Fantasy Code FERAL

[DawnAntalios]

Zoe backed away from Bael as she felt the atmosphere becoming increasingly tense. Unlike before it seemed that neither her presence nor her actions had any effect on the boy, in fact, it seemed that all she had achieved was negative, perhaps he was even more disturbed than before. Scratching her head in confusion and sham she took a few steps further before Bael stood up. The smile vanished from her face and in stead a slight sadness descended upon her. Perhaps she was not as charming and helpful as her sister was... she was not exactly cut for such delicate emotions it seemed.


" I guess I should go then. " she said, looking at Bael and Calista. " I think the others are already at the base, ready for battle. " she looked with pain one last time at Bael then she closed her eyes and focused on Eos' mind. Though she knew not where the stag was initially seeing through his thoughts might give her the answer she sought. Surely enough she had found what she was looking for and now she knew where the basement was.


" R&D department. " she spoke out loud, mainly aiming it at Bael though not looking at the boy. " See you there. "


And with that she hurried away as fast as she could.


@Sleipnir @SilverFlight


Eos was impressed with the sight that one was certain. He had never seen such a strange place but looking at all the inventions all around him he was very glad that they had scientists like these on their side - even if the room itself was a total disaster he knew that science requires as... liberal point of view. As Jimbo explained who was in charge here and who was responsible for all these inventions he was very happy: this Jones seemed to be a very promising and strong ally in their conquest, he had hoped to meet him in person.


Much to his astonishment he almost immediately did when the strange looking scientist himself showed up. Intelligence radiated from him and his companion and the stag watched as he dispensed several interesting inventions - and it was then when he turned to him. Once he received the gift his eyes popped wide open in surprise.


" A masterfully crafted collection indeed. " Eos replied with awe " I am impressed and I believe that so will she be! I humble thank you for this gift. "


He bowed his head and no sooner he did so when Zoe arrived in a hurry.


" What is the situation? " she asked and Eos pointed at the case they have gotten. The girl picked it up and her eyes lit up in excitement as she browsed her new found toys. Eos smiled as he watched patiently how she marveled in the arrows.


" These... these are absolutely amazing! " she exclaimed, trying to assemble and collapse them over and over again " He had achieved incredible elasticity compared to the titanium I normally use! And on top of that their weight seems to be just right, their material seems to be just correct - they will perhaps inflict more damage than anything else! "


" So you like them, I take it? "


She shook her head.


" No, I don't like them. I LOVE them! " she turned towards Jones, nodding happily " I know not what nefarious mastermind you are, doc, but this work is pretty damn impressive! You have my approval that is damn sure! " she grinned. She did not like gifts, neither giving nor receiving them - but these babies were different. This time she was absolutely radiating with determination - with special ammunition like these she can perhaps achieve the next level of bow mastery.


@zCrookedz

 

[SilverFlight]

Calista let herself be lifted up and settled onto Bael's lap like a cat, leaning her furry face into his stomach peacefully.


"I won't tell if you won't Blondie." She said slyly to Zoe.


At length she went with them to Nigel.


@DawnAntalios


Duik was having immense fun watching all of the researchers and their new developments. He caught sight of the man without pants and tried (unsuccessfully) to stifle a barking laugh.


Reaching the door both he and Alec winced at the crash and exchanged curious glances as the expletives carried through the frosted glass. Calista, who had arrived with Zoe groaned quietly to herself.


Nigel was most certainly eccentric, Alec would give him that. He stepped over bits of gadget and what he could only guess was rubble from an explosives test to stand just by the cluttered lab table. He inclined his head to the rat which he assumed to be the man's partner.


"Its always good to see someone so ah, dedicated to his work." Alec commented gently. When the weapons were produced however he stood amazed.


At the comment of Beth being a 'looker' Duik made a drum and symbol noise, finishing in a happy grin.


Alec's eyes widened when he was presented with the pistols. He was smiling broadly when he lifted them out of their case, replacing the clip and spinning one in each hand before taking the holster too.


"Beyond fantastic." He said, "Its a very good thing I'm not colour blind."


"I'm colour blind!" Duik chimed in with another laugh. He clearly got a kick out of the whole thing.


When Nigel made the crack about the gear exploding Calista said grumpily "If any of your crazy toys maims one of my team I'll make sure your next station is in the Namibian desert."


@zCrookedz


When they had gathered up the gear Talon was already waiting to escort them to the plane.


To Alec's surprise the aircraft was the same one that had been waiting for them at JFK. The interior was just as comfortable as they had left it, this time the minibar was stocked and there was food set on some of the tables. At the back of the cabin there was also a rack of clothes, disguises he guessed; a mix of t-shirts, jeans, skirts and pants. Alec picked out a shirt and held it up to Duik, it read 'Gigi rocks my world'.


"Oh! I'll wear that one!" Duik said happily. "Help me put it on." Alec sighed and helped the hyena get into the shirt as the others were boarding.


Talon stayed just beside the boarding ramp, ready to answer any last minute questions.


"You will find copies of the dossier in folders on the tables." He said loudly as the team got ready to depart.


@everyone

 

[zCrookedz]

Simon watch Falarion get excited about the gear and smiled at the wolf.


"Sorry Falarion, Jones specializes in human equipment. Or those like Jimbo who have opposable thumbs. I'll bet we could find someone here though that specializes in companion gear."


Simon looked over the infirmary once more before he laid eyes on a small table beside Falarions bed. On the table sat a tray with two more syringes on them, one empty and one still unused. Simon swung his leg on the crutch and made his way over to the table, lifting the syringe up and smiling to Leandra.


"Looks like someone left ya some meds Lea. Now we can get moving."


Simon shuffled back over to Leandra and handed over the syringe to her before heading back to the door. With the prospect of new gear from Jones, Simon was a bit antsy and wanted to get heading for R&D. He hustled back out into the med wing and headed for the elevator. Once the others who were following had loaded into the elevator with him. Simon hit the button to head for R&D.


As they approached the main floor in the elevator, Simon recognized a familiar shape exiting the elevator beside them and nearly hit 10 other buttons trying to stop the elevator at the right floor. When the elevator stop Simon hobbled out of the small space to see Jimbo and the others following Talon back towards the hanger.


"Hey Jim! I thought you guys were heading to Jones' office? Hey there George! What are you doing here?"


Jim stopped as he heard his name called and smiled to see Simon heading his way. Before he could answer, George stood up on Jim's head and jumped to Simon's shirt, making his way to his shoulder.


"Ey there Simon! Bout time you showed up. I was just going over the last of the gear with Jim before you guy buggered off. Jones's got some good stuff for the team, even got something in there for you Simon."


Jimbo shifted the case over his shoulder having walked the entire way back on one knuckle. Before he knew it George had climbed down the the crutches and was on the floor.


"All right ya wankers, bring that gear back in one piece. Or i'll chew through the wires in the next jet you take off in."


George turned and bounced on his little rat paws into the crowd of people and animals heading for the elevators.


Simon smiled as he watched him go and then look back to the jet. He and Jim followed the others onto the jet, Jim making his way to the table and setting the case down, while Simon limped his way over to the mini bar snatching a couple of bottles before setting down on the edge of the table. He wasn't sure where or how Leandra would want to give herself her medicine, but he figured they could both use a drink after it was over if it was anything like Simon's reaction.


@Lioness075

 

[Lioness075]

Falarion's face fell when Simon told him there were no companion equipment to be handed out for this mission.


"Aww, that's not fair. Just because I don't have opposable thumbs..."


Sighing at Falarion's saddened attitude, Manjano thought to him, Cheer up, mate. We don't have much time left before we head out so we should go get my gear and your ball before everyone leaves.


Hearing and seeing Simon shifting his attention to Leandra now, Manjano nodded at Falarion and then began walking at the injured wolf's pace, as the pair exited the infirmary and made their way back to the barracks of the base.


"I'm just saying, it's no fair that they make all this fancy stuff for the humans and only for companions with opposable thumbs. Why can't the rest of us get something special? Like, at least some kind of armor or something!?"


Entering their shared room and quickly packing his assault pack, Manjano then thought, Well, it can be difficult to make things like armor for every kind of companion out there. All of the species have different biological aspects and who knows what specific type of armor you could need per mission.


Huffing, Falarion quickly responded, "Well, they could've at least made a cool new ball for me!"


Chuckling at this, Manjano stood up to leave the room, Falarion's ball packed in his pack, before petting Falarion on the head and thinking, Come on, mate. We should catch up before we get left behind or something.


@zCrookedz


Leandra grinned in amusement at Falarion's complaining before watching Manjano and the maned wolf exit the infirmary. They always had been polar opposites of each other, personality-wise.


Hearing Simon, Leandra turned to see the shot left over and grinned at him while nodding before taking the syringe and carefully putting it away in her bag, which had been left beside her bed in the infirmary. Luckily, it was already pre-packed for their next mission.


Following Simon onto an elevator, Leandra then let out a small sigh of relief, as she looked forward to using the shot and speeding up the recovery process. Even if it meant she'd go crazy for a short span of time.


Glancing at Simon, Leandra was about to mention a word of thanks to him when he began frantically pressing buttons on the elevator to stop it.


Seeing who they were joining up with, Leandra smiled and then crutched after the group, as Luness continued to quietly sit on her shoulder.


Hearing a new name mentioned, Leandra then noticed the rat on Jimbo's head and giggled at the sight before listening to what he said next. At the mention of the gear, Leandra felt her heart speed up slightly in excitement at what she'd get.


Eyeing the case in Jimbo's hand, Leandra figured it'd be best to check out the gear on the plane when she could sit down and really look at it instead of struggling to juggle it on top of using her crutches.


Hearing George's threat, Leandra rolled her eyes in amusement, as she envisioned the rat angrily chewing through wires in a plane.


Following Simon onto the plane, Leandra soon was sitting by him and warily holding the syringe in her hands, rolling it over while thinking about it.


Luness climbed down one of Leandra's arms to settle on the table and curiously tilted her head up at Leandra before saying, "What's wrong, dear?"


Leandra sighed and then looked at Luness, having figured out why an extra one had been left over in the infirmary, before asking, "Why didn't you let them give this to you in the infirmary, Lune? Your wing's messed up and won't properly heal for up to two or three days."


Shifting uncomfortably on her talons, Luness responded, "I didn't like the prospect of the side effects, Lea. Don't worry about me. I'll heal just fine and make sure to stay out of fights as much as possible. You need to be able to walk so you need it more than I do."


Anxiously chewing the inside of her mouth, Leandra glanced sideways at Simon and asked, "Well, who do you think should use this, Simon?"


@zCrookedz

 

[Sleipnir]

Bael too made his way to the group and stood back quietly to watch the others receive their new weapons. He didn't really care for the thought; he figured he wouldn't be able to use such advanced tech well anyway. He was good at plants, not fighting, and doubted that any of these things could help. But against his own thoughts and opinions he moved forward to examine everything curiously, admiring the different mechanics and the creativity.


@zCrookedz

 

[andujarprime]

Rin hung back, trailing the group as they entered the East wing once more. He looked into the R&D lab he had dropped the dead wolf at earlier, he noticed there were several scientists there. Perhaps they had already made headway with it? He shrugged, even if they did there probably wasn't anything that would help them with their current mission. He'd wait till after to ask about it. As he followed the group inside, he felt Haku grip his shoulders tighter, she smelled the air, before the companion even showed himself Rin could feel her mind holding her back. He could feel the mental struggle, he sighed and shook his head. "It's been that long since you last ate huh" He thought out to her as she buried her head in his shirt. Rin followed behind as they gathered the gear. He saw something on a table they passed by that caught his eye. It was a slim black Katana, with a slight sheen to it. The man in the white coat standing next to it eyed him up and down and smiled before shuffling over. "Beauty ain't she?" He asked as Rin nodded. "Wanna see what she can do?" He asked, smiling as Rin vigorously nodded his head. He picked it up and stepped over to an iron beam, the Katana seemed to hum for a few seconds before he sliced down, the beam was cut cleanly in two, the edges where the blade hit was glowing an angry orange. Rin stood there with a his jaw nearing the floor. "Impressive indeed" Haku spoke up, she had lifted her head out to see what had gotten Rin so excited. The lab coat didn't even flinch at her showing up, he was too busy explaining the blade to Rin. "I've been working on this for a while. Everyone said it was a waste, nobody uses swords anymore, but if your undercover, how do you expect to get a gun through a metal detector, or an x-ray machine? It'd be near impossible!!" He exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. "But this baby, just watch...." He said with a smile hinting at the corner of his mouth. He gave the Katana a flick, and the blade dropped in a flowing motion, he wiggled it around to show a thin, black leather looking belt. Rin's eyes went wide in amazement. "Wah??!! How??!!! You see this Haku??!! I need this!!! I need this for the mission!!!" He exclaimed to the Doctor, who was equally as excited at having someone interested in his tech. "Sure!!! you can take it for a field test!!!" He exclaimed happily as he moved in to explain how to change the belt to Katana and back again. Explaining how to energize the blade so that it would cut through near anything with razor sharp edges, super heated by a chip inside the belt buckle. As he finished the crash course, Rin rejoined the rest of the group. "I'm sure there's someplace you can eat around here Haku." He reassured her as they left the lab "No, I'll find something in Paris, I don't want to get left behind you know it takes me a few hours to digest. I'll be okay." She responded in a whisper as they began to board the plane.


@zCrookedz @SilverFlight

 

[deer]

Her eyes widened when Alec agreed and took the violin from her grasp. She smiled softly, mouthing her "thank you" towards Alec as she moved to his side, giving him some space. Xiao Hui giggled softly and shot a wink in Duirk's direction, glad she could help, but even more relieved the two didn't have bad blood or anything. As she stood against the wall, Xiao Hui looked towards Rin and Haku, fidgeting with her hands slight as Laohu chuckled, "Nothing a little rest and healing won't do to be all brand new again." He told Rin light-heartedly as he showed his bandages proudly. Xiao Hui laughed lightly, covering her mouth in response, quite amused. Nodding Xiao Hui chimed in,"Despite how it looks," she said, looking at her ankle, "it's nothing to worry about." She really wanted to try to get over her fears, especially since they'll be on the same team. Xiao Hui had no intentions of being judgmental against Haku, especially since she saw the joy in Laohu's expressions whenever they talked. What better way to face her fears then to get to know the young snake and her companion: Rin. Laohu looked on ahead at the atmosphere of the room, hearing Duirk's excitement echoed the room as Laohu grinned, feeling his spirits replenished once more.


Xiao Hui observed Alec, watching him tune his violin as Duirk excitedly decided on the song they'll play. Once Duirk signaled and cued Alec, the melody, harmony, and beat danced in the air, in unity. She closed her eyes, succumbing to the sounds of the violin as the tempo went an octave higher and lower, flowing like a river. It was new and refreshing, different to what she's used to hearing so hearing it first-hand, Xiao Hui felt the tune of the song touch her soul as the sound of the beautiful strings of the violin echoed through the room. Laohu closed her eyes as well, liking the music as it filled his ears with serenity. Xiao Hui was too entranced in the music that she hadn't realized the song ended until resonating claps and cheers occurred from the others. Smiling, Xiao Hui gave a wink to Duirk and clapped along with them quite excitedly and energetically . "That was amazing, Alec. You two definitely work well together to make such a great piece." She said in such awe and sincerity to her two companions. Laohu, on the other hand, smiled, hearing Haku's voice as he saw Rin's enthusiasm. However, he noticed Jimbo's tenseness whenever he talked or looked at him. Laohu couldn't help but chuckle, quite used to such a reaction as well. But, he could only hope he would be willing to perhaps, one day, want to get along with him. But, at least, Hui's trying. Nevertheless, Xiao Hui's smile widened even more as Duirk accepted his compliments, knowing they would keep their deals and promises


However, the light-hearted and relaxed atmosphere came to a stop when Talon requested their presence from Agent Darcy. She waited for everyone to file out, walking along with Duirk and Laohu as she spared another glance at Alec as he walked out the room as well. Laohu watched the interactions and couldn't help but roll his eyes as he nudged her to move among. As soon as they came upon the room, Xiao Hui was glad to see the rest of her teammates taken care of and resting, sorta. As Agent Darcy briefed them, Xiao Hui only heard two things: one, they weren't going after Agent Stronf and two, they were going to protect a poodle-leopard who was considered an advocate for the animal companions and she may have information of the rogues. A loud uproar ensued, one after another she heard everyone's spill on their thoughts and opinions. However, Xiao Hui and Laohu stayed silent, listening to everyone. Laohu turned to Hui, not feeling any emotions or thoughts from her. "What do you think?" He asked, mind linking her. Xiao Hui looked away from the others as she smiled softly though a slight frown form, "Agent Darcy, Zoe, and Leandra are right. We are untrained however we managed well despite our inexperience. It was pure luck rogues attacked us, however, that just shows how bold and unpredictable they really are. However, the Watch's decision in keeping us in the dark has to happen for their benefit. Why? Because perhaps, they don't know themselves what's going on with the rogues too. How can they give us information on what they don't know? Hence our mission on protecting Gigi. Saying it's classified is an organization's backup plan to saying they don't have enough resources to plan out. They need information as much as we want Strong back. However we can't do anything now for her." Laohu pondered on Xiao Hui's words as he heard Simon lead them out of the room. "Quite a hothead isn't he? Do you think she's alive? When is it a good time?" Biting her lips she shook her head, "She's alive, seeing Callista, she is. And I'm sure Simon wouldn't allow her to fall in such a way," she mind linked him, observing his reaction as she knew her assumptions were correct: they're more than just friends and workers. "Now isn't the time. We need training but only the Watch could teach us. I don't believe in sitting on the sidelines either. However, they shouldn't underestimate us. I'll have to ask for a request for them to train us after this mission. We all have our specialties we just need to learn how to use them correctly together as a team." Laohu nodded, proud of Hui's trust and utmost belief in her comrades.


As the rest made followed Jimbo, Xiao Hui's eyes pondered the East Wing as she looked around at the R&D department. To say she was amused was an understatement as she took in the Doctor's messy office filled with contraptions she would rather not step on. Laohu was careful to not make any of the weapons explode as they all went into the room. Xiao Hui looked as Beth and Alec recieved their weapons hearing that only the humans and not animal would be getting any. Laohu chuckled at Falarion's outburst as Xiao Hui looked down worriedly at Laohu as he shook his mane, "Don't worry about me , Hui." Rolling her eyes she shook her head, as she made her way outside the room, leaving with the rest of the crew until they walked out leading them to the aircraft. "You need to take care of yourself more, Laohu." She scolded him as Laohu chuckled, "You know I do to protect you from harm." To say the least, she never liked using weapons but if need be, she would have to. As the rest finished, she followed the others, as they walked out of the rooms and buildings until they reached the aircraft. Inside the aircraft, Xiao Hui watched as Alec helped Duirk into his shirt. Giggling , she tilted her head, "Looking good Duirk." She said to him as she remembered his excitement of meeting the famous pop singer. Xiao Hui felt happy for the hyena as she wondered how big she was. She never heard her songs before but didn't want to mention it to Duirk afraid that she would burst his bubble. Laohu, on the other hand, was quite amused and asked, "Have any of her songs on your player, Duirk?" As Laohu talked to Duirk, Xiao Hui looked at the various clothings and decided to take a t-shirt and a skirt, wanting to try something new. Taking her clothings, Xiao Hui took a folder from the table, wanting to debrief herself once more in case there were any surprises. Looking for an empty seat, Xiao Hui went over to the window side and placed her belongings there waiting for the rest. "Alec, what do you think of this mission?" She asked , wanting to know his input before looking at Talon, "Talon, do you think, perhaps, the other agents or someone would be able to train all of us? You say we are inexperienced, help us become more experienced, especially training us to work as a team and combat wise."

@SilverFlight @zCrookedz @andujarprime @Lioness075 @everyone else
​

 

[Flutterby]

Beth followed Jimbo, trying to take in everything that was happening. But her mind was chaos, and so were her surroundings. She couldnt focus on one thing long enough to really know what it all was. People were scrambling about, some guy had lost his pants, and there were bits and pieces of robotics everywhere.


Totus understood a little more of what was going on, but they were outdoors-people, and this was all a little high-tech for the two of them. After a lot of crashing and swearing, a young man finally came to the door and ushered them all inside. His companion was a rather serious rat, but the young man's clumsy demeanor reminded him of one of Beth's favorite animated movies.


For her part, Beth was staring at Dr. Nigel and trying to wrap her head around the fact that his name was Nigel, and not Milo. But the hair was the same shade of brown, the eyes were the same blue, and come on, how many clumsy but brilliant scientists really existed? She was starting to wonder when the word Atlantis would pop out of his mouth.


But instead, it was her name. She gawked at him when he dropped the word looker, and then erupted into giggles as he realized his mistake. She managed to pay attention as he explained. So. Glasses. Fancy ones, with x-ray, night vision, magnification, and infrared. She had to disagree with Nigel there- infrared over sun-shade any day.


Beth pulled them on and took a look at herself in a nearby window pane. The frames themselves were in the "hipster" fashion. To fit in, she supposed. With a tap on the side, her vision changed instantly. Beth gasped and tapped it again until it went back to normal. Too much color. She would try them out later.


They followed the rest of the crew back through the building and collected their belongings before boarding the plane. She caught sight of the rack of clothing at the back, and the food on the tables, but she simply found a seat in an out of the way corner and glanced through a dossier while ripping open a bag of gummy worms. Totus settled down in front of her, munching on something from one of the trays.

 

[Lioness075]

As Manjano and Falarion boarded the plane, Manjano felt a bit awkward, as he realized that the pair were probably the last ones to board the plane. He hoped they hadn't held back the departure or anything.


Oblivious to the fact that everyone had gotten new gadgets, Manjano began walking around the plane casually, curious to know what all was on it.


Meanwhile, Falarion's nose went straight into the air, as he quickly was able to smell the food nearby. Bounding away from Manjano's side, Falarion soon was at the table of food and promptly stood up on his hind legs, as he then grabbed the nearest piece of meat available and then sat down before noisily eating it.


Whipping around when Falarion suddenly rushed off, Manjano frowned and walked after the maned wolf and rounded a corner to see where he was headed. Of course.


Sighing, Manjano walked up past the table of food to look at the clothing selection nearby. Tilting his head at the various clothes available, Manjano soon took off his assault pack, as he packed a new set of clothing inside of it. Being careful to not pick anything that said anything about Gigi, Manjano was grateful to find some blank, black clothes in the mix. He even managed to find a new black pair of sneakers.


Once the clothes were packed away for him to change into later, Manjano stood back up and put the assault pack on in time for him to freeze, as he saw Beth sitting off to the side, right past Falarion nosily eating whatever he'd found to eat.


Seeing the glasses Beth was now sporting, Manjano frowned slightly and tilted his head to the side, as he wondered, Where did she get those? I thought she could see just fine.


Remembering when she'd been reading on their last plane flight, Manjano remained confused as to why Beth was now wearing glasses.


Falarion finished his meat just after overhearing Manjano's thoughts and licked his muzzle clean and wiped at it with one of his paws, before he stood up and padded over to Beth's side.


Sitting on his rump, Falarion tilted his head at Beth, comically letting one of his ears flop down on his head, before asking with a grin, "Hey, Beth! Where'd you get those fancy new glasses?"


Seeing and hearing Falarion, Manjano rolled his eyes and resisting the urge to face palm in case Beth looked his way.


Still, he remembered his feelings from earlier and the concern that had arisen with them. Dropping his gaze to the floor, Manjano shoved his hands into the front pockets of his cargo pants before he turned away from the trio and wandered into the bar area instead.


@Flutterby


Glancing up after entering, Manjano paused uncertainly at the sight of Leandra, Luness, and Simon nearby.


Shrugging off his discomfort, Manjano walked past the trio to find a seat at the bar, far from anyone else in the room. Grabbing the nearest alcoholic drink he could find, Manjano then immediately took a big gulp of it before setting it down and sighing to himself.


@zCrookedz

 

[zCrookedz]

Simon shifted on the table as he watched the others board. He picked up one of the bottles he had grabbed and placed the cap on the edge of the metal frame of one of his crutches and gave it a good, thwack. He then tilted the bottle back and sighed after hearing Leandras question. He ran a hand through his beard pondering the delima before speaking.


"That's a tough one. We need both of you in tip top shape, but only one vial. Hmmmmm, there's no telling how bad the side effects might be on a pheonix. But spontaneous combustion does come to mind. I can help keep ya from hurting yourself Leandra, might be the best solution"


Jimbo had opened the case and was wandering over to theit conversation as they spoke. He stopped just beside Leandra and Luness and held out a small pouch to her.


"Dont think you will have to worry about it to much guys. Doc sent this for you Leandra. George said Nigel calls them Vital-Vials. They are injectors, like epipens, that have a concentrated serum in them for battle injuries. Like a get up and go cocktail. Least that's what the rat said."


As Jimbo handed off the pouch, he spotted Manjano setting down in his normal fashion of solitude at the bar. The sight seemed familiar to Jimbo as he lumbered over to the man and set a box down on the bar beside him.


"Manjano, Doctor Jones sent something for you too. George said it's a S.W.A.T.C.H., a wrist watch the creates come kind of grid over the wearer that then retract light around them. I think it makes you invisible. The rat used a lot of big terms that I don't understand, but there should be instructions with it."


Not wanting to bother him any more than he might already had, Jimbo went back to the box and then noticed Xiao and Laohu. Seeing that Xaio was conversing with Talon, Jimbo closed his eyes and took a deep breathe before walking over to Laohu with a small pouch.


"Laohu, Jones sent something for Xiao. Throwing needles made out of some kind of light weight metal that's spied to be pretty strong. From the way George explained it, they should help Xiao deal extra damage to pressure points, whatever that means."


After giving Laohu one last glance and turning away rather quickly, Jimbo spotted Beal and Cedar and made his way over to them next. Jimbo was just about done playing delivery ape, and was glad to have it that way.


"Hey kid, got something for ya, catch."


Jimbo tossed a cylindrical tube like device towards Beal, hoping the kid had good hand eye coordination.


"Ok, what was yours again. Crud, the blasted rat should have come help me with this. Oh, now I remember. George said the Doc made you a wip. The thing sounded pretty neat, it retracts into the handle for concealing but is made out of some crazy strong material that takes shape with electricity. Doc loves electricity. Anyways, be carefull with that thing."


@Lioness075 @crucialstar @Sleipnir

 

[Flutterby]

Beth looked up as the sound of paws reached her ears. She found Falarion sitting in front of her, with a silly grin on his cute face.


"Some scientist guy made them. Theyre super-spy glasses." She explained, reaching forward and giving him a rub behind the ears.


"Its a little more than that, Beth. They had several different vision settings, including xray and infrared." Totus said dryly. He knew she just couldnt quite remember the specifics.


Beth shrugged. "Im glad to see youre geeling better, hun." She said to Falarion. Then, she looked up with the bag of gummy worms in her hand, but suddenly there was no one there. Her eyes found his human counterpart, who had moved away and was gulping alcohol. She frowned, and looked down at the papers in her hands before glancing at Falarion. "Is something wrong with Manjano? Or does he just like to drink?" The girl tried to phrase it casually, but her voice tightened.


@Lioness075

 

[SilverFlight]

Alec froze when he heard a familiar voice beside him and turned to her, trying his best not to look like a startled rabbit. The glowing look she had given him after he had played the instrument was still fresh in his mind.


"The mission?" He said quickly. "I'd say its probably at our level right now. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a fan of secrecy, but I do know why we need it. If we were ever caught the Roues could torture us for information. The fewer people know that information the less risk we're in. My guess is they would probably we weren't told anything and we wouldn't be direct targets if it came to that."


He glanced at Duik who was trapped into a seat and ready to go, sorting through his ipod at Laohu's request so he could show them Gigi's music.


"Besides," Alec finished, "Duik's on cloud nine right now. Can't say I'm not happy watching him." He smiled fondly at the hyena, then chanced a look back at Xiao.


"You..er, you play beautifully by the way. The Guzheng right? Traditional Chinese instrument. Did you want to learn it or were you forced like I was?" Realizing he probably sounded whiny he tried to elaborate. "I never liked music when I was a kid, but my father insisted an instrument was one of the things I should learn." Alec resigned to gazing at the floor as the memories flooded into his mind. "He used to lock me in a room for hours at a time, until he heard the progress he wanted...I hated it...until Duik showed up. Duik loved music right from the start. He showed me how fun it could be to play. Oh! D, gimme your ipod for a sec."


"What? I'm using it!"


"Oh come on, I'll give it right back." Alec snatched it quickly as he gave Xiao an enthusiastic grin. "When my father found out Duik liked music he gave him a cd of all the classical greats, just the simple tunes played on the piano (thought a full orchestra would be too complicated for him, ha). I just got D's first mixing program for him and he made this:" Alec scrolled down to a specific piece and put up the volume. It was a compilation of all the tunes, pieces overlayed with one another in perfect harmony.

Spoiler

[media]

[/media]



"This was the first thing Duik ever mixed, and its genius." He couldn't help but laugh. "My father was furious! Said he'd completely missed the entire point of music, but I think he understands it better than any human I've met."


"What?!" Duik yelped as he heard the first few notes. "Not that old thing! Come on Al, that's terrible!"


"Its great!" Alec said, holding the device higher so Duik missed when he grabbed for it.


"Oh my God Alec! You're such a jerk!" But the hyena was laughing, and Alec was laughing too.


@crucialstar @anyone else who's listening


Talon made his way onto the plane, his bulky frame seeming to take up more room than it actually did in the small space.


"I have been instructed to take on the task your your training personally. You will begin after this mission." Talon said in answer to Xiao's question, though it was loud enough for everyone to hear. "I will also tell you now that you have a new agent joining the mission. She will meet you on the ground in Paris. Her companion will surprise you, I think. Oh, Duik, you should hold off showing them anything I think, the sound through an ipod is nothing compared to the concert quality you'll hear when you arrive in Paris. You are scheduled to meet her just after her rehearsal. You will be watching the end of it."


@ManyFaces @everyone


The plane trip was extremely short and given Alec's experience with the craft previously he predicted the journey would have taken much longer with a normal plane. They touched down at Charles de Gaulle airport at about 5pm, the early evening light glinting off of bronze-coloured wings.


From there a coach bus was waiting for them and they were piled onto it and taken straight of the concert hall.


Through the window they could see the Arc de Triomph as the bus circled the 6-lane traffic ring. In the distance the Eiffel tower glittered in its usual adornment of white lights. The long avenues were lined with fenced trees and antique-looking black iron lamp posts which sprung to life as the sun fell below the stylized rooftops of the city


"I could come here a hundred times and the beauty of it will always catch me." Alec said to no one in particular.


The concert hall was a large and modern building set with triangular jutting panels in black glass and granite. The front entrance was tucked under an angular overhang which to Alec's eyes looked like it was supposed to come off as edgy, but made him feel more like he might poke an eye out if he jumped too high.


They were guided to their seats with little ceremony as one of the planners announced the rehearsal had already started and they were on the finale number.


The light was dim, but just enough for everyone to find their seats. Duik gave a little squeak of joy. Trying his best to contain his euphoric excitement.


Ever since Talon had told them they would see Gigi perform live that night he could barely speak for the anticipation.


"Someone pinch me!" He yipped.


@everyone

 

[DawnAntalios]

Zoe marveled in the incredible craftsmanship with which these arrows were crafted. She considered herself to be quite masterful with a hammer and was able to create ammunition for her bow others could only dream of. Yet... somehow these little babies were special, even better than her own creations - probably because there was an armada of genius inventors behind it and perhaps because there had been a lot of testing. Whichever was the case she was absolutely mesmerized by her new toys and she could barely compose herself not to squeal in joy.


It was then when Eos prodded her and motioned towards the disguises. As she walked there and looked at them her mood immediately turned gloomy a she looked at her stag.


" Not going to happen. "


" It must. " Eos smiled " We want to blend in, remember? We need to stay undercover and undetected. To that end you must also take... a necessary change in your dress code. "


" You got to be kidding me. " Zoe exclaimed as she raised the t-shirt to the sky, showing it to Eos " What do I look like to you, a 14 year old fan girl? One which exclaims, screams and jumps around in joy whenever she sees her idol? "


Eos did not say anything but his smile widened. Zoe immediately understood.


" You want me to be just like that, don't you? "


" It would make you look innocent for sure. " he chuckled " The less threatening you look the more likely it is to slip past our enemies undetected. That is your goal, is it not? "


The girl was speechless as she stared at the piece of cloth with utter disbelief. Finally she closed her eyes and frowned, frustration and anger resounding clearly in her voice.


" I will do it... for the team. " she said as she picked up the rest of her disguise " But if I see just a hint of laughter on your face I swear to god that I will try out my new arrows on your furry hide! " she concluded, walking away to change clothes.


A few minutes later when she returned her face looked menacing and her stare could kill. But that was pretty much the only part of her which was intimidating: her bright brown boots looked shiny and brand new, her farmer skirt and her slightly big t-shirt with the emblem of the dog on it depicted the picture of a true fangirl. That and her blonde hair which now was forced into a ponytail.


When Eos saw her he could barely hold back his cackle but seeing the death stare of his companion he just cleared his throat and nodded.


" Truly a perfect disguise. "


" Watch your tongue, Eos. " she spoke with a venomous tone " I may look like a stupid teen but my aim is still as unerring as before. "


" Truth be told, I like... "


" Shut up. " she interrupted him and following the others they boarded the special plane, flying towards their destination with godspeed.


Of all the countries she had visited in her life France was somehow the most beautiful for Zoe. It's buzzing, every busy cities, its elegance and its culture was something she always longed to experience but up until now her experiences with the booming country were temporary. Now, however, she had the opportunity to enjoy everything she could - if she could enjoy anything in this clown suit she was forced to wear.


" Wow! This is SO amazing! " she said with a squealing, excited voice as she looked outside of the window " I am so hyped! I can finally meet my favorite, bestest, most awesome idol in the world! OH BOY, I can't wait! "


She watched as Eos gazed at her with a face which could barely hold back his laughter. Immediately her face darkened.


" I need to practice this disgusting, sickly sweet tone. " she said, frowning " I understand not how people are able to talk like this... "


They finally descended and landed, allowing the party to exit the plane. It was time to truly act like a tourist with too much enthusiasm. Walking up to Duik Zoe exclaimed happily.


" I know right? I CAN'T WAIT to meet her finally! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity! " she looked around, glancing at the others " I am SO excited! "


Eos shook his head.


" Yes, I can see that. A bit too much if you ask me. " he whispered to himself.


@SilverFlight @anyone nearby

 

[SilverFlight]

((I'm sorry, I just need to write a short reply to this @DawnAntalios))


Duik caught sight of Zoe when she looked at him. He was bouncing in his seat to try and contain his excitement.


"I know you're just pretending Zoe...but this is just so great!"


He flung his paws around the girl and hugged her happily, his tail wagging at a hundred miles a minute.


Alec tried not to laugh. It didn't work.

 

[deer]

Laohu's ears perked up when he heard Jimbo calling his name and walking up to him. His tail swished from side to side, seeing the gorilla's attempt to stay calm when he's around him. What made him so scared of big cats? Laohu wondered as he sat there still, not wanting to make a sudden movement in case the gorilla jumped and ended up falling on someone, such as Hui. If he had wanted, he would've teased the gorilla, but decided not to since well . . Hui wouldn't take than too pleasantly and being scolded by her harshly was the last thing he wanted to hear. Laohu's ears perked at needles and pressure points. Grinning lopsidedly, Laohu was quite excited to hear that, even if Jimbo didn't know what it meant, he knew exactly and so will Hui. However, she wouldn't be too pleased if she really does have to use the needle. Her aim and precision needs to be exact or she could one: kill them unintentionally or two: she could paralyze them in a place she hadn't meant to. If the needles give extra damage, Laohu didn't know how powerful but it feels light enough for her to use from either long or a short distance range. "Thank you, Jimbo, for bringing it to us. We know what it means." He told him sincerely, picking up the pouch from the handle and pulled it over his head and dangled it on his neck.


Xiao Hui giggled overhearing Zoe's dilemma as she came out, if she must say so herself, quite dazzling and adorable. However, Xiao Hui couldn't imagine or picture herself in those clothings since well . . she's currently in dirtied and blood-stained pants and a ripped shirt. To put it bluntly, she looked like a wrecking mess. However, when Alec turned to look at her, Xiao Hui couldn't help but be self-conscious with how she looked, especially since she had yet to change. A small blush crept on her face as she listened to Alec's opinion on the mission. A small smile grew on her face, hearing his answer. She didn't feel insulted, not had she felt a negative vibe coming off of his words. Instead, they were quite humble, honest, and straightforward. Something she liked hearing a lot, she saw no lies or deception in his eyes as he spoke. Xiao Hui looked at Alec's expression, seeing him look at Duirk fondly. "He is on cloud nine, can't have anyone popping his bubbles, right?" She teased lightly, nodding agreeing with Alec, "At least, with us being ignorant to the information, we would have a better chance at staying alive and under the radar than anything, it seems." However, what came to a surprise to her was when Alec mentioned her musicial talents. "T-thank you." She said softly, not used to being praised, considering when she played for the others. . it was only there to soothe them, not as entertainment. "I know the feeling of being a caged-bird far too well too, Alec." She said solemnly, not realizing her voice changed, "I'm sorry you had to be locked up too, but, it seems Duirk is your hero, isn't it?" Xiao Hui laughed lightly, lightening to mood. "It is the Guzheng, father had me learn it since it's Tradition. But, I enjoy playing it, a lot, it helps me feel . . not so useless in a sense? And it's a way for me to express myself. . not through words but music." She said to him as she watched Alex take Duirk's iPod. Giggling she listened to the music, slowly closing her eyes, listening to the various rhythm and mash-up of classical music. Once it finished, she grinned, "I never heard American , French, and other type of classical music before. If this is how Duirk made it better, I can't imagine how the original sounds like." She complimented sending a smile towards him. Soon, laughter erupted as she found herself laughing along with the two, never finding a dull moment with them. "Perhaps we should bring them home with us?" She teased Laohu as he shook his mane, "Sure, Hui. As what? Canaries?" Shaking her head, Xiao Hui stuck her tongue at Laohu as he couldn't believe her childishness. "No, silly, perhaps Father would like Durik and Alec's musical talents?" Laohu shook his mane and sighed.


Soon, the plane took off and they have arrived where they needed to be, in Paris. However, Xiao Hui couldn't help but become curious as to who the new agent, especially her companion. But, at least, Xiao Hui was glad that Talon had answered her questions and they would start with training right after this mission. As she walked with Laohu, she kept the pouch of her light-weighted needles in her bag, feeling quite happy that she was out of her dirtied clothes as much as Laohu was glad to get the bandage off of him. Her clear expression of awe and wanderlust never fell from her face ever since she stepped off the plane. She couldn't stop her jitterness forming around her frame as she practically bounced to their destination, feeling quite excited, talking a mile a minute. "This is amazing! I've never been all around the world before, especially to such a beautiful and magnificent country and city. I could get used to this! Let's take a lot of pictures!" She sighed softly, saying her thoughts outloud as Laohu chuckled at the girl as if she was a little child. Her head whipped around everywhere she turned and looked, grateful her long, long, long hair was braided to her side. "Do you think . .perhaps. . if we have time we can explore? I mean, business first, and fun later, but still . . do you think so?" Xiao Hui asked to anyone listening, feeling hopeful, considering she never stepped foot out of China before until now, she couldn't waste any opportunity to do so. Spotting Zoe and Duirk, she giggled loudly, "Zoe, do you want to sit together?" Xiao Hui asked her, as she just dragged her hand along with her, not waiting for her response, passing Alec, feeling too energetic and happy to be able to go to such a foreign country that she couldn't help but run care freely, not caring about her ankle. "Hui, stop running, your ankle! Be careful!" He called out, feeling like a father, sighing as he looked towards Eos, "Geez, this girl. Don't forget where you are!" As they got into the concert hall, Xiao Hui couldn't stop herself from bopping up and down grinning widely at Zoe, 'I'm quite interested in why Duirk likes her so much, we'll see right?" She said to Zoe not before speaking to her again, enthusiastically, "You look really cute, Zoe, I'm not saying that to bring you down or anything . . just an honest opinion, that's all." She said, shrugging her shoulders, as the guide took them to their seats. Saving a spot for Zoe, if she wanted to sit with her, Xiao Hui moved over and next to Alec as Laohu came in tow, sitting anywhere there were spots left. "Hi, Alec! Again." She said cheerfully, kicking her legs back and forth, seeing how petite she was, her feet couldn't touch the ground. Soon the lights dim as the performance was about to begin as she squeaked lightly, wondering what was in store for her to hear from Gigi.

@SilverFlight @DawnAntalios @zCrookedz @anyone else
​

 

[Hel]

Wednesday had kept mostly silent during all that had happened, While Cerci found herself unable to resist a few biting comments here and there in a similar vein to many comments thrown out by bael and the others.


Wednesday had agreed that this mission was ridiculous, and briefly considered leaving herself, as she failed to see how this mission required her, however it seemed the others were going, and this was her job now. She calmed Cerci down and thus they'd continued along.


When the others had gotten their weapons, Wednesday had seemed to disappear- likely she was sleeping, though. She was grateful to receive a fresh set of clothes, as she had brought nothing with her on this long journey. She settled into a new outfit that was trendy, but nothing amazing by any streatch.


Cerci had spent most of her time talking with Cedar when he was free to talk.


Now, Wednesday found her seat to watch the show. He wasn't really interested, but supposed it was her job, after only a few minutes though, she stood up to go out to the hall- she planned to find a bathroom, or food, or an excuse to not watch whatever form of entertainment people thought that was.

 

[Lioness075]

Leandra raised an eyebrow when Simon opened one of the drinks, not too keen on drinking personally. Her brother did it to ease his worries, but Leandra didn't like the taste nor the side effects of drinking in general.


At the mention of spontaneous combustion, Luness cheekily said, "Well, I tend to spontaneously combust on my own so I don't think that's too concerning if it ends up happening to me."


Rolling her eyes at Luness' comment, Leandra then said, "Good for you, firebird, but I don't think that's normal for me and I prefer not spontaneously combusting, thank you very much."


Glancing at Simon, Leandra was about to respond to him when Jimbo approached the trio.


Looking at the pouch offered to her, Leandra carefully took it before opening it and peeking inside at the vials while listening to Jimbo's explanation of them. Vital-Vials, huh? Definitely were going to be handy.


As Jimbo wandered off, Leandra grinned and removed two of the Vital-Vials before carefully tucking away the pouch into her backpack that was leaning against her chair.


Looking at Luness and then Simon, Leandra then said with a big grin, "Looks like we won't be needing that other serum now."


Without hesitation, Leandra then quickly used one on Luness before using the second one on herself.


Tucking away the unused experimental serum for any potential use it may have later on, Leandra then sat up in her seat, as she suddenly felt a wave of dizziness rush over her.


The dizziness clearly had affected Luness as well, as the phoenix suddenly stumbled sideways on the table before falling onto her good side with a confused look on her face.


The moment quickly passed though and both Leandra and Luness blinked at the same time, as they felt the oddest tingling sensation in their wounds.


Raising an eyebrow at the feeling, Leandra then said uncertainly to Simon, "This is the weirdest sensation ever. I have no idea what's going on right now...but it actually kinda feels like my muscles are almost, well, knitting themselves together. I suppose it's safe to assume this won't be instant though."


@zCrookedz


When Jimbo approached him, Manjano warily looked sideways at the gorilla, though his expression quickly became curious, as he picked up the box Jimbo gave him, pausing from examining it only long enough to listen to Jimbo's brief explanation of the gadget.


Nodding at Jimbo once he was done speaking, Manjano then waited until the gorilla had retreated before grinning to himself and pulling out the wristwatch.


Carefully putting it on, Manjano then quickly examined the buttons on it before pressing one and almost letting out a surprised yelp when he saw his arm and hand disappear before him.


Inhaling sharply at this sight, Manjano then quietly stood from his bar seat and began walking over towards Falarion, who was still with Beth and Totus. Seeing Beth's expression and then hearing what she asked next about him, Manjano froze a few feet away from the trio, his wristwatch keeping him invisible for now.


@Flutterby


Hearing Beth explain the glasses to him, Falarion tilted his head at the mention of spy glasses. Could they shoot lasers then?


Before he could ask, Totus explained it in greater detail and Falarion let out a small whimper before saying, "Aww, that's no fun if they can't shoot lasers. You could've been like Cyclops from the X-Men!"


Hearing Beth's comment about him feeling better, Falarion grinned at her and nodded, his one ear still being floppy and dancing about on the side of his head now.


Just as Falarion was about to ask if Beth had ever watched the X-Men TV shows, movies, or even read any of the comics, Beth asked about Manjano and his drinking habits.


In an instant, Falarion's cheerful demeanor was lost, as he dropped both of his ears onto his head and even dipped his head down a bit, almost as if someone were berating him for chewing something up or for doing something bad in general.


"Um, well, he does that when he's upset about something or if he's feeling one of his darker emotions. Personally, I really don't like it when he does that, but I haven't been able to stop him. I, um, think it'd be safe to say he's something of an alcoholic. Though, he doesn't hurt anyone when he does it! He just gets, well, more quiet...like, he won't even think to me."


Whimpering, Falarion was about to shove his head onto Beth's lap in hopes of her petting him again, but he was interrupted when Talon entered the area with an announcement.


@Flutterby


Listening to the announcement by Talon, Leandra grinned and said, "Ohh, training sounds fun! I can still punch stuff, at the very least! Or I might be able to do more depending on how this Vital-Vial works for my leg."


@zCrookedz @SilverFlight


Backing up a bit in the small space to avoid being hit by Talon, Manjano soon felt the back of his legs brush against the food table and he realized that he might want to turn off the watch in case it didn't have some unlimited amount of time or usage in general.


Walking away from Beth, Falarion and Totus so that they wouldn't know he'd overheard the question and brief conversation about his alcoholism, Manjano soon was surrounded by the disguises and in the clothing area, out of view of anyone who wasn't also in there with him.


Holding up his forearm, Manjano was impressed when he saw that he could see himself now, though it appeared he was still invisible to those around him. Definitely was going to be useful in future missions.


Pressing the same button as before, Manjano heard a faint buzzing sound and then walked back out of the dressing area, as he wondered if the others could see him again.


@Flutterby


Once the plane touched down, Leandra stood up with amazement glinting in her eyes, as her leg didn't hurt anymore, though it did feel a bit sore and stiff.


Quickly unwrapping the bandages from her leg, Leandra couldn't stop grinning, as she only saw a scar in place of her wound.


Looking at Luness, Leandra quickly unwrapped the bandages from her wing and was equally amazed as Luness was when they both saw her wing had healed, though the feathers in place of the scarred skin hadn't grown back yet. That would take some time on its own, but at the least the injury was healed now.


Cautiously spreading her wing, Luness then said slowly, "Well, it doesn't hurt per say, but it does feel sore and stiff. It'll take some time to work out the kinks, in a sense."


Nodding, Leandra then said, "Same here, Lune."


Seeing and feeling that they'd arrived, Leandra glanced sideways at Simon and said in an excited tone, "I think we're here!"


Letting Luness climb up onto her shoulder first, Leandra then rushed out of the bar area, still limping slightly, and soon was just outside of the plane and standing in awe at the sight of the city around her.


@zCrookedz


Quickly climbing onto the coach bus with the others, Leandra sat down at a window seat and remained glued to the window the whole time they traveled to the concert hall.


Meanwhile, Manjano nodded at Falarion when he saw the maned wolf still sitting with Beth nearby and Falarion could only whine in response before following after Manjano, who quickly exited the plane and then boarded the coach bus without stopping to admire the city around him.


Overhearing Alec's comment about the city, Leandra absentmindedly responded, "There's this kind of atmosphere here that just leaves you in awe of everything you see around you."


Leandra then excitedly added, "Imagine what kind of coffee and treats we could find at a local bakery here!"


With her mind on bread now, Leandra overheard her own stomach growl in protest and sighed, as she'd been so distracted on the plane that she'd forgotten to grab something to eat. Whoops.


@SilverFlight


Manjano didn't think much of the city though, as he preferred being away from the city and definitely getting away from all of the people here. The traffic was evidence enough of how crowded this city was and now he was going to have to go to a concert and sit closely with a bunch of people. Great.


Before they'd arrived at the concert hall, Leandra overheard Xiao's excited ramblings and her eyes lit up at the mention of photography.


"Xiao, do you have any nice cameras you use, by chance? I absolutely love photography and have a few cameras of my own!"


@crucialstar


Following the others into the concert hall, Leandra quickly choose a seat beside Xiao, as she couldn't help but love the girl's overwhelming enthusiasm for this concert and everything in general.


Grinning, Leandra got settled in her seat with Luness nestled on her lap comfortably.


Overhearing Duik exclaiming for someone to pinch him, Leandra rolled her eyes and said, "Duik, I think that may be a bit unnecessary."


@crucialstar @SilverFlight


Quickly choosing the seat by the isle so as to only have to sit by one person, Manjano sat down quickly and tensely, as his eyes quickly scanned the crowd around him and he noted how many people were around him at the moment.


Sitting on his rump beside Manjano's seat, Falarion let out a quiet whimper before resting his head on Manjano's lap in a vain attempt to help him relax.


While it did very little, Manjano was still grateful and anxiously pet Falarion on the head while he tried his best to focus on the next number.


@anyone

 

[andujarprime]

Having boarded the plane, Rin found himself by the bar once again. He ordered a drink and downed it then looked down at his clothes. "Won't need to change much I guess, maybe a new shirt?" Rin suggested after reading looking himself over. He was already wearing a pair of faded blue jeans, and casual black dress boots that fit together with his loose button up. "And your shoes!" Haku added enthusiastically. "Don't forget you, eh, belt." She teased as they went into the room, as he was pulling off his shirt and changing he noticed Manjano flicker into view then walk out. He had to rub his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things, then he smelled his breath to see if he smelled like alcohol. "I only had 1 drink right?" He asked Haku for reassurance as he watched Manjano walk out the door. Haku chuckled as he shrugged himself into a bright green shirt with an image of Gigi standing on her hind legs in front of a mic. He changed into a pair of black casual sneakers, they were comfortable but not as comfortable as the boots he was used to. "It'll do I guess." He said as he turned to leave, but then he grinned as he spotted a tiny pink puff with a small ribbon and cape that had pink leopard spots on it. "I don't think so!!" Haku hissed as she tried to shoot out of the room, Rin was faster and grabbed her by her middle before she got too far. He was laughing by the time he was done. It looked like she had a pink puff of cotton candy on her head, and a leopard cape similar to Gigi's coat. Haku looked a bit disgruntled, but there wasn't much she could do to dissuade him. "I ought to bite you!" She threatened, but Rin wasn't worried, he merely smiled as he made his way off the plane. They got to the concert hall and he found himself a seat near the front, in an aisle seat. At times like this, people's fear of snakes did him a huge service as he found that with Haku lifted up to see the stage from his shoulders, not many people wanted a snake behind them, or wanted to bother him to walk past them. Just in case she touched them, inwardly he hated it but there was nothing he could do. He turned his attention to the rest of the hall, and his group. Most of them looked a little different, but they definitely blended in with the crowd. It seemed to be huge, even if it was just a rehearsal, that she would allow the public to sit in spoke volumes about Gigi's character, and he was pleased.


(@Lioness075 mentioned) @anyone else

 

[Flutterby]

Beth smiled faintly at Falarion, but she was upset when his upset showed. She flinched a little at the words "darker emotions" and dropped her eyes to her lap, brows furrowed in confusion. What kind of emotions? Falrion said he didnt hurt anyone, but what if he could?


"Oh. I see. Well. I guess that's his choice then."


Totus watched Beth closely, but chose not to say anything. It was good that she was feeling this way about Manjano now; the pair had been getting too close for Totus's comfort. Beth was smart, but she was so easily used by others. It was better for her to remain alone. That way, he could protect her. No man would hurt her now that he was with her.


Beth looked up and was about to say something, when Talon began to speak. She took note, and then decided it would be best to get into a mission-suited outfit. As she moved to the back of the plane where the clothes were hung, Manjano exited the area. She hadnt seen him go in...


Automatically, she gave him a smile and then set to finding something suited to her.. or as close as possible.


Beth settled on a pair of skinny jeans that had spots like Gigi's painted in a random pattern on the hips and halfway up the calf. She swapped her hiking boots for bright pink sneakers, and donned a tank-top with Gig's likeness and what she assumed were song lyrics in a fancy script. For good measure, she tied a black and white flannel shirt around her waist. With the glasses, she looked and felt completely not herself. She got back to her seat just in time to sit for a minute before they arrived.


She watched Falarion go back to Manjano with a small frown, but didnt argue. Beth and Totus followed off the plane, Beth still munching on the sour gummy worms. She did a slow turn to get a 360 view of the area. It was evening, and the sky was beginning to be streaked with color. From the bus, she admired the city. It was much prettier than modern American cities, full of old world charm and romanticism. Almost as pretty as a redwood forest. Totus clacked softly, enjoying the views as well.


"Oh wow... not bad for a city.." She murmured, as lights began to flicker on in the fading light.


In the dim concert hall, they moved down the aisle behind Manjano. He plopped down in the aisle seat with a grumpier-than-usual expression. With everyone else already sitting, she had no choice but to sit next to him. She squeezed past and sat down quickly, Totus perching next to her head with a expression that could rival Manjano's.


"This better be good," Totus grumbled, and Beth gave him a sharp glance.


"Come on. Dont be rude. Clearly some of our group really like her." Beth said back, with a glance at Duik and a smile.


@Lioness075

 

[zCrookedz]

Simon drained the last of his bottle as he watch Leandra do her thing with the vials. He smiled at her comment before trying to recall how his medicne had made him feel.


"Gonna have to try that next time."


He hopped the vials would give them the same results as Simon. Now that he thought about it, Simon looked down at the cast on his leg and then sat himself down.


Jimbo wanted over to the last person on his list, Wednseday. He nodded to her and Cerci before holding out a metal rod, about a foot long.


"Hey Wednesday, got something for ya. Doctor Nigel made you a weapon. George said it was a staff that collapses. Pretty strong metal, it's got a button on one side that let's charges the end of it with electricity. Docs got a real thing for shocking people. He's a little twisted."


After handing it over to the girl, Jimbo glanced over to see the food table and headed for it.


@Hel


After Jim hit the food table and came back to sit next to Simon munching on a mango, he nearly dropped his fruit at the sight of what Simon had done. He wasn't sure houlw, but he had managed to crack the cast off and was examine his leg. The spot that had been worked on was nearly healed. There was a scab of but it was no bigger than a quarter now. Simon lifted himself up off the seat and was leaning on a crutch testing how it felt. It was sore more than anything, but when Simon to put his full weight on it he winced and leaned back on the crutch. He smiled to Jimbo who was giving him a cross look.


"I'll keep using the crutches at least. But that castle was itchy.


Jimbo shook his head and walked over to the cloths and grabbed a shirt, jeans and boots for Simon. When he came back he tossed them to Simon, who had sat back down, along with a small box. Simon examined to box and then opened it to find a pair of fingerless gloves and a watch. Jimbo sat back down leaning on the seat.


"Doc wasn't happy with what you did to the....shocklets....Said you gotta go back to basics until he can fix them. Knuckles and palms diodes, watch regulates the current. But no armor."


Simon had slipped the gloves on and was fastening the watch when Jimbo finished.


"And I'm sure these have some rediculous name as well."


Jimbo glanced sideways at him with a grin.


"Yep, there called Wanker Gloves. For the wanders who break docs toys."


The rest of the flight Simon and Jim spent watching the others and reading over the dossier that Talon had provided. When they touched down, Simon was glad to see Luness already feeling better and followed after the group awkwardly with his crutches.


Simon leaned against the window watching all of the people and sights of France until they arrived at the theature. Simon found his way to the seats with the others and found a seat towards the end beside Beth while Jim climbed over the row to sit next to Simon. Simon looked around at one end and then back to Manjano and Beth. Something seemed up with them, but before he coukd ask, Simon looked down at his shirt and realized only much to late that his black thirty had a picture of Gigi plastered across the chest in very vibrant colors. Simon glanced at Jimbo who was smiling from ear to ear.


"I am going to kill you."


@Lioness075 @Flutterby

 

[DawnAntalios]

Zoe grinned but when Duik actually wrapped his paws around her her cheerful expression slowly started to deteriorate. This was beyond embarrassing but it was... kind of good at the same time, she could honestly not decide. When the hyena finished she pulled herself back up, straightening out, grinning at Duik.


" Come now, this is not pretending! " she laughed - well, tried but instead some awkward chuckle came out " Surely one can not be hyped enough when one can meet with the wonderf-... "


She got interrupted when Xiao suddenly walked up to them, giggling. She was a bit confused by this - she had seen the mysterious girl before and was certain that she knew how to fight but she did not have the opportunity to talk to her personally. Not like she wanted to talk to anyone that frequently but it felt weird being approached by someone she had only seen from afar.


" Sit? Whatever do you-... " she got cut off again when Xiao seized her hand suddenly. Immediately a red blush painted her cheeks as the girl started to pull her towards the concert hall and rushed cheerfully despite her injuries.


Eos just smiled and when Laohu spoke up he just laughed.


" The blazing fire of youth can never be extinguished. " he said merrily, watching the two girls dashing away. " Come, my friend, let us join them. "


While the stag proceeded slowly and steadily Zoe did not have this luck. Xiao dragged her with surprising force, even she was baffled how strong she was... or was it perhaps that deep down she did want to go? That she actually... enjoyed this?


" Xiao! Wow girl... " she tried at first with keeping up the image she build up but it became increasingly difficult " This... wait... not cool... " she shook her head and finally her expression turned serious and angry.


" What on earth do you think you are doing? What has gotten into you? Why would I sit next to you when there are so many good vantage points are available elsewhere? It is not wise to cluster, let alone... " she spoke up, with a rather annoyed voice - until she saw the thrill and excitement in Xiao's eyes. It was the thrill of discovery, of adventure... one she had had a long time ago. Blush appeared on her face once more and she looked away, folding her arms.


" I... I guess I can sit next to you. " she said, trying to conceal the embarrassment " Someone has to... watch you. After all you have still haven't recovered fully... it would be folly to leave you alone, now wouldn't it? "


She looked at her again, an embarrassed smile on her face. She would play along again.


Xiao was like an infinite ball of energy, she bounced left and right, much to Zoe's dismay. It was a disaster to wear such... agitating clothes but that she had such an energetic companion was something very strange for her to process. She never worked with anyone as... fired up as Xiao. It was somehow unnerving but pretty funny at the same time. Though it was true that fun was not the strongest point of Zoe.


" I know not what 'fascinating' show we will witness. I have no time for such nonsense as talking dog celebrities. " she said as they took their seats, trying to get comfortable.


But then Xiao said it. The forbidden words. The ones she had locked away so deep in her heart so that she would never find them. She was called cute. At first she just froze, staring at Xiao with a baffled glare. She then felt her entire head turning red as a lobster, this time not from anger though but from shame. Looking away once more she frowned.


" C-cute? No, that... no it isn't... I am not... " she was unable to formulate normal sentences. It was almost as if her disguise actually transformed her into this... girl and was no longer a professional any more. She finally gathered her presence and continued. "Be... be not mistaken! It... it is not like I enjoy this. " she said defiantly " This whole fangirl disguise is just part of the plan, there is nothing more to it. I would be damned if I dressed up like this normally, I would never do such a horrible mistake. "


She carefully blinked and look at Xiao again. She then quickly looked away and with a silent voice, one that only she and the girl could hear she whispered.


" I... think... that you are cuter than me anyway. It... fits you... "


Zoe looked around desperately trying to ask someone about the mission but she was out of luck. Everybody had taken their seats already and the show was about to begin. She took a deep breath and managed to lure her smile out once more. With - faked - enthusiasm she looked forward and waited for the show to start.


@SilverFlight @crucialstar

 

[Sleipnir]

Bael stared around the city as soon as they landed, but it wasn't necessarily a good way. He looked a bit disdainful and this didn't improve when they were given disguises. "I think I'll just... Stick to my usual clothing," he insisted, looking around. A vest suit wouldn't look too out of place. He stayed with the others for a very short while, but it wasn't long before he had had enough of the singing style Gigi used and he decided to leave. He headed out to the street, staring mournfully at the buildings. They were far from properly cared for; hardly anything looked like it was from this century and most of them had posters tacked to them and they weren't treated with the venerance a building of that age should be treated with. He grimaced at the trash outside, and then caught sight of a familiar face in the hall.


He crossed over to her and slipped in next to Wednesday. "What's up dude — I'm getting kind of bored," he chimed. "Let's get some food."


@Hel

 

[Hel]

Jimbo approached Wednesday and handed her a staff. She listened as he explained its functions then meekly said, "O...Kay..." as the gorilla wandered off to find food. She collapsed it down and put it in her bag, deciding the music hall was no place for a lightning staff. She didn't feel like getting thrown out by security or explaining why she had been thrown out by security. Then Bael approached and her face lit up. She looked almost looked like a different person as she recognised the lyrics Bael sang/spoke to her.


"—And then hit movies four? What's going on, what's up with all our friends?" She sang back in a close approximation of Matt theisson's voice- if Matt theisson were a woman.


@Sleipnir

 

[Sleipnir]

Bael beamed at her, then responded in kind. "They're starting rumors just to find out where it ends." He paused and turned to Wednesday. He caught sight of a Parisian staring at the pair and he leaned back to call out, "We're American; it's alright." Then he payed his attention to Wednesday again, grinning. "That's good! I didn't know if you'd know Relient K. I was about sick of hearing pop crap and I was missing 'em. And I'm surprised that you know Two Lefts! Most people don't listen to anything older than Mmhmm. I do; most don't though, you know?"


@Hel

 

[Hel]

"Yeah! They are actually one of my favourite bands," Wednesday said with a smile. Her eyes were bright as she found another with similar music tastes to her, "But you shouldn't be surprised, I've been listening to them since before they put out their first album, They are from the town I grew up in," she added looking a touch wistful at some of her fond memories of her younger years. "Let's get some food, we can talk about good music in the meantime, yeah?" Wednesday reached for Baels hand to lead him towards one of the food stands as she spoke.


As the pair left, Cerci looked to Cedar, "Well, those two seem to be getting along. Wednesday doesn't make friends well, I'm glad she's found someone she can relate to."


@Sleipnir