Copper Key Cafe: Chilly Autumn Afternoon

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[Lunderly]

The world as she knew it, once again, dropped out from under her. Brow furrowed, the ivory haired lass let her gaze fall onto the ground as Typhus relayed his...grievances. Halo had done this? The Halo she knew? But how? Why?

Jumped them... So Halo had been planning this. And the part of Key's memories let her know the two had been close friends, Blaise and Halo. No one, and she knew clearly, no one had liked Typhus back at Haven's Night. But what would justify splitting the two halves? It was a dangerous procedure in and of itself! Before...before the Void...before she'd lost her heart, Key had attempted it, too. And succeeded.

The lady breathed in deep. There was a lot of deciphering to do. And it must have been no coincidence that Typhus had found his way to her, here, of all places.

"Thank you. Thank you for explaining everything to me." She pushed a few strands of hair from her brow and continued. "I think we need to have a talk. And I will explain everything I know. But to begin, I-"

With a crack and a burp, the young man that had stepped in to...taste test Typhus, was back on his feet. She looked over to him and smiled. Her fingers reached out to glance his cheek. She admired his handiwork. A very talented lad indeed, and hardly a scratch from such a vicious attack.

"Good. I'm glad. If you want, I can help you finish healing that in a few minutes. My study has-"

Dammit. No. Her Study wasn't hers. It was Key's. And it was still on lockdown. She straightened, sighed, then smiled again.

"I can lower the swelling and promote it's healing, if you'd like. It can't be fun going around with a knock like that. Though, I must say, you did an incredible job."

It seemed that the afternoon, shifting into evening, was a day ripe with memories. Before she could truly settle back into her own, that familiar voice crept up once again. The very same voice that had been present the night she'd returned from the Void through the Study's doorway. The ivory haired lass peered up, and, if to simply confirm, Tyeal announced the demon's presence from the side of his newly reinvigorated guest.

"Dreamer." She breathed. Was it some strange twist of fate that the demoness always seemed to appear when life was changing course? Was she some herald of sorts? "Welcome back."

Pyro Jess

Aceir

Numrigaaz

Alice D Monster

shadow_dreamer

[shadow_dreamer]

Lunderly

The Demon made short eye contact with Tyeal, noticing that he didn't seemed bothered by her much. Last time he wanted to fight her but it seemed like time had given him a chance to cool off. She cocked her head to the side, grinning at Key. The woman looked distressed, something must have happened.

"Looks like I missed all the fun." Unsure of what she should say she decided on concern after, "How come I always come back to you injured, hm?" Dreamer moved forward toward Key. She watched as the woman seemed to be gaining her ground once again.

"Anything I can do?" For most the offer wasn't extended, but for Key, Dreamer was more than willing to try and help.

[Spooky Mittens]

Stranger In Red: Aprehensively following the Monk inside.

What fortuitous luck!

The monk was indeed an exorcist, which was quite handy for The Stranger. Almost too handy. He pondered for just a moment the concept of fate but decided it best to put this on the back burner. For now, he was just concerned about the people that the house was no doubt digesting at this very moment.

"Very well my good man, I'll just follow you inside."

He shuffled up behind Tenkai at that point, poked his head around the monk's shoulder to get a view of the building.

"Onward friend, to glory."

He whispered.

In such close proximity, and with the apparent ability to sense other beings, Tenkai might notice the eccentricities about The Stranger in better detail. He had a peculiar scent to him, like charcoal, and heat seemed to peel off his body in short waves as though a fire was burning inside him.

Tenkai Matsumoto

[Alice D Monster]

-A pounding heart bounced heavily against her chest cavity as the liquid vitality rushed to her stomach and through her system, the gaping wound on her shoulder stitching it's ghostly flesh back together. Her crystal pools darted between figures, her nostrils flaring before she finally locked on her savior. His voice cut through the thick fog of thoughts and assessments of who and what was currently surrounding her.

She kept her back pressed hard against the wall and simply observed, a slightly overwhelming feeling washing over her. She had been taught and had seen nothing but instinctual violence and these creatures were...conversing. A sustainable outburst of fear or anger would surely get her killed. The instinct gnawed at her thoughts viciously, the ink colored feathers on her arms raising as the ever more present sense of something coming washed over her like a cold stream. Shaking her shoulders she watched the ethereal haired woman closely, her sheer nature sending a relaxed sigh through the half demon's lungs.

Her attention was ripped from the calming source as quickly as it had come and another symphony of speech filled her head. Hesitantly raising her clawed hand she slipped it around his, pulling herself up in a swift motion she cleared her throat lightly and spoke, her eyes still darting in a panicked fashion, thought her face remained calm. "Lillith" A pang of curiosity stuck her pale face as she swiveled her head to the front of the house, her grip slipping away from his as she whispered "i'm starving...'' moments before letting herself walk across the room, her pale bare feet silent on the floorboards. Looking out of the window a surge of black pulsed through her pale blue iris, a smirk crossing her lips before she spoke again, the clear fragrance pushing through the glass. ''he smells nice.''

[Ti Wildcard]

The adventurer waved off the offer to assist him, patting and pinching his nose in contemplation. "Don't worry about that. My nose will be fine." Or something. He wasn't terribly concerned regardless.
And why would he be?
There were more interesting creatures in the bar, with what appeared to be exciting backstories, and much more to offer by way of use.
He simply had a bag of coin, and the desire for a cup of tea, and maybe a pastry.

Or perhaps the still-beating heart of any of the demons in the Cafe. Really, he was flexible and quite easily pleased.

Lunderly

[Lunderly]

"And shouldn't I be asking why it is that you always return when I'm injured? Hn?~" That clever, green gaze flitted over the demoness with a grin. And yet, the lady couldn't help, but wonder if Dreamer sensed the anxiety gnawing at her nerves. The Key that had called the cafe home had always been so fond of Dreamer. Had opened up to her slowly, carefully, when things weren't too hectic in the past.

"We had a little...misunderstanding, is all." That smirk dropped when she peered at the lava demon. Then, to Tyeal and the newly healed miss who was making her way to one of the windows nearby. "Your presence alone is reassuring, to be honest. Maybe, you can stay nearby while everything calms from a simmer? And, if you don't mind my asking, what brings you to our neck of the Prism Woods?"

At this point, it wasn't likely that a fight would break out. And, even if one did, she was fairly certain it would sway in her favor, but having Dreamer nearby was having someone Key had known once. That was a comfort.

The ivory haired lass tilted a cheek at the young man pinching his nose. Durable, yes. Common sense? Debatable. Still, if he didn't wish to be pawed at, she would try her best to be agreeable, but something almost nurturing dared to sneak up within those emerald irises. A trait as well-worn as the floorboards beneath them, or so the lady supposed. Her gaze shifted, again, to the corner where Typhus sat. Still licking- er- tending to his wounded ego. Another grin had to be reduced to a lip-twitch. She'd never seen someone get under his skin like that. Not by tasting it, anyways.

"Well, if you don't require assistance, might I ask why you decided to... do...that?" Her arm raised, and she gingerly pointed to her own armpit. "That's an interesting way to make friends. Or enemies, for that matter."

Pyro Jess

Aceir

Numrigaaz

Alice D Monster

shadow_dreamer

[Pyro Jess]

He let out an annoyed huff at the witch’s thanks. Like he needed a thank you from her of all people. She was still considered to be apart of that sick b*****d’s “family” of psychopaths in his book....and he didn’t need to go into how much he didn’t trust that group.

Looking the room over he gritted his teeth. So....many....people. The lava demon twitched slightly from all of the excessive noise. If only he could switch out with Blaise to escape this horrid social...interaction. But no, where he once could feel his presence inside of him he was gone, leaving nothing but a cold void in his wake. He’d do anything to get his Blaise back and fill this agonizing empty space inside of him.

Suddenly a thought crossed his mind. Eyes rolling to the back of his head he sat there on the floor unmoving and unresponsive for a few minutes while his body was still literally fuming with subconscious rage. Could he....

[Pandumb]

Spooky Mittens

“Ahh...yes, of course.”

Well this was certainly awkward.

Tenkai’s new acquaintance was certainly an odd duck. Aside from the preposterous nature of his claim, he seemed to be somewhat of the eccentric sort, almost as if he was having fun with a situation that had made him simultaneously apprehensive. Tenkai certainly would have preferred he not stand so close to his flank. It didn’t really make them that much safer, and if anything would limit his range of movement if he needed to quickly react. The monk had offered to protect the stranger, not act as a human shield.

It certainly didn’t help that there was a slightly uncomfortable “heat” coming off of him. Body heat wasn’t an abnormal thing, but to feel it this pronounced was a bit unusual. This, coupled with his rather peculiar smell, led the monk to wonder whether or not the stranger had bathed recently.

A woman had passed in front of them before they entered. He couldn’t recognize her completely from behind, but there was something oddly familiar about her. Perhaps it had been so long that Tenkai had difficulty remembering familiar faces, especially when he couldn’t even see their face. Nevertheless, it gave Tenkai a moment of pause, as well as s good opportunity for observation. She clearly entered the house without any trouble, which began to call the stranger’s assertion into question.

They stepped inside and, lo and behold, the interior appeared to be much as Tenkai had expected it to be. A cozy little waystation, complete with travelers and staff of various origin and questionable genealogy. Tenkai didn’t immediately make a move to engage anyone, seeing that a bit of a scene was unfolding as it was. Moreover, Tenkai was more concerned about the reaction of the stranger. After all, the woman he supposedly saw devoured was right there, thought Tenkai wouldn’t realize that.

“Seems quite normal to me,” said the monk, turning his head to the stranger. Hopefully this would calm him down enough to stop hiding behind him.

[Spooky Mittens]

Stranger In Red: Ghosts! In the Cafe.

As the pair passed through the threshold, The Stranger took the tool hanging from his waist into his grasp once more. He held it tight in his hand and waited for the monk to make the first move.

Waited. . . Waited. . . A long moment of silence and wonder. The Stranger looked from Tenkai, to the bar furnishings, back to Tenkai, back to the bar furnishings. A bead of sweat started to roll down his forehead as the anticipated began to grate on the back of The Stranger's mind.

What is he waiting for?

The Stranger wondered before making up his mind. If the Monk would do nothing, then he would have to do something himself! Maybe if he could provoke this poltergeist then the monk would see the truth of it and work his exorcist woowoo on the building.

So The Stranger did the first thing he could think of. He Threatened an ordinary chair.

He jumped out from behind Tenkai, throwing his left hand into the air with the gunmetal cylinder tightly in his grip.

"Nyaha!"

He shouted loudly as a bright red beam of magical force erupted from his hand in the shape of a single-edged blade. The Stranger immediately pointed this thrumming blade of magic at the chair and narrowed his eyes as if the chair was some spectral fiend who'd done some offense.

The Stranger stood and waited for the chair to react, a deep frown on his face with his brows furrowed.

"I'm on to you, ghostie. Not gonna do me a spook."

He mumbled.

Tenkai Matsumoto

Acier

Numrigaaz

Lunderly

Pyro Jess

Alice D Mon

clhv2j8r:16="Alice D Monster]

[Lunderly]

So, a monk and a vagabond walk into a bar...

The thought slipped through the hostess' mind before she could blink. And it was mighty hard to quell the snort that puffed up in her nostrils. Who could blame her? When the more antagonistic of the two decided to do battle with one of her poor chairs? She sighed, and smacked a hand to her throbbing temple. Would this set Typhus off? She turned and- dear god, were his eyes rolling in the back of his head? Was he going to pass out? Implode like a supernova? Truly, the possibilities were endless!

"Okay. Okay, okay, okay." She stuck out her palm, and gestured at the chair that was just... Chairing there, and-. "Okay. Why...?"

[Spooky Mittens]

Stranger In Red: Ghosts! In the Cafe.

He looked to the woman who addressed him now with genuine confusion on his face. It was twisted so because he could not, for the life of him, fathom the question. Not his own answer, not the reason it was asked, it all seemed so foreign to him. Why? Why was he holding his weapon towards this chair in particular? Or, why had he drawn his weapon in the first place?

Well that much seemed obvious to The Stranger. He couldn't understand why it wasn't obvious to others.

"B-b-because uhh. . ."

He struggled to get his words out because he wasn't sure what words he actually wanted to say. Did he even believe them anymore? His look of confusion contorted to uncertainty.

"Uh. Yeah, because. . . Because the cafe is uh, haunted? Obviously. Yeah, haunted. Giant black ghost hands grabbing people, definitely haunted."

He inflected that statement as though he were asking a question. He leaned forward towards the chair a little bit more and took a poke at it with his magic energy sword. It caused the chair to tip a little, but otherwise left no visible mark upon it.

"Right?"

He asked, to the chair in particular.

Lunderly