mental link; it's a catbus!

[wille]

[ It's an ungodly hour of the night as these things go, with both Misato and Gildor's minds flickering to announce their presence to all. Forceful and unapologetic, for her part, while urgent and unsettling, for his part. They insist on your attention. ]

( Everyone. We found something out there beyond the barrier. It was too dark for us to see much-- )

(Or anything, for some of us, but-- )

( But it's massive-- )

(Big as the shuttles that brought us-- )

( And predatory. At least, it seemed pretty clear that it wanted to take a chunk out of us. Some of you found tracks the other day, right? Let's talk. )
 

Comments

[aluminumandash]

( That was me. ) [ "Asleep" for Rust isn't what it is for other people—wakefulness never entirely out of reach, the gun under the pillow. He's alert, receives Misato's voice like a siren and Gildor's like an intruder. ]

( Big as a shuttle, huh? You exercising a little poetic license there, bard? )

[wille]

( He's not. I saw it. )

[ It's probably bad manners on some planet somewhere to speak on another's behalf without being asked to. She claims urgency, and the fact that she can't even say "I saw it too." ]

( What were the tracks like? )

[redheadcarrier]

( I've killed bigger. )

[perroquet]

( Quietly and covertly? )

[unsea]

[ THE SENTIMENT IS MUTUAL, gosh ]

[earthborn]

( Are we gonna need to tangle with it? Is that the ultimate goal here? )

[Her tone is trying for the calm, slightly annoyed voice of a commander who's facing a challenge they'd rather avoid than engage. But the bigger part of Shepard is almost audibly counting the spare ammunition she brought along and coming up with a positively bloodthirsty answer. Does she want to fight a giant monster? Oh yes.]

( It's not like I haven't killed bigger, ) [Brief shadow of memory, the towering coils, acid smell of dissolving metal] ( ...But something that big, that's not quiet work. )

[perroquet]

( Not typically, no. )

[ Likewise, Gildor has been running through his repertoire of spells since making it back to camp - spells he hasn't had to think of using in years. He's assisted in slaying many a monster, and while this is another area of expertise, bard magic is anything but quiet. ]

( I certainly hope not. If that barrier comes down, we will all in a great deal of danger. )

[sistershoggoth]

( Is that it? Is that what we were chasing before? )

[perroquet]

( Chasing? You mean that night when we were still on the road? )

[ He'll defer this to Misato - the only thing he'd been chasing that night was the anxiety away with music. ]

[calhar]

( Then stay inside the bloody barrier. )

[ Shortness aside, the sentiment behind it's at least somewhat earnest. Avoiding fights is a valid tactic, thank you. ]

[perroquet]

( Oh I promise you, I have no intention of going back! )

[ Gildor would rather make himself invisible for the rest of the mission, or bounce off to the shadow plane. Anything but go back in there, especially when he can only bring one other person. ]

( I'm more concerned about what will happen if the barrier comes down, exposing us all to that creature. )

[shri]

( Are you both alright? )

[ Snatched wretched concern. The press up on her toes, the twitch of her fingers. The pair of them, taking off like that - ]

[perroquet]

[ He's quick to reach back out, easing off the volume of the dreadful music his mind is still reeling with. ]

( Yes Rani, we're fine. A bit spooked is all. )

[ His cot was left cold beside hers, and there's no shortage of guilt for that. But he and Misato are nearly back to their respective tents now, and Lakshmi will be able to look him over herself. ]

[wille]

( We're a-okay! )

[ The grasping, tightness in one's chest brand of concern is normal for her to see in another, but striking when she can feel it firsthand. So, that is what it's like. ]

( We weren't really in danger. )

[ She will keep saying this to her grave. ]

[cognitived]

[ A snap to attention, sniper's focus. ]

( Are you back behind the barrier? )

[ Quick sitrep, even if any notion of safety is an illusion here. ]

[wille]

( And on our way back. We weren't really in danger. )

[ Never trust Misato to gauge risks reasonably. ]

[deployed]

( You don't think it belongs to someone else here? )

[ Or native to the planet itself? Bellamy's thoughts, even jarred from sleep, are spinning back to all that he's picked up. None of the facts from the dossier or the gossip and chatter he's been privy to detail the kind of creature he can glean from Misato and Gildor's description. ]

[wille]

( Maybe. The guards should know it's there, right? But maybe they don't know anything. )

[ Such poor intel they have, with too many threads left loose. ]

( I'm not telling everyone this so you'll keep away. I want us to find out what it is. )

[wrackful]

( So the big magic wall's there to keep something big out. Big surprise. )

[Absolutely unimpressed, but it's pretty clear that's directed at Misato, and Gildor's just caught by association.]

[wille]

[ Misato rides his ire gladly, fully deserved. ]

( A big wall can hide many things. We think it's a monster out to get us, but maybe to them it's something else entirely.

I see you're feeling better. )

[ryohji]

( Nothing like what's familiar. So, what are you going to do? )

[wille]

( Find out what it is, and how we can use it. If we can. )

[adamance]

( It's not uncommon for there to be large animals in the wild.

Or for natives to be aware of them. )

[She sounds impatient, as if they're making a mountain out of an ant hill.

(That isn't a phrase she knows, except possibly through being a host.)]

[wille]

( Okay, okay . . .

Look, I'm still looking into your thing. I've got enough hours in a day. )

[ There's never enough hours in a day. ]

[shiro2hero]

[Who sleeps??? Who has time for that??]

(Where were the tracks exactly? You want to describe them?)

[wille]

( I didn't find the tracks. You'll want to talk to Sam about that.

We found a thing that may or may not have made the tracks, but . . . maybe not. )

[miscreant]

( Perhaps it has been stalking us. In any case, it will not matter unless that barrier falls. )

[She's not about to ask Murphy to go check -- not after how close they came the first time.]

( I trust some of us brought weapons, in the event that it does? )

[Or...was it just her...]

[perroquet]

( Some certainly did, but wouldn't other-worldly weapons would ruin cover? )

[ While he doesn't want any dead hosts, Gildor is thinking of the larger group as well. Revealing themselves in any way would likely spell disaster for the Rabadoceans. ]

( Should the worst happen we won't be fighting it alone, but we'll need to use the same weapons as the Rabadoceans to maintain our position here- )

[extradite]

[ Wait. Wait, wait, wait, wait. Not as planned. Not regularly scheduled. This isn't how these things go at all. ]

( Why are you... honestly... Misato, honestly. Asuka and I, it's our job to — ...whatever it is. Just send us to look next time. It's our job to. )


[ Instead of exposing a commander and a civilian. ]

[perroquet]

( Well, look who's not screaming at the voices in his head! )

[ He wasn't called specifically, but Gildor is responding anyway, the sound of organ pipes wailing behind his thoughts. He's exhausted, his tired mind still spooked and frantic, but there's some relief there. He's genuinely glad to be hearing Shinji over the symbiote again, though some of that may be a reaction of the symbiote. ]

( Don't be ridiculous boy. I would never want to send someone so young out on a scouting mission such as this. I'm sure Miss Katsuragi would agree. )

[bracchium]

( I've been comparing the tracks to those in our company. Nothing stands out yet. ) [Bucky is another of the ones who sleep very little, so the sudden presence is less alarming and more uncomfortable.]

[wille]

[ Insomnia is a prerequisite it seems. ]

( Were the tracks leaving or arriving? )