Solanine shook his head. "I'm not really an explorer, don't go on gathering trips very much--but no, I've never seen anything like it in our Hoard. But I guess maybe that's why this is the Experimental Ore Department?"
Which meant that.... that ore was some secret project, and quite valuable. Solanine's eyes got quite wide as he boggled at Orkan. "Ah, maybe you shouldn't be so... Maybe be a little careful with that, yeah?" Solanine was a gossip and notoriously curious, but he was no thief, and for all his clumsiness didn't want to see anything broken. Not if there was a chance the cost of it might come out of his paycheck!
Solanine shook his head. "I'm not really an explorer, don't go on gathering trips very much--but no, I've never seen anything like it in our Hoard. But I guess maybe that's why this is the Experimental Ore Department?"
Which meant that.... that ore was some secret project, and quite valuable. Solanine's eyes got quite wide as he boggled at Orkan. "Ah, maybe you shouldn't be so... Maybe be a little careful with that, yeah?" Solanine was a gossip and notoriously curious, but he was no thief, and for all his clumsiness didn't want to see anything broken. Not if there was a chance the cost of it might come out of his paycheck!
Sunstreak considered this. She was far from a master of subterfuge, but she couldn't really argue with Umber's reasoning. "I guess," she said, you should take one half of the room, and I can take the other. Start with the most suspicious dragons first, so they don't have time to get rid of anything, and go from there."
But who was the most suspicious? Sunstreak looked around.
Zephyran would have to be searched because he'd been helping her and had shown so much interest in finding things. (And similarly, she realized with an amount of distaste, so would she.) Solanine, for sure: if his hands were as grabby as his mouth was blabby, he couldn't be trusted with anything. And what of the groups of questionable strangers, like that dragon Umber had been speaking with before, and the skydancer with him, or the trio hanging in the corner? There was also the female skydancer still near one of the nurses. None of them had any business to be here, as far as Sunstreak was concerned, and to her that made them a priority.
"Where do you think we should start?"
Sunstreak considered this. She was far from a master of subterfuge, but she couldn't really argue with Umber's reasoning. "I guess," she said, you should take one half of the room, and I can take the other. Start with the most suspicious dragons first, so they don't have time to get rid of anything, and go from there."
But who was the most suspicious? Sunstreak looked around.
Zephyran would have to be searched because he'd been helping her and had shown so much interest in finding things. (And similarly, she realized with an amount of distaste, so would she.) Solanine, for sure: if his hands were as grabby as his mouth was blabby, he couldn't be trusted with anything. And what of the groups of questionable strangers, like that dragon Umber had been speaking with before, and the skydancer with him, or the trio hanging in the corner? There was also the female skydancer still near one of the nurses. None of them had any business to be here, as far as Sunstreak was concerned, and to her that made them a priority.
"Where do you think we should start?"
Zarya twitched her wings as she watched the dragons calm and mingle with the return on the light. Well, she wasn't going to get much done here, was she.
"Excuse me," she said to Neptune, stepping around the dragon and getting closer to the center of the room. Where was someone she could - aha!
Target spotted, Zarya made her way over to Solanine. "Getting in the middle of things as usual, are we?" she asked, slightly amused despite herself. Most people didn't care for the little spiral, but she found him useful.
Zarya twitched her wings as she watched the dragons calm and mingle with the return on the light. Well, she wasn't going to get much done here, was she.
"Excuse me," she said to Neptune, stepping around the dragon and getting closer to the center of the room. Where was someone she could - aha!
Target spotted, Zarya made her way over to Solanine. "Getting in the middle of things as usual, are we?" she asked, slightly amused despite herself. Most people didn't care for the little spiral, but she found him useful.
"With each other. If we're going to work together, we need some level of trust and I think that it would be a good first step." Umber said. "You can search me first if it would make you more comfortable." He added, remembering Sunstreak's nervous reaction to him when they first spoke. Considering how jumpy she was, the best chance of any secrecy was to make her feel as safe as possible.
"With each other. If we're going to work together, we need some level of trust and I think that it would be a good first step." Umber said. "You can search me first if it would make you more comfortable." He added, remembering Sunstreak's nervous reaction to him when they first spoke. Considering how jumpy she was, the best chance of any secrecy was to make her feel as safe as possible.
The blackout had shaken Midorinade badly, and she immediately tensed violently as the other dragons in the room started to shift around in the darkness. She could not afford to be injured - her clan depended on her guidance! So she kept her ears open and shifted around whenever she could sense someone moving towards her.
Blinking sharply as the light flooded back in, she sighed. This was turning into a complete circus. Who on earth kept fiddling with the electricity?
"Will this nightmare ever end...." she murmured to herself, looking forlornly over at the elevator.
The blackout had shaken Midorinade badly, and she immediately tensed violently as the other dragons in the room started to shift around in the darkness. She could not afford to be injured - her clan depended on her guidance! So she kept her ears open and shifted around whenever she could sense someone moving towards her.
Blinking sharply as the light flooded back in, she sighed. This was turning into a complete circus. Who on earth kept fiddling with the electricity?
"Will this nightmare ever end...." she murmured to herself, looking forlornly over at the elevator.
(( I will respond to these tags right after I've showered :) thanks for your patience guys ))
(( I will respond to these tags right after I've showered :) thanks for your patience guys ))
Solanine's body--previously curled into it's usual series of loops, went quite nearly straight with surprise. "Z-Zarya!" He hadn't seen her before now, and was quite shocked."Zarya! What're you doing here?" And what was she doing here? Solanine had been trying for days to try to get a little bit of information for her about the much-rumored new ore (the same ore that Orkan now held in his claws, or so Solanine suspected) but he hadn't thought she'd show up herself to try to get it. Was that why she was here? --Could there be another reason?
Solanine's body--previously curled into it's usual series of loops, went quite nearly straight with surprise. "Z-Zarya!" He hadn't seen her before now, and was quite shocked."Zarya! What're you doing here?" And what was she doing here? Solanine had been trying for days to try to get a little bit of information for her about the much-rumored new ore (the same ore that Orkan now held in his claws, or so Solanine suspected) but he hadn't thought she'd show up herself to try to get it. Was that why she was here? --Could there be another reason?
Sunstreak nodded her acceptance. "Very well. If I may." Stiffly, but tying not to be too obvious about what she was doing, Zarya quickly searched Umber's things.
(( You may choose whether or not Sunstreak finds anything of importance or suspicion on him; I presume that she will probably not, but it's up to you. ))
Sunstreak nodded her acceptance. "Very well. If I may." Stiffly, but tying not to be too obvious about what she was doing, Zarya quickly searched Umber's things.
(( You may choose whether or not Sunstreak finds anything of importance or suspicion on him; I presume that she will probably not, but it's up to you. ))
"There, there," Epithumia said soothingly. Or, well, he was trying for soothing; it probably came across as patronizing.
Inti, who was nearby and hovering over his two-way radio, looked up from the device. "Have somewhere you gotta be?"
"There, there," Epithumia said soothingly. Or, well, he was trying for soothing; it probably came across as patronizing.
Inti, who was nearby and hovering over his two-way radio, looked up from the device. "Have somewhere you gotta be?"
Midorinade flicked her gaze over to Inti, returning her expression to her regular cold, neutral gaze. She didn't like that question.
"Can you blame me for wanting to get out of here? Between the corpse of a murder victim and the unreliable lighting, this is beginning to resemble some sort of hellish dream. The sooner the elevator is repaired, the better."
Ugh, what if the body started to rot? In this horridly enclosed space it would give off an odour that would make the Plaguebringer retch. Grimacing, Midorinade tightened her claws around her left arm once again, falling silent.
Midorinade flicked her gaze over to Inti, returning her expression to her regular cold, neutral gaze. She didn't like that question.
"Can you blame me for wanting to get out of here? Between the corpse of a murder victim and the unreliable lighting, this is beginning to resemble some sort of hellish dream. The sooner the elevator is repaired, the better."
Ugh, what if the body started to rot? In this horridly enclosed space it would give off an odour that would make the Plaguebringer retch. Grimacing, Midorinade tightened her claws around her left arm once again, falling silent.
