Furrae Chronicles: Webs of Destiny (IC) [M] {3}

[Gabi]

"We're... famous?," Gabi repeated as she joined the others.

She took a glance at what everyone was looking at, and meditated on the possible consequences.

"I see... I guess it could be worse," she concluded "At least we don't have a price on our heads."

She turned around as she heard Mel's voice, nodded politely and went to get some tea and fresh bread and cheese. She'd use the chance to take a break from cookies now that other options were available.

[James StarRunner]

A while later, James wordlessly shuffled into the dining area. He was still in his purple and gold star pajamas and had a really bad case of bed head. He stumbled into a chair, nearly tripping over it and then awkwardly sat down. He hardly looked like he was awake yet, his droopy eyes were still half closed. His tired gaze rested on Jakob.

"Mmmm... Sorry for..." James let out a big yawn. "spacing out... in the hall last... night. Hadn't slept for a couple... Yaaaawn... days. Guess it finally... caught up. Been too... stressed out with... Yaaaoh... Oh that cursed yawning! Too stressed with the oracles and such... to sleep."

[Paladin Sheppard]

Eph appeared next to James and pecked him on the cheek. "Thanks for taking me to my room last night."

She ordered a hot breakfast and proceeded to wolf it down.

[Tapewolf]

Gareeku seemed absorbed in the paper, so Jakob decided to leave the potion next to him in case he wanted it.  Of course he might still be mad about the bandits in the forest...

"Good morning," he said to James.  "I wasn't sure if you'd be up yet, so I took the liberty of borrowing a thermos-full of your hangover potion in case the others needed it.  I hope you don't mind."  He put the flask on the table.

"Well, I'm glad it worked out okay," the wolf said.  "On first read I thought they were referring to us as the Black Claw."

So saying, he wandered over to the counter, returning a short while later with some kind of cinnamon pastry.

[Gabi]

Gabi came back to the table in time to greet James.

"It's alright, I'm glad you've managed to get a good night's sleep," she told him as she sat down to eat. "I'm glad I've managed it too. We had a long day yesterday, and who knows when we'll get another break?"

(OOC: JP ninja'd me.)

[Sunblink]

Unsurprisingly, the previously-incapacitated jackal was late in arriving at the table, the sound of heavy footsteps heralding her approach. Unlike Ignatz's silent and inconspicuous appearances, there was no effort to conceal the clumsy and plodding sounds of her footsteps, either out of sluggishness or not seeing much of a point in deriving entertainment from someone's surprise. Keaton entered the room, expression lugubrious and still harboring minor signs of intoxication--not in a grotesquely delirious manner as was exhibited last night, but fixated in a display of agitation and apathy. Her ears were plastered back and her lip hiked up to expose her canines, and she hadn't bothered using metamorphosis to clean up her disheveled appearance.

One glance at the newspaper and Keaton scoffed violently. She hadn't looked at it, but from everyone's comments she had summarized its contents. During her entry she remained uncharacteristically quiet, looking unpleasant but still without any caustic responses. Keaton was among the small collection of Cubi who occasionally ate physical sustenances, but she didn't bother with ordering any breakfast. Instead she just trudged up to a chair, yanked it out from under the table, and collapsed into it, arms draped over the back.

Then she noticed Ignatz. As intimidated as she was by him last night, Keaton merely disregarded his presence, although shakily. Her memories were groggy, but not enough to entirely blur the events of what had happened. She would've delved deeper, but currently her head felt like it was being used as a battle drum. Slumping backwards, Keaton tilted her head back. No greetings. Instead she just mumbled, "Does anyone have any asprin? Tylenol? Fuck, I'd even like some water."

~Keaton the Black Jackal

[Tapewolf]

Jakob turned to Keaton, a small, crude tumbler appearing in his hand.
"James brewed something up, you're welcome to try it, " he offered.  He's gonna get lynched if this doesn't work, he added mentally.

[James StarRunner]

James didn't quite know how to take the kiss Eph gave him. He never received many... The last kiss he had was from his late fiancée. He had told no one about the girl he had almost wed or how she died. He didn't want to focus on such sorrowful memories though and pushed the thought aside. James did however blush slightly in spite of himself and said how glad he was to help.

James turned his gaze back to Jakob. "Wha? I didn't even... hear you come in to take the... tonic. I must have been... yaaaawn... really out of it." James absentmindedly ran his fingers through his messy hair to scratch his head. "Please do offer it to our hung over comrades though... It should help them... out. Plus, I can't take the smell of booze breath..."

James gave Gabi a wave and said his thanks before ordering a large bowl of banana pudding.

James looked at the bowl for awhile. His sleepy eyes began to close and he passed out, falling face first into his pudding with a splat.

[Sunblink]

Keaton appraised the tumbler cradled in Jakob's hand for a moment, examining it critically. Hesitantly, she took the container from the fellow Cubi and sniffed at its contents, as though she expected for it to be impregnated with a vile venom, and diverted her glance to Jakob. An eyebrow, festooned with a single silvery ring, lifted in a smooth curve. She didn't trust anything that was distributed by an Angel. For all she knew it could've been some mind-controlling formula, or something to ensnare her soul so she was bound to fulfill any dirty task they demanded of her, or...

But it didn't smell lethal, and she couldn't detect anything magical. Keaton was also starting to get more than a bit irritable because of that insistent headache, and needed some form of relief.

"Ah well," she said, "Bottom's up."

With that, she gulped down some of the contents, rested the tumbler on the table, and settled in the chair, waiting for the formula to kick in. Tasted a bit bitter, but Keaton didn't mind. She liked bitter foods and such, plus she could resist the sharp taste. After a minute of pensive thinking the headache started to subside, at least to a palpable extent--enough for Keaton to realize and examine her mind, as though she were observing its recovery from a third-person perspective. Wow. The thing had actually worked. She was starting to feel better. Almost simultaneous to that moment, James's head fell into his pudding, an act Keaton observed with a slight amount of surprise to her expression.

~Keaton the Black Jackal

[Stygian]

'I'd be surprised if there were anything you could take,' the bat commented with a dour face, and then set about downing his coffee, followed by a glass of water. Finished and seemingly satisfied, he leaned back and stretched his arms out, observing the others with part disinterested skepticism.

[Cogidubnus]

 Booted footsteps sounded out from the stairway, a series of quick thumps, and a very alert, fresh-looking and black clad wolf emerged from the upstairs. A brown pack was slung over his shoulder, and he looked around the room once quickly, taking note of those gathered. He paused for just a moment, raising his eyebrows.

With a slightly amused glance, Cogidubnus grabbed the back of the blue squirrel's head and removed it from the bowl of pudding, a slight sucking sound emanating from the bowl. He let go of James's blond hair, shaking his head.
"I know it's good pudding, but maybe you ought to slow down there..." he said, shaking his head slightly.

Walking past him and taking a seat at the far end of the bar, the wolf quickly ordered a cup of coffee and adjusted the pack slung over his shoulders. The slight, square bulge of a book pushed against the edge of the cloth bag.

[Gabi]

Gabi ran to aid James. For a moment, she wasn't quite sure of what to do. He had seemed fine a moment earlier, and then he'd just collapsed.

One step at a time, she told herself.

She lifted his head, checked his breath, moved him slowly until his back rested on the back of his chair and then checked his pulse.

It was odd... he didn't seem to be poisoned, or even fainted. He seemed to be asleep, but no one fell asleep so suddenly, without even the chance to check where their head would land. He might be drugged, or it could be magic. She'd test for those things if her attempt to wake him up didn't work, but it was best to try the simple options first.

She shook his head and shoulders gently, checking for a reaction. She didn't even notice Cog's presence, as her mind was completely focused on helping her friend.

(OOC: ninja'd again.)

[Tapewolf]

Jakob looked at the squirrel with mild concern.  Jakob squinted, checking that he couldn't see the Angel's soul.  He wasn't dead... he seemed to be asleep.  Narcolepsy by the looks, he thought.  I wish I could remember all that stuff about Angel sleeping habits.  Of course, Azrael was far older than James anyway, so it's not really a fair comparison.  In any case, it was outside his experience.

"Good morning," he said to Cog politely.  "I do hope I didn't bore you with my troubles last night."

[James StarRunner]

Though his face was still covered in pudding, James otherwise seemed fine. His pulse and breathing were both normal. He stirred and awoke again as Gabi shook him. For a while he just looked at Gabi and held her hand, not knowing what to say in this embarrassing situation. "I... err... I didn't just pass out, did I? I'm fine though... really. I'm just... really tired. I don't think I ever passed out before... I think I took too much sleeping meds... Haven't slept for days... needed sleep... Why does my face taste like banana pudding?"

[Gabi]

Gabi sighed with relief, and laughed with the release of the tension.

"Don't you scare me like that again!," she scolded him, trying to contain the laughter; a hard thing to do while thinking of an answer to James's last question.

"Your face has had a close encounter with your breakfast," she finally said, offering him a napkin. "Will you please be more careful with medicines in the future? They can be dangerous when used incorrectly."

[Stygian]

The last bit of conversation drew Stygian's attention to Gabi and James. The bat watched them with dark eyes under a frown for a moment, before his gaze trailed off and his face softened into pensive depression. No sooner had anyone noticed though, before he closed his eyes, snorted and shook his head slowly, and then leaned his head back into his palms again.

[Mel Dragonkitty]

Mel, halfway through her breakfast, paused and looked over to the table with Gareeku at it. "When are we leaving?" she asked of the wolf. "I am ready to go now but I can see that others need a bit more time." She gave a look to the nightwear clad James.

[Gareeku]

"Morning..." the wolf murmured in reply to Jakob's greeting as he continued to read the newspaper. His head was thumping, but Gareeku ignored it. Let's say he was somewhat used to it.

"Not right now. I might have some in a bit." Gareeku replied again to Jakob. It was then that, looking over the top of the newspaper, the wolf saw the others arrive, one by one. Aisha was the next to come down. Hearing her comment about the article, Gareeku smirked slightly. From there on, however, he didn't notice the others come down until he noticed that his breakfast was being placed on his table. Setting the newspaper down, he started to eat the cooked breakfast.

It was then, however, that Mel asked him when they would be leaving. Remembering last night, and the fact that a draw had been declared for the drinking contest, Gareeku mentally cursed to himself. He couldn't answer her straight away, due to the fact that his mouth was full with food. After a few moments, the wolf swallowed the food in his mouth before answering her.
"As soon as possible. I don't want to be hanging around here all day." Gareeku replied. "Thanks to the last couple of days we've got less done than I would have liked."

[Cogidubnus]

 As such things often happen, the bartender came back right as Jakob was speaking to Cog. Attention divided for a moment, Cog kept an ear cocked at the incubus as he paid for the drink and scooped up the cup, and as he took his first sip he shook his head at the other wolf.
"By no means, good sir. It was my pleasure." he said, bowing his head respectfully at the incubus. "If more people thought as you do, the world might be a little safer to live in." Sunglasses slid down his nose, the wolf's eyes were sincere.

"If you want to apologize for making people fall asleep, though, you might start with him." he said, pointing at the blue squirrel with his cup. "Late night, I take it?"

[Gabi]

Gabi turned round when she heard Cog approach.

"Oh, hello," she greeted him. "Sorry I didn't hear you come, I was too worried... Luckily it was no big deal. I think we've all had a late night. And a long day before it."

There he was again, asking questions about the group. She felt she ought to do something to level the field, but she was out of good ideas.

"What about you?," she finally asked.

It wasn't a good question by itself but it could be used as a first step.

[Paladin Sheppard]

Polishing off the remains of her breakfast, Eph let out a small belch. "'Scuse me" She said as she sat back in her chair.

"So we are headed north, any idea's where Gareeku?" She asked the wolf.

[Cogidubnus]

"I slept well, thank you." the wolf said, taking a sip of his coffee. He sighed, the steam curling up from the cup displaced by the exhalation, and took another sip in short order. The wolf seemed to melt into his chair, relaxing visibly.

"You are very kind to ask, Ms...?" Cog trailed off. The wolf looked at the other Were oddly, and taking a deep breath, one of the wolf's eyes narrowed appraisingly.

[Gabi]

"Gabi," Gabi replied plainly. "And you're Cog, right? We didn't get to talk much last night but Jakob told me about you. He didn't tell me what brought you here, though."

[Tapewolf]

Seeing that James was okay and Gabi was engaged in conversation with Cog, Jakob kept half an ear on the conversation, and turned the rest his attention back to Keaton.

"Hey, baby, what's your clan?" he asked, his voice completely deadpan.  Flirting with the jackal was the furthest thing from his mind, and it showed.  But if she was going to be travelling with them, he wanted to know more about who she was.

[James StarRunner]

"Long few days actually..." said James, replying to Cog's question. He quickly ate what was left of his pudding and stood up. "I guess I better wash up and get ready... I didn't even realize I was still in my PJ's. Maybe a cold shower will help wake me up too..."

[Stygian]

Still wearing that weary expression, Ignatz smiled suddenly and uncomfortably. 'Perfect. Let's make a break for it while he's up there,' he said, as if James were not sitting perfectly nearby. No one seemed to find it amusing. 'I'm kidding. Sheesh...' he added.
   After the brief and glum moment, the bat simply kept silent, diverting his attention between pondering Mel's current actions and plans, none of which he had been introduced to, and to the far more interesting subject of Jakob approaching the jackal Cubi, something that was so mismatched that it made him anticipate comical effects immediately.

[Cogidubnus]

"Me?" the wolf said, grinning at the vixen. "I'm afraid I was brought here for one, singular reason." He said, his face suddenly falling somewhat. His voice went low. "You see, Ms. Gabi..." the wolf paused, glancing at the door of the tavern, then back at the vixen, and looking at her gravely for a few long moments – it couldn't have been more than a second, but the sudden silence was eerie.
"The whiskey here is really rather good." He said shortly, taking a sip of his drink.

The wolf smiled past Gabi at the squirrel. "'Tis a braver man than I am, who enters a Tavern in naught but his pajamas!" he said cheerfully, his nose in his drink.

[Sunblink]

Still recuperating from her headache, Keaton kept her eyes closed in an almost meditative state, her mind utterly blank, focused intently on simply recovering and edging its way out from the quietly palpitating numbness beating away at her brain. For a moment Keaton looked almost contemplative, a peaceful alternative to her normally volatile nature, but this facade almost immediately vanished when she heard Jakob speak. Her eyes opened instantly, her ears flicked, and her head jerked upright as though on a pivot as her body elevated itself out of its slumping posture.

"Wha'?" she asked drunkenly, blinking the frosted sheen out of her eyes. Jakob had asked her something. About her clan. And in a manner which struck an unpleasant chord with her until she posthumously registered the deadpan flatness to his voice. Even then, that left the topic at hand. Keaton was well aware of how unpopular her clan was among other Cubi--and sometimes just recalled as a bad memory, or not even recognized at all because of its policy of lurking in the shadows after it nearly faced extinction--and the idea just made her head reel with memories.

Forcing a pleasant smile, she said luxuriously, "Oh yeah, my clan. Of course. Right," Keaton snapped her lithe fingers together. "Well, introduction time. My name is Keaton, and I'm from the NoneofYourFuckingBusiness Clan. It's an offshoot of the ShutUpandDie Clan. On my mother's side."

A fat-looking fly hovered to the table, attracted by the scent of the breakfast, landing on the area in front of her. One glance at the curious insect and, before it could escape, Keaton jabbed her finger out in an imperceptibly fast movement and squished it beneath her nail. Almost in a perfunctory manner, she twisted her wrist, and abandoned the crushed carcass in favor of steepling her fingers and smiling pleasantly at Jakob. "Any questions?"

~Keaton the Black Jackal

[Gabi]

Gabi couldn't help but chuckle at Cog's reply.

When James left, she approached the Wolf again.

"He needs a break," Gabi said. "Things have been tough for him lately. I wish we could all have some peace, but I don't see that happening any time soon."

[Gareeku]

Having gone back to eating his breakfast, Gareeku stopped again when he was asked another question, this time by Ephrael.
"the town of Ghaelia." the wolf replied, before taking a gulp of his coffee. "It's not too far from here. A day or two, maybe."

With that, Gareeku went back to eating his breakfast. Listening to Jakob try to start a conversation with Keaton, the wolf listened in for her reaction, raising an eyebrow at her once she gave it.
"Bad hangover, I take it." the wolf muffled between gulps of his food.