One minute, Etsali sat alone, and another minute Ephias materialised behind her without so much as a sound. The redblood looked even more disheveled and weary eyed than usual if it were possible. His hair had given up maintaining any kind of logical shape and simply stuck out in all directions. The dark circles under his eyes almost made them disappear into his sockets. At the same time though, they burned with an intensity that was unusual for the redblood. Meeting his gaze was like staring into a black hole.
“Evening,” Ephias said as he seated himself between Etsali and a familiar redblood. The shears on his waist clattered against the wood. He opened his mouth in a yawn, baring his teeth. He perched hunched over in his chair like a bird about to take flight. His fingers drummed anxiously on the sides of the seat. “Long time, no see,” he said to the redblood.
KitsuneAura
Hope this seating arrangement...
Sypon
... is all right with you two!
Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2017 7:28 am
Someone waved at her, a gesture which brought her back to Alternia for a hot second. Who? Oh, that one blueblood boy. "Ah..." But he was with a lot of people.
Oh boy, so many people. "I-I... Uh... I..." donotwanttobehererightnow. But she couldn't say that! She was already here! Her face burned...
Wander stared down at the floor, where there weren't any people, hand tight in Poe's. At least it was his flesh hand...that could feel things...that could tell when she felt things without saying them... She squeezed it.
Then someone's feet came into view. Ones in tights. Wander looked up immediately, only because the style was super unique and she knew it was-
"S-s-sonnie!" Anxious as she was, a little dizzy even, she couldn't help but bounce a little to see her friend here. He was being brave, too...
And, in the most awkward way possible, she clung to hugged Sonnie without letting go of Poe's hand.
"I could always eat." A big boy with a big appetite. But he didn't want Voscil to go, either. A sucker for cuddles indeed. "Maybe later."
He still found himself anchored to the less savory thoughts, though. Reemus scratched his cheek, not really sure how to put things into words. At least, enough to be appropriate for here versus just them.
"I... Guess I am, a little. I dunno. But maybe it'll be like the other thing. Uh... The part that...wasn't...the bad stuff." But then also a lot of it was fighting things off like paparazzi when the entire Civisect Space Tower wasn't crashing down. "Mm. The boring part, I mean. The...race bit. With just doin' gruntwork all the time. That's good n' safe, right?"
His eyes were over Vos's head still, and he could see others coming in. "Oh. Izzat some of your friends over there?"
leon_a_darkangel
Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2017 8:37 am
“Oh!” She didn’t even see him. Or hear him, which was more impressive given his regular attire. Since the first time Aerona had laid eyes on Ephias, he’d grown into his world weariness. He looked like hell, but with her own fresh scars and drooping, exhausted features, so did she. At the very least her wild mane was tamed in two thick braids cascading over her shoulders.
“Hey, Chains. Long time no see, yeah. You look…” She paused, tilting her head. “Bad. Still handsome, just more like a skeleton.” Even with the missing spark that usually fueled her teasing, Aerona’s mouth curled in a half-assed smirk.
Green Minuet
Sypon Vice Captain
Offline
saedusk Crew
Dedicated Bunny
Offline
Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2017 10:57 am
Athera looked between Keionx and Eyzaak, smiling, nodding. It wasn't until she finished her last cookie and ditched the empty punch cup in the garbage that she said her goodbyes.
"See you after the meeting! Or maybe before that if we sit together." Punctuated with a nod, she gave them both a small wave and went to sit any-old-where. Of course, this was Athera and she was easily distracted. Her path curved away from the chairs and towards another troll who hadn't taken a seat yet.
"You okay?" she asked Akkira, tilting her head and leaning forward at the waist. She mimicked the sigh like an indication of what she meant.
leon_a_darkangel
DraconicFeline
saihen
Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2017 12:35 pm
saedusk
Akkira had heard the footsteps approaching her, but since they were coming from inside the building, she relaxed her posture and put on a smile. "That really depends on what you mean by Okay," she rest the tip of her walking stick on the floor and sort of leaned on it.
"Am I unharmed? yeah sure, I guess I'm okay. Am I worried that someone might have followed me? Yep, so in that case no i'm not okay," She didn't actually look at the child and only turned her head slightly to hear the Kid better. After "What about you? Are YOU okay?"
"Nice one, Vee!" Cerpin watched with great amusement as Tevini splashed stuff all over Eyzaak without even trying to hide his smile. Some might call that mean but come on, watching the blueblood get dunked on was kind of hilarious. Especially from a serious troll like his redblooded partner!
A coy voice settled next to him and Cerpin shifted his next to look at her. Autumn was dressed to impress tonight and he let out a chuckle. Had he known they were doing a fashion show, he would've filled himself up to match! Instead he reached to poke her cute little nose.
"Angels are always welcome to sit with me." He grinned, referencing her stint as Seraph. "Hope you're doing well, Autumn." Cerpin had meant to visit more and try to coax her out of the swamp to stay at Underworld but somehow hadn't been able to find the time. Maybe once this was over, he'd try charming her into it.
"You look good tonight, by the way. Trying to catch someone's eye?" It was impossible for Autumn to not have some kind suitor with a childish and innocent crush on her. Glittery people always attracted attention. The only question was... who was it?
Green Minuet
plz excuse colors not being right, doing post on mobile is hard ; w;
Doutei
Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2017 1:08 pm
There was a short stint of silence as Athera considered this, but Akkira might hear the faint, restless tapping of her foot on the floor. "That's scary," she finally said, "I don't get to leave the swamp a lot so I've never worried about that kinda thing, but even if somebody followed you I bet they got caught in the traps."
It would be fine. Athera wasn't a worrier. Then again, she was also a child.
"I'm okay because I had cookies. You should have some. Oh, oh, some fruit punch, too. I didn't even spill mine that much."
saihen
saedusk Crew
Dedicated Bunny
Offline
Doutei
Offline
Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2017 5:17 pm
"I didn't mean to! I'm sorry." Tevini apologized again, wiping his face with the cloth. She noticed Keionx beside him and flushed bright red that her clumsiness had been witnessed by the orangeblood. Keionx had been teaching her how to fight and have better reflexes. This certainly didn't show grace or coordination.
"I'm okay. Just mortified." The engineer sighed. Tonight she was more nervous than usual. Tonight there was more at stake to discuss. Her dreams would be one step closer... or possibly one step further. Would everyone agree to help? The rebels had many goals, the redblood wasn't sure how well the idea of traveling to space would be received. They needed to figure out what they were doing and if it was possible to do it all together. Realizing she'd been rubbing his face a bit rough (like polishing metal), the girl snapped out of her thoughts with a weak apologetic look.
"Sorry, I'm just nervous. You're cleaned up now, though. And good to see you, Keionx." Athera had departed before Tevini had managed to greet her. Feeling a bit overwhelmed already, despite nothing having happened yet, she turned to go back to her spot to find it occupied. Unsure if Autumn was approaching Cerpin to discuss business, the redblood wondered if she should find another seat. She didn't feel like fighting the energetic yellowblood for it. On the other hand, she didn't feel like forcing herself to be social with new people either. Spotting a familiar and comfortable face in the crowd, Tevini bid her company farewell and made her way over. There was still a little time before the meeting started and she would be safe here.
Wordlessly, she plopped down on the other side of Etsali and wrapped her arms around her legs to get lost in her thoughts once more.
Yamashii
leon_a_darkangel"
DraconicFeline
Green Minuet
KitsuneAura
second home <3 don't worry about her, just parking her until the meeting starts!
Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:42 pm
saedusk
"Pssh, why would you ever want to leave the swamp," she said with a loud laugh and then her face gained a very serious look, as if she'd remembered something dangerous.
"Did you say cookies and punch?" Akira leaned forward a bit and a smile broke out on her heart shaped face. "Hey, I can't see super well, show me these cookies, plllllease?"
"You know, she's not wrong," Etsali threw in, leaning forward a little for a better glance over both Ephias and Aerona. She hadn't had too much dealings with her, as far as she could remember. Luxara's friend, Forera's enemy. Maybe? Who even knew if that was still true. She gave her a nod of greeting anyway, because it sounded like she was showing a little concern for Ephias and that was more than enough for Ets for now. "You only have to ask for a mask if you want to match, you know. Don't have to make one natural."
At the sign of movement on her other side, she turned her head to see who'd taken the seat. Ah, Tevini! She looked to be deep in thought already even though she'd only been there a second, but Etsali nudged her gently with an elbow and gave her a warm smile.
Green Minuet
Doutei
Sypon
Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2017 8:58 pm
Vremea was so thankful the cookies were a hit. She'd spent all night baking them, and bringing them back with her was a challenge. Why, she'd even lost a few to the dangers of the swamp, occasional shuffle making one fall out into the pond! But what survived was definitely enjoyed-- When she entered the meeting tree, it was with a pleased expression on her face as she saw almost all the trolls sitting around, munching on her creations. The yellowblooded officer was very satisfied, especially after test tasting one herself. When entering the room, Vremea waved to all the rebels, new and old, a smile lighting up her face as she shuffled over toward the front of the room with the rest of the officers. A doubly wide, almost comic smile extended over her face. "Hello fellow officers! I see you are all enjoying my cookies!" She exclaimed excitedly, hands clasped one over the other. "They're butterscotch-cinnamon. Ohoho." The yellowblooded adult crossed her arms, pleased, before sitting next to the others, munching on a few of her very own cookies gleefully. The place was bustling with trolls, and Vremea couldn't be happier.
Byakko returned to her post near the back of the room, lingering in front of the town council sign. She stood still for a moment, arms drawn over her chest, facing the gathering crowd before her. A lull in the rebel's conversations naturally settled as they took note. Once she had their attention, the rebel leader stepped forward, voice booming through the hall.
"Sisters and brothers, thank you for coming tonight. As always, your presence is valued." Byakko took a brief pause. Casting a glance over her shoulder, she confirmed that the officers were in place. "Let's get started."
"As you may have noticed, as of late most of our time and resources are allocated toward surveillance and security. Essentially, our continued focus on survival has stunted our progress anywhere else." She stood perfectly straight, shifting to fold her arms behind her back. Striding a few paces to her left, her eyes scanned over each individual as she spoke. "This is a problem."
"We need more efficient infrastructure. In order to do that, we need resources. The last large scale military operation- the so called 'Space Race'- was ultimately a failure on our part. We did not capitalize on collecting as many resources as planned. If things continue this way, if our progress keeps stalling... frankly, things in Salamire will become increasingly difficult to maintain." Pausing once more to take a breath, Byakko gestured with one arm around the crowd, then returned it behind her back. "Our population is growing, but we are not growing with it. This needs to change."
She fell silent, resolute and unswerving as she met each troll's gaze with her own- somewhat sternly. Finally, when she spoke up, her voice was a step lower and softer than before. "This is a prime chance to upgrade Salamire. Your home. Your safety net. If you want to see change, we must act accordingly."
Nodding towards Tevini and Cerpin, the rebel leader took a step back. "Before I continue, I believe some of our members have something to say."
Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2017 9:01 pm
"Wazzap, Salamire? Good to see you all again." The resident try-hard rockstar did a mock salute to the crowd as Cerpin stepped forward to speak. "I just wanted to say a few things about all of this." His tone shifted from its usual playfulness to a more focused serious note.
"If you know Tevini and me, you know it's our dream to get to space. I know we all wanna feel like we're moving towards something. And we have something incredible to move towards! Byakko has informed us of an abandoned Initiative base on the pink moon from back in the day. Shocker, right? We're a far, far way from reclaiming it and it'll take a lot of work, but what if we could get our hands on it before the Empire does? It'd be a huge advancement for us!" He nodded his head upwards towards the sky where the moons twinkled above. Just thinking about what they could use such a base for had him excited. It would take a long time to get there but that only made it more important to start now.
"But even with all my beetles, it's not easy to get the parts to put together a working space program. There are things civilians can't buy without flagging suspicion." If he could explain what those particular items were, he would, but unfortunately Cerpin was not the engineer and thus had no idea. Tevini built the stuff, he provided the funding and recruited the team. There was still a lot of work to be done til they rocketed off to space but they were making slow and steady progress each night. He glanced around the swamp at the worn and tired buildings. If they could pull this off, they could relocate their base somewhere safe, dry and equipped. Cerpin itched to get these people out of the wet humid huts before the military came sniffing through the forest again.
"Even after hacking my records last sweep, it's too risky for me to buy the heavy duty s**t we need to upgrade crap around the swamp. Which is where you guys come in. Please," For once, the cocky smile dropped from his face and he made eye contact with as many friends and rebels in the crowd as he could. Cerpin placed his hands on his thighs and bowed low in a gesture of genuine and somewhat embarrassing desperation.
"Loot and steal as many materials as you can! I will personally reimburse or reward you if that's what it takes!" So much was riding on this for his team, he couldn't afford to waste this chance to make a giant leap towards those sparkling stars overhead. Straightening upright again, his cheeks were flushed a light purple and he took a step backwards towards Tevini.
"Vee, anything they need to know about the mats?" Cerpin quickly passed the baton off, still feeling a little vulnerable at having to beg the Initiative to steal supplies for them.
Yamashii
Offline
Doutei
Offline
Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2017 9:01 pm
"I've made some lists and printouts of the types of materials we need." The curly haired troll next to Cerpin nodded, handing a stack of papers out to the crowd to pass around. It was unreasonable to expect the entire group to memorize what they needed nor be able to find specific parts. The hand out was meant to simply give the troops a vague idea of what to keep an eye out for and what was high priority.
"When in doubt, grab it and we'll find a use for it." The redblood added. Even if they didn't currently need the material, they might end up needing it later when it was no longer available to steal. The swamp had plenty of space to stash things away in, it was time to start filling it up!
"These materials will be used not only to upgrade our surveillance systems, but also to set up an Alternia wide intelligence network. Like Byakko said, they will allow us to focus more on our important goals. With any luck, we can grab materials for our space development, too." It was an ambitious project but a necessary one. Byakko had made that clear. Tevini fully supported the plan to upgrade their current systems in order to be able to focus on new problems. They'd done a good job staking out this location and making it a shelter, now it was time to make it a base. For those chased out of their old hives, this was all they had left to call home.
"We've got a lot we still need to install and it won't be easy but..." The mechanic admitted with a weary sigh.
"I've seen you all in action. With your help I know we can do it." A determined gaze drifted over the audience with and hopeful tint. They'd gone through so much together, the bonds of this community were strong. She was certain they were more than enough to handle this.
