T - Callypso, Blue

[Nathalia]

((Evan gave the entire, funny group, an odd look.
This...wasn't what he wanted at all.
He'd been pissed, yeah...who wouldn't be at hearing one'a their pals was dead?
But, he hadn't meant to abandon the other group he'd been with and, to be perfectly honest, he was feeling a bit of a bastard for leaving that poor little Kamina behind. She'd been a sweet little thing and he'd really hoped to get her out, finding out that she wasn't this man's daughter was another disappointment.
For a second there, he'd hoped he could send her capable looking parent after her.
She hadn't been one of the ones meant to get stuck out here.
None of them were, really.
Damn it, spell must'a backfired pretty badly.

He gave the Rat a wary look. "S'quite a name you've got on you, never heard it before. I'm Evan." He hoped the man wasn't about to pass out. Hell if he wanted to spend the evening carrying around an unconscious stranger.
He shook his head to the Lion-like Card, he hadn't seen this man's daughter, unfortunately.
Hopefully, little Sonata was out of the city, where she was supposed to be.

Shaking the Chipmunk's hand uneasily, he wondered how difficult it would be to maybe, just maybe, give this group of freaks the slip.
Evan balked a bit as the freaky Ferret turned her horned head toward him.
Something on her back looked...unnatural, it seemed to shimmer and glide and...wriggle, a bit.
Eugh, Corvies...creeped him out more than any Tulgey.
"City's been cleared out because there's been awful fights. The Lowlanders have started killin' people left n' right, we've been trying to get everyone out. It, uh, doesn't seem to have worked perfectly. We got most everyone out, but...some of you have obviously been left behind an' we don't know why.
I'll take you all to the outskirts if you like, everyone should be either out there, or at home, asleep."))



~Nathalia

[The Jenn]

The rat's name wasn't an especially uncommon one back home. Vanja supposed these heathens didn't get to hear much from the Calloo, though, since no missionary in their right mind would have ever walked up to a group from Corvistowne with a Tulgey in the mix and introduced themselves under any normal circumstances. "Greetings," he murmured in response to Evan's introduction, ignoring the comment on his name.

But he had been directly addressed. His tails were having difficulty assuming any position but straight out behind him. "I did, yes," he responded carefully to Takio, whose name he at least caught the beginning of. To his shame, he did not hear the rest well enough to repeat it. Family names were important. Was his inherited from his Villa origin? One could only hope.

He listened to the canine's story with an increasingly disturbed expression. What...? "But why would the Lowlanders do such a thing?" he asked in sincere confusion. "They barely have the resources to keep themselves fed and housed, don't they? Are the groups in this city so different?" The stereotypical poverty had held moderately true from what he'd seen thus far, but he really didn't know enough about the Capital yet to say with any certainty. He was not yet aware of the depth of the conflict between the Josiggy and the Lowlands, not having studied that area of history with any great depth. He simply knew that there were a great many curse words in the Josiggy native tongue for the rotting realm.

[Callypso]

This Jossigy was a perfect example of why she had chosen to become a recluse – before her… reformation… of course. If the ferret had to select one trait among Card society that she loathed the most, it would be Cards speaking without actually communicating anything. The odd look combined with the man’s non-answer was frustrating. This was going to be like pulling teeth.

Her brows furrowed ever so slightly. For once, Iso didn’t refrain from using her habitual blank mask. Something was wrong- something had been left unsaid.

Pardon me, but I cannot help but notice that my question was left unanswered. Who, exactly, is “we”?

Unfortunately for the doctor, her new inky attachment was apparently not versed in the art of concealing one’s feelings. It rippled along her back in tight, nervous little waves, displaying the confusion and distrust of its host.

As I already mentioned, there has been no news within the city whatsoever about these so called “fights”. A situation such as the one you’re suggesting would call for extreme measures by the local authorities, and as you can see, we, she gestured to the rest of the strange group, are completely unaware of any such evacuation procedures.

The Corvie’s eyes flickered over toward the rat, Vanja, as he voiced his puzzlement over the situation. She nodded slightly as she considered his thoughts.

Such is true for their homeland, yes, though in a metropolitan area such as the Capital the socioeconomic conditions are vastly different. I would say the biggest struggle for their Realm would be prejudice. Iso glanced at the wolf as she said this and turned back to the rat.

Regardless of her new interest in society, she still didn't understand the grudge between the two realms. There were much more important things to worry about than maintaining bad blood for a long-since-decided war.

My issue with this supposed scenario is that the Lowlanders would have had to recruit only those without severe muscle and mental degradation to have caused the damage suggested. Regardless of the type of lesions, a significant portion of Lowlanders are in poor physical health. It’s not a probable situtation.

The doctor turned back toward Evan, allowing herself a slight frown. Care to supplement that explanation, sir?

[Kitty]

He sighed, growing bored with the conversation that was quickly steerign more toward a political argument rather then being of anything actually useful to their present situation, or in finding his daughter. He could certainly hope she was in a safehouse, but if she had any say in it she'd definitly be out roaming the streets looking for osemthing 'interesting'. When thigns were itnerestign to her, well, they either made her angry or got her in trouble ... neither of which were good things.

It's his realm and his complete and total bias to his own side's cause. A fine example of brainwashing, really as most have no idea why or what started the whole ordeal. Now, can we end the politics and come back around to the situation at hand?

His tail danced a bit behind him as he crossed his arms over his chest, his expression staying frustratingly neutral and his tone had held the bored sterness that only years of teaching could give someone.

It's quite obvious none of use really trusts one another, but picking apart each of our seperate motives isn't getting us any closer to a solution.

There, he said it. So what if they thought poorly of him for it .... he really didn't give a damn.

[Chou]

Ignoring the question aimed towards him from the ink-mutated ferret, Ercole hopped back never taking his eyes away from the strange blackness that was now covering the card. He couldn’t shy away from the obsession that was beginning to boil in his mind regarding the liquid. He was convinced it was the secret weapon he had been searching for. He cursed himself for not being able to catch it in the previous alley and for losing possession of a perfectly useful vial. Ercole knew he had to get his hands on some, somehow. He dug into his breast feathers and retrieved a random vial from inside. It had a drop of blue lingering in the corner of the container. He slung his neck back and quickly forced the drop down his throat. His eyes closed in delight as his signature grin conquered his face. He nervously eyed the lab behind the now arguing group and wished he could formulate a plan to slip inside unnoticed. The heron was growing more and more desperate for more poison. Besides, the ferret came from inside the lab…perhaps there was some of that liquid left behind?

Turning his attention back to the group, his head was bouncing back and forth as if he were watching a tennis match as each card spoke their concerns. He wasn’t one to follow political discussions and didn’t really care too much on the matter. As long as the bird had his fill of alcohol, poison and experiments…he was set! “You’d all f-f-feel much better after a drink!” the bird giggled and flapped his wings playfully. The seriousness in the air was beginning to sober the bird. He took a few more hops away from the group and back towards the door that didn’t look quite right. He weighed his options as he flicked his neck towards the door and back at the group. Ercole took a few more hops towards the lab door, being as careful as he could with his giant, clumsy body to avoid anyone from taking notice. He paused and waited for the reactions of the others.

[Nathalia]

Evan gave the Heron a stare that he normally reserved for drunks he tripped over in the street.
Was...was the Bird drunk or high as a kite?
...Or both.

"You'll pardon my say so, Ercole...but, I think a drink'd be a poor choice for more'n one of us right now."
He muttered, before his statement apparently caused outcry.
Cripes...Lowlands supporters.
Damn it all to their rotten Hell.

"Look, Vanga or, crap, I've messed up yer name. Sorry. The groups in th' city're worse, they get this weird sense of entitlement because they're underprivileged. I mean, I understand life's not the most fun for 'em, but for them to hang it over everyone else's head like they should be ashamed to be functional, is-"

He was interrupted by the Ferret monster and his eyes widened as something along her back rippled with her displeasure.
Evan took an involuntary step backwards.
"Mah, 'pologies, miss. We bein' my patrol and I; Rigsy, Farrago, an' Captain Resta. We're out here t' evacuate the city dwellers while the battles are goin' on so no one gets hurt. We didn't so much broadcast it as cast the spell to just force everyone out, y'know? They'll all get right back in no one the wiser once we're done."
He glanced at the broken door to one of the labs.
"But someone's screwed up...prob'ly Farrago, an' some of you 're all left here and awake. Dunno why."

He gave her a flat look when she started spouting those frivolities that Lowland supporters liked to rattle off.
"Oh, feckin' Hell, girl. They do it because of jealousy and the long-standing cold war. They've wanted our resources as long as I can remember an' the whole fight goes back to when the Realms were first settled and they wanted in on what we claimed first. It's not like either of us just decided that this one group looked fun t' beat on one d-"
He was about to start in on what he thought of the Lowlanders in the Capital, spreading their plague, when the Tulgey mix spoke.

Evan flashed the man a look of near emotionless disgust.
A very singular expression.
"Look, sir, we'll try t' find your daughter, but there's no need to be such a bag of asses about it, however pretty your may be."
He pulled a long-bladed dagger out of his belt and held it at the ready.
"I was tryin' t'be nice about it, but I really don't want t' be responsible for th' lot of you wandering off and getting hurt everywhere. So follow me now[/], and then I'll go look for this gentleman's daughter. A'right?"

[Kitty]

His large ears flicked backward at Evan's expression, and his lip curled up at his threat, exposing the true length and sharpness of his fangs. He was in no way, shape, nor form a fighter, but at the same time he could not allow a threat to be issued without a response. That was exactly why his sister had gotten into so much trouble when they were kids, she beat up the bullies that he pissed off and was, in turn, kicked around by. Even the late Carrenall hadn't been able to reign in his temper and had warned him it was going to get him into trouble.

He ran his tongue over the exposed fang, a nervous habit that never died, and unsheathed his rather impressively long claws. He made no move forward, but he did fix his red eyes rather intently on the wolf, a strange, almost feral look to them for a moment before he sheathed his claws again and settled for lashing his tail around in a painfully obvious display of frustration.

If that wolf turned his back, and he had the opportunity .... well, he'd introduce him to a whole new level of the food chain. It'd be better if he could get him alone and do do, but really .... he had a little feeling that at least half of this crew wouldn't really mind.

Bastard.

[The Jenn]

Listening to the Corvie mustelid's explanation, Vanja was only able to distantly focus on her words. Her horrific moving things captured the majority of his attention, eyes unable to look away from the mess even as his brain rebelled against what it was seeing. Monstrous thing...

The other Corvie seemed to be consumed by his own madness and he took a slow few steps back from the entire group, wondering if he wouldn't be better simply running along the street until he found another group or establishment or anything besides these monsters. Even the Josiggy, who looked to be the safest of the lot, began spewing more of his war-speech and the rat simply wasn't sure how much of it to trust. He spoke with passion, yes, and conviction... but he would have to look into this more before he simply believed everything Evan said.

Watching Evan draw his knife against the Tulgey mix's insults encouraged him to take another step back. Takio then bared his fangs, teeth far longer than they should have been, and he heard that phantom music once again as his eyes took in the aggressive posture.

Oh gods, oh gods... he would sooner go with Evan than any of this lot.

"I'll follow you, sir," he agreed nervously, eyes flicking from one horror to the next. "Just please, let us go? Anywhere?"

[Callypso]

Iso’s brows furrowed deeper as the Jossigy offered vague information. Despite her horrific transformation, the ferret was suddenly aware that she was pleased that her strange visage seemed to startle answers out of the man. It was a disconcerting feeling, knowing that fear was working in her favor, but more than anything she just wanted answers. So many questions abounded that her mind was reeling with endless possibilities. The scientifically minded doctor couldn’t help but pore over every detail and every prospect of the night’s end. She blinked to force herself to focus.

What he said simply didn’t make any sense.

I’m sorry, and exactly what kind of jurisdiction do you have to perform such an evacuation? Do you mean to tell me that all The Queens gave permission for your patrol to do as such? Where did you procure the magical means to perform such a feat?

Her ink undulated in long waves as she stared at the wolf. The Spade had never been fond of magic nor dabbled much in such affairs, but even she, as magically inexperienced as she was, understood the implications of emptying the city. It would require a substantial amount of power – much more than a small patrol could produce. Not to mention the political aspects of such a situation, which was another sub-sect of Card culture she had difficulty with.

She bristled as Evan’s anger betrayed him. He spoke as though she were some Lowlander sympathizer! What absolute drivel! Iso simply thought the rivalry a waste of time – her summary of the Lowlander’s plight was purely socioeconomic. All the studies alluded as such, with regards to the unfortunate realm.

Her attention was stolen by a shadow moving around in her periphery. The Corvie heron bobbed and weaved, inching his way closer to the laboratory. The creature was intoxicated somehow, his eyes bloodshot and the whites of his eyes a bit off-color. She shook her head at him and nodded her head to suggest he rejoin the group. Her first inclination was disgust toward the heron, but... it didn't seem right. She understood what it was like to be addicted - perhaps he was experiencing something similar? That’s not entirely helpful right now, she said quietly to the bird.

As she was about to rejoin the main conversation when everything spiraled out of control. She’d heard something from the lion about his daughter, and now he was in a defensive stance, claws unsheathed and unnaturally long fangs exposed. She stepped back as she eyed the Jossigy’s blade and balked. The ferret panicked for a moment – she couldn’t run and leave the others with this stranger, and none of her other abilities would help… unless she stepped in close to blind him with her light tail ability.

Iso blinked, giving herself a moment to feel foolish. She needn’t magic or abilities – she now had horns – three sets of them.

Pardon, Mr. Timbing, but are you threatening me?

Iso hesitated for a moment, then strode purposefully forward to place herself between Takio and the Jossigy. Her nose wrinkled in distaste as the ink along her back reformed the whip-like flagella – they snapped at the air, daring anyone to approach from back or sides.

Her eyes snapped over to the Club, who was looking to cower under the protection of the wolf. Her frown deepened, then she lowered her head threateningly, mimicking a behavior she had noticed from Aberforth when engaged in conflict.

No one is going anywhere until this man explains himself.

[Nathalia]

((The Tulgey flared in a way that made Evan stare at the man in astonishment.
Teeth! Holy fucking balls, teeth!
He'd never seen chompers like that before and he took an involuntary step backward.
As the Corvie Ferret started attacking him verbally.
"Look, y'thick headed bitch. If you don't care, then keep your mouth shut, will you?" He snarled, knife raised as the Corvie slid forward, black goo on her back rippling in a way that made his tail curl involuntarily towards his legs.

A small black whirlwind suddenly descends from the air, dropping a prone creature into their midst and startling Evan into backing up into the Calloo Rat in shock.
"What the-?!"
It was deserved, the creature was odd...an interesting collection of mixes, for all that she was slender and...attractive.
The brown though...
Evan felt the back of his mind reel...if he'd just felt a few little pangs of ain't that hot? toward a Lowlands mix...he'd shoot himself in the foot with a crossbow.
"Enough! Girl, we got the jurisdiction of the entire Marsh and a few...people t'help. And maybe I would be threatening you. However, I've learned to recognize a lost cause when I see it, miss. Goodbye."
Giving a snort of disgust at the whole lot, he flung one arm backward to grab the Rat's wrist, slamming the dagger back into his belt and whipping out a mirror instead.
The mirror glows blue for a moment and then, even if anyone attempted to grab them, they both vanish with a small pop into the mirror, which hits the ground and shatters.))


~Nathalia