[Gallagher]

"Of course not." Gamby clicked his tongue and shifted his weight to one side. Gods help me. "So, he doesn't like killing people? Figures, I guess. I can't say I agree with it, but it's not like you made him do it, or they were innocent bystanders... Though, I also can't say you look like the type to be bothered by someone else's 'crisis of conscience'." Serious mouthful, that. "I'm not prying, but if you want to take off for a while, I'm not gonna turn you in."

[Suzerain of Sheol]

Tsae gives that a small laugh. "Oh, trust me, I'm thinking about it. I kind of need the money, though, and honestly, after that little scuffle, I'm not convinced Ed's safe heading out into centaur territory. I mean, I'm sure the Charr is good for one or two, but he seems a bit... distractable? And Syrgei is totally useless, as we've seen. I've never actually fought a centaur, but I assume they're tough to put down."

She pauses for a second, stepping over in front of Gambooge, crossing her arms and looking up at him. "You're from around here, why don't you tell me how bad of an idea this is, knowing that we have a pacifist and... I think he might have rabies? as our backup."

[Gallagher]

It was interesting that someone that spent so much time in their room knew that about him, even if it wasn't something he hid exactly. But then, she seemed to see through everyone. He straightened up and crossed his arms as well, the gesture not nearly as serious considering his slight smile. "It's not the worst idea, so long as we don't go too far down by the swamps. As far as I know, they don't usually like picking a fight when they're on their own. They're as smart as anyone else, they like having their own backup. Might consider more of a warmup first, if you're worried."

[Suzerain of Sheol]

"Oh, did you have something in mind? Might want to run it by Blond Justice over there, he's liable to report me to the Seraph if your target practice involves anything on two legs."

[Gallagher]

Blond Justice. Gambooge grinned and rocked back onto his heels. "Right, well... We could dip a bit South to the Pumping Station, see if there are any oozes around we can help out with. Last I checked, they don't have any legs, and that way, we won't have to let His Highness know we're not immediately doing as he says. No consciences, no let downs, everyone wins."

[Suzerain of Sheol]

"Cleaning... oozes... out of the pumping station. Remind me to never, ever ask you for a plan again. Should have figured, name like 'Gambooge'.... Thank Goddess for phantasms, I guess. No way I'm getting up close and personal with a bunch of semi-sentient mutant jello. Where does 'ooooze' even come from? Heh, Gambooze. Wait, no, that just sounds like he's a drink... which really doesn't sound unappealing right now. Uh, alcohol, that is. Intoxication. Blacking out and forgetting this was even a day. Definitely not Gambooge. Eew. Ugh. Eew.

I really hope this station is for cleaning water, and not the sewer...

"Sure! All right! It's good to have direction! Let's get going!" Tsae walks off clapping her hands over-dramatically at each exclamation.

[Salone]

Eduardo caught up to Tsaerri and Gambooge, looking rather ruffled at having to expend stamina. Taking a moment to slow his breathing, he raised his hands upwards and twirled slowly, making sure to catch all nearby with his gaze and voice.

"Now, I do not hwish to sound like a prickly bush here, but I do hwish to see more than just...beef in its more primitive state. So I hwish to see something else now. Cows bore me so. But before we do-"

He spun dramatically, extending a hand and pointing a slender finger at Syrgei, although the effect was lost as he tilted his hand downwards in a rather flamboyant manner.

"You, economically challenged one! I understand that some things are bad. But I have it on good authority that some very bad things come on two legs, and the amount of motor appendages an organism has is not entirely indicative of its moral compass. If those rrrhuffians had made off with the cows for The Pale Tree knows why reasons, hwhat would the people of Divinity's Reach consume? They would ask questions, such as "Hwhere is the beef?" In the act of removing these vandals from the social pool, you have in fact improved the economy and safety of the city, decreased the unemployment pool, and saved several gold in the taxpayers' coffers by not having to bother that man Logan Thackery with this business. Now, let us be off! I hwish to experience...adventure!"

He clapped his hands, signifying that the matter had been dealt with to everyone's satisfaction, assuming that everyone else had the same qualms as Eduardo.

But Eduardo could never understand the qualms that Dan faced!

Dan limped along, bringing up the rear of the group. He had quietly ditched the bag of potatoes when no one was looking. Now he performed the awkward Charr walk of utilizing all four legs, most likely registering himself as twice as bad as a person could be on the Tsaerri Scale.

Of course you are Dan! Don't you know the phrase? Two legs good, four legs bad?

Dan thought to himself that, no, that was not the correct quote and the source material didn't exist in this universe anyway, so the little voice in his head could can it with the guilt trip. The guilt trip was a three day weekend retreat Dan had already taken, which turned out to be two week struggle to survive after experiencing the rock slide of Regret and the constantly biting mosquito swarm of Insecurity.

Fine, the little voice said, But you know what I mean. They saw what you did Dan. They all did. Even the potatoes Dan. Do you know why they saw you Dan?

Dan knew exactly what was coming next. He stifled a groan as he tried to shut out the little voice making the world's worst joke.

Because potatoes have eyes, Dan. Potatoes have eyes!

[Suzerain of Sheol]

As they move southward, approaching the pumping station above the reservoir that provides clean water for the farmers, they are met by a young man who introduces himself as Jameson, the apprentice engineer in charge of maintenance on the pipes.

"Oh, thank the Gods!" he says, hustling down the hill to meet them. "You're from the guilds, right? We sure could use some help! We've got oozes crawling all over the water supply! Master Dalin is in a right fury, he is! You'll help us out, won't you?"

[Salone]

Eduardo approached the young man, sizing him up and down before looking over the man's shoulder to where the oozes were. He wondered what exactly it was oozes did. They, well, oozed as far as he knew. However the situation presented a perfect opportunity for him, something he had always wished he could do. Throwing his arm in front of him and pointing towards the oozes, he spoke in a commanding tone to the party.

"Have no fear, citizen. Minions, attack!"

[Suzerain of Sheol]

As the introductions are being established, Tsaerri stomps over in front of Gambooge and kicks him in the shin for his terrible idea before heading off to where the oozes are crawling out of the pipe.

[Gallagher]

Gambooge was beaming at the rest of the party with the obvious success of his idea, Bag stomping up behind him while going off about all the enemies in the area. As if they couldn't see all the oozes for themselves. As he was enjoying his moment, however, Tsaerri stormed up to him. "Hey!" Gamby shouted as he pulled his leg up, wobbling while he rubbed his shin. "You could've said no!"

"HA—HA—HA."

"Stuff it!"

[Quiet Man Cometh]

Syrgei stood and looked at the water pipes where the oozes wobbled about.

How do you kill an ooze?

Not being the most aggressive of creatures, they milled about, leaving behind noxious trails behind them while he considered his repertoire. Experimentally, he flicked a thin blade at one of them. The blade passed through his target, but lodged itself in the second, and both appeared unharmed, thought made a small change in direction and wobbled at a more determined pace towards him. He pulled his shortbow from his back.

"So, does anyone have any ideas for how to fight an ooze? This could get really messy."

[Salone]

Oozes. Oh human gods, Dan hated oozes. He loathed them.

What did oozes do to you, Dan? Tell us.

Dan didn't want to remember. Dan didn't want to remember how happy he had been when he had found a Fernhound pup. He didn't want to remember how he had taken him in, tried to raise him. He didn't want to remember that fateful night that he heard the gurgling, the schloomp of something being absorbed in to a viscous liquid. He didn't want to remember running to see what had made the noise and seeing his little Fernhound pup floating awkwardly inside the ooze, attempting to bark and not being able to. He had watched as the little form went still. He remembered trying to tear the ooze away and not being able to find purchase or grip, until he finally ate the ooze off of the little dog. It was disgusting. It hurt and was raw and burned as it went down, but it was all for his little dog. All for his little Baskins.

His tiny body was limp. Dan had tried to do CPR, but his horns made it nearly impossible to get to the little dog's body. He had awkwardly tried to squeeze the dog through their curves, barely fitting him in between as precious seconds oozed away. He breathed through little Baskins' mouth, trying to force the ooze out of his poor little lungs. But it was too late. He hadn't been fast enough. He had been an awful, neglectful owner, and now little Baskins was dead. What was worse was now the lifeless tiny body was stuck, tangled awkwardly between the Charr's horns. Dan had cried, tears matting the fur of the little dog. It was a night he would never forget, trying to remove the body from his horns and failing, staring at his neglect made manifest for hours as he attempted to fight against the settling rigor mortis. It was a night that would burn through his mind for the rest of his life.

But there was more, wasn't there Dan?

Dan also remembered the bits of ooze he had eaten, the incredibly painful bowel trouble he had experienced for a week afterwards. Another thing he would never forget.

"Human gods-damned oozes! They just take, and take, and don't even realize they're doing it! No more!"

With a scream he unslung his turret, slotting in the Flame modules before slamming it down in front of the oozes. It was time for them to experience the painful burning they had inflicted upon him oh so long ago.

You are horrible, Dan.

[Gallagher]

If Dan was moving, then hopefully he wasn't really the only one that had ever fought the oozes before. Then again, it was hard to tell with that charr. Gamby drew his elements around him once more, a blaze of fire flaring in his hands before circling around them and down to his wrists. He looked to the thief. "Burn them, freeze them, or smash them, and if any part keeps moving, do it again. There's not much else to it. Just don't let them bite you."

[Quiet Man Cometh]

"They bite? With what?"

Syrgei takes a few steps back, keeping an extra bit of distance between himself and the advancing oozes -at least it looks like they are advancing, and nocks one flint tipped arrow that he lets fly into the ground at the center of the "pack." The arrow detonates into a Dolyak-sized explosion that leaves behind some smokey, singed ground and a scattering of ooze giblets, none of which appear to be moving.

[Suzerain of Sheol]

Okay. You're a trained mesmer. You're creative, even. You can figure this out.

...okay, right. That's pretty obvious.

Standing well enough back to avoid having to be near the disgusting things, Tsae takes a moment to devise a brand new phantasm just for this purpose -- the Illusionary Sapper! Wielding its trusty shovel, the wispy replica of her scoops up the nearest ooze and gets it away from the water supply, onto the hard ground, where it proceeds to beat it repeatedly with the flat end of the shovel until it stops moving.

She spawns two more, just for good measure, and watches them work.

And then the apocalypse happens.

Barely reacting in time, Tsaerri throws herself flat and shatters the clones to grant herself distortion as a jet of liquid fire sprays in arc over where she was standing.

Blinking away to what is hopefully safety, she watches Dan's turret eradicate the ooze menace, wondering if Syrgei's coat will catch on fire. He doesn't seem too worked up about it, and now she feels a little embarrassed for losing her nerve there. Oh well.

To no one in particular, or maybe Eduardo, since he has the sense enough to stay out of the danger zone, she mumbles, "Do we even... have a permit for weapons like that?"