act complete Angelcynn: The Myrcian Conflict - Act 3 Reunion

[Frostivus]

Penitent eyes watched from the church windows until Sebastian’s silhouette melted into the night.

Scuttle waited another five minutes. And then another five. Nothing else moved outside but the strange oscillating shapes of critter shadows.

A strained chuckle escaped her lips.

It worked. Feigning amnesia seemed so ridiculous and yet something so typical that Scuttle would do. She had never managed to pull one up over Javier. But Sebastian, no matter what he thought himself, was not Javier.

For now, she was alone. Scuttle exhaled a breath she didn’t realise she had been holding, slumped onto the ground, and buried her face into her hands. “Go away, bad dream. Boo,” she muttered to the emptiness of the church.

BOo

Even awake, the nightmare plagued her. The scene stayed indelibly etched into her mind, branded like painful-hot iron across her vision. The grim rictuses of fear. The looks of abject betrayal and hatred directed at her from her friends, as Scuttle watched on, a prisoner trapped in her own body, but what did it matter? It was her. It was her hands that shot that arrow, her mouth that spoke those threats.

Scuttle could never let Susan loose again.

She knew what she had to do.

___________

The metallic tinkle of her makeshift lock pick was precisely rhythmic. Clink, clink, clink, a strange timbre to it that lent the otherwise deathly-silent night some noise. Sebastian had used the same two-chamber lock since she had known him. This would take a minute, tops.

Clink, clink, clink. Her shaky hands were not helping.

She didn’t know her destination; all she knew was that she had to run, far away. That was what she was good at, Scuttle had been running her whole life after all. She had ran when her mother died, she had ran when hearing Jeeves was leaving, she was running now, from the people she thought were her friends. Always letting Susan to pick up the pieces she left behind.

Clink, clink, clink.

Some knee-jerk self-defence — as long as Scuttle remained weak, Susan would find a way out to stop her from self-destruction. Susan would resurface, and next time they might not be so lucky.

The padlock slipped open and fell onto the floor. Its thud echoed across the church. Its doors opened.

Move.

The bitter cold made tangible Scuttle’s breaths, and she tugged at her denims and tugged and tugged until her sleeves ripped slightly at the seams. The streets were abandoned, further out still: the unforgiving scape of Magonsaete.

She couldn’t go back.

And yet somehow, running into her certain death by wilderness felt like the easy way out.

But then Susan always had been the path of least resistance for her, wasn’t it? To slip into a ruthless selfish mindset whenever her volatile kaleidoscope of emotions could no longer be contained.

Susan wanted her to leave. She wanted to be where she was most comfortable, where problems could be solved regardless of collateral and people were disposable tools. When things got too personal, that was where Scuttle was pulled back into the reins.

Maybe. . . what if . . .

Scuttle stood by the church pavement as the night breeze blew, pondering the fork in her path.

The Mage Killer had set aside his differences to save Claire. The Princess in turn tried to protect the Mage Killer. Every lie had to have a nugget of truth in them. After all, their acts of heroism had been enough to bring Scuttle back.

Maybe Susan was weaker when Scuttle was around their shelter. Maybe she could believe in them again and borrow their strength. And maybe they could forgive her. If she were wrong, no telling what would happen.

She was banking the fate of Wyke on a lot of maybes.

She stared up at the night sky. An unfamiliar star blinked at her, red-hot and twinkling. The same one from her first night in Magonsaete.

With one purposeful but hesitant stride, Scuttle stepped out into the night of Magon, following the sounds of distant liver-sacrificed merriment.

Edited October 26, 2016 by Frostivus

[Dandragon]

"The bard? You mean Scuttle?" Before he could answer, Emmet had gotten up to get another drink. Serge shook his head. Things were just going crazy around here for seemingly no reason. Maybe there was a reason and he wasn't thinking about it hard enough, but he didn't feel like it. Not tonight. Tonight was meant to relax, dammit!

"So...Hans?" He said turning to the axe brothers. "What do you think of the drink here? Better than the stuff at the Codger, eh?"

[Shin]

Cats and Curiosity

Not many of the villagers paid too much attention to Cass and Adele, apparently it wasn't an unusual thing too see, or they simply were not interested. The other Wykian nobles were another matter though. Decima seemed almost relieved by Cass' forwardness, her suspicions were almost confirmed. Esclabor had readied himself to leave with Angus, and now apparently Claire, but he couldn't help but cast a curious glance over at the pair.

"Oh, Claire? You know Ceirch? I'm sure he won't mind too much." Esclabor asked, wondering why she'd be so keen to visit him. She didn't seem to be the same as Nona, the woman would probably finish him off after all he'd been through. "Once Kearney's figured out which of his limbs are his legs, we can get going. If we run into that little runt again I might just punch him, I'm warning you now. I think he pisses me off more than you do, Kearney."

Sebastian had just arrived at the tavern, slipping through the door discreetly. Cass and Adele were rather... busy, he could probably afford to wait a few moments before interrupting. The festivities suggested alcohol had probably played a part in it, but at least they'd be in a good mood.

How Dank?

The brothers were a little puzzled, it took a good few moments for them to piece together what their boss meant. "Codger? You mean that shitty bar full of those creeps?" Lars replied, his brother sharing his confusion. "Never been in there, boss. The guy at the door gave us a hard time, kept asking us how dank we were. Considering the kind of fellas were saw hanging around in there, we figured it wasn't worth it. Probably would have come out dragging a club and wearin' a loincloth."

Hans nodded, almost amused at the recollection. "Yeah, we saw some right goons reply to him, would have felt stupid giving an answer like theirs to get in. Larissa, you've been there before, right? How did yer get in?"

Letting out a sly laugh, Larissa crossed her legs, rather smug as she accepted a drink from Emmet. "It was easy. I told them that I was so dank that I managed to remove a man's undergarments... whilst his trousers were still on." she replied, giving Emmet a smile. "You wouldn't be interested in vulgar things like that though, would you, Emmet?"

[Vestige]

"Yes I suppose you're right," he mused. "Once we're back in Raewald I probably wont be needing the armor anyway," he said. Hopefully. War was coming, and he hadn't forgotten that. Whether or not Wyke chose to ally themselves with his kingdom, war would come regardless. He was a diplomat, not a warrior, and he hoped the Queen would remember that. There were goals he still had to attain, and things he still needed to research. He had no desire to lose his life prematurely on the battlefield.

"Winding down though? I'm not sure sure, I feel as though the night has just begun," he said, having taken a glance over at Cassandra. So much for being discreet about things. But of more import, who had just entered though the door? None other than Sebastian. Guess I'm not going to the church then. But that raised an interesting question, if Sebastian was here, then had he left Scuttle alone? That didn't seem particularly smart. Actually it seemed completely foolish, regardless of whether she was bound or not. Had he really forsaken his task for a couple of drinks? Or was there something he had come to tell Cassandra, or Owen?

"You know, I think I'll be getting a drink after all," he said, getting up and heading to the counter. He filled it with some more water (still a drink, just not a drink), and made his way over to Sebastian. "Come for a drink, Sebastian? Or is something the matter?" he asked, curious as to what had brought him here. "If you've something to tell Princess Cassandra, I should warn you, she's a bit far gone at this point," he said nodding over to her direction, as if to prove his point. "And what of the bard?" he whispered.

Edited October 26, 2016 by Vestige

[Jotari]

Emmet gave a deep chuckle. "I don't know if you're joking or actually keenly perceptive but it's true. Such things do not interest me." He leaned closer and whispered in her ear. "Until tonight. I've been given a fresh perspective. We have the luxary of sleeping in a bed while a prince sleeps in a barn. Would you like to make use of that fact?"

[Terrador]

Note to the world: Angus can't search for beans

Angus could find which limbs were his legs, all right; he was simply trying to muster the strength to pull Geoffrey bodily away from the spilled booze, despite whatever unholy slippery spell was cast on his boots with every drop he drank. Progress was slow, but step by step, the mooncalf dragged his pet, its resistance flagging as its mother removed it from the tasties. Somehow, Esclabor was still angry about that boy. This brought a grin to Angus' face, even if Claire and Thomas were only in any position to see his rear end.

"Iiii like 'im," Angus finally finds. "If you didn'no work, why, ah... valiant... volume... ... vindicate..." The baron goes on a most private treasure hunt, offering only the grunts of exertion until they made it to the door. The wind carried him a word, that word he searched for for so long! "Volunteer!" This time, spares Claire a beaming smile, as if that performance would earn him a place at the bright kids' table. "Whydee volunteer then?? Seeeeeems like a bad decision!" Angus affectionately rubs Geoffrey's side. The ambitious cub actually tips at the touch, and that joyful, drunken non-regret overtakes the man. "Jus' like this'nn!"

[Ether]

Adele sighed, this is exactly what she had feared. Drunk Cassandra was just like drunk anyone else, abhorrent and ridiculous. As much as she wanted to berate the Princess over how Owen and Sidney's sex life was absolutely none of her, or anyone else's, business, and how their own wasn't the business of anyone else and she had to drop this goddamn I'll tell the world because fuck everything and everyone sentiment, she knew that Cass would absolutely not listen to reason until well into the next day. So all she could really focus on was the one opportunity the Princess had given her.

"If you mean that, then go ahead, kiss me. But if you're lying to me, the next time I see you taking a drink, I'm dragging you out of this bar, whether you'll follow me willingly or I have to knock you unconscious to do it."

[charlie_]

Claire followed Esclabor's gaze towards the princess and Adele, a little surprised. "Gosh Cass... maybe Agnus wasn't the one whooo's in the worst shape here..." she muttered under her breath. Between this and Serge, maybe Angus really will start to get jealous. She snickered into her hand.

Before she could ask about Esclabor's new most hated person, Even above Angus? Wow! The Kearney finally managed to catch his pet and drag it away from the booze. "I knew you'd lose." she grinned, following the boy towards the building's exit.

[Dandragon]

"Really? You haven't been there? ...Eh, I don't blame ya. The drinks there are terrible. And the place smelled horrible. It's a wonder how I got in there. But hey, it's how me and Larissa met, so there was some good out of it." He went to grab the cup, only to to place it back down. He sighed. Nope, he had to be the adult here. If he was the only one able to paint that god damn fence tomorrow, then he was going to do it. And that meant no more drinks for him. ...Even though he really wanted one...

Edited October 27, 2016 by Dandragon

[Nanami Touko]

This is proooooobably a bad idea... But what do I care~ With a sharp giggle, Cass didn't let her chance go to waste, leaning right up against Adele and planting lips on her, an affectionate moan slipping out. Of course, she couldn't let it sit there. She'd only promised to leave the inside of Adele's mouth alone, not the rest of her. Free hands snuck around the heiress, one wrapped around her waist, the other resting on her behind, giving it just one gently squeeze.

As much as she wished to keep kissing, she had to breath, only separating them with a few inches, as their foreheads pressed together. "There~ No more drink fer me~ Promise, love." Cass was enjoying staring into Adele's eyes now, the blue almost as intoxicating as the drink was. "You're woooonderful, hun... D'you know that? Mmm, ifffff you wan', you can take me outta here right now~ I think that was worf not drinkin' anymore." Now she dangled lazily against Adele, having slid her hands up around the girl's neck, humming to herself.

[Shin]

No Problem

Alain had posed an interesting question, although it became clear that Cass was in no shape to receive any information. "Perhaps another time, it would be poor form to indulge when I'm working." Sebastian replied. "I may be scheduled for a day off in a few months time. Although I do have news about Scuttle, things appear to be a little more confusing than I initially expected, but she appears to be under control."

Adele and Cass appeared... less busy. Now would probably be his only opportunity. Approaching the pair as Cass clumsily tangled herself around Adele, he stepped into Adele's view. "Lady Adeltrudis, Scuttle appears to have returned to her usual self, although it concerns me that she cannot recall her prior madness." he announced, fairly confident that Scuttle would have been unable to escape. "I cannot say that it would not reoccur, it may be ill-advised to take her to Raewald."

Step Out

Entering the cool night air, Esclabor certainly seemed to feel how soaked his trousers were. "I did it because that little punk might not have taken us to his father otherwise." Esclabor replied, making a mental note that Angus was only narrowly in second place. "Ceirch would have done the same for any of us, he'd have probably offered to work a week."

Geoffrey nudged Angus, as if the cub were trying to keep his master upright. "I'm sure he'd lose in manners too, not quite a match for Sir Bearington, are you, Kearney?" Esclabor joked, amused at Angus' clumsy articulation. How he'd be able to work the next day would be a mystery.

Luxury and Lucidity

Larissa laughed, recalling the first time she'd met Serge. She'd expected him to be on the floor, in a pool of his own blood, after his outburst, but here he was, leading a band of mercenaries. "It depends if you're going to paint with us, Emmet." Larissa replied, smiling as Emmet proclaimed himself as part of the their group. "If you're leaving, we might let you sleep outside."

"You, in a bar like that, boss?" Lars asked, rather surprised at the declaration. "I mean, Larissa makes sense, but I wouldn't expect to find you in there."

[Dandragon]

"Heh...Not everybody starts with great beginnings. Got my way to Hull and they didn't even have any jobs for me. Hell, I barely had any money. I never told you this, did I?" Serge sat up in his chair, re-positioning himselfinto a more comfortable sitting posture. "No, when I got to Hull, I had no intention of running a guild. Hell, I barely had any money and that was the only place I could buy anything in at the time, but then me and Larissa got hired, and then...well things happened, Emmet got hired, then I got left with the guild. And then I hired you two, Emily, and Morganna." He felt his mouth getting dry at this point. He needed something to drink "It was...an experience, I gotta say, making my way across Wyke to get to Hull. It was an even bigger experience being handed down a famous guild. But I'm gonna make it good, I swear to ya."

"Right, give me a second." Serge got up from the table. Making his way over, he knocked on the counter, blatantly ignoring any form of bell or anything that may or may not exist, to get the bartenders attention. "Hey! Bartender? Whaddya got in terms of regular drinks? I'm feeling less alcoholic if ya catch my drift."

Edited October 27, 2016 by Dandragon

[charlie_]

Claire took one last look at the bar before leaving - although what she saw stunned her for a few seconds. Okay uh, yeah, that's a looooot more than drunk flirting... That was a small understatement, considering she was literally making out with someone who wasn't engaged to. Even from the perspective of a drunk watching another drunk, this seemed preeeeeetty dubious. If this is Cass' secret, she's not doing a great job of it... She... she had to tell Angus, didn't she? It wasn't right to leave him in the dark about this kind of stuff, even if he was completely smashed.

"Hey, um, Angus?" she paused, trying to gather the right words. Her mouth opened and closed a couple of times as she took another nervous glance inside, before finally speaking up. "So your girlfriend is in there making out with Adele." She blushed a little. Why did I have to say it like that? Alcohol was a mistake. "Just uhhhhhh, just thought I'd let you knoooooow." she added, bashfully. This was awkward... She just hoped that he wouldn't do anything too reckless - although for the Kearney it was probably a matter of what rather than if he was going to do something without thinking it through properly.

[Jotari]

Emmet sat back in his seat. "Hmph. Yeah, painting a fence. Not really mercenary work in my opinion but I've already made use of the bed earlier today so I suppose it would be discourteous of me to uninvolve myself now. I'm still part of this group for the time being. You can bet I'll be out there fighting if Malaphar shows up again. I think Claire and Owen can attest to that."

On the other side of the bar, Emmet spied Cass and Adele. What does she think she's doing? He wondered to himself. Uh. Is she seriously carrying the vial on her in that state? I think I can trust her to have good intentions but it seems her ability to be responsible may vary considerably. I might have to take it back from her at some point.

[Toogee]

Previously...

"Deal," Doug said as he held up the charm. "Now, let's see how well this charm really works."

Doug was glad that no one he knew was around (at least, he didn't see them). It would make the charm test much less awkward. He wasn't sure what the most effective position for the necklace was, so he simply kept it in his hand. His hand was held next to his face, to ensure that ladies would associate their feelings with him and not some other guy. He had that happen before. It wasn't a good feeling.

He then proceeded to perform the most exaggerated walk the town has likely ever seen. Still in view of the merchant's stall, Doug circled around the plaza. His feet extended high into the air with each step he took. Surely if complete strangers fell for him after this performance, than Decima would surely be head over heels for regular ol' Doug.

[spoiler=Reference]

As Doug continued on with his silly walk, taking note of the ladies he passed by. He noticed a couple grins, but nothing definitive. Certainly nothing to pay 3000 gold for. With his eyes upon the ladies, the rider was not watching his mount, still at the charm stall. But Agathon was watching him, not with a look of confusion. His was of desire.

"When will he learn that what he desires most is between his tender loins. You ride upon my back every day. One day, I will ride upon yours..."

The pink pegasus watched longingly as Doug made his way to the bar. It was the perfect place to test the charm! All the single ladies would surely gather here and follow him wherever! That is, if the charm did what it was supposed to do.

It was then that he passed Angus and Claire. Doug stayed in place, trying to come up with an explanation with why he was flopping his legs up and down with a charm next to his face (which he was still doing in front of them). He finally broke the awkward silence.

"I swear this will make sense soon...hopefully. Also, what's up Claire?"

With a smile and a wink, Doug thought to use Claire as a guinea pig before moving on. He wouldn't want to do this silly walk in front of Decima for nothing!

[Juliette]

"Hmm, perhaps so. I saw some people leaving, but for others..." Freya nodded at Alain as he went off, walking up closer to the front of the bar herself, and she saw the princess's terribly kept secret on display. While she wasn't completely oblivious to Cass's closeness to Lady Adeltrudis- some of their exchanges were rather obvious- seeing them kiss in public was surprising and certainly confirmed some of her small suspicions. Elsewhere the prince looked to be in a similar situation, though Lady Charlotte's love for him was no secret at all. Well, better in love than in danger for them, but... what a mess. Moaning about it, Cass?

The guard shook her head, but what Sebastian mentioned confused her. "Returned to her usual self? What happened to Scuttle before?" she inquired, opting not to say anything to the princess about her behavior. Not that commenting on it would have done anything.

Edited October 28, 2016 by Juliette

[Terrador]

Who needs to be smooth when you can be unintelligible?

Angus groans at Claire's revelation, crashing on his ass beside his pet. He leans left--"Arrrrrrrggggh." He droops to the right, not so much a building erected and toppled as a top's final seconds. "Urrrrrrrrrrgggh." The details were hard to string together in his stupor, but the idea was for the whole girls' love thing to stay under wraps, wasn't it? He had to say something, anything--but all he could do was be disappointed. "Least I look less've a cad if she's pageant..." was the only muttering that escaped--some small upside, that he could do the proper thing if that night with Morta took.

The wasted knight takes no little curiosity to the slam of boots on the dirt. Legs flung into the air, one arm contorted into a posture beyond Angus' understanding, marched his comrade and savior, Doug! [He... wasn't at the tavern already. So he ain't drunk yet?] Angus quickly abandoned any hope of understanding that master of the prettiest pegasus, instead offering a helpful bit of advice.

"Urrrr, I spilled meads. Don' *hic* trip!" He pauses. "Rizz that a slip..."

Edited October 28, 2016 by Terrador

[charlie_]

The mage was surprised to see Doug arrive on the scene, marching towards them in a ridiculous manner that probably would've made her laugh if it wasn't for the somberness of the situation. As it was, she responded to his question with a small shrug. What am I supposed to say here? Ugh... She sighed. "It's been a weird night..." That just about summed it up, in her mind. She recalled the conversation she'd overheard earlier between the pegasus rider and the charm dealer, but even an intoxicated Claire didn't care anything for his advances. And there was already enough to deal with at the moment.

She exchanged a nervous glance with Esclabor, before looking back towards the fallen Kearney. This is... not how I expected him to take it. Angus wasn't a particularly angry person, and Claire knew that, but she expected more of a reaction complete resignation. "Heeey... C'mon now..." she muttered softly, crouching down next to him. I really should've said things differently, huh... It wasn't a particularly Claire-like thing to do to comfort the mooncalf, but she couldn't exactly kick him while he was down. "I'm-oof!" It was her turn to fall down onto her ass at this point - in no little part thanks to the drinks. She paid it no mind and continued. "I'm sorry." She said it as if it would make any difference at all. Claire didn't get romance any more than Doug did, but she doubted that finding out like this was pleasant.

[Ether]

Adele supposed she shouldn't have been surprised at Cassandra's adventurous hands, but they had managed to catch her off guard, eliciting a light squeak from her, though it was doubtful even Cass would have heard it over the noise of the bar patrons. As the kiss ended, it appeared that Cass at least had some intention of upholding her end of the bargain, which Adeltrudis was glad for... had the sudden appearance of Sebastian not given her pause from the small victory she had managed to attain.

"Returned to normal, madness? I haven't even seen hide nor rainbow-hued hair of Scuttle since we left the fort. Explain, Sebastian." Adele replied to the butler. trying, and mostly failing, to appear somewhat authoritative despite the drunken Princess hanging off of her.

[Nanami Touko]

"She can't? Ssssssounds suspicious!" Cass belted, hanging lazily from Adele. "Noooo, noo, s'okay, I can explain~ See, like... Scuttles, Claire ran into her or some odd, an' for whatever reason the girl's gone mad, you follow? She shot Claire! Who'd do that? Sss'crazy, that's what it is. I already said that... Uh, a-any how, right so we get there, and she's starin' us down with her bow, an' like... Hic, whoa." Cass leaned onto Adele as the room got very spinny for a moment, taking a second to steady herself.

"So I gets myself in front of Emmet, and Scuttles' like 'I MUST DESSSTROOOOY THE VIAL'," she said with a flourish, raising an arm behind Adele. "But I can't let her hurt Emmet, right?? So I try to push him outta the way, but, he's so stupid! EMMET! You'RE STUPID!" She shouted over Adele's shoulder at him, shaking her fist. "He'ssss stupid, 'cause he drank the damn vial! Who does that?? He stepped in fronta me and drank it and then was like, 'SSHHHOOT ME, SKITTLES'." Cass flopped lazily onto Adele's shoulder, sighing.

"Ssssso he got shot, an' I healed him all up, and Scuttles passed out right after Sebbyyyyy got there. And we were gonna tell everyone... And now I have~ Ahah~ Fancy that." Good recap, Cass.

"Wwwwwait."

"Why are you here and Scuttles is alone Sebbyyyyy?"

Edited October 28, 2016 by Narmaya

[Terrador]

A new mount appears!

A visitor to Angus' dirt party arrived! Claire's apology puzzled Angus; she had nothing to apologize for. At any rate, something behooved him to stand, quickly, after she spoke. Something with a wet nose. Something gurgling very familiarly. The mooncalf sprang to his feet, grabbing Claire's cloak and yanking her along with him. A forward stagger saves him from Geoffrey's vomit, but Claire was not so lucky: she flew forward, clotheslined at the waist by Angus' shoulder. A gentleman would have promptly set the lady on the ground, but Angus' thoughts flew off to uncharted and uncouth lands.

"Y'knowww... lady shouldn' hafta walk nowhere drunk!", the mooncalf pontificates, finally taking a few meaningful steps in the barn's direction. Her protesting writhes were ignored by Angus--stumble sideways though he did under her wriggling weight, the lunatic had finally found his feet. "Heere. I'll do thisssss, an' you c'n grab the bar!" If only he could find his marbles; even after this short time, Angus had almost entirely forgotten that his furry little pet was a wild animal most men, drunk or not, cared for no business with at all.

Not as if that really mattered. Even drunk, a cub knows to follow his mother, right?

Edited October 29, 2016 by Terrador

[charlie_]

It was at that moment that Claire realised that Angus had completely lost it. Maybe pulling her to her feet would've been a nice gesture, but leaving the mage dangling over his shoulder was a little too far. "Hey, whaa-" she started, before spotting Geoffrey's drinks resurfacing. She screwed up her face and looked away from whatever the bear had spewed up, although that did little to hide the stench. It seemed like he pet had been the real loser here after all. "Ohhhkay..." Well, now it was kind of weird. "You can put me dooown now."

Well, that was what she was expecting anyway. Baron Kearney seemed to have other ideas, in his drunken stuppor. "Because I'm a lady?" she protested, flailing and wriggling to try and come free of him. "Angus - you've had more to drink than I have! You'll probably just drop me!" It didn't seem like he would budge though, and even inhibited by Engels knows how much cider, his grip on her was still too strong to pry herself free of. She slumped against him, admitting defeat. "Why don't you care, Angus?" she asked, concern back in her voice. It was already hard enough to reason with him when he was sober, but ignoring the topic entirely was just... not right.

[Shin]

Served

The bartender was rather puzzled by Serge. Could the man not use his imagination? "We've got water for all it's worth." he replied, passing a drink to another one of the patrons. "In all due respect, most people come to a tavern to drink booze. I think there's an old lady who runs a tea stall if you're looking for something a little less exciting."

Idiot amongst fools

Esclabor was incredibly tempted to leave Angus on the floor, if anything perhaps his pet would eat his eyes in his sleep. That would have been preferable after what followed, Angus could barely walk, let alone carry someone. "Kearney, you'll drop her at this rate." he warned, readying his arms in anticipation. "I won't forgive you if she lands on her head, you've got enough brain damage for all of us. No wonder your bride to be's more interested in Lady Herman."

He didn't even want to know who Doug was, his face was almost as foolish as Angus' and his walk worse than his stagger. "It has indeed, we're heading back to the farm." he added in, wondering how many freaks Claire had become associated with. "You're free to do as you wish."

Geoffrey stopped for a moment, swaying clumsily before falling onto his side. Another small trickle of puke dripped from the cub's mouth. Esclabor didn't respond, they had one too many drunk animals already.

Lost Message

Sebastian moved closer towards the pair, ensuring his voice was barely audible to Adele and Cass.

"I see, perhaps hoping that Princess Cassandra would have explained was a little too much to ask." Sebastian sighed, watching as Cass foolishly clung to Adele. "Scuttle became rather hostile, violently pursuing the vial... which Princess Cassandra insisted was placed in her own care. Scuttle seems to have calmed down, but does not appear to recall the events that had passed. She's currently locked in the chapel, the padlock I used was one of Master Jeeves'. It would take her at least an hour to escape."

Sebastian paid little attention to Freya, questions could be asked another time. "It may also appear that people are beginning to question your... marriage arrangements, Princess. Whether you choose to abandon discretion is your choice, just ensure you will not regret doing so."

Claims

"Aye, we'd be up for fighting that fella too." Lars replied, Larissa choosing to occupy herself with another drink. "Not sure if we'd be able to do much to him. If he can make people vanish like it was nothing, might be hard to rough him up too much."

Emily had staggered back to the group, looking even worse for wear than before. Looking at Emmet with bewildered eyes, it appeared she wasn't entirely sure who he was for a moment. "Uncle Morgan? What are you doing here?" she slurred, hiccuping after her words. "I thought you were busy at work... oh, you're not him... you're Elvis, the arrow guy. Why are you here? There aren't any arrows here. You probably want some arrows, I think they're... at the arrow... place."

Edited October 29, 2016 by Shin

[Dandragon]

Either it was the drinks, or he was tired, but Serge found that last comment from the bartender a bit irritating.

"Listen, I was just wondering if you had milk or something, and I'd appreciate if you didn't judge me for my drink choices. Now, may I please have some water, sir?"

[Frostivus]

The only thing separating Scuttle from the rest of the party was a swivel door. Even from outside, the Farmer's Boot roared with a congenial ambience, with the clinking of mugs and the hearty chortle of patrons, easily masking the nervous pitter patter of Scuttle's loafers pacing up and down the dirt road.

She went through the plan a seventh time in her head, then scoped around for all possible escape routes, then practised tumble-rolling to minimize any injury from being thrown out the door.

How was she even meant to approach this? She had tried to kill at least two of them and threatened one more. How does anyone face such judgement?

She sighed. Well . . .

The trick of Scuttle was to first trick yourself. After all, wasn't that how Scuttle was created?

'Wow, it is Scuttle! We have missed you greatly and forgive you of all your errors! Your very presence warms this bar! Here, have this beer on the house!'

'Why, thank you' she preened, and the beer changed into vintage fine wine as she touched it, 'I can't help it when I'm this pure and easily repentant.'

'Indeed! Also you are also a goddess and have the beauty of an angel. Marry me so that I may lavish you with my undying love!'

'Oh,' she blushed delectably, 'If you insist!'

'Scuttle, I am the King of Wyke! Seeing you have instantly cured me of my fatal disease! I hereby pardon you of all crimes and make you Queen Bard-Chancellor Supreme of all of Dougistan. Your golden chariot of unicorns awaits you outside. Baron Doug will be your chauffeur.'

'Hey! How come I have to drive her? I rule Dougistan!'

'Oh, shush and be an obedient figment of my imagination, you.'

Yes! That was exactly how it was going to go down! Scuttle saw no other conceivable way the next series of events would transpire.

This was going to go great.

She was just about to kick the swivel doors apart and march in when -- either through nerves, daydreams or just plain karma -- she failed to see the door coming towards her instead, and it planted a nice mahogany clap onto her forehead.

Scuttle stumbled backwards, waiting for the stars to dissipate. "Ow! Okay, excuse me, but what did I ever do to you--"

She caught herself as her vision readjusted to find Baron Angus staggering away, hoisting who must have been the last person she had wanted to meet abroad his shoulder like a potato sack.

"Claire?"

She chanced a look at the rosy flush in her cheeks and the foam by the side of her lips just as her head bobbed in and out of view past the man's shoulders, "Well . . . you look like you're having a good time."

That wasn't quite what an attempted killer should say to her victim, but she'd learn it in due time.

Edited October 29, 2016 by Frostivus