[center][hr][hr][color=ffcc55][b]Elian Zefra[/b][/color]
[color=598527][sub][b]LOCALE[/b] // near dungeon entrance
[b]TIME[/b] // early afternoon[/sub][/color][/center][hr][hr]
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It was quiet going in.  Almost too quiet, but the wildlife was making the usual racket, and Elian didn't see anything that gave her a bad feeling, so she didn't worry about it much.  She was hardly the best lookout in the group, after all.  She stuck near the middle of the party out of habit, chatting quietly with some of the others for the trek.  When Rael pointed out they were getting close, and still hadn't encountered any of the monster mob scouts had reported, the healer blinked and looked around for real.  She roundly cursed Red when the mage decided to let the entire game world know they were there.  "@#$%ing @#$%, cloudbrain, way to announce us.  Should I have Tiferet over there strike up the band?  Maybe a fanfare?"  She knew Red was loud, but there was loud, and then there was /loud/.  Graves had the sense to call for them to form up, and Elian fell back to the middle of the party.

And then Mirage made a /very/ explicit and rather amazingly snarky comment about the tall tank's private equipment.  It was in good fun, just a bit more of the attitude he used.  But he didn't take it well at all.  Elian was surprised.  Sure, he had little patience and a short temper.  But she'd never seen him react quite like that before, and her laughter died before it could even start.

Not only that, but a punch like that?  She could see it coming a mile away.  There was no way it'd hit, and that was unlike Graves too.

Of course, stepping in and getting hit for a lady was totally like Landon.  Elian rolled her eyes and let him break things up.  His smirk was that of a cat with canary feathers sticking out of his mouth, and she whacked him upside the head, knowing full well he wouldn't feel it with that alchemical concoction in his system.  He was such a ham.

The healer thought about laying into Graves for overreacting, but if something was up with him then she'd be better not compounding it.  And Hawkwood was better about quelling discontent anyway.  She had to snicker at his slang, and was more certain than ever they were in roughly the same generation.  And now Mirage was apologizing?  Elian sighed, thoroughly exasperated.  She didn't know the woman well, but it was cringy how easily she bent, and there was none of the hidden steel that indicated this was a passive-aggressive taunt.  She sounded like she was trying too hard to be mature, but also cowed.

"Maybe you overstepped, but Graves needs to know how to take a hit if he wants to dish 'em out," Elian told the archer, clapping her on the shoulder.  "Let's just not do it again.  I don't like infighting.  Tends to get people dead."  She added a gentle squeeze meant to be comforting, shooting the tank a brief glare.  If Mirage wanted to talk, Elian would listen, but that would have to be later.  And the other lady would have to be the one to do the approaching.

Graves, though.  Graves she was going to confront, at least long enough to tell him she wasn't fooled.  If he wanted to stay a distant jerk that was his choice, but he was a friend and verbal abuse or otherwise, she would be there for him.  Given his general manner, she wanted to be sure he knew that.  ...And she also intended to tell him off for making such a fuss.

Then it was back to business.  "You're right, Rael.  There's always been stuff outside the dungeons...but all I hear is the normal wildlife.  And scouts said before they couldn't even get close.  So what the hell gives, and what're we gonna do about it?"  Elian frowned.  "Still, that dungeon isn't just going to clear itself if we ask it nicely."  She pulled out her fans and flipped them open, casting her standard pre-dungeon buff, then closed one long enough to set her earring to a party channel.  "Everyone got their comm amulet set?  So...how do we wanna do this?  Teams?  Big group?  Loud, quiet...bait and trap?  One dedicated healer, and two secondaries could cover two, maybe three teams in a pinch.  I'm game for whatever the more tactically inclined come up with."

Of course having Red slink off was another bit of trouble.  [i]Right, last time I invite her along for a raid,[/i] Elian decided.  The high damage wasn't worth the lack of sense.  "Oi, numbskull, I don't heal Leeroys.  You wanna go charging in before we're ready, you better be really good at staying alive on your own."
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