[Bloodletters ORP] Roadblocks

[Hopefolly]

Kaelyndra

Shia bean

Kimaria

CaliWolfe

Sherlolly

((OOC: Super sorry for the wait, guys. We'll be continuing things as usual, except with a slight change. I'll still be providing a day I'll be posting; however, we will be trying to speed things along a bit more swiftly. On that note, my next post will be Tuesday as long as at least any two people have posted.))

Long she followed the thief, lagging behind and up just enough to stay out of sight. Dwarf bitterns were hardy birds that were known to defend their territory, but she was small for her kind and appeared delicate by comparison. She had only just returned in time to see her entire nest being carried away. At first she couldn't believe it. Absurd! What kind of feline pilfered eggs?

Losing sight of her future children's captor didn't thwart her desire to keep following. She searched as long as it took, stopping to listen or inquire from other birds if they'd seen a solid black lioness carrying a nest. Courtesy of some good samaritans and with a little luck, she'd been led here. No one noticed as she landed on the branch behind Kya.

That was her! The thief!

Sure enough, hidden under a bush to Kya's right was a nest of four eggs. A gift for the Bloodletter, a token of sorrow for having disappointed him. No one beside the two of them knew just how much he had scolded her for trying to sneak into the Infiltrator's territory.

"It wasn't like this when I left," Kya told Ghinjo in regards to the log. She pointedly ignored all others for now, especially Ox.

The bird, meanwhile, became a bundle of ruffled feathers. There was no time to waste.

She opened her beak and called out.

((OOC: It turns out the reason for Kya's absence was to find the Bloodletter's favorite food, eggs. Mama Bird has arrived on the scene, but is she planning to beg for her offspring, preparing to fight against all odds, or is she ready to use her wits?

The next person to post will be playing the role of Mama Bird throughout the rest of the RP and may choose one of the following:

arrow Mama Bird calls down to plea for the safe return of her eggs.

arrow Mama Bird screams down at the crowd and demands the safe return of her nest. Now!

arrow Mama Bird otherwise initiates conversation, perhaps hoping to somehow lure the others away so she can search for her nest. Or maybe strike a deal of some sort?

Please keep in mind the whereabouts of the nest are unknown to anyone but Kya at this time. Also, most importantly, the person playing Mama Bird does not officially own her. She is yours for this RP only, unless otherwise stated at a later time.

You are allowed to reserve a post to be filled in, but please do so promptly.))
 

[Hopefolly]

Kaelyndra

Shia bean

Kimaria

CaliWolfe

Sherlolly

((OOC: Extended to Friday. I'll post sometime in the evening (EST).))  

[Shia bean]

Kalenorava would find no trace of plant debris upon Ox’s ochre coat. It would not be without some form of dirt caked up from the ratel's hovel, but none that would hint to his involvement in Kya's escapades. They spent their time together in agony, most days, which was common knowledge at this point. When she would choose to abandon their posts, which in her defense was not often, he rarely followed and never bothered to ask questions. The leopardess should have known better.

Fortunately, Ox was far too preoccupied by the canine to notice Kalenorava's glance. He listened without the show of doing so, and was brought to the side of their Bloodletter by instinct. It wasn't long before he was sweeping across the crowd again, a constant tallying of the groups numbers to ensure he hadn't missed any newcomers or overlooked any of the original few.

Kya's voice had him pause upon her fretting form while a swell of his chest suggested a sigh of great content would come. From there, however, he would soon be frantic himself in the search for their unknown, unseen intruder.

Ox drew closer to the ratel again, the hairs along his spine rising. She'd gone and done it now. Someone had followed her home!

"Kya, look what you've done!"
 

[Shia bean]

"I will have to insist that all parties involved remain on site." Quaid was quick to challenge Kalenorava from over his shoulder. While the leopardess knew just how to make his blood boil, it was with great constraint that the canine kept his instruction short and political. As if to convince the Bloodletter of this as well, Quaid went on, "The Vigilantes will handle the repair of the bridge immediately. Until a team can be gathered, however, we need all present members to assist in Kya's retrieval. Wouldn't you agr--"

The squeal cut Quaid’s plea short, but it took him seconds to fully acknowledge it’s unfamiliarity.

At first he thought it might have been Kya desperate to return all attention to the wrong that needed swift righting. M’hadox’s drastic change in demeanor, and the words he mustered, implied otherwise. Forced to swivel his head back over a shoulder, Quaid searched the path muddled by foliage behind the black lioness, and the slight clearing in which she occupied, before his shoulders would follow and his gaze would narrow.

Give them back?

He second the inquiry with a simple, "Kya?" tilting his head while the flick and rotate of his ears searched for the shuffling of their intruder.
 

[CaliWolfe]

Mzuka relished in the idea of leaving. Staying thus far was making him agitated and unable to grab his locket he now was all moody and childish looking. That was kind of what he was wanting everyone to think of him anyways but it didn't seem relevant at the time. Mzuka just wanted with his inability to get his personal treasure back; and lack of success upon obtaining new treasures, to scurry on home and sulk about it. Pretend to sulk about it. No, no, actually sulk about it; and then when nobody was looking crawl back here and try to pluck the locket off of the stone it sat nicely on. Seemed like a good plan, he just needed to wait for an opportune moment of escape.

One of Mzuka's cream colored ears tilted forward in surprise as he listen to Quaid speak. Wait, the vigilantes, that meant him didn't it? Oh, oh. He looked around for confirmation of this in a short few seconds but stopped to watch a bird swoop in near. He didn't seem to be concerned at the idea that Kya had lead an intruder back to the cult, what concerned him more was the one line: 'Give them back!' What did the little birdy mean by that? He wondered. What was 'them'. Was them seeds, or a nest? Birds liked those although he could think of a reason for Kya to take either of those.

Or- was it treasure?! Finding new treasure would super improve his mood, even if he did have to part ways with it. And if there was enough of the glimmering trinkets he would take a bit of the treasure for himself. After all, how much treasure did a bird need anyways? He deducted not much and the protective birdy could learn to part with a few extra trinkets on hand. Although what was he to say? He had a whole stash of them somewhere out there. Oh yeah, he turned to the side as if he heard a distance bird call. He'd have to find it again later, because to be complete honest Mzuka couldn't remember entirely the exact location his treasure pile was. Oops.  

[Kaelyndra]

"Ah, yes, so she is," the Bloodletter answered Quaid. His small beady eyes focus on the lioness and he briefly bobs his head. A small hum escapes his mouth when Kalenorava speaks.

"No, no," he tells her, while Luci turns to follow the Infiltrator back into the jungle land. "We still need a replacement log." The ratel's face breaks into a small smile and his tail gives a sudden wiggle. "Your judgement is best for this." The thorns, after all, helped no one if they had to pull their own kind out of the quicksand day after day. Why, they would never be able to get anything done!

No sooner had the Bloodletter assigned them to this task than a small voice butted into his skull.

Please give them back!

The bird's voice may not have been the biggest or loudest, but the small frame from which it came caught Ghinjo's attention. "Well, hello," the Bloodletter greeted her. His small, beady eyes widened and he blinked. It seemed all eyes were on Kya, including his own.

"Let us hear what she has to say." Whether he meant bird or Kya was up to interpretation, and likely, whoever spoke loudest and first.  

[Hopefolly]

((Sorry for the slight delay, everyone. I had to flee the computer last night unexpectedly. The "GM post" will follow this one soon as I've typed it up.))

Kalenorava's interest in Ox, be it justified or foolish, never recovered from Quaid distracting her. She didn't get the chance to turn all the way around. When she faced Quaid again, the whites of her teeth were visible enough to convey subdued annoyance, but nothing truly threatening. Did he think he could force her and hers to stay simply because he insisted?

"Your judgement is best for this."

Woe, she couldn't publicly decry orders from the Bloodletter himself. Even the Infiltrators' reputation couldn't afford a hit like that. She nodded to Luci once more, indicating they were to stay, when what to her busybody ears should sound off but the wails of a distraught bird. Once she'd pinpointed the source of the ruckus and her identity was known, Kalenorava laughed. Not loudly, sort of breathy, but a laugh just the same.

Oh, Kya. What an idiot.

"This is a problem," she said to Quaid. For just this moment, they were equals. Enemy of thy enemy. Or, more accurately, enemy of thy intruder. This feathered menace had heard too much. They'd need to kill her at first opportunity, but how?

They could lure her down with the missing eggs if Kya hadn't eaten them already. Kalenorava would have seen her hiding them if she hadn't been dozing off when the lioness first arrived...
 

[Hopefolly]

Kaelyndra

Shia bean

Kimaria

CaliWolfe

Sherlolly

((OOC: The next post will be Tuesday in the evening (EST) provided at least two people have posted. If two people have not posted, you can assume it's been extended to Thursday.))

The scathing looks and commentary outraged her, but rather than scream at everyone who deserved it, Kya focused her resentment on her favorite lightning rod of hate. "I didn't know!" she hissed at Ox. No details provided. Didn't know the bird was following her? Didn't know there was a bird? Eggs were often abandoned, after all.

Without further ado, she moved to the bush where she'd hidden her gift and tugged the nest out. "I didn't know you were around," she said to the bird, almost apologetic. "I didn't hurt them. Here they are. Come get them."

((Possible outcomes:

arrow The bird flies down from the branch to her nest and is captured by Kya. Her critics rejoice her paw is faster than her brain! Kya then turns and asks the Bloodletter permission to kill the bird. At this point, characters should voice their opposition to the slaughter or declare themselves in favor of it unless they choose to keep silent. Remember, the bird innocent, but it's possible she "knows too much."

arrow The bird does not fly down and remains in the tree. Kya knocks one of the four eggs out of the nest, crushes it with her paw, and tells the bird she will keep destroying them until she comes down. Once again, at this point, characters should voice their opposition to the slaughter or declare themselves in favor of it unless they choose to keep silent.))  

[CaliWolfe]

Wait, it wasn't treasure? No, it was something far more logical, eggs. Humph, so much for his treasure snatching scheme...

The leopon turned his body to face Kya as she dared to hold the bird hostage on the ground. It appeared that the lioness had already wiggled her nail under one of mama bird’s throat feathers in preparation of killing her. He could imagine why, she had flown right into the cult’s super-top-secret-do-not-disturb entranceway. Kya wasn’t about to hear any arguments from Mzuka’s behalf, the stupid bird had gotten herself into this situation. He wanted to keep this place hidden just as much as everybody else did. Oh, and he wasn't particularly happy either. That dulled on his abilities to make judgements.

Still a question that pegged itself into that hybrid's brain and puttered around as he attempted to devour it with a reasonable solution. “Who’s to say she knows anything at all?” He began to speak, not to anyone in particular mind you. Heck, one could say he was even talking to himself at this point. “She might not have even known where she was flying since she was too busy looking for her eggs. If that's the case we're killing someone who doesn't need to be...” His voice faded as he began to consider the slim chance that mama bird did know. If that was the case then she probably should have been disposed of. Even if the ending of innocents lives left a bad taste in his mouth.  

[Kaelyndra]

Luci's ears moved back, pulling a bored, and somewhat annoyed expression across her face. Though she did not speak, her distaste was clear. Feigning looking towards the clouds, Luci gently rolled her eyes.

Ghinjo was far more engaged. His long, overgrown nails, worn with age, worried the dirt in front of him.

"Birds can fly," the black and white lioness finally blurted out, as though this held the answer. And this one, too, was loud. Screaming about eggs; brave enough to follow Kya all the way to their entrance.

The Bloodletter was nodding at Mzuka's words, though it quickly became evident that he did not share their interpretation. "Risky," Ghinjo said out loud. "If she leaves, she will know."

It would not be hard, for the strong of mind, to memorize the pathway back. "Is anyone in need of a ritual sacrifice?" Ghinjo called out, voice upbeat and nonchalant. "There is no use wasting a living body."  

[Hopefolly]

Hopefolly

Kaelyndra

Shia bean

Kimaria

CaliWolfe

Sherlolly

((OOC: The next post will be Thursday in the evening (EST) provided at least two people have posted. If two people have not posted, you can assume it's been extended to Monday.))

"We'll take her." Kalenorava's voice, usually a slow drawl (and a bored one at that), sounded off before anyone else had the chance. Not loud, but loud enough any gathered would have heard the words and the hasty way in which they were spoken. She was certainly intrigued by the prospect.

"She's too small to be any good," Kya protested, keeping the bird pinned all the while. "We should just eat her and be done with it." Waste not, want not. She agreed with Ghinjo on that. But better the bird be a meal than fodder for the leopardess and her minions.