nysalogs | [OPEN] so he replies, "then how do you manage?"

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[OPEN] so he replies, "then how do you manage?"

Who: Rocket (

beatupgrass) & various others MAYBE EVEN YOU
What: Catch-all for January- quests and other things.
When: ...January.
Where: Wyver, mostly. But with some stuff in the surrounding areas.
Warning(s): None.

𝐚. 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 (𝐜𝐫𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐩)

[Rocket lives in Wyver. He doesn't owe it any loyalty, so naturally when he hears an Olympian is a little bit greedy and fond of paying exorbitant prices for shiny things, his own greed leads him. The crystal drops weren't something he went in on when that creepy shopkeeper because he hates water, but if this dude is gonna pay triple... Well, discomfort only lasts a few seconds.

Rocket is on one of the banks of the streams, suddenly reminded of his horrible fishing excursion when he first arrived on El Nysa. This is easier than fish, though. He has keen eyes and crystals don't move. He just has to wade in and hope he doesn't get all weird from the water on top of getting wet.

Sigh. No time like the present. He huffs an aggravated sigh and wades in, leaning down so his sensitive hands can pad along the stream bed. Weird how this actually feels... pretty normal. Like it's what he's supposed to be doing with his life.

Coming up on him will find a raccoonoid half-submerged in water, feeling along the bottom of the clear streams with his head tilted up with a very focused, intense stare like he's keeping watch for predators. Amazing what some enchanted water will do to your animal hindbrain.]

𝐛. 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 (𝐞𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐬)

[The ruins aren't fucking enchanted or full of water, so Rocket is more eager to deal with the caves than he was with the streams. Though considering his last cave adventures led to getting trapped, he's still hesitant.

The good news is he's an experienced climber, so getting up into places where normal people might not be able to reach and avoiding detection from slumbering creatures is a cakewalk for him. The problem is he's not the only person exploring these caves and hunting for quartz.

Walking deep into the creepy tunnels, you might hear the sound of something moving in the shadows, scratching and hacking at the walls, but there's no human-sized figure to accompany it. That's fine. That's not creepy at all. Don't worry about it.

Or maybe worry about it when a few tiny rocks roll into your path, proving that all that hacking and muttering isn't just your imagination.]

𝐜. 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐲

[Rocket's not picky about getting people together for a good old-fashioned weapon heist. In fact, he probably assembled people based entirely on false pretenses because he thought they'd either be good at heavy lifting or an excellent distraction or both. There's a fifty-fifty chance that the person he's dragged out to intercept these shipments has no idea what he's up to, and that's true in Wyver and Olympia (though in Olympia you got approached by a tiny figure in a cloak- he's not taking chances).

Either way you're here now, in a hiding spot, overlooking weapons being sorted and prepared to be sent out, and Rocket has this greedy look in his eyes that definitely spells nothing good. He's got a plan, and you're a key player, whether intentionally or unwittingly.

𝐝. 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝

[So many of these quests involve stealing and things Rocket is particularly adept at, so he's been working overtime making sure he gets ALL THE SILVER. He's gonna be rich. This particular mission from Cree sounds as easy as anything- he doesn't believe in ghosts and traps are nothing for him. He builds traps. He can disable them easily.

So he's an asset to have around as you head into the unknown. He's also a skeptic, and will tell you as much whenever something spooky happens.] Seriously, though? Ghosts. C'mon, man. The traps are bad enough. They don't have to add ghosts to it.

𝐞. 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐝

[Rocket stays primarily in Wyver, but occasionally ventures into Olympia because he has people he does business with there (he always wears a cloak to cover his face). If you would like a more "day to day" thread with him or need to meet up to discuss things, ask him for a favor, etc. and so forth, you can make your own starter or contact me via PM or over Plurk, and I'll make you something custom.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[It's been well over two months and the Guardians have yet to really pull a proper mission. Sure it feels weird without Drax and Groot there, but they have the addition of Mantis to sort of fill out the team. When he heard from Cree about Evras doing some shady business, he jumped at the chance to do some digging.

And the only people he trusts to help him with this are his friends. Everyone else would need context for his hatred of the bastard.

He's gathered them all together in an alley in Olympia, a makeshift table made out of an old crate in the middle of them and on it are several photographs of the inside of the Institute.] These are archaic as hell, but it's better than nothin'. I had Prompto take 'em when I first heard that Evras was a giant douchebag. I had to make sure my bases were covered.

Good thing too- robotics and animal experimentation? Bastard might as well have been from Half-World. [He grits his teeth and shuffles the photos around.]

Edited 2018-01-09 20:28 (UTC)

[ It's almost a relief when Rocket digs up the job, gives Peter something to do. Wandering around Wyver is all well and good, taking in the sights, meeting new folks – it's fine.

But work is work, and Rocket clearly has a personal stake in this, so why wouldn't Peter help? Plus, putting his shady skills to the test will always be more fun than playing tourist.

As far as mission briefings go? Huddled around a crate in an alleyway isn't even the weirdest place he's done this. (That particular honor goes to a bathroom stall at some alien fast food joint, all because Kraglin was having a giant craving for a burger.) And in all likelihood, this is Peter's first time in Olympia, as far as he remembers. He picks up one of the photographs – something that looks like a nondescript sort of hallway – but he lets out a low whistle. ]

Swanky.

[ Peter drops the photo back on the crate. ]

We know anything about security in there?

[ Of all the things for Rocket to bring forward, this particular job is... not terribly unexpected. Just having a basic concept of the Institute's foul play – in terms of animal experimentation or otherwise – explains a lot about why Rocket's interest.

She doesn't need to pry.

But since he'd given them a heads-up, she'd gone ahead and gleaned what she could about the Institute beforehand, including their protective measures.

(What else is she going to do with her time?)

She looks up from a photograph, vaguely pleased by Prompto's work (as rudimentary as something as printed pictures happens to be). ]

Guard patrols near our areas of interest. Apparently, magical means elsewhere.

[ If they're lucky, that shouldn't be an issue. ]

The Guards should be easy enough to deal with.

I hate magic. [Rocket gives a derisive snort.] If we can just avoid that, then we'll be golden.

[It'll be a good deterrent to keeping him from doing more damage- it's easy to tell that he wants to, because he's a "blow it to hell" kind of guy, but he's already been accused of terrorism in Olympia once. It's probably the only thing that's keeping him from just setting charges in the place after they get their information.

That and Prompto's girlfriend works there. But so what? He doesn't care. Really. What is being nice to your friends?]

Gamora and Mantis can handle the guards, and Quill and me'll get the intel. [He gestures to Mantis who is over there with her listening ears on.] Sound fair?

[ Peter glances over at Mantis, uncertainty in his gaze. Yeah, okay, he’s seen that she can hold her own while the world practically exploded around them, but introducing her to shady shit kind of feels like... Like starting a banana by taking a chunk out of the middle, instead of the end. Like dumping red wine on a brand new shirt. Like trying to tear paper out of a notebook, only for an unruly corner to stay stuck in the metal spiral.

It feels kinda wrong, is what he’s getting at.

Which is why he clears his throat, glancing between Rocket and Gamora. ]

Are we, uh. Are we sure about this? [ And he tilts his head toward Mantis with as much subtlety as he can muster.

(Sorry, Mantis.) ]

[ ... Gamora also looks vaguely skeptical about this arrangement. Not that she doesn't trust Mantis, but she hasn't seen too much of her in action to be completely certain of what she can take on.

Mantis hasn't been neck-deep in this life like the three of them have, but...

Her eyes flicker to Mantis, then back to Peter and Rocket. ]

This shouldn't be too intensive.

[ So maybe... it's a better option than others? ]

[Rocket, on the other hand... Lets a baby tree handle dangerous explosives and commit murder on his watch. He is baffled by this.]

Whaaat? It's fine. She can just put the guards to sleep or something.

[And he breezes past that, eager to show off his planning skills.] Look. Never mind that. [He points to a few of the photos, each one showing a hall from different angles.] There's a side door that leads into here for his assistants and whoever to come and go without havin' to go through the front door. We can sneak in through there.

[ Listen, Groot is a special case, because man, does that kid have some anger issues he desperately needs to vent. And Peter would much rather have Groot take it out on unsuspecting guards or mercs or random pests than the interior of their ship or any of the Guardians’ shins.

Peter spares Mantis one last pensive look, but he concedes that it’ll probably... be fine... and all the better if Gamora is with her. He redirects his attention back to the photographs, tilting his head a little as he examines them. ]

We’re not expecting security at that door? Or, like, badge-readers or anything?

[ Because Peter will happily steal keycards, if he has to.

Hell, he’ll steal fifty, if given half a chance. ]

[ Look, Groot will terrorize an orloni or a bad guy, he's not picky. There's no controlling that tiny angry baby.

Gamora shakes her head, picking up one of the pictures of the side door. ]

No devices on the door or more extensive locks.

[ She offers the photo to Peter, then glances to Rocket. ]

I doubt you two will struggle with breaking in.

[This is... odd. Mantis has never really been part of any sort of planning -- not like this -- and she's mostly just taking it all in. She does not bristle as Peter and Gamora question her involvement, but she does straighten a bit in pride when Rocket takes up for her.

She's been punched in the face before. She can handle a few guards.]

It shouldn't take too long. [She hopes.]

Nah, it'll be fine. That's the one thing great about this planet. Everybody's so primitive it makes doin' work like this easy for us.

[Maybe he's a little cocky, but he's broken out of the most high security prisons in the galaxy- the only thing he's worried about is magic. And if Mantis is here, she can deter the magic-users with her own weird... magic shit.

He swipes a hand over the pictures to shove them back in his bag.] So it's just a simple in-and-out, and then we'll have silver and some dirt on Evras. Best of both worlds.

[He snickers in delight. Maybe he's enjoying this a little too much...]

[ Peter almost looks disappointed by how easy this promises to be, but—

Well. He's been on easier jobs that somehow went fantastically wrong from minute one, so maybe he shouldn't underestimate this one. ]

Alright, then.

[ And he breathes it out on a sigh before his expression hardens a little. ]

Just information retrieval, okay? We snag anything that looks important, but we don't leave a trail. No one gets hurt if they don't have to. Nothing gets blown up.

[ And if Rocket thinks that last bit is aimed at him, it's because it absolutely is. Peter lifts his head, meeting everyone's gaze by turn, though he lands, finally, on Mantis. ]

Everyone good?

[ And unspoken words, there: You can still back out if you want. ]

[Mantis is already nodding along to Peter's instructions before he actually turns to look at her.

Like. Look directly at her and she suddenly understands some of the previous conversation a little bit better. Oh. That's... Well. She gets it if they don't know what she's capable of, or if they don't exactly trust her to do her part of the job. It's not like they've ever actually done this with her before.

It's understandable, really. So she nods once and meets Peter's gaze.] I'm good.

[ Gamora offers little more than a nod of acknowledgement. Even if she does happen to... kill people pretty easily, she's also good with stealth. ]

Don't interfere unnecessarily.

[ And this time, she's looking at Rocket. She understands the temptation to mess with Evras and his work, to sabotage him by any means possible, but—

That's not why they're doing this. ]

[Rocket looks utterly appalled at the suggestion that he would do ANYTHING to jeopardize this very delicate- okay, fine. That doesn't mean he won't react snidely.] I ain't gonna steal his batteries.

[He hops off the crate he was using as a stool so he can be at least somewhat on eye level with the rest of the team.] Institute's this way. [He inclines his head.] Let's get movin'.

[Even with Gamora's warning, he's still rubbing his greedy little hands together. Even information is something, all right?]

[ That’s... not super reassuring, judging by the skeptical look Peter casts Rocket’s back. He shares a glance with Gamora – something that says, “This is definitely going to go ass-end up” – but he hurries after Rocket anyway.

Olympia seems pretty nice, now that Peter has the chance to see it properly. Like, he can see how folks would like it here, but it’s, you know. It’s just kind of fine. It’s whatever. Wyver’s more fun. (Or maybe he’s telling himself that because Olympia isn’t much of an option? Either way.)

The Noble District is exactly what it says on the box – fancy as hell in that sort of way that makes him feel distinctly underdressed and defensive – but Peter’s used to walking around with purpose, like he owns the place. On the rare occasion that any of the rich folks eye them with any amount of ill will (either because they recognize them as Wyver sympathizers or because they don’t appreciate their taste in fashion), Peter only answers with a winning smile and a nod. The Institute is as nice as on the outside as it seemed in the pictures, and now that they’re here, Peter feels that familiar little jolt he gets before a job. ]

Are you guys sure we can just... walk in?

[ that seems... anticlimactic... ]

[ Gamora meets Peter's gaze with a similar look; she trusts Rocket, but, uh, does she really trust Rocket?

Not so much.

She's going to divert to Peter on this one, and hold him personally responsible for keeping Rocket out of things he shouldn't rifle through. Leave no trail, only dig up the necessities, and don't cause a scene.

But off to the Institute they go. The looks they get from the Olympians doesn't slip Gamora's notice, like they know exactly where they hail from – and as much as she feels little personal attachment to Wyver itself, she'd much rather be there than Olympia, nice as it may be.

She stands with the others in front of the Institute's building, glancing over at them. ]

Unless there's a back entrance. We just have to get down that hall. And if they are not given a reason to suspect us until we encounter the guards...

[ She shrugs, as if to say, "easy, right?" ]

[Mantis falls into step behind them all, doing more observing than interacting. They have done this before -- worked together like this -- and she's the odd one out in this case. Her job, beyond helping Gamora with any guards, will be to learn.

And she's okay with that. She needs to learn.

She misses Olympia sometimes, but she's not sure if she misses the place itself or the purpose she had there. When the bomb hit and both Peter and Rocket had been implicated in the attack, Mantis had abandoned her job at the Sanctuary. That job... well, it had been something real that gave her a purpose. She had been helping people. She misses that.

So the looks she's getting set her off-balance a little. It's unpleasant.]

So we just... walk in? [That seems a little too easy.

Then again, this isn't really her thing.]

[Rocket keeps his hood up and moves quickly, though he doesn't stray too far from Peter and Gamora, keeping himself steadily between them at all times so no one notices his furry bare feet or anything familiar about him. He's just a child hanging out with these people. Nothing to see...

The Institute will always make him tense up, no matter how often he's gotten close to it. His hood can hide the scowl, but not the guttural growl that escapes him.]

Promptly just walked in 'cause his girl's a lab assistant. [One day he won't intentionally mangle Prompto's name for kicks, but this is not that day.] So as far as walkin' in, just look like you got personal business. Walk with purpose. Bluff. [He pats Quill's leg.] You're good at that, Quill.

[He adds, without hesitation.] If they don't like it, Mantis can just make them feel more inclined to believe it.

[Okay, so maybe it didn't take him very long to figure out how Mantis's powers can be exploited for great justice. It comes from a place of affection and also pragmatism.]

[ Well, that little growl is concerning, and Peter casts Rocket a wary little glance – though it soon turns into a flat, unimpressed glare for that frankly patronizing assessment.

He's not just good at it. He's fucking awesome at it, and he would thank you all to recognize that, guys.

But soon enough he clicks back into work mode, examining the Institute's entrance then looking back to the others. ]

We'll go two and two. Me and Rocket first, then you two.

[ A pause, then he looks to Mantis. ] Just pretend like you own the place, and act like you're in a hurry. It's easy.

[ And then to Gamora, ] Wait, like, twenty seconds, then head in after us.

[ And with those stellar bits of advice doled out, he nods Rocket toward the building. He straightens, shoulders back and chin up, and moves out of the alleyway they had paused in. Chipperly, ] C'mon, kiddo.

[ Gamora's nod of acknowledgement is short, and she rocks back on her heel, crossing her arms over her chest as she watches Peter and Rocket approach the building – though she does have to resist the urge to press a hand over her eyes when Peter calls Rocket "kiddo." She understands it for practical reasons, but... it also seems provoking in and of itself.

Oh well.

She waits until Peter and Rocket are just about inside, then glances over to Mantis. ]

Let's go.

[ Obviously, she expects Mantis to follow as she trails after the other two. ]

[And Mantis does follow, with only the slightest bit of hesitation. She waits a few beats before speaking.]

Do you want me to try to convince the guards that we are harmless first, or wait to see how they react?

[ A moment of careful consideration, if only because she sees the benefit of both options. ]

If they notice us, convince them. If they make no move at all to approach, leave them be.

[ Because there's no need to interact with the guards if they don't even care about their presence. ]

BLINDED WITH SCIENCE [CLOSED]

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