-Missing- IC Thread: RP Cast Filled

[Rustic]

Canchi wasn't very inclined to climb the wall, at least until the Ink went away.

But he didn't really know what to say. One did something to the drill-thingy, destroying it and covering the tunnel in Ink. Canchi shook his foot, trying to get some of the Ink off of his shoes. "Why'd he have to cover the place..." He grumbled.

He didn't really know what to do next, so he just stood there. Thinking about who, or what, could've made this tunnel. And what was their goal to do so? Some secret digging operation under Inkopolis? A labyrinth of tunnels? Someone getting bored, probably might have been the case...

Canchi looked back at One. Magabelle appeared to be fussing over him, but Canchi decided to stay quiet, for now.

(( Action: Do Nothing ))

 

[Banshee]

"Yeah, sure..." Alga didn't mind that.

She sat down on the floor when she was sure nothing might've been lying around near her rear and took stock of all that she had. The case, now much lighter, was slung over her shoulder. Her book was still with her, lying just beside her on the floor from where she'd set it down to equip her weapon. And, of course, there was her weapon, settled neatly into her left hand and ready to fire the moment she pressed the trigger.

There was a moment's worry; what was she going to do with the book? It was quite large, and she couldn't really hold a gun in one hand and just lug this tome around in the other arm...

Well, she would just have to deal with it until a better way of carrying it somehow came up.

Do Nothing

 

[ReedRGale]

@Aykorn and @Ashlee DE Points: 2

​

Spoiler: Wade Arroyo and Ash Fox

Ash ==> Ink To: Kettle
Wade ==> Talk To: Jax

"Yeeees," Wade hissed. "I told her earlier! She's kind of known we're looking for an informant."

"Yes," Jax shot, quickly, not missing a beat, not raising his voice too loudly. "But did we tell her about Deepview?"

There was a delay in Wade's answer.

"...Yes? Yes. I explained this earlier when we were in the locker rooms," Wade said. He blinked, suddenly wondering if that was the right choice at the time.

This little intervention was definitely about the sudden Deepview mention Ash had made earlier... and even that response had been weird to Wade. He fidgeted, trying to recall the exact situation of him informing Ash.

"Did we?" Jax looked at Wade, confused. "It's possible... I try to keep a lot on my mind and... I'll admit, I might be a bit overly-paranoid."

He noticed, then, that he was holding a bit too hard onto Wade's clothes... and he let go. "Sorry. I'm a bit on the edge." He paused. "How are you feeling?"

Wade quickly motioned to not worry. "I'm fine, I'm fine! Seriously. I don't blame you for being paranoid. I'm pretty sure I explained this to her, but forgot to mention it," he reasoned.

He took an breath to stop seeming so antsy. "My bad," Wade noted sheepishly.

"Alright," Jax said, simply. He exhaled more exasperated than Wade had expected.

"I know what mistakes cost. I expect you know too. I just don't want to make any mistakes... tell me if something like this happens again."

With that, he motioned Wade to follow him back to the main room.

"...Hey, wait," Wade suddenly said.

He tapped his fist against his mouth, trying to think over the locker room talk and what Ash had recently said. That had been weird from his perspective, and he had told her what happened.

"Do you... think it's weird how Ash mentioned finding Deepview down here, when we're looking for an informant?" Wade asked.

He titled his head down thoughtfully, trying to remember the exact wording somehow.

"Not too unusual," Jax replied. "If she knew about Deepview, then it's possible that the person we're following isn't an informant, but instead, someone who is responding to the same 3chan post as you are. We did tell her about the post and informant, after all."

Jax looked Wade in the eye. The effect was jarring in the flickering light of the hallway. "You don't honestly think they're going to find a post, go to the effort to delete it, and not respond to a potential threat.... do you?"

Wade faltered in Jax's direct gaze, before giving an annoyed sigh.

"No! No. I realize there's a good chance someone will try to stop us. I'm not completely naive," Wade protested. He dragged a hand down his face.

"Just," Wade began, "the plan was to go find the 3han guy, then go after Deepview. We're not supposed to be finding them down here. Like, was that a convenient slip of the tongue or..."

Wade stopped himself then, groaned, "I'm over thinking things."

"I think you are, Wade," Jax said, blankly, "but so am I. We can probably still back out of this by going through that kettle labeled 'area 1.'"

"It depends on our priorities," he paused, then added, "I've been docile so far because I wanted to see what Ash would do. This choice was not one I would have approved of. 'A feeling' she says. 'Intuition' she says. My gut tells me its a trap."

He shrugged. "But I've found that a trap, when you expect it, can have the tables turned quickly. Be ready for anything, Wade, got it?"

Wade gave a slow nod. "Got it."

In spite of the situation, a smirk slipped onto his face. "So 'Be ready for anything'? What else is new?" Wade joked.

He adjusted his mesh cap with a renewed spark of confidence. "But... thanks."

“Thank me later,” Jax said, directing Wade back to the main room. “Alright, we have to stand facing Area 1; it’s important that we look like we were waiting. Impatient even.”

Wade simply nodded as they began to wait where Ash would likely appear when she realized she was alone.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
​

Ash had been toying with the controls. Engrossed, actually. She didn't notice when Wade and Jax had left. Rightfully enraged, she made her way over to the kettle and bubbled into it.

When she appeared in the dome, which appeared to be a hub of transportation leading to all the different areas, she was met by Wade and Jax. The latter of which was grinning a little before he asked, "hey, what took you so long?"

"Don't hey me!" Ash snarled, "why'd you leave me behind?"

Jax looked hurt. "I tried to get your attention, but it seems those controls had your full attention. By the time I realized you hadn't followed us, we were already on the other side."

He pointed at the kettle behind Ash. "Wade was going to try the other kettle back there to see if we could get back to you, but I didn't want to risk getting separated further." Wade nodded along. "I'm sorry," Jax apologized.

He sounded... sincere.

What now?

@Banshee 1 DE Point

Spoiler: Alga Sargasso

Alga ==> Do Nothing

Alga sat for a while, with her eyes closed. As things were, it didn't make a huge difference if they were open or not. It was dark one way or another.

As she sat, she could hear Brutus doing something, but even when she opened her eyes, it was hard... but he was muttering something. 1... 2... 3...

He was counting. ...was he practicing counting? Alga scooted a little closer, being sure to avoid the puddle of vomit that she'd made sure to not sit on, and tried to make out what he was doing. His shadowed figure was rising up and falling down. 8... 9... 10...

Then it became clear. He was doing push ups. Why was he exercising? Alga watched him quietly for a while anyway. It was a better than doing nothing, after all.

In what was probably five minutes, Brutus finished a thousand push ups. Near the end, he started to slow down and Alga could swear that she'd seen beads of sweat on his brow. Still, his physical strength and stamina was nothing to laugh at. Before he Octoling got up, Alga moved herself back to where she'd been sitting before.

She could hear the Octoling pant as he got up and, as his breathing slowed again, he asked, "can ya see my 'and?"

"Yes," Alga said, slowly. "Four fingers?"

"Yea!" Brutus chirped. "We can prolly safely go lookin' for the others, now."

What now, Alga?

@xCoCo 1 DE Point

Spoiler: Lili Maon

Lili ==> Skipped Week--Broken Computer

@VeryButter and @Rustic 2 DE Points

Spoiler: Magabelle Yyouni and Canchi Chiro

Canchi ==> Skipped Week--Break
Magabelle ==> Skipped Week--Break

((Have any questions? Did I misrepresent your character? Contact me via PM or Skype. Otherwise, please mind the deadline.))

Reminders:

Posts are Due: February 2nd at Midnight PST
Gm Post will (hopefully) be Made: February 4th

Spoiler: Available Actions Reminder

Will be Responded to in GM Post:
Do Nothing [sit back and let the story happen; useful when it would be dangerous to do things]
Talk [use on people you want to start a conversation with]
Shadow [use this to try to stealthily follow a target. I'll make rolls on whether you succeed or not]
Ink / Go To ______ [use this to travel from one place to another relatively quickly; ink if it's something specific, like a kettle, Go To if it's a general area]
Call [use on a person that you want to call (talk, but when not in the area)--or a item that has a number on it to contact someone you don't know]
Research [some topic; need to be in a library or have access to a computer--shellphones don't count]
Sleep [use this when there's nothing left you can do, logically, in the day]

Will be Responded to Immediately:
Conceal [use this action on something you intend to hide on your person]
Pick Up [use this action on something you want to hold onto]
Examine/Observe [use on things that you want more details on]
Use [use on things that you intend to use in some way--please specify how you're using it]
Attack [use on people or objects you intend to hurt or break, specify any weapons you might be using]
Search For [use like examine but for things that may or may not be there]
Hide [Insert Applicable Preposition] [use to conceal oneself, usually for a short amount of time]

 

[Ashlee]

Ash's eye visibly twitched. Why didn't she believe him? Still though, she threw it aside and sighed, ears twitching. "...It's... Fine, I guess... But if you had tried to talk to me, and I didn't respond, why not have, like, touched my shoulder or something?" She asked, quietly. Jax said he tried to tell her, but clearly, he hadn't tried hard enough. When she zoned out, it was hard to get her attention by sound. She shook her head and waved a hand in a dismissive manner. "You know what, nevermind. It.. It doesn't matter. Just, lead the way, guys."

Follow: Jax and Wade if they move

 

[Aykorn]

Wade just nodded along with Jax's apology, kind of uneasy with Ash's dismissing response.

He hated to admit it, but Wade really did prefer that Jax do the straight up lying and keeping appearances. Like wow, Wade didn't think he was that terrible of a liar, --he'd gotten away with quite a bit of stuff in the past by denying some important facts-- but just from that one encounter in the cafe, Wade probably seemed terrible, and frankly, probably was.

Maybe it was his nerves, maybe he just didn't like being so blatantly dishonest. Not saying things was just easier than trying to lie through his break. So Wade smile as Ash seemed to brush away them leaving her.

Oddly enough, Wade felt that Jax's apology had actually been the teeniest bit as sincere. Probably not specifically about ditching Ash, but more... "sorry for acting suspicious of you and secretly dragging Wade aside 'cause I might be overthinking things."

That's what Wade was starting to feel anyway.

"Be ready for anything" meant, be ready for Ash to be a total double crosser... or someone really genuine yet sketchy. Getting super suspicious only alienated people even if they were a spy, and Wade wasn't ready to start being jaded and consumed with paranoia just yet.

Not be reckless and throw caution to the wind, but... not change how he acted because he was feeling scared.

Wade hesitated slightly, fidgeting with his charger sling, but he took Ash's cue. Lead the way.

He tapped his mouth. So what was "the way"? They'd been lucky enough to have a path or a one way area to traverse. This place? There were at least 29 other paths to take. Judging from the sign behind them, they might even be leaving Zone 1 through one of these kettles.

Wade scanned the room again, getting a better look at where the group had found themselves. Had they really lost periwinkle's path here?

Search: For Trail/Clues

 

[ReedRGale]

Wade ==> Search For: Trail/Clues

If Periwinkle decided to just leave through one of the kettles, chances were, they weren't going to find them. There were simply too many options... and no guaranteed port back. No, it'd be better, Wade reasoned, to search the area for anything that might suggest that Periwinkle would still be in the area.

Calling out to Jax and Ash that the best course of action would be to search the area, they all tersely agree and begin.

Wade:
> 4 dice pool; -2 unlikely; base pool 2
> 1 success rolled for search

Ash:
> 4 dice pool; -2 unlikely; base pool 2
> 1 success rolled for perception

Jax:
> 6 dice pool; - 2 unlikely; +2 knowledge about kettles; base pool 6
> 3 successes rolled for perception

Ash and Wade, together, don't manage to find anything substantial going down the corridors, or searching the dome. Jax, however, takes a different approach and, quickly, looks from each kettle one after the other.

Eventually, he says, loud enough for everyone in the dome to here, "he's still here." This got the two others' attention. Jax began to explain, "when you use a kettle, it leaves behind a bit of a residue in the color of your ink. It only lasts about twenty minutes, like most ink, but we've followed him quickly enough that I can reasonably say that he hasn't take any of these kettles," he point to each kettle in turn, "because none of these have such a residue."

"Any luck on your ends," Jax added. Ash and Wade just sigh and shrug.

What now?

 

[Banshee]

With a frown and a great sigh to calm herself, Alga set herself up and went over her belongings one more time before edging towards where the door was. With the large book under one arm, her weapon in the other, and the weapons case hanging lightly over her shoulder, the Inkling stepped forward and reached out the back of an occupied hand to push the door open.

Here goes...

Go To: Outside

 

[Aykorn]

Wade hissed under his breath, his eyes darting around at the ring of kettles. All of them untouched apparently.

That made this search both easier and trickier. Periwinkle would still be in the vicinity if they didn't already find another escape route, like the slippery squid they were turning out to be.

Wade gave a quick scan of the room, taking note that the dome did branch out in couple of corridors. Three to be exact. He and Ash had done a pretty cursory glance through them, but maybe they we're still missing an obvious hiding spot. Jax --again-- seemed to know what he was talking about when it came to the kettles, so maybe the key was to look harder.

Speaking of which, the first place Wade decided to check closely was the path Jax had dragged him off to, 'cause why not, Wade thought. With luck, they might find some actual clues or...

Jeez, what if Periwinkle was down this way? Totally eavesdropping on Jax and him. The hypothetical just struck Wade as more rude than anything else, despite the danger it implied. Being listened in on. But seriously, first eavesdropping on them and the Squidbeak captain, and now this? Dang, Periwinkle. Why so rude.

Wade audibly tsk'd to himself, before suggesting to check out the corridor.

Examine: Corridor to the right

 

[ReedRGale]

Wade ==> Examine Corridor to the Right

The corridor where Jax and Wade talked already seemed to have some presupposed meaning to Wade, so it was first on his list to check.

> Dice Pool 4; -2 Unlikely; Dice Pool 2
> 0 Successes

The corridor was long, but there were only four doors, two at each end, opposite each other. The doors led to rooms filled with lockers, which was why when he was searching, Wade didn't find anything in particular in this room. There were simply row upon row of lockers.

Some where open, revealing odd gear. Helmets, body armor, discus-objects with nozzle tools. All of which Wade found quite alien, like peeking into another world.

Still, there didn't seem to be anything here.

 

[ReedRGale]

@Aykorn and @Ashlee DE Points: 2

​

Spoiler: Wade Arroyo and Ash Fox

Ash ==> Do What Wade and Jax Do Within Reason
Wade ==> Searching for Clues

The Search Continues...

@Banshee 1 DE Point

Spoiler: Alga Sargasso

Alga ==> Go To: Outside

Feeling it was time, Alga, and Brutus took a step toward what was now clearly an exit. Even though Alga knew she was outside and daytime... it was incredibly dark.

Looking up, Alga couldn't believe her eyes. In the sky were floating masses of land that were seemingly held up by nothing! Patches of sky could be seen in the distance, allowing the islands to be seen as farther away or closer to the bottom of the rift. All said, however, it was amazing.

But that didn't change the fact that the two were on ground level. The floor was a dry, gray, clay-like substance that seemed easy to break. The countryside was best described as hilly, but something about the dips and curves didn't seem natural to her.

Brutus began to stretch, as if he'd been cooped up for a million years. "Man! I's good ta be 'ome!"

@xCoCo 1 DE Point

Spoiler: Lili Maon

Lili ==> Talk To: Aelia

"AELIA! Is that you?! Where are we? Better yet where are you?! It's me Lili!" She called through the dark cave in an attempt to find the Octoling.

Her voice reverberated through the narrow cave.

"Yes, it's me," the Octoling sounded annoyed. "There's no need to shout, who knows what else could be in here with us," she hissed.

Lili looked almost confused, "What else?" The thought hadn't even crossed her mind that someone else or..... something else.

"What else could be in here....? DO you know what else is in here?" MAYBE there were ghosts... or something else.... the thought just sent shivers down her spine.... or tentacles.

"That's the dangerous part," Aelia began, "not knowing." In the dark, Lili heard the gentle hum of a weapon synching.

"After going through an uncharted kettle, the best thing to do is to secure the perimeter. Where is Brutus?"

Lili nodded her head in understanding. "True. You do have a point but.... where are we?" She whispered looking around. "Brutus isn't with me neither is Alga. Maybe we split?"

"We can worry about where we are once we know that we aren't going to be in danger the moment we walk out."

It was hard to tell what Aelia was doing, but she was doing something in the darkness of the cave. "You have Brutus' Splattershot on you, right? Are you synched to use it?"

"Understandable." Lili agreed. "I have it, yeah." She patted her pockets. "Well. I'm a roller but I can try to use it if needed be." Lili crossed her arms. "Anyways we should look around. Standing here won't get us anywhere"

Lili could almost feel Aelia glaring at her. "Can you see anything?" She hissed. In the dark, Aelia made some motions. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

...Lili couldn't even tell it was a hand she lifted.

"Uh.... are you sure that's a hand?" Lili questioned. "I mean it looks nothing like one...." She rubbed the back of her head. "So uh.... what do we do?

"We wait," Aelia said, simply. "Until we can properly see what's in front of our faces."

They sat in silence for a bit before Aelia asked, "how did you find Brutus?"

Lili nodded her head, "Sounds like a plan." The did seem to be the most wise decision. "As for Brutus...." She crossed her arms. "I found him unconscious outside so I brought him back to my house. Slept like a log. I couldn't wake him up so I let him sleep downstairs.... he woke up the morning after."

"Mm," Aelia grunted. "Yeah, sounds like him. I knew he'd be just fine when he got shocked, but we didn't have time to take him with us." She snickered a bit. "He's kinda heavy."

"Yeah. He sort is." Lili agreed, "But it doesn't mean I couldnt try to bring him to my house. He wouldnt wake up. I tried everything!" She pouted. "I was surprised to see he was an Octoling. He's a sweet guy." The pink Inklign gave Aelia a toothy grin.

"Yeah..." Aelia said, quietly, wistfully. "He's a good egg. Honestly surprised he turned out that way sometimes."

"He's a good egg indeed. Oh?" She seemed curious by Aelias words. "What do you mean by that?" The Inkling question shaking her head. "I think what matters most is that he's a good guy. Maybe a bit on the dense side...." She shrugged. "Otherwise good."

"Well, not many people in Jetty 26 end up turning out all that..." she paused before adding, "wonderfully."

"Jetty 26?" Lili scratched her head. "What's that?" She had no idea what Aelia was talking about. She didn’t know much about Octolings anyways.

"It's... not a great place," Aelia responded. "I think that's the best way to put it. Scum, filth of all kinds. You're either tough there or you die."

"Oh. I see" Lili couldn't say she related to it.... but it sounded rough. "I guess it's good he turned out okay." She gave the Octoling a smile. "He must have had it rough. It's mostly peaceful where I live... so I cant relate."

"Yeah..." Aelia said, wistful. "One day, I want Octarians to enjoy the peace you do."

"You will get there someday." Lili nodded her head. "The best thing to do is to focus on now." She crossed her arms.

Aelia was silent for a moment. No, more than a moment. It was minutes before she responded, a cold, silent air having filled the time between.

"How can you say something like that?" she finally said. "What do you know?" she said under her breath.

She was quiet again, before saying, "sorry. Well, I'm not actually sorry, but I don't mean to break relations with you. You did a kind deed to Brutus and I won't forget that."

"Well. What kind of person would I be if I just left him there? That's mean," Lili blinked at Aelia’s words.

"I don't know the details. But I know it's tough for you guys and wish you the best. I mean they really don't tell us much about the Octolings. " She shrugged slightly.

"I mean was I supposed to say you never will attain peace. I think most things are possible. Then again I'm just a naive Inkling."

"...Let's not talk about this," Aelia said, finally. Still, Lili could swear that the tunnel had dropped in degrees.

"I can see decently now," the Octoling spoke. "I'm going to scout ahead, but I'll be back shortly. Leave only if I don't come back after 15 minutes."

@VeryButter and @Rustic 2 DE Points

Spoiler: Magabelle Yyouni and Canchi Chiro

Canchi ==> Do Nothing
Magabelle ==> Talk To: One

When One popped up from the ink behind the two, Magabelle immediately turned around and let out a sigh of relief. She ran towards him, full of concern. "One! One, are you okay?"

"Y-yeah," he mumbled, seemingly embarrassed. "Yeah, I-I'm fine."

Mag smiled. "Good, good..."

She looked at the machine, and then back to One. "...uh, what did you do to the...drill-thingy?"

"It looks like he flooded the inner... parts of this drill-thingy." Canchi replied before One could talk, looking back at the drill.

Seemingly ignoring Canchi, One just looked away. "I-I can't say. Mother says not to say."

Magabelle was about to ask why, but bit her lip. ...I suppose if his mother doesn't want anyone knowing, then it's better not to ask...

She sighed, ignoring the part of her that wanted to ask. "...w--okay."

Canchi curiously looked at One. He opened his mouth to ask something, but he thought better of it.

The silence sat in the air as One's ink began to evaporate. The inkling, after some time, just began to squat down before saying, softly, "s-sorry."

Mag raised an eyebrow at the young inkling, only just hearing him. "Sorry? For what?"

"Don't know," he mumbled. "I-I just... I kind of sense you want to know more. B-but I can't. I can't say."

"My guess, is that's he secretly a very big burst bomb." Canchi said, looking him over. "Nah, I'm kidding. But if you don't want to talk about it, okay then." He shrugged.

Mag closed her eyes and laughed softly. When she opened them, she was looking down the other end of the tunnel. "...could you tell us why your mother doesn't want you to tell anyone?"

"N-no..." One mumbled. Fidgeting, he went on. "I-I don't know why."

Canchi awkwardly shuffled his feet. "Maybe... maybe, we can move down the tunnel? It might provide some answers? Maybe?" He shrugged.

Mag looked over to Canchi. "Answers about the drill-thingy?"

Canchi shrugged. "Probably."

"B-but..." One mumbled. "What about finding... um... I'm sorry... sure."

Mag's eyes widened as One said that, and then facepalmed. Right. "Honestly, I'd rather get out of this tunnel."

"Well, we can come back right?" Canchi suggested, looking down at the tunnel. "Although... the police might be here by the time we come back."

One seemed like he wanted to say more, but he looked up the hole that led out, then looked back the tunnel.

He said nothing.

"It might be good for the police to come here," Mag replied, "What's going on down here seems awfully suspicious..."

Mag shook her head, looking out of the hole. "Anyway, I'd like to get out of here and start looking for One's friend."

"Well, it's up to you. I honestly think we should go back up, instead of going off into this tunnel." Canchi suggested, looking at the tunnel. "But if One can do... whatever he did like 5 minutes ago or whatever, we should be alright, right?"

Mag 'hm''d for a moment, and then nodded. "Going back up it is then. Now to just wait for the ink to disappear completely..."

Once the the ink had dissipated, the three used the machine as a steep ramp--the grinding tools didn’t appear dangerous when the device was off--and crawled back up to the subway tunnel.

((Have any questions? Did I misrepresent your character? Contact me via PM or Skype. Otherwise, please mind the deadline.))

Reminders:

Posts are Due: February 9nd at Midnight PST
Gm Post will (hopefully) be Made: February 11th

Spoiler: Available Actions Reminder

Will be Responded to in GM Post:
Do Nothing [sit back and let the story happen; useful when it would be dangerous to do things]
Talk [use on people you want to start a conversation with]
Shadow [use this to try to stealthily follow a target. I'll make rolls on whether you succeed or not]
Ink / Go To ______ [use this to travel from one place to another relatively quickly; ink if it's something specific, like a kettle, Go To if it's a general area]
Call [use on a person that you want to call (talk, but when not in the area)--or a item that has a number on it to contact someone you don't know]
Research [some topic; need to be in a library or have access to a computer--shellphones don't count]
Sleep [use this when there's nothing left you can do, logically, in the day]

Will be Responded to Immediately:
Conceal [use this action on something you intend to hide on your person]
Pick Up [use this action on something you want to hold onto]
Examine/Observe [use on things that you want more details on]
Use [use on things that you intend to use in some way--please specify how you're using it]
Attack [use on people or objects you intend to hurt or break, specify any weapons you might be using]
Search For [use like examine but for things that may or may not be there]
Hide [Insert Applicable Preposition] [use to conceal oneself, usually for a short amount of time]

 

[Aykorn]

"This almost looks like an ink battle locker room," Wade mused aloud, slowly following the rows of lockers with his eyes.

He tapped an open locker door with his foot, leaning over a bit to look at the peculiar metal gear. These rooms were equal parts familiar and foreign, what with the crude metal funnels and propeller hats. But from the context of lockers, a question bubbled to his mind.

Were other people supposed to be here? Someone changing or putting on gear... Wade warily glanced behind himself, checking over the room again even though he was fairly certain the room was empty. But it probably hadn't always been empty.

...Alright, nothing here. On to the next corridor. Moving with some logic, that is, right to left, Wade decided he'd take the center corridor next, then hit the leftmost path if nothing turned up a second time.

Before he did, Wade paused.

"...Ash?" Wade began. "Do you ...want to help look around?" he asked, somewhat quietly.

Maybe she wouldn't hear him. That was fine, he just wanted to ...maybe show an olive branch after he and Jax left her. And not that this place was creeping him out, but maybe sticking together would be useful if he found Periwinkle. Anyway...

Examine: Center Corridor

 

[Rustic]

Canchi climbed up the machine, being careful not to fall down. Even if it was inactive, he could get a scrape or two falling down from the drill bits, probably.

"Now, does anyone remember which way to go?" Canchi asked the two, because he wasn't sure if he should go one way or the other. So he began to look around.

( Action: Technically-this-is-a-Talk-action-but-I-want-to-do-an-Examine-instead. Examine the Subway Tunnel. )

 

[ReedRGale]

Wade ==> Examine Corridor in the Center

The next corridor Wade decided to try was the one to the center; the closest one to him.

> Dice Pool 4; -2 Unlikely; Dice Pool 2
> 2 Successes

Like the other corridor, this one was long. Instead of four doors leading to changing rooms, this one had countless doors to Wade's let.

Each door led to a small room with a monitor, keyboard, and a microphone all built into one desk. Looking closely, each monitor had a single, small digit over it indicating which area it denoted, Wade assumed. Hoping beyond hope, the inkling headed to the room closest to the dome-like antechamber... the room that probably had area 1's monitor in it.

...it was inactive, of course.

Wade was about to leave when he noticed that a panel under the desk was open. Well, not open, per se, but the screws that bolted the piece of metal on were unscrewed. Opening the panel, he found... well nothing he could really make sense of. Just a bunch of wires and chips that were, presumably, a part of the computer set-up above-head.

Wade was going to put the panel back when something caught his eye. There were an abnormal number of unclipped wires. Plugs that should have connected between computer chips were left unconnected. It was hard to tell in the relative dark, but it also seemed that there weren't enough connectors for each plug either.

Had someone cannibalized pieces from this computer? Was it Periwinkle?

Were they still here?

 

[ReedRGale]

Examine ==> Canchi: Directions

Seeing as the machine was drilling from the direction they'd come, the group decided that the direction out was in the direction the drill had come from.

 

[Banshee]

It was all something of a mind-boggling experience to her, and she honestly didn't know what to do or where to go. Several questions made their way through her mind: was this really where Octolings lived? Well, of course it was, that was a stupid thought. The ground looked like clay- did that mean it was clay? It didn't quite feel like it...

Where were they going to go?

At a loss, Alga turned to look at Brutus for guidance. "Where are we going?"

Talk: Brutus

 

[Aykorn]

Wade slipped out the door, gently closing it behind him. The little desk cubicle was too small for anyone to hide, so he figured there was only one place left to look.

As he made his way to the last corridor, which was the leftmost, Jax's comment about this dome "controlling the cloisters" resurfaced in his mind.

It had a kettle that presumably lead to each zone, a hall of computers designated to each one --possibly for monitoring or remotely controlling-- and then ....some gear and storage for whatever else. Wade was starting to get a better idea of the area the three of them had ended up in. It was some sort of control hub for sure.

In any case, Wade approached the last corridor. Periwinkle had to be here unless they found an escape so Wade was beginning to wonder how would he confront this person. He immediately thought about scanning the place with his splatcharger's laser, leaving no place for error, but Wade still held on to the idea that he could talk to Periwinkle before resorting to violence.

Hmm.

Wade put his hands behind his head, feigning the best nonchalance he could as he prepared to saunter down the corridor. If anyone wanted to talk, he'd be open to listen. If anyone wanted to fight.... he'd have his hands next to his inktank fast enough to chuck a splat bomb and do some damage. Be prepared for anything.

Examine: Left Corridor

 

[xCoCo]

"Be careful." Lili whispered as she watch the Octoling head off. Looking around she couldn't help but squint into the darkness, how could Aelia see through this? Or maybe Lili was just blind. Either way the young inkling crossed her arms before leaning against the wall - staring at the dark ceiling above. Lili didn't know how much time had passed and soon she found herself sitting on the cold floor. How long was 15 mins? There was no sense of time for her right now. She had no idea how Aelia expected her to tell that 15 minutes had passed.

After a few more minutes the inkling stood up and dusted her clothes off before deciding to move onwards; "I think enough time has passed." Hopefully wouldn't fall over anything and injure herself.

Go To: Unknown Ahead

 

[VeryButter]

(())
Mag looked down the tunnel, trying to spot any light. I just want to get out of here...

With a sigh, she started walking, expecting the boys to follow along. Right now, she wanted to get out and into the open.

Go To: Entrance of Tunnel

 

[Rustic]

(( 8U ))

Canchi mumbled quietly as he followed Magabelle, and subsequently One. "Least we're getting out of this tunnel..."

(( Action: Follow Magabelle and One. ))

 

[ReedRGale]

@Aykorn and @Ashlee DE Points: 2

​

Spoiler: Wade Arroyo and Ash Fox

Ash ==> Autopilot
Wade ==> Examine Left Corridor

Ash, who had still been somewhat annoyed at being left behind seemed to have gotten over the annoyance enough to be willing to help with the search. As Wade made his way over to the corridor, she smiled and joined him, her ears flicking as she went.

> Wade:
> Dice Pool 4; -2 Unlikely; One Clue Before +1; Dice Pool 3
> 2 Successes

> Ash:
> Dice Pool 4; -2 Unlikely; Dice Pool 2
> 0 Successes

After the computer that was cannibalized, Wade started to notice that the walls weren't smooth. In fact, they were largely sheets of pressed metal bolted together with removable bolts.

As they walked down the corridor, Wade couldn't help but notice the pressed metal now, the walls no longer seemed as smooth as before and he kept an eye out for oddities in the walls.

Down the hallway were a few doors which led to bathrooms and on the opposite end was a gigantic facility that looked like... a kitchen? It seemed so out of place here, that the two, baffled, decided to check the rest of the hallway before exploring the room further.

At the end of the corridor was a long staircase up. Figuring they should wait for Jax's thoughts, they didn't progress further. It didn't seem like there was much else interesting in the hallway.

So, Ash decided she'd check the kitchen first while Wade got stuck with the bathrooms.

The search through the kitchen was going to take a long time. There were no end to the cupboards and storage places. Each door Ash opened only revealed more canned or preserved foods. Whatever cooking went on in here, it was for an army.

Wade, oddly enough, had more luck. In the third bathroom he checked, he found a panel was odd by just a little. On a hunch, he pulled and... revealed a hole. It was dark in there, but, seemed big enough to crawl through. A possible sign of someone crawling through here.

But that wasn't the part that made Wade sure that someone had been here... it was the handles welded onto the the back of the panel.

What now?

@Banshee 1 DE Point

Spoiler: Alga Sargasso

Alga ==> Talk: Brutus

At a loss, Alga turned to look at Brutus for guidance. "Where are we going?"

"Well," Brutus mused, fingering his chin thoughtfully. "This is a rest area, so... i's gotta be part of a larger trail, righ'? So we jus' gotta find the larger trail!"

Alga's nose wrinkled, and with an expression that spoke mightily of doubt she cast her gaze over the landscape. "How...? This doesn't seem apt for landmarks..." Because unless someone had a very good eye for detail, she really didn't know how they were going to be able to get anywhere.

Brutus' air of knowing faded at this point. In fact, he seemingly deflated. "Oy... don' really know. Aelia is the one who usually leads," he admitted.

But, before he or Alga could get too depressed, he quickly noted, "but there are signs! Usually aroun' the houses! So... we can get a general direction by findin' one!"

Houses? People lived here? Again, Alga looked around, frowning a bit when she saw none. Well, perhaps there were houses over the odd-looking hills. Or...

"Did we just come out of one of those houses?"

She glanced at the building they had just exited and wondered.

"Yeah, the rest houses!" He said, confidently. "Er... rest stops? Uh, rest places...?"

His speaking only seemed to confuse him more.

"Same thing," She dismissed, glancing around the shed for anything that seemed notable. It was difficult, though; none of this was really recognizable to her.

"Do you see anything here?"

> Alga Sargasso
> Dice Pool 4; Dark -1; Base Pool 3
> 0 Successes

> Brutus
> Dice Pool 4; Dark -1; "At Home" +1; Kind of Knows What He's Looking For +1; Dice Pool 5
> 2 Successes

Alga takes a look around, making a slow circle around the shack. Nothing, however, really stands out to her and the sudden cold of the outside combined with whatever nausea she felt before began to kick in.

Bar searching... she could hardly keep her stomach juices down.

Brutus, however, did a quick scout around the area and said found a sign, though he didn't look pleased.

She looked back at him with more of a grimace in her expression than a frown now, taking deep breaths in some hope of avoiding throwing up the contents of her stomach.

"W-What did you find?"

He didn't seem particularly happy…

"Well... we're closer ta 'ome than Oy thought," he said simply.

His chipper attitude pretty much died.

"Home...?"

That idn't sound particularly exciting, and Alga found her heart speeding up at Brutus' change in demeanor.

"What's...home?"

"Jetty 26," he said, biting his lip. "Oy... can get us to where Aelia would prolly go from there. Oy jus'... don' wanna."

He avoided Alga's gaze, but said, "but, Oy will. Gotta move forward. Or sumthin'."

Jetty 26? What was that? Oh, squid, what was that and where were they going?

"They're not-" Alga had to pause a minute to calm herself and keep speaking. "Th-They're not gonna h-hurt us...right? O-Or..."

"Not if we jus'... avoid people," Brutus snorted. "Jus'... make sure ya stay close and don' wander off."

Well, at the least it seemed like nobody was out to gether for being an Inkling. And, well, staying close and avoiding people were her fortes, so...

"R-Right," She nodded and thumbed the Aerospray in a nervous twitch. "Okay."

With a gesture, Brutus led the way, though the fact that he was doing it grudgingly was evident in his every step.

@xCoCo 1 DE Point

Spoiler: Lili Maon

Lili ==> Go Through: Cave

Aelia had been gone for who knows how long, and Lili couldn't wait any longer. Getting up, Lili stumbled a bit--it was dark in here.

> Base Pool 5; VERY DARK -3; Dice Pool 2
> 1 Success; Stability Roll

The effect of the darkness was surreal. Step by step, Lili felt around for stalactites and pondered this must be what it's like to be blind.

Each step took an eternity. Feeling the hard stone walls, Lili through back to Aelia and how quickly she moved through here. How accustomed was she to light?

Another step. Another step. The tunnel seemed to go one way, so it couldn't be too long... and what was that smell? It was familiar, earthy... and rather unpleasant. The closer she got, the worse the smell got... where was she?

Suddenly, Lili's foot took a quick drop and she almost fell over into something... wet and gross. The smell got worse... where was she?

Just then, there was clicking sound and someone said, "who's there?"

> Base Pool 4; Dice Pool 4
> 1 Success

The voice was familiar. Aelia? "Aelia, is that you?"

"...How do you know Aelia?"

@VeryButter and @Rustic 2 DE Points

Spoiler: Magabelle Yyouni and Canchi Chiro

Canchi ==> Leave Tunnel
Magabelle ==> Leave Tunnel

The subway now seemed incredibly bright in comparison to the tunnel they'd been in before and walking to the entrance made all of them smile. However, in the distance there were... long strands of something? The closer they got, the more obvious it became.

Police tape.

The entrance was barred off by that flimsy yellow and black cautionary tape and as they got closer, it was clear that the police were standing guard. Wasn't someone supposed to come get them before? Did they forget?

Or maybe they were just being paranoid... there were only down in that hole for about fifteen minutes... or maybe thirty? It couldn't have been more than an hour. As they got closer to the tunnel, a sinking feeling hit Canchi. Maybe they intended to keep them down here?

They were still twenty yards down from the exit. There was still time to turn back. Should you leave?

((To save time, feel free to talk about this in the chat--add banter and avoid a talk action))

((Have any questions? Did I misrepresent your character? Contact me via PM or Skype. Otherwise, please mind the deadline.))

Reminders:

Posts are Due: February 18nd at Midnight PST
Gm Post will (hopefully) be Made: February 20th

Spoiler: Available Actions Reminder

Will be Responded to in GM Post:
Do Nothing [sit back and let the story happen; useful when it would be dangerous to do things]
Talk [use on people you want to start a conversation with]
Shadow [use this to try to stealthily follow a target. I'll make rolls on whether you succeed or not]
Ink / Go To ______ [use this to travel from one place to another relatively quickly; ink if it's something specific, like a kettle, Go To if it's a general area]
Call [use on a person that you want to call (talk, but when not in the area)--or a item that has a number on it to contact someone you don't know]
Research [some topic; need to be in a library or have access to a computer--shellphones don't count]
Sleep [use this when there's nothing left you can do, logically, in the day]

Will be Responded to Immediately:
Conceal [use this action on something you intend to hide on your person]
Pick Up [use this action on something you want to hold onto]
Examine/Observe [use on things that you want more details on]
Use [use on things that you intend to use in some way--please specify how you're using it]
Attack [use on people or objects you intend to hurt or break, specify any weapons you might be using]
Search For [use like examine but for things that may or may not be there]
Hide [Insert Applicable Preposition] [use to conceal oneself, usually for a short amount of time]