tempestaslokni

[tempestaslokni]

"Sounds like you're a valuable friend to have around," Lokni laughed heartily. It would be fantastic if you could show me the ropes." Coming to the island had taught Lokni one thing: information came in many forms, each with its own value.

Tej paused for a long moment before clearing his throat. "We were," was such a small statement, yet the heaviness of those words resonated with Lokni. He gave Tej the space to share on his own terms. He felt that maybe Tej needed it. It wasn't the time for Lokni to senselessly butt-in. As Tej explained his past, Lokni's mind painted a picture of a younger Tej, silhouette clear next to a figure bent with age. "I'm sorry for your loss, that's heavier and harder than any growing pain."

Tej passed the question back to Lokni, who felt that, since Tej had been open with him, he should return the favor. "My mother's parents passed away before I could really remember them well- and things with my father's side of the family went sour. That was one of the reasons my mother took me and left the rez. Haven't spoken to anyone there in over fifteen years," Lokni admitted, a lonesome note to his voice. "I miss my tribe, miss having a place of belonging- but I know my mother was trying to do her best in a world that hadn't been kind to her. I don't resent her for that." It had been ages since Lokni had allowed himself to think back to those days when his tribe was so near. He wondered if his ancestors could even see him, or if he had been taken someplace so far that their eyes could not see.

Thankfully, their appetites were there to whisk them away from heavy topics. "I hope they taste as good as they look," Lokni grinned. Some days it was a toss-up as to how good his haul ended up tasting. "You sure know your spices, I'll leave taste-testing up to you as well then," Lokni winked in good humor. Surely that was a job that Tej could handle just fine. Caught a bit off-guard by Tej's compliment, Lokni stood there momentarily before a smile tickled the corners of his mouth, "You think so?" He'd never considered himself much of a teacher before.

Lokni had been pretty Gung-ho up until the mention of Zaid's name. "I doubt that there's anyone who hasn't met Zaid," Lokni admitted, "he drove you out of your own home? Why?" Undoubtedly, Lokni had his own conflicting feelings about Zaid. He seemed kind enough, but occasionally, the barbs in his words would stick right through Lokni. It left Lokni at a loss as to whether or not Zaid simply saw Lokni as a means to an end, or if he didn't know how to treat others, considering their shared predicament. If that was the case, Lokni couldn't fault him, but it made him feel a bit more guarded around Zaid. Then again, maybe Zaid also thought that Lokni saw him as simply a means to an end.

Lokni observed Tej's short yet wide smile before Tej examined his bracelet with reverence and fascination. Clearing his throat, Lokni replied, "Maybe to make a statement, maybe there were some budget cuts, who knows?" What would suffice as a proper reason to outfit all the islanders in these hideous bracelets?

"If you can build, that's already a great start," Lokni grinned. Just think of what we could accomplish together." Already, Lokni could picture proper walls being built, something more secure and away from prying eyes.

"I use the cave when the wind or rain is too strong, but a hammock isn't so bad on the calm nights. Eventually, I'd like to have a bed, but in the meantime, this arrangement ain't so bad," Lokni admitted, taking a moment to survey the camp. "As of present, there's not a way out of the cave, but I'm sure if we put our heads together, we could change that."

"A lookout is a great idea," Lokni agreed enthusiastically. Though his camp was hidden by the dense foliage of the forest, it was hard to get a clear view of what was approaching or lurking on the camp's borders. It would grant a lot of peace of mind. "If you could draw up some plans for a lookout, I could gather the materials in the meantime," Lokni explained, becoming increasingly more excited by the prospect of having someone as resourceful as Tej around.

"That sounds nice, yeah," Lokni responded, unable to stop himself. He was determined to erect a proper memorial for Chenoa, but didn't know where to start. But Tej would, no doubt.

Tej's eyes widened regarding the mention of Selin, followed by him firmly squeezing Lokni's arm. "Yeah, I'm blushing, so what?" Lokni started defensively, despite knowing he was already knee-deep in the slough. But he couldn't stop there, his secret was already out, "She's stunning, yes, but more than that, she's beautiful." The words glided from his lips with ease as if he was relaying the most obvious truth in the world, "She's kind, even though we're here of all places, that shows character."

Initially, at Tej's insistence, Lokni didn't know what to say or do. But then again, who would Tej tell? What harm would it do? And so Lokni relented, "We spent the night at her place together recently." Even admitting it out loud, the blush crept from Lokni's cheeks up to his ears and down his neck. He probably looked like a beacon in the night, illuminated by the glow of the fire. Even then, his thoughts of her bubbled up like a fountain of memories, muddling his thoughts. "It was... amazing," Lokni added before taking a deep draught from the coconut, before averting his gaze.

"I'll take your word on the Hamburger Helper." In the current predicament, no one could afford to even think about being picky. Not in the way Zaid taught him, or took care of him. And what a fucking bastard. What a cruel kindness Zaid was.

"Ah, I am a city Indian, if you want me to show you the ropes," he quipped. "My go to is: order takeout. Mm, I had a lot of friends who were bartenders. I can usually whip up something, yeah."

With Dada brought up, Tej paused. An ice age passed since Tej talked to anyone about anything significant. As cringe as the thought was, Zaid had been his boyfriend and his best friend. Of course Steve had been familiar with Tej's situation, but. For fuck's sake Tej, you've gotta open up to someone else at some point.

He cleared his throat quietly. "We were." Close. Before Tej disappeared, or when he was a child? The murky past tense allowed him to speak without any lies. "I was a baby when my dad died, so. My grandfather was more of a father figure really." And to leave an opening for Lokni to expand, "You said it was just you and your mom, right? And Chenoa. Ever know your grandparents?"

"Damn, those fish are for real there, look incredible." Time to jump in on the fish, pick up some tips from Lokni. Grateful he wouldn't have to scale it either. Lokni had washed up before offering the coconut, and Tej followed suit in the same area to wash his hands. He checked out the seasoning. (Dried! Herbs in a tin! He heard this in his head in Zaid's disdainful voice, pronounced 'h' and all.) Tej sprinkled some in a hand to get a whiff. "Cayenne, garlic powder." Paprika, Caribbean seasoning. Lokni demo'ed with the skewer and Tej completed his own fish. "You know, you're not a bad teacher."

Tej's lopsided grin came with a huff of amusement at Lokni's suggestions. "I'm hoping it doesn't come to knocking them out, but." A pause as he wiped up spilled spices. "Met Zaid yet?" Probably, a nice guy like Lokni perfect for Zaid to glom on to. And so Tej would see what answer he got back before offering more.

"Do I," he said with a short-lasted wider smile. "Mm, never been all that great with words." Tej scooped Lokni's wrist in a hand and grazed a thumb's pad across the crystal, and then the woven handmade strap. "I like this," Tej murmured as his eyes traced the paths each strand followed in pattern. After a few silent moments, he snapped his own bracelet against his skin. Tej's band was painted over in a cool and dark blue, so deep in color it almost blended with the black of his stone. "Why they put such pretty things in such a shitty, depressing looking bracelet, I'll never know."

"Yeah. I can build. That's what I did in New York. Build things." Out of broken parts and pieces, but same difference. He listened to Lokni lay out more of the day-to-day in the heart of the wilderness, where things were located. And Tej began to feel something in his chest he hadn't in a long time. Excitement. (Hope? Something new)

"And around here," he glanced across the immediate campsite. "The fire... does it need to be tended overnight." Fuck if he knew, so he asked. His shoulders bounced in a quick shrug. "Sleeping quarters?" Tej pointed to the cave. "Don't reckon you're in there unless the weather is rough." As much as Tej hated the thought of camping, this seemed an improvement over a busy warehouse. "Hope there is another way out of that shelter, yeah?"

After an answer from Lokni, he went on. "I've got a lot of stuff for cooking. A few hammocks I can bring out here too. And, ah. Speaking of building. What d'ya think if I built a lookout for us. One we can access fast. Be able to see straight to the water?" One of the surrounding trees would do.

A project Tej did not expect to work on was the horse. His mind already examined each piece. The ghosts of ligaments left discreet stains behind on the vertebrae, ribs, the whole of a magnificent head spun slow as his brain considered how best to preserve the remains for Lokni. Along with an inventory of supplies in the warehouse (scrub brush, paints, sealant).

Perhaps doing this for Lokni would kickstart Tej to pour the past months into something for Inika too. He had the spot picked for a long time, but hadn't the energy to start.

Lokni cut himself off, but the soft roar of Lokni's emotion was there in the background, like a gentle roll of the tide on Obsidian Beach at night. "I'll hike my stuff out here tomorrow. We'll sit down with my sketchpad and throw around some ideas, hm?"

It’s hard to find folk around here who aren't 'cute.' Lokni clearly hadn't run into Chester. A FLOWR bag over that one's head would be the glow up of the century. "Mhm." Real time blooms of pink appeared on Lokni's cheeks. Oh, oh this was gonna be good. Something to take Tej's mind off his own long-term relationship with his left hand.

The suspense was delicious, as was the payoff. Tej broke into a broad and relaxed grin, so long removed that his face almost hurt from the effort. "Fucking hell, look at you. You're blushing." Tej gave Lokni's arm a good-natured squeeze, and he nodded. "Selin, yeah nice. She's stunning, isn't she? Seriously."

And yes, sweet. For a moment, Tej's gaze dipped to the dinner they had pressed paused on. Thought about Selin's secret, the literal heartbreak behind it. His eyes lifted again. "Kind. A sweetheart, yeah."

It wouldn't be much fun if he couldn't rib Lokni just a bit. "So, what have you two crazy kids've been doing together. With all this time spent, hm? You gotta tell me now." Lokni did not have to tell Tej, but hopefully would anyway.

[tempestaslokni]

Staring blankly, Lokni replied, "of course I know what to look for. There's medicine all around this, we just gotta' know where to look. Modern medicine is one hell of a thing, but what happens when that runs out? Do we have the means and technology to produce modern medicine at the Medcenter?" Lokni posed the question, not to prod at the vulnerability of their situation, but mostly out of curiosity. He knew nothing about what went into making modern medicine. Realistically, Charlie and Akhila had the best grasp of what the Medcenter's capabilities were, as well as what areas it was lacking in.

Lokni watched as Akhila nodded, letting him explain himself in his own bumbling way. After his failure to perform, she voiced her disappointment. Lokni furrowed his brow in a mix of frustration and determination. She was already disappointed, so that meant that things could only go upward from here-on-out. That, combined with her countdown helped Lokni to focus and tune in to his dormant abilities. That lone outcropping was more than a motionless stone. In his mind, it had morphed into the cornerstone of a wall that was impeding his path- another ploy in his way cast by their captors. The anger rolled within him like the clouds of a stormfront.

Though it was a bright and cloudless day, around him formed a dense grey cloud that enveloped their forms. It reached out like the muscular neck of a horse towards that distant outcropping. Patches of bright silver erupted over the cloud, an arch of lightning extending from one to another before cracking across the stone like a whip. The noise was earsplitting- air tinged with the scent of sulfur. The cloud remained a couple of moments before slowly dissipating, leaving the smoldering peak of the stone smoking in its wake. The stone glowed brightly, the sand around it appearing to have melted into glass. Lokni stumbled a bit, his mouth parched and a wave of fatigue flowing over his body.

Indeed, her time would no longer be squandered with babysitting first aid. Not that it was worth Charles’ time either playing patch-up, but that was where Adarsh came in. Triage nurse and healer, he could bat away the whiners. No need to worry about the repercussions of that when they had scant all choice in the matter. Akhila’s smiled formed tight and curt, medicinal herbs were no more useful than a relaxing cup of tea. “You know what you’re looking for when you…forage?” She was curious that it was Lindi, of course it would be her, who’d instigated a communal garden. What mandate was too lowly for her to embark upon?

Akhila had ditched her sandals to walk barefoot across the warm placid sand. Keenly, Akhila nodded as Lokni began to divulge details regarding his ability, how he controlled it, or lack thereof. It came with glimpses to a life Lokni had lived before. Interesting. Lokni hadn’t been fluffing when he’d confessed his ability was linked to emotions. First the matter with Zaid, and then Selin. Akhila held her hands together, thumbs cast over the other as she mulled. Lokni puffed beside her, nothing had happened despite his best attempts. 

In the absence of any swelling storm, the ocean lapped far away from their feet and Akhila’s gaze narrowed to his. “Pathetic.” Akhila announced. “I thought you were better than that Lokni. Try again, don’t try to distract from the task at hand.” Her ability was not fuelled by feelings, but she certainly couldn’t find the end to her hunger. Neither of which were particularly pertinent to Lokni getting a good grasp on his ability.

Needless distractions, and they didn’t have time for it.

Akhila came around to face him, her hands looped together tight behind her back. “Now, try proper this time. Put some bloody welly into it for god’s sake Lokni!”

Her gaze searched his, determined to find that well of grit that she knew to be within him. Nothing he’d let slip suggested he was in any shape or form, a slacker. Christ sake the man was willing to forage for his own herbs, he wasn’t tottering off to Waitrose. Akhila huffed, her head fell into her hand as she massaged the pulse point of her temple. Quite determined to make a show of it even if she couldn’t impatiently stomp plastic clogs. “On the count of three.”

[tempestaslokni]

Lokni watched in amazement as Darcy was one moment by his side, and then next, a ways down the tunnel. It was like the shadow washed over her before pulling her in- as if she was being enveloped within a wall of dark water. He rubbed his eyes for a moment, not sure if he had just imagined it, but sure enough, there was Darcy about twenty feet farther down the hall after being by his side seconds ago. "That's a useful trick... what does it feel like?" He asked, his curiosity piqued. Was it icy cold, like plunging into an ice bath? Did it have a certain smell? Was it simply an absence of all feeling? The questions began to bubble within him, he didn't even know where to start. "It seems to me that you've already made a lot of progress," Lokni replied letting out a low whistle, "is it hard to choose where you come out?" "Tej seems to be quite the trick pony, gotta' whole lot of useful skills up his sleeves," Lokni assented in agreement. It was true, there seemed to be few things that Tej couldn't do, and that was something that Lokni both admired and respected. "I agree with you there, we may not know what's to come, but it's best that we do what we can to batten down the hatches. It helps to find people whose abilities complement yours." Like matching a horse to a rider, Lokni mused.

"That's mighty generous of you," Lokni smiled in reply to Darcy's offer to help around his camp, "I think I've got everything under control at the moment, but if things start to get out of hand, I'll know who to call." His thoughts once more drifted back to Tej who had joined his camp. With Tej there, everything had gotten a lot easier. For the first time in a long while, Lokni had actually had time to relax and recover. It was nice to have someone around- It was strange, really, how spirits wandered, looking for places to belong to- for folk to resonate with. "Having a place of my own helped in some ways, but there were times when things got too quiet. Not so much so nowadays, we have the community garden as well as people needing help with different things- keeps your boots on and your wits about you, you know?" Lokni replied honestly before passing his own question back, "what about you? You rooming with anyone? Flying solo?" As Darcy turned to him with a neutral expression, Lokni felt irritation begin to creep up his back like an itch that he couldn't reach. Darcy wasn't even the least bit remorseful- and after telling someone that their daughter didn't exist. It was beyond Lokni as to how someone could be so heartless. "If you really don't intend to hurt anyone, how about just not saying things that are bound to hurt others? You were just going on 'bout how we needed to be prepared for what's to come- but you're not exactly making friends goin' round talkin' to folks like that. We're gonna' need people if we're gonna' survive this hell- whatever it is." Following Akhila's advice, Lokni took a deep breath in an attempt to swallow the cocktail of anger and irritation that burned like bile in his throat. Even so, small, dark thunderheads clouded around them, rumbling lowly like the rolling hoofbeats of bison. Darcy seemed to believe everything that she was saying, as if it was an undeniable truth. Lokni swatted at the clouds frustratedly, but they persisted, "Listen, I understand that you think that this is our reality, but if we're gonna' continue on all fine and dandy, I'm gonna' need you to not talk about this with me. I don't know what you've been through to make you think this way, but it's no excuse to try and force your beliefs on others." Again, Lokni shook his head, "I don't want to hear about it, and I'm not interested in hearing why you think you're right." Darcy wasn't wrong- there were many pieces of this puzzle and yet none of them seemed to fit together. Still, he refused to believe that this island was their only true reality. "If I'm lucky, I'll be dead before I'm 'blindsided with the truth,'" Lokni growled, unable to hide the bite in his words. "Let's just get this over with," he muttered as he pushed past Darcy to continue down the hall.

Darcy frowned for a moment before she shook her head. "What? No, please, don't apologize, you did nothing that requires it and I didn't say it for that reason either. It wasn't even the that lightning that was the scary part, it was you dropping onto the sand like that." That might have brought up some not too positive memories, too, but Darcy didn't want to bring it up or talk about that. "So really, I'm just glad you're okay. But that's nice, that you've been practicing with that. Are you feeling the changes too? The improvement?"

She couldn't help the smile when Lokni called her powers nifty - the more she used it and got a handle on it, the more she loved her power. "Yeah, of course I can show you." Thankfully, she had at least well enough of a control at this point that she didn't fear jumping to a point so far off from Lokni, the two of them would completely seperate and wouldn't be able to find each other quickly. "Stay there for a second," and she stepped back, slinking back into the natural shadows of the tunnel they were in.

"The darker the shadow, the easier it is to jump from and to jump into too," she explained as she closed her eyes, let the pull, the call of the shadow to become more prominent and loud, let it become so distinct she could pick out different directions and then she let herself be pulled towards the one across from her, on the other side of Lokni, a little bit further ahead of the tunnel.

It took less than a second - blink and you miss her practically sinking into the darkness as if she was sinking in the ocean -, and then she was on the other side of the tunnel, looking at Lokni's back. "Ta-daaa," she did a little jazz hands, followed by a little chuckle. "Honestly, I probably still have plenty to get a handle over and it'll only be truly useful once I can take other people with me, too - if I can ever get there -, but it's fun. Fun to practice, fun to figure out how it works and try to push the limits." Except when you get split apart cause you tried to take somebody along with you. She'd definitely only try that again if she was certain nobody was getting hurt cause of her.

"Tej's power is extremely strong and he seems really natural with it from pretty early on. I got to see it a couple of times now and it's really cool. --But really, I pretty much think all of the powers are so cool. And the variety! We get to do so many different things, which is amazing." Maybe she could generally gush about powers for way too long of a time. "But it's kind of nice to hear that others have similar opinions about having to be prepared for what comes next. Cause yeah, I am pretty sure whatever comes next will be even worse than what we already had to face. Or at least it's not getting any easier. And the more of us can handle these powers, the better we are off."

It was so interesting, hearing Lokni's view of the bungalows, all the food, everything provided for them, so different from how Darcy viewed everything. "I guess it's the general differences in views of this place, but yeah, I can see where you're coming from. I from the beginning just felt cool with everything around here, that if we're given all of these, we should absolutely use it, but I totally understand the carefulness and suspicion too. Did it help? Having your own place that you put up for yourself? And really, you say the hornets didn't cause too much damage, but if you ever need help around your place, you can let me know, I'm happy to help."

Darcy felt more than saw Lokni stopping next to her - she took a couple of steps further, noticing the last of the curve of the tunnel before they'd reach the cavern where the lava pit was that Tej and her used to destroy the mega hornet, squeezed her eyes shut and vinced at Lokni's harsh words. There were people she didn't really care that much about whether they liked her or not, whether they thought she was crazy or not - but there was a reason she haven't told Lokni what she believed for a reason. She fixed her face, showing a neutral expression before she turned around, though, trying not to show the immediate hurt to his words.

"I'm a bit surprised, but grateful for that, I guess." Maybe it was just extremely explosive and calling of names between Lindi and Darcy specifically. "But yeah, that's what I believe. Everything before we woke up on the ship was all just a simulation and now we're in the real world. Well, a section of it - a controlled science project we all signed up for. There's an end to it, but not anytime soon and not before we have to face a lot more hornet and worse level of challenges." Maybe she was a tad bit less eager for the challenges after the hornets, but as long as they would not be rushed with other flying giant robot insects, she'd deal with it.

"And for the record, yes, I realize and am aware that I haven't been the most tactful person during that conversation with Lindiwe and the way I presented what I know in the beginning, right after we arrived. I also don't intend to hurt anyone, even though yes, I know what I'm saying and what I know does hurt to think about and consider. It's not something that is easy for me to swallow either." Granted, she found it much more exciting than most people (except when she was thinking of Benji, but she did not want to open that can of worms now) and it was much easier for her considering her last several years and the kind of numbness she's been living in. But really, that was just even more proof of her rightness, in Darcy's mind.

She kept her voice quiet, easy and conversational, as she kept on saying, "But also, Lokni, I do know that I am right and I have to put that out there somehow. Just cause it's hard, it doesn't mean that I am not just going to talk about it at all. You don't want to hear about it? We don't have to talk about it and I mean that. We haven't really been talking about it between us until now either so you know that I can hold a conversation aside from that topic too. And if you want to hear more about it, we can also just talk more about it. But I will keep talking to people cause that is the only way I can make others see that I am right and potentially have other people realize the truth too. Maybe even put together more pieces of the puzzle that they only realize were actually pieces once we started talking about this."

She wrapped her arms around herself. "It's kind of like how we need our powers to face certain challenges in the future. There will be a point where everyone will have to face this. And yeah, you all might be thinking that I am delusional and insane for all of this now, but if that will give you an even small help of not being completely blindsided to the truth when it is all revealed, then it'll be worth it to be the beach's crazy person."

[tempestaslokni]

Location: The Tidal Pools Closed for: @lindiwe-in-camelot

The sun was high in the cloudless sky, the heat a contrast to the cool water of the tidal pools. Using the low tide was a great way to opportunistically catch a meal. It also offered a relatively controlled environment for teaching; Lokni thought of it as nature's round pen. Gingerly handing Lindi a net, Lokni waded out to the edge of one of the larger tide pools. This one was large enough that a good amount of sand had washed into it, providing a soft barrier between the rough rock that formed the tidal pool. The rocky outcroppings made a natural barrier, trapping fish inside once the tide went out. "The fish got nowhere to go, so don't worry about catching them quickly, we still got about five hours before the tide comes back in," Lokni remarked as he gathered up his own net in his hand to do a demonstrative cast. Alex had shared a lot of knowledge on coastal survival, for which Lokni was grateful. With the end of the net secured around his wrist, below his bracelet, Lokni slowly began to loop it over his hand, "You want to coil the cord between your fingers, then you'll go down the length of the net, and loop it once over in your hand like so-" he showed her how the bulk of the net was looped once over his hand, the remainder of the cord also in a similar fashion. "Using the remainder of the net and your free hand-" he continued on, moving slowly to demonstrate clearly, "you'll grasp the end of the hanging net, and bring it under the arm that's holding the loop, before swinging it up over that same shoulder." He made a note to show the movement as well as repeat the action a couple times. "Why don't we practice with just holding and preparing the net properly first?" he offered. A demonstration was one thing, but building slowly on the pieces of information was probably better than showing everything at once. As a slower learner himself, Lokni was doing his best to be clear and patient. Teaching was great and all, but some time had passed since he and Lindi had shared scones together. It was hard to believe how quickly the days and the nights had melded together- wakeful periods, busy, nights, dreamless. While the clock ticked on, who knew what was happening back home. Lokni sure missed his mother, but he couldn't even begin to imagine what it was like for Lindi, potentially miles away from Paige as every passing day they were living their two now completely separate lives. It was simply too cruel. Mother and daughter, now like ships in the night, going two completely different directions with no hope of paths crossing. Wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand he looked over at Lindi before asking, "how's everything been? I know it's been a while since we've last spoken." Of course, this had been mostly his fault- he'd been so preoccupied with the camp and figuring out how to delegate things between himself and Tej. Granted, now that Tej was around, Lokni's day-to-day had gotten a lot easier. However, it was still a far cry from idle.

[tempestaslokni]

As Lokni continued to pour over the dusty shelves, his phone vibrated from within the pocket of his cargo pants. Fishing the cellphone out, he read over Charlie's message, squinting at the small text that was harder to read due to the bright light pouring in from the circular windows that lined the wall. A picture should be easy enough, Lokni reasoned. He stood back, lining up photos of each of the different shelves with the labels of each remaining product facing outward. He sent the five photos off to Charlie followed by the following lines of text: Lokni: I'll get the pills. Lokni: don't worry abt the load, I'll find a way Lokni: any personal requests?

Lokni was curious about what Charlie would want or need. Charlie himself was still a bit of an enigma. He was pleasant, but there was a distance to his gaze that suggested that maybe he didn't truly feel the weight of their plight. In regards to what might be needed, Lokni himself had spent more time in the Medcenter than he had liked (mostly on a cot), but he couldn't begin to fathom how much supplies the Medcenter actually went through in a day, let alone a week.

Charlie was not surprised to find a lot of the residents in his dream to be well versed, helpful, and practical. He could ask them things like he’d ask nurses and interns back at the hospital and they’d follow his orders. Not always to the letter, but he was not one to get annoyed about such a fact. 

He was going over notes of people’s powers when his phone made the familiar sound of a message coming in. 

Nothing worked, no internet, no mobile connection to anyone off the island, but its residents were able to contact each other. He could not imagine why this was an important detail, but to him it was. He searched for the wifi signal daily however. There was a certain sadness to the idea that he could not get caught up on his favourite tv series. 

Charles: Preferably pills, but I would not mind the liquid if there is no other option. Both would be great too, but I do not wish to overload your burdens.  Charles: A good question.  Charles: Have you attempted to send pictures over text? If I could have a look I can see what needs restocking and what we have nothing of yet. 

He stood up from behind his desk and went to the supplies, these were closed off against general use. To avoid being out of anything, to avoid anyone hoarding medication or making off with them. He had a list of everything with numbers behind them, which were crossed out and filled in again once anything was used. 

He went down the list to see if there was anything currently running out, but found that instead of anyone on the beach, it might be himself and Akhila that were hoarding. It was hard not to when you had no idea how long you would be on the island for and when you had a person who could heal people.

[tempestaslokni]

An amused smile flickered across Lokni's lips as he imagined Selin getting startled and then suddenly shooting upwards in height. "I'll make sure not to startle you, or at least do my best not to. Does being 'caught off guard' fall into the same range as surprise?" Lokni asked, his eyes flitting down to her lips for a brief moment before locking back into her gaze once more. If his lips were to brush against hers, would her powers react? He allowed his gaze to hungrily linger, it wasn't as if they weren't already walking forward anyway. They had ventured quite a ways down this long tunnel. So far, it showed no signs of an exit either.

Nodding in agreement, Lokni replied, "Akhila's a keen one, always got something rollin' 'round in that head of hers- She's firm but she gets things done. Though, not everyone may agree with her methods." Akhila was still an enigma to Lokni. Skilled but guarded, as if whatever lay beyond her borders needed to be kept under lock and key. Lokni got the sense that there was more than one lock- and few people that Akhila actually trusted. Hell, Lokni doubted that she trusted him. That didn't mean that they couldn't be amicable though. There were plenty of people on the island that Lokni didn't trust, but they seemed to get along for the most part. Selin spoke about the concept of the secret notes with distaste. If all of these secrets were circulating, Lokni couldn't help but wonder if she had a secret and what it might be. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind, "Nothing good comes from poking into people's private lives without their permission. The whole way this is set up- like it's a game of whodunnit- is only going to cause chaos and hurt feelings." The whole thing felt so childish to Lokni- Rez rumors were one thing, but having some third party take someone's private business and drop it into the laps of random people felt more than unjust. Selin explained her mixed feelings about the secret that she was given, concern and worry heavy in her voice. Lokni listened attentively. If there was someone threatening the safety of her or other folks on the island, it was best to have out with it. He nodded encouragingly as she held space for silence in between her thoughts. Lokni's fingertips glided up her shoulder blade before his palm came to rest on the space where her neck met her shoulder. Her muscles were tight with tension.

Her next words hit him like a ton of bricks- Immediately his hand fell away from her as if he had been stung, stumbling a couple steps back. There was no way- How- Disbelief bubbled up before shame washed over him in a sickening baptism. Images replayed in his mind- his childhood home back on the rez, the room was dark aside from the glow of the moon and the grainy television screen. His father was slumped on the stained carpet, his face in a pool of vomit, the air reeked of a chemical, garlic-like odor, glassy eyes half open as if his corpse was looking back up at Lokni in silent, rotting accusation. It was just the two of them- his mother in the hospital in critical condition after his father went "a little too far." Only, in Lokni's eyes, he already had. His heart hammered in his chest as he stood there, a fifteen year-old kid, trembling- but they were free now. No more dark spirits stalking behind his father's eyes, no more bruises blooming on his mother's skin- they were free now. He hadn’t known, back then, how long the dead could haunt the living- but now he was there, seeing the ghost of his father, this time reflected in the dark irises of Selin's wide, fearful eyes. Only when she blinked did Lokni see his own face. Bile rose in his throat, a cold sweat breaking out over his skin. He was looking into the face of the one person on the island he trusted the most as she uttered his most private, most hideous truth back at him: That he was a murderer. The tunnel around Lokni and Selin began to fill with dark thunderheads that rumbled above them. Stinging raindrops began to fall, soaking the two of them to the bone. He opened his mouth, trying to say something- anything- but he already knew it would all be excuses, and none could save him now.

For a moment, it almost felt like time had stopped around them. Looking up at Lokni, her thumb gently caressing the back of his hand before his fingers intertwined with hers. She enjoyed these quick, tender moments between them, like slowly bridging a gap of all their doubt and uncertainty. As much as she might have wanted to do more to show her affection, cupping his cheek in her free hand or pressing a kiss to his knuckles, just standing there the way they were was where she was most comfortable right now. She had to shake the thoughts out of her head, otherwise she'd spend the entire time lost in her daydreams.

"Yeah, it takes a lot of focus. I've noticed its difficult to control when I have a big jolt of fear. When I'm caught off guard it's always triggered some kind of change." She responded, assuming that was how a majority of them felt. Big emotions equals a power surge within them. It was a good thing she had practice with holding back any big emotions, remaining calm and composed. Like she felt she had to do as Lokni noticed her reach and lifted his shirt himself to show his scar. She made sure to focus more on his words rather than his body, she already felt like she had been eyeing him enough.

When Lokni brought up Akhila and her ability to help him, it made her feel a bit guilty about her last interaction with her. All Akhila was trying to do was help her during a hard time, and Selin didn't have the patience to really accept the help. She was a harsh woman, and Selin chose to be harsh in return when she didn't hear what she wanted. "I'm glad she's been helpful. She's really knowledgeable."

Selin wasn't going to pry about the kind of secret that Lokni had received. After her own embarrassing secret, she was sure that whoever his belonged to wouldn't want to know people were talking about it. Besides, from the sound of it, his wasn't as concerning as the one that she got, something that should be shared in order to keep people safe. "Maybe that's the best way to approach it. Not playing into the weird little game of trying to decipher who it belongs to, just…leaving it alone." Maybe Selin was lucky that Tej had come to her specifically to talk about the secret, having hers discovered so early with no worry that it would spread because someone got a little too curious in finding out the answer to the question 'Who Am I?'.

"I guess, brutal in the sense that, it's not really fair to the person they're about to just be given out like that." She thought mostly of herself, as well as the person that Darcy's secret belonged to. It wasn't fair to just be sharing those kinds of things, probably in a way to degrade or embarrass them. "The one I was given though��I think it might be something to be worried about. Like, it actually effects us and, I honestly have been struggling to figure out how to go about it." she began to explain, knowing that having no key suspects made it hard to warn others.

But Tej and Darcy already knew, there wasn't any harm in telling Lokni. If anything, she trusted his judgment to help her maybe deduce who it could be, or at the very least keep them safe when the culprit was revealed. "The slip of paper I got mentioned what sounded like a murder. It said, I killed a man and I don't regret it. I don't really know anyone well enough to accuse them, and as far as I know nothing has happened since we got here. At least not by the hands of someone in our group but for all we know, it's only a matter of time."

[tempestaslokni]

"Yeah, near the bone pit," Lokni replied quietly, unable to hide the distaste in his voice. A bunch of bodies far from their homes never sat well with him, but that was a common reality back at home and not just on the island. "Those bodies shouldn't still be here, they belong back home with their families," he hefted out a halfhearted sigh, "if I die here, my spirit won't be able to find rest. I doubt any of the ones over there have." Lokni stood observing Alex as he turned with his gaze up at the mysterious engravings on the curve of the dome. "This seems pretty out of the way- but yes, difficult to deface, especially with proximity to that door- wherever it leads," Lokni offered, rallying his ideas over the net of theory. He jotted Alex's theories down in the margin, as well as Alex's name. It was fascinating to see where different ideas came from- as well as why they theorized them in the first place. Some people had "proof" or were able to make vague connections. Others were comfortable with their assumptions. It seemed that Alex was indeed familiar with the secret notes. Despite feeling flattered that Alex thought so highly of him, Lokni raised an inquiring eyebrow, curiosity winning out against other emotions. "Are all of the notes about 'dramatic' situations?" He pressed even further, trying to make sense of the situation, "you got one too, and not only that you figured out who it belonged to?" The thought that the note was about someone on the island had crossed his mind, but he had originally dismissed it; what help would that information be anyway? Stunned, Lokni watched as Alex enthusiastically ran over to the doorway in the middle of the massive, mostly empty room. Stargate? Lokni began to ponder before his thoughts were scattered by Alex cutting himself before smearing the blood on the doorway. "What in the passover-" Lokni muttered, unsure of what Alex was doing. He swallowed his doubts, it was clear that Alex had experience with this and knew what he was doing. "You think this'll take us somewhere? Even off the island?" Lokni tested, unsure. Swallowing doubt, Lokni approached Alex and the gate. He didn't know what to think of a machine 'thanking' him- let alone for blood. It didn't sit right with Lokni, but which was more important: empty morals or actual answers? Lokni stretched his arm out towards Alex, chewing on his cheek. "Let's get some answers then," he smiled grimly. Though Lokni didn't have a clue as to if this would actually work, there were few times when Alex's intuition was wrong.

"Under the Medicentre? You don't mean near that bone pit, do you?" Not that Alex was squeamish, but he was a little curious about how somebody like Lokni felt when it came to Ye Olde Bone Pit; did he see it as the circle of life, or was he appalled at the mass grave, or some third even more intriguing option?

Much like the options they had for deciphering the images drawn along the ceiling, and Alex kept on musing on them, saying, "It could be that they wanted these schematics etched somewhere into the skeleton of the place, if you get what I mean. Like somewhere indelible that wouldn't get lost or misplaced or defaced. Something massive and permanent, like this, that people knew about and could -- theoretically! -- access when they need it."

He was really just spinning wild fancies now, but Alex liked it; the sound of his own well-lubricated voice in the underground space, Lokni's handsome attentive face and matching theories. It wouldn't have been half as fun with somebody who had no theories of their own, and so far Lokni had proven a wellspring. And lo, the ever-resourceful and meticulous Lokni had produced a wee notepad as if by magic, responsibly noting down the general look of the diagram they were under.

He brought up that he'd found one of the gossip notes too, and Alex said with a chuckle, "I'm surprised you didn't tear it up right away, as morally upstanding as you are. I for sure got one too and I even managed to figure out who mine was about, which was ... a dramatic situation." Alex bared his teeth in the universal expression for eek! but then grinned, since all in all, it wasn't as if Zaid had been shitty about it. Just taken aback and a little defensive, as anyone would be.

The door actually opening when Lokni tested it, though, distracted Alex from anything as small and personal as love life secrets. He darted forward to press against Lokni in the newly opened doorway, one hand grabbing on to the other man's shoulder, and said, "Jeeeeezus. It's like--"

There wasn't any need for caution, in Alex's mind. This place hadn't done anything to harm him (yet!), and his approaches to things hadn't resulted in any terrible outcomes (yet!), so he exercised no hesitation in ranging towards the free-standing doorway in the middle of the vast, mostly featureless room aside from its ring of doors set into the circular wall. "It's like the generators," Alex said, making a tight ring as he trotted around the doorway. "Except it's like a Stargate, or some other kind of teleport door. You know what?"

Alex pulled out his Panganex multitool, snicked it open, and made a cut at the base of his thumb where it would bleed nice and freely. He smeared the blood lavishly on the carapace of the doorway, saying, "When I did this with a generator it drank it all up and thanked me. Like, big glowing blue Tron lettering across the shell. C'mere, let's give this one your blood too."

[tempestaslokni]

A wide smile spread across Lokni's face as Selin gently placed her hand over his. She was sweeter than a honeysuckle, and he just couldn't get enough. Being by her side made him feel elated to the point where surely it was affecting his ability to think. His heart soared in within his chest. "As you wish," he hummed contentedly, interlacing his fingers with hers for a brief moment to give a reassuring squeeze in reply. To any hidden cameras that might be in the tunnel, Lokni probably looked more smitten than a love-struck yearling. "I understand how you feel, these abilities of ours were so hard to get a handle on. I still struggle at times. I've learned that keeping my head in situations grants me more control, but I'm not able to draw out the power on my own. It always needs a strong emotion behind it," Lokni replied thoughtfully. His powers had been an unpredictable mess, and as Akhila had said, he needed to get a handle on it before he destroyed anything or anyone else. Upon hearing Selin's question followed by her inquiring reach, Lokni pulled up the hem of his shirt, displaying the ridged scar that still raised his skin, "it's healed up and doesn't hurt anymore, but the scar hasn't faded. I've been practicing with Akhila. She's good at helping me set goalposts, and she doesn't sugarcoat things. She's a reliable mentor." "It's just sentimental," Lokni reassured Selin. Thankfully his and his mother's sacred items were kept in a safe place back at home, far away from this wretched island. Lokni gently placed his hand over her offering hand, curling her fingers around the knife, "I rather you have the more reliable weapon, gives me peace of mind." It was true. He wished he had another knife, a spear was limited in confined spaces but he preferred to at least have something. He was determined to keep Selin safe, but not limit her. The island was full of threats- they could learn to navigate them together. As they continued down the hall, Selin intertwined her fingers with his idle hand. Another rush of warmth and elation. Having her by his side was great, but Lokni was having a harder and harder time focusing on what dangers might lie ahead. Selin spoke with a slight edge of hesitation to her voice, as if she was choosing her words carefully, sifting through every thought thoroughly. The mention of the slips of paper caught Lokni's attention. "Yeah... I got one. I don't think I should share it though. I didn't know that they were about people here... I thought they were just- I don't know, distractions? Something meant to ruffle our feathers and keep us on our toes. I don't even know whose secret I got. I don't know if I want to." Selin mentioned that they were 'brutal,' and while Lokni's had been a bit scandalous, it hadn't been anything pertinent to their current situation. "'Brutal?' You mean like a harsh truth about someone? Mine was... incriminating but not anything to worry about right now. Honestly, I felt that I wasn't suited to receive the one I did."

Selin chuckled at the notion that she looked ready for anything that might be thrown at them, because really, she had no idea what to expect. In all honesty whatever was down in these tunnels, couldn't have been good, and there was a likely chance that she could end up in her pit of despair all over again after this adventure. She would say at least she had Lokni with her, but he was there with the hornets too and he blamed himself and went MIA while Selin tried to grapple with what would become of their lives here. "I sure hope so." Was all she managed to let out, maybe not totally confident, but she was trying.

Though when he put his hand on her shoulder and asked if there was anything he could do to make her day better, that in itself lifted a weight of stress off her mind. She smiled as she placed her hand on top of his, gently rubbing her thumb against his skin. "Just having you with me is enough to do that. You don't have to do anything more." Even just his company was enough to brighten her day most of the time. This might lead them to danger, but Selin preferred being with him and probably wouldn't want to explore these tunnels with just anyone.

As for her experience with her powers, she swivelled her hand from side to side to express her uncertainty. "It comes and it goes. I've tried to practice and get ahold of it. But it's exhausting to do. It hasn't been as random as it was when we arrived here but, I don't know if I can trust it." Not that her power was deadly to her if randomly activated, just awkward depending on the situation. "Have you been practicing yours at all? And that scar you got from that one accident, has it healed up?" She asked, absentmindedly reaching out towards his abdomen before realizing touching a sore spot was a bad idea and pulled her hand back.

"Oh, this is yours from home?" That made sense, at least comparing the two weapons he offered, this definitely wasn't something handcrafted like the spear. "Is it a reglious or sacred item of yours? Or is it just sentimental? I don't want to use it if it's something important to you." Selin held the knife back out towards him. She assumed he wouldnt offer it to her if it was that important of an item, but just in case he did want to trade and keep the knife with him she wanted to give the option.

But they couldn't delay any more. Going down in the tunnels was an inevitable outcome and they had to start the descent sooner or later. Selin took Lokni's hand, hoping that he was right about answers. They didn't have any of those and she would prefer that over simply a dead end or a deadly trap. "I really hope we get something substantial out of this. I feel like we deserve a win. Especially after..." She paused, not wanting to disclose anything about her own secret that had already been aired out between her and Tej, but knowing the secret she held, along with others were a big problem. "Well, everything. But did you also recieve one of those slips of paper with some kind of secret on it? Something that belongs to someone here? Cause those being given out I think have just been...brutal."

[tempestaslokni]

Selin looked like she was holding back, but Lokni didn't want to push her. They were still learning about one another. He was sure that she would open up when she was ready. If she wasn't comfortable now, maybe another time when they weren't intoxicated would be better. Regardless, he raised an eyebrow giving her a playful smile, "by your standards, my camp must be a wreck. I'll make sure to have it spick and span by the time you visit." He allowed his gaze to linger on hers, drinking in the warmth of her deep brown eyes before taking a sip of his tea. He still wasn't used to drinking tea without sugar, but he did his best to not grimace after taking a sip. Attempting to recover from being disarmed by Selin's playfulness, Lokni smiled warmly, "in that case, I may take some off of your hands. If you'd like, I could even keep some of your clothes at my place for when you visit. Weather can be unpredictable on the island n' all." He raised an eyebrow, sitting back as he brought the mug back to his lips, hiding his playful grin. The weather was unpredictable, but at least Lokni occasionally had a say in how it acted around him. A thrill ran down Lokni's spine at Selin's words. No more beating around the bush, she understood that he was attracted to her. Judging by her sincere reply, he got the sense that she didn't think he was so bad either. The realization caused him to draw in a deep breath, his heart picking up the pace. "Well, the Creator gives us many signs in life, but few of them have pulled me in as strongly as you have," he murmured in a low voice as if the words alone were sacred for just the two of them.

Lokni hadn't expected Selin to be so enthusiastic, but it was welcome, a thrilled smile already tugging at the sides of his mouth as Selin rose from her seat. The sensation of her fingers running through his hair was heavenly. His eyes fluttered shut as he sighed in contentment. As her fingers made another pass through his hair, brushing against his scalp, he shuddered slightly, and he found himself holding back a groan of pleasure that threatened to escape his lips. His eyes shot open for a moment, heat returning to his cheeks. This little innocent braid exchange might be more challenging than he had anticipated. "Sounds like you kept everyone looking prim and proper," he grunted, trying to ignore the blood beginning to rush throughout his body once more. Scrambling for something to anchor and calm himself with, Lokni rationalized that talking about something meaningful would help him relax, "for my people, the three strands of a braid are said to be body, mind, and spirit. When we're braiding our hair we're encouraged to think positive thoughts and carry those with us throughout the day," Lokni explained in a low, relaxed voice, "I think I'll be able to be positive for at least a week with these."

"Oh...I'm," she started, as Lokni questioned what was on her mind and she did her best to avoid the truthful answer. She might have been overthinking things now wondering if the shower and tea were already sobering her up, making her mind less cloudy. "Nothing really, just worried I left my place a mess, didn't anticipate bringing back a visitor." She hoped that she was believable enough and he didn't press about what was really on her mind. The mix of glee and nerves that he was staying the night, that he hadn't made any attempt to put distance between them, that this was all platonic and yet her heart was telling her otherwise. He didn't need to know all that.

Her lips pursed together tightly as she smiled, trying not to laugh at his reactions. It was cute, watching him fumble around her. Lokni always carried himself with ease and confidence, and now to have him across the table from her, getting flustered and being caught off guard was endearing. "Well it's not like I have much use for them either. If they fit you, might as well keep them for yourself." She told him, not wanting to embarrass him more by pointing out his admission.

Selin wouldn't consider herself naive in the field of dating or romance, perhaps just inexperienced when it came to people who were actually a good fit. Hindsight was 20/20 in those situations though, someone always seemed like a good fit until they weren't. But Lokni's compliments, followed by an offer for her to visit his place next time didn't go over her head. This was more of an attempt to test the waters, rather than diving head first no matter how much she enjoyed Lokni and his presence. "Already thinking about date number two, then?" She asked with an innocent but teasing smile before following it up with a genuine acceptance. "I would love that. A night under the stars sounds wonderful."

When Lokni suggested a braid exchange, Selin was probably more excited than she should have been. The act of braiding someone's hair was always something she enjoyed and in a situation like this, she felt it would be a nice bonding moment between the two of them. "Deal!" She exclaimed, already rising from her seat to stand behind him, examining his hair, running her fingers through it a couple times to comb through the damp strands. "It's been so long since I've braided someone's hair. Usually it was my sister's. But one of my brother's, Can, his hair was a little longer and he'd let us do small braids sometimes, definitely nothing like yours." She explained, her hands grasping different pieces of Lokni's hair before starting the braiding process.

[tempestaslokni]

They broke the surface like two half-drown coons, kicking and trying to find purchase on the bottom. Lokni's knee smacked into an unseen reef causing him to swear as he swam towards the shore. At length, his boots found the sand and he was able to shamble up to shore. In a fit of anger, he shucked off his soaked shirt and threw it down on the sand before one by one removing his boots and emptying out the seawater onto the black sand. "Just what in the hell," he turned to Calamity, unable to hide the frustration and anger that was now creasing his brow, "was that." More of a statement than a question but he couldn't have cared less at that point. He saw that she was reaching out to him, and he turned his back to her, taking a deep breath. It wasn't her fault that all this happened. But hell, she sure had played a part alright.

The boat was unsalvagable; a splintered mess that lay broken on the shore. Every idea that he had for that boat had been shattered with it. New waves brought in more and more of the wreckage carried with the foam. Could've made a great bed if he got it hefted up between two strong trees on some pulleys and ropes. Could have been a makeshift roof for one of his projects. But now? It would suffice as firewood once it dried off. Fuming silently, Lokni began to pick up the pieces. "This'll make great fucking firewood," he groaned, "at least it's not completely useless. Woulda' been great if it could have gotten us the hell out of here." Angry as Lokni was, he was relieved that Calamity was okay. If she had gotten hurt due to this hullabaloo he'd have been more upset. At the very least, they were walking away from this unscathed, though his pride felt wounded. Still, he couldn't bring himself to look at her. "Listen up Miss, I'm gonna' go home. I'm gonna' get some food. Then- I'm gonna' pretend like none of this ever happened. This stays between us, y'hear?" He kept a firm tone to his voice, trying not to let his irritation slip through. To any sane person, however, it was quite obvious that he was doing a pisspoor job at hiding how he really felt. After putting his boots back on, he began slogging his way back towards his campsite. Each step he took made a loud sucking sound, like someone was pulling their foot out of a deep, muddy hole. With each step, he could feel his eye twitching a bit more. In that moment, Lokni was convinced that the whole island was trying to get under his skin.

END... for now.

Calamity gasped, rearing back from Lokni. "Who knew cowboys could be so rude!" But then she grinned. "Just joshing, it's actually kinda h--" Her silly jibing cut off in a terrified scream, as they were propelled into the air. Lokni's arms around her and she wrapped hers around him in turn. Don't let go! her entire body screamed, her legs kicking for purchase before they went plummeting down back into the water.

Well, she'd gotten what she wanted - she was out of the boat. And Calamity had no choice but to swim, and Lokni as well. The boat...the boat was in pieces around them, floating uselessly in shards and splinters. Calamity could've cried in frustration, and she could only imagine how Lokni felt.

Something about all this felt like her fault. Her brash actions, and Lokni might just blame her for the boat's demise Easy reason to do so.

First, she focused on swimming back to shore, but the moment her feet finally touched sand below the water, she spun around to scan the water.

Nothing. No sign of any shadowy, attacky....whatever it was. The ocean was just its own regular self. A bit scattered with boat debris, but no angry churning waves, no dark looming shadows. She looked down in the clear water, and even watched a school of tiny, silvery fish peacefully swimming past her legs.

It was like nothing happened at all.

"This fecking place!" she gasped, then waded out of the water and fell onto the sand. "Lokni! You alright?!" Propping onto her elbows, she searched for the guy. Hopefully not eaten by the sea monster. Calamity sat up and reached for him - not to hold or help, but just in commiseration. "Are you pissed? Your boat's gone."

[tempestaslokni]

"Oh yes," Lokni playfully waggled his eyebrows at Tej, "I happen to be a pro when it comes to whipping up some Hamburger Helper. It's great on frybread." He laughed goodnaturedly at Tej's joke about his "fancy" taste, "you never know, I might be a city Indian at heart. I usually stick to what I know I like, don't experiment too much. But, enough about me, what about you? Any go-to recipes? I get the sense that you're good at mixing drinks." It was easy to picture Tej behind a bar, shaking a cocktail shaker. In that sort of atmosphere, he'd blend in like a fish in water. With how devilishly handsome Tej was, there was no doubt that he'd be popular with customers.

"I've never heard of that before, but it sounds delicious. Sounds like he’s a kind man. Are you close with your grandfather?" Lokni blurted out the question before he had a chance to think about whether it was too forward or not. He couldn't help himself though, Tej was an engima and Lokni wanted to get to know him better.

"Well, I've got more than plenty- I'm trying to save the dried stuff for later, but I have some fresh fish," Lokni explained nonchalantly as he walked over to a woven basket before procuring two large kelp bass from it. He had found a good spot to catch these with Akhila back when things had just started to unfold. Lokni had been planning to eat both of them, but Tej didn't need to know that. "I've already cleaned and scaled these. All I gotta' do is skewer them and hang them over the fire until they're done. I've got some salt and herbs to season," he indicated a tin that he had salvaged from the ship wreckage. Taking a page from Lindi's book, he had ripped off the gaudy FLOWR logo.

"Of course you can stay. That's the thing about the land- everyone already belongs to it. You're not away from home out in the wilderness, it's where we're all originally from," Lokni replied as he slipped the skewer into the body cavity through the mouth of the bass and out near the base of the tail. The white flesh bulged out around where the bamboo skewer had exited the body, but only a little blood trickled out. "You wanna' try?" Lokni asked, gesturing to the unskewered fish. He didn't know if Tej was squeamish or not, he certainly didn't seem like the type. Regardless, if Tej wanted to learn this stuff, this was a good start.

"Sounds like you've had a rough time," Lokni replied after hearing Tej's retelling of what had occurred, "you need me to go kick someone's teeth in for you?" Must've been that aggressive man that had yelled at Lokni on the shore, or maybe it was that sly man with all the answers. Either way, it didn't sit well with Lokni that someone had uprooted Tej after he had already claimed a space of his own. "We've taken on hornets the size of goats before, what's one squatter?" Lokni asked, tilting his to the side inquisitively. Strangely, the prospect seemed a bit thrilling.

Lokni listened intently as Tej spoke about how his opal reminded him of flecks of paint. In that moment he had a look of reverence in his eyes. Cocking his head to the side, Lokni began to speak, "you sound like an artist, taking everything in and finding an even more beautiful way to describe a beautiful thing." Tej then indicated Lokni's bracelet. Obliging, Lokni extended his wrist towards Tej, showing him the tiger's eye that was fixed between the fibers that he had woven around the cheap plastic strap to hide its ugly appearance. The indigo tiger's eye glowed in the light of the fire, the light illuminating the web of cracks that streaked across the surface, reminding Lokni of lightning.

Tej got right down to business and Lokni couldn't stop the amused smile that began to spread across his face. Tej had conviction. Lokni admired that. "You handling fish and warehouse runs is already more than enough. It's hard for me to be in two places at once. There are days when I go down to tend to the communal garden, I'm managing that with Lindi and Alex. You any good at building things? You seem like you're skilled with your hands," Lokni meant the compliment sincerely, Tej seemed like he'd be good at detailed work, something that Lokni was not as adept at. "Anyways, you got yourself a deal," Lokni extended an open hand towards Tej.

"There's a waterfall to the west of camp. I go there to wash up and gather fresh water when it hasn't rained in a while," Lokni explained, jutting his chin in the direction of the falls. It was amusing that Tej thought there might be a chance of horses being on the island. It seemed too good to be true to Lokni. Certainly, he would have seen the signs by now; blades of grass that had been eaten down, manure, hoofprints. There had been none of that so far. But who knew what awaited them farther up north?

Tej's suggestion that they honor Chenoa caused Lokni to pause grinding with the pestle in his hands. "You'd do that?" Lokni asked, a little incredulous, his voice faltering in his throat. He swallowed, his mouth feeling suddenly too dry, "it would mean a lot to me. I've not been able to figure out what to do with her-" He blinked, the crack in the dam of his walled-off emotions splintering wider.

Tej's next question thankfully helped pull Lokni back into himself. He gave Tej a long look before saying, "it’s hard to find folk around here who aren't 'cute.'" A truth that was irrefutable. This whole island might as well be the next stage for that useless Met Gala. So why the hell had they dragged Lokni out here? Well, every stage needs a maintenance man, he thought to himself dryly. "I've been getting along with almost everyone- some better than others of course," he replied, trying to ignore the sensation of his cheeks actively growing hotter. He swiped a knuckle past his nose even though it didn't itch. At length, he finally admitted, "I've been spending some time with Selin, she's a real sweetheart."

"I didn't know you can cook." Obviously, Lokni fed himself out in the wilderness, so he'd rephrase. "You like to cook, I mean." He whistled low and teased back. "Original House of Pancakes... look at you, Lokni, fancy ass. I'm not crazy about maple anything. Ever had one of their Benedicts? The Hacienda, with chorizo. And the jalapeño hollandaise. It's been forever since I've had it, but I still remember."

"But I've been dreaming of--" no way in hell he'd say Zaid's cooking, despite the fact he was, so "--my grandfather's cooking. Been craving some pav bhaji, and his was the best."

Lokni made it seem like he was a short order cook, with the friendly ask of what Tej was hungry for. Ready to whip up something on the spot. "I don't wanna eat all your food. Whatever you're having. And, thanks Lokni. I appreciate it." Tej was fucking starving and could eat a #2 pencil, eraser and all.

The additional offer was as generous as it was unexpected. Lokni invited Tej into his camp. A place to live, train, and conveniently use as base camp for further plans. Tej sat up straighter, more thoughtful. "Fuck. Really? You'd let me stay out here?"

"This is embarrassing, but someone took my bungalow from me." Yeah, uh huh, it was embarrassing! Embarrassing for ZAID, Being a dickhead and squatting in the place that Tej already claimed! "They moved in and refused to leave. Knowing full well I claimed it before they did. Moved my things in and everything. So. I've been crashing in the warehouse." Not exactly how it happened, but nothing said was a lie either.

Tej needed time in his own headspace to create, but god damn if he wasn't dying for a little chat, a bit of company too. Lokni seemed similar, neither afraid to tell the other to fuck off if they needed a bit of space. And able to work together, to find out more of what was out there. In the most shallow sense, this roomie was easy on the eyes too. A host of other benefits that suddenly recharged Tej. Seemed like a win-win. Like good fortune had finally rained down on him.

Before Lokni confirmed they were on the same page, he complimented Tej's bracelet. Tej tilted his wrist more towards the fire he sat in front of and inspected the stone. As had been done a million times over since arrival. But, the opal never failed to captivate. "It reminds me of flecks of paint." Fingers brushed over the pops of colors against the dark. "With light behind the colors. These are all unique, but." Tej felt that stupid rock on his arm. Had grown quite attached. "I can't remember what yours is like. Can you show me again?"

Back to the plan of Tej joining camp. An easy organizing between the two of them. "You have the cooking under control? I can cook a few things, give you a couple nights off. As I've been living out of the warehouse, I know it well. I can do supply runs for us. Ah. Same with the fish too. In fact-- I'll cook the fish, twice a week. Bring in firewood. What else needs to be done around here? Either way, I'm in on this deal, Lokni."

The prospect of more civilization freaked Tej out, but no way could they sit there without going further north. "Well. On foot will be slower but maybe it will force us to really take some time. Plot everything out as carefully as possible." Wouldn't be great if they encountered any hostilities, however there wasn't a choice. "And hey, that horse had to come from somewhere. We might find more. Where is the closest source of freshwater?"

She deserves to be remembered. Lokni talking about that damn broken horse. Shit. Tej wandered over to where Lokni indicated. What was left were clean bones neatly organized, not unlike the ones Akhila cared for with such reverence. Or the reminders of Inika he kept hidden away. "We can make something for her. Honor her properly." His tactile need to touch the materials remained in his pockets for now. Lokni acted weird, and not only about the horse. His hands stayed almost too busy, just as Darcy's did that day in her cabin. Shoulders held a little higher. When Tej walked away from the horse bones and over to Lokni, he saw cheeks that burned bright like street lights. The clearing of the throat seemed... nervous?

Tej's chin tipped up as he drawled, "Yeah, show that mortar and pestle who is boss. Give 'em hell." A faint grin as he sidestepped Lokni's question for one of his own. "Who you been getting along with so well, these folks? Anyone cute?"

[tempestaslokni]

"I could say the same about you," Lokni smiled in warm greeting, "you look like you're ready to take on whatever the day throws at us." Her clothes were fit for about as much as they could expect. It was hard to prepare without really knowing what was even in these tunnels. Even so, she still looked radiant, standing with the hues of emerald green and sunset orange casting light onto her skin. He couldn't help but admire her for a moment. He never really could help himself. Even so, he found himself being more and more at peace with that.

"One day at a time," he grinned back at her, gently laying a hand on her slender shoulder, "anything I can do to make your day better?" Lokni figured that if they were about to walk into a tense situation, it would be best if they were both calm and collected- not to mention he just enjoyed the prospect of brightening her day if he could. Kindness was one of the few free things in this world, might as well share it, he figured.

Occasionally, Lokni would forget that they even had "powers." For the most part, he had thought it was chance, up until Akhila had put him through some hoops and Darcy shared her theories. Selin's mention of her own abilities piqued his interest. He had never seen her transform before. "Are you getting the bearings on your abilities?" Lokni asked, "been a bit lost myself." It wasn't an understatement, he still found himself hesitant to try and reach into that part of himself, he feared what he would draw out. He watched as she gently took the hunting knife, hesitating a bit before taking hold of it. "Good choice, although let's hope that we won't need to put it to use," he complimented, adjusting his grip on his makeshift spear. "It's one of the few items that came along with me to the island. I've had this for the past fifteen years, never left my home without it," he explained, feeling more talkative than usual. Selin had that effect on him. He was all too familiar with how that weight had felt in his palm, as well as how the grip had shaped to his hand as he grew over time. Or maybe he had grown into it. Tough to say. "I think that's everything we need, the next part is the harder one, moving forward," Lokni replied, gazing down into the dimly lit tunnel below. The floor was made of small white tiles similar to those used in bathrooms, whereas the walls were covered in an equally white and slightly reflective material akin to plastic. "I think there will be some answers- at the very least there should be an end to these tunnels. And if there's not, maybe a way out," he offered her a hand as he began to descend the narrow steps. "It's optimistic, but not impossible. Wherever we end up, we can work together and figure things out, one step at a time," he murmured the last part, echoing their shared words back to her. It felt like their own special shared philosophy.

The dingy yellow lights led on for some time, the only sound was their footsteps echoing throughout the tunnel. From where they were currently, there was still no sign of a change in direction or any doors further on. Lokni didn't like being so far underground. He still hadn't tested his abilities indoors, and a part of him worried that they wouldn't even work. He took a shaky breath, looking toward the ceiling. They seemed to be alone. Out of his peripheral, he glanced down, noticing how Selin's strides were a bit shorter than his own. He made an effort to measure his steps to match her pace.

Selin wasn't sure what to make of these tunnels but when Lokni brought up the idea to investigate them, she knew that she had to go with him. The thought of him trying to go on his own worried her, and if anything happened to him she wasn't sure she could handle it.

When Lokni came into view, she took in his look, the fitted black top accentuating his muscles while his hair was tied back so his face was unobstructed. It was as if he made these choices to show off his best features (or maybe what she considered his best features) to her. "You look...ready for adventure." good was what she wanted to finish that statement with but knew this wasn't the time to be focused on looks. Even if her eyes did wander to how the seam of the shirt sleeve tightly hugged his biceps. Her own clothes were simple, practical. Something she would have picked out if she was invited to go on a hike, but it would work just as well for creepy tunnel exploration.

"I'm good. Well, better. Been getting back into the swing of things little by little. One day at a time, right?" She answered, just like they talked about that night at the fishing hole. Taking this life of theirs one day at a time. Even though there was still that looming concern thanks to those secrets left by peoples bedsides. It became a little challenging to accept life here with that looming reminder that someone is just walking around the place with the capacity to kill someone without regret.

He handed her two options for a weapons, something she still wasn't entirely comfortable with but knew she needed something for protection. "I wouldn't say I have any preference, I don't think I've had a need to use either. I'm hoping that if things go wrong I can always use my ability to shrink and get away." But that wasn't a guarantee. She had been working on trying to control the changes in her size, it was an exhausting effort to do so but she felt like she was making good progress. At least she wasn't changing at random most days, but controlling when and how she changed and for how long all at the same time was still a bit tricky. As for the weapon, she ended up reaching for the handle of the knife and stowing it away for now.

"I think I'm all ready. Unless there's anything else you think we might need? I think it'll be okay. Just...take it slow. And walk carefully." She wasn't sure what to expect really. Selin hadn't wanted to think about the tunnels and where they led, or why they were here in the first place but Lokni wanted to investigate and if she wanted to find clues and answers she couldn't sit around and do nothing. "What do you think might be down there? Or...what do they lead to? Is it too optimistic to think they might lead to a way out of here?"

[tempestaslokni]

Within the dim light of the bungalow, Selin's eyes were easy to make out, and her shadow stretched across the floor languidly. Somehow the lowlight made everything feel more relaxed, yet heady at the same time. Maybe he was drunk, but he found himself leaning over his mug, gently breathing in fresh air that was tinged with the earthy scent of the tea. As Selin approached the table, she seemed to be deep in thought. When she neared, her brow smoothed as she took a seat. Lokni cleared his throat before breaking the silence, "something on your mind?" He was still getting to know her, her expressions still challenging for him to read. That wasn't about to stop him, however. His mind drifted back to the yearlings he had started, how they had to figure things out between one another. A world without words was difficult to navigate, but there was something deeply grounding about it. It was slow progress at times, but infinitely rewarding. Though, comparing Selin to a horse was probably not very respectful. "That's mighty kind of you. I might take a look through, although I don't want to take too much. I don't usually wear much when I sleep," the last part kind of slipped out, the wine easing confessions past the checkpoint of his brain before he even got a chance to scan them. An awkward pause followed. "Comfy looks great on you too- really anything does," he stumbled over his words, flustered. He took a deep breath, silently telling himself, 'just slow down. One thing at a time.' It didn't help that her compliment went straight to his head, his face darkening in the low light of the bungalow. These clothes looked "good" on him? He made a skeptical face at the Margaritaville shirt. She had interesting taste, but he wasn't complaining. "I wanted you here" echoed throughout his mind as he brought the mug to his lips in an attempt to hide his shy smile. This was followed by the sensation of Selin's bare foot gently nudging against his leg. He had been mid-sip of his tea and he spluttered in surprise, barely managing to not spill all over himself. Heat rushed to his face, a recurring theme of tonight's events. Attempting to pull himself together he met Selin's brown eyes, "It'd be my pleasure to return the favor. I'd like it if you came by my camp. I don't have a kitchen, but I can pull together a meal. Few things beat fresh fruit, the smell of a bonfire, and a clear view of the stars."

Lokni watched as Selin gazed at him, a pensive expression on her face before she asked about his hair. He raised a humored eyebrow. Nobody on the island had asked about his hair, so this was a pleasant first. "No need to apologize. I occasionally braid it. Most of the time I wear it down," he replied, taking one of the long strands and holding it between his thumb and forefinger, the end of the strand flowing like a waterfall down his forearm. He took a moment to think, tilting his chin to the side a bit before saying, "how 'bout we make a deal; you braid my hair, and I'll braid yours?"

Selin felt like she was going through a mix of emotions but the shower and the wine still in her system made it all hazily blend together. She was a little nervous, but she was giddy about Lokni staying over. The use of the word date in a place like this, what kind of people went on dates while their lives were on the line every day? It felt crazy to her to feel the butterflies in her stomach instead of using her energy to figure out how to go home. But getting home wasn't as easy as snapping her fingers, focusing all her energy on it would surely cause insanity. All of this filtered through her mind until she had to tell herself to relax and just enjoy the night. Turn off her brain until she woke up the next morning sober.

Hopefully next to Lokni, but Selin understood if he would find comfort sleeping in some other part of the house. She wondered then if he was using this time to make up the couch for himself in her absence. When she stepped out of the bathroom, her eyes did drift over to the couch that had been left untouched, before she took in Lokni sitting at the small table with a cup of tea for each of them.

"Thank you. I don't mind drinking it here. I don't know if I really have a favourite spot, but...right here is good." She smiled as she took a seat at the table, thinking that really, right now, any spot in this bungalow that they were sharing could be her favourite spot. Selin took a sip of her tea, glancing up at Lokni from her cup as he thanked her for letting him stay here, as if she did that because there was no other option. "You don't have to thank me. I wanted you here." She told him earnestly, using her foot to gently nudge his leg under the table.

"You can keep them if you want." She responded about the clothes. "And you can look through the bags I have for other options too. If you need more clothes, that is. But a few comfy options are always good. And...comfy looks good on you." She looked down at her own outfit, tucking strands of her hair behind her ear, stopping herself from stupidly responding by informing him she would usually be wearing less if she was alone. Guys don't want to hear that their presence makes you put on more clothes. So she thanked him before taking a moment to look him over.

Not just his facial features or the way his dark eyes seemed to be lit up even in the dim lights in her bungalow. Selin found herself more fixated on his hair, long, still damp from the shower and slicked back as the ends draped over his shoulder. "Do you ever braid your hair to tie it back or do you prefer to wear it down?" She asked, curious about his personal preferences for handling his hair. "Sorry if that sounds out of nowhere, I just thought it would look nice braided."

[tempestaslokni]

"Yeah, I think you found somethin' alright," Lokni affirmed, shining his flashlight down the passage toward the newly discovered door. From where they were standing, the tunnel was dark, but the ground shifted from weathered rock to smooth tiles. The walls were lined with white paneling that reflected the light of the flashlight back at Lokni. "I've only seen something like this once, back under the Medcenter with Zaid," Lokni breathed out, eyes still locked on the door as if something insidious would suddenly come forth. Lokni turned as he heard Alex's footsteps, "you up for a little more exploration? It's not like we're in any rush to go back." "I agree with you there, few things here seem to be purely out of a need for a more decorated environment," Lokni nodded in agreement as he pointed his flashlight up toward the ceiling. "I don't have a clue as to how all of this could be theoretically assembled. Unfortunately, that's not in my wheelhouse. Blueprints? But why here?" The domed ceiling stretched high, but unlike the tunnel, it didn't lead anywhere. Regardless, Lokni pulled his little notebook out from his pocket and did his best to do a rough sketch of what he was seeing. The pages already had a small collection of his findings, some more smeared with graphite than others; Findings and memories, including a couple roughly drawn pictures of Chenoa. As he did so, he glimpsed the folded note that he had found on his pillow a couple days ago, pinched between two pages. There were plenty of things to fish for answers with- and that led to a thought popping into Lokni's head. He bit his lip, contemplating if he should bring it up or not. Finally, he gave in, turning towards Alex, "hey, uh- I know we've got plenty of strange things going on as it is, but a couple days ago, I woke up to a note next to me. Had something strange written on it too. I've got no idea how it got into my camp- but, I don't know- it's been on my mind lately. Then again, no idea how it would have anything to do with this or anything else on the island. I was just wondering if you've heard of something like that happening?" Alex seemed like the type that enjoyed hearing new happenings, what was the harm in sharing? It wasn't like Lokni was telling him what the note said- then again he didn't even know if what was written was true. Besides, Alex was a nice guy. Unprompted, Lokni slowly walked down the tunnel towards the door. "I'm just gonna' take a look and see what's up ahead," he murmured back reassuringly. He craned his head, listening for any noise aside from Alex's quiet footsteps around the entrance. Hesitantly, Lokni turned the doorknob. There was a deep thunk, followed by the door creaking open. White, sterile light flooded the tunnel, temporarily blinding Lokni. Once his vision returned, the brightly lit tunnel came into view. He cast a quizzical look back at Alex, before jutting his chin in the direction of the open door, "you coming?"

"Either a way out, a way forward, or a where to pass the time until the tide turns, literally." Alex, being a person who never let the practical outweigh the pleasant, gave himself a nice long moment to admire the sight of Lokni's gorgeous backside ascending the rocky wall, the muscles of his shoulders and arms and back and ass all on glorious display. Not like Lokni, in all his innocent climbing, could tell where Alex was letting the beam of his flashlight linger, after all.

"Anything good up there?" he called cautiously as Lokni disappeared from sight over the crust of the ledge and his lightsaber of a flashlight started flipping illumination over the crags and crevices. For a moment the light stopped moving and Alex shifted from foot to foot uneasily, envisioning himself climbing up and finding just the flashlight on the ground with no Lokni in sight -- but then he heard the other man pipe up, his polite voice touched with a bit of something. Wonder or caution, or kissing cousins, anyhow.

"On my way, baby," Alex said, jamming his own flashlight away as he too made his way up the rock face. It wasn't a hard climb (though the idea of falling backwards into the cloudy and no doubt bacteria-laden water wasn't a happy one), and he scrambled the last couple of feet with that thought in mind. Finding Lokni whole at the top, but transfixed by something on the ceiling of the cave. "What's up?" Alex quipped, pulling out his own flashlight, and then gave a low whistle when the twinned beams answered the question.

"That's not what I expected." He could see why the marks had arrested Lokni; the precision of them, the uniformity, tickled at the back of a human brain to say: order, plan, instruction. "And I don't think this is the island's idea of mural-painting, somehow." With both of their flashlights, they could see a bigger area of the images at once, and Alex started to trace along one of the pulley systems, walking forward at the same time towards the tunnel. "Whaddyou think it is? Schematics for something, or a map, or something more representational? Considering what this place is like, I can't imagine that there'd be something like this, with this scope, just hidden away in here without it having a meaning we're supposed to figure out. Nothing here seems like it's purely dec...o...rative..."

Alex's words trailed slowly to a halt as he moved his flashlight down from the ceiling of the tunnel and its intersecting, angled lines, to something ahead of them in the distance, at the end: a door. "Holy shinoley," he said, then looked at Lokni, eyebrows raised and eyes rounded. "Did we just find something??"

[tempestaslokni]

Every second counted, even if Calamity's rowing wasn't strong, she was still trying, and Lokni had to give her that. However, he doubted that their assailant was going to be so gracious. The crashing of the waves accompanied by their frantic rowing drowned out everything else for a moment as they pulled behind the reef. Lokni nodded, bracing himself as they readied for an impact- one that never came. Confused, Lokni whipped his head around, scanning the water for that ominous shadow. There was neither hide nor hair of it. The hairs on Lokni's arms and neck rose, reminding him of the times that he'd been out herding the cattle long after the sun had gone down. Occasionally, he'd hear the howling of wolves, and know that they weren't far off. This was different though, it was as if it was lying in wait for them. "It's not gone," he replied in a warning tone as he scanned the waters, "it's just waiting for its chance." "I don't know what it sees as a threat, but you're making too many assumptions- how about we try to catch a strong wave to shore?" Lokni asked, racking his brain for answers. "If it ends up targetting the boat, then we take that moment to abandon ship and try to swim the rest of the way?" He kept blurting out suggestions, although they didn't seem much better than what she was offering. The way that Calamity flitted from panic to anger, and then to begging for help had Lokni's mind floundering like a fish at the bottom of a barrel full of bullet holes. Lokni watched in frustration as she put the oar down, before rising to her feet. She grasped his wrist, pleading with him while also simultaneously suggesting that there was no other way. He felt like he had his back against a wall. "We've got choices!" he fired back, although he doubted their options himself. He was getting hot under the collar from the tense situation as well as Calamity running circles around him.

Calamity curled up against him like a cat begging for a plastic wrapper that would probably end up in a $5000 dollar vet bill. "I'm not sure how you came to that conclusion- but I'm not leaving this boat. I rather take my chances with it than throw myself out there like a hunk of meat that's just gonna' get snapped up. You've made up your mind, yeah? Go ahead, I'm not keeping you here," Lokni replied, keeping his voice neutral as he spread an open palm toward the water. If she couldn't wait a second longer, then who was Lokni to stop her?

At least that's what he was thinking before the boat was launched into the air. The arm that had been open moments ago locked around Calamity instinctively as they flew into the air. It took him a moment to realize that he was yelling as they hung in the air for a split second before plummeting toward the water. He didn't even have the chance to suck in a breath before they plunged beneath the waves, splinters of wood raining down from the sky. He released Calamity, not sure which way was up as the waves jostled them. They broke the surface, hacking and sputtering.

Panic stank up the air; and while Calamity loved a good turmoil of chaos, she usually preferred witnessing it than being in the middle of it. Give her a concert stage gone awry, or hidden in a penthouse couch whilst dudebros displayed their massive insecurities on others. Whatever had hit the boat was relentless, and it was not giving up.

"I'm trying to row, it's harder than it looks!" she wailed. Not her fault if Mr Muscles just looked like he was cutting warm butter. She wasn't built for hard work! But at least she knew the pounding rush of adrenalin, and took advantage of it.

"A reef?! What's a - whatever. I'm following you!" Lokni seemed to know what to do, and when her life was at stake, she'd do anything. The boat wobbled unsteadily, but it seemed they'd reached a reef to Lokni's satisfaction. The shadow under the water didn't seem to stop its trajectory though, and Calamity tensed. "Brace yourself...this isn't going to be fun."

But...nothing came. The waves still crashed, the boat still creaked. Calamity half-stood to get a better look. Nothing. No shadow lurking under the water. She grinned at Lokni. "It's gone! You were right!"

And the shore....it looked temptingly close. "But if we try to take the boat back to shore, what if it comes back? The boat's so big...maybe it sees the boat as a threat. Fuck. Fucking hell! We were so close to escape, Lokni!" Calamity's dismay was poised as if she and Lokni were a team, all along.

"We should swim for it," she decided, putting the oar down. Her gaze strictly at the shore, as she readied herself. "Yeah, let's make a swim for it! It's not too far. We can make it. I'm gonna do it." And she wouldn't take no for an answer. She had an inkling that despite Lokni's congenial ways, he was likely just as stubborn too. Nice guys like him usually were. So Calamity took his wrist in both her hands, and gently pulled, and whined. "Pleeeeeeease. We can't stay here all night, and if we pull the boat back around, the thing might come back. What choice do we got?"

She sighed, and leaned against him, curling as small as possible to tuck against Lokni as she could. "You saved my life, Lokni. You owe me, now." She murmured this against his chest. "You're responsible for what happens next. And I say what happens next, is we swim back to shore. You a strong swimmer? I'll bet you are."

[tempestaslokni]

End.

Lindi tried not to obviously watch Lokni as he took his first bite of the scone. It was unnerving to be intently stared upon, like a contestant boring holes into Paul Hollywood's thin lips, desperate for a hint of a smile. So, Lindi subtly watched Lokni's aura. Satisfaction unfurled in her chest as his aura briefly glittered as he chewed his first bite. "Oh, this is nothing, really." Lindi humbly deflected, pleased to no end at his praise. "I've done so many bake sales, at this point I could make scones in my sleep."

Lokni offered to repay the favour with bannock. Lindi smiled politely and nodded at his offer of bannock. "The last time I had bannock was with some soup up in the Highlands." A ski trip with her school board friends, where Lindi did no skiing but a lot of drinking wine and coffee in the lodge. "So you can bet I'll hold you up to your offer. As long as I don't have to deal with those horrible monkey things." She was relieved when Lokni said they didn't bother his campsite.

Lokni had a wonderful way of putting things. The scones were a piece of home, the repetitive movements of making them had soothed her. "That's the point of comfort food, isn't it? Nostalgia, taking you back to a place of warmth…" Lindi took a beat to look at Lokni, his thoughtful, deep eyes. It was always the quiet ones, wasn't it? He was reflective and deep. The kind of person she always wanted to know, someone she could have a real conversation with. And yet all of her closest friends had been various degrees of frivolous. "I'm glad I could share them with you."

[tempestaslokni]

Status: Closed for @selinswonderland Location: The Wilderness North of Lokni's Camp Darkness was nearing, the oragne hues of the afternoon bleeding away towards the horizon. Rain lightly padded against the wide leaves of the dense foliage. Lokni leaned against a nearby tree, taking account of what he had at his disposal; hunting knife, backpack, cellphone, wallet, a handcrafted spear, the works. Whatever would help them with what they might encounter in the tunnels.

Today he and Selin had agreed to meet up and investigate the tunnel to the north of his camp. This was a serious matter, but he was excited to see Selin again. He'd been trying to think of an excuse to go see her, to sate that hunger to be with her, but he knew she was probably plenty busy as it was. -And they had seen each other literally three days ago. They'd been texting back and forth a bit, but it wasn't the same as being face-to-face. He missed seeing her facial expressions, hearing how she laughed, and the tone of her voice. He had spent an embarrassingly large amount of time imagining what tone or face she made when writing those messages. He leaned his head against the tree, letting out a deep sigh. He could hardly do anything without thinking about her. Get it together, we're about to go down into something potentially dangerous, he mentally chastised himself. He was telling himself that, but he had spent a great deal of time trying to choose his clothes, following the advice of Steve and Alex- avoiding pairing more than one pattern and whatnot. He ended up deciding on a black, short-sleeved fitted running shirt and camouflage, tactical cargo pants. Trading his cowboy boots for the day, he sported some sturdy, black leather work boots. These would have more traction indoors. He even put his piercings in; simple golden sleepers. He contemplated leaving his hair down as he typically preferred, but practicality won in the end. He simply left it in a ponytail.

Before long, the light pattering of the rain on the canopy above wasn't the only thing Lokni heard. Glancing over in the direction of the noise, he saw Selin approaching through the thick foliage. He cleared his throat, stepping out so that she could see him better. "Hey, how've you been?" he began, struggling to contain the smile that threatened to break forth. They were going into a potentially dangerous situation, and there he was on the verge of grinning ear to ear like a whole damn fool. He took the spear in one hand and his hunting knife in the other, handing them hilt-first toward Selin. "I don't know if you have a preference, but I thought I should give you the first choice," Lokni explained, hoping that she wouldn't have to use either to begin with. Lokni hadn't tried to use his abilities indoors before, so he was unsure if it would even work. At any rate, he hoped that it wouldn't come to that. "Are you ready for this?" he asked, checking that his pack was secure and that any loose straps were tightened sufficiently.