Mirrors on the Ceiling (Mature) (IC)

[Angel]

[[UPDATE: Edited by your friendly neighborhood co-GM to add the new recruit(s) on! Be sure to read thoroughly.]]

Ketefe's ears flickered when she learned what was in the suitcases. I guess the job IS going to be that bad, she mused. Still, Peter had made it clear before she left that if she wasn't good as gold during this job, she'd lose her chance at a real career. Even if he was partially bluffing, she didn't want to risk it. Shrugging at Jeremiah's refusal of help, she walked to catch up with the others. Jarevei had already gotten well ahead of her, though he was still one of the stragglers of the group.

Both of them had to pause, though, when they reached the door. The hall was beautiful, if some of the architecture was a little out-of-place. Ketefe didn't even need to describe it; Jarevei could practically smell how clean it was. They stood in awe of the place for a few seconds.

It would have stayed an impressive sight if Leland hadn't taken off like a shot into the building, and one of the succubi hadn't barreled headfirst into the ringtail she'd been bickering with earlier. Ketefe did a marvelous job of trying to keep a straight face until Jarevei spoke up, at which point she let herself double over and cackle.

"...Okay, someone fill in the blind guy...was that a living tumbleweed-monster that hit the ringtail, or the woman I was talking to earlier?" He sniffed the air. "Also, why does it smell like pollen and theater props in here?"

Once she was done laughing, Ketefe looked around, noticing first a hanging tendril of the plant. She followed it with her eyes, her gold irises widening the more she followed. Her laugh quickly died from curiosity. "It was the woman, and that smell is the... giant... fucking... plant on the balcony - what is that?" She looked back down for Leland, but he was still gone, so her attention went back to the massive plant.

Before he could truly appreciate the plant's monstrosity, Jarevei's ears perked up. He tapped his way hurriedly back to the door. Ketefe blinked and turned to watch him go; she had barely heard him leave, even with the cane. "Sweetie, what-? Where are you going?"

"Someone's here," he said, barely turning back. She hadn't heard it due to her distraction, and he had almost missed it himself due to the heavy door muffling all outside noise, but the sound of a bus braking to a stop was unmistakable. He opened the door, slipped out and watched as a new bus pulled up.

The bus's door opened with a hiss, and a rather tubby bobcat in the same style of uniform Michael had been wearing stepped out of it first. He glanced up at the hotel, then did a double-take when he saw the cat standing outside.

"Oh shit, we're not already late are we?" he mumbled as the cat walked closer. Before Jarevei reached them, he turned back to the bus. "A'right, all two of ya, get out here and meet your coworkers before the boss has my hide!" When he turned to Jarevei again, his shoulders slumped in relief. No, the blind brunet tomcat was not a black-haired douchebag armadillo. Sometimes there was mercy in the world.

[Kirrin_Shadowclaw]

Slowly heading down the steps of the bus was a young looking coyote, a big grin on her face and an acoustic guitar upon her back as well as a large pair of grey feathered wings.  Hazel eyes look over the frames of her emerald lensed glasses and tilts her head. One thing quite noticable about her besides the wings was her long midnight blue hair. Moving aside to get ready to unpack her bags from the bus itself. She giving a friendly wave to those who glance upon her idly tapping her foot on the ground, she begins to take a quick look around, this is when folks would probably take note she was merely wearing a simple two-tone t-shirt and some black leather jeans. "Well, this place is quieter than i thought it'd be..." She said runming a gloved hand through her hair. hough she was soon rummaging through one of he bags she had on her with a happy grin still spread across her muzzle whilst she waited for her bags to be unloaded.  (Not the best opening post but i hope it'll suffice. )

[FelixGrey_Incubi]

Harmond waits until everyone is off of the bus before getting off himself. It had taken time to get to this place but he knew it would prove to be worth the trouble. Closing his book, he stepped off the bus and pulled back his hood to get a better look around.  His mismatched eyes had a look of mild disinterest and he scratched his coal black hair while wandering around.

After being satisfied with looking around, he dug into his knapsack to make sure all of the tools he needed were there before drawing a sword from its scabbard on his back. One would hope that there would be no use for it but he knew otherwise. Realistically, he would definitely use it at least once and it was always good to make sure it was still sharp. After all, it was the stories of the bloodshed in this place that caught his interest in the first place. Well..that and the prospect of finding something of magical value to him (money was trivial, it was the magical items that did you the most good in the long run).

Glancing breifly at the mess that was Zanfib and Kallis, he stepped into the shadow of the balcony and pulled out the book he had been reading on the bus, 'The Essentials of Understanding A Murderer's Mind'. Harmond then sheathed his sword once more, and pulled his hood over his head, leaving only his muzzle and a few bangs visible. Reading a  psychiatrist's misguided rambles was a pleasant way to pass time and wait for a guide of some sort to arrive. If there was one anyway.

[Boog]

Jeremiah's poking and prodding about the foyer had yielded nothing of note thus far; including, most disappointingly, a map. Productive rummaging had given way to curiosity, and he was just creeping up the stairs to the balcony to examine the plant when the other car showed up. Turning back, he saw the newcomers enter.
A guitar? Did Leland hire a musician? The impracticality of such a decision aside, Jeremiah had a soft spot for live music. It was something about how instruments looked, he thought. Seeing the players hands work in time with the sound. It was charming.
"Ah, there are a lot of us. Sir?!" The frog looked around for Leland. "Sir, I believe I should probably see to arranging rooms for the group. The property is safe to explore, I assume?"
Cursed. Forest.
Right.
"Safe enough, at any rate?"

[Ghostwish]

Zanfib watches the newcomers with only a mild interest, before looking for the obese employer of this lot. "Just how many did he hire? And what else is he not telling us?" He says, and then sighs in an annoyed fashion.

However, on a second examination he found a newcomer he was interested in, the coyote. Well. He thought to himself, They say artists make great lovers, though I can't say I approve of those silly glasses.

[Kafzeil]

The second bus sped off, should anyone take a look at it they would see what could very well be their last glimpse of civilization on the back: A sign for Michael's company, complete with the ferret's heft face grinning like a Cheshire cat on Valium. As the ferret's face finally vanished, the bus hurrying off, the clouds cracked loudly, a storm threatening to hit any second now for anyone hapless enough to be caught right outside.

Inside, Leland grinned, the armadillo finding precisely the key he was looking for. "I'll be taking the royal suite in the main tower." he glanced at Jeremiah,. " *you* will be taking the Servants quarters of that suite." He said plainly. You will escort me up there and once everything is set up, then you may pick your lodgings."

The ledger on the table seems new, with names of guests from that fateful night written on it in fresh ink. And did that over hanging plant just move on it's own?

Leland  quickly scanned the front desk's office, but otherwise left the door wide open.

[Angel]

When the new hires completely ignored him, Jarevei only smiled. He was very used to this by now, though he could feel the bus driver snort in indignation at their rudeness.

"Right, welp, seems you're all set here. I'll let you folks get back to work. And, uh...good luck," the bobcat added, before clambering back into the driver's seat and starting the bus up again.

Jarevei got out of the way before the bus turned, following the new recruits up the walk to the hotel again and examining them as subtly as he could. One was female, winged and canine, and he could smell hair dye on her, though he couldn't tell the color (he was not that skilled yet). There was something strapped to her back; the subtle noise of notes when a breeze blew by told him the item had guitar strings. Ketefe would like that; though she wouldn't admit it often, she enjoyed music. The other was also canine, but a different species, and Jarevei could smell paper on him. He smiled again at the presence of a fellow book lover. He wondered if he'd be willing to share a few titles; Ketefe could use a few more books, and she'd happily read non-Braille writing to him when he was curious.

Ketefe, meanwhile, was busy watching the massive plant, refusing to approach it for the time being as she waited for Leland to direct them to their rooms. Jeremiah was, for once, a bit bolder than her about approaching the danger. Since his paycheck wasn't partially comprised of a revoked prison sentence, it made sense. Then she heard the sound of oak tapping on marble.

"The new recruits are here, Mr. Steinbahg," Jarevei said, speaking for the first time since he'd walked to the bus. "I assume there's enough room for all of us? From the echo in here, I'm guessing all of us could sleep in the front lobby quite comfortably."

[Ghostwish]

Zanfib darted his eyes back to their employer, as they narrowed in annoyance. "And not a single question answered. How splendid. Well then, I suppose our only concern right now is sorting out our rooms." He says. hefting his duffel bag again as he readied to follow the others. He kept a wary eye on the plant from earlier that remained a mystery, thanks to their selfish employer.

[FelixGrey_Incubi]

Harmond's ears twitch as he catches what seems to be a blind gentleman's reference to the rooms they would be assigned.

"Enough room..." he muttered to himself. Now that he looked around more, this place WAS odd. The state of the inside and outside of the building was one thing but the range and diversity of the group had him worried. It was expected that there would be some element of magic involved but with this many magical scents wafting around, it might as well have putting up a neon sign that said, 'MAGICAL HAZARD HERE'.

Seemed like he would need to rely upon his...other...abilities.  it would obviously get him noticed if used carelessly but Harmond had no intention of that. Besides, all his other skills had helped him before...then again, that plant near him gave him an odd feeling. Never hurt to be a bit paranoid. Too many near-death experiences to not take everything into account.

With that, he strode over to Jarevei and Mr. Steinbahg, coughing slightly to make himself noticed. Once he was sure that he was acknowledged, Harmond spoke in a slightly monotone voice. "Pardon...I agree in terms of space but I get the feeling that some...items...would be only too happy for us to stay here longer than necessary. I think it would be best to start the room assignments; everyone is ready to ready themselves for tonight....at least I am." He looked at the both of them with a slightly dry smile while listening for  any potential problems in the lobby.

[VAE]

"Mr... Steinbahg?"
The armadillo completely ignored her query with such a natural, matter of course manner that for a moment, the succubus wasn't even sure if she had asked him anything, at least until he completely ignored her for a second time.
Very well... but don't come to me when there'll be starving beings gnawing on your bones... Wait, he's a being too
She stared at his back as he left, pondering whether he'd be the one gnawing, gnawed on, or both, until something in her field of view took her attention.

A red-green tendril, slowly flapping about in the air currents. As a quick glance told her, it extended down from the balcony, ending in a roughly barrel-shaped stem alongside a few dozen similar appendages.  Her eyes widened, and she slowly approached closer, her magnifying glass in a tentacle.

"This thing looks just like the Kalpakstani manyvine! I... wow. Never would have guessed to see a real one, not after the Kalpakstani khanate ran an eradication campaign. Come have a look, folks! You probably won't see this again." She thought for a moment. "At least if I'm right, the thorns look kinda off, to what I remembered... but in any case don't touch it and don't make sudden movements nearby, just to be sure."

[Boog]

"An EXCELLENT idea." Jeremiah insinuated himself next to Harmond with an almost audible 'pop' of service industry selective noticeability. This had two functions; one, it caught the attentions of the nearby members of the group, and two, it made it look like Harmond was agreeing with Leland. Distasteful though the idea was, the better they got at mollifying the man the easier everyone's lives would be.
The frog took two steps back and conjured up a light with a flick of his wrist. Who said illusion magic was useless?
"Everybody, hup-two! The electricity isn't on, the building is old and frankly I don't much like the look of the flora. No offense," he shot up to the plant on the balcony with an apologetic grin. This job already seemed like a crapshoot, best cope with some comedy, "Stick close to one another. Ketefe, Zanfib, would you two be so kind as to help me with Leland's luggage?" Jeremiah, noticeably, had grabbed the suitcase that had been a gift from the prior bus driver. Three guesses whose room that was ending up in, and the first two didn't count. The frog grabbed the clipboard off the desk with a flourish and scanned over the names; strange the document had been left, but maybe the room numbers listed could help them keep track of where they were.
"Going by what we saw outside the tower should be a straight shot down this hallway and to the left; the sooner we get the luggage set aside the sooner I can find us all rooms that aren't seventy percent black mold yet." He lobbed the illusionary light up to bob over his shoulder and gave a sweeping bow, gesturing down the dark halls into the hotel. "Whenever you're all ready, of course."

[FelixGrey_Incubi]

It took some effort not to pull out his weapons and attack when this other person appeared without warning.  If there was something he truly hated, it was being snuck up on. More than once, he'd nearly killed someone because of it.

With an almost inaudible sigh, Harmond made sure that his things were in place and began to mentally check all of his protection spells. It wasn't the black mold he was worried about, but the fact that the plant was acting suspicious told him all he needed to know.

The frog said it perfectly: this place was OLD. That menat that there were magicks embedded deep in the walls and made EVERYTHING lethal. The first thing he'd do in his room, was identify as many spells that were lingering as possible. Hopefully that would give him a small chance of surviving.  That's if everyone started moving first.

[Ghostwish]

Zanfib just sighed, and with a brief bit of focus, much of Leland's luggage lifted off the ground of its own accord, and began to drift along. Thus the tall-tale glow of the ringtail's eyes.

"I sincerely hope that electricity is high on our list of priorities?" He asks dryly.

[Angel]

"I don't mind if there's no electricity personally, but I'm sure our host has something figured out," Jarevei said, grinning as he mentally berated himself for his own terrible joke. Better to beat Leland to it, he rationalized. Once he heard the voice of the succubus again, he tapped his way over to the stairs, following the smell of pollen to where it was strongest. "You know this species? Was it moving earlier?"

Ketefe picked up the luggage that Zanfib wasn't carrying, feeling the back of her neck prick a little as she watched the psion's eyes glow. The cases that weren't full of drugs were quite heavy, but she didn't feel too encumbered. She glanced over at Jeremiah, who was apparently addressing the plant.

"I know SOME people talk to plants, but... not to be rude, but can this one hear us?" She also glanced at one of the new arrivals, and how he'd jumped when Jeremiah had snuck up on him. She knew the signs of highly-tuned survival instinct all too well. So she sidled a bit closer and making sure he noticed her before speaking quietly.

"Relax a little. I'm sure whatever is here isn't going to try to kill us yet. And there's not that much risk of it being one of us, I think." She knew better, at this point, than to offer false assurances. Realistic assurances were just as risky, but more honest.

[FelixGrey_Incubi]

He mentally gave a groan as he heard the joke. Was it REALLY that important to say it? Then again, it WAS just sitting there. Better that man said it the way he did than some other sap.

Harmond looked over and gave Ketefe a dry smile before talking. "I'm sure it can, considering the age of some of this building's magicks. And thanks for the assurance.  I'd rather not have anything take us out at all...but that's just the way some things go I suppose."

Looking at her, it seemed like she was all too aware of the possible dangers here..and she was no stranger to survival. Mabye she would be a good person to befriend in case things got messy; which undoubtedly, it would. "If it was one of us, I would hope it wouldn't be you. The name's Harmond." He held out his hand before speaking again. "Want some help? I've got free hands."

[VAE]

"It can hear you."
The cat slowly turned her head towards Ketefe, while two of her tentacles formed, equally slowly, a loop around the tendril.
"Well, sort of. Not in a way you think. See, they have this thing about picking up air and soil vibrations. Body heat, too." The tendril began to probingly edge towards one of her tentacles. She widened the loop.
"It's why I said don't make sudden movements. It generally hunts by creatures bumping into and getting accidentally stuck to the red sticky bits, lunging at them before they can get  unstuck -" the cat pointed at somewhere on the surface of the tendril, "or  ones that are noisy or hot enough that the plant thinks they're closer than they are, which works out often enough not to be bred out of the gene pool. It's probably why the mansion's owner chose to plant some near  the entrance - helps with intruders trying to run in or out, or firing guns. When I think of it, bringing torches nearby would not be a clever idea either."
She turned back towards the plant.
"It also has beautifully scented flowers, when in season."  

[Boog]

"It can hear you."
Jeremiah stiffened, having wandered within to feet of one of the plants tendrils. He took one smart step back, trying to convince himself that the twitch it gave in his direction was a draft. He edged around the others into the hallway and continued, little light bobbing.
"Ah, how delightfully eccentric of the old owners." He gave a forced grin, "When it's in season, you say? When would that be?"
Distractedly nattering on, if only to distract himself from his near brush with death, the frog didn't really seem to notice he'd taken the lead into the dark. "I rather like gardening myself, actually! My grandmother grew mandrakes, sold them by the bushel to local mages. Lovely woman. Deaf as a log. Actually you could say it runs in the family!" His gesturing with the hand not carrying the luggage made his light bob and shake about, casting dramatic and peculiar shadows in short bursts along with his speech, "My aunt-" A piece of floor crumbled under his heel, and the light bobbed again as he righted himself, "whoop, that's not good. My aunt was rather fond of apple trees, and kept trying to plant them on her property. Managed to get pears, oranges, dragonfruit, olives, and bananas to take, but never apples. Her ex husband was a druid, they truck in oddly specific curses some days..."
Babbling on, the frog faded further into the dark. If folks didn't catch up, they could very well lose the light.

[VAE]

"It's funny how eccentric and pragmatic overlap, right?"  The cat slowly, purposefully shifted away from the plant, and bent backwards to stretch her back for a bit.
"The flowers... actually it's gonna be in a few months. See that little dark patch on the stem, up there? That's where the flower bud will grow from. And grow I mean." She spread her paws outwards. "The thing's about a pound! With the unripe seed pod below, of course."
Her voice dropped to a slightly mischievous-sounding half-whisper. "I don't know about you but if we make it through, I'm gonna take one of those as a salary supplement. And if you know the right people the seed should bring in a hefty sum-"
She noticed her fellow's voice ringing somewhat more distant out of a sudden.
"Hey, wait for me!"
In an attempt to reconcile the group's advancement with the plant's nutritional habits, Kallis engaged in what was probably the slowest dash ever, moving deliberately slowly in steps as long as she could manage. In fact, Jeremiah could almost see her legs elongate somewhat, if he watched, though to be honest about the extent of her shapeshifting ability she likely didn't do that on purpose.
"Ah, here. Anyhow.. why didn't she try to pay an enchanter to fix it? I mean, I have removed a good deal of curses, and in general the only ones that you can't with some elbow grease involve rituals nasty enough to have the one who did it grabbed by the militia. Who usually force them to remove it too - it's a wonder what sort of a deal you can wring out of people when you promise them they won't be executed for something that'd definitely warrant it." She grinned. "Don't look like that, my uncle was a militionary and I listened to a lot of his work stories!"   

[Angel]

Ketefe turned in surprise to Kallis. The plant certainly did sound impressive, the way she described it. She made a mental note to look it up in Jarevei's books later. "Oh, it flowers? Well, that sounds nice, at least. I hope it doesn't think of us as intruders, for now." Then she turned back to the wolf with a smile.

"I'm Ketefe, and near the stairs is Jarevei. Nice to meet you," Ketefe responded. "I appreciate the offer, but I can handle these. Hey honey?" she called to Jarevei ... who was tapping closer to the plant again. Jeremiah was already moving farther away, babbling nervously. Ketefe decided she'd make it easier on her friend, but clearly Jarevei was too curious to care. "Um, when she said that, she wasn't inviting you to move closer to the guard-plant. Come here and help me find the rooms?"

"Just a second, Teff," the tom called back. What the succubus had said about the plant intrigued him. It was a rare chance for him to meet a creature that experienced the world the same way he did. However, she was already moving away from it too, trying to talk to the frog, and she knew the most about it. Jarevei was curious, not stupid. So he followed her instead, resolving to go back to the plant later and picking up his pace. He could hear Ketefe breathe a sigh of relief.

"If it can hear us, will it respond, miss...?" He hesitated, realizing he had never gotten the woman's name.

[VAE]

"Kallis of clan Ja'Krath. Kallis will do. Anything asides from Klumsy McCrosseye or variations thereof will do, in fact." the cat responded with a serious tone, and a wide grin. "Anyhow... I don't think we're being quite loud enough or close enough for it to respond in the way it tends to... I mean, it's more picking up where prey is than real hearing, since not much is being said in a forest, and even if it was, the plants would probably wilt from sheer boredom before learning anything remotely useful."

[Ghostwish]

"Klumsey McCrosseye?" The ringtailed cat asks incredulously with a small grin. "Really now, if that's what your friends call you, I have to wonder what lovers make to be your pet names!"

After a brief chuckle, he looks at the bags, and then up at the collection of begins and creatures. "So are we fixing the gardening first, or are we actually going to make this place habitable some time this week?" He asks in a sarcastic tone while that bushy tail of his flicks about irritably.

[FelixGrey_Incubi]

"A pleasure to meet you both..." Harmond trailed off in mid-sentence as he looked at Kallis. She seemed to know the plant well...so there was a good chance that she was well informed in many things. And that clan name...it sounded vaguely familiar.

Looking around, he noticed that there was one person that was missing...or seemed missing anyway. That frog had vanished somewhere but the sound of nervous chatter was easy to pick up on. There was nothing worse than a nervous guide; particularly this once since he was trying to get away from the plant so fast. "Well, as much fun as we're having talking I agree; we need to go. Our nervous guide is already on the run."

He followed the sound of nattering, taking care to watch where he stepped. This place was OLD. It would stand to reason that it wasn't just the spells and creatures guests would have to be careful for, it was the overall state of the place. It really felt like this place was intent on killing and never allowing escape; if not death, then serious injury. Just that thought alone made his fur bristle.

[VAE]

"You'd like to know, wouldn't you?" Kallis shifted her gaze towards the ever-present ever-pervy ringtail being. "Though, I can probably hazard a guess at yours, Mr. Speed Racer."
She rummaged through her robe, bringing up one of the notebooks and a pencil.
"Though, good point. We should set up base camp somewhere near here so that leaving in case of need isn't such a nightmare, and then make a plan on exploring, mapping and cleaning the place up. I'm thinking paired groups."

[Boog]

"They never found the source of the blasted thing, spell was triple layered and worked into the lawn itself." Jeremiah chuckled, "not much of a mage myself, just what the guy from the hextidying company said. Big bovine fella in overalls, charged an arm and a leg too..." he shot Ketefe an anxious, appreciative smile as she approached, but then Kallis suggested small groups...
"Ohhhh no!" The frog whirled toward the cubi as if struck, eyes bugging. "Absolutely not. I have been in enough abandoned CASTLES," the frog raised a finger, "apartment complexes," another finger went up, "mountain villages, forests, and boats," the particular emphasis on the final entry seemed to indicate some level of insult, as if he had taken the boat instance rather personally, "to say right now that I do not truck with any 'lets split up gang' shenanigans. It always ends with me and probably him," he jerked a thumb at Zanfib, "falling down an elevator shaft, finding the one stove that still leaks gas, or being chased through the halls by something with more teeth than brain cells. Getting chased aint like in the cartoons, friend. Yakkity sax doesnt play in the background, you just sprint for your life and hope you dont die." The frog blinked, and then took a deep breath. "Sorry, it's not like it's even certain there is anything here, besides the topiary. But I've seen that go awry much too many times." He nodded to Ketefe, "remember the castle? Folks would just wander off and vanish."
"Besides, the heat and water may still work!" Jeremiah grinned, "We're surrounded by luxury hotel rooms, with beds! Big beds, maybe a minibar!" He reached out and opened a hallway door, "I doubt we'll neet to establish a-"
The floor of the room had almost completely fallen away into a basement storage room, creating a pit of jagged, splintered boards immediately after the edge of the doorframe. The butler paused with one foot in midair, about to step in.
On the other side of the pit, half damaged but with a recognizable,  mostly intact mattress, was the bed. A skilled long jumper MIGHT reach it safely.
Jeremiah slowly closed the door and paused a long moment, staring blankly. He then took out the clipboard from the lobby and a pen, looked up the room number, and crossed it out.
"... we were heading for the tower because it was mostly intact, so maybe we get a little closer first, but tell me more about this camp idea!"

[FelixGrey_Incubi]

Harmond shook his head as the guide freaked out. From what he could make out from his long rant, it seemed that Jeremiah had been through his own share of problems. "I agree with the frog....at least when it comes to small groups. It's too easy to get picked off in a place like this. At the same time, Kallis is right about mapping and exploring. We need to know exactly what we're up against...cleaning though, is a bit dangerous. Some things should be left alone...it's far too easy to leave a death trap in a mess like this."

He watched as the frog nearly dropped into what looked like the basement when he opened the door. Far across the pit, was a bed that looked intact...which was incredibly suspicious. That was all he needed to see; everything around was a complete death trap. "Luxury hotel, hmm? That room said otherwise...and going to a TOWER of all places is a HORRIBLE idea. That's usually where people get trapped easily and killed even easier." He sighed and looked at Kallis nervously. "We really should assess our strengths as well. First that plant, then the floor of that room...nobody should let their guard down."

[Ghostwish]

"Oh come now." The being said, with his smug mask firmly in place, "I'm sure someone has had you in the nude quicker than I could! Perhaps the same one who gave you that adorable nickname?"

Regardless, he clapped the frog on the shoulder (not to knock him into the pit, mind you) and said, "Bit of a problem there. If our tree friend, wherever he may be, is to be believed? The forest appears full of hate, malice, and certain death because magic. So, camping could be trouble. Has anyone even seen the tree man about?" He asks the group.

Then he looks to Harmond. "Bit of a problem there too. See, apparently the tower is the only place, thus far, that isn't receiving the same time-applied interior redecorating as this lovely room right here. So, it's tower or bust, it seems." He says with a shrug. "But, at the very least, you've got me, a psionic specialist, someone with the powerful abilities of the mind, instead of the fickle and unreliable dabbling of magic." He says in a tone that need not be named...

[VAE]

The cat smirked, reminiscing a couple chases she's seen in SAIA where yakkety sax actually was the background, courtesy of a mythos capable of emitting saxxy sounds from their beak's nostrils. It usually were Tauns and Owonas, chasing after people that pissed them off, but at least once she seen an excited Nact'larn chase about their target of interest, terrified enough to provide lunches for dozens of Kish'ta bystanders.
"You're getting it off. I didn't say, wander off alone - but traveling everywhere in this place as a glued-together bunch makes for its own set of troubles. Like, there are corridors we'd likely occupy from beginning to end, never mind rooms. At any rate, that massive hole in the floor seems just SO luxurious."
Before she could add something about relative merits of towers when one has wings, the rather perv-sistent ringtail from before spoke again.
"It was actually Roxanne, my roommate. Though you are actually right about something this time."  She waved her tentacle about the room. "Absolutely everyone could have me in the nude before you would, including that handsome plank poking out from under the bed."
Three above, he went towards magic again.. but at least the verbal sparring was fun.
"Oh powerful, redolent psion, I bow before thine confabulatory aptitude. 'Fickle and unreliable'." A rub of chin in a theatrically thoughtful way. "Hmm, I guess that description suggests that there really is magic down your pants."

[FelixGrey_Incubi]

"Wonderful. Just...wonderful. I'm ALMOST tempted to take my chances in the forest, if I couldn't smell the age-old blood of others who went in there before. And thank you, but I'm aware of what a psionic specialist is. Hopefully, we can do a check on the tower as we make our way there...just in case there are other guests waiting for us to arrive. I have some mind-skills myself."

He reached into his knapsack, pulling out a pair of dented and dusty gauntlets, along with a small leather book. As he pulled the gauntlets on, and skimmed through the book, he chuckled at the verbal abuse being thrown at the ringtail. It was rude to laugh, but there was nothing that could've been done to redirect those comments. Also, it seemed wiser NOT to throw himself into a situation like that; Kallis was very blunt and to the point with her statements. That was a force better left alone.

[Boog]

Jeremiah gave a tiny smirk and brushed an imaginary speck of dust off his lapel at the "everyone" remark, deciding to chalk it up as a compliment (take 'em where you can get 'em, I always say) "Sounds like something to resolve AFTER seeing to the essentials. Tower. Beds. Possibly running water. And structural stability. C'mon gents, ladies, shake a leg." With a looping gesture of his wrist Jeremiah sent the light bobbing ahead and followed it.

Colo heard something. Three neat scratches, sounded like they came from her left. Like someone toying with the wallpaper.

[Angel]

"Jarevei Iterassi, and my girlfriend over there is Ketefe Solowynd. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Kallis." Introductions should be safe enough, Jarevei decided; Peter had promised to have all of Ketefe's wanted posters removed, and she'd already been turned in once before. He tried to pick up his pace a little, keeping his focus on Ketefe, who was walking near Jeremiah and the lupine newcomer.

When Kallis mentioned splitting up, Ketefe's fur bristled with active survival instincts. She shook her head fervently at the succubus, and then sighed in commiseration at Jeremiah's tirade. "I was hoping that this experience would be VERY unlike that damned castle, yes; so please, let's all stick together as often as possible."

Then she saw the interior of the first room. The castle, while haunted and cursed, had at least had rooms with floors. And beds you didn't need to long-jump into like a terrified child in the dark. She backed away with the rest, not wanting to fall into the hole. Jarevei walked a little closer, stopping when his cane tapped into nothing; he could also feel the warmth of Ketefe's hand reaching for his tail to yank him away from the edge.

"It's okay, Teff, I can feel it now." And smell it. Harmond was right; the stink of old blood was all over the room. What the hell HAD happened in this hotel? His sources had told him a lot, but the worst stories were always bathed in innuendo rather than real detail. Eh, maybe he could listen to Leland mumbling angrily and get the real story that way. For now, he needed to learn more about their fellow party members, so Ketefe and he could help plan for the worst a little more easily.

When the psionic started bantering with Kallis again, the poet turned his attention to the fellow writer at last (it was hard to hide the smell of pencil dust and late deadlines). "How are magic and psionics really all that different? I mean, they feel a little different when you two fight, but the power seems similar..."

Skrch – skrch – skrch.

Jarevei's ear flickered. Had he heard that, or was he just imagining it? In a building so long untended, surely there would be rats. He waited to see if anyone else had heard it before bringing it up.

Meanwhile, Ketefe questioned Harmond a little more, trying to keep her eyes on Jeremiah as well. Jarevei liked to remind her that it was useful to have two sets of ears when in a large group; otherwise you could miss something important. "Is that why you were acting strange earlier? Did you sense something, like the druid on our bus did?"