Doing it right...

[Sgt. Howard]

The mood in the room improved considerably- they were no longer just a group of refugees, they were involved in their own rescue! An agent would be actively engaging the enemy on their own turf and gathering intel in the process... and once again, Shelly and Justin were talking about their wedding! Others were getting in the mood- a 'Bridal Shower' was discussed. Alan was trying to sell Justin on a trip to 'The Pink Poodle'- Justin kept saying 'no'. Kevin and Bud were discussing what to wear- Joe's question about a registry exposed the fact that such a thing had not occurred. Alan suggested WalMart, bringing a chorus of folks sticking out their upper teeth while speaking with absolutely awful drawls.
"Way too early to celebrate, but let them do it- they need a breather," Neil thought to himself. He turned to his beloved- "So... what exactly IS Safyr?"
"She... is a dark elf... sometimes called a 'Drow'. They are evil by nature, self serving worshippers of hatred... but they do not lie. If she has, as she said, 'turned a new leaf'... she is an invaluable ally... but if she turns on us..."
"She won't... she showed me remarkable respect back there. She came here of her own free will... no. you two will never be 'besties', but she wants this gang dealt with as much as we do,"
"And how do you know this?"
"I'm... I'm not sure... but I do," - he watched Al walk back to his favorite spot by the big window off the parlor, "Right now, dearest, I need to talk to Al- it might get loud, but do not worry- I need to weather this without support,"
"Going to confession, are we?"
"Yes dear, I am- secrets among friends are poisonous..."

Atsali thought about what Glytch had told her- truly, she had been running from what she was. She looked at the herbal tea her Mother had made- there was quite a bit of consternation going through her mind over what to do. After what seemed like a minor eternity, she opened the thermos and poured the contents onto the ground.
She decided right then and there that she would not ask her Mother to make any more of it.
She was trembling with fear as she did so.

Deep in the warehouse district, a meeting was taking place in one warehouse that had been slated for demolition eight years ago. Two men, each with about four or five... 'associates'... were in the process of arranging the resurrection of the business that had been established by 'Klaus Templehoffer.
"You sure think you're the one to take his place, don't you?" stated the rather largish fellow with scars across his face.
"Well, yes- I do," replied the thin, short fellow with perfectly smooth skin, "In fact, there is no doubt in my mind- I brought body guards same as you, but in truth, they are superfluous as far as I am concerned- merely a show of force, nothing more,"
"Really?"
The smaller man tuned to his guards- "Do NOT intervene- you know the consequences,"
As he returned his face to his adversary, a set of brass knuckles impacted his face. The hit staggered him somewhat, but still he stood and returned to the bigger man. Perplexed, the bigger man grabbed him by the lapels and slammed him again, harder. The knuckles broke- along with his hand. Swearing and fuming, he drew a pistol and shot the smaller fellow until the action locked open.
"My turn," the little man said- he simply grabbed the big man's face and crushed it. With the body flopping around on the floor, he turned to the big man's body guards-
"Any questions?"
There were none...

[lake_wrangler]

... Laughing Cow cheese...

I didn't realize they sold that in the States, too. We used to eat that regularly, when I was a kid (in Québec City, where it's probably easier to find...)

[Sgt. Howard]

... Laughing Cow cheese...

I didn't realize they sold that in the States, too. We used to eat that regularly, when I was a kid (in Québec City, where it's probably easier to find...)

I've yet to see a store that DOESN'T carry it if they have groceries

[DinkyInky]

Emerauld quietly moved from tree to tree, searching for just the right one, speaking softly to each.
After a while, she disappeared into the thicket, returning with a very dark branch, which she began quickly carving, a strange smirk on her face; very carefully collecting the shavings on a large square of patchwork leather, which was then tied with a leather cord, then placed into a box, which was then tied with cord and stowed in the pack.
Shortly, the familiar shape of a bow began to appear before Glytch's eyes. Soon a container was drawn from the pack, and a portion of the contents rubbed onto the bow until it fairly glowed. In quick succession, the pieces he knew were needed to fashion a compound bow came out of the frustratingly tiny pack, and assembled with ease of practice.

"I must find out about that backpack," thought Glytch, unsure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him from staring at the screens for too long.

String was fashioned from something strange pulled from her pack, then pulled taut across the empty bow.
A target pulled from the pack and thrown into the air was soon struck down as an arrow seemed to fly into her hand from the quiver.
Satisfied, she began pulling bundles of shafts, a box which turned out to contain arrowheads, and a pouch of brilliantly coloured feathers(obviously for fletching), and one that contained small wooden nocks.
Next, she took out a large polished case, which she placed entire bundles of shafts, piles of arrowheads, feathers, and nocks, before closing it.
Upon noticing me watch her, she set aside the case and assembled the arrows in rapid succession, way faster than anyone I ever saw create them. I turned and took another long swig of Vanilla Coke, strangely content. Looking toward her again, I noticed a huge mountain of arrows where moments before was a small pile. Various coloured arrowheads and fletchings adorned many different types of shafts.
Handing me the bow, and a plain quiver full of plain arrows, she motioned to the target shaped ribbon-bedecked hay bales lined up in the clearing, an odd shadowy net stretched several yards back, and as many high.

"Just finishing up, Glytchie! Start without me, okay?"

I nodded, and observed her pulling several rolls of patchwork leather from her pack, along with needles, cord, and shears.

Taking a deep breath, I lined myself up with the target, nocked an arrow, and once assured nothing living was in the path, let it fly...finding it sinking into the center. After sending the tenth arrow into the target, I turned to see the pile of leather had become several items, and the scraps placed reverently into a pouch, most likely recycled into another roll of patchwork.

"As I said before, archery is my specialty. I actually have several skills whose sole purpose is to make shooting these better."

Here she drew an arrow, murmuring over it, as her hand and bow glowed green. As she loosed it, it flew with blinding speed, an audible CRACK! as the arrow splintered mine.

"I consider it cheating to compete with humans," she said as she drew three arrows, murmured over it, and let them loose once the green glow covered them. The next three targets shattered with audible cracks.

"If I target practice with anyone, I burn through my disciplines first."

Here she shot the rest of the targets in succession, with such speed, I never physically saw her move, but the loud report from the shattering arrows was proof enough that she had.

"Wow. Remind me to NEVER get you mad."

With a calm, cold voice, eyes turning the colour of ice she replied, "I absolutely will, as I value your...what is it...ah, companionship?"

"Now, you will need to get used to wearing archers gear, so here, try this on."

With that, I was handed a leather hooded over tunic, a full quiver of various brilliant fletched arrows, fingerless gloves, bracers, and a leather pack that she said contained trousers, boots, and a few other pieces she said were essential for archery, all in patchwork leather.

"I'm a bit rusty, but I think those should fit. They are also good for moving about stealthily."

Waving a hand, roots shot out from the ground and collected the detritus of the first round, and deposited them onto a smallish cloth near the bench. "Thank you, my friends," she said to the departing roots.

"Now that my disciplines and mana are depleted, this will be fair. Oh, and I don't believe you are rusty at all," she said, smirking. "Shall we continue?"

[lake_wrangler]

... and once again, Shelly and Justine were talking about their wedding!

Ahem... Not the first time you make this typo...

As he returned his face to his adversary, a set of brass knuckles impacted his face. The hit staggered him somewhat, but still he stood and returned to the bigger man. Perplexed, the bigger man grabbed him by the lapels and slammed him again, harder. The knuckles broke- along with his hand. Swearing and fuming, he drew a pistol and shot the smaller fellow until the action locked open.
"My turn," the little man said- he simply grabbed the big man's face and crushed it. With the body flopping around on the floor, he turned to the big man's body guards-
"Any questions?"
There were none...

Crushestro?

[Hansontoons]

... Laughing Cow cheese...

I didn't realize they sold that in the States, too. We used to eat that regularly, when I was a kid (in Québec City, where it's probably easier to find...)

I've yet to see a store that DOESN'T carry it if they have groceries

And my quip about the cheese is lifted from a Firesign Theater album from 1970, so it's been south of the north border for some time.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

[Dave]

I didn't realize they sold that in the States, too. We used to eat that regularly, when I was a kid (in Québec City, where it's probably easier to find...)

I've yet to see a store that DOESN'T carry it if they have groceries

And my quip about the cheese is lifted from a Firesign Theater album from 1970, so it's been south of the north border for some time.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

The hard part is finding the "special reserve" variety sold under the La Vache Qui Rit Méchamment label. Not many stores carry it.

But, yeah, I can remember having the Laughing Cow soft wedges back in my childhood in Philadelphia, sometime around 1960. It's not a new product in the U.S.

[GlytchMeister]

Glytch and Emerauld continued to practice long into the night, even as Glytch's forearms, shoulders, and back grew sore. He continued to shoot, knowing he had to learn the character of the bow and the nature of each arrow just as much as he had to train his muscles to endure. He had to practice, to rekindle the budding knowledge he first began to learn those years ago as a child... How much to arc his shots for given distances, how to judge the length of each shot, how to see the wind and crosswind by paying attention to the leaves and branches. His eyes, poorly made and needing such strong corrective lenses though they were, were still able to keep up with Emerauld's elven eyes even as the night grew too dark for most normal humans to see.
Emerauld was clearly delighted to continue to practice, reveling in the need for her own true skill to make every shot without the assistance of her talents. However, even Glytch's unusual night vision failed him... The moon was not full enough to provide the light he needed to continue, and his (quite frankly, rather neglected) muscles began to ache and shudder with fatigue.
"Emerauld..." Glytch groaned and stretched out his shoulder, rubbing the muscle gingerly. "I gotta stop. I won't be able to type tomorrow if I keep this up, let alone lift up my laptop screen."
The spritely elf simply smiled at him, nodding. "That's ok! Just remember to keep practicing whenever you can. And don't waste the special ones until you really need them! And eat some protein! And watch out for Clay People!"
Glytch nodded mutely as he gathered up his things. "Thanks for all of this... And thanks for the drink!" He lifted the mug to her before quaffing the rest of the sharp, smooth, sweet soda down. When he finished, the little archer elf was gone without a trace.
Glytch chuckled to himself. "Goat women, sphinxes, centaurs, Titans, siren-succubi, elves, and now clay people. I'd better not discount that last bit of advice. I wonder if Atsali knows anything about clay people..."

Above, high in one of the friendly trees, Emerauld nodded silently to herself, tucking a small, empty flask into her pack. He was a good, smart one... he wouldn't ignore what she said, like most.

[TazManiac]

Meanwhile, in a certain part of the Library, Tina was bringing to close another day spent serving various beverages and not a little impetus towards insight.

Her days recently were not as interesting at work without the usually unsuspecting 'normal people' who usually made up the bulk of her clientèle.

Actually, while being a 'her' was accurate, there really wasn't a 'she' to speak of. Rather it was more like an 'us' or a 'we'.

Having worked together for so long they did well seeming as one, but lately the change in routine, and the addition of a paramour of her very own, had some of the 'rats who ran the ship' that was 'her' eager to wrap up work for the day and exit, Stage Left.
===============

Elsewhere, the he that Tina was thinking of was, in his own way, absentmindedly wrapping up his last class of the day.

He moved about the room with an economy of movement, seemingly dancing or gliding along as things initially scattered about and misplaced were gather together, each to it's proper place, and soon enough Order from Chaos was obtained.

As he finally came to rest by the half opened door, he noticed it felt as if his chores had been accomplished without any conscious thought or passage of time.

He had a slight smile on his face as he took one last look around the room, closing and locking the door, and heading out into the late afternoon.
===============

And his subject of distraction? She too had a slight, if not anticipatory, smile as well...

[GlytchMeister]

Glytch meandered his way back to the manor slowly... His muscles were already feeling a little better, but he surmised this was due to him not really using them anymore. On his way back, he noticed how some tree branches seemed to cling to the back of his tunic... A friendly touch more than anything. Smiling faintly, he sighted south with the points of the crescent moon and navigated the rest of the way back to the manor without difficulty.
Upon arriving at the back porch, he noticed a pair of icy blue, almost feline eyes looking at him from the shadows. He stared for a moment at them until they blinked once, then vanished.
Glytch shook his head, smirking at the ridiculousness of the whole situation, before heading inside to search for a bed. He hadn't really stuck around long enough to be shown where his room is. A short bit of wandering brought him back to the study. The light from his computer screens were on... He could see the light shining through the the crack at the bottom of the door.
Somebody's messed with it in the last few minutes, or the screens would be off... Glytch crouched low and listened carefully. His laptop was performing scheduled maintenance, judging by the faint sounds the drive was making. Then he isolated breathing. Two sets of lungs - one adult, slightly smaller than his, and one very small.
Ah... Those two... Glytch smiled and slowly opened the door, revealing Atsali and a mess of twigs and thorns sleeping peacefully in the office chair. The bunch of sticks and twigs rustled, mimicking the sound of small lungs breathing. Nestled in the small bush was a copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
Glytch chuckled softly to himself before carefully extracting the book and pulling his fleece blanket from his pack, using it to gently scoop Castela up off of Atsali's lap. He slowly deposited her on the floor and bundled her up inside the blanket before turning to Atsali.
He suddenly remembered Phix's remark about these two being about as dangerous as your average Australian predator. Taking a steadying breath, Glytch gently poked Atsali on the shoulder.
Nothing.
Shit.
He poked her again, a little more firmly and repetitively for a few moments.
Atsali stirred and mumbled something about furry ears.
Glytch furrowed his brow, momentarily stymied by the oddball mention of furry ears, before steeling himself and poking the apparent heavy sleeper sharply five times.
"Buh? Uff... Humm... Zzah Hairy MacBoonszz... Huh? Oh, hey, Glytch... Castela?"
"Shhh, she's still asleep... I figured you'd want to sleep in a real bed? Sleeping in a chair like this is a great way to get a right nasty crick in your back and neck... Trust me."

[Just Old Al]

Feeling something of a miscreant, Neil walked through the emptying great room as folks went about their business. People swirled about the room like water, finding drains at the doors to other rooms and corridors till the area was relatively silent. He hurried a trifle - not knowing why, as this was not going to be a plasant conversation no matter how it ended.

Knowing better than to intrude upon even an old warrior unexpectedly, Neil walked over toward him, stepping a bit more forcefully than was his wont.

Al looked up, a small smile on his face. The time here at the Alexander house had seen a sea change in him - the removal of his pain and disability, and his heart being filled with the joy of finding Daisy had transformed him from solitary and morose to a tranquil but joyous soul. The loss of his shop dimmed it for a while, but it returned soon enough.

"O Captain My Captain! Sit down and join me please."

Neil remained standing. Al sensed quickly that there was a problem and asked, "What can I do to help - or what have I done?" A shadow passed across his face, almost a return to the more-morose Al of days passed.

"Sergeant-Major Richer, I come here to ask your pardon for something I have done." Al tensed in shock - use of his old rank, along with the formality of the statement, caught him blindsided.

"For what need I forgive you, My Commander? You have committed no offense to me or to my love that I know of. Please do sit, and explain." All of this was intoned in Al's best Latin - with an accent that made Neil cringe, and remember the Briton barbarians he'd dealt with at one time. So bidden, he sat on the couch next to Al, facing him across the space.

"Do you remember when the dancing started - Cindy had brought you a cup of coffee with chocolate in it? Well, there was something in that drink that was neither coffee, chocolate or the condiments you normally use with them. It was an elixir, the one that has kept me alive for these many centuries."

The colour drained from Al's face, and for a moment Neil worried for the old gentleman's heart. Al sat motionless for a long time, his colour returning, then verging toward the red. When he spoke, the words were very carefully intoned, all accent gone in the effort of control.

"Please let me paraphrase this so that I completely understand this situation. At that time you administered a substance that took away the pain in my leg and back and which allowed me to function pain free. This I take it was also the reason that I was able to satiate so thoroughly that remarkable female who's chosen to lavish her love on me?"

Neil sat erect, choosing his words carefully. "Yes, that is what I did." He tensed internally - looking at the anger behind Al's eyes he realized that he was in great danger indeed. There was a distinct possibility that there would be blood on the floor in the next few seconds - it all depended on discipline.

"So, your presence here now is the same as any other drug dealer? You come to exact your pound of flesh for the next dose, and the next, and the next after that? For what do you ask? I am currently nearly penurious with the loss of my business, and possess little in any case that could be of interest to a person of your status. So, what due does the devil demand? Also, how long do I have before the pain returns?" The thunderclouds in Al's eyes made Neil realize that he should have spoken more quickly - the bald statement he'd made left too much to the imagination of anyone who did not know the full story.

Looking Al square in the eyes, he said "The devil needs no due. The change is irrevocable - the damage and scars are healed, never to return. The change in your...ardor... is also permanent, or for however long such things last in a man. Looking at our friend Greg, that point for him is many years from now. With the booster that the elixir gave and your general health other than the battle damage, you are good for decades yet."

Al sat, quietly absorbing the words that he'd been told. The colour left his face again, then slowly returned to his ruddy normalcy.

"Please elaborate. To paraphrase, what you have said is that I have been given a new lease on life - an extension of grace with the physical scars washed away. What else should I expect?" Al's eyes no longer held thunderclouds. Instead, there was almost a pleading there - he had to know the extent of this state of grace with which he found himself gifted.

Neil straightened, took a deep breath and began.

"The elixir works differently depending on the dosage given. The massive doses I take to rejuvenate are harsh, and harshly applied. A tiny amount, diluted in water and applied to a cut or scar can fade it out in a matter of minutes, with no other effect on the human involved.

The dosage you got was between those two - far more than was simply needed to fix your leg and back. I could have done that with a small diluted dose. What you got was a small rejuvenative dose - it will roll you back to the point where you and Daisy have approximately the same lifespan - I expect the regeneration to be ten years or so. The healing was a part of the rejuvenation, as were the improvements elsewhere. The side effects of the dose will be minimal - higher hunger, and more frequent trips to the bathroom, but nothing disruptive.

You'll notice a few other things as the weeks pass - your metabolism has speeded up, your appetites will increase to support the changes, and your physical appearance will slowly roll back.

People will notice it, but not be shocked. The changes will likely be attributed to your new-found relationship rather than any meddling of mine.

Call it a gift from one warrior to another - you deserve the time to share with your new love without having to worry about your life being cut short."

Al sat very still for some minutes. He then turned to Neil and spoke again in his schoolbook Latin, the words stilted though his voice was husky with deep emotion held rigidly in check.

"Centurion, it is I who need to beg your forgiveness as much as you ask mine. Let us just say that the words you heard were fear - plain and simple - that the gifts would go and with them the affection of my new-found love. I thought that the gift you had given me had also given me her love, and that its fading would remove the reason for that love. Who could care for the old crock I was a few days ago?"

Neil sat, and hearing these words was simultaneously stricken to the heart and royally annoyed. Al really was thick, and no amount of anything but time was going to fix it. Time and the love of a good woman, no matter how many feet she had.

However, a kick in the buttocks was in order.

"You jackass. You POMPOUS, idiotic, blind nitwitted jackass."

Al, shocked, stared at Neil.

"That elixir had NOTHING to do with her interest and affection which was for that old crock you speak of. All I did was to remove the impediments to you enjoying your life with her to the fullest - and if I EVER hear that stupidity from your lips again I will by all the gods in the pantheon find a way to take it away from you again. AM I UNDERSTOOD?"

Grey again, Al nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

"Now, while I said that the devil requires no due, I do want one thing from you."

"Name your boon, Ponce De Leon." The merry Al was coming back, a bit fumbling but gaining fast.

"Never, ever forget these days - and live accordingly. That's all I ask."

"You have that - and did before." The two men clasped hands, then Al, overcoming his background, gathered Neil into a crushing hug before releasing him.

The kitchen door opened, and Daisy clopped through, tail swishing as she saw the men sitting on the couch. "Oh, there you are!"

"Yes, here we are. Daisy, he's all yours - just needed a bit of talk. I'll catch up with you two later - I need to go take Dixie off Phix's hands for a while." With that, he left and Al looked up into his beloved's eyes.

"Dear, we need to take a walk and talk for a bit. I've just been given a wonderful gift, and I need to share it with you." With that, he took her hand and they walked for the exit to the pasture.

[TazManiac]

... Laughing Cow cheese...

I didn't realize they sold that in the States, too. We used to eat that regularly, when I was a kid (in Québec City, where it's probably easier to find...)

I've yet to see a store that DOESN'T carry it if they have groceries

This spokeswoman turns out to be Comedian Lauren Ashley Bishop, didn't know her name till just now...

[GlytchMeister]

The two carefully carried Pickle to her pot at the foot of Atsali's bed. "Thanks," Atsali whispered. "I can do without a crick in my back. Of course, now I'm going to have trouble falling asleep now that I've woken up."
"Sorry, it seemed like a good idea at the time... I've fallen asleep in desk chairs... It's not a nice experience."
"No, no! It's fine, really. I'm just glad we got Pickle into her pot without waking her up."
Glytch smiled briefly, before remembering Emerauld's last bit of advice. "Hey, uh, I met an elf outside, and she said to watch out for... Clay People? What... Um... What exactly is a clay person in this whole... thing?"
"I... Think she's talking about Golems. They're... Old magic tech. Like, uh..."
"Sufficiently advanced technology?" Glytch supplied.
"Yeah. They're made of clay mixed with the cremated remains of somebody. They're powerful, immortal, invulnerable, and I only know of a few off the top of my head. Most of them are in this house."
"Who?" Glytch didn't remember seeing any terra cotta warriors standing around...
"Well, there's Aunts Brandi, Bud, and Jin... But she got changed, she's more human than golem now... And I think Tepoz counts? Oh, and Mayahuel, Jin's mom."
"I have no idea who you're talking about." Glytch gave Atsali a flat look.
"I'll point them out to you tomorrow..." Glytch nodded and began to turn away when Atsali put a hand on his shoulder.
"Yeah?"
"I just... I guess I wanted to say... Thanks, I think. I'm... Not drinking that tea."
Glytch smiled wide at this. "I'm glad... It won't be easy, but the good way isn't usually the easy way, now is it?"
Atsali pulled Glytch in for a quick hug before bidding him good night.

Glytch returned to the study, smiling and feeling quite good about himself, and decided to have a look at the decrypted hard drive. It's not like he was going to be sleeping anyway... His mind was whirling with far too many questions and speculations. A few doubleclicks later, he was pouring over the heart and soul of Mr. Robinson's hard drive. It contained no small amount of illegally downloaded movies, tv shows, and video games. A large portion of the movies were definitely not suitable for viewing under the age of eighteen. Beyond that, there was an old, woefully outdated copy of a résumé and some notepad rantings and ravings about rival gangs and cops. Nothing of interest.
The real juicy stuff was in the communications. Mr. Robinson had made the mistake of using an email client that stored copies of recent emails on the computer itself. Nothing too interesting came up.
On a whim, Glytch decided to dig more. He searched through the browser files before finding the folder for saved passwords - he tried each one until he was able to log into Mr. Robinson's account online, and continued digging through his correspondence with his fellow gang members and leaders, jotting notes down for Sarge as he went. Then he found another mention of that former vigilante, in an email several years old. It seems he once had several small-time gangs and crime rings running scared, and managed to convince the bigger players that his town wasn't worth the effort of taking over... They instead elected to simply go around this man's town.
"Who is this guy?" Glytch muttered, searching deeper.
More emails mentioned the vigilante, until one finally gave him a name. It wasn't a very useful name, but a name, nonetheless. Along with the names of two federal agents. A couple of blurry cell phone pictures was all Glytch had to go by, but the two women looked very familiar... One was skinny, with long, black hair, the other was curvier and had red hair.

John Smith. Lily Pratt. Susan McBride.

Glytch did not believe in coincidences like this. "Sarge has got to see this."

[Sgt. Howard]

Evening rolled onto the estate, bringing merriment to a close- Jin and Alan toddled off to their room in the far corner of the old portion of the house on ground floor- Alan was adamant about Jin not using stairs. Kath and Buck retired with their children to the guesthouse that served temporarily while their own new home was being constructed. Kevin and Bud had separate rooms- their relationship had not progressed that far (or so they told everybody). Tina and Stan made their way to the upper turret room. Greg and Annie had a ground floor view of the back paddocks from their assigned room. Monica and Jet had the room above. Rowdy and Cindy plodded off to their respective stalls. Joe and Sarah were given the suite above the main entryway. Suzi and Lilly shared the adjoining room with Jeb Billens on the other side. Justin and Shelly wandered to their own room next to the library. Glytch had a smallish room (that was larger than his apartment) off the kitchen, a remnant of the days when they had a larger staff in the house. Emerauld, of course, claimed the willow by the pond. Phix and Neil had a decent room upstairs in the new section.

There were still four unoccupied rooms. It was, after all, an estate.

"Well, your company has abandoned you it seems," Al intoned to Daisy.
"So it would seem- and I am not interested in my stall right now,"
"But now- staying human- that requires effort, does it not? If you fall asleep, won't you revert to your native form?"
"not while I wear this-" she said as she pulled an amulet away from her flesh to make it visible.
Al studied it- "I see... odd looking thing... and that keeps you in human?"
Oh yes... as long as I wear it," she smiled, "now, you're bunking up on the second floor of the old section, right? I've never been up there..."
"What? But this your home, why would you..." he caught her saucy smile, "oh... perhaps I could give you a tour?"
"Why, I thought you would never ask," she purred.
"I am curious- why have you never been there?"
"It creaks and groans enough under human traffic- I'm not sure what it might do with a centaur clopping around,"
"I see... this way, my Dear..."

About quarter to midnight, Jin and Alan were awakened by a rather rambunctious calamity right over their heads... and bits of plaster as well.
"What. The. Hell?" Jin intoned.
"That's Al's room," Alan replied, "He's got Daisy up there with him- that shouldn't last long..."

Four times between then and two fifteen the disruption occurred, each time with more falling plaster.

[GlytchMeister]

Good lord, somebody needs to reinforce those beams!

[Sgt. Howard]

Sunlight crept into the bedroom where Jin and Alan snored, fighting the call of morning. Sleep was not fulfilling that night for them and the desire to make a late day of it was strong... but not as strong as the urgency of their bladders. Reluctantly, Alan crawled out of bed and stumbled to his bathrobe so he could travel down the hall to the bathroom. Jin stirred, but still refused to wake.

Directly upstairs of them, Al lay on his side with Daisy spooned into him. Dreamily, he was vaguely aware of the situation with no desire to disturb it. She was a wonderful creature in his arms, in his eyes and in his mind... to lay there, fully sated, was a decadent luxury beyond his wildest dreams.
She, on the other hand, enjoyed the sleep of a newborn. Perfectly content and unaware, she felt the security of Al's arms around her and had no need to understand... except there was this itch at her throat. Something with a sharp edge to it. In her sleep, she scratched at it. Her finger caught on something, so she pulled until it came free.

It's chain now broken, the amulet fell off her neck.

With a massive 'FLOOMP'!, Al was pushed to the far edge of the bed. The floor, which was noisy under most circumstances, now started to protest rather loudly. Al was suddenly aware that he was sharing his bed with a rather large creature, who also was beginning to stir- Daisy opened her eyes under protest and tried to take stock... she had never woken up in a bed before, after all...she turned and looked at Al rather quizzically, and at her own form... it is a little confusing to take in all at once... when Al's nose reacted to the dander of Daisy's mane.

He sneezed. The bed collapsed and the floor started it's final arguments.

In the room below, Alan saw the plaster hit the bed- looking up, he realized that the ceiling was giving way. He grabbed Jin out of the bed just as a massive payload of floor section, crushed bed, Centaur and naked human male, the one screaming a whinny and the other oathing in Brit, crushed THEIR bed beneath it's collective weight!

Al sat up, looked around at the robed Alan and the naked Jin and commented,
"Sorry to burst in on you like this,"
when the floor beneath them started it's own chorus of the song sung by the previous floor.
Al turned to Daisy (who was now quite awake) - "What's below us here?"
"The coal bunker," she answered.
"OH BLOODY HEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLL!!!" he bellowed as they continued on down.

Alan and Jin, totally shocked by what they just witnessed, timidly stepped to the edge of the gaping hole in the floor and looked down.
Nothing could be seen for the cloud of coal dust floating up from below... but Al's voice could be plainly heard-
"Dearest... the repairs will be done by a competent fellow who truly understands weight bearing engineering- this slipshod construction is NOT acceptable in the least- is that clear?"
Meekly, Daisy answered, "yes, Dear,"

[TazManiac]

In my travels today I am currently suppressing mirthful gufaahs at a McDonalds w/ wifi access...

BwahAHhAHaHAhaHhAhahhaaaa... Sorry, couldn't hold it in.

[TazManiac]

It was early morning and Stan was awoken by the call of Nature, a bit before he would have gotten up anyway.

He glanced about the room and discovered Tina had elected not to spend the rest of the evening in bed with him but had resorted to sitting upright, in the corner, in a full lotus position. It still took some getting used to, and he was sure he hadn't yet, not fully anyway.

At least now he knew enough not to freak-out like he did the first time he 'discovered' her w/ the lights out and nobody home.

He thought back and chuckled at his initial reaction of panic and surprise- he was scrambling for the phone to call... Somebody, when now, as then, she re-inhabited her corporeal self, and by blinking a bit managed to get her eye sockets refilled with the delightful swirly silvery-ness he loved so much.

She greeted him with a "Hi hon, watcha up to?" and he diverted her way mid-stride to deliver a quick kiss and to help her to her feet.

"I was headed to the bathroom, if you must know m'dear, and you can help me aim if you like, but I don't think thats how you'd want to start your day. I could be wrong though...". Stan was feeling mischievous this morning, but he had other thoughts on his mind as well.

As he swapped the bathroom so Tina could get ready for her caffeinated related duties in the Library he climbed the circular staircase up the the Crow's Nest about the turret room they'd been assigned since this whole crazy thing began. Once up and through the trapdoor he looked over the cobbled together equipment he'd set up the night before; it consisted of a few medium resolution stationary cameras, each pointed to a different cardinal point of the compass and atop was a rotating unit with a telephoto lens grafted on.

It was all sending images to be recorded on an old PC with a massive hard drive upgrade in the otherwise unassuming and dilapidated case.

Tina poked her head up, handed him a steaming mug of medium-dark roasted pure Java bean coffee, said "Tomorrow is straight Mocha beans"... just to tweak his sense of humor, and popped back down like a Jack-in-Box. But in reverse.

Stan looked at the time and thought he had enough time to review the footage, smiling at himself for using terms like 'filmed' and 'footage' when it was all recorded digitally to the hard drives.

On a real fast fast-forward speed he zoomed through the previous night's entry, not really expecting anything, but wait... backing up he thought he caught a few frames of movement, but he wasn't sure and he had to get to his job at the school pretty soon, so an in depth investigation would have to wait until later.

As he dressed he kept looking over at the low circular table with two sets of Calinda Sticks on them. Two days ago they had both shown the wear and tear of the practice sessions he and Tina had been taking part in, deep in the forested 'back of beyond'.

Two days ago they both looked like the tore up green-wood it made sense to start out with, showing their young-growth sapling origins.

Two days ago they were four sticks, all splintered and dirty and in need of replacement, but that was two days ago.

As of last night there were one tore up set, looking like it had two days ago.... and next to it were a pair of deeply colored 'somethings', smaller in diameter but still about two feet long and of the same mass & weight as the sticks they had replaced.

A pair had been carelessly left behind following a practice session and subsequent snoggling, and upon a quick double-back they'd came across... these, in their place.

[GlytchMeister]

Glytch was three feet in the air when he awoke. The crash had sent his formerly sleeping mind into a frenzy to identify the threat and get away as fast as possible. Scrabbling and kicking, he rolled off the bed and took cover for a moment before the rest of his brain caught up.
Paranormals. Drug rings. Military. Siren-succubus, cute Pickle bush thing. Elven archer. Bow.

Glytch looked around and found his shoes and pants, arranged for quick dressing, and his new bow, lying neatly on the dresser. He quickly got dressed and slung the quiver over his shoulder, holding the bow in his left hand, and dashed out the door toward the noise.
What the hell am I doing!?! Go the other way!
No. Help other people at all times.
Glytch faltered as he drew nearer, but managed to steel himself enough to keep going, crashing through the door, bow half-drawn.
Then he saw a naked Jin and robed Alan, standing in decidedly non-combative stances, smirking at him over a gaping black pit where the bed was presumably supposed to be, from which a very cross British voice was issuing a near-constant stream of oaths and curses.
"What... the hell... happened in here?" Glytch very pointedly stared at Alan, averting his eyes from Jin.
Jin and Alan exchanged glances before bursting out laughing, doubling over as Glytch's face went from determined, to confused, to completely baffled and embarrassed.

[DinkyInky]

"This is a fun place," Emerauld thought to herself. "Fletching, Tailoring, repairing wooden weaponry, though I think the gent might have gotten a hint to not leave his gear behind..."

Giggling, she went about cleaning camp, collecting deadfall, filling the firepit, putting away the now-dry camp gear, dressing in her field leathers, and blessing the area with prayers for a green season, and thanks for the use of the trees, and company given.

Hearing a disturbance near the manor, she murmurs a slight chant, and sprints just in time to see Glytch in gear, his face nearing full crimson. Assessing the scene, she pulls a bundle of rope out of her pack, shakes it into a rope ladder, and with a small incantation, binds it to the boards and tosses it down. Noticing a spot of magic glittering in the rubble, she says a small prayer which makes her lighter, and gingerly steps to it and picks up a talisman with a thin, broken chain, which she clucks at muttering, "Lazy m'elzar kl'aein cheap sluden!" Then draws a heavy silver chain from a wrist pouch, threads the talisman through it, and looking down, she sees the centaur dam and says,

"Need a hand? Though you may wish this first, Lady," as she hands down the talisman.

She then drops the rope ladder down the hole, and murmuring another short incantation, causes some of the splintered wood to burst forth thick vine-like roots.

"They cannot stay long, as they do not like the poisons you treat the wood with, but they should be there long enough for you to scrabble out. Glytchie knows where to find me to return the ladder, and when chance favours you, you should kick the m'elzar that sold you that junk across a chasm!"

With that, she turned, winked at Jin, and sprinted away.