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Post by Vyn on Jan 18, 2011 10:46:19 GMT -5
Remi made note of the man's hesitance and the way it broke entirely under Josephine's simple request for help. It was hard not to grin blatantly but he held back his amusement. A 'guardian' would be useful, that was certain, especially in a dark alley such as this when you never knew who or what may pop out at you. Remi had gotten good at slipping out of tight spots like that, but he wasn't quite ready to abandon Josephine.
"Thank you, Mr. Amherst!" The little ferret flashed the man a cheerful grin and started down the dark alley.
Though he'd been down this path a dozen times before without any real incident, something seemed wrong today. He sniffed at the air slightly, eyes scanning the dark. It smelled... moist? Yes, that was exactly it... The air was unusually cool, the alley was unusually moist, and it all clung to his fur in a way he was not pleased to experience. Perhaps they were expecting rain after all?
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Post by Kari Muffin on Jan 18, 2011 13:07:59 GMT -5
"Thank you!" Josephine's tail wagged emphatically when the bird agreed to help them. She didn't quite notice the magic words, and if she had she probably would have milked them endlessly. As it was she started down the alley with the protection of the bird.
She had been to plenty of unsavory places despite her youth. She had the habit of getting into trouble when her mother turned her back on her, so this wasn't much different. Only it was honestly a little bit creepier than what she was used to. Where were all the people? Shouldn't their be vagrants or something running around at the very least?
The wolf stumbled a bit over a damp hat she didn't particularly notice. It probably would have been far more ominous if the hat wasn't soggy and had a few holes in it. She poked it with a paw, a question springing to mind. "What do you think happened to everyone?"
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Post by Nathalia on Jan 18, 2011 17:29:39 GMT -5
(( The alley, dark as it is, eventually yields the form of an uncommonly large Horse...Yarrow looking, with extremely strange eyes... But, what's happened to his neck!?
The Yarrow's throat has stretched to an uncannily long length and seems almost rubbery. Though they wouldn't know it, he can extend and retract his neck up to 10 feet now. He appears unconscious, his body stretched awkwardly on the ground.
The silence stretches as they observe him, until a soft, shifting sound occurs and someone literally appears behind the small group, holding a sword poised in a ready battle stance, eyes narrowed in suspicion.))"Who are you?"She barks, glaring them down. A Human?!? Wow, how rare! Her hair speaks of the Josiggy, pale green with some gold tints. She gestures back to the Horse. "I took care of him, and I can take you out too, what are you doing here? The Capital ought to be cleared out."
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Old Gobbo
Six of Clubs
Halberd Bearing Hitchcock Film
Posts: 153
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Post by Old Gobbo on Jan 19, 2011 1:18:14 GMT -5
Amherst barely had time to register the card when the ambush struck.
The ambush came from behind, and Amherst had to quickly shift himself to get between the threat and the children. Wait...a human woman? And carrying a sword, no less. Amherst set his halberd upon the ground against his foot, bracing for a sudden attack, and he made no move to do the same.
He turned quickly to Remus and Josephine, and whispered sotto voce. "Is there something you can do for our equine friend?"
"Stay back, I warn you!" he bellowed at the woman. Amherst seemed to grow in height as he spoke, and his words came out in an echoing baritone. Although it was not the usual use of the Diamond's talent, he was taught to use it this way. "I am Amherst, Guardian of the ancient Order! These Cards are under my charge, and I will let no harm come to them!
"Under whose authority do you clear the capital of denizens? Speak quickly!"
Basic Magical Ability: He can act charismatic and persuasive at times, whether or not he actually has the natural charm and grace to pull it off.
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Post by Kari Muffin on Jan 19, 2011 3:02:23 GMT -5
Josephine didn't have a time to properly process what was going on before the sudden appearance of bright pink followed by a voice behind them. For a few long moments her eyes were locked on the equine. Yarrow. Her mother had told her in vivid detail what would happen if she ever happened to swap body fluids with someone from the region. It had been enough to give her nightmares for a week, and give her a phobia about the region.
"No," she said in response to Amherst automatically. "I don't want to explode. I'm a Bog!" The terror was clear in her voice as she backed into the wall. She made a point of putting Remi between her and the Yarrow, before glancing at the bird and the Human woman.
Human woman brandishing a sword or knocked out Yarrow that could make her explode?
Human.
She ducked under Amherst's wing to put a bit more space between her and the horse. "I'm Josephine. I think everything has gotten off on a very wrong foot. We're just looking for my mother who disappeared." She did her best not to stare, since that would only make things worse.
Tulgey Weird: She doesn't smell poorly, and when she stares at you, you get the feeling that she's just taken something you wanted...
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Post by Vyn on Jan 19, 2011 10:46:44 GMT -5
Ahhh... So this was the shuffling they'd heard before? A woman scuffling with a long-necked freaked. Remi's eyes sparkled momentarily, intrigued by the sword-bearing Human that had appeared. She seemed to be quite the badass, and a Jack at that. He'd expected Amherst to give her a little respect for that alone, even titled Jacks could get fussy about disrespect, but that was not the case.
Before he could say anything, Amherst had set off a chain reaction of insanity. Amherst was playing knight in shining armor and Jo... had a fear of exploding? His brows knit momentarily, utterly unaware of the Bog/Yarrow problems but Jo had seemed rational so far, he'd give her a free pass in that regard. By the time any sort of sanity had returned, Remi's eyes had turned from childlike and wondering to utterly cold.
He eyed the Yarrow Horse warily. That mutation bothered him and something about that symbol beneath his eye struck Remi as quite odd. What if he was a crazy cultist and the woman had put him down out of necessity? He warily turned his back on the horse and scooted closer to the group and the Human.
"I'm Remi," he supplied. "We're looking for Josephine's mother... But you said everyone's been evacuated? Why? Has something happened?" Those weren't her exact words but he could play up being young and 'afraid', the icy look in his eyes had even melted and now he looked simply wary.
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Old Gobbo
Six of Clubs
Halberd Bearing Hitchcock Film
Posts: 153
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Post by Old Gobbo on Jan 19, 2011 12:20:56 GMT -5
Amherst was completely sure of one simple fact in the moment after the human had appeared. Children are morons, idiots, nincompoops, and completely without the wherewithal to comprehend a situation.
He considered the facts. They come upon an injured Card in a dark alley, when someone magically appears behind them in a classic ambush. This person then proceeds to not only demand who he was, but threatened him as well. Let’s face it, she basically said, “I got him and you’re next.”
And, quite surprisingly given the facts, Amherst had shown incredible restraint. He’d set himself in a defensive position. Indeed, anyone who knew anything about fighting could see that Amherst could not possibly make an offensive move in that stance. And a competent fighter, as it looked like the human was, would see that immediately as a stance that said, “I’m letting you dictate how this goes. I’m ready to relax if you are.”
And then, of all things, he actually answered her question. He gave his name and even his purpose for being there. Then, he merely asked for her authority in giving orders.
Very reasonable. Very simple. And with one clear purpose.
The ball was now in her court.
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Post by seraaches on Jan 20, 2011 11:42:33 GMT -5
Aw, man, he felt like shi-- hello, wot was going on here? Pale lavender eyes blinked open and Eir warily lifted his head, but the effort seemed to take forever. When he finally managed to get his head up, he realized that something must have gone wrong with the world. He was a looming giant over the tiny creatures all around him. Immediately a dark grin twitched across his features. Well, well, well, that could be a rather nice turn of events for him. Some of the group looked. . . quite scrumptious. Until, of course, he spotted the human with the sword. His eyes narrowed and ears flattened angrily. "You," he spat, coming up off the ground, head reared back like some sort of mythical dragon. He told himself that she must have simply gotten the drop on him, but he certainly didn't immediately rush her to avenge his 'honor', as it were.
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Post by Kari Muffin on Jan 20, 2011 14:04:26 GMT -5
At the moment, cowering seemed to be the proper response to a Jack that could obviously do a number on them. Her tail was firmly tucked between her legs when she heard the voice of the Yarrow horse behind her.
It was scary enough that the thing was a Yarrow, the fact that it was awake and within distance to spit on her was enough to make the small wolf start to hyperventilate. She was between two different forms of potential death and she didn't like either of them. A terrified and pained whine escaped her as she squeezed passed Amherst and flopped in front of the Jossigy human. Her frantic breathing was whistling out of her back as she started to cry.
She just wanted out of the alley. She wanted far away from the horse thing. She didn't want to be stabbed and she just wanted her Mommy. Was that too much to ask for?
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Post by Nathalia on Jan 20, 2011 16:03:29 GMT -5
Resta gave the crew a cold stare, eyes narrowing as she pointed the sword in the direction of the Benyan's heart. "I don't give a whit who you are or what it is you're trying to accomplish. You will follow me out of the city now, or I'll take your head off and leave the children out by the path to the Josiggy. You wouldn't be the first I've killed tonight, and your pretty words impress no one." She moved the blade faster then the eye could clearly see, meaning to nick a feather from the man's wingtip and pulling back to her original position. An odd sensation suddenly come over her as, simultaneously, it felt as though the small child beginning to cry had taken something from her, and an odd compulsion to at least give the man before her a name... Everything seemed to slow down when the Horse moved again. "Damn this things hide..." She snarled. "Do you not know how to take a gift, freak? Stay down, or I'll leave you here without your head, I'm sure the people of the Yarrow would find your body to be a pretty gift when they come back, wouldn't they?"
Glancing back to the Bird, she curled her lip...stupid prick...kind of handsome, though. "I am called Resta. This man has been eating people, and if you don't want to be one of them, then you'll bloody well help me." She snarled, moving forward and pushing the Wolf pup with her boot. "Stay behind us or he will kill you." She gave the Morganberry a you too gesture and readied her sword.
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