middleofsomewhere | Swirling Consequences Start

Swirling Consequences Start

On day Seven of the Month of Quicksand as passengers are beginning their day there is an announcement over the ICP system. “Attention voidtreckers and passengers of the Voidtrecker Express. Please give your attention to the following message from the void ministry.”

A blurring of the screen and it fades into a video of an elderly woman, skin a swirl of purple and blue sat behind a dark wooden desk hands folded neatly in front of her.

“Greetings crew of the Voidtrecker Express. I am commander Orlaith of the void ministry. As you will be very aware, you were recently involved in a dangerous and somewhat foolish experiment of the tethering system which we assume was initiated by your voidcraft. We received your call for emergency assistance, and were able to stabilise your craft enough to allow it to focus on ensuring crew safety. We are under the understanding that it was a crew member who used the emergency signal given by the Inspection Arm of the ministry, and that member should be commended. So too should you all, for we have reports that the crew of the Voidtrecker Express took part in a risky and difficult anchoring task to ensure the safety of all. As ever, the crew of the Voidtrecker Express exceed expectations for a crew with no formal training.

However, in less positive news, the actions of your Voidcraft have had a ripple effect throughout the void. Worlds that are non void active have reports of seeing void activity in their skies, with residents reporting dreams and uneasy feelings. In void active worlds there are more serious incidents. We have voidcrews in thousands of systems working towards stabilising the void access points.

We understand that after such an ordeal, your crew may be exhausted however we do need your help. System #5739 is a hub world that is extremely void active. It is used to weathering void storms and the barrier between the world and the void is thin. However, it is currently experiencing an unprecedented amount of void activity and world bleeding effects. We need a team to go in and help the citizens there, clearing out any issues and helping stabilise things from within.

The people there know about the void, and are used to void travellers. However, try not to stir up any extra trouble.” The last sounds almost exhausted. Their reputation may precede them.

The video ends.

I assume no one has any objections as voidtreckers have chosen to work with the Void Ministry. Please see your mission briefs. This is not a catastrophe mission."

They have a couple of hours before landing, a few hours to study their briefs and prepare for what is to come. Teams might chat, people might give out equipment gathered over the months, some of the passengers who have been on the train since the very early days of the month of Apple may have advice to give.

Either way a couple of hours later there is another announcement. “Shortly arriving at System #5739. Exiting the void in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one...”

SWIRLING CONSEQUENCES: START

WEARY WANDERER ~ FOREST ~ SCRUBLANDS ~ FARMLANDS ~ COMMS

QUICKSAND 7-10 ~ TEAM OBJECTIVES ~ LOCATION INFORMATION ~ OTHER DETAILS
ASK QUESTIONS ~ SHENANIGANS ~ TEAM PLOTTING ~ MISSION TASKS/REWARDS

ARRIVAL

The train shakes as the view of the void leaves its windows, giving way to a cloudy and wet sky in its descent. There's a small bump, and they land on a set of tracks that lead them uphill. Grassy mounds can be spotted on either side, occupied by sheep, goats, and the occasional six legged antelope grazing. In the farther distance are secluded farm houses, or small clusters of buildings.

Things don’t seem so bad, until the clouds spark with colour that sends animals running, far skittish for anything they're used to.

The sparse hills give way to more trees as the train weaves through them, until finally comes to a stop at a small station, no more than a raised platform in the woods. With a sigh, the train doors open, and passengers can walk out into the clearing. Once everyone who wishes to leave disembarks, the train sets off once again, flying up into the air and out of sight.

"Oh good. You’re here!"

Looking over, voidtreckers will spot a young girl at the edge of the clearing.

"Ma said we should expect some void heroes any day now. She’s put some stew on."

And she’s off. For any who wish to follow her, she leads them to an inn, The Weary Wanderer written on a sign. It’s a large inn, larger than might be expected in such a remote place, and the innkeeper Albany quickly organises rooms and food for any who wish it.

“Well, there’s a whole lot more of you than there was.” She takes in the group after Maia explains that they are from the Voidtrecker Express. “Storms are getting worse, we’re getting reports of stampedes, landslides and monsters coming through the colours.” She explains. She has some maps of the area and happily allows her main common room to be turned into a planning station. She’s clearly used to void travellers.

THE WEARY WANDERER

The inn has a large and open floor, the entrance close to where a fire crackles, chairs and a table beside it. To the right are places for eating, and kitchen doors that lead in and out, while to the left is where a counter separates another route to the kitchen, and to the family's own private quarters. By here too are the stairs leading up into the bedrooms, with some also available on the ground floor.

There's enough room for the voidtreckers to squeeze into the front at once, and the tables can be joined to create a more team atmosphere.

The problems are everywhere it seems. Farms need help, dralite chicks need rescuing, and their parents reassured before they go on a murderous revenge spree. Voidtreckers can stay or plan or jump right into things - the forest and scrublands are the closest to reach with both behind the inn, while the farmlands will take half a day to reach. Alabany will mark on the maps where to go for the farmsteads, or ones she knows about, and allow her inn to be used as an intiial base.

For those whose skills lie more in cooking and maintaining camp, she will happily take their help in the kitchens, or suggest They go down to the nearest farmsteads and lend a hand there. It'll take about half a day on foot to reach the nearest few, but many hands are needed. They will have better tools for moving debris and making repairs; she has a few, but not enough for everyone, and she'd rather they be used around the forest if anywhere. She needs those!

Albany will warn about the dralites, and to plug your ears if you're going through the forest. Their screeching can stun and slow people even at a distance, and with everyone worked up, it makes it hard to get through. They happen to like bugs, and a fruit called matts - similar to dates, fruits that grow off certain small trees in the forest.

YELLING HEIGHTS: FOREST

Location of: Dralites, young and old, their nests; monkeys, voidblobs (uncommon), fruit cups and purple stars. Displaced people.

The Yelling Height's forest reach spreads far, wrapping around the lower third of the great Ciyesia mountain and its budding fellow heights, with trees as tall as redwoods making up most of its wood. This gives plenty of space for travellers to move through, but the treetops create thick canopies that shroud the world below, the dots of penetrating light visible in contrast. Against some trees can be found what look like bushes, and there's plenty of them around, along with moss; but looking closer, these have hollow middles, made up of pin needles, twigs, feathers and all sorts. Some have been ruined, some have eggs inside.

High-pitched cries can be heard echoing, but it can be hard to tell how far, or what distance they come from - there's too many, making what should sound distressing, sound like a racket. While there's paths that can be followed, some of the wood has fallen, with ways disturbed by rubble that's tumbled all this way down from the mountain. There are signs to aid - those that haven't been knocked over - to give some sense of direction. Still this wood is hard to navigate, and Voidtreckers will want to be careful about rushing in without a plan. Trouble lurks in all manners...

Dralites can be found scattered around this forest, big and small - Albany will tell them as much. The youngest are easy to locate, unable to fly, and make a lot of noise. Slow-moving and dragging their heavy wings, they need help moving with any speed. They can be found alone, or attracting the attention of the great chinchillas or monkeys (who see them less as prey, and more as something to bully and take out their frustrations on).

Some will accept help from the first person that approaches them, jumping on them and wrapping their wings around their neck or head, clinging on and accepting them as their ride. They will need to be returned to their nests, and will reject any nests that aren’t theirs. It'll be very similar to escorting a toddler, often throwing screeching fits if they don’t think their helper is trying hard enough, which can make it difficult for people to move around.

They are hard creatures to please, even so more the adults who are furious that their nests have been disturbed. As large as a sheep with larger wings and powerful talons they might just swoop down and grab smaller unsuspecting voidtreckers and carry them to their nests as workers to help fix them. Some of these adults may be near their nests, or will be seen swooping around above-head at startling speeds, searching for their young.

There are eggs that have gone missing too. A place they can hatch safely is essentia, since they can easily become pray or be snatched by the monkeys who live in the forest and steal from the inattentive.

As well as helping the dralites, there are herbs that can be collected here. Purple Stars are leaves that grow at the top of tall trees. These can be found deeper into the forest, and are different from the other trees by their branches only growing at the very top, their bark stripy. They will need to be climbed, or flown up to - not getting startled by adult dralites is essential, or becoming target practice to the monkeys. They have rocks.

Deep in the most dampest sections of the fores, Fruit Cups grow in a tangle around spider plants, that will ensnare the unwary into it’s sticky grip. For every few flowers, there's a wide trapping of the spider plants, vines impossible not to get stuck to. But as difficult as they are to collect, they are useful, and the potions they make will be handy to the communities that require help. Some voidblobs have gotten trapped here too, and they'll become active once people get close.

YELLING HEIGHTS: SCRUBLANDS

Location Of: Farm animals, some voidblobs, great chinchillas, farmers in need; ruined paths, craggle leaf. Some dralites, mostly adult. Displaced people.

The trees eventually give way to a mix of rock and dirt, stone jagging up from the ground underfoot that travellers will need to watch out for. Vegetation is littered around, patches of shrubs as often easy to catch the eye as grazed grass poking out around mossy-coated stone. There are paths, or were, but only the remains of them can be found, the area reshaped by landslides.

Animals can be found isolated or in some groups, spooked by any newcomers around, and the odd shepherd trying their best to get their herds under control. But there's further trouble than blocked paths to deal with - because these jobs can never be simple.

The farmers' plans are to bring the grazing animals back down to the lower ground and to their farms, but they'll need help clearing up paths and guiding them off the mountain and back to their farmsteads. Not only will it mean moving debris and locating animals, it will also mean protecting them from the predators in the area - and other trouble.

The horned goats, often a worry on these slopes, have grown even more aggressive. They ram into herds and farmers alike, even attempting to send them rolling. They need driven off, away from the herds. The chinchillas are also more aggressive, running rampage through the hills and attempting to down the livestock and to take them back to their nests.

There will also be sightings of the voidblobs for the more unfortunate, dubbed such by the locals. Gelatinous and luminescent, they are a mess of what were likely multiple creatures that have been fused together, patches of fur and teeth and claws held together with thick veins of colour. They attack indiscriminately and without reason, and are difficult to take down, never responding to blows of any type. You only know when they're taken out by when they stop moving - otherwise, they will continue.

During the first night there is a disturbance on Ciyesia. Trees are felled, the mountain seems to rumble and more animals flee, spilling panicked down the mountain to the farm lands below. For whatever aid is giving to the area on the first day, this event causes more damage to the surrounding areas.

LOWER LANDS: FARMLANDS

Location of: Voidblobs (common), great chinchillas, a few horned goats; ruined pathways, farms in need; people to craft balms and potions, access to tools.

While not as high as the Ciyesia mountain, nor as shrouding as the blanketing forest, the rolling countryside shows its sloping and uneven distance, varying fields split by tones and sandy paths - or what should be sandy paths. But the damage to the earth is noticeable, chunks of the various mounds ruined, broken at parts. You can see trouble, ensuing or approaching, just by looking around long enough.

And the biggest trouble will be reaching it.

Buildings squeeze against fields and fencing, separated far from anyone that could be called a neighbour. But there's a few of what can be called villages, where trades are conducted and visitors are sure to stop. There's usually a singular inn, but people looking to call on the help of a void traveller to help with this mess. They can promise hot meals and some goods in exchange, but first needs to come the help.

Though moving the herds closer to the farms is a sensible idea that doesn’t mean the farmlands themselves are safe. Landslides have cut communities off, some of the chinchillas and horned goats have made their way down the mountain and angry dralites stalk the plains looking for their young.

The shaking of the earth and the landslides have caused damage and debris. Trees have been felled bolders moved, barns and houses have been damaged. There’s a big clean up operation required. Farmers have wheelbarrows and shovels and Albany has some more that can be borrowed. It will require a team effort to clear the roads and make sure essential supplies get where they are needed.

Most of the farms and villages have protections in place, but they are overstretched and exhausted. Villagers take turns patrolling, protecting the herds and the people from creatures should they be goats, chinchillas or the new and terrifying void blobs.

Extra people to set up perimeters are very welcome, as are those who can drive the creatures back into the forests. It’s not just the homes themselves that need protecting but also the paths between them, so voidtreckers and others can deliver supplies to the further afield communities.

Making the herbal remedies will mean finding the right people for it, but locating the villages is a good bet. Tinctures and teas are the best method, boiling the plants and breaking them down over hours. Even if you're not experienced, people being around to help monitor the pots and bottle them will be helpful. The craggle leaf are good as they are to feed upset livestock, but also as medicine, for helping against the voidstorm's headache-inducing effects.

FROM THE VOID...

DISPLACED PEOPLE: Once or twice a year, people can be found in the Yelling Heights, wandering around dazed and confused, hailing from a whole other world. Since these storms have begun there have been at least two a day, perhaps more that have yet to be found. They have no memory of arriving, some might not even have memories of who they are, or where they come from.

For now they need found, gathered in once place and care given to them.

VOIDBLOBS: The voidblobs, as they have been dubbed by those who have seen them, are truly monstrous creatures. Perhaps once multiple creatures they have been fused together, a mess of fur and teeth and claws held together with thick veins of colour these creatures have one instinct and that is to kill.

They are rampaging, strong in their urge to destroy. Fighting them is difficult as nothing seems to slow them down until they die, it’s hard to know how hurt they are and injury doesn’t seem to stop their brute strength or will to kill. They rarely will stop and fight either, requiring a team just to keep up with them as they will lash out and fight but keep rampaging on, drawn towards groups of people or creatures. They can be found anywhere.

VOIDTEARS: For now, it's Red Team's task to find these tears and secure a perimeter on them - a difficult enough job that will take the first few days of the mission. They aren’t visible except in the storms, and so finding them requires braving them, where the wind sings with void music, rain pouring with hail, and a strong sense of unease growing until it too unbearable to endure. But the exact point of the tears must be found: a spot where the kaleidoscope of colours shines down onto any under it, only visible in that area.

STORMS: These are scattered around the lands, never moving despite the clouds that do. In the storms, the voidtears pulse with colour. Being near them is uncomfortable, and there is always the risk of a voidblob coming through. Being near the voidtears for too long even outside of voidstorms will lead to headaches, and so it is wise to rotate who is guarding them.

THE FIRST NIGHT: Late into the first night, there will be loud noises, the earth rumbling and a worrisome show of lights as the full moon hangs in the sky above. There may be word from fellow voidtreckers what's going on, but either way, this disturbance will bring out trouble into the night, breaking fencing and some buildings that were on their last legs.

OOC NOTES

OOC Post ~ Questions ~ Shenanigans ~ Tasks Check-In & Mission Rewards
This log lasts for 7-10 Quicksand, with the next log going up on the 21st March (11 Quicksand). Please remember that we will be determining the progress of the mission by task objectives being fulfilled, so PLEASE visit the task objectives toplevel and let us know what your character has been working towards! We accept handwaves (especially if your character is around but you're on hiatus), but actual thread links will count more towards success!

An extra list of prompts for ideas, arranged by team (click):

RED TEAM

You've either wandered into a group of voidblobs or see some approaching. They're annoying on their own, but as a group, they can cause serious damage.

The voidstorms are easy to find by the literal storms they bring, but the tears themselves? They're a pain to, only visible once you're right under them. How will your character persevere in the search? Flying, if you can, might seem the quickest option, but a closer level to the sky seems to make the headaches and disorientation worse.

You've somehow been convinced into fixing up a fence during watching the perimeter. Yes yes, that's important, but the area is clear for now, and what if an animal gets loose? More hands will get this done quick.

BLUE TEAM

What kind of people will you find out there in the wild? Someone desperate for an offer of aid, or someone suspicious, distrusting? Are they even human, or some other race - or sentient object?

The dralites aren't good at in any way but wailing. But their eggs are unique, obsidian in appearance. So if you see a monkey carrying any such thing, or see one being carried by a great chinchilla - that's no lucky lump of goal. That's your way of calming down the ticking time bombs of angry parents.

PURPLE TEAM

Farm work isn't your chore, but the farmers need all their herds before they go anywhere, so you're getting involved whether you want to or not.

Make a good impression on the farmers, and they're likely to help you out. Need to borrow tools? Or can you convince the farmers to let you and your friends borrow some, passing them onto the people who need them?

ORANGE TEAM

Herb collection is hard enough with tall trees and spider plants but watch out for the monkeys who want to steal the prize.

Once herbs are collected they can be made into potions. They aren't too difficult to make and Albany has recipes if asked.

Herbs aren't the only things monkeys want, there's a group converging on a dralite nest, those eggs look very shiny.

ALL TEAMS

Distance is a real concern. Who will go where, where are places and people in need? Scouting is a good idea, and so is organising who will be best, where. ... or, you can just go and do your own thing.

Image Sources: Top header - Tavern - Farmlands - Void coours

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I. Pre-Mission Prep

As everyone gets their things together (and Soldat does, too) Soldat can be found moving around between people on Purple and Red team with their usual Arms band on, and passing out the usual wrapped bundles of food: a quarter loaf of lembas, a few baked pies full of meat and/or vegetables (they ask if you are a vegetarian before offering the right bundle), six homemade granola bars, six fruit bars (think fig newtons), and six cookies.

"If you need more, you can always find me," they assure anyone who looks dubious, though they're more likely to be dubious about being handed a wrapped bundle of anything pre-mission than specifically over how much is in the bag.

II. The Inn

Oh this is amazing. Soldat takes a quick tour of the inn, being very polite and friend, then offers to help in the kitchen, since they clearly have a lot of people to feed.

Going forward, at least a couple hours of each say when they're not far afield will be spent in the kitchen, tablet up with music playing (often to the delight and/or annoyance to the local kitchen staff), as they bounce around making huge meals for anyone coming by.

III. Field Hand

Soldat stays close by for now, focusing on dealing with debris, hauling heavy things, and simple fixes like mending fences and roofs and such. They're not doing a lot of hunting for the first day or three, but can be found directing people to support side beams while they heave up the formerly load-bearing chunks and haul them out of wreckage, or wheeling heavy carts of stone to recobble roads, or using their shiny metal arm to shoo wildlife away from the flocks. They also keep whipping out snacks and sharing them with locals while they much.

They look the happiest they've been in a while. This is good, honest work, and they don't even have to kill anything to do it. Anybody coming by gets waved over. "Got a minute to hold this for me?"

IV. For the Birds

It's not technically Soldat's job to look after dralite babies, but the innkeeper sent them out into the nearby woods to collect some herbs, and somehow they wound up with one of the hatchlings clinging to their neck, cheeping ferociously. They don't have their home-made earplugs from Beacon anymore, but they do have headphones, so they have those on and playing very loudly as they trek through the forest looking for the right nest.

Help a guy out? He doesn't know what he's doing, here.

IV. Guard Duty

Finally a group of farmers and Voidtreckers are making a trek to some further fields, and Soldat can't in good conscience let them go alone. So he makes up a big batch of pasta back in the inn to leave behind, makes sure their current projects are wrapped up, and settle in for the trek with their rifle at the ready when they all clear out.

"You coming along, too?" they ask another Voidtrecker on duty, as well. "Want to take point or rear?"

Hera fully intends to get out in the field, but right now she's still here and there are still a lot of initial setup tasks to take care of.

She's more... well, at ease probably isn't quite the right word for her state on a mission. But she's focused and that seems natural on her now that they're out in the field. She doesn't need the manufactured activity of trying to use train chores to replace ship maintenance.

Plus she's developing certain habits. Soldat has the cooking well in hand but the thing about cooking large meals is they use an abundance of pots and pans. "I can give you a hand on cleanup."

Cooking is well outside her skillset, but there's no excuse to not know how to do dishes.

"Since I don't actually enjoy washing dishes," Soldat says magnanimously, "I'll take you up on that." They gently push a used bowl her way, where they mixed up some eggs that went into a casserole earlier.

"Doing okay?" they ask after a moment, while they lay out pastry for some jumbo-sized meat pies. "You're not usually. A kitchen kinda gal."

No one likes washing dishes. That's what makes it perfect for working out stress, really.

"It's a way to keep busy. I'll be glad to have a mission to focus on for a bit." At least she can do something about the problems here. So that's where her mind needs to be until she can be where she's needed most.

"I admit. I get kind of stir-crazy in the train," Soldat agrees. "Especially after all of you. Got lost, like that." They know their experience was nothing compared to those who actually got lost... but it's still nice to get out and away and have a change of scenery.

And be able to go outside in the sun. They really like that part.

"I'm not used to that sort of downtime. And knowing that I'm having it when my family is trapped in a war zone..." She scrubs at a particularly stubborn bit of cooking debris. Or maybe she just needs to scrub.

At least dirty dishes are a problem she can do something about.

It's a little while later that Hunk's wondering in to the kitchen as well, having asked a similar question because, well, getting to use the kitchens on strange worlds is pretty much a high point, right? If he's going to do a mission he might as well be doing something he likes.

He's seen Soldat around, but not introduced himself because... well... he always figured he looks like the type of guy that wants to keep to himself. But this time he greets with a nervous, "Hey! I'm Hunk. They said I could help with the kitchen too."

"Settle in, then," Soldat says amiably. If they've been exuding the air of someone who wants to be left alone, they've clearly been doing something wrong. Though it's true they haven't been going out and actively trying to meet new people the past week or so. Oops.

They flash him a smile, up to their elbows in flour, the metal arm fused up into one solid piece along their forearm to keep flour from getting in the usual cracks. "I'm Soldat. I'm working on pastry for some pies right now-- what are you good at? I can point you at the ingredients or tools or whatever you need."

"I'm pretty good at most things. But soup goes a long way when you have to feed a bunch of people, so I could get started on some of that." He doesn't want to get in his way. But the scruffy dude with the metal arm seems pretty friendly so maybe he won't snap at him?

He's just used to most scruffy guys he knows being super strict military types. Excuse him. It's the look.

He starts looking for the potato-like tubor of the moment because almost every world has them and if this is an Earth, he's going to wager there's some version. They always make a good soup base. "So have you been on the train for a while? This seems pretty easy going as far as missions go."

"I've got a recipe for a stew that keeps well, simmering, if you make it in a big batch," Soldat offers. They're proud of their Siege Stew. Developed, unsurprisingly, during a siege. "There seems to be enough compatible ingredients here. Unless you've got one you'd like to use."

They fold the pastry again and start rolling it out. "Six months. This is definitely on the easier side so far. Though it might get more complicated. Sometimes they do that."

"I can do that." Though he is the type of guy that tweaks recipes, hopefully not to the point of offense. He finds a slab of meat and starts chopping it with surprising speed and skill for a guy his size. Not like someone trained to fight (which he is, though nowhere to the extent of some here), but someone trained to cook.

"Oh, joy. So it's best not to get settled in, huh? That happened sometimes when I was travelling with Voltron. We'd be having a very normal, quiet recovery mission? Bam. Galra attack. That kind of thing is always stressful."

Whatever the mission would lead to, Idia was feeling a bit better about it than previous ones. He had gotten his broomstick and helmet sorted out, and had picked up his dorm uniform from school, though he's teaming it up with his orange hoodie for his team, leaving him all set up for what is to come. Or he hoped. Really, Orange's mission didn't sound that interesting at all... in fact he kind of hates it.

Yet he would still be going along with it. However talking about getting ready, he spots Soldat making his way around the teams, Idia hesitating a moment before approaching him. It's two fold; one to grab some of that food that Soldat has offered in the past, and two... to keep a promise. Or kind of. "A-Ah... Soldat?"

Soldat has, as promised, been keeping snack foods like trail mix and granola bars and homemade chips out in the dining car for anyone to drop by and collect. They don't keep tabs on Idia himself, but they know he's been around.

They flash him a smile. "Hi, Idia. Ready for the mission?"

Between Soldat's cooking and Kyoko's supplies Idia's need for snacks has certainly been mostly sated. There are still unique ones from his world he misses, and once he gets the currency he will get them, but that's for later.

"Aah, yeah, or as much as ever, I guess." Idia answered, dropping his hands so to fidget with his fingers as he spoke. "Um... can I get some of the stuff you made, you know, for the mission?"

Oh, also the other reason he came over. "And your headphones." Idia hadn't had a chance to catch up with Soldat for awhile now and he's been owing them that promise he made to them. "It's not a full fix, but I got parts to reinforce them." It wouldn't take long for Idia to add them, in fact he's got the stuff on him to do that now where they stood.

Oh! Soldat puts their hand over the Arms band, and "withdraws" another of the bundles, with a smile, to offer to him. It just looks like the fabric wrap simply appears in their hand. Technically Idia isn't on one of the teams they're responsible for, but frankly, Soldat would be feeding all four teams if they thought they could get away with it.

So Idia gets a bundle. "Will it take long to fix them?" they ask. "I don't think I'll need them for a few days, if you need them."

Despite asking and all the Soldat has already done for leaving food around for him, Idia is still partly expecting to get rejected and told to go away. It was... weird getting use to how helpful everyone was on the train. Or at least without a price to pay for said help... All the more reason to sort out these headphones.

"T-thanks," He got out, accepting the bundle, waving a finger to leave it levitating in the air as he searched through the side and back pockets of his uniform he had brought from the train shop. It was so nice to have so much storage for his tools again, "I can do it now, it's not difficult." Idia producing a couple of tools and parts in his hands.

It was definitely not her job to look after stupid dralites. She had had enough of dralites the first time they had been to this stupid mountain and now there were more voidtreckers. They could deal with the bat bird things.

She's on her way back from voidblob hunting when she saw them. Heard the music muffled through the headphones and the cheeping of the dralite. She wrinkled her nose. Could they even see? Those wings were everywhere.

She maybe should have just walked on. After all. Dralites were not a red team task. But they had fetched her, from Gauig. When everything had been awful. So...

She sighed. "Do you be needing help?"

Poor Buttercup, forced to deal with birds and supersoldiers. They pause at the sight of her in the corner of their eye, and glance over. Then when she stops and they see her mouth moving, they shift to pull one earphone away. "What?"

They don't like limiting their senses like this, but the bird is so very loud.

"I did just be asking if you did be needing help." She shrugged, if they had earphones they were in a better position than her. The dralites were loud indeed!

"They do be being annoying."

Learning that there would be a mission coming soon, T'Challa spent a bit more time in the training car to brush up a bit more on his skills. While he was happy to help where he can, and a part of him was admittedly curious about the kinds of worlds they might visit, the lack of his some of his equipment and weapons might pose some complications.

At the moment, he could only practice the skills he still had, and time would tell if they would be enough.

Soldat is in the training car every evening after dinner, and they keep a curious eye on T'Challa when he's in there, too. "Want a partner?" they ask that evening, a couple days before the mission is due to start.

Pausing mid-step, he glances towards Soldat. "I wouldn't turn one down," he says with a smile.

She slings her heavy repeating blaster into place, the strap around her shoulder. She carries it casually enough, so as to not alarm the farmers. She also keeps a carefully neutral look, rather like the Mona Lisa.

"Rear," she says, sliding into position with ease and grace.

Soldat has their own sniper rifle, plus the glock and Sig Sauer at their hip and thigh. The farmers are just going to have to put up with weapons.

They consider the caravan, and consider Guri's expression, and say after a pause, "I think I'll range between. And walk with you for a little before going up front." It's still cleared territory. It's safe enough. Besides, they feel like they haven't seen Guri much lately.

"Very well," she says, nodding to the others to set off. And cleared territory or not, she has her thermal vision on, keeping an eye out for things moving just out of sight in the undergrowth.

"Well, a less strange mission this time, at least."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Swirling Consequences Start

Bucky/Soldat | MCU | Purple team, occasionally slipping to Blue

The Inn

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II. The Inn

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I

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IV Birbs

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Wildcard - before the mission

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IV

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