Zeref had left Janessa alone for more reasons than the obvious.  The tall, lusciously-shaped woman would be most pleasant company, and she looked quite capable physically.  He winked at her from over his shoulder as they silently moved on, smirking at the way her tight curls seemed undisturbed by the breeze.<br/><br/>And then, noise.  Motion.  Commotion.  The Cad's eyes flew to look ahead.  In horror he saw Marie's lower half rising into the air, the upper hidden inside the maw of a horrific plant... a Gulper Flower.  Instinctively, the hand clutching his stiletto tightened and his gait snapped to a wide stance, but it was at that moment that Janessa and Lucille took hold of him.  He shot glares at each of them, wanting to help, and forcibly wrested his limbs from their gently restraining hands... well, from Lucille's anyway.  He gave the petite blonde an apologetic look... hopefully he hadn't hurt her little hands.  But Janessa had an iron grip on his right arm, the one holding his blade.<br/><br/>He looked up at her, speaking calmly but with force.  "My bow.  I can help."  With his free hand, he reached for the bow he'd slung over it, sliding it down into his palm.  The quiver was slung around the arm Janessa still held.  "Please, my dear.  Let me at least<span style="font-style: italic">try</span>."<br/><br/>As his gaze flicked forward, he saw Marie being lifted higher and higher, disappearing slowly into the leaves and folds of the wretched thing.  What could he do?  What could he shoot that would help and not hinder?  The mysterious Tia was sharing the same predicament, he saw.  He searched his mind... Gulper Flowers, Gulper Flowers...<br/><br/>Yes!  Perhaps now, words would cut better than an arrow.  "Mina!  Rachel!"  he called.  "It hunts for vibrations - thumps!  Keep its attention off Onyx and Zeena; get in its range and jump around!  Make vibrations!  Stomp the ground, anything!"  If he was lucky, he'd be right.  Onyx and Zeena could cut the stem and pod - the vitals of the flower - while Mina and Rachel kept it occupied.  Plants were dangerous, but inevitably stupid.  Even if Mina or Rachel got snatched up, it would buy Onyx and Zeena the time they would need.  He hoped to the past bearers of his name that he was right.<br/><br/>And he looked over at Lucille with another deeply apologetic stare.  He hated instinct sometimes.