NOTICE ME DONTACAEL-SENPAI - Printable Version

Two things about Drone Zero-Zero-Four Manager, AKA Jinyi:

One, he did NOT give up. Ever.

Two, despite the first thing, believe it or not, he did learn from his mistakes. It's called a growth mindset, people. So he was in Eridanus again, to reinforce Order's influence again, but this time with backup. Particularly loud, boisterous, and confident backup that no one could miss. If subtlety hadn't worked last time, then--

Well.

Jinyi tilted his head up at Ace with a ghastly grey-and-white grin, though he really didn't need it to see the other Drone. He wanted to give Ace the full benefit of seeing the beautiful countenance of family, after all. "Hope you're ready, Skyreaver. Let's give those Valkhounds a nasty surprise the next time they step foot here." With rather unnecessary (but fun) melodrama, he lifted a foot and stepped down decisively. Ordered magic radiated from its impact, enforcing a dictator's will on the area. The ground crackled as it turned glassy and cold, while the mosses and fern fronds shivered and became clear, fragile, and crystalline. No longer will it be so easy to undo the threads of fungus with their heretic magic, he thought with satisfaction. Their own efforts would be bolstered, while fire and dripping corruption would falter in the face of Order.

Also, it made for a really cool visual effect. Match that, Ace, Jinyi thought with teasing humor. Goading the other Drone into an aura-farming contest, Order edition.

Recruiting the services of a personal detail from the Hive wasn't difficult. First of the requirements was to belong to the Hive as well. The second was to, obviously, know someone who wanted to play the role of bodyguard for the day. Loyalty woven deep into the bones of any member of this great network, naturally potential applicants for such a role weren't in short supply, and that was before factoring in the Drones whose designs practically sang for the possibility of conflict. An opportunity of this sort might as well have been dangling a steak in front of a pack of starving dogs, and the most eager rushed in for the first bite, of course, yapping all the while.

Or bellowing in Ace's case. Not that there was much difference other than volume. Either way, as soon as Jinyi had sent in the request for help, he'd boomed his acceptance, heedless as to whether he did so across appropriate channels or not. The best in Order's currently limited air force, after all, who else was ideal enough to keep an eye on proceedings and swoop to unleash death from above on any mush-brained Chaos clowns idiotic enough to interfere with their work?

Don't dwell too long on the answer. It's an easy one: nobody, that's who. Selecting anyone other than Ace for the job was settling for less, and he said as much. Multiple times until the repetition faded into so much static in the background of any listening Hive member's thoughts.

For his excursion into Eridanus, he was armed and ready, every hooked and stabbing limb tucked close to his body as he flew. Tension coiled in them, waiting for the unsuspecting enemy to lash out at. Or, since he had the time and inclination, they could be incorporated in an elaborate corkscrew maneuver as the soldier plunged towards the nearest tree trunk. He impacted with its side, a roaring meteor, and as he spun, rough bark opened up to a flurry of slashes. A combat expert, not a magical prodigy, no fungus bloomed in these innumerable cuts as was his initial intention. Nevertheless, when he rose into the air again with a final downward claw of his main forelimbs, fangs were bared into a decidedly smug expression.

"Step foot? I'm thinking more along the lines of limp," Ace crowed. "You know, right after I knock the Oily spit out of their mouths and torch their asses."

This last bit he declared with a pointed swish of his tail, its stinger wreathed in cold fire, courtesy of the ring at its base.

While less tolerant Gembound might have been annoyed by Ace's bellowing, mentally and out loud, it put a genuine smile on Jinyi's face. Not only was it reassuring to feel the confidence of his brother beside him (and how could anyone not of the Hive understand what it was like not only to feel someone's confidence through their words and emotions, but also feel the way their physical muscles moved so powerfully and experience the buffeting of wind against scales as they flew through a different set of nerves?), it was also... hilarious. Each time Ace repeated how he was clearly the best and only logical choice for the job, Jinyi smiled a little wider until he chuckled at loud.

Affectionately, don't worry. Only because it put him in a good mood to hear these facts, of course.

"Of course," he agreed with Ace, and when the dragon-Drone slashed his claws in a flurry across bark, Jinyi was quick to fill in the wounds with magic. Though the attack flurry had unfortunately created slashes that held no symmetry or Orderly pattern, they were quickly covered in a layer of Mother's fungus. Thus, both actions became contributions to Order in the end: one to prepare the substrate; one to put on the finishing touches. Then he looked up at Ace again, awaiting the Drone's next action to complement it once again.

The Hive's Praetors always patrolled in pairs. This was exactly why. What was more beautiful than two creatures of Order working in perfect synchrony?

Virosa had not left Eridanus yet, thought it was beginning to realise that managing its infection wasn't a job for one Valkhound, no matter how well equipped. It had enjoyed the solitude, and the lack of competition in regards to food, having settled comfortably into the niche of an apex. But competition was not absent, as its previous encounter with one of the Hive's drones had proven.

Virosa was unlike its brethren. It was not eager to throw itself into the fray. It was delicate animal. So alongside it this time were creatures who weren't so fragile.

It was given time to prepare, thankfully, since this pair clearly weren't interested in stealth. Their boldness seemed earned, considering the size, strength, and style of the stranger by Jinyi. Yes, Virosa is capable of appreciating a beautiful mane on another, regardless of faction.

It hissed to its compatriots before it emerged into the clearing. "I will target the smaller. I've met him once before. He has... Chips, if you want. They are good. Feel nice on teeth."

It stepped forward, in plain view of both drones now. "Hello again!" As it spoke, the oilstone embedded in its tongue glimmered as spores began to settle on its "friend", threatening to take root and burst out of his chitin - just like old times. :)

Eleven never really got along with Agate - or maybe it did and they were both just... Weird. Either way, if left unsupervised for 30 seconds or less, they'd explode into petty violence until someone else dragged them away from each other. It was strangely comforting, but not conducive to a productive workplace environment, so it had been avoiding its sibling for some time.

That, and it knew if it found out about Gravedigger... Eleven wouldn't hear the end of it, and even bringing it up once or twice was enough to send it spiraling. Violently. Also not very productive.

But it liked Agate, sort of. Or maybe it felt it should. So it invited it to Eridanus to kick some ass, and only almost mauled it to death once or twice on the way there.

Eleven wasn't sure why Virosa needed the help, considering it was twice her height, but the fact it did made her feel useful, and she was grateful for that. She was struggling to understand it, though, as a person. She'd met pure Valkhounds before (haha, met) and they had little in common with this one.

Virosa proved her point again. "What?" Completely irrelevant to combat. Why even say it at all. Is it stupid? And why the smaller one? It's not like anyone here can fly.

Sure, let's just wail on the tiny, weird little mannequin-thing until the other flies within reach. Whatever.

It lunged out of the trees, snarling loudly as it surged towards Jinyi to pin him down - feeling a little guilty about ganging up on the smallest drone here.