ZincAboutIt

@TrailRunnin

Lita stopped walking into the cavern, then turned and gave Okame a skeptical look. ”Well,” she said, half-joking. “Why don’t you try some? I mean, it could kill you, but there’s nothing a little Stormlight can’t fix, right?” She knelt down in front of a boulder that was covered in the moss, trying not to get too dazzled by the looping, pulsing green light. Lita looked over to Laurelai. “What do you think this is?” She pointed to the light. @Voidus

Vivica cradled the cup of coffee in her hands, savoring the warmth that spread through her fingers, then took a sip. As always, it was perfect. She stood there for a moment, eyes closed, just tasting it. Full-bodied but not bitter, and so many minute tastes it was like a symphony in her mouth. Vivica smiled, opened her eyes, and took another sip. Sierra seemed to have relaxed a little with the coffee in hand, which was good. This was the best coffee in existence, after all. If this couldn't comfort her, well, the girl might actually be dead. "Right, well, I'm not sure about you, but I feel much better. Just what a brain needs for some thinking, eh? Actually, while we're here, maybe Grey will have an answer to your question. He's awfully clever, always thinking about things." Vivica smiled at Grey, watching as Bennington bobbed over to him and attempted to float into his cup of coffee. She shot the little octopus a warning look, and Bennington drooped a bit but kept himself up around Grey's shoulder. "She wants to know 'Why me?' Or, well, why her, I assume. Not me, that wouldn't make any sense. Sierra's got some big questions - my kinda girl. Once we figure this one out, she'll be asking even better questions like, 'What happens when you give someone two sets of memories?' or 'Can you permanently transplant someone's ability to feel pain into another person?' or 'Can a walrus become a Tin Savant?' The answer to that last one is, unfortunately, yes, and I've been told that we should never replicate that experiment again, but, well, nothing ventured." She gave a little laugh. @Snipexe @Shard of Thought

Vivica's eyes lit up when she saw the coffee machine, and she beamed at Grey. Bennington seemed to share her enthusiasm, swimming three quick loops around Grey's head before floating back down near Vivica's left shoulder. Grey was one of the few denizens who could actually see Bennington - probably due to his telepathy. And he was always so polite. Bennington may have been a hallucination, but that didn't mean he didn't have feelings. Some people had even tried to tell Vivica that Bennington wasn't even real. That was just plain rude. She let out a little squeak of joy, then looked back at Sierra. The young woman had gone rather stiff, looking from Vivica to Grey to the coffee maker with increasing levels of alarm. It was probably the prospect of drinking literally the best coffee ever. Surely, it couldn't be Vivica that had Sierra alarmed. She looked toward Grey, thinking. The man's face was a bit unorthodox, she supposed, covered as it was in grey tentacles. But his one red eye was just so full of character - it couldn't be him. Vivica gently prodded the girl in through the doorway, then shut the door behind them before darting across the breakroom floor. "This is gonna knock your socks off," she said, preparing the coffee in the machine and setting out two cups. Bennington floated above the machine hopefully, but Vivica gave him a little shake of the head. "No, Bennington. Don't you remember the last time you tried coffee? I'm not going looking for you again. There's only so many imaginary Alleys a girl can walk through before she goes crazy! Do you want me to go crazy, Bennington?" She looked over her shoulder with a sheepish grin. "Sorry about him," she said apologetically, then gestured towards Sierra. "Grey, this is Sierra. I found her in one of the outer Alleys - I think she was stabbing someone." Vivica shrugged. "Anyway, I really owe you one, Grey. I think I might be able to make it up to you though. I had the best biscotti idea. I think it could really take this coffee to a whole new level of immersive experience." Vivica poured one cup of coffee, then handed it to Sierra before filling one for herself. She noticed that Grey already had a cup. The lucky duck, in here all day long with this thing. Clever, too. I bet he has to sleep almost as little as I do! @Shard of Thought @Snipexe

"Sierra," Vivica repeated. "That'll be your given name, I imagine. No offense, I mean, it's nice. Quite...nice. Nice and... nice." She kept scribbling as they walked; Vivica had the presence of mind not to try Alleytravelling with Sierra, and she had to admit, it was rather pleasant taking the long way round the place. They walked deeper and deeper into the Alleys proper, and with each step, Vivica felt herself relax more and more. The sky had deepened into its comforting, dark whirl of boiling grey clouds; she gave it a cheerful glance, enjoying that familiar tug on her soul. One day, she might just stare right into it and let the Void snap her up like a delicious piece of shortbread. But first, coffee. They wended their way through Alleys of grey concrete, of cobblestone, of white, clean porcelain tiles, and grimy, wet brick. When they turned another corner into a long hallway resembling a bright, sterile hospital ward, Vivica knew they were getting close. "We had the best coffee maker," Vivica said over her shoulder. "Someone had managed to connect it through dimensions to, quite literally, the best coffee in the multiverse. One of our interns broke it a few weeks back - that was a fun disciplinary hearing. Got lots of good research out of it." She smiled at the memory, lost in thought for a moment, before shaking herself out again. "Oh, right. Anyway, if anyone knows whether or not it's been fixed, it'll be Grey. Sure does love his coffee, and he's got great taste. I wonder if the tentacles increase his palate sensitivity... Hmm. I'll have to ask him." She stopped outside a plain wooden door, then looked at Sierra. "You just sit tight. We'll have coffee in hand and be ready for some real deep discussions in no time flat. Actually, we might even be able to go backwards in time, or stop time, if you want that. Kinda makes me feel queasy but that's all part of the fun. Oh - there's me babbling again." Vivica grinned at Sierra, then rapped two knuckles against the door. "Grey?" She called. "It's Viv. Checking on the coffee machine. Any updates?" @Snipexe @Shard of Thought

Has this been done already? I'm sure it has. And yet:

Laurelai switched off her torch, and the tunnel was suddenly plunged into a far deeper darkness. Lita's highly-sensitive eyes adjusted quickly, the stone around them appearing as it would in twilight - though this light was tinged with green. Laurelai's hand gripped her shoulder in what was surely utter blackness to her eyes, and she moved a little closer as they stepped along. It was almost comical, watching others creep onward blindly while Lita could see quite clearly, but the novelty had long worn off for her. It had been a long time since Lita was victim to utter darkness, but she could imagine well enough. "I don't hear anything up ahead," she whispered, ears straining, taking in the tunnel around her. Of course, that wasn't true - Lita heard plenty. Almost too much. But she heard nothing creeping after them, no breath but their own, no skittering or rustling. It was usually easier to say she heard "nothing." They continued forward, Okame a silent, looming presence beside their two slender forms. Lita dimmed her Tin as much as safety would allow in order to gauge when the others might also be able to see; the green light was getting brighter, though it was still little more than a watery reflection on a few wet stone surfaces. The sounds of dripping water intensified as they moved down the tunnel, the floor running at a steeper incline now. They descended more rapidly here, though the rock remained relatively even - blessedly. Soon, Lita could see what seemed to be the source of the light around another bend to their right. Dimly glowing green light filtered out, lighting the tunnel enough that Lita was pretty sure even Laurelai could see now. Lita stopped, her heartbeat picking up a little, and lifted Laurelai's hand from her shoulder. She felt a smile beginning in the corners of her mouth, a seed that sprouted as she stepped softly down the last bit of the tunnel and peered around the edge, catching a glimpse at something that, perhaps, no one had ever seen before. The cavern was rather small, the ceiling barely fifteen feet high and covered in... Lita took another step forward, almost involuntarily, squinting. What she'd originally taken as stalactites were, in fact, drooping curtains of moss. It covered nearly every surface like emerald curtains, swagged like bunting, bearding the walls and carpeting the floor. Water dripped from the ends of long moss tendrils, which gave off a softly luminous glow. The light almost seemed to pulse, or run like blood through veins, cycling and looping, quick as a rushing river. She looked back into the tunnel, grin wide, and beckoned the other two. "Now this will be a field report worth quoting." @Voidus @Invocation

A little foreshadowing for a conflict coming up... Oh Lita, I haven't forgotten about you 10/27/19: Conflict

Lita listened to Okame pontificate and rolled her eyes at his back. So no one's been here. Good. More secrets for me. And besides, it was hard to gather information on something you had no idea existed. She had to admit, it was a bit surprising that no one else had explored these tunnels, but, well, perhaps someone had. Maybe the knowledge had just gotten lost. Lita had seen the state of the Records Department for herself on more than one occasion - that was a definite possibility. The thought of the Records Department spurred her to take another look at Laurelai. Here in the darkness, the woman wouldn't know Lita was staring; it was a rare opportunity to catch a rather unguarded look at her. She crept along beside Lita, torch angled down, for which Lita was grateful. Their brief stint outside seemed to be serving her well; she'd perked up like a wilted flower set into a glass of clear water since Lita had gotten her out of that stuffy library. Lita had nothing against records work - she'd done enough of Forian's ledger-keeping to know that it held its own sort of power - but there was something special about getting out into the world and catching a secret yourself. Stepping beside Laurelai felt a bit nostalgic, like walking backwards in time half a year. Now that she'd had a little more time to think on it, the distance between them hung in a palpable fog. After the fight with PlasmaCore, they'd staggered out of the ruined Odd Job Tavern and into the nearest Alley, avoiding any severe danger during their Alleytravel by some miracle. Lita had been too preoccupied with her own hangover to wonder about Laurelai. Once she'd cleaned herself up and was capable of keeping down more than broth and her own tears, Mac had come to her with an assignment. Then another. And another. Lita's world had narrowed into one long game of chase, one she'd perfected near the end. There were lulls in the work, times when she'd managed to snag a cup of tea or a quick drink or a chat with Laurelai, but Lita had spent far more time with the other CI field agents and members of Acquisitions. It was an odd thought, that she was more familiar with people like Tanarav or Derrings than with Laurelai, despite the fact that she probably knew more about Lita's life than anyone living on this planet. But did one drunken evening make a friendship? A question nagged at her, and though she shoved it deep into the closet of her mind, the words whispered and cut through anyway. Maybe Laurelai's distance hadn't been mere chance, or an influx of work. So much blood on those hands of yours now, Little Lita. She pushed the thought away, edging her Tin higher, seeking that cool clarity of thought. It washed over her like rain, and with that icy observation came another benefit. "The tunnel bends up ahead," she said, her voice echoing in a quiet sussurus around them. "Hooks to the left. There's some source of light further down - you won't see it. Probably a ways away yet." @Voidus @Invocation

Lita reached out and ran her fingers along the stone to her left, feeling the cold, rough edges brush against her skin. She shivered, then tapped a little heat from her Brassminds. Instantly, the cold air around her became pleasantly neutral, and she relaxed a bit. So, Okame had followed the ACE expedition for a little while? That would prove useful, in all likelihood. She smiled when Laurelai side-stepped the Horneater's questions, glancing over at her in the dark. The little smirk on her face was evident to Lita's enhanced eyes, and she had to hold in a laugh. So far, Lita could see no branches in the tunnel, nor any light filtering in that would suggest other entrances. She kept her hearing focused behind them; if something wanted to sneak up behind their little party, they'd be in for a sharp surprise. "This system is supposedly incredibly complex," Lita said softly, her voice sounding loud in her own ears. "According to that news publication the Scholars have going - and I'm hardly counting that as gospel - the initial exploratory party has gone missing with no word. But they apparently managed to get rather far down." She fell silent again, feeling the air become more still, more quiet - though silence was always relative to a Tineye. Somewhere, she could hear the soft drip of water. Good to know there's water down here, she thought, then slipped her Coin back into a pocket. Even the idea of losing it down some crevasse or mine shaft left her in a cold sweat. There was a part of her that knew she relied too much on that Coin, that she almost revered it. But, well, it was literally a good luck charm - and it had saved her life more than once with its warnings, however cryptic they might be. Good excuses, the voice whispered, cold and soft. But that isn't why you clutch it so tightly. Lita ignored the voice, painting over it with her own. "Do you think anyone else has ever walked here?" She said aloud. "Or are we the first?" @Voidus @Invocation

Lita felt the change in the air the moment she stepped fully into the hole in the earth, Tin allowing her to catch the bare whisper of moisture and mineral chalk that wafted up from the depths. It had grown dark quickly as they descended, though to Lita it seemed barely dim. Behind her, the midday light was almost blinding in comparison; it cut off as they rounded a sharp corner, white sunlight swallowed by rough black stone. She hefted her pack, tightening the straps around her shoulders. They hadn't packed much, but neither of them was stupid enough to descend into an unknown cave without some food, water, and - in Lita's case - metal. Tin would prove invaluable down here, letting her make out details that would be easily missed even with a handheld torch. She fished one out of the pack anyway, then handed it to Laurelai. "Looks like the tunnel slopes downwards for..." Lita squinted, seeing no end to the long, winding path. "For a while. I'll keep an eye out for anything strange. Okame, how far down have you explored?" @Voidus @Invocation

What did you think DOCI stood for? Department of Onion Cutters Incognito

aw thanks. This is probably my favorite thing I've ever drawn

I am so behind on this, so here you all go. I drew a rough draft of this last night in the grip of full loopy delirium, woke up this morning, and refined it. I'm not even sure which prompt this fits, but let's go with "Power." Because if anyone's got power, it's the Stranger. The power to own everyone at karaoke, that is. Edit: nearly forgot to give character cred to that magician of erudition, @Fatebreaker

Vivica blinked at the question, then looked down at the girl's feet. She was wearing skates. "Ooh, those are fancy aren't they?" She said, looking up at Bennington, who swam a few loops in agreement. Vivica ducked back around the corner, hoping the young woman would follow her away from the city, and pondered her question. "'Why you?' That's quite a question. Sounds like philosophy, which isn't usually my department. Hmm..." She rubbed her nose again, then fiddled with the spike in her pocket. "Tell you what," she finally said, turning back to the young woman. "Let's go get some coffee, then we can give that question of yours a real good think, eh? I always like coffee when I'm thinking. Well, I mean, I don't really need it, y'know, because I don't sleep, but it's nice. Warm. Goes great with a biscotti - ooh, now that sounds like something I should really try. I'm thinking almond, and something special in there. What do you think? What sounds good with biscotti? Brass?" A bright, manic grin spread across her mouth as she took the pen out from behind her ear and pulled her notepad back into her hand. She continued whispering as they walked, scribbling furiously. "...yes, yes, Feruchemical Brass, yes, so you could store the heat from your coffee while you were drinking it - perfect. These will be perfect!" She turned again. "Do you have any idea the kind of breakthrough were are nearing here?" Vivica was practically shaking with excitement. "I like you. What did you say your name was? Do you have a name? It's okay if you don't, that sometimes happens. Or you forget your name - that happens too. Not a problem. We can find you a new one! I'm Vivica. At least - I'm pretty sure that's my name. It's what I call myself, and so far everyone else has called me that. So I'm pretty confident." Bennington looked at her reproachfully. "Oh, right," Vivica said, looking a bit sheepish and gesturing to the very empty space above her left ear. "And this is Bennington."

Corette nodded to Allri, then watched her wander back towards the hot springs. A few of the bats roosting in the high shadowed darkness echoed her suggestion with a scattering of "sleep, sleep." The girl had a point; how long had it been since Corette had caught a few hours of rest? She cast another look towards the deep darkness that beckoned out beyond the mist, then towards the epicenter of damp heat that was the stone forest. Rig still stood beside her, his posture tense and alert. He'd added a branch of petrified wood to match his dueling cane - when had he gotten that? "Normally I'd throw caution to the wind here," Corette said softly, "but I wouldn't say 'no' to a nice bath and maybe something to eat. Still a bit rusting cold after my earlier dip, aren't I?" She spared Rig one withering glare. "Before we leave this cave, though, I'd like to take a look at a few of the other walls." She pulled the tablet from her pocket, glancing around quickly to make sure they were relatively isolated, then opened the document cache and scrolled down to Footnote 32. "And then, there's this." Corette held the tablet at her own eye level; if Rig wanted to see, he could rusting well stoop for once in his life. She tapped the line, fingernail clicking on the screen right above the word '[REDACTED]'. "They found something down there, down in that cavern they call The Well. I think whatever they found, that's the reason we're down here. Eight people went missing down here - no word, nothing. And yet the ACE Executive Committee is willing to risk an even larger group?" Corette looked at him, her smile sharp, hungry. "That's the real treasure - what everyone is gunning for. Stancel might be looking to rescue Warrick and the others, but ACE? They want whatever is down in that cavern. And they want it bad." @TrailRunnin ----------- Lita edged a bit closer to Okame and peered at the rock he was indicating, then raised one eyebrow at Laurelai. Go with him? She signed in Alleycant. Division would certainly be useful down there, Gravitation too. The Horneater had proven useful, if a bit erratic, on more than one occasion. It was a bit of a surprise appearance, but, well, he did enjoy his little dramatics. And if someone was going to tag along while Laurelai and Lita did a bit of exploring, Lita figured that she could do worse than a Radiant who could atomize stone and float down sheer drops. Certainly made the threat of a cave-in far less dangerous. She slipped one hand into her pocket and touched her Coin, feeling the cool, heavy metal against her fingers. Lita pulled it out, turning it over and over in her hand as she looked down into the darkness of the caverns. Down into the unknown, where a world of secrets waited for her like a treasure horde. How many times had she walked into the unknown over the last few years? The girl from Elendel, the Lita Attar that had darted through shadowed streets, alone and afraid, fleeing the death that she had caused - that girl was gone. In her place stood someone else, someone keener and sharper, more than just a lookout, or a spy. Had it happened the night of the PlasmaCore incident, when the rain tore through the city in freezing sheets, and she'd burned enough Tin to light the world on fire? She could still feel the steel entering her body, slender and sharp, a violation and a benediction. Had it been then, when the voice of a cruel and cunning god called her up out of the depths of unconsciousness? Or had it begun sooner? Had it been back in her new room behind the blue door, fresh from her interview, the tiny spikes in her forearms still stinging and humming? When a shadow walked through her door as she spun a teaspoon between two fingers - had it been then? When words of gold scrawled themselves across the floor and the walls and the ceiling, or when the deep madness of the Void slithered up into the corners of the world, pooling in the empty well of the Stranger's right eye? Was that when it had begun? Does it matter? The voice in her mind whispered. Lita considered it, then flipped her Coin one more time. She caught it as it fell, bright and gold as the sun, with none of its warmth. The spiked skull grinned up at her, and she grinned back. "It's past time for a little vacation, I think," she said, then looked over to Laurelai. "You ready?" @Voidus

Top use of this format, Ene.

'Bats. Looks harmless,' Allri mouthed to them, her pupils wide with Tin. Corette raised an eyebrow, looking aside towards Rig. If there was anything she'd learned in their time here, it was that nothing in this place was harmless. And a swarm of bats that could mimic human speech posed any number of issues even if they weren't interested in killing anyone. It was certainly harder to share a private conversation with the threat of any number of words being repeated aloud, at random, in a crowded cavern. Pity that so few of us know Alleycant, she thought, but pushed that complaint aside. Such whining was pointless, and besides, she'd rather keep that ace up her sleeve. Corette looked upwards towards the bats lost in the shadows, thinking. It was unlikely they'd be able to hear a whisper, so close communication would probably be safe. The real question was whether or not it was still safe to go off exploring. Almost certainly not, she thought, but that didn't stop her from wanting to. This would be the perfect opportunity to do some snooping, with everyone else distracted and fretting about the bats. Still, she wasn't foolish enough to go alone. If neither Rig nor Allri could be bothered to come, Corette would be marooned in the clearing. She comforted herself with the idea of a hot soak in the springs as possible reparations for missed secrets, though she still ached to go looking around. Standing on the very tips of her toes, Corette turned to Rig and pitched her voice low. Allri would almost-certainly be able to hear her too, with her Tin still on. "Still interested in exploring? Or should we wait it out? I'll admit, the idea of getting eaten alive by a swarm of bats screaming at me with my own voice is less than appealing, and there's plenty of other ways to spend the time. The choice is yours." @I Rashek @TrailRunnin

"This year, Penrod," Rig's voice echoed back to them, once again a nearly-perfect match in timbre and rhythm. The slight dissonance was probably the most unsettling; just enough to set all her hair on end, but not enough for her to doubt that it was Rig speaking. She'd have thought it were him, had she not been staring straight at his mouth. A tiny smile lifted the corner of her mouth. This was a curious thing, to be sure. But where was it? There were enough people milling through the cavern that someone would likely have seen a creature creeping along the ground. Corette lifted her eyes to the trees, searching the branches amidst the wet, humid fog. Then, her gaze travelled up a bit farther, towards the distant, shadowed cavern ceiling. It seemed pitch dark up there to her, but Corette knew someone who might be able to spot anything lurking. She looked to Allri, then pointed first to her eyes, then the ceiling, before mouthing one word. 'Tin?' @I Rashek @TrailRunnin

Corette followed Rig's turn and narrowed her eyes at the sound of her own voice filtering back through the mist - a near match. The uncanny similarity made her roll her shoulders, eager to shake off the skittering feeling of something crawling on her skin. She grimaced. Perhaps this is what has everyone's attention over by the wall? She noticed that the other group had fallen rather silent. Something mimicking our voices? Her first thoughts went to Whisper, but then, the girl had promised to stay out of Corette's business. Another Lightweaver? Something else entirely? Corette locked eyes with Rig, then mouthed 'Say something.' She turned to Allri, putting a finger to her lips, then pointing first to her eyes, then theirs. Eyes on each other. If something was out there, this would be the best way to test it. @TrailRunnin @I Rashek

Corette looked up at Rig, then over at Allri. The rest of the team was still back at the cave wall, though she could no longer see them in the thick, humid mist. The glow from the streaks in Rig's hair and her own cast a tiny, neon halo about them. She felt herself smile. "The first expedition," she said softly, "thought that mural was a legend. A myth, from long ago. They never had reason to think it was a prophecy; it must have taken up a good deal of their attention, analyzing, wondering. They wouldn't have seen the missing piece. But that painting was there before ACE even called the meeting for us. So, where is the other mural? The one about the first expedition?" The soft rushing of the waterfall muffled her voice as she spoke, for which she was grateful. This was a secret she didn't want to share - not yet. "There's plenty of walls in this cavern," she said, blue eyes alight with curiosity. "What better way to discover what happened to poor Sawyer Warrick and his seven doomed colleagues than to have it all spelled out, nice and neat?" She pulled her slender dagger into her hand, then looked over her shoulder. "I'm going to go have a look around, and I could use a pair of Tin eyes and a good Coinshot." Corette turned to Allri. "It should give you some good practice for Seeking, too. I'll be right behind you, but this will be ideal experience for you to venture a bit ahead. A Tineye is a valuable scout, and as a Mistborn you'll want to become accustomed to the limits of your abilities. Are you in?" As she spoke, she gave Rig a significant look, hoping he'd fall back into step with her if Allri went ahead. The mention of that "redacted" discovery itched to be pondered, but she wasn't quite sure where the girl's loyalties lay. If she were part of another guild, she didn't want Allri getting too much out of her teaching. @I Rashek @TrailRunnin

If you simply took this person out of the police force and put them on more of an individualistic path of "justice," it would do a great deal to smooth out some of the edges and issues with this character. Just suggesting. :]

Vivica’s eyes widened. “You mean... you...” She cut off, then shook her head. It was unthinkable that there were people out there who wasted a perfectly ideal opportunity to charge a spike just for the sake of expediency. But this could be her chance to lead someone down the right path - the path of Science. She grinned, then beckoned the young woman with greater urgency this time. “Blessed ovens girl, get in here! I’ve got a baking contest in..hmm.. a day? A week? I dunno. But I’ve got some spare time. Come here. I’ll help you put that stabbing talent to good use.” @Shard of Thought

Vivica watched the young woman stand, taking in the look of her. She was terribly thin - perhaps she’d forgotten to eat for a bit. Vivica did that sometimes; time was a funny thing in the Alleys. She smiled what was surely a reassuring smile, then beckoned her deeper into the Alley. ”Void alive, girl, how can you stand so close to the open like that? So much space, so much sky. Bad for the mind out there. Sunshine, wind.” Vivica wrinkled her nose. ”Come here, you can bring your research,” she pointed to the corpse. “I’ll show you the right points. It’ll be extra easy now - won’t even need to strap them down! That’s always nice, isn’t it Bennington?” She looked up towards the octopus, who wiggled in what appeared to be the affirmative. Vivica rubbed her nose, smearing more red over it. “I’ve got ginger snaps.” @Shard of Thought