Moribund Makiwa scoots in, almost losing his balance he's shaking his head so hard. Something's crawling around in his skull. Could be a disembodied voice. Or maggots.
Villain's Lapcat Arodang wails and tries futilely to swat at Alice's face, claws extended as he grates, “Put me down, damnit!”
Moribund Makiwa sidles squeakily on his wheel over to the fountain and perches on the edge, shaking his head and occasionally twocking it with the heel of a hand.
Clown Princess AliceHeart breaks into another giggling fit and uses her free hand to poke at Dan while he dangles from her hand. “Oh come on now! Be a nice kitty! Be. . . Oooo. . . ” Squeaking catches her attention, and she turns wide eyes towards the Zombie with a wheel for a foot. He sure looks familiar.
Moribund Makiwa puts a finger in his ear and waggles it violently. Pulling his hand away sharply, the finger is left poking from the ear. “Gah!” Exasperated, he scrabbles for the finger and fiddles trying to reattach it to his hand.
Villain's Lapcat Arodang growls and throws himself out of her hand, landing on the ground nimbly and rubbing against her leg as he stares at Makiwa.
Clown Princess AliceHeart breaks into a little giggling fit and bites her lower lip as she gets an idea. She crouches down and points Arodang towards Makiwa. “Go get the finger! Go get the finger kitty! You know you want the finger!” Yes, the one in the ear.
Moribund Makiwa stops fidgeting with his finger and stares into the distance and tilts his head as if listening to something, “Gone?” He mutters, titling his head the other way.
Villain's Lapcat Arodang tenses and stares at the finger through narrowed eyes, slinking forward with fur a-spike as he growls. Talk about a hell-kitty.
Moribund Makiwa visibly relaxes as the head twitching stops. Focusing on his surroundings now he spots an approaching. . . “Here kitty, kitty.” He says, unwittingly waggling the detached finger.
Svergon walks into the outpost, muttering: “Whose sight is keener than the bladed eye?” Simon the spiderkitty watches Arodang curiously from where it clings to Svergon's arm. It hasn't seen a not-ape-cat in a long time.
Villain's Lapcat Arodang bares his teeth in a growl and launches towards Makiwa, trying to get a hold of the wriggling finger.
Clown Princess AliceHeart giggles. The colours. . . And such a nasty little kitty! He's so perfect!
Moribund Makiwa, distracted as he realises there are others here, doesn't see the kitty lunging. “Hello man with funny word speaks. And Alice? Issit you really?”
Clown Princess AliceHeart skips over to the odd zombie and squints her eyes. She does nod a few times and blurt out, “Hi! I'm Alice!”
Moribund Makiwa suddenly realises what he's doing and pulls the finger out of reach of the kitty. He sticks it behind his ear for safe keeping. “Well of course you are. If you say you are. You are aren't you?” He says with a little shake of the head.
Svergon nods his head, perhaps in reply to the greeting, and makes his way to the luggage hut. “What may follow swifter than the fearsome thunder?” He mumbles. The spiderkitty on his arm gives a loud exhale of breath as it spots the not-dead-dead-ape.
Villain's Lapcat Arodang grunts as he lands on the ground, fingerless. He scowls and hisses, pawing at Makiwa's leg angrily. “Finger,” he demands in a scratchy voice.
Clown Princess AliceHeart tilts her head to the side. Somehow, this seems to make sense to her. “I wouldn't say I was if I wasn't! But how can I be sure I'm not what I'm saying I am.” Now she wrinkles her nose a bit.
Moribund Makiwa looks, “No,no,no, kitty. I might be needing that later. Kitty want a cookie?” Looking back up at Alice he answers, “Well that's good. Glad we got that sorted out. How are you?”
Villain's Lapcat Arodang huffs and swats again, returning to Alice with nose twitching and drawing his lips into a scowl. He claws at her legs, trying to get up.
Clown Princess AliceHeart shuts her eyes, grimaces and huffs lightly while Arodang claws his way up. “I. . . Hnnng. . . I'm doing quite well! What about yourself?” It has been a bit since she's pestered him.
Villain's Lapcat Arodang climbs up quite painfully and nestles himself in her arm. “You deserved that,” he hisses.
Moribund Makiwa scoots his wheel along the ground, making it squeak a little as he thinks, “Good?”
Clown Princess AliceHeart grumbles at Arodang. For some reason she can't explain, she finds herself petting him. She also purses her lips forward when she hears Makiwa and says, “Good? Could be better? Maybe you just need to have a bit more fun!”
Villain's Lapcat Arodang wheezes out a sickly purr and nuzzles into Alice's hand, tail flicking lazily as he eyes Makiwa and Svergon.
Moribund Makiwa brightens immeasurably at this, “Oh yes. A big old slimy double decker fun sandwich! Have you got any?”
Svergon leans inconspicuously against the luggage hut. “Who can speak truer than the silent voice?” He murmurs.
Clown Princess AliceHeart taps her chin in thought and shakes her head a few times. “Mmmm. . . Nope! But I have things to play with!”
Moribund Makiwa looks disappointed for a moment but then brightens, “Things? What things?”
Clown Princess AliceHeart blurts out, “Toys! That. . . Do things!” Explode. “And um. . . There's also the cards! Cards are always fun!” She looks down at Arodang and squints her eyes at him. “Riiiight kitty?”
Villain's Lapcat Arodang cackles madly, fur bristling. “She's got toys you don't want to see. The cards are fun though.”
Moribund Makiwa thinks about this, latches onto the word fun and says, “Cards? Alright, as long as they're fun. What kind of cards?”
Clown Princess AliceHeart widens her eyes and swats at the cat's head. “Oh shush you! I told you that was all a prank!” Huff. She adds, “There's lots of cards! It all depends what kind of games you like!” And she's grinning again.
Villain's Lapcat Arodang yowls and nips at her hand before settling back against her, purring sickly.
Moribund Makiwa curiously watches the interaction between Alice and the kitty. What's that all about? “Er, well I dunno much about cards. What do you suggest?” A small squirming sensation in his skull nags at him. It could be caution. Or worms.
Clown Princess AliceHeart taps her lips in thought with her free hand before returning to stroke the cat. “Weeeell. . . Some cards are for fun. . . Some are for combat. . . Others are for gambling. . . Some even grant wishes! If you're lucky. . . ”
Moribund Makiwa mulls the options over but in the end he can't decide. “What do you think kitty? Gambling?” Sounds kind of fun and a little safer than the others.
Villain's Lapcat Arodang rumbles out, “Or the fun cards.”
Moribund Makiwa thinks some more, getting not a little excited. “Or wishes? I can make wish?”
Daisy Marguerite steps into the outpost just in time to overhear what's going on. “Last person I heard about making a wish with Alice's cards was. . well - transformed. . ” she mutters, before waving a greeting to all & taking a seat on a bench to paw through her pack
Clown Princess AliceHeart takes off her top hat and drops Arodang back inside of it. “Kitty! Go get the blue cards!” She blinks a few times and squints her eyes towards Daisy. It's not her fault if someone got a bad card!
Moribund Makiwa grins as he sees Daisy, “'Ello Daisy! Er, transformed? What does she mean?” This last to Alice.
Daisy Marguerite looks up from her sorting through. . well - way more stuff than she ought to be lugging around. You never know when you might need something though, right? “Hey Mak, how's tricks? Or. . ” she giggles into her hand “. . Are you about to find that out?
Villain's Lapcat Arodang growls but complies, tossing the cards up out of the hat and at Alice. Then he dives back in, searching.
Clown Princess AliceHeart puts her hat back on, Arodang and all inside of it and taps her index fingers together, looking as innocent as she can. “Ionno. . . Lots of different things happen! It's not my fault if someone gets a bad draw. . . ” She shuffles the cards.
Moribund Makiwa answers Daisy while watching the kitty. “Um, yeah I guess.”
Daisy Marguerite smirks and wonders aloud “How many good draws can you list?” She grins at Mak “Aww hell, I never heard of the effects being permanent, in any case. . ”
Clown Princess AliceHeart huffs when she hears Daisy and says, “It's no fun if I give out the odds!” She also purses her lips to the side and holds up the blue backed deck. “The ones from this are permanent. . . ”
Moribund Makiwa curiosity and caution struggle for the upper hand. Curiosity wins. “Oh well, in for a penny in for a pound. Or something.” He grins a little nervously.
Clown Princess AliceHeart turns back to Makiwa and grins at him. “It's easy to play! You just draw a card. . . Make a wish! State is as clearly and concisely as you can. . . Then flip the card to see what you get!”
Villain's Lapcat Arodang finally finds what he's looking for and starts throwing himself about inside Alice's hat, trying to get out. “Alice, don't make me start yelling again.”
Daisy Marguerite gulps at the word permanent. What if. . Oh shaddup, Daisy - you worry too much.
Clown Princess AliceHeart uses one hand to fan out the cards to Makiwa, and the other to pick off her top hat from her head and shake it a few times beside her. Huff. Such a picky cat.
Villain's Lapcat Arodang yowls and leaps out of the hat, claws digging into Alice's side as he holds onto her. Oh. It seems he's smoking a pretzel as a cigar.
Moribund Makiwa fingers hover near the deck for a moment then, caution to the wind he plucks a card and holds it to his chest. ” I wish for, no wait. I wish that this damn squirmy voice in me head would go away!“
Clown Princess AliceHeart grits her teeth and sucks in a breath while Arodang clings to her side. Kitty's going back in the hat soon. She also watches Makiwa intently. What an odd wish. . .
Daisy Marguerite scrunches her eyes closed. hard. She's not gonna open them unless and until Mak's wish happens.
Moribund Makiwa, eyes closed, holds the card out in front of him. Opening one eye he squints at the card. Both eyes open wide as he declares, “The Queen of Hearts! That's good right? Right?”
Daisy Marguerite overhears Mak & opens one eye. The eye immediately darts to his chest region. Is he still a he?
Clown Princess AliceHeart widens her eyes and breaks into a little giggling fit. “Ooohhh! That card! That's my favourite card! That card lets me grant you the wish any way I see fit! But you have to give me something in return if you want me to be nice!”
Moribund Makiwa is a little worried by Alice's enthusiasm. “Something. . something in return? Like what fr'instance?”
Clown Princess AliceHeart taps her chin in thought a few times. After a small pause she feels a little grin break her expression. Makiwa has something really neat. . . And she was really curious about it. . . “How about. . . That nifty suit of yours!”
Daisy Marguerite, having chewed all the nails off her left hand, starts in on her right. Poor Mak. . She starts humming the old song “It's too late, to turn back now. . I believe, I believe, I believe. . ” OK, so it's not completely appropriate.
Moribund Makiwa leans back, aghast, “Suit? The trader's suit? That can't, no. . . it,” he splutters, drool flying, “That's a one off! The snappiest suit in the whole island! The Universe prolly. It's priceless! No, no um. . ”
Moribund Makiwa thinks frantically, “I'd rather give you a thousand cigs than that!” Oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear.
Clown Princess AliceHeart purses her lips forward when she hears Makiwa declining her request. Her expression becomes thoughtful when she hears his counter offer though. A thousand cigarettes. . . She knows Martin needed cigs. . . But he's dressed as that confounded Bat! But maybe this could help her puddin' corner that blasted bat into a. . . Wait what the hell is she thinking? She shakes her head a few times before nodding. “I suppose I can find a good use for a thousand cigarettes.”
Villain's Lapcat Arodang sneers and guffaws wickedly, rubbing against Alice's side and grinning at Makiwa, perhaps showing just a few too many teeth. Or a hell of a lot too many.
Clown Princess AliceHeart taps her chin in thought and says, “If you won't part with the whole suit. . . Throw at least your hat in there with the cigs.” She is quite fond of hats. . . Hawkeye had to give her about a dozen just so she'd leave his alone.
Moribund Makiwa looks forlorn, “The hat? Aw come on, The hat without the suit s'like the sandwich without the bacon!” Thinking so furiously it's actually starting to hurt, he blurts, “I'll give you the cigs and, and. . . ”
Moribund Makiwa can't think what else he can give that will equal the value of that hat, “Um, gah! I DUNNO! Something. . . .” He looks pleadingly at Alice.
Clown Princess AliceHeart grins widely. What could she ask for? Something amusing. . . Something that would make it worthwhile. . . Ah. . . Of course. . . “How about. . . You have to do anything I tell you to for a whole day!” And she's giggling again.
Nominally Normal Malverius makes his way into the outpost, smiling as he looks about. He has gotten to be on a first name basis with every Failor on the Island, and they are even letting up on working him over! To be fair, he did misbehave back in the day. . .
Daisy Marguerite covers her mouth to stifle her giggles at that idea. That Alice is tricky. She warns Mak ”. . If you agree to that. . make sure it's do and not give.“ Sometimes Daisy thinks like an attorney.
Moribund Makiwa jaw drops so suddenly it threatens to fall all the way to the ground. “A whole day? Weeell. . . . . ” At least he keeps his suit and hat. “Okay then. The cigs and a day. But you'll grant my wish and be nice?””
Nominally Normal Malverius sees a familiar face and smiles as if the sun has just come out! He races over to her and positively beams “Daisy, you're you again!”
Villain's Lapcat Arodang eyes Daisy critically, “Miss Daisy would not want to lessen the Alice's earnings,” he croons raspily.
Daisy Marguerite grins at Mal. Should she? Oh yeaaa. . She grabs her throat and says “Bwwwuurk! Comment ca va, Mal?”
Clown Princess AliceHeart sticks her tongue out at Daisy after she hears her. “No tricks. . . Just what I asked for!” Huff. She turns back to Makiwa while petting Arodang. Such a nice kitty! “Yep! I'll grant the wish and be nice!” Makiwa got the card fair.
Moribund Makiwa waves a little distractedly at Mal, still a little concerned at the turn of events.
Nominally Normal Malverius freezes and feels his face droop a bit. “Oh no! You look like you, but you still speak Frog!”
Daisy Marguerite roars with laughter “Gotcha!” Her eyes sparkle with humor.
Nominally Normal Malverius laughs with relief and hugs Daisy close for a good long time. “I missed holding you like this. . . ” While he did hold her quite often, this is very different.
Daisy Marguerite returns Mal's hug, her arms finally long enough to wrap around him. “Yea, I missed being able to do this, too. . ” With that, she gets on her toes & kisses the end of his nose.
Moribund Makiwa nods a little glumly and offers a four fingered hand to shake on the deal. “Done.” He says, feeling a little like he has been.
Nominally Normal Malverius winks down at Daisy and waggles his beard. “The kisses are quite different without the yard-long tongue, too!”
Clown Princess AliceHeart taps her chin in thought and says, “Before I do anything though. . . I have to make sure you at least keep one part of the bargain. I know what you can do with all those promised cigarettes!”
Moribund Makiwa looks up, “Oh?” Oh lordylordy, what now?
Daisy Marguerite sticks her stubby little human tongue out at Mal “Yea, yea. . ”
Clown Princess AliceHeart breaks into another giggling fit and somehow pries Arodang off herself. She holds him out to Makiwa and says, “Yep! You're going to give them to Martin! Well. . . Not directly to him. . . And you're going to brush Mr. Snookums.”
Villain's Lapcat Arodang rumbles even more loudly, eyes narrowing into small golden slits as he glowers at Makiwa. “I am not Mr. Snookums, and I will claw your face off. My name is Dan.”
Nominally Normal Malverius suddenly realizes they are not alone here. He smiles and waves to the others present, blissfully unaware of the story going on around him. “Hi everybody, I got my Daisy back!”
Moribund Makiwa looks at 'Mr Snookums', “O. . . . kay. As long I get my wish. Fair's fair.” He reaches out to scritch the kitty's ear, 'Nice kitty. Um, got a brush?“
Villain's Lapcat Arodang growls again, nipping at the finger. “No.”
Faye walks into IC looking about
Clown Princess AliceHeart giggles when she hears Dan's reaction. She also spares a moment to give Malverius a little wave. She nods to Makiwa and says, “First things first though! Youuuu. . . ” She leans in and whispers something into Makiwa's ear while giggling.
Daisy Marguerite rolls her eyes, but keeps one arm around Mal's waist “You never lost me, silly. . ”
Moribund Makiwa's eyes go round like saucers of milk as Alice's whispered words sink in. He hadn't, up till this point, even considered how the payment would have to be made.
Nominally Normal Malverius keeps an arm around Daisy and shakes his head. “First I lost the you that knew me, then I lost the you that held me. . . Every bit of you is important enough to miss when it isn't here.”
Daisy Marguerite wonders to Mak “So, did she uphold her end of the bargain, yet? Is the voice gone?”
Arcane Prowler Drizzt climbs over the outposts walls via a tree, then he sits in the branches and watches the ongoings silently.
Faye pokes around and begins sketching out the various buildings, completely focused
Moribund Makiwa shakes his head at Daisy, “Deal's a deal. Payment must be made.” He shrugs.
Daisy Marguerite waves hello to the lost-looking redhead “Hullo, new here?” she asks before a scent fills her nose. Sniffing the breezes, she asks Mal “Do you smell that? . . something or someone I've not smelled in a long, long time!”
Daisy Marguerite's eyes go wide “Wait, you pay first??!!” She's shaking her head in disbelief.
Arcane Prowler Drizzt lounges in the tree with a small half smiles, then he begins petting Loki his ferret
Faye smiles and waves to the nice lady and continues to sketch the buildings seems shes working on business and doesn't want to interrupt
Nominally Normal Malverius looks about and sniffs, furrowing his brow in concentration. “Nope, sorry Sweet. My nose is too normal for that sort of thing most of the time now.
Moribund Makiwa just shrugs again listlessly.
Bastard Pirate Black Jacques Chirac says, “Yeh, that's me, sorry.”
Daisy Marguerite sighs “I know that smell. . Honestly, it's been almost forever since I smelled it, though. May even be from back when you were teaching me how to hone my sense of smell.”
Villain's Lapcat Arodang stares around in confusion. What's going on? Is he allowed to run away yet?
Clown Princess AliceHeart breaks into a giggling fit when she hears Daisy and also points to Makiwa while yelling out, “Mr. Snookums! Get 'im!”
Moribund Makiwa startled, looks around, “Wha. . . . ?”
Arcane Prowler Drizzt snickers at the name of the villain cat, then he drops from the tree and stretches with a loud yawn.
Villain's Lapcat Arodang bares his teeth an an angry snarl as Alice directs him, throwing himself at Makiwa. A flurry of angry, hellish kitten fury later, Makiwa's bound and blindfolded, sitting on the ground. How the hell did Dan even manage that?
Faye smiles as her sketches are finished ” There is another done for the Network. ” she smiles as she works on writing descriptions of each place in the margins
Daisy Marguerite dismisses the midgets comment with a wave of her hand “No, it's not you, ya rank midget bastid.” She grins “If anything, you're masking the smell!”
Bastard Pirate Black Jacques Chirac smells like a wet dog. One that just ate a dead cat stuffed with jockstraps.
Moribund Makiwa struggles against his bonds, “Is this really necessary? I would have paid, really!”
Nominally Normal Malverius thinks midget rankness is one reason he doesn't always miss his heightened sense of smell.
Villain's Lapcat Arodang settles on Makiwa's lap and smirks up at Alice, rumbling slightly.
Daisy Marguerite is distracted from her tracking by what the redhead has said. “What?” She moves into the woman's personal space “Excuse me, did you say. . The Network?” Her eyes narrow as she looks the woman over more carefully.
Arcane Prowler Drizzt moves next to Faye as well and smiles at Daisy “Hello. . . ”
Clown Princess AliceHeart breaks into a giggling fit again. She actually frowns for a moment when she hears Daisy but shakes it off, letting out a little huff. There's important matters at hand like grabbing the loose end of the rope and dragging Makiwa off!
Daisy Marguerite sniffs and points at Drizzt “You!” she exclaims “It's you I smelled!” She takes a deep draught of his scent “Notes of weasel, seabass, carrots, and. . ” She sniffs again “Pink courage. . . Oh and geranium. . No. . petunia.”
Nominally Normal Malverius manages to keep from rolling his eyes as his beloved sniffs another contestant. Well, when she is on the trail of something, physically or metaphorically, she cannot be stopped!
Arcane Prowler Drizzt sniffs himself and chuckles “I guess I do smell of those things, and who might you be miss?”
Moribund Makiwa is dragged away toward the clan district, resigned to his fate and hoping Alice keeps her end of the bargain.
Nominally Normal Malverius waves as Makiwa leaves with his new friends. It's always nice to see contestants playing together.
A short while later, Moribund Makiwa is dragged through from the clan district, still blindfolded, untied but a 1,000 cigs lighter in the pouch. Alice pulls him along and out the gates heading south.