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Post by Nathalia on Feb 17, 2011 21:46:28 GMT -5
((Faust fidgets, calmed by Dania's reassurance, but uncomfortable with a slight sense, hitting the back of his brain.
"I...I don't know how it got there..but, but I know it's not mine. That's not how I write, I don't know what they're supposed to mean." He pauses. "And no, I was an only...child, I know. I don't know how, but I do."
At Dania's murmur, Faust curls his fingers a little tighter against her fur.
He thought he might have an idea of how she felt.
He glanced toward Colin.
"Your Majesty?" He asked, waiting to see if the Cardinal would know what to do.
He raised a finger to his beak and tapped in it worried thought at Colin's questions. "I don't think I've always had it...I could be wrong, I know, but- It was uncomfortable, I think I would have felt it?"
He waited as the group mused, and Colin's outburst had him jump badly, eyes wide and staring.
O-ok." He whispered, wondering what had caused the loud outcry...his mind must have wandered.
He would go wherever Colin directed, however slowly, his side did hurt, badly.))
~Nathalia
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Post by Harpsdesire on Feb 18, 2011 11:10:36 GMT -5
The basement… that was possible, but Dania really didn’t look forward to entering what was probably a dim and creepy area. If there was one place in a building more scary than an attic, that would have to be the basement. And knowing what was on the top floor, Colin still wanted to head to the lowest one? Dania almost shuddered at the idea.
Joel was mainly focused on the note, not terribly concerned with the stuffed Sorgaire now that she was out of the immediate area. If pushed, he would probably admit that he wasn’t keen on the idea of looking for trouble in the cellar below the court, but he would follow Colin willingly if The Queen asked it of him.
At the moment, even the prospect of another battle was not enough to distract him from his close scrutiny of the note. ”I wonder whose it is, then. Maybe it was meant for that other guy, the one that looked like you, and then you got it by mistake.” He inspected the torn edge. What could that word be? ”Take the tea? The teeth? The…. Team?”[/colot] Joel puzzled out loud to himself, squinting a little in concentration. ”Interesting.”
Dania hadn’t realized her wistful words were even loud enough for Colin to hear until he snapped at her. Faust’s quick movement away from her compounded her sudden fear. The rat cringed, almost cowered at his tone, completely forgetting that she too was a queen, and need not fear his power. She relaxed a little when he apologized, embarrassed by her own submissive reaction to his voice, but the half-smile she gave the queen was not even remotely genuine. It wasn’t even her own court, and whatever Colin had offered to pay her for a day of work in the library wasn’t nearly the hazard pay that a venture into a basement full of undead things and who-knew-what-else warranted.
Not that she was planning to defy the orders of a titled queen just because she matched him in rank… but she had a mind to write a rather harshly-worded letter if he had the nerve to refuse her and Joel payment on the grounds that the library was now more damaged and less organized than it was before she arrived.
Wait, what had Colin said? ”No longer… with us?” She questioned timidly. Did Colin mean to say that the other Faust was dead? Did that mean this one was in danger, too? Maybe it was the wound in his side… She looked from Colin to Faust, her expression going soft with concern.
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Post by Lucca on Feb 18, 2011 22:40:02 GMT -5
Of course, there was no one behind him. He turned back around again, trying to stay calm, and gave Dania a level stare. "Gone," he repeated. "No longer in the palace." It took all his will to suppress the shiver that wanted to run down his spine, with that thought. At some point, one would logically think that things would stop getting creepier and start getting back towards normal, but Colin didn't really want to hold his breath. Trying to reach for the confidence and power he had before just made him feel tired.
So what he lacked in feeling, he made up for in acting. "Well. I think it's quite clear that we're close to getting to the bottom of this," he said, smiling to show a confidence he no longer felt. "As Queen, and therefore the leader of this group by default, I am of the opinion that we should check the basement. I would prefer that we were all to go down, and if the situation looks bad, the rest of you can get out by the door down there, if necessary."
Arpeggio chirred in slight worry, lifting his horned head to look around and sniff at the air. He could sense his summoner's underlying tension even if Colin was working to hide it. Expecting his orders to be followed, the Cardinal turned in a flurry of feathers (narrowly avoiding tripping over a vase) and headed for the stairs to the basement.
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Post by Nathalia on Feb 18, 2011 23:06:36 GMT -5
((A scraping, dragging, horrible sound suddenly hails them!
Though...it is oddly...familiar.
After a few seconds, their long dead Queen friend shows up once again.
Good heavens! What has she been doing with herself?!
Her left arm is missing entirely and her entire front half has been torn wide open; red dust trailing after her all over the floor and dry, leathery skin dangling down over open bone.
She stumbled along on her broken foot, weaving and staring sightlessly at things until she seems to spot them.
Stumbling a little more directly to them, it slips up near the current Queen and mumbles.
"That wasn't supposed to happen..."
She mumbled, sliding around to brush him in what might just have been an affectionate manner, before sliding over to Dania.
"The floor here will kill you. Try to avoid it...." It whispers, nuzzling her shoulder and then listing to the side, making an odd sound as it watches the ceiling. She begins making an odd, flat whining noise
"Rrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...."))
~Nathalia
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Post by Harpsdesire on Feb 19, 2011 13:56:42 GMT -5
"Oh." That was less terrible than what she had been imagining, certainly, and Dania couldn't say she minded being rid of the man-- he was a concrete manifestation of the weird that was filling the court like a clammy mist. She did worry for a moment about his fate, for he had gone outside... but with his head already bearing the same stitches as the identical man before her, there was presumably not much more for the double to fear.
At Colin's bravado-filled declaration that the basement was the next step, Dania tried not to look too horrified, while Joel matched the cardinal's show of bravery. "Alright, I'm right with you, Your Majesty." Just in case, he made sure the butcher's knife he had snagged from the kitchen was close to paw, and handed Colin the longer, thinner kitchen knife that nestled along side it in the bag. If The Queen hesitated to take the makeshift weapon, he would offer it to Faust.
The corvie didn't look entirely pleased when the once-queen returned to greet Colin and Dania with obvious affection. Oh Great. Now Dania had a walking corpse as well as Faust following after her like a pair of lost puppies. The woman seemed to have a knack for picking up every foundling with a problem and trying to help them... Oh. Joel's Face was momentarily touched by an odd expression, and he felt a little bad for his thoughts. After all, how had he gotten here in the first place?
Obviously it was because Dania had agreed to do him a huge favor in exchange for what was supposed to be an easy few hours work in the library of a court he was familiar with. Right.
Dania actually smiled at the Sorgaire's affectionate nuzzle. "Look at you! Poor thing, what happened?" It may as well have been a rhetorical question, as Dania knew the chances of getting a straight answer were quite slim. She did realize with some dread that the queen had come up from the basement, which meant that whatever had torn her up so dreadfully was still down there.
When the creature's whining sound began, Dania fussed over the queen, "Does it hurt? Maybe Joel can sew you up again and we can try to.... find your arm...." At these words, Joel frowned, muttering "I'm hardly a doctor, and not at all a mortician." Dania glanced at him in apologetic sympathy. "You've been a good sport, Joel." This hardly seemed to impress the teen, but his frown faded as he shrugged. "I could try, after we check the basement."
She looked at Colin, then at the tattered queen. He still wanted to go into the basement? So be it.
Supporting Faust on her shoulder and motioning for the corpse-queen to follow, Dania followed Joel to the top of the basement stairs.
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Post by Lucca on Feb 19, 2011 18:09:47 GMT -5
Colin hesitated for half a beat, and then carefully took the offered knife in a wing. He really, really hoped it wouldn't come to that...but if it did, he'd rather be prepared anyway. "Thank you," he said to Joel, flashing him a smile, and then turned, but this time his progress was stopped by an odd, creepily familiar sound. He paused, trying to keep up his smile...but the look faltered slightly as the dead Queen came into sight, looking much the worse for wear and making such a mess it made Colin hide a wince as the rugs had red dust ground into them. Arpeggio made a loud noise of alarm at the sight and buried himself in Colin's feathers.
He didn't see a point in talking to the creature, as it seemed wholly unresponsive before. Something, though, had ripped it up...something in the basement. Steeling himself, Colin nodded to the group, trying not to sigh at Dania insisting on trying to help the poor creature. "While your compassion is admirable, Dania, the creature is already dead. I don't believe there is much we can do to help it. Come on."
He headed for the basement again, strides purposeful, knife under his wing and dread gnawing at his heart.
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Post by Harpsdesire on Feb 19, 2011 20:35:22 GMT -5
Dania did her best not to give any disrespectful sign of how she felt about Colin's rather condescending words. "Maybe so." She replied, quite mildly. She still felt for the Sorgaire, for even if it was dead, or sort-of-dead, it clearly had feelings. It had been lonely, shown affection and the ability to recognize one card from another. It could talk. That was more than some aces, and surely more than a tove could do, and no one doubted those were living things.
She sighed and nestled closer to Faust, encouraging him to lean on her as they walked. Maybe the queen had finished off whatever was in the basement, and they'd find only a body when they reached the bottom of the steps. Only a body, that thought was a sign of what a dreadful day it had been, since seeing some gruesome dead thing was usually on the bottom of the list of things Dania hoped for.
Sadly, the sound of voices below as they approached the stairs showed that Dania's hopes were in vain. It sounded like several creatures were down there, talking. It was more like cards than any sort of monstrous growls, which was at least an encouraging sound.
When they reached the door, Joel shouldered past the rat and opened it, heading down before her with the large meat cleaver at the ready. "Stay alert." He whispered to her before heading into the darkness below. Enough light fell across the steps downward that Joel didn't need to activate his night-vision ability. Whatever was down there, he was ready for it!
Carefully, he descended into the darkness, his rear hooves clicking softly against the wooden stairs.
- 86
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Post by Nathalia on Feb 20, 2011 0:42:00 GMT -5
((Faust jumped when the corpse reappeared, eyes going wider than they ought to have been able to as his pupils shrank.
Though he said nothing, he shied away from the thing and a few steps back from Dania when it came in to nudge affectionately at her.
When it just stood there? Listing to the side and making that horrible noise, he made a pathetic whining noise and edged up toward Colin and Joel.
He would rather be in the basement than near that thing.
Upon his descent down the first few steps...Joel could hear...voices?
There are people down there sure enough.
The corpse twisted slowly on the spot, still making its horrible sound...
And followed them.))
~Nathalia
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Post by Kari Muffin on Feb 20, 2011 1:00:51 GMT -5
Horatio felt awkward, staring across the basement at the two "Rabbits." He heard the door click and foot steps following. His eyes widened briefly. People. Were they actually people this time? Those sounded like hooves. It could actually be a real person.
He swallowed a hard glancing at the Rabbits. The large one looked very panicked all of a sudden. Rightly so. Whoever it was it could be someone hostile. He should do something though. Nadja had been so very sweet...
He waddled towards the stairs, his ball and chain dragging loudly behind him. "Hello?" he said, activating his diamond charm. "I'm sorry, but do you know where I am exactly? Is this the Court of Spades?"
That sounded innocent and sweet enough, right?
---
Heike froze as soon as he heard the sound of hooves. No. No no no. They weren't moving fast enough and they weren't close enough to the door. And what if that monster was still in there with Fleur's body and what was left of that other rabbit?
A small whine escaped him as he looked at his sister. She could pass for a card if she just covered her chest and her ears. He... well that wasn't the case anymore. And then the penguin started talking.
He froze, the panic overwhelming him as his eyes widened and his pupils dilated. (9 for composure.)
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Post by Lucca on Feb 20, 2011 6:51:51 GMT -5
Colin braced himself as they opened the door. He let Joel go first down the stairs, but only by a hair. He carefully concealed the weapon as best as he could under a wing, trying to hide it in case they could talk to whoever was down here instead of fighting. He'd much prefer that. Relief flooded him where there was a voice, a normal, honest to goodness voice issuing up from the basement, and when they got closer he could see, in the dim light, a Penguin, obviously Torque.
What was it with Torques today? He put on his best smile and stepped ahead of Joel to speak to the man, who seemed charming and perfectly normal, if a little confused. "Yes, you're in the Court of Spades. I'm His Majesty Colin, and it's my pleasure to welcome you here." He spread his wings in a gesture of welcome, and Arpeggio tilted his head and then froze, blue eyes staring at something further in the basement, beyond the Penguin on the stairs. "Please tell me, how did you come to be here?" Colin asked mildly, and then he thought he caught sight of something else...and he had 'known' there was more than one being down here.
He turned to look...and froze, a flicker of shock passing over his face as he thought he saw...but no...he'd never, ever seen one that BIG...and what would it be doing HERE?
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