T - Varde, Spidey, Kitty, Yuiven

[Kitty]

Oh this was too good. This rat man was absolutely hilarious! When he pounced after a shadow the faintest little laugh escaped his maw before the man hit the crates, making the stack, including the one he was presently sitting on, sway. He dug his little claws into the wood at that point. Falling would definitely not be fun.

Well, luckily it looked as if he would be fine, the rat looked to be frustrated and leaving... well, except for his tail. He was arguing with.... his tail? That was certainly... different. Mrs. Angora had words for people like that, but he couldn't recall them at the present moment. The tail was yanking, making his mountain sway again. This time, due to his weight on the topmost crate, he got that awful feeling before the crate tipped and slid off the edge.

He screeched in a horrible, terribly feline manner and puffed up all his fur as he let go of the crate to maybe land on something else and not get crushed. Maybe he'd even land on the rat man? Yeah, that sounded like a much better alternative then the street and he wriggled in mid air, trying to land on the rat.

[[ Ah, children's logic .... isn't it awesome? XD ]]

[Yuiven]

((Permission has been granted for Amaterasu to save Webster. <3))

Resting her cheek in the palm of her tarsus, the Mid-Range tarantula chuckled to herself, feeling mirth flavoured with a dash of wryness sprinkle through her body like fine sake as she joined in the Selkie Lakes/Torquehelm kitten's laughter. It affected her like the intoxicating rice wine, warmth soaking into fur and flooding over skin, loosening limbs from their previously-constricted state, and washing away the fear and anxiety which had pursued her over the course of the past two hours.

This bit of comic relief almost made up for the fruitless search for Gasen-shi paper.

While she had a quiet laugh, reflecting how silly Cards of any age could be, the situation became decidedly unfunny.

The left half of the Corvistowne rat's spilt tail unexpectedly seemed to have developed a mind of its own as it located a handle on one of the crates, coiling tightly around it. He tried to walk away to recover his composure, and, in all likelihood, regroup to try to capture a sample of this so-called living ink again tomorrow. Then, in an odd turn of events, the owner twisted around and scolded... yes, scolded his wayward appendage while tugging in a desperate attempt to loosen its grip; but it was futile, for the left half of his tail- who he had called 'Fen' -responded with deliberate defiance by giving the handle a powerful yank.

With a shuddering groan, the mountain of crates began to sway back and forth, tilting forward, finally falling to the ground.

"MEOOWRRR!"

—that was the sound of the young feline's screech as it echoed off the bricks and all she could do was gasp, staring down in horror. Her heart pounded, adding to the panic rising in her throat. Oh no! She had to help! Without considering the consequences, she backed up a few steps and skittered across the roof, then without pause, descended the wall.

As she clambered down the front face of the building, a bizarre, extraordinary change was overcoming her. Slowly, four of her legs and six of her eyes were absorbed as her body metamorphisized into a new long, sleek form, gray and black were re-coloured in white, red and gold, and a pair a paper wings with text scrawled all over them were extended out from her shoulders.

The Mid-Range tarantula had fully transformed into a Highlands wolf!

Pushing off the wall with her back legs when she was near the ground, the Joker took off running as soon as her paws touched upon cobblestone. Amaterasu only had moments to act. Rounding the corner, legs were a blur underneath her as she ran with such speed only a Spade could match.

As the crates crashed down around her, she bunched herself up and launched into mid-air. Fanged jaws wide open, she grasped the scruff of the kitten's neck between her teeth, literally plucking him out of the air. Carrying the little boy in her mouth, the fleet-footed wolf glided swiftly towards ground, landing with a heavy thump on the other side, loping a few strides away, as the crates toppled over.

Once they had come to a complete stop, she drew in a deep breath, and letting it out in a relieved sigh, Amaterasu gently put the kitten down. "Are you all right, little one?" she asked, her voice high and soft, speaking with the lofty, regal rolling tone with which a Highlander spoke; yet there was an accent of stilted formality which bespoke a Mid-Ranger.

Quickly, almost subconsciously, she folded her wings about herself to discreetly conceal her... "non-conformity."

[Varde]

The rat was startled by the sudden screech, but he didn't have time to react or look for its source. He was more concerned with shielding his face with his front paws and trying to make himself as small a target as possible for the toppling crates. Zik pressed the glass jar close to Fenzik's body in an effort to keep it from shattering amidst the mayhem. The Corvie winced and probably even let out a frightened yelp as wood met stone with a prolonged, splintering crash.

Fenzik stood there in the alley, for what felt like forever. An uncanny silence once again descended upon the area. Am I dead? Is this what being dead feels like? he wondered. This thought filled him simultaneously with disappointment and some relief. He'd never managed to catch that pesky ink he had been chasing, but then again, at least his passing had been surprisingly painless. At that moment, he heard a voice speaking -- a new voice, not the voice he had attributed to the ink earlier. This voice sounded gentle and somehow noble. Suddenly, something clicked in his teriffied, and therefore less logical than usual, mind. Is that... an angel? Fenzik had never really believed in the existence of such beings, but perhaps the stories he'd heard were more credible than he had previously considered. More importantly, is it -- is she -- talking to me?

"I --" he tried to answer, but the air was dusty and he choked feebly on his words. He spent a good few moments coughing and sputtering. Just as he was about to try to speak again, he felt a tiny but acute pain in one of his tails. "Ow!" he cried. Wait, he thought, stopping himself. What kind of cut-rate afterlife has pain? Forcing himself to open his eyes, Fenzik realized at last that he was was still standing in the same alley as before, surrounded now by large chunks of wood which were all cracked and bent in unfortunate directions. Looking behind him at his tails, he noticed Fen was now toying absentmindedly with a bit of metal wire. The rat rolled his eyes and turned back to where the crates had been.

The dust was still settling, and it was getting darker, so he couldn't see anything moving at present. "That ink better not have gotten away from me," he muttered aloud. As he did so, he remembered the supposedly 'angelic' voice he had heard -- or had he even really heard it? He was confusing himself. "Er, hello? Is someone there?" he called out, feeling a little awkward and sheepish. Hopefully whoever it was didn't know that this mess was all essentially his fault.

[Kitty]

Oh, this was going to hurt... wasn't it? He was certain it would, and squeezed his eyes shut so at least he wouldn't have to watch his own splattering on the ground.

And then there was pressure on his scruff and he instinctively curled up and went limp, allowing the canine to tote him out of harm's way with no resistance. Well, mostly out of harms way anyhow... one of the crates happening to get a nice, big splinter into his left hind paw at some point of the ordeal, most likely when he was trying to hang on and slid off. When he was placed back on the ground and put pressure on it, he winced, gasped and lifted up his paw, peering up at the stranger who saved him. Oh man, she was so pretty!

He nodded a yes to her and hobbled over to her on three paws before nuzzled his head into her chest and purring. She was alright.

Mmhmm, thank you!

And then the rat man was talking again, the rat man that had almost made him go smoosh into the ground. he flipped his little ears back, narrowed his eyes a bit and stuck his tongue out at the mean old rat.

[Nathalia]

((The ink blob slips into the shadows at all the sound and then seems to seep back near the rat's paws...as though taunting him.
A strange silence seems to fall over the little group and though voices can still be heard, it would appear that anything else, such as footsteps or the brush of fabric, has been obliterated...

An odd smell seems to be emanating from right up the street and a feeling of paranoia descends over the small group...Maybe it would be best for everyone to stick together for the time being...
Othello seems to have been wandering about when the odd silence fell...fortunately, this small group had just come into view when it happened. He was out shopping with one of his brothers when something spooked him and he ran off...oddest thing is, about 10 minutes ago...his ability to see the present flickered into focus...and stuck...for now.

Talaith, in full Card garb, was out to fetch a few supplies and is now trapped like the rest of them in this horrible, foreboding murk. She may want to join the group...s'nasty out here.

After a small meeting, try to figure out where that smell is coming from...either go toward it, or away...make your choice.))



~Nathalia

[Kari Muffin]

Everything was like a dream. No, it was more of a nightmare. He had seen something out of the corner of his eye, something horrible, and he had of course bolted. Under normal circumstances his brother would have grabbed him, or followed him at the very least. This, however, was not the case.

He was alone, and suddenly capable of seeing "properly."

That was the most terrifying thing out of all of this. He shouldn't have been able to see like this. Ever. Something must have happened. He would have thought it was some sort of miracle except for the fact that everyone had up and vanished and an eerie silence had fallen in the city. It was unnatural. And what was his brother doing now? Whimpers escaped the confused Torquehelm mix.

When he rounded the corner he saw something in the distance. People! Oh suits! People! They could help him! They could find his family right?

"Hey!" he called out. Maybe he was still seeing the past or future? But then again he would have been able to see the other people, the city was never empty. He bolted as fast as his mismatched legs could carry him towards the people.

[Kitty]

The leveret was her usual 'pleasant' self today, errands.... how she loathed them. Cards were weird, nosy things and it didn't help that she was hotter and more uncomfortable every time she visited the Capitol. Clothes, bah.... horrible creations.

She had her ears pulled up under a beanie, just enough hanging out so that she'd look like some weird canine mix, and a black, button up shirt made from lightweight cloth. It still made her hot and itchy, but at least she stood out a little less. Although, by the looks of it, she didn't really need the disguise ... which was terribly odd. Where were all those bloody cards anyhow? She was pretty certain they hadn't killed themselves off in any war or whatnot, that sort of news would travel, right?

And after a bit of traveling she finally heard some voices and froze for a minute, tail going stiff and eyes narrowing. She crept up to the wall and hugged it as she walked slowly, placing her paws carefully so that she could approach without being heard. Once she was near enough she hid herself behind some trashcans and peered out between two to watch the group. Her fur fluffed as a weird sense of paranoia, far worse then she'd ever felt before, crept over her body. She'd join the group after she watched them a bit.... maybe.

Webster on the other hand, was quite pleased to be around more then just Miss Angora. The puppy lady was nice, and the rat man was weird.... but entertaining... so he liked him to. Maybe they'd stick around for a bit and keep him company?

His ears, a touch too big to fit the present size of his head, perked up and he instantly turned his gaze to the mixed realm. his tail curled into a happy little loop at the sight of another new friend.... oh goody!

Hi! Who're you? I'm Webster.

He puffed out his chest with pride before the off-feeling finally hit him, his ears flopping down to the sides as he crept closer to the Highland Canine. That was .... weird.

[Kari Muffin]

Othello came to a skidding halt in front of the group, panting slightly. He shouldn't have run but he couldn't get rid of the nagging feeling that something bad was going to happen. Something evil. He could see normally after all. That wasn't how things were supposed to be. At least he could still smell his comforting mint scent.

"Hello," he said bowing his head. He was seeing and hearing them properly. There was no doubt. "It'th nice to meet all of you. My name ith Othello.... I theem to be lost. Do you happen to know what happened to everyone? My brother theemss to have disappeared and I can thee when I'm not supposed to be able to... and... I'm thorry I'm talking too much." And he was lisping per usual, so hopefully they would be able to understand him.

He bowed his head again for good measure, offering his mechanical hand to shake if anyone was inclined to. Suits, he could see himself. This was weird. And must have been very very bad in the long run.

[Varde]

As the dust settled, Fenzik caught his first glimpse of another pair of eyes here in the alley. That the eyes were looking right at him -- glaring, even -- unnerved him, and he didn't entirely manage to stifle a startled cry. The glass jar nearly slipped out of Zik's grip, but the tail apparently noticed and coiled more tightly just in time.

So it hadn't been the ink speaking to him at all... or had it? Who was this other Card, and what were they doing here, interfering with his chase? The questions barging headlong into the rat's mind weren't going to answer themselves. "Who --" he began to stutter, but was interrupted almost immediately by another voice, this time from behind him. Wait, another voice? Where were all these Cards suddenly coming from?

The rat broke his gaze with the creature who had been, for some presently indecipherable reason, sticking its tongue out at him, and turned around. As he stood there, peering into the dark shadows of the city streets, he abruptly wrinkled his nose. "Wha-- what is that smell?" he wondered aloud, trying to wave it away (which didn't work). He had never smelled anything like it before, which, as a chemical Corvie, was saying something. Perhaps more perplexingly, his usual scientific curiosity wasn't kicking in. He didn't feel even the slightest hint of desire to go and find out where it was emanating from. In this case, all his brain wanted to do was get away from the smell, preferably as soon as possible. There was something... undefinably wrong about it, and it worried him. Even Zik writhed uncomfortably. Fen, meanwhile, was uncharacteristically still.

Suddenly, in one blindingly fast motion, Fen lashed out, snatched the jar away from Zik, and slammed it down violently onto the ground, as though cupping it over something. By some miracle, the glass didn't break, but the piercing clang of glass against stone was so loud, Fenzik felt like half the city must have heard it. His face reddened and he turned his head to shout, "Fen! No! Bad tail! What the hell were you--" He stopped mid-sentence as a flicker of dark movement within the transparent container caught his eye. "...Thinking?" he finished, his voice quiet now, almost amazed. Had he finally caught... did he dare to hope...? Zik took the jar once more and scooped it upward quickly, scraping it noisily against the road in the process. The rat held the jar as though it were a sacred artifact, a gaping expression of astonished delight spreading across his face as he realized he had, at long last, captured his prey. The thoughts of all the experiments he had contemplated performing on the strange black ooze over the past two hours flooded back to him, and his reverent expression quickly gave way to a triumphant grin. The Cards around Fenzik had begun to speak to each other, but he was effectively oblivious to their presence. "You're mine now, you little inky devil," he taunted the substance, and allowed himself a brief, yet satisfying, mad-scientist-esque cackle.

[Nathalia]

((The ink blob Fenzik caught begins to vibrate hard enough that the jar begins to crack...it also begins to smell strongly of something almost resembling petrol...

A soft voice suddenly halloo's down the street, calling for anyone who might be alive...
Approaching footsteps reveal themselves to be a large, wingless Josiggy Bird...a Falcon mix, maybe? He's carrying an unstrung bow and looks a bit confused to see them all.))

"Wotcha, all. Can I ask how a group the size of you all's managed to escape the whatever that's vanishin' people?"

He extends a hand to the person nearest him; a large black Rat, Corvie, from the looks of it.
"Name's Farrago, been lookin' fer my group an' seem t' have run into all of you instead, eh?"
He tried to give them a cheery grin, but shifts awkwardly.
There are a few dark stains on his shirt...wonder what they could be?
"Anyhow, I don't suppose you all have seen any other Josiggies runnin' around? Big Wolf fella, or a Ferret wit' stumpy legs? Mebbe y've seen mah Human pal, Resta?"
He looks hopeful, rocking lightly on his feet and letting his eyes rove to the odd Torque-looking mix.
Ugh, what happened to its hands?... No, idea, but he hoped he didn't meet a similar fate.

"Well, s'not the safest of nights, but if y'all like, y'kin follow me, I at least know mah way out to th' fountain."