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Post by Lucca on Sept 26, 2009 7:23:47 GMT -5
Colin beamed as the Rat complimented his ideas. Well, of course it would work! He prided himself on diplomatic solutions to any sort of social problem, and this was not, in any case, much different after all. He allowed himself a small, polite chuckle at Fenzik's admission. "We all have our vices," he said with a humble tilt of his head, the glimmer in his eyes letting the Rat know he was mostly kidding.
He finished off his tea and set the cup down a bit after his host did, but nearly choked on it at Fenzik's sudden exclamation. Clearing his throat, Colin glanced toward the clock in question, turning slightly in the chair to see it, and his eyes widened. Oh, by the cliffs! "Oh, it's fine, Fenzik, don't worry about it," he assured him, though quickly leaping up in a flutter of feathers to get all his things together, double checking his bag to make sure the medicine he came for was still inside it. If he hurried, he'd still be on time for dinner...
"Yes, yes, I look forward to it...expect my return within the month," the Cardinal assured him, bowing low as he backed out the door, and with a final smile and a wave, he spread his wings and was off.
-----
In the end, it was nearly three months before Colin managed to make it back to Corvistowne. In all the flurry of trying to find out more about the Court, and actually visiting said Court, he had practically forgotten about his little adventure, until a most unpleasant experience had brought it back to mind. Ugh, rude people were so...uncouth. But the Horse had been one of the worst.
So it was that the Villa, now with a bold, black Eight upon his chest, found himself in front of Fenzik's house (at least, he hoped it was Fenzik's house. All these places looked rather the same!). Taking a steadying breath, he raised a claw and rapped on the door thrice.
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Varde
Five of Clubs
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WUT.
Posts: 121
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Post by Varde on Oct 19, 2009 18:58:09 GMT -5
It turned out to be far longer since Fenzik had last heard from the cardinal than he had expected, but this didn't worry him. In fact, it was a good thing, as the rat's own mission had inadvertently exceeded the agreed-upon month as well. Ah, well, no harm done; he had enjoyed quite a number of pleasant and hospitable visits with old friends and acquaintances across the Realm, as well as the occasional decidedly unpleasant and inhospitable visit -- but those, too, were interesting in their own right. Fenzik simply couldn't help but find his fellow Cards endlessly fascinating, and Corvies in particular were an unusual lot if ever there was one. All things considered, his trip had been more successful than not, and he eagerly awaited the Villa avian's return so he could divulge what information he had managed to gather.
Despite all the anticipation, Colin's knock came as such a surprise to Fenzik that he dropped the old, battered copy of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde he had been re-reading. Scrambling to his feet, he hurried to the door and swung it open quickly. At the sight of the bird, Fenzik's eyes lit up. "Col--" he began to exclaim, but he was interrupted by a loud crash as the door collided forcefully with the wall. He winced painfully; he had been a little too enthusiastic about opening it. "Colin," he tried again, more subdued this time, a sheepish smile on his face. "Great to see you again, my friend. Come in, come in!" he said, clapping the bird on the shoulder with one paw as he gestured into the house. "You caught me in the middle of my favorite book," indicating the paperback presently lying on the floor in the middle of the living room. "How have you been? How is your family?" he asked as he closed the front door with a great deal of care and precision. "We've so much to discuss!"
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Post by Lucca on Oct 19, 2009 19:16:42 GMT -5
Colin gave a small start as the door was flung open violently enough to smash against the wall, but his recovery was swift and he was able to greet Fenzik with a smile, despite a few ruffled feathers. "Good to see you too, Fenzik," he intoned, though he shrunk immediately away at the friendly touch, hurriedly entering the house. He cleared his throat slightly, not wanting to come off as rude, and hoped the Rat would not take it as such.
"Ah," he said, turning to the book and reading the title curiously. Not one he'd ever read before, though the Cardinal wasn't really an avid reader, except perhaps of poetry when it suited him. He could tell the book was well-loved though, just from what sorry shape it was in, and noted in the back of his mind that if he were ever to get a present for Fenzik for some reason, that a new copy of The Strange Care of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde would do nicely.
"I'm afraid I've never read it," he admitted as he stood rigidly in the room, waiting to be invited to sit. "Oh, you know, same old. Mother's business is going well, and Melody is feeling better, of course. And yourself?" He hesitated for a second, wondering if his friend had noticed the change in Rank upon his chest, and if it would be rude to bring it up. Despite not minding pleasantries, he welcomed the change of subject that brought them right to their purpose.
"I'm glad to hear that, then. I'm sorry it took me so long to get back in touch, life has a way of sweeping you up in its currents as I'm sure you know," he apologized with a nervous wing flick. "But I take it you found something out?" An eager light shone in his eyes then, though the expression on his face was carefully controlled.
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Varde
Five of Clubs
Mad Protector
WUT.
Posts: 121
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Post by Varde on Nov 1, 2009 23:21:07 GMT -5
Fenzik was, in fact, completely oblivious to Colin's increase in rank. "Ah, wonderful. Good to hear that potion did the trick for your sister," he said with a smile. "No green feathers, then?" he added, shooting the bird a wink, wondering if Colin would remember the rat's offhand and, in hindsight, rather unhelpful remark from their first meeting several months ago. Even that seemed already like a distant memory. "Myself, I'm doing very well, very well indeed. I haven't been terribly productive on the scientific front since we last spoke, but I don't mind. A bit of social research and investigation, after all, can be just as intellectually stimulating as any laboratory experiment! And I found it an agreeable change of pace," he informed the cardinal as he ambled into not the living room this time but the kitchen. As he passed one of the wooden chairs surrounding the kitchen table, Fen reached abruptly for it and tried to knock it over. However, Zik was quick enough to successfully catch it mid-fall, and Fen, his mischief averted, drooped to the floor and seemed to sulk.
"I did, in fact!" Fenzik responded excitedly to Colin's last question. "Oh, I certainly did." He now took a seat at the table, upon which was laid out a large, detailed map of Corvistowne. It appeared to be quite old, and it bore a vast assortment of hand-drawn markings, lines, and notes -- some more legible than most. "Mm, where to begin?" he mused, looking at the map rather than his guest, whom he assumed would join him in sitting. "At the beginning, I suppose. Our equine friend has a bit of a reputation, as you might imagine," Fenzik said, now giving Colin a knowing glance. "As a result, it was remarkably easy to find Cards willing to divulge information on him. As you suspected, he lives in the eastern part of the realm -- a fair distance from here," he continued, indicating with a claw two points on the map. The one with a red circle and an extremely rough sketch of a house could probably be safely assumed to be their current location. "But we could easily make the trip with little trouble," he reassured the bird, pausing to gauge the latter's reactions thus far.
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Post by Lucca on Nov 2, 2009 10:37:16 GMT -5
Colin laughed appreciatively. "No, thankfully. Wouldn't that have given them a turn?" He remembered, though it had taken him a moment, the Rat informing him of the possible side effects from the chemicals. It did, indeed, seem an age ago, so much had happened in the interim. "Good to hear," Colin remarked, thinking that he had actually, strangely enough, looked forward to the Rat's company again, despite him being a weirdo Corvie. "Though isn't that helpful in your research anyway? Since you study things like good and evil I mean." A wide grin appeared on his beak as he followed the Rat, feeling a slight quiver of excitement as he saw the map laid out on the table. This, then, was what it all came down to.
"I see," he said, peering down at the map in interest. He was somewhat surprised that the horse had a reputation, after all, he knew a number of Corvies probably tested on Aces...then again, perhaps most weren't quite as...loud and rude to their fellows. That might be it. "Yeah, doesn't look -too- far," Colin agreed, taking a seat, his eyes never leaving the map and the circles on it. "So when do you think we should start, then? Do you know the name of our....'friend'?" An expression of disgust came across his face at the need to refer to that horrible man with such a term.
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Varde
Five of Clubs
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Post by Varde on Dec 20, 2009 14:39:31 GMT -5
"Oh, it is indeed," Fenzik granted the bird with a nod and a grin of his own. "Please don't get me wrong when I differentiate between social situations and my work! For, truly, the former play an integral role in the latter," he continued, but the focused look on Colin's face quickly reminded him that now was not the moment for tangential discussions. It was time to plan.
"Not at all," the rat agreed with Colin's assessment. He glanced over at his guest and was pleased to see that the cardinal was so interested in the map. "Doable within the span of a day, certainly. Although that does bring up the question of whether we intend to travel on foot, or... procure other means of transportation," he added, intentionally leaving the question open-ended. "I didn't, sorry to say, manage to get a name," he answered, a bit ashamed of his perceived failure in this specific regard, and readily moved on to the next subject. "But as for when we should leave... hmm." He paused, giving it some thought. Briefly, he turned to the nearest window to gauge how much daylight they had ahead of them today, and appeared satisfied. "Well, I can be ready whenever you are," he offered with an expression of renewed eagerness.
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Post by Lucca on Dec 20, 2009 16:02:43 GMT -5
Colin nodded, finally looking up from the map as Fenzik brought up what the nagging doubt that suddenly cropped up said would only be the first of many potential problems. How were they going to get from here to there? Obviously, flying was out of the question, given that the Rat simply couldn't do it (and Colin was in no way strong enough to carry a fully grown Card while he flew any notable distance, even a Vermin). But would they even be able to arrange any sort of carriage? Corvistowne hardly seemed organized enough to have an official service for things like that and, for that matter...
"Walking should prove the most inconspicuous, I think," he said thoughtfully, tilting his head to the side. "As long as you think you're up for it." After all, Colin could always fly low to the ground if he needed to, and he was used to travelling large distances...was Fenzik? He couldn't hide the frown that twisted his beak as he found out they didn't even know the name of the horse. But of course he knew this wasn't Fenzik's fault in the least, so he quickly jumped to reassure him.
"If we have where he lives, we don't actually even need the name," Colin said with a shrug, which was true, he just wanted to actually have something to call their adversary. Odd that the man had a 'reputation' and yet no identity...huh. Her perked up, the thought of taking instant action seeming good to him.
"I'm already ready. Let's go," he proclaimed, jumping up from the chair he'd just sat down in so quickly it might have burned him. Since they did have quite a walk ahead of them, further plans could be made on the road.
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Varde
Five of Clubs
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Post by Varde on Mar 16, 2010 16:25:23 GMT -5
"Yes, yes, you're right of course," Fenzik agreed as the bird suggested they walk. "I'm up for it! We do want to keep as low a profile as we can. How quickly I forget that this isn't just another friendly social visit," he confessed with a laugh. "I'm not terribly experienced in planning something this... secretive," he said, standing from the table and neatly folding up the map, now that it looked like Colin was done with it. "We'll need this... now what else?" he mumbled, to himself but not inaudibly.
"That is true," the rat said as he walked across the kitchen, a twinge of his embarassment returning when Colin once again brought up the matter of the horse's elusive name. "It did strike me as odd that none of the cards to whom I spoke seemed to know his name. I... got the impression that despite his loud and boorish tendencies, he's actually quite antisocial. I didn't interrogate anyone who mentioned ever having engaged him in a civilized conversation," he pointed out, shooting the cardinal a knowing look.
Fenzik paused in front of the door leading downstairs to his underground lab, suddenly looking simultaneously pensive and slightly mischievous. "Hrm. I wonder if it might prove to our advantage to take along a potion or two... just in case."
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Post by Lucca on Mar 20, 2010 15:17:49 GMT -5
Colin tilted his head in a very bird-like mannerism, amused as Fenzik might be able to tell by the little quirk at the edges of his beak. "I'm not either, really. But it shouldn't be all that hard. You, after all, will blend in quite nicely, being a native, and I...well. I'll just look harmless or something." He shrugged, a motion that made his wings flare and hit a side table. Colin winced, and moved away, toward the door.
He made a face. "Well, actually, that's not surprising. I mean, he didn't really seem to have the capacity for civilized behavior if what we saw was anything close to his normal demeanor." He frowned, anger quickly boiling below the surface again, blue eyes darkening a bit. But he shook his head, pushing it down. Later, he could take justice on the obnoxious Horse...in all his life, he'd only met one Card half as annoying. But that experience was not one he liked to think about. This time, he would not be losing control that thoroughly. This time, he would be cool and calculated in his execution of justice upon the perpetrator.
But just as Colin was about to open the door, he realized Fenzik had gone a different direction entirely. He turned, seeing the Rat in front of a door that presumably led to his laboratory, and felt a mix of deviousness and wariness. It -would- be nice to have something useful along, something unexpected...but on the other wing, he was still a bit leery of anything a Corvie got that excited about. Some of them were into some pretty weird stuff.
Fenzik, though, had proven himself decidedly and refreshingly polite. So Colin split the difference. "What sort of potions were you thinking?" he asked, letting one eyebrow rise.
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Varde
Five of Clubs
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WUT.
Posts: 121
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Post by Varde on Apr 24, 2010 18:56:51 GMT -5
Better to be safe, Fenzik resolved to himself, opening the door to his lab. "Back in just a moment!" he reassured his guest, pretending to not have heard the latter's question (as he didn't yet have an answer to it). The rat descended the flight of stairs so hurriedly that he didn't realize until he reached the bottom that he had forgotten to turn on the lights. The room being entirely underground and thus effectively isolated from the sun's rays, the only things presently illuminating the myriad tables, shelves, and scientific equipment were the single shaft of light from upstairs and a number of vials containing liquids that glowed softly in an assortment of colors.
Despite the darkness, Fenzik made his way deftly between the various obstacles (truth be told, he'd spent enough time down here to find his way blindfolded) to the far wall, which bore a set of shelves with an array of bottles significantly smaller than those found elsewhere in the lab. "Here we are," he said, eyes racing over the barely readable labels. "Which should we take..." he mused, trying to imagine what sorts of situations the two might feasibly encounter and what sorts of concoctions might prove useful. "Can't keep Colin waiting..." he reminded himself, finally selecting two adjacent bottles -- one bright yellow, the other a shade of blue so dull it was almost grey -- and grabbing one with each tail. Fen threatened to turn his into a projectile, so Zik assumed responsibility for both. Glass clinked against glass as the rat scurried up the stairs and returned, slightly out of breath, to his guest's side.
"Sorry about the delay," he apologized to the cardinal, "but I think these will help." His pensive expression turned abruptly into an apprehensive smile. "Ready, then?" he asked, walking to and opening the front door. "For our... mission?"
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