275 Vol. 4 pt. 78 Patch 13.0: Operation: Operation (1/2)
Both Rao and Azalabulia have their hair blown back with their eyebrows singed and faces covered in soot.
The rest of the crew onboard The Shoebill are staring dumbfoundedly at the sky.
As beautiful and as amazing as the explosive sight was, they're just happy that they're still alive. The last thing that any of them want is to get blown away alongside the boat from some modified firework.
”That was my best explosion ever,” Azalabulia says. ”Bahamut would be proud.”
”Sure, but uh… maybe let's not do that again so close to ourselves,” Rao says.
”But they're even better when you get to watch them up close!”
”Sure, but I think the shortie and your boyfriend would get pretty mad at us if we accidentally blew ourselves or this boat up.”
”Oh.”
”Yeah.”
”I – I guess that makes sense.”
”I'll help you with more explosions sometime, but it's got to be safer. Alright?”
”Deal!” Azalabulia says with a bright smile shining contrasting against her soot-covered face.
”Can we kick them overboard?” Tabitha asks Nell and Oleander.
”It might be safer to do that for all of our sakes,” Nell answers.
”They didn't damage anything other than their eyebrows this time, so I guess they're fine,” Oleander says.
Meanwhile, Rock and Shogun are below deck and have been there ever since the explosions started. The others above might enjoy fireworks, but these two canids want nothing to do with them.
Back on the serpent, those sitting atop her back are just happy that they didn't get blown away.
It is not without losses, though.
Fenrir, Serra, and Cassiel have never seen Corwin look so depressed before now that the shockwave from the explosion has freed his catch.
It was the nicest, largest fish that any of them had ever caught before, too.
”I… did not even get to show Olly,” Corwin mumbles.
”It's alright,” Cassiel says, leaning forward to pat Corwin on the shoulder. ”We saw it at and can back you up.”
”Saw what?” Fenrir asks.
”Fe-Fenrir?” Corwin says.
”I didn't see anything.”
”Did the explosion harm your memory? You – you saw the fish I caught, did you not?”
”Sorry, no idea what you're talking about.”
”Stop teasing him, Fen,” Cassiel says. ”He saw your fish, Corwin. He's just teasing you about it.”
”A-ah. Right. Of course,” Corwin says. ”I am not used to being teased by anybody other than Olly.”
”I'm pretty sure that's a different type of teasing,” Fenrir says.
”Olly does the better version of teasing,” Serra joins in.
”I agree, Serra,” Corwin says.
”Anyways, we should probably head back to the others now. I doubt that our escort here wants us riding around on her back forever, and I think that shockwave loosened up these seats a bit too much. And… I want to drink more since we got all this alcohol, but I don't trust myself to drink too much while riding around on her,” Fenrir suggests.
”That's probably smart,” Cassiel says.
”You know, Cass, I've still never seen you get drunk around any of us. Want to once we get back onboard?”
”No.”
”Why not?”
”I'm never going to get drunk around you. End of story.”