[Collab] Entertained Yet?

The path through the strange tunnels had been long and terrifying. While there had been little to no danger inside the human-made tunnels, the ocean so close above them was even more terrifying. To Bassoon, a tapejara, it was a terrible experience. Being both underground and underwater were two things he thought impossible, yet here they were. Worse yet the area was cramped- barely large enough for an acrocanthosaurus to make their way through. However, the light at the end of the tunnel was finally there. With a desperate burst of speed Bassoon ran forward, almost collapsing as he felt grass under his claws. Sweet, sweet grass.

From behind him Snowshoe and Sombra walked, the two oviraptors much more relaxed and almost amused- they had made this walk before, when they had arrived from the dome into the aboveground. “Good to be home.” Snowshoe muttered somewhat disdainfully, looking at the glitching fake sky above the dome. Hopefully Bassoon never noticed that, or his panic would grow even worse.

It felt … strange, to be back, and Sombra shared the same less-than-enthusiastic sentiment as Snowshoe. After getting to see the real world, the sky so blue, the wind that could be cold or warm, the warmth of the sun on his back, it was hard to see the dome the same way. This place had seemed so normal when he was young, and in a sense it was still home, but it was somehow … different, now. Old. Broken. Fake.

Sombra hadn’t been back in quite some time – weeks, maybe months, he stopped bothering to keep track. His time on the surface had taught him that there was more to life than he thought, and even now he longed for the open plains, clear skies, even the forests up there that were much less claustrophobic.

“Yeah … it’s a bit eerie now, you know?” He offered in agreement to the other oviraptor, glancing up at the dome’s barrier above them but trying to be subtle about it so as not to alarm Bassoon. At least at the entrance to the dome where they had just entered, there was an open space. Ahead of them, however, the jungle spread out thick and cloying, and under the trees there it would be hard to see the sky at all.

The plantlife in the domes grew wild and rampant, the foliage so thick that it was smothering. It had always been that way for the two Oviraptors who had grown up there, but at least for Sombra, growing up he’d never known anything else so it had also been normal. Not anymore, maybe not ever again. When it was over, Sombra vowed to leave this place for good … if he could let go of his loved ones. Maybe Snowshoe would come with him.

Turning to his friends, the sandy brown oviraptor felt a bit bad for Bassoon. He couldn’t imagine what it must be like for him, for someone who had the whole sky at his disposal to have that taken from him and to feel so closed in, trapped. Stepping over to stand next to him, offering his presence for comfort, Sombra tried to reassure him. “At least we’re out of the tunnels now!” He offered optimistically. “Maybe we could head to the river? A drink might make you feel better.”

That is, of course, if they didn’t encounter any of the guardians of the jungle. Sombra tended to avoid interacting with them as much as he could. They were generally the intense type, and Sombra had a much more mild personality that he found difficult to mesh with them. Sure, they did their guarding jobs well, but even for someone who had lived there his whole life, it got annoying very quickly having to prove himself just about every time he just wanted to go home – even if he hadn’t actually been home in … a while …

“That would be nice.” Bassoon panted, quickly clambering onto Snowshoe's back. The brown oviraptor grumbled a bit but tolerated it- the tapejara barely weighed anything. Flicking her tail, she led them towards the banks of the river. Multiple stones lined the river bank, some much larger than others. As Snowshoe dipped her beak into the water, Bassoon clambered down and splashed into the water, quickly flapping his way to shore. “Ugh.” He shook his wings out. 

“The path should be that way.” Snowshoe gestured with a long claw, pointing towards a barely visible passage through the nearby jungle- not made by man, but by many stomping feet over a long period of time. “Let's just hope we don't run into any-”

And just like that, one of the rocks underneath their feet came alive. Snowshoe and Bassoon darted back with matching yelps as a euoplocephalus hauled herself to her feet, dark scales coated with mud having hidden her from them at first. Now that she had pulled herself from the mud, glimpses of bright yellow stripes and a belly were revealed. “Who goes there?” The herbivore squinted at them, suspicious but not outright hostile. She lacked any of the armor that most had- a rookie, then. 

Sombra, who had been standing next to Snowshoe, yelped in alarm as the ground beneath his feet shifted. He wasn’t normally very athletic, but he was nimble – nimble enough to leap away to safety, at least. Immediately, the sandy oviraptor looked to make sure his two friends were unharmed, but he was relieved to find that they were fine.

The euoplocephalus that they had apparently disturbed was watching them – wary, but not hostile, which helped to calm Sombra’s nerves after the fright. It was plainly obvious that this one was a lower rank, possibly even a newbie. At the very least, she seemed to lack the aggression and intensity of her superiors. This was good, as it meant the three of them had a chance to convince her to let them through.

“Oh, you startled us!” Sombra said, letting out a breath and feeling a lot of the tension go with it. “Sorry, we didn’t mean to stand on you – you blended in really well with the river rocks!” Pausing, he waved one feathered arm towards his companions. “I’m Sombra, and this is Snowshoe and Bassoon. We’re just coming home.”

Or, at least, he and Snowshoe were. Tapejara didn’t live in the dome, and this stranger euoplocephalus likely knew that. Bassoon was an outsider, but hopefully it would be fine since he was accompanying two oviraptors, who were inhabitants of the dome? Actually, maybe Sombra should talk to his superiors about getting some paint, like some of the other scouts? At least then it would be obvious to anybody with eyes that he was part of the same faction.

Regardless, hopefully the four of them could just have a peaceful conversation and move on with their day.

The herbivore sniffed, looking them up and down. “I'm Jasper.” She greeted, oddly friendly compared to other guards. “Why did you bring an above-grounder with you? You know that boss wouldn't like that.”

Snowshoe stepped forward, quickly thinking. “Oh! That's just Bassoon! We brought him here to help us with gathering food that we are unable to reach, high in the trees!”

Jasper looked over Bassoon with a critical eye. “You look way too small and wimpy to gather anything from here. No offense.”

Offense taken. Bassoon hissed lowly. “Oh yeah? Watch!” Flapping into the air, he landed onto a large tree with large fruits, nipping at the stems with a branch. Quickly Snowshoe and Sombra ran underneath, using their dexterous claws to catch the fruit. Smugly, Snowshoe presented one to Jasper.

Sombra’s feathers puffed up a bit in delight as he moved to stand beside Snowshoe, fruit held delicately in his claws. The three of them made a good team, actually! This wasn’t really news to Sombra though, as he’d known the two of them for some time now and they got along – and he did genuinely believe in their skills! It was clever of Snowshoe to suggest that Bassoon’s ability to fly would be of unique use to their cause, and it was true to boot! Admittedly, this was the first time the three of them had worked as a team, but if they kept doing tasks together like that, they could be a formidable force!

Jasper’s amber eyes looked back and forth between the three of them, apparently thinking hard. She was quiet for several moments before she finally dipped her head in a slow nod. “Alright, you’ve impressed me.” She agreed. “Those fruits are normally unobtainable for us. Pity, considering the trees grow everywhere en masse but have been useless to us so far.”

Shaking herself out a bit as if dismissing the thought, the brown and black patterned euoplocephalus took a step back. “Go on ahead then.” Turning to address Snowshoe and Sombra, she added one last thing. “Report to the boss as soon as possible, alright? Welcome home.”

And with that, she turned to amble a short distance away before settling down to lie on her belly amongst the rocks. The mud all over her helped her to immediately blend in, and if they hadn’t quite literally just watched her go there, they’d never know she was there at all. It was quite remarkable, in all honesty!

“Thanks, Jasper!” He called anyway, before turning back to Bassoon and Snowshoe. “Well, let’s go then!” He said, rather enthusiastically, and hurried to trot onwards down the path. “And hey, at least now we have some lunch!”