November Miniplot: Clever Pests

[savmods]

Who: Anyone and everyone
When: Around and after November 17
Where: Avagi
What: A small-scale reunion

Escalation

In the last week, the opening portals have brought a range of opportunities to Avagi. Some station-dwellers have leapt at the chance to be outside, exploring the gardens or the Forest of Renewal. Others chose to test themselves in the Temples. Still more have met with the Kaittans, trading knowledge and training for resources they could bring back home. Among these items? Fresh, delicious food. Those residing in _______ Suites were already familiar with the occasional skittering sounds. Recently, those noises have increased abruptly—in volume, and in the areas they can be heard. Strange odors and paste-like droppings have turned up throughout the station, and breakable materials may be torn, gnawed on, or otherwise despoiled. Actual edibles left out are stolen, or devoured on the spot. Whatever creatures are responsible leave a variety of small bite-marks, and seem to target both plants and meat.

Emergence

Many may be motivated by the current crisis. A few have been making efforts from the start. A partnership self-dubbed Extermination Squad Alpha (araignee_du_soir and squadgoals) has faced continued frustrations against the creatures in the walls, attempting traps, cages, mines, and tracking tech, and finding themselves repeatedly outmaneuvered. In light of the new incursions, they redoubled their efforts, comparing salvaged feathers against the Kaittan's repository of knowledge, and diving headfirst into the ventilation system to pursue the vermin to their lair. On Nomber 17, success will be found... of a sort. While Avagi has neither day nor night, it's a quiet shift for those still on the station. Many occupants are off attempting the trials or otherwise exploring Kaittos. Others are occupied with rest or repair. Those who are conscious may note a slower, bulkier scrape making its way through ceilings and walls. Vent maintenance? Persisting for several hours, it seems innocuous enough. Until, suddenly, it isn't. A loud explosion can be heard over the animal nursery: metal and insulation crunching and giving way, followed by loud shots. Those close enough may spot the bright blue flares of biotic energy, or even the larger figure that hits the floor amidst collapsing ceiling, damaged machinery, and a spatter of what were probably once eggs. As for the smaller shapes that flood out across the station? Everyone will have ample time to get a look at them. Coffee mug included for scale. Those present for Thisavrou's collapse may have reason to remember Region Six. The creatures nesting above the Animal Nursery include all of those species, and several more. However, the escapees of the former Ingress Complex research labs differ from your previous encounters in one highly significant way: Adults range from the size of rats to no bigger than a small chicken. With their nesting site wrecked, the mini dinos will stampede throughout the station. Aggression levels vary highly, and while some of the herbivorous species will avoid encounters, others will charge (or swarm) anyone who gets in their way. What these creatures have lost in size, they've gained in intelligence, and they will show several adaptive behaviors well outside what might be expected of a natural breed. Pack behavior is common, as is teamwork between even unrelated species. While predation does occur, most of these creatures have moved to a scavenging model of survival: and you and yours have recently laid out a full buffet of treats. Velociraptors can open doors—though biolocks may offer more delay. Over the next few days, the chaos will settle as the pests that do escape find new retreats to nest in. They will, however, be seen more commonly throughout the station after. Those who are able to catch, kill, or calm one long enough to examine it will find the creatures aren't merely small, but shrunken, and all to a close scale at their adult growth.

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[[ooc: For questions, please hit up our latest mod update!]]

Comments

[chaoticlootral]

[Oh? Well? Gross? But if he wants to?]

Personally not into shoving my bare hands into johns, but up to you, my man. Was thinking more along the lines of, y'know. [Making an axe motion. Taako has never held an axe in his life, so it might not be the best charade ever done.] Think you'll like this one.

[ruffboi]

Oh. So it's that kinda plumbing job.

[He gets the axe motion, even if it's a poor imitation. Not that hard to get him thinking about axes. Picking up the axe.]

Yeah, I'm down.

[chaoticlootral]

Great, great, gangs back together. This time, we're invoicing though, just so we're clear. No more free pipe clearing.

[Yeeeesssssss. Time to smash some shit up for absolutely no good reason. Waving him on then, down towards the bathrooms he'd heard the original, uuuuuuh, problems coming from, waiting outside the door for a second, ear pressed up against to listen, shushing Magnus. Even if he wasn't talking.]

Hold on, hold on.

[There might be some rustling on the other side? He's making a face like he might be casting a spell, but isn't sharing the results of that.]

You, uh, ready?

[Putting his hand on the door. Ready to fling it open.]

[ruffboi]

Ready!

[When is Magnus ever not ready? He's going to bolt inside the literal second the door is open, only waiting this long out of courtesy to Taako's request.]

[chaoticlootral]

[Taako opens the door, and, bravely, stays outside while Magnus rushes in - though there's much less excitement than anticipated. There's nothing to be seen, though there is evidence of little claws all over the place, and some disarray from small feet. Interesting. Stepping in behind Magnus.]

. . . Huh. Weird. It was there a second ago.

[Sorry, he got a terrible perception roll.]

[ruffboi]

Aww! Some kinda little critter clogging up the toilets? Come out, little guys! You wanna either be my friend or get clobbered by my axe?

[Peering into the corners of the room, to try and see if he can track where the little guys went.]

[chaoticlootral]

[Taako jumps as something launches a vicious attack - on the laces of his boot - but he's not suffered much damage. A semi-familiar, but tinier, face is chewing contentedly on the lace, apparently having snuck up on him without alerting him. God they are bad at this.]

Uh. Yeah, under attack here? A little tanking required?

[ruffboi]

[Magnus, at being told Taako is under attack and needs a little tanking, drops to the ground, rolls over towards him, and raises his axe to bring it down on whatever creature is there - and then stops.]

Awww! Look at it! Look! It's Merle Jr.!

[chaoticlootral]

[Moving his foot, so his very good shoes stop being ruined. So much for all the help Magnus.]

You really did burden him with that name, my man. He's reduced to crawling out of toilets now.

[ruffboi]

Shh. I'm gonna catch him. Go get me some leaves for him. He loves leaves!

[Cupping his hands and making a whistling noise.]

Hey, Merle Jr. C'mere, lil buddy. You're safe now.