Northern Winds [NC-17] (IC)

[Cogidubnus]

 Cog looked at the rabbit strangely and scratched the back of his neck, raising an eyebrow. "Well, you see, I was drinking at this bar when it exploded. In an effort to keep from being killed, I'm running away with the targets." He said. He quirked a smile. "You can see I really thought this through.
As the car sped away, he lurched forward and slammed back into the seat, earning the driver a grimace. He leant back into the seat, trying to get some stability. "In all honesty, I'm here because it's likely we are all associated with the good Stygian now. I'd like some answers before I start sleeping with an eye open again."
As they arrived, he marveled at the incredible villa on which the guessed the tavern was located, and waited for Aisha or the other to leave the car. It might be rude to crawl over them.

[Somber]

"Sleeping with eyes open implies that you left your enemies alive and that you fear them.  Besides, it's childsplay to blind those eyes whether they're open or not, and this way you don't get dried out eyes."  She said to the wolf as the drove, her ears folded back as she smiled at the wolf.  "If you do magic though, there's far more effective spells, charms, and wardings if you are worried.  Even some technological gadetry.  But sleeping with eyes open really isn't as helpful as most people think." 

She slipped out of the car as they arrived, the diminutive lapine stretching up on her toes as she lifted her arms overhead.  Her cloak snapped as if in a brisk wind as she stretched her wings as well before she relaxed, looking back at the others before she started up the hill towards the villa's entrance.

[Aisha deCabre]

When Richard had said the trip would be quite a ride, there was certainly no doubt of that.  Even with her seatbelt fastened, Aisha wasn't quite prepared for the rush as the vehicle powered away from the remains of the bar and the crowd, quickly disappearing behind them.  She was thrown back into the seat with a loud grunt, claws digging into the fabric as her stomach lurched a little.  Nobody ever said I had to discover motion sickness as an adventurer... her mind grumbled.

But nonetheless, the speed was welcomed and she became used to it, occupying herself by staring out of the window at the passing scenery.  There was still much unease in the feeling the night possessed, and she only hoped that the pursuers had managed to stop harassing them for the time being.  As they came upon the Dragon's Grin, Aisha wondered if it would even be safe to sleep within the city.

The panthress pushed the door open, the loud snap of her seatbelt following, as she looked up at the villa.  "Iiiimpressive."  As she stepped out, just as a cautionary measure to discourage anyone who might still be watching, the color of her cape shifted again with a muttered command, quickly from a pitch-black to a slightly dark blue when seen in the light...and she only hoped that her comrades were to be as safe.  She stayed alongside them, approaching the entrance to the Dragon's Grin.

[Cogidubnus]

 At the rabbit's statement, Cog grinned toothily. "Alive? No. But alas, where one falls, two always take his place. Enemies always have friends, even the rude ones. What's more..." he said, following Aisha out of the car. "It's a turn of phrase. And wards and fences just mean the strong ones find you asleep."
He lifted himself out of the car, and taking only a moment to slide his sword back into his belt he began to walk towards the entrance of the Dragon's Grin. He was suitably impressed with the architecture - Stygian obviously had taste. He just hoped that the group wouldn't need a reservation to get inside.
Thankfully, he didn't see any bouncers or the like standing outside, so he merely ascended the steps to the entrance and walked inside, keeping his eyes and ears open.

[Stygian]

Inside, not surprisingly, was a short hallway with coat hangers and benches and such, mostly just for fancy, which led into a large reception, as elegant and classy and yet rustique as the rest of the building. And at the back of that one, there was another room with a view out over the beach and sea. The room, with its counter and the tables around, was obviously the restaurant and bar of the place, and with the receptionist out in the back and the open space in between it was easy to hear Stygian's voice, cheerful and laughing, coming from within.
   "...and so the guy just looks at me and says; 'That's one Hell of a nurse allright!'" he said, then laughed out loud. "Oh, man... Hehehe... He screamed pretty badly afterwards, but he was an amusing fellow to the end." He stopped there, and the silent pause that followed was clear to read for them all. "Come on in! We've been waiting," he then called.
   The bat was sitting by the bar with a drink in hand, next to Keaton who seemed no worse with a dark pint in a heavy glass. They both seemed settled in nicely enough, though perhaps Stygian's jokes might have been more fit for the lapine in the company, rather than the jackal. He looked up sideways at the adventurers strolling in, and then turned around a bit on his stool.
   "Safe trip? Don't worry. We shouldn't stay here too long either. One bar is good enough for one evening."

[Sunblink]

"...and so the guy just looks at me and says; 'That's one hell of a nurse alright!'"

Snickers pealed forth from behind a concealing, gloved hand, at first barricaded by the owner's own, stubborn will to refuse to let herself laugh, but soon bursting out when she gave in to the humorous whims of her being. Soon Keaton found herself outright laughing, as hard as she tried to fight it, but whether or not it was a product of the tipsiness that came with her slight intoxication or just a good-natured moment was lost on her.

In order to smother her uncontrollable chuckling, Keaton cut herself off with a slightly muffled sniff, then, tipping her head back, she guzzled down the remainder of her beverage. She didn't immediately acknowledge or realize the arrival of Richard, Somber, Cogidubnus, Aisha, and Gareeku; being a bit too preoccupied with finishing off her drink combined with controlling her drunken laughter, but once she registered the presence of the others she tried to clean up her act somewhat.

"Ehehehe..." Keaton snickered, setting down the glass on the countertop and turning around to face the group, looking somewhat bedraggled, but otherwise in good spirits. "Gotta love it."

~Keaton the Black Jackal

[Boog]

Richard parked in front of the Dragon's Grin with a satisfied sigh; back at the bar he'd been full of booze and adrenaline; the drive had helped him clear his head a little. He liked the look of the bar; classy, but didn't give the impression of snobbery. He stayed toward the back of the group and gave Stygian a polite nod as he entered, taking the place in. Fancy stuff...

[Aisha deCabre]

Pulling her cowl back as she entered the inn with the others, Aisha couldn't help but let her eyes wander over the design of the interior.  Classy seemed to be the word for it, though not too rich...certainly more so than the bar they had been in before.  She could only hope that the slight feeling of relief about the place was to last for a while.

Her eyes widened coming into the bar and restaurant, settling upon the windows which offered a view of the sea.  Something about that vista was comforting, especially if one could catch the angle where the moon's light reflected in a straight line of silver-white over the waves.  The panthress had only laid eyes on the sea a few times in her life.  To stay somewhere that she could appreciate it was an experience...if it wasn't dampened by the thought of being hunted.

Aisha had heard Stygian's voice coming in, and finally set her eyes on the bar where he and Keaton sat.  She rolled her eyes and took a seat of her own, looking at the bat and jackal with a bit of incredulism.  "I hardly think this is the best time to get drunk, muchachos," she said, half-joking.  Looking at the others, she sighed, letting her gaze drop to her feet.

[Mel Dragonkitty]

It was only a short while after the group got themselves settled in that a snow leopard walked through the doors to the bar. Older than the leopard in the library and dressed in a dark suit and red heels she looked like someone arriving for a business meeting. But it was the rather mismatched set of adventurers she headed for. Mel smiled at the group, or at least those she knew. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

[Stygian]

Upon Aisha's words, Stygian made a snort and looked into his drink with a slight bemused smile. He stirred the amber liquid, and the half-melted ice in the glass made soft clinks against it.
   "It doesn't really matter at all. For more than a few reasons..." he murred, and then slipped the last of it down. Quickly but silently, he set the glass down with his left, and then smiled at the entrees with slightly gleaming eyes, looking them over. "So. This is it then? All of us?" he asked. Suddenly, he tilted his head a bit to the side. "No, wait..."
   A pallid white and black leopard strode in through the doors to the tavern, and immediately a small grin spread across the bat's features, displaying his prominent fangs. He got up from his seat and stood, eyeing her with that same almost sinister grin, the pupils of his eyes glowing in the shadows beneath his brow.
   "Nice to see you!" he almost hummed, and stepped slowly forward with his arms out. "It's been too long." She was in disguise, of course, but so was he and that had been the way before too. And while they had both learned a thing or two about each other, they knew each other by person more than by face.

[Cogidubnus]

 Cog raised an eyebrow at the Cubi and took a seat. "I've got one about a nun, a yogi, and a baseball player, but I think you might need to catch your breath. Really, I wouldn't think the Stygian would be quite that humorous."
He leaned back in his chair and inclined his head at the bat, who was now engaged in embracing a lynx who had just entered. "Or one fond of hugs, for that matter..."
He reached into his coat and pulled out a few various pieces of silver, hanging on from his neck and one from his wrist, and seeming to waver in the air for a moment before coming back into focus. He muttered something about explosions and waited for the bat to start explaining why exactly they were all there.

[Mel Dragonkitty]

Mel returned Ignatz's hug. "It has been far too long," she replied, and for once it wasn't business chatter, she really meant it. She stepped away and looked over the rest of the group. She nodded a pleasant greeting to Aisha, Keaton, and a hooded figure that seemed to be Gareeku. She looked over the other three before turning back to the bat. "You're right, this is beyond coincidence."

[Stygian]

'Ignatz' turned a bit and went back to the counter, sitting down and drinking again. He hummed and thought a bit before he took word, as what had to be said needed careful consideration.
   "Absolutely right, Mel. That's the easy part of it. Now, we're going to have to figure out just what motivated all of this. I think it's safe to share with you that I've seen that man before. He's called Illat Morris. Now, whether that's a taken name or not is a bit harder, but I know that he's a bounty hunter and that he's just out of prison," he said. He wouldn't go into the man's exploits or such since that would have been a whole lot of irrelevant chatter. "And I know that his sentence there was severely cut short, for some reason. The thugs with him were probably just that. Now..."
   Sebastian padded his pocket and then pushed out a cigar etui, taking a slim one out. Right then the bartender, a hyena, came out and noticed him. She harrumphed loudly and pointed to a sign that read 'No smoking!' and with a grumble the bat put the things back in order.
   "Right... So. What have we? With the exception for our unfortunates here, we all have a history. But you three..." he said, looking to Somber, then Richard and then Cogidubnus, "are new to us though. We don't know what's up, really."

[Somber]

"Well that's quite the story of my life, lately," she replied as she sat down, smoothing out her crushed velvet dress.  "It seems like everywhere I go there's simply more unanswered questions."  Her ebony eyes looked curiously between them.  "It seems like you fellows are the crux of his attentions.  At least he seemed far more focused on you than the rest of us."

Her eyes looked appricatively at the two felines.  It was just a hair short of oogling, but then she looked at the bat with a sharper gaze.  "If he was released from prison recently then there's a chain of events to track.  Either he was let go from a pardon or was allowed to escape out the front door.  If we find where the chain originated from, we might be able to determine who instigated these events."

She smirked as she looked away.  "Or we can just spread as much info that you're staying here and try to catch him when he arrives.  I can give his soul a good interogation if he gets killed in the process."  She then stretched her arms overhead.  "Oooooorrrrrrr.... we can go looking for him.  I'm sure adventurers like yourselves have experiance beating the underbelly for information."

[Boog]

Richard shrugged, "I just went in the direction everyone was running in," he sighed and took a seat next to Somber, "How much trouble are we in here, exactly? This Illat guy got a reputation?" The baboon gestured to get the barkeep's attention, "I've got a few connections I can tap, if he does. News gets around, and anyone in his line of work has probably dispatched a few people who were hoping to catch him unawares," He grinned slightly, "And lucky me, I know what bars those late enemies would be drinking at now."

[Gareeku]

Following the others into the building, Gareeku stayed silent like he had done in the car ride there, his eyes scanning the room and its inhabitants. Turning his head, the hooded wolf saw a feline approach. Deciding that he was probably attracting more attention because of the fact he had his hood up, Gareeku removed the hood from his head, revealing his spiky black hair and that demonic looking eye. Standing there with his arms folded, the wolf listened as the others discussed the situation they now faced. Taking in what he had been told, the wof's eyes narrowed as he thought about this bounty hunter they now faced. If this Illat guy wanted some confrontation, then Gareeku would gladly give it to him.

[Aisha deCabre]

Aisha had rolled her eyes slightly at the bat's reply to her comment and sat simply observing the rest of the party...she might have ordered a drink if she were thirsty, as her refill had been left all over the counter when the other tavern exploded.  She would have had to agree with some of the others, it was an interesting gathering...essentially half of them knew each other, and the other half were strangers, and that of a strange variety.  The panthress wondered if she would have even come across them in her regular travels.  She almost wanted to pity the newcomers, having been caught up in what was probably intended to be hers, Gareeku's, Keaton's, and Stygian's problem.

Her head snapped up, her train of thought interrupted by the newcomer striding towards them...a certainly familiar snow leopard.  Aisha's eyebrow quirked, but she gave a simple half-hearted nod back to Mel.  Now it seems we're complete.  Just to find out why we are all here.

Fortunately, Stygian didn't need much asking from the others to start talking about the reptilian who proved to be their common adversary.  Her eyes narrowed.  Another bounty hunter?  Aisha leaned her back on the edge of the bar, pondering this information while smirking at the lapine's comment on adventurers.  "Actually that wouldn't be a problem.  If said adventurers weren't the ones targeted with such violent intent.  That's the question to answer."

Indeed, Aisha couldn't figure out what she herself could have done...but maybe it was out of association.  Brilliant, she sighed.

[Cogidubnus]

 Cog narrowed his eyes at the bat. "As I said to the bunny there, I was drinking in a bar when it exploded. Considering your reputation, and the fact that we've all been seen with you, I'd like to know exactly who and what is trying to kill me now. I was rather hoping you knew was was 'up'." he said, his face twisted in distaste.
He listened to the others chime in and out quietly, idly fingering the metal cap on the handle of his sword. The sculpted metal rubbing across his thumb was a familiar feeling, and the texture got him to thinking about what the hell they were going to do now. He wasn't even from this country - he'd arrived not three weeks ago, off-ship. He had no idea where to look for such characters. Hells, if he'd known the Stygian made his home here he might have chosen another destination.
His face betrayed none of his thoughts, his face hidden under and behind his hat and glasses. To those with sharp noses, however, they might have noticed his smell was growing progressively more agitated.

[Stygian]

Stygian did possess such a sharp nose, and he did smile while looking into his glass. However, whether it was at Cogidubnus' miscontent or the lapine's wits was hard to determine. He seemed amused enough at least.
   "You possess good, solid sense, however much information you're missing, miss Somber," he murred, and emptied his glass yet again, then setting it aside and facing her. "Your first thought would have been mine too. But purposefully, getting into a prison is as hard as getting out. And I doubt they'd let us just waltz in and ask around. No, it would be better to trace the connection on the outside. Or at least, better if we all wish to stay in the game." And if people weren't going to start getting suspicious and run off, which they really couldn't have. He made the slightest smirk, and then tilted his head to the side, resting it in his hand with his elbow on the countertop. "Also, you would have to take into account that it might not have been me that he was aiming for. Or that we're all treated equally as targets." He was not about to take her amnesia completely seriously until he found out more about her. She was curious to him, however, and she could probably sense it a bit. "Just as the kitty said," he added with a bit of a look to Aisha.
   The hyena looked over them all deceptively casually while at the same time peering into the refridgerator at the back of the bar, and then stood up, walking over and asking whether she could get them anything, and Stygian paused for a second to consider. They wouldn't have much time, if they were being tailed, which they were, no doubt. And how best to lose a pursuer under the circumstances?
   He smirked again and fingered one of his guns gently, slipping his claws over the polished metal. The lapine would probably have some fun, at least.

[Gareeku]

Listening to the others talk, Gareeku scowled somewhat.
"Well I, for one, do not take kindly to people bursting in and setting a place alight while I am trying to enjoy a peaceful drink." the wolf muttered, a slight snarl evident as he spoke. "I have just returned from visiting a monastery after finishing a job. I would like to get to the bottom of this."

Pausing for a second, Gareeku then removed the brown hooded cloak from his shoulders, revealed the darkly coloured long sleeved gi-like outfit he wore, complete with black sandal-like footwear and stylised fingerless gloves which the sleeves of the top were tucked into, which covered his hands and forearms.
"In my personal opinion, as powerful as that man seemed to be, I wouldn't have thought bursting in and causing a loud commotion like that would be the best of ways to retrieve a bounty, if that was what he was trying to do." the wolf continued. Gareeku had not forgotten the fact that he had a bounty on his head, and knew that some of the others also had bounties placed upon theirs, but there had to be something more to it than that.

[Somber]

"I don't know.  He doesn't seem very much like a brain.  You know, some one who thinks things up.  He struck me more like a hand... a very flamable one, but still a hand.  Bounty hunter.  Thug.  Whatever, he sounds like a guy who fetches and carries for others smarter, richer, more powerful, or all of the above.  Which means that even if we find him and nail him down, the person who hired him and arranged his release can find another.  It'll be a trick to rip off the hand and slowly claw up the arm to get to the brain that's behind it."  She said as she gazed at her diamond sharp claws, clicking the tips together.

"So first order of business should be to find the magnitude of the problem.  We can find that out if we question the warden of the prison and find out what got him released.   If he had something on the warden, then at least we know the magnitude isn't bigger than him.  If some one else got him sprung then we know it's a bigger game."  She closed her eyes.  "Of course there's also the possibility that all this is an elaborate distraction from something else.  That is, that we're supposed to focus on him and not on a more subtle threat."

Then she looked at Stygian and smirked, "So if this is all a very elaborate ploy to manipulate us into doing some plot you're hatching, I have to commend you on its intricacy."

[Stygian]

The bat laughed. Through his teeth, yes, but it was still a laugh. He gazed at the lapine musingly, two pairs of dark eyes, black and blue, meeting head on.
   "You flatter me, sweets," Stygian said, and then almost purred. "Really. I'm just here on business, like you. But if I did try and use you, I would hardly have shown my face. Because you'd be too much use to deal with immediately, and you'd spread the knowledge. But thanks."
   He hadn't shown his real face, of course. And his business was still unknown. But he wasn't lying at all. Now, he wasn't actively choosing his words, just going on instinct as he mostly was. He really meant to flatter her back too as well.
   "Allright then. It sounds as if we have a plan. Now, we should get moving again soon. We will have to figure out a way to shake the attention later," he said, suddenly seriously, to change the topic. "That is, unless you people have objections?"

[Aisha deCabre]

Aisha listened to Somber's comments and Stygian's reply to them, as well as those of the others.  She glanced between the newcomers each in turn and wondered how it would have been that it was any sort of coincidence, how they were all there trying to hide in the same place.

The panthress politely waved the hyena off as she asked them if they wanted anything, correctly assuming that the party wouldn't have been there for much longer.  Aisha wondered if there would be any time to stick around in the city if they were being chased.  She took a minute to regard Gareeku curiously as he spoke.  To have run into him again after a long time couldn't have been any sort of coincidence.  The same went for the others she knew.  I would still like to ask him about what's happened...

Listening to the plan, Aisha nodded as Stygian asked the group their opinion on moving soon.  She stood up from her barstool and set a hand on her weapon belt.  "Whatever keeps our heads intact, and gets us to the heart of the matter, is just fine with me," she answered.  Her eyes narrowed slightly at the bat, however, echoing the demon's question of his plot.  The huntress wasn't one to forget her grudges.

[Boog]

Richard simply nodded, mildly peeved that he had to forgo the alcohol that the hyena offered. Admittedly, he couldn't actually get drunk in the traditional sense of the term, but it still worked as a placebo. Nothing wrong with the plan, so long as you try not to consider the details that happen next that haven't been worked out yet...

[Somber]

"Wellllll..."  She stood as she started pacing, her tail twitching left and right.  "I suppose the simplest thing to do is to find a prison guard and ask, preferablly in a bar or some other off duty venue.  If they don't know, we can either break into the prison to question the warden directly, or catch him at home.  Actually that might be even more efficient, especially if he has a family he actually cares about.  If he's actually involved then he might be able to tell us where leatherback can be found."

Then she rolled her head to look at Mel over her shoulder.  "By the by... I make it a personal mission to know the names of all people who have asses as esquisite as yourself and Aisha.  So tell me, possessor of the prime posterior... who are you?"

[Stygian]

Suddenly, sitting where he was, Stygian began humming a bit on some tune in major scale, murmuring a bit of lyrics to go with it too. It seemed a bit of a mocking song, somehow.
   "...other things are more important; like how to use your tongue..." he murred, then chuckled, and cast a glance in between Mel and Somber as his humming dimmed off. Talk about being direct. The lapine wasn't unintelligent, but she clearly needed to develop a sense of subtlety, or at least a bit of technique. And Stygian had never smelt the scent of another woman on Mel, leopard or not. Hopefully, she was just groping in the dark and not going to get burned. A ticked-off demon would be pretty nasty, if she happened to be older than she seemed. But as long as she used shadows, he at least needed not be afraid.
   Calmly, he looked away, and waited for Mel's reply. Maybe just a little burn would be fun. Or, if he knew her right, it would more probably be frostbite. Meanwhile, he pondered what Somber had just said; she had made another point too. If they could get out of there fast enough, that might work. But he was more set on luring them out. That way, he would have the option to get away in the confusion, if it all just happened to be a trap.

[Mel Dragonkitty]

Mel gave the demon a look that said not interested to discourage any such thoughts. "I believe the last time I was with this particular group I was Ameline Donovan and my form was a feline angel. Since I've arrived here in Haszalim I've been Melisande White and a being. Just use Mel, it's close enough."

She turned back to Ignatz, he was the one who had called her. "I'll need ten quiet, uninterrupted minutes to see what I can pull up on Illat Morris. Do we have that long before the mop-up team gets here or shall I just wait until the nice fresh memories arrive?"

[Gareeku]

Looking at Stygian and Mel for a few seconds as they spoke, the wolf's eyes narrowed slightly before turning away again. He had not forgotten when they had kidnapped him, and were to sell him off, denying him the chance to save his family. Sure they had got him out of his predicament afterwards, and Gareeku would normally have forgiven them somewhat at this point, but the wolf was not the same since two years ago. He had changed. Glancing at Somber, the wolf watched her mannerisms towards Aisha and Mel and turned away again.
I wouldn't have thought that this would be the time to be oogling at people... Gareeku thought to himself, standing there with his arms folded.

[Somber]

If it was a burn, she seemed to not mind the heat.  She grinned in reply to her look.  "Mel.  Such a simple name for so lushous a person.  And a shape shifter too.  Well that seems to be par for course with this lot.  But you also seem to have informational assets to boot.  I really don't know which is more arousing.  Ha!"  She laughed as she stretched her arms overhead, feeling her spine pop before she looked back at Aisha.  "Oh don't feel discouraged.  While she has a backside fit to make one weep, she lacks the subtle solidarity of your fur, and the bouncy firmness of your breasts.  They really are quite lovely."  She stood as she looked at Keaton, "Of course there are the more ineffable charms that other women offer that simply can't be overlooked."

She then turned away and walked to the window.  Maybe it was just her reflection in the glass, but some how that smile didn't seem quite so arch, nor those eyes as sharp.  Some times it was just too much.  She'd been honest in her comments, but hardly truthful.  Especially to herself.  Mislead.  Misdirect.  Misrepresent.  If you're one thing, present another.  If you present another, then show the self as false.  It wasn't a game.  It was a way of life.  A way of dealing with the world.

[Aisha deCabre]

The panthress sat down again, wondering just how fast everyone needed to be out of the room if the insane bounty hunter's cavalry did arrive, and instead tried to settle down and listen to ideas.  But despite wishing to stay serious about the whole matter that the group now faced, Aisha couldn't help but quirk an incredulous eyebrow at the lapine.  There's a direct one, she thought, her conclusion not much different from those of the others.

Mel's reply she thought was scathing, but the panther's own face was frozen as she was addressed, emotionless, as she had always been trained to be when more often in the midst of someone's attempt at intimidation.  Whence she could reply, her hand gripped the sheath of her dragonblade for emphasis.  "Save your words, demon," she said calmly.  "We may all be in the same boat, but one should know all the same that my trust isn't gained by flattery."

The panthress grinned.  "Besides.  I'm as straight as the edge of my sword, and proven to be twice as sharp."