T - Vyn, Kari, Bee

[Bee]

He hadn't gotten far when suddenly someone was up close and snapping at him. Zeki stopped at the man's words, startled, and looked back. He seemed imposing up close, something more than just his bipedal form, more than even an ordinary Tulgey. He shrunk back a little bit, instinctively not liking the tone, ears flattening against his skull.

"Sorry," he said, feeling more guilty than usual at having to tell someone no. "Sorry. I don't think I can do anything for you. I don't know what's going on. And I, um--I think--I think my girlfriend is dying." His own words hit him like a stampede, desperate and distressed. What if she had suddenly taken a turn for the worse, and he just knew it, felt it? Something awful could happen before word ever reached him. He needed to see her, see if she was okay. "I need to get to the Court of Hearts."

[Kari Muffin]

Fleur made an alarmed sound at the news that she was nowhere near where she was supposed to be. How had she managed to get here? She wobbled on her feet for a moment. There was something very wrong with her.

When the bird made the demand she flopped backwards onto her rump with wide eyed terror. Okay. She wasn't about go go anywhere. She watched the pale bird go after a retreating figure. Was that another Card monster? She whimpered.

Useless. Was she supposed to be this useless? She had never remembered a time when she was this utterly terrified.

Was she getting bigger? She poked her stomach. This couldn't be possible right? But it was clearly happening in front of her eyes. "Guh..." she said. She was not prepared for this. How could she give birth to whatever was growing inside of her? Had it been a Jack that attacked her....? How long ago had the attack actually happened.

( Useless Fleur post! Weeee! )

[Vyn]

Sorry?

Wulfram's brow arched with a look of intense displeasure, almost as if he couldn't quite believe the words he heard pouring from the Corvie's mouth. Was he really saying No to A Queen of Spades?

Despite the internal anger he felt, Wulfram managed to keep his voice fairly under control. "Not to sound callous, but if your girlfriend really is dying, than she ist dying miles away." He stepped closer suddenly, eyes narrowed into slits as he loomed over the Corvie. "Meanwhile, that woman," he points at Fleur, "is here und she is dying now. Verstehen sie?"

He straightens, retrieving form his coat a bag of gold. It was far more than the creature deserved, but it would be worth it to salvage the Rabbit he found. "I do apologize for your potential crisis, but I cannot allow you to leave when this woman needs immediate care." He opens the bag, revealing the wealth inside to the Taur. "Help me, und all of this is yours. Perhaps it can be ov use in helpink your girlfriend?"

[Bee]

And miles away meant that every second counted if he was going to reach her in time. A sharp surge of helpless anger and fear shot through him. He didn't mean to sound callous. Why was it that cruel people always prefaced their cruelty by stating how they weren't trying to be cruel? Did they think that their words somehow altered reality?

But the Court of Spades versus one tangible person was another matter entirely. He looked past the crow and to the woman, who he couldn't see well in the rain. If it was urgent--he suppressed his panic as best he could. He dredged up some manner of resolve. It was feeble. He couldn't really glare at the man, not with him looking a million feet tall like that, but he shot him a hurt and burning look.

"Then you--then you should have said that first." He shot the money only a cursory glance. It might be useful for getting to Virtute faster. He wasn't sure what it would add to whatever her family would already use at her need, but it couldn't hurt, either. But he didn't want to think about it. It felt dirty, with people in trouble.

He wanted to tell the man to stop bleeding looming, but he wasn't sure that wouldn't end in pain. He rushed past him and over to the woman. She was--she was strange, and huge. And terrified. A lot more so than even he was.

"Hey," he said, gently. He crouched down where she was sitting. "Hey, relax. We're here to help you." He looked over his shoulder at the crow and furrowed his brow quizzically. "Can't we get her inside?"

[Kari Muffin]

Fleur let out a terrified squeak when the Corvie boy came into clear sight. He was large, and entirely too many limbs, and was another Card. His soft voice was slightly reassuring but... everything was just so damn frightening.

"I don't feel well," was all she managed to choke out as she struggled not to burst into tears again. She would follow the pair with very little protest. She didn't have a choice in the matter and she wanted to get out of the rain too.

Really she wanted to go home, but she didn't see that happening anytime soon. In fact that probably wasn't going to happen ever. They were cards. They were probably going to make a hat out of her after this entire mess was over with.

She didn't want to be a hat or put on display. And she didn't want to be pregnant either.

[Vyn]

Wulfram's expression rarely hinted at the emotion running below the surface as they spoke but the moment the Corvie turned away Wulfram allowed himself a dark little grin. Good. He didn't have to be happy to help, just willing. Back to the Rabbit, who still looked bloody awful, and the question he knew was coming.

They had to get out of this bloody rain, but there was no way into the palace. He growled in frustration, glaring at the building itself as if it were purposefully holding him out. There was someone to blame for this madness, he was certain, and he longed to find them and tear their lungs out.

"Ve are going to try. There's somethink strange happening around the Palace -- none ov the doors, or even the vindows, will allow me inside. I simply vind up out here again." All the direct routes were enchanted... But what of the indirect routes? There was a Servant's entrance in the back... No, too obvious... Perhaps. "Follow me, zhere may be a secret entrance." It was a long shot, a terribly long shot, but it was the only option he could think of.

Each of the Queen's chambers had concealed exits that would allow them to escape in case of an emergency. The tunnel took them under the palace to a concealed location on the grounds. Hopefully whatever vile enchanter had locked him out of his palace had not been aware of these tunnels. There were a few other indirect possibilities now brewing in the Queen's mind, but he'd take one step at a time.

[Bee]

Getting into the palace seemed horribly counterintuitive to his mind. He couldn't stop thinking about getting to Virtute, which meant that he needed to be headed farther out, not in. But--the poor woman was clearly very ill and needed to be inside, and he needed to help get her there. The sooner this whole mess was sorted out, the sooner he could indulge his own increasing worry.

"Think you're up for a long walk?" he asked the woman, delicately. In this state, she might need some kind of assistance walking. He finally noticed something beyond her terribly swollen abdomen--she had no Suit or Rank markings (a...a Joker? It couldn't be), and she looked...like no breed he had ever seen. His brow furrowed. But there would be time to think about that later. The important thing was making sure she was safe and getting her out of distress.

Another thought hit him. He glanced at the crow. "If that doesn't work--if you have any acids--" and surely they must, if they had Corvies running about, and most places did--though he was hardly up to snuff on his knowledge of current Spades royalty and probably shouldn't hedge his bets--"I can make us a door."

[Kari Muffin]

Fleur had now knowledge of how Card society was supposed to work. Yes she had read some of her mother's books but none of them were detailed enough to help her out in this particular situation. She had wished there was a book written about the terrifying bird so she could figure out a way to make it out alive..... at least the Corvistowne... thing was being nice to her.

"I guess," she said as she hop scurried as best as her condition could allow. Was she supposed to be hurting as much as she was? Was she supposed to be as big as she was? She refrained from whimpering again as she followed the pair of cards.

She wanted to get inside. To get underground. She also wanted to run away, not like that was even possible. She'd be waddling soon with the way she as feeling. She sniffed loudly as she scooted closer to the 'taur boy in hopes to be sheltered from the rain.

"Can we just get out of the rain?" she said quietly.

[Vyn]

Make a door? Wulfram hadn't thought of that, though it made sense upon hearing it. This was exactly why he enjoyed the company of Corvies, they always had creative solutions to problems. First, however, he'd try to get into the entrance and then they'd go from there. Best to avoid making a hole in the wall if he could.

If not. "I actually have some on hand, but not much." Thank you, Parsley, for the flask of corrosive acid. It worked quite well with his Spade water and could probably do some considerable damage to a wall. "There should be more, if needed, in a tool shed nearby." And, if all else fails, he may just have to shove the Doe in there to get her out of the rain.

Wulfram came to a stop in the Court's garden. Well hidden behind a statue of an old Queen and a rather formidable hedge was a trap door. It opens with little protest with a key from Wulfram's breast pocket and reveals a set of stairs. The crow glances up at the palace once more, estimating the distance. Not far and attempts to slip inside.

If this tunnel is affected like the rest of the palace, he'll simply appear at the Palace gates once more. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that.

[Bee]

Zeki told the woman that merely getting out of the rain probably wouldn't be enough. If she looked to be having this miserable of a pregnancy, then the birth had a pretty high chance of being even worse--and she looked pretty damn close to birth.

They needed equipment, they needed a real doctor--Zeki had a passing knowledge of a lot of Corvie work and could probably assist someone, but without really experienced hands--he didn't want to tell the poor thing she could die, and couldn't quite bring himself to. Things could just be...very unnecessarily painful, was all.

They followed the Queen to the trap door and inside, and started down the tunnel, which hopefully wouldn't spit them out. He felt a little better knowing they had a Plan B, but it was difficult to combat the terrible worry and unease that was pushing all around the edges of his thoughts, telling him to hurry off, that maybe it was getting to be too late.

As soon as you take care of this, he told himself, forcing himself forward. As soon as soon as soon...