T - Callypso, Blue

[Kitty]

Unconsciously the four extra appendages curled in close to his body when the door finally gave way and the corvie trapped behind it came bursting out. He couldn't help but smile, and give the man a firm shake when the hand was offered, already the crow seemed like a nice, bubbly sort and they could definitely use that in this little group. and... my, wasn't he a talkative one at that?

Jarvis, and this down here is Jerome. It's a pleasure sir.

He stepped back, feeling at ease about this stranger, and glanced down at the overly suspicious Akita.

Jerome had been ready for an attack from whatever had been trapped inside this lab, but it was clearly evident that this man had no ill intentions. His hackles laid flat on his neck as he plopped himself down on his rear, was that... was that a pout that flitted briefly across his scarred muzzle? Why yes, yes indeed it had been. He really, really needed to stop thinking everyone and everything was out to get him. Probably a strange thought for a day like this but, damn... he'd been wrong every time so far.

Once the door was open Takio straightened himself up and folded his arms over his chest, tail twitching ever so slightly. One of his large ears was flipped back but the other, the other was standing straight as a bit of intrigue flitted across his expression before the frown returned. Although the sour look he wore wasn't quite as intense as it had been previously. His expression relaxed even further when the large corvie announced that they should be paid for their efforts in freeing him. Eh, at least this one was respectful.... even if he was a little on the loud, obnoxious side.

When he spoke though, he just sounded more... tired then anything else.

Takio Kinsien.

The chipmunk was quite surprised when he was handed the strange little blob that was.... alive? He'd seen it wiggle a bit in the box but he hadn't fully believed it until now. The little blobbling inched it's way up his arm, sticking ot his fur a bit but not pulling it too terribly, and came to rest on his shoulder. It draped it's, well, what he figured was it's tail, over his other shoulder... almost like a sludge-boa. It seemed quite content to just sit there and relax.

I, er.... thank you.

[Nathalia]

((Don handed the Lion mix a purse with some coins in it, pulling his hand back quickly as though expecting to be bitten.
"Good to make your acquaintance, sir." He muttered, shuffling away from the Tulgey mix.
Nobles, he disliked them on principle, though he could acknowledge that not all of them were full of crap, the majority of them were...and they'd beat the Hell out of you for laughs if they could.
Hyper aware that a Three of Clubs would probably make a funny punching bag for a good number of people in this group, he readjusted his shirt, trying to hide the offending rank and Suit.
"Anyway." He mumbled, turning away from the Lion mix's rather arrogant and off-putting stare, in order to better look over the rest of the collection. "Yeah, ink monsters. Big things, like that one only y'know...huge. They've eaten a few people...actually... The uh, McFell's two doors down went out to try to talk to one and it. Yeah...I wish I hadn't watched that."
He looked at the ground, awkward in the silence and all the stares, glad when the other Corvie spoke up again.
"Heh, you're very welcome, Dr. Iso, nice name, by the way. Don't worry about it. M'glad you like it. Yeah, the guy's name was Zacharias. Big fancy Wolf in a red cloak. He was kinda rude, snarky, you know the type. Said he wanted those things that I gave you two done in a week. Yeah, that was three weeks ago, don't know what held him up. Seeing as I'll be moving soon, though... Eh, whatever." He gave the remains of his lab a sad look, kicking the door lightly so that it creaked.
"Thefts? Shit, seriously? Damn it, probably because everyone's going nuts over the monsters, I know a few people ducked out a few days ago to see relatives t'get away from them. So...I guess assholes think they can just take stuff. Like they're gonna know what to do with it if they're not Corives, right?"

At the question of why the night was so strange, Don stopped for a second, he seemed to like talking, and glanced around at the completely deserted streets.

"Are...you guys...the only ones here?" He asked, voice lower and sounding completely weirded out.
"I mean...I know I can get buried in my work, but..."
He stared around at the streets again, seeming to be looking at each dark window and losing more composure every second.
"Oh..."

He looked back to the group, and then down, at the sound of another voice.
Oh...he hadn't even noticed her, really.
Wow...what a mix!
"Oh...hi, Pandora. Sorry...mind's on other things. Missed you." He didn't even know what she was...some kind of Fox mix? With what?
No idea. Eh, she looked a little young for him.
"For what? Just...for getting me out. Y'know." He replied, lamely. Not really wanting to say "oh, to stop that noble from getting me thrown in a Court dungeon. And I can't just give him crap, right? Gotta give it to all of you..."
Yeah...best not to voice that.
He nodded to the Chipmunk.
"Jarvis, cool mutation. Gotta ask, did you get it around here, or from your parents?" He asked, unable to help himself before the surroundings really seemed to get to him again.
"So," He asked, watching as a drunk-looking Heron weaved about in the background. "You guys seem competent. Any idea where you're going?"
He tried not to look at the Akita...it looked like the guy wanted to jump him and tear something off.))



~Nathalia

[Kitty]

Just the very hint of amusement tugged at the corner of his mouth with how the crow was acting. He was... scared of him? Two in one day, really? He also would have been terribly flattered if he knew the man thought he was a noble. sure he'd played for some of them in the past, but he really didn't have any ties to any of the courts to get the man locked in a dungeon. And he wasn't generally this much of a royal pain either, he just didn't deal with multiple levels of frustration very well. Generally he could at least fake being nice with so many public appearances under his belt. Not today though, he wanted nothing with niceties today.

He turned his head and peered down the alley, silently willing the group to get moving.

Jarvis perked up a little more when he was asked about his extra limbs, spreading them out a bit for better inspection should the crow wish to see them.

Took a visit to Ophelia a few years back. I had the fangs before though, but it lengthened them as well. Genetics have always been a fascinating subject for me.

He was curious about the, but he had no desire to play around with them beyond being a test subject himself. He was intelligent, yes, but he didn't think he was quite on par with the truly scientific minds of the Corvies. Hell, he'd even been pondering perhaps going back for a second round at some point.

Jerome fidgeted a bit, finding the manner in which Donovan looked at the empty windows to be more then just a little disconcerting. Years of having to look over his shoulder and be wary of what he said and whom he talked to had made his paranoia run rather deep. He glanced nervously around their surroundings, solitary eye widened ever so slightly as he did. He was definitely with Takio on wanting to get moving, but for entirely different reasons.

[Lauryn de Vampyre]

Pandora listened to the BiPed as he explained things from his perspective, noticing the the way he seemed... what, anxious? She caught him glancing around every so often and had to keep looking around them to make sure nothing was sneaking up behind the group.

Huge ink monsters? She groaned. Not exactly something she wanted to be dealing with. Hoping against all hope she really did not want to meet whatever was wreaking havoc on this area of town. Her beak opened and eyes widened at the mention of such a thing eating other Cards! What the hell was going on around here! Surely such things weren't normal. From the information she was born with she knew that nothing of the kind had ever been witnessed before. Having no idea of any of the other goings on in the Capitol and other Realms, she briefly wondered if these things were some horrible Corvie experiment gone wrong. After all, they were surrounded by labs for experimenting, weren't they?

Missed me? She thought, and then decided she'd have to try and learn to get her BiPed form as soon as possible. Being overlooked wasn't something she was too keen on. But she took his explanation of gift giving with no qualms. It sounded reasonable to her.

"I don't care where we go as long as it's a ways from here..." she said, leaving that decision up to others who had actually been in the Capitol before. Having never actually been here was a little bit of a problem for her right now, but kept that to herself.

[Callypso]

Once more Iso thanked the universe for her having been born a dark Corvie. Donovan’s flattery seemed to hit just the right notes and she found herself being flustered again, but for entirely different reasons. She felt a bit shamed, as she shifted her back legs to ease the burden of her pregnant belly. For Spades’ sake, she was expecting a litter – and here she was blushing like a doe-eyed university student. Bah!

She politely thanked the man then furrowed her brows as she mulled over the new information. Zacharias… Zacharias. Neither the name nor the description was familiar or entirely helpful. Iso never turned away a patient or potential grant opportunity, but she had a special disregard for the Courts. She would have remembered a big, haughty wolf – and it would have been in her records – had she provided any services to such a noble.

Perchance was this Zacharias a Jossigy or Lowland noble?, the doctor inquired, wondering if perhaps Evan had given a false name. He was a large wolf, though he hadn’t exactly noble airs about him – though he certainly was haughty. Come to think of it, his tunic had mostly covered his ranking – was he noble after all? She frowned, bothered that she had let another potential important detail slip past her.

Iso looked up when extreme hesitation and unease crept into the talkative Crow’s voice. He was glancing around the deserted alleyway as if in disbelief. If he hadn’t left his lab, since he’d been stuck, it was possible he wouldn’t have noticed the empty streets. Iso hadn’t noticed until she had left her own home for a stroll.

I’m afraid so, Mr. Donovan. We haven’t yet seen any other Cards beyond our little group here, and the two gentlemen, Evan Timbing and the rat, Vanja that we just told you about. Timbing had suggested that there had been some sort of evacuation spell that had potentially backfired. The ferret paused, remembering their encounter with the Jossigy. In fact, from our earlier encounter, I would venture to surmise that we’re not completely alone in the Capital. There may be others in the city.

She looked around at the ransacked laboratories and abandoned streets, itching for a chance to investigate the scenes of the crime. Depending on what was stolen, there may be as yet a clue to what exactly was going on in the city. Still, the others looked impatient, clearly wanting to leave. She sighed.

We hadn’t as yet decided on a course of action. I’d like to investigate the looted labs, but it may be better to head toward the main square. She thought suddenly of Aberforth, and whether he had been evacuated with the others or if he was still in the Capital. Mayhap determine if the authorities are around?

[Nathalia]

((Don's interest seemed to peak at Jarvis's mention. "No kidding? The Ophelia? Dude! I've always wanted to meet her, is she cool? I mean, yeah she'd have to be to give you those, but dude!" He seemed to be trying to relax himself sa touch, slowly stalking further out of his lab's doorway; trying almost on a whim to shut the door, and leaving it hanging there before walking with them.
"Genetics aren't really my thing, never had a head for 'em, but my friend is really into it, think sometime you could send me some of what she ah...gave you? Notes-wise, I mean?"
Slowly, he started off down a side street. "Ok, if we're heading out, then my vote's for the main square. I know some a'the guys on this block...and poking around in there stuff's liable to get you killed, you know? Teffin over there's a lover of explosives, and Gilford's into the arts of "surprise" and "pain", so...not the best idea."

Trying to stay away from and out of the line of direct sight of the Lion mix, the guy gave him some severe creeps, Don strode to stay in step with Iso and Jarvis. The Akita didn't exactly make him feel safe either, granted...but he was better than the noble.
"So, Jarvis...I can honestly buy any of the others being out here, but you and Pandora? Where'd you two come from, huh?" He asked, listening to their responses while glancing around as he moved. He honestly wished he could just take off and fly there, but...yeah... Ditching people in a scary area wasn't kosher.
He turned back to Iso with a grin, this girl was fun.

"Old Zach? No, he looked more like um, some kinda Corvie mix? Never seen anything like it, all black with little bit a white down the neck. Weird."
He shrugged, skirting one alley and pointing out another. "Don't go down that one! Trust me, not a good place to be. No, no Josiggies or Lowlanders, just a huge black Wolf-dude." He trotted further, if they kept it up at this pace, they might be able to make city square in half an hour.
He glanced back at his group mates, damn weird little bunch...except for the noble, he kinda liked 'em.
"Iso, girl; just call me Don. No one else around? For real? Heh, yeah, I'm seein' it, this is unbelievable, I have no clue what's doing that. Don't know an Evan either; but hey, if there are others in the city, I vote find 'em. Maybe they can tell us how they vanished thousands of people."
Nothing, empty streets, creepy alleyways, everything dark...
"Yeah...if we're looking for the cops...could we not look for that Rat dude? He has it out for me 'n my neighborhood." He asked, keeping up the trot and keeping his eyes on an odd, orange glow in the distance. A bonfire, maybe?
Whatevs, keep it goin'.))


~Nathalia

[Callypso]

A gentle eyebrow raised as the ferret listened to the crow chatter about his neighbors and their specialties. She supposed he was right, though she was itching to see if there were any clues as to their circumstances. Her Corvie nature was sparking now that she felt relatively safe – though that could potentially change at any moment. Strength in numbers – who would have thought that maxim would prove true?

Iso was amazed at Donovan’s – Don’s ability to include everyone in the group. Well, everyone save for Takio. The gentleman was rather stand-offish, but the environment was enough to turn anyone’s mood sour. There was also the fact that his daughter was missing. She absently brushed her distended belly with a paw as she walked, unsure of how the birth of her litter would affect her nerves.

Still, the man was almost her exact opposite: dynamic, friendly, talkative – though they still shared passion for their work. She was glad their paths had crossed, though she was trying unsuccessfully to push thoughts like that aside.

Ah, I see… Don. I was rather hoping there might be a connection between the two.

The ink along her back twitched and fussed, bothered as she was by not understanding the entirety of their situation. There was something else, too. Vanja had been of an unrecognizable Realm, as well. She glanced at Pandora. Though, she supposed he could have just been a blend of some kind. Damn. They were lacking in significant data to determine anything. It was driving her mad. She sighed.

If we’ve deemed the abandoned laboratories as unsafe, I suppose locating any other Cards would be our best option.

Padding beside Jarvis and Don as the two discussed mutations, Iso half-listened while she mentally reviewed everything that had occurred since she left her house. When had the evacuation taken place? Had Polina been spirited away with the majority of the city? What had happened to Aberforth? Were the inky behemoths related to the supposed Jossigy/Lowland War?

Her thoughts were interrupted as she noticed an orange glow in the distance. They would shortly arrive in the main plaza of the Bazaar at their current pace. Could that be a tavern, still in business, despite the lack of patrons? Or was it something more sinister – delinquents taking advantage of the deserted city to wreck havoc?

[Kitty]

The chipmunk genuinely liked this crow, officially now anyhow. He couldn't sense a dark bone in the man's body and the way he lit up about certain things? It was terribly amusing and had his little notched ears twitching. He nodded when the corvie asked about Ophelia and, out of respect for the woman, he neglected to tell the corvid that his limbs were a complete and utter accident. He'd been warned that insect genetics were strange ones to play with and that there might be side effects, but he hadn't really cared then. he;d grown to love his accidental oddities.

He shrugged a bit when the man asked for some samples of what she'd given him when he'd left, he hadn't really gotten much to take home really.... not a lot.

I would, had I gotten anything substantial to bring home. A little something for the pain after a short observation period and I was on my way. She's rather nice actually, her daughter was a little unsettling, but she's quite a nice woman.

He twitched his tail a bit, simply enjoying the conversation for the first time today... it helped him get his mind off things.

Until, of course, he was questioned about why he was out here. His expression shifted from cheerful amusement to a far more stoic one that lacked much of any emotion that he'd learned from being a guard for so long, couldn't always be chipper on the job.

Well, Jerome and I were at the Court of Hearts before here.... weird things going on there as well, let me tell you. We found a little group in the court, something weird moved by a window and then before you know it some sort of wind sucked us both up and dropped us out here. wish I had some more explanations, but I really don't.

And he hated it. Logic was safe, sound and boring.... just like he was; well, with the exception of his love of science. In a way, that was even logical, science was there to give you answers for things that may seem illogical at first glance.

Jerome stuck near Jarvis, he being the only one of this lot he had any previous encounters with and maybe, just maybe had a little shred of trust and respect for the eight legged jossigy. His muscles were still a little tense, making his movements stiff, but he made no move to speak or leave the group. He would simply keep an eye out in case the others missed something.

Takio stayed a bit toward the back, arms still crossed over his chest as he watched the path ahead. His large ears were perked fully and swiveled around slowly like fuzzy satellite dishes. If there was anything strange to be heard, he'd definitely be the one to pick it up over the crow's incessant chatter. The further they walked, the more anticipation he had that Sonata just might be somewhere close. He knew very well that she wouldn't stay hidden, or anywhere safe for that matter, and it was only a matter of time before she got herself into a mess.

Well, at least if she got angry he'd be able to pick her up for sure. The girl had a temper that certainly outweighed his and the background music she played was far more sinister then his lovely violins. Too bad they hadn't just stayed home with Baroque, at least then he could keep company with people who had a little.... hmm.... class and sophistication

He saw a strange little something in the road, maybe a little metal part to some strange corvie project that had been abandoned, but he kicked it and sent it skittering forward across the cobblestones just to ease his own tension.... and boredom..

[Lauryn de Vampyre]

((Lmao, Don makes me smile so much. XD))

The young adult was grateful to see their small group was finally on the move. Being in this alleyway certainly gave her the creeps. As they walked along, the Mix watched her dainty paws carefully and avoided stepping in any of that black goop meandering on the ground. She guessed once it got on your fur it was pretty damn hard to get it completely off, and seeing as how a bath didn't seem to be in her near future...

Pandora nearly stopped walking when Donovan asked both her and Jarvis where they'd come from. "I, um, was just walking down a street when suddenly this... whirlwind picked me up and dropped me down in the alley, right in front of the others. I don't suppose you've ever heard of that happening, do you?" she asked, thinking he wouldn't ask about exactly where she'd been when the whirlwind had found her.

Once, while they were walking, Pandora thougth she saw Iso staring at her from the corner of her eye but when she turned to look she was speaking to the BiPed again. Flattening her odd ears against he head, she followed the group. But she found herself thinking about the kind of power it would take to create a spell that would literally evacuate hundreds and hundreds of people from one location to another. That kind of spell was just... frightening! For all that the others explained of what Evan had said of this "war", they still hadn't really seen any evidence supporting that story.

Her mouth dropped open when she heard Jarvis speak of how he and the Akita arrived in the alley. "Hey! That's how I got here too!" But the Court of Hearts? Mudled as her mind was she couldn't actually recal where it was. Was it near the Warren she'd been born in, or another region entirely. What on earth were those whirlwinds! Pandora clacked her beak together over and over in thought, thinking that maybe they too were some sort of teleportation spell like the one Evan had apparently talked about.

She found herself almost in step with the Solandrian as they pressed on. She stayed silent for awhile, thinking about everything she'd heard about in just a short amount of time. But before long her eyes began to wander and after letting her gaze rove her travelling companions for quite a few seconds each when they weren't looking, she noticed some kind of bright light far ahead of them.

Squinting, she watched as the orange glow seemed to shift and move. "Is that a fire up ahead?" Maybe she was about to see some sort of evidence of a fight after all.

[Nathalia]

(("Sorry to disappoint you, Iso. Don't see a line between 'em" Don shrugged, unable to help her on that one. No Lowlanders or Josiggies had been to his door in a long time. To be honest, he'd only ever seen two Lowlanders in the flesh, though he hadn't spoken to them. And as far as Josiggies went...they tended to be kinda dickish and rude. He hadn't met any he'd ever liked except for this dude, Jarvis (who didn't act like any of the common-folk Josiggies he'd ever met), and Kyra the daughter of a friend. They just had...an "ass-hat" tendency, kinda like Highlanders, that usually had him shy away.
"Aw, damn." Don grinned at the Chipmunk and gave him a faux sad-face at the news that there were no notes. "Damn shame, but I get it, no worries. Just would have liked to replicate it on a Bander, y'know? Set that out in the front yard! Heh!" He snickered a bit, watching out for dark storefronts and abandoned dark doorways.
"Coll to hear she's not so bad, though. You hear stories; I mean I'm sure she makes up half of them to keep people out of her fur, but geeze...some of 'em."
The fact that the Chipmunk had come from the Court of Hearts did not faze Don; the way he had did.
"For real, you two? Dude, Pandora too?! What the shit? The Hearts place is one fuck of a walk from here, you can't be serious? Damn, you are, aren't you? Maybe that's what happened to everyone else? Maybe they're all chillin' somewhere with the magic wind?" His voice sounded as though he kind of hoped that this were not the case.

"I don't know what that is." Don replied to Pandora, eying the orange glow. Even as they watched, it flared brightly enough to blanket the entire skyline in white light!
Then, vanished, completely.
Don stared at the space, spots flashing before his eyes, and beak slightly open. "Whoa! Ok, no! What the shit was that?!" He pointed. "Jarvis, dude...that doesn't herald your magic wind, does it, cause I-"
He stopped.

From one of the alleyways up ahead, were walking five kids; girls.
The thing they had with them, made Don back up into Iso.
"Shit! Sorry, Iso." He muttered, grabbing her in a wing to stop her from falling. "Shit, that is what I was talking about! Crap like that! Thing eats people, I've seen it, damn!" He glanced down Iso's back and almost seemed to regret grabbing her, though he only loosened his grip. "The Hell are those kids doing?!"
One of them looked...the Crow glanced at the noble, then back at the Badger girl.
"Damn, dude... Is that one yours?" He pointed.))




~Nathalia