The Castle [02] (Remba, but don't let it stop you)

[Gareeku]

Putting down the book on the table next to where he sat, Gareeku looked around from his position and, noticing that the others were still off somewhere else, got up and began browsing the shelves. He wasn't sure whether the others had found out a way to break the curse of not, but presumed they either had already so done so or were working on it. Either way, he thought it best not to disturb them.

Hearing Mel's voice, Gareeku turned around.
"I assume everything with the curse breaking went ok..." he commented.

[Boog]

Cog was trying to keep his voice down, but Sebastion seemed to be making a little less effort and thus Jeremiah managed to catch bits of the conversation. Bits like "At least the brains not to," "wont be found," "puppy," and "Keep us here." Leaning against the doorframe and not looking as though he was paying attention to anything in particular, the frog reached an important conclusion. He'd loosened her bonds. He'd felt sorry for her. He was the self-proclaimed caretaker for the crazies they'd been aquiring.
The conclusion he reached was This Sucks. Most profound thought in his head all day. He merely remained where he was and eavesdropped, confident that when he needed to be involved the other two would involve him.

[Mel Dragonkitty]

When Gareeku popped out from behind a bookcase Mel was a bit startled, but glad to see the wolf. "Yes, the ceremony came off perfectly and our three afflicted are cured. But we have new problems." She dropped her voice so that Bam wouldn't hear, "Someone stole a chunk of Bambi's memory. She can't remember how to speak. She implied that Sebastian did it to her, or at least knows who did. And the spider-monster-lady has escaped and is running loose. I think everyone is gone hunting for her except the four of us still here."

[Cogidubnus]

 Cog couldn't help bristling at the bat's new name for him, but as he drew a single clawed hand down his face he took a careful step back. The dark blood that flowed down his face could only be described as macabre, and the eerie way in which his wounds healed did not help alleviate the sense of strangeness it brought. His point was made, however, although it was not exactly what Cog was getting at.
He stood silently for a moment, and then tapped his sword. He spoke softly. "Tell me, sir, if I tried to kill you now, would I do any more harm? And yet, would it matter the less for your being undamaged? I know I didn't hurt you. Hardly the point. It's the principle of the thing." He nodded slowly. "Your point is taken, but still. I am still at a loss to your error. I mean...what, you showed emotion? Passion, from ice?"
He stopped himself from grinning lopsidedly. "Perhaps you aren't as statuesque as you flatter yourself. I've said it twice now - you made no error, and did nothing I would hold against you." He narrowed an eye, and put a bit of fire into his voice. "In any case, taking responsibility for my actions is demeaning. To me. Don't presume you control my curse." He met the Bat's eyes again, looking past his shades. "It's not only degrading to me, it's...aagh." he said, running out of words. "You can't control everything, no matter how hard you make yourself. It wasn't your fault, so stop taking responsibility that isn't yours."
At his words about the spider, however, he made a grimace, and looked back over his shoulder at Jeremiah. The Frog seemed to have an expression of concern on his face, but other than that, he was unharmed. Cog nodded, and turned back to the bat.
"Well, then. It looks like we have time. You think spider-lady would let us into town? I need to get some...supplies." he said, fingering a rather large rip in his jacket.

[Aisha deCabre]

Aisha had only reeled slightly back from the spider as she saw it in the cabinet...the creature wasn't what she expected, but it was close enough.  She had no time to do any further investigation though, before she felt something crawling behind her, and finally, a stinging sensation that made her shudder, and yet held her in place.  The last thing her conscious mind had thought was, the ceiling...should have...damn...

*     *     *

When the panthress came to again, her eyes just slightly blurred, she was in her room.  Shaking her head, Aisha sat up from her bed and looked around briefly. The light from the window still showed midday, perhaps a few hours into it.  Huh...must've taken a nap... she thought to herself, the events previous having not clicked in her mind yet...not until she made some closer observations.

Her pile of adventuring clothes were in front of her, still as clean as they were when she found them.  The door too was ajar, and vaguely she could remember even opening it before coming in...but anything just before that in the span of minutes was only like trying to remember something that she had dreamed.  Aisha decided to shrug it off, figuring that she had just gotten what she went to the washroom for and them came back to rest.  There was still a sharp prick in the back of her neck, but something in the back of her head told her...almost strongly in the subconscious sense...to not bother feeling back there.  It only felt something like a slight muscle cramp from the pillows.

Stretching, the panthress changed her clothes and put her extra set back in the drawer where she found them.  Her weapons belt was still in the library, so that's where she would head next.  A very good idea, Aisha thought without hesitance.  The others might still be there.

The panthress closed the door behind her, taking cautious looks around the corridor as she walked...she did also remember that there was something to be uneasy about...before stepping back into the library, again greeting everyone there.

[Gareeku]

Listening to Mel's explanation of what happened, Gareeku sighed.
"Great...it's just one thing after another..." the wolf muttered, sratching the side of his neck slightly as he windered what they should do. "I guess we'd better keep an eye out then."

It was then, however, that Gareeku noticed Aisha enter the library. The wolf was about to greet her when he realised that something seemed a bit...off...
"Aisha...are you okay...?" the wolf asked the pantheress, concern clearly evident on his face as he spoke.

[Aisha deCabre]

As Aisha passed into the library, she snatched her belt from where it lay on a table.  Everything was there, including the holy sword, which still needed a sheath.  The panthress decided that she'd keep it in her room, after a bit of thought, until it was needed again.  For now it was partially covered by her cape and placed it in the belt alongside her dragonblade.

Hearing Gareeku's tone of concern, she turned back to him with a slight blank look...she looked okay, didn't she?  But she shrugged the question off and gave him a soft and reassuring smile instead.  "I'm okay, Gareeku, no worries...just a bit..." she paused and put her fingers to her head.  There was something on the edge of her mind that she felt like she should be remembering.  But subconsciously she also thought that it couldn't have been important.

"...Just a bit distracted I guess," she finished, not having found a better word for it while sitting down and watching the others, each also with something on their minds, it looked like.

[Stygian]

The bat's eyes narrowed yet again, this time not from anger but from suspicion. True, the wolf's words about responsibility and such were correct, in a sense, but the first time he met the wolf he had only felt misgiving and fear from the others' side. To change now... Was he such a chauvinist that he still saw Stygian as a woman? Such a fool that he saw him for anything else than a thing? And he would not hold anything against it?
   Stygian's eyes shifted from glowing pinpricks inside pitch-black corneas to normal ones of a sky grey color as he picked up his black shirt and passed into the light from the door. His face was still as much a mix of bitter humor and solemn resignation as before, as he turned and looked at the wolf over his shoulder.
   "I do not flatter or boast." The statement was clear and simple. "And if the damage dealt means nothing, then why would the curse?" Another bitter smile that time. Then he skipped topic to get off it. "We can find you some new threads here in the castle. Better than the ones that you could find in town, at least. I hope you're better with a needle than I am though..." he said, and paced over to a large door in the other end of the room. "Though if you really want to go into town I suggest you bring someone along to watch your back."
   The bat opened the door, which turned out to be the entry to a huge wardrobe. It was the master bedroom, after all...

- -

   In the library, things seemed deceptively calm, seeing as how the spider had escaped probably not more than an hour ago. The breakfast still stood out, mostly empty trays an platters stacked away. Gareeku was finding more and more interesting books on light and dark magic than he had probably seen in his entire life, Mel was calm as ever, and "Gina" was busy consoling Bambi over in a chair.
   And Aisha somehow felt that it would be a good thing to go and speak to either Cog or Jeremiah, if they were out searching for the spider. She had eaten her breakfast, after all, and it would be a clever thing to do. Possibly, Gareeku could come along, but better then that they paired up to search for the spider, so they could watch each other's backs. Backs...
   The panthress felt as if something moved slightly on the inside of her sleeve, way up her arm. But although she immediately wanted to swat it, reflexively as if it were a fly or something, she couldn't bring herself to, and instead found herself ignoring it, almost forgetting it instantly.

- -

   Outside, in the castle's courtyard, a figure slipped between shadows, agilely slinking out over a wall and down into the trees beside it, dissappearing down the side of the road up to the castle and heading for the nearby town.

[Prof B Hunnydew]

Bambi forces a weak, but  brave smile on her face for Gina. She goes to book shelves and find some books on curse spells and how to left them.  But after a moment she starts sniffing and waves her hand in front of her face.  She sniffings around and then holds her nose and points to herself.  Giggle She asks Gina by rubbing her hands together and rubs her face and then looks around?  Where?

Gina guesses "bath?"  Bambi nods "yes."  She takes Gina to Mel and motions to Gina to ask or tell Mel.  that "They are going to the bath."

As she waits for the direction to the bath,  She opens the book and wonders if she can still read?   

PBH

[Aisha deCabre]

Sitting in the chair and watching the goings-on in the library, Aisha made notice of who was absent and who wasn't.  Her eyes narrowed somewhat impatiently, in concentration of what she was trying to remember...too much in concentration to have regarded any distractions, including the faint tickling on her arm.  Then, looking at the solemn faces and listening to muttering, it clicked, her ears perking.  The spider woman!  That was what she, everyone, was originally concerned about.  Her absence.  Suddenly, the panthress felt like treating the matter seriously.  A loose prisoner was unpredictable.

And there were still people who were also not with the rest of the group, scattered in the uncertain corridors of the castle where their only protection could have been their own wit.  Cogi and Jeremiah, and perhaps even Keaton, for she remembered hearing the succubus say something about finding a place to wash.  The urge to move was quick and passing, but she regarded it as instinct well enough...the huntress followed her instinct, always.

She stood up, straightening her belt and cape as she did so, facing the others.  "I doubt we should be sitting quietly while we have a loose prisoner.  Plus, I sent Jeremiah to get Sebastian and neither he nor Cogi have returned," she said, with the same familiar tone of concern and finality in her voice.  Aisha looked to start towards the door, before she turned again, her eyes settling on the others.

"I'm going to start searching.  It would be best perhaps if someone came with me."  She scanned the inhabitants of the room, thinking really that any one person would do instead of many.  Bam looked to be having her own problem, with Gina staying alongside.  That just left Mel and Gareeku as the more worthy of candidates in case of a fight.  The dragon wasn't one for fighting though, Aisha was uncertain that she would speak up...and so her glance moved hopefully to the wolf.

[Gareeku]

Listening to Aisha speak, Gareeku narrowed his eyes.
"Well as I said earlier, I don't trust him." the wolf replied grimly, his hand subconsciously resting on the katana at the side of his waist. Listening to the rest of what the pantheress said and seeing her look at him, Gareeku nodded his head in acknowledgment.
"Aisha and I will go look for them. Join us if you must, but be on your guard." the wolf stated rather flatly, before leaving the library into the corridors beyond.

He had no idea where the others were, but knew that Aisha almost certainly knew where they were last time she had seen them, and so he hoped that would provide a good enough start, especially considering they now had a potentially dangerous person on the loose. Something about Aisha, however, still concerned Gareeku. He wasn't sure what it was, but something didn't feel right...

[Cogidubnus]

 Cog's eyes fell as Stygian turned toward the closet, and his face twisted into a strange grimace. Into the shell again. Her words seemed calm, but still...there was the smell underneath, of smoke, ink, blood, and tension. He shook his head ever so slightly.
When Sebastian wanted to talk, he would. Until then, it seemed there was little he could do.
Cog stared into the rather large closet with a raised eyebrow and a mildly amused grin. "That's...quite a collection." he said, staring into the wardrobe. It was all one would expect from a place this size - fit for a king, as it were. This castle, despite it's problems, was built with the expectation of living occupants. If anything, this accoutrement reflected that.
He fingered a few of the closer garments. "Needlework?" he said, giving Sebastian a strange look. "No. I'm a swordsman. That's generally not in our repertoire. Although...I think  I can get around that..."
As he trailed off, he continued to look through the closet, looking for anything similar to what he had been wearing. He picked various things off the rack, a black shirt and pants, and a charcoal-colored coat that was a little too big for him, made from some silk-like fabric. Grabbed a pair of black shoes from the bottom of the wardrobe, he hung the clothing over his arm, the shoes dangling from his other hand. He turned to Sebastian.
"Thank you." he said, before turning and heading for the door, and Jeremiah waiting in the hallway. "I hope we will see you later, then. We'll probably be in the library or some such."
He began walking down the hall, and called back to Jeremiah. "I don't think he's going to kill us. But he's fairly certain that the spider woman will. It might be a good idea to stay together. Oh, and we're not going to find her." he said, taking the turn down the hallway that lead to the spare room he'd found last night. Good a place as any to change in.

[Stygian]

Muttering and so forth, Sebastian walked out of the closet, sneaking a look at Cog before the wolf left that was as unreadable as before. Then he turned to the frog, frowning a bit at him.
   "And you? Are you just going to stand there? You're free to do as you please, but it would be more clever to go elsewhere, I think..." The chiropteran made no faces now, but he showed what he meant. "Don't worry. We'll catch up with you." There really wasn't such a long way to the library, but the bat also showed that he thought Jeremiah could just as well walk off, no matter the spider being on the loose. Whether if this was from him thinking quite little of the frog, or that he thought she would not attack him, was very hard to determine.
   The bat did not spend more time than that on the frog, before turning to the bed and moving over on it, sitting down and closing his eyes, sighing a bit and thinking.

- -

   Oddly, there seemed to be nothing wrong with Bambi's reading abilities, or her understanding of speech. It was as if something had just plunged into her head and selectively removed the parts of her that understood how to use her mouth and vocal chords, and how to make her hands form the symbols required for writing. The words in the book she held, an old tome on advanced alchemy and rationalized transmutational processes, came easily and fluently to her. Or, at least the meaning of them. She still found her lips clumsy and unwilling to form anything even close to speech as she tried saying something.
   There seemed to be nothing to do than just try harder and harder to make her speech coherent. Perhaps, with enough work, she'd regain what she had lost, or just cross that threshold that would let it all come back to her.

- -

   Aisha did not feel very strange at all until she and Gareeku had gone out of sight of the library. But once they had made the first turn, things began to feel eerie. Not uncomfortable or dizzy, but... strange. Odd, and not quite right, but not wrong either. There was something telling her... making her feel and do things. As if in a daze, her mind filled with thoughts and directions that seemed her own, even though she did not recognize them. Trying to think about it only made it all seem more surreal, more strange, more compelling. Surely, she knew what to do, right? This was what she thought. This was what she wanted. What she had to do.
   Something moved a bit inside the panthress' sleeve again...

- -

   Upstairs, a small thing skittered over a roof on clawed but padded feet, too silent for anyone to hear, even the loud, strong-odored thing below it that had just entered. The creature, warm and luminescent to the creature's eyeless sight, had just left the other two things down the hall; the slimy, cold one, and the one that smelt and felt very, very bad. And it had even started taking off the bothersome sheets of stuff that these things usually wore. That was fortunate. It was moving around a bit, of course, but that was no problem to the creature. It was much too fast in its work for that to matter. And compelled strongly by the tingling signals that shot through this thing's nerves like fireworks, it tensed and became even more excited, quickening to do what it knew it had to.
   Precisely, with instinctual, almost machine-like precise moves, the creature fastened a thread of silk to the roof, and began lengthening it, slowly gliding down and down toward the warm thing's neck. It reached almost down, and then dropped.
   The thing only had the time to flinch before it was taken.

[Aisha deCabre]

"Thank you, Gareeku," Aisha nodded as the wolf started along out of the door too the library, and to her relief somehow, she noticed that nobody had seemed to volunteer coming with them.  The two of them were soon out of earshot of anyone nearby, their concentration focused on the search for the escaped creature.

As they navigated the passageways, conversing on which way to go, Aisha found herself drifting alongside Gareeku and then a little behind, always wanting to keep his back in sight...though she didn't drift too far, as the wolf was a seasoned adventurer and therefore vigilant...there was still concern, and an eye kept on her.

She felt different then, somehow.  Thoughts drifted in and out of her head, passing as if in suggestion, a voice that was hers and yet not.  There was a twinge of nervousness.  Her eyes kept scanning around lest she'd hear something.  Her concentration was upon their goal, and yet something was overshadowing that whenever she looked back to Gareeku again.  The further they walked, the more urgent the thought of the task became...even in her deep consciousness, the panthress never knew that the commands weren't hers.

Aisha shook her head briefly, still keeping her composure lest the wolf would question.  Something had to be done or it wouldn't stop.  It has to be done.  Then, for a bit of distraction, she concentrated on the crawling feeling in her sleeve...but instead of wanting to swat at it, like originally...she found her arm drifting up.

Her ears pricked.  Her sensitive hearing had picked up speaking, or perhaps walking.  "Gareeku.  I thought I heard something.  Down that way."  She nodded in another direction, waiting for the wolf to turn his head away from her.  She had started to point that way too.  But instead the hand that pointed was inching to the back of his neck, and so too was whatever started to scrabble across her arm...

Then she flinched, hesitating.  Was someone really coming...?

[Boog]

"And on that note, away I go," the frog offered Sebastion a half-bow and an exaggerated salute before heading back in the general direction of (hopefully) the library. After all, I'm off the hook, so why linger amongst unpleasant company?
Unpleasant company has kept you alive, Jeremiah. After all, look at us.
Kept us alive!? HA! Jeremiah's 'us' had a double meaning; he often felt Bal needed the reminder that his death would bring all of the other personae with him. It just wasn't something he seemed to get.
Ignore him, Sir. You act of compassion may have gained us an ally! An ancient creature, and you are the first kindness she has experienced in decades. This may vault you toward the greater things we are meant for!
Just stay away from her, Jeremiah. She is trouble, and an influence you should keep away from.
Alright, anyone else have their commentary? 'Cause if so, here's a preemptive fuck you! Jeremiah mentally snapped, ending all the others complaints save for a dark muttering that was probably Bal. And that ringing. He leaned against the wall for a moment and rubbed his forehead. That damn ringing!

[Sunblink]

Like clockwork, the moment Aisha thought that someone was nearby, Keaton almost seemed to materialize before them as she walked past wolf and panthress, her belle sleeves removed and bunched up in one fist, and her mace slung over her shoulder with her opposite hand. "Done hogging the washroom?" she asked Aisha cynically, ambling casually by as though nothing had happened: apparently she had not witnessed anything abnormal or out of the ordinary about Aisha.

She was just too preoccupied with getting to the washroom and exorcising herself of as much grime and filth she had culminated over the duration of her stay in the Castle as possible. Ruffling her leathery headwings, the jackal strode out of sight, chocolate-sienna eyes set resolutely forward.

Keaton made it into the washroom easily, gingerly resting her mace against the wall and flinging her shredded sleeves off in some carelessly chosen direction. Dusting her hands off, she turned to the bath and switched on the water, waiting until the hollow was filled to the brim.

~Keaton the Black Jackal

[Aisha deCabre]

Upon seeing Keaton and hearing her voice, Aisha nearly jumped, quickly pulling her arm away from Gareeku and grasping the wrist with her other hand...either to keep it from moving, or to stop the tickling in her arm in its steps.  "Dammit," she breathed, calming her adrenaline rush down.  She stared blankly at the jackal for a moment before regaining her composure, giving the succubus a smirk back.  "I've stopped hogging it for an hour or so, amiga.  Enjoy yourself."

She watched Keaton walk away for a moment, still grasping her wrist and glancing back at Gareeku.  It was as if the jolt to her system had snapped her out of whatever she was thinking of doing for the time being.  In her eyes there crossed confusion and concern, plus a little impatience.  What were they doing?

Oh, right...the spider woman.

"Let's get going," she said to Gareeku with a smile, turning her gaze in the direction which she had given earlier.  There were still people around...and they were close.  Her composure as usual was calm, perhaps relieved.

But for just a moment, there was a dangerous gleam in her crimson eyes.

[Cogidubnus]

Cog shut the door rather loudly as he entered the room, and moved to the middle, hanging some of the clothes on a couch as he did so. His mind was somewhat distant as he disrobed, thinking of other places and other things than where he was right then. It was perhaps his undoing.
As he placed the bloody white shirt over his ragged jacket, he felt a sharp pain in the back of his neck. He hissed, his arm coming up to swat whatever it was even as he started to fall forward, his legs betraying him. It didn't get past his shoulder before he passed out, landing face-first into the ground with a dull thud.

He woke up a moment later somewhat groggily, pushing himself back onto his knees. He put his face in his hand as he tried to remember how exactly he had landed on the floor.
Something bit me, he remembered, and then I blacked out...
He started to reach for the spot on his neck that he had been bitten, but suddenly stopped. Probably gone, whatever it was, He thought, before standing back up. He needed to get dressed.
Taking a few moments to finish undressing himself, he began putting on the rest of the clothes. They fit rather snugly and loosely, alternatively, but that would be the work of a moment to fix. He chuckled to himself, and sat down on the couch, leaning over the dusty surface of the coffee table. He began scratching out arcane symbols on the surface, eldritch writings that were probably meant to bind demons or fell large cities, but now twisted to his own specific purpose. He had little power, true, but then this would take barely anything. The runes glowed for a moment, and he felt the clothes around him shift, loosening and tightening respectively. He nodded, and stood up sharply. Good. He thought, before grabbing the coat he had picked up and delicately putting it on, taking special care around his shoulder area. It was tender, after all. Wouldn't want to exacerbate the inflammation.
If it's inflamed, it might be a good idea to see Mel. He thought, and nodded to himself. Yes, going to see Mel seemed like a good idea. Somewhat pleased with himself, he opened the door, absently leaving his sword and glasses in the room.

[Stygian]

The bat got his own slim glasses on, tidied up, and rubbed his temple some while thinking, before he heard a sound from outside in the corridor, and felt as the wolf began coming closer. Sighing one last time, he got up from the side of the bed and looked outside quickly, watching Cogidubnus as he walked down back against the stairs. Judging that everything seemed fine, and that no one seemed to need his attention anyway, he closed the door as he had wanted to all the time, and went back to staying alone in the near-darkness, a lone candle his only light and company.
   Little did he know that the wolf stopped not far away from his room for some reason, seemingly confused as to just why himself, calmly ignoring the crawling that came up the back of his leg and then settled on his back, and then walked on as if nothing had happened at all, thinking that perhaps he should talk to Jeremiah before he had that check with Mel, that perhaps even checking with the dragon might be unneccessary, seeing as the tenderness in his neck seemed to be dying down. But if he was heading for the library, he might as well talk to her too...

- -

   The water ran quite fast into the large tub, steam quickly filling up the whole bathroom with its humid, hot embrace and fogging up all the mirrors. Keaton did not have to wait very long until she could get ready. She would have to change her clothes, but seeing as how the others had managed and as how she could shapeshift, and how well-preserved everything seemed to be in the large castle, that would probably not be a problem at all.
   Nor would it be a problem for the thing that was watching her to perform its task, that which it was so excellently made for. The jackal's bodyheat had vanished from its senses, the fog from the steaming water filling up its entire vision with warmth and clotting its sense of smell somewhat. But her nervous system, strong and advanced, still tingled and fired reliably and clearly to it. And so, when she got off her clothes and moved over to sit in the tub, the thing was already placed right where it needed to be to gently sink down and grab its prey.
   As usual, it took only a second or so before the victim, the jackal was knocked out, falling forward onto the edge of the tub lightly. She twitched for a moment or two, then grew still. For perhaps half a minute she lay like that, while the creature took time to blend into the color and texture of her back as well as it could.
   Then, as if nothing had happened at all, the jackal sat up again, blinked, then smiled and leaned back in the bath, enjoying the warm water...

   Now, there were three to go...

[Prof B Hunnydew]

As much as Bambi felt she needed a bath, the discovery that she could still research and study magic.. Bambi forgets the bath and suddenly dive into the books around her.. she finds something that may not help her directly, but this one spell detects curses and their type.... She quickly studys and trys it out ... Bambi can now see the cursed and what that curse is...  as Cogidubnus walks into the library.  PBH sees something about the wolf, but her shock and dismay can only be know by the look on her face, as she back away from him and hisses at him. 

Bambi quickly covers her mouth, and is embarrassed.. She silently begs forgiveness from Cog....as she see that she was mistaken about his momentary weirdness.  She thinks she got the spell right but she is not sure now.

PBH

[Sunblink]

As the water rose and soft, wafting clouds of steam started to coalesce out of the steadily lifting layers of liquid, Keaton watched the bath gradually fill while she fluidly shed her clothing and discarded it in the same corner where she had thrown her wartorn sleeves. After looking over the remains of her top and dropping her belt in a crumpled heap nearby, Keaton sighed and shook her head, folding it. The top was salvageable in terms of damage, but every article of clothing was stained in coagulating splatters of faded, syrupy sanguine, just like the rest of her apparel. Not that it couldn't be replaced. She could easily just shapeshift herself into a new pair, but still, she rather liked that clothing even if she could just imitate it.

Negligently throwing away the top, Keaton finally tweaked the knob that triggered the steady flow of water into the tub. Stretching her arms high over her head, Keaton untied the makeshift bandages that were still fastened to her body, dropping the strips of fabric, then slid happily inside of the bath with a loud sigh. Enjoying the water.

Then it happened. There was a slight pinching sensation, an instinctual blink and a slight "ow" from her end, then her senses went dark and she felt her body go limp against the rim of the tub, eyes rolling in the back of her head like pearly marbles. Fighting against the paralysis that gripped her muscles, the jackal twitched once, twice...

Then went still.

---

When Keaton awoke she automatically stirred where she was, groaning and reaching up to touch the back of her head, as though instinctually checking for blood. Almost every time she passed out was thanks to some blow to her crania or something equally brutal, so she assumed that this was the case in this instance. One quick inspection of her hand proved that this was, for once, not the case. Blinking and staring around the room, the jackal hesitated, wondering what the hell had just happened, before she let her wings sink into her back and leaned against the marble periphery of the tub, closing her eyes and absorbing the hot water.

~Keaton the Black Jackal

[Cogidubnus]

 Cog continued through the hallways with a general sense of ease, something that had long been absent from his being. Nothing seemed dangerous, or even difficult. He had stopped listening for the telltale scuttle of arachnid legs - it seemed a futile exercise, after all.
He almost made a face, and but continued on. Indeed, his calmness was beginning to be worrisome. He couldn't quite put a finger on why he was so calm either...but that too didn't seem worth worrying about. He turned the corner and entered the large doors to the library.
His immediate greeting as he stepped in took him aback, the professor suddenly hissing at him ferally, then making apologetic gestures. He quirked an eyebrow, about to say something, when he suddenly didn't feel much like talking to her - he needed to talk to Mel. Or Jeremiah. Either one.
He didn't question either urge - it seemed perfectly sensible, after all. He didn't see the frog anywhere, so he guessed Mel would be the one to speak to. He made a bow and began to speak to the dragon.
"Ah, good lady. It would appear out esteemed host believes us to be in no great danger. He says the spider woman was...mostly harmless."
He reeled at his words, knowing their utter falsehood, but could not quite make himself recant his statement, or even give a twitch or shudder to expose his distress. Instead, he found to his utter disbelief himself brushing off his lie and continuing on. He couldn't even justify this one, merely...forgetting about it, for the moment. He smiled at Mel and grabbed a random book off one of the shelves. "He did say, however, that it was very important that we find her again. Apparently, there was something she read in this tome here that she must not know. He wanted you to read it." Cog said, fumbling the tome and dropping it close to Mel. He cursed, not-quite-accidentally tripping over a chair leg as he retrieved the book and  tumbling into the petite dragon.

[Boog]

Jeremiah showed up at the library just in time to hear Cog's staggering falsehood and observe his general staggering about. He raised an eyebrow, He says that after he saw 'Bastion read me the damn riot act? And since when does Mr. Graceful McStabsthings here trip?
Trying to attract as little attention as possible, Jeremiah slipped back out the door through which he came and headed toward the kitchen. Something's screwey here...

[Stygian]

Of course, as Cog made his maneuver, so did the spider that was huddled up on his back, crawling down his free arm and scrambling up onto Mel as the wolf apologized and appeared to help her get to her feet. And there, it once again sought out the nerve stem of the neck of its victime, this time the dragon. Cog saw the little abomination, an eyeless eight-legged thing, all smooth, rubbery chitin colored a dark, dark gleaming red and claws and pincers. And while the sight of it brought out a hint of his arachnophobia, it was somehow suppressed by something else, something that had burrowed its way into his consciousness and taken it over, making him know somehow that little thing was his companion somehow, and that he had to help it to the dragon, that he wanted to.
   The 'spider' that clambered up against Mel's neck was terribly quick and precise in its work, and no matter if it invoked revulsion or dread, one had to admire it. It placed itself right at the base of the dragon's long neck, turning its mandibles aside and extending a needle-like spike from the middle of its 'mouth'. Its feet and claws found ample grip on the dragon's smooth, scaly skin, its legs spreading so that it could press against her back, taking only a second to secure and fasten itself well enough, and already beginning to change its color and texture, its shape beginning to smooth out and mimic the pearlescent white of the dragoness' skin.
   However, while it managed to climb up on the dragoness and secure a hold, once it got to the very point of 'claiming' her for a host, it encountered difficulties. Mel could feel the thing's pincers and probing spike making their way through her skin, but it went slowly. And with her being both shapeshifted and quite more alien in nature to the creature than any of the others of the group, it was encountering difficulties in taking her. It needed a lot more time. Time, during which Mel felt like her spine was on the outside of her back and being prodded with hundreds of tiny fingers. It was not painful, but it was perhaps the most awkward sensation she had ever felt.

   Before Cog knew what he was doing, he had twisted Mel's arm, and quickly trapped her other in a grip in his elbow, while placing his hand over her mouth to muffle any eventual cries for help. Knowing precisely what to do, he held her steady, not wanting to hurt her, but just to ensure that the spider on her back got its time. Not really knowing what he was doing, he leaned forward and spoke softly.
   "Shhh... It's allright. You need not fear, miss. It is not dangerous," he said, not really understanding what he was doing.

- -

   In the hallway with Gareeku, Aisha was walking and looking around her, even a bit more cautious than she was usually. No one seemed close by. They were almost at the stairs. There were few lights, and...
   It was quite good enough to do what she had to do. And there was also the fact that she knew, somehow, that she... no, they. She, and Cog and Keaton, and soon Mel too, had to find the others and... do something to them. Help them. Let them join them. And the faster the better.

- -

   Upstairs, half-sleeping on the bed, a half-finished game of chess standing on the nightstand and a book laying on the sheets next to him, the bat was calmly ignoring the bad feeling he was getting, regarding it as an effect of the silence and solitude, and tried to get to sleep again...

[Boog]

Jeremiah heard more noise and sounds of a struggle behind him as he made his way toward the kitchen; another reminder to quicken his pace. I can't do any good there. I just have to figure out what's going on.
...

I'm all alone in here, It finally dawned on him when he reached the kitchens. No defenses. Nobody to protest and prevent my being killed. Anything in this castle could just reach out and-
Oh will you just shut-!?
RInNnNnnNNNnG!
The frog clutched at his head, leaning on a counter with his free hand. He stayed that way until the ringing died down and then sat down to think. What's going on?

[Prof B Hunnydew]

Bambi seeing that she had not offended the wolf, starts to turn back to her research.  When she heard Cog's statement, that the missing spiderwoman is not a threat... She quickly turns around and see the wolf trip into the dragoness and the "spider" jump and scamper up to her neck.  

She fires off a magic bolts at the thing as it tries to embed itself into the dragon, but her view is blocked for another spell by the wolf attracks and holds the dragon down.  She runs quick to help Mel, and places a flaming hand on the bulge on the dragon's neck and burning a wound into the "spider".

Gina just screams at the spider and then at the wolf's attracks on Mel 

PBH

[Mel Dragonkitty]

Mel had just started to question Cog on the state of his health, with his being so unnaturally clumsy, when she felt the skittering, pinching sensation and Cog grabbed her and whispered his entirely unreassuring reassurances. She immediately began lowering her body temperature, intent on making her skin too cold for him to be able to grasp her. That was the only thing that saved her life when Bam laid her flaming hand on Mel's neck. While she was grateful for the help she was frightened of fire for the very good reason that as an ice dragon she was twice as vulnerable as most to damaging burns. Conversely most things couldn't survive the amount of cold she could and she used that to her advantage now, making the air surrounding her intolerably frigid.

[Gareeku]

Leaving with Aisha, Gareeku said nothing as the pantheress conversed with Keaton. Something about Aisha was definitely wrong, this much the wolf could conclude as he observed her unusual mannerisms, Gareeku noticing tem even through Aisha's normal calm and collected manner.
"Yeah...let's continue the search..." Gareeku replied, an eyebrow slightly raised as he watched the pantheress from the corner of his eye.

It was then, however, that he noticed. It had been, in fact, purely coincidental. Gareeku had turned to face Aisha to ask if she had any thoughts as to where the spider might be, when he noticed the dangerous gleam in the pantheress' crimson eyes. It had only been ofr a split second, but it was definitely.
"Ok...that's it..." the wolf growled, stepping infront of Aisha and blocking her path, gripping her arms firmly, but not so much that it would hurt.
"You are going to tell me what is wrong. I know there is, so don't try to hide it." Gareeku stated with grim seriousness, his eyes staring into Aisha's. It was safe to say that they wouldn't be going anywhere until Gareeku found out just what was wrong with his close friend.

[Aisha deCabre]

It was starting to come back to her again, as they traversed further down the harrowing shadows of the corridor...the pressing feelings of nervousness that were starting to unhinge small parts of her sanity the more she thought of it.  The crawling feeling in her arm came and went, and her eyes still held that gleam, that determination of getting their goal accomplished.

The spider woman had to be found...no...she's no threat, and may be long gone by now...we just need to find the others...all of them, safe...bring them...

As they were nearing the darker reaches of the corridor, Aisha felt the compelling urge again to reach out.  The scrabbling in her arm started up again.  The push in her mind to get things finished, no matter what.  There was one right next to her, the wolf...if she could just...

But the panthress hadn't even started to look for a clear gap, falling back a little, before Gareeku rounded on her.  Aisha's arms were suddenly in a firm grip before she could begin to sense his ill ease, through her overwhelming concentration.  This seemed to break through her thoughts again just as the other interruption did.  She froze, eyes widening.

Looking up into the serious stare the wolf was drilling, hers was a glare of defiance right back as she struggled to get out of his grip...a mostly futile gesture, for she knew that the warrior would be steadfast until he had his answer.  "What is wrong with you all of a sudden?!"  She growled, eyes holding confusion and anger.  "I told you I'm fine!  Unhand me!"

...Am I fine?  The thought crossed her head for a split second, and a part of her found herself holding onto that thought, while another part was wrenching itself free of it...as if chanting, using her own mind, that she was indeed fine, and that the wolf was overreacting...

He will be dealt with...

During this passing argument of minds, Gareeku could have felt or seen something moving under the fabric of Aisha's sleeve...he had blocked the controlling creature from moving back up her arm.  It froze upon contact, the feeling only fleeting.  But along with her anger, there suddenly was a bit of panic...she felt it...most likely it must have come from her, but why panic?  Panic wasn't what the huntress usually felt.

"Nothing is wrong," she repeated again in a softer voice, blinking up at him, but the look proved otherwise.

[Cogidubnus]

 As Cog held Mel down, his mind was in turmoil. Everything in him knew this was wrong - and yet, everything in him told him that it was alright, that he was doing Mel good. That this was for her benefit, for everyone's benefit. It was malicious, seductive, and irresistible. Moreso, because the voice seemed so right. It was so clear, if only he wouldn't think about it.
As Bam began her attempt to dislodge that arachnid from Mel's neck, Cog began to feel a strange sensation. Mel was growing colder. Much colder. Her arms had felt like ice before, but now it was becoming painful to hold on to her, and it was getting worse. His hands weren't growing numb, the pain simply growing and growing - eventually, he drew his hands back out of sheer reflex, crying out. Mel's skin had begun to smoke with that telltale fog of extreme cold. He rubbed his hands trying to restore a little heat into them. The room was growing colder, all the heat being sucked into Mel, her chilling presence cooling the room dramatically.
He felt himself lurch forward again, the arachnid on his back commanding him forward, but oh-so-subtly. He knew it was another arachnid, intellectually, for he knew something was controlling him. Something was telling him these things, commanding him, something that was not himself.
The werewolf had fought this kind of battle before, although against a different foe. What's more, this opponent was more than mental, it seemed. It felt almost hardwired into his system. He could not even bring himself to growl at this presence. His control had become limited indeed.  He fought against the presence with everything in him, using every trick and every tactic fighting the wolf had brought him, and even inviting his more feral self out of it's cage. He was not the only occupant of his mind, after all.
Three parties fought for control of his mind, and between clenched shut teeth, a tiny growl escaped the wolf's lips.