[Freezair]

Orbit~~~~~~Pitaya

It was a dark and stormy night.

Everybody says that, but nobody knows what it really means. I'll tell you what it means. Rain like they was playin' Old Yeller up in Heaven. Thunder like all them angels were bowling 300. And a wind such, even my history teacher would've had his work cut out for him.

Me? I was with my sister, wading through the black goop in the midst of Baian; two dogs out on a night like that, lookin' for a fella what gave us a call. Said he lived out by himself, near Nu'san temple. I shoulda known, after what Uncle Hal told me about that place, it was no good. But that didn't keep me from trying to soldier on ahead. (Ha. Soldier. Good joke, there.)

My sister managed to find a spot of relatively dry ground to rest on for a second. 'Course, callin' part of Baian dry is like callin' part of Wilt'no cold, but at least her paws weren't sinkin' in.

"Orbit, Ah think yer right nuts, comin' out here like this," she said. "'Specially in this weather!"

"Sorry, Sis," I said. "Not much we can do about it now."

Not much indeed. I haven't been this deep in muck since I accidentally wound up at that fancy ball.
[1, 14]

[Queeny]

Batou



Sopheria


Luz


twilight

Batou, Sopheria and an ablie with another yonyuu struggled to find a dry place to stay. But it was difficult to keep themselves from sinking into quicksand.

[endermage]

Sophia Carlyle did not like the swamp. She did not like the fact that it was raining. She did not like the fact she was out, in the middle of the night instead of her nice warm bed at the palace. But most of all she did not like her "personal gaurd" Jareth.



"Sophia," he called in his gentle and reasuring voice,"You need to stop crying. You are not watching the path, you will trip and fall and then you will be worse off then before."

"Oh would you kindly shut up, Jareth! Of course I'm crying!" said Sophia, yelling louder with each word,"I was framed for treason and put on the run! I lost my job, my friends, my family! And my BED Jareth! Do you know how many grueling hours I had to work for that blasted Beetanke to get that bed! It was custom made for ME by some of the best carpenters in the Kingdom of Sound! I want my bed!" said Sophia, tears streaming down her face. She stopped walking and sat down on a wet, mossy rock. "I'm done. I'm not walking any farther."

"Sophia....please stop being such a child.

[1]

[Freezair]

My ears perked up.

Somewhere, I heard... a dame.

And not just any dame. The exquisite weeping of a dame in pain; the kind of gentle sob that fricassees your heart and serves it up with mixed vegetables.

"Hey. Pitaya," I said.

"Yes?"

"What's the 411 on our client, eh?"

"Dunno," she said. "Ain't much to go on, 'cept he lives all the way out here..."

"Anythin' 'bout him havin' a daughter?"

"Nope," she said. "Why?" Then I saw her ears twitch with mine. She didn't need that question answered.

"Orbit..." she said.

Too late. I was already off between the branches, looking for the sound of the crying. "Hello?" I called. "Anybody out there?"
[2, 15]

[Queeny]

(( *AcK!* sorry my last post was lame..>o<))

IC/

"how much further..?"
Luz hung her head low to the ground to see if she can get the scent of any life at all.
"i donno.." Batou said, in first of course.
Luz's ruines gave off a slight light green glow, which partially lead their way through the opaque rain.
"Batou.." Sopheria called to him from the back.
"What do you want..?"
"We need to stop!.. twilight'll get sick.."
Twilight was walking under Sopheria's body, keeping low to the ground and trying to keep from the rain, even if it was futile.
"..okay fine but.. we need lodging some how! everything is wet from the rain! Wood would become soggy and useless!"
Luz paused.
"....." Sopheria drew a blank too, as she lifted one leg to look under her belly at twilight.
Batou lifted his hind leg as well.
"damn.. it still hurts.."
Luz looked to Batou.
"you probably shouldn't even be walking on it this much..."

[endermage]

Sophia wiped  her eyes and stood back up. "I'm sorry Jareth...." she said,"I'm still a little upset...I promise to be stronger."

"Your survival is very important Sophia," said Jareth,"You are the only one...someone is calling out into the dark...they must of heard us...."

"What should we do?" said Sophia, still sniffling but the tears were no longer streaming down her face.

"The could be enemies...but then they would not have made their presence known....we should seek someone out, but don't tell them your name. Your name is...Stephine Taylor. My name is Rufus...we have to keep up an illusion or we will have some serious trouble."

"Okay...Rufus...seriously...Rufus..." said Sophia.

"Focus Stephine...." said Jareth before began calling out into the swamp,"Hello? Is someone out there?"

[2]

[Freezair]

I picked up my paws, churning on through the goo and mud, nearly tripping over roots. My sister, body swaying uncertainly, took a leap after me.

She squinted her eyes through the concrete rain, looking for the source of our call. Someone answered back, to my disappointment--someone very definitely of the male persuasion. Shame.

"Ah!" My sister said. From her accent, I couldn't tell if she was talkin' about herself or just shoutin'. I guessed the latter. She ran off in another direction, swamp sludge sucking at her legs like an overenthusastic nerd at the prom.

I took a turn after her and watched as a collection of figures appeared through the rain. She got herself up in the face of a Clockwork Yonyuu, with a bum leg and a sour expression.

"Was that y'all yellin' back there?" she asked. "'Cuz if so--yeah, we're out there, a'right!"

[3, 16]

[Queeny]

"what..??" Batou said, shooting his glance forward.
"hello..?" Luz licked at Batou's leg, but he moved away.
"Do you mind?.. i can do that myself , thanks.. " Batou said, self-conscience.
"we need shelter..!! " Sopheria cried desperately, worried for twilight.

[endermage]

"We need to figure out what we are dealing with Stephine," said Jareth as he looked around,"Lets try to figure out where those voices are coming from."

"You're right." said Sophia," We should be able to find whoever is out there very quickly, it's unlikely it's anyone we know."

Sophia and Jareth walked towards where they believed the call was coming from to find a large group of creatures that all looked somewhat perturbed.

"Uh...hi...we were the ones calling out...", said Sophia,"My name is Stephine and this is my friend Rufus....I'm sorry if we confused any of you..."

[3]

[Freezair]

My eyes did their best balloon impression.

Now there? There was a girl.

I've seen some skirts before, but this gal! This gal was somethin' else. All black and red, like clouds on a dyin' sunset. Her eyes ate me up like a two black holes, with glowin' red disks like you see in all the astronomy pictures. This was a gal so gorgeous, Zu'hai had to take a break once he was done making her to find his inspiration again. And all it had to do was look back, and there it was! My jaw went loose.

"Ah! Seems like there's a lotta y'all out here t'night," my sister said behind me.

I turned around.

Dames everywhere!

This pretty little number looked like a human. And I mean all human, no fur underneath. She had a Shielupe at her feet--real sour lookin' fella, like he had a taste he couldn't get out of his mouth. Impossible choices! Ah, but she looked like she was the one who'd been crying. I walked up to her, flowing upward into my human form. I looked up into her eyes, my eyebrows caterpillaring over my forehead.

"Hey, babe," I said. "I've seen some cuties in strange places before, but this place is such a dive, you could swim in it." I chuckled, pulling one foot out of the muck as I spoke.

My sister rolled her eyes and looked toward the other group. "Ignore him; he's terrible," she said. Terrible, perhaps. But the bitterist medicine is the one that's best for ya. And I never met a girl what couldn't use a dose of vitamin me.  

((Orbit is such a sleeeeeeeze.))

[4, 17]

[Queeny]

(( Haahahaha XD))

Sopheria observed the other lucain who eyed the human and changed forms.
"ppppfff.. great" Batou said pessimistically.
"..hmm.." Luz huffed
Twilight shivered under Sopheria, too young to understand the evil and mysterious concept that is 'love'.

[endermage]

Sophia couldn't help but feel a little confused and overwhelmed. Between the Lucain that seemed to be hitting on her, the rain and the undecipherable grunts  and sounds that came from the other group of creatures.

Jareth nudged her,"Can you see that over there Stephine?"

"What are you talking about Rufus? I don't see anything..." said Sophia squinting her eyes.

"I think it's a cave...we should go investigate...." said Jareth,"Anyone who wants to can come with us...we would enjoy the company..."

Sophia knew by "enjoy the company" Jareth meant keeping tabs on the other people in the swamp.

[4]

[Freezair]

"Orbit, y'all'll leave that woman alone now, or Ah will tell Mama on ya behind quickerin' a jackrabbit on a greasy griddle in July!"

I flinched back. She ain't got my prowess, but my sister can be remarkably evocative when she wants to be. ...And persuasive.

"A cave..." I said. "Ain't that the kind o' place you'd expect to find a hermit? Like the ones what we were lookin' for?"

"Sounds good to me," Pitaya shrugged. "Who're all y'all? Ah'm Pitaya, an' Cassomahselfanova here is mah brother, Orbit. Pleased t'meetcha."

"Slick one, sis," I said. My tails went limper than a nerdy noodle.  

[5, 18]

[Queeny]

((NERDY NOODLE?!!?! XD XD XD
you watch spongebob don't you Freezair..? XD))

Batou leaned his head forward, trying to decipher what this thick accented lucain was trying to say.
".. uh.. Cassom-.. ah..ov... Uuuhh.. " He stared at her blankly.
"My name is Luz.." The yonyuu  bowed her head respectively.
"..Yeah.. uh.. I am Batou." he did the same.
"An' that over there is Sopheria, With Twilight under her belly.." Batou introduced the two for them.
"..we must hurry to that cave please.." Sopheria said desperately.

[endermage]

The cave was much closer than it appeared, and for a cave in a swamp it was quite dry. Sophia shook her hair, hoping to dry it off but only ended up shaking water all over Jareth.

"Watch it!" Jareth snapped at Sophia.

"Sorry Rufus...." she said, with only an ounce of sincerity.

"What brings you to the swamp folks...." said Jareth, going straight into an intelligence gathering conversation.


[5]