The animals, and killing the animals, had bothered Mal. He decided to go back to the campfire circle and check on the moose again, and from there--
"Did anyone check out the tea shop?"
After getting a no, or no responses, he let his breath out and rolled his shoulders. "I'm going to go check out the tea shop. And see if we can rule the place out as a source of this, if nothing else. We might as well check out other sources, right?"
If the appeal doesn't get anyone, he'll shrug and take a piece of paper from Misha's abandoned notebook to leave a note. It's pretty simple looking, in large block writing.
Going to investigate the tea shop and see if new age has gone evil. Help welcome. - MG
He hoped that people would come along with him, or meet him at the tea shop. Either would be just fine with him. He wasn't really one for that hippy dippy loose leaf tea crap, after all, and maybe someone soft would be able to put the proprietor of the place at ease. Mal's own try with the Grumpkeeper hadn't done much good, and now he was loathe to try again.
He knew he ought to try again; get back on the horse and all that, not allow fear to get in the way, blah blah blah. But trying and failing again would be another blow on top of the issue of thinking about killing the animals. Why had that bothered him so much? But it was bothering him.
Character Name:Mal Gherig Brief description of character: Mal is the the quintessential ice prince; cool in a crisis, he keeps a space of calm around himself even when the world is falling to pieces, but what you see on the surface isn't necessarily what's going on beneath. He has no fear of appearing like an a*****e in order to play devil's advocate, and will frequently go out of his way to do so in order to force others to think about their choices.
Mathilda watched as other Chosen chased after those who had been turned into animals. Raising an eyebrow at them, she turned to see if anyone was still around. It was then she heard someone ask about heading to the tea shop.
She was a bit late replying, and she could see that the person asking, Mal, looked a bit upset by that.
Seeing him write something, then begin to leave, Mathilda ran to catch up.
"Mal! Wait!"
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Mika_Yumi
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Posted: Sat Sep 17, 2016 7:12 pm
Sylvia had sort of been avoiding thinking about the tea shop. With their leaders transformed into animals, she wasn’t feeling quite as confident as she had been before, and she wanted to gather a bit more information (if possible) before heading to a place allegedly frequented by all of the ‘witchy’ teens. Though their hanging around the shop didn’t necessarily mean it was some sort of hub of operations, it still made her a bit twitchy.
But maybe it would be better to just get it out of the way. If nothing else, it would be good to confirm if there was something actually going on there – just because they checked it out didn’t mean they had to become embroiled in some sort of drama. If they got suspicious, they could always retreat and regroup before doing anything about the situation.
She took a deep breath and then followed after Mal, “I’ll come with you. It can’t hurt to have more reinforcements.” She paused to write her name on the sheet that Mal left behind, so that people had some information on who else was supposed to be away, then continued out of camp. She offered a smile as she caught up to Mal and Mathilda, glad that there would be a few of them investigating. She felt better with a few people behind their efforts, though of course some would need to stay in camp, and others were off trying to find the turned Chosen.
[ 246 words ]
xelhaspixiestix
Glass Pomegranates
Character Name:Sylvia Owens Brief description of character: Sweet, optimistic, always trying to be helpful – even if it means bluntly telling you how stupid you’re being. Remains tentative about her new life as a Chosen, having never been a fighter…
Mal paused on the path and smiled at Mathilda-- but it was distracted. "Hi, Mathilda." He let out a breath and used his handkerchief to swipe away the sweat at the back of his neck.
He nodded at Sylvia, too. "Hi. I'm Mal, I can't remember if I met you or not." He offered Sylvia his hand. "Zeus Chosen. I figured it can't hurt to rule some places out. And we might learn something."
He led the way along the path they'd taken to the town already; he knew it and he had a good head for some of these kinds of things. They might as well take advantage of all of their abilities.
Glass Pomegranates
mika_yumi
Character Name:Mal Gherig Brief description of character: Mal is the the quintessential ice prince; cool in a crisis, he keeps a space of calm around himself even when the world is falling to pieces, but what you see on the surface isn't necessarily what's going on beneath. He has no fear of appearing like an a*****e in order to play devil's advocate, and will frequently go out of his way to do so in order to force others to think about their choices.
Sylvia smiled and took the offered hand for a shake, “Nice to meet you. I’m Sylvia, Chosen of Aphrodite.” She vaguely wondered at this becoming a standard greeting. At least for now she had mostly offered her goddess in response to someone else’s introduction, but she might have to watch herself back in the real world.
She gave a nod, “Agreed. Learning anything is worth the trouble, really.” She narrowed her eyes at the path ahead and scrunched her nose slightly, “I’m not exactly excited about possible witches, but I’m not sure I can just sit and wait for answers…” A soft sigh escaped her lips and she wondered about the Chosen who had become animals not long ago. Were they all in danger of changing as well? She could only imagine so. She only wished she could remember more of the Greek mythology she once had to study. Clearly she needed to brush up.
[ 155; 401 total ]
xelhaspixiestix
Character Name:Sylvia Owens Brief description of character: Sweet, optimistic, always trying to be helpful – even if it means bluntly telling you how stupid you’re being. Remains tentative about her new life as a Chosen, having never been a fighter…
Mathilda grinned at Mal when he acknowledged her, before moving on to smile at Sylvia.
"Hello Sylvia! We met at the beach party, correct?"
'A Zeus, Aphrodite, and Ares Chosen walk into a swamp...' Laughing to herself, she nodded at the comments made about gathering knowledge.
Keeping an eye on both Sylvia and Mal, Mathilda stealthy removed her dagger from her thigh holster, holding the base between her index and ring finger, the blade flat against the inside on her arm. If they were going to investigate witches, it was good to be prepared. After staying silent and observing her surroundings for a moment longer, she spoke to Sylvia.
"It's best to get as much info as we can as soon as possible."
Mumbling to herself, she spoke under her breath.
"A detailed map of the area would be great too. Wonder if there's a sheriffs office around here." She couldn't remember if one had been listed.
xelhaspixiestix
Mika_Yumi
Character Name:Mathilda Callahan Brief description of character: A stubborn young woman who bakes and kills in her free time, Mathilda is very protective and easily offended. She has also recently picked up the habit of adopting various Chosen.
Deity: Ares Weapon: Dagger HP: 50 Minicert:
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xelhaspixiestix Crew
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Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2016 8:51 am
"They might not know what they're involved in." He paused, because no. "Well. Some of them might not know." He led the way through the trees on the path and kept his voice quiet. "It's my experience that in any group, there's a leader, a couple of senior followers, and a lot of cannon fodder. Cannon fodder can be brought back to themselves, sometimes."
He paused on the end of the path, where the trees began to thin and they had a view of town. "Here's what I know about a map." He pointed out the buildings and what the barkeeper had told them; the bar, of course, was an identified place. "He mentioned crystals in the tea shop and everyone jumped on it, but I'm not sure the tea shop is involved."
Glass Pomegranates
mika_yumi
Character Name:Mal Gherig Brief description of character: Mal is the the quintessential ice prince; cool in a crisis, he keeps a space of calm around himself even when the world is falling to pieces, but what you see on the surface isn't necessarily what's going on beneath. He has no fear of appearing like an a*****e in order to play devil's advocate, and will frequently go out of his way to do so in order to force others to think about their choices.
Having watched Mal steal a piece of her notebook paper with interest, Misha had stood behind his shoulder and watched as he wrote down his plans. Smart man, she thought. It was important to keep a headcount and track of each other. See, Griffin? This is where walkie talkies come in handy!
If one had vocal chords suited to using them, of course.
As Sylvia and Mathilda followed after Mal, Misha considered the note again. She knew that she should stay put. Brian and Beth would worry and they had gone through so much to rescue her and bring her back to her senses... But she was starting to go a bit stir crazy. She wanted to be human again and, if leaving the camp would help, she was more than willing to try. She looked around. Brian had gone out to be a hero again; she tried not to worry about that. Beth seemed to be on current guard rotation at the camp.
Padding over to a damp section of earth, Misha ground her paw into the mud. Then, with an awkward hop-skip sort of walk, she made her way back to the note. Once there, she pressed her paw down hard to leave a neat print. She nodded to herself with satisfaction. That should do it.
After one final glance toward Beth, Misha turned on her heels and used her long new cat-legs to catch up to the small band in no time. As she passed Mathilda, she gave a chirpy little meow in greeting. Sylvia got a gentle headbutt to her hip. Reaching level with Mal, she rubbed her head against his wrist to get his attention. If a cat could have an expression, this one said "I'm coming, too! Let me help!"
Zan didn't have much of an issue punching people when they deserved it—or trying to, at least—but something about attacking the animals here, no matter how addled and antagonistic, had bothered him as well. Maybe it was the simple fact that he wasn't a sociopath. Maybe he was just a colossal wuss. At least now he knew he wasn't completely inept at murder. The three small bodies cooling in the forest proved that.
He took his time making his way back, but eventually shuffled into camp looking for something to eat that wasn't full of furry potion. He'd had no luck after several minutes of shuffling around, but by that point the note had caught his eye. Brave explorers shaking down snotty teenage cultists? He could get on board for that if it meant he wouldn't just be sitting around here. One of his favorite people had signed up too, unless the Prytaneum was crawling with Sylvias he didn't know about. Either way, the center of a small crowd was Zan's favorite place.
He didn't add his name to the list before he set off, catching up in a handful of minutes and lingering a few feet from the group to assess. Sylvia was here after all, her distinctive hair one of the first things he saw, and though he recognized the taller blond in passing from their tour and the dinner they'd shared upon first arriving, he didn't know her name. The man was curious, someone to watch. And the cat... he didn't know what to make of it at all.
Character Name:Zan Gethin Brief description of character: Friendly, perceptive, phony. Zan has wholeheartedly embraced the more mundane aspects of his new life at the Prytaneum—such as regular meals, his stipend, and the gym—but his inability to stick with any one thing for long has left him struggling to pin down how he might best serve his god long term.
Deity: Hermes Weapon: Dagger HP: 50 Minicert:
x2 moly flowers
Glass Pomegranxxxates
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Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2016 11:08 am
Mal glanced down at the rub against his wrist and couldn't keep himself from smiling. "Hey, sweetheart." He rubbed behind the big ears as he walked, and scratched under her chin. "Coming with us? It'll be good to have you as company."
He waved at Zan; a face he recognized, but not one he could put a name to. "Ready?" It wasn't exactly a battlefield over there, but Mal wouldn't rule out a battlefield. "We're heading for the tea shop, see what we can find out."
smerdle
shortgreen
Character Name:Mal Gherig Brief description of character: Mal is the the quintessential ice prince; cool in a crisis, he keeps a space of calm around himself even when the world is falling to pieces, but what you see on the surface isn't necessarily what's going on beneath. He has no fear of appearing like an a*****e in order to play devil's advocate, and will frequently go out of his way to do so in order to force others to think about their choices.
Sylvia gave a nod and a hum of confirmation at Mathilda, remembering their first official introduction. She still didn’t know much about the woman, but she seemed quite competent. Sylvia was about to explain where to find maps when Mal took over, having come to the edge of town. When he mentioned the tea shop, Sylvia shrugged, “I think most of us keyed in on it because he said that a lot of the teens hang around there. It could be absolutely nothing, but there may be some reason that’s become their hub. Worth checking out, at least.”
That being covered, she picked up conversation where Mal had left it. “Well, we can hope that at least some of them will be less-than-deathly-loyal. Though we still don’t know how she might be recruiting them, so who knows how strong their attachments could be.” She still wasn’t entirely convinced that Circe was bribing the teens; she could easily see them all following suit if it was becoming a trend, especially depending on where the trend started. But, if Circe was enticing them somehow, she’d love to know what that consisted of.
It took Sylvia a moment to remember just who was bumping her hip as Misha walked by, but a smile crossed her lips once she did, and she reached down to let one hand trail over the cat’s shoulders and back. Which, she realized, might be weird, given that Misha wasn’t really a cat after all. She wasn’t quite close enough with human Misha that she would randomly reach out to pet her, yet, so she could only hope that Misha wouldn’t think it was too strange… Hopefully her instincts as a cat were just as strong as Sylvia’s instincts being around a cat, and it would seem perfectly normal. At least Mal seemed just as inclined as she did to think of Misha more as a kitty and less as a human-in-a-cat-suit as he scratched her chin.
She hadn’t noticed Zan coming up behind them until Mal acknowledged his presence behind them. She turned, and slowly broke into a grin, “Well, hello, Zan.” She fondly remembered the thin, ponytailed man from the first tour of the Prytaneum. “Enjoying the ‘catch’ of our new lives so far?” She hadn’t run into him again, but she was glad he’d decided to tag along and hoped he would remember their conversation.
[ 399; 800 total ]
Glass Pomegranates
xelhaspixiestix
ShortGreen
Smerdle
Character Name:Sylvia Owens Brief description of character: Sweet, optimistic, always trying to be helpful – even if it means bluntly telling you how stupid you’re being. Remains tentative about her new life as a Chosen, having never been a fighter…
Despite knowing that she should probably at least give him a sassy side-eye for his presumption (after all, she wasn't really a cat!), Misha could not resist arching her neck as Mal's fingers expertly found the Spot and scratched. A low rumble came from her throat and she felt like, if she could, she would be blushing beneath her fur. Hmph.
Misha jerked her head away from Mal's touch and somehow managed to roll her eyes at him. Still her little cat mouth seemed to smile at him. Then she nodded ahead of them. The town was quickly coming into view.
He had actually witnessed Misha turn, had watched in confusion and mild horror as she'd taken off into the woods, but he still didn't put two and two together to equate this cat with the woman he had briefly met in the Alps. It was clearly a person though, probably a Chosen by the way the others were acting, and Zan brightened as he moved closer, nodding at Mal and the others in greeting as he was acknowledged.
"It all sounds good to me," he said. "Any information we can get is good information, even if some of it isn't true." People were generally either completely tight-lipped or mostly truthful anyway, and any inconsistencies in a story tended to out themselves pretty quickly. Then the only job left was to figure out why the liar was lying in the first place. "Zan, Chosen of Hermes," he added before turning his grin on Sylvia.
"Sometimes I am, sure. This place is warmer than the last one, and as long as I don't get turned into a chipmunk, things are going great." No use grousing about his pointless murder of woodland creatures at the moment. He'd save his whining for Asher or someone he actually wanted to annoy. "I haven't seen you in a while. You been all right?"
Character Name:Zan Gethin Brief description of character: Friendly, perceptive, phony. Zan has wholeheartedly embraced the more mundane aspects of his new life at the Prytaneum—such as regular meals, his stipend, and the gym—but his inability to stick with any one thing for long has left him struggling to pin down how he might best serve his god long term.
Deity: Hermes Weapon: Dagger HP: 50 Minicert:
x2 moly flowers
xelhaspixiestix
Mika_Yumi
Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2016 2:41 pm
He grinned slightly as Misha pulled away. She hadn't bitten him, though, and he'd take that, that she hadn't bitten him. It was promising.
He nodded at Zan and Sylvia. "Mal, Chosen of Zeus. Nice to meet you, even under these circumstances." He made a gesture, indicating the bayou behind them, and the debacle at the campfire.
He felt obscurely nervy, almost superstitious, about stepping over that line between the shadow of the bayou and the light of the town. It was not something he liked feeling, but once he started that way, he kept going toward the tea shop. It was easy to rule out the antiques place; the furniture in the window meant it wasn't likely to be that one.
The tea shop, once Mal pulled the door open for the other Chosen in the party, was cozy with a kind of cluttered coziness that one expected from the words 'tea shop'. The main window had gauzy curtains and the shop floor was filled with small tables meant for two or three-- or four people, if they were very cozy. The chairs were all mismatched, and each table had a menu propped up by a sugar bowl.
The walls were lined with bookcases, though, and every shelf had at least one crystal on it but was otherwise crammed with books. Old books, new books, books with crisp covers and books with leather covers so worn there were no letters on the spines, but lots of books. The counter was against the far wall, and had two kettles on warmers, and the wall behind it was shelving, from floor to ceiling. And on the shelves were containers of tea, each one clearly labeled; ingenuiTea, fertiliTea, agiliTea, and other cutesy, silly names.
But they're looking for information, the shop's proprietor was not there, at least not yet; there were only the books, and the tables, and the crystals to investigate.
smerdle
shortgreen
mika_yumi
Character Name:Mal Gherig Brief description of character: Mal is the the quintessential ice prince; cool in a crisis, he keeps a space of calm around himself even when the world is falling to pieces, but what you see on the surface isn't necessarily what's going on beneath. He has no fear of appearing like an a*****e in order to play devil's advocate, and will frequently go out of his way to do so in order to force others to think about their choices.
