Post by Yol Kxetse - Long Tail on Nov 24, 2014 11:55:53 GMT 8
Child & Others| Rex and the marines quickly hoped off the helicopter to secure the imidite area around them, Rex moved to sit on the edge of the copter and rested himself against the body of it. "You two" he pointed to two of the marines. "Escort the scientists" he ordered, he had his own interest in being here, and only a few of the so called 'marines' and himself were going to get soil and core samples to see if there is any raw minerals on this planet at all.
A long ways away, and about half an hour ago before the helicopter set down into the forest, a few of the children Quixinars were going into the forest with their second in command to learn more about the forest and how it sustains them. Werik was okay, he was mean, but he got his point across easily enough. While he had his back turned, one of the boys looked up to see a bird flying across the sky, he smirked and tried to follow it, his mind compeltely forgetting about Ta'ems warning, or Weriks about staying near him. Soon enough, the bird was gone and the boy looked around himself. "Werik?.." he called out softly, his little heart inside his chest started to beat faster as panic started to set in. "Werik!.." he called out once more before he started to walk in a random direction. -d
[10/10/2014 2:56:36 PM] Keelee Hadland: Levana & the others | Dulce kept a close eye on Levana as she looked around, in absolute awe of her surroundings. She took in every sight, every scent, every rustle of movement... everything. She couldn't believe her eyes. She took out her camera, grabbing photos of everything. She was like a tourist.
Dulce chuckled, going take a couple of leaves off a tree. "Stay close, Levana," she said, "Else I'll have to get you a leash."
Levana smiled and stopped with the camera for a while. She pocketed the slim device and came back to Dulce. "This is so incredible," she murmured, feeling a warm feeling spread through her chest. "It's just... alive. Beautiful. It's - " She stopped herself, frowning. She turned around slowly, trying to listen.
Dulce, who had heard it all before, kept her eyes down at the plant. That is until Levana asked, "Did you hear that?"
"Hmm?" Dulce asked, poking her head up and, seeing nothing, went back to focusing. "Probably a bird."
"No Dulce it... it sounded like a cry for help."
"Okay, you've been watching way too many horror films," Dulce said, but Levana had walked off towards a larger tree, frowning as she got closer. She could have sworn she heard... someone.-d
[10/10/2014 3:01:26 PM] Andrew Daley: Child & others| The child flicked his ears back all the way to his skull. "Werik!.." he called out, sniffing softly, he gripped the small knife he had on him, his voice to human ears would sound like clicks and calls of a wild animal.. But it was actually a child calling out for help from the person he was last with. The child kept on wondering the forest, calling out Weriks name as he walked, hoping that nothing else would hear him as he walked in the direction he picked.. not relising that it was away from his tribes location. -d/fail
[10/10/2014 3:06:34 PM] Keelee Hadland: Levana & the others | Armed with only a camera, Levana stepped quietly through the forest. It was starting to get dark, so she knew it was dangerous, but she couldn't help but be curious as to what the sound was. She stepped forward, walking past the large tree with a white trunk and red leaves, and saw some movement, just ahead. Swallowing, she carefully bent down, and moved aside some ferns, to see two wide ice-blue eyes staring right at her. She gave a start of surprise, wondering whether to run or hold her ground.-d
[10/10/2014 3:09:15 PM] Andrew Daley: Child & others| The child whimpered as he pushed his way though ferns, leaves and bushes. "Mummy!..." he started to call out, tears flowing down his face as he gasped as the fern he was about to move, moved itself to show a humanoid.. he had been apart from his group for half an hour, but it might as well have been a month for the child, as soon as he saw something remotely Quixiarian, he ran up and hugged her leg, crying softly into her long pants, he wanted to go home, and stated so, but he didn't know that the being wouldn't understand him. -d
[10/10/2014 3:13:36 PM] Keelee Hadland: Levana & the others | She was about to scream as the strange grey creature came to her. But she knew what it was. She'd seen photos back on Earth. They were talked about. It was a Quixinar child. Still, the sudden, lightning-speed advance scared her initially, and when it grabbed her leg she was tempted to kick it off and run, but... she felt a wetness against her legs. She heard the sniffles. She hesitated, and bent down, the adult within her taking charge. "Hey, hey," she murmured, carefully putting her arms on the child's, and quickly reminded herself to be gentle. So, she took extra care as she took the child's hands, sitting down. "Hey, it's okay... Are you lost?"-d
[10/10/2014 3:18:04 PM] Andrew Daley: Child & Others| The grunts looked at Dulce as the other one went looking for something, one of them walked over to her and poked his head into the bushes. "Shit.." he groaned and pulled his head out, he saw what it was and walked over to the other guy, telling him what he saw before he started to radio to Rex, saying that they might be back early, that one of the scientists found a child, he knew that would mess with Rex's plans.
The child sniffed and kept crying. "I want to go home!.." he cried and looked at the lady, being a child, he didn't know what a human was.. all he knew that she was different, not understand that she wasn't Quixiarian. "I want.. Home.." he sniffed, not understanding the strange words coming from her mouth, but she was gentle.. and it was all he needed when she put her arms on her, he hugged himself to her waist, wanting back home, with his parents and friends. -d
[10/10/2014 3:24:15 PM] Keelee Hadland: Levana & the others | Levana hesitated, before so gingerly picking up the child, holding him to her body. She was being so careful not to squeeze him too hard. He seemed so fragile in her hands. "Let's see what we can do with you," she said, going towards the rest of the group. She looked at the child, trying not to freak out. His skin was warm, his yellow hair glistening in the last rays of the sun, his eyes wide with tears.
"Levana!" Dulce breathed out as she saw her charge coming back, but she nearly keeled over when she saw what Levana was carrying. She stepped backwards. "Lev... put that down..."
Levana frowned at her. 'That'? "I think he's lost. We should return him."
"How? Levana, believe me, go and put him back where you found him! Before Rex - " Too late. Dulce heard the loud footsteps of the military boss. Fuck. Even if Levana was with him, she didn't think he'd be too happy.-d
[10/10/2014 3:29:40 PM] Andrew Daley: Child & others| The child let himself be picked up by the female, he burried his face into her chest, wanting the world to fade away, or wake up.. something, he just wanted to go home..
Rex frowned as he saw the child in Levana's arms, he started to snarl. "Levana!, Put that down, It's not our responcibility to care for.. for them" he waved his hand at the child and growled, unsure on what else to say, before he knew exactly how to handle this with Levana. "Our relationship with those people are strained as it is, If they find out that we found one of their... Kids, Interacted with it and even touched it, they will throw all negoeations out the window, Go put it back, it will find it's own way home" he growled. -d
[10/10/2014 3:36:42 PM] Keelee Hadland: Levana & the others | Dulce wasn't so sure. She felt bad for the child. "He could be savaged by a predator," she pointed out to Rex.
Levana looked down at the child, stroking the soft hair comfortingly. "Can you speak our language?" she asked but, getting no reply, she took that as a negative. She looked at Rex. "So what, I just put him back?"
Dulce thought for a moment, looking at the leader. "You know we're screwed either way, right? If we put the child back and he gets hurt, its on our head, but if we take the child, they may get angry. But the latter sounds like an easier to deal with situation."-d
[10/10/2014 3:43:25 PM] Andrew Daley: Child & Others| Rex frowned at Dulce before he turned to his girlfriend and shook his head. "No, if we leave it here, we have plauseable deny-ability, We know nothing about this kid, we didn't even see, hear or touch anything that this kid touched" he growled, he wanted this over. "If we hand him over, they will want to know everything we were doing, how we found him and shit, No matter what we tell them, even the truth, they will assume we stole the child or even worse, I can't let that happen" he looked at Levana with hardened eyes, this might break them, but he knew in his mind it was good for humanity. "Levana, I'm ordering you to put that child back where you found it"
The child whimpered with the shouting and loud voices in a language he dind't understand, gripping the females shirt tightly, his ears were pressed against his skull hard, his small tail wrapped around his leg, as if he was trying to get away from the voices. -d
[10/10/2014 3:46:13 PM] Keelee Hadland: Levana & the others | Levana frowned a little at Rex when he spoke to her like that. "I'm sorry," she said, "Are you talking as my boss or my boyfriend?"
Dulce grimaced, and cleared her throat. Okay this was getting personal. "Um, guys?" she asked the military people. "Can we... start packing up the helicopter, it's getting dark and I don't want to be out here when things that can crush our skull are."
Levana felt the child digging into her, and she tried not to show pain as his little talons began to hook into her skin. She looked at Rex. "I don't think I'm going to be able to put him down," she said, not because she didn't want to, only, but because... well, he didn't seem like he was going to let go.-d
[10/10/2014 3:51:32 PM] Andrew Daley: Rex & Child| Rex looked at her and growled. "You know exactly how i'm talking to you.. Doctor, I'm ordering you to put that child down, I don't care if you have to knock it over the head, Put it down, and leave it alone, if you don't, you're on the next ship out of here" he was being deadily serious, even if she was his girlfriend, what he was doing was what he believed to be the best for the human race, at least the ones here.
the child started to shake, crying silently into the females shirt, he was trying not to dig to hard into her skin, he could feel that her skin wasn't made to handle his claws at all. -d
[10/10/2014 3:55:15 PM] Keelee Hadland: Levana & the others | "You know what, that is pretty - oh my fuck, ow!" Levana exclaimed. Some blood had begun to pool around her breast in a semi-circle, seeping through her shirt. She pulled the child off, holding him in front of her, and she saw the reason - the long claws. The child looked so scared. "Rex, he's terrified..."
Dulce sighed, looking back to them. "All right, how about this," she said, coming to be the stopper of the argument. "We just take him back tonight, and return him tomorrow in the light. They are about ten kilometres from here. But it's probably not a good idea to go through the forest now."-d
[10/10/2014 4:15:33 PM] Andrew Daley: Child & Rex| Rex looked at the child and the blood it was drawing, he frowned more at Levana, not even looking at the child, he took a breath and growled and turned away. "Fine!, Find it a bed, and you're sleeping with it" he snapped at Levana. "And grab your crap from my room" he told her as he walked away from the arguement.
The child kept his hold onto the female, even when she moved him a little.. but when the man started to move away, he started to calm down softly, his claws retracting. -d
[10/10/2014 4:52:43 PM] Keelee Hadland: Levana & the others | Levana's face softened at the verbal blow Rex gave her. But she gained strength as he moved away, and she felt the child relaxing. "It's okay," she told him, though he would have no way of understanding her. Just hopefully the soothing tone she used would help.
And then she got an idea. "Dulce!" she hissed, getting the scientist over to her. "Don't we have translators back at base?" She nodded. "Can you get me one when we're back?"
Dulce thought. "I don't know. I can try. But they are kept under tight lock for when the Quixinars do visit." The older woman looked at the younger, giving her a look of sympathy. "I'm sorry... About..."
Levana shook her head, following the rest of the crew back to the helicopter. She couldn't talk about Rex right now.-d
[10/10/2014 4:55:17 PM] Andrew Daley: Child| The child looked up at the female and gave her a small smile, he then pressed his head against her chest, he wanted to go home.. but he was glad that the female was protecting him from the loud voices. Even though his claws had retracted, his ears were still against his skull while Levana moved, he turned his head slightly to see the large metal.. thing, wondering what it was. As soon as the rottors moved, he squeaked and pressed himself against Levana. -s
[10/10/2014 5:00:10 PM] Keelee Hadland: Levana & the others | Levana kept a firm grip on the child, trying to soothe him as the loud machine took off. She gave him a kind smile, trying to let him know that it was all okay.
It was not all okay. Not for a certain someone. Kyoki had been doing some stretches when several of the children her age burst through the thicket of the forest, looking utterly deranged and frightened. She came to her feet, spying the eldest of the children, Werik, looking petrified. She approached him like you would a wild animal - slow, no sudden movements. "What's wrong with you?" she asked.
Werik looked at Kyoki, and opened his mouth before the second-in-command, Yetri, ran past them, looking frightened. Werik took Kyoki by the shoulders and moved her away. "Where's Ta'em?"
Kyoki frowned. "At home. Why?" She looked over to the group. One, two, three... She groaned. "You /lost/ someone?"
"Kxetse ran off, what was I supposed to do?" Werik asked, somewhat haughtily. Kyoki muttered something low under her breath and took off after Yetri, finding him just going through the home's entrance to find Ta'em inside.
Yetri came towards the leader, swallowing. He didn't know how to explain this one. "Uh, Ta'em-ra? May I have a word?"-d
[10/10/2014 5:05:10 PM] Andrew Daley: Child & Ta'em| The child pressed himself tightly, wrapping his tail around her waist when she got closer to the large metal beast.
Ta'em was sitting in his home, infront of the fire, it was the start of the day for them, so he was jsut waking up more while sitting infront of his fire, that was before Werik poked his head inside, he turned his head and blinked at him, not saying anything to him. -d/short
A long ways away, and about half an hour ago before the helicopter set down into the forest, a few of the children Quixinars were going into the forest with their second in command to learn more about the forest and how it sustains them. Werik was okay, he was mean, but he got his point across easily enough. While he had his back turned, one of the boys looked up to see a bird flying across the sky, he smirked and tried to follow it, his mind compeltely forgetting about Ta'ems warning, or Weriks about staying near him. Soon enough, the bird was gone and the boy looked around himself. "Werik?.." he called out softly, his little heart inside his chest started to beat faster as panic started to set in. "Werik!.." he called out once more before he started to walk in a random direction. -d
[10/10/2014 2:56:36 PM] Keelee Hadland: Levana & the others | Dulce kept a close eye on Levana as she looked around, in absolute awe of her surroundings. She took in every sight, every scent, every rustle of movement... everything. She couldn't believe her eyes. She took out her camera, grabbing photos of everything. She was like a tourist.
Dulce chuckled, going take a couple of leaves off a tree. "Stay close, Levana," she said, "Else I'll have to get you a leash."
Levana smiled and stopped with the camera for a while. She pocketed the slim device and came back to Dulce. "This is so incredible," she murmured, feeling a warm feeling spread through her chest. "It's just... alive. Beautiful. It's - " She stopped herself, frowning. She turned around slowly, trying to listen.
Dulce, who had heard it all before, kept her eyes down at the plant. That is until Levana asked, "Did you hear that?"
"Hmm?" Dulce asked, poking her head up and, seeing nothing, went back to focusing. "Probably a bird."
"No Dulce it... it sounded like a cry for help."
"Okay, you've been watching way too many horror films," Dulce said, but Levana had walked off towards a larger tree, frowning as she got closer. She could have sworn she heard... someone.-d
[10/10/2014 3:01:26 PM] Andrew Daley: Child & others| The child flicked his ears back all the way to his skull. "Werik!.." he called out, sniffing softly, he gripped the small knife he had on him, his voice to human ears would sound like clicks and calls of a wild animal.. But it was actually a child calling out for help from the person he was last with. The child kept on wondering the forest, calling out Weriks name as he walked, hoping that nothing else would hear him as he walked in the direction he picked.. not relising that it was away from his tribes location. -d/fail
[10/10/2014 3:06:34 PM] Keelee Hadland: Levana & the others | Armed with only a camera, Levana stepped quietly through the forest. It was starting to get dark, so she knew it was dangerous, but she couldn't help but be curious as to what the sound was. She stepped forward, walking past the large tree with a white trunk and red leaves, and saw some movement, just ahead. Swallowing, she carefully bent down, and moved aside some ferns, to see two wide ice-blue eyes staring right at her. She gave a start of surprise, wondering whether to run or hold her ground.-d
[10/10/2014 3:09:15 PM] Andrew Daley: Child & others| The child whimpered as he pushed his way though ferns, leaves and bushes. "Mummy!..." he started to call out, tears flowing down his face as he gasped as the fern he was about to move, moved itself to show a humanoid.. he had been apart from his group for half an hour, but it might as well have been a month for the child, as soon as he saw something remotely Quixiarian, he ran up and hugged her leg, crying softly into her long pants, he wanted to go home, and stated so, but he didn't know that the being wouldn't understand him. -d
[10/10/2014 3:13:36 PM] Keelee Hadland: Levana & the others | She was about to scream as the strange grey creature came to her. But she knew what it was. She'd seen photos back on Earth. They were talked about. It was a Quixinar child. Still, the sudden, lightning-speed advance scared her initially, and when it grabbed her leg she was tempted to kick it off and run, but... she felt a wetness against her legs. She heard the sniffles. She hesitated, and bent down, the adult within her taking charge. "Hey, hey," she murmured, carefully putting her arms on the child's, and quickly reminded herself to be gentle. So, she took extra care as she took the child's hands, sitting down. "Hey, it's okay... Are you lost?"-d
[10/10/2014 3:18:04 PM] Andrew Daley: Child & Others| The grunts looked at Dulce as the other one went looking for something, one of them walked over to her and poked his head into the bushes. "Shit.." he groaned and pulled his head out, he saw what it was and walked over to the other guy, telling him what he saw before he started to radio to Rex, saying that they might be back early, that one of the scientists found a child, he knew that would mess with Rex's plans.
The child sniffed and kept crying. "I want to go home!.." he cried and looked at the lady, being a child, he didn't know what a human was.. all he knew that she was different, not understand that she wasn't Quixiarian. "I want.. Home.." he sniffed, not understanding the strange words coming from her mouth, but she was gentle.. and it was all he needed when she put her arms on her, he hugged himself to her waist, wanting back home, with his parents and friends. -d
[10/10/2014 3:24:15 PM] Keelee Hadland: Levana & the others | Levana hesitated, before so gingerly picking up the child, holding him to her body. She was being so careful not to squeeze him too hard. He seemed so fragile in her hands. "Let's see what we can do with you," she said, going towards the rest of the group. She looked at the child, trying not to freak out. His skin was warm, his yellow hair glistening in the last rays of the sun, his eyes wide with tears.
"Levana!" Dulce breathed out as she saw her charge coming back, but she nearly keeled over when she saw what Levana was carrying. She stepped backwards. "Lev... put that down..."
Levana frowned at her. 'That'? "I think he's lost. We should return him."
"How? Levana, believe me, go and put him back where you found him! Before Rex - " Too late. Dulce heard the loud footsteps of the military boss. Fuck. Even if Levana was with him, she didn't think he'd be too happy.-d
[10/10/2014 3:29:40 PM] Andrew Daley: Child & others| The child let himself be picked up by the female, he burried his face into her chest, wanting the world to fade away, or wake up.. something, he just wanted to go home..
Rex frowned as he saw the child in Levana's arms, he started to snarl. "Levana!, Put that down, It's not our responcibility to care for.. for them" he waved his hand at the child and growled, unsure on what else to say, before he knew exactly how to handle this with Levana. "Our relationship with those people are strained as it is, If they find out that we found one of their... Kids, Interacted with it and even touched it, they will throw all negoeations out the window, Go put it back, it will find it's own way home" he growled. -d
[10/10/2014 3:36:42 PM] Keelee Hadland: Levana & the others | Dulce wasn't so sure. She felt bad for the child. "He could be savaged by a predator," she pointed out to Rex.
Levana looked down at the child, stroking the soft hair comfortingly. "Can you speak our language?" she asked but, getting no reply, she took that as a negative. She looked at Rex. "So what, I just put him back?"
Dulce thought for a moment, looking at the leader. "You know we're screwed either way, right? If we put the child back and he gets hurt, its on our head, but if we take the child, they may get angry. But the latter sounds like an easier to deal with situation."-d
[10/10/2014 3:43:25 PM] Andrew Daley: Child & Others| Rex frowned at Dulce before he turned to his girlfriend and shook his head. "No, if we leave it here, we have plauseable deny-ability, We know nothing about this kid, we didn't even see, hear or touch anything that this kid touched" he growled, he wanted this over. "If we hand him over, they will want to know everything we were doing, how we found him and shit, No matter what we tell them, even the truth, they will assume we stole the child or even worse, I can't let that happen" he looked at Levana with hardened eyes, this might break them, but he knew in his mind it was good for humanity. "Levana, I'm ordering you to put that child back where you found it"
The child whimpered with the shouting and loud voices in a language he dind't understand, gripping the females shirt tightly, his ears were pressed against his skull hard, his small tail wrapped around his leg, as if he was trying to get away from the voices. -d
[10/10/2014 3:46:13 PM] Keelee Hadland: Levana & the others | Levana frowned a little at Rex when he spoke to her like that. "I'm sorry," she said, "Are you talking as my boss or my boyfriend?"
Dulce grimaced, and cleared her throat. Okay this was getting personal. "Um, guys?" she asked the military people. "Can we... start packing up the helicopter, it's getting dark and I don't want to be out here when things that can crush our skull are."
Levana felt the child digging into her, and she tried not to show pain as his little talons began to hook into her skin. She looked at Rex. "I don't think I'm going to be able to put him down," she said, not because she didn't want to, only, but because... well, he didn't seem like he was going to let go.-d
[10/10/2014 3:51:32 PM] Andrew Daley: Rex & Child| Rex looked at her and growled. "You know exactly how i'm talking to you.. Doctor, I'm ordering you to put that child down, I don't care if you have to knock it over the head, Put it down, and leave it alone, if you don't, you're on the next ship out of here" he was being deadily serious, even if she was his girlfriend, what he was doing was what he believed to be the best for the human race, at least the ones here.
the child started to shake, crying silently into the females shirt, he was trying not to dig to hard into her skin, he could feel that her skin wasn't made to handle his claws at all. -d
[10/10/2014 3:55:15 PM] Keelee Hadland: Levana & the others | "You know what, that is pretty - oh my fuck, ow!" Levana exclaimed. Some blood had begun to pool around her breast in a semi-circle, seeping through her shirt. She pulled the child off, holding him in front of her, and she saw the reason - the long claws. The child looked so scared. "Rex, he's terrified..."
Dulce sighed, looking back to them. "All right, how about this," she said, coming to be the stopper of the argument. "We just take him back tonight, and return him tomorrow in the light. They are about ten kilometres from here. But it's probably not a good idea to go through the forest now."-d
[10/10/2014 4:15:33 PM] Andrew Daley: Child & Rex| Rex looked at the child and the blood it was drawing, he frowned more at Levana, not even looking at the child, he took a breath and growled and turned away. "Fine!, Find it a bed, and you're sleeping with it" he snapped at Levana. "And grab your crap from my room" he told her as he walked away from the arguement.
The child kept his hold onto the female, even when she moved him a little.. but when the man started to move away, he started to calm down softly, his claws retracting. -d
[10/10/2014 4:52:43 PM] Keelee Hadland: Levana & the others | Levana's face softened at the verbal blow Rex gave her. But she gained strength as he moved away, and she felt the child relaxing. "It's okay," she told him, though he would have no way of understanding her. Just hopefully the soothing tone she used would help.
And then she got an idea. "Dulce!" she hissed, getting the scientist over to her. "Don't we have translators back at base?" She nodded. "Can you get me one when we're back?"
Dulce thought. "I don't know. I can try. But they are kept under tight lock for when the Quixinars do visit." The older woman looked at the younger, giving her a look of sympathy. "I'm sorry... About..."
Levana shook her head, following the rest of the crew back to the helicopter. She couldn't talk about Rex right now.-d
[10/10/2014 4:55:17 PM] Andrew Daley: Child| The child looked up at the female and gave her a small smile, he then pressed his head against her chest, he wanted to go home.. but he was glad that the female was protecting him from the loud voices. Even though his claws had retracted, his ears were still against his skull while Levana moved, he turned his head slightly to see the large metal.. thing, wondering what it was. As soon as the rottors moved, he squeaked and pressed himself against Levana. -s
[10/10/2014 5:00:10 PM] Keelee Hadland: Levana & the others | Levana kept a firm grip on the child, trying to soothe him as the loud machine took off. She gave him a kind smile, trying to let him know that it was all okay.
It was not all okay. Not for a certain someone. Kyoki had been doing some stretches when several of the children her age burst through the thicket of the forest, looking utterly deranged and frightened. She came to her feet, spying the eldest of the children, Werik, looking petrified. She approached him like you would a wild animal - slow, no sudden movements. "What's wrong with you?" she asked.
Werik looked at Kyoki, and opened his mouth before the second-in-command, Yetri, ran past them, looking frightened. Werik took Kyoki by the shoulders and moved her away. "Where's Ta'em?"
Kyoki frowned. "At home. Why?" She looked over to the group. One, two, three... She groaned. "You /lost/ someone?"
"Kxetse ran off, what was I supposed to do?" Werik asked, somewhat haughtily. Kyoki muttered something low under her breath and took off after Yetri, finding him just going through the home's entrance to find Ta'em inside.
Yetri came towards the leader, swallowing. He didn't know how to explain this one. "Uh, Ta'em-ra? May I have a word?"-d
[10/10/2014 5:05:10 PM] Andrew Daley: Child & Ta'em| The child pressed himself tightly, wrapping his tail around her waist when she got closer to the large metal beast.
Ta'em was sitting in his home, infront of the fire, it was the start of the day for them, so he was jsut waking up more while sitting infront of his fire, that was before Werik poked his head inside, he turned his head and blinked at him, not saying anything to him. -d/short