Fantasy Code FERAL

[deer]

Her attention went towards Duirk as she heard his energetic shouts. Giggling softly, Xiao Hui nodded at him, "It definitely was amazing. The music flowed well with the beat in one harmony. I must say, your rhythm and ear for music is top-notch." She complimented him as Laohu huffed slightly rolling his eyes. Seeing his reaction, Xiao Hui shook her head as Laohu responded to Calista, "We remember but, it doesn't hurt to formally introduce each other. Rather than just files in a folder, right?" He said solemnly and shook his body in response to get the dust off of him. Hopping down from the chair, he sat on the ground, slightly staring at Calista until he signaled his head to the chair. "Go and rest as much as you can." He said to her, seeing her weariness. Laohu thought it would be best if all of them rested and relaxed soon instead of pushing themselves so much. Xiao Hui smiled at Calista and Laohu seeing him worrying about her was refreshing yet different. It had been awhile since she had seen Laohu interacting with others so, she took this moment to commit the moments to memories. When Calista addressed her, Xiao Hui nodded as her face brightened, "Of course. I'll definitely play for her. What kind of music does she like to hear?" Xiao Hui asked curiously as she was relieved to know that Calista was okay talking about Agent Strong and secluding herself. In a sense, she was glad that Calista talked especially with what she's going through right now, the only thing they could do is be hopeful. Though, Xiao Hui was determined to get her back, no man left behind, right? Plus, she doubt Simon and the rest would let it go, remembering their somber expressions. "Does she also like to dance?"


However, as Rin asked about Duirk's abilities, Xiao Hui grinned at the hyena's humbleness. She laughed lightly, however at the mention of Alec playing, her curiosity peaked. Before she could ask Duirk what he played, the person they didn't expect to enter the room arrived. Seeing Duirk fumbling over his words and nervousness, Xiao Hui shook her head once more. However, she frowned slightly at remembering that Duirk had mentioned it wasn't fun anymore since Alec stopped. Why had he stop playing? Laohu rolled his eyes once more when Duirk made a reference to his phrase "cat's out of the bag" as he puffed his chest, "Getting me in a bag? Good luck with that." He chimed in but continued on listening until his eyes landed on Jimbo. Swishing his tail back and forth, Laohu tilted his head, and nodded a greeting, "How are you, Jimbo and your companion. . Simon, was it?" He asked. But soon, he left them alone seeing that they were having a moment when Jimbo presented Calista a necklaces. Turning his attention away, Laohu moved over and sat next to where Rin and Haku were. "What are your hobbies?" Loahu wondered, asking the both of the,.


As Alec spoke, getting her attention back to the matter at hand, she smiled at his compliment towards Duirk as he flawlessly moved the attention away from him to Duirk. But, seeing how stubborn and pleading Duirk can be she saw the look he shot her. Xiao Hui couldn't help but agree to help the hyena as she shot him a knowing look that said "you got it". Tapping her chin lightly with her index finger, Xiao Hui bit her lip in concentration. Alec seemed adamant about never playing again at the same time Duirk couldn't enjoy himself if he didn't have Alec and he didn't see himself as a skilled or talented. Once a light bulb hit her, her expression turned into one of mischieviousness. Despite not knowing the reason why he stopped, she decided to take her chances. Getting up slowly from where she sat, Xiao Hui balanced herself carefully to not fall on her bottom. Looking towards both Duirk and Alec, Xiao Hui took a deep breathe, "How about this? Alec," she said, looking at him for a moment, though she couldn't help but remember when he blew her off, nevertheless, she played it off and thought of helping Duirk, "if. . if Duirk admits that he has a hidden talent with music, would you be willing to play with him?" She asked, tilting her head and then looked at Duirk, her curiosity growing stronger, "Duirk, if Alec plays again, will you admit that you're a talented DJ?" She asked, wondering if they would take the ultimatum she gave them. As Xiao Hui waited for their response, she slowly walked over to the elegant violin, taking it in her hands carefully. Holding the violin properly, Xiao Hui gracefully glided over, surprisingly towards Alec, as she raised it up towards him. "Will you play?" She asked him softly, tilting her head, perhaps if he took the violin it would also be an underlying sign he wasn't mad or hated her?

@SilverFlight @andujarprime @zCrookedz
​

 

[Sleipnir]

Bael listened to Zoe talk again, obviously fascinated by her suggestion. How exactly did one manage to teach another to have fun, after all? He had attempted to get her to understand that she could choose what to put in a tea based on what she wanted, not needed and that felt like it had only half succeeded. He had no clue where to start. It wasn't as if it didn't seem like Wednesday needed the help too — which put him squarely in the "All Up To You" territory — and he wasn't sure if he could help at all.


How were you supposed to teach someone how to have fun? How did you go about that?? especially when they didn't seem to know what they even enjoy doing, when they didn't do anything other than work. He hesitated a few moments. Maybe they'd start with the tea...? Or perhaps try to stir up another snowball fight if there was time or opportunity. That brought up another possibility — snow ice cream. Definitely starting with snow ice cream. "Alright," he finally replied, uncertain. "I have an idea on that. We'll need snow."


"Stakes!" Cedar scoffed. "Like what? We're bears. We don't have stuff."


@Hel @DawnAntalios

 

[zCrookedz]

Simon tried running his fingers over the spots on his legs that seemed to itch the most. He heard Leandra speak up about scratching but it was becoming worse and worse the longer he went without touching it.


"Dear god, its like my bones and skin are made out of some kinda itchy fabric. GAH it itches so bad."


He tried furiously to itch his leg more and more, but the cast around it was preventing him from touching the skin. This was probably a good thing, because at the moment he felt as if he could scratch a hole right through his leg.


He continued to try and itch, looking around a few times to see if there was something close by he could jam down in the cast to itch but found nothing. It was during one of these bouts of searching that Simon really noticed his heart was racing. This wasn't excitement, or nerves, or anything that had to do with his leg. His heart was thumbing harder and harder, just like it did during his heaviest workouts, making his muscles ache and .


"Doc....I gotta.....I gotta move.......I gotta get my muscles moving."


Simon felt a bit like he was on a high. He felt like he could move a building just from pushing on it right now. He knew he couldn't move his legs to much, he was able to rationalize still which was good. He just felt the urge that he needed to move.


He began to look around the room, trying to find anything that would provide him with the urge fulfilling work his muscles were screaming for. That's when he spotted Leandra in her bed. He looked over the bottom of it, it was a pretty standard hospital bed, ready to move should a patient need at any moment. He leaned against his own bed post and stood up. He could use his own bed he supposed, but the extra weight of a person in it (even someone as tiny as Leandra), it would at least be a little heavier.


He made his way over to the bed and leaned against the arm rest for a moment smiling at Leandra with a look of determination before he dropped down to his knees and then onto his back. The four wheels lifted the bed off the floor just enough for Simon to slide under and grab hold of the beds lower frame with his hands. The frame felt solid and pretty well balanced as he gave it a quick look over. He didn't hesitate any more and slowly began to push up on the bed frame. It felt lighter than he expected, probably made out of some light metals to make it easier to move. He was a bit disappointed by that, but continued to raise the bed off the ground inch by inch. He could feel the burning sensation in his arms and he began to feel like his heart rate was returning to normal as he bench pressed the bed. He didn't raise it to high off the ground, still aware that there was a person in the bed, and was trying to be as smooth and gentle with his lifts as he continued to push up and down slowly. Through each push, he tried to apologize for his action.


"Sorry......bout this......Leandra.........your bed............looked.............heavier........."


@Lioness075 @SilverFlight

 

[Lioness075]

Leandra frowned at Simon when he mentioned how the itching felt. This was most certainly some kind of side effect, though if the bones were supposedly knitting themselves back together in this sped-up process, then it probably made a bit sense for it to feel weird for him. Even if it was extreme itchiness.


Watching Simon's mad scrabble to itch at his leg, Leandra merely shook her head in amusement since she knew that was impossible with a cast on. Thank god her leg wasn't itchy or anything. That would drive her insane, just as it seemed to be doing to Simon.


Hearing what Simon said next, Leandra blinked and then gaped when Simon suddenly stood up and hobbled over to her bed.


What surprised her even more was when Simon dropped down and she felt her bed lift up slightly, as Simon moved underneath it.


Letting out a squeal of surprise, Leandra then widened her eyes before looking down and saying in a confused tone, "What in the world are you doing, Simon?"


Feeling her bed being slowly raised and lowered, as if Simon were lifting it for a workout, Leandra's eyes remained wide, as she opened her mouth to exclaim something, only to stop when Simon apologized in between his reps.


Crossing her arms over her chest, Leandra then said in a partially serious partially amused tone, "Simon, stop this right now. Seriously. Find something else to do."


Letting her shoulders drop slightly as her amusement dissipated, Leandra then added in a slightly concerned and frightened tone, "You might jostle my leg and mess up the stitching, mate. I need to heal just as much as you do and I don't have a fancy method of recovery like you do. Stop this before you make it worse for me."


Warily eyeing the sling attached to a pole at the end of her bed, Leandra nervously watched and winced a few times, as her dangling leg was moving about ever so slightly on its own.


Gritting her teeth in annoyance now, Leandra quickly added, "Simon, mate, go lift some weights or request some instead, seriously!"


@zCrookedz

 

[Flutterby]

From the other side of the room, Beth looked up as Simon's complaints grew. She raised an eyebrow when he got out of bed, headed for Leandra. And then proceeded to drop to the floor, shimmy under her bed, and begin to bench her gurney, patient and all. It was actually quite humorous to watch, and she smiled around a mouthful.


That is, until Leandra started to object and Beth realized it wasn't good for her leg to be moved about, even a tiny bit. She swallowed quickly, almost choking, but Totus beat her to it.


"You know Simon, Beth and Leandra are probably about the same size." The owl snuck a sly glance at her, only to meet a fierce green glare. He chortled, but all Beth could do was reach for her glass of water to clear her throat again.


@zCrookedz

 

[andujarprime]

Rin and Haku were very perceptive and very used to the reactions people gave them mainly Haku, when they weren't used to her. So it came as no surprise when Xiao shuddered the goosebumps away. As brief a moment as it was, it was something that they had come to expect. They instead judged their company by their following reactions, not the initial one. So in turn they both smiled seeing her try to stifle herself, and look past Haku's form. "We are well, I daresay we have fared better than most of our company." Rin responded, he raised an eyebrow at the last part, as he noticed her bandages, and Laohu's as well. Haku gave Rin a smug look at Xiao's question, he pretended not to notice and instead focused on everyone else in the room. "So, you forgot how to play? Or you just didn't hear her question?" Haku teased him mentally, it had been a while, a long while but she knew he remembered. "Hello Master Alec, Master Jimbo," He greeted them with a bow "Is everyone well? How is Master Simon?" He asked remembering that they all headed to the infirmary once the tour was over. He chuckled lightly at the interaction between Alec and Duik, "quite the entertaining pair." He thought to himself before speaking up "That would be quite the treat, to find out so many of our group are musically inclined" He said aloud, pushing Haku out of his head momentarily. Haku slid down to join Laohu comfortably on the ground, Rin smiled to see Haku find familiarity and comfort around anyone besides himself. Rin set his Katana down at his side as he sat in a chair.


@zCrookedz @SilverFlight @crucialstar

 

[SilverFlight]

The aardvark fell back in surprise as Simon began to move. "Sir! Sir! You have to sit still! You'll risk re-breaking the bone!" Meanwhile his human partner was scribbling furiously on his clipboard.


"Christopher, have someone bring the dumbbells from the training room!" He called and the aardvark, grateful to have a reason to back away scurried off to comply. He was only three feet out of the door when he ran snack into a paw as thick around as a tree trunk. Talon, the saber toothed cat was just on his way to the infirmary and as he pushed through the doors he paused for only a second to watch Simon bench-pressing Leandra's bed. He cleared his throat loudly.


"We request your presence in the briefing room, third floor, North wing." He said simply before walking out.


@Flutterby @Lioness075 @zCrookedz ((can someone remind me in OOC where the other characters are?))


Duik waved a paw at Xiao's comments. "Aw, adding a beat's not special..."


Callista smiled at the tiger's consideration and leapt onto the chair. As Jimbo and Alec entered the room she looked up at them from it. When Jimbo opened his hand her eyes grew wide. "Amber's locket! She never takes it off." She held her paws out and pressed them against the cool metal surface, seeming to change her mind.


"You know, I think Simon should hold onto this...he's actually got pockets...and hands."


Alec put a hand on the gorilla's shoulder. "Thanks Jim, I needed to hear that about Simon." He then addressed the question Rin posed. "Everyone seems in good spirits, they're all on the road to recovery."


@crucialstar @zCrookedz @andujarprime


Alec looked back at Xiao. he hoped he had been adamant enough about not playing, but the look on her face made him slightly nervous. Obviously She and Duik had made some sort of silent pact, because he was grinning like an idiot.


Xiao rose and Alec watched her carefully. What she proposed was genius. Playing on how much he cared for Duik. He would do anything to give the hyena more confidence. Duik was truly good at what he chose to do.


When Xiao came over to and offered the violin, asking him in her delicate voice his final defenses crumbled like dry plaster.


"I..well I...all right." He took the instrument, finding it hard to look away from her eyes.


"Oh!Oh!Oh! I've got just the piece we could do!" Duik said excitedly. The look of sheer excitement in his eyes was surpassed only by the one of gratitude he offered to Xiao.


Alec felt the old familiarity of the instrument and his hands moved almost without thinking into the right places. The wood was smooth to the touch and the faint scent of varnish hung under his nose as he slipped the base under his chin. Duik scrambled for the microphone and had Alec clip it to his vest, out of the way but close enough to capture the sound well.


He booted up a program on his computer and sat ready, turning the screen to Alec for a moment so he could read the first few music bars he had brought up.


"You sure D? I haven't played in 2 years...I'm not sure I can do a piece that complicated..."


"I know you can." Came the hyena's adamant reply.


Suddenly Alec felt hugely self conscious. He put the bow to the strings and drew an awfully squeaky note. Wincing at this he began tuning the instrument carefully. He drew the bow a second time and the sound that rang about the room was clear and elegant. That was it.


"Ready?" Duik could hardly contain his excitement. Alec nodded, taking a deep breath and hoping to heaven he remembered the notes.


Duik cued him and he began to play.




The first set was simple enough, but he had to watch Duik carefully and as the hyena raised a paw, on the final bar Alec stopped playing and instead tapped a beat out on a nearby box. But the music kept on. Duik had recorded Alec's playing and seamlessly switched to a playback. The next change happened the same, Alec began to play again and slowly, layer upon layer the song built until the final layer when Alec began to play the base melody. The violin sang. The notes enveloped him and he lost himself in them. He closed his eyes and moved with the rhythm. His fingers dancing over the strings as they remembered every position. Duik kept up, making switch after switch, overlaying each piece so that it sounded as if Alec was playing with a troupe of violinists. He even added several more layers, tapping out the beat with a paw while the other swiped expertly across the laptop's touch screen.


When the melody died down Alec switched back to playing the background bars finally fading the melody into silence.


He opened his eyes again and reality appeared to greet him. The room with Duik and the others. Duik grinning at him madly, he couldn't help but smile back.


"So, yeah." Was all Alec said. Clearing his throat in an embarrassed manner.


@crucialstar @zCrookedz @andujarprime

 

[Lioness075]

Just as Alec seemed about to say something to him, Manjano was distracted by Beth's question.


Glancing away from Alec just as the young man was leaving, Manjano then thought about Beth's question for a moment before simply nodding at her.


Falarion definitely seemed to be doing better, though he'd probably be resting for a day or two before he was up and moving about. Even then, someone might object to that until his stitching heals.


In the midst of his thoughts, Manjano suddenly realized that Beth had asked him a yes-or-no kind of question, despite people normally asking something along the lines of 'how is so and so?'.


Blinking at this thought, Manjano then realized he'd been staring at Beth the whole time he'd been thinking.


Feeling his cheeks redden ever so slightly at this realization, Manjano then quickly looked away from Beth and instead watched Alec's retreating form.


@Flutterby


When Simon suddenly became extremely energetic, Manjano frowned, as he found it rather irritating.


Yet, when Simon began lifting his sister's bed, and consequently paining her, Manjano frowned and took a step towards them, only to pause upon hearing Totus' suggestion.


Still frowning, Manjano glanced back at Beth and Totus and shook his head, as he knew that Beth was injured as well. The last thing she needed with a head injury and bruised ribs was someone lifting her bed.


Upon hearing the aardvark being ordered to go get some dumbbells, Manjano let out an irritated sigh before walking up to his sister's bed and kicking lightly at Simon's good leg to get his attention.


While waiting for Simon to react, Manjano crossed his arms over his chest and subconsciously hoped Leandra wouldn't mind if he interfered. She had a tendency to get defensive if he was trying to defend her in just about any situation.


@zCrookedz @Flutterby


While waiting for Simon's response, Manjano turned around upon hearing someone come through the door.


Seeing Talon, Manjano raised an eyebrow and then listened, as Talon announced a briefing for them.


Figuring he could relay the information to Falarion when the wolf awoke, Manjano began to head for the exit until he stopped and glanced over at Beth. The girl was in no condition to move freely on her own just yet. Totus would need to relay the information, but Beth would most likely try to move regardless.


Deciding to wait to see what would happen, Manjano leaned against a wall near the exit just in case Beth tried anything rash and ended up falling out of her bed or something.


If anything, Manjano noticed a wheelchair in the corner of the room and they could use that to help Beth along and prevent her from further injuring herself.


It still would be best if she just simply stayed put though.


@Flutterby @SilverFlight

 

[andujarprime]

Rin watched and listened as Alec and Duik went to work. By the end he was staring in wide eyed amazement. "Wow!! That was wonderful!!" He exclaimed as he clapped excitedly, he had momentarily forgotten where he was, who he was. His entire demeanor seemed to have just up and vanished, if only for a moment as he clapped excitedly. Haku looked up at Rin from her spot and smiled at him, she hadn't seen him this way in a long time. "Maybe a team was exactly what he needed." She said aloud to no one in particular.

 

[zCrookedz]

Simon continued to push the bed up and down slowly, a then mist of sweat had begun to form on his brow. The bed couldn't have weighed more than 300 lbs. which was more like a warm up than an actual work out for the muscle head. But still he felt the sweat beading up.


He could here Leandra growing more and more uncomfortable as he pushed her bed. But when she mentioned her injuries, Simon stopped completely. He lowered the bed to the floor as slowly and carefully as he could until all four wheels where touching the ground. He slid out from under the bed slowly and raised himself to his knees beside the bed. He looked up at Leandra, with an apologetic glance that contained a bit of a wincing pain from his mucles being to ache once more.


"I am so sorry Leandra."


Simon looked up at the sound of his name being called to see Totus mentioning Beth and her bed. He tries to smile a bit looking from the little owl to Beth before he stood up using his own bed as support.


" Heh...I don't think so. Last thing I want to do is risk my stupidity on anyone else in this room."


As his gaze swept back across the room Simon found Manjano had moved and was starring daggers into him. He froze for a second, trying not to wince in pain from the muscle spasms. Simon knew the guy had a right to be mad, he had just about hurt Leandras previous injuries even if he hadn't mentioned to. So Simon shied away from the mans gaze and returned to his bed.


He was glad for the ice breaker of Talons entrance when it came. Simon looked around and found a pair of crutches had been left beside his bed and he quickly jambed them under his arms. He felt bad for having almost hurt Leandra and know with somewhere to go and means of getting there, Simon hurriedly swept out of the room into the hallway to head for where Talon needed them.


@Lioness075 @Flutterby @SilverFlight


Jimbo smiled at Calista comment about the pockets. It was good to see that the little fuzz ball was still able to make small jokes. She hadn't lost hope, and that was beyond important. He curled the locket back into his hand and looked up to watch the others.


As he did, he noticed the Tigers eyes were starring at him. Jimbo froze, he did not like to see that a big cat had taken notice of him. When Laohu greeted him, Jimbo only offered a nod towards him. Team mate or not, it would take a miracle for Jimbo to feel even remotely comfortable around something with sp many teeth.


Luckily Jimbo's attention was drawn away quickly by the sound of another voice calling his name. He looked up to see Rin addressing him and asking about Simon. Jimbo's eyes flicked over to his partner Haku, and Jimbo smiled knowing that if Simon where here, he would have chills down his spine.


"Doc's patched up his leg not to long ago. Sounded like they wanted to try some kind of new drug to help stitch his leg back together faster. Hope the knuckle heads staying out of trouble."


Jimbo could imagine what Simon would get into when he wasn't around, having already seen most of the trouble he cause first hand.


Jimbo's attention was once again drawn towards the group as he heard Duik saying something about Alec playing an instrument. As Alec prepared to play, Jimbo leaned against Calistas chair watching aND listening. Jimbo recognized the tune pretty quickly, something off Trisha iPod he had listed to a few times. Alec was playing amazingly, and Jimbo couldn't help but relax at the sound of such wonderful music until Alec concluded. When he finished, Jimbo smiled and swung his giant furry hands to applaud him.


@crucialstar @andujarprime

 

[Lioness075]

When Simon finally put her bed back down and stopped his ridiculous behavior, Leandra and Luness both let out a sigh of relief.


Luness had fluffed her feathers up in discomfort upon seeing Leandra's discomfort, but she'd had no intention of harming Simon for his actions. It wasn't exactly his fault since they did give a warning with the procedure of there being hyperactivity. Leandra had just been the unlucky one to be used to help ease Simon's hyperactivity.


Hearing Simon's apology, Leandra smiled softly at him and said, "It's fine, really, Simon. I'd say 'it happen's, but I'm pretty sure hyperactivity isn't too common around here."


"Just please don't use Leandra as your form of release next time, dear," Luness said before glancing a bit worriedly at Leandra, who shrugged in a vain attempt to hide the aches she was feeling from her leg now.


@zCrookedz


Seeing Simon shying away from everyone and then exiting the room on crutches, Manjano let out a sigh of relief, as he was rather content with himself on having been able to restrain himself from actually trying to hurt the man.


After all, Manjano still could remember the night he'd ended up killing Leandra's boyfriend when he'd been about to use her against her own will. He couldn't make a mistake like that one again. Never again.


When Talon entered the room and announced for everyone to need to attend a briefing, Leandra nodded and then carefully pulled her leg out of the sling before slowly swinging her legs over the side of her bed. Before doing anything else, Leandra made sure to carefully remove the IV from her arm.


Using the crutches that had been near her bed to begin with, Leandra then slowly stood up on her good leg while keeping her injured leg off of the ground entirely.


Glancing at Luness, who was still immobile with her injured wing for now, Leandra smiled and then said softly, "Don't worry, Lune. I'll relay everything I learn to you when I get back."


Rubbing Luness on the head, Leandra looked at her with a look of endearment while Luness hummed happily.


Luness then looked up at Leandra and replied, "I know, my dear. Go on then. Don't keep anyone waiting."


Grinning now, Leandra nodded before crutching her way towards the exit.


Seeing Manjano leaning against a wall by the exit, Leandra paused uncertainly near him and opened her mouth to say something only to reconsider it and shut her mouth.


Furrowing her brows in concentration, Leandra seemed to mull over things in her head for a moment before looking at Manjano with a tentative smile and saying, "Hey, um, thanks for helping stop Simon with his, uh, bench-pressing back there."


Feeling as if she were already at a loss for words, Leandra then awkwardly crutched past the silent Manjano, who'd simply stared at her the whole time she'd talked.


Leaving the infirmary behind, Leandra then began making her way through the base to the briefing room, all the while anxiously wondering where she'd gone wrong with Manjano.


@SilverFlight

 

[Flutterby]

Beth gazed at Simon sympathetically, as Totus twittered in agreement.


"Maybe next time, then." Beth said, with a soft chuckle.


The pair looked at the same moment when Talon appeared, and shared a glance. Their gazes locked for a moment, but Totus soon dropped his eyes and nodded hesitantly. Beth would have grinned in triumph, in another situation.


She popped the last bit of sandwhich into her mouth and downed the rest of her water. Very carefully, the girl swung her legs over the edge of her bed. Totus watched worriedly, but didnt say anything just yet.


As long as she didnt move her torso and could stay balanced, she would be fine. Or at least that was her reasoning. Her feet touched the floor, and she slowly stood up. The room wavered, tilted, but didnt spin. So far, so good. Beth took a few steps, wincing a little but not much. The girl glanced and Totus and gave a nod. With a sigh, he lifted with a lazy downstroke and flew next to her as she walked. He had to loop back and forth because she was slower than usual; as a large bird he couldnt just hover.


She neared the door, just behind those on crutches, and put her green eyes on Manjano.


"Come on, grumpy-pants, dont think I didnt see you looking at me." Her voice was a soft tease, because she had seen him glance back and knew he had stopped to see what she would do. Beth made it through the doorway, then said over her shoulder. "If youre concerned, walk with me and make sure I dont topple over." She knew she shouldnt tease him so, but she couldnt help it. Eos had been right in saying she wanted to cheer up after things had been so somber.


@zCrookedz @Lioness075 @SilverFlight

 

[Lioness075]

Manjano's assumption was correct, as he watched Beth and Totus exchange a look before Beth quickly finished her sandwich and then proceeded to try and stand up.


Sighing, Manjano was about to move over to help her when Beth seemed to be able to manage on her own, despite being a bit wobbly.


Seeing Beth look dead in his eyes when she neared him and hearing her teasing, Manjano felt his heart skip a beat and his face flush ever so slightly. Since when did anyone make him feel that way?


Hearing his nickname, Manjano instinctively opened his mouth to protest, only to find himself quickly clamming his mouth shut and standing stock-still in surprise at his own actions. He couldn't speak, he knew that, but it was almost impossible to ignore the urge to do so while around Beth. That made it dangerous for him to be around her, didn't it? But he couldn't just leave her...


Feeling conflicted, Manjano was pulled out of his thoughts when Beth spoke up again.


Sighing at her request, Manjano merely nodded in response and then walked up to Beth's side, though he tried to keep some distance between them, as his worries of getting too close to her began to surface once more. Still, it couldn't hurt for him to stay close to her in case she ended up falling over from one of her injuries.


@Flutterby

 

[DawnAntalios]

Eos' mind somehow calmed down after seeing the charade unfolding around him. It was truly something strange, an environment he has never been a part of until now. He remembered the first time when they joined an organisation like this - he remembered walking through the door, the young, cheerful Zoe by his side. The girl was truly amazed by the gigantic structure and the people working there, it was as lively as this one - with the exception that people were much more hostile. He remembered how did the heart of Zoe turn from warm and hopeful into bitter and cold as the months passed. Her only companion being her noble stag she was among others - yet still alone.


He wanted to help her back then so badly but he was unable to provide what these people might be able to give her. He looked over this company of theirs... Simon seemed to be as resolute as strong, Leandra was clever, loved jokes but at the same time she was brave. Beth was of a tactical mind, her decisions and clever planning was without equal, Manjano the silent warrior was mysterious but a very valuable, strong ally. Alec and Rin were level-headed, they were cautious and seemingly experienced. And Bael and Wednesday...


The old stag smiled. Somehow he felt that everything will be just fine, even though that the situation was much more dire than ever before. As he looked around the one called Talon graced them with his presence. His speech was but a short one - a request, nay, a command towards all who were present. It appeared that their rest was over for now - and Eos was quite glad that it is the case.


" Excuse me, I shall take my leave. " he said to no one in particular as he set off to try and fetch Zoe. Perhaps the girl was also glad that it was time for some action.

 

[Hel]

"Teach you how to have fun?" Wednesday asked, just before Bael spoke. "What do we need snow for?"


She had gotten lost- not that the conversation was particularly difficult to follow. Who was she to teach anyone to have fun? She supposed she had fun while dancing... If Bael had a plan she supposed she'd do what she could to help.


Smiling at the other two, Wednesday gave a nod back, indicating she would help.


(Sorry, lame post is lame/)


@Sleipnir @DawnAntalios

 

[DawnAntalios]

Zoe's smile waned as she looked at the two of them. Clearly what she had asked was something extremely difficult, she had not considered it to be such a monumental task... but as she pondered about it she had realized how big of a feat it would be, how stressful and hard would it be to learn something like that. Turning away she shook her head.


" It is not important of course... it can wait. " she said " In fact it should be I who teach you first how to fight. The mission is at hand and we are soon to be called upon I think. Yes... work must come first. "


She turned back with a bittersweet smile. When she heard Bael asking about snow she raised her eyebrow.


" Snow? You mean to start yet an another training session? " she asked with a hint of disbelief in her voice. She was not certain what good that would do but she was curious nonetheless. She looked at the two of them and she could not help but chuckle.


" You know... " she began, her voice becoming more silent, more soft " For years have I wondered about what would it be like working together with others. I have had 'allies' before but we were only a band of warriors, each of us walking their own path. I never really had this... this... "


She shook her head, snapping herself out of this. This was not the time for this.


" Never mind me, forget my babbling. " and with that she eagerly looked at Bael and Wednesday, curious what the boy's idea was.


@Sleipnir @Hel

 

[Flutterby]

Beth had glanced back at Manjano to gauge his reaction, hoping the teasing wasnt too off-putting. He had turned red, not too out of the ordinary, but he also opened his mouth as if about to sat something. Her heart stopped, then started again when he closed his mouth. But her face remained neutral, as if she hadnt noticed and was just waiting for him to catch up. He sighed and stepped to her side, causing her to roll her eyes.


"Well gee, sorry to be so bothersome," She said, sarcasm permeating her tone. Beth smiled at him, hoping he wouldnt get irritated, and then focused on walking. She stayed at a slower pace than usual, because she was worried that if she walked normally, her balance would be off. But with the others on crutches, hopefully she wouldnt fall behind too much. Even so, she couldnt help but rest a hand on her stomach as she moved.


Totus swooped ahead, as hig as the ceiling in the hallway would allow, and then came back almost skimming the floor. He was clearly enjoying his flight, so Beth didnt call him back just yet. He deserved to let off some steam; there had been a lot less time for him to fly freely since they started this adventure.


@Lioness075

 

[Lioness075]

Hearing Beth's side comment, Manjano rolled his eyes, amusement glinting in them though, as he remained near her.


Noting Beth moving her hand to her stomach, Manjano frowned slightly, wondering if she was really okay to be doing this so soon in her recovery process.


Sighing, Manjano moved his hands behind his head casually, letting his elbows stick out in a relaxed manner.


Glancing around, Manjano found himself watching Totus for the time being.


Out of the blue, Manjano began to wonder what it'd have been like for him if he'd gotten a bird for a companion instead of a wolf. He would've definitely had a different kind of way of growing up, plus his personality most likely would be different to an extent. After all, Falarion had helped shape who he was today.


Glancing sideways at Beth, Manjano wistfully wondered how Beth would react if he ever spoke again. How his sister would react, too.


Problem was, the moment he began speaking again, he wouldn't be able to hide everything anymore. It was easier to simply not speak at all than it was to speak and try to keep secrets hidden. Manjano learned over time that people were less likely to ask questions if you couldn't speak. For the most part, people tended to assume he was a mute when they first met him and MAnjano was perfectly okay with that.


@Flutterby

 

[Flutterby]

As they walked, Beth watched Totus fly back and forth. He was usually the logical, guiding voice in her life, so it was eay to forget he was a bird first. He was meant to fly, but he didnt mind being grounded for her. Thats why Beth spent so much time outside. She couldn't bear the thought of denying him the wind in his feathers.


"I had the best dream while I sleeping," Beth said quietly. "I dreamt that this job ended well, we got paid a ton and saved the world and all that stuff. And Totus and I decided to retire. Nice little cabin in the shadow of a mountain, near a river maybe, surrounded by pines, tin roof so we can hear the rain, wood stove to stay warm and cook. No one around for miles. Plenty of open sky for him to fly in. Instead of making vacations into the wild, making vacations into the city." Beth paused as Totus did a slow loop, and then headed back toward them just a foot above the floor. "I think he deserves that. I mean.. I would love it, but Totus needs it. He's meant to be able to stretch his wings." Beth looked at her owl affectionately, then glanced at Manjano. "Sorry, Im rambling." She blushed a little, and decided it was best to stop talking. After all, he certainly enjoyed the quiet. She had respected it thus far, so who was she to interrupt it now?


Totus went a little higher and turned sideways to fit between them, his left wingtip brushing the floor. Beth didnt seem to notice, except to smile widely. He continued on, only turning back when he was past the infirmary door.


@Lioness075

 

[Lioness075]

Hearing Beth speak up, Manjano was pulled from his thoughts, as he dropped his arms back to his sides and shoved them in the front pockets of his dark jeans.


Listening to Beth explaining her dream, Manjano smiled slightly, as he envisioned the cabin she was describing and could even hear the forest sounds in his head. Closing his eyes for a moment, Manjano could even see himself standing just outside of it. It was a beautiful description and Manjano could easily see himself living in a similar setting and being in heaven.


Hearing her change the subject more towards Totus, Manjano opened his eyes again and quickly dropped the smile before he hoped it was noticed.


Feeling Beth's gaze on him, Manjano glanced sideways at her and noted her slight blush while shaking his head at her apology. There was no need for one, after all he loved listening to her just...talk. About anything and everything. Just listening to her voi-


Cutting his thoughts short, Manjano blinked, blushing at the direction his thoughts were headed, and then began looking around to see if they were near the briefing room yet.


Just as he was about to point out the elevator nearby, Totus flew in between the pair and Manjano instantly recoiled slightly in surprise before relaxing upon seeing Totus flying away.


Shaking his head in mostly amusement at this, Manjano then raised his arm in Beth's point of view to point out the elevator they were almost walking past by now. Considering the room was several floors up, the elevator would drastically reduce the amount of time they spent trying to get there if they took the stairs. Unsurprisingly, there were four elevators in the area. This was a huge base, after all. At the very least, the surprise of Totus flying between the pair might excuse the faint tint of blush on Manjano's cheeks.


@Flutterby

 

[Sleipnir]

Bael shook his head. He wondered again why everything just had to have a distinct reason with Zoe, why nothing could be done just for the sake of enjoying it. "No training here," he insisted firmly. "There is absolutely no reason at all to do what we'll all be doing, and you can try to find one, Zoe, but it won't be there. This has absolutely no application whatsoever except that it sounds like a good idea." He turned and headed for the door. Ideally, he'd wait until they got a fresh layer of snow. Then something else occurred to him. "We aren't needed for something, are we? I imagine we must have a mission to start soon."


@Hel @DawnAntalios

 

[Flutterby]

"Sorry, he's feeling energetic." Beth said, watching Manjano jump back with a small smile. His face was red again; she was beginning to feel like it was a permanent condition around her. What if-


Beth cut that line of thought short as she felt a cold kick in the gut. No need to panic. Manjano didnt even speak to people. He could barely be close to her without being super uncomfortable. Touching her seemed to put him on the edge of panic as much as it did her. He wouldnt, no, couldnt, be getting feelings for her. Leandra even thought so. It was fine. She was safe.


Wasnt she?


The girl was so busy trying to not panic at her line of thinking, that she almost walked right past the elevator. It wasnt until Manjano pointed to them across her field of vision that she realized. It would certainly be easier than trying to take the stairs.


"Oh-uh, right." She said, and jabbed a finger into the call button. A door slid open almost instantly, and she got in without looking at him again. Her hand reached out and hit the button for the third floor, with a little less force. She needed to get a grip.


@Lioness075


Totus swooped after them, but passed them into the large, central hall. He spiraled up, up, and up, and then back down to the third floor. There, he perched and waited for their elevator to arrive.

 

[Lioness075]

Manjano raised an eyebrow at Beth's comment directed at Totus. It sure seemed that way.


Yet, just as he looked at her, Manjano could see the slightest contortions in her facial expression, as well as the way her pupils dilated. Fear? But what could she be afraid of in this moment?


Yet, before he could think to try and signal to her and silently ask what was bothering her, Beth realized they were about to pass the elevator and stopped.


Dropping his arm back to his side and then into his front pocket, Manjano bit the inside of his lip thoughtfully before looking up at the ceiling and casually walking into the elevator with Beth.


Instantly positioning himself in the corner farthest away from Beth, Manjano then leaned back against it and curiously looked over at Beth, titling his head slightly to the right so his good eye could get a better view of her.


Manjano knew she'd just had some sort of panic or anxiety attack, but he hadn't the faintest idea why or what had caused it. Had it been something he did? It certainly wasn't something he said. Oh, the irony.


Smirking slightly to himself, Manjano then looked at the elevator doors, as he felt the elevator smoothly begin its climb.


@Flutterby

 

[SilverFlight]

Rin’s reaction made Alec clear his throat, looking more than a little sheepish.


“Duik’s really the master here, he re-wrote that for the violin, arranged it and stuff.”


Duik hadn’t said anything until then, he was still grinning widely. “Deal’s a deal buddy. I’ll take that praise.”


@andujarprime @crucialstar


It wasn’t long before Talon found the others, his last stop was the lounge where he peered in carefully and addressed them in his deep, purring voice.


“I see you are all feeling quite fit. Agent Darcy requests your presence in the briefing room, if you will kindly follow.”


@everyone


Alec swiftly replaced the violin in its case and with a final look back at Xiao he followed the big cat out. Duik waited for Xiao ad Laohu, taking the time to pack up his equipment with well-practiced ease.


@crucialstar


Callista knew Jimbo fairly well and hung back with him, knowing he’d want some distance both from Talon and Laohu.


“Honestly? You’re still afraid of the little pussy cats?” She teased him half-heartedly. Knowing full well what they had faced in Singapore.


@zCrookedz


Darcy was waiting for them when they entered the room which was simple with white walls and a grey carpet. A projector was fastened tightly to the ceiling and cast a dim blue light onto one of the blank walls. A digital touch panel was set into the large glass table that dominated the room. In the chair before it Darcy sat and watched them thoughtfully.


When everyone had settled he cleared his throat and begun.


“You are aware of the situation that arose at the end of your last mission.” He paused for a moment to allow them time to recall. “You completed your goals despite unforeseen circumstances, you should all be proud of the bravery and perseverance you showed, however, we did lose an agent for that win: Agent Amber Strong was a dedicated member of the Watch, and we will do everything we can to recover her.”


Alec fidgeted. He felt the use of past tense was a little unnecessary, Strong had to be alive. He also felt there was a ‘but’ coming.


“But…” Darcy added. “I will not be involving your team in that mission.”


Alec’s gaze darted quickly to Simon; he suspected the big man wouldn’t take that little bombshell very well.


In truth he wasn’t happy about it either. He wanted to follow the leads that sprung up during that fight on the cliff: Where the heck had those wolves come from? How were they retaining their sapience supposedly without human partners? What was the bear, agent Boris working on? All of these questions were bouncing about inside his head, but he chose to voice another:


“What did the boar tell you about the missing agent? Why did the rogues want Elliot dead?”


Darcy eyed him with a distanced criticism. “That, I’m afraid to say is classified. Your involvement in that mission is over, we’ll be sending more experienced agents to follow up. You will still be going to Paris, but for another task:”


Darcy pressed a button on the panel and an image came up which sparked a high-pitched squeal from Duik.


The image was of a poodle, cut in the traditional French style with her fur died cotton-candy pink everywhere except for her chest and flanks, which were lighter and sported dyed leopard spots filled with different colours.


“This is—”


“Gigi Canine!” Duik interrupted, saying her name in the same excited tone.


“A world famous pop singer and an advocate for companion rights, emphasizing a peaceful approach through petitions and lobbying.” Darcy completed patiently.


“I know her.” Callista remarked. “Amber loves her music.”


“We believe she may be a target for the Rogues. Intel was passed on to us that an autonomous group of animals is planning a kidnapping during one of Gigi Canine’s charity concerts.”


Alec thought for a moment, “So we’re bodyguards for this Gigi Canine.”


“Alec. Its pronounced ‘Can-eene’. Its French.” Duik stated the fact as if it was common knowledge. "She's the most inspired singer-songwriter of our time! I can't believe we get to work with Gigi Canine!!" Alec rolled his eyes at the hyena's excitement, he looked ready to swoon.


“Not only. I expect you to uncover more on what they are planning. Perhaps find leads to get us deeper into this, see if it’s truly linked to the Rogues or just a radical upstart group.”


Darcy allowed the information to sink in, waiting for any questions or protests.


@crucialstar @Lioness075 @Flutterby @Sleipnir @Hel @andujarprime @zCrookedz @DawnAntalios

Spoiler

 

[zCrookedz]

Jimbo was in a pretty good place after listening to Alec play. Normally he liked the classic rock stuff from the 70's and 80's. But every now and then Trish or Kristie would be listening to a song that would catch Jimbo's ear and that happened to be one of them. The little music room was actually a pretty nice place to relax, Jimbo even felt like he would be oke with talking to Laohu a bit after being so relaxed.


However, that did not last long Jimbo's nerves wound tight once more when the giant of a feline Talon came in to retrieve them. All Jimbo could stare at were the great cats giant upper canines. Jimbo felt himself stand and follow along with the others, but didn't break his line of sight on the cat till he heard Calista chime in.


"Every encounter I have ever had with a cat, or something cat like, has never ended well. So yea, I still got a thing about cats big enough to hunt deer. Or civets."


Jimbo shot her a sideways glance as they rounded a corner. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed someone moving pretty fast but in a weird way, like they were bouncing. As the person got closer, Jimbo realised it was Simon on a pair of crutches and he broke from the group to go and meet his partner.


Simon had mad a quick pit stop on his way to the briefing room, he tracked down the rooms their stuff had been taken to and changed into what look to be more like military fatigues. The tight shirt that Simon had dawned held the logo of The Watch over the left pectoral. Simon slowed down as Jimbo turned so they could walk into the briefing together.


"Interesting choice of attire there Simon. How did everything go in the infirmary?"


"It wen't.....fine. Let get in there."


Jimbo raised an eyebrow to him, but before he could pursue the matter Simon was entering and finding a seat.


Sitting more towards the middle of the giant glass table, Simon puled up a chair and Jimbo behind him. When Darcy began, Simon listened intently for what he WANTED to here. However, the more the man spoke, the tighter his grip got on the crutches he had been holding. When Darcy said they were not going after her, Simon felt the metal tubing of the crutch buckle under his grip and cave like a soda can. Jimbo could feel the anger inside Simon bubbling up to the surface, and he knew he was about to explode at Darcy. Jimbo reached out with his foot and gripped Simons left ankle under the table. Simon shot a look over his shoulder at Jim and could see the same fire burning in his eyes about the situation that he had. But while Simons was wild and untamable, Jimbo's was controlled and constant like the fire in a fire place. Simon felt Jimbo's own emotions pressing on his and the two began to balance each other out. Simon relaxed a bit, but continued to hold his angered expression as he returned his attention to Darcy and the briefing.


As they listened to the rest of the briefing, Simon continued to brood in his chair listening. Thought when Darcy responded to Alec question about the boar and more information, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself with "figures" kind of attitude. Jimbo simply rolled his eyes and tried to ignore Simon while listening to the rest of the briefing.


The mission sounded simple enough, gaurd some hoity toity celebrity and try and get some information out of her about the rogues. Jimbo thought he recognized the name when Duik became a complete fangirl and blurted out her name. Possibly something that Kristie or Trisha listened to? Eh, it didn't really matter, the mission was pretty straight forward.This sounded like a job for someone with a smoother tongue than either Jimbo or Simon had. None the less, it was the job they had been given, whether they liked it or not.


When Darcy finished explaining the mission the room seemed to grow a bit quiet. While the others were more than likely going over the mission in their heads, Simon took advantage of the silence and rose from his chair using the crutches. He wore a stoik face, and faced Darcy fixing him with a hard stare.


"Figures The Watch would be up to it typical secret squirrel BS. We helped get the information, but after that, we're in the dark. So what?? Were just supposed to get the information from this Gigi so that after that you can send us to Africa or The North Pole to gather MORE information? All the while, Amb.....Agent Strong, is sitting behind enemy lines and we do nothing but play glorified paper boys for you."


Simon paused and looked around the room.


"Welcome to The Watch everyone."


Simon snatched up the crutch and was heading for the exit to the room before Jimbo could reach for him. Jimbo placed his fingers over his eyes and began to rub them out of frustration as Simon swung his good leg up to kick open to door so he could storm out the best he could on crutches.


@SilverFlight