Stryke was glad to see headquarters was beginning to take shape again. He came here frequently, slipping out of town when he wasn't needed at the cafe. It was frequently done when his lusus wasn't looking in the beginning. Stryke didn't like dragging his aging father into the mix if it could be helped; it had taken enough blows on his account over the course of time. As he'd also done some growing of his own, his lusus had seemed to accept the role of his troll son going out more often with grace. The knowledge Stryke usually did what he could to help where he was needed was enough reason to allow it.
As Stryke arrived at base, he hung his brown coat near one of the tunnel entrances, and rolled up his sleeves deciding to get his hands dirty with helping. Lifting and sorting rubble was tireless work, but it was needed for the blockade effort. Quickly becoming lost in thought, it wasn't like Stryke was watching ahead very closely as he pushed his loaded wheelbarrow towards the end of the tunnel. His boots collided with a larger piece of rubble as he was approaching his end destination, causing several rocks to spill as he dropped the wheelbarrow. Startled he winced, before muttering under his breath. "thisss is borderline ridiculous .." He muttered, toeing the rock that had caused the mishap with his boot towards the pile scowling.
Minor hiccup aside, Stryke returned to the entrance and repeated several loads with traveling back and forth as he mused over several thoughts on his mind. What would happen to the Initiative with so few members? Would they be able to recruit more with any real success? It wasn’t like you could walk up to the average joe-troll and just announce your interest in their joining. Besides that glaringly worrisome thought, he was grateful that over the weeks things had settled down. His life anyway had seemed to stabilize for the most part and had return back to normal. It occurred to him he hadn't seen several familiar faces in some time. While not overly concerned, Stryke decided to do a bit of wandering to see what he could find. The sound of voices told him a few were already deep in the midst of conversation. Deciding not to be rude, he slipped into another hall way as he wandered around.
One of his hands lightly slid against the tunnel walls before impassively dropping at his side. He wasn't really sure what he was looking for, and was about to turn around in the direction he'd come to go back to working for a bit after-all. Sighing, the yellowblood shook his head rubbing his neck as he glanced back into the tunnel he'd been working in, wiping his brow off as he crouched down besides his hung jacket taking a moment to collect himself before doing anything else.
Quote:
feel free to have someone run into him if anyone wants lol
Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2015 4:10 pm
Forera was a little unsure about going to the rebels this time around. Last time, she had been too mentally ******** up to go to the last meeting, but she supposed it wasn't a big deal. Nothing spectacularly huge could happen all the time when they called, huh? Anguis, actually, was curious about it himself— New and improved with the muscles of a monkeybeast, he seemed ready to take on the world. While she was nervous— He was already branded a traitor and she was a known criminal— the tealblood managed to bite back her feelings and head on over to the base they had received directions for last time.
It was an understatement to say the pierced tealblood was excited.
Forera was trying incredibly hard to keep herself stoic and serious, but she was honestly way too hyped up to listen to Anguis's words of disapproval. This time, maybe, maybe it wouldn't go as bad. I mean, nothing can be as bad as the Punishment Pits, right? She had decided to wear clothes that were less colorful and eye-catching for this, however her new, more practical boots and her symbol still had her normal teal. She wore all her piercings— Including a few new ones. Her metal hand was functional and working quite well after it's recent tune up, and while Forera was starting to feel unsure of her scalpel, she brought it along just in case. Skittering around the door, she pushed her hair back before feeling some get stuck on the ring on her finger. Sliding it off, the tealblood took a minute to stare at it, reading the inscription on it and smiling a little. Vulpin hadn't wanted to come, but that was okay. They'd both gone through dumb s**t with this thing. One last chance couldn't hurt. She'd tell him all of it.
Sliding it back on her finger, Forera trudged into the base, only to be immediately smacked in the face by a small bouncing ball that had managed to, of course, hit her. It bounced off and the force of it landed on the ground to roll away and bump into something, leaving Forera to blink and rub the spot that was hit. She walked forward and picked up the ball, inspecting it before her eyes darted over to the group of people near a kid. Opening her mouth to speak as she stared at the mostly empty meeting room, she closed it, before quirking a brow and walking over confidently, uncaring that these were trolls she mostly didn't know. Of course, she recognized maybe... Two of them? But that was because she'd seen them in the mess that had gone on with the robot when they were desperately trying to get the door open. "Hey, like, who's rubber ball is this?" She asked, placing her metal hand on her hip and holding it up for the others can see. It looked like it was the kids, but Forera wanted to be sure. Then again, who else would be playing with bouncy balls?
Maneki sincerely hoped some other rebel got the number of the truck that hit him. Lying dazed and flopped over the box, he wiggled a limb to see if it moved. Yes, that was working. The room hadn't settled down from spinning out of control, though. Groaning, he closed his eyes and waited for things to settle down. Note to self: Don't run around without looking where you're going. Maneki wanted to just rest, but someone was talking... Well more like yelling... At him. Opening an eye, Maneki watched the older guy vent out his frustrations. His body language was tense and pointed. Angry and Afraid? Then again, with how the balls had destroyed the caverns it seemed, he could hardly blame the other rebel.
Taking care, he pushed back from the box and brushed off his clothes with rough motions. No longer spinning, Maneki could fully understand the damage his balls had caused in the Meeting Cavern. There was glass and papers everywhere, plus many snuffed candles leading to patches of dense darkness. Blinking owlishly at Muerte, he frowned slightly at the comment about not understanding. He did, thank you very much! The other troll quickly followed it up with a huff, and Maneki could tell he was calming down. It would be smart to not push and say anything nasty, but he was lucky and brave. A combo that had gotten him into trouble before and was about to get him into some now. "I understand what you meant," Maneki spoke quietly, but firmly, "I'm sorry; you're right."
An Adult came next and began to speak with the Greenblood. Maneki stiffened when the attention turned to him. He was fairy certain that was Aprife, who was Zeffer's Matesprit. Even knowing those details didn't make him any closer to the yellowblood and that made Manny a little sad. Just knowing the rebels places and faces didnt mean he was related or connected to them, "He's right! I really didn't mean it -- Huh? Help? S-Sure!" It sounded like a great idea, up until Maneki remembered there was glass on the ground. A single cut would lead to him being revealed. Fear clenched at his stomach as he tried to stammer out, "B-but I mean I uhm... I..."
Zeffer's presence eased Maneki's worry immensely. Smiling up at Derd broadly, his eyes practically shone with adoration as Zef stood up for him. "Derd... " He felt guilty for not being able to clean up the mess, especially since it was his fault. He might have been self-centered as every child was, but he knew that when he messed up he ought to take the proper motions to set things right again, "Thank you, Zeffer."
Apparently the universe wasn't done sending him curve balls. Suddenly Byakko was beside him, grabbing and turning him towards her. Maneki squirmed, his cheeks flushing from embarrassment, "I'm okayMerm I'm okay. I'm...." He nodded, biting down on his lower lip to keep the tears from spilling into his voice and out of his eyes. She wasn't too mad, which was a relief. Maneki wanted to sink into her robes, safe and warm from the world for a few moments, but she was addressing the others now.
Even if the situation was completely over, Maneki didn't feel right. He hadn't helped fix his mess. He hated to leave things unfinished. Abhored it. Cleaning up wasn't an option, not with the glass on the ground. Clearing his throat, he boldly looked up at Muerte, a serious and sincere expression masking his features as he spoke. It was a look not unlike Byakko's, "Muerte, I'm really sorry. I wasn't thinking and I made a big mess. I know Der --- Zeffer is going to help pick up, b-but I want to help too! So..." A fragile smile replaced the firm expression, "So maybe if... If there's something else... I can do to help you...?"
Oh right, there were three balls. Wincing, Maneki frowned deeply at the new comer, "It's.. It's mine. I'm sorry Miss. Are you hurt?"
melona-pan
Saedusk
Melancholies
Kamileunaire
quite uneventful
Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2015 5:55 pm
leon_a_darkangel
lordpocky
When Keionx told her estranged Lusus that she wanted to see these 'rebels' for herself, Beastdad was ecstatic. He'd been looking for a way to reconnect further with his troll ever since Bloodfest, and this seemed to be just the sort of thing that would do it. He was so excited, in fact, that he neglected to wait for the Scouts to take her there and just grabbed Zariah and brought them both on what he felt was a grand adventure.
After so many excursions with Zariah, Beastdad knew the secret paths and tunnels to the PI HQ, and, beaming widely, brought his charges into the hidden pathway. So excited was he, that they reached the HQ before he let them leave his bulgingly muscular clutches. He beamed as Keionx disembarked and took it all in – small children bouncing balls, older trolls looking official, the chaos, the randomness, the strangeness of it all. She looked at the faces of the people there, and found that she did not recognize them.
Yet.
She knew that she was in the lair of people she had formerly fought against, in the home base of people she cared about. She was here, after long deliberation and questioning and talking, to see why... and to see if she should join them in their place of grey, beyond the black and white and rules of engagement that she had been taught.
Her eyes finally alighted on an almost familiar face and, almost nervously – she wasn't sure if she wanted to recognize it, or know that one more person she cared about and respected was here. It would be more evidence that she had been delusional and foolish all along, believing in The Right Thing where there was none.
Still, she squinted, trying to place it's features. The horn shape... The face's shape... the color... and finally the symbol... all clicked into place.
”Stryke?!” she said , surprised, and yet not very surprised at all – how could she be at this point?
She strode over with brisk steps. He had grown since their time in the ruins, and she could see that he might easily reach her height or so before he had finished with his growing. ”You're here too?”
Stryke looked up as he heard his name being spoken, and was initially startled. Peering up from his position so low to the floor it meant he had to do a fair amount of looking up. It took him a moment, looking at the troll whom had addressed him. His eyes narrowed slightly; pushing himself into a standing position as he slid his jacket back on...buttoning the two bottom ones before it dawned on him. The symbol...and while not as accented, the tone was familiar enough. He knew this troll!
His eyes went wide, before giving her a wave as he stepped closer to the other. "keionx?!" Standing at his full height, he wasn't quite as tall as her but he was not the size of a small child at least putting them closer to eye level with one another. A genuine smile crossed his face as he moved closer to her. "it'sss been awhile hasn't it?" He looked thoughtful, given the passage of time. She was still as he remembered her.
Pursing his lips slightly, he considered the odds of someone he knew joining. It didn’t seem that bad. Keionx was a brave troll with an honest word. “how have you been?" Stryke inquired, giving her a curious look. She seemed to be in good health physically anyway that was a good start anyway.
It occurred to him they were still in fact within the rebel base headquarters. He followed up his initial inquiry with another more serious one, his brow knitting in concern as he frowned. "wait. are you considering joining..?" He asked her, giving the other a concerned look. Even if she could handle her own he was more than certain. Stryke looked around near her...spying a large lusus and another troll not paying them too much mind to them beyond that, as he didn't realize they were associated with the orangeblood, at least just yet anyway.
DraconicFeline
Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2015 7:25 pm
It was almost a little overwhelming how everyone seemed to show up out of the woodworks (caveworks?), first Aprife and then Zeffer and finally the Initiative leader herself, which Muerte supposed he shouldn't have been terribly surprised (though it was a little strange watching as she fretted all over the child, what was up with that?)
"Oh bite me," Muerte shot right back at Zeffer, the growl not lost on him, though his own retort was decidedly lacking in its usual venom. He responded to Byakko with much more subordination however, the leader being one of the few that he actually held some amount of respect for, even if she was a little bizarre or at the very least mysterious. Muerte didn't know terribly much about the PI leader, not that he truly felt a need to, "Occasionally," he said, vague in his answer as he met Byakko's icy glare with a firm stare of his own. It was obvious by his now relaxed body language that he had mostly bent to the general consensus of the group, even if he was no less irked by the experience. Giving another deep sigh, he shot a quiet glance at Aprife accompanied by a solemn nod. He was fine.
It did catch him off guard however when Maneki spoke up again, and he directed his attention down to the tiny child as he apologized. The greenblood wasn't necessarily sure who he even was or if he was being truthful, but he seemed reasonable enough and for once the good doctor gave him the benefit of the doubt, especially when he expanded on his regret. Something else he could do to help him? "I doubt it..."you'd probably just get in the way he silently added to that statement, "Learn from your mistakes and apply them accordingly in future situations. I believe that would have a better outcome for everyone involved."
Wait a second.
How did the little b*****d know his name? Muerte ruffled up again slightly. Derd? Merm? It was almost as if the entire conversation immediately crashed down on him at once. He squinted behind his glasses as he looked between Byakko and Zeffer and finally back to Maneki, remembering his earlier qualms about the noted absence of a lusus. Did the child simply not have one? That was a little peculiar, though he didn't bring it up verbally. He shook his head. This whole goddamn group was filled with some pretty strange things, and he'd learned not to question them, even if he was surprised still at times.
Anyway, "Busy? Hardly. I suppose it should probably be a good thing considering someone of my profession." After all, a rebellion full of injured dumbasses was definitely worse off than a rebellion full of healthy dumbasses. It still made for a fairly boring and uneventful existence however, though the doctor supposed he preferred the calm doldrums to the more frantic sort of panic that he knew this murder of morons were more than capable of.
Magician Arcana
Charges dropped, crisis averted.
melona-pan
Kamileuniare
saedusk
Melancholies
Springtime Teenager
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zeflamigo
Interstellar Astronaut
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Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2015 7:35 pm
Watching the other trolls speak from afar, Odette adjusted her posture, fidgeting as far as her injury would allow. She felt strangely out of place among the rebels now. Perhaps it was because her fellow scouts were missing. She doubted the other trolls wanted to speak with her, except perhaps Maneki and Byakko, but their attentions were elsewhere. She threaded her fingers together, looking aside.
There was Aerona, yes. But Odette couldn't help but feel embarrassed before her, too. She wondered if seeing her amongst the other rebels would change her perspective. Would she scrutinize her shyness? Surely, she thought, Aerona's attention would be on the cooler, more aggressive trolls. The redblood bit her lip. She wouldn't be surprised if the girl ditched her entirely.
"This is it," Odette mumbled, gesturing out. She wasn't entirely sure if she was referring to the cave itself, the other trolls, or what. Really, she didn't have any idea what to say at all. She couldn't feel anything other than embarrassment and dread. How was she supposed to incite courage in Aerona, she herself being the tiny, scared thing she was. She didn't even have the courage to approach her peers, as pathetic as it was.
Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2015 8:45 pm
Just as Aprife thought, the worries from earlier were beginning to slowly ebb away as he settled himself into a comfortable rhythm of following the conversation, eyes slipping eagerly from troll to troll as he observed their reactions. The thoughts certainly didn't fade completely, but they took a momentary backseat to the more important task at hand, entertaining himself with his comrades. "'Derd' suits you," he shot after Zeffer with a grin, though the truth was, it was almost jarring to see his matesprit filling that kind of role. Or any troll, really.
Then again, you had leaders like Byakko, who he supposed might be as good a guardian as any. That had to be her rubbing off on Maneki, the stiff upper lip he put on, the heartfelt apology... it was a maturity that felt a tad forced to the yellowblood. Not that he'd comment on it, though, no need to break the child's spirit just yet. There would be plenty of time for that later in the world they'd chosen, or been born into, he supposed. It was a long road still ahead of them all.
Shaking his head, Aprife held out the ball he'd managed to keep from disappearing into the darkness, returning it to its owner. "If no one else wants to take you up on that, you can help me organize my files sometime, alright?" Speaking of, he gave Byakko a look that spoke volumes for how pleased he was. There was a goddamn twinkle in his eye. "More than enjoying. There's sweeps of information I haven't even had a chance to look at yet. Hell, I feel like a wiggler in a candy store here."
The yellowblood could only hope his good cheer proved infectious. There was a vague appreciation in his eyes as he returned Muerte's nod, likewise offering his services for the cleanup if they were needed. It might not've been much, but Aprife did consider the greenblood's surprisingly agreeable reaction a gift. Infighting would do absolutely nothing for them. Hadn't they seen enough of that already? He might not agree with everyone here, he might not particularly care for their feelings in some cases, but that didn't mean he'd chose strife over cooperation.
Glancing shortly around the room, taking a moment to consider those present, he happened to catch sight of the last of the projectiles from earlier in the hands of a tealblood as she called over to them. Looks like all three had found a mark somehow. Maneki was a marksman without even trying.
Kamileunaire
melona-pan
Magician Arcana
Melancholies
quite uneventful
saedusk Crew
Dedicated Bunny
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Sypon Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2015 8:56 pm
Earlier that evening, Aerona had set off to rendezvous with Odette. As she had traversed through the rough terrain down familiar paths, her mind was abuzz. This was dangerous, but she was ready. Sophitia couldn’t know, but it wouldn’t be hard to keep it from her. Her bloodpusher was set, her vision firm. She had no idea what her other friends were up to since she’d disappeared. “Playing” with Lorata had consumed more time than she cared to admit, but she was focused now. It was time to balance play with work.
She had slipped out of her hive in hemo-anonymous clothes, meant for the rough terrain she expected in Busthind but certainly not the warm climate of Chittentown. In the desert, she was sweltering. A cropped grey hoodie on top of her black athletic undershirt and a bright red bandana made up her outfit, with simple black jeans and hiking boots and her pack for comfort. Aerona and Odette hadn’t exchanged many words, but the two now entered the rebel HQ in solidarity. This was the testing ground, and a time of first impressions. But, Odette was uncomfortable. Aerona looked her up and down, seeing her posture from – of course – an injury. A royalist related injury, of course. Anger bubbled up in her and subsided as Aerona focused on the collective energy of the rebellion. Compared to the other rebels, the superhero she knew as a child was faded as though her wings had been soundly clipped.
She threw her a smile and gave her a squeeze on the shoulder. “Hey, Birdy. I’m not gonna let you down, ‘kay?” Aerona bubbled.
She appraised the other trolls in the room, finding herself speechless upon seeing the spread of newcomers. The group was small, of course... Much smaller than she had anticipated. But it was real. “Maaan…” Aerona breathed. “I can’t believe it.” Around her was a smattering of trolls of all kinds. A few rustbloods drifted around the space, but there was a strange amount of mid-and highbloods in the room. A sour greenblood, a tiny studded tealblood… Two more tealblods, goddamn. And a looming blueblooded adult with a mohawk and some distinctive scars. Aerona’s lip twitched. “Yo, what’s with the coldies? Who’s Gramps over there?”
Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2015 10:03 pm
Feeling Aerona's hand on her shoulder, Odette turned away, face turning bright red. Things weren't supposed to go like this... She had enjoyed being Aerona's mentor so much, finally having someone who took her seriously. And now it all felt like it was just slipping through her fingers. The injury, the rebel drama, everything made her feel weak. Even Aerona's support made her feel inadequate. What a cruel joke, she thought, pulling at her choker.
Odette let Aerona enjoy the surroundings, holding back from saying anything. She seemed impressed, and Odette felt a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. She couldn't help but think back to when she first joined the rebellion, when she embarrassed herself in front of Vremea and Athene. Things were simple, she was naïve, happier... She wanted to prolong that feeling for Aerona, preserve it. Tucking a strand of hair back, she smiled wider, only for her expression to turn sour when Aerona pointed out the "coldies".
She held back a scoff. "That's Zeffer," Odette sneered, barely trying to hide her distaste. She folded her arms, posture tense. "He's nothing but trouble," She elaborated, "I suppose he wants it that way." The redblood pursed her lips, looking over the other trolls. "That one's Muerte. I think. I've never heard anyone call him by that name." She said, motioning to the greenblood. What did they call him again? Tete? "He's strange, I suppose." Odette never really understood what his purpose was being here.
"Those two tealbloods are Byakko and Maneki," Odette said, relaxing more. She reached out and brushed Aerona's arm. "Our leader... And her protégé." She continued, slight pride and excitement filling her. It felt weird to call Maneki a protégé. Certainly he was much more like Byakko's charge than anything.
"As for her," Odette turned to look over the other tealblood. "I have no clue." The little redblood brought a finger to her lips, pondering. "I don't think I rescued her from the Punishment Pits... maybe she's new?" She wondered aloud, looking back to Aerona to see if she had satisfied her question. There were other coldblooded trolls, Milieu, Athene... They hadn't arrived yet.
Her face suddenly lit up, excited to share information with Aerona. How could she have forgotten! "My companions, you've seen them... At Bloodfest, if you remember..." Odette said, fidgeting. "They'll all be here. They're rebels, as well." She smiled, chest swelling with nervous pride. She knew they'd make it. They had to.
zeflamigo
Interstellar Astronaut
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grayseasons
Tiny Trickster
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Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2015 10:44 am
Anguis hadn't expected to find himself back with the rebels, yet here he was with Forera. To his credit, he had mostly come along with Forera because she wanted to go and he wasn't letting her go anywhere without him again. But there was a part of him that was curious, that wanted to know what was going on. He was trying to figure out what to do anyways, so it wouldn't hurt to collect information directly from the source. It was less biased when he got it himself and anyways, it wasn't like he could bring up the rebels in a casual conversation with another troll.
At least, that's what he kept telling himself. He was actually rather nervous being here, hiding it carefully under his mask of seriousness. Forera was bouncy, as usual, and he tried to make sure she wasn't too crazy but mostly the reassurance he got from talking to her made him feel better. It reminded him she was there with him, wasn't gone again where he couldn't find her.
Now however he was leaning on a wall in the base, fiddling with the belt that was on his pants. Forera had gotten hit in the head with a ball of some sort and he hadn't been inclined to follow her in her quest to find the ball owner. It was the rebels anyways, he was sure that she wasn't going to get into too much trouble here. Nothing like before. That only left him to look around awkwardly as he tried to look like he belonged here, hoping to maybe find a familiar face in the crowd. It was that or stand here awkwardly and wait for whatever was going to happen to start.
Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2015 11:04 am
While Vremea was already in the base, trying to shuffle around and heal some of the worse off trolls when she took a break, she was rather secluded from the world, having arrived quite early with a hefty amount of reading material. Etsali, Ephias's friend, had accompanied her to the HQ, both carrying a hefty pile of books she had requested her to bring for her. They had found an empty room and set up residence there, dropping the plushy comforter she brought with her and hiding the books behind a few things.
Escorting Etsali around, the yellowblood showed her everything — Vremea was starting to feel like the HQ was a second home, no matter how unsettling it was to step in there after exposing Errade for who she truly was. After their tour around the base, they had chatted some before letting Etsali wander around by herself, letting her acquaint herself with the area. Although she always wore that mask of hers which initially tossed some suspicion on to her, she wasn't that bad of a troll. She helped out Odette once, after all.
Burying herself in the books, Vremea pushed herself to try and to absorb the information like a sponge. Not only was it important for her to learn medical information to live up to her new title as Chief Health Director, but she needed to learn it, for her morail's sake. Ever since she received that letter earlier that night with information that Odette had a sprained leg and that she was bringing someone with her, Vremea had been crazy with worry. She wanted to help as much as she could... And she couldn't visit her— She didn't know if she'd be with the other troll or in her own hive, and it was too long of a trip to go over to Nee Hemisect considering the time the meeting was to be held at. Odette wouldn't be late to it, even with a sprained leg, so she was counting on that. She wished she had something instant to talk to her with— She needed to know if she was alright!
Reading up about ankles and legs was her current mission. Vremea wanted to see if by knowing exactly the part which needed to be fixed, she could find out exactly what it was and how to fix it. When she finally realized how long she'd been locked up in the room, she quickly picked up her things and left, hiding her books again. Shuffling down the hall to the main meeting room, Vremea took the quickest path, arriving at the area with ease. She thought she was arriving late, but the yellowblood seemed to have arrived right when the others began to arrive, which relieved her.
Not even bothering to look at the other two commanders, Vremea looked directly at Maneki and Byakko, giving them a radiant smile and a wave. Vremea kept skimming the room, glancing at two similar looking tealbloods she didn't recognize before her eyes finally landed on Odette (which made her instantly begin to head over) and... Was that the redblood who visited their booth and had a fight with the purpleblood? She was older now... Her eyes widened considerably but Vremea did not stop, quickly making her way toward the two redbloods.
As soon as she arrived, the yellowblood carefully slid a hand into Odette's, squeezing it slightly. "Hello there. It is nice to see you again. I... Hope you are doing alright. Thank you for joining us." Vremea felt guilt crawl in her pump biscuit and squeeze it, hard. She should've been better at helping last time. But they were in front of others, and Vremea desperately wanted her not to be hurt, but... She felt her shoulders sag. Maybe she could explain her reasoning to her later? For now, however, her worry toward Odette was overwhelming her. "Odette... How are you feeling? Are you alright? How is your foot...? Might I look at it later?" She asked, rapid fire— She knew dancing was her life, so for this to happen... "Have you told or seen Milieu or Athene? I have not seen any of the scouts." She needed to know if she knew. Maybe they were in the tunnels or something? Or probably arriving... She knew they were to meet, but was not sure when they'd arrive...
Byakko was much more invested in seeing how the younger mutantblood would respond to the others than jumping to defend him any further. This was her way of testing Maneki- to see how he'd react in the... diversity the rebellion offered without her interjections. It was the safest way of seeing how he'd fare out in public.
Thus far, he hadn't done spectacularly- maybe a scolding from someone else other than her would sink in deeper. Someone like Muerte. Akko rose a brow at the greenblood's response, simply cocking her head as she hummed to herself thoughtfully. Although her face tightened when he continued to lecture Maneki, she didn't raise her voice to speak. It had been an accident, but that's all it would take in the outside world to get him culled. Akko wasn't upset with Maneki, but a little harmless chastising couldn't hurt.
Muerte still needed to learn to stay in his damn lane, though. Ripping her glare away from the short greenblood, she turned to address Aprife, huffing slightly at his jape at Zeff.
"Yes- Maneki is an avid reader. I'm sure you could find something useful for him to do." Byakko gave the small troll an absent minded pat on the head as she questioned him. "Right?" Ruffling her fingers through his hair, she looked up to briefly shoot Aprife a sly smile of her own. She couldn't have imagined a better troll to entrust the Initiative's information to, and was pleased by the yellowblood's enthusiasm to jump into his newfound position. "Glad to hear that. I imagine you'll be there for awhile, so if you need anything just ask."
The area was now beginning to fill with trolls, and Byakko felt her pump biscuit swell with a faint pride. As always, her face was blank despite her elevation. It was reassuring to know it didn't just take an Alternia wide emergency to draw activity from their members. Some may have been more devout than others, but at least their numbers seemed to be growing. Byakko waved back stiffly as Vremea brushed by, twisting to narrow her vision on Odette and the unfamiliar redblood the birdlike troll must have recruited. She extended the greeting to them as well, expression remaining stony.
Turning back in time to witness the final, forgotten ball make contact with Forera's face, Byakko subtlety winced. It wasn't over. Great. The tealblood and her companion were familiar, although it had been some time since she had seen either of them- not that they knew her personally. Glancing down sideways at Maneki, she waited earnestly for him to speak up.
Kamileunaire
Magician Arcana
saedusk
melancholies
quite uneventful
Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2015 3:24 pm
Luxara hadn't been through the mountains for sweeps on her way to the desert. She never had any reason to past Stagdad's stubbornness back in the nights of the WACKY. That was so, so long ago. It was almost nerve-wracking, coming back with her only memories concerning caverns being labyrinthian. Dangerous. Just...something completely unexpected and not of this time. That made her wary as-is.
Secondly, she had to admit, just returning to the Initiative made her a little shaky. She hadn't known anyone important, so maybe she would pass as a recruit, but it wouldn't be fair to pretend she was something she was not. Luxara knew she had wavering loyalty in the past, and would admit it if need be. She hated keeping things from people. She hated guilt. And even though she knew, knew that only a few trolls would recognize her, and they would be happy to see her, she was still intimidated as she arrived on the scene. As if somehow the wrong troll would recognize her, call her out for being a deserter, and get locked in a dungeon or something. How silly.
As she arrived to the desert location, the greenblood noticed there was plenty going on. Obvious efforts to pull the place back together after the betrayal Kursha told her about. But there also seemed to be some outside ruckus? Involving a super adorable kiddo? The only one around, as far as she could tell. But, there was Forera. Luxara breathed a little easier, seeing a friendly face. Also, it seemed that yellowblood relationship sage from Bloodfest was a rebel. Interesting indeed. And was that one of her entourage? It was a new experience for Luxara to see people she had seen before, in passing as part of the Initiative. Like discovering an unexpected secret.
While there were plenty of trolls to talk to, Luxara noticed a certain tat'd tealblood hanging out, exempt from the general goings-on. From what she could tell, he seemed rather lonely. She deftly sidled up next to him and gave him a gentle elbowing. "Hey, nerd," she said with a smile that was threatening to widen further.
Walking a closer, Forera crouched down to the kid, glancing at the others slightly before letting a wide grin slide across her face. "Sorry? Why're you like, sorry, kid? That was one aweeeesome shot! It hit me like, right here," She said, looking down and pointing right at her forehead and releasing a giggle. "It was sooooo cool, seeing that thing, like, fly! I was just like, oh my gog, I neeeed to meet this troll!" Forera wiggled her brows, letting the bouncy ball slide to the palm of her hand.
The muscled girl reached over, handing it back to the younger kid and grinning. "Whaaat up! I'm Forera! That like, broooooody weird guy in the corner being a hyyy-uge looooner is my twin, Anguis! Nice t'meetcha." She said, grin still wide on her face. Though she was curious of the others, she wasn't particularly interested, save for the fact that the teen had the same teal color the kid did. Even though...Tthey looked nothing alike on that front? Glancing around, the tealblood couldn't help but notice the arrival of a few other trolls, and curiosity hit her harder. Wow, a full room of trolls to meet! So, totally, AWESOME!
