The Warden leaned back, a throaty chuckle making its way out of its jaws. It glanced at Mirac, remembering what Ace had been boasting about before their fight.
Once there was an opening in the speaking for the Warden to pipe up, it did so, stepping forward.
"Patrol? Patrol!?" Mirac spat. He.... did not know what a patrol was. But, judging by Azrael's words, it was not as fun as a direct assault. Mirac had, admittedly, not been too involved in anything Chaos forge, most days spent in simulation or languishing the fact he was not being used as a weapon against another gembound.
"Mirac AGREES with the LARGE angry RED ONE. If this 'patrol' leads to fights with ORDER, Mirac is happy. But Mirac thinks chaos should only be fighting ORDER. Fighting order is FUN and Vargas says this patrol thing is... "easy'. Mirac does not WANT easy. Mirac wants HARD KILLDEATH ONLY! However....Mirac will go on patrol if Mirac gets to fight ORDER there."
In the back of Mirac's mind, was the slight, yet persistent fear of losing to Order. The visions he'd seen of Order destroying Chaos, leaving worlds static. If the caves were all Order, there would be no one to fight. That would never happen to them, right? Perhaps he could talk Order into only having battles, so no one side won, and they could fight forever. Mirac grumbled to himself. He did not like having a fear. They made things more complex, and complexity was bad. Mirac clapped his jaws, as if he could bite the bad thoughts away.
"AH! Mirac has not INTRODUCED himself!" Mirac's stone hummed feverishly as he pushed it, but it responded readily to his magic. He forced the air to split around him, the pressure around him lessening, causing his already loud voice to become roaring. He split his jaws and began to scream. "Mirac is MIRAC! The one TRUE blade! The BLACK BLADE! Sword of CHAOS! Maker of BLOODSPILLING AND KILLENING!" There was a pause. "Ah...Mirac has run OUT of names. Mirac would like MORE names, if suggestions are had."
"speak" think
V-Corundum-One trotted in at the middle of Vargas's speech, panting a little. She was late--she knew that, oops--but she caught the important stuff, at least. Probably.
When Zoey introduced herself, Corundum found herself quickly rethinking what Vargas had meant. She'd thought he'd meant only the new guys, but it made sense for the rest of them to make themselves known in turn. She'd come up alongside Mirac (she loved that guy) and sat there to catch her breath.
When Azrael spoke of going in and just murdering the Hive, Corundum had to grin and nod her agreement. She didn't get all the beating around the bush that was going on. They had the numbers, surely? Eh. She didn't feel as strongly about it, either, but she'd have loved a good fight just then. Or any time, really. And-
'Mirac AGREES with the LARGE angry RED ONE...'
Corundum flinched. Fuck, he was loud. She edged away a few feet, flattening back her sensitive batlike ears, and grinned (half a grimace, half amused) at him as she waited for him to finish. Once he had, she looked around.
Then she side-eyed Mirac, thought for a moment, and leaned in.
@Mirac (for vis)
She side-eyed Nidhogg as he approached, already noting their physical similarities. When he announced their relation, she believed it easily.
But like, how are you supposed to react to that?
Eleven squinted, examining him further. "You're bald."
Then a different, much smaller iteration of her approached. Eleven was reasonably sure that you could share a father, but her quills still bristled at the challenge (or what sounded like a challenge, anyway.) "Well he's my dad too, asshole."
Whatever retort or response that followed was ignored as her attention snapped back to Vargas. She had bigger fish to fry than whatever this thing's deal was.
Rewards. We want those.
The discussion was steadily drifting further from the original topic. When the others began to quiet, she chimed in (a little too softly.) "I'M. I'm uh, V-Chaos-Eleven. I want to go to Canis. That'd be pretty sweet."
@Nidhogg @V-Agate-One (mentioned)
Vargas spoke a LOT, and it found that it couldn't be bothered to pay attention to all of that. It did catch the most important bits though. That if it went to Canis- wherever that was- and did whatever Vargas wanted it to do, it would get a reward. And the promise of this task being easy only sweetened the deal further.
"I'm-" An conspicuous pause, and an even more conspicuous glance at Vargas, "V-AGATE ONE! And I'm going to Canis TOO!"
@V-Chaos-Eleven @Nidhogg
...Awkward.
Nidhogg hardly heard anything Vargas had said, so distracted was he by the argument between his children. They were arguing over whose father Nidhogg was, and when V-Agate-One swore at him, he drew back, blinking.
Somehow, he felt like he was in trouble.
He hesitated.
He paused, thinking. He was proud of both of them, he realized, but he couldn't really figure out why. Maybe because they were both assholes? Or aggressive, at least? He could appreciate that.
Of course, he had no idea how to properly articulate this.
Was that parenting? He'd never been very good at it.
Oh, but he still had to volunteer himself.
@V-Agate-One and @V-Chaos-Eleven (chatting to both, poorly)
Archon was a little nervous with this many people here. This many, and so many who could bite his head off in a heartbeat. He was holding the handles of his scythes too tightly where they hung at his belt, and he found himself scanning them.
There were so many new faces.
As always, he retreated to "haughty" in the face of his nervousness, tipping his chin up and eyeing Vargas as he called out.
It said something that compared to almost everyone here, Archon was weak. Small. Pale. Soft-skinned.
Compare that to the monstrous form of Zoey, with her pincers, or Labradorite with its intimidating black bulk, or the Warden's whole... thing.
Archon had never played team sports. He'd never stood in a gym, waiting to see (in absolute fear) if he'd be chosen last for one team or another. If he had, he'd have recognized this feeling now: the sweat between palms and hilts, the fear that no one would speak up and say "you can come with us."
He was really feeling like he'd just have to pick a group and tag along--but what if no one accepted him? Well--most of them couldn't fly, so there was that?
Shrike was like a kid in a candy shop.
Or more accurately, a kind of twisted child in a monster factory.
She gazed around in awe, any nervousness she felt at being suddenly a part of such a large gathering almost eclipsed by her excitement. Monsters! Everywhere! In all colors, shapes, and sizes. It was beautiful. It was glorious. And she was pretty sure she was the most beautiful of them, if nothing else.
She gave a nod to The Warden as she was introduced, and for a moment she was at a loss--she felt she should add something, but she didn't know what to say. Shrike cleared her throat, and came up with it a beat later:
There. An overachiever? Maybe, but she felt she owed that to The Warden, at the very least. After she'd spoken, she looked back at Vargas, staring at him--and then to Mirac, when his volume became too much to ignore.
Vargas looked over those present. He'd offered Scion a respectful nod as the other spoke, as if to acknowledge its achievements; then he'd waited for volunteers.
Now he got right back into it, wincing at how damn loud Mirac was, and hoping the sword did not interrupt him.
That was everything--or well, almost everything.
Vargas's head lifted, and he peered off into the distance.
@V-Labradorite-One (and friends) @Scion (Azrael, Warden) @Esther @Mirac @Zoey @Rue @V-Chaos-Thirteen @V-Chaos-Eleven
(specifically addressing V-Agate-One, Warden, Azrael, Mirac)
"OOOO. Sounds like someone's in troouuuble." She sneered, with more contempt than she intended. She totally wasn't just jealous that her sibling had gotten a private talk with a master. Not at all.
They'd go to Canis, walk around for a bit, come back and get freeeeee fucking credit. And if they invited that Weird Naked Ape they wouldn't even have to look, either. Sweetest deal of her life.
"YOU." she barked at Archon. "You can come with. I think." Cue quick glance at Nidhogg for approval.
Regardless, she has it in the bag. EASY MONEY. Canis ahoy!
[exit Eleven]