[Tuco's head twitches in Belloq's direction, the corners of his mouth sloping down dramatically. Quicker than you can say, "Tuco, don't bring religion into this," his hand is shooting up, then sideways in an awkward criss-cross of a gesture. He doesn't quite manage to finish the motion though; the sudden tap on his arm causes him to freeze for a moment, but then he's bobbing his head, both arms dropping back to his sides.]
Block off dark places. [He repeats, but he's soon back to frowning again. With Niko's last comment he can feel the back of his neck prickling. He knows why, too: if the creepers came back, then why not the dead?
He clears his throat, mock-casual, before glancing back at Belloq and chipping in a strained:] And maybe some questions are better left unanswered, huh? You ever think about that?
[They make enough noise scuttling around, and they don't explode. Creepers, on the other hand? Boone doesn't fancy their chances much against something that moves silently until it's ready to blow, especially if there's a whole bunch of them. Better that they keep those things out of the picture where they can.
As they move ahead, Boone remembers what Niko said about traps and keeps an eye out for those, too. He's not entirely sure what traps could be in here, but back home you had to be careful of tripwires and pressure plates in some places, so that's what he's looking for.]
And with whatever bodies may be buried in this structure, if there are any.
[He casts an almost fond look at le petit mexicain, amused by the familiarity of the aborted gestured.]
It's my mission to seek out the unanswered questions. I would look upon the face of God Himself, if I were able, and ask of Him every question I could. But I have explored many tombs and seen many strange things, and have never seen a vengeful spirit or the dead rising. Such power lies only with God.
Well, you two have nothing to worry about. From what I hear? The only god on this planet uses bows and arrows so when he wants vengeance you would be sure pretty quick. [As he plants more torches, it's more obvious that they're running into carved wall blocks/large stone tiles on the floor.]
If you notice any movement under your feet or if run into anything to thick for web, run five paces back. [Not blindly out of the temple or into the arms of a spider kicking and screaming. Legs. Limbs. Parts of a spider.]
[Tuco's nose scrunches up, his expression one of great and grand disapproval. There's plenty he could say, but his pride is enough that he'd sooner not be named a coward.
Instead, eyes lazily tracking Niko's hands, he asks:] So what exactly're we looking for? [Below, as to remind himself of what a lack of movement feels like, he busies himself by grinding a heel into the stone beneath him. He's not refering to the potential traps, however; his head is already moving several unsteady steps ahead.] It could be something big, right?
I dunno. Never been inside one of these things before. What do you guys think?
[His eyes are on their surroundings, but the question is obviously for Niko and Belloq. They both have more experience up their sleeves where temples are concerned.]
I've never been inside a temple on this planet, but on Earth...big, yes. I've seen a twenty foot gold and ivory statue hidden away in a forgotten sanctuary. People of all cultures tend to store very nice things the houses of their gods.
[His eyes glitter as if he's seeing that gold in his mind's eye right now.]
Some of these places are raided by ah... the Orions. They trade in artifacts. So unless there are a lot of traps, some of these places are already raided.
[Niko raises his light, aiming it down the corridor. There's an old spider carcass off to the side and a chest on a pedestal at the very end, but from here it's hard to make out what it is. The light's very dim.]
Suddenly one hundred thousand dollars sounds paltry at best. Tuco can't even think how much something like that must be worth. The very idea of it is beyond his comprehension, and he's left standing, stupefied while Niko goes on ahead, chipping in with some of his usual brand of pessimism.
As the light spreads down the corridor, Tuco squints, eyes falling straight on the spider. His fingers automatically twitch to the butt of his pistol, but he doesn't actually go as far as raising it.]
It's dead?
[If that's meant to be a question, he doesn't actually wait for an answer. He's already edging forwards, apparently now wanting to take point, his eyes fixed on the shape to the side of the spider. His heart is starting to hammer.]
[Boone nearly walks into Tuco when he stops, and grunts. He assumes he's stopping because of the spider corpse, rather than being briefly entranced by the thought of all that gold, but before he can tell him to get a move on he's stepping forwards again.]
Never seen a living spider lying on its back like that, so yeah.
[It looks like it's been there a while, too. He can see something else down there, but he doesn't know what it is. He squints down at it, as if it'll help him make out the shape better.]
[Niko takes out a pistol and fires once at the spider carcass, just checking. There are also a few piles of dust here and there. They look like they may have been creepers.]
[That raises some warning bells, and he ends up tossing one of his torches down the corridor. It lands lightly, brightly illuminating the front of the chest.]
This one looks intact.
[He sounds pleased with success. It doesn't happen often.]
[Tuco lets out a small sound as the sudden harsh light of the torch spills upwards. It's not quite a gasp, but there's a definite, audible indrawn breath before he remembers to press his lips together again.
Right now, that box there? That's Schrödinger's box—only instead of a distinctly unlucky cat, it holds both bitter disappointment and all the world's riches at once.
...Or enough riches for one of them, at least. With a soft grunt, Tuco turns, holding up a palm to his three companions.]
Four men shuffle down a corridor all at once? [His mouth twitches into something like a frown.] It's not gonna end well, friends. One boot in the wrong place, and we all end up looking like him. [He gestures to the spider with the end of his pistol.] Eight legs in the air, and very, very dead.
[There's maybe two seconds worth of mock-deliberation and nostril flaring before Tuco nods to himself. That open palm closes, and he draws his hand back to his chest.]
I'll go.
[Whether that quick ladle of bullshit has done the job or not, he's going to take a pointed step backwards.]
We've got two people here who have more experience than us. Doesn't make sense to send you down there on your own when you don't know what to look out for. It should be someone else, or at the very least someone should go with you. Then you can tell the rest of us if it's safe to follow.
[And since Boone is in the same position as Tuco, it means Belloq or Niko should probably go with him.]
[Niko's eyes narrow, but rather than going he turns back and goes to drop his duffle bag near one of the torches. He starts fiddling around in it, making a thoughtful noise.]
I'll need a little bit. [He doesn't seem in a huge rush to go down the hallway towards the nameless treasures just yet.]
[...Okay, so that didn't exactly go as planned, did it? Tuco briefly considers pointing out that he's probably significantly lighter than Niko—that maybe weight makes all the difference somehow, and that inexperience is relative, really.
Instead he nods absently, sending his knuckles up to swipe across his nose. He's not going to argue; he's just there to help out and learn the ropes, right?
Jump-cut to his other heel shifting back across the stone. His face adopts a look of ridiculously over-elaborate innocence, and he presses a hand against the wall like he's suddenly interested in architecture. A scuff of a toe here and a turn there, and wow, would you look at that: he's coincidentally that little bit closer to the chest!
With any luck, he'll be able to continue his casual, "I'm not really moving, I'm just fidgeting" crawl for just long enough that it becomes impractical for him to go back—that, really, he might as well keep going.
...Of course, that doesn't really account for any unexpected clicks.]
[Boone is watching Niko messing with his pack now, not really expecting Tuco to be shuffling slowly over to the chest anyway. As a result, he has no idea that Tuco is headed in that direction. He just sort of assumes he's watching Niko too, because that's the whole point of him being here- to learn from Niko.]
[Belloq watches Tuco carefully. If Tuco springs a trap that kills only himself, it's no great loss. One less person to divide any potential spoils among. But sometimes a trap's effect is more widespread than that. Belloq shifts his weight, ready to run back towards the entrance in case Tuco's steps cause stone walls to lower or giant boulders to come rolling down, flattening everything in their path.]
I would strongly advise you not to take another step, Mr. Ramirez.
[Niko hears the mechanism and looks up quickly. That expression would be priceless if the situation weren't what it is. He looks as if he's about to crawl out of his skin.]
Tuco, no, take a step this way. [He's already getting up, but it might be too late. Darts whistle across at the end of the corridor.]
[Tuco expects some kind of give beneath his boot—that he'll set a foot down, and the stone beneath will start to shift like a loose paving. He's prepared for that. What he isn't prepared for is the snap as he whips around look at Belloq.
There's a sensation like a cold, icy finger trailing across his neck, and he freezes, eyes impossibly wide and mouth stretched in a kind of rictus of startled alarm.
When he finally reanimates, it's with a full-bodied jerk that has him twisting back to point his gun at whatever it is that's causing the hissing coming from behind him. Although he then does exactly as he's told, (he's an opportunist, not a complete idiot) his initial step back turns into an all out scrabble as he howls and drops low. The motion ends with him practically throwing himself in a leap-turned-faceplant worthy of a high school quarterback.]
Shit!
[The reedy whine is followed by a barrage of unintelligible cursing that lasts up until he eventually finishes his floor hugging crawl. He has absolutely, positively, unquestionably been hit, and from the way he's drawing one arm in, knees sliding up to his chest, it's fair to say it probably hurts a fair bit, too.]
Niko Tuco Boone and Belloq sounds like a messed up children's story waiting to happen.
[Damn! Niko has to keep low to the ground as he scuttles over, a dart flying out of one pinhole to the opposite wall. And again. He pulls Tuco back, dragging him across the floor. He doesn't see a pattern of fire yet, but once he has him out of range he decides to thrust a large needle at Boone and Belloq.]
Here, take this! Give him a shot in the shoulder.
[In the meantime he frantically pilfers through his bag for fast drying glue and some metal plates, which is what he wanted to find before.]
[Boone takes the needle and does as Niko says, scowling the entire time. Tuco put them all in danger, and could have gotten a lot worse than what he did. It does look like he's in pain, so he leaves it at that. That should be enough of a lesson for him. He's still visibly pissed off, though.]
I don't think he can focus too well on you guys. That is spider poison.
[Niko finds the closes pinholes in the wall and covers it up with the metal plate. He's going to have to do that with all of them so this is going to take a while.]
They have places in some of these temples that blow up, though. Keep an eye on him, he's probably going to see not fun things.
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the_last_resort2014-09-22 09:43 pm
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Block off dark places. [He repeats, but he's soon back to frowning again. With Niko's last comment he can feel the back of his neck prickling. He knows why, too: if the creepers came back, then why not the dead?
He clears his throat, mock-casual, before glancing back at Belloq and chipping in a strained:] And maybe some questions are better left unanswered, huh? You ever think about that?
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[They make enough noise scuttling around, and they don't explode. Creepers, on the other hand? Boone doesn't fancy their chances much against something that moves silently until it's ready to blow, especially if there's a whole bunch of them. Better that they keep those things out of the picture where they can.
As they move ahead, Boone remembers what Niko said about traps and keeps an eye out for those, too. He's not entirely sure what traps could be in here, but back home you had to be careful of tripwires and pressure plates in some places, so that's what he's looking for.]
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[He casts an almost fond look at le petit mexicain, amused by the familiarity of the aborted gestured.]
It's my mission to seek out the unanswered questions. I would look upon the face of God Himself, if I were able, and ask of Him every question I could. But I have explored many tombs and seen many strange things, and have never seen a vengeful spirit or the dead rising. Such power lies only with God.
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If you notice any movement under your feet or if run into anything to thick for web, run five paces back. [Not blindly out of the temple or into the arms of a spider kicking and screaming. Legs. Limbs. Parts of a spider.]
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Instead, eyes lazily tracking Niko's hands, he asks:] So what exactly're we looking for? [Below, as to remind himself of what a lack of movement feels like, he busies himself by grinding a heel into the stone beneath him. He's not refering to the potential traps, however; his head is already moving several unsteady steps ahead.] It could be something big, right?
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[His eyes are on their surroundings, but the question is obviously for Niko and Belloq. They both have more experience up their sleeves where temples are concerned.]
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[His eyes glitter as if he's seeing that gold in his mind's eye right now.]
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Some of these places are raided by ah... the Orions. They trade in artifacts. So unless there are a lot of traps, some of these places are already raided.
[Niko raises his light, aiming it down the corridor. There's an old spider carcass off to the side and a chest on a pedestal at the very end, but from here it's hard to make out what it is. The light's very dim.]
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Suddenly one hundred thousand dollars sounds paltry at best. Tuco can't even think how much something like that must be worth. The very idea of it is beyond his comprehension, and he's left standing, stupefied while Niko goes on ahead, chipping in with some of his usual brand of pessimism.
As the light spreads down the corridor, Tuco squints, eyes falling straight on the spider. His fingers automatically twitch to the butt of his pistol, but he doesn't actually go as far as raising it.]
It's dead?
[If that's meant to be a question, he doesn't actually wait for an answer. He's already edging forwards, apparently now wanting to take point, his eyes fixed on the shape to the side of the spider. His heart is starting to hammer.]
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Never seen a living spider lying on its back like that, so yeah.
[It looks like it's been there a while, too. He can see something else down there, but he doesn't know what it is. He squints down at it, as if it'll help him make out the shape better.]
There's something else down there.
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[That raises some warning bells, and he ends up tossing one of his torches down the corridor. It lands lightly, brightly illuminating the front of the chest.]
This one looks intact.
[He sounds pleased with success. It doesn't happen often.]
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Right now, that box there? That's Schrödinger's box—only instead of a distinctly unlucky cat, it holds both bitter disappointment and all the world's riches at once.
...Or enough riches for one of them, at least. With a soft grunt, Tuco turns, holding up a palm to his three companions.]
Four men shuffle down a corridor all at once? [His mouth twitches into something like a frown.] It's not gonna end well, friends. One boot in the wrong place, and we all end up looking like him. [He gestures to the spider with the end of his pistol.] Eight legs in the air, and very, very dead.
[There's maybe two seconds worth of mock-deliberation and nostril flaring before Tuco nods to himself. That open palm closes, and he draws his hand back to his chest.]
I'll go.
[Whether that quick ladle of bullshit has done the job or not, he's going to take a pointed step backwards.]
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We've got two people here who have more experience than us. Doesn't make sense to send you down there on your own when you don't know what to look out for. It should be someone else, or at the very least someone should go with you. Then you can tell the rest of us if it's safe to follow.
[And since Boone is in the same position as Tuco, it means Belloq or Niko should probably go with him.]
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Mr. Bellic should go. He is the most experienced guide. I know temples, but not these temples. I defer to his skill.
If you have no objections. [The last is said to Niko.]
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I'll need a little bit. [He doesn't seem in a huge rush to go down the hallway towards the nameless treasures just yet.]
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Instead he nods absently, sending his knuckles up to swipe across his nose. He's not going to argue; he's just there to help out and learn the ropes, right?
Jump-cut to his other heel shifting back across the stone. His face adopts a look of ridiculously over-elaborate innocence, and he presses a hand against the wall like he's suddenly interested in architecture. A scuff of a toe here and a turn there, and wow, would you look at that: he's coincidentally that little bit closer to the chest!
With any luck, he'll be able to continue his casual, "I'm not really moving, I'm just fidgeting" crawl for just long enough that it becomes impractical for him to go back—that, really, he might as well keep going.
...Of course, that doesn't really account for any unexpected clicks.]
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I would strongly advise you not to take another step, Mr. Ramirez.
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Tuco, no, take a step this way. [He's already getting up, but it might be too late. Darts whistle across at the end of the corridor.]
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There's a sensation like a cold, icy finger trailing across his neck, and he freezes, eyes impossibly wide and mouth stretched in a kind of rictus of startled alarm.
When he finally reanimates, it's with a full-bodied jerk that has him twisting back to point his gun at whatever it is that's causing the hissing coming from behind him. Although he then does exactly as he's told, (he's an opportunist, not a complete idiot) his initial step back turns into an all out scrabble as he howls and drops low. The motion ends with him practically throwing himself in a leap-turned-faceplant worthy of a high school quarterback.]
Shit!
[The reedy whine is followed by a barrage of unintelligible cursing that lasts up until he eventually finishes his floor hugging crawl. He has absolutely, positively, unquestionably been hit, and from the way he's drawing one arm in, knees sliding up to his chest, it's fair to say it probably hurts a fair bit, too.]
Niko Tuco Boone and Belloq sounds like a messed up children's story waiting to happen.
Here, take this! Give him a shot in the shoulder.
[In the meantime he frantically pilfers through his bag for fast drying glue and some metal plates, which is what he wanted to find before.]
OOC: Tab enter. Sorry guys.
it totally is though
[Boone takes the needle and does as Niko says, scowling the entire time. Tuco put them all in danger, and could have gotten a lot worse than what he did. It does look like he's in pain, so he leaves it at that. That should be enough of a lesson for him. He's still visibly pissed off, though.]
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The call of treasure is strong.
You should keep in mind, friend Tuco, that you can't spend money if you're dead.
[Belloq understands and embraces greed.]
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[Niko finds the closes pinholes in the wall and covers it up with the metal plate. He's going to have to do that with all of them so this is going to take a while.]
They have places in some of these temples that blow up, though. Keep an eye on him, he's probably going to see not fun things.
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and now for a prompt reply :V