open | event | All Shook Up!

[ironwood]

Characters: Teams Alpha, Beta, and Charlie; also, everyone!
Date: February 17th (through 28th)
Location: Tu Vishan's shell damaged areas (multiple locations), sewers
Situation: There are a number of damaged sections of Tu Vishan's shell and the kedan are working at repairs and, where the turtle's flesh itself has been damaged, healing. There are many convoluted sewer passages now open that Foreigners technically could access, if they can make it past the police that have been stationed around each exposed area.
Warnings/Rating: Medical examinations, blood & gore references, sewage; to be updated as needed.


Exposed Areas
The damages sustained during the dive event are not excessive in number, but are plentiful enough to require work groups of kedan to be deployed in a twenty-four/seven repair schedule. They are signed into each area through one of Evandau's direct reports and their numbers are counted throughout the day to enforce strict controls over those that have access to Tu Vishan, their most precious resource.

Those making it past the checkpoints or sneaking through gaps in the sentries find that the Emperor did not lie about the damages done. There are scars near each damaged bit of shell that shift into spider webbed stress lines and end with the jagged edging of broken shell. Kedan workers are busy trying to clear away broken shell and install metal-and-wood framing that will hold these pieces back in place when they are done.

Beneath the surface, some are working at dams and blockages in what appears to be an ancient sewer system. The walls are smooth and indicative of architecture done in concert with the natural growth of the turtle. Lanterns provide some pinpoints of light where dark mosses have grown over the bioluminescent shell itself, but the further one goes from the work sites, the more one must rely upon the natural lighting of the shell in order to proceed.

At the core of each operation are the best healers that the kedan population has to offer. They can be seen tending torn and blooded flesh of a momentous scale, mending the damages done directly to the turtle to the best measure that they can. These areas are the most stringently guarded, for Tu Vishan is most vulnerable beneath the armoured layer of its shell.

Sewage meets most that enter the tunnels rather than skulking about the sites, with an unpleasant smell lingering in the nose and mouth the longer that one stays there -- oh, and in the clothes, which may make a stealthy exit more difficult if one is not downwind. The tunnels twist and turn aplenty, crossing one another with a design more evolutionary than engineered. Those that wander in are at risk of becoming lost beneath the surface, with only a few doors and small closet-like rooms to be found where tools were stored once upon a time.

Be wary, Foreigners! There are many a kedan patrolling these areas and they will give chase in an unauthorised party is found. Evandau briefed a number of the teams himself, advising that Foreigners are all considered unauthorised. Parties subject to arrest are to be brought to the surface and handed over to either the police or, once it's in place, Raylan's civilian team for eventual escort to the palace prison.

OOC: Thread headers (and starters for the teams) are provided in the comments area of this post!

Comments

[cmdreffingshepard]

She gives him a quick once over, then another vague nod. "No knowing what might be down here. Do you know how to fight?"

[alpha_squad_leader]

Victor nods, moving to follow after Shepard. "I can fight. I'm hoping we won't have to though."

[cmdreffingshepard]

"I always hope that, but things don't often happen like that for me," she points out - almost as a warning. Seems like everywhere she goes, she's picking up people and they end up in potentially-deadly situations.

[alpha_squad_leader]

Victor can't help but give a faint, wry little laugh. "Guess we're screwed then. My luck is the same way," he remarks. He doesn't seem bothered by it though. "I'm surprised there aren't more people down here."

[aenseidhe]

As if on cue, the one-eyed elf that at least one of that party should be familiar with rounds a corner, head, for the moment, tilted back behind him as he's mid-sentence in a conversation with his traveling partner. "We can at least thank Dana these sewers aren't infested with flesh-eaters."

And upon hearing the tail end of Victor's statement his head whips to the other two, scanning the mutant for a quick moment before settling on Shepard.

Aaaand a prompt snort and narrowing of eyes. "Oh. You."

[duelkatana]

And the said traveling partner comes trailing behind not a moment later - a turtle himself, in fact, wearing a blue bandana and two swords strapped onto his shell. He's just opening his mouth to respond to his companion's statement when his gaze falls on the two newcomers, and then he snaps it shut, regarding them in slight surprise.

He doesn't know who the woman is, but her company is definitely more familiar; it only takes Leo a second or two to recall his name. "Victor?"

[cmdreffingshepard]

At the sudden intrusion, Shepard is on alert again - but she recognizes the - well, she's not sure what his species is, exactly, but the very antagonistic person she'd argued with on the network, accompanied by - well, by a human-sized turtle.

You see new things every day.

She holsters her side-arm again, and glances between Victor and the turtle, ignoring Iorveth's snide comment for the moment. It's not productive. "If you two know each other, I'm going to assume I'm not about to be arrested."

[alpha_squad_leader]

Victor tenses at the intrusion as well, tensing. When he sees Leonardo, Victor relaxes a little. There's a quick glances towards Iorveth and Shepard but Vic doesn't say anything about that.

"Hey, Leo," he offers to his fellow green mutant. "I certainly hope no one's about to try to arrest us," Vic answers Shepard, glancing Iorveth's way again because he doesn't know about him.

[aenseidhe]

Arms crossing, Iorveth pointedly keeps his distance. He doesn't recognize the mutant, but he has very little desire to keep the human woman's company for long. She's not trusted, nor is she particularly favored in the least.

"Unfortunately." Is tossed in dryly to confirm the not being arrested bit, and his glancing down the tunnel they stopped amid. "If this touching reunion is over, then I'll be on my way. Do mind the oversized sewer creatures. Va faill."

There are, of course, no oversized sewer creatures. He just wants to be a dick.


[[ ooc; Va faill = farewell. ]]

[duelkatana]

Leo's gaze bounces between Iorveth and the woman. It seems like both he and his partner are acquainted with someone from this pair - though in Iorveth's case, apparently not in the best way. Still, it's dangerous being lost in enemy territory, and he's not about to turn away allies if he can find them. He has no idea if Victor can fight, but he is a mutant...and the woman looks like she could be military.

"Hang on a second," he says quickly to Iorveth, looking at Victor and the woman in turn. "What are you both doing down here?"

[cmdreffingshepard]

Shepard keeps her face neutral - Iorveth is allowed his opinion, misguided as it might be, and she has no reason to harass or antagonize him if he'd rather leave.

"I'm trying to find some answers," she says bluntly to the turtle. "I ran into Victor here and we decided there's safety in numbers, since we're here for similar reasons. I won't turn down more help, if you're offering."

[alpha_squad_leader]

Victor just shoots a glare Iorveth's way. "Hey! We're mutants, not sewer creatures," he misunderstood, thinking he and Leo were being called the oversized sewer creatures. His attention drifts back to Leo when he speaks but he lets Shephard answer first.

"Yeah. I don't buy most of what the emperor said. There's definitely something else going on here and finding out what is a good idea," he adds in.

[aenseidhe]

A kind of deadpan slanted towards Victor. Son, that is not even what he meant. "I was not referencing you. Do you consider yourself an overgrown sewer creature?"

You're both pretty tiny for overgrown. And while he'd much rather leave and be free of them, he had agreed to accompany Leo when they'd run into each other, and he's not prone to breaking his word. He's a lot of things, but liar is not one. He doesn't offer his own answer on what he's doing here, but it's much the same. With the added interest in exploring for places to hide if he needs it later. "If we're uniting, I'm taking point."

The bow is brought out of the sheath it's carried in on his back and an arrow in hand is motioned towards Shepard. "She can bring up the back." Basically he just wants her as far away from him as possible. Not for fear of an attack, because why the hell would he want her behind him, but mainly because he just doesn't like her.

[duelkatana]

"Sounds like we all have common interests," Leo observes. Truthfully, ever since he'd gotten separated from his brother down here his attention had shifted to finding his way back to the surface - but they came here in the first place for more or less the same reason. And while he's still worried, Raph can take care of himself. It wouldn't feel right to just leave these people.

Iorveth seems less fond of the idea, but at least he's rolling with it. Sort of. Resisting a sigh, Leonardo glances at the woman almost apologetically, then gestures towards himself. "Leonardo. If you two are as lost as we are, I wouldn't turn down a few extra eyes." Or guns, fists, whatever. It's all pretty helpful in the long run.

[cmdreffingshepard]

Shepard shrugs a little, still ignoring Iorveth for the most part, because seriously, now is not the time to have petty arguments. And while she's not sure if she could trust the prejudiced - whatever he is - not to just shoot her with that - bow and arrow? - the other two seem reasonable enough, so she'll go with it.

She keeps her gun at the ready, though, and nods to the others. "We should move - there might still be patrols at this level, there's no information on the kedan security here."

[alpha_squad_leader]

"No. The insult's just been hurled my way before," Victor replies, still giving Iorveth an annoyed look.

He lets it go though. Since Shepard doesn't seem all that annoyed by things, Victor looks to Leo and shrugs. He'll walk alongside his fellow green dude.

"Yeah, let's get going. We don't need to run into either the Kedan or that Marshall," Victor remarks as he starts walking.

[aenseidhe]

There's a snort from Iorveth, and he glances over to Shepard pointedly as he says the next bit. "By a human, am I right?" No, he's not done being twelve. And back to Victor, a nod of sympathy. "I've been called much worse. I wouldn't press it on another undeserving."

And he's turning to take point as he'd said, arrow notched in bow at the ready. And yeah, it's not a gun, but lbr, he's had a century with that thing - he's pretty much elven Hawkeye. "Agreed. Forward."

[duelkatana]

Even though he doesn't chime in on the conversation, Leo knows all too well the feeling Iorveth and Victor are talking about - freak, monster, he's heard it all. It almost makes him wonder about Iorveth's world in particular; Leo and Victor are very obviously different, but he looks almost identical to a human. Then again, humans always did split hairs about any differences they could find.

For now, though, he sets all of that aside and follows along with his fellow green guy as they press forward through the tunnels. It doesn't take long until the passageways begin to arborize, spreading out like the branches of a tree, and Leo finds his hand reaching up to wrap firmly around a katana hilt, eyes darting from one darkened tunnel opening to the next.

"Keep your eyes open for an ambush," he warns quietly.

[cmdreffingshepard]

Shepard just lets them talk - they obviously come from worlds quite different from hers. In her world - humans face as much prejudice and discrimination as they give to others.

Besides, she has no beef with these guys - not even Iorveth, who seems to have taken such offense to her existence. Hatred is easy - understanding is tougher, but more rewarding in the long run, she's found.

She just quietly takes up her position, fine with not being the leader for once. Bringing up the rear, her eyes and ears are peeled not just for attack from behind them, but she's also got a good eye on the situation as a whole - the four of them, working their way down the tunnel, other tunnels branching out to other sides.

"Or a booby trap," she adds, her own voice barely above a murmur. Who knows what kinds of things the kedan could have set up down here to keep people away from their secrets?

[alpha_squad_leader]

"Technically it was a hologram but it was of a human bigot," Victor remarks idly. Shrugging, he keeps walking. He was a little curious about Iorveth's world too but he'd save his questions for after they were out of the tunnels.

When they come to branching tunnels, Victor frowns. He's got no weapon but his claws are ready for if they're needed.

"Which way?" he asks, eyes quickly scanning the ground for anything that might be a trap.

[aenseidhe]

"Unsurprising." What the fuck is a hologram. Whatever, his point is pretty much made, and he's letting it drop in favor of making his way through the tunnels, practically silent even with the puddles and scum over the area. Scoia'tael often are.

A pause when they get to the fork and the elf glances one way, and to the other. Hm. "I can identify traps. Stay a ways behind." After a hundred years of setting them, he really should.

And considering one tunnel is nearly identical to the next and it makes no difference, he branches off to the one on the right. He seems to remember that direction leading more towards the heart of the city. Digging into a pouch, he pulls out a handful of walnut sized nuts and tosses them out on the ground in front, looking for anything they might set off. A sword is pulled from his hip and he makes a point to overturn any pile of rubble or sewer gunk they pass near, checking. "Try to walk in each others' footsteps."

[duelkatana]

When the group lapses into silence, Leo finds that he almost misses the chatter. Carefully picking their way through the tunnels, with nothing but the dull, echoing sound of dripping water and the footsteps behind him, he has time to remember that he's inside another turtle's hollowed-out shell. It makes his skin crawl and his spine ache with unease.

But he can't show that here. Can't let it distract him. Not behind enemy lines.

So he follows behind quietly, his feet noiselessly sinking into the soft prints Iorveth leaves in the mud and moss dotting the tunnel floor. He doesn't know the reasoning for the path they're taking, if there is one at all, but that isn't his job; for now, he simply watches the dark corners and cracks, eyes and ears peeled for signs of life other than their own.

[cmdreffingshepard]

The smell is really pungent this far in, and Shepard can't help but wrinkle her nose a bit as they move forward. They're in what seems to be a very intricate, maze-like setup, but she dutifully follows her companions, careful to stay within their footprints (though the turtle's are a bit different shape than a human's).

After a while, though, there's less muck underfoot, and the smell starts fading a bit. It's kind of a relief. "Any change up there?" she asks, her voice little more than a whisper.

[alpha_squad_leader]

Victor is right there with Leo in the missing the chatter department. Silence when he was sneaking around solo was one thing but walking in a group like this without some kind of chatter or banter was weird and a little unnerving. He's careful with his steps, matching the footprints left in the muck. He's tempted to just hop up onto a wall and walk along it instead but he's not sure he was to touch what's up there unless he has to.

"Man, worse than the Asteroid," he mutters about the smell. He falls otherwise silent as they go. When the smell fades, he nods a little and glances back at Shephard when she speaks. He wants to hear the answer too but he's not going to repeat the question.

[aenseidhe]

He is so not even bothered by the quiet. But Iorveth tends to be intensely serious on outings like this, finding talk to be distracting, so it suits. But they meet pretty much nothing in the way of traps, and after a few more tunnels taken, he's about to answer the question with 'nothing', until a glance to the side reveals something abnormal in the continuous smoothness of the wall. Huh. "Wait--"

Cautiously, he slows, a hand reaching up to feel along the wall until it meets a crevice. Down the indent and-- "A door."

He'd yet to see any kind of separate room aside from tunnels here, so it's definitely interesting, but barging right in would be stupid. "Does anyone have a torch?"