was hit with the blast and went barreling backwards and into a wall. Yeah, the fire shield kept him from being burnt, but not so much from being wailed on by the blast. He hit the wall fairly hard, and for a moment, his vision sparked red, then white, and then black as his head fell forward to his chest. He was only out for a moment, and he heard a madman's laughter. Lifting his head with a groan, he noted that he tasted blood. He'd bitten down on his lower lip. He licked the wound, and sat up.

"Here..." He croaked, raising an arm. "Ugh. Smacked into a damn wall." As he moved away from it, the suctioning sound was like pulling feet from mud. Totally disgusting. He hadn't managed to bring any rocks down. He wasn't covered in rocks, but he was--he found--covered by bugs. "Aw come on." He swatted at some of them before remembering the damage they could do. However, they mostly just seemed curious, trying to figure out what had happened to him. "Get off. I don't like bugs." Seeing as they hadn't done anything harmful to him yet, he swiped a few more off and wobbled to his feet. Finally, he raised a hand to his hair, which was even more messed up than usual.

"Coulda warned me they were like kegs of dynamite."

[Anonymous]

Vex chuckled as he saw a limb move, and watched Zelph as he found bugs on him. "Hehehe, just leave them on you, they're attempting to nurse your wounds. They apparently can't tell the different between us. Maybe genetic make-up doesn't matter to them, just the smell?" Vex said, and pondered for a moment. He then heard Zelph's comment, which lead to Vex chuckling quite madly. "My information is limited, you received just about all the information I got from my visions. From here on out, we're using our senses to finish this job."

Vex flexed his arms to make sure they were in working condition, and fixed his hood as best as he could. He still looked like he went through hell, like Zelph, but at least he couldn't feel the effects of pain. He had no nerves, remember. He grinned and shook his head, only to find his weapon, a massive sword. He attached it to his back again, and looked at Zelph.

"You missing your weapon as well?"

[Anonymous]

Wonderful! They were left to their own senses the rest of the way. Well, it wasn't as if Zelph always had a precog around to tell him what to do. He'd just have to do this old-fashioned way and hope in the end they survived the encounter. Those numbers flitted through his mind and he shoved them out. They were just numbers. His odds of survival were higher, right? Now that they'd figured out they could blow up tanks--although it didn't seem advisable.

Slightly grossed out about the bugs trying to nurse him back to health, he got up and distractedly dusted a few more of them off, though it didn't help. They were still trying to gather around him. He hoped this pheromone crap didn't wear off any time soon.

"Weapon?" His hand went to his waist. His kunai was missing. He gazed wildly around before laying eyes on his weapon. He dived through some bugs, shook them off, and wiped off their residue on his pants before hooking it back on his belt.

"All right, let's get this shit done." He started down the dark pathway--there only seemed to be one way to go for a while, and they were undisturbed for the most part. Then they reached a fork in the path. He sniffed the rancid air, trying to decide which way to go. "Eeny meenie, minie mo?"

[Anonymous]

Vex chuckled at Zelph once more. "Jeez, you're rather amusing when you're agitated." Vex said to him, and shook his head. Once he had retrieved his weapon Vex found himself following Zelph, until they reached a path with two ways. The majority of the beetles were heading down the right one, but... "Pick a beetle by its toe! Look, those ones have nectar, probably for the queen. Let's go." Vex said, and grinned. It wasn't everyday that a kid's rhyme helped get the job done.

He moved down the path with the fewer beetles with nectar on their legs, obviously not too worried about either of them. Maybe Zelph was happier now that he had gotten away from the bugs trying to nurse him. Still, that was incredibly amusing. He snickered, and looked around. "Hm. Now... where's the-" Vex said, but was cut off as he heard rumbling. "Oh, I thought the last one was big." Vex said, his face now having a frown on it. There was a MASSIVE beetle standing in their way, maybe triple the size of the last one.

But this one didn't look like it was eager to move away from the room it was in. Meaning... it was guarding something.

[Anonymous]

Whew. Zelph was relieved to leave those bugs behind. He gladly followed Vex down the path with only a few nectar carrying bugs, although was it just him or was it getting a little warmer down this way? Not that heat usually bothered him, but it was the humid kind of air that made breathing a little more difficult. The rancid scent was also getting worse.

"Ugh, I think I'm gonna puke." He stopped to rest his hands on his knees for a moment, but he swallowed back the nausea and started walking again. That was, until they found their path blocked by the most monstrous bug he'd ever had the misfortune to meet. He stumbled to a stop and fingered his kunai. "I really don't think fire's gonna help us this time." He could just imagine the blast this guy would create. Although it sounded like fun and all, he didn't exactly want to have to peel himself out of the rock walls. The first thought that came to mind was to wiggle his ass at it and then run, which would give Vex a chance to sneak past it. However, that thought went out the window when he realized that this thing was rock solid and likely here for a reason. It wouldn't just chase a vulpes down the tunnels. It would consider its job done.

"Maybe we can roll under it?" He suggested in a falsely chipper tone.

[Anonymous]

Vex stared at the creature intently with blank eyes, as if he was conjuring some sort of magic. To be truthful, he couldn't even hear Zelph, and was not even doing anything magical. He stared down the creature until it all came together. "Zelph, why do you think only the nectar carrying insects went down this tunnel?" Vex said. "Why is this creature not moving to attack us, even though it's not affected by the pheremone?" Vex asked again. "It's all simple. It's blind and they aren't workers, so they don't attack. However, it can smell the nectar..." Vex said, throwing a rock at the monster's, feet.

"And will kill anything without it." Vex said simply as the monster crushed the rock, and went back to waiting for nectar carrying workers. He found a bit of the stuff scraped on the floor, and gathered some into a bunch. Suddenly, he whipped it at Zelph, effectively covering him in the stuff. "Now, it is your choice to walk towards it with uncertainty and pray you don't die, or retreat and have a better chance of living."

Now, Vex was a practical person, so why wasn't he doing this?

[Anonymous]

"Yeah, okay, so they--" Zelph barely got the words out when Vex tossed something on him, covering him in some kind of disgusting, sticky substance. He looked down at himself, holding his arms away from his body. "Gee, thanks. I've always wanted to take a bath in bug jizz. What'd you do that for?"

Oh wait, if he bothered to listen. He frowned some more. So he was supposed to just walk past that huge monster and hope to hell he didn't get beaten, stomped, and killed into oblivion? He eyed Vex with suspicion. Was this the part where he got mauled, distracted the monster, and allowed Vex through to the door prize? Yippee for him.

"What about you?" he asked. "What're you gonna do?"

[Anonymous]

Vex sighed at Zelph's comment. "It's nectar. Flower pollen." he said simply, and glanced down the tunnel. "I'll be staying here, for one reason or another." Vex said simply, and looked at him seriously. To be completely truthful, he was standing her to make sure Zelph stayed alive. More guards were coming, and in this place a loud sound would be the death of them. The monstrous creatures were blind, not deaf. Nor were they stupid, but they could simply be fooled.

Vex was prepared to lose his life. Sure, he could allow Zelph to die. Sure. But, he had at least a few years to live. Vex? Vex would live until he was killed. Which might be now. Vex's eyes were oddly serious, a sign that he was up to something, whether it was good or bad. What would Zelph do? Vex seemed agitated, and hoped he just killed the queen and left without going back.

He hoped.

[Anonymous]

"All right. Not jizz. Flower pollen. Isn't pollen plant jizz?" Aw, who cared? Why split hairs over something so stupid, anyway? He was covered in the sticky stuff. Might as well make use of it. Although... He twitched his tail over to the side, and took hold of it. Normally fluffy and soft, it was growing icky and matted. Poor tail. He was usually so proud of it, too. Dropping it, he turned his attention back to the ginormous tank. "This is gonna be so fun." He flicked a gaze to Vex as he passed him.

He called a flicker of fire to his hand. "Let's hope she's not explosive." Let's hope she's even back there. If this big guy was guarding something, it had to be her, right? But what if it wasn't? He started to make his way past the big sentry, giving it a nervous glance as he did so. If it was going to kill him, he'd take it out with him.

[Anonymous]

Vex sighed at Zelph for once, showing mild traces of agitation. When Zelph approached the monster it merely shifted, and then returned to watching the door, obviously not caring of Zelph's approach. "Good luck." Vex said, and he grinned maniacly before sighing. Well, never thought the way I'd be dying is by holding back a bunch of frightening soldier beetles. Vex thought, and prepared his sword for combat.

Vex figured that combat was a pretty interesting way to keep a bunch of angry bugs away. They had caught scent of Zelph and Vex, but at least one of them would make it out, right? He used his sword to slash one of the legs off, only to get bashed into a wall in return. Weird, he was feeling good. He punched the creatures head in, and waited for the next one.

Maybe he could get a barrier of corpses? Just a thought.

[Anonymous]

Zelph lifted his hand as he kept moving, in a parody of a wave. "Yeah, yeah." Luck was for suckers. And fools. Too bad he was a kinda fool. He edged right past that giant tanker and there was a short tunnel that led into a small cavern. It was fairly dark. And still smelly. He really envied Vex's lack of nose.

"Hello? Big fat mommy thing? Queen bug?" He lifted his little ball of fire and added a little more to it. The light shone over the cavern and he saw her, with her small crowd of nectar givers and little larvae. He looked back to where he'd left Vex and then he decided he had two choices. Burn the whole room down. Or try doing this with his itty bitty weapon. He glanced down at his kunai, hanging from his belt. Then he looked up at the little blazing ball of fire. And then he smiled. No contest.

"Eat fire, bitch!" He tossed the little fireball at the queen, making it larger as it sailed through the air and then landed on the queen.

[Anonymous]

Screaming was heard as a stench of burning flesh was flung into the air, and the beetles all stopped their attack, and actually started running. This left Vex free to walk towards Zelph with a state of disbelief hitting him, and he stared up at the massive, basically helium filled queen slowly grow into a ball of fire. He had many things to say with this time he had, but he decided to keep it simple. "Zelph, if we're still alive after this..." Vex said quietly. "I'm going to punch you in the face." Vex ended, still staring at the queen.

Soon he felt a tremendous pressure and was blown around like a ragdoll in a hurricane, and found himself being pushed out of the cave, blown away by the massive explosion. The wind force was so great that he hardly hit any rocks, but those that he did nearly tore him in half. Hoping that Zelph would be alive after this, he had one goal.

To do exactly what he said.

[Anonymous]

"Punch me in the--?" Zelph didn't have much time to continue before he quickly threw up a shield. The blast this time was so great, that he didn't just fly back, but up and back. He flew right through the air, down the tunnel, hitting the ground and skidding over bugs, bug guts, and bug pieces. Not to mention sticky nectar. He kept sliding until a wall smashed up against him, and the blaze brightened everything so that it likened to the sun. He drew his arm up to shield his eyes, and felt the searing heat, even beyond his shield. Yikes! Was his shield weakening? He tried to get to his feet to escape out of the tunnels, stumbling up them, but he slid against the ground and fell. Eventually, he rolled, then got to his feet, shaky.

"Whoa..." He blinked, then touched his face. Black ashes came away on his fingers. He was also outside the cavern. Outside the tunnel. Did the tunnels even exist anymore? He had walked through them, hadn't he? Half his mind was asleep right now. He was still trying to get his bearings. He was alive, though! Alive!

[Anonymous]

Vex found himself stir as he heard movement around him, and rose up to see what the heck it was. He found Zelph, only a few meters away. Getting up, he moved over to him, and then tapped on Zelph's shoulder before throwing his right fist at his face. He didn't know if it connected or not, but he felt his arms fall off, and he hit the ground, barely alive. Zelph had some sort of shield: Vex was beaten around like a doll the entire time. He was quite... beat up.

"Zelph... I'd hate you so much if you didn't manage to actually live through that." Vex said, and groaned. He couldn't get up without arms, they were both laying around him, unable to move. He'd have to regain his power and eventually put himself together, but not right now. He was exhausted. It would take at least a few days...

So what would Zelph do?

[Anonymous]

Well, he was alive. Until he got punched right in the face. He was already wobbly. The force of the punch, even though it wasn't Vex's best, threw off his tenuous balance. He fell backward and landed on his back. And he just lay there. He glanced over at Vex. Why did he give a crap if he came out of that alive, anyway? Zelph smirked. "You're not half bad, are you?"

Dragging himself up to a sitting position, he drew a knee up to rest an arm on. Man, he was feeling it. Charred, dizzy, and achy. Vex, if he felt any pain, looked much the same, what with his arms all not attached and all. Zelph reached over and grabbed hold of one. "Is there a way to screw this thing back on, like an action figure or something?"

[Anonymous]

Vex groaned and laid on the ground, both unable to get up and too tired to want to. But eventually, he would have to. "Eh, bring my right close to my right shoulder, you'll see how it works." Vex said, seeing as the right was the smaller one. Attaching it would be a pain, but he would be able to sustain holding it. His left, however, was too heavy for his remaining energy to hold it for more than a few seconds. He sighed, and waited for Zelph to do whatever the heck he was going to do.

He stared at the sky, and figured that was the most fun he had in such a very long time, he was grateful. Grateful to Zelph, seeing as if he had refused, he might have survived, but would have had not had Vex with him. Then, Vex wouldn't have had any fun at all. He wasn't the bad guy, nor the good guy.

Just the bored guy.