Of Steam and Steel: IC (Mature) {Currently Open}

[WhiteFox]

When Josephina took her stance, Gabriel shouldered his pipe-gun and took a half step of his own.
  "Begging your pardon, sir." He said, loud enough for the oxen to hear him. "That's no way to hold a pistol when you pass it along... Someone might end up getting shot. Why don't you just hand it to the lady now, hey?"
  Then we can see about acquiring a soul-stone, he thought, noting the precious stones as well as the silvery tail that had swept them up. Lady Josephina seems to have means and talent, after all.

[Tapewolf]

"I am not lying," Sethir told the pirate, "But I will know if you are.  If you satisfy us, then certainly, you can make a run for the border.  Or, if you fear being caught, I can give you a quick and merciful death.  I have no wish to see you lose your soul.

"However, if we feel you are not providing us with what we wish to know, we will have to turn you over to the authorities, and you will likely end up with your soul powering someone's trailbike and your body cremated and flushed into the river.  This is probably not what your parents would have wanted.

"Now." he clapped his hands.  "My comrade here wishes to go after your captain, he has some personal grudge, I think.  So he'll want to know what his name is, where your base is, and things like that."
"Right?" he nodded briefly at the other Creature.  "Enough information to hunt him down.  Whereas I wish to know if this was an opportunistic raid, or something sponsored by an enemy power, so that I can report it to the proper authorities.  If it was sponsored, I want to know the details, or the name of someone who would know."

[Gabi]

Anabelle was surprised by the proposal. She didn't know how to respond.

"If you don't mind, I'll have to think about it for a minute," she said.

He wouldn't deny her that, of course. She walked to the window and looked outside. She had lived in that town for the last two years, but things were suddenly changing. The town felt different. It even smelled different. No activity could be seen on the street outside Ana's home. Everyone who wasn't working, attending school or staying at home was probably at the bar discussing the unusual events of the week. Or maybe by the river. She'd heard something was going on over there and had been planning to check it out after a necessary stop at home - to drop some things, pick up some others and see how Renard was doing -, but that might not be an option anymore. Even if she did go there and managed to help sort things out, that was likely to be just the beginning of something bigger. Perhaps too big for her.

"It's a tough call..." she finally said, turning around to face Renard. "Strange things are happening here. If I leave and things get worse while I'm away, I'll blame myself for it. But even if I stay I may be unable to help if things get too bad. If you think we can get the help we need at the Capitol, and that it won't get here too late, I'll go with you. I'll just need a few hours to pack, talk to some people so that they keep an eye on those with a poor survival instinct, and write a note to post on my door for those who come to see me. I was planning to see what was going on in the river. Perhaps I should go there first, if only to find out what's happening and make sure that people stay away from danger. Sometimes people can be too curious for their own good."

[Noone]

Kyirri rubbed his head, and peered around the room alarmedly once he got up. Realizing there was no immediate warning, he stopped a moment to contemplate. A dream? I don't think I'm *capable*  of  dreaming. That must have been a message... though that's odd... He was deep in thought when he noticed that his legs were moving without his active consent, pushing him towards the door. It took a moment's focus to regain control of his limbs. "Damn it, alright, alright, I'm going... I'm going..." He muttered under his breath.

He made sure to keep moving while he thought about what his dream meant. Couldn't have been my own product, I can't do that. It could be someone else entirely, unlikely with the compulsion. Or it could have been him... but I'd likely have received more clear instructions or none at all. Though... it's not like he ever makes my job easy... He kept his expression blank as he moved back to the dining hall, where he would hopefully have his free breakfast. Doesn't matter though... not like I have a choice... not like I've ever had one... He briefly scanned the area for anything interesting, but was more focused on his own matters.

[techmaster-glitch]

Aelisium Forest

  Gezzemocht frowned a little at what this girl, Lucy, had said. "You're lost? Well, you're within a day's walk of several Aelisium towns and a garrison...in fact, we'll be heading to the garrison straightaway to alert the authorities about this Ahnk'Ator incursion. This is something that must be handled militarily right away..."
  There were more telltale rumblings of of heavy mech footsteps, more than the one mech earlier. Both brothers glanced in that direction worryingly. "Very much right away!"
  Gezzemocht turned back to her, offering a hand. "Come on, miss Alighieri. We can drop you off at a town on our way, after this is taken care of." However, Gezzemocht had noticed something...odd, about this girl. She seemed to be standing on her legs a little easier than someone who had a tree trunk on them should have, and her eyes seemed a bit off-color...

[Paladin Sheppard]

Northern Nhylamar Market

Grinning like a child in a candy store, Paige headed....Straight for a candy store, and soon re-appeared with few bags of her sugar fueled addiction favorites. With a lolly-pop stuck in her muzzle, the Succubus headed for her next closest addiction, a high priced dress store.

After indulging on a few dresses (and other things) which she had delivered to the MJOLNIR, the Wolfess wandered the Marketplace. Stopping at a few stalls and shops idly browsing, Paige spotted a Gun store, and while admitting to herself that she had too many addictions, went inside.

After all she may find a new toy or two she thought as she opened the door.

[Boog]

Just outside a Nhylamar Alleyway

Things had gone... Surprisingly well, for Jeremiah. Nobody seemed to notice that there was one too many guests. It was assumed that he was someone who ranked high enough to get invited to the castle, simply not high enough to get a better seat in the coaches. He even managed to sit in at dinner, listening in and not looking around. He managed to gather confirmation that YES, this was the Baseel he was looking for. He wasn't fond of nobility. Or demons for that matter. But it seemed he would need this guy.
With the servant's convenient assumptions it was the simplest thing to slip aboard the ship that Lord Wolkshammar and his entourage were taking. From there he simply kept his head down and let the crew assume he was another guest. He rather hoped they weren't starting rumors. Maybe if he was chattier he'd seem less suspicious...
As the party finally made their way into the market, he tailed the demon, casting a small illusion simply to dull his skin tone. Bright orange would be easier to notice following someone, but simply mute it down to a sort of muddy tone and the eye slid off it. Ah, the myriad uses of color theory classes.
He was slightly confused when the man had ducked into a nearby alleyway. This didn't seem to be the right part of town for prostitutes or black market deals, and frankly he could think of no other reason for a nobleman to walk into an alleyway. Hell, he'd probably heard that joke. Two noblemen and a mer enter a dark alley... Something like that.
You're letting yourself get distracted.
Right, right, yeah.
Jeremiah sidled up and leaned on the wall next to the alley, happy to rely on his natural camoflage as a harmless layabout, and listened in.
"You sneaky bastard.  Trying to sell that which is not yours."
Ah, that explained it. Jeremiah smiled to himself. This was actually pretty useful. Better yet, there was even someplace to discuss business with the man in private.
The frog pulled his hat down over his eyes and waited. Things were looking up.

[SquirrelWizard]

Stephan struggled up to his feet, grumbling all the way, "What is the big deal!" he sneered, "I don't know, maybe it was the fact that we were robbed... oh wait... or maybe its because in the  process of being robbed I nearly got my teeth kicked in!"

Mary squinted at the doorway, "Stephan are you alright?"

He stepped out of his wagon, "Of course that bolt might have to do with the fact that Mr. Thief could have returned with some buddies to cause more trouble, and frankly I'm tired of being beaten up by some thug wannabes!" Stephan held up his hand, a small spark of electricity flicked between his thumb and fingers, "I tried tact and it didn't work! So I figured I'd use force this time!"

Mary snorted, "And that justifies nearly frying whomever walks up to the wagons!? What if someone else got hurt!"

"Yes, I think it does. Anyways I intentionally hooked the bolt to the left. It was a warning shot." Stephan growled and jabbed his finger at Mary, "But, maybe the person who should really be answering questions is you!"

"What do you mean "me"!?"," Mary put her hands on her hips.

"You weren't here when I got home last night!"

"I left you a note on your desk!"

Stephan snorted, "Yes, I remember, you didn't say you were going out with, " he looked at Sylvie and grimaced as he remember the mental images he had seen earlier, he glanced back at Mary while gesturing at Sylvie, "with... with her!"

Mary growled, "And just where the hell do you get off telling me who I can meet with!?" she jabbed him in the chest, "Just because you don't like a person doesn't mean I don't! And really its not your business to know who I'm with!"

"Not my business!? I made a promise that I would look after you, so it is my business! And I only ask who you are out with because I need to know who to track down should you go missing! I mean she could have locked you away or, worse, stolen your soul and I wouldn't know who the hell you were with!

Mary opened her mouth to reply, but Stephan interrupted her, "On top of that I found my signature on the theater lease on my desk! Which is very troubling considering how I didn't make my meeting with the theater's manager!"

"We couldn't find you, so we improvised!"

"And now the manager thinks he has met me, and I have no clue as to what was discussed during that meeting! Not only is it fraudulent, but it could come back and bite us in the ass later on!"

"But, we were trying to help!" Mary was blinking back tears.

"Help!! That was the stupidest thing you could have done!" Stephan snarled, "It was my job to attend that meeting. Yes, I screwed up, but I should be the one fixing it!" he gestured at Sylvie again, "Not some succubus standing in for me! And, how could you even trust her with that after just meeting her? She could have had an ulterior motive!"

"Yeah," Mary sniffed, "and you are an incubus..." she turned away angrily and stormed off to her wagon, tears trailing down her cheeks, leaving Stephan glowering and rubbing his temple.

[Tezkat]

Pirate Interrogation, Nhylamar Badlands

The black jaguar turned to the severed head in his hand. "Aw... that takes the fun out of killing her." The head nodded gravely.

He shrugged and tossed the head aside. "Well, kitten, we're fresh out of tea and biscuits, but you do get to live a little longer. That's something, right?" He smiled and leaned towards her.

"It must be terrible for you, being stuck out here alone with a couple of scary Creatures, abandoned by your leader..." He pressed his hand over his heart. "I feel your pain. That red-furred bastard abandoned me too. Just flew away without a word!"

He flashed a toothy grin. "Why don't we talk about it? That always helps."

[Kafzeil]

"Garrison, uh..." Lucy bit her lip.Shit, yeah walk right into a hornets nest...unless.

"...That's close to the Nhylammar Border, right?" She asked, managing a small smile. "What direction is the border again?"

Yeah, Aligheri, real smooth. Totally Inconspicuous.

She took the Beaver's hand without realizing her mistake. Right away the beaver could feel her hand's lack of temperature, her body seemed unnaturally cool for a mammalian Being. Lucy was not what she seemed...

"I don't think I caught your names, by the way. You two brothers?" She quizzed pair, hoping to distract them from discovering her newfound race. Somehow she knew it was not going to work. But she played along anyways, hoping this would somehow work, like a small Child hopes there misdeed will go unnoticed if they pretend it never happened.

[techmaster-glitch]

   Both brothers furrowed their brows at Lucy. "The Nhylamar border?" Gaakronact up in the Scorp said. "Why would you want to go there? That's Creature territory."
   Lucy then took Gezzemocht's hand and asked the brother's names. Gezzemocht immediately knew for sure something was wrong. Her hand was far too cold. And her eyes...no way.
   Gezzemocht kept up a smile, saying "We're the brothers Vaponci, Gezzemocht and Gaakronact."
   "But you can call us Gezz and Gaak. I'm Gaak."
   Then, in the moment Lucy was looking upwards to Gaakronact, Gezzemocht made a hand sign behind Lucy. It was part of a few standard ones most Aelisium soldiers knew. This sign meant several related things; misdirect, deciever...Creature.
   Gaakronact blinked, then pointed to the flat area in the center of the Storm Scorp, between the two cockpits. "You can sit there for now. We'll drop you off wherever you want." He turned and sat back down properly in the cockpit. "Even near Nhylamar, if that's what you really want, though I can't imagine why..."

[Lisky]

On the River

Climbing up the railing, Arroyo could suddenly hear movement on the deck.  Someone shouted, "Someone's righ' 'n 'ere ass!"
At least 3 individuals waited for the feline, One was dressed in traditional mage robes, the other 2 were wearing leather armor, with thin metal plates sewn in around vital areas.  They were carrying rather large looking swords, curved and heavy edges.  One was also toting a blunderbuss, the other a pair of revolvers in a pistol belt.
The Swordsman stood behind a faintly glowing barrier, blades drawn and waiting for Arroyo.


Back Alley of Sevoy

The rolling tenor replied, "Why yes, yes we do.  This thief took something rather valuable of mine... a certain... Gem..." 
As if on cue, the oxen tried to make his move, his arm had barely twitched, when the small cannon the demon held roared, sending bits of the oxen's now powdered head sailing into the building's heavily reinforced walls. 

Holstering his weapon after the action, the demon stepped forwards and introduced himself while looking for the soul stone, "Apologies for the mess,  he was going to try and shoot his way out, you could tell by the way he'd straightened up, just before moving.  Baseel Wolkshammer, Milady and Sir"

Pulling the stone from the concealed bag, and setting it in his pouch-belt, Bas stood upright, and better assessed the female in front of him, "Would you mind my inquiring as to what occasion has prompted such formal wares, Miss?"  His attention briefly flickered to the half-pint, then back to the equine.

In the background, Jeremiah could hear everything, but it seemed the demon had  simply hadn't noticed him following along behind.

(OOC Note, i expect -everyone- took a shot at the bandit, though left his final state besides dead, ambiguous)

Strip Club

Returning with his order, the lioness had a teasing, playful smile on her face, "Sure thing, hun, anything to eat to go with that?" 
She swished her hips a little more than one would imagine being comfortable, putting on a bit of a show for one of the early morning customers it seemed.


Pirate Interrogation

Pausing to consider what the pair had said, she figured she didn't have much choice, "We're technically part of the Koshrikan navy, a small country between Aelisieum and Nhylamar, privateers sent to raid and disrupt, before we too get swallowed up.  We're more or less free pirates though, they merely provide us safe haven in exchange for a percentage of our plunder.  The captain, whom you just met, is Harman Maribach.  He has no single port of operation, due his deal with the Koshrikan government.  Tracking the Burning Rose, shouldn't be too hard, though.  She's a fairly slow airship, especially compared to some the military purposed machines."
She paused and sighed, "I wasn't around for any of the dealings though, i just know where, not who, or why."

Lamylar

At her attempts to see what had happened down by the river, the loud noises and shouting seemed to be over.  Renard followed to see if perhaps he could see something different, or should there be trouble, help to some degree.  A large cargo ship, most likely transporting bulk goods, was on it's way, a smaller vessel could be seen attempting to match speeds on it's side.  A small figure clambering up the netting on the side.
"Looks like we just missed something interesting."  Renard chimed, watching the figure attempt to scale the boat.


Just outside the kitchen (Kyirri)

Kyirri's compulsion to find the book seemed to pass at the idea of food.  The mink from earlier could be seen in the kitchen, as she'd left the door open while starting to cook eggs, bacon, and was busy frying some slices of bread.  Coming out with a larger plate full of food, the hostess had a rather infectious grin on her face, "I hope you slept well last night?  If there's anything you need, whether it be something else to eat, directions, or contacting someone, please just let me know." 
Setting the plate down, she headed for the desk, just outside the mini-restaurant area, and took up her post, attempting to attract some early morning customers for a meal.


Sevoy Streets

Paige's little wanderings around the market took a good deal of time.  She'd spot a few crewmen, or the captain wandering around from time to time, but each appeared up to their own thing.  Suddenly everything outside came to a screeching halt has the thunderous *CRACK* filled the air.  There was a little panic from some of the smaller creatures, but a good deal of the market continued on as usual a few seconds later.
A local constable, a young looking demon, approached the direction of the sound cautiously.  Seeming to take as much time as possible to canvas the area.  He too disappeared into the crowd.

For Dr. Addy, her own search brought her to a pet store filled with all types of wondrous feral beasts, both large and small.  An owl-bear cub, a wyvern on a perch, perhaps 3 feet long from snout to tail, and wings nearly double that.  In a fairly large cage in an unobtrusive corner, a kitten was playfully rolling around it's box.  It kept seeming to get stuck on it's back.  And then the reason for it's stoppage became clear.  It managed to flip over, and reveal a pair of feathery wings.  The kitten mewed.

[Arroyo Milori]

Arroyo just smiled a bit, he enjoyed a bit of a challenge. He mumbled to himself a incantation as the river's water around the boat turned into a thick mist. He remembered what a clown once told him a long time ago about illusions, what good is one if it doesn't stimulate the other sense besides sight? Arroyo slowly climbed up the railing a bit more, playing a bit with the mist around them into making the three waiting for him think he was already on the deck, right to the side watching them, or at least a shadow of Arroyo caused by Arroyo's tampering with the mist's properties.

Now Arroyo plays the waiting game, waiting for the mage to pull away from whatever he was doing to assist the swordsmen and dispell his little illusion so he can quickly ensnare the mage and get rid of him.

[Tapewolf]

"Thank you," Sethir told the pirate.  "That is very helpful."  He removed her weapons and digested this information.  "Ordinarily I'd try and persuade you to testify, but I suspect that would go rather ill for you.  By the way, if you make it whole back to your homeland, I strongly suggest you take up a less dangerous form of employment.

"Now," he continued.  "Perhaps I'm being a little paranoid, but it was rather convenient that you just happened across the train wreck.  Especially, as you say, with a slow ship.  Did your people somehow know about it in advance, hmm?"

[Kafzeil]

Shit, they know...come on Loose, you can still...

No, that was a bad idea. They seemed nice enough, maybe they'd understand what had happened to her?

"I'm getting Dodge, that's what." Lucy proclaimed as she sat on the area specified by the taller brother, looking for a handrail of sorts or something to prevent herself from falling off the mech.

"Last night at about quarter to midmight, I was murdered." She reached into her trench coat and held up the ceremonial knife, a grisly souvenir, the blood, now dried and a dark red spashed on the blade's uncannily reflective surface. this no doubt creeped the brothers out, but she wanted them to feel something close to the feeling she experienced opening her eyes yet again."I felt death's embrace take me, my killers left me in a backalley."  This fact puzzled the ocelot a great deal. It was odd for the Children of the Reaper to do such a thing. They again, it could have been there hideout had been compromised or they were new members acting out of line.

"At about sunrise shortly before service today ended, I woke up with no heartbeat, no breath in my lungs, and this knife lodged firmly in my chest."She put the knife away, her words where heavy. In spite of the fact couldn't physically cry anymore, it sure sounded like she wanted to.She angrily slammed her fist into the hull of the mech, teeth bared back. "Goddamn...just..." She struggled to find the right words. She didn't look at either of the Vaponci. She just stared hull, Expecting bullet to tear through her skull.

[Ghostwish]

Challam was a tad tipsy, but not so smashed that he didn't miss both the manacles.. and the demon reaching for his arms. His intoxicated state did, however, cause him to react perhaps a bit stronger than he would normally have.

What he did was quickly morph his wings, the feathers vanishing as they became the trademark tentacles of his race, with the trademark heads of his clan. As he turned to move his arm away from the guard's grasp, he positioned the heads right where his had been.. and so the guard would likely find himself reaching for something with lots of sharp, pointy teeth.

"No, I wouldn't mind, but you can lose the cuffs in a hurry. I mean, seriously? Manacles on a cubi? Why not market a one-size fits all shirt for mythos while you're at it?" Challam barked, huffing angerly. "And another thing! I just got back from a century abroad, so just what questions are you planning on asking? Maybe what classes I took? Sheesh!"

[Azlan]

Locke disembarked at ground level with a jovial attitude and pleasant smile, for he would not need to traipse around the entire city for what he needed.  Risking being viewed as a bit ostentatious, he made an outwardly obvious use of magic to generate a rain shield.  In reality he activated a small enchanted device, but he saw a certain value in being perceived as an arcane sort for the time being.

Venturing into the crowd, he was careful to be polite as he maneuvered among them, heading for the area where there appeared to be a demonstration occurring.  Curiosity led to some interesting finds in the past, and hopefully this would be at the very least academic.

[Mel Dragonkitty]

Adelaide wandered around the city shopping district, not really looking for anything. As a knight her order provided all of her necessities and there were few non-essentials she craved. She started into a bookstore but a rather tall squirrel dressed in the habit of those book crazy nuns was at the counter. As she seemed to be purchasing half the store, judging by the size of her stack of purchases Addy decided that book browsing wasn't worth her time.

As she continued down the street she saw a sign for a pet store. She decided to stop in. It was really too bad that the order didn't have any place for a veterinarian, as Addy truly loved animals, as opposed to people, whom she could barely stand most days. The place specialized in exotics, rather than your typical housepets so Addy was surprised to see the little kitten in a cage. Not even an exotic kitten but an average white ball of fluff. Then she spotted the little white wings. With heroic effort the chinchilla managed to turn her delighted but undignified squeal into a cough. She knelt down to get a closer look at little creature.

[Mechanisto]

The instant after Baseel had made use of his firearm, Josephine had a strange rapier clasped in her left hand. She stood in a classic fencer's posture, back arched to present her foe a narrow cross-section. Of course with the brigand dispatched, she now pointed her strange sword in Baseel's general direction. She spent only a moment staring at the body, her lips pursed in disappointment. She seemed almost a touch despaired, but soon regained her composure. She then returned the blade to her belt, and offered the Demon a curtsy.

She spoke with an accent that was almost unnaturally refined and delicate. "Queen's own to you, good genteel. I had been hoping to arrange the purveyance of a legitimate soulstone, and came to this settlement dressed accordingly... I have since, to my knowledge, exhausted all upstanding channels and have had no choice but to abase myself with less respectable vendors." She left the issue of her oddly extravagant attire unspoken.

"If I am to understand you as being the rightful owner of said stone... would you be interested in pursuing this transaction yourself?" She tilted her head slightly. "I shall be disheartened but understanding if you refuse. If it's any consolation, I am neither a lackey nor a merchant... I seek it for my own use."

She wondered what he would make of her desire to use it herself... surely this Sir Wolkshammer knew how powerful a stone such as this was.

[Noone]

Kyirri looked at the hostess as she brought him his food. If I'm paying this much for a single night... I might as well make the most of it. Quickly glancing towards her, he made a soft nod. "I don't need anything else, but thanks." With that, he ate his breakfast, handled payment, then went outside.

Once outside, he scanned the streets, noting how crowded they were, or if anyone else took unusual interest in himself. He took his usual measures to avoid being noticed. With a sigh, he headed towards his destination, hoping that he wouldn't be attacked or the like.

[techmaster-glitch]

Aelisium Forest

   As Lucy made her way up to the spot on the Storm Scorp, there were indeed hand rungs in various places seemingly there for that very purpose. Then...she began telling her story, admitting she was an Undead. Gezzemocht only watched with a grim expression on his face as he returned to the rear cockpit, while Gaakronacht twisted around in his again, mouth hanging open slightly.
   There was only a moment of silence when she finished. Then Gezz spoke. "Truely...you have suffered what is probably the worst fate for one of us Beings to endure, worse than any death... to be turned into one of them."
   Gaak shut his mouth and adopted a similar grim expression to his older brother. "We were both in the Aelisium military for four years. We repelled incursions from all four of the other regions. We know firsthand just how vile magic, and the entities capable of innately controlling it, are. We know that they need to be kept out of our haven, no matter the cost..."
   "But..." Gezz spoke again. "We do know that not all Creatures are despicable power maniacs who think us Beings to be their playthings. Only most of them. You see, for the last few years after finishing our military service, we've been patrolling border towns of Aelisium as independant private defence contractors, border towns not important enough to get a real military presence for protection. For these reasons, these are the areas the occasional Creature can stay in and lie low with less to worry about than farther in. We've met some of them. Indeed, a Creature can be a decent person. Who would have thought?"
   "This is why...." Gaak again. "We will help you in the same way we have the few good Creatures, even if you are not entirely truthful about your story for whatever reason. We'll take you as far into Nhylamar as we dare. Now that you're...one of them, it's not safe for you to stay here (though it seems you already know that). We do still need to alert the garrison of this Ahnk'Ator incursion first, but we won't turn you in."
   "Although, you do still have time to consider." The older brother said. "If you are telling the truth...personally, I'd say that being exiled into their lands to live as one of them...is absolutely a worse fate than death itself. But it's your choice. You've got until we get to Nhylamar to think it over. But if there's any other ways we can help you in the meantime, we'll do what we can."

[Paladin Sheppard]

Having been in far seedier marketplaces, Paige passed off the gunshot off with the same lack of interest as most of the citizens around her. Apart from the sweets and the dresses, the shopping so far had been mostly unimpressive, for which the Succubus was very much surprised (not that it occurred to her her tastes were far from the average.).

After crossing the square and avoiding being crushed in the process, she found herself in front of a pet store, and again her addiction to cute things overruled common sense and she walked inside.

Wandering around she soon found herself looking into a cage at first appeared to be a normal kitten, but when it rolled over spotted the little wings. The was a cough on the other side of the cage just as she was about to make a girlish squeal, which brought her up short. "Oh crap its that Angel/demon from yesterday.."  Paige thought.

Thinking that if Baseel thought the other important, it would be best if she attempted to mend fences, after all she may act ditsy but she was a highly intelligent fighter pilot.

"Its cute isn't it?" She said in her politest voice.

[WhiteFox]

Gabriel's shotgun had thundered only just after Baseels. Unlike the demon, Gabe had aimed for the gut. Instead of a bullet wound, about two dozen tiny metal flechettes, barbed and fin stabilized darts about three inches long, covered an area about nine inches across on the corpses abdomen. They had only penetrated about a half an inch, but the lacerations were bleeding profusely.
     The rat waved his gun lightly to disperse the smoke. "I aint a sir, I work for a living." He said, and pointed to the unicorn with his thumb. "At the moment, for her."
     Then he tipped the brim of his hat to the demon. "Gabriel Cartwright, freelance mechanic, engineer, and enchanter."
     He gestured to the gun. "This is Holland, a good friend I made a while back."
     He gestured to the darts. "That was a bee-hive round, with some rock-salt thrown in for good measure. Adding in-salt to injury, you could say." He said, and smirked in jest. "Pardon me while I see to my friend here while you discuss your affairs." He said, then nodded in parting, and stepped back a pace to withdraw from the conversation. He still kept an ear open, though.
     Gabriel took a translucent blue ball from his belt and dropped it down Walsh's barrel. He pulled a hand lever on the side of the gun, which turned the indicator for the firing mode from Ignite to Activate.
     He stepped aside to lean against the wall, rested Holland against his shoulder, and kept a casual eye on both ends of the alleyway. Walsh parked at one end, the demon standing at the other. Both of them had Gabriel worried about pirates and thieves.

[SpottedKitty]

Zelah's nerves were coming closer and closer to being completely shredded. Last night had been enough of a strain, with so many Creatures in the castle's main dining hall. At least they'd all been friendly: the last time the feline 'Cubi had been in such a large crowd surging with hostile emotions, it had brought on an ears-twisting headache that had lasted for hours. Well... almost all friendly — there had been one guest, one of the few Beings there, a brightly coloured frog of some kind. He'd radiated a general disapproval, if not an actual dislike, of Captain Wolkshammer, and yet he seemed to want to get close to him. That struck Zelah as rather ominous, but the frog had disappeared into the crowd as the dinner party broke up.

The 'Cubi had fidgeted all night in her room, worrying. She didn't know anyone here, and the only one she even half trusted was the Captain. Could she go to him wearing only her purple pyjamas (the castle staff had whisked away the rest of her travel-stained clothes for a long overdue cleaning) and say in her slightly exotic, not-from-around-here Aeliseium accent, "Captain, I have detected feelings of hostility towards you." Would he believe her? Could she believe herself? She'd been led astray before relying only on her ability to sense emotions.

In the morning no-one had been assassinated in their sleep, there were other things to think about, and Zelah almost forgot about the frog. He'd been issued a uniform in the Wolkshammer livery, and other gear that would be delivered to his cabin on the airship. He hadn't quite worked himself up to a nervous headache overnight, but he was twitchy, and he almost visibly jumped when he caught sight of the frog again as the Captain took them all to the northern market for the shopping expedition he'd mentioned the day before.

That decided him. When the airship landed at the market and everyone went off in different directions, Zelah waited for a moment then followed the frog. It didn't take long to realise the frog was in turn following Captain Wolkshammer. Zelah did his best to keep both of them in sight, changing his appearance whenever it seemed the frog might have looked back. He'd noticed the colour change, but he could follow the frog by his emotions now. Finally the little procession led to the end of an alley.

The 'Cubi sidled closer, and almost panicked when he heard the gunshot. Apart from a few flicked ears and bristled tails, though, none of the passers-by reacted very much. He heard the Captain's voice, but not clearly enough to make out what he'd said. Now was the best time to make his move, while the frog was distracted. As he stepped out of a shop doorway and took a few quick paces forward, Zelah steadied his nerves and, for the first time in public, unfurled his wings and headwings. He felt horribly exposed, as if he'd ripped off his clothes and waved his... anatomy at everyone.

The slits in the back of the uniform worked just as the castle's quartermaster had promised, and the 'Cubi loomed over the frog with his wings mantling his shoulders and his headwings spread. "All right," he said in a snarling, no-nonsense tone he'd learned in the Aeliseium army, "who are you, and what do you want with Captain Wolkshammer?" The posture of Zelah's wings hid his arms from behind, so only the frog could have noticed his right hand not quite pulling from his pocket something suspiciously like the butt of a pistol...

[Boog]

Outside the Alleyway.

The bang of the gunshot made Jeremiah jump. He didn't like guns. They were loud and noisy and they hurt people. He'd had plenty of bad experiences with guns, which unfortunately usually stemmed from him not having or wanting one. He tried to shake the surprise out of his head and listened closer. This was probably where things would get very, very important.
Jerry?
Shut up, Bal.
JERRY!
What!?
Where did the sun go?
... Oh. Um...
Ever have a plan fall apart while you're distracted?
Jeremiah slowly turned, eyes following the shadow that had fallen over him along the wall to the wings of a rather tall incubus. It occurred to him that wings made any contest of looming rather unfair.
"All right, who are you, and what do you want with Captain Wolkshammer?" Whoever the man was, he was armed. And dressed in the livery of the Captain. So, at any rate, at least this was still taking him in the appropriate direction. The frog considered his next move very carefully, before slowly putting his arms in front of him, palms out, the universal gesture for surrender, before slowly reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out a small, brightly colored packet. He plucked a small pink cube from it, unwrapped it, and popped it in his mouth before holding it out to his captor.
"Gum?"
Silly, yes, but whether or not the person would accept it after you took a piece could tell you a lot about them. After politely waiting for the fellow to accept or decline, he continued.
"Anyway, yes, you've rumbled me. As you can plainly tell, I'm an assassin." The lie exploded in the being's consciousness like a firework. A cubi could tell he was bullshitting, and deliberately poorly, from space. He went on, keeping an entirely straight face, "I've been sent by his ex girlfriend to bring her his head, after tearing it off his body with my bare hands." He held up said hands again, demonstrating that not only was he not about to rip the heads off any demons, he probably had a bit of trouble opening particularly stubborn jars. "But don't be fooled by my appearance as a deadly bruiser. I am in fact a powerful mage, and intend to use every both of my arcane talents to bring about his doom. If you've been following me long enough you've already seen one of them. Beware my awesome might."
Finally, the frog's face cracked into a grin, and seven mental voices howled out laughing.
"In all seriousness, your master may be able to get me somewhere I need to be. I was hoping to put forward the matter to him at such a time and place as it was convenient, where I wouldn't be turned away by some secretary. But it looks like he's busy." He leaned back against the cool brick, closing his eyes and smiling. His mind roiled in a panic, but it sure as hell wasn't letting his face know.
"Do me a favor? I've been lonely as hell since the castle. Pull up some wall and keep me company until he gets out. You can even keep the gun on me, if it does something for you."

[Tipod]

'Subtle wares,' she says. Bart had any number of qualities, but 'subtle' was not one of them. Hopefully, she wouldn't insist on foisting that girlish weapon on him. "...okay, so no go for teaching us. It's fine, I see where you're getting at. How about I just place an order?" The eggheads at home could probably map out how a gun worked if they had a whole box of the damn things to play with.

"Like, let's saaayyy..." He hemmed and hawwed, claws drumming along the counter. "A couple crates of assorted firearms, and one handcannon for me? Preferably something that won't bring my manhood into question?" Bart shifted a little, giving the phoenix a wry look. "You sell party-crates, don't you? Like a box of mixed nuts, but with guns?"

[Lisky]

On The River

The mist filled the deck, blinding those caught in the thick dark cloud.  Shouts of confusion, "What is that?!"  "Where is he?"  "What the hell just happened" passed back and forth between the trio, as well as other voices further down the deck.  All this was suddenly halted, as a deep, whispy voice stated, "Hold you ground, stay still, otherwise this might hurt a bit."

*KKKKZZZAAACCK*  A bright light suddenly filled the darkened cloud, the bolt of lightning passing so close that Arroyo could feel warmth of the air it'd heated in the milliseconds it'd passed though the area.  Ozone filled his nostrils, and the blinding flash left everyone blinking little stars out of their eyes.

"Did ya get 'em?" 

"I do not know... now shut up and let me focus!"


Pirate Interrogation

"It was more or less dumb luck.  We hit a small convoy south of here, near Ahnk territory.  When we saw that smoke cloud on the horizon, the captain figured it'd be worth checking out.  We didn't have any prior knowledge that the train would crash, we did have knowledge that there would be a train in the area.  Those things are on pretty accurate and set schedules, ya know."

Giving a sigh, the feline asked, "Is there anything else, or am I free to go.  The longer I stay, the less chance I have of clearing out before some other gung ho demon or cubi comes traipsing around, and hauls me off for 'questioning'."


In the Streets, By the Burning Bar

"Just cooperate and come down to the station, we've got an expert who'll know the instant you even think about telling a lie.  I have no such advantage"  Sweeping a hardened wing across the flurry of draconian heads.

"either you come the easy way or the hard way, your pick."  The demon's free hand glowed with a murky blue.  Challam could sense the stun-spell, powerful, direct, simple, and very difficult to deflect or dispel in flight.




Pet Store

The kitten watched Dr. Addy for a few seconds, placing it's paws against the metal bars of the cage, then reaching out towards the angel with a single paw, tiny claws extended with obvious intent to try and reach just a little further.

Paige's attention would be turned to something gooey, dripping down the back of an ear.  Above her, a bizarre looking gecko, oozing with it's glossy coating, was busy cleaning itself, rather nonchalantly dropping the coating wherever dirt and grim found themselves embedded.


Sevoy Back Alley

Tapping the stone-bag, Bas nodded politely to the rodent and equine, giving a grin of approval at the seemingly ingenuitive half-pint.  Turning his attention back to the ball-gown attired unicorn, Bas replied, "I've got a need myself of this particular stone.  However, if you don't mind my asking, what do you need such a powerful energy source for?  I –might- be able to acquire an additional stone, but first, I need to see if I can use your skills." 

Outside, Gabe would note a rather prominent winged figured enter the pet-store across the market.  He could also hear a conversation going on, on the far side of the alley, the words were distant and muffled, but there were at least 2 other people behind this, Baseel.


Around the Wagons

The other succubus, however, stayed just long enough deliver a powerful blunt slap across Stephan's face, she used a winged tentacle, and it hurt.  It felt less like a slap, and more like getting decked with a baseball bat.  Blood trickled from the fresh splits in his lip, along with his nostril, and a small split near his eyebrow.  "You son of a bitch" Sylvie replied

"After all she did to try and help you, that's how you treat your own sister?  Great Job looking out for her... just great.  I'm going to follow her, and you are not, if you know what's good for you."

Turning her back, Sylvie darted off after Mary.


Outside the Inn (Kyirri)

The moment the little roo-rat put his foot on the pavement, the urges returned.  He didn't just want to the find the library, he –needed- to.  With his constantly alert nature, the first thing he'd notice would be the canine being, dressed in muted brown leather, he bore the uniform of a mechanic.  That, in and of itself was by no means odd, nor the tool-belt, filled with various specialty items, and the clearly enchanted tool-belt, with several times it's actual volume worth of carrying capacity.  What was odd, however, was just how clean the mutt looked.  He seemed a bit too dapper to be mechanic, and something about his walk.  An arrogant stride, shoulders squared, at some point, that male part Dalmatian had been in an army.

Kyirri had few options, either confront the man somewhere where there was too high a risk of collateral damage, a risky venture to be sure, or, attempt to loose his tail in the twisting roads of the city.


(OOC Note: Writing this while on vacation has taken forever, i know i still owe more, and i'll get to them when i have time, Thank you in advance for your patients)

[Tapewolf]

"I'm done with you," Sethir told the pirate, loosening his tentacled grip over her very slightly.  "If my associate here has no further questions, you're free to go."

[Paladin Sheppard]

Feeling something slimy plop onto her ear Paige put a hand up to find out what it was. "Ewww....." She said as her eyes followed the path of the filth to the Gecko thing.

"Gods that's revolting" Paige uttered as she wiped her hand against it's cage.

[Noone]

Kyirri glanced at the Canine, however, he soon decided to go on his own way. Sticking your nose into business not your own invites trouble... I'd best stick to mine. He briefly checked his wallet to make sure that all his coins were accounted for, but he was careful not to show it in public.

Hoping that his memory of gazing at those maps before would serve him, he strode on. While he kept alert, he tried to avoid direct eye contact with anyone. He didn't fight the compulsions either. For now, he just let them control him. There wasn't much that resistance could do for him either, they always won.

If there's anything useful about those commands... is that hopefully they'll guide me to where I need to be, and not even allow me to get lost... assuming I'm going where he wants me to go anyways...