[Playthings] (Narrated Open RP)

[@sylverdubs]

''RAAAH! TRAPSSSS!'' Fangs said then abruptly turned around and gestured for Kieg to stand aside, affording clearly more respect than he did the mage.

''PUNY BOZZZMER, COME! I WILL THROW YOU ACROSS.'' He motioned to Shari as if throwing wood elves was an every day task in his world. It wasn't clear if he wanted to help her or test the traps by throwing her on them.

[꧁ 𝓢𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓲'𝓐𝓭𝓾𝓷𝓮 ꧂]

Walking trepidatiously behind Kat, she had noticed the salty smell of the water, having run her hand along the wall curiously. It was a smell she knew well. "Oh, seems this is salt wa-"

''PUNY BOZZZMER, COME! I WILL THROW YOU ACROSS.''

Blink-blinking a few times, Shari tilted her head to the side, nipping at her lower lip.  "Oh... well..." slowly she inched forward, "i suppose that is.... A somewhat logical idea to do?  i am happy to help, of course!  i am only about 90 pounds.  Easy to throw, i would say, yes, however," she was almost within Fangs' reach, "What good would it do to toss me across?  How would that exactly help the rest of you?"

Her glowing eyes washed over everyone in the group worriedly.

[𝐊𝐀𝐓 ᴀᴋᴀ 𝓡𝓮𝓭 𝓥𝓲𝓹𝓮𝓻]

Kat looked as irritated as anyone possibly could, having to enter such a dank, dark and wet place. She chose her footing carefully to avoid any puddles or extra wet areas.

When Fangs spoke up, her mouth fell open, and she stared at him a long while. Expression a tangle of disappointment and frustration. Anyone who knew her well, would likely be able to surmise she was simply upset she hadn't been the one to come up with such a great idea herself. The shove she gave Shari, as she passed, was akin to what a pouty, spoiled child would do.

Hands on her hips, she sniffed and squared her shoulders, looking ahead, assessing the situation. "Aye, definitely something weird about this area. I can feel it. Tis good I sent ye in first."

Shari's words made her bristle further, "If we get ye across, tis one less body to worry about, eh?" she gestured to Fangs to continue, before turning her attention back to the hallway, stroking her chin thoughtfully, a finger pointedly dancing through the air. "Thinking that way should be safe." Nods toward the lighter colored bricking. ((D to J )) "Alright big guy, go give 'er a test, yeah? After Shari's been launched."

[Kieg]

"Oh! Wait, no!" Kieg's eyes widen to the point where he seems to be almost panicking as he finally catches up with the conversation, and he moves to put his hands protectively on Shari's little shoulders. "Don't do that, She'll get hurt! She can just walk across like everyone else." He gives both a Viper and Fangs' brief but reproachful glares, an uncharacteristic frown on his face. "I can carry her, if you're worried about it, she's really light. But you don't need to throw her.." He looks at the route that Viper indicated. "I'll test the path out to see what happens, sure. But don't throw Shari'Adune no matter what."

The guardian mage comes up behind the group standing several yards distant, clasping his hands together.

[@sylverdubs]

*Fangs bared his… fangs at Kieg but stood aside. He did growl though.* “*Kaoc*!” *He hissed, it sounded like he was swearing.* “Go! *Krona Malheel*! Ssshow usss the path then! Bozzmer would have been fine. If ssshe cannot sssurvive being tossed, why bring her? Your pitiful need to protect her weakensss us all!”

*It was the first time Fangs seemed to be angry at Kieg. He glanced at Kat as if fully expecting her to agree.*

[꧁ 𝓢𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓲'𝓐𝓭𝓾𝓷𝓮 ꧂]

"Oh! Wait, no!" Kieg's eyes widen to the point where he seems to be almost panicking as he finally catches up with the conversation, and he moves to put his hands protectively on Shari's little shoulders. 

Shari looked back and up at him with an appreciative smile, reaching a small hand up to tap lightly against one of his.  Before she could speak, Kieg was talking again.

"Don't do that, She'll get hurt! She can just walk across like everyone else." 

"i don't mind, Sir, really.  It's ok, if it will help, if the Lady thinks it's a good idea..."  she tentatively reproached.

He gives both a Viper and Fangs' brief but reproachful glares, an uncharacteristic frown on his face. "I can carry her, if you're worried about it, she's really light. But you don't need to throw her.." He looks at the route that Viper indicated. "I'll test the path out to see what happens, sure. But don't throw Shari'Adune no matter what."

Clearly, she was torn with what to do, and who to listen to.  She didn't want her friend upset, nor did she want the Lady upset - especially her.  And Fangs.... Well.  Her glowing eyes slowly washed over him as she sucked in her lips, lightly biting the lower one with her teeth.  It would be bad to upset him too.

"Mister Kieg," she began, turning to face him, her voice soft and gentle.  "i really don't mind.  i won't get hurt!" she offered with a bright smile.  "i know how to take a fall well."

[𝐊𝐀𝐓 ᴀᴋᴀ 𝓡𝓮𝓭 𝓥𝓲𝓹𝓮𝓻]

The whole time Kieg was speaking, Kat's arms were crossed. Her pierced brow was raised, and she wore a tight-lipped amused smile. She allowed everyone to finish talking, the corner of her mouth twitching.

"Well," she purred, matching Kieg's glare with a wickedly toothy smile, uncrossing one arm to gesture lazily toward Shari, "if yer done - whatever yer name was, it sounds as if Shari clearly doesn't mind the idea. She can see the brilliance and logic in it." The arm slid back to recross. "While yer little display of affection be... nauseatingly cute," her tone dipped suddenly into a cold and heartless monotone, "this aint the time."

She nodded toward the passageway, "She be the only one of us-" glances at the mage, "I assume, that can get across safely. Yer saying a couple bruises are worse than her life? Than me life, er the others?" Her tongue piercing clicked against her teeth audibly, "Besiiiiiides, whose to say there aint a switch on the other side that'll turn whatever wants to kill us off?"

Tapping her temple, she offered a humorless smile and a wink, "See? Tis why I be the brains here." She faced Fangs, "Launch her." she said crisply, quickly followed up by a tauntingly sweet, "Gent-ly." as she locked eyes with Kieg.

[Kieg]

"i don't mind, Sir, really. It's ok, if it will help, if the Lady thinks it's a good idea..."
"-I- mind." His lips draw back from his teeth, and he is about to say more when her second protest registers.
His face remains set for a moment longer before he vents a defeated sigh, shaking his head.

"You don't have to," he says to Shari, though his tone makes it clear he knows it's already a lost argument.

Lifting his hands from her shoulders he steps back a pace, then four more, then turns to look in the direction they came from.

[@sylverdubs]

Fangs's noxious-yellow eyes stared at Kieg for a long moment then, without any warning, his large hands clamped onto Shari. One hand on her collar, the other bundling up clothes at the small of her back, he heaved and tossed Shari across the suspicious grating.

Fangs hand't lied. He did think it would be safer for Shari (never mind that she could very likely cross safely on her own power). She seemed important to the snake woman and clearly Kieg had some sort of need to protect her. There was no point in damaging someone who could serve as bait later on, either.

So Fangs basically made the equivalent of an underhand toss in a children's ball game. Shari was quite capable of landing on her feet, even if she might have to hop-skip a little at the end.

[Kieg]

Shari's trajectory through the air is stable and clean, and she lands on the other side without incident.

Beyond the suspicious panels, the hallway makes another 90 degree bend to the right after about thirty feet. But aside from the usual Dwemer machinery, cogs and pipes, and dripping water, there is little of note in that direction other than the continuing passage.
After a brief look, there seems to be no sign of any equipment that has the obvious function of disarming whatever trap may be connected to the suspicious paneling.

Kieg turns a few seconds after the throw, and a tight smile forms on his face once he sees Shari safe on the other side. "All right, that went better than I thought it would," he allows. "So.. I suppose I cross now, aye?" He points to the route that Viper had indicated.

[꧁ 𝓢𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓲'𝓐𝓭𝓾𝓷𝓮 ꧂]

The little elf's face was actually lit up in joy as she was flying across for a moment, before it twisted back into careful concentration. Despite her frail looking body, her landing was that of a practiced gymnast, or even, more simply, a large feline.

Standing carefully, she brushed a lock of hair back off her face, little chest heaving with excited breath, "See!" she held her arms out to the sides in an uncharacteristic flourish, "i made it alright!"

"i don't see..." she began looking about slowly, her eyes glowing brightly, "Anything that may be a switch or a lever." She laid down on the floor and stared across the paneling, in case there were any obvious abnormalities only viewed from such a view.

Biting her lower lip, she frowned and stared back toward the party, noting Kieg was going to attempt to cross. "Do be careful Sir! All of you, please be careful!"

[𝐊𝐀𝐓 ᴀᴋᴀ 𝓡𝓮𝓭 𝓥𝓲𝓹𝓮𝓻]

Crossing her arms, and narrowing her eyes, Kat frowned and stared, her amber eyes flicking over everything. Stroking her chin, she scoffed, "Tis possible there aint nothin wrong with," she gestured vaguely, "that way. The lizard could just have an itch er something."

A large scowl crept over her lips as she sighed, "Alright, Kieg, aye, hopefully ye won't trigger anything that will come back and hit me." she did her best to position herself behind Fangs, and if he moved, she would try to stand behind the mage.

[@sylverdubs]

“YES BOZZZZMER ISSS SSSAFE. MY SSSCALESSS DRY WITH ALL THISSS WAITING! GO HUMAN!”

Fangs said, looking back at Kat hiding behind him and sneering. He didn’t argue though and instead picked up his weapon and watched where Kieg stepped.

[Kieg]

“…All right, all right.” The Nord sheathes his greatsword and squares up against the suspicious sections of the hallway floor. He exhales s a short breath and puts one cautious foot on the the long beam, sloooowy adding more weight until he stands fully upon it, his face scrunching up a little. When nothing catastrophic has occurred after a few seconds, he looks between Viper and Fangs’ and shrugs, moving the rest of the way quickly and not without a certain kind of grace.

Reaching the end of the spar where it connects to the next one, he hops from the first to the second after a half-second’s worth of hesitation. Immediately there is a loud click and the flooring piece sinks about a half-inch under his foot. A grinding, clanking noise sounds as some manner of machinery begins turning.

“sh*t!” Kieg hurries along the raminder of the spar and jumps to the safe side, looking back in time to see two Dwarven spheres drop out of the holes partway up the wall, immediately unfolding into the spider-like mechanisms common to the Dwemer ruins. Sparks and filaments of lightning crackle around the automatons as they turn towards Kieg and Shari, readying to attack.

((The sentries aren’t particularly tough, they can be dispatched by anyone at will. If you cross the floor and who a wrong panel, two more will come out. It appears that D at least is safe, and J is not. Choose a path if you decide to cross and I’ll let you know if more spawn after your post))

[𝐊𝐀𝐓 ᴀᴋᴀ 𝓡𝓮𝓭 𝓥𝓲𝓹𝓮𝓻]

((Just re-dumping this here to make things easier Will post reply when i can.))


(Render by Billy Jackman: www.artstation.com/billyjackman3d)