Porrim's Group, Spidery Ice Slick
Holding the rope taut against the edge of the hole, Porrim dug her heels into the carpet, likening it to the knotty grass and soil in the highlands close to the North. First, she saw Aran'ya skitter back up the rope. She gave the Lmanel a clap as she walked by, watching Akemi keeping watch. The robot, meanwhile had let the two won't-be bandits stay in place, the one who'd been stunned by Akemi whimpering into the desk while the other one was unresponsive, sorered lump forming on his forehead.
Porrim seemed satisfied by the relative peace, and replied to Er'red, briefly putting her fingers to an ear radio. "
Excellent, thank you. I think we're wrapped up over here. We can confirm J'ann's alive and well." She replied in Ly'thir, which the foreigner wouldn't understand, "
If yours wraps up, resume exploration as usual, will you? You too, Ny'za. I haven't heard Elm report in- woooh-!" A sharp tug on the rope, she gasped a little, then took the rope with both hands and straightened her back. "
Okay, climb." She ordered.
As the spider Lmanel added to patrol, Porrim felt another tug on the rope. So that was one and two, but was it the third person climbing up? The delicate little hand she saw shaking up the rope ... after hearing a chorus of grunting and straining as they kicked against the wall, nearly putting a boot through the rotten plaster and grout. It could only have been J'ann. As he caught his breath stumbling by, Porrim gave the wayward dancer a pinch on the rump. "
Tease~!" She cooed.
Then the third set. This was the unknown - a tight tug followed by a gentle easing of the material. Weighing it up, grasping firmly and exhibiting climbing technique. Who was this? A weathered hand then a tug to the biceps - wearing green. Porrim didn't recognise the colour as being from a Lorath regiment. Greys, charcoals, and navies were always the preferred colour variance. Then the face. Scarred, black hair, a distinctive scar.
She looked over her shoulder and whispered, in Ly'thir, "
who is this man?" voice playfully curious as her green eyes settled on him dragging himself out of the hole, weak from captivity but still able to give his best. He stood up and dusted the pencil shavings, carpet dust and war off of his uniform. Porrim was evaluating him up and down as she stood up, a foot taller than the Nepleslian, and a much larger figure. She pulled the ear covers of her beanie off, proving they weren't Nekovalkyrja - ears of Lmanel Lorath ending in three small points.
Guessing that he was too stocky for a Yamataian, and the green was something Porrim had seen the Nepleslian wear prior to the mission, this had to be a Nepleslian Space Marine she had on her hands. "We're from LSDF Val'ta." She said in Trade, accent thick, heavy, perhaps even suffocating if layered too closely. "I am Captain Mil'ana Porrim. We are exploring city. Looking for survivor." She nodded to him respectfully and looked aside and, in native tongue asked in Akemi's direction, "
Find someone who speaks good Trade. I'm sure they'd have hated being around these pantywaists!"
[
Ran has joined Porrim's team.]
Elm's Little Adventure
The blonde man with the weaponry on his back didn't set Elm at ease, but he didn't know what effect he was having on the strange white thing - and frankly didn't care with more pressing matters He'd seen all sorts of strange things ever since he had come to grips with the fact he'd be here for a long time. Things that skittered, slithered, murdered, needed to be splattered apart with buckshot. For some reason, he thought buckshot would be ineffective today, against his normal nature.
Watching the Lorath woman step out of the large mecha so openly was a weird sight to him. He hadn't seen much of the Lorath - the Lorath survivors kept to themselves mostly, in tightly guarded enclaves. No strangers to claustrophobia. "So, you're saying we've been here four years, and someone's finally here to rescue us?" Trevors said tersely.
"Hai." Momoko replied in Trade, drawing Akira's ire as he looked up from a steaming cup. His friend was oblivious to their connection. Especially when he was so curious about the snowy thing sitting in the armchair, shivering and tense enough to draw a bow along and make a noise. "If that thing wanted us dead, we would've known by now."
"About time, then. Right, fluffball there's part of their scout team, like you?" Trevors asked Ny'za, looking over his shoulder and spying the little thing eating the rest of the cup noodles.
"Yes. She's just doing her job." She replied in Trade, perhaps not knowing the Helashio situation for Lorath. "Pleased to meet you, Missus...?"
Slurping noodles in the background, just near Elm. Norio had slurped up some noodles "So how are we really getting out?" He asked, in husky Yamatai-go. It was going to be an interesting meeting...
Er'red's Group, Got Litter?
The Nepleslian seemed to swallow their tongue. Fitting, as they were always told to revile their boorishness, in favour of a subtler sort of nymph for a more enlightened age to usher in. Of course, it never came about, but that's what they were fighting for. The fact they felt sorry for themselves was icing on the top in the propaganda, telling little NMX Nekovalkyrja what to think of, and what to exploit.
The Yamataian and the Lorath, however, seemed a little more level headed. The Yamataian was willing to keep personal watch instead of each other. The regular presence, even fleeting of someone other than each other was such an uplifting proposition. "We'll let you guard us." Maya said, pointing at Ashlinn.
"So long as guards. As someone to bring meals, and perhaps even talk a little," Webber nodded profusely from her lapside rest on Emirella. Her feet were drumming against Vee.
Vee didn't seem too thrilled with the snow Emirella had tracked in, and was getting on her pants. "Away from the others, yes." She chipped in, pushing Webber's legs off of her.
Well, they didn't know that guards were not supposed to converse with their prisoners. Perhaps that was the duqs. After they all looked at each other and digital signals flickered between them as they reached consensus, they did an uncanny thing. They all froze, making their furniture shake and roll as they remained perfectly still. They sat up, extremely mindful of each other's movements, like clockwork before standing up together, but moving with a stiffness like a cat that'd seen itself in the mirror.
But they weren't saying anything, and they didn't seem relaxed at all - but they weren't angry either. It was reluctance. But did they have any other choice right now? They were waiting for the next instructions from Ashlinn and Er'red. "We agree." Inoue said, speaking for her sisters.
[
Akihiko, Maya, Inoue, Emirella, Vee, and Webber have joined Er'red's team.]
EXPLORE PHASE - END!
GATHER PHASE - BEGIN!
[What is a Gather Phase?]
[
Each player is entitled to make a discovery for the LSDF Val'ta. Feel free to incorporate some of the ones I've thrown at you, or create one of your own. You guys are Explorers! Here's an example of Porrim finding something, to give you an idea. Try your own, make it yours! Surprise each other!]
With Porrim's team rescuing J'ann, her team begun exploring the area just north of the carpark Er'red's team was, with an intention circle around the carpark until she hit the river. In particular, she found a pocket sized Lorath art gallery that'd survived the invasion. She'd heard the Yamataians had reverence for civic attractions, and decided to explore. She recovered art pieces by modernist gem carvers, painters, stonecarvers, and sculptors. She called a Journey and some archaeologists on the science team down to extract the artworks.
