Dev Shadows of Atrisia

[Junko Ike]

The ruins around them seemed to fade, the crumbled arches and weathered stones no match for the quiet intensity of the moment. "Barca," she said, her voice steady but gentle, "you're telling me the big, bad Mandalorian likes it when I take the reins?" Her eyes sparkled with amusement, but there was no mockery there only understanding. Barca shifted, her helmet dipping as if she couldn't quite meet Junko's gaze through the visor. "Yeah," she admitted, barely above a whisper. "I didn't expect it. But with you… it feels right." Junko stepped even closer, her free hand resting lightly on Barca's armored chest, her fingers tracing the edge of robed plate. "Well,"

She murmured, her voice low and warm, "good thing I like leading, then." She tugged Barca's hand gently, urging her to keep walking through the desolate streets, the ruins casting long shadows around them. "Come on, cyar'ika. Let's see what else this forgotten place has for us. And maybe…" She glanced back with a grin, "We'll just have to find the time when we aren't in an ancient city... in the desert... with a glacier that could in theory melt and drop a mountain on our heads." There was a smile on her face that was playful about it. Barca nodded as she was following with Miyoung and Ahri standing there and looking at the pair of them.

 

[Junko Ike]

JUnko turned to look at her. "What?" SHe said it and the researcher, archaeologist, friend... sometimes lover just smiled. "It is so cute watching you interact with all of them... like seeing one of the empresses of legend. Junko and her handmaidens each one selected for their skills, for their talents and drives... and their beauty of which she never failed to take note... nor has she ever failed to make everyone feel special. If you were to ever actually have a single person Junko... I envy them the life that they might have with you." She said it while wrapping an arm around Miyoung and motioning. "Come on, lets go find some new discovery."

Ahri said it and Junko looked at aas she was walking with Barca through the streets. The glow from the moonlight filtering through the crystals this far underground gave a soft glow... casting them all in strange shadows but she could see even more. Miyoung motioned her over while Ahri was getting Barca to help her move some stone to get inside. "Princess, we have bioluminescent lichen. It seems to respond with the light." She pointed it out and had a stick in her face as she was poking and moving things. Her ultimate scientific capability was to poke it with a stick but the young researcher was the brightest mind on Atrisia... so she likely had something.

 

[Junko Ike]

JUnko looked at Miyoung and offered her a smile as her attention was on all of them. Walking through the streets themselves was proving to be quite fun she had to admit. The younger girl was one of the brightest minds on the world... possibly in the galaxy itself there was few who could compare to her... better yet she understood generally everything that she studied which only added to it... as they were able to get technologies, information many would have deemed long last after the decline of so many other great civilizations. Miyoung offered them a lot more though as she also was better then a lot in the galaxy in terms of her athletic abilities.

Miyoung caught her looking and offered a wider grin to her princess. "You look like it is my turn now princess. You already made out with Ahri and based on how Barca is blushing... I am going to guess she admitted she likes you being in charge... sadly I don't want the chill of the cave and city otherwise I would totally show you some precision archery." SHe said it with a wink and Junko walked over to her as she wrapped an arm around her waist standing there in the city as the glow of crystals were around them. "Well, I wanted to some little time for you." She said it and traced the girl jawbone with a finger. "You who has done so much already for your homeworld that I am greatful."

 

[Junko Ike]

Miyoung blushed, it was harder for most to see it. Her richly dark skin was like fine milk chocolate dusted with the faintest if you looked close enough gold as she practically glowed. Her charcoal black air having a sheen that you could see even down here in the caves and her dark eyes that many would say were black but were a shade of dark honey brown that was refined. She smile though was important as she looked a little down at the princess. not much the four inches difference in their height only made it needed while her lithe dancers like body with its muscles was warmed like a small heater under the handmaiden robes she was wearing.

Miyoungs breathing hitched a little and Junko was able to show a smaller smile. "There we go." Her smile never faltered... her look never had to change. For the moment she was checking on it before she allowed herself the smallest chance with her hands going around the womans waist while she held her close. The glowing moss around them in the cave pulsing for a moment with Ahri and Barca both looking on as they cast shadows looks to the scene with amusement and approval. All the while Junko spoke while she made small kisses from exposed neck to cheek going up the jaw to her lips.

 

[Junko Ike]

Miyoung almost melted into her arms with that... enjoying the feeling as the lichen illuminated more and more... casting wonderful shadows around and on the pair. Her breathing hitching for just a moment when she paused not speaking. Junko almost there... her lips mere nanometers above the skin to the point the tiny hairs standing just barely brushed her smooth lips. Their comlinks spoke up for a moment as Phaidors voice came through.... "And then you make out." It broke the tension and there were laughs as Junko pulled back looking at the Lichen as Miyoung was observing it. "I think it is reacting to the force energies around you princess."

Junko gave a small nod of her head when she was looking at it. Allowing the force to guide her thoughts as she unwrapped herself frorm Miyoung and spoke with a grin on her face. "Do be continued.. later when I can bespoil you with the otherrs. A jedi's stamina needs to be made legendary after all." She said it as a joke but was already moving as the force swirled around her hands... invisible caressing but she saw as the lichen glowed where she was moving it as it seemed to follow her. Ahri and Miyoung were silent as they were moving to watch and document it. This further in and down though she could see a lot more.

 

[Junko Ike]

Junko's attention went to the movement against her hand as the lichen followed her. Taking a moment here and longer... then longer before she went further along the wall. The cave opening into the streets of another area. The buildings more and more beautiful. Murals in shadows and overgrown as she could see parts of it. She could see some of it and Miyoung grunted as she was being lifted by Barca up. The remained of a stone shaft there as she pulled away the vines. THen she was crawling up and into the area as Junko could see the light appearing. Junko looked up as Ahri looked at the mural before wiping away the vines and lichen.

"What did you find?" She asked it and was looking at it. The lichens illumination going away for the moment as she was checking on some of it. THen she wiped it away as her hand came out with another glow rod. The lichen once removed from the wall and the rest of itself giving way to inscriptions. "It is what we were thinking, the courts of Starlight and Ash... beautiful in my opinion. Back then before the ice and the sands... this might have been a sight to behold if the lichen was glowing and reacting with the force... being able to see it under the moon and starlight." She had a grin on her face though while reading or trying to.

 

[Junko Ike]

"There isn't much but the courts here in the city were at least something liked it seemed. The ability to see all of the children... to learn their strengths and weaknesses but overtime the ones people liked were praised and others became petty and jealous." Ahri said it while she was looking over some of it. "The rest is faded but it looks like there was infighting among the children when the emperor and empress passed... discontent in some cases, murder in others. The legends as I recall them were a little more mystical but this looks more like it was intended to ground it all in something akin to never meeting your heroes."

Junko had to agree with that, there was always a danger if they managed to find some of the places from the older Atrisian legends.. mostly it was in that the legends rarely were as cool and awesome as it was when you heard them. Junko had experienced it as well.. she had seen the chances for a few legendary places now but the only ones she was interested they could not get close to. The ancient Sarnoi and the palace of the dragon emperor... no one got close to there or worse they did and no one knew what it was that happened to them. The Taintai were somehow mysterious but they were also non-violent in all cases she had seen.

 

[Junko Ike]

JUnko was debating a few things internally though as she looked at Ahri. "We know from recent things that the Keisai likely have information. The empresses lucked out, her sister was in a position to well... reveal it as well as whatever it was that they have in their mountains." She said it and they were still not entirely certain what it was the Keisei hid up there. Ahri gave a nod of her head. "Maybe so but that is mostly because it was the empresses sister... in most scenarios... I don't think they would have helped that way or offered to at least. the Keisei are beautiful and talented but they are also obsessed with themselves in many ways."

Junko didn' fully want to agree with her but she had to... the Keisei were theirr own nation practically and had survived longer then most because of it. The Commonwealth accepted it because they didn't try and manipulate or influence outside of a few things... they were not looking to overtake at least. "It will be something that we have to see and learn about later. FOr now at least we can explore and take our findings to them.. they might be helpful or they might really just be quiet and ignore us... either way we will learn something or the other." She said it with a look at Ahri as Miyoung poked her head out fo the hole and looked at them with a grin.

 

[Junko Ike]

"Hey I found something." Miyoung said it as she was looking down at them and offered a smile on her face. Wide and Junko turned to look at Ahri as the small breeze in the underground cavern swept her long, dark hairs stray strands. Letting them whip in her face as the first scents of older things came.. the city had been built this far down and reclaimed by the areas above. Ahri's curvaceous figure moved when she was helping Miyoung down from her perched position. The white shirt of Ahri's rising up as she had an exposed midriff with the black belt holding her black pants and boots. Miyoung slip;ping from the hole she had been in to Ahri's arms and then down to Junko with a smile as she wrapped her arms around her.

"What did you find?" The voice came as Barca stood there looking at them but she was already lifting a section of wall. Her dark hair clinging to her face as it was covered in a small sheen of sweat. The large mandalorian was powerfully built even with the robes figure and body... her form curvaceous when she got the section of stone and wall opened. Miyoung slipping out of Junko and AHri's grasp for the moment when she stood there looking at them with a smile. "We are close to something." SHe said it and once the stone was to the side the glow of the lichen illuminated her and Barca as she wrapped an arm around the mandalorians arm. A smile on her face.

 

[Junko Ike]

Miyoung kept her grin on her face as she stood there and looked at Barca but turned to see Ahri and Junko.. her grin was on her face wider and wider. "Oh just some more murals showing another creation myth from our past." Her laugh was there and Junko looked aat her to explain more. "Your leaving us in suspense while cute and drawn out Miyoung is only going to make me chose everyone else but you for the next week or three... I have an army of handmaidens and can do it." She said it as Barca nodded looking at the smaller woman who was wrapped around her arm but shifted to be in her arms while wrapping her arms behind her neck to hold herself up.

"She'll do it." Barca said it and Miyoung laughed. "Oh I know and it isn't that I want to draw it out... I wanted to see if you knew which one. In retrospect it is a lot easier to see now but... the court was said to have been visited by the dragon emperor from the western lake. He finding consort with the empress of the court birthed the lichen and the children of the court. The emperor raised them yes but once he learned he tried to put them against each other. TO make them eliminate each other as a form of revenge. This attrracted the ire of the pale child who disguised himself to learn the emperors secrets or goals."

 

[Junko Ike]

Junko was listening as she explained it and climbing through the area that Barca had made it gave herr a better chance to really improve her view... mostly of Barca's backside in the form fitted underlayer of armor and designed plates that allowed her movement when they werre going. Miyoungs voice breaking her train of thoughts. "With the god in disguise he saw how the emperor sought to go against the gods, preform rituals and acts that largely denounced them while trying to proclaim himself. It was a divine punishment that the city sank and was swallowed by the ice and snow." She said it and Junko looked around as she climbed into the mural chamber.

Junko came out and was looking at Barca who had Miyoung and Ahri was right there as the lichen reacted to the force energies and brightened with Junko around. Her breath hitching for a moments pause as she could see the vivid murals.. painted in striking colors that were in a mixture of shadows from the lichen... and gemstones. She knew they had used that style for a long time but this far back was... impressive. It might have been something the survivors had carried over down the lines. She rather liked that... though it might be older or from somewhere else but the possibility of something was nice to see.

 

[Junko Ike]

Junko was taking in everything that had happened here.. the story was rich, had purpose and got a point across but she knew there was something under it. A lot of their gods had been powerful force users after all and the chi-oni were at the time once all to happy to be seen as gods if it meant slaves or wealth being given to them. She had some amusement. "Hmm Kirano or Sitharia would know if the god was a chi-oni. Knowing that they interacted and took from the surface this could give us some ideas about a number of our legends and myths." She said it and Ahri and Miyoung looked at her and spoke.

Junko looked at them for the moment. "Please don't say that... or think it... can you imagine the work we would have to do? Can you imagine how many papers we have written, how many lectures we have done alone... not to mention tens of millions of years of others to recontextualize through the newly learned existance of Chitai and the Chi-Oni." Ahri said it and Miyoung was right there next to her giving a faux tearful face... wide eyes, trembling lip as Ahri matched her and Barca looked at the two of them wrapping her arms around there shoulder to place their faces into her armored chest. "There there... she makes everyone cry."

 

[Junko Ike]

Junko looked at the three of them uniting against her... a hand going up and to her chest. "Oh my I have been stabbed through the heart now that I asked for some work." They all shared a laugh... the amusement there as it took a moments edge off of the area and situation. Ahri and Miyoung were right in ways to be worried if even in a small way.. they were not going to go and rewrite all of their history... they were going to look at it through the lens of new information it was true.. they would be able to offered information attached to it using the modern information that could add a lot to the people who would be studying it.

Miyoung looked at Junko and then at Ahri. "Alas it had to be done... we all wanted to be lazy and not have to look too hard at the stories and myths of our people." Ahri nodded her head in agreement. "And she was a brave woman... hot even with a flat butt, tough even if she did yelp when you tickled her, beautiful even if there was an unevenness to her chest just showed you which side was favored." Junko looked at the woman and muttered under her breath. 'Everyone is small next to your mini moons and flat butted.' She was muttering to herself with a scrunched up face while thinking of ways to get back at them.

 

[Junko Ike]

There were looks at her as Ahri spoke walking over with Miyoung. The two of them wrapping their arms around the princess as she spoke... squeezing Junko's face into her chest for emphasis and show to make her jealous. Miyoung wrapping herr arms around the princesses waist as the lichen in the room seemed to glow more as Barca looked around. Ahri's voice coming out. "Oh sweetie, you know I love you eitherr way even if you are uneven." Miyoung spoke as she was there with a grin. "Yes and I enjoy the shape of you my princess." SHe said it and Junko was being suffocated... she was going to perish via the very pair she enjoyed.

Ahri held her close. "Yes princess we love the shape of you." Junko's moved her arms in an exaggerated motion indicating she was having trouble breathing as she was let go. Moving back as her form was against Miyoung who had ducked down and was now coming in under her arm with a smile. "See you are the most beautiful princess and we all love being around you... even if you had a massively lopsided butt it wouldn't stop me or any of the other handmaidens from wanting to spread oil on it." She had a look at the two of them which was a frown. "You are going to make me have a complex that my butt is uneven, flat and possibly misshapen."

 

[Junko Ike]

That got all of them laughing a little... it was jovial, warm and Junko looked at Barca who was looking. "ANything to add?" She said it and the large mandalorian smiled. "Well I have no complaints." JUnko moved out from between the two of them and went over to Barca as she offered a nod of her head. "See someone loves me for my body being perfected." There was a laugh from all of them and Kanna spoke on the comlink. "It is getting late out here princess, we have stayed up most of the night working to ensure everything is secured here and at the newest locations with your coordinates." Kanna said it and JUnko stretched outwards with her arms.

"Hmm fine fine we'll rest we have been moving around underground all this time." She said it and looked up at the cave, at the city and she could feel past it as they were below ground. The beauty of the ruined city would not escape her... more so since they had been in the ring of courts around it. Junko motioned with a hand as they searched for the best and more secured areas just in case. Each one withdrawing shield gates as the portable generators would block off the area for protection. Barca getting the food ready as she pulled out a brazier to heat the meat they had as well as the soups. "Secured." Junko said it as the golden lights shimmered and they were in an alcove.