T - Harps, Callypso, Satra, Dark

[Harpsdesire]

Joel shrugged and smiled pleasantly at Myfanwy, then went ahead and finished the scones himself. As he was polishing up his cup of tea, he felt a strange tingle in his mouth. If he didn't know better, he might have thought it contained a bit too much acid in the tart raspberry flavor and dismissed the sensation, but he'd touched enough magical artifacts to be familiar with the almost-uncomfortable buzz they usually had around them. Magic tea? He braced himself for something potentially awful to happen, so when he felt a new tiny ability take up residence in his mind, he was more than relieved. Not a bad trick, either.

It was about that time that the highlander he had dragged to safety woke. Joel got up to go the man's side, ready to check for signs of concussion, which Alaster began to scold them. Seriously? Joel's eyes narrowed at the man. If Myfanwy hadn't said something first, giving him a moment to regain his composure, he might have snapped at the ungrateful creature. As it was, he regarded the man with a marked coolness that was almost alien to his jovial features. "That was my intention, yes." He stated flatly, not much bothering to hide that he was offended. They had taken risks to get him in here, given him what care they could, and not used his limp, unresisting body as an offering to appease the plant monsters, and now he treated them like naughty children or lazy servants. *&^%# that noise, Joel thought, in the BUM.

Unfortunately, tossing a helpless card to monsters was one of the increasingly-limited number of things that fell squarely outside of his personal moral code. Even if said card was a jerkface, and even if the jerkface was awake now and no longer really all that helpless. The condescending snake-bird was his patient, sort of, and he had a responsibility to care for him. Or at least not kill him on purpose. He took a deep breath, willed his anger and other assorted hormones to desist, and made a concerted attempt to be nice.

"I'm glad you're awake." His tone did not entirely confirm that this was the case, but was at least carefully neutral. The last things he realistically wanted to do in this situation were pick a fight with a higher-ranking heart, or upset a head-injury patient. "Please hold still and let me take a look at your head, I have medical training. Any upset stomach, dizziness or double vision?"

[Callypso]

((Switched up the order for this one, in case anyone gets confused!))

…What? Linden cocked a quizzical eyebrow, the corners of his muzzle tugging down into a small frown. Boy, was she prickly. What had he said to have made Myfanway snap like that?? All he’d said was that Outsiders weren’t… Oh. He slapped a fuzzy palm to his forehead and attempted a sheepish grin.

That was perhaps not the best term to use. I didn’t mean that you were incapable or unworthy, and I’m certainly not a Realmist. I – I meant that it was unusual… If this Guardswoman Reisz saw fit to train you, then you are every bit the Veldt Warrior you say you are. I meant no disrespect. Yeaaaah. Add some sweet to that sour exchange. Clever of him to insult the person that could inform him more about his mother’s people…

He buried his face (and his embarrassment) into his mug of chai, then jerked backwards as his entire face nearly went numb. Linden probed his face with his free hand to ensure nothing had contorted his features, then proceeded to stretch his jaw open to see if that would help ease the uncomfortable prickling. It was dawning on him that he’d just drank magical chai! And what a strange, if not interesting, ability he now had!

If anyone noticed his weird reactions, they didn’t make mention of it, since that was the precise time their rescuee decided to come to. Oooh, and he had thought Myfanway was a bit touchy!

Well that’s a nice way to treat your rescuers! Next time we’ll leave you for fertilizer, shall we? It’s a plant monster – we don’t know that it’s attracted to light- he stopped suddenly, and looked upward in amusement at what he just said – Ha, scratch that. Anyway, it seemed more interested in snatching people up, and the fog didn’t deter it from performing that little task.

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When Emery turned from scouring the cabinets to look at the now-conscious stranger, he didn’t bother to hide his exasperation or his exaggerated eye roll. It would figure that they would manage to rescue a complete asshole. He tugged on one of the cuffs of his shirt sleeves in irritation then roughly raked a claw through his short mane. It was a soothing gesture – he didn’t exactly want to yell at the Highlander, but he was damned if he was going to get pushed around after saving the ungrateful lout.

Sir, if you’d just calm down a second and let Joel take a look at you, you’d see that we’ve already put change on the counter and everything’s boarded up. Myfanway has the right of it - we've done the best we can with what we've got - I think you owe us an apology. And perhaps a "thank you" for saving your sorry ass, he thought to himself.

He reached purposefully for his tea in the hopes that minding a hot beverage would prevent his temper from boiling over ((haha)), and took a sip. Almost immediately afterward, his claws began to tingle, and he nearly dropped his tea in surprise. Once he was sure the sensation wasn’t malevolent, he closed his eyes for a moment to savor the pin and needles sensation. Being naturally disinclined toward magic, it was almost always a pleasant surprise when he managed to come in contact with bewitched items.

Ah… I think there was something in my tea, he said a bit distractedly, then cleared his throat to ground him back into reality. Anyway, now that you’ve mentioned it, I think I actually want to have those shutters open. It makes me nervous. We don’t really know the nature of this monster thing, and I’d rather we have some notice if it decides to come calling.

Moving over to the window, he pulled the wooden slats aside to find that the fog had diminished considerably. Let’s just keep to the sides of the shoppe and away from the window, and maybe take turns keeping watch until we can think of a better idea. In the meantime, would anyone mind helping me look for a first aid kit? I think it’d be a good idea to have one around, just in case.

[Satra]

Alaster's first reaction was to discipline them as he would his guards, but before "Private, you're gonna wanna drop and give me 100 before I make you my rodeo bitch" could come barking out in a most Drill Sargent-like manner, he topped himself. They were young, but most importantly, they were civilians. Maybe Pale was right. Maybe I am all work and no play. He bowed his head and put a wings hand over his heart.

"My sincerest apologies. I have become too accustomed to working with the court guards under my command, that the situation at hand misplaced my manners. I do appreciate what you have done for me and hope you'll forgive my boorish actions," he came up from his bow to look at them. He settled himself down onto the ground to be more along Joel's height for examination.

"None of those symptoms. Just a cut, thank you," he said (rolled an 18 for recovery). He turned his head to Emery. "Plantmonster? That might explain what tried to grab at me." He brought forward the wing grabbed at to show a distinct scratch across his wing and very clearly mussed feathers. He turned back to Joel, "It's nothing some disinfectant and preening won't fix."

He shook his head at Linden. "With all due respect, I do not believe that is the wisest of ideas. Opening the shades also allows whatever's out there to see in. As far as I can tell, this was a planned attack. People who actually take the time to plan like this tend to be focused and look for targets. Not to mention with how light it is in here and how obstructed the vision is out there, I would venture to say it's easier to look in than it is to look out. So long as all entrances are closed and locked, our best bet is to hear something coming.

"Also, I know this shop very well. The owner is something of a personal friend of mine. She keeps two well stocked first aid kits under the counter and at least one more upstairs in her personal room," he said, pointing to the curtain behind the counter. "Behind there is a door, that leads to stairs. One set leads up to her room, the other leads down to the basement and storage. There's also the back exit that way that's usually used for accepting shipments, should we need to make use of it." He paused. "Come to think of it, have any of you seen the owner? I saw her not too long before I was knocked out." He really hoped the Highland Bird was cowering behind a locked door and not grabbed up.

[Nathalia]

Odd, that back exit Alaster seemed to "know" about doesn't exist, it simply leads to a blank wall. Similarly, the "basement" does not exist, though...there is a staircase that takes one upstairs. And there is a door at the top, closed and locked, but flimsy enough...
Outside, the fog, though clearing a bit, doesn't seem to be letting up. Also, those looking outside will note that the street looks...wider...and different from how it was when they went inside originally.

[Dark]

Myfanwy accepted Linden’s apology as graciously as she was able, and turned her attention to the Highlander.

How very patronizing and disingenuous. It was obvious that the man did not think highly of them, and wasn’t so much sorry for his behavior as he was for being called on it. In was such a shame when high-ranking military men let power go to their heads; or even got promoted in the first place.

“A planned attack?” Myfanwy mused, wondering what information the man had gleaned (while sleeping off his head injury) to have arrived at such a conclusion. A planned attack it very well might be--though she doubted there had been specific targets, since the attack had occurred in a busy marketplace--but there was no outstanding evidence to indicate it as such, and at the moment the specifics did not even matter; dealing with the consequences should be their main focus.

“Nay, we haven’t seen anyone,” Myfanwy answered carefully as he proclaimed his knowledge, mind reeling. While searching the shoppe for useful items she had taken mental note of the layout, and there was no back exit, or access for a basement. Had the man knocked something vital loose when he’d bumped his head? She attempted to catch Joel’s eye; he was the one with the medical knowledge, after all.

“Perhaps someone should check upstairs?” she suggested to Alaster, hoping the man’s concern for his ‘friend’ would compel him to investigate personally. They needed a few moments to discuss how to best deal with him, because he was obviously unwell.

[Harpsdesire]

Alaster's apology and submission to examination tempered Joel's irritation considerably. He examined the bump on the guard's head (minor, but scalp wounds had a nasty way of looking far worse than they were), checked his eyes for proper responsiveness, glanced at the minor cut on his wing, which was clean and not bleeding badly, and nodded, satisfied that the man was right-- he needed little more than an antiseptic wipe and a band-aid. Ice for the bumped head wouldn't hurt, but he hadn't seen any when making tea, so Alaster would have to do without. "Looks like you'll live to fight another day." Joel told him cheerfully, "No concussion as far as I can tell. You'll have quite a bump by tomorrow, though. I'm Joel, by the way. And you are...?"

Joel was hesitant to weigh in on the matter of open vs closed shutters-- he had closed them for the feeling of security brought on by having more than fragile glass between them and whatever lurked outside, but it also made sense to keep watch in case anything should approach the shop. He decided to let the ones with combat training hash it out. Just because he'd killed a couple queens of his suit... er, re-killed a couple already dead queens, didn't make him a veteran warrior.

Alaster should be the expert, but the notable lack of any stair leading down did make Joel question the man's views on pretty much everything. He shrugged and shook his head when Myffie caught his eye, hoping to convey that if Alaster had a screw loose, it hadn't been knocked that way tonight. Still and all, the heart didn't seem crazy. The young corvie knew plenty of mad people; that was almost a given for one who spent time in Corvistowne, and Alaster had none of their hallmarks.

He would just have to assume the man knew what he was talking about, and yet another strange thing was going on. After the magical tea, the idea of a vanishing basement did not seem impossible. At least there was one part of the story that would be easy to verify. "I'm gonna see if I can find those first aid kits." If the two kits did indeed exist (and two seemed like a generous guess, since a store like this was unlikely to see injuries greater than tongues burned on over-warm tea or maybe a finger pinched in sugar tongs), that would give a significant weight to the Highlander's words. He sauntered over to the counter Alaster had indicated and began to sort through various tea making and shop cleaning bric-a-brac for the kits.

[Callypso]

Wow. This guy was something, wasn’t he? That was some pretty confident talk for someone who had just spent the last half hour or so passed out on the floor. Apparently being unconscious was a minor barrier to being able to assess a situation with absolute certainty. Ooookay.

Planned? It snatched up some Corvie Medicine Woman and snapped at you - I’m no military strategist, but that seems pretty arbitrary to me.

Linden just happened to glance toward the others in time to catch the non-verbal exchange between Joel and Myfanway, and threw in an exaggerated side glance that clearly suggested ”whackjob!” It was possible the man was just confused. He’d hit his head pretty hard on the front stoop and could very well be slightly disoriented. Or he was nuts. He wasn't sure whether or not being slightly mad disqualified one for duty in the Court of Hearts. He'd heard some pretty whacky stories... Either way, it was rather clever of Myfanwy to suggest he check the upstairs room.

Good idea! If your friend is upstairs in hiding, she might respond better to an old friend than a group of strangers “pilfering” her wares, yes?

Personally, he hadn't much to say on the matter of defensive maneuvers. So far, they had managed to stay safe without Alaster's guidance, so he was just as happy to have the man stay "busy" for a bit while the others figured out a plan.

In fact, I'll go with you. Safety in numbers and all that. Though, if the man was a little bonkers, it might not be a great idea to be alone with him, still, better to keep an eye on him than not, right? He hoped....

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Military. That explained a lot, even more so when Alaster transitioned straight from apology to strategy, despite having probably less knowledge than they had. Was it arrogance or training? Possibly both? Either way, Emery became concerned when the snake-avian began rattling off about multiple rooms and doors which weren’t there. He hadn’t exactly completed his search of the shoppe, but he’d just spent the last 15 minutes scouring through cabinets along the back wall, and there was definitely no “back exit”.

While it was true the Ace had become a little spoiled living with Mr. Todd, he still made it a point to notice everything. When he’d been on the streets, negligence could have cost him his life, and he still went out of his way to avoid miscreants looking for a fight. Hiding his ranking underneath shirt and tie wouldn’t help him if he got into serious trouble. Roof over his head and solid job or no, old habits died hard.

Taking his cue from Joel, Emery proceeded to introduce himself and the rest of their ragtag group. We appreciate your thoughts, Mr…?, but I’m afraid you must be mistaken. There’s a stairwell that looks like it heads upstairs, but there’s no basement or back door like you described.

He turned back to the window and peered out for signs of the Thing, or to see whether anyone had ventured out-of-doors. To his dismay, the fog had returned in force, obscuring most of their view.

I’m not sure I follow your logic. If we can’t see out, chances are, no one can see in, either. Also, I’m relatively certain fog would reflect this kind of lighting, so we wouldn’t be visible unless someone was really close to –

Emery stopped and stared as a brief hole in the fog allowed him to see out onto the street. Dumbfounded, he rubbed his eyes with a claw and blinked in disbelief. That couldn’t be right… He continued to stare out at the window, then turned back to the others with a peculiar look on his face.

Guys… I’m… I might just be seeing things, but I swear the street outside is different. I know Capital City like the back of my claws, and it looks different.

What the hell was going on??

[Satra]

"Planned as far as I can tell. Maybe they're not targeting specific people, but, really? A fog just appearing out of nowhere in the middle of the day? So happening to be thick enough to be perfect cover for kidnapping people? Creating and using some kind of plant construct to kidnap instead of lackeys? Not to mention the last time a 'mysterious fog' cropped up, there was a planned military attack and two realmicides. I'm not claiming I'm undoubtedly correct, I am stating how I see things. I'm perfectly willing to listen to any information you might have to suggest otherwise."

Be nice, Alaster. You're talking to civilians. Military gruffness goes vastly misunderstood in this kind of social setting. Damned civies. They are a boon and a curse. He gave a slight smile to Joel. What a nice young man. Bless the Corvies (the sane ones, anyway).

"Thank you, Joel. My name is Alaster. Don't bother with any 'Misters' or the like. I think I can stand to be a little less formal at times." His attention was immediately snapped to Emery. The hell does he mean "no staircase"? He knew this place. He knew the shop owner. They couldn't have possibly taken him away from the tea shop he was half in, half out of to another one that happened to look exactly the same! He did his best to ignore Linden. The smarmy attitude made Alaster want to punch him. "Excuse me," he said to the young Feline. He walked to the place the door was supposed to be and felt the very real wall before him. His feathers rose, displaying his intense displeasure in the current situation. Oh no, he knew where he was. the pictures on the desk near the register, the decor, everything. He knew exactly where he was and it had changed.

"Yes, young man," he said, turning suddenly and regaining a calm composure. It was a little routine he went through. Calming himself. Focusing. Panic caused error, failures in judgment. "The fog reflects light, and as the fog is coming from our location, it will reflect back to us, potentially making it harder to see out depending on the fog cover. I only caught a glimpse of it, so perhaps I am remembering it as thicker than what it was. However, I have no idea how many other buildings on the street have their lights on, so as far as picking locations to find more people to kidnap I don't know how much we would stand out. Also as we move about, our shadows will give away that there are living beings here."

He turned to look back at Emery. The street is different? In an odd way, it made Alaster feel a little better.

"I'm going to do a little recon upstairs. I don't want to break us up more than we have to, but I want to know if there's anything we need to know about up there," he turned to Linden, "You offered to come with. If you haven't changed your mind, you're welcome to come along. It shouldn't take long."

[Note: The shop owner, Miss Amethyst, started getting slightly more paranoid in her old age. She's one of those ladies who carries an enormous bag with her where ever she goes, containing everything but the kitchen sink "just in case". One of the first aid kits downstairs was actually in case she needed to run a quick errand and she could grab it and stuff it in a bag instead of having to go back up stairs to get the one in her room. XD]

[Nathalia]

The outside street is covered in heavy fog still, but Emery, and anyone joining him at the window, will see that the shoppe-lined street has changed dramatically from where they came in.
There are no other shoppes. Simply an empty street that seems to fade off into the fog and leads...further into fog on either side, though it's far darker on the left than on the right.

Those stairs do, in fact, lead up to a door...so at Alaster isn't completely crazy.
It seems to be locked, though...still...plywood, you can probably break it down with little issue, if you'd like.

Those upstairs will need to roll a die for me in their next response.
Those downstairs, will need to roll two.

[Dark]

Overall, Myfanwy found her companions an agreeable enough bunch and even Linden was growing on her, despite his initial insult; with the exception of one. What a pretentious arse, she mentally growled. Myfanwy, however, held her tongue; he was doing exactly as she had wanted and checking upstairs. So at least she wouldn’t have to listen to him prattle on for a few precious moments; time enough to gather her thoughts, and assess the situation.

If the lights were such an issue, they could be easily turned off, but it seemed pointless to worry about at this stage. The damage was already done, and whatever was out there probably already knew they were inside the tea shoppe; they’d been inside ‘with the lights on’ for quite a spell now, after all. So they might as well have the advantage of a well-lit battlefield when the inevitable happened.

She was, however, admittedly slightly worried. Joel had seemed to indicate that Alaster had suffered no lasting damage, and if that were the case and he did, in fact, know this shoppe, then it was the building itself that had changed. It wasn’t entirely impossible; for all the little they knew, this was obviously a highly magical attack.

Myfanwy glanced out the window--was in the mist making everything look strange, or had the street changed as well? It looked--empty.

[18 & 11!]