<> (Now that the icky boys are gone: Party!) (Whoo!) * Rochelle goes back to looking out the window, probably getting more burned by the moment. She doesn't seem worried or nervous, really... just there. * Threnody lays back against the hood of whatever car Rochelle's in and looks at the sky, leaving Deme with the radio. "I wish I could squelch my feeling of impending doom." It's not so bad. (And now I acquire snack. BRB.) * Threnody blinks and sits up, looking at Roch through the windshield. "...'not so bad'?" * Rochelle shrugs. "Yeah. Not so bad." What makes you think so? (Who did she ask?) (Heh, yeah. ^^) ( Roch. ) * Rochelle looks at Deme from the corner of her eye. "'Cause you get used to it." Anything you can get used to isn't so bad. * Demetreia blinks. "You have...done this before?" * Rochelle shakes her head. * Threnody smiles distractedly. "You're a very strong woman, Miss Rochelle. I'm envious." Not really. I don't think so, anyway. * Threnody blinks, sliding off the hood and walking over toward the window a bit. "Why do you say that?" * Rochelle blinks at Threnody. "Why should I be?" * Threnody looks confused a moment. "Well... it takes strength to move forward despite feeling trapped by adversity. It's the sort of strength that should be respected more often, because it's actually very rare." * Rochelle blinks again. But I'm not really goin' anywhere. * Threnody ehes and rubs the back of his neck. "I guess I meant to keep living every day. You came out here, after all, even if you didn't go inside... that's something. Others would just be home cowering under the sheets." * Rochelle shrugs, taking a moment to look at Demetreia before looking back to Thren. "If you say so." * Demetreia looks a little confused, then turns in the direction everyone went, looking out. <> * Threnody leans back against the car and looks up at the sky again. For about five seconds, before the exos show and he blinks, looking around. * Rochelle 's eyes widen a bit, but they return to their neutral expression soon enough. She glances around, then opens the door and steps out. <> "What is your purpose here?" * Demetreia freezes, staring at them all wide-eyed. * Rochelle looks to Thren. * Threnody smiles a little. "Sightseeing, but our drivers wandered off... I have no idea how to drive stick." He tries to look genuinely confused, and meanwhile does a little mental looking-around to get the lay of the land. "Are we not supposed to be here?" <> "Bullshit. Stand up, no false moves, so on. Just remember I can kill all of you before one of you moves half a foot." <> (We're all standing.) <> * Demetreia finally unfreezes, but it's to look wide-eyed at Thren instead of the exos. * Threnody sighs and slips the bokken into the loops of his belt and puts his hands up, hoping Deme and Roch do the same, and also speaking into their heads. %% It's alright. We can't outrun exos, so we'll go with them for now and look for an opening later. %% We haven't done anything wrong. But, if it will make you feel better, we'll willingly accompany you. * Rochelle is standing, yes. She spreads her hands to show there's nothing in them and just looks up at the bristly exo. %% I'm not worried. %% * Demetreia gulps and doesn't do cool telepathic stuff. But she does hold her hands out, palms facing the exos, seeming to shrink into herself. (The saddest part of this is, my exo's in the trunk of one of the cars. It's not really combat-worthy, though.) <> <> * Threnody walks, walkety walk. What did I find out from their thoughts, by the way? * Rochelle walks, too. She's pretty calm, all considered. <> * Demetreia has ceased looking nervous and now just looks really really blank. Blankety-blank blank. (We're such a trio. "Come with us. We want to kill you." "*shrug* Okay.") <> (Deme doesn't know any different and Thren/Roch are too practical to resist.) ( Ew. Liver condensation. ) * Threnody looks around as he walks. %% They must be Concordat... they're professional killers, too. %% %% I don't think they'll do it right away, or they would've tried already. %% %% I agree. It seems like they're... anticipating something. They're waiting to kill us, so there must be something they have to do first. %% %% Check to see if it's okay, maybe. %% (Deme can get this whole conversation, right?) (So I'm told.) (Yes. Unless you don't relay it.) <> * Threnody mmms faintly, and tries to catch the conversation second-hand. <> * Threnody frowns, slightly anyway. %% I don't think the others are having any better luck. They're talking about a battle going on above. %% (You can sort of assume Thren's keeping tabs on them, mentally, from this point on. ^_^) (*Nod*) %% Yeah, well. We're not experts at sneaking into places. %% %% If these guys are here, they can't be there. Less exos for them to worry about. %% %% They seem unhappy they can't be up there helping. It doesn't bode well. %% %% Yeah, but like I said, you get used to it. %% * Threnody can't help but crack a tiny smile. %% I don't know how you stay so calm. I'm jealous. %% * Rochelle shrugs. She glances around as she keeps walking. * Rochelle blinks. She stumbles a little, then regains her footing and keeps walking. * Threnody turns to look at Rochelle, covertly as he can manage. %% You alright? %% <> * Rochelle shakes her head. %% I'm okay. %% <> * Demetreia looks around as she enters, eeping mentally. * Rochelle flinches, slightly. She gets a good look around. * Threnody follows wordlessly. %% All this storage... do you think the artifacts are in here? %% %% Dunno. Might not get the chance to look. %% <> * Rochelle lets out a sigh and rubs at the back of her head. * Threnody looks around and also sighs. %% They're waiting for orders, and we can't do much with them around... %% %% I guess we wait. %% <> * Demetreia freezes in place the second the exos stop and goes into full blank-out mode. * Threnody looks up the ceiling. %% At least the fighting appears to have stopped... %% * Rochelle glances at Demetreia. %% Yeah. %% (Are the exos between us and the door?) <> <> * Threnody looks around a bit, then makes a bit of a sour face. %% ...alright. When I give the signal, I want you both to run up the tunnel as fast as possible. %% * Rochelle blinks. %% What're you gonna do? %% <> (Shut like bolted shut, or shut like turn knob and suddenly open again?) <> * Threnody winces as he spies the door. %% ...bloody... never mind, I suppose. I can't just sit here, though, and wait to die. There's got to be something we can do. %% * Rochelle sighs. %% I don't know. %% (So we're in a room full of crates?) (We're in a room. It has crates! And four exos that want to shoot us. And it's big.) (And there's no way I could take four of them. MAYBE one, MAYBE.) (Yup!) * Rochelle keeps her hands visible, sitting on the floor and leaning against one of the crates. (Shame. Thren's just not the type to rush all four.) ( So wait. ) ( Oh, never mind, I figured it out. ) * Demetreia blinks once, very slowly. * Demetreia opens her eyes, which now look really really focused instead of really really blank. It's still probably pretty creepy. * Threnody blinks at Deme. %% Are you alright? %% * Rochelle looks over to Deme at the 'sound' of Thren's voice. * Threnody blinks, then walks over to Roch, briskly. %% Get ready to get behind me. %% * Demetreia takes a deep breath, sparing a brief approving glance at Thren. * Rochelle gets to her feet, slowly. * Demetreia runs toward the nearest exo and tries to pick him up and swing him at...another exo! <> (Ooooohcrap. ) ( I knew there was a flaw somewhere. ) (Well, I'd guess Deme gets the drop since she started it. ^^;) (except she's fighting _exos_.) ( Also my ACV is....well, not there. ) (I was thinking she had some sort of head laser or something. But the gauntlet's been thrown, so.) ( Oh, I wish she had a head laser. Not really. ) (LASER EYEBEAMS!) ( Deme is Kano! ) (PUsh comes to shove, she sows confusion, Roch forces the door open and we go with my original plan, sort of.) (How do I force the door open?) <> ( HA! ) (Mix it a Sleythin drink! I don't KNOW.) (Well, yes, that might burn through it...) <> (Uh...) (Okay, I'm understanding the stacked deckness of the situation? But we don't get so much as a defense?) <> (At what sort of penalty? ^_^; Since the autosuccess sort of implies one. c.c;) <<+3>> ( By just. ) (Failed by 1. Let the severe beating commence.) (Um, yeah!) ( Er. Made by just. ) ( Sorry guys. ) <> * Rochelle is lifted into the air and just... stares at the exo that grabbed her. * Threnody doubles over. No quippage. * Threnody uses his bokken as a brace, but can't get any further than on his knees anyway, taking big heaving breaths. "I.... I don't... care what... you do to... me... just... let them go..." No. If anyone is to stay, it will be me. But...we will not be staying. * Demetreia tries to keep her voice firm and flat, and it succeeds except up until the very end. * Threnody tries to force a smile. It almost works. %% Don't... Demetreia. It's alright. %% <> "Spare me. The only reason you're alive is that I have orders. Now sit down and shut up." * Demetreia mindshouts (doesn't seem to have the hang of this yet) back. %% No. It is my duty. %% * Rochelle finally speaks up: "I didn't do anythin'. Are you gonna hold me all day?" <> * Threnody forces himself up and unsteadibly holds the bokken in something approximating an O2-deprived stance. "Death is my... homecoming. I wouldn't be able... to face my mother... for anything less." (Hello, death. But you are preferrable to sitting here doing nothing.) * Rochelle lands gracelessly on the floor. * Rochelle sits up, wincing at the sunburn. Or maybe the bruises. Probably both. "Thanks." <> %% Just wait. Can't take them like this. %% * Threnody grins, faintly. Still wobbly. "It's a... shame. A real fighter... doesn't need toys." <> (Woo. It's the theme of the evening.) * Threnody apparently overextended his able-to-stand-up time, and sinks back to the floor again. * Rochelle rubs at her forhead, then brings up one knee and sets her chin on it. (Uh... can we sliptime the captivity or something? ^_^;) * Demetreia slumps down to the ground, going almost completely limp. (I can't, actually. There's nowhere to sliptime TO. The other channel has to line up.) (...whoakay. Beep me or something, then.) (sorry.) (*shrug* C'est la vie. I just plan on using my time in the interim constructively. ^_^) <> <> * Rochelle glances up at them. "What now?" <> "Out." * Demetreia doesn't seem to respond. * Rochelle sighs and gets to her feet. "Good luck moving her," she comments as she walks over to the closed door. <> (*snicker*) <> <> * Demetreia twitches as they pick her up, then rolls ungracefully out of their grasp and lands on the floor. She then gets up, looks around, and follows Roch. <>