Where Giants Have Lease (W/ Manticore, Open)

[attr="class","landfill-scroll"]Crow's curiosity was all but satisfied within the moments that followed. There were still some things, however, that he didn't understand, and though listening seemed to be doing him a fair amount of good, he doubted he'd have as much luck eavesdropping as he would if he confronted them - whoever 'they' were. Suspicion was all he had, but it wasn't enough to determine for sure precisely what was going on.

It was a shame, though, that most people wouldn't take kindly to encountering a solider. He'd likely be attacked within seconds of revealing himself if they were anything like the people he assumed them to be. A civil conversation was out of the question; perhaps he'd be better off beating them to the punch with threats of violence and the like. Then again, he was outnumbered, and he'd no way of knowing the extent of their skill.

Radioing for assistance would have been the wise thing to do, but Crow had never been known for his wisdom. That said, he couldn't stand the majority of the militia - not that he could stand much of anyone - and if he died for his refusal to request help from his comrades, well... so be it.

Getting past the fence was a priority, of course. It would have been easy to simply swim under it, had it not been for the fact that firing his weapon would attract unwanted attention, and though he could always use the ink that had already been laid down, he somehow doubted he could do so without being noticed. Crow supposed he'd have to find another way around. In a place as old as this, it wouldn't surprise him if there was an opening somewhere. He moved briefly away from them, walking carefully along the gate, until, sure enough, he found a decent sized cut in the wire.

Evidently these strangers weren't the first people to come through this kettle in hopes of finding something.

Careful not to make too much noise, he pushed the flimsy wire aside and slipped through it, crouching down on the other side. Now, if he could just get close enough to glimpse them, perhaps he could determine whether or not it was suicide to reveal himself. Approaching at a cautious pace, he stopped when he reached the corner of the old building. Crow could hear their voices from just around the wall. 

Inhaling deeply, he took hold of his octoshot and leaned up against the building, bracing himself. Then, warily, he leaned around the corner just enough that he could glimpse them - his eyes, concealed behind the signature soldier goggles, fell first upon Manticore, her back turned to him as she went about taking apart the remains of a rusty old plane. Her tentacles were a startlingly bright yellow, cyan rings littered throughout, and though the color was incredibly bright, what was more shocking yet was the fact that she was an Octoling, herself. That... he hadn't been expecting.

Then, looking towards the source of the second voice, his gaze passed over Piper, then abruptly locked on - to her legs. In blatant disbelief, his wide-eyed stare continued upward until, finally, it came to a rest upon her head, several feet above his own. Lips parting in shock, his grip loosened subconsciously around his gun and it fell to the ground at his feet, giving a terribly loud clattering noise upon impact.

Crow's realization was immediate. His heart nearly leaped into his throat as a result of the sound, and he cursed harshly under his breath, inwardly scolding himself for being so careless but a part of him still in shock over how absolutely massive Piper was. There wasn't much time to gawk, however, given that he'd just completely revealed his position. "Shit, shit, shit," he hissed, quickly snatching his gun from the ground and retreating again around the corner with his back against the wall, mind racing. So much for planning his approach.

no, I'm not saying I'm sorry

one day, maybe we'll meet again

in which she's frowny over not being the actively-scary one

piper & Crow Osiris

[attr="class","landfill-scroll"]The moment of silence which followed was ample time for his apprehension skyrocket. He felt almost certain he'd end up having to fight them regardless of his efforts to keep things relatively peaceful, and if it came to that, Crow knew it wouldn't last long. He'd likely be dead within seconds.

When the Octoling responded, relief washed over him. He released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Whoever she was, she seemed reasonable enough; he only hoped she would stay that way upon realizing he was a soldier. Though he loathed to lose control over a situation, it seemed he didn't have much of a choice. He'd have to tread carefully and make plainly obvious how much he wasn't a threat to them. Getting answers was his second priority now, the first being to stay alive.

At her mention of how her company seemed to have no interest in fighting, he felt the strangest urge to laugh. That was a real weight off his shoulders, seeing as he'd been significantly more doubtful in his ability to handle her. At the very least now he'd be able to get a good look at her, though perhaps staring wasn't the wisest thing to do at a time like this.

Crow drew a steadying breath, then replied a bit stiffly, albeit more to himself than to his company, feeling at a loss, "... Alright." Then, as he'd said he would, he bent forward and set his weapon on the ground; at least if his hands were empty they'd know he wasn't planning anything, but then there was still the matter of him being a soldier. He certainly wasn't dressed like a civilian. Unfortunately, it didn't seem there was much he could do about it now.

Instead, baring both of his hands before him, he stepped out from behind the wall, then came to a stop a few yards away. "Pacified?" he asked, if not a bit more sarcastically than he'd have liked; hopefully they'd overlook it. In the meantime, he took the opportunity to get a good look at who he was dealing with, given that he'd only glimpsed them beforehand.

Now that the yellow Octoling was facing him, he could clearly see her features, and somehow they only added to her intimidating appearance. The bright yellow and cyan colors felt almost like a warning, even if there wasn't much to be said for her height. Taking notice of the weapon hanging from her belt, he furrowed his brow from behind his goggles, unable to think of where he'd ever seen a gun like that, but what caught him off guard the most was the emblem clipped to her tentacles, though he had to squint a bit to make it out from this distance.

That... he recognized. He'd heard about the organization on his trips to the surface, and there was even talk of them in the underground - in spite of this, he knew very little about them, or even what they stood for. They'd developed a fearsome reputation, though, and he'd certainly never expected to meet one of the members, least of all in a place like this - and an Octoling, no less. Maybe he'd be able to learn a thing or two about them, after all.

Naturally, he neglected to voice the thoughts. Instead, thankful for the fact that his eyes were concealed, he turned his attention to their fairly massive company, a part of him still reeling from the moment he'd glimpsed her before. She was in plain sight now, although she had a surprisingly nervous air about her, and Crow had to force himself not to reveal the awe he felt when looking at her. On top of her height, she was shockingly thin. He wondered just how long she'd been stuck in this kettle. 

It was difficult to tell what, exactly, she was. Her features seemed to resemble that of an Octoling, but they weren't without their similarities to an Inkling's face, either. He'd never seen anything like her before. Doubtlessly she was a hybrid of some kind, but he couldn't help but wonder where she'd come from.

Needless to say, his previous assumptions regarding the pair had been irrevocably and tremendously wrong.

no, I'm not saying I'm sorry

one day, maybe we'll meet again

tensions like cold butter, you could chop it with a knife

piper & Crow Osiris