thebastion | EVENT: Day 322 [open]

[Remember those two NPCs? You guys need to do something with them. What are you going to do with them?]

[Well, we can kill them. I'd sure like to kill them. Can we kill them? - no, scratch that, can I kill them. No, scratch that too, I will kill them.]

[Not yet. The others need them. Fine. We can accept that for now.]

[But until then? Ikuri is giving them a very different eye of the tiger; the kind that more or less lays her feelings on this matter bare. You remember Darth Maul? Yeah, she's pulling the same number: pacing slowly back and forth, never turning her head, never taking her eyes off them, giving the deathglare to end all deathglares...and hungry, so hungry.]

[Guess what? You kids are the meat.]

[She can't wait to feast.]

(( OOC: Probably gonna be forward-timed until after her open thread below, so her focus is off Crona and back on the prisoners, which is where it was gonna be once Crona was taken. ))

(( ETA: Odds are also super-high she's still blood-crusted, because she won't think - and won't want - to clean it off herself at this time. which...probably makes that whole hungry pacing thing more of an experience for the captives. ~~Have fun?~~ ))

Edited 2015-07-04 22:01 (UTC)

[He heard - vaguely - what happened. He saw a dead body get hauled off, and he doesn't really care all that much. He can't. He doesn't know them. He's not supposed to care about anyone else.]

[Except that Crona was part of the Bastion, and the Bastion is his new territory, and he should care.]

[But What he does recognize are the prisoners. There's people here to be detained, and not killed. Not yet. That's fine. Otoha walks over to stand nearby them silently, his sword plainly visible under his trenchcoat.]

[Okay, you two. The prisoners don't exactly have a special place in Zuko's heart but they're still people and they don't deserve either of you potentially acting on those threats.]

Don't do anything rash. We just need to keep an eye on them.

[Oh, no no no, they're not people. They're enemies. That distinction drastically redefines what it is they deserve: as it is they're being kept from what they deserve, by being allowed to continue drawing breath. ~~To Ikuri's thinking, at least.~~]

[They're not being kept alive because they deserve it. They're being kept alive because we have a use for them: moving closer to the enemy's heart. They are tools, and they will serve that purpose...and once we are done with them, they shall be less.]

Observing.

[But she says that without slowing her pace, without so much as looking back. One hand might be grasping her own sword hilt, but it's not a ready grip - as might be the case with Otoha, it's more for the prisoners' 'benefit' (to coin a phrase) than to make any actual aggressive moves.]

[Colin actually isn't that far behind Zuko. He's still checking up on people... but the fact that the prisoners are here, well..]

So, these are the two we caught, huh?

[He steps up next to Zuko, glancing at her.]

Did you take any hits? Did THEY take any hits?

[He turns his attention back to the prisoners, inspecting them for injuries from a distance.]

[Zuko's jaw tightens at Colin's approach but she'll try to keep it civil. And hopefully brief. She just shakes her head when he asks about her and then says curtly:]

Just bruises, probably.

We need a place to keep them for now. I don't want to trust them to my knotwork.

[Otoha glances over at Ikuri, and then the prisoners.]

I can guard them, wherever we're keeping them.

[It's not like he sleeps very much... and it's not like he'll hesitate to kill them if they try to escape. There's the barest hint of a smirk on his face as he looks at them. Just try it.]

It will take a little time to get a proper brig set up.

[He keeps looking at the prisoners.]

I'll take care of that. Have they said anything about why they decided to murder Crona and Ragnarok?

No. They were after the core. I don't know why they felt they had to attack us for it.

[They are both silent, though they can tell they are being talked about.

If they haven't been given amulets though, they won't understand questions unless they come from English-speakers.]

[Now, see, at the mention of those names - Ikuri'd abruptly stopped pacing, her eyes widening just the slightest bit (and they'd never deviated from the captives.) That barely lasts a second before they re-narrow, the eyes themselves physically shifting to reflect a change in focus...]

[And then her teeth bared, not widely but enough to be seen, and a low inhuman growl rumbling hungrily in her throat. The temptation came -- it was quickly squashed, but nonetheless it came -- to unsheathe her blade and tear them apart then and there, the same as those two wretches back at the core site.]

[Strike the heart. Killing underlings would not serve Crona. The field of battle (and she refused to doubt she'd see it) would grant plenty of satisfaction on its own; right now, they needed these two to stave off the infection, to reveal the heart. They had a use. The enemy would win if they died now.]

[She calms once she finishes processing these thoughts. Her mouth shuts, and the growl lowers in volume; while persisting for a time, it fades as well. Her eyes remain the same.]

[And after some moments of hesitation, her pace begins anew...now noticeably slower.]

[He shakes his head a little, and gestures towards them with another tilt of his head.]

I don't think they understand us.

[They don't seem to speak Japanese, at least. Or maybe just not the Japanese he knows.]

Not at all surprising. We need to get at least one of them an amulet.

Or find a common language.

[He gives Ikuri a warning look. We JUST talked about this, girl... Then he studies the prisoners. They look human, biological tell-tales seem to indicate human... Odds of them speaking a language he knows are pretty low, but...]

[He starts by speaking in Elerian.]

Do you understand anything I'm saying?

[He'll move on to Caelondian next.]

Do you understand anything I'm saying?

[And finally... Terran English.]

Do you understand anything I'm saying?

[Anyone with an amulet, he's repeated himself three times. Anyone WITHOUT an amulet... well, you just heard three languages. Ball's in your court now.]

Edited 2015-07-12 20:31 (UTC)

[Well the leader-girl had an amulet, so it depends on if that was taken from her or not if she responds.

The other guy, though, perks up when he hears that third one. And he's about to say something back, but the girl shoots him a dark look and he shuts up.]

That last one, they understood that.

[If only they spoke Chinese, she wouldn't need Colin.]

They need to know they won't be harmed.

But we need to know who they are and what they're after if we're going to figure out how to deal with them.

[Her pace abruptly stops.]

[That exchange of looks? It didn't go unnoticed. Really rather didn't; her eyes shot back-and-forth between them, taking stock.]

[And to answer that, she approaches the female- heavy, measured steps; power and contained, siphoned wrath showing in her bearing. In moments they're not even an arms length apart. The head is tilted in just such a way, and this look, oh boy, this look: a clarity of message that belied her typically broken spoken language. An eyebrow raises just slightly, just so.]

[You truly believe your minion should fear you? No, my little thing, you are held in my paws, regardless of what they tell you or themselves. My sword answers to me alone: it could have you dead before anyone here cried out.]

[and then she leans in, her neck craning, but her eyes never leave the woman's. A flare of hot breath from her nostrils, close enough to touch skin; her mouth pulled open slightly by the scowl forming, showing desire for pain, for murder. The face appears almost gaunt...perhaps even skeletal, if you focus on it the right away.]

[Of course, I do not see any reason to be so lenient. Do you truly think I would not devour? That I would be satisfied with only your demise?]

[Do not believe the scarred one. You will meet my standards, my specifications, my satisfaction. I shall have you if you do not.]

(( Intimidate check? ))

Edited (whoopsies) 2015-07-13 01:20 (UTC)

[Colin walks over to Ikuri and puts a hand on her shoulder. Down, little berserker. He switches back to Elerian now, so as to keep things out of the prisoners' knowledge.]

The language they speak is English. Probably American or British, but those aren't the only regions on Earth that speak it. Rob speaks it, I know, but I don't know if anyone else here does. We'll need to see who else here speaks it, if anyone.

I'm not going to make an assurance that I can't be sure will be kept. They've killed one of ours without so much as a "Hello", and given everything that's happened, tempers are running a little short. I appreciate your desire for peaceful resolution to this, but everyone needs to talk about what happened first.

That said...

[He looks at the prisoners. And unless otherwise specified, he's going to be speaking in English from here on out.]

In case it's not obvious, you're prisoners and you're not going to be going back to your people any time soon. We'll be doing our best to keep you safe, secure, and comfortable, but a little cooperation would go a long way towards soothing the tempers of those you've angered.

My name is Colin Starfury.

[He keeps his distance, watching both of them so he can record their reactions to whatever information he reveals a little later.]

I don't suppose you'd be willing to tell us who you are?

[That touch brings her out of it. She's lightly startled by the suddenness of the contact, but the murderous air cools greatly with her focus diverted, nearly vanishes.]

[Helpless eyes look to him, back to the captives and him again, but there is no argument. Somewhat the contrary: Ikuri uses his presence to anchor herself and bring her away from the sight of something foul.]

[Whatever protest she feels is toward the situation itself, this whole mess. You see it there nonetheless: a weakness, a sadness...but she is not at all inclined to resist or make a fuss. She steps back and away when he does, though in a different direction and not quite as far.]

Edited (grammurrr) 2015-07-13 12:34 (UTC)

[...though all it takes is another look at the prisoners to bring some of it back. It takes a different shape this time: a stone-hard and unyielding anger, no desire to offer mercy or accept it, but at least she's not threatening to spill over like before.]

[She turns away, though they are kept well within sight...and she is still braced to leap at the first unwelcome move.]

[The pair don't understand Ikuri's words, but it's very clear that they don't particularly like being around her. Mostly because they are sure they're going to get run through by her, like their friends did.

When Colin speaks in English again, they look to each other once more, and then the woman speaks.]

...Red. And he is Grey. And before you ask: they're nicknames. Formal names serve no purpose anymore.

[It is short, terse, and to the point. They'll cooperate for the moment, but their continued cooperation depends on what is said and done to them.]

I learned some, but I was never good at it.

[He looks over at the prisoners, listening to Colin and putting a hand near his sword. He's not going to use it, not yet... but they don't have to know that.]

[... But he listens to them, and looks at Colin.]

... Not that strange. If they're dedicated to their purpose it makes sense.

Megaera speaks it, too, I think. [Not that Zuko's ever heard of English, but "Red" seemed to understand her before.

She moves a little closer to the prisoners, but unlike the other two swordspeople, her stance is more protective than threatening. She shoots Ikuri in particular a sharp look.]

No one is getting harmed here because of a personal grudge. That isn't justice.

[It's not honorable either. She looks back at the prisoners and gestures to herself so they know it's an introduction ~~that Colin doesn't have to make for her~~.]

Zuko.

Ask them why they needed the Core.

[Elerian]

I've already given Ikuri the "justice" talk. She's angry because she feels close to Crona. She knows who she's supposed to go after, she won't harm them unless they try to escape or fight.

[Nevermind that fact that Ikuri had only just met Crona... Colin knows that Ikuri's still trying to figure things out. He's getting a better picture of her state of life the more he hangs around her.]

And... that's a very good point, Otoha. If I can get anything more to that effect, I will. But... obviously, this isn't going to be easy.

[English.]

Let me explain a little...

We were on a peaceful mission when your group ambushed us. Your group attacked our allies and killed two of us, on what was supposed to be a milk run.

Many of us are very angry. That said... We're not going to slaughter you, nor are we going to torture you. We're going to protect you from those that would like to do either of those.

You ARE going to be imprisoned, though. Attempting to escape will give the vengeful the reason they need to hunt you. I don't think I need to elaborate on that one... Obviously, I can't say "don't try to escape" and expect you to listen. Gods above and below know that if I were in your shoes, I'd be trying everything in my power to get out of here.

[Sure is saying a lot to ask about the core, isn't he?]

But whatever the case, if you value your lives, it would be in your best interests to cooperate. We gain nothing by your deaths, and many of us would prefer that you not die. Can't speak for everyone, obviously, but the same can be said of all groups.

Now, Zuko and I would like to know... Why was your group after the core? What was worth ambushing and killing two of ours for, trying to kill ALL of them for?

[Oh, and he's scanning both of the prisoners deeply. He wants their bio-signatures and any identifying information he can get to keep track of them. Plus, if one of them's packing an internal explosive, he doesn't want to be caught off guard. And before anyone says that's crazy, we'll just remind you that Colin IS carrying around enough anti-matter to annihilate a city.]

[No internal explosives, but the man does have metal bits in the bone of his left leg. Stainless steel, and they appear to have been there for at least a few years, definitely long enough for the previously-broken bone to heal around them. The woman seems perfectly healthy and devoid of any internal explosives, but there is a long, horizontal scar along her lower abdomen, at least ten years old, if not older.

After listening to Colin, the woman lets out a short, bitter laugh.]

A 'peaceful' mission? Don't be ridiculous. Your actions in the past have been far from peaceful, we won't be fooled by any claims otherwise.

And why would anyone be after the cores? We need power, just as everyone else does. And with the majority of the Cores lost to the abyss, and your group- [she practically spits out those two words] using up the remaining few with this monstrosity, there is little we can do but fight over the remaining ones. So don't act innocent, any actions on our part are your fault!

[The man quietly says Red's name there, to get her to stop. Which she does.]

so I heard u liek NPCs

omg liek NPCs are the cooooolest

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hungry tiger, feed your tiger

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mun is admittedly a touch nervous but here you go, scary cannon lady as requested.

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[/2]

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