Heart of the Dragonlord's Temple
If the rest of this building is on a gargantuan scale, this central area is a giant among giants. Stepped ledges lead all the way up the sloped sides to the roof. That one square of flat area is hung with dagger shaped crystals that glow with a deep golden light, almost like a razor edged sun. The floor is slightly sloped, leading down from the central altar and to deep troughs in the floor. Near the doors, impromptu bridges have been recently built of lumber, to provide crossing over the troughs. Presumably the original builders did not need them. The altar is a monstrous affair in the dead center of the room, built of the same obsidian the pyramid is faced with, and covered with raised carvings of dragons writhing in torment. At each of the altars four corners is a downspout carved of a twisted dragon, although these seem to be in ecstasy rather than agony. Hung at each of the four cardinal points of the room is a massive dragon head, easily fifteen feet high each, with mouths open in a roar to reveal curving teeth of mother of pearl. Their eyes glitter with paper-thin gold over luminescent stones, and their rainbow hued scales are made of thin layers of slagged glass.
Contents:
Niko
Riley
Obvious exits:
Entranceway
The trio have been digging all morning...
There's a quiet cascading sound of rubble pouring aside and then a pause. Riley's voice filters from wherever the heck it is he is, "I do believe we're all but out of this room. I think we're to those troughs that were in the floor."
Niko follows after a bit of his own rubble-rummaging. "Out is good," he decides. "Though if we can bypass the troughs, that would be good. Are we going to have to go through them?"
Tara pauses to think back to the memory of what they'd seen before getting squished, and nods, resuming digging. "Doing better than expected then. Eeewww, handsome, don't even think that."
"We're going to have to go over," Riley explains, pausing a moment. "But the rubble's been pouring into them, so it shouldn't be too tricky." There's a pause, "Or messy."
Niko mumbles something over his shoulder to Tara, a something that definitely involves the word 'Skippy'. After that, he nods to Riley. "Sounds... well, not good, but acceptable, at least."
Tara grins amiably without looking up from the rubble. "Long as it gets us closer to getting out of here, just about anything would be acceptable."
Riley comes edging back up towards y'all, turning to shift his feet into position to kick a large rock forward. There's more cascading sounds as the rubble pours into the trough. He offers a rather ragged grin back in the pitiful light available. "Maybe once we're clear of the midget's pyramid, things'll be clear still." Hello, wishfull thinking?
Niko is apparently feeling quite optimistic today. "Sure, bet it will be." Of course, he doesn't say -what- he's going to bet. "Once more into the rocks?"
Tara smiles slightly. "That would be an awfully nice reward for all this." One grimy nailbroken hand gestures toward the path already dug before she nods to Niko. "Damn things are starting to look tasty."
There's a skittered thump as Riley tosses back a candy bar, chocolate of course, "That better than a rock Valentine? Nick, want one?"
Niko perks up more than a little. "Chocolate? That'd be great, yeah, Riley. Thanks." (What man among you, when your brother asks for chocolate, gives him a stone?)
Tara blinks as the candy hits the floor and slides up to her. "Addison, you're a lifesaver! I take back half the nasty things I've ever said about you." She pounces on the chocolate, unwrapping it with trembling fingers. The first bite brings on a look of bliss.
Riley tosses back a second one, trust Riley of all people to be carrying chocolate. More thumps and shifting sounds occur. "Half, wow, remind me to give her chocolate more often, Nick."
Niko suggests, as he unwraps his own candy, "Give her another one, maybe you'll get 'em all taken back." He scarfs down a bite or two, then tucks the remainder into a pocket, the better to help with the rock-shifting.
Tara snickers softly, ignoring the grit that goes into her mouth along with the rest of the chocolate. "I'm in a good mood, but not /that/ good a mood." She shifts forward on her knees to continue playing bulldozer.
Riley makes his way over the rubble filled trough, moving carefully. Upon reaching the other side he calls back, "Floor again. And I think we're near one of the doors."
Niko picks his way across the rocks as well, sliding briefly as the rocks shift beneath his feet. "Watch that bit," he calls over his shoulder. "That was an adventure. Floor. Floor is good, stable, doesn't randomly -move-."
Tara follows carefully, scuttling insectlike as she places her weight carefully. "Got it. Ah, don't jinx us, Casymed, eh?" She sounds amused, at least.
Riley walks towards the Arched Entrance Hall.
Niko walks towards the Arched Entrance Hall.
You walk towards the Arched Entrance Hall.
Arched Entrance Hall
On the same grand scale of the rest of the pyramid, this entrance hall is riddled with large arches leading off into the depths of the temple. The floor is covered in mosaic glass, each gleaming chip contributing to massive depiction of a dragon curled around a planet as if it were a treasure. The dragon's eyes and claws are set with gold, causing them to shine with menace. Unlike Linnae's dragons, this ones back is covered with scales in every color of the rainbow, rather than hide of a single shade. Text in some language so long dead that it appears to be no more than decoration serves as a border around the room's edge. The ceiling is painted a pitch dark, like a winter night sky, with stars carefully etched in such a way that they shine. The walls are painted with bright frescos, which have deteriorated much with age. It is possible however to pick out a hint of landscape here or there in the darkened peeling mass.
Contents:
Niko
Riley
Obvious exits:
Stairs Up Main Temple Outside
"Definately in a different room," Riley calls back quietly, "The floor's different."
Niko scuffs a bit of dust from the floor. "Different," he agrees, bending down to peer at the mosaic. "Wow, this is... intricate, colorful. How in the world did it -get- here?"
Tara pauses, scratching at the floor with a fingernail. "We can ask the archaeologists when we get out. Now the question is... where do we go from here?"
Riley obviously decides to take something of a break, as he slides back to the main group, slumping against a chunk of rubble to regard the mosaic as well, back here where there is light. "Gorgeous stuff, however it got here. And we go the same way we've been going, following the air."
Niko, seeing that Riley seems of a breakish mood, settles to a seat on the ground. Resting when one can, after all, is very good. "Archaeologists, yeah. Maybe drag Corian down here to say what that says," he adds thoughtfully, with a vague gesture towards the writing.
Tara breathes a soft sigh, rocking back to sit down restlessly. "Gonna have to get the place cleared first. That'll take months."
"Months or more, knowing archeologists." Riley agrees quietly, using the inside length of his flannel shirt to wipe some of the worst of the grime from his face. "Still, as long as we get out of it, they can take all the time they want in my book."
Niko has apparently given up on getting rid of the grime, with the exception of a shake of his head, which sends a cloud of dust from his curly hair--away from the others, he's not that evil. He looks decidedly gray-haired, despite the fleeing dust. "Getting out sounds -very- good. But we're farther out than we were."
Tara yeahs quietly, not even bothering at a clean-up effort. "And the sooner we get back to digging, the sooner we'll get all the way out," she hints.
Riley bites back a sigh at the hint, but shoves himself back up to crawl back to his previous position to resume digging without comment.
Niko doesn't bite back a sigh. He sighs as he gets to his feet, though he doesn't comment either, and doesn't send any nasty looks towards Tara. After a moment, he starts to hum. Maybe it's that hi-ho song from Snow White. In any event, it's monotonous.
Tara's eyebrows rise at the sigh as she scrambles to her feet, but as the humming starts, she doesn't ask. "Oh, Casymed, that's cruel. Distracting, but cruel." It does make digging go easier though.
Shuffle, shift, scruffle... Like a ferret in a flowerpot, Riley continues his determined digging, slowly following the natural shafts in the rubble towards the source of air. "Our midgets had to have been using that door instead, the oak one? So there's a way other than our tube, I'm hoping that's where we're headed."
Niko just smiles at Tara. It's not a pleasant smile. At Riley's words, however, he finally stops. "That'd be nice, yeah. Though if we're following the air, it has to open -somewhere-."
Tara nods, eyes on what she's doing, so she doesn't catch the unpleasant smile. "My luck, we're headed in a circle back to one of the other dragon heads."
"Those were a good, what, fifty feet off floor level? We're on the floor level now." Riley's words are intermittant and halting, interrupted by the effort needed to shift rubble. "Wherever we're headed, it's not likely another head."
Niko muffles a snicker, the sound breaking off as he packs some rocks out of the way. "Heading towards a head," he murmurs. "Sounds like a song with bad lyrics."
Tara appears somewhat comforted as she digs thru a pile of gravel to pull out a chunk of rock. "Better than Disney."
Riley throws his weight against a panel of frescoed wall in the path, attempting to get it aside. It's arguing the issue.
Niko mumbles something about plasma bolters and walls, giving his tangler a briefly tempted look. "Or at least a sledgehammer," he adds, moving to give Riley a hand--er, shoulder.
Tara pauses to watch the men. "Just yell at it, Addison. Always made /me/ crumble."
Thankfully with the additional help, the wall is shoved out of the way. Riley offers Niko a nod of thanks, "Preciate it," he murmurs as he drops back down to edge into the tiny space opened up.
Niko mutters, apparently in response to Tara's comment, "If only that'd happen -now-." He adds a polite nod to Riley, acknowledging his brother's thanks, and waits patiently to follow into the land of tiny spaceness.
Tara rolls her eyes with a snicker, folding her arms as she waits to follow. "So sorry, only one wish granted per crisis."
Niko pauses to inquire, "What was my wish, then?"
Tara's fingers flicker in a vague gesture. "Last night, you wanted us to pretend to be nice to each other."
Niko snorts softly. "It only counts if the wish comes true."
Riley harrumphs softly from the hole he's crawled into, clearing it further and slowly dissapearing. "This isn't Jericho."
Tara snorts right back. "Hey, I'm making an effort here, Casymed. That won't be so in the future if you keep that up." She makes for the hole. "Jericho?"
"As to yelling at walls." Riley isn't required to make sense, see." He just keeps digging.
Niko casts a rather sourly amused look at Tara, but he doesn't comment, instead turning his attention fully to digging. And humming.
Tara's mouth quirks in only half-annoyed amusement. "Clear as mud, yep, thanks for the explanation." After a moment of digging she can resist no longer, and her whistling matches Niko's humming.
Shuffle, scruffle, dead stop. Riley's voice echoes back, "Be careful of the dead body..." and at that he keeps going. Helpful, isn't he?
Niko's humming stops. So does he, for that matter. "Uh." He clears his throat. "Thanks, Riley. I'll, uh, look out for that." Looking decidedly unthrilled, he follows into the hole.
The whistling stops too, as Tara sits up slightly to peer ahead. Unable to get a look, she resumes digging. "Midget or missing woman?"
"It's a guy, assuming it's one of our midgets. Not really a midget though." Riley's reply doesn't come out all in one nice string though, but in halting segments as he digs.
Niko seems just a bit relieved by this news. "Not a midget," he agrees as he nears the body, absently shoring up rock.
Tara pauses to poke at the body once she gets close enough. "Ugly bastard." Of course, getting squished doesn't have the best effect on one's appearance. "Wonder how many are left alive we might run into."
"Burn that bridge when we get to it," Riley offers in between the moving of debris.
"Air's clearing a bit, little less dust."
Niko nods his agreement to Riley's words. "Tangle that bridge," he mumbles, with a soft grunt for a particularly obnoxious rock. Yes, he's a manly man, despite being played by a woman.
Tara pats her side, checking, then nods and leans forward to dig some more. "Sounds like a plan. Any theories as to what caused all this? Theories not involving the Chairman?"
Riley continues shuffling and shifting rubble, although more slowly now than the night before. "Nit Lexington's fault this time, I'd bet."
Niko nods his agreement. "He's not a deity, just a guy with too many cans shoved up his--" Why do rocks always choose to fall when he wants to end a sentance with that word?
Tara nods slightly, her words rather absent. "Okay, excluding deityhood of the Chairman, any theories?"
Niko suggests, "Well, there were dragons right before all the boom and all..."
"This place wasn't built for, or by, humans." Okay, maybe that wasn't much help, but Riley's been less than helpful for a while now.
Tara looks up to blink. "You're not suggesting /dragons/ built this place, are you?"
"No, little orange gnomes did." Riley shifts another rock, once again dissapearing from view.
Niko takes his own time to space words because of rock-moving. "Pre-space-travel building. Humans colonized this place -after- space travel. Though I like the little orange gnome theory."
Tara looks a tad rattled, tossing chunks of rock over her shoulder. "Sorry, it's a rather startling revelation."
"Urf." Oh now that's an inventive noise. Riley scrabbles around some more, "Somebody pass me a wideish flat rock, please?"
Niko fumbles for a rock that fits the aforementioned description, offering it to Riley. "It's right behind you, and to your left."
Riley reaches back to take the offered rock, "Thanks Nick." There's some rattling and a couple of solid thumps, and Riley resumes his progress. "Careful of that dip in the ceiling there."
Tara goes back to digging after Niko fulfills the request. "Dips, bloody depressions, and corpses. Well, one corpse. Things have got to get better from here on in."
Niko doesn't voice his own thoughts, as they're definitely not as positive as Tara's. "No problem, Riley. Stones we've got a'plenty." He ducks under the dip in question, another puff of dust escaping his hair as it is poofled by said dip.
Riley whistles softly, the scruffling sounds stopping. "Opens up a bit here...pattern on the floor's wild. Maybe a bit of a stopping place for a few minutes, breath catching..."
Tara grimaces at the thought of a break, but nods agreeably. "You, uh, don't happen to have more of that chocolate, do you?"
Niko makes his way into the open area, settling to a seat on the ground with a quiet sigh of relief. "Break sounds good." He fumbles with his pocket in preparation for removing his stashed chocolate. Yay self-rationing.
Riley shakes his head at that, leaning against the remains of a pipe. "Sorry, Valentine. I don't. A pocketknife, my keys, some datacards and my tangler comprises the rest of my personal inventory."
Tara settles down tailor fashion on the floor. "I'll take the datacards..." she offers with a grin.
Niko takes out his own chocolate and breaks it into three bits, tossing one (still-wrapped) section towards Tara and offering another to Riley. Yes, he was a Boy Scout, why? He doesn't say anything, just seeming happy for the break.
Riley shakes his head at Niko, and harrumphs at Tara, "Over my dead body. Not that they're anything sensitive, mind. But still, the principle of the thing."
Tara chuckles. "I wasn't serious, Addison. Well, not much at any rate." She beams a grateful smile at Niko, unwrapping her share of the chocolate to eat a bit more slowly this time. "Eat, Addison," she advises. "You're not going to do any of us any good by denying yourself."
Niko's chocolate-bearing hand is still extended quite patiently towards Riley. "What she said." He pauses for a moment, then swears under his breath. "I have to go back--my comm-unit. Must be where we slept, or something."
"Exceedingly not hungry, promise." Riley nods, "We'll be here, or ahead a bit one."
Tara nods to Niko, munching. "Hey, be careful, okay?" Thoughtful eyes turn to Riley.
Niko tosses the extra chocolate to Tara, then, with a murmur about lack of hunger and a brief look of concern for Riley. He doesn't say anything other than that, though, instead turning to go back the way he came. "Right, I'll catch up. And careful doesn't matter. Luck does." Lifting a hand, he pads into the opening.
Riley watches Niko leave, listening for a long moment. "I guess," he ventures, "We ought to get back to it..."
Tara catches the last bit of chocolate, stowing it in a vest pocket. "Perhaps. Perhaps not. Okay, Addison, spill it."
"What am I ssupposed to be spilling? And will I be required to then clean it up?" Riley's question is amiable if vague. He checks the tiny readout on the flashlight.
Tara ticks off points on dirty, chocolatey fingers. "You neatly avoided answering Casymed last night when he asked if you were alright. You sounded awfully woozy before we slept, beyond any weariness caused by digging. And now you're not hungry? C'mon, what gives?"
"Nothing 'gives' Valentine, is not being hungry a crime? After dead bodies, being soaked in blood, and all this dust?" Riley's tone is one of patient logic.
Tara's expression is not that of a convinced person. "Survival tactics rarely take all that into account," she notes dryly.
Riley shrugs his shoulders, pulling himself up from his sprawled seat to return to the front of the tunnel. "I didn't design me, sorry. I'd write a nasty note to the engineer who did, if I knew how to address it."
Tara starts to mumble something, but stops herself. She's trying to remain amicable, after all. "Hell, even Casymed agreed with me on this one. Back to digging, eh?" The smuggler shifts forward, untangling her legs, to resume the activity. "Well, if you /do/ get hungry, just say the word."
Shuffling and shifting noises resume, "Back to digging, yeah." Riley replies, "I don't know, a twisted desire to have something to show for ourselves when Nick gets back."
Tara shrugs slightly, digging her fingers in around a stubborn rock. "That /is/ twisted," she agrees. "I'm sure he'd rather you restoof!" That last comes out explosively as the rock gives way, the effort sending Tara back onto her rear.
Riley startles at the sound, turning back. "You okay, Valentine?"
Tara nods disgustedly, brushing at her sleeves. "I'll survive." She sits up to shove the rock into a shoring position. "Now I remember why I never thought about going into mining."
Riley shifts back down into the small hole, widening. "I've worked with mining based engineering problems before. But in school, far too many years ago. It's a lot different like this. I just hope this stuff holds."
Tara shudders, not looking up from her digging. "/Don't/ say that. It'll hold. It's got to hold."
"It should. It was holding pretty well before we even got this far, and we're filling in as we go and all..." Riley pauses a moment to shift the way he's chosen to pile some rocks, and then slips further down the tunnel. "When I was a kid, I'd've considered this high adventure." There's a pause, "Obviously I was not a bright child."
Tara bites back the first comment that comes to mind, allowing a pause of silence marred by rock scrabbling to grow before she finally comments, "Kids have the benefit of not knowing what danger is even if it bites them on the nose. So what changed?"
Riley can't resist a ragged chuckle, he realizes what an easy target he had made of himself. "I joined the Navy at sixteen. Saw combat later that year," he explains in between rock manuvering.
Tara ahs quietly. "Yeah, that generally puts things in a whole new perspective."
Riley pauses a moment in his digging, then resuming effort in a slightly different direction. "It did for me, certainly. Wore a little bit of the shiny off. That's the way it works, n'all."
Tara yeah softly, hands slowing a bit in their work. "I can hardly disagree." She chucks a piece of granite over her shoulder, belatedly looking to make sure Niko hasn't come up from behind.
Shift, tug, scrape, more rock moving occurs for a bit and then Riley shifts to lean against a rock outcropping a moment to catch his breath. "What got rid of your shiny?"
Tara laughs wryly at that, not looking away from her digging. "Finding myself penniless on a seedy mining planet about seven years ago."
Riley continues to lean against the rocks a moment, just resting. "That'd do it, yeah. Obviously you got past that..." At long last he shoves himself back off the stone and resumes crawling through the rocks.
Tara smiles slightly. "Obviously. Took a lot of hard work though. Yes, even I am capable of that." Dig. Scrape. Toss a rock. Dig.
Niko's arrival is heralded by determined humming, though he's still out of sight. Hum. Scrabble. Dig. Toss. Crunch. Hum.
Riley pauses at the noise, turning away from his work to peer back up the direction Niko's coming from.
Tara, too, glances back, tensing. One hand strays inside her jacket.
Niko comes into sight, finally, by now utterly coated in rock-dust. "Well, now," he says lightly. "That was an adventure."
"Y'okay Nick?" Riley takes the opportunity provided to rest against the piled rubble.
Tara relaxes, turning back to dig through more rock. "Was it worth the trip for a broken comm?"
Niko nods amiably to Riley. "Nobody's allowed to call me breakable any more," he jests. "'cause, apparently, I'm not." At Tara's words, he nods firmly. "I was told when I got here that evil horrible things involving my ability to breed would be done to me if I lost it."
Riley blinks several times, coughing raggedly at the freshly brought up dust and wincing. "Not breakable? Nick, what did you do?" There's a pause, "You and Ela with kids, now there's a mental image involving needing to find toys with sirens..."
Tara wags a finger at Riley. "If you won't say what's wrong with you, he doesn't have to say what tried to break him" She laughs softly at Niko's remark. "I think they'd understand, considering the circumstances."
Niko is very careful about shoring up a section of rock. "Some of the bits back there are a little unstable, and it fell on me a couple of times. Still in the proper number of pieces, though." Riley gets a considering look before Niko adds, "If we have kids, it won't be for a long time."
"More time to pick out things with -loud- sirens," Riley says cheerfully before heading back into the small opening. "You sure you're okay though?"
Funny, Niko sounds almost like he's mimicking Riley as he says, "I'm fine, everything's fine." He pauses a beat, then adds, "Except loud sirens."
Tara snickers. "Sounds like an experienced uncle." A slightly exasperated look is sent in Riley's direction.
Riley resists the urge to throw something. It's a visible resistance, as he has a rock in hand. But he puts it down, instead resuming excavations. "A dog then? If sirens are out..."
Niko offers Riley a pleasant smile as that rock is put down, then moves to dig and such as well. "The kitten might object to a dog--though I guess she'll be a cat by the time there'll be a kid."
Tara glances over her shoulder at niko. "Y'all got a cat? Get the dog fast, it'll never know the difference."
"A cat?" Uh-oh, maybe Niko shouldn't have mentioned that. He may end up with Riley in his living room.
Niko nods to Tara, absently frowning over a particularly uncooperative rock. "Got it for Ela's birthday. Scutter's a great cat, even if she's a little fonder of feet than I'd like." Riley gets a brief grin, Niko's teeth a brief flash of white in his dusty-gray face. (Hey! He almost-matches those envelopes!) "A kitten, yeah. Bitty little thing."
Tara huhs, turning back to digging. "Cats are worse than kids. If your relationship can survive the cat, y'all might as well start having kids now."
Riley levers a section of wall away, squirming into another tight space to move more dirt. "Kittens are nature's way to make sure we never take ourselves too seriously."
Niko shakes his head to Tara. "We don't have time for kids yet. Not with the weird schedules and all." At Riley's words, he nods, another brief grin crossing his face. "She really is a lot of fun. You've got to meet her, once we get -out- of here." And that's motivation for him to clear a little more efficiently.
Tara nods slightly, intent on moving rocks. "Weird schedules're better than regretting not doing it later when it's too late."
Riley uses his feet to shift another stone aside, wedging himself in and using body weight to move it rather than main force. "Kittens are wonderful, wonderful indeed."
Niko casts a vaguely puzzled look towards Tara, then shrugs. "If the right time comes, then we'll have kids." Riley's words get a firm nod, as he shifts a larger stone out of the way. "Glad we got Scutter."
Tara shifts back, leaning on her hands to kick at a stubborn stone. On the third blow it flies free of the surrounding stone, spraying gravel. "Ignore the myth about cats and milk. Don't feed it milk, whatever you do."
Riley ducks as the gravel sprays, despite the fact that it doesn't reach him. A little paranoia goes a long way. Another flat piece that was once wall is busted up and moved away. "We're to lettering again, maybe the other edge of the room?"
Niko yacks quietly at the gravel spray, mumbling a vague agreement to the comment about milk. At Riley's words, he nods. "Yeah, that'd make sense. Just need to know which way to get out."
Tara looks around apologetically, going forward on hands and knees again. "Keep following the air?"
Riley mmrhrrms, "If we can stop just a moment? To let the dust settle?" He chuckles in a chagrined tone, "I -really- don't want to pick the wrong way..."
Niko nods agreeably, settling down carefully to a seat. "Stopping is good. Dust settling is better. Breathing this stuff is evil, as is going the wrong way. Yay breaks."
Tara peers toward Riley, and leans back against the nearest stony protrusion. "Sure, break's fine."
Riley settles down, indicating the dust. "All this makes it hard to tell which way the fresh air's coming from."
Niko nods his agreement, shifting so that he's closer to the wall, the better to lean against it. "Once it settles, it'll be easier."
Tara nods smoothly. "Sure, whatever ya say."
Riley doesn't bother to protest, if Tara's not going to pick a fit about it, he's not going to complain. He's just going to sprawl here. "The air's getting stronger at least, compaed to yesterday especially. Maybe we won't have to spend another night down here..."
Niko brightens just a little at that. "Good thought. Very good thought. Food, bed, hot water. Talk about motivation."
Tara's eyebrows rise over a faint smile. "That'll be nice, yes." She pokes at Niko's shoe with her boot. "You don't get hot water, Skippy-namer."
Riley licks a finger tip, and then immediately makes a face. He does know where his hands have been, and it doesn't taste good. He attempts to judge air direction a moment.
Niko says vaguely to Tara, "I'll settle for not having pudding come out of my shower." Riley's finger-lickin' gesture gets a brief wry look, but he lifts his head in an attempt to figure out where the air is on his own.
Tara wrinkles her nose. "As much as your fiance'd enjoy that, even I wouldn't go to that much trouble."
Riley sighs after a moment and turns onto his knees to climb down into a hole, beginning to widen it. "Only Anya is so evil."
Niko blinks at that. "-Anya-'s the one who did that? Huh. I'd try to get revenge, but... well, she'd likely revenge back."
Tara blinks a few times, and snickers. "Your Lieutenant Pendleton, right? Remind me not to get on her bad side." With a creak of joints, she rises once more to join in digging.
Riley attempts to stifle a snicker, edging along almost backwards as he moves rubble. "She didn't mean it to happen when it did. Remember that note Ela sent? Well then, everything went to hell, and she forgot and all..."
Niko snickers as well, with a shake of his head. "Talk about backfiring," he mumbles, aiding where he may in the rubble-moving before confirming to Tara, "Lieutenant Pendleton, yeah. She's definitely not one to cross."
Tara shakes her head, snickering. "And here I thought y'all only led exciting lives getting shot at."
Riley uses a flat stone to scrape at piled dirt, widening an opening allowing in decided air flow. "And getting buried alive, don't forget that."
Niko murmurs something about exploding pudding as well, grinning broadly as he catches some of the air flow. (Is he a lesbian, now? No... wait, it's not -enough- air flow that causes that.) "Looks like that's the way."
Riley clambers up over the dirt, "Looks it, yeah, can I borrow the light a moment?"
Tara scrambles up near Riley to take a deep breath with a grin, murmuring thanks to deities from four different planets.
Niko fumbles for a moment but does not, it may be noted, drop the flashlight. He reverses it, offering the card in a manner that lets him avoid shining the light into Riley's eyes. Good guy, eh?
Riley nods his thanks, accepting the light. Suddenly it gets -really- dark as he edges it up well in advance of his position. "It looks like there's maybe another dozen feet to this, and either there's a really black wall, or open air of some kind."
Tara's murmured thanks turn to prayers for a moment. "I nominate air."
Niko pipes up, holding a hand in front of his face in an attempt to judge the darkness, "Second the nomination, or motion, or whatever I'm seconding."
Riley passes the light back. And Lo, Riley did hand back the flashlight, and it was good. "Yeah, nearly there...Nearly there, almost..."
Tara mutters, passing the light back to Niko, "Careful... don't bring the tunnel down on us /now/."
Niko echoes quietly, "Careful." He attempts to angle the light so that some of it shines Rileywards.
"Being careful, honest." Riley sets about widening the gap through which the light had shone. "If we can just get to where folks are trying to dig us out.. They said something about being most of the way through clearing that staircase out more or less."
Tara blinks. "'They said'... huh?"
Niko brightens just a bit at Riley's words. "Good. That's a lot less that we need to dig through." Tara gets a chipper grin. "Mmmhmm." How's that for vague?
Riley squirms further in, displacing rocks as best he can. "If it's a wall, it's a very airy wall."
Tara nods slightly to Riley. "Wait a minute... you've been talking to folks this entire time?"
Niko edges in after Riley, the better to get rocks out of the way. "Hmm?" he inquires of Tara.
"May the devil admire me, if ever I hope to see, the end of that embroidery," Riley murmurs, hauling rubble aside.
Tara lets out an exasperated sound, giving up.
Niko starts to hum once more, sounding rather chipper, and assists with the rock-moving where he may. Tara gets a cheerful grin. Isn't he just obnoxious?
Yes. :)
Riley scoots aside enough to let Niko get a better angle at things, willing to let his weight rest against the tunnel as he shifts stone. "Not too much further now..."
Tara squats back on her heels, folding her arms over her knees, just sort of staying out of Niko's way.
Niko scoots a hair closer to the source of the rocks-to-be-moved, still humming. My, oh, my what a wonderful day. Fingers edging under a particularly annoying rock, he casts a bright grin to Riley.
Riley can't manage to stifle a snicker at Niko's 'cheerfulness', instead setting about hefting rocks to the side and using them to shore up the sides of the tunnel. "Nearly, nearly..."
Tara casts a glances toward Riley, and smiles. "So you've said. About half a dozen times now."
Niko casts a look over his shoulder to Tara. "But -this- time," he says, his cheer this time patently false, "He -means- it."
Riley casts a look backwards and then takes a long breath. Planting his shoulder against a large rock he shoves his weight against it. It gives, and the rock, and Riley, go scattering off into the blackness with a soft yelp. There's a long pause indeed and then Riley calls back raggedly, "Told you so."
Tara acks softly, calling out, "you okay?"
Niko grimaces at the sound, leaning into the blackness and using the light to make the blackness dissipate. He doesn't reiterate Tara's question, but the concern is evident on his face.
Riley's voice echoes back, "Yeah, yeah, wasn't expecting that." There's another pause, "In Peesh's name, y'all have got to see this..."
Riley walks towards the Massive Underground Space.
Niko walks towards the Upper Level.
Tara bites her lip, then shrugs and moves forward to carefully let herself down into the darkness.
You walk towards the Massive Underground Space.
Massive Underground Space
This area is positively -massive-. And it has to be, considering what it contains. Built on a scale suitable for giants, a massive obsidian faced pyramid looms here. A massive arch leads into its depths, easily twenty feet high, and topped with a heavy lintel. Snarling faced sculptures of oddly stylized dragons guard either side of the entrance. Brackets containing vaguely luminescent stones are located just inside the curve of the hall leading from the door. And if the doorway is massive when regarded, it is dwarfed by the rest of the pyramid, a tiny opening into the vast hugeness.
More luminescent stones are located along the walls of this empty cavern, providing light enough to see the inscribed patterns on the side of the pyramid. A stylized dragon at war with another dominates, crowned by a boiling sun. Smaller images are incised into the stone at regular intervals.
Contents:
Riley
Obvious exits:
Massive Entranceway Rickety Stairs
The majority of the cavern is empty, although the stairs seem choked with large chunks of loose rubble.
Niko walks here from the Arched Entrance Hall.
Riley is in a seated sprawl against a chunk of pressed aside rubble, "See what I mean?"
Tara's eyes widen as she takes a few hesitant steps forward. "Oh my god..."
Niko lets out a low whistle. "Wow. Uh... yes. This is... wow."
Riley uses the rock to lever himself up to a seat on it. "That's our way up," he gestures to the stairs. "Least we should be met, maybe even they're nearly here, who knows."
Niko finds a seat somewhere as well, taking a slow, deep breath, then gets to his feet and moves away from the others, so he can ruffle his hair and rid himself of some of the dust. "And then we can get -out-."
Tara folds her arms, turning to lay her gaze on Riley. "Let them come to us here then. Whoever 'they' are."
Riley regards the mass of broken beams protruding from the shaft of the dingy staircase, "As tempting as that sounds..."
Tara shakes her head, reaching forward to poke at Riley. "You've done enough digging and rock-shifting and..." She glances dubiously toward the stairs. "And falling today."
Niko, making his way back to the small group, peers towards the beams as well. "So I can clear it," he offers. "Riley, you've been leading the way this entire time, taking the brunt of the moving and all. You can give someone else a shot at the fun, eh?"
Tara nods her firm agreement with Niko. Historic occasion, this. Mark your calendars.
Riley shifts away from Tara's poke, but, and this is even more historic, he agrees as well. "No falling, just skidding, but yeah. It sounds like a plan. I'll catch up in a minute or two..."
Tara's eyebrows rise. She wasn't expecting acquiesence.
Niko clambers to his feet, then, and starts for the stairs. He's young, he's energetic, but he's still moving slowly. Of course, he starts to whistle as he heads over there. Irving Berlin, this time.
Riley just slides down the rock to slump against it, using the one semi clean spot left on the inside of his shirt he smears some of the worst of the grime from eyes and brows.
Tara watches Niko for a moment, then reaches into her pocket and pulls out that last bit of chocolate, offering it to Riley. "Here, eat this. I hear ya need the stuff."
Riley shakes his head at Tara, "I appreciate the offer, but I really will pass. Especially seeing we're likely out of here relatively soon."
Niko is very careful about his clearing efforts, as he really likes -not- being squished by rocks. He works fairly efficiently, though, again, carefully.
Tara stares at Riley for a moment, then turns to call to Niko, "Is he always like this?"
Niko is very involved in not going kersquishypoo on the floor. At Tara's words, he pauses. "Hmm? Like what?"
Tara gestures impatiently. "Stubborn, self-sacrificial, and... and watching out for everybody, dammit."
Niko pauses at that, one hand resting on a rock. "Of course," he says mildly. "Well... no, maybe not always, I'm not with him -all- the time. But most of the time, yeah." And with that, he gets back to work.
Riley gives Tara a mildly annoyed look, but cuts off his reply, unwilling to pick another fight so close to escape. "Need any help, Nick?"
Tara throws her hands up. "Of course he is. Should've known." She whirls to point at Riley. "Sit. Stay. I'll help him if he needs it."
Niko shakes his head, with an airy wave of one hand. "Nah, this is easy stuff. Stay where you are, no pr--" Crack. Okay, that was the stair he just climbed, breaking. Apparently his additional weight was the camel-back-breaking straw. Fortunately, only that stair breaks, and it sends Niko to the ground with only a few smaller rocks landing atop him. He looks more surprised than anything else. "Huh. Spoke too soon, maybe. That was fun."
Riley looks like he's entirely game to both sit, and stay, although asking him to roll over might be out. However at that crack he startles half up, leaning against the rock, "Y'okay?"
Tara acks, turning back to stride toward Niko. "You o... what he said."
Niko takes a moment for internal inventory, then nods, sitting up and brushing small stones from his clothing. "Yeah. Just fine. Remind me not to just hop on steps like that, kay?"
Riley sinks back down against the rock, half curling on one side so as to more or less watch the goings on. "Can you hear Kath's crew?"
Niko carefully makes his way up the stairs again, pausing to listen. "Yeah--barely." He carefully clears off some more, adding, "I can meet 'em halfway--or wherever."
Riley stays where he is, calling. "Check. Kath says to be careful though, they're using equipment and all."
Tara shakes her head. "Two of a kind. Casymed, why not just wait?"
Niko pauses to flash a quick grin over his shoulder. "Sure, Riley. And I want to get out of here, Valentine. Don't you? 'sides, it's something to do."
Tara sighs. "Sure, I want out. But we seem relatively safe here for the moment, and they're coming anyhow. No need to go looking for trouble."
Riley regards the pyramid a moment, then the digging. He remains without comment however, seemingly as content with the situation as he's going to get.
Niko says patiently, "I'm not looking for trouble, Valentine--just to get out of here." And so he moves rock, still carefully, yup.
Tara shrugs, dropping to a seat on the floor. "Y'know, half of me hopes you run into just a minor little mishap, just so I can say I told ya so."
Riley shakes his head slightly at that, "Don't even say that, Valentine."
Niko offers Tara a rather brittle little smile. "Your vote of confidence is overwhelming," he says, moving up a step. Carefully.
Tara glances toward Riley. "Too late. Already did." She turns back to Niko. "Of course it is. If I wasn't confident you're going to do just fine, I wouldn't have to /hope/ for it, see."
Riley crosses his arms over his chest, head and one shoulder leaned against the rock. "They're anti-graving stuff out as best they can she says."
Niko just shakes his head at Tara as he shifts another stone, then pauses to listen. "Next time something like this happens, Riley," he says, with a hint of dry humor, "Let's bring a portable antigrav unit." After another pause, he heads back down the stairs. "I can hear them much better."
Riley chuckles softly, "And a crowbar. Never leave home without them."
Tara leans back silently against the pyramid. After a moment, she adds, "And more chocolate and unbreakable comms. Not that y'all seem to have a problem with communication."
Niko settles to a seat near Riley, legs folding tailor-fashion. He mumbles something vague about a telepathic connection between SecOffs, adding, "Food is good, though. I'd even eat a banana."
"Butterscotch pudding?" Riley questions, his tone dryly amused from his slouch against the stone. "Yeah, see, some of us are psi Valentine..."
Tara rolls her eyes. "Uh huh." She peers curiously at Niko. "What's wrong with bananas?"
Niko nods to Riley, with a crooked grin. "Of course. I'd be up a creek if I didn't like butterscotch." To Tara, he explains, "Not a lot. I just don't like them."
Riley stifles another snicker, casting a glance towards the staircase. "After the vinyl..."
Tara ahs softly. "Oh, I dunno, I was rather amused by those outfits, even as I wondered what idiot ordered such a thing."
Niko clambers lightly to his feet as the clearing-of-rock sounds become more and more audible. "It's almost time again," he murmurs. "And those outfits were pretty horrible, yup." At least they weren't kilts.
Tara's eyebrows rise. Riley gets the question out before she does.
Niko gestures towards the stairs. "Can't you hear it?" He pauses a beat. "It -is- getting closer, isn't it?"
Riley ahhs softly as understanding dawns, "Yeah, yeah, that."
Tara glances toward the stairs. "You sure that's... who'd you say it was? Kath?"
Niko shakes his head. "Nah, s'probably a tall midget." He does tend to get sarcastic when he's tired, and this is proof.
Riley chokes on another snicker, eyes closing after a moment. "Yeah, sounds like construction equipment to me. The echoes in here just make it odd is all."
Tara grits her teeth. "Hey, Casymed?" Sweetly she tells Niko what he can do with that midget.
Niko stretches lightly, rubbing at one shoulder. "I'll keep that in mind, but Shan would probably hurt me if I tried."
Riley just remains where he is, half curled against the rock. It seems like a nice place to be. As compared to thinking of another place to be. "Despite comments to the contrary, Shan is not a scruffy midget. He's taller than Valentine even..."
Niko pauses a beat. "Oh, I thought Kathlyn was the midget in question." He snickers quietly. "With my luck," he adds, back to the stairs, "She just came through there."
Tara's hands clench, and it's only through a supreme effort that she avoids throwing something.
Riley ahhs quietly. "Kath is a midget." He's still in this nice muzzy zoned state. It's fun.
Tara frowns in Riley's direction, and glances toward Niko. "They bringing a medical type with 'em?"
Niko flashes a determined grin at Riley--see, he's not worried--then nods to Tara after a pause. "Kath won't tell me who, though," he adds, with a mumble about Vryce the evil.
Tara's eyebrows rise. "I can't imagine Aleron sending anybody else to check on her precious Riley."
Riley just stays where he's at. He starts to say something, but catches Tara's last comment and clams right up.
Niko casts a positively evil look at Tara. "She's been transferred," he explains, voice barely above a hiss. But before he can explain further--or threaten Tara, which is what is expression suggests is more likely--the rescue team finally breaks through and comes down the stairs.
Kathlyn, first down, inquires, "Everybody okay?"
Tara's eyes widen. "Seriousl..." She trails off as the team enters, and responds to Kathlyn with a firm, "No."
"Out of my way, out of my /way/." A figure shoves itself through the crowd of SecOffs. Yep, it's our favorite medic with the bad bedside manner- Vryce! A big hand for Vryce, everybody.
Niko seems more than willing to get out of Vryce's way, instead heading over to Kathlyn, the better to speak quietly with her. Despite the conversation, though, his eyes are on Riley.
Riley starts to make an answer to that as well, but is once again brought up short, this time by Vryce's entrance. For a long moment he's seriously considering trying to fake his way out of this one. Vryce is evil. Evil with some capital letters involved. He is however unsurprised that the pyramid seems to captured the attention of the bulk of the SecOffs.
Tara does not look happy, for several reasons. Just being around this many SecOffs at one time makes her fidget nervously.
Vryce does give the pyramid a glance, but his mind is on other things. Niko seems to be up and around; Tara's at least awake... his gaze rests on Riley. "I should have known." The doctor advances on the poor man, diagnostic instruments at the ready.
Riley would escape, but that would require effort. Instead he just winces somewhat and glances Kathlyn-wards, "This is what I get for the short joke, isn't it?"
Niko casts a profoundly sympathetic look to Riley, but his attention is quickly caught by a question from one of the SecOffs. Hand gestures, apparently, are essential in his response. (No, not obscene gestures. That's for later.)
Tara gets to her feet with a stretch, eyeing the stairs dubiously, then pauses to watch Riley and his demon. Well, one demon, at any rate.
Kathlyn pauses as she catches Riley's words. "Sure, boss, whatever you say. I borrowed Anya's omniscience for the evening."
Vryce descends on Riley with the usual poking and prodding and shaking of his head. "You like making my job harder, don't you?"
Riley is trying not to wince overmuch at the poking, but finding the exact worst spots to poke is after all Vryce's hallmark. "I do try," he manages. "I go to great lengths to plan these things."
Tara creeps closer, the better to hear the good doctor, though his shrill tones echo in the chamber.
That comment elicits a snort from Vryce. "We're really going to have to have a talk one of these days about foolhardy ventures." He mumbles into a comm unit, calling for a stretcher and corpsmen, then waves to Kath. "Have somebody show 'em the way here."
Niko ends up a bit closer to doctor and patient as well, though that's likely just bizarre chance, as he really doesn't like Vryce. He's involved in some sort of explanation that involves the word 'rock' a lot.
Kathlyn nods agreeably enough to Vryce, sending someone up to meet the people in question.
Riley acks softly, giving Vryce a decidedly displeased look. "I can walk for goodness sake. I got here after all..."
Tara crows, "I knew it! I knew you were injured, you self-righteous, self-sacrificing, suicidal son of a bitch!"
Well, Vryce meets that displeased look and raises Riley a disgusted one. "Damn near killed yourself in the process too. Just... lay there." He pulls hypos out of his bag, adjusting for dosage.
Oooh, the look Tara gets tops even the look Vryce got. Riley isn't exactly the happiest of campers, and that particular series of new nominitives does not add to his generally thrilled state. He does not however move, it is best not to challenge Vryce overmuch, lest something even less pleasant occur.
Niko pauses in his explanation to shoot a profoundly disappointed look at Riley. He mutters to himself, "... just fine... understand not wanting... tell Valentine... -me-..."
Tara just grins, looking particularly pleased.
Vryce administers the shots- one's a painkiller (he's in a good mood)- and gives
Kathlyn an impatient look. "Think you could get them here a bit /faster/? I'd rather he bled to death in medbay rather than here."
Kathlyn says coolly, "They're coming as fast as they can."
Riley gives Vryce an almost incedulous look, "Did you have to take lessons to be like this?" Okay, maybe it's not bright to ask, but maybe he's also snozzed.
The good(?) doctor reaches down to give Riley a condescending pat on the shoulder. "Yes, and my mother was quite happy to teach me." Good heavens, he sounds serious. Vryce does, however, look pleased as the stretcher arrives, and he gestures for the corpsmen to load Riley onto it.
Riley endures the indignity of being loaded onto said stretcher, once again unwilling to contest the issue at this stage of the game. One does wonder however, how long Vryce will remain in charge of MedBay at this rate. "Very kind of her."
Tara snickers softly, and wanders over in Niko's direction. "Hey, heard anything about the kidnappers or are they still on the loose?"
Niko gives Tara a quick look. "Some of them, at least, are dead. Still tracking the rest."
Vryce stops scowling. For him, this is beaming pleasantly. "Wasn't it though. Pity she's not here now. I never could quite match her manner in dealing with patients." Yes, his mother's worse. "Alright, let's get him out of here. How's the next two weeks in medbay sound, Chief?"
"Like I have a deadly weapon and I am a remarkably good shot, and your pointy head's a danged good target Vryce." Ooh, Riley liked that suggestion a -lot-.
Tara nods. "Next question- what caused the... the cave-in or whatever it was?" She glances over her shoulder to blink in Vryce's direction. "Damn, he's excessive."
Niko is having quite the time, between questions from SecOffs and questions from Tara and an attempt to listen to the exchange between Riley and Vryce. To Tara, he says, with taut patience, "You were there when it happened. What do -you- think?" Okay, maybe the patience snapped.
Vryce continues smoothly, pausing for the smallest beat. "Or, I could just patch you up and send you home if you promise to take it easy."
"This would probably result in far less in the way of plasma bolts to your hide, yes." Riley agrees quietly, some of the menace of his words lost in the muzzyness of his tone.
Tara looks back to Niko with a blink. "I /think/ that everything went boom, and lo, we were squished. Other than that..." She shrugs.
Niko says crisply, "You know as much as the rest of us do, then, Valentine."
Vryce nods agreeably. "Fine then. I'm sure you'll be happy on the regenerator then. I expect a /smile/."
Tara shrugs. "That's all you had to say, handsome."
Riley murmurs something that involves transferring Vryce to a small forest moon to live with midgets in fur suits.
Vryce pales.
Kathlyn prods, "I thought you wanted him to bleed to death in Medbay. Last I checked, this isn't it." Despite her sharp words, there's no small amount of concern in her blue eyes.
*Cough* "Indeed, Lieutenant," the doctor murmurs. "Let's get him out of here, boys."
Riley climbs up the rickety stairs.
Vryce follows, obviously. Tara looks torn between doing so, and nosing about whatever the SecOffs are planning on next.
Niko casts a look after Riley that is apparently very long, then shakes his head and goes back to answering questions, drawing a crude diagram of the hall o' heads in the dusty floor, then gesturing in the appropriate direction.
Tara watches for a moment, nodding occasionally, and eventually murmurs, "He'll be okay, Casymed."
Niko's tone holds a hint of irritation--a sign of his worry, likely. What better target, after all, than Tara? "I know he will."
Tara merely nods, showing surprising patience considering that half an hour earlier she was ready to chuck a rock at this man. "Just wanted to make sure of that."
Niko makes a vague noise of acknowledgement, dust-covered brows looming like so much dryer lint over his eyes. A pair of smaller SecOffs start to investigate the rest of the rooms, and Niko peers after them for a moment, before informing Tara, "It isn't necessary that you stay here."
Tara tilts her head, nodding slightly. "Ah, my curiosity begs to differ. 'Sides, I got my own reasons for sticking around."
Kaycen finally escapes from whatever it was he's been doing. And he comes bearing towels, and portable food. Niko waves away the latter, but does help himself to a towel, which he uses vigorously. Hey! His skin is actually skin-colored, even if bits of it are purpling prettily. "Good thing you're not a Zaeltan. Y'know about them and curiosity." Newly-dusted brows lift, and he adds, "Your own reasons?"
Tara gives the food a wistful look. "Huh?" Her eyes are dragged away from eatables to Niko. "Yeah. For one thing, I'm hoping y'all can discover why we all got squished."
Kaycen is a very nice guy, if somewhat stressed-looking. He offers some of the food to Tara.
Niko says, after a moment of thought or radio-listening, "We will, but maybe not tonight. Look, someone will let you know what we learn. You were involved, after all; it's your right to know." He still sounds annoyed, and worried, and rather tired as well, as is only natural.
Tara beams at Kaycen gratefully, stuffing food into her mouth. "Kaycen, you're off my enemies list." She gives Niko a surprised nod. "'ppreciate that, han... Casymed."
Kaycen pauses a beat. "How did I get on your enemies list, Ms. Valentine?" His tone is tired as well, and mildly surprised.
Niko, turning to answer yet another in a series of questions, says vaguely, "Not a problem, Valentine." See? He didn't say 'Skippy'. Maybe he wants hot water after all.
Tara shrugs slightly. "You and Mayes both. Remember the night Sarducci was brought in?" Niko gets a vague nod and a grin.
Kaycen ahs quietly, with a brief nod. "Well, then, I'm glad that I was able to make reparations." With a faint smile and a wave that's half a salute, he heads after a younger SecOff with a mutter about lunatic kids that's obviously directed at said SecOff.
Tara continues scarfing, glancing around after the eating binge slows. "Guess I'll leave all this in your capable hands, Casymed," she calls amiably, approaching the stairs warily.
Niko calls, without looking up from the datapad he just swiped from another SecOff, "Mind the step above the broken one, Valentine. It's somewhat unstable."
There is no mail in your mailbox.
Tara nods in acknowledgement, gingerly making her way up the stairs. "Thanks. Oh yeah," she adds just before slipping out, "Thanks for saving my sanity and my life and all that."
You climb up the long rickety stairs.
And climb...
And climb...
And climb...
Dilapidated Warehouse
At one point this room must have been a warehouse. The rotted remains of wooden crates are stacked in groupings on the slate tile floor. The roof is far overhead, rotting beams holding it up. The construction here is ancient. Pegs hold the wood together, the tiles hand cut. Perhaps this why it is more or less here despite the obvious age, the care in the construction.
In the very center of the chaotic piles of refuse is an odd thing. Rising to perhaps six feet in height is a small stone pyramid. If this warehouse has been built with care, this monument faced in volcanic stone is a work of art. Each piece of obsidian plating is carefully interlocked with the others, not even providing a gap thick enough to slide a piece of paper through.
Obvious exits:
Panel Heavy Oak Door Doorway Out
You walk here from the Massive Underground Space.
***** Travel-spam deleted; our story picks up several hours later...
The Vault
Hints of former splendor are visible here and there in this seedy dive of a place. While the majority of the structure was demolished to construct the Complex, the basement and vault complex remain of this old Linnaen bank. The floor may once have been black and white tile, but now so much dirt and discarded refuse is littered along it, only hints of its glory can be seen. The bar itself is a massive length corrugated plas-steel set up in front of the old vault. The vault's door is mostly closed, and occasionally people slip back into it. Rickety tables are set up at various intervals, although most folks ignore them in favor of rather dark, rank booths set up along the walls. The lighting is flickering at best, and coupled with the thick smoke, visual acuity is hard to come by in this place. This is where the folks who make the Underground their home do their business, and it's not exactly a friendly welcoming place.
Contents:
Aaron Dimitri
Obvious exits:
Causeway
Roland strolls in, immediatly heading towards the bar and Tendy for liquid sustance.
Tara is pouring beers down her throat as fast as possible. Perhaps her appearance provides a clue as to why.
Aliana walks here from the Underground Causeway.
Aliana pads in, peering over her shoulder at something...then slips into the nearest booth by the door.
Roland would seem to surmise that also as he heads over with his single glass of liquor, giving a quick hand wave to Ali. Once at Tara's table, he reaches out to pause the beer pouring so he can get an answer to the question: "Are you entitled to explain some things or will a squad of overly trained AF commandos fall from the sky and punch you full of holes?"
Aliana waits a few moments to make sure noone has come in after her before turning to offer Roland a quick wave, her gaze moves to Tara and her eyebrow raises slightly.
Tara glances up at Roland. "I don't know nothin'. Honesty. Just got squished."
Roland mms. "The whole place only sunk five feet. Couldn't you avoid not getting squished? I did."
Aliana offers quite helpfully, "You seem rather intact for it'
Tara's nose wrinkles. "I was in a leeeeettle tiny space with two /very/ big Secoffs. I got squished."
Aliana heads towards the bar and speaks softly to Tendy. He sets her up a glass of whisky and she pads over to the other two, casting a wary glance at the door before she asks, 'May I join you?'
Roland ahhs. "Goons," he says with a nod. "There's gotta be a story about why they were in a teeny space with a not to teeny woman who unfortunantly got squished because she wasn't so teeny?"
Tara nods, to both. "Join me, yup, I could use some pleasant comp'ny."
Aliana settles down, 'Any reason why you were in a teeny weeny space with two big SecOffs?'
Tara yeahs, ordering another beer. "I got nosy."
Roland mmhmms. "And what were you being nosy about?"
Tara shrugs. "Them missin' girls."
Aliana's expression is rather amused as she takes a slow sip of her whiskey...her smile immediately falling as she asks,'Missing girls?'
Roland hmms. "Any kind of girls in particular? What do they call that, IMO?"
Tara peers at Roland. "Y'ain't heard? Somebody's been kidnappin' girls outa the Underground, nabbin' em right off the street."
Roland shrugs. "Many things happen down here. What IMO or whatever did they have? What had they in common?"
Tara closes her eyes, thinking back. "Maddison said I was too old to give to 'em... musta all been young."
Roland shakes his head. "Aie, what kind of universe do we live in. Well, what'd you find being so nosy and squished?"
Tara shudders. "Blood. Lotsa blood."
Roland sighs. "Oh dear. What happened to those girls?"
A troubled look comes over Ali's face as she seems to be considering something.
Tara shakes her head slowly. "Well," she swallows hard, "There was an altar, and troughs with blood..."
Roland frowns. "That's enough."
Aliana prompts softly, "what sort of alter?"
Tara gestures slightly, extending the motion to reach for her beer as the waiter brings it over. "Well, I'd guess it'd be the sacrificial type." Her voice is just a tad condescending.
Roland shakes his head, which is promptly buried in a palm. "Who would do that in this day?"
Aliana hrms softly, 'Well...In the recorded history of Linaea there were no religions. With no religions, why would you need an alter?"
Tara shakes her head slowly. "Wasn't humans that built the place. That's what Maddiaddison said."
Roland takes a swig of his usually sipped drink and urges on to Tara, "Why don't you repeat what Addison said. All of it."
Tara frowns slightly, trying to remember through her buzz. "He said... he said dragons built it. 'fore humans was here."
Roland mmhmms. "I didn't think they were quite so handy with their hands."
Tara shrugs. "Learn somethin' new ever' day."
Aliana falls silent as her thoughts move inward, nodding thoughtfully as if she is listening.
Tara takes a long drink from her beer. "Got /squished/. Rather rude, don't ya think?"
Roland nods. "Quite," he murmers as he proceeds to nurse the drink before him.
Aliana nods her head as she seems to be agreeing with an unseen companion. Tara's words pull her back to the pair as she offers a sympathic smile, 'Did either of these officiers even offer an apology'
Tara yeahs! "Very very rude." She peers at Ali. "Huh? /They/ didn't make the place go boom."
Aliana tilts her head, 'The place go boom?' She asks...yes, ali did not notice the new look to the complex.
Roland shrugs at Ali. "She must be reffering to the Complex. Someone decided to cut it's leg off at the ankles. It dropped a full five feet."
Aliana peers at Roland as if perhaps he may have grown another head, "Why didn't the building fall then?" Ali doesn't seem to really think that a bad thing.
Tara nods vaguely. "Und'ground's unner the Complex."
Roland shrugs again. "It was a well built structure, and while five feet might be alot, it wasn't enough to make it completly tumble. Alot of the constructions that the new Delegate leader like person has made fell though. Got might dusty in there."
Aliana nods her head, expression rather troubled as if being nudged by something.
Tara snickers. "Figgers."
Aliana considers Tara for a moment, 'Are you sure you are alright?'
Tara nods firmly. "Jus' scratches and bruises 'n' stuff. Mad *hic* Addison, he got hurt. I /knew/ he got hurt."
Tara grimaces. "An' we had to /dig/ our way out. Took a /whole/ day."
Aliana blinks, 'Why didn't you use your communits?'
Tara shakes her head. "Wasn't workin'. Not Casymed's, not Addison's, not mine. Damn rocks."
Aliana hmms as she taps her lips,'strange'
Tara arches an eyebrow. At least she tries. It ends up kind of crooked. "Strange? Whole damn 'xperience was strange."
Roland has disconnected.
Aliana hmmms, 'You sure about the blood?'
Tara nods, shuddering. "Addison... he went into this d'pression, see, and 'e came out all covered with blood."
Aliana chews on her lip then nods, the smile growing, 'I am glad that you are okay tho'
Tara nods slightly. "Me too." She pauses with a slight frown, then fumbles with a pocket of her jacket, pulling out a foil-wrapped square. Unwrapping the remains of a chocolate bar, she devours it.
Aliana tilts her head, 'Want some more?'
Tara hmms? "Huh? More what? Beer? Yeah!" Draining the bottle dry, she beckons to the waiter, and points to Ali. "She's buying this round."
Aliana nods to the waiter and asks, 'Want any more chocolate?'
Tara ohs! She shakes her head. "Just figured since Addison went without so we could have somethin' ta eat, I should prolly eat it, neh?"
Aliana ohs then smiles, 'Indeed you should it it...better then to let his sacrifice go to waste'
Tara nods fervently, frowning in confusion. "Y'know, I just don't /get/ him."
Aliana ohhs softly,'How do you mean?'
Tara shakes her head a bit. "Now, y'know Add'son and I, we don't get along, right?"
Aliana nods her head,'That I had gathered, yes'
Tara nods once, firmly. "Okay, well, when we was trapped in there, diggin' our way out... he, well, he acshully acted like my welfare was important to 'im. I mean, like I said somethin' about the stones startin' to look tasty, and he brought out the choc'late and handed it over, and then he gave some to Casymed too, but he wouldn't eat none himself."
Aliana nods her head,'That sounds like something he would do.' A pause as she considers her drink, "He's that sort...thinking about others first'
Tara grimaces, taking a swig from her fresh beer. "He ain't /supposed/ to be like that. He's /Addison/. The devil incarnate."
Aliana tilts her head as if considering, "Didn't you tell me once that you had changed in 8 years?"
Tara's eyes narrow, her head sinking toward the table. "Yeeesssssss..."
"Isn't it possible, that perhaps he too has changed?" Ali asks as she considers her. Glass moving to her lips for a sip,
Tara is silent for a long moment after her chin thumps onto the table. "Poss'ble... not fair."
Aliana smiles sympathically, "Why isn't it fair? Because the man you hated for all these years is actually someone you respect?'
Tara nods grudgingly, her eyes glazing over. "Yeah... that and... can't get my r'venge... if... he's a... good guy..." *snore*
Aliana sighs, "come on, Tara..Let me take you home...No sense sleeping here.'
Tara rouses briefly, staggering to her feet. "Wanna go home, yeah..."
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