In Cahoots With The Cockroach [Deepwood Shrine] - Eev, BP, Squish

Players/Characters

• Eevachu: Rika & Wollo
  
• Blonde Panther: Ketari
  
• Squishy: Leskar, reward: Pulverize (55r at P5, Leskar pays 5 rupees out of his pockets, and gives 10 from his pocket to Melari)

Rewards TBD

---

Ah, the Lost Woods. A maze of tall trees and thick underbrush, hiding all manners of curious things. Some good, some bad. Some just odd. Deep in the forest reigned a dead silence, as the wind did not reach through the trees, nor did any animal dare to make a sound. Gentle light filtered through the trees, casting green shadows on their trunks and the leaves on the ground. Small orbs of light drifted in the few rays of sunshine that broke through the canopy. But what they were, or where they came from, nobody knew.

Truly, a strange and mysterious place. And peaceful. And quiet.

Most days.

"GET BACK HERE!" A shrill, enraged roar emerged from deep between the bushes. "YOU THIEF! I'LL-" Something small scuttled out of the leaves. Followed by an absolutely fuming fairy. A Great Fairy, no less. Leskar crashed through the underbrush, chasing... A cockroach. A cockroach carrying a golden ring. "NO ONE STEALS FROM ME AND GOES UNPUNISHED!"

But so far the cockroach seemed pretty succesful in dodging the fairy's arms trying to squash it, darting into fallen logs and under rocks whenever it could.

"I'LL GET YOU!"

The roach made a beeline for a crumbling structure in the distance; the remains of an old shrine or temple. But Leskar cared little for it, focused only on the devious critter. As it approached the temple, it wormed its way inside through a gap in the wall. The wall was old, made up of loose rocks, as the mortar holding it together had washed away a long time ago.

Normally, they would have formed a solid wall. A solid wall to keep unwanted guests out, or at least keep them from entering from the wrong way. But the loose stones were no match for the weight of a Great Fairy thrown against them at high speed.

"COME HERE, THIEF!"

Rika stared disappointedly at decaying, brittle stone wall in front of him. Gripping at his head, Rika let out a whine of frustration, kicking the wall angrily. "This whole thing was pointless!" He shouted, not making any attempts to hide his frustration. This was supposed to be something interesting, not something boring! Earlier that day, Rika had received a tip from some talking monkeys; supposedly, there was an old and unexplored temple that was likely full of artifacts and treasure. The Kokiri jumped at the bait and ran into the Lost Woods excitedly, eager to discover what they were speaking of. What they said was partially true; this did appear to be some sort of shrine that fell into disuse some time ago, and it was certainly old. However, there was a distinct lack of treasure. In fact, the shrine just appeared to be this room, it wasn't even that big!

With a grumble, the Kokri was ready to leave. That was the last time he ever listened to monkeys. As he stepped away from the crack wall to head towards the gaping hole that was the exit, the wall behind him exploded to great surprise. The Kokiri's eyes widened with shock as rubble was sent flying where he once stood, and a large humanoid burst through the newly formed opening. Rage was burning in his eyes as he shouted and cursed about a thief, though he was the only one there. Rika's surprise began to subdue as he took in the situation, replaced instead by confusion. What was he doing? Was he chasing an invisible thief? ". . . What's your problem?" Rika accused, raising an eyebrow. Even if these ruins were incredibly lame, destroying part of the wall was still desecrating them.

Wollo sat in place, bouncing happily as Rika got ever more upset over the ruins. It had been a while since he returned to his home in the Lost Woods, it felt so familiar and pleasant, far more comforting than all of the deadly temples and dungeons Rika explored. Normally Wollo would have the evergrowing fear he used to, that everything was a predator trying to eat him, but with Rika around that was not a concern! . . . Unless something happened to get him while Rika was busy looking at the ruins! This new-found fear in his mind, Wollo inched ever closer away from the temple entrance; the further away he was, the less chance some scary monster would jump in and snatch him away.

As he thought so, the ruin walls burst apart, a large, scary man leaping through. Wollo cowered and shivered as his angry face sent a chill down Wollo's probably non-existent spine. Now that was certainly a man who was hungry. Wollo was foolish to think he was safe from being eaten just because he moved further from the forest, for the hungriest of beasts would just burst through the wall to meet their prey. How shortsighted of Wollo to not see this outcome, and now he would meet his end as this man's dinner.

Leskar was breathing heavily, wildly looking around for the miniscule scoundrel. Oh, how he would crush it for taking his ring, one of his most precious treasures! But there was no trace of the roach. Had it perished under the rubble? Crept away in the confusion? It did become apparent to the Fairy that he was not alone. No, there was someone else in the shrine. A child?

He slowly turned his head to the child, glaring down. In his rage, Leskar must've more looked like a demon out for blood than a benevolent guide of mankind. Then again, most days he wasn't robbed in broad daylight. Even Great Fairies had bad days.

"You there. I am looking for a cockroach. It stole something from m-"

There! Out of the corner of his eye, Leskar spotted something small and brown. Quickly ignoring the child, he zoomed after it, feet mere inches above the floor, every muscle taut to strike down at the bug. But the roach proved to be fast. And agile. Leskar only left cracked bricks in his wake as he tried to hit it, nearly crashing into the altar when the roach went to higher ground. The Great Fairy's fingers brushed past he bug, too slow to grab it as it disappeared into a peculiar structure on the altar. Leskar hammered against it, trying to pry out the bug, but it was all in vain.

The fairy huffed, crossing his arms and glaring at the structure on the altar. This was a... Troubling development. And outright infuriating. How humiliating! He, Leskar, the Great Fairy of Justice, robbed by a cockroach and unable to apprehend the cur!

He never should've taken the ring off in the first place.

Rika couldn't help but stare blankly at the Great Fairy as he declared that he was searching for a cockroach. And it stole something from him. Yeah. The man quickly darted further into the room, slamming his fist against against the fragile brickwork as he pointlessly tried to smack the small, agile creature. Really, all he was doing was making this place more unsecured and threatening to bring the entire shrine down. As he failed to catch the cockroach, the Great Fairy huffed angrily, though Rika continued to stare at him with a blank look of disappoint. "Uh. . ." He slowly responded, as if unsure what to say. So naturally, Rika said the first thing that came to mind. "Are you an idiot?" Rika had seen many things in his long life, but even despite his vast array of knowledge and experience, he was not prepared to comprehend this situation.

. . . Of course, Rika did see the cockroach, and the ring it was carrying- which didn't make much sense, how did the cockroach carry a ring?-, but he was still unable to understand. Even besides that, the fact that someone had a ring stolen from them by a cockroach displayed a great sign of incompetence. "What I mean to say is. . ." Rika interjected, seeming as if he was going to correct himself. ". . . No, nevermind, that's all I can say. Really, are you an idiot?" Rika wasn't even trying to provoke the clearly angry and provoke-able man, it was a genuine question of confusion of his. He was also destroying the ruins, which made Rika a tad upset.

The man seemed relatively unconcerned with dining on the succulent flesh of Wollo, much to the Octorok's pleasure, though a new adversary had shown itself. Hearing a faint, high pitched cry, Wollo overdramatically jumped, stomping and turning fearfully in an attempt to see what had come. There was nothing? "Uhh. . ." The Octorok mumbled. It was something that was invisible! Wollo had seen one of these before- theoretically seen- and they were terrifying; they could sneak right up on him and take a bite with Wollo being none-the-wiser! "F-Friend?" The Octorok fearfully called out at the mysterious, surprisingly quiet voice. If he wanted to survive this new adversary, he would have to be brave and not let it take him by surprise.

"An idiot..?" The glare Leskar send at the child was nothing short of murderous. He clenched his fists, toes barely touching the ground as he hovered over it. Who did this child think it was? "I am the Great Fairy of Justice." Leskar stated. "And I came here to apprehend a thief."

That said criminal was a cockroach and that it had escaped, he did not feel like adding. His ego had already suffered more than enough today. The Fairy took a deep breath, his rage subsiding. If only a little. His hands still itched.

"You would not happen to know of a way to open this altar?"

Rika rolled his eyes as the Great Fairy spoke. He had thought that this man was a Great Fairy, but it was harder to tell with the males on whether they were Great Fairies or some sort of magical mishap due to their rarity. Here it came though, the condescension he expected out of Great Fairies. Rika glared at the fairy with an annoyed look as he spoke; perhaps he should just leave now. As he mentioned he came here to apprehend a thief, Rika's glare was pulled back and lessened, though not due to a new, positive perspective on the figure in front of him. Rika was right with what he had said; this Great Fairy really was an idiot. The fact that he was taking a cockroach thief so seriously- or that he allowed a cockroach to steal a ring on his finger in the first place- was proof of that.

Then, Rika was asked a question. Narrowing his eyes in the direction of the altar, Rika looked it up and down for a moment. He hadn't discovered any way to open or enter the shrine, as it was far too tiny, so he thought perhaps it was some sort of mechanism that revealed more of the shrine. To his displeasure, however, he did not come across any lever or switch that did anything of that sort. ". . . Beats me." Rika shrugged. "If there isn't a hole in the other side of the altar, though, it'll have to come out eventually. If you just stare at it, you should see something." Rika sighed as he explained. It was time for him to leave, it seemed; there was nothing else of apparent interest here, and he didn't really want to chat up the Great Fairy.

--

As Wollo saw the giant rat in front of him, he couldn't help but jump in surprise. It was a talking rat! Who could have believed that Wollo would ever come across something like that? As the rat barked out demands at Wollo, the Octorok nervously glanced around, sweat dripping down his round, squishy pink head if he could sweat. "Uhh. . ." He let out, though as he felt Ketari climb in his snout, the Octorok panicked. And Wollo did exactly what Wollo does best while panicking; the right thing. With a push of his snout, Ketari would find himself soaring through the air, in the general direction of the altar. The general direction. Unfortunately for the Minish, Wollo's aim was not completely on target, and Ketari would find himself sailing off course from the altar and into dangerous territories no Minish would want to fall from. It was really reckless and risky from the Picori, but who wouldn't launch themselves out of a cannon when given the chance?

The child was being decidedly unhelpful. Leskar was about to berate them for their lack of respect when something sailed through the air, a soft cry trailing after it. It was enough to shut the Fairy up immediately. Whatever it was, it sailed through the air with a graceful arc, abruptly ending against the solid stone of the shrine.

As the mysterious flying object tumbled to the ground, slowing its descent at the last moment, Leskar was able to make out something furry, something with tiny scrabbling paws. It darted across the stones, eager to escape, but the Fairy's reflexes were quick. He carefully closed a hand around the creature, bringing it closer to his face for inspection.

It was a mouse. Or rather, a mouse with an odd creature on its back. A pointy nose, feathery tail... A Picori? Leskar could not remember if he had ever seen one before, but the creature in his palm did seem to resemble the description. And only now did the Great Fairy notice the Octorok inside, too.

"And what would this be?" He narrowed his eyes, looking from the Picori to the Octorok, and back. What were they doing here? Henchmen trying to help out the criminal that had so disrespectfully robbed him? Vigilantes? Innocent bystanders? He did not know. "Who are you and what brings you here? Are you in cahoots with the cockroach?"

'Are you in cahoots with the cockroach?' were not the words Rika expected to hear today. Still, they were not the strangest things to fall upon his ears or eyes, though they might be the dumbest. As Rika eyed over the Picori and mouse in the brutish Great Fairy's clasp, Wollo sheepishly waddled over at the Picori's command. He cowardly stared up at the imposing man before him, looking at his palm and muttering, "Uh. . . again?" Wollo didn't know what the man was doing here, but he was holding his new friend, so he must be the one to drop the Picori in Wollo's snout for firing, right? That would explain why their aim was off before. That's when it all came together in Rika's head. He could take advantage of this situation. "Oh, Wollo, did you make a new friend?" The Kokiri kind of forced a smile as he spoke. Usually that meant bad news for him, but in this case it was a positive; yet, all his bad experiences involving all of Wollo's 'friends' made it hard for him to say those words cheerfully. "Mister. . . What was your name? Justar? Whatever, I don't really care. It's impossible for this Picori to. . . " Rika struggled to finish his sentence, choking out, "be in 'cahoots' with the cockroach." He felt absurd just saying that. There was also no real way to prove he wasn't, but Rika didn't feel like explaining that part, as he assumed the Great Fairy was dumb enough to just take what he said at face value; if Leskar was that unconvinced, the Picori would just have to defend itself.

"Though I do not know why he was catapulting himself into the wall, he can be of help to us. He can check to see if there is a hole behind this altar, thereby exploring my suspicions, and he can help find your cockroach or whatever, so if you would set him on the altar, mister, uh, whatever. . . " Rika didn't honestly care that much whether they found the cockroach thief, partially because the victim was a Great Fairy but also because the culprit was a cockroach, but if there proved to be something beyond this altar, it could turn his wasted day at these ruins into something far more interesting.

Leskar leant back a little, seemingly satisfied with the Picori's answer. A vigilante, then? But he did not put the little creature down just yet. He hovered over to the altar, looking down at the structure on top. It appeared to be some sort of model of a temple. A remnant of what this shrine had once been part of? Or...? The Great Fairy did not know. Then again, the Great Fairy was not here for the culture.

Leskar looked down at Ketari.

"I would not suggest another... launch." He started slowly. "The cockroach entered this... structure on the altar. If you are to be giving chase, that appears to be a good start."

He lowered his hand, allowing the Picori to climb off it onto the altar.

"Go. Do not dawdle. That treasure is of great importance to me. Apprehend the thief and bring him to me. I will see him appropriately punished. And as for you," The Fairy said as he turned to Rika. "My name is Leskar. Remember it, little one. This Picori is not in cahoots with the cockroach, that much is clear to me. But that does not bring me any closer to capture that scoundrel."

Rika narrowed his glare at the Great Fairy. Little one? He was not surprised at all, why was he always right? "Well, Leskar," Rika spat out, the Great Fairy's name coming out quite harshly as he continued, "my name is Rika. Remember that." He found a certain disdain from giving his name to someone like this, but what caused him more displeasure than that was being condescended to. Rika would not stand by and suffer silently at such an insult. Regardless of how he felt, though, unfortunately for him, he would have to deal with him for at least a short while longer if we wanted to see the results of the Picori's excursion. Hopefully it would not take too long.

. . .

Wollo was prepared to launch the Picori once again, but it seemed to be unnecessary. The tall man extended his hand, allowing the Picori to safely enter the altar without his assistance. Oh well. Wollo still helped his new friend the first time, right? Satisfied with his results, the Octorok plopped to the ground, exhausted from all the excitement and wanting a rest. He was happy to help out, though, Wollo just loved helping out his new friends. The mysterious tall man appeared to be talking to Rika, so perhaps he was a friend as well, but the Octorok needed a moment to recharge before he made such a scary friend, he just did not have the heart for it right now.

Silence fell over the shrine, after the Picori vanished into the altar. Leskar stared at the hole through which Ketari had disappeared for a while, before touching his feet down on the ground with a slight huff. The Kokiri's petulance had wounded his pride. It seemed that even the eternal youthful had forgotten what respect was. Not that he was going to ever show or admit it, oh no. Instead, he ignored the child, stoically staring at the altar.

But the growing awkward atmosphere was also incredibly boring. Soon, Leskar found himself tiring of staring at the altar and hearing only the sounds from outside. He glanced to the side, at the Octorok lying on the ground. Had they always looked like... that? He could not remember if he had ever seen one with such a lucious moustache. Despite his disdain for the Kokiri, the Fairy could not help but be intruiged.

Curiosity won out over pride, as the Great Fairy slowly turned to the small red creature.

"'Tis curious to see an Octorok in a place like this."

A tense silence grew in the air, though despite what many people would prefer, Rika did not mind; he would rather wait in silence than suffer any further comments from the fairy. . . Despite that, he was clearly being ignored. Rika could never be happy, he always had to meet childish people like this.

. . . The stalemate was broken as Leskar turned to glance at Rika. Did he want to fight again? Much to Rika's surprise, there was no fighting. Instead, he inquired about the mustachioed hero who nervously sat next to Rika, the animosity in the air causing him great anxiety. The Kokiri considered for a moment if he should even bother responding- he didn't really want to talk to him. Standing around and doing absolutely nothing was dreadfully boring, too, though.

". . . That's Wollo." He spat out after a moment's hesitation, glancing down at the cowering Octorok who turned to face Leskar as his name was mentioned. "He's. . . like a pet." Rika commented, clearly not revealing Wollo's true power.

Wollo edged slightly closer towards Leskar, mumbling out, "Uhh. . . Friend?", to which Rika harshly replied, "No, Wollo."

Rika paused another moment, adding, "It's. . . not that odd, really. Wollo is from here, even." Rika motioned outside, referring to the Lost Woods as a whole. Then again, this Great Fairy probably wasn't very educated- Rika had already seen for himself the limits of his intelligence-, so it was entirely possible he did not know that. Perhaps Rika shouldn't be so harsh on him, but instead should pity him. Yes, perhaps Rika could teach him a lesson or two while they waited and enrich his life, then he would show Rika the proper respect.

As Rika pondered this thought, his eyes analyzed Leskar more- curiously, two glowing orbs gently hovered directly above Leskar's shoulder blades. It was almost angelic, which was almost too fitting for a Great Fairy. Were they some kind of weapon he used? They were certainly not something Rika had ever seen before. It actually made him more interested in the Great Fairy. "What are those orbs?" Rika questioned, motioning his finger towards the floating objects next to Leskar's head.

“I see.” The Great Fairy nodded at the small red creature. A tame Octorok was a curiosity, as far as he was aware. Then again, it had been a long time since he had seen civilisation, or anything of the world at all. This new world was a very different place, Leskar found out time and time again. He tilted his head as Rika pointed out the floating orbs. From a distance they might resemble the light of tiny fairies, but up close they showed no telltale wings or the silhouette of tiny bodies; just light.

“These orbs? They are, ah… a certain kind of magic.”

Leskar was not thrilled to relive his encounter with that strange trickster again. Once had been shocking and painful enough. While he reveled in his new speed and ability to fly, without his arms, the Fairy did not feel entirely whole.

“They allow me to fly at high speed, far greater than even a Rito. Provided I have ample space to reach such speeds, of course.” He rolled his shoulders, still not entirely at ease with the giant scabs. “They are a great boon, though they came at great cost.”

Was he imagining things, or did he smell something burning, somewhere? Leskar turned his head back to the tiny temple, but saw nothing coming from the entrance, only just the vaguest hint of smoke drifting on the air.

“I wonder how the Picori is faring.”

Once Rika caught a glimpse at the light tuft of smoke piling out of the small shrine, his brow narrowed. Was that Picori going to burn the place down? He was supposed to open it up so Rika could explore further in, not turn it into ashes. Though, if it were ash, it would technically be open to explore. . .

"I can't imagine there are many dangers in that model of a temple. Surely he is fine."

Rika could not help but stare at the floating orbs. Something that allows him to fly at high speeds, greater than even that of a Rito? It was kind of shocking to hear of such a thing- surely they existed, but to see them for yourself in such a strange form, Rika had his doubts on if Leskar was even telling the truth. What did he mean by 'they came at a great cost', though? From his lack of elaboration- and quickness at changing the topic- it was likely he was not interested in discussing it, but Rika did not really care, he would ask anyway.

"What do you mean by a great cost? Did you sacrifice something to obtain them?"