OTA - First Things First

[super_seal]

WHO: Steve McGarrett and YOU
WHERE: Fountain, Forest, Village (behind and in between buildings)
WHEN: September 3rd
OPEN TO: All
SCRUB COLOR: Hunter Green
WARNINGS: None to start
STATUS: Open

[ Fountain ]

Coming to, Steve knows instantly that he’s underwater. Fighting the upwards momentum, he opens his eyes and tries to get some idea of what the hell is going on. All he sees is darkness with light shining down from above. He knows which way to go and after confirming he’s alone without any detectible threat in the water he kicks up.

Slowing just before surfacing, he eases his eyes and nose above the water with barely a splash. SEAL training coming in especially helpful at the moment. He scans his surroundings, only to find that nothing looks familiar.

The last he remembered was taking Wo Fat prisoner and flying a chopper from an island not far off Hawaii. They’d been over the pacific, he remembers that, but then nothing until coming to in the water. Had someone shot them down? The chances of him landing in the fountain he found himself in was extremely slim, but it is possible someone attempted to dispose of him there. The landscape doesn’t look familiar and he doesn’t think he’s on the islands anymore. Which makes him wonder how long he’s been out and where exactly he is.

But first things first. Easing up high enough to see over the edge of the fountain, he sees what looks to be... a park?


[ Forest ]

Out of the fountain, he makes quick work of getting some distance between him and it. It’s not till he has some cover in the trees does he notice what he’s wearing. It strikes him odd to find himself in scrubs and instantly he misses his cargo pants and everything he normally keeps in his pockets. What he misses most though is a weapon.

Taking inventory of what he has in the backpack, he decides against changing at the moment. Changing may help him fit into whatever mess he’s found himself in, but until he has more intel he’ll stay as he is. Instead he removes only one sock from the backpack and with a quick look around him he picks up a rock about the size of his fist and slips it into the sock. Not a great weapon, but it’s better than nothing until he has time to either acquire some or make something better.

With the backpack secured to his back, he carefully scouts out the forest staying as concealed as possible while also gathering as much information as he can. As he moves through he does some light tracking of any animal trails that he might find as well as notes any vegetation that could be useful for food, weapons, tools or anything else he may need. He may not need any of it, and doesn’t waste time lingering, but if he needs it later he’ll know where to find it.


[ Village ]

Once he ventures out far enough from the fountain, he sees the buildings. With the fountain he had figured there was a settlement of some sort not far off and now that he finds it, he’s curious to see what he’s up against. Attempting to keep as concealed as possible, he peaks into windows and around corners.

The town isn’t what he was expecting and he’s still confused about where he is and why. His leading theory is that Wo Fat somehow managed to get the upper hand, knock him out and brought him here, but seeing the village and the people walking around without weapons he realizes that doesn’t seem likely either.

After watching for a bit he slips his ‘rock-in-a-sock’ into his backpack and ventures in closer. He can only find out so much information by remaining hidden and so far he’s not detected a specific threat. Still, he came to by almost drowning in the fountain and as far as he knows, any one of these people could have tossed him there... Along with a backpack with three days worth of clothing. Whoever put him in the fountain hadn't expected him to die there. So, he’s ready for anything.

Comments

[learned_to_die]

"Aye, that's an understandable and reasonable demand. And by all accounts, I believe most of us here would agree with you. Unfortunately for us, however, we have those who might not feel similarly, and those are the ones who are in power here," Ned replies, voice more quiet than normal. There were oft times where Ned can't help but question the veracity of just about everything he feels or thinks he knows. His distance and separation from Westeros, from the life he'd had before, it all seems so much like a dream now that he wonders whether any of it was real to begin with. He's not spoken about this to any of the others, least of all his family, though he's been meaning to bring it up with his sister, Lyanna. He could always go to her with the dark thoughts he'd often find in his mind. "And in situations such as these, there is another game of balance to play - finding out information without bringing about punishment."

[super_seal]

"Which is difficult never knowing who is listening and by which possible means," Steve says, his voice low and serious. Ned's comments about not wanting to discuss such things outside with never knowing who will over hear aren't far from his mind.

At the moment, he realizes that he is extremely naive to the consequences. Not only has he not directly seen or experienced any, he's of the mind that having the information far outweighs those possible costs. He's been tortured before, trained to withstand and deal with it, and right now he doesn't expect these observers will be able to break him. Ned's behavior and concern however are strong balances to Steve's point of view. While he's willing to risk almost everything when it's himself on the line, he's not willing to take those same chances with someone else, especially someone else who's willing to help him against what might be his own best interests.

"But, that just means we need to be extra careful and not bring undue attention." With a smile Steve places a hand on Ned's shoulder and squeezes gently. "Tell me your house is nearby where we can speak without as much concern."

[learned_to_die]

Ned merely nods at Steve's observation, slightly dampened by the saddened truth of it all. Despite having spent, by his rough estimations, a time a few months short of a year here, he finds that he's no closer to answers than he was when he'd first arrived. If anything, he has been buried under a pile of never-ending questions with very few, if any, answers to help lighten the load.

Steve's voice is a grounder for Ned, and it, combined with the hand at his shoulder, is about all that's keeping him from pursuing the darker path in his mind. He nods, glancing over to the man with an equally warm smile. With a gesture towards the front, he flicks his head in the direction, as well.

"Aye, just ahead. We're in the large white and grey cabin, almost at the end of the path." Within a few moments, Ned's ascending the stairs to the porch, opening the door, and gesturing Steve inside ahead of him.