Techn0geist

IC: Sohmak - Spineless Bay, Fortress Razorfish;Vaa "Nah." The response was startlingly quick, and borne from an immediate dislike bubbling in his gut. Sohmak had to work backwards, quickly, from that feeling to figure out why he'd objected. "...s'phony, innit?" The brawler stood again, pacing, claws clacking on the ground. He ignored hypocrisy's spidery limbs creeping up his spine. "Like, if we were back in Irnakk's Tooth then they might buy it, ancestors know they love some drama. But we all know th'game we're in, right? S'why any of us're out 'ere." Lies on lies on lies. He stopped and spun, regarding Gashril with something like accusation. "Wager you ain't the only schemer in this humble fort of ours. They'd see right through it. Give the fellas some credit, yeah?" He let the words linger in the air for too long, crouching and balancing on the balls of his feet opposite the warrior. "What I'm sayin' is, we all seen and been through the same raw deal. I know I got two great big ones but I ain't running this place with an iron hand. That were Zanakra's gig. I'm givin' these boys the respec' they never got from 'er, an' all I'm askin' is respec' in return. And maybe I'm the fool for thinkin' that's gonna get me anywhere out 'ere." CLANK. "But don't mistake that for soft." The Bite of Irnakk's Tooth rose, raising the Slugger closed in fist-approximation. "Let any rotter who guns for me find that out for themselves. We ain't need t' fake it." OOC: @ARROW404

IC: Sohmak - Spineless Bay, Fortress Razorfish;Vaa Sohmak attempted to appear more inviting, still standing but relaxing his posture a tad; even knowing what she knew, he still had to have Gashril's earnest trust, even if she didn't have one lick of his in return. His fingers tapped against the triggers inside the gauntlets, knowing precisely how much pressure he could apply without setting off the crush-jaws. He restrained a grimace. "Go on lass, be bold." OOC: @ARROW404

IC: Sohmak - Spineless Bay, Fortress Razorfish;Vaa But what do you want? was the question Sohmak really wanted to ask. He could almost feel the point of her falchion dangling over his head. Instead he returned Gashril's grin. "'ppreciate the vote of confidence. Reckon I already got this joint whipped into better shape than she ever did." He resisted the urge to spit like he did during his big speech, filling the room with his raucous laughter instead. After an uncomfortable few seconds, the warlord-in-light brought his voice low again. "T'harrak made the right call. Now we got a chance to build somethin' stronger than was ever 'ere before." He turned now to hold Gashril's gaze. "Last call she ever makes though. Keepin' 'er under heel, can't let her go running off giving other forts smart ideas too." Sohmak rose now to his feet, a colossus casting his shadow over the Shrill Blade. "Only shot-caller here's me. I'm trustin' you to keep your men aware o' that, savvy?" It was a bare-faced lie, and he didn't know whether he'd overplayed his hand trying to read Gashril's reaction to it. OOC: @ARROW404 apologies for the delay, haven't had the juice lately.

IC: Sohmak - Spineless Bay, Fortress Razorfish;Vaa He extended a Slugger, motioning Gashril to sit. "At ease, lass. Not a soul in the fort ain't a little tired an' hoarse." A wry grin parted his lips "'cept me, 'course." Sohmak kicked a stool over and sat opposite the Shrill Blade, still quietly amazed at the self-supporting nature of the exoharness when the seat refused to collapse under its true weight. His next words were genuine. "Listen, Gashril... you an' your lot threw in with our lot on pretty short notice, and I'm real glad ya decided to stick around after yesterday's tangle. Well, 'least those who..." Sohmak trailed off. He swore he could still hear it, in the distance. The rumble and yelling. "Those who made it out," he affirmed. "They're strong. You're strong. 'xactly the kinda folks I need 'ere. 'ppreciate it, 'ope I can keep relyin' on it." And then Sohmak leaned in closer, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial volume. "If I can be candid for a mo, though... I wouldn't have blamed ya if you did hightail it back across the deltas. Your camp did look pretty cosy, after all." The brawler cleared his throat. "That uhh, weren't sarcastic..." This long without exercising his might and he got fidgety. "Fort's a fixer-upper, won't make no bones about it." Closer, quieter. "And you ain't owe that mad warlady Zanakra a shred. Frankly, nor d'ya owe me. So I gotta ask, one noisy Skakdi with a badass ringname to another... why'd you stay?" A general but probing question, the thought of Gashril knowing about his arrangement with T'harrak simmering in the back of his mind. OOC: @ARROW404 all good, I'd be lying if I said I was consistent 😅

IC: Sohmak - Spineless Bay, Fortress Razorfish;Vaa "Figures," he scoffed. "Sensin' a trend 'round 'ere. Shoulda known there was somethin' fishy 'bout 'er." Wind blew. The Kinloka, its meal not agreeing with it, hacked up the Necrofinch. It stumbled through the air on spit-slick wings, whistling all the while. "I'll uhh... stick to the rousin' speeches..." Sohmak took a step back, starting to disengage as much from embarrassment as from the natural conclusion they'd reached. "Thanks for the chat, geek. We got a path forward now." His tone betrayed relief, tinged with excitement. "An' again, don't let no one say you didn't make the right call. They regret livin', I'll oblige 'em." The words sounded awkward coming out, the idea of killing still very much foreign to the Sarke fighter. He turned on his heel, making for the stairwell down into the fortress. As he went, he whirled back around with a familiar cocksurety adorning his face. "An' I weren't kiddin' before! I wanna see you in that ring, rotter!" Before T'harrak had a chance to respond he was out of view, his raucous guffaw echoing up the stairwell and off the battlements. It didn't take long for Sohmak to find his new dwelling, the threshold of Zanakra's former warlord quarters adorned with an intricate and uncharacteristically delicate mosaic of fishbone patterns; battles, myth, ancestors and gods all on display. Visions of lavish and luxurious spaces swimming in his head, he took a deep breath and shouldered the door open. "...huh." As unlike the door was to the rest of the fortress, the room was equally as unmatching to the door; furniture was sparse, decoration even more so. A bed in one back corner, a desk and stool in the opposite; parchment and writing utensils sat atop the desk, and on closer inspection Sohmak found they were unused. Hooks for cloaks and other accoutrements, empty. No windows, illuminations provided by the one luxuriant affordance, a lightstone hanging from the ceiling. "Hmmm." No. This wouldn't do. Not very bossly at all. Procuring a big cloak would be a good start to fixing the vibe. He tested the bed. Surprisingly comfy. The brawler could have dozed off there but forced himself back on his feet, claws tacking on cold stonework as he paced the room. He would pay Gashril a visit. Try to get her read. And an excuse to familiarise himself with the halls of Razorfish;Vaa. When the warlord-in-shadow had finally found where the Shrill Blade was bunking down, the warriors' quarters were otherwise empty. Still no reason to show his whole hand. Sohmak looked over Gashril's inert form and a tiny, ignored intuition swore he was interrupting something other than sleep. "A-hem. A word?" OOC: @Nato G @ARROW404

IC: Sohmak - Spineless Bay, Fortress Razorfish;Vaa The brawler nodded "Sure she'll 'ppreciate it." A pause. "An'... 'pologies for gettin' off on the wrong foot with you two. If I knew the mess we was fallin' into I may've held my tongue." He smirked now. "May've. Guess we'll never know," he added with a chuckle. Sohmak stood and stretched. "Night's wearin' on, suppose we wind down work in a few and set up a watch?" Even in his position as a figurehead, a mere public face for the fort's true leadership, it was hard not to fall into the groove of thinking like that leader ought to, at least on a base level; adopting that simplified mindset will help the real orders from T'harrak sound more convincing coming from his mouth. Considering winding down himself, he came to a realisation. "Zanakra's boss digs!" he started more abruptly than he'd meant, "Where they at?" OOC: @Nato G

IC: Sohmak - Spineless Bay, Fortress Razorfish;Vaa Again he looked over the terrain of their little delta fiefdom, trying to visualise T'harrak's plans for the abundance of the land around them. "Once work's started proper we should 'ave plenty opportunity to tackle this." His mind's eye struggling, he shook the thought free and turned back with a soft, almost-hopeful smile. "Think we might be in this for the long 'aul anyways, nah?" OOC: @Nato G

IC: Sohmak - Spineless Bay, Fortress Razorfish;Vaa There was something desperately reassuring in that, a security that burned brightly now in his core. Someone had his back. Someone had his back! Again his laugh joined hers, soon replaced by a harmonious whirring as he lifted his arms, his Sluggers, out in front of them both. "Help me get these bloody things off, yeah?" And so he told her his deal. His whole deal. About how in the Sarke circuits of Irnakk's Tooth he'd made his name and taken his glory by rejecting all advantage that lay beyond his own two fists. How he'd gone so far as to rebuke the parasite so ubiquitous among their kin. "Fan|Siirasul;Ka," he pronounced lavishly through a grin, so proud of how his ring name sounded in the old tongue: One, who is Without a Spine Slug. The Spineless Slugger. The glow of his smile slowly faded as he recounted how the geek, the coward, Syntak had entrapped him within the exoskeletal Sluggers and robbed him of his reputation without landing a single blow; his honest intent of a gift given only a passing mention. The following trek of self-exile he'd made across their homeland searching for a soul who could release him from the mighty shackles, by brawn or brain (brawn preferable, he omitted). The rest, she knew. "Tell you what," Sohmak concluded, leaning again on the parapet, "if you get 'em off without breakin' 'em, they're yours. Then they'll 'ave to listen to ya, right?" The same bird woke again, chirped, and was shortly after devoured by a wily Kinloka. The Necrofinch sung all the way down. OOC: @Nato G

IC: Sohmak - Spineless Bay, Fortress Razorfish;Vaa Only the one eyebrow went up this time. "Really now?" A scowl settled on his face; his master stroke and already it had been compromised, undone, within the day. Within two hours. "And she don't want nothin' in return for 'er silence?" Sohmak looked off into the distance, at T'harrak's vaunted trees and rocks, his mind abuzz. To think he was going to approach Gashril with gratitude for her party's allegiance and praise for their steadfast fortitude. "Nah, don't like the smell of it," he said, cutting off any answer the tinkerer might've had. "Reeks. 'For now' is a promise, boss. Shrill Blade's gonna want somethin' for somethin'." His fingers played against the triggers inside the gauntlets. Wind blew. "I'll keep an eye on 'er." Quiet. Stewing. A bird woke up somewhere, stretched its wings, and fell back asleep. "I want somethin'. Need somethin'. A favour." OOC: @Nato G

IC: Sohmak - Spineless Bay, Fortress Razorfish;Vaa Sohmak's eyebrows lifted, and he glanced again at the courtyard. From down below and in amongst it, he had seen what he thought was scattered wear, weathering and damage from simple age, though he'd not known the fortress was far too new for that. Now from on high, almost the whole construction in his view, he had the full picture; myriad scars borne from the ultimate expression of 'rough-and-tumble'. He whistled, impressed, then adopted a late grimace. "Ancestors forbid that poor sod expires, though. I ain't abidin' rulebreakers." T'harrak's laugh summoned his own, and her answer brought the compulsion to clap her on the back; he resisted, lest he blow her torso wide open. "Half everyone says the same thin' 'fore their first bout. I can find ya a small fish down there, a light snack for the bosswoman, eh?" He could at least give her what he thought was a gentle elbow under the ribs. The wind whistled over the parapets. It was a clear night. "'ey," Sohmak started, pivoting, "'bout Jojax... you should check up on 'er. Weren't givin' anythin' away when we chatted earlier. Dunno if she 'members how she got back. I feel it though, she's hurtin' somewhere, 'er body or 'er pride. Call it fighter's...in-tu-i-tion." His eyes unfocused over the courtyard, the blurry forms of warriors and workers scurrying beneath the pair. "Guess all's a bit like that..." Snapping back to lucidity, he brought his gaze to the tinkerer once more. "She ain't trust me easy, on 'count of the needlin'. Stakes were lower then, right? Now I'm boss, well, you're—anyway, we gotta get 'er on side. Say what ya gotta, she'll listen to ya." He pursed his lips over his tombstone teeth and blew air idly. "Our deal stays hush, 'course. Guess I'm an 'ypocrite like that." The brawler tried his best to look apologetic. OOC: @Nato G

IC: Sohmak - Spineless Bay, Fortress Razorfish;Vaa Sohmak took umbrage with that last comment, standing tall now. "Oi, clobberin' each other for fun's got its place, even 'ere. All well'n'good puttin' up walls and catapults but the folks behind 'em can't be gettin' soft, warriors is warriors for goodness's..." A pause, a deep breath, and again he came down to her level. "I see your point. 'bout usin' the trees and rocks, I mean." Sohmak turned now, walking to the other side of the battlement and looking down over the central courtyard, Skakdi like ants from this high up. "We can have both, gotta have both. No random acts o'violence, though. We'll organise us some Sarke and other trainin' drills if you think we need 'em. s'good for keepin' our lot sharp, swear it." The fighter looked over his shoulder to T'harrak, the twinkle now in his eye. "Good for the soul, too. Vent some heat in there, everyone's chillin'." He thought he may already know her answer but allowed his curiosity another win. "Ever tried it?" OOC: @Nato G

IC: Sohmak - Spineless Bay, Fortress Razorfish;Vaa He chuckled at T'harrak's yelp, hardly becoming of her station, then leaned over the parapet beside her and turned his attention toward those same peaks. This was beginning to fall outside his wheelhouse. "Think I'm pickin' up what you're puttin' down... you say it first though." He was not. OOC: @Nato G

IC: Sohmak - Spineless Bay, Fortress Razorfish;Vaa The brawler let his arm drop, staring through where the wrestler had been standing. He pondered. "Heh." If these were the kind of holdouts to his 'reign' he could expect going forward, maybe things were to go smoothly after all. He would try again later with Jojax. For now, Sohmak made back for the fortress. Still had something to ask his warlord-in-shadow. He felt an unexpected swell of pride seeing all the Skakdi, his Skakdi, potting about the grounds; making repairs and reinforcements, taking stock of available resources. Some were even becoming jovial, a stray joke drifting above the courtyard, followed keenly by raucous laughter. The Spineless Slugger could close his eyes and be back in the clubhouse in Irnakk's Tooth for a few precious seconds, were it not for the night's chill. Those that weren't so jovial, the layabouts and no-hopers, he felt a certain satisfaction in telling to get off their lazy behinds and contribute something dammit, bellowing like righteous thunder. He would conceal a devilish grin as he continued on his way. Among the busybodies Sohmak sighted the remaining Tahtorak bunch, Gashril's crew, and he was glad for it. He made a note to thank her for their continuing loyalty. Finally he reached the armoury, poked his head through the door and frowned; no T'harrak in sight. Not without a lead, however, his keen ears pricked up; down the corridor and up the stairwell, the unmistakable sound of excited scampering. Must've just missed 'er, assuming it was her. He followed. Serendipitously, he emerged onto the battlements to find a certain tinkerer with a twinkle in her eye. His query was forgotten again, replaced with another curiosity. "A-hem," he announced himself, assuming she hadn't already heard his claws thumping up the stairs, "what's got you all in a tizzy, geek? Find somethin' hot in the arsenal?" OOC: @Smudge8 @ARROW404 @Nato G

IC: Sohmak - Spineless Bay, Fortress Razorfish;Vaa He went to move and support Jojax on seeing her face pale, hesitating when he heard the infernal whirr and saw the hulk of the Slugger gauntlet entering his view. Even now it was easy to forget the damnable things. Sohmak settled for holding his arm out, something to pull herself up with should she collapse. "Just checkin' on ya," A bossly pause, "don't need my men strainin' themselves. Y'should be restin'." Sohmak pondered silently, aloud. "What d'you remember? 'bout the attack, I mean?" He couldn't help picturing Krex atop his bike, the grenade lofted high. "D'you remember gettin' back?" OOC: @Smudge8

IC: Sohmak - Spineless Bay, Fortress Razorfish;Vaa The brawler wasn't expecting relief to wash through him with T'harrak's approval, though he welcomed it all the same. He crossed one leg over the other, bringing a hulking Slugger up and resting his cheek on it. "Won't lie, this is a nice chair. Can't 'ave you standin' around though, I'll get the boys to bring a little stool up for ya." The banter flowed like wine. The twin warlords surveyed the work for a time, fortress denizens scurrying back and forth from task to task, mesmerising in its own way. "Boss," Sohmak said, breaking their contented quiet, "after you've finished your inventoryin', I've got a favo—" CRACK. Teeth set tense against each other. Thoughts of Fortress Garsi. "Nah..." SPLASH. "Nah nah nah, already?" Sohmak leapt from the throne, then from the overlook, landing with a dulled but heavy thump in the courtyard below. He rose to his full, towering stature, having only attracted the attention of the few Skakdi closest to him. "...as you were, lads. Stay sharp." Awkward pauses and dramatic pauses were so very alike. Sohmak came now to the hole he'd smashed in the fortress wall, night wind still blowing through. He peered out and down to the river, expecting landing craft, a rocket barrage, stone-brown jaws of a Skak:Dii war-god to close on them all. Instead his gaze was met with a rather less dramatic sight, and a rather more melodramatic one. The ingress of cool twilight air was momentarily halted by a loud sigh. "JOJAX! A word!" He met the wrestler halfway to the fort, striding with purpose towards her. He decided "[name], a word" would be a catchphrase, the implication of a reprimand to follow. Some other Skakdi lugging stones towards the fortress gave only glances in their direction, deciding it would be best not to disturb the "boss" at such a time. Once he was sure they would not be interrupted, Sohmak again let his stern features soften. He couldn't help but feel... responsible for Jojax since saving her from the failed assault, despite their rocky start. He would never admit it to her face, but he couldn't shy from demonstrating it. "How ya holdin' up, kid? You were pretty banged up back there, sure you're good to be haulin' like that?" Condescension and concern, like pauses, are a similarly fine line. Given their short history, he hoped Jojax would hear him erring on the latter side. OOC: @Nato G @Smudge8