Hare: Storm's Coming

The city of Fairhaven has been struck by a storm that seemed to appear out of nothing. The sweeping winds that come shortly before the rain breaks out are the only warning. Those outside are drenched absolutely, and buildings quake in the high wind, not designed for hurricane winds.

The small hole of The Den, the regulars are huddled up inside, many having just escaped from the bad weather into a nice warm home. For a few, it's their first time in Taggart's pub, and the warm inviting atmosphere is a nice contrast with the weather outside. The heavy winds only effect inside is the echoing sounds from upstairs, and the occasional crash of thunder rumbling through the earth around.

Sorien glances occasionally at the upper reaches of the den, maybe a touch concerned about the survivability of the structure - She remembers bad storms from her home in Minnesota. She sips tea, a samovar she'd salvaged sitting near her for ready access.

Rosalyn descends the stairs hurriedly, clawed feet gripping their slick surfaces. She pauses just outside the entryway to shake as much of the water off her scaled hide as she's able, before entering the main area of the pub. Dripping and wiping excess water from her eyes, she blinks and looks around the room.

Sparhawk loiters around a table in the pub, swirling a teacup to cool the tea inside. Another hand covers Lasair's hand on the table, stroking hir fur affectionately. Those who know Spar will know that shi is also keeping watch of the building, without actively looking anywhere but the tea.

Sorien softly churrs, "Hey, Ros. Did you see Noah up there? I wanna complain about his lateness on finishing that ark!"

Peril sat half curled up in a chair, her legs drawn up against her belly and an untouched glass of scotch carefully balanced on one knee. The little felines head was bowed forward, her eyes closed and her ears laid back flat against her head, the large grey long coat she wore everywhere not hung from the back of her chair, a growing puddle spreading beneath it as it dripped dry.

Lasair is sitting next to Sparhawk as shi smiles and nuzzles against hir side. "Ever think about orange zest in the tea? I heard it works wonders."

Sorien glances at Lasair. "Might as well drink Earl Grey then."

Rosalyn looks over towards Sorien, grinning and heading her direction. "That lazy bastard. All he'd need these days is a boat big enough for three." She sits down across form Sor. "At least the drainage around this place is well-designed," she comments, looking around the ceiling. "I'm surprised it's not half flooded."

Ditz darts into the nearest doorway as the storm picks up, debris swirling around her feet as she fights against the driving rain and slips into the warmth right behind another body. Drenched from the downfall, she looks like a drowned cat, her tail swishing in agitation behind her, leaving a dripping trail behind her. She is not a regular at the Den, so she pauses inside the door, gaze sweeping from face to face as she squeezes the water from her shirt tail.

Kori closes the door behind hir, throwing a ruined umbrella to the side. The wind had turned it inside-out. Despite looking much like a drowned rat, shi keeps the air of calm around hir as if this is just any other storm. But that is just on the surface. There was something wrong with this one. Something wrong indeed. "Anyone want to restart a TV station for weather monitoring?"

Sparhawk has a blank look at the tea advice. "I'm here for the steam and the warmth, some happier moisture than the storm outside. Have I mentioned I am unlettered in tea? I don't even know what orange zest means..."

Sorien softly churrs, "Its a hill. Hills don't flood. (However, Sori DOES still keep looking at the ceiling from time to time.)"

Sorien softly churrs, "Orange zest is the peel of an orange, just the barest outer bit. It’s used as a flavouring. Earl Grey has oil of bergamot in it, which is from a citrusy fruit."

Crys enters shortly after the rest, her long silk robes and heavy fur are dripping and drenched. Her usual presence is severely diminished by the rain. She's breathing heavy like she's been running, and her clawed hands are covered in mud. She pants, and shakes herself off enough and moves over towards her mate Sorien. She says loud enough for anyone to hear, "Love, something is really wrong. I was out east of the city in the forest trying to get something for you." She is unspecific in what she's referring to, perhaps a surprise? "And I was surprised by a stream of ferals fleeing the city and heading up into the mountains. When I looked where they were coming from the city itself is covered in a storm, but it ends at the bounds of the city." She then collapses into a chair, a squishing noise can be heard as water squeezes from her clothes and fur.

Cilan wanders in shortly after Ditz, and Crystala the lizardess seeming unbothered by the large storm, a plain, almost solemn look on her face as she looks around, and moves close to the gathered group, sitting close, but not joining in the conversation, seeming to prefer watching than conversing.

Sorien softly churrs, "The ferals are bailing? All in one direction or fanning out? If it's one direction that could be bad..."

Lasair gives a simple little nod. "What Sorien said." shi says with a smile to Sparhawk. "Tea is tasty, and that's good enough for me." as shi just gives the briefest smile.

Crys shrugs, "I was in one area, but all I saw where heading in a line. All sorts of species, I was worried they might be heading for high ground."

Sparhawk perks an ear Crys' way to get a distraction from the people who know more about something than shi does. "Like rats leaving a sinking ship, in a rather more literal sense than normal? I...should probably investigate. Grr."

Sorien gets tea for Crys; filter in the cup, loose lapoong sooching and hot water from the samovar. "I'd rather a flood here than what I was thinking."

Rosalyn runs a hand across her bare, scaled head. "You said the storm just *stops* at the edge of the city? That's... weird."

Peril barely stirred, though her ears perk, swivelling about to take in the conversation nearby and the cats long tail beginning to sweep out behind the chair before she lifted her head, half closed eyes scanning the room wearily before she spoke up without addressing anyone in particular "The ferals leaving is the best thing I've heard in a while, but I hate to think of why they would flee. I've not heard any good news in a while. It's been storm warnings, accident reports and injury lists. Anyone cot something warm and fuzzy to talk about?"

Sorien softly churrs, "Spar... Stay here, or at least close- just go take a look at what the nanite bubble is doing."

Thunder claps again, and the rumbling echo in the ground causes the rafters to shake and some dirt to fall on one of the tables.

Crys is startled by the movement, and sits up in her seat. "I haven't seen anything like this since monsoon season." She says openly.

Sorien glances back up. "More and more I wish he'd go less with the 'natural' look and gimme some concrete and rebar..."

Ditz stiffens as Crystala darts past her. She's jumpy as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs - tension from the storm. Curling her arms around her chest, she wanders over towards the group discussing tea, but more specifically the kitsune with the muddy paws. With brow furrowed, she asks, "The storm, it is contained by the city boundaries?" she interrupts hesitantly when there is a natural pause. "The ferals, they are like the caterpillars before winter...Dios!" she curses, jumping and lifting her gaze to stare up at the ceiling.

Cilan breaks her stoic expression with a small grin and a chuckle, "Ferals leaving the city, huh? I have to say I’m with that person there," motioning towards Peril as she speaks, ".. means there’s less of them to deal with, and maybe the city can be reclaimed.." shrugging she continues, "Anyways, I’ve seen storms like this before, it'll probably pass.."

Lasair slowly stands up and stretches as shi smiles to Sparhawk. "Mmm, we should find somewhere to have tea together." as shi slowly starts to move about the tavern. "A nice long evening."

Crys settles enough from her shock to answer Ditz, "Yes, it's like entering a curtain wall. The rain just... begins. The sky outside is clear and blue."

Kori searches for a towel large enough to help dry hirself off. "Weather control now? This could be any number of things. None of them feel that great."

Rosalyn flinches, hissing reflexively as she eyes the ceiling warily.

Sorien softly churrs, "I really hate that it sounds like a nanite thing..."

Sparhawk sits up and pays more attention to the room, and the storm beyond. "They are doing...something. I hear like a radio broadcasting music, not the cacophonous sounds of nanites shouting at each other." Shi glances hastily at Lasair, hir tails swishing around in a regular pattern.

Ditz's tail swishes behind her before curling around her left thigh, her gaze flickering towards Sorien, "A storm, it can hover over an area, but there is not the traffic or the pollution that there was from a year ago. So it should not be focused over the city for any...natural reason."

Sorien softly churrs, "So someone may have taken control? Ah geez..."

Crys says, "But who, and why? This doesn't sound like something up Zephyr's alley at all."

Sorien softly churrs, "No... It isn't. I think this is time for a Han Solo quote."

Ditz snorts at the mention of Zephyr.

Kori softly churrls, "It’s not. They aren't in the business of trying to invent weather control. They are still technically a pharmaceutical and cosmetics company."

Peril flashed Cilan a broad smile as she lifted the glass from her knee, extending her legs down to the floor before slipping off the chair. With a gently sigh she padded over to the assembled group, idly close enough to show her interest without be so close she would get in the way

Sorien softly churrs, "There's plenty of tea, please have some, any who want."

Kori softly churrls, "RSX on the other hand could find military applications for this but this is well beyond their abilities too."

Sparhawk shakes hir head. "I've never heard anything about weather control systems except people asking me if I know how to do them." Spar stands and follows Lasair around, keeping step with the fox. Shi catches Las' eye momentarily, and silently.

Crys shivers again, having run so far in the heavy rain, and then she sneezes, water splashing off of her black vulpine nose. She moves away from her mate to warm herself by the fire and to try to dry off.

Rosalyn scratches behind her jaw. "What's the saying? 'Everybody always talks about the weather, but nobody ever does anything about it'?"

Ditz shakes her head in confusion. "Wait wait, please. It is not possible to control the weather. It is something that is still in the hands of God, si? Or is it something that has been stolen away from him, too?" She is distracted as the blue gryphon stands and begins to pace, moving so she is not in his way, shaking her head resolutely, determined. "No. It is not so. It is...it is the nanites."

Sorien softly churrs, "Wait a sec, sweetie. (Sori dodges down the hall behind the bar, shortly returning with two big fluffy towels.) I'm sure Tag won't mind. Here."

When she gets back, it’s at the tail end of Ditz' comment. "That's kinda what I'm afraid of."

Kori softly churrls, "Most if not all of us are covered and filled with nanites. What implications would it have for us? Whatever it is, it drove ferals clear out of the city."

Peril chuckles softly, raising her glass, the little feline’s gaze falling on its contents as she began to swirl it as she spoke "Well, strictly speaking cities do tend to have their own personal weather systems. It is often several degrees warmer in a city than the surrounding countryside, even at night and they disrupt cloud patterns for miles around. We've been influencing weather for years, We just never had control of it"

Crys thanks her mate for the towel and begins the slow process of trying to dry herself off, as futile as it is to get the water out of her thick downy fur.

Sorien snorts a bit. "Strip, sweetie, facing the fire. We'll get you dried off." (Sori gets out a brush, and nudges Crys gently)

Crys looks shy seeing so many people backed into the bar. She carefully removes her soaked robes and covers her modesty with one of the towels. She says little.

Lasair looks about for a few moments, before shi looks to Sparhawk with a faint smile. Shi offers a paw to Sparhawk as the taur starts to move in the pattern of a waltz. "Come on. There's something outside." shi says, and with that, heads on out.

Crys eyes the exiting foxtaur, her ears perking at the insanity of going outside in this weather.

Peril glances up at the bar, checking to see what else there is to be had before continuing on the one track of the conversation that seems like it could produce useful information "Makes you wonder what the ferals know that we don't doesn't it? We're all supposed to be more or less the same aren't we? What is it that all the ferals can see coming that those of us with self control can't or what's giving them the heads up?"

Sparhawk takes Lasair's hand, the hexataur and the regular taur falling into a surprisingly coherent waltz pattern between them. Shi hums a lilting tune, breaking away only to say, "Remind me to tell you the canoeing story sometime!" as the pair mounts the stairs.

Kori sits hir arse down with a heavy thump. "I'd kill for a hair dryer. I imagine what would happen if I used one though. Electrocution."

Sorien softly churrs, "See you shortly, I hope, you two!"

Rosalyn watches the pair ascend the stairs, giving a small reflexive shiver. "At least with scales the water doesn't soak in as badly..."

With her arms curled tight around her chest, Ditz stands silent, head cocked to one side, listening to the storm as it rages outside. To the building as it is buffeted by the rain. She turns to watch as Lasair heads up the stairs. Glancing at the table, with its cup of tea, she turns to the bar and plucks a glass from the counter and trails behind the odd pair.

"Love, where are Spar and hir mate going?" Crys looks startled to see both leaving.

Sorien carefully starts brushing the water from Crys' fur, using the other towel to blot.

Sorien softly churrs, "Not sure. Prolly to take a look at the storm. Of us all, they're most likely to be okay."

Lasair gives a warm grin, "Off to a better place." shi says with a faintly dreamy look on hir lips. Even the opening of the door is done on the downbeat of the dance. No more waiting, as shi leads on out.

Sorien blinks at that. "Wait... What?"

Ditz trails the two only so far as the door. And rather than brave the storm, she stands within the protection of the door, arm out to catch a cup of rainwater. When her glass is full, she turns and makes her way back to the relative calm of the Den. She draws the water to her nose, sniffing it once, twice, before she takes a sip of it, brow furrowed as she samples it by touch and taste.

Crys' head tilts at the strange response.

Sparhawk and Lasair's fur and feathers are blown backward as the door slams itself open in a sudden gust, the pair executing a complex dance to fit through the doorway without losing touch on each others' hands. Six legs are just enough to dig claws into the floor while still dancing, giving enough traction to re-close the door and block out some of the howling storm.

Sorien softly churrs, "... That... Was not right. "

Cilan watches curiously as both Lasair, and Sparhawk leave, but she dismisses the odd response with a simple shrug, and a small swig from her hip flask.

Crys softly says to her mate, "Can you reach Spar on your radio, love? Something seemed very off. Is shi losing hirself to the nanites again?"

Rosalyn watches the pair's exit curiously. "I have to admit, I haven't spent a lot of time around Sparhawk recently... but that seemed odd. Even for hir."

Sorien softly churrs, "I'm more concerned that something got to hir via Lasair... Just a sec."

Sorien leaves Crys wrapped at the fire, then gets her radio. "Spar, are you reading?"

Kori softly churrls, "What seemed odd? The legs? The dancing?"

Sorien softly churrs, "Lasair's dreaminess. It seemed... Like she wasn't quite awake or something."

Ditz glances over her shoulder towards the door, then over towards Rosalyn curiously, holding her glass of rainwater gingerly. "I do not understand this concern...They are not of the type to think of this storm as an adventure...?" her voice trails off as she spies Sorien and her radio, a look of pure avarice entering her dark eyes. Working electronics have a way of getting her all excited.

Sorien repeats the transmission, then once again waits for response.

Rosalyn shakes her head. "The legs are standard. The dancing... affectionate. It's more like... the overall response. Shi didn't seem that, well, 'flippant' back in San Fran."

The radio blares with an old time pipe tune, loud and obnoxious. It is accompanied by a chorus of various wind instruments and the tune is familiar like from childhood.

Sorien softly churrs, "Ack! (Sori turns the volume way down) What the hell..."

Peril shuffled in a bit closer, the plan of staying to one side and offering up her questions for anyone to answer clearly getting her nowhere, instead she moved in closer to the Ditz, flashing the human a broad toothy smile as she extended her free paw toward them while trying to maintain her composure as she half jokingly asks "How are you sunshine? Some weather we're having hey?"

Cilan's face contorts to one of annoyance, nearly repeating Sorien’s comment, she says, "What the hell was that?.. I.. don’t think that’s normal.. is it?"

Sorien softly churrs, "No, hell no it isn't. There aren't any working broadcasts. And to overwhelm a locked channel like that it'd take a clear-air station pretty much on top of us."

Crys says, "Cil, try yours, if you have it here."

Rosalyn looks over at Sorien. "That was coming through over Spar's channel directly? Without any background noise?"

Sorien softly churrs, "Yeah."

Sorien softly churrs, "I'm gonna go up and look. This is way too screwy."

Cilan nods affirmatively to Crystala before musing with an awkward chuckle, "Never leave home without it.." and pulling her own comm out and attempting to contact Sparhawk, "Sparhawk, you there?"

Sorien softly churrs, "I won't go much further than the door."

Ditz casts a glance at Peril, bemused by the feline's teasing, her attention more on the radio, and the blast of music. Head cocked, she says softly, to herself more than anyone else, "It is like the piper - the ice cream truck, who calls for the children to come follow." Her hand tightens around the glass of rainwater, small, sharp claws tapping on the surface instinctively.

Crys drops the cloth and forgets her modesty, running to grab Sori, "Not alone you won't. Let me grab my clothes love."

Sorien squeals, "No, you ain't waterproof. You'll get soaked again."

Rosalyn flashes Crystala a toothy grin. "I'll go with her. Don't worry."

Again there is silence on the comm channel for a bit, and then the same tune begins to blare out Cilan's radio.

Sorien squeals, "Ros, thanks."

Sorien trots up the steps, expecting Ros to follow.

Crys feels a little more comfortable with Ros accompanying her mate, and nods before returning to try to hasten the drying of her clothing.

Rosalyn falls into step behind Sorien, mentally bracing herself for the onslaught of wind and water.

Kori pokes hir own radio, turning it down and scowling. "Ghosts and goblins among us..."

Cilan gah's, before shaking her head, and turning the radio off and tucking it aside, "Well, that was a dead end.." shrugging she looks up to Sorien and rises from her seat, "I’ll join you.." is said as she moves up to join her in leaving the bar.

[Outside]  The lot is practically blacked out, the downpour has made seeing in the distance awful, and there is no sign of Spar and Las, beyond the cavalcade of footprints they have left in the mud.

[Outside] Sori looks around, glancing at the sky and digging the claws on her now-webbed toes for purchase. She shouts, her voice vanishing almost instantly into the storm; "Spar, dammit! Come back!"

Rosalyn raises a hand to shelter her eyes from the water flinging through the air, nearly shouting to make herself heard. "So much for not going far!"

[Outside] The sky lights up nearly blinding for a moment, the lightning crackling as it strikes somewhere off distant in the city.  The oncoming sound wave bristling fur shortly after.

Ditz offers Peril an apologetic smile, turning towards the stairwell. She does not follow the pair up to the door. She's wet enough, thank you very much. But she does stand at the alert, her entire attitude clearly expecting the two to be abducted by ghosts or goblins or demented circus performers.

Sorien squeals, "Damn it. We have to. "

[Outside] Sorien curls around herself then calls into her radio; "We're gonna follow the trail; Stay inside! It’s survivable out here, but horrible! Call if you can if Spar or Lasair return!"

Peril lets her hand drop back to her side, quickly turning her attention to the others, looking for one that seemed less fixated. Positively puzzled as to why the radios held such fascination for everyone she couldn’t help but feel somewhat left out, though the blast of sound had her almost shaken down to her knees, her tail shooting straight back and ears pinning against her head as she backed away from the door and windows

Crys hears Sori's muffled voice over the low volume of the radio, it interrupting the awful music for a few moments. She picks up the radio and says, "Be safe love. Please, both Kay and I need you to return safely."

[Outside] Cilan calls out over the thunder, and the rain to the others who are already outside, "I guess the only thing open is to track them.. see where they went.. If either of you want, you can return to the bar.. last I checked, scales aren’t difficult to dry!"

[Outside] Sori just grins, being an otter at the moment. "You're kidding, right?" She hollers back.

[OutsideRosalyn places her hand on Sorien's shoulder. "C'mon then, let's go drag them back to where it's nice and warm!"

[outside] Sorien starts following the slowly-fading trail in the mud as best she can, moving on all fours both for speed and for ease of tracking.

[Outside] Cilan follows after Sorien, her own eyes watching out to the distance, but occasionally moving to the ground to watch the footprints.

[Outside] The pathway isn't too hard to trace, although the mud on the concrete and asphalt is starting to wash away as they follow through the city.  The path is consistent in direction, although the gait is odd for even Sparhawk, it becoming apparent hir dancing was not for show.  Eastward in direction.

Peril wasn't crazy enough to even consider going back out into that rain. Clutching her glass to her chest she moved toward the centre of the room, pacing back and forth while keeping her eyes fixed on the door or looking over the other occupants of the bar for signs of growing madness that seem to compel people to do crazy things

Ditz shifts out of the way to allow Cilan pass, moving back to where the radios are. She lifts her glass of rainwater to the light of the flickering fireplace, and then drinks it down. She gazes up at the ceiling for a few moments, waiting for either her head to explode or nothing noticeable to occur. It's a few tense moments for her.

[Outside] "I think that Lasair might have been affected by something, and Spar through their link!" Sori shouts this, "I think the dance was so we could follow!"

[Outside] Cilan calls to the others, "You might be right.. think it was something to do with the ferals leaving the city? If so, they're probably heading for the mountains!"

Crys sits tight by the fire, watching her robes carefully in case a spark catch on her precious creation from Spar. She sits with her arms across her chest, and her soggy mismatched tails are splayed out behind her, to maximize their evaporation rate rather unconsciously. She watches Ditz, Peril, and Kori, all people she's not really familiar with.

[Outside] Rosalyn paces closely behind Sorien, keeping her eyes on the direction they're heading, rather than the ground itself. Supposedly, most of the ferals have already evacuated, but...

[Outside] Sori gets the radio out, once again curling around it. She shouts into it to be heard; "They're headed the same way the ferals were going- towards the mountains! If people are willing... And I hate to ask, but it may be time to mount up and follow!"

Sori's voice echos from the radio left behind, "They're headed the same way the ferals were going- towards the mountains! If people are willing... And I hate to ask, but it may be time to mount up and follow!" can be heard crackling. Crys shifts in her spot, frowns and calls back, "I'll come love, I'll go check on Kay and catch up to you all." and shortly after disappears up the stairs along with her clothes wrapped in one of the towels.

Peril pauses in her pacing long enough to pull her coat off the chair, opening it out and shaking it off hurriedly before slipping her arms into the sleeves and pulling it in around herself. Drawing a deep breath and releasing it in a long sigh the cat took some comfort in being wrapped in the heavy material, her paws slipping down into the deep pockets as she resumed her worried pacing. The cat remained quiet a few moments before speaking up "Those guys are crazy. People go out into a storm of their own accord and drop out of contact so they think it's a good idea to go following when the storm gets worse?"

Ditz's shoulders slowly relax as her head remains intact, but she leans forward, arms curled on the table, at the crackle of the radio and Sorien's muffled request. Slipping to her feet, she concentrates for a few moments, her body rippling as she directs the nanites to a form more agreeable to wandering in this storm and heads for the stairs. The look on her face is one of curiosity, one might note, rather than overt concern for her fellows that drives her out into the storm.

Kori softly churrls, "It’s never a good idea to go out in a bad storm. There's always a chance of being hit by lightning, or falling into a pothole, or who knows what else."

[Outside] Knowing her destination, Cilan shifts to a form seemingly built for speed and presses onwards towards the mountains at full speed, though all the while, she takes care not to trip and injure herself in the mud.

By the time Ditz reaches upstairs Crys can be seen entering the bathhouse. Her footprints heavy and deep in the mud. Also the other pathway is clear and trodden multiple times over, easy to follow.

[Outside] Sori stays an otter; while it's slower, it’s a LOT better adapted to the weather.

[Outside] After hearing of the others' following in pursuit, Rosalyn makes a point of dragging her tail through the mud, providing a clear, fresh path to follow.

Outside Ditz sniffs along the ground at the tracks that are already being washed away, scampering along through the storm until she catches up with the others. She flashes a near feral grin through the curtain of rain, her eyes reflecting eerily in the scant light.

[Outside] The storm does not let while the trio follow the pathway.  More footprints can be seen as few change to many, many having followed this path.

[Outside] Sori mutters to herself, "Man... I don't like this..." As she follows the ever-more-heavily trodden path.

Kori stares at the mud on hir feet with a scowl. Thick and caked into the fur, this mud won't be easy to get out later. "There was that shrine on the mountain peak.. and inside the mountain itself was a smaller one. It seems benign at first... Think there's a link in there somewhere?"

[Outside] Catching up to the trio, Ditz climbs up to her hind legs, and calls above the rain, "Do you hear the pipes in your heads?"

[Outside] Rosalyn turns as she hears Ditz behind the group. "Pipes? What? No, our radio is off!" She faces forward again and catches up to the other two, although there's little chance of getting lost now, with the trail as it is.

[Outside] Sorien glances to Ditz. "No, I just hear wet and rain and thunder!" She shouts.

[Outside] Ditz taps her temple, calling above the rain, "It is the sound of the piper, deep inside the ear. Calling. It is...very far away, the pipes. But it is there. It is in the air!"

[Outside] Sorien squeals, “Well, don't listen to it! It seems rather Pied Piperish to me! And I'm thinking we're the rats or the children!”

[Outside] "Both, in some cases..." Rosalyn mutters.

Peril looking up to the ceiling and around the floor walls, paying close attention to the door and perking her ears to listen to the roar of the storm outside, the cat tries to reassure herself that for the moment at least the building isn't collapsing, the flood waters ardent pouring in and the odds of anything causing her harm is fairly slim as long as she remained indoors. With a nervous sigh, and another look about the room she began to edge her way toward the bar, setting her glass down on a table before going to check what other drinks were to be had as a means of keeping her mind off the flight of the ferals and now the disappearance of half the bars occupants

[Outside] The pathway heads towards right where the ferals had been heading, it obvious now that Spar and Las where following the same way.  The rainstorm's edge in itself is a strange sight to behold, the sudden cutoff like walking through a waterfall, the shafts of light can be seen filtering down outside the boundary.

Kori starts fiddling with the radio, since there seemed nothing better to do but be a worry wart and keep the communication lines open.

[Outside] Cilan's voice can be heard over the radio to answer Ditz, "No, I didn’t listen to it long enough to get it stuck in my head.. uh.. think of another song, try to drown it out with one less annoying!" as she speaks the sound of heavy charging can be heard as she goes off to her destination at full speed.

Peril grins at the barkeep, giving him a nod "Any recommendations on a drink to keep away the cold?"

Inside the bar, the storm continues outside, water has started to leak from a small spot on the ceiling, the noise of the drip hitting the wood table below is irritating. The bartender looks up at Peril and shrugs, "Ma Da's whiskey is known for lighting fires, can't get much better than that."

[Outside] Sori passes through the rain border, and blinks. She shakes herself hard, her oily coat having prevented any water from soaking in. She glances at her outfit, sighing as its soaked. She continues to follow the trail, and says over the radio, "This is bizarre; it’s like Crys said- the rain just... Stops. It’s like a curtain."

The radio in Kori's hand continues to churn with the calliope's noise, the occasional chatter from Cilan and Sori overriding it for brief moments.

[Outside] Seeing the edge of the rainstorm, Rosalyn increases her pace eagerly. However, as the group reaches it, she slows down, regarding the boundary almost suspiciously.

[Outside] Ditz keeps up with the trio, although now and again she shifts her head, ear cocked as she strains to hear something that is just out of her line of hearing.  She skids to a halt, half out of the rain, half still in it.  She jumps to the dry side, splitting the curtain of water with her hand.  "That is not right," she mutters to her companions as she sprouts wings and takes to the sky above the trio, up and out of the mud, the trail clearly trampled by many more than a dancing gryphon and vulpine.

Kori softly churrls, "Well this is good. It’s not a constant signal. That noise isn't very powerful. Eh. Pass me a shot of bourbon. Need some steady hands for this."

[Outside] The muddy prints continue on a direct path up the mountain.  Distant movement on the mountains edge is visible to anyone skyward.  Ditz hits a certain height in the air when they get slammed toward the rain wall by a heavy wind column blowing off from the mountaintop.

Trying to ignore the sounds from the radio and consequently not hearing the request from Kori, Peril raises her paw to her forehead running it back over the scalp, pushing her ears down flat as her fingers brush through the fur down to the back of her neck before she replied to the barkeeper "sounds like a plan. Tell you what. Make it a double". turning around, leaving her back to the bar she stare instead out over the mass of chairs and tables while her arms folded over her belly, one paw tapping nervously on her forearm. "They are crazy you know. You never go outside in weather like that"

The bartender turns behind to and pulls out a few bottles of alcohol. A small glass for the bourbon, and a double shot glass for the whiskey. They quickly pour perfect amounts into each and push the glasses towards the receiver.

[Outside] Sori says, "Gods. What could be doing this? It has to be a manipulation of the nanites of some kind, but who and why?" She shrugs and continues.

[Outside] A sudden cry escapes Ditz's throat as she tumbles in the sky, a sudden burst of air sending her end over end and fighting for control as she's slammed back towards the city.  Her fall is cushioned by the storm, the rainfall, of all things, so when she lands in the mud in a splatter, she's only bruised and not broken.  Curling her wings tight against her back, she scampers on all fours to catch up with the others again, calling, "It isn't safe by air!"  It's important to state the obvious sometimes.

[Outside] Sorien nods to the comment, and shifts to a more speedy form.

[Outside]Rosalyn finally crosses the boundary of the storm, shaking her head and blinking up at the sunny sky. She takes a look around until her attention snaps back onto Ditz being flung back into the stormwaters. Bracing herself against the impact of the water once again, she trots after where the flier crashed to make sure she's okay.

[Outside] The quartet's progress halted so long by fascination with the transition Crys manages to catch up.  She's running quadruped through the rain, she looks wet and angry.

Kori softly churrls, "It takes all kinds. You know there are people that refuse to leave when hurricanes drop by. The same can be said for tornadoes. But it’s not a normal storm. It seems artificially generated but the who and the why is what we need to know. Even then, I'm not going out there again until it passes."

Kori picks up the bourbon and starts nursing it.

Peril parts her arms and turns back to the bar long enough to take up her own glass, eyeing the other one curiously before stepping back, content to hold onto her own. Moving back to the nearest table she sets down the new glass alongside her last one, both still full, not so much as a sip having been taken from either. Without looking away from the table she spoke, quickly and loudly, determined to make her voice carry "So, we can’t sit here worrying about out there, what shall we do?"

[Outside] Ditz gives herself an all-over shake, more like a hound than an otter, with droplets flying.  She's made it back through the storm to the sunny side, keeping low to the ground and moving quickly as she runs alongside Rosalyn.

[Outside]  Crys breaks through the edge of the water line and keeps running, shouting out at her mate and the others as she passes, "We have to find them quickly."

[Outside] Sorien glances to see who's close, but continues on her path. She pauses when she hears Crys; "Why? Is my bad 'pied piper' feeling correct?"

Kori shrugs. "Wait, keep the radio tuned. See if they can contact us and give updates. Scramble some eggs."

Crys says panicked to her mate, "Kay was struggling to go outside and was crying and fighting, Mara barely managed to keep her still. Something is definitely going on."

[Outside] Rosalyn turns as Ditz rises unharmed, eagerly exiting the pounding of the storm once again, accelerating into an awkward jog as Crys darts past.

[Outside] Sori gets a grim expression. "Right. Keep going. I'll let 'em know back at the bar, see if we can get their support." She calls on the radio; "Guys, Crys says Kaylah was struggling to follow the music or whatever it is; this is bad, if you wanna help, come on. Head for the mountain."

The Tagling says to the remaining two bar occupants, "Can I get either of ya anything ta eat? My da makes a mighty fine stew."

The radio crackles in Kori's hand with Sorien's voice.

[Outside] Cilan nods affirmatively to both Sorien, and Crystala, and offers a hand to both of them, attempting to put the two on her back so she can charge to the destination far quicker, "Here, let me carry the two of you.. hopefully we can get there before anything bad happens!"

[Outside] Sorien squeals, "We'll keep up, no worries. It'll get too steep for a centaur soon anyway; Besides, Crys is a LOT heavier than she looks."

Peril groans loudly, glaring at the radio "They want more of us out in that storm? What is it with these radios and calling people out into the cold, wet, dark and dangerous storm?"

[Outside] Skidding to a halt, Ditz pauses, head cocked, listening again, straining to hear, and then she gives her head a savage shake, trying to dislodge the sound and scratching her ears vigorously.  An expression crosses behind her dark eyes, a flash of revulsion and stark fear.  She jumps to her feet and darts forward, in front of all of the others, as if jerked forward, and then she skids to another halt.  "Careful, mi amigos.  It is...like the drug that creeps into your senses and before you know it, you cannot...fight it anymore."  She says this as Sorien keys the radio, so it is clearly heard back at the bar as well.

[Crystala(#13035)]: [Outside] The mountain range begins to pick up in hills and crags on the edge of the forest, before breaking sharp. Some of the more skilled climbers look to have taken a direct path up the mountain in their haste, while the rest followed the cut and carved trailway up further ahead.

[Outside] "I still haven't heard a thing save over the radio..." Sori comments, then continues following the trail on all fours; she's VERY fast.

[Outside] Cilan stares quizzically towards both Sorien and Crystala, but shrugs it off, nodding shortly afterwards she turns back towards the mountains, and charging off, keeping pace with Sorien's rapid gait.

Peril looked to the others, still far from certain she wanted to go out into that mess but wasn’t prepared to be left behind either "What do you all think we should do?"

"I know my Da would say it's stupid to throw yourself away, but you should protect what's yours with your life." The bartender shrugs and polishes a glass.

[Outside] Sorien chooses to take the shorter, rougher course, having some ability in climbing rock faces.

[Outside] Rosalyn watches the others pull ahead of her. Shrugging her scales from her form, she drops to a quadrupedal gait as well as auburn fur sprouts from her body, joined by a quartet of tails trailing behind. She pushes herself to catch up to the others with her newfound speed.

[Outside] Crys frowns as her mate shortcuts up and runs faster. At the bottom of the trail there is the beginning of a column of ferals, dancing in place, lined up almost as if in a queue for something. They wind their way up the pathway, into the sky above with the cliffs rising overhead. Spar and Las however are not visible among the latecomers.

[Outside] Cilan takes the longer route, as her equine half wouldn’t assist in climbing up the mountain face, but her speed makes up for it, making it back to both Crystala, and Sorien moments later.

[Outside] For several moments, Ditz remains where she is, sitting in the mud with a resolute expression on her face as the others run on ahead.  However, before Rosalyn's final tail disappears, she's on her feet again and darting forward at full speed, drawn forward in spite of herself. Her feet shift beneath her, without even being aware of it, not dancing per se.  She's just running with extra style.

Kori mumbles at the radio. "They're crazy. That's all there is to it. But Crys did say the storm only covers the city. So if you want to help, go ahead and follow the tracks. I'll call ahead and see if I can reach them."

[Outside] Sori keeps an eye on her companions, moving fast but not getting out of sight if she can help it.

Peril shakes her head vigorously, turning back to her drinks, a paw raised to rest her fingers lightly on the rim of the most recent glass "No. I am a fraction of the size of the rest of them... I can't go out there. I'd be washed away in moments."

[Outside] The dancing creatures are all moving in time with one another, many swaying, others making outright complex movements, but it all flows as one.  They move forward in steps, one pace at a time.

Kori picks up the radio and pushes its little talk button. "There's only two of us back here. My company isn't big enough to avoid being washed away in the rain and mud. What are the conditions up there?"

[Outside] Rosalyn ducks and weaves between the mutants along the path, cutting some corners by scrambling up the shallower slopes-- splitting the difference between the long, flat path and the short, steep one.

[Crystala(#13035)]: Crys looks at the conga line from hell with her head tilted, pausing for a moment, before running up and shouldering her way past the creatures to begin the steep ascent. Most of the ferals seem oblivious of her.

[Outside] Rosalyn growls. "It's like being caught in a bad Coke commercial!"

[Outside] When Ditz realizes that she's falling into step with the other dancers, she deliberately steps on the tail of one of the wolf beasts who's moving so gracefully, hoping for a fight.  Instead, she's swept up into his arms, and she's waltzed into line, part of the queue that's swaying its way up the mountain.

[Outside] Sori mumbles, "Not enough bad dancing or polar bears for that..."

[Outside] At the bridge Crys pushes ferals over the edge so she can get by, and knowing she's delaying some of them on their path to whatever is calling to them.

[Outside] Cilan answers Kori with, "Strange.. very strange, lots of people dancing at once.. but the skies are clear, and beautiful!" looking back to the mass of dancing ferals she shifts to another form, this time with wings, and flies overtop them, her now emerald eyes scanning the mass for Sparhawk, or Lasair.

[Outside] Sori sniffs the air, searching for the scent of her friends (Spar and Lasair).

[Outside] The wind doesn't pick up until she gets a bit skyward, but Cil's senses tingle as she realizes there's a wind column not far above her head.  From her vantage point she can see the pathway up, and eventually her eyes lock on Spar and Lasair, dancing in a large group near a spot that the mountain has begun to level off.  She can't see far enough over the edge from this height to see where they are going to however.

[Outside] The smells are numerous, too many different creatures packed together to sort a single scent out, despite how familiar Spar is to Sor.

[Outside] Crys continues pushing her way past, clawing and crawling over to get herself through and up.  Her progress is slow and steady, seeming to be purposefully delaying the creatures with her actions, rather than outright violence.

[Outside] Cilan calls over her radio that shehad both seen the two, and where they were, before returning to the ground, and continuing her ascent towards them, and up the mountains.

[Outside] Sori growls a bit to herself, and goes a bit faster; its apparent to her that the ferals aren't the threat, so she speeds her passage upwards to find the source- despite the fact that she doesn't seem to hear it like others do.

Kori softly churrls, "Dancing ferals, clear weather at the mountain, strange music. What is this, a pied piper herding lemmings?"

Peril drums the fingers of her free hand on the table in front of her, shifting her weight from foot to food "Well at least they found what they went out there for."

[Outside] Rosalyn pauses briefly a few times in her own ascent, apparently losing her path behind thicker clusters of ferals, before shaking her head with a low growl and continuing forward, towards the peak.

[Outside] Sori is ahead of both Crys and Rosa, heading up the most direct path available, while Crys and Rosa are delayed by the weight of bodies surrounding them. Many grab at the two of them trying to drag them into the flow.

[Outside] Sorien keeps going, concentrating on her climb as things get steeper.

[Outside] Ditz moves forward another pace, then two more as the line continues its steady dance up the mountain path.  There are minor disturbances as the others disrupt the rhythm of the dancers but not the thread of the music.  One may fall, but there's another one to take their place in the next step.

[Outside] Sorien catches eye as she crests the peak of the main area, up here the ferals having spread out into a giant mass, moving forward with Spar and Las in the centre of it all, oblivious to the world, and the ferals around them moving like the arms of Spar.  Ahead of them, Sori can see over the mass, the leading ferals just dance right off the edge of the mountain.

[Outside] Seeing this, Sori decides that she has to stop her friends; she leaps from the cliff, shifting as she does, and flies low over the mass to the point where creatures are plummeting to see where they're going!

Wind blasts over the cliff edge throwing Sorien back to the ground behind her and into a line of ferals.

Crys and Rosa managed to pull themselves up and over the edge as Sori has gone airbourne.

Kori drains the rest of the bourbon and gets up. "They've been gone a bit too long even for this. It’s getting ridiculous."

Sori looks over the edge with some vertigo, and she sees ferals leaping off into oblivion. She watches in horror as they plummet towards the ground, and she flinches involuntarily, but she notices there's no blood splatter or corpses on the ground. Right before the feral collides, they change, suddenly into a bird, a white dove, flying off into the distance.

[Outside]Rosalyn pulls herself to one side, out of the main flow of the crowd, surveying the scene before her with dismay. "Oh, shit. What the hell is this?"

[Outside] Sorien shouts, Okay, Fun's over- Who are you, and why are you doing this?"

Peril rests her rear on the edge of a seat, without looking back at Kori she answered flatly "I am sure they will be fine..." keeping her head bowed and her eyes fixed straight ahead, she fiddled with her glass nervously, running the pink pads of her fingertips about its rim

[Outside] Ditz is back in the conga line, engaged in a lively polka with an ancient tortoise feral who's looking like shi's having far more fun that any tortoise is allowed to have this late in its life.

[Outside] The sound of the music grows audible to Sorien, but that is the only response to her question to the place packed with creatures, another flinging themselves off the side into oblivion, Las and Spar moving forward, lost in each other and the sound.

Lasair leans in, and seems to have more legs then when shi left the pub. Shi gives Sparhawk a rather lewd kiss in the dance, holding it for eight whole measures before shi spies the end of the cliff. "I'm ready love..."

[Outside] Crys looks around at the peak in confusion, seeing Spar and Las lost somewhere she stiffens visibly, and then hears her mate speak to no one. She says, "Love, what is going on?"

[Outside]Rosalyn catches sight of Spar and Las amongst the crowd. Approaching the problem from the top-down is what got them into this mess, and her.. current specialties don't seem applicable. Darting down into the crowd, she wends her way beside the pair, and bites down on Sparhawk's calf. Hard.

[Outside] Cilan finally joins back with Sorien, and the rest, having forced her way through the gathered ferals, and such, to use the nearby force to beckon the Solar Dragons to create a mirror wave using it as a wall, attempting to use it to stop any others from throwing themselves from the cliff, "There, now then.. what.. the hell.. is happening?"

Sparhawk looks a little confused as to what Lasair's talking about, along with having hir eyes closed like when shi is listening to the nanites; no one outside the pair and their attendant dancers can get much of hir attention! Even when Spar gets fangs in hir leg, it merely bleeds and causes a wince in the middle of a measure.

As Rosa's teeth sink into Spar's leg, the hexataur seems oblivious, but blood spills into Rosa's mouth she suddenly feels an odd presence begin to fill her.

Sori's lack of response frustrates her, and she charges forward directly at Spar trying to shoulder tackle the bigger gryphontaur.

Lasair keeps the kiss going, as shi breaks away for a moment, hir tails swishing happily back and forth as shi starts to crouch down low, coiling hir leg muscles as the dance stops for hir just long enough to get ready to jump.

Crys looks cautiously around trying to study the movements meaning. Why is this place here, her mate's question running through her mind. Clearly something supernatural is acting, but what and why she doesn't know. She moves to help her mate stop Las and Spar's progress toward oblivion.

Rosalyn releases the leg, coughing and spitting at the fluids that passed through her teeth.

Kori puts the radio in a small plastic bag as if shi was preparing to go outside. Or maybe to protect it from getting shorted out by any accidental booze spillage.

Sparhawk the blind dancer steps back from Lasair and bows, favouring the bleeding leg slightly, then once to Ros as well. Then the gryphon of the hexataur pair coils up like a cat, ready to jump in unison.

Crys says quickly to Cil, "Help me stop them, we can't let them throw themselves off."

Peril barely gives Kori a glance, though she remains aware of the bunny’s movements out of the corner of her eye. The cat can’t help but wonder if she made the right choice to stay behind

Sorien's leap through the air connects with Spar as he coils to move. Crys follows quickly behind her mate and tries to grab Las.

Rosalyn snarls, trying a different tack and unleashing a flurry of tentacled limbs from her legs and attempting to ensnare the two would-be jumpers to hamper their struggles against Crys and Sor.

Cilan nods affirmatively, "Yeah, that’s definitely a big nono, here!" finished, she bolsters the supernatural wall behind her, charging soon after to tackle as many of the others as she can, stopping them in their tracks.

Sparhawk makes a strangled awk, the first actual noise shi's made since the party rediscovered them; shi struggles against Sorien's large wyvern form and the tentacles of Rosalyn, writhing with a three-quarter beat. Some of the surrounding mob move to help too, in unison.

[Outside] Those who have come to save Spar and Lasair don't know Ditz, so they would not recognize how different her face is than normal. And her scent is just one mingled with many on the mountainside, so easily missed. But as she and her ancient tortoise beau dance their way up the mountain, there is an expression of pure contentment in her eyes, those dark orbs shining with a peace that is normally only found in mystics or the truly drug addled. Her lips are curved into a blissful smile, oblivious to the drama that plays out at the cliff's edge.

Lasair jumps forth, not minding that Spar had suddenly not jumped. The uberhexfoxtaur makes it a good foot or two off the ground until shi is grabbed by Crystala. Hir light weight likely being hir only saving grace right now.

[Outside] Sori coils about Spar, beating her wings hard against any creatures that attempt to help her obviously entranced friend; she screams in hir face, "DAMMIT, WAKE UP! YOU'RE ENTRANCED!"

Kori softly churrls, "I wonder. How fast can you run, you seem big enough to make it if you have company."

[Outside] A snicker breaks out behind the mess of people. Echoing from almost nowhere.

Sorien [outside] Sori is busily saving her friend, so like as not doesn't hear the snicker.

A little rabbit hops forward from behind a stone, it's nose twitches and it says, "You know they really do want this, why don't you let them go?" The voice is loud despite the size of the creature, and is very masculine.

[Outside] Cilan pays no attention to the snicker, the dragoness seeming to be more entranced by both keeping the wall firm, making sure no-one breaks through, and falls to their doom, and barging into those that had not gotten that far, using her large girth as a human shield.

Rosalyn turns toward the rabbit, a growl emanating from her vulpine muzzle. "And just what do you have to do with all of this?"

The rabbit quirks it's head at Rosa and says, "Just a curious observer, remarking at how much they want to fly." It hops forward again, clearly not afraid of the threatening growl.

[Outside] Sori swings her wings, slamming them against any who try to help her friends off the edge; she tries to knock them away from the edge as she does.

Rosalyn spits out some more of the foul taste left in her mouth. "And you, strangely, don't feel the same urge. I wonder why?"

Kori doesn't wait for an answer too much longer. "Nevermind. if you're going to come, then do so. Otherwise, help the barkeep plug up that leak. I'm going to make a dash for the mountain and see if the others are still alive." Seconds later shi takes off out the door, slamming it shut behind hir to keep the rain from getting in.

Crys is holding the strangely light Lasair against her like a vice grip, not wanting to be responsible for losing Spar's mate to the void. She's far too focused to notice the new arrival yet.

Lasair wiggles in Crystala's embrace, as shi keeps trying to jump, legs happily flailing away on beat.

Sparhawk struggles regardless, but without resorting to violence and keeping to a regular rhythm it is relatively easy for Sorien to keep the mob on the cliff and Spar pinned underneath.

The little creature looks at Rosalyn through red eyes, it isn't albino so that feature is a little remarkable on the sandy furred body. It's nose wiggles more and it says, "You ask a talking hare, that's clearly magical, why it's immune to your scientific mumbo jumbo?" It's voice has a sharp sarcastic edge to it.

Kori trudges through rain and mud, keeping the radio near an ear in case anyone has a squawk to transmit.

Rosalyn snorts in derision, tentatively withdrawing her limbs as it becomes apparent that Sorien and Crys have the enthralled pair capably subdued. "Clearly magical, eh?" She pulls her tentacles up, beneath her large vulpine frame. "Five years ago a talking bunny might have been sufficient, but now?"

Hare speaks from behind Rosalyn, in front of her just a moment before and says, "Yes, you humans are always so dull."

Kori keeps wondering to hirself aloud as shi follows the paths. "They stopped talking. Come on guys, why won't you speak up?

Peril stays right where she is, content to wait out the storm

Rosalyn's ear twitches, swivelling to point behind her as she turns her head, but she doesn't give the creature the satisfaction of watching her whip around to face it. "Okay, that one was a bit better, I'll give you that. So, you're just here to enjoy the show?"

The hare says, "If I was just here to enjoy things, would I have bothered to show myself, you twit?" His voice coming from behind Rosa while his little body is still in her line of sight. With a twitch of his nostrils, the voice then says, "Lets settle things down and get rid of that annoying racket so we can talk properly." And with that, the line of ferals stops suddenly. Spar, Las and Ditz all breaking from their trance. The ferals surrounding still remaining connected to Spar however, standing motionless.

Sparhawk opens hir eyes slowly, no longer struggling as shi tries to get hir bearings. Coming out of the trance is even harder than waking from real slumber, and there are a bunch more bodies to deal with than when shi last had a coherent thought!

Lasair stops wiggling so hard and snugs Crystala as shi looks over to Sparhawk. "So is this what the end is like? It seems so... real..."

Rosalyn gathers her mismatched limbs beneath her, sitting back on what passes for her haunches. "Well then-- you've shown yourself, the... distractions are gone, and we're listening. Why *are* you here?"

[Outside] Having danced her way up to the plateau, Ditz sags as she her two-step comes to a halt. The compulsion may have faded, but her gaze is drawn to the cliff's edge, running her tongue over her short muzzle, her only overt sign of struggle - she's fighting to keep from darting to the edge. But...that would be rude. One cannot cut in front of the others who are as eager as she to follow the song to its conclusion. But as the music fades, so does her feeling of bliss. And honestly, she's not sure if she's pissed or relieved. So she composes her features and makes her way over towards the others, pausing to gaze down at the hare intently. "Usted ha creado la música? Did you create the music? Why did you not dance with us?"

[Outside] Kori picks up hir trot to a run. Sometimes having a feline's speed felt like a blessing. "Guys, what's going on. It’s too quiet on the air." The radio hasn't said a thing for a short while.

Hare ponders, something he rarely does, and his long floppy ears twitch when Ditz approaches with a question. His nose twitches as he begins to speak. "I came here to find someone that would know what happened to my cousin, but I got distracted by this funny show. I wasn't happy with thinking they were going to fly and being tricked, so I gave them what they wanted instead."

Sori finally lets go of Spar long enough to hear the radio blaring with Kori's voice, and she turns and looks at the rodent, recognizing almost immediately Coyote's brethren. She refrains from speaking to him, and instead turns to the radio and says, "Spar and Las are safe, but we'll still need help to sort through this."

Ditz rubs her claw over her face, looking a bit lost and lonely at the loss of peace that she had only moments ago. Too many sensations fill her too quickly, fear being foremost. And with fear comes the inevitable anger, because it's always better to be angry that frightened. "Bah. Who are you to decide what anyone wants, you great stupido leetle bunny."

Hare then follows with a bow, if that's possible for a rodent its size, to Ditz and says, "I did not make the music, so it was not me that was telling them what they want."

Rosalyn cocks her head to one side. "Your cousin, huh. I get the feeling they wouldn't be here," she gestures to the assorted mutants surrounding them, "so you mind telling us who you're looking for help finding?"

Sorien says, "I believe he means us." to Rosa, she's still flustered over having nearly lost Spar, and lays clutched against the big taur, not really moving from him. "And that's Hare, looking for Coyote, who's died and -will- come back." She says it as a fact.

Kori continues hir trek, responding to the first reply in a good while. "I'm coming. Can't see five feet in front of me in this rain. Hang in there, What kind of sorting out is there to be done?"

Hare hops in place, and then announces, "And that's why I was here, I knew something like this would just be a magnet for the kind of people who would seek out my cousin."

Ditz eyes the hare for a good long time. If she were in cat form, she'd be in hissy fit mode, but otters are far more dignified. She turns her gaze towards the cliff, or more specifically, to Lasair and Sparhawk, her expression speculative. Then she lifts her gaze to the sky, to where the winds keep guard over the plateau and keep anything from really flying. Her ears swivel at Sorien's statement, but she doesn't lower her gaze. "Of course Coyote comes back. It is in all the stories," she murmurs. Her form ripples, finding the form that she is most comfortable with these days, frowning as her tail pops out. She lowers her gaze, and shares her frown with Hare. He's a good target for her confusion.

Sparhawk muffledly says, "Excuse me, could someone kindly tell me what's going on, and why I am being smooshed by a Soriwyvern? I...may need an outside source." A hand reaches around blindly from underneath.

Cilan settles down, as those that she had been pushing away slowly regain their senses, and she speaks into her comm, answering Kori with, "Just go due east, follow the highway up to the forest and from there go to the mountains, we're at a plateau up here.. and.. it looks like everything is settling back down again.. hopefully, at least.."

Rosalyn turns toward Sparhawk, still keeping a cautious ear toward Hare as she uses her tentacles to help extract Sparhawk from under Sorien. "You were hypnotized into jumping off the mountain until a magic bunny saved you," she informs the dazed ex-dancer. "Sorry about the leg," she adds, after the fact.

"I am not a bunny." Hare says indignantly, and suddenly is gone. His voice follows up, "I'll be back now that I know who I'm looking for."