[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

Oh... As Cottonee gives herself unsure about her return, Shiva intesifies the cuddle. "Please don't feel bad, that's not necessary. You've acted correctly by returning, I wouldn't want you running into difficulties and at worst, well... being seperated from you." The simple THOUGHT of being apart from her most dearest Pokemon is threathening to cause a crack in the size of the move Fissure in Shiva's sensitive and big heart. She can feel that Cottonee thinks the same as she presses herself closer to Shiva.

Not sensing anything 'alive' confuses Shiva a lot, but either way she makes a quick u-turn back up and keeps away from the stairs now, clearly not very up to run into what she managed to pick up. Ugh... 'It could just been a Ghost Type, my dear', her inner voice semi-scolds her, Shiva mentally replies with a simple '....Be quiet.' The voice chuckles a bit, then goes mute.

Shiva ignores Nathan's comment for the most part, now is not the time nor place to start discussions. As Gallade however hints that there are guards below the crate labeled "DYE", Shiva knees down to gaze at that network of lasers like she did with the former crate. "Alright... Cottonee, do you think you are able to dismantle the lasers like you just did without alarming those guards?"

She turns towards the others to add something: "I think that... Ehm, that we're on the right track and that these stairs will lead us further. Guards aren't placed to guard nothing or just because under normal circumstances. Would you people agree?"

[Dragonstrike]

(It wasn't intended as a wiseguy comment, Phantom. That's literally something we all should know.)

"We should also consider checking the third crate before going anywhere.  Just because there are guards doesn't mean it's the way we need to go."

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

"We should also consider checking the third crate before going anywhere.  Just because there are guards doesn't mean it's the way we need to go."

(I'll remove that phrase if it's making you uncomfortable. That's in some way an ask to push the third crate labeled "UMBRELLAS (ALMANAC)", if noneelse's up to do it, Shiva will do again. The procedure of Cottonee sneaking down to dismantle the lasers and try to figure out any Pokemon or human down there repeats.)

[Iron]

Cottonee disables these lasers too. This time she comes racing out, much more confident that something dangerous is indeed down there.

[Dragonstrike]

Alright, guess Nathan will take the plunge and have Gallade move the UMBRELLAS crate as well so we can check that one too (partially because Nathan's got the highest Stealth of everyone).  And again, Nathan will ask Calam to prep a Future Sight so there might be some advance warning if anything does happen.

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

Ah... Cottonee returning THAT fast practically confirms to Shiva that these stairs are the one they should head down, but let's wait for the input and agreement from the others before doing that. She clenches a randomly picked Pokeball of hers however, ready to send its content out to face whatever appears to lurk down there.

What she also does is let Yena sniff the stairs - "What is waiting down there according to your fine nose, dear one: A human or a Pokemon?"

[Iron]

Ah... Cottonee reurning THAT fast practically confirms to Shiva that these stairs are the one they should head down, but let's wait for the input and agreement from the others before doing that. She clenches a randomly picked Pokeball of hers however, ready to send its content out to face whatever appears to lurk down there.

What she also does is let Yena sniff the stairs - "What is waiting down there according to your fine nose, dear one: A human or a Pokemon?"

Yena smells a human. He growls excitedly, as if giving chase. You shush him right before he barks.

[Iron]

Stealth:

(3)(5)(5)(4)(1)(6) (3)(5)(5)(3)(1)(2) (3)

*rolls*

Gallade moves this crate (UMBRELLAS - ALMANAC) without too much noise also. The mechanism whirrs and the floor starts moving, but this time, so does the ceiling! A trapdoor drops open, and a half set of stairs drops into place. From the floor, stairs begin building themselves on moving pistons and gears slotting into place, and the whole setup begins rotating with a loud grinding noise, clearly intended to connect the two half-staircases into one larger staircase leading upstairs.

This is decidedly un-stealthy.

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

Oh. She watches how the surroundings change with lots of interest - but her eyes aren't wide open just due to her amazement over such a mechanism, no, anxiety is flaring up within her emphatically and she ends up wrapping her arms around Yena's strong neck while Cottonee is glued to Shiva. The fluffball is gazing at everything falling into place with a sly mouthless smile, Yena is in full 'protect and guard your pack's leader'-mode as he takes a stance ready to pounce. 'Stop... Please, stop.... Be quiet....', is what repeats itself in her mind like a mantra, it feels like this loud mechanism is taking forever.

At least she is aware now why the elevator can only go up.

"Please, anyone...", she unintentionally spits out in a hurry, "Shove that crate not-containing umbrellas BACK to remove these stairs before anyone comes rushing down, and let us go down the way of dye as fast as we can...!" Shiva appears as if she's up to run down the stairs as silently as she can in semi-panic, her head snaps in direction of the Infiltrator Absol. "Dizzy, this mechanism... It probably wasn't implended yet when you were here years ago, was it...?"

[Dragonstrike]

(...are we sure we want to move it back and make even more noise?)