T - Lucca, Callypso, Xenon, Kari - Complete

[Nathalia]

((A strange sound echoes somewhere off down the street and it almost sounds as though there's something moving out in the alleys and streets.
A scraping, dragging sound...
You might want to stay inside a bit longer...mightn't you?

Wait!
There's a crashing sound in the very back of the lab and it looks like something dark is sliding along the floor!
Quick, see if you can't catch it!))


~Nathalia

[Lucca]

Arkady froze as he suddenly heard a sound coming from outside. What...what WAS that? It could be nothing, but after a day like today, he didn't want to take any risks. The Coyote's ears twitched and he padded on silent paws back across the lab towards Rosewood, as the trust he felt for the Swan when he looked in his eyes made him feel safer near him. As safe as he felt anywhere at all right now, anyway, given the fear still chewing at his mind. He also looked over at Conall, about to call the boy to come nearer, when he remembered once again: Conall didn't remember still.

He put his nose on Rosewood's leg, but then a crash suddenly sounded from the back of the lab and Arkady jumped, letting out an involuntary 'yip' of surprise. There was something over there on the floor...what...what WAS it? It was heading right towards his friends. The fear was suddenly pushed back in a wave of protective instinct, and Ark growled and dove for the dark -thing-, trying to grab it and possibly bite it depending on what it was.

[Kari Muffin]

Rosewood's feathers puffed up when he heard the horrible sound outside. What the hell was going on all of a sudden? With ruffled feathers he stared at the door. Maybe leaving wasn't the best idea? But they couldn't stay here forever.

But it sounded like someone was dragging around a dead body or something. The swan winced at the thought. Anything was possible tonight. He straightened out his feathers and did his best to remain calm. Arkady was still looking unsteady and he obviously needed to be reassured. Poor boy was terribly nice and didn't deserve anything. He patted the boy lightly on the head in reassurance when he put his nose lightly against his leg.

And then something crashed. The swans neck snapped in the direction of the sound. By the time he registered that there was something black Arkady was on the move. The swan grabbed the nearest empty container and hurried to the opposite side of the boy. Whatever it was, it would probably be better off in a jar.



Conall was idly poking around when the sounds started. He stopped in mid motion to stare at the door with wide eyes. His tail twitched as he started edging away from the entrance. He was fairly far away from the door, but he couldn't be too far right?

The crash made him yelp-hiss involuntarily. His bird fluttered frantically, letting him see the black thing before he turned around fully. He remained where he was, his fur standing up at awkward angles on end as he tried to made an attempt to cover the angles that it could escaped from.

Whatever it was. Ick. Nasty.

[Callypso]

Farran gingerly touched pawed the new stitches in his scalp. He had never had to have himself sewn up before and it was weird to think that some industrial grade thread was now in his skin. Ew. He had fared a lot better than Arkady, who had a nasty line of thread running down his backside, though the tenderness of the Diamond’s skull would just have to work itself out on its own.

He had just stepped away from the doctor when several things happened at once. Rosewood had just reentered the room, carrying what looked like his outfit fashioned into a bag when a horrible, grating dragging sound echoed eerily from outside. His mind raced as he thought of all the unpleasant possibilities that could be the origin of that terrible noise. Just what they needed. His ears flattened against his head, though he took a step toward a window despite himself. Chills ran up his spine, his tail fluffing out to maximum capacity, but he just didn’t want any more damn surprises. Whatever it was… he didn’t want to wait for it to find them. He wanted to be prepared…

As soon as he had put one paw forward a loud crash sounded from the back of the lab.

Farran spun around as Arkady cried out and Conall hissed toward a… what the hell was that?! Something dark and strange was slithering on the floor heading straight for them. The Villa leapt back and hissed, looking from side to side for a weapon. He spotted the broom Rosewood had propped against the wall earlier and padded towards it. Arkady had already bounded toward the… the thing… Farran squeaked his alarm, grabbed the broom and rushed forward, Rosewood and Arkady rushing toward him from opposite directions as they attempted to surround the thing.

Watch out!! He called as he took an overhead swing at the wriggling mass, hoping to at least stop it in its tracks so they could take a better look at it, or capture it, if Rosewood’s jar was any indication.

[Nathalia]

((The mass splattered horribly when Farran managed to smash it.
Like thick, glutenous ink, it coated him and the walls around where it was hit and moved no more.
Farran does not seem to change but Rosewood is privy to the form of the dead Feline suddenly appearing and writhing as though in pain before opening its mouth and for the first time making a sound he can hear.
A pained yowl of abject agony and misery that echoes long after the thing has vanished.
Trying to scoop the substance will now do no good and it slowly evaporates, leaving little black spatter stains across Farran's face and front legs that are now permanent.

The sound out in the street becomes louder though...almost as though whatever it is happens to be circling the building...a foul smell has invaded the lab as well...))

~Nathalia

[Kari Muffin]

Rosewood had not expected Farran to grab the broom and hit the wriggling form. He opened his beak in protest, but before the first sound was out of his mouth the broom came crashing down.

This. This was why he hated children. They did rash things like smash possible clues.

And the thing, whatever it had been, splattered on the Villa. The swan sighed a half a movement away from rubbing his temples in exasperation. "I can't believe--" Then he froze. The vision of the mangled creature had reappeared.

And screeched in a way that Rosewood had never had the pleasure of hearing in his entire life. The sound made him drop the jar and revert to his animal form out of sheer surprise. His normal composed self had decided that enough was enough, and for once in his life he should freak out.

With a terrified honk the swan darted across the laboratory and too the front door, smacking into it face first when his footing failed. He bounced off of it, hitting the floor with a thud. When he looked back through watering eyes the creature was gone, but the sound was still ringing.

He curled up into a ball, covering his face with his wings. Everything needed to go away.


Conall watched in surprise as the whatever-it-was simply exploded when the broom made contact with it. He let out a little disgusted sound. Well at least he hadn't been the one to touch it.

He hopped back in surprise when the swan honked running across the lab to the front door where he crash... landed? His ears pulled back as he slowly found himself backing into a corner away from all the madness.

The sound was coming back, wasn't it? And what was that awful smell? "Are we going soon? It doesn't sound safe, but then again... it doesn't seem safe in here either."

[Lucca]

Of course, Arkady's attempts to bite the black thing were thwarted because Farran was running at it carrying a blunt weapon. The Coyote yelped and jumped back, just in time to narrowly avoid getting hit by black, gooey substance as it splattered everywhere, making even more of a mess of the ruined lab. His ears pressed against his head and he looked from Farran, who now looked like he'd had an accident with an exploding ink well, to Rosewood, paused with a jar. Oh, was he about to try and grab some of the black stuff? What a good idea! Arkady made his way to get some and help...but it was fading before his eyes.

Okay, that was just creepy. Plus...the stuff looked really dirty up close and he didn't want to be near it. Of course, Rosewood's honk from behind him startled him, and he jumped onto the nearest lab counter in fright. He looked around, breathing heavily and wondering just how many nasty surprises one day could hold. One of his heavy breaths had him inhaling a scent that made him choke and cough, and Arkady whimpered and put his paws over his nose, trying ti ignore the rising sounds outside and the fact that his heart was one again pounding with fear. And Rosewood was curled into a little ball. Awesome.

He looked at Conall and shook his head. Bad smell or not, he didn't want to go anywhere.

[carcinoGeneticist]

Zenon had only just finished checking over all of the members of the ragtag little group when the lab seemed to explode with activity. Not the fun kind of activity, either, but the kind that made her corvid side come out with an alarmingly loud "SQUAWK" as she dove to try and gather up any intact breakables that would have bee smashed to bits beneath the feet of those who were desperately trying to catch the..

The... whatever it was. The doctor didn't really get a very good chance to look at it before it met its untimely demise via a well-aimed broom handle.

Zenon sat in the corner, all of her feathers ruffled and fur sticking out in all directions, and she stared at them all. Today was... Today was unbelievably bad. First, she'd lost a potential test subject. Then, she'd been roped into doctoring without pay and after her standard business hours. And her lab, her poor, demolished lab... Her coat fluffed up further, eyes shining like angry little gems out of her face.

"Out. Now. We leave, and we bring that broom so we can smash whoever is out there.[/b]" Anger crept into her voice, and she stood, shaking herself out to try and settle some of the creepy-crawlies that were skittering all up and down her nerves. Her lab was wrecked, and she couldn't deal with the though of sitting there and watching it fall apart bit by bit. "And then we find out if they know who trashed my home. And then we find out where the fuck the cops are while all this is going on.[/b]" Very pointedly, she pushed the door open and stared back at the rest of them, clearly indicating that it was time for them to leave.

[Callypso]

((Oh Farran, you dummy. Now look what you've done!))

Farran hadn’t thought ahead to what might have happened had he actually been able to hit the thing. He hadn’t really been sure what he was doing, just that he’d had one surprise too many, and when that gooey black thing came at him he had acted on impulse. A yowl of surprise escaped him as the broom actually made contact with a sickening slurch – schhhhttiiiiiiiiick POP! – before the writhing mass exploded all over his fur.

His lower jaw hung open and trembled with mutual disgust and fright. The broom stick left his paws, the wooden handle clanking and bouncing twice before falling silent.

EUGH!!!!

The Villa scrambled to wipe the inky nastiness away but the substance immediately soaked into his fur, replacing some of his gorgeous coloring with a speckled mess. Soon, he couldn’t distinguish by feel the parts of him that had been splashed from that which had been left untouched. Much like the substance had simply vanished from the floor and walls, so it seemed the only trace left on Farran was the splotchy discoloration of his fur.

Disjointed thoughts of a good scrubbing and oh-god-my-beautiful-fur drowned out the Tulgey’s exasperated lamentations. It was only when Rosewood honked his surprise and crashed into the doorway that Farran traded his self-absorption for appropriate fear and bewilderment of the moment. What the hell was wrong now?! Everything was suddenly upside down- Rosewood huddled into a fetal position on the floor, Arkady had leapt to the relative safety of a table, Conall had jumped back against the wall and then suddenly he was being pushed toward the door by an angrily cursing Dr. Zenon.

Farran’s ears swiveled forward as the dragging, scraping sound from earlier dramatically increased in volume as the gryphon-like Card shoved open the door. His face crumpled in fear and revulsion as a horrid smell wafted from the street into the lab.

What is that?


Whatever it was, oh how he didn't want to find out...

[Nathalia]

((The apparition that so frightened Rosewood reappears, mumbling to itself.
Its ruined face creaking as it speaks, lower jaw hanging oddly and flecks of foam and frothy blood drizzling to the floor...odd...
The spatter can be seen by people other than Rosewood!

The creature jerks as though small shocks are being applied to its joints and its speech is slurred and stuttering.
"S'never going to be good enough.
Never going to be what I wanted, can't find it, can't find it, can't find it...
Wanted so badly...so very badly. S'never enough for them.
He wants it an' can't...find..."

It mumbles this over and over, like a broken record running down. This time, it doesn't disappear.
The dragging sound outside stopped at once when the door banged open, though nothing can be seen in the streets at all...))


~Nathalia