Northern Winds [NC-17] (IC)

[Cogidubnus]

 Cog read the note, standing quite still, and them seeming to nod to himself for a moment before sitting back in his chair, sucking in a breath. His face turned ugly for a moment before looking at the spider sharply.
"I asked you before. Stop trying to manipulate me." he said slowly, his words stiffly formal. "Giles is dead, and if you gave a damn about what he wanted, well. You would not be working for who you do, now would you?"
He regarded her for another moment, taking another deep breath. He inclined his head, giving the spider an appraising look. "I have no more reason to trust the bat than I do you. But then..."
He seemed to consider for a moment, the sounds of the cafe seeming to suddenly grow louder. Cups and dishes clanged and the general murmur of conversation pressed in as Cog grew quiet. Behind his shades, the wolf's eyes glittered.
He took the notepad and scribbled a few lines down, and with a large gulp finished the last of his coffee before standing. He tipped his hat to the spider before walking away, the tinkle of the doorbell signaling the end of their conversation.

Sal took the notepad, a little irritated at the wolf's sudden dramatics, and read three short lines, written in cramped, flowing handwriting.

"I have no reason to trust you either.
  I'll think about it, but
  I still remember Torval"

[Gareeku]

A while had passed since they had arrived in the town. Ever since they had crashed the car, Gareeku had been absolutely furious. How could have they been so God-damn STUPID? Those fucking idiots have just made things ten times worse than they were before... the wolf thought to himself furiously as he snarled angrily. Shooting Cogi and the others a look that, if looks could kill, would be committing genocide.
"I'm going off for a bit. I'll be back later." the wolf growled to the others, before walking off and disappearing into the crowds of the town.

Since then, Gareeku had not been seen by the other members of the group. Where had he got to? No doubt he was probably somewhere secluded, ranting to himself and about stupid he thought people had been, people were likely thinking, and they would be partly right, too.

However, eventually Gareeku returned, arriving at the café where Aisha said she was going to. However, he also had bought something with him, too; a suit to be exact, only Gareeku had not opted to buy a tie, as he had always found them somewhat restricting. Instead, the wolf would be opting for the slightly more casual option in having the top buttons of his shirt undone once he would put the suit on. Looking around, Gareeku assumed that at least some members of the group would be here, drinking coffee or something similar. Deciding to grab a cup of coffee for himself, the wolf walked to the ordering area while he looked around, before ordering his coffee and taking a few sips.

[Mel Dragonkitty]

Mel, still in fox form, nodded acquiescence to Aisha's choice of the coffee shop. "The coffee shop it is then." Crossing the street they returned to their starting place. "It appears we are not the first to finish shopping," she said with a nod in the direction of the wolf and his new garment bag with the name of a men's store emblazoned across it. "I hope whatever you picked looks well with bronze silk beside it."

[Gareeku]

Hearing the familiar voice behind him and he finished taking another sip of his coffee, Gareeku turned and smiled slightly. It was a smile that would be familiar to them; a smile belonging to the old Gareeku.
"I'm sure it will. Besides, it will be the wearer who will be looking the best." the wolf replied back, before taking another sip of his coffee.

[Aisha deCabre]

As she entered the coffee shop, the bell at the door ringing to signal the arrival of herself and Mel, Aisha toyed with the collar that held her cape.  The shopping trip had been quite uneventful, and after a while in the city she felt a little less afraid of being connected with everything that had happened so far.  The only trouble that she encountered was that young bandit.

So she left her cape's color the way it was for the time being, listening to Mel and idly tapping her fingers on the box that held her dress.  As she looked up while walking in, the panthress spotted Gareeku sitting at the table with coffee in his hands, and let out a slight chuckle.  "Does a vanishing act and is here before us with his shopping.  Impressive, amigo," she smirked jokingly and waved a greeting.  It was certainly good to see her old friend's smile again, however long or short it may last.

She had to tilt her head slightly however at Mel's statement about his suit looking good next to bronze silk.  Aisha hummed a laugh.  "Spying, dancing, and being stylish while we're at it.  That'll be fun."  The dark jaguar then watched the door for the others, leaning against the counter with her arms crossed.

[Tezkat]

Standing at the door to the ice cream shop, Edge watched Stygian stride off down the street without looking back. He shrugged, shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans, and started off in the opposite direction. After a few blocks, he stepped into the shadows of a graffiti-splattered alley.

And then he was gone.

+ + +

A series of quick pops and sizzles sang out to nobody in the empty stairwell. A naked light bulb flickered, and the dirty, off-white paint showed signs of peeling in the corners. A soft violet tinged the walls when the invisibility field--standard practice in case of observers at their destination--dropped to reveal a short rat standing by the door and a glowing Warp-Aci floating above him.

Ky spun in midair, performing a complete revolution to ensure that everything was in order. Satisfied, it floated down to alight on the rat's head. The Warp-Aci curled its body around the short, greasy hair and willed itself to change. In an instant, the glowing otherworldly entity was gone, the walls had returned to their previous drab shade, and the rodent now wore a colourful purple bandana.

The rat opened the door and stepped into a hotel hallway. It smelled faintly of cheap carpets and cigarette smoke. A fly buzzed around fluorescent lights set in the popcorn-textured ceiling, but the place was otherwise quiet and deserted. He strolled down to the end of the hall and stopped in front of Room 213.

Edge placed a hand against the door, silently examining the wards he'd hidden throughout the room. He nodded. Nobody had been inside since their last visit. This hotel didn't have much in way of maid service. They'd paid in advance in cash, and the hotel staff apparently figured that that spared them from having to lift a finger until this customer left. It was just as well--indeed, one of the reasons Ky had selected this establishment for one of their safehouses on this mission. Apathy and anonymity could provide as much protection as heavy security.

The bandana flopped off the rat's head. As it fell, it dissolved into liquid darkness. The indigo aura returned, and the Warp-Aci hovered by the doorknob in its vaguely feline base form.

Ky flicked its long, thin tail forward and grabbed it in its paws. The tip began to twist into a shape that had earned Ky its name. It remembered the pattern from last time, and this way required far less energy than opening another portal to where Ky had deposited the real room key. Of course, the Warp-Aci's master wouldn't have one. Edge disliked carrying any physical objects that might interfere with rapid shapeshifting. Clothing represented a notable exception--he couldn't hide his clan symbol through personal metamorphosis--but then he'd inherited a natural talent for magically weaving cloth and could now reshape it almost as easily as his own body. Ky poked its tail into the lock and turned.

The lock clicked.

The cramped hotel room was as they had left it. The blinds were closed, but the afternoon sun filtered through the translucent veil. Ky flipped the light switch as Edge secured the door behind them.

The rat's stood in the open space between the lone double bed and the television stand. His clothing came apart at the seams and peeled away from his body. An inky black tendril, wreathed in the same indigo glow as Ky's body, scooped up the pieces and deposited them atop the plain brown bedsheets. Then, it winked out of existence. The rodent's body writhed and grew.

Mottled grey fur turned black as midnight. Dark, greasy hair flowed out into soft golden locks. His pointed muzzle thickened into the fanged grin of a jaguar. A large pair of sapphire-feathered wings erupted from his shoulder blades--angelic at first glance, though the tops featured clawed thumbs and a covering of soft black fur instead of feathers.

Even in his base form, his headwings remained absent. Ky hadn't seen that evidence of its master's Cubi heritage in over a year, dedicated as he was to his new identity as Edge the Bounty Hunter. His back wings, on the other hand, rarely stayed hidden for long. Bound so closely to his shapeshifting powers, they could take damage when he fought--even when morphed. And wings, of course, had their uses too. Ky orbited slowly around the jaguar, inspecting his body for signs of injury.

"You're hurt."

Edge stretched out his left wing and folded it in front of him to examine the damage. A patch of broken blue feathers ringed the outer finger. Ky knew that the flesh underneath must have been painfully bruised.

"Ah, yes. That would be Lucian's little stunt with the police officers." The blade of darkness had cleaved a Being in two. "It's not so bad. I'm getting used to the kind of darkness he uses."

Ky shuddered involuntarily but went to work rummaging through the stash of healing supplies. The Warp-Aci retrieved a jar of light amber cream and began rubbing it into the injured wing. Ky frowned upon feeling the extent of the damage. The regenerative balm accelerated the Cubi's naturally rapid recovery, but he had to be at full strength within hours. He'd need a systemic. Ky pulled out a potion vial and handed it to the feline.

Edge held the flask of pale greenish liquid up to the light and frowned. "Apple again?"

"It's lime. They were all out of grape when I stocked this room. Now drink up."

Edge shrugged. He drained the vial in one gulp and handed it back to Ky. Through their link, his familiar could already feel the magic going to work, repairing his body from the inside. His wings shrank--flesh and bone sucked back into his body like liquid until he wore the skin of a mere Being once more. A purple glyph across his right shoulder blade--the same symbol that adorned Ky's forehead, though at an angle such that its shape suggested a skeletal wing rather than an eye--provided the sole hint of Creature ancestry. The Mark of Kh'rono. Even among Cubi, few would recognize it as anything more than a curious tattoo, perhaps vaguely familiar thanks to classes in ancient history. But the lost clan had old enemies with long memories, and Edge preferred to keep it hidden.

Ky nodded and repacked the health kit. "That should do it." The Warp-Aci arced through a lazy backflip to hang upside down, eye-level with its master. It crossed its arms. "Are you really going through with this?"

Edge met his familiar's gaze and grinned. Ky sighed.

It was going to be a very long day.

+ + +

A light chime above the door announced the coffee shop's newest customer: a familiar golden-haired black fox, still dressed in the same slick white suit. He scanned the room for other members of his adopted party, nodding in acknowledgement when their eyes met. He then sauntered over to the counter to order and returned a minute later with a glass of frothy masala chai latte.

[Stygian]

'Just make sure you never stop taking it seriously.'
   The voice that materialized was not more than a few steps away, just enough behind them that they should not have been able to see its source. Leaning upon the counter just behind Mel was Stygian, returned to his original form. He was dressed in a sharp new all-white suit with black lining and a black shirt and tie, and his typical wrappings under it. And something else too. A pleasant smirk that would have been at perfect odds with his mood when they had left him.
   Looking over them all and almost giving a little pleased nod, the bat spoke to no one in particular. 'I trust you're ready. Has anyone seen Keaton or that wolf?' he asked. Then his smirk and gaze turned toward Edge. 'And before you say anything unnecessary; no, I don't like doors. And I'm not going to disguise myself. I figure she wants to talk to me so bad she'll let me waltz in just like that. It will be a good distraction either way.'

- -

The sonata had gone on for so long that the floating, skipping and dancing notes seemed to drift away, and both the occupants and the residents of the apartment no longer heard the notes themselves but rather the music. Whoever Laertes was, he was a most excellent piano player. And that's why the emptiness seemed so hard when he slowly let his fingers drift downward along the keys and ended with a soft but swift finale.
   The jackal stood up from his seat and folded down the cover over the keys, then turned to Richard. 'Let's go and see what your friends are up to,' he said.

[Boog]

Richard nodded along with the music. The jackal wasn't half bad. He stood up and followed as Laertes started on his way out.
"Whatever gets you people out of my house."

[Sunblink]

On the boundaries of the city, just behind a building, there was an acrimonious flicker, beginning as a white spark, but quickly spreading until it bifurcated the air itself like a crescent of alabaster electricity. Wind swept around in a circle, igniting with pale fire and spiraling upward in a sinuous trail, framing a gently palpitating core of white light. Sparks began to flash around the center of this levitating orb of concentrated energy, orbiting faster and faster, burning brighter and brighter--

There was a flash of ivory light, illuminating the alley with a monochromatic glow. Vestigial flickers of alabaster crackled and churned overhead, floating away, away, until they faded, ghostlike, into the daylight, as though they had been assimilated into the sun itself. A slender black figure encircled the area, disintegrating the remnants of teleportation spell with a snap of its tail, restoring the fork to it and reverting the electrically-charged surroundings back to its unassuming self.

Keaton, dimly-highlighted by the glow of her Warp-Aci companion, glowered disapprovingly at Xianxi. "Did you have to make it so conspicuous?"

"My apologies, mistress. It will not happen again. Are there any other ways I can serve you?" was Xianxi's automatic response, as though this particular incident had been rehearsed mechanically for months.

Sighing and rolling her eyes, Keaton extended an arm, gesturing again with her finger in a curling, beckoning motion. "Just stay with me in case," she muttered.

Following this wordless command, Xianxi bent inward, tail furling up like a party favor until it had fully encompassed his form, then he seemed to liquefy and automatically draw in a shadowy puddle towards Keaton's arm, where he reformed in the shape of a pitch black armlet ornamented with a moonwashed Jyraneth Clan symbol. Dusting herself off, Keaton immediately rushed out of the alleyway, running down the street, but then decelerating to a brisk amble when she entered the more densely-populated areas.

---

Finding Stygian took a little bit of effort. She couldn't entirely recall where their designated reunion location was, but once she finally found it she triumphantly jogged over, opening the door to the cafe and entering with a victorious grin on her muzzle. "Hey!" she said cheerfully, approaching everyone assembled, then casually taking a seat at the nearest table. She then spoke in a slightly more subtle voice, out of the paranoid notion that the walls would suddenly sprout ears. "Guess who just retrieved loads of information?"

~Keaton the Black Jackal

[Tezkat]

"Distraction?" The black fox raised an eyebrow. "Are you not supposed to be the main event?"

The jaguar sat down at the table. Wait... jaguar? The transition had been seamless and instantaneous. The change was surprisingly subtle despite him being a completely different species. His eyes and fur remained the same colour, and he'd elected to keep the shorter, more youthful hairstyle.

"Here I was contracted to bring you in, and you decide to just waltz in on your own." Edge chuckled. "I wonder if I'll still get paid. You are slightly less dead than originally intended."

He leaned back in his chair and scratched his chin. "So... should we expect your old friend to use deadly force the moment you step through the door, or will she have the good manners to allow us a drink and a dance before springing her little trap?"

+ + +

You're just begging for another lecture from the scary bat guy, aren't you?

What? It's a valid question. Based on Lucian's description, she may be a mentalist in Veia's league. Personality quirks are among the few weaknesses of such old and powerful Creatures.

Ch-Yah! If you haven't already lost your mind, you can kiss it goodbye fighting someone like that. This isn't a training exercise, you know.

You worry too much, Ky. It won't be that kind of battle, and you know that my minds aren't so fragile. When have I ever jumped into a dangerous situation unprepared?

Alphabetical or chronological order?

Quiet, you.

+ + +

Edge took a sip of his latte and licked the froth from his whiskers. He set his glass down when the enthusiastic Succubus burst into the shop and inclined his head to listen to her news.

[Cogidubnus]

Having still a few preparations to make, the wolf spent some time walking about the city. Even in such a large town, certain items could be difficult to find – it was his luck that only thirty minutes or so later, he was ready.

* * * *

The door bell tinkling ahead of him, Cogidubnus opened the door and walked into the coffee shop that was their agreed upon meeting place. He smiled, Aisha and Mel seeming to have returned from their trip, and Gareeku as well, the wolf now seemingly in better spirits. Cog shook his head, and setting his cane down next to his chair the black clad wolf took a seat across from the other wolf

Stygian had returned too. Cog looked at him from behind his glasses, being careful not to move his head. He wondered if the bat already knew. Cog noticed that he was wearing a suit of white, over the cloth wrappings the bat seemed to favor.
Cog would talk to him in a moment. He didn't much feel like explaining why he was here to everyone if he didn't have to.
 
Keaton seemed to be in the middle of explaining something, and Cog leaned forward, listening attentively.

[Stygian]

Stygian smiled warmly at Keaton as she returned, another odd reaction coming from his side. But perhaps not, considering the two of them and their familiarity the other evening. 'I had no doubt you would. We'll get to it, in due time.' The bat walked around and leaned with both arms on the counter. 'One mocha latte for me please,' he ordered. As he did, he casually let his hand drift down, its shadow crossing Keaton's as it slowly shifted, defying the light and darkening further at the point of intersection. It was a subtle maneuver, too subtle to be seen other than incidentally.
   Suddenly, sensations and emotions that seemed to come from nowhere, gloom and pain and strange dark pleasure, filled Keaton's senses. And then, as if she were hearing the thoughts which had previously seemed nonexistent, Stygian's voice echoed in her head, stronger than the wailing sounds backdropping it.
   Don't say too much yet. Speak generally. We'll talk outside.
   The voices and the emotions faded as quickly as they had appeared, and taking his coffee, the bat turned back toward Edge. 'Tch. I thought you'd already figured that out.' He took a sip, then grimaced slightly when it proved still too hot. 'If not, we wouldn't be going into that club at all. Though if it's money you really want, I think I can offer you some compensation. Not that I know what a cubi would do with it, but...' He smiled again, then passed a look over all the assembled. 'Either way, I think we are all ready. Any questions?'

[Aisha deCabre]

Not much longer after Aisha had started watching the door, idly standing with Mel and Gareeku, before her ears caught the chime of the bell above the entrance.  The first one to have arrived was the blackish fox.  What was his name?  Edge?  The panthress recalled, dismissing it with a shrug and giving him a nod of greeting.  And not long after came the bat's voice, which made her turn her head a little quickly in surprise that it had come from behind.  He was already dressed up sharply.  Heh, another on-time disappearing act.  That's five, she counted those showing up so far.

Oh, wait, six.  Then it was followed by Keaton, the succubus looking quite excited and with energy in her steps, which somewhat amused Aisha.  So far the spirits of the group had lifted somewhat and things seemed to be going as planned.  A quick and mental prayer of luck, and she started to listen in with the others as the jackal would start to relay her information.  Before she could start though, Stygian had chimed in.

"No questions from me, hombre," Aisha commented to his query.  "People might be as ready as they can be."  She looked over the others, only pausing to notice that where Edge had sat was now a figure more feline.  An eyebrow quirked at this, but by now she was used to the prospect of appearance-shifters in the group, and shook her head.  How weird is THAT, adventurers of all ages.

[Sunblink]

Although Keaton was associated with Stygian before, she admitted to herself that she had thought the warm smile he cast at her was oddly uncharacteristic--rather, unexpected. Whether or not it was a particularly good thing was beyond her, but hey, it wasn't likely that he was going to kill her, and she had done nothing wrong, so it couldn't be anything malignant.

This reasoning was interrupted once she felt that sudden, palpable amalgamation of emotions suddenly surge within her body, filling her with an ominous invading presence which nearly startled her into screaming. Instead, she twitched unpleasantly at this, even when Stygian's unheralded voice entered her head. Mind-invasion. Wonderful. He could do that, even when her memories and thoughts were thoroughly fortified and protected. Hopefully he wasn't into poking around her more "interesting" memories, but this paranoia faded.

Keaton leaned back, pretending not to be startled, although it was clear she had received the message. For now she just idly allowed her eyes to wander, giving into the compulsive and spontaneous attention-lapses that Cubi suffered from. When Stygian directed a question to everyone, Keaton thought for a minute, then shrugged. She at first wasn't sure about what to do with her weapon, Catastrophe, but she could either store it in a pocket of shadows or have Xianxi warp it someplace.

~Keaton the Black Jackal

[Tezkat]

The jaguar finished his drink and stood. He straightened his jacket.

"Would anyone care for a mind shield before we enter the lion's den?"

[Mel Dragonkitty]

Mel tapped Aisha on the shoulder and pointed towards the ladies room. "We'll be ready in a moment, Ignatz." The pale grey fox picked the box with her new dress off the floor by her feet and preceded the pantheress into the room. While it was large for the size of the coffee shop it was still a small room. Not that it mattered; they didn't need luxury accommodations or a ton of room. Quickly her jacket, blouse, and trousers were tossed into her belt bag and the glittering white dress dropped over her head, it's strings tied in neat little bows behind neck and back. She spent the most time creating the illusion of an elaborate hairdo. Done with her own preparations she picked up her belt bag. With a gesture much like setting it on an invisible shelf it disappeared from sight. "Need help, Aisha?"

[Stygian]

Stygian nodded, blew on his coffee and then sat down. 'Right. So long as we are prepared to go.' He coughed and took on a little bit more serious look, glancing over his shoulder to make sure no one was within earshot. 'While the girls are fixing up...'
   The bat glanced over the group. Cog had seemed about to say something but held still, Keaton he would talk to, Edge seemed oddly silent and apprehensive for a cubi and Gareeku was his new, perpetually partly agitated self. The important part was that none of them seemed more conspicuous than any other group of adventurers or jumped-up streetlifers who acted tougher and sometimes were tougher than they had the smarts for. And if he just kept attention on himself and Edge...
   'Alright. They probably won't let anyone with weapons in, so if you have anything that you can conceal, that's perfect. Non-magical, please. What you have on you, you either have to hide elsewhere, or you can't go in.' He looked Cog and Gareeku over. The two would be very hard to keep from going at each other if they were left alone outside, but if they covered the exits... 'Edge is coming with me. That's obvious. Keaton, if you like I would want you in there too. Anyone who can shapeshift without detectable magic is valuable. Mind shields probably will not be necessary, as they probably keep most magic and mind-reading suppressed in there, but slap some on just for safety's sake.' He darted a look toward the ladies room again, and then back to the others. 'The plan is basically that we go in, and see what happens. And if things go wild, we pull back out as fast as we can.'
   He paused, waiting for whatever questions might come up.

[Aisha deCabre]

Aisha had nearly jumped, a little bit in thought, and thus not expecting a tap on the shoulder from Mel.  She glanced at her with a bit of incredulity, and then her gaze followed to where she had pointed.  Already? her eyes seemed to say, but the panthress had little room to argue.  With a quick nod to excuse herself, she followed Mel to the restroom while carrying her box.

As she changed her clothes, Aisha wondered where she indeed was going to put her weapons.  There was no elaborate way that she knew of to disguise them for a formal dance.  Maybe there's a safe around here, or something, she thought, shaking her head while putting on her dress and fixing herself up.

In about as much time as Mel had to prepare, Aisha was looking at a reflection in the mirror that once again seemed hardly as herself.  A dark ebon feline with the easily-seen strength of an adventurer with a silk dress of bronze encompassing her figure.  She smoothed it out, feeling slightly uncomfortable without her battle clothes.  She had untied her long black hair from the braid it was normally in, instead making it a loose ponytail.  The way some strands of hair still framed her face made her look a little more casual, anyway.  Still it felt just as illusory as Mel's fox body.

"No, I'm fine," she answered the dragon with a nod, placing her clothes in the box.  "Let's get this over with, then," there was a sort of a snort-laugh after that as she stepped out of the door.

[Cogidubnus]

 Brushing a bit of dust off his pants, Cogidubnus grabbed the cane leaning on the table next to him and stood, carrying the stick in one hand while the other worked at the black cord attached to his sword and tied to his belt. His nimble fingers worked quickly to untie the knot, and looping the cloth around his fingers he pulled the sword out of his belt.

Cog let his blade simply hang in his free hand. He nodded at the bat's words, and tilting his head he opened his mouth. He paused just a moment, closing his mouth again, and then continued, letting his glasses slide down his nose just a bit. He gave the bat a strange look.
"Odd folk we have in this city." He said, locking eyes with the bat for just a moment before looking away. The wolf coughed and changed the subject suddenly. "Alas. Pardon my forgetfulness, but I don't seem to remember where you wanted me. Guarding something, I think...?"

As he waited for a response, his eyes passed over Edge, Cog raising an eyebrow for a moment as he adjusted to the Incubus's new form. He nodded at the black fox, keeping his face carefully neutral. "If we are trusting you when we go in there, no point in not trusting you now. If you are providing assistance, it would be most appreciated."

[Tezkat]

"Ah, trust... that most rare and valuable of gifts..." Edge smiled. He pulled a chair away from the table and motioned to the seat. "Step into my office, if you please. This won't take a minute."

The black jaguar waited for Cogidubnus and then extended his hands, holding them out with palms facing on either side of the wolf's head. There were no incantations, glowing hands, or flashy light shows. Either this particular enchantment did not involve such displays, or Edge chose to hide them through illusions or metamagic. He raised his hands and clapped them together.

"There we go. Our main opponent for the evening is apparently a mentalist of considerable power. This ward will not keep her out should she truly desire access to your mind, but it will guard against casual scans and lesser enchantments."

He paused and looked around to see if anyone else would take him up on his offer.

[Gareeku]

Staying quiet as the others talked and observed, Gareeku then decided that it was time that he changed into his appropriate outfit. Disappearing for a few minutes, the wolf then remerged dressed in his suit. As mentioned before, Gareeku did not possess a tie, instead leaving the top buttons of the white shirt undone. Waiting for the others, the wolf finished his coffee and pondered what he would do with his sword.

[Stygian]

Stygian raised one eyebrow, and glanced sideways at Edge, continuing to nurse his coffee. 'Nobody's trusting anyone. That's why you are coming with me,' he said, and grinned. 'I'm the one being called out here, and I have the most to lose. That's the only reason I expect you people to follow my guidance on this.'
   For a moment, the bat looked over them all, and though he continued smiling, there was something in the hardness of his dark eyes that told them precisely what he meant by doing so. I mean this. And consider it closely, they seemed to say. Then, the brief moment of seriousness was over and he chuckled, sipping his latte.

[Mel Dragonkitty]

Mel followed Aisha out of the ladies room with a swish of her currently fluffy fox tail as well as an experimental swish of the floating chiffon skirts of the dancing dress. She watched Edge's mindshield technique with curiosity, but made no comments.

[Sunblink]

When Stygian mentioned mind shields, Keaton self-consciously wondered if her current protections were insufficient. After the incident which had resulted in her being expelled from SAIA she had been quick to review and restore her mind-shields, reinforcing them tenfold, but it had been a while since she last renewed them. Well, at least it was relieving to hear that the club had restrictions on mind-reading and magic. If someone attempted to scan her mind she didn't want to fisticuff them.

Ah, but attire. Keaton hated formal dressing, but if everyone else was doing it... bah. It would be too out of place and tasteless not to "dress" up. She'd handle that when she organized a proper disguise when shapeshifting. She thought she would try her favorite Being disguise, but maybe something drastically different from her ordinary appearance would suffice. Gave her an opportunity to exercise her slightly rusty transmogrification abilities. From afar Keaton watched Edge perform the rudimentary, yet unusually less-flashy fortification of Cogidubnus's mind, noticing Mel and Aisha depart from the ladies' room. Hearing Edge's remark about the specialties of their next opponent, Keaton's concerns were revitalized, and she raised her hand.

"Hey. Think you can give my mind-shields a one-over?" she asked. She left it at that.

~Keaton the Black Jackal

[Stygian]

'Depends on where you think you'll do most good. However, things considered, covering an exit would be most convenient,' Stygian answered Cog with a half-boorish smile, before the girls entered. Quirking an eyebrow, Stygian made an appreciative smirk and a content hum at the sight of Mel and Aisha in their new outfits. He wasn't so sure about Mel fitting as a fox, even though she could be sly enough for one. Nor was he as comfortable as he seemed with acting like that toward Aisha while Gareeku was in the same room. But it seemed fit for the situation.
   'Neat,' he commented, and reminded himself to ask Mel about Edge's work, since mental magic and psionics wasn't exactly his field of expertise. If anyone should be laying protection like that on them, then it was Mel. And while the incubus didn't seem so stupid as to be tampering with their protection in plain sight, he had seen dumber things in action. 'Remind me to take you somewhere more fitting if we pull this off just as planned,' he said, and grinned at the 'vixen'. However professional their relationship, he was familiar enough with her that it would be a fun time. And he'd had too little of that lately.

[Tezkat]

Edge raised an eyebrow. Keaten felt a light pinprick in the back of her mind. It grew into a sensation akin to being circled by hungry, feral wolves searching for an opening to strike. Then it was gone.

"I don't see any obvious holes in your mental defences. As for whether they'd keep out a more forceful intrusion..." He shrugged.

Seeing as how everyone else had assembled, the dark jaguar fiddled with the collar of his shirt, opening it slightly to show off the gold chain around his neck. He ran fingers through his golden hair until it was perfectly mussed. He then adjusted his white suit jacket once more time, caught a reflection of himself in the window, and smiled with a gleam in his white fangs that seemed a little too sharp to be natural.

"Looks like we're good to go."

[Gareeku]

Staying quiet as the others entered the café, Gareeku then decided that it was time he changed clothes. Finishing his coffee, the wolf then slipped into the café's restrooms. Emerging a few minutes later, Gareeku was now dressed in his suit. Holding his shirt blazer over his shoulder for the time being, it was plain to see that the suit was a perfect fit for him. With the top buttons of the white shirt undone complementing the look, it gave the wolf a look that said smart, yet not overly so.

[Stygian]

There was a pause, during which none of them spoke. Stygian just looked, first at the others, then for a while longer at Edge. Then he shrugged. 'I guess,' he said and stood, walking over toward the dark windows. 'Just take it easy. And if you don't stay together, at least work together.'
   The bat pushed open the doors and exited the café, walking like a beautiful, strange white ghost out into the black evening.

[Cogidubnus]

 "Thank you." Cog said, inclining his head at the fox incubus as he stood. He moved a bit to the side, nodding at the Bat's comfirmation.
"Sounds like a plan, then." the wolf replied, walking up to the door and leaning next to it, his back against the wall.

Cog exhaled, not looking at anything in particular, and waited for everyone to get ready, his arms hanging limply at his sides, a sword dangling from one and a cane from the other. As the bat suddenly turned and made for the door, however, the wolf's ears perked, and as Stygian exited the wolf caught the door with his foot and followed.

He took in a deep breath, his eyes passing over the crowd around him as he followed the bat. He narrowed his eyes.
He didn't see her...but then, he hadn't seen her before.
The wolf breathed deeply, and took in the smells around him. Almost overwhelming, but then, perfume was usually easily told apart.

[Sunblink]

Upon feeling the pinprick sting at the back of her head, Keaton quelled all nervousness and concentrated, revealing the walls of her defenses for inspection. She was rather thankful when the circling feeling which indicated Edge's examination ceased--such a clinical sensation made her feel rather exposed--and even more thankful to hear that there weren't any flaws in her mental security. Wonderful--as paranoid as Keaton was about people invading her mind, she doubted the person they were confronting would do such a thing. What would she have that would interest them?

Gareeku returned from the restrooms in a new, smart-looking outfit around the time Stygian left. Remembering that he wanted information, Keaton stood up, then buried her hands in her pockets, meandering casually after him, while humming something under her breath. Her index and thumb curled around the spherical object nestled in her pocket, unconsciously fiddling with it.

~Keaton the Black Jackal