The Castle [03] (Remba, but don't let it stop you)

[Cogidubnus]

 Cog was still working on his lemonade when Sebastian offered him yet another drink, this one quite a bit darker than the other. He eyed the Cowboy with just a bit of wariness - if he kept this up, he'd be roaring drunk in no time, constitution or no. He finished downing the rest of the lemonade quickly, feeling a slight flush as she leaned against the chair to hand him the glass of dark liquid. He set down his empty glass and took the full one.
He thanked her quietly, somewhat grinning. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to get me drunk. Tennessee Cowboy, is it?" he said, taking a cautious sip. It tasted like a straight whiskey, but just a bit sweeter, with something else he couldn't quite identify in it. Cog raised an eyebrow. "Hm. I do rather like this one." he said, ears perking a bit as the bat asked about Senchal. He seemed to think a moment, before turning to look out a window, his face darkened somewhat.
"Senchal has a lot of business go through it, yes. It's a rather large port, after all." He drank a bit more of the Cowboy down, mulling over the bitter taste. "It is not a very nice place to visit, however. A den of thieves, drugs, smugglers, and addicts, swirled together in a half-burnt down collection of wharves and taverns. Not as bad as some places, but..." he sipped down a bit more of the drink. "Not exactly ideal. Still didn't find Arcturus, either."
He took another drink, and turned, regarding the bat, his countenance lightening somewhat. "I've heard it's gotten much better now that the Gold Cat has taken over, but still not a place I'd like to return to. They had a very nice little tavern by the eastside docks, though. Bartender finally convinced me to try something new. A Full Moon, like I said. Grand Marnier and something else. Tasted like an orange."
He regarded Sebastian for a moment, suddenly smiling. "I was only there for a few months. I fear I've become somewhat the wanderer - I've stayed here longer than I have anywhere else in months." he said, leaning back. He raised a single eyebrow, grinning somewhat. "You do any traveling?"

[Prof B Hunnydew]

Sigh "Come on Gina, Maybe you would like to give the nice police guy a hug, too you know."says Bambi to Gina.  Yet, Gina was not smiling at the Fae's antics, and was looking worried...

"Hey easy girl" whispers Bambi "We must play along with the bear, and we will go back soon""

[Stygian]

The white ferret stood still, looking slightly down. She had been sitting quietly and trying to avoid getting mixed up in the conversation, but now when the bear was direct with them she could be still no more. She looked up at him, and his gaze tensed a little upon seeing her empty white eyes.
   'I'm sorry, officer, but we can't come with you,' she said.

- -

Stygian smiled down at the wolf and shifted her seat a bit, turning her back slightly to him and looking out the window.
   'I used to. The whole "imprisonment and torture" thing got in the way,' she said, and chuckled. Then she went quiet a bit. 'Don't really know why I'm staying here, but it feels good to rest, in a way. All I used to want, when I did so much as think while I slept, was leaving this place. Now...' She sighed. A few more long moments passed.
   'I'm going to have to straighten things out with the others later. So far I've only been odd and irritating,' she said, and turned slightly. 'I'm sorry about that, you know? I'm... sorry about what happened the other night too.'

[Cogidubnus]

 Cog looked at Sebastian softly for a moment, sighing. "Yes, well...you don't need to apologize about that. My fault - I should remember by now when the moon is full." he said, slowly sipping the drink. If he wasn't drunk by now, he was definitely very tipsy - he felt flush, and the former chill from the rainwater was nonexistent. He smiled at the bat, leaning on one elbow and resting his head in his hand. "But I'm glad your feeling better. Truly. Perhaps you can speak to the others when you get back, if you feel like it."
He grinned. "If you feel like traveling, though, there's no one stopping you. But, I must admit..." he said, taking the slightest sip of his drink as he settled back. He looked back up at the bat, still smiling. "There aren't a lot of places I'd rather be than here, right now."

[Stygian]

The bat's eyebrows rose and the gloom in her expression matted significantly, as soon as she checked with herself that she had actually heard what she thought she had. A slight smile appeared on her lips, and her ears perked up a bit.
   'I'm... Thanks,' she said, hesitantly. The drink had loosened up considerably. It would be easy enough to get him under the table if they kept up that pace. That wouldn't be the least fun though. What was the time? Had the others returned from the damn town yet? What was that odd feeling she was getting? Would the castle need watching or locking up? Was she drunk? A steady stream of questions brought on by habit and hesitation flooded her mind. She turned and looked at Cog. Slowly, she let slip all the stress. Then she lifted herself up on her hands, and slid back down into his lap.
   Stygian looked up at Cog, black eyes gleaming. She felt heavy where she lay, legs thrown over the armrest and back on the other, a solid weight of firm and smooth muscle, yet surprisingly light still. One velvet-furred hand reached up and stroked the wolf's neck.
   'I like it here too,' she said, carefully. 'I just hope you don't change your mind.'

[Aisha deCabre]

Sighing slightly upon relief as the others started to make good their time, Aisha watched as Ketefe, followed by Bambi, started off in the direction indicated by the bear.  Still the adventurer kept watchful for anything hinting at a sign of trouble...other than the fact that he was going to keep them in front of himself.  She honestly didn't expect to get loosely involved with the law.  If everyone kept their wits about them, they could sidle back to the castle without a scratch.  She wondered if the others made it back easily, those who had come with them.  At least, the huntress hoped.

She nodded to Ketefe as the masked felid was waving the others forward, an interesting team of three felines and a small ferret...or rather, three felines, a ferret, and a feral bird.  She wondered exactly the extent of the ursine's suspicions towards them.  Only two of the party looked like adventurers.  The other two looked like they were just along for the ride.

They didn't go far when suddenly Gina spoke, a statement which stopped Aisha in her tracks and made her glimpse back at the ferret, before turning back around, her arms crossed in a gesture of annoyance--or so it would appear to the officer.  Her eyes however just asked the girl for understanding...but she tried to avoid reeling back at the empty whites occupying them.  "What's the meaning of this, now?"

Confusion reigned now.  The raven could be heard giving its assent on the almost-silence with a light squawk by the panther's ear.  I swear I'm just going to run if he pulls something on us because of that.

[Prof B Hunnydew]

"ah Officer Green, Sir... Can we talk in a back room, PLEASE?.... I am sure we can straighten this all out" says a suddenly serious Prof Bambi Hunnydew.  Bambi's appearance changes right in front of the officer.   Her hair sweeps back into a pony tail and her lab coat appears in the illusion around her.  Her Fae wings disappear under her lab coat and her antenna also dim and flatten into her hair.

"Bartender, We will need this empty private dining hall for abit." calls out the professor...  

"Gina, please into the back room and the officer should be able to clear you enough to let you go." says PBH as she guides Gina and leads the way into the dining hall.

PBH

[Cogidubnus]

 As Sebastian set herself in his lap, Cog swallowed rather hard, his face flushing as she stroked his neck. He set his drink down and took a rattling breath, before exhaling and bringing up his free arm to cradle her as she sat. He managed a grin, his own yellow eyes staring into her black ones.
"People change their minds a lot. Their hearts, not so often." he said, pausing a moment as he stared at her - positively breathtaking in the darkness, her creamy color accented perfectly by the dim light, her eyes twin points of darkness framed by light, her golden white hair falling just so...
"All that's best of dark and bright, meet in her aspect and her eyes..." he murmured softly, leaning forward. He kissed her, taking more time than he had in the hall earlier. He'd meant to surprise her, then - he had no such intentions now. He broke away after a few seconds, looking back up at the bat. He grinned.
"You smell sweeter when you're happy, you know?"

[Stygian]

Blushing and taking a deep breath, the bat looked slightly down at the wolf, shapely lips slightly parted over her teeth. He was a good kisser, for someone with a long muzzle.
   'Thanks,' she nearly whispered. She didn't mind enough to directly notice, but the pain in her chest had completely faded away, replaced by tense exaltation. A second passed before she chuckled and smirked at the wolf. 'Are you sweet-talking me, puppy? I suppose that quote is very fitting then...' The man who had said it in the first place had been an extravagant pleasure-seeker. But a good man nonetheless. Though Cog seemed to take very little from him. 'I just want you to know... it's working.'
   Again, the bat kissed him, sliding a hand in over his shirt and tugging away his coat. She shifted in her seat as she did, her other hand holding his arm. Then, before he knew it, she'd unbuttoned her shirt. She looked at him closely.
   'You're tipsy,' she said, gleaming ebon eyes meeting his. 'Things are confused. What are you doing?' That last part sounded much more like are you sure of what you're doing?

- -

Regret and worry in her expression, the white little ferret didn't mind Bam's directions but took two steps toward the ursine and looked further up at him. However worried, she seemed adamant.
   'We can't go with you. You heard it yourself; we have been here all the time. There's no reason to suspect us. Not even so people can just be content that something's being done,' she said. The bear's scowl deepened at that statement. 'We have our own worries. And we can't let up on our responsibility just so you can have an easier time. I'm sorry.' The bear snorted and muttered something, which Aisha recognized as a saying about headstrong girls.
   'You're not going up to that castle. Not if I can help it,' he grunted back at Gina. 'There's not been any adventurer foolishness going on here for years, and I intend to keep it that way.'

[Aisha deCabre]

Aisha quirked her eyebrows surprisingly at Gina's remarks to the bear; however large the size difference was between them, she didn't seem to care in the least.  The tension was rising, and she could feel it.  But as the mood shifted, Aisha was starting to feel about taking the side that begged escape.

She couldn't help but shoot a slightly annoyed look at the officer at his muttered remark about women before he spoke.  And suddenly she had a good clue as to what was really going on.  The panthress walked back to where she had been before, her arms crossed.  "Our friend makes a good point, sir.  But with all due respect, there is a fact...with the rumors that fly all over this town, and outside of it, about that abandoned and dark place dotting your mountainside," her head tilted, "'Foolish' adventurer activity is a very active and time-honored inevitability.  There are those who go for reasons honorable and for reasons of greed...and those just with curiosities to sate."  Her eyes narrowed.  "And adventurers can simply bypass the town and go straight to the place."

Aisha made a little half-shrug.  "You're stopping us, and you don't know which one of those we are, or from where we've come?  I think perhaps, we did just come here for a rest," she finished with conviction.  "What could possibly be up there that's worse than your conventional demons?"

Oh we know actually...but he doesn't have to know that.

[Prof B Hunnydew]

"I'm sorry Officer Green, but we have been living in the castle for two days, now.  Gina is a member of the original family.  She needs to return... But old enemies of the family will come looking for her.  We were fighting a giant spider-lady.   She escaped us, but she will be back." says Bambi as she looks out a window.  She sees the castle in the few flashes on lightening in the dark stormy evening.

"Gina, please Come here.  It is time to go" says Bambi  As Gina comes to stand by her, she throws the window.  "It's time to fly" Bam flys out the window.

PBH

[Mel Dragonkitty]

Mel placed the last of the items she could think might be needed into the cart and waited for Jeremiah to put the last of his choices on top. "Unless you can think of something else I believe I am done shopping."  She pushed the cart over for a perky little zebra girl to check out. The girl talked nonstop about nothing and was so amazed by the magically enhanced market basket that Mel had produced that she spent a couple minutes putting things in and taking them out again, laughing at the way items disappeared and reappeared. But eventually she managed to total up the items so Mel could pay. "Well Jeremiah, time for your part of the deal. I paid so you carry." She picked the basket up with one hand and tossed it to him. It was barely heavier than a normal basket of it's size.

Back out into the rain, where she reactivated her anti-rain spell, although it did nothing for wet feet from the puddles. When the got before the tavern Mel said to Jeremiah, "We should see if the others are still here." She had barely spoken the words when Bam crashed through the window and flew away. Mel could only stare for a moment. "Such a strange woman. I suppose it would only be polite to see if the others need help. Why don't you wait here." She left the umbrella spell over the frog and supplies while she stepped into the tavern.

[Angel]

Ketefe stopped and turned when Gina spoke. The ferret was right, of course, but questioning the motives of police was something Ketefe had been trying not to do lately. Bambi tried to straighten everything out, but Gina just continued speaking to the bear, who murmured something about stubborn girls. That didn't please Ketefe too much, and from what she could tell, the others weren't happy either.

Still, Bam flying out the window was uncalled for.

"Bam, wait-" Ketefe started to call after the fae, but broke off when Mel walked in. She glanced at the window again, slightly vexed, then let out a little rush of breath in exasperation. She turned back to Officer Greene.

"With all due respect, I think we might have to leave. She won't cause trouble," she added, tilting her head towards the window, "and neither will we. I promise you, I only came here to get my belongings, and I was in the tavern when the others came."

It was the truth. She knew a law enforcer would require that, whether they went to the station or not.

"Also," she mentioned, keeping her eyes and voice steady, "My friends are right. The fact that we're adventurers shouldn't breed mistrust - we're on your side, remember?"

[Boog]

"Can do," Jeremiah replied, watching Bambi vanish into the night and reaching for a thing of chips at the top of the basket of groceries. It was gonna be that sort of night despite how well things were going earlier, it seemed.

[Cogidubnus]

 Cog responded by leaning forward to kiss her again, turning aside to whisper in her ear. "I'm not that drunk, my dear."
He slipped the rest of the way out of his coat, his yellow eyes meeting her black ones. "I am myself. I promise not to maul you again." He said, managing only a paltry grin as he took a deep breath of her scent, moving back to kiss her again. His free hand worked at the buttons on his own shirt...

Outside, the dusk was finally beginning to truly fall. Shadowed by the black clouds, the sun finally sank fully below the horizon, the paltry light slipping through the storm disappearing entirely, bathing the land in night.
Cog could feel that in his bones - the pull of the risen moon. But he was not nearly drunk enough for it to matter. The Wolf stayed locked in its cage.

[Stygian]

The next moment Bambi opened her mouth, the bear made as if to say something, but was quickly overcome by her reply. His eyebrows rose and his eyes widened, the more she said. It was plain to see, already halfway through her statement, that he thought she must be out of her mind. Gina on the other hand just looked at Bam, mouth slightly open, not knowing what to say. They both watched her fly off, and so did most the other patrons. Then, the bear stepped quickly forward toward the window, glaring after the fae.
   'The Hell?! You come back here, or you're resisting arrest, you...' he said, loud but probably not loud enough for Bam to hear.
   'Please, sorry, sir,' Gina interjected. 'She's just... well...' She blushed.
   'She's a damn fae is what she is! You're going to come with me, and then when we're done you better tell her to get her ass over to the station as well, or else...' the officer irately growled back at her, and at Aisha and Ketefe.

- -

The bat laughed, before dragging Cog out of the chair. Slowly, she pulled him along over toward the bed, leaving behind a trail of shirts, wrappings and trousers on the floor. She slipped an arm around him and fell back on the sheets with a smile.
   'Don't be afraid. I won't break,' she said, sneering, hair falling slightly in her face. Considering the way her smooth muscles played under her fur when she moved, that seemed quite easy to believe. 'You're going to have to try harder than that, doggy.'
   Thunder crackled outside.

   Two hours later, in the dim light of a few candles, the two shapes under the sheets lay still, breathing deeply. Stygian rested her head on Cog's arm, looking awfully content for once.
   'Heh... That about earns another drink, don't you think?' she said, almost sleepily.

[Aisha deCabre]

Aisha's eyes widened, her mouth slightly agape, at Bambi's sudden outburst...of the very information that they were trying to keep away from the policeman.  She hadn't noticed everyone's stares, of her companions and of the bear, even after she flew out of the window and left everyone behind to face the officer and perhaps even the rest of the bar alone.

Her surprised face turned into a snarling grimace as Greene rushed toward the window, calling after her in vain.  Coward and traitor, or else just troublemaker.  Typical of a Fae...another one that won't be earning more trust anytime soon.

Aisha kept her ground as the others tried to defend their position as well, and even looked up with relief as Mel entered.  Perhaps she'd be able to help...at least she hoped, giving a nod to her as she walked in.  But now that the whole secret was out, and the bar patrons just as edgy as the officer, there was no way anyone was sticking around for long.

"I see our explanations have failed...so with all due respect, sir..." Aisha said, returning his glare with a quirked eyebrow while she waited for the right time to exit.  She only hoped that the others were just as prepared.

"I don't think so."

[Prof B Hunnydew]

"Oops, Damn wings I am not use them yet." swears Bambi as she returns first one window pane and then the other back into the window frame.  The wood and glass melds and mends as she replaces them.  "I know, I opened the window enough before launch but the wind must have to close them.... Okay, Okay, I know I shouldn't run off. nut still what have you got against Fairy besides our flighty nature?" asks Bambi as sit on the window sel.  "*Sigh* I have a phone call coming to me at least, right. "
Bambi returns to the private dining hall with the others.  And the embarrassed Fae awaits for the bear to lead the way to the station.

PBH

[Mel Dragonkitty]

Mel stepped into the tavern as a bear in a stiff blue outfit was shouting out the window at the runaway fae. From the looks on the faces of Aisha, Ketefe, and Gina the fae had done something profoundly stupid. From the looks of the crowd in the bar she had also abandoned her companions to the untender mercies of an agitated crowd. She had better have a good reason to abandon her allies in a dangerous situation.

Before the feline-disguised dragon could even figure out what was going on or what to do to help the fae jumped back in the window. While she had enough sense to fix the broken glass she didn't give any explanation for her bizarre behavior and just verbally challenged the bear before wandering off into another room. Mel wondered if the fae thought this was just a game and not deadly serious.

[Cogidubnus]

 His breath coming slowly, Cog looked down at the bat, a slight smile on his face. "Or two, my dear, yes." He said, stroking her hair. He met her ebon eyes, the black orbs gleaming in the darkness. "Maybe more than that, Nin Meleth." he murmured, shifting a bit in the sheets. He stayed like that for awhile, simply laying beside her, enjoying the feeling of being next to her. After twenty minutes or so he gave a light kiss on her head and moved his arm, feeling a little thirsty himself.
He let her head down softly and slid out of the bed, approaching the little tray filled with various liquors. He turned to regard her, a lazy smile on his features, and proffered one of the bottles.
"I may not know how to make anything fancy, but I can pour pretty darn well. What'll it be?" Cog set his still unfinished glass to the side, grabbing the bat's empty one. He raised an eyebrow questioningly, brushing a bit of silver hair out of his eyes.

[Stygian]

The police officer took a step back, looking at Bam as if on some dangerous, unpredictable animal. Then, upon Aisha's comment, he turned to look at her, scowling.
   'Is that so, miss?' he said with clear disapproval. 'You'd be an idiot to go up to that place. If you want to, then go ahead. But I'm going to make inquiries. And if you set foot in this town again...' He left the sentence unfinished. By now, more than one person in there was looking at them over glasses or tables, just waiting for that first hint of violence that would prompt action.

- -

Slowly rolling over to look at the wolf and murring from laying in a warm bed, Stygian was about to ask for a completely different drink, a Stinger or a Black Russian or something else sweet and strong that fit the moment, before she stopped, and a smirk spread over her features.
   'Make one with equal parts amaretto, vodka and Bailey's, with a dash of coffee liqueur,' she said, brushing the sheets aside just a bit and moving over.

[Aisha deCabre]

Aisha only nearly took back her earlier thoughts as Bam came back in, seemingly having changed her other mind out of favor of a quick escape.  But then her attention returned to the bear, and his reply to the comment she had made.  Naturally to see, he was quite ticked.  Her eyes only narrowed as his threat, though she was slightly taken aback by the fact that he actually let them go, despite his earlier insistence on keeping them there.

A silence hung between them for but a moment, the felid frozen in her spot and immobile as stone.  But a quick look around the bar showed that the patrons were watching the confrontation closely, memorizing the looks of the adventurers in case they were ever to be seen again.  The panthress was frustrated...how does one make one understand?  A ban.  Wondrous.  She couldn't help but feel it partially her fault.

Nevertheless, Aisha finally broke the silence with a quiet snort.  "From what you implied, I think you don't expect any of us to come back from there alive anyway, oso."  Her voice became something of a low and calm hiss as she started past him, past other tables, past several pairs of eyes, and towards the door.  "So I won't expect you to believe that we already came from there, as the Fae put...however crazy you think she is."

She looked back briefly, her hand on the doorway.  "But...just consider you may know where to find a bunch of adventurers if trouble ever rears its head again."  She paused, letting the thought sink in, then gave a brief nod to the others waiting while pushing the door out into the storm.  "Let's go, quickly."

[Cogidubnus]

 Cog nodded in assent, unscrewing and pouring the bottles to the various liquors into Sebastian's highball glass. He'd poured it a bit tall without meaning to, so he took a little drink of the concoction before grabbing his own glass and returning to the bat. He handed her the drink, sipping the rest of the cowboy she had given him down, and sitting back down on the bed beside her.
"That one isn't bad. What's it called?" he said, shifting out of her way as she moved.

[Sunblink]

For once, Keaton didn't snap at Rynkura's comment with a sarcastic or purposefully hurtful remark in response to her comment about being fidgety. It as as though the bitterness had been drained dry from her system. Sighing slightly, Keaton walked over to a chair, running her hand through her disarrayed and damp hair. Next time she was going to go in such weather, she was going to conjure herself a hat to keep her head dry.

"Yeah... you're right. I really am fidgety," she admitted, albeit reluctantly. "I don't really want to eat, but I..."

The idea of Cogidubnus being devoured by Stygian was inexorably frozen in her mind. What would happen if Stygian had decided to do that, while she was perfectly knowledgeable of the danger? She couldn't have that on her conscience. "I'll probably go for another walk," Keaton said numbly, and waved to Rynkura before she exited the library. "I'll see you in a bit."

As the door closed and the darkly-lit hallway was briefly illuminated with the silvery flash of a lance of lightning, Keaton sighed and drew Catastrophe from its holster on her back. Thankfully, she had not forgotten to retrieve it when she dropped it previously, shortly after she was intercepted when attempting to attack Stygian. Now armed, Keaton steadily wandered, searching for the wolf in question as the deafening roar of thunder rang, loud and melancholy, in the air.

~Keaton the Black Jackal

[Stygian]

The bat laughed and accepted the glass, sitting up, still wearing nothing but the sheet over her lap. She took a breath, and then swigged the whole drink down in one gulp, slapping the glass down on the nightstand beside the bed. For a second she shivered, and then relaxed with a slow sigh.
   'That's how you drink it...' she murred pleasurably. 'It's why it's called a "Screaming Orgasm".' She grinned toward the wolf.

- -

Finding Cog turned out not to be such an easy task. His room was empty, and while Keaton were Cubi, that left her with senses that were little better than those of a regular being, far short of those of a Demon or Angel. Still, she had her ability to sense thoughts and emotions to go on, and such were not as easily blocked by walls and distances as light or odor.
   It was, when finally she reached the fifth floor and went through the northern wing, that she finally caught 'whiff' of something that might at last be the wolf. While she passed by a large door, slightly open until just a bit of some stairs showed through the crack between door and wall, she thought she heard a slight hint of conversation. There was no emotion there for a bit, but then came a quick rush of exhilaration, and then some sadistic pleasure rushed over her. She felt a bit of darkness up there as well, crawling and seething, and embarrassment. And a good hint of the warm, rushing feeling of passion too.

[Mel Dragonkitty]

While Mel didn't know exactly what was going on it appeared that they were being run out of town. As long as they could get away from the crowd without violence she would be satisfied. She could just take on a new persona if they had any need to return to this place. She backed out of the tavern as quietly as she had come and returned to where she had left Jeremiah. "It appears as if some of our party can not play nice with others. I believe they will be out momentarily. Perhaps we should wait for them up the road and out of sight of the nice police officer."

[Aisha deCabre]

Relieved that they weren't stopped by the officer upon exit, Aisha pulled the cowl back further over her head against the pouring rain as she stepped out of the tavern.  The square was as dark as ever, though people still seemed to be out watching and wondering what was going on.  The alley they were standing around could be clearly seen...and the body, which most certainly wasn't.  Her footfalls were quiet amidst the noisy waters and occasional thunderclap...the adventurer and whomever was behind her could easily slip behind the crowd without being noticed, unless attention was called to them again.

Gods seal the Fae's mouth, she thought with a grimace, still a little annoyed at the matter before.  She spotted Mel and Jeremiah a little ways up the road, leading out of the town and back towards the dreary castle...which by now, Aisha considered an even sanctuary, strangely enough.  So they wouldn't be allowed in town...but who knows, perhaps they would be forgotten after a while.  And from the looks of the groceries, they had a lot more supplies to last.  However long they were going to be.

The road back seemed longer than it had been.  But Aisha trudged through the puddles, already tired of being wet, and too agitated on the inside to care about anything but getting back under the roof and stone walls.  Warmth, food, and friendly faces...as her mentor would say, better medicine than most.

But finally, the doorstep in sight, they passed through the heavy metal gate, the unkept lawn, and through the door...the grand entrance hall greeted her and whomever entered, as imposing as ever, and yet as welcoming.  Without anything said, the panthress shook her head free of lingering rain droplets through her dark hair and started towards her room to change.  Her regular clothes would be dry at least.

"Welcome back," she muttered dryly.  The place sounded deserted and quiet, however wrong she was.

*     *     *

Rynkura observed Keaton's reply to her comment, and nodded when she excused herself to go for a walk.  "Take care of yourself then.  I'll still be here."

The tigress watched her go through the doors, then turned her eyes back to the book, and the encompassing quiet of the library.  But the more time passed, the more the healer wondered if she should have pressed about the suspected trouble.  And then her ears quirked, noticing she might have heard footsteps of others returning.

So they survive after all, she mused.  More than one way to find something.

[Angel]

Well, that went well, Ketefe thought bitterly, following Aisha and the others, and half-watching Mel and Jeremiah further up the road.  Thanks to Bam freaking out the officer, they'd been banned from town. At least we have a few shape-shifters, but I won't be able to go down there anymore. Not that I'd want to...

She was, for the most part, silent on the way to the castle, drops rolling down her umbrella and shadow hiding her annoyance and exasperation. Once they reached the castle, she stepped in the doorframe and shook off the umbrella outside, under the eaves. Then she walked in, setting the damp umbrella off to the side and brushing stray raindrops off her tail and arms.

The castle seemed a bit emptier than usual. But then, Ketefe's first prominent memory of this place was chaos. She arched her back and leaned against the nearest wall, waiting for the others to come in.

[Mel Dragonkitty]

Mel stepped through the doors of the castle, dispelling the illusion that made her appear feline and returning the umbrella spell to it's former shape as a bobble of light obediently following her. She bowed to Jeremiah, "Thank you for carrying my basket sir. I can take it off your hands now and get it unpacked." To the others nearby she announced, "We picked up some flashlights for those who do not want to break their toes."

[Cogidubnus]

 Cog coughed lightly at the bat's words, only a slight smirk evident on his face. "Yes, well." he said, taking a sip of his drink. He turned to regard the bat again, a bit of mischeif evident in his own eyes. "I do recall that face, now that you mention it..."
He grinned and turned to look out the windows, taking a drink every now and again. A crack of thunder echoed through the room, lighting it bright for a moment before it dimmed back into candlelit darkness. He took a deep breath, the patter of rain on the windows suddenly echoing through the room for just a moment. He turned to regard the bat again, smiling slightly.
"Well, since you drained your glass again, shall I get you something else?" he said, tilting his head.