[LOC] The Root

[DraconicFeline]

Sypon

Kimbley Kitty

seekingCylem

((ONE DAY, KEI WILL BE A SUPERHERO TOO <3))

Kei bit back a sharp We're exploring for her friend's sake and watched the two trolls, quietly seething. Looting... she was doing no such thing. How dare they accuse her of that. Ignoring, for the moment, the fact that heros frequently looted ruins, and that she did so herself... but that wasn't 'looting'. That was treasure. That was adventure. Keionx had already had to rethink so much... she didn't want to do too much more.

She stepped forward to match Aerona. ”We are not looking for trouble.” she said, ”We're exploring” and this time, she managed to make it sound less aggressive than she would have before. Slightly. ”And what we have found...” she did not intend to take her eyes off the freckled girl. Even if a group was a surprisingly splendid idea. She stroked the bird gently, ”Is a bird.” And a strange machine but she decided not to mention that for the moment.

Her eyes narrowed. ”What about you?” Keionx asked.  

[Sypon]

Aerona nearly honked with laughter. The posture of the orangeblood wasn't lost on her, but in the buzz of meeting new people she reconsidered giving her sass. And then reconsidered her reconsideration. "Feels like birds ain't that hard to find around here," she remarked. Her eyes flicked up and down Odette, who for whatever bizarre reason seemed to attract the creatures. Maybe she was one of those psychics who could talk to animals.

Aerona blinked. "We've found..." She paused, and for a moment felt something coming up her throat. She swallowed and grinned, baring her fingers like claws. "Some gross hot dog squeakbeasts!"

Kimbley Kitty

DraconicFeline

seekingCylem

 

[zeflamigo]

"Odette Cygnet," She introduced, giving a quick curtsy. It felt a bit formal of an introduction, considering the factors. Nonetheless she smiled, gesturing to her own companion "This is Keionx." She said, giving a supportive glance to the orangeblood. She leaned in closer to the teen, lowering her voice to a whisper. "Kei, they're only children. We should help them... make sure they're safe, right?" She put her hand over Kei's and squeezed, offering her an optimistic smile.

Quickly, she turned her attention back to the freckled girl, speaking sweetly. "I'm not here for trouble, more like..." Odette ran through a list of words. Hope, clarity, closure? "...Something else." That wouldn't do. These were children. Curious children at that. "I'm looking for anyone that needs help. So far, we've rescued one."

Humming happily, she reached over to take hold the small featherbeast. A sense of importance bubbled up in her chest, and she smiled thinking about it. Was this what it felt like, being a leader? She was the oldest, mentally and finally physically. And in the company of lowbloods? This was probably an opportunity she would rarely get.

"Come now, we ought to keep moving," Odette said, giving a parting wave to the featherbeasts. She smirked at the smaller redblood, "We wouldn't want trouble to find us, would we?"

She laughed quietly, turning to leave the room but craning her neck just enough to keep an eye on the others.

DraconicFeline

Sypon

seekingCylem

 

[seekingCylem]

Sascha was already growing bored. These older trolls didn’t seem eager to let the younger kids in on their fun—big surprise. The building was decrepit enough that Sascha would have been surprised if there was actually something cool to find there in the first place. However, the orange girl seemed suspicious enough of him and Aerona to insinuate that there might have been something worth digging up. It kept Sascha’s attention from drifting completely.

The older redblood was a totally different story, but no less a character in her own right. She reminded Sascha of the fairies in picture books. It was too early to deduce whether or not this was a positive connotation. Someone as dainty as her scaling a derelict building must have some kind of ace up their… capelet.

At Aerona’s mention of the rats, Sascha rolled his eyes over to the nearby blown-out window. ”Y’make it sound like the rats WERE hotdogs. Izzat what New Hemisect folks eat up here?” He could make out the ruins of the cart on the street down below. It was hard to believe there was anything left down there for the rats to scavenge after this long.

”So you’re like, picking animals out of the wreckage? Wouldn’t the drones have swept this place like, immediately after the…” Sascha swept his arms in a wide circle to gesticulate to the devastation. Sascha moved to follow after Odette. He didn’t want her to leave without answering him.  

[zeflamigo]

Aerona and Sascha. They were cute kids. Energetic. Nothing like her as a child. She couldn't help but feel like it was fun to watch, giggling softly at their banter. The yellowblood, Sascha, quickly followed her, already questioning away. Odette was enthusiastic to respond.

"Well, yes, you're right about that," Odette said, rubbing at her neck. "But I've been here before, almost immediately after that," She paused, remembering the events vividly. There were a lot of trolls there, surely, but none that belonged there. All scavengers, or kids messing around. She wasn't surprised that there were kids still exploring the place.

"Already I've found more this time than I did before," She smiled, looking down at the little featherbeast. She didn't dare mention the other thing they found. Something as cool and dangerous-looking would surely excite the pair. Odette didn't want to get their hopes up if it turned out to be a dud. They would come back to it when the time felt appropriate.

Hivestuck

odette found a thing!

 

[Hivestuck]

Kimbley Kitty

Buried in the twisted metal, you see a soft blinking light. Now, two. You get closer and see now that two alternating green lights adorning two halves of a sphere - making a perfect metallic ball. There is a seam down the middle, and when you twist it apart one turns red, and one turns blue. The lights blink at a steady pace with each other. There's a slight magnetic pull when you slide the half-spheres together. Curious...  

[DraconicFeline]

It looked like it was going to be a party, whether Keionx wanted it to be or not. But she was going to keep her eye on them, one way or another. But, she also had to scout ahead, too. She climbed up on a narrow beam to get a higher view and her attention was drawn by a pit into what looked like it had once been a very nice hive, now thoroughly looted and... clawed?

Shadows of stories, of fierce beasts and lamenting victims and noble heros, nudged at her mind, but she closed her eyes and forcibly shoved them away. What was the point to those anymore? She turned back to the group, watching them from above...  

[Sypon]

"You've been here before, eh?" The redblood was making it sound like she'd encountered more than she let on. Aerona scrunched up her lips and made a humming noise. "Aaaaalright."

She tapped her foot idly as the party milled about, giving Sascha an expectant look. Aerona was trying to gauge his interest, as though it affected her own, and she buzzed her lips with slight impatience. They didn't seem to be particularly organized. Odette wandered one way and Aerona soon followed, seeing her find something nearby.

"Hey! What's over there? What'd you find, Birdy?"

But as soon as she did, the orangeblood headed off to scout ahead. What the heck? Who was in charge here? The orangeblood hadn't been particularly impressive (she seemed like kind of a stick in the mud), but none-the-less Aerona refused to be left behind. Sophitia seemed a bit confused as well, scuttling back and forth in the direction of the two teens with uncertainty.

"Uhhh -- hey, fluffy! Where you think you're goin', we've got something over here!" Aerona shouted.

Kimbley Kitty

DraconicFeline

seekingCylem

 

[DraconicFeline]

Sypon

Kimbley Kitty

seekingCylem

Fluffy? What?

”I'm simply making sure” Keionx called back, ”That there's nothing over here.” And that was what there was – nothing but an empty room and an empty story. She climbed back down, wondering what they could have possibly found. She hopped down the last few feet and landed easily, squinting into the eerie light.

”What are those?” she asked, approaching the group. She glanced at the children, and then back at Odette. ”Shall we...?”  

[zeflamigo]

Odette picked up the small orb, fingers gliding lightly over the surface as she studied the object. A pang of nervousness shot through her as she realized the implications of the orb, and its possible connection to the door. She had no clue what would be behind that door, and it was especially frightening thinking of the damage that existed around it. She bit her lip, rolling the round object in her hands.

Perhaps if the kids hadn't met up with them, she'd be less nervous. She was afraid for them, though she doubted they were the type to be scared themselves. Rubbing her thumb along the seam of the spheres, she smiled sheepishly. Two children were less afraid than she was. An embarrassed blush crept across her face. Then again, she never really was the adventurous kind.

Odette looked back at Aerona and Sascha, and turned apprehensively to Kei. "I don't know, should we?" She whispered, looking back again nervously, and back up to Kei's eyes. "You're more of an adventurer than me," She said, almost mumbling, looking down at the orb. She traced their patterns over and over with her thumb, a nervous smile creeping on her face. "Still, I can't say I'm not curious..."

The third time Odette looked back at the kids, their adventurous spirit overcame her. Who was she kidding, thinking she could hide this from them? It was unfair, keeping such a secret from them. Plus, Kei was bigger now, the two teens could protect them if things got dirty. And the little featherbeast... Odette would make certain that nothing would happen to him. Things would be fine, Odette assured herself.

"Here, take a look," She said, holding the sphere out for the two kids to see, crouching down to their level. She paused to let them look over the object, turning it in her hand to show all of the sides. "Want to see something really cool?" She asked with a wide smile, knowing exactly what their answer would be.

DraconicFeline

Sypon

seekingCylem

 

[seekingCylem]

Sascha’s eyes narrowed in interest. So Odette wasn’t “looting” per say, she was just repeatedly exploring an off-limits abandoned building and picking up whatever she happened to find. Right. Well whatever she called it, it sounded like an activity Sascha could get on board with.

Aerona seemed similarly skeptical of Odette and Keionx’s allegedly pure motives. However she was easily distracted by whatever it was the orangeblood was getting up to, and soon enough, the flashing light Odette had found.

Sascha, too, was deeply intrigued by the idea of anything technological still being functional after all this time. The weird orb must’ve been made of some pretty tough stuff to still have the energy to flash after being left out in the elements like that. Sascha was suspicious of the orb, but his expression betrayed more excitement and intrigue than anything.

For a moment Odette looked like she was going to be a tough sell on figuring out the Mystery of the Orb, but after a moment of contemplation on her part, she seemed to make up her mind. Sascha wasn’t sure what she was gleaning from looking at him and Aerona that made her wanna do cool, fun stuff, but he wished he could harness it for future use. This was shaping up to be a pretty cool field trip.

Sascha wasted no hesitation checking out the orb as Odette offered it to them. Even Bagwormother wriggled up underneath her son’s elbow to take a look at what they would be getting involved with. It looked pretty nondescript, glowing aside. Sascha glanced up at Odette with a sparkling smirk.

”Always.”

Kimbley Kitty

DraconicFeline

Sypon

 

[DraconicFeline]

Kimbley Kitty

Sypon

seekingCylem

”Lets.” they might as well – it seemed to be the direction that the group was going. Kei was not going to argue about being 'more of an adventurer', though she was willing to bet that Odette had not led an uneventful life. How could she, if she was... Well... Hmm...

Keionx was still puzzling out how she felt about that, but whatever she felt, Odette was still her friend.

On the matter at hand, tech was not Keionx's thing. Wierd glowy stuff that could be dangerous kind of was. She stepped up behind Sasha, watching the orb with suspicious wariness. ”Findest thou some gloves.” she said, as much a command as a statement, ”So that we can investigate it further.” she squinted at it. She wasn't so stupid as to touch it with her bare hands. ”Thick cloth will do. We don't know what it could do to thee... to us.”  

[zeflamigo]

Odette smiled softly, pocketing the orb in her bag and starting to move back to the center of the hivestem. The children seemed eager enough, but Odette had to make sure that she'd be keeping them safe from whatever was behind the door.

"I don't have gloves. Oh, but I've got a scarf with me," Odette offered to Kei, taking it from her bag and handing it over to the orangeblood. "You'd better take the orb, too, unless you'd like to hold onto this guy..." She said, scratching the baby featherbeast's neck. To be fair, Odette would rather have Keionx take the lead, despite remembering that Kei was barely older than the other kids with them. She trusted her, after all. The orangeblood had done well to prove herself in Chittentown, after everything that had happened. Odette couldn't imagine there was anything scarier than Aendal behind the door.

Odette was particularly careful making her way back to the center, pointing out all of the potential pitfalls to her team's newest recruits. Even the little things, nails on the ground, tiles that could be tripped over, Odette pointed it all out, in the gentlest voice she could muster. Until finally, they arrived.

"What do you think? Pretty cool?" She asked, looking for approval from the two. Of course, she knew that something cooler would probably happen after using the spheres, but she wanted to gage the kids interest nonetheless.

Sypon

seekingCylem

DraconicFeline

Hivestuck

 

[Sypon]

“Oh… My gog.” Aerona muttered. The huge shape was about as big as the half-block in her home where her lusus stored the extra recuperacoon. What could be in there? A body? FIVE bodies? You could fit at least five bodies in there.

Aerona scampered up to the strange door and gestured for Sascha to come. “Look, look! What is this? What are these hole things? Why is this still standing here?”

She puffed her cheeks out in excitement and clamped her hands to her chin. This was all completely overwhelming, considering how weird but also totally cool the new development was. Aerona tapped her cheek twice and then smiled up at Odette and Keionx.

“Can you open it? Can use use that ball thingy to open it, huh?”

Kimbley Kitty

seekingCylem

DraconicFeline

A POST  

[seekingCylem]

Sascha found Odette's fretting wholly unnecessary as they trekked through the dilapidated building. At the same time, he heeded her warnings all the same. Bagwormother seemed pleased with the newly-constructed party at the very least. Sascha would have put up with a lot more to go on such a cool, suspenseful trip such as this. He hoped there would be treasure involved. What else would involve such an ambiguous doohickey to access?

Apparently whatever it was involved a huge box. Sascha looked between the three girls to see if any of them knew what was going on. Aerona at least seemed on the ball about asking the important questions. Sascha stayed quiet and tried to appear as nonchalant as possible. Granted, if he'd been alone, he probably would already be trying to bust down one of the walls. It was clearly some kind of giant treasure chest.

Kimbley Kitty

DraconicFeline

Sypon