T - Harps, Lucca

[Harpsdesire]

Although she appreciated the man's honesty, this was not at all what Dania wanted to hear. "Oh..." She said, rather lamely, "I hope they're alright..." She really didn't want to dwell on where everyone else might be and why they might not be alright. She also had an uncomfortable sensation that this somehow had something to do with her... It seemed only those that had been closely associated with her, a bound inhabitant of a cursed land, were left. This, in turn, suggested most unpleasantly that those who had vanished might, in fact, be the lucky ones.

Dania shivered and did not dare voice her thoughts out loud. Instead, she asked, "Are we really the only ones here?" If they were not, then maybe it had nothing to do with her personally, which would be at least a small comfort.

Joel noticed the fakeness of Colin's smile, which he never had previously. The strain of the lonely court and the low buzz of unknown magic was obviously wearing on Colin just as it was on himself and the clearly frightened Dania. The avian looked exausted, even to the otherwise-absorbed teenager. Still, he smiled in return, his own expression more obviously forced. ”Thanks, I hope so. Toves are really neat.” His smile became a little more relaxed and real as he was sniffed by the small floating creature. ”Heyyy Arpeggio.”

When they entered the library, Dania was mildly miffed to note that while there were no librarians in sight, the previously tidy work area was now slightly haphazard, with piles of books askew and papers ruffled as if a wind had blown through the area.

[Lucca]

Colin shook his head. "There are two other nobles...one is unconscious. But...let's not dwell on that, please. There's work to be done." Colin couldn't afford to worry about that any more than he already was. And he didn't want the poor Rat worrying either...any more than she already was. Arpeggio trilled happily at Joel when he said hi before rushing back to his master's side. Joel would just have to hope the Tove never used his rather nasty ability on him. Then again, the Corvie may find that cool, as well.

Colin froze as they entered the library, and...what...what had happened? He had hoped that whatever evil magic was in the air, it would at least leave their work alone. Apparently, though, that was not to be the case. He took a few more steps fully into the room, and the air felt about the same as it did in the rest of the Court. But Colin's instincts said differently. He frowned and glanced aside at the other two.

"Maybe there's something here...some clue as to what's going on." He walked down between two rows of books that seemed to have been tampered with, poking his beak into a space between two books, glancing at stray papers, and opening random books. He had no idea what he was looking for. He suspected he would know when he found it.

Arpeggio shadowed Colin's search, wiggling into higher spaces on the shelves than the Cardinal couldn't see easily to get his own look into things.

[Harpsdesire]

Dania was more than a little uncomfortable with how lightly Colin seemed to be taking the fact that one of the palace nobles was passed out. Since he still seemed intent on the reorganization of the library, she could only conclude that the remaining conscious noble was caring for... whoever it was that fainted. Besides the Queen and Colin himself, Dania wasn't even sure she could name the majority of the spades court.

When Joel giggled at the Tove, the sound was oddly loud and disturbing in the silent halls. Up to that point, Dania hadn't even realized that she had been whispering. It was as if she wanted to keep a low profile, to try not to attract the attention of... whatever was out there. It was becoming increasingly and terrifyingly clear that something was.

Dania nodded unhappily at the disarray. It wasn't that there was much of a mess, and even if there was she wouldn't normally have been too upset. It was more the general strangeness that was represented. "A-Alright." The rat started poking around as well, putting things to rights as she looked over the papers that had been moved in search of some kind of clue. It would really help if she knew what she was looking for... Or why the library looked inexplicably spookier than it had the day before.

Joel was actually kind of excited with the thought of looking for clues. It was interestingly detective-like, or maybe something like the scientific process. "I'll check over here." He started to scour the area, looking for anything out of ordinary or anything that had changed since he had left the previous evening. He then headed down one of the long rows of shelves, only to hear Dania call out to him, a thin edge of panic in her voice, "Joel! Stay within sight until we figure out what's going on!"

Dania felt a little bad for keeping the boy so close, but he was only a kid, and she was responsible for him. Besides, she felt better knowing where he was. Her nerves were already dangerously strained by the situation, and any moment when she thought her assistant had vanished with the rest of the castle inhabitants could easily shatter the delicate hold she had on her emotions.

[Lucca]

Colin had been completely freaked out about Raina being out. He'd tried to wake her, taken her pulse, and done everything for her that he dared to. He had, of course, thought she needed a doctor, but there was none to be found in the whole Court, nor anyone who could send for one on short notice. And Colin couldn't stay in the King's room next to her unconscious self. It would just be...improper. Especially as, other than not being awake, the King had seemed just fine.

As Colin went down the line of the shelves, he was putting things back in their proper places...any book he saw that wasn't even in the right general area, he carried under his wing. Briefly, he wished for his messenger bag, but it was back in his quarters. He was reluctant to leave his guests alone here, as much for his sake as theirs. What if they disappeared too? No. He would keep on until he found something.

Arpeggio trilled, crawling along the top of the shelves. There didn't seem to be much up here...just some dust, mostly.

[Nathalia]

((Among the shelves the crew finds on the right side of the library (meaning you have three more to search, be creative and make things up!) three large boxes, two of which appear to be vanishing before your eyes, and a small vase with a sealed top.
You have time to open two things if you can creatively use items and abilities to your strengths.
Good luck!))


~Nathalia

[Harpsdesire]

"Hey, look at those!" From the center of the room, Joel noticed that a selection of small containers sat on the shelves near the area Colin and Arpeggio were searching. This seemed a little strange to him, as he hadn't remembered seeing them the day before. Oh! That must mean they were a clue! As he watched, two of the boxes seemed to be fading out of existence before his eyes, no doubt taking their valuable information with them.

He had to get to those boxes before they vanished entirely and the clues inside were lost! Joel activated his spade fleetness and sprinted for the boxes, crossing the library in just seconds.

"Joel, really I don't think that's a good idea..." Dania's protest came too late, as Joel already had his paws on the fading container. The boxes were rather large and on the heavy side, but Joel's natural strength and his increased movement speed let him throw open the lid of one of the increasingly ethereal chests without too much trouble.

The rat couldn't even look, and averted her face in dismay as the lid opened. What kind of horrible things were going to be in there, just waiting to jump out and grab the poor boy? She made a soft whining sound under her breath as she waited for probable disaster.

Basic Magical Ability: He can run up to 40mph in sprints and 10mph for up to an hour in extended runs.

[Lucca]

Colin's patience was wearing a bit thin, combined with his already ragged nerves. There didn't seem to be anything here other than misplaced books, and nor should there be. Why would the library be the center of whatever weirdness was going on? It was merely his own desire to do -something- about the situation that had led to grasping at straws like that. Resigned, he moved to simply put away the books bundled under his wings, Arpeggio following with a curious trill.

Of course, he hadn't moved too far before he heard Joel give a shout, and blinked over to see...three boxes, two of which were vanishing, just...just disappearing into thin air. The Cardinal stared for a moment, hardly able to believe his eyes. He watched as Joel walked over and opened one of the reluctant boxes, and then decided he was done standing there stupidly. Obviously, whether by dumb luck or chance, they had indeed found something.

Dazedly, the Cardinal began to walk towards the place...and tripped over something. He let out a rather undignified chirp as he flailed, all the books in his hands crashing to the floor, and he peered back to see what had caught his foot. Apparently, it was...a small vase? Just...lying on the ground? It seemed to be sealed, and Colin was momentarily struck with the elegant simplicity of it. He pushed himself up and went over to gingerly pick it up, forgetting, for the moment, about the boxes.

It was sealed, but from its weight it seemed like there had to be something inside. It would be a pity to break something so beautiful just to get a look at its contexts but...but wait! He had an ability that could repair the vase after he looked! Now he just had to make sure not to break whatever was IN the vase. Colin considered it carefully for a moment, and then lightly tapped the edge on the edge of one of the shelves, like it was an egg.

Once the spiderweb of cracks started to form in its surface, he'd pry the crack bigger with his beak, almost like the way a baby bird breaks out of its eggshell. Hardly very elegant, but it was the best he had to work with considering his lack of hands.

Arpeggio watched silently, curled on one of the shelves between two books.

[Nathalia]

((The boxes unopened vanish into nothingness.
The one opened by Joel found another box? How odd...

Scream in a Box: This incredibly small, pine box is highly
polished and has well-oiled hinges made of solid gold.
When opened by the person who claims ownership of it, a high-pitched
array of screams filled with insurmountable horror will blast
out of the box in the direction it is pointed in.
The box makes for a wonderful distraction, annoyance, and trick. It
will cause a victims' ears to ring for half an hour and a
near-deafness for up to three hours. The only person unaffected is the one who claims ownership of it.


Colin's workings have produced a sudden electric shock that laid him out flat on his back and rendered him senseless for half an hour while the rank marking on his chest began to change......

King's Ability: Once a week, he is able to cause people to feel as though their legs have turned completely to water for a full hour. They can move at a slow crawl across surfaces, but are unable to run, jump, or leap anything until the hour has passed.

Queen's Ability: Once a day, he is able to cause a sensation of painful and incredible fear in anyone within 50 feet of himself. They will hear ominous and incredibly beautiful music swelling all around themselves, blocking out any other ability to hear they may have been able to hear. Their hearts will speed, making some hyperventilate and others begin to shudder convulsively as fear devours them.
In their blind panic, they will be hasty, throwing things at walls and anything else in the room in an attempt to get the FEAR to stop.
It will keep up for a full minute and during this time, he will be able to use his King's ability a second time...even if he's already used it once this week...


He will realize he has these powers upon waking...and an odd sensation of superiority will eat at the back of his brain, though he might be able to suppress it for now.
The doors and windows to all the rooms seem to have locked for the moment...making it very hard to get out, but they may not have noticed in their hunt for clues.))



~Nathalia

[Harpsdesire]

((Wow, lucky Colin!!!))

Joel grabbed a small pine box from the larger chest just as the full complement of containers vanished into thin air. It certainly didn't look like the sort of spectacular secret or clue he had been expecting. "Hmm." Maybe the clue wasn't the little box itself, but was inside of it. Experimentally, he opened it a crack, only to slam it again with a small shriek of his own when a host of blood-curdling screams ruffled back the fur on his face with inexplicable force.

Dania also screamed, and cowered down behind the desk that stood near the center of the library. She was lucky that her position spared her the full brunt of the scream, but even an indirect blast of the horrified voices had her shivering where she stood. She peeked over the top of the desk nervously. "J-Joel...?"

It was a moment before Joel recovered from his shock. He looked at the box with new appreciation, then chuckled. "Sweet!" The young corvie patted the lid of his new toy with a heavy paw. That was freakin' cool, and he couldn't wait to try it out on his sister.

As he grinned, thinking about the potential for trouble the screaming box held, Dania gasped aloud. Colin was on the ground, silent and still. Her first thought was that he had passed out from fear when Joel opened the horrifically loud box, and she ran nervously over to him. She spoke his name and patted his cheek a few times, but when she saw that his breathing was steady and even, she decided to just let him wake up on his own. It would be better to let him wait out the trauma if needed. With a little help from Dania, Joel was able to move Colin carefully onto a couch near the center of the room, where they could keep an eye on him while they continued the search.

"Arpeggio, come get me right away if anything starts happening with Colin." Joel spoke quite seriously to the summon, although he really wasn't sure how much toves could understand. He felt a little bad about scaring the Jack into a dead faint with his new box, and often glanced back to see if Colin was okay as he expanded his search for clues into the next row of shelves. It appeared the cardinal was resting peacefully, and the boy failed to notice that his Jack's rank was slowly blurring and morphing into something else...

Still shaken by the scream and the sight of Colin's prone form, Dania decided to search the drawers of the heavy desk, so she could stay close to the avian and keep an eye on Joel at the same time.

((Lucca, this is uberlong 'cause I want to show that they've been doing things for a while now, so Colin can wake up soon/whenever you're ready. Then I realized how non-obvious that was.... so yeah.))

[Lucca]

Ironically, Colin didn't even hear the scream. As soon as he'd pried the vase open enough with his beak, a large shock went through his entire body, and he slumped back to the ground. His last conscious thought was something along the lines of oh, great, a booby trap. Just what I needed... before he hit the floor, out cold. The vase fell and shattered on the ground, littering the floor with broken shards of pretty glass.

Arpeggio let out an alarmed trill that got lost in the sudden torrent of loud screams in the room, which caused the Tove to duck behind the shelves again. He had no idea what was going on, but he did not like it, whatever it was! He followed along behind as the other two carried Colin to the couch, and then hovered uncertainly while Joel spoke to him. It was hard to tell whether the Tove could understand the instructions, but he made a small noise in response and curled by his master's head.

It was sometime later when Colin woke, a half hour, to be exact, and he sat up with a slight groan. Immediately, Arpeggio was in his face, trilling and trying to rub his furry head against the bird. Colin sighed and batted him lightly away while he tried to get his bearings. He looked around. He was still in the library, and the air as still thick with magic, but he felt...different. Stronger.

The truth came to him all at once and he chirped in surprise, trying to tilt his head in such a way as to see the marking on his chest. He...he was...how was this possible? Something else was stirring in the back of his mind, too, like the persistent feeling of suddenly having more power than he'd ever dreamed of and wanting to use it. Well, he -did- have more power than he'd dared to dream of before, but...he shook his head. There would be time to worry about that later.

"Dania? Joel?" he asked, and his voice even had a casual kind of authority laced into its cultured tones that the Cardinal didn't even register. "Have you found anything?" He stood up, feeling perfectly fine, and Arpeggio was still hovering unusually close.