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

[Aisha deCabre]

Aisha hadn't stayed for too awful long in the corridors near the library, where she suspected many of the others still were.  Along the way, the panthress felt it wise to put the coat on, first having untied her cape in the process.  It's a time like this that I think I shouldn't have been born a jaguar, she thought idly to herself.  Dealing with the cold was never something she liked, although Aisha usually could do so with a natural winter climate in her usual clothes.  Nothing like a polar winter...which she figured was akin to what would happen to the castle, purely on a guess.

As she figured, the felid glanced into the library only to run into Gina and Bambi, and perhaps Jeremiah and Keaton still hung around as well.  Gareeku she either thought had followed Mel and Sebastian to the boiler room, or had come with her.  And Cogi was nowhere to be seen, but knowing him, he must have been safely placed.  Before she had a chance to speak up, Aisha's ears perked, hearing the bat's warning from somewhere in the house.

"Vamos, chicos y chicas (let's go, boys and girls)," Aisha said in a call for attention, pointing a thumb down the corridor.  "You heard him."  Making sure that everyone who was coming was behind or nearby her, she started to discern the direction from memory on where Sebastian and Mel had moved, and quickly.  Aisha could already feel the house growing cold...whether or not it was by her imagination, she slipped the cape back around her shoulders and the hood over her head while walking.

[Gareeku]

Standing back and listening to the others converse, Gareeku then followed Aisha as she looked for the others. Not really understanding what Aisha said when she spoke in her native tongue, the wolf assumed that she had suggested they leave.
"Better do what she says. You don't want to get on the wrong side of this kitty." Gareeku commented jokingly, grinning at the pantheress before following her as she began walking again.

[Prof B Hunnydew]

Bambi is so overjoyed to see Aisha and Gareeku, that she squeals and just stops short of hugging Gareeku.  Yet, she quickly looks worried as she says "Cog go, not home!...no Frog,  Frog not here" and she starts to look around for the succubus... "C  dU headwingy?" she askes as she starts to put Gina's coat and then her coat on as the castle's temperatures start to drop. 

PBH

[Mel Dragonkitty]

Mel nodded at Sebastian that the spell was coming along fine. The freezing mist was whirling faster, a vortex of finely misted water and supercooled air combining into a glaze of ice. As the guide she started the upwards movement, through the ductwork into the rooms and outward to every corner of the massive structure.

[Sunblink]

Keaton was spending her solitary time in the library in relative silence. Even Bambi Hunnydew had gone to comfort Mel in some form, leaving only Keaton in the library. Deciding that it was best to leave Mel's consolation up to those who knew her best, Keaton took her seat in one of the armchairs which hadn't been turned over during the dragon's previous rampage and set to playing with her marble again, watching the tiny globe soar in the air over and over. Before the sloping shadows cast along the floor, a deep, black pit formed itself, seething and writhing with barely-contained tendrils of misty darkness.

Keaton had been keeping an eye on it for a little bit after realizing that this was the same event which occurred during the fight with the Archangel, after which Catastrophe reappeared. Sure enough, the mace completed reforming itself and hovered over to her, still exuding palpable waves of darkness. Keaton accepted the mace, weighing it in her palm and pocketing her marble.

She wasn't sure how it was capable of doing that. Perhaps it was the soul contained within it's link to her own body. Then why she hadn't learned of this secret ability's effects hundreds of years ago was beyond her.

When the group returned, Keaton craned her head lazily around, head-wings and ears perked. "Ah, welcome back," she said languidly, observing as Bambi stockpiled the coats and gloves she had gathered from the closet on the table, returning to her ferret friend (Keaton was starting to wonder if something rather interesting happened between those two).

When the temperature began to drop and Stygian's voice was heard resonating through the air, Aisha was quick to order everyone out of the room. Keaton didn't need to be told twice. Her clothing, scanty and promiscuous as it was, was more suited for her strange brand of fashion than any form of insulation, and frankly, Keaton hated the cold. Scooping up a coat (a nice black one), Keaton hastily slipped it on, picking up her mace and resting it against her shoulder. She followed the group, hugging her bosom with her free arm.

~Keaton the Black Jackal

[Aisha deCabre]

"Damn straight," Aisha laughed in reply to Gareeku's statement and playfully punched his shoulder, as the others fell into line behind the panthress and started walking along.  She was glad at least that the attitude had risen to a small level of humor, despite the recent traumas with the spiders.  Though she was still sickened by the thought of what it had done, rarely did the huntress let things get to her.

And with the temperature lowering slowly but steadily, she also knew that their retribution would be gained soon enough.  The smirk had turned into a grim one, imagining the vermin freezing solid, one by one, trying in vain to endure the conditions before knowing that they would already be dead...that very visual was imagined the moment she was freed.

She paused, gaining a quick headcount.  Everyone had made themselves known except for Jeremiah.  Working together, with the group walking briskly along, nobody was going to be lost.  Just in case though, Aisha shouted out, "boiler room, anyone we're missing!  Move it!" and quickened her pace.

They found the pathway easily enough, thinking of directions...though it was common sense to just move down stairs wherever they found them.

[Mel Dragonkitty]

As Mel kept feeding the spell upwards and outwards throughout the grand building a part of her was aware that they had gained an audience. She was too busy to count noses but it seemed as if everyone was gathered in the furnace room. She couldn't even spare the concentration to nod at them as she monitored the movement of the cold, it seemed to be taking forever. It felt as if she had fed an entire glacier to the castle one ice crystal at a time before she reached the correct temperature throughout. Now she just had to hold it here for a few minutes, long enough to kill any remaining spiders.

[Stygian]

The air of the entire castle seemed to take on an entirely different character, even visibly. Chill clung to walls and stiffened carpets, made chandeliers clink and glass and metal surfaces frost, small crackles the only sound about. The floors iced over in some places, and throughout the whole place, chill air moved down, eerily silently turning the castle into a giant icebox. The spell was somewhat strenuous, but without the convenience of its design, one could have struggled to freeze the castle completely and failed quite a long way from getting anywhere near done.
   And the place stayed cold. Only the initial ring pattern of the circle on the floor stayed active, glowing a glacier-ice blue and slowly moving about, two rings rotating slowly inside each other along with the symbols on their outside, which intermittingly formed complex signs that flashed and stayed for a second before moving on. The air was still and terribly cold, even though the air in the big underground room and at the heart of the spell was warmer than anywhere else. The adventurers had to seal up all the cracks in their clothes as well as they could to keep the heat from leaking out and that deadly cold from seeping in. It was almost irritating how Mel and Stygian could both sit right in the middle of the circle, icy mist surrounding them and frost clinging to both their forms, seemingly without minding.
   Then, after what had seemed quite a long time in that deadly chill, the bat finally moved.
   "I think that's enough. Time for the next part now," he said. Slowly, he spread his hands, and placed them on the seal on the ground. And then, a third circle appeared, inside the other two, building on their pattern. The three started moving, rotating around each other in their own directions and speeds, interacting with and completing each other where they needed. And so was the spell that they formed. It wasn't three separate spells; Mel could tell quite well. But it was like someone had made three different layers of the spell, which the circles represented, and pieced them on or inside each other and made them move about, making them interlock at places to trigger the right responses, like a clockwork mechanism. And together with the external manipulation, that made for a working result that could not be described as anything short of... beautiful.
   Fire suddenly ignited in the furnace, and leapt out in a swirl around the dragon and the bat, taking its place in the ritual. It moved around them, but did not touch them directly, instead making its way into the spell and taking its place in it, replacing the water with flames and hot gases, and rushing out into the already streaming spell and air. It gripped the water and the cold, exponished and drove it out, sweeping through corridors and walls alike and heated the place up in a near-silent storm, the only sound the crackling of the flames and ashes around Mel and Sebastian on the floor, at the heart of it.
   And then, it was snuffed out, the last light of flames rushing away into the air ducts before dissappearing entirely, along with the now orange-glowing circles that had finally stopped, locking with each other completely before they faded. The wind stopped, and then there was only the crackling of the furnace.

   Sebastian made a small shuffling sound as he got to his feet, but no more, and then brushed himself off and straightened his clothes.
  "Right. Then, we're done here. Thank you for the help, miss Icewing," he said, quite formally, and stepped up to her. "If there is anything you want to ask, please just seek me out later. Now, if you'll excuse me..."
   With that, the bat paced off and up the stairs, and away before anyone had a chance to hinder him. Soon, he was going down the front entrance stairs instead, having disguised himself and put on a t-shirt and jacket, and heading for town. The sun was still up, so he was squinting quite hard, and immediately stuck to the shadows behind buildings as he entered Arrien and headed for the one place that he knew Cog would be in.

[Boog]

Jeremiah waddled into the boiler room, quite thoroughly enveloped in his heavy fur coat to keep out the lethal cold. He simply nodded to Mel as he entered and found a corner to sit down in and stay warm. No expending any energy he didn't have to, just sit and collect heat.

[Cogidubnus]

Downing yet another glass of whiskey, Cog slammed it back down on the counter and ordered up another, already on his second of the day. Cog found himself drinking a lot lately, and it was somewhat bothering him. Adventurers who became drunks seldom lived very long, and drunk swordsmen even less.
   It bothered him yet more that he barely cared. He was about to order up another when yet another patron entered the tavern, letting in the bright, bothersome afternoon sun for a moment. He turned to see a single blond-colored fox walk in, dressed in a simple ensemble of a t-shirt and pants. He turned disinterestedly back to his drink.
   To his surprise, the fox walked up beside him and sat, tapping his finger on the bar for a drink. Cog turned to regard the fox yet again before suddenly jerking and drawing back, his eyes narrowing. He recovered quickly, leaning back forward his face falling somewhat. He sighed and took a drink.
"Didn't expect I'd ever see you again." he said after taking a long swallow. He peered at Sebastian out of the corner of his eyes. "I'm somewhat at a loss as to why you're here too. I thought you wanted to be left alone." he said, his voice not-quite devoid of sadness.

[Stygian]

The fox, somewhat smaller than Stygian normally was and dressed in a bit of orange too instead of just black like usual, twitched his ears and then laid them back a bit. He didn't say anything until he got his drink, at which point he swept down half the glass and sighed out, and then muttered as he spoke.
   "Couldn't very well let you go. You might still have a spider on you," he gruffed and rolled his eyes, and it was clear to see what he thought of that excuse. "I really can't let you leave just like that. You understand, don't you?" That one though, could have meant anything.
   The 'fox' sat there for a while, his straight and slimmed muzzle pointing down under his slim glasses right into the glass before him. He emptied it, sighed, ordered up another and seemed more pondering what to say than hesitant to say it.
   "There are several reasons why I couldn't let you leave. But you're right. Not about the 'coward' thing, but about me..." he finally said, then stopped. "I'm a monster, but I still want to be a person. And I do want... people around. Or at least Hell, after a century and a half..."
   He stopped and his face saddened, his gaze forward and not meeting Cog's. People were looking at them a bit, casting disconcerned glances, but no one had come in yet, and the bar was still as calm as ever.
   "I thought you were offended. And that you despise me."

[Mel Dragonkitty]

Mel got to her feet with less grace than Sebastian. She nodded politely when he spoke to her but couldn't really attend to what he was saying before he disappeared. All she could think about was sleep. Her few minutes of napping between research the night before really hadn't been that refreshing and the deficit had caught up to her with a vengeance. Stumbling a bit over her own feet Mel turned a yawn into a smile at the rest of the party. "I think I'll skip lunch and go for a nap. Those library chairs are comfortable, but really don't make great beds. I'll see you around dinner time."

Upon that announcement  Mel climbed first the basement stairs, then the grander set up to the second floor. Finding a room that appeared unclaimed by any of the others she barely managed to get her borrowed shoes off and the room temperature lowered to a comfortable level before curling up on top of the covers still dressed and falling asleep.

[Prof B Hunnydew]

Bambi waves to the dragon, saying " Nighty nighty"  As she and Gina headed to the door ...

"Go to Get Snack or  Foooot? Come on" calls out PBH as she waves to the rest of the group to heads to the kitchen to see if there was any food stuff to cook.

PBH

[Aisha deCabre]

The panthress had been relieved when the group was finally within the boiler room, the surroundings somewhat warmer with the rest of them there, although the idea of just how cold the castle was could be felt easily.  Aisha leaned against a part of the wall, simply watching the process unfold before them, and conducted rather fluently and smoothly with the bat and dragon working it.

As the air grew colder, even in the room where they were safe from the dramatic changes upstairs, Aisha seemed to shrink into the coat while her cape was wrapped around her drawn-up knees.  The only part left exposed to the air was her tail, and that was enough to make her shiver as it curled back into the cloak.  How is anyone prepared for such conditions?  She wondered, staring at Sebastian and Mel while they continued purging the castle of warmth and spiders without a single bit of visible discomfort.  When the warmth returned with the second stage, the panther was able to relax again, at least comforted in the knowledge...or hope...that the vermin were gone.

She hadn't tried to stop Sebastian as he left the group suddenly once more, the task assumed finished.  He has quite a habit of doing that, Aisha thought humorously, but at least for now things were calm enough not to need more help.  Still recovering a little from the chill, the panthress sat comfortably on the floor for a little while, keeping an eye on the others and waving a farewell to the dragon as she was the next to leave.

Her eyes rolled slightly at Bam's insistence on getting out of there too.  Aisha didn't feel like moving immediately, as a felid felt most comfortable where it was warm...but the prospect of lunch was what ordered the panthress to her feet again.  "I hope whatever's left won't have to be chipped out of ice..." she joked, pulling her cowl back and glancing at the others.

[Cogidubnus]

Cog gave a somewhat confused look to the fox, his head tilting. A soft grin played across his face. "Despise? No, I think not,", he said, his resolve firming as he grinned. "No, most certainly not. Although, I can understand why you'd think that..."
   He stared at the fox for a few moments before inclining his head towards him, and murming a soft apology. "I spoke rashly, and in anger. I owe you an apology." he said, his face somewhat sour with regret. "My intent was not to make you think I despised you. I...ah...well." he said, taking a slow drink. "I simply could not, and do not, understand you. You're not a coward...but you do run. Away, almost constantly. It vexes me. Perhaps it should not...no, it should not, period. Like you said, I have no right to force you to do anything."
   He removed his glasses, setting them on the counter. Now was not the time to hide behind shaded glass. "I...was offended. It's a testament to you that you can do so. Not many can. And, it's nothing I will hold against you. You were partially right. I don't have any right, even if you do really want to be around people. It's your decision."
   He took another drink, setting the half-empty glass down. He sat quiet for a moment, and leaned back in his chair. "As long as you do want people around, though, I'll be there." he said finally, waiting for the bat to speak.

[Prof B Hunnydew]

The castle is a winter wonderland, but the air was above freezing ... Frost and ice gleeming over everything in the sunlight, as it slowly melts.   Bambi looks in wonder at the melting beauty

"ha ha Winter Everywhere, but ...." says Bambi as she stops in the middle of the  hall and hits her hand to  her front Head... She quickly grabs Aisha arm and pulls the panther to her, and she does a small burn on her neck with a flaming arm spell...When no spider appears...she looks sorry, but says

"Winter everywhere, but on US..."

PBH

[Stygian]

The 'fox' snorted and swigged his drink down, slapping the glass on the counter and muttering.
   "Sure. As if that could ever work..." he said, and then put his cheek in his palm, leaning on the counter. Idly, he moved the ice in his glass with a finger. "If you want to keep off that subject, then I'm not going to press you. But as long as it remains significant... Another, please," he said, clearly and aloud. His drink arrived quickly enough, but he sipped this one more carefully, to make it last, staying silent a bit.
   "I suppose you think I should be complimented by your words. Well, you're not entirely wrong there. But the running part..." he grumbled. "I do, but for a reason. And I think you should realize. The name's infamous, after all..." That earned a quick glance from the bartender, and a tough-looking woman over on the corner, but Sebastian ignored them. "You might have heard yourself. There is a reason why I am a monster, and why that's just the way it is. Now, it's nothing that I want to talk about, but..."
   He turned on his chair, and then eyed Cogidubnus very seriously, his face neutral but his eyes intense and glowing in that way that the wolf had seen very well before.
   "I don't demand things of people unless it's business, and never expect, seldom even hope. I play the game by the rules as they are; no holds, all serious and all dangerous. An what's more relevant; I know you can handle yourself, and I do not look down on you. Quite the opposite, in fact. But if you're uncomfortable with me or what I am, then you had better take those words back."
   He almost felt like he should do something for emphasis. But he held, and while he smiled just the smallest bit, his eyes remained as grave as ever.
   "I like you, I'll admit that. You've got fire. But that's all the more reason for me to say this."

[Aisha deCabre]

Stepping back into the upper reaches of the castle, Aisha was held in slight awe at the appearance of the place.  The temperature had returned to a tolerable level, but the place she had expected to be icy instead appeared as dry as it had been before, the surroundings quiet save for the group's footsteps and voices.  The panthress looked up briefly to glimpse the ceiling, curiously searching for just the slightest bit of moisture.

Having not really listened to Bambi's observations, she was slightly surprised when the fae had grabbed her arm and set a flame near her neck.  The panthress wrenched out of it, burning the base of her neck in the process.  She drew in a hissing breath between her fangs and held her hand to it, shooting the other felid a red-tinged glare.

That didn't last long however, and she just shook her head in a forgiving manner.  "Sorry, but my spider was purged from me quite a while ago," she said with a calm and lightly irritated tone.  "Everyone else too, if you wish to check more."  With that, she resumed her walk through the corridors, briefly snapping the bracer around her wrist so that the healing light magic within could seal the burn.  In minutes she no longer felt it.

Which reminds me, I'll need to thank Sebastian when he returns, too, she thought while trying to find her way through the levels again.

[Prof B Hunnydew]

"GRRRRGRRHA!!!" shouts Bambi...as she stompers  her feet  into the Kitchen.... She goes about inventorying the food stuff to see how she can make of lunch or is it dinner?...Banging pot and pans as she whips up some chicken soup, and hot sandwiches... Another food run maybe well be needed, soon...

She lets to smell of food call anyone who is hunger enough to want to eat.  AS she sits in the kitchen brooding and wondering over her new paranoia over the group, and even If anyone would be reinflected with a spider just before the cold spell.   

PBH

[Cogidubnus]

 Cog nodded at the fox, his eyes sad. "As you say, then. You are, what you are. I'm fine with that." he said, grabbing his discarded shades and placing them back on his head. He turned, his voice soft. "Just as long as you are." he said, taking another drink and looking away from him. "I find I like you as well." he finally said.
He found the silence somewhat uncomfortable. He leaned back in his chair, declining to order another drink. He didn't want to get drunk before night fell, in any case. "I have no doubt you came all the way down here to see me." he said sincerely. "But I'm sure there's something else you might need while we're here. Perhaps more booze to replace the bottle I broke?"
He looked sideways at the fox. "I need to visit a tailor, at some point. If only for a hat."

[Stygian]

There. That was that, the bat in disguise thought, and stared forward, looking just as sad. Downing the last of his drink, he turned back against the counter again, and then fished something out of his pocket. Placing it on the counter, he then stepped down and turned to walk against the door. Cog could see the glinting silver coin, probably as old as the bat was himself, laying fat on the countertop.
   "I saw that thing the kitty was holding," he said, matter-of-factly to avoid anything else sneaking into his speech. "Figured I'd get a pair of those as well." Slowly, he walked toward the door, the eyes of the whole bar turned against them both for a few brief moments. "And no, more booze wouldn't hurt either..."
   The words were lashes for his soul. But he walked calmly on and out, turning and walking into the alley beside the place.

   A tailor could be found not far from the tavern. In fact, it was just to walk a quarter of the round square and then turn to the right, and the place would come up on one's left after just a few tens of paces.

[Boog]

Jeremiah nodded to Mel as she left. "Pleasant dreams. And thanks for the coat." He had no intention of going out there until it had cooled off; he'd been damaged enough today, thank you. However, one gets lonely sitting in a boiler room by themselves, and eventually the scent of Bambi's cooking reached even him.
The frog leaned around the door to the boiler room, pulling the coller of the fur coat up to his jawline. Nope, still too cold, he thought, ducking back inside, Freaking chill. He quickly threw together a small illusionary message and, hoping he'd remembered the way properly, sent it off to the kitchens to suggest that the poor, hurt, tired amphibian, who was unable to leave the boiler room in his terrible condition, should have lunch brought down to him if it's not too much trouble.

[Cogidubnus]

Cog drummed his fingers on the counter and watched Sebastian leave, somewhat lost in thought. As the fox opened the door and finally did exit, however, he seemed to wake up to the fact that perhaps it was time to leave the bar. He jerked in his seat before quickly reaching into his pocket and pulling out a silver coin, something he had thankfully remembered to transfer between clothing, and set it on the counter as he dashed out. It occurred to him he had perhaps overpaid.
The sun was still quite high in the sky, and the afternoon sun seemed garish in comparison to the shadows of the tavern. He took a single look down the street and spotted the fox making his way down the street. Considering his earlier comments, he figured Sebastian was heading for a gun shop. Jogging a moment to catch up, he fell into step a little behind the fox.
  "If it's quite alright with you, I'd like to see what kind of weapon you intend to buy. You didn't strike me as a firearm sort of person. More like knives in the dark, or summoned hellhounds from the eighth circle." He said. "Not that there's anything wrong with firearms, of course."

[Stygian]

The fox just walked on into the alley, and as he did, his skin started crawling and cracking, the familiar blackness spreading over it and making it writhe and seethe before Stygian returned to his real, genuine appearance.
   "A gun, when properly presented, is more threatening than a sword. It has range and the power to punch through armor as well. And besides, when I can rip a man to shreds with my bare hands, who needs a blade? It will distract my opponent from the real threat, and still serve well enough," he said coolly, the low and scathing tone to his voice returning in force. On he walked, glaring forward against the building up ahead, a two-story wooden history with a display window and a large backyard, and a steep slant to its tall roof, a large chimney letting out smoke high above it. He made his way through the alley and across the street, and then pushed the door, reading "Kingston's Firearms" in brass letters, open, a little bell tingling as he did.
   The place was as murky as the bar had been, and went in almost thesame red and dark browns, though of an entirely different nature. It seemed cramped, despite the open space in front of the counter, with crates and boxes of polished wood standing all over the floor, and the walls hung tall with rifles and guns of all kinds, chained or locked to them in some way mostly. Cabinets held finer examples of weapons, and in some places one could see small paintings of men hunting or adventurers slaying beasts or creatures with well-placed shots.
   Stepping up to the counter, the bat leaned over it, next to a huge knife with a bayonet-fix which had been driven into the polished wood for some reason, and looked into the back of the shop, where one could very faintly hint an orange glow from behind a door.

[Sunblink]

Within the boiler room, the first thing Keaton did was casually take a seat somewhere against the wall and resume playing with her marble, this time offhandedly letting it roll magnetically along the length of her arm as it followed her vaguest mental commands. She wasn't in the mood for interacting with anyone, for once, being somewhat in a solitary, maybe even the most remote thing to peaceful, mood despite all that had progressed previously. When Stygian had finished his ritual, everybody seemed more than eager to leave the room. Only after he had vanished did Keaton remember to thank him for his assistance in removing the curse--and for vanquishing the spider, apparently--much to her dismay.

Grumbling a little under her breath, Keaton climbed to her feet, rolling the marble between two digits. Bright colors swirled within it, wreathing around each other in a neverending, gently churning ocean of pastels and vibrant hues, one color changing into another. It was almost like a kaleidoscope of some sort, maybe even reminiscent of the dribbling oils of a watercolor painting. Giving the marble one last glance, Keaton ceremoniously set it back in her pocket.

Everyone was going for lunch. Being a Cubi, Keaton didn't need to eat, for once, even if there was a considerable absence of her favorite emotions. Sometimes it really did suck being a Jyraneth--they had a trademark affinity for different variations of suffering.

As she followed the group into the kitchen, Keaton let her eyes wander away from the frames of her glasses and into the distance. If the cold was meant to eliminate the spiders, did this mean that it would be safe for her to wander around? She felt somewhat restless, and playing with her only memento of her family sometimes wasn't enough to curb this.

"I'll be right back, guys," Keaton said, running her hand through her hair. "Just going to walk around for a moment."

And with that, before anyone could comment, she turned into a randomly chosen direction and walked off, humming softly under her breath, even allowing a few lyrics to slip in. 'Seek me, call me. I'll be waiting. This distance, this dissolution...'

~Keaton the Black Jackal

[Stygian]

There was a bit of rustling in the back, and then, from behind the sturdy door, came a short male badger, a pair of round glasses pinching his long, flat muzzle and a somewhat neat craftsman's outfit with a shirt and vest that were both snug on his short, stocky form. He peered through his glasses up at Sebastian and Cog, then shook his head and wiped his hands off on a piece of rough cloth.
   "'Nething I can help ye gents with?" the badger rumbled in a voice that seemed fit for a man half again as big as he. He eyed the bat carefully as he began strolling over to one wall of the shop, where the handguns were kept. Sebastian peered over them critically, judging them and thinking ever as much as the engineer that he actually wasn't. At least not by profession. In his head, he began going over numbers, chemistry, calculations and application.
   "I want you to make me a gun. More than one, actually. Something that can fire rifle bullets, wildcats or no. A revolver, I think," he said calmly, studying a big piece of that particular sort.
   "We have those. Three-hundreds and twenty-twos. Five hundred a piece or three fifty. The ammo's more expensive though. I'd recommend you buy a big point three-eighty or bigger, really," the badger replied calmly, studying the bat's hands, then Cogidubnus'. "And ye then, mister?"
   In his hand, Stygian drew idly with a claw. Then he asked; "Could I get a pen?"

- -

The castle seemed even bigger from the inside than it had from without. The arcs and hallways, the tapestries and paintings and statues, all gave the place such a regal and lofty feeling that it felt as if a king or archbishop should just turn up down the corridor with an entourage or a party of nobles and mages to sit there with wine and books and holding a conversation whenever Keaton turned a corner. Or for the next big room that she walked by to be filled with dancing people. And, with all those things missing, the feeling of the place instead turned to emptiness.
   As she wandered, she passed the atrium of the place. Somewhat wildgrown, the place looked a bit torn up after the freezing, and with the plants looming and looking dark and ragged that gave the large place a rather intimidating look. Following, as she went up into the higher floors a smaller library, a whole host of reception and guest rooms, and a dining hall passed by before she reached a somewhat familiar corridor.
   She had just about walked on past it in search of something more interesting, when she heard a slap behind her, a closing that sounded muffled, like a book snapping shut. It had come from behind her. And turning, she could see that only one door in the place was open.

[Sunblink]

As Keaton wandered aimlessly through the halls of the Castle, she couldn't help but distantly admire every opulent elaboration or piece of architecture she walked by, fully immersed in the rich history of the Castle Caerule. She had stopped humming a while ago, isolating her musical murmurings to the chambers of her mind. To maintain some form of tranquility to the atmosphere in a surprisingly respectful maneuver. Everywhere the jackal turned she expected to find the rooms thriving with people long departed--just as it may or may not have been long ago. She was uncertain, she had never familiarized herself with the legends surrounding the ancient palace.

In a way, it was breathtaking, yet depressing. It reminded her too much of home, and how she had visited the ruins of Harla'keth--the Haven of the Jyraneth--long ago. What was once a proud city housing a destructive, powerful clan (at least in their eyes) was ruined. Decrepit. Unsalvagable. Generations had been demolished, and it was unlikely that, even if the still-alive clan leader returned, it would ever be restored to its former glory with most of the population having been destroyed.

When she was in the atrium, Keaton sighed and stared briefly up at the sky to remind herself what time it was, and how long she had remained in the Castle. Welcoming daylight poured through the immense rupture in the ceiling, spilling in translucent, dusty spades down upon the haggard, wilted plants. For a moment Keaton wanted to test her wings to see if she could fly up through the opening to escape this wretched place, but some long-neglected part of her outright refused to let her abandon the people who remained in the kitchen. Why she cared was beyond her. Companionship came and went, especially when one was a Cubi, and as fervently traveling as her.

Keaton grew tired of remaining in that melancholy cavaedium. Digging out her marble once more, she started subaudibly singing another song to herself, rolling the tiny sphere in between her slender fingers. "Angels, they fall first, but I'm still here, alone as they are drawing near, in heaven my masterpiece will finally be sung..."

Several more rooms passed by uneventfully and by then Keaton had went through several different songs by seperate artists. Her fingers had grown rather tired of playing with the marble, perhaps because of the monotony of the situation, so she had tucked it back in her pocket. Turning around a familiar corner, she found herself in an equally familiar corridor, much to her dismay. Sighing distastefully and rolling her eyes, Keaton started to turn away, when something soft pounded in her eardrums.

A muffled slam. Keaton blinked and craned her upper body around. A door that she hadn't entered through was open. Her face contorted in a troubled frown. Regardless of all logic or any inner voices telling her to turn away and ignore it, Keaton moved over to investigate, interest picqued by this almost insignificant phenomenon. Who knew? Maybe she would find something amusing to entertain herself with.

~Keaton the Black Jackal

[Cogidubnus]

 Cog nodded a negative at the badger's question. "Nothing for me, thanks." he said, tapping the hilt of his blade. "I learned my art some time ago. Old habits and whatnot."
He did walk around the shop, admiring some of the more decorative firearms. He had no idea if any were quality - such things were beyond him, but the man seemed knowledgeable about his craft. He would be willing to bet at least some were very nice.
Wandering through the tiny space, however, his eyes did eventually fall on the bayonet plunged into the counter. Cog raised an eyebrow at the piece of steel and wrung it out of the wood, bringing it closer to study.
Balance was definitely handle-weighted. Most knives were, and the ability to manipulate the blade was usually better than any added power from a tip-heavy configuration. It's role was that of a thrusting weapon, but the owner had obviously taken the trouble to keep the edge sharp. From the sheen in the wood, it was fairly old too. He'd guess at least thirty or so years, unless it had been re-hafted at some point. He nodded to himself and plunged it back into the counter.
"On the other hand, that's a very nice knife. If you're willing to sell, I'm willing to buy." he said, fingering the coins in his pocket.

[Stygian]

The badger grumbled at Cog as he gave Stygian a pen and a slip of paper. He didn't seem like a very merry old fellow. But then, maybe that was just his way. He didn't really look a grump though; just a workman who did as he did and no more, no less.
   "That one be a good one, yes. It's heavy for one meant for a bayonet, and really, it works better as a bowie. Just a piece I picked up to cut leather. I'll give it away for sixty," he grumped. That was a bit overpriced for a used knife, but it looked pristine at least. The simple, clean and part-sawtoothed blade gleamed a rust-proof sheen.
   Meanwhile, the bat was especially engrossed in studying the barrel of a particularly heavy and long revolver, and the rimmed and ventilated muzzle of it. Unattentively, he scratched down text on the paper in his hand, sketching and writing with his brain rather than his eyes as he had taught himself long ago.
   "A longer and slimmer three-hundred with no neck would be ideal... and put the barrel underneath..." he murmured to himself. Furrowing his brow a bit, he nodded, and then turned to the badger with a smirk.
   "I want you to make me something along the lines of this," he said, presenting the cluttered paper to the large mustelid. The man took it slowly, pinching his glasses and studying it closely. He frowned the slightest bit, then looked up back at the bat.
   "Are you crazy, mister?" he asked.
   "Just do it," was the reply.
   "It will cost you. A damn lot."
   "The faster you can make me a prototype and ammo, the more I'll pay," Stygian grinned back at him, and then slipped his hand into his pocket for a moment. Pulling it out, he strew about half a dozen fat golden coins on the counter.
   The badger didn't make a face. He just smacked his lips.
   "I think I might be up to it." This time, he returned the bat's grin.

- -

   The door only creaked the slightest bit as it swung open, admitting Keaton into a large bedroom clearly intended for guests. An excessively spacious bed filled up a lot of the place, closely followed by a large table and some leather chairs, and a cupboard that stood guard close to the door. The place was not so dimly lit as much of the rest of the castle, with windows to one side of the room open, curtains pulled aside a bit. But it didn't look like anything quite exceptional or out of the ordinary, situation considered.
   There was one thing though, that drew Keaton's attention. Amid the strewn-out and ruffled sheets on the big bed, there was this one book laying open. Not closed, but open, though it could have been only that which made that sound. It practically oozed of... well, she couldn't tell what. It just felt... strange. And intriguing. Like the book was calling out to her to examine it.

[Sunblink]

Keaton briefly assessed her surroundings as she strode into the room, her steps at first hesitant, but quickening once she realized that there was no ostensible danger. Ensuring her safety somewhat, she leveled her mace, which she had the fortune to remember to bring with her, with the wing tentacle she was carrying it with, and passed it to her hand.

Nothing notable was in the room; as far as the jackal could tell--it was just an ordinary, if a little extravagant bedroom. She was just about to turn around and leave when something caught her eye: a lone book, laying, discarded, atop the excessively ruffled sheets. Normally Keaton wouldn't be perturbed about this, but something about the book drew her to it. Every page practically exuded indistinct, palpable waves of an unknown sensation, something which was slightly unique to Keaton. As a Succubus, she normally could determine most forms of sensations or emotions that were invoked in someone. It was a natural empathy.

Keaton steadily approached it, expression fixed into a curious scowl. She scooped it off of the bed, examining it for anything out of the ordinary contained within its pages.

~Keaton the Black Jackal