[Comm] Acrobatic Entertainment

The trudge through the sea tunnels was dark and damp, led by one of the oviraptors who’d come from below after much negotiation and arguing. The act having taken a few hours and various tactics to coax one of the creatures into agreeing. The scent of salt and rust coming from water that leaked from between cracks in the walls and piping of the dark space as the three Anteosaurs followed behind their guide making the snout of one of the Anteosaurs- Loki specifically- wrinkle in disgust. The damp under his paws clearly bothering him more than it did his travelling companions. The anteosaur giving his scruffy hide a shake. The two, more full feathered of his kind walking ahead oblivious when he stopped for a moment before hurrying to catch up to them.

“Isn’t there a better way to reach this place? It’s always so… damp down here.” He barked, earning a glance from one of his friends ahead of him, who turned their head slightly to look at him as they walked. The bright, pale piebald patches of Brex’s coat highlighting his form in the dark, the crest of feathers atop his head rising upward, almost like a cockatoo as he responded. “Don’t think any of us can swim that well, so probably not.” The wet slap of paws against a puddle that transected their path audible in the dark as the oviraptor ahead suddenly spoke up. It’s voice nasal and warbling. A glimpse of light ahead catching the attention of the creature, its ashen brindled feathers making them almost blend in with the darkness if it weren’t for the light. “We’re here!”

The call alone, enough to make the three anteosaurs, two crested and one scruffy, break into a sprint to catch up to the almost raptor-like dinosaur. Tetarion had never seen a utahraptor with no teeth before though so there was doubt there. The three soon coming to a skidding stop as they slid across a shallow puddle of water on the cracked concrete into the light of the opening where the Oviraptor stood. The strange creature letting out a squawk as it jumped out of the way with a hop to prevent being bowled over by the three anteosaurs who stared bug eyed at the new sight. A world of light, covered in greenery of all kinds- Atlantis- the Oviraptor had called it. The spectacular view of this new discovery quickly blocked by a dark, round shape that towered over the three who balked. The Oviraptor warbling in greeting as they smiled at a larger, more heavily plated dinosaur who blocked the way now, his- no her- voice low and booming as she spoke.  Her back spiked, a tail like a heavy cudgel as she looked down at the three.

“Visitors, Pokie?” The look the larger dinosaur, green in the pattern of her hide gave them all sceptical, suspicious as she gave her bald hide a shake to dislodge a fly landing on her neck. The Oviraptor squawking as she spoke in turn, feet stamping excitedly as she crowed back. “Yes, yes! Give them the test! Pokie promises they’re friends!” A sigh of irritation coming from the larger creature, a Euoplocephalus apparently as she grumbled, her attention turning to the three anteosaurs, foreign to her in appearance as she raised a ridged brow. “Fine, fine… I assume you three have something worthy you can do to make you of interest to the court? I can’t just let you in after all.” She grumbled, lowering down to lay on her belly, four legs bracing her against the ground as the Ankylosaurid let out a huff of irritation, the club of her tail swaying behind her indicating maybe it wouldn’t be a good idea to try and brute force their way past her as the three Anteosaurs turned to each other whispering. 

“What does that mean?” Tetarion frowned, looking between Brex and Loki, the former shrugging his shoulders as Loki frowned, the scruffy anteo clearly thinking. “Entertainment maybe?...” “Entertain- Ugh, fine if it gets us in…” Brex scowled, turning back with his two companions to face the heavily armoured ankylosaurid, Tetarion butting in with a flourish of showmanship. “If your court seeks entertainment we have it in spades to offer, Miss?...” “Pumpkinseed.” The Euoplo frowned, a little puzzled evidently as Tetarion smiled. The crest of feathers atop his skull rising as his claws tapped happily against the ground with a spin. “We, Loki, Brex, and I; Tetarion, are the finest acrobats from Above. Let us show you.” Tetarion paused, looking to his kin. The two other anteosaurs nodding. His plan made sense. Anteosaurs tended to be agile, with excellent senses of balance and coordination. The two looking others looking around for a moment before spotting something they could work with.

Loki’s scruffy feathered shoulder bumping against Brex’s own as he gestured to his head to a glowing flower, growing high up above in the hall they were blocked from progressing from. The flower protruding from a vent, barely visible in the dark atop latticework of pipes and metal. The first, Loki loping over to skid to a stop at the base of one pipe as Brex followed, leaping onto his back to spring upward onto a pipe, scampering along the pipe with preternatural grace, a hiss of steam breaking through a crack in the piping not even bothering him as Tetarion followed, leaping into the air to lock jaws with Brex who used the powerful muscles of his head and neck to toss his friend into the air. The tabby marked Tetarion landing on a higher pipe with a clank of claws on metal as he carefully plucked the flower free, leaping down in time with the other two, spinning on all fours with a flourish to present the flower to Pumpkinseed with a bow, one foreleg bending to allow him to lower his head to the ground as the Euoplo blinked, surprised at the display, smiled and nodded, bending to sniff at the glowing bloom.

“Impressive. I would eat it if the bloom wasn’t toxic to my kind.” She hummed, moving to stand with a groan even as Tetarion winced, hoping maybe he hadn’t offended the heavily armoured warrior who let out a sigh, beak opening in a yawn, before she shuffled to step aside. The gesture alone enough to brighten the expression of the three anteos, their Oviraptor guide crowing happily as the warrior spoke, giving the three a stern look, underlaid by amusement. “You may pass… But mind yourselves. Do not cause any trouble.”