[Bloodletters ORP] Roadblocks

[Shia bean]

Quaid didn’t mind being proven wrong. He had no problem owning up to faults, and would take the blame for those in his corp when the time called for it. The canine’s gaze was hard as it set upon the lioness Luci, but he was listening. It was entirely his responsibility to ensure all points of interests were manned. Unfortunately, she was right.

At least to an extent.

Kya’s assumptions were also correct. Quaid had not been made aware of Kalenorava’s assignment to guard duty. However, he had overheard that the position would be covered and assumed, as Kya had also begun to wonder, that the Bloodletter himself had given the orders. It wasn’t unheard of, and far be it from the canine to challenge their leader by investigating the matter further, however curious it was… But hindsight was twenty-twenty, and in the future such information gathered would not be so easily trusted.

He was not one for many words, and had already acknowledged Mzuka’s approach with a nod, but when it came to the honor of his own the First Vigilante had a hard time biting his tongue. It became more pertinent that he speak up once the Infiltrator requested the company of their Bloodletter. His attention moved to the leopardess in question, a glance much colder then the one given to her lackey, Luci. And as if as an after thought, the canine said aloud,

“Those who disobey my order disobey the order of the Bloodletter. There are no excuses. Prosecution of any who go against that is done for a reason.” And as true as this was, those in his sights who earned a look that would include them on the matter gained one. Especially his own, Mzuka.

He wasn’t convinced by the leopardess’s show of innocence, and felt confident that few in their company would. Still, her own command gave reason enough for things to die down on one front and for them to start up on another; one of greater importance, as the consensus went.

His concern for the entrance went before the the guaranteed safety of Kya, as her reckless behavior already proved to be outside the interests of the pride. (quite literally) The Bloodletter required a guard, and by no means would he will the chosen female to drown in the sands that separated them-- but there were tons of cubs in the world. From his standpoint M'hadox could use a bit more responsibility if a new guard needed training in Kya's place.

The male rose and paced along the bank to make his silent assessments, moving quite fluidly despite a subtle tenseness from head to toe. Finding a way to replace the log was the obvious answer, however the stones if walked on by a skilled cult member could easily prove to be a pathway in. Granted, even the oldest and wisest of their pride could slip on the haphazardly set boulders... but it was an option, until the bridge situation was worked through.

Until the Bloodletter arrived Quaid said nothing more.


((Sorry for the delay. My muse eluded me! ;; ))  

[Kimaria]

The lithe cheetah had - silently - drawn closer during the exchange, letting his eyes switch from face to face, analyzing everything from the subtle way they shifted their weight or any fleeting expressions. Eventually his paws drew him close to Jmeni, where he seated himself, looped his long tail around him and watched the on-goings with a strange sort of amusement.

"Well," he said - mostly to himself but loud enough to be heard, "isn't this a delightful situation?"

His eyes went to the hazardous crossing, though his gaze was disturbed by the pacing of Quaid - who was busy making his own assessments.  

[CaliWolfe]

Mzuka was utterly at a loss for words and clamped his mouth shut in an effort to hold his tongue. He had a terrible habit of rambling when at a loss and it was often embarrassing and distracting to the situation at hand.

He needed to think, but in order to think clearly he needed to be alone. Or so, he believed. If anyone caught sight of him being completely serious it might just damage his aloof persona he played to gain others trust. That would not do... Especially when he had worked so hard all these months to make his foolishness evident. If he was to give up his emotions so suddenly and betray his act it would raise questions. Oh, and then what would become of his treasure stash? Someone would certainly go looking for it!

Coughing he spared himself a single moment in which to think. He was not inclined to help- nor was his help exactly wanted at this moment. This lead him to think he could simply turn and leave, but with the bloodletter soon to come he thought again. His friend had once told him it would be terribly rude to walk away from your leader.

So he remained quiet, the best option he had decided. Before he even noticed though his eyes began to scan the crowd. They stopped only when he noticed a glimmer of light bounce off the golden surface of something buried in the sand before him. Oh no.  

[Kaelyndra]

Luci did not even have time to enjoy the sense of egotism that came with being right. With the First Vigilante, one did not search for approval or recognition. It was his complete absence of comment on her statement which allowed her to smile.

Then, as quickly as it had come, it faded. Luci's eyes scanned the clearing, watched the guards and scholars shift from one location to another and then nodded.

She swept past Jmeni and Sherloc and back towards the narrow pathway through the jungle without another word. Off to get the Bloodletter, one could presume if they were feeling generous and trusting.  

[Hopefolly]

Kaelyndra

Shia bean

Kimaria

CaliWolfe

Sherlolly

((Due to RL events, this is extended until next Monday at which point there will be a post. Apologies for the wait, all.))  

[Hopefolly]

Kaelyndra

Shia bean

Kimaria

CaliWolfe

Sherlolly

((Again, apologies for the delay. My next post will follow that of the Bloodletter, whenever that may be, but posting this round is open until next Sunday roughly in the evening.))

Kalenorava and Quaid had more in common than they knew, and far more than they would ever agree on. She too had taken a temporary vow of silence. Luci was swift for a lioness and the Bloodletter would be among their numbers in no time.



Kya was not feeling generous and trusting, no. She had enough confidence in Luci to believe she'd be meandering around in search of her boss, but as for finding him? Probably too stupid to get it done quickly. "Why isn't one of the cheetahs doing it?" she complained. Weren't they supposed to be fast?

Her eyes flit to Mzuka, then they traced the invisible path of his gaze to this buried object. "What is that?" she found herself asking.  

[CaliWolfe]

Mzuka panicked slightly and began feeling around his neck for the familiar locket he possessed. When he didn't touch it's smooth surface he panicked more and almost leapt into the quicksand right in that moment. That locket was far more precious to him then any of his other treasures, it had been given to him by a dear friend! How did it even come loose? Was it during that storm? How come it even got this far to the entrance?! He shook those thoughts away abruptly and remembering the sands deadly properties he resisted his urge to jump in. With a flinch of his eye he instead kneeled down in a pouncing position to watch in horror as the glimmering surface of his treasure slowly dripped down under the sand.

He placed his paws on his head in fret. "My lo-ket necklace." He explained with a whine. Oblivious to the fact that it was called a locket, the rogues he had met referred to it as a lo-ket or low-ket. It didn't have a specific purpose or meaning or anything of the sort, no, no, no! It was simply pretty to look at, and if Mzuka pressed a certain button it split in two! Then those sides showed interesting patterns he had never seen anywhere else before. It was truly one-of-a-kind. Nothing could replace it to Mzuka, not all the gold in the world!

As it finally got swallowed by the sand he stuck his paw into the squishy almost-ground mixture before him in panic. Oh, he prayed Quaid didn't look over. He'd probably get yelled at for being so stupid to test his fate like this... To his relief as he removed his paw, the locket was stuck to the tip of his nail. He replaced his worry with a grin and almost sing-song like said "I got it~." Mzuka then tried to throw it over onto land, and it did land on a solid area, just not where he had hoped.

Onto one of the rocks from the naturally made bridge it went, and the expression of glee expressed on the leopons face was again replaced by the childish sense of fear and disappointment. 'Great.'  

[Kaelyndra]

Hopefolly

Shia bean

Kimaria

CaliWolfe

Sherlolly

How long it took Luci to fetch the bloodletter depended on ones perspective. Mzuka had time to panic about his locket, Kya to complain, and plenty others to muse over how long it would take her to find the bloodletter.

If you asked her, she'd done her job with utmost swiftness. The speed at which the bloodletter himself meandered onto the scene, however, was left to interpretation.

But arrive he did. A bunched set of foliage ruffled behind Jmeni and a silver-grey muzzle peaked out, followed by the shuffling footsteps of their leader. Without so much of a bob to his head to anyone in the area, he made his way towards the presumed edge of the quicksand, though it was carefully disguised by leaves.

"Oh my," Ghinjo proclaimed, a small hum in the back of his throat.

The crack of a twig announced that Luci had arrived as well, returning to her place next to Kalenorava and promptly settling herself down. Her eyes were on the Bloodletter, who was casually making his paces in front of their entrance trap.

"This isn't good at all, is it?" The Bloodletter's voice held an airy tone, as though he were asking the sky, but not asking the question of anyone in particular.

A question was asked, however. The ratel tiptoed in a circle until his body faced the loitering group of felines and canid, his blue eyes shifting to find Quaid's.

"I presume there was no suitable replacement log?"  

[Shia bean]

And from behind Luci's footfalls were those of the second guard. M'hadox rarely made moves that did not shadow that of the ratel's, so his company would have been expected upon the lionesses request. Much in the same way Kya's would have...

Breaking through to the clearing they gathered, Ox swept his gaze across the crowd; in such a way not to be confused by greeting, but more of tallying. The aversion he had to locking gazes was made painfully clear in the swift log of those present, of those he knew well of, and then of something in the distant thick of brush where none present were found to be wandering. Done in stride, the lion then proceeded to his place near the Bloodletter, silent until his voice was required.

He did manage to linger a bit too long on the face across the sandy river before settling. While his expression remained stoic, Kya would know better.

What'cha doin' over there, buddy?

((Quaid's post later on today/night!))  

[CaliWolfe]

Well, at least the locket wasn't sinking anymore right? That was reason enough to stop panicking, but Mzuka couldn't find it within him to hide his obvious fret on what might happen to it. How was he to get it back now with it sitting in the middle of a quicksand trap? He could always wait until they got a new bridge of some sort, but the leopon kept running scenarios through his head where the locket "accidently" ended up sinking. He nearly moaned out in agony but then turned his attention curiously to where the Bloodletter had emerged from.

It seemed as if everyone took a step back or became slightly more on edge as the ratel walked with pride up to the edge of the pool. Even Mzuka made an effort to actually look formidable and got up from off the ground. His tail swayed side to side though and his gaze did not cease to shift between paying attention to his leader and his precious locket. In fact his mind continued to cycle in some new situations on top of the dreadful ones he had previously thought of himself. A misplaced paw... A swift kick of the hind leg... Being scooped up by a passing crow. 'Oh no...' He felt like melting into a puddle of self pity and childishness. The other pride members surely had noticed his behaviour by now, and the Leopon didn't like it. As mentioned plenty times before he wanted to keep his true intentions a secret, although it was becoming increasingly difficult and pointless on his behalf.

He needed to come up with a quick solution but alas said solution escaped him. Instead Mzuka was left to ponder his thoughts and be much to distracted to even think of responding to Ghinjo's questions. Though if he had paid any attention at all he'd realize they were rhetorical, and one directed specifically at Quad.

Still he felt the pressure of being unusually close to the Bloodletter. This was something considering it was Mzuka feeling this. Mzuka the idiot who couldn't tell the difference between his friends meal and his own; Mzuka the fool who cheekily grinned at everyone he spotted, Mzuka the agitated thief who had lost the only thing he deemed priceless. He usually did not care or bother to notice his range of how close to other people he was. He just sort... Stood wherever. But with the Bloodletter he felt almost intimidated being a few feet away from their leader. It might have been because he happened to have both Luci and M'hadox on either side, guarding him like he was the prized catch of the day. But the leopon couldn't help but feel... Something regal about him though. Was that why Mzuka's friend told him not to run away from bosses and kings? Hmm...  

[Shia bean]

Luci's departure seemed to quiet the group, the Bloodletter's company after all worthy of preparation, but the gathering did not cease to fill with curiosities. Kya's inquiry of Mzuka's antics was what initially drew him away from the bank, and it would quickly earn his fellow Vigilante a strange look. The trinket which sailed through the air would too receive his attention for a brief time, but would just as quickly be dismissed once stranded upon the rocks.

The sudden bustle of the leopon warranted address, and he would have given such if the crack of foliage hadn't signaled an arrival.

"Bloodletter." The canine replied, loping to near the ratel. He bobbed his head in greeting, shifting gazes between M'hadox and back before continuing on. The gap which he left was more out of respect for their leader then in response to the sudden intensity which overcame Ox. "None at present. The storm has done a number on the land so it might take us some time to locate a suitable replacement." Us. Including himself.

Quaid paused to look over the scene once more, purposefully stopping for a split second on Kalenorava, before coming to a hasty close. "Also, Kya is at the other end."  

[Hopefolly]

"Bloodletter." Kalenorava's homage to the Bloodletter was more subtle than Jmeni's, less tense than Mzuka's. She nodded to him with a shallow bob of her head. The lion behind him, Ox, she searched for any signs of scratches or other damages wrought by thorns. Kya was not the only one with misconceptions about other factions of their cult. Kalenorava was still awaiting the day Ox decided to follow suit and brazenly attempt to invade her corner of their lands. She knew more about him than most — not with his consent, mind you — but still she underestimated him as a fool, same as his partner.

This wasn't the first time today she'd seen either him or his master. Late night or early morning, whichever one preferred to call it, that's when she'd approached them with her offer to watch the entrance. Prior to that, she hadn't known Kya was gone.

Quaid would find, when he permitted his eyes to linger, his gaze was not unmatched. She was already staring at him, a hint of smugness across her face. She sought no support from the Bloodletter about her assigned job for the day; him saying nothing on the matter was proof enough she was right where she should be.

"Luci and I will be returning now," she announced, not unexpectedly to anyone but the most optimistic among them. A problem to be solved? Labor to be done? The Infiltrators were sure to make themselves scarce. That was the reputation they'd earned, and not without reason when this leopardess was their prime public figure. "We have repairs that must be seen to from the storms ourselves," Kalenorava said.

Except, as Luci would probably know, Skud and their most recent recruits, Aijax and Belessi, had already taken care of it. Kalenorava had, in fact, accepted her guard duty for a reason: Staring out across sand was more appealing than clearing away broken branches of sharp thorns and other debris all morning.

That didn't mean she hadn't knocked the log out of place, though...