Marianne had found time since the start of the expedition to change out of her elegant formal dress and into her battle/combat attire. Bow slung, quiver of arrows tight against her lower back, buckler on her left forearm, and rapier on her left hip; she was ready for anything that may come her way. Ornate, engraved plate armor snug against her vital areas and joints. With each of her steps, her armor clinked musically. As she strutted through the sewers with Ricard at her side, she hardly looked the part of a capable warrior being adorned in silver and white, though properly equipped. She looked rather pleased with herself with her everlasting smile, shockingly out of place when compared to her environs. The dark, wet, and grime didn't seem to bother her as she happily walked alongside her comrades of the underground expeditionary team. 

Ricard, however, couldn't be more aggravated and irritated. After having embarrassed his dearest Princess and sent outside into the blood-red rain, he had been in an even more sour mood than he had been. But, he held his tongue and kept his thoughts to himself. Lest he be banished from the expedition entirely by an irate Marianne. Though he held moderate political power, Marianne's command was directly below her elder siblings and the Royal Elven King and Queen themselves. If she decided Ricard was done, she could easily strip him of his position and rank. Not that she ever would or consider it, no amount of protest could repeal a Royal's order. He sighed as he padded in the muck with her, keeping his eyes and ears on alert. On his back, he had a smaller brown leather pack that held a number of provisions for the Princess and her...Well, Ricard didn't even know what to consider them. Liabilities? Potential adversaries? He resigned himself to call them her 'acquaintances'. As the masked Uro Koro Kai told them that they would be parting, Ricard sniffed at the murky waters of the canal that cut through the concrete platform. Raising his head, he turned to Marianne.

[i][b]"Dearest Princess, mind thou st-"[/b][/i]
Paying no mind to his words, Marianne gracefully leapt across the canal to follow after the others that had already made their way toward the tunnels. The heels of her boots clacking when she landed, her flowing black hair settled against her upper back like a luxurious curtain. Truly, she looked too out of place amidst the filth. Marianne looked over her shoulder and waved once back at Ricard, distance increasing between the two. [b]"Come Ricard, keep up! You'll fall behind if you dilly-dally!"[/b]

Ricard sighed, a bit loudly. Leaping over the canal, he quickly trotted to Marianne's side, his claws clicking against the ground. He would've really preferred the two of them to be part of the above-ground expedition. Though still not the most optimal course of action, it was surely more 'proper' for them. He had no qualms with getting dirty, but he had his dearest Princess to consider. Looking ahead, other members of the expedition had already begun disappear into the darkness of the tunnel. Turning behind him, a few others were straggling behind. Ricard would've preferred for him to go first and have Marianne follow second, but she lacked a sense of urgency. Who was the one dilly-dallying here? Ricard grunted. His eyes quickly adjusted the depressing dark, but he worried that Marianne's eyes weren't as keen as his. Unfortunately, neither of them really knew any Lux spells. To have Marianne use her Potentia spells just for light would be impractical, not to mention dangerous.

Halting in his tracks, he sat and turned over his shoulder to remove his pack. Rustling through it, he bit and pulled out the given communication device and began to attempt to use it. Hilariously, he was having some troubles. His lack of dexterity and thumbs made it hard for him to operate the device. Though he was curious as to its invention and creation, he was more concerned with just trying to use the damned thing in the first place. Marianne realized that her furry friend wasn't at his usual spot by her side and stopped to see what he was doing. Seeing him fumble with the infernal contraption, Marianna laughed and walked over to him.

[i][b]"Confound this damned...thing!"[/b][/i]
Ricard growled, barking softly at it.
Marianne kneeled down and picked up the device from off the ground.
[b]"Ricard, what are you doing?"[/b]
Ricard huffed, [i][b]"I thought it prudent to inform Mayor Margaret of our location. To inform her that the two teams have split."[/b][/i]
Marianne smiled widely and nodded her head, it made sense.
[b]"Well, alright then. Let me do it for you."[/b]
Ricard lowered his head, his ears flattening. [i][b]"My apologies, dearest Princess."[/b][/i]
Marianne waved her hand and shook head, [b]"Nonsense, Ricard. I understand. How do you operate this?"[/b]
She looked it over, turning it in her hands.
Ricard raised his head and brought his nose closer to nudge at a switch on the device. [b][i]"I am to understand that thou must hold down a switch to speak into it. To release it when done to hear others."[/i][/b]
Marianne nodded and clicked the switch on the device that Ricard had nudged with his snout. Unsure of exactly what to say, she hesitated. [b]"H-...hello? Mayor Margaret?"[/b] Releasing the switch, she heard nothing but a soft crackle of static. She frowned, staring at Ricard in silence. Clicking the switch yet again, she tried again. [b]"Hello? Mayor Margaret? This is Marianne Delacroix of the Sewer Expedition. The two teams have parted ways. Hello? Is anyone there?"[/b] No response.

Ricard tilted his head curiously. Looking around, he offered a plausible cause for the lack of signal. [b][i]"Perhaps it is due to our current location? The magic may not be powerful enough to reach the other communicators."[/i][/b] Marianne, still frowning, looked at the quiet device in her hands. [b]"Maybe so, but it is still troubling."[/b] She stood, turning to catch up with the rest of the group. Ricard bit the strap of his pack and slung it over onto his back, quickly catching up to Marianne. She was still looking at the device in her hands,[b]"Ricard, do you think something may have happened? Do you think we should tell the others and try and reach them?"[/b] The two paused, both looking at the device.

Ricard huffed and resumed walking,[i][b] "I am sure it is nothing, dearest Princess. The invention is unfamiliar to me, but I would wager it a safe assumption that the device may not be fully functional. Other mortals have a tendency to create such faulty, useless contraptions."[/b][/i] Marianne wasn't exactly comforted by his words. Opening a pouch on Ricard's pack, she put the device away safely. A worried expression on her face, she was starting to have her doubts. Her heels quietly clicking in tune to Ricard's claws.