MISSION: UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS, PART 1

[ximilian]

● ● ● M I S S I O N   5 . 1

INTRO • FORGET YOUR EVIL • CRY HAVOC • TAEUM INVICTA • SEDORUM MOVEBO • FYI

// INTRO. beam us down!  

Perhaps the two weeks of rest on station has been enough to bring distance to the events on Badrock — whether it has or not, though, the earpieces once again ping with new information, encouraging you to read the file titled Giva.

Shortly after, Viveca’s voice follows.

// VIVECA.AI

Hi, everyone. Tomorrow evening, we’re sending you out again, this time to a place called Giva … or the afterlife of that, actually. There are two of them, Taeum and Sedorum, so half of you will be sent to one, half to the other. That’s because I don’t actually know which side has the orb. It’s a bit strange, actually, I got traces of it from both sides … so keep your eyes open. As for the groups, I can’t actually sort you myself — all I can do is mask your presence so you’ll feel like souls native to the planet, and it will send you to one side. And speaking of the sides … there’s no way to move from one to the other. I’m sorry, but until you find the orb, or the war is moved planetside, the two groups will remain separate.

This time, as you prepare, it will be with a sense of uncertainty: not really knowing which side you’ll end up on, or who you will end up with. All you can do is give your closest teammates a 'just-in-case' goodbye, and take whatever you think will be useful on your journeys: clothes, weapons, rations, perhaps some of the supply packs your teammates have put together for everyone.

The following evening, as you gather to the teleportation room, Viveca is there waiting.

// VIVECA.AI

Is everyone ready? The sooner you’ll find the orb, the sooner I can bring you back … and hopefully you’ll find it before the war starts. Good luck.

She smiles a little as the machine hums to life. The lights grow brighter and brighter as you feel the tug of another planet calling —

But something is different. Right as you’re pulled away, you hear Viveca, her tone sharp and surprised:

// VIVECA.AI

Wait, why is that —

And as it cuts off and you wait in anticipation to hear the usual echoing voices of the orb giving you the goal … it comes out unusual: distorted for some, a whisper for others, or maybe you start to hear one goal before the voices shift it to another.

As always, you'll have no chance to respond or the time to even consider what might be wrong, before you wake up elsewhere.

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// PART IA.FORGET YOUR EVIL (TAEUM)  

You open your eyes to a beautiful warm light that seems to wrap you in its glow, any unwanted blemish faded from your body, every hair kept in its perfect place. Your clothing looks as immaculate as the day you’d acquired it, not a wrinkle, not a stain, not a thread out of place. If you look around at your surroundings, you’ll learn that you’re in a grand open hall of some kind, plush light-blue carpet beneath your feet, and a winding double staircase ahead of you, leading to rooms and halls beyond your imagining.

A pleasant breeze flows through the lengthy corridor, through rows of polished stone columns and past your skin, bringing with it the faintest floral fragrance from the perfectly kempt gardens just past this interior space. You’re standing with about half of your fellow orbers, all of you looking like the picture-perfect version of yourself — but around you are others, too, faces you don’t recognize. Take a moment to reorient yourself because the tap-tap-tap of very efficient footsteps will interrupt you in moments, breaking the otherwise tranquil silence you’ve experienced so far.

A figure appears to greet you, her golden hair cropped short except where it sweeps to one side of her face, revealing a mask that conceals her eyes. Pointed ears show off her piercings — a set of simple, small golden hoops — and a pair of curling dark horns rimmed with gold seem to match her hair. Her clothing is unusual to most of the orbers, but even so, it contrasts against the stark white of this space quite harshly. She wears dark crimson armour lined also in gold, with what looks like an elaborate half-ring shoulder-guard that half-rests partially at her shoulders, and half-hovers in the air. And though she appears to have little to no vision with her eyeless mask, she clearly has no problem finding you.

Her voice is soft, but her words are careful and deliberate and they have the effect of commanding a room.

ANGRIAL

Newcomers — I am Angrial, Commanding Officer of Taeum’s forces. You have been bestowed this great honour to join us all in the High Home, which is only open to those of you deemed clean and free of sin, and I welcome you all.

The rooms around you will be free for you to roam and include any manner of indulgence and delight which you so fully deserve for the vigilance you have proved during your life in Giva. You have earned your place here, as is only right for devoting your loyalty to the Highest One, and nothing you do now will be regarded as sin.

If you require assistance at any point, you might call upon Oh’ryst. Ruvilor will also guide you through the numerous rooms and delights that await you.

She lifts a hand towards the double staircase and nods. Two figures emerge, cloaked in the same dark red-and-gold armour, but it is clear now the purpose of the half-ring at their shoulders — the same elaborate design forms a helmet that conceals both Oh’ryst and Ruvilor’s faces from view. They each have weapons hanging at their belts and a slender staff in one hand. The only way, it seems, to tell them apart, is by the length of their hair: Oh’ryst’s hair is long and silver beneath their helmet, and Ruvilor’s hair is fully concealed in his.

ANGRIAL

Of course, should an after-life of aimless pleasure seem less appealing to some of you, please know we are always looking to recruit the honourable and the loyal to our forces, to defend our paradise against those who may threaten it. Please speak with Oh’ryst for more information.

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// PART IB.CRY HAVOC (SEDORUM)  

It will take a few moments to adjust to the red light that seems to fill your vision when you open your eyes, and you feel as though you’d been squeezed through an alley too narrow for the width of your body, answering the call of a higher-pitched voice. You spill out into a small dark-stoned square along with about half of your fellow orbers and others you don’t recognise, and look at your surroundings: a cluster of dilapidated buildings seem to close in on you, its effects are almost suffocating, and there is never quite enough light to fully illuminate anything you see.

Beneath your feet the ground eternally glistens with the moisture of a city that has just been rained on, which might seem like an unimportant observation — except that you’ll learn this place has never actually seen rain. As you look up, you’ll find that it’s difficult to make out the limits of this place, and how much further the buildings go; how large this city really is. There is the sound of chatter and the echo of bustling activity in the streets and the alleys, like nothing here ever really rests.

Lamps overhead glow with red light and a figure steps past the shadow and into the light, three bright blue eyes blinking in your direction, one half-closed against his forehead. Against the red and black of this dense city, the figure’s eyes seem strangely alien and he turns his horned-head towards you to speak with that high pitch from earlier, waving his clawed hands to beckon you closer.

V'RIZZ

Hurry, hurry — yes, step in close please, otherwise you may not hear me. Heh-heh. Hello, can you all hear me? Good. I am V’rizz, I am the Chief of Staff and it is my deepest regret to welcome you to the Red City. We are standing in the city’s Square, as you can see. To your right there are … buildings. To your left … more buildings. Find a place to stay and find some work, and perhaps if you have any money on you? You might invest in some good locks. Just a — hm — suggestion. Out here, after all, you can do whatever you want, whenever you want, however you want, that’s the beauty of Sedorum.

From within or behind the building nearest V’rizz (it’s hard to tell from here) someone begins to wail.

“I shouldn’t be here!” he moans, “I shouldn’t be here! I have the funds, I have the money, it’s coming, I swear, please, I need to go to Taeum, I need to —”

“Shut up.” Another voice immediately cuts in, deep and gruff. “You’re here now, and we’ve been waiting for you.”

V’rizz immediately blinks his large, blue-light eyes and clears his throat, the feather collar of his jacket bristling slightly but his jittery energy seems to make one thing clear: he is just as comfortable to be standing here as you are.

V'RIZZ

Um, well, as I said — you have the freedom to do whatever it is you’d like. Of course, if you’d like to, hm, better your situation… we have use for people who know what they’re doing. Just let me know if you’d like to hear more about that. Heh-heh. Good luck, new souls.

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// PART IIA.TAEUM INVICTA  

Left to your own devices, you and your fellow orbers now have ample time to explore your surroundings. Taeum, you learn, is a realm made up of an endless building with unlimited rooms of all imaginings. Every floor features sheer curtains flowing in a fragrant breeze, and just past the corridor is a garden of colourful flowers and a fountain filling the airy space with the sound of trickling water. It’s easy to close your eyes and feel soothed by your surroundings; it’s nicer still knowing that your perfect room is just beyond one of these doors. Perhaps Angrial's words will echo in your ears: nothing you do here will be considered sin. It’s time to see what lies in store for you.

1.0   Long corridors lead to numerous doors, and therefore: an abundance of choices. Choose the door closest to you and you might find yourself stepping onto cleanly cut lawn and the perfect nuclear suburban neighbourhood. Otherwise, a door might lead you to a grand dining hall filled with food and drink and decor fit for royalty. There are doors for extravagant gardens, perfect lush fairytale-like forests, for stimulating bustling cities, a quiet bedroom with the highest threadcount sheets and pillows and the perfect night sky behind the bed; a room to watch the (unfamiliar, but absolutely breathtaking) stars; rooms full of kitten or puppy-like creatures. A wide, long-winding staircase leads to the next floor and then the next, a pitcher of water and glasses waiting for you at a small wall-table capping off the corridor for those moments in between. There are doors upon doors open to rooms of any imagining, with no door locked to you. Why not keep going until you find something to keep you?

2.0   Of course, not every room will be so idyllic and pure. As every inhabitant of Taeum is regarded as above sin, they are free to do what they want and feel nothing but delight and pleasure. Find a group of other Taeum inhabitants putting on acts in a room where the world looks dark and desolate, lit by a dim glow of red. Figures engage in the most peculiar acts, willingly clothed in tatters and rags, the hems torn from their shirts, play-acting as though they have nothing, and laughing amongst themselves. If such a room does not appeal, find another room on another floor where Taeum inhabitants have amassed a large amount of narcotics, hallucinogens, stimulants, and depressants, and seem to be sitting around in a room set up like a lounge, draped over seating. Many look lethargic but complacent, and no one so much as looks up when you enter. Feel free to join them if it’s what you desire — there’s plenty of space and empty couches around the room to claim as your own.

And you’ll find that among the rooms for meditation and rest, and admiring beauty and splendor, there are rooms dedicated to war and bloodshed, for sex and debauchery, proof that there really is something for everyone.

3.0   If you take Angrial’s words to heart or you’re curious to learn more about the military faction in Taeum, Ruvilor will have provided you with directions to the military wing earlier. Go on your own or find a fellow orber to enter the wing with, but you’ll be offered free entry past the first set of doors. The bright and open space sees plenty of light but immediately feels intimidating and severe, like walking into a highly efficient administrative office. A small set of steps will lead you towards a pair of locked doors but you might sneak a glimpse through the windows. This is clearly a room for council, with maps draped over tables, little pins marking off specific locations.

Oh’ryst, if spoken to, is happy to put you through some tests while you're here. There is a room full of weapons with minds of their own, attacking you one by one; a room where the military trains, directing you into the middle to a ring to battle other would-be soldiers in a round of one-on-one combat; a room with a single table, and on it a large map and an equally long scroll full of scenarios for the more tactical-minded to make decisions and prove they can commandeer troops and formulate strategies that will win not only the battle, but the war.

If you complete these tests, you will be admitted to the Host of High Home — another wing of the building that is Taeum solely dedicated to the Art of War. Here you will be given your first set of armor, red and gold made just for you, and be told to report to training for at least five days of the week.

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// PART IIB.SEDORUM MOVEBO  

While the streets and buildings might seem claustrophobic, easy enough to assume that this is all there is to see of Sedorum, you’ll quickly find that while the city is knit tightly, it is still incredibly vast and it functions like any city might: there are residences, shops, restaurants and businesses (mostly privately owned), as well as entertainment venues, which include a copious amount of alcohol, hallucinogens and stimulants, as well as opportunities for gambling. Under the red glow that gives Sedorum its nickname, you might as well begin exploring the Red City.

4.0   If you decide to explore the retail and financial sectors of the city, you’ll be met with several microshops set up within the crumbling architecture of the buildings that house them. People in ragged clothing sidle up as you near their wares, looking for new customers to dupe. Most of the items will seem old and worse for wear, as though they’ve been at this song and dance for years without change. Some shops might feature slightly newer items, brought to them through some dealings with Giva, perhaps, or some magic unknown. Fine china with slight nicks at the lip, a beautiful wedding dress long abandoned, a set of old spoons, or an antique doll with matted blonde hair — it isn’t all pretty. Suspicious eyes will watch you as you pass them, some might even swipe at you, looking for a purse to snatch, or a wallet to pilfer if you’re left unattended for long.

If you’re an enterprising individual, you may look at the shops and think: great, an opportunity. Indeed, if you’ve arrived armed with items you’re willing to part with, all you need to do is find a space large enough to set up a shop of your own, a little cart to fill with things from the station or the planets you’ve been to, and try and make some money off of them.

5.0   Or perhaps, if you’re not looking to make a profit, you’ll pay attention to the souls on the streets: how, if you listen carefully, you’ll find many to be whispering the same things:

“This is wrong, just because we couldn’t pay enough for Taeum, why are we doomed to live here and wait so much longer to reincarnate?”

“I only forgot to pay the landlord once, that’s the only thing I did wrong! Why does it make me the same as the murderers and thieves?”

“This isn’t fair. This isn’t fair!”

“We can’t just accept this. Something needs to change!”

But what? At the end of the day, everything in Sedorum remains the same — you’ll find some of the souls turning away as a loudly laughing group beats up someone in their middle; two gangs having a bloody fight in the middle of the Square, uncaring if who they strike is their opponent or an unfortunate passer-by; a young woman crying in front of her stall as all her wares have been smashed to pieces. In Sedorum, there is no law, and those deserving of it live alongside those simply unlucky to have been doomed to this miserable existence.

6.0   Whether you manage to adapt to this new existence in Sedorum or you find yourself despairing at the chaos and lawlessness that you notice with each passing day, you’ll also find a familiar face: V’rizz, now accompanied by another imposing figure beside him. This is Entr’i, the Minister of Arms, dressed in armour black as the deepest night, dark lines tattooed on her cheeks. They often pass through the narrow, winding streets, looking for something — or someone. You might observe that they’ll often instigate fighting within clusters of people, passing weapons forward, or watching for magic as though administering tests, looking for those who can handle themselves. Catch yourself in a similar situation, and V’rizz or Entr’i might invite you for a chat.

The invitation takes you to an unassuming alleyway, where a short series of sharp taps and a glowing drawn symbol hanging in the air for a moment will allow you and V’rizz or Entr’i to enter a doorway that leads deep underground. The stone stairs feel cold under your feet as they take you down until you arrive at a hallway, its deep obsidian walls pulsing faintly with red light.

From there you will be ushered into a large cavern that has been divided into several different arenas: a fighting ring, a space for target practice, and a corner where smiths cobble armour together from what little material they have.

ENTR’I

We may not have the most organised army … but we will make a change. We will force Taeum to let us in. No more division, no more paying your way into luxury and a quicker way back to Giva. If you’re willing to do your part and join us, you will receive instructions here.

She means it, too: if you specialize in combat, you will be given the task of training other souls less versed in the art of fighting with weapons. If you have a sharp mind and you’re used to command, Entr'i will take you to the others in charge of battle strategy. If you're good with your hands, she may direct you to help with making armour, weapons, talismans — anything to help the Sedora rise up … quite, well, literally.

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// PART III.NETWORK  

It is shortly after arrival in your respective realm that you may notice something has gone really wrong with your earpieces. No matter how much you might try to contact those who have not appeared on the same side as you, there is really nothing but static in response. It's easy enough to give way to panic first, assuming that whoever you’re trying to speak to has left the crew like so many others now have — but a little comparing amongst yourselves will make it clear it's only everyone on the other side that can't be reached.

The upside to this is that your communications still function as they should within one realm: so those in Taeum can still use it to speak with others in Taeum, and the same goes for Sedorum. But in order for the mission to succeed, information will need to travel between the two realms … and so the connection must be re-established.

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F Y I

• The events in this log take place during the month of March.

• If you have questions about any of the prompts or the mission in general, please direct them HERE.

• To submit a search request speaking to any NPCs mentioned in the log, trying to overhear conversations, or exploring any specific place during any of the prompts, please do so HERE.

• And finally, have a soundtrack for this log! ♪ ♪ ♪

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Comments

kakashi hatake | naruto | taeum

[shumi]

TAEUM INVICTA

1.0 — SFW

( every room proves to be unique from serene forests to luxurious bedrooms. kakashi visits each one with unflappable indifference, his one visible eye sparing the interior behind the seemingly endless selection of doors a single glance. his hitai-ate has been left back at the station, replaced by a simple black headband. the rest of his outfit is equally dark and plain, perhaps even dull in comparison to the garish fashions common to the inhabitants of this so-called paradise.

admittedly, his mood may be on the side of foul right now, given the unwelcome surprise of a physical erasure he neither sought nor asked for. it takes everything within him not to slip his finger beneath his headband to reconfirm once more that the scar no longer exists there.

pulling open the latest door, he expects to be met by either the sight of nature or settlement again, already prepared to release the handle and continue on his way. instead, what he sees stills him at the entrance as a genuine flicker of surprise widens his eye. after a silent moment, he wordlessly disappears inside.

for those who enter the room following him, they may spot a tuft of silver hair poking out beneath a very large and very animated pile of puppies. yes, that's right. welcome to the room full of pups! how could he possibly resist? lying comfortably in the middle of the floor, kakashi lets these tiny beasts walk and climb all over him as a brief, yet unmistakably delightful laugh emits forth from beneath his mask.

what an unexpected turn in mood, huh? well, he's probably going to be in here for a while. care to join him? )

2.0 — NSFW(?)

( in much higher spirits now, kakashi has taken it upon himself to accompany and/or tag alongside any teammate that crosses his path. it's time to do some quality bonding and swap heartfelt stories while they venture into one room after another. his hands tucked into the pockets of his pants, he is all masked smiles as he lets his companion take the lead. of course, by now, some of the appeal has been lost.

it seems not all of the rooms are used in good taste, which only lends credence to taeum being far less "heavenly" as it likes to present itself to be.

as current company opens the entrance to yet another room, kakashi peers over from behind the door to catch a glimpse of what's happening inside. truthfully, he doesn't need to get a visual to know the theme because the chorus of moans and pants coming from within speak for themselves.

a hand immediately moves to cover his teammate's eyes as he tactfully attempts to navigate them off to the side. ) Nothing you want to see here. ( he is well aware that the debauchery has already been seen, but that isn't the point. ) You just wait out here. I'll see if the orb is inside and then I'll come back with a report. ( has his eye left the scene of entangled bodies yet? no, of course not. are you kidding him? )

WILDCARD

( ooc | feel free to play around with the above prompts! if you want to explore another room or do something different, please go ahead and hit me with it. you can reach me at voicelog or pm if you want to go over ideas or ask a question. )

lol 2.0

[hatejakku]

[ This is another new arrival to the station that Finn doesn't know. Once the man finds him, though, he seems to stick around. Honestly, even though Finn is agitated and angry beyond belief by this place, he can't muster the desire to shoo the other away or try to dampen the clear good mood he's in.

It... helps, honestly. Finn's only angry because he's so damn worried about the other half of the team, and having this man's calmer presence helps him slow down enough to think and really take this place in. He's not going to find the orb by stomping around everywhere (probably).

Thus far, the rooms have been typically idealistic. Sunny fields. Luxurious baths. Several buffets. So when Finn opens this door, it's entirely unexpected. A prude, he is not, and yet he squeaks and begins to turn a dark red as soon as he sees what's happening... right up until he can't see it anymore.

His response to Kakashi's ingenious divide-and-conquer strategy is a gentle flick of his wrist as he shuts the door again. ]

I've got a good feeling it's not in there, actually.

[ Literally. His feelings have become Orb Detectors these days. ]

[shumi]

( he looks... very dejected that finn closed the door, his shoulders falling slack. he wasn't done looking inside.

you know, it wouldn't have hurt to leave it open for a while little longer. )

We can't know that for sure. What if the orb is inside because it knows that no one would enter this room in search of it?

( the orb is probably not inside. he just wants to give finn grief. )

[hatejakku]

[ And it is grief that Finn is given. ]

You... really think no one would want to go in there? Really?

[ Strange. Finn feels like that's the first place a lot of people would flock to. ]

[shumi]

You don't want to go in there.

( he points out without missing a beat. )

—unless you're suggesting that you do want to go inside and I've upset you because I said I would go on my own. In which case, why don't we resolve this by taking a look around inside together? Would that be more acceptable to you?

[hatejakku]

[ Okay, point. He doesn't want to go in there. ]

We- Ah- No.

[ Honestly, he'd probably be up for it if their situation wasn't like this. Either that or mortified. One of those.

Anyway, he sighs. ] Sorry. But you don't need an excuse, you know. The orb probably won't show up for another two weeks, anyway... [ Look at this one, all pessimistic. ]

[shumi]

Is there normally a timetable for when the orbs show up on missions?

( he doesn't actually have any interest in entering the room (at least not right now with current company), so he thinks he's pushed the subject enough for them to move on. offering a lopsided shrug of his shoulder, kakashi resumes walking down the hall, motioning for finn to follow along with the wag of two fingers. )

I'll circle around back to it later. We can explore another room for now.

[hatejakku]

[ Oh, so he WAS just being messed with. Of course. With a little sigh and not a small amount of curiosity, he follows. ]

Not really? It's just the orbs are often so well hidden. On the first mission, it was actually absorbed by a woman. And there was one time where we knew exactly where it was, but it took us forever to actually get to it.

It's just never easy, is what I mean.

2.0

[construing]

[ gwen strikes kakashi's polar opposite in a colorful floral shirtdress and metallic sneakers. she is also his opposite in demeanor. as she starts away from his hand, she pulls a face at his obvious ogling. ]

Don't be gross!

No, he's right, Gwensday, you shouldn't look at this, [ peter chimes in…also staring inside the room.

with a loud noise of disgust, gwen catches the doorknob in a web-line and slams it shut. no way in hell is her hallucination doing this. ]

[shumi]

( he... he was not done with his ogling though.

lowering his gaze to the weblike substance left on the door, he leans forward to examine it. )

That's why I said that I ( he angles his head to look over at her, pointing a finger at himself. ) would go in while you wait out here.

( sounds reasonable, doesn't it? )

[construing]

[ he's done now 😌 ]

Now you'll have to look elsewhere. [ particularly as that door is now webbed shut. oops.

(it will dissolve by itself in a half hour's time. the people inside probably will never even find out.) ]

[shumi]

( that's unfortunate.





oh well~ he'll just have to revisit the room on his own time. )

Where should we take a look at next then? ( isn't he accommodating? isn't he easy to work with? isn't he such an upstanding guy? ✔✔✔ )

[construing]

[ DOUBT

gwen steps away from the horrifying room and looks down the hallway and the multitude of doors that await.



uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh. ]

We're going to have start marking doors.

[shumi]

You can use your web.

( but it would be a waste of resources. most of the doors here are irrelevant, if not straight up silly. )

What is it made out of?

[construing]

[ sadly, it will degrade after half an hour. an hour tops. the one flaw in an otherwise stellar plan, as unlike peter, she has infinite web. 😔 ]

Couldn't tell you. All I know is it uses moisture from the air. Long as there's humidity, I have web.

[ and when shit's arid, she has the web fluid cartridges tony stark made her. pours out some engine oil; for you, tony. ]

1.0

[yuujyou]

[Taeum, which he dubs as creepy heaven, was well... Weird. Having found no clues after checking many rooms, getting many headaches, and seeing one too many naked bodies-- he can safely conclude that creepy heaven was not at all normal.

The last room had him running out at full speed when someone came running at him with glee in their eyes and a weapon he did not want to identify. It made entering a room full of puppies especially jarring, moreso when he accidentally trips over the guy on the floor trying to avoid stepping on the yappy little creatures.

Sorry if he lands on your gut, maybe.]

Whoa--!

[shumi]

( even without the sudden shift in some of the puppies' attention, kakashi already heard someone joining him inside the spacious room. he watches him from beneath his pile, unmoving. it looks like the kid isn't very good at paying attention to his surroundings because he doesn't seem to have noticed him yet.

when ishida trips over him, kakashi quickly replaces himself with one of the many pillows scattered across the room using kawarimi (or the substitution jutsu).

he now stands off to the side with four puppies in his arms as he watches him land. )

You should be more careful. You could have hurt them.

[yuujyou]

[On the one hand, he landed on soft pillows which is great because it would make him feel bad to knee a guy in the gut. On the other, there was a pillow instead of a guy and that took less than a second.

He stares at him in surprise, ignoring the yapping puppies that were surrounding him. He definitely didn't expect that.]

Sorry-- wait, how did you do that?

[shumi]

Did what?

( is he going to pretend he doesn't know what he's talking about? oh yes, he 100% is. )

Oh. ( he glances down at his armful of puppies. ) Do you mean this? ( he scritches a small corgi on the head. ) I just picked them up one by one.

[yuujyou]

This.

[He pats the pillow, refusing to let it go right now. Maybe in a bit, but...]

That was beyond fast reflexes. You switched places with it, didn't you?

[Also casually carrying a puppy off his lap and setting it aside... Before another one takes over. Damn it.]

Oi, I'm not here to play...

[shumi]

Me? ( he points at himself with surprise in his eye. )

You must be mistaken. I've been standing here this whole time. Are you alright? You didn't hit your head, did you?

1.0;

[kovach]

[ the last thing he expects to find when he enters the room is this, not the fully grown man rolling about on the floor as a number of small dogs trample over his body. it's all too easy to give in to the immediate roll of his eyes, just about considering just turning around and stepping back out.

but, truth be told, he's got some intrigue of his own, considering that dogs aren't as common in his world as they once were, a little more of a rarity better afforded to the more wealthy. always a number of strays on the streets, sure, but they're usually caught and sold to make bank. cats are more common and more of his own preference, anyway, on account of their quieter nature.

not that it stops him from stepping further into the room, crouching down to pet the head of a puppy that comes bouncing over his way to try to tackle down his knee. ]

Careful. Let them get too excited and they're gonna piss all over your face.

[shumi]

( kakashi has been observing the man ever since he opened the door. he half-expected him to leave. with a cluster of puppies still scampering all over his body, he props himself up onto his elbows as he regards him with a friendly smile — or at least as friendly as it can be hidden behind a mask. )

Thank you for the tip. Is this coming from personal experience?

( he reaches up to pluck a baby golden retriever that has climbed on top of his head, setting it down on his abdomen instead. )

1.0

[pursuit]

[ After both quickly and firmly establishing to himself anew that he can't lie his way out of a wet paper bag, Deuce has come to the only logical conclusion. That, of course, is simply that he ought to avoid talking to any strangers as much as possible. With that in mind, he all but prowls the halls, looking for a vacant room to hole up in.

And he thinks he finds it when all he can see is an enthusiastic mound of puppies. They look cute and harmless and most importantly they can't ask him about himself, so Deuce ventures further into the room. This seems pretty safe, and maybe he can take the time to try and concoct a better strategy for navigating the population here.

Or, at least, make himself stand out just a little bit less.

So he thinks, until that puppy pile emits what sounds very much like a lighthearted human chuckle, prompting Deuce to stumble back from it with a startled yelp and fall flat on his rear... After which he sees the very obvious presence of the man all those puppies are happily converging upon. ]

Geez, I didn't even see you there...

[shumi]

( that wasn't a very graceful fall, was it?

it is no fault of his own, of course. kakashi is incredibly well-hidden right now, but as he props himself up onto his arms, a couple of the pups slide off of his body. )

It wasn't intentional. I was playing with them.