Tea Time with Luna - Part 1 - RPLOG

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Participants

Date

17/12/2017

Log



As everyone reaches the start of the highway, there is a human male in overalls standing next to his partially-nanite-eaten blue truck, wearing a Promethian illuminated helmet. "Hi again. For those of you I haven't met yet I'm Smithson, and I'm going to be driving you out to Tahoe..." He sighs, but then pops his knuckles and smiles. "Zephyr got a distress call encrypted by a woman named Luna from the Children of Tahoe. It says she needs help with her mother, but Zephyr has no information on any of them, so this also counts as a recon mission and may be a trap set by them. They've done that before. Any questions?"

Otto had arrived not long ago, his ass planted on a rock, his hands roaming over one of his toys, a rifle of intricate design and structure rested upon his knees, every detail checked, every module adjusted, every component kept in pristine condition, at least to the best of his abilities. He perks his ears as Smithson speaks up, a disgruntled huff parting his lips "I swear, that bullshit big Z got us into last time is the reason I resigned from their ranks. If this turns out to be another ambush or similar bullshit, I'm gonna be more than a little upset." he growls deeply, but moves in and gives Smithson a pat on the shoulder, "Good to see ya anyway, Smith. Glad the old girl's still rolling." his hand lightly strikes the hood of the old pickup truck. "Glad we're being forewarned, at least. Anyway, did she specify what she wants done? Because "she wants help" could mean anything between fetching her mum some groceries and impaling her through the heart."

It was time for business, and, appropriately, Phosphorus came armed and armored. She popped into her nanite power suit, threw some plate carriers over that, added some webbing where it'd be convenient, packed a small canteen of tea, and brought enough bullets and knives to rival small nations. She shows up as quietly as one can in heavy armor, leaning against a nearby boulder as the Z agent speaks. She fiddles with her helmet a bit to turn the voice amp on. "Prepare for engagement, yeah. Got it."

Coming in at a light jog, the black haired human pants a bit with his gear rattling softly at his marching pace. Once more, the human returns to the Tahoe job geared out in his previous riot themed gear with polearm and bow strapped to him... Though strangely, his armor doesn't seem quite as bulky as it once did, seeming more suitably form fitting for him this time around. Also someone seems to have slapped a peace sticker on the chest over his heart that looks like it has been scratched at a bit. Sighing loudly as he finally gets next to the truck, Anbessa coughs softly as he regains his breath. For one that doesn't seem to need to breathe, he looks like he really needs to take a second or two. "Fweh... Heya Otto. Didn't arrive with a big dramatic entrance this time?" Anbessa asks with a smile after he gets most of his air back in his lungs, looking to Smith with a nod too. "And hiya Smith." Though he does see a face he doesn't quite recognize from his previous run out to Tahoe, though whoever they are, they seem to be armored up in some serious power armor! "Huh... Nice to meetcha, I'm Anbessa." Anbessa says with a smile over towards Phos. Certainly a new face to him, so always nice to greet new people. The armored human readjusts some of the straps of his armor as he watches the way he came from to see how many others are coming with... Also taking moments to glance up too. Don't wanna get startled again.

Arris tugs at the collar of a cardigan worn. The thought of the Tahoe-people made hir nervous as sie began to dread them, and the mention of a trap made hir even more uneasy. But, from what sie heard, someone needed help with a parent, and sie wasn't the type to ignore someone in their time of need. Perhaps this would be the first step on a path to forging a better relationship with the Tahoers. Or, at least, that was what sie told hirself, trying to keep hir mind off the possibility of a trap.

Though, once the gator gets to the meeting site, the sight of at least a few familliar faces does ease hir nervous mind somewhat. Otto and Anbessa, primarily: though sie has accompanied Mokou, Smithson, and Phosphorus on missions in the past, sie didn't know them as intimately as Otto and Anbessa. Occasionally, a chocolate bar would be pulled from a pocket to be nibbled on, the gator looking on quietly as everyone conversed - so far, it seemed any questions sie had were already asked.

Wandering on over towards the edge of that broken-down highway, Mokou felt her hands fall to her hips with a small smile upon her face. A good day to explore the world. Or at least, go to a likely voitial region full of people whom had nearly killed them time and time again. Potato, Hand Grenade. Those sharp ears of hers twitched forward, catching each word Smithson spoke, rolling them about before she gave a brief smile. "Hardly any questions that could likely be answered. Where we are going, what is happening, why they are calling us back despite giving explicit statements about never ever ever coming back to them..." The little lass gave a small shrug, hand falling to the stone-grey sheath at her side. "Hopefully, will not end with a death threat this time... Nor a firing squad." Her eyes turned for a moment towards that ever so familiar jackal, a scrap of a smile playing across her lips. "... Hopefully."

Mokou though, she simply shook her head, stepping slowly towards that old, beat up truck, running a hand along the rear fendor. A hand reached across, tugging at her attire for a moment, a simple halter top wrapped about her and shorts girded about her as well. Reaching up and over the back of the truck, she gave a quiet heave, pulling herself up into the back. Took a moment longer than usual, an old broken suitcase, tied up with rope to create an impromptu backpack impeeding her for a moment. A peculiar piece, but it served her needs well enough. Not as worrysome as that long sheaf of stone-grey rested by her side, a handle protruding ever so slightly. That was a finicky piece if anythign. A gentle yip sounded though. Her ears perked, and she leaned over, hoisting up her companion for the day. Felix, the little fox curled about her, twisting and turning more akin to a cat than the vulpine it was. Ever underfoot, never there when you stepped though. A metalic coating covered the tiny vulpine's back though, something of a metalic box with a cross upon it. On the rare case tis of use after all... healing. A smirk and the lass shook her head scratching the tiny fox's ears as she gazed out. A familiar group. Strong, steady, reliable. "Phosphorus... Anbessa... Arris... Otto... Seems we've got a good set here. So only question I've got left is... When do we head out?"

Smithson keeps smiling when Otto mentions his truck. "Both the Promethians and Zephyr help me get the parts to keep it running, because no one wants to be without cheap ground transport, especially a truck with towing capability. As for Luna's message, it said her mother needed help, but sounded like she didn't have the time to say why, just that she needed everyone there after sundown otherwise her mother wouldn't be there..." He rolls his sholders to stretch, then ushers everyone into the truck. "Well, time to get going. I doubt Tahoe will wait for us."

The truck takes a few hours to make it to Tahoe, and Smithson slows down in a few spots to make sure he doesn't run into any ambushes. There are no problems getting to Tahoe, and about 20 minutes before sundown the group arrives at a wall of fog that signifies the edge of the Tahoe bubble.

The jackal spends his time in the truck seated at the back seat this time, his legs tucked in and his arms fidding with a piece of his armor. It was an interesting little thing, cylindrical in shape and covered in various sigils and runic symbols, each one inscribed into a turnable ring upon the cylinder's surface. The thing itself was seemingly comprised of brass or bronze, perhaps some sort of composite metal, and resembled a puzzle more than anything else. Well, that was one way to kill the time?

Leaning up against the person beside him, the jackal humms a quiet tune, one soft and melodious, reminiscent of the music of the 80s, like a jazz ballad... Aside from that, he remains quiet, his ears perked up on full alert. He yawns widely, and once his muzzle closes shut, there they were, at the edge of the fog. "Well, that's a familiar sight if I ever saw one." the jackal sighs as he climbs out the truck window and plants his feet firmly on the snow-covered ground, laser rifle now in his hands.

His nose twitches subtly in response to the odors wafting through the air, though it is his eyes that pierce the misty veil, detecting... something? It was BARELY able to be seen, but it sort of... kind of... Approaching the wall of fog, the jackal peers intently into the mist and blinks a few times. He takes a few steps back and readies himself, "Something's coming." the canine warns, a glance shot at his team before snapping back at the faint light he'd seen.

Phosphorus peers at the car a bit, nudging the seat slightly when she clambers in. She takes her pack off and sets it at her feet, pulling out a small box. Opening it up, she plucks a whetstone and some oils out, pulling a knife out of her vest. It seems she intends to start sharpening it, to pass the time. Can never be too prepared.

"Hey, Smithson -- if you're having trouble getting parts, have you ever considered getting an experienced earth nanomage over to reshape some metal for you? Sure they couldn't find any electrical components, but most of a car is metal, anyways...'

Anbessa mainly spent his time on the truck adjusting his bow string on his Onyx colored recurve bow, peek at this small note he keeps pulling out of his pocket, and watching his breaths turn into smoke in front of him. Brr, getting chilly now. He is lucky he wears bulky clothing beneath his armor, though he has to hope his allies can figure out something to keep toasty... In the meantime, all he can really do is rub people's backs who start to shiver, and offer a drink from his flask. Not exactly a strong drink, but really gets the energy flowing in those who try it out.

When they arrive, the human grunts as he hops off the truck and into the crunchy snow below, boots making quite the noticable prints. "So... That's the fog? Pretty damn thick, last time it was hardly a problem." Anbessa points out from his memory, humming momentarily before his attention is drawn back as Otto speaks. The human blinks, then reaches around to grasp the shaft of his Guisarme. "Can't see anythin' through that fog, m'self..." He mutters softly before refocusing on the fog with eyebrows furrowed.

As the truck drove to Tahoe, Arris would begin to shiver. Hir original scaled form wasn't well-suited for the colder tempuratures here, and sie thus shifts to a furred form - a tigress now sits in the back of the pickup truck. Unfortunately, hir thick pelt does little to actually protect from the cold - perhaps the change was cosmetic. Oh well.

When Anbessa's drink is offered to hir, Arris would give him a nod and a thank you, politely taking it and taking a light swig from it before passing it back to the human.

Arris sighs when sie sees the fog. "They couldn't have made it easy, huh?" Waiting for everyone to leave first, sie gets off the back of the pickup truck, swinging over the side. The tigress attempts to see through the fog, but with no such luck. Sie would then cup hir hands to hir muzzle and shout into the mist. Otto's mention of something approaching sets hir to be ready, the tigress holding hir rifle up at the wall of fog.

Mokou quietly cracked a smile as she heard Smithson go on about their truck, leaning her head agains the back of the truck wall, idly brushing and grooming Felix's headscruff. Twould be a long enough ride after all, no need to worry herself over the issue of conversation for now. Instead, she nestled up against the back corner of the vehicle, quietly shifting every so often as she sighed. That touch of warmth that played to her instincts, easing against her mind and crawling with its insideous fingers to those near... twas as a bother as always. She shook her head though, taking what little comfort could be gained from their pet from them. Twouldn't be long... Twouldn't be long...

As the hours rolled by, the little fennec found herself shifting and swaying behind in that truck, every few minuites seeking a new position, something that would feel less irritating, less bothersome. The wind pulled at her, sweeping past and pulling at her though, more than enough to try and sooth her.... yet twas a quiet tune that her ears caught every half-moment, snagging snippits and pieces of the song, something jazzy... Something snappy.

Finally though, the truck rolled up to a stop, the fennec lass and her vulpine companian all but leaping out from the back! The ground was cold and stiff beneath her feet, but it wasn't... metal. Wasn't sturdy and quietly bouncing for hours and hours... She shook her head, flicking those ears in time to that beat, stuck within her head. Hearing... Could she... No. Very little reached her from beyond that veil of fog, rolling down and upon them. Only Otto's quiet statement caught her ear, sending her turning, gazing into that misty white expanse. Beyond, nothing. The Nothingness Prevailed. Empty and blank... yet her hand fell to that metalic canister behind her waist, instinct and impulse guiding her. "I'll take your word for it..." Her little vulpine friend... Well, Felix seemed less worried with what may be behind the bank of fog, and more curious about this strange white fluff upon the ground. A scrath here, a sniff their... and then he dove in, rolling and lolling about. Snow! Beautiful precious snow! A quiet snip of Mokou's teeth though, and he stiffened up, sitting upright! Fun later... Attentiveness now.

Smithson turns off the truck and steps out into the thick snow. "I once heard Tahoe was good for skiing, but I've never been here before P-day. I guess they get hit harder in winter than Fairhaven?" As night starts to fall, a lanturn can be seen coming through the fog, and surprisingly the fog seems to part away. Holding the lanturn is a black rabbit woman, wearing a worn, thick red winter jacket and what looks like a long wollen white skirt. "Thank goodn..." She starts to say in a concerned voice, but then stops when she sees how heavilly armed the group is. "Right... sorry. Thank you for coming, I'l lead you to my home where you can meet my mother. The lanturn functions as a suppressor for the connection program... or as you call it, the Fog. Just stay within 20 feet of me and it can't effect you." She takes a glance at Anbessa before turning to lead the group.

The jackal tilts his head, and squints his eyes, his piercing gaze making out a silhouette amongst the mist. It was... "Luna." Otto mutters under his breath and holsters his weapon. She looked unarmed, and they had little reason to worry about her. After all, they were six, and she was one. Breathing a sigh of relief, the canine shivers lightly in the cold and rubs his hands together to warm up a bit, his glance wandering over to the rest. Looking at Felix play around in the snow, it was... oh stars, it was just so precious! He lets a faint chuckle part him as his glance wanders around the others, everyone at the ready for trouble, tense even.

"Oh, that's handy. Ah, apologies for the uh, armaments, it's just... when last we met, it was uh... difficult." Understatement of the year, much? Regardless, the jackal sighs softly and leans against the truck, preferring to follow after his team rather than take point, at least for now. "For what it's worth, nice to see you, Luna." he says warmly, well... as warmly as one can given the situation. Wishing he'd brought warmer clothing was pointless now, he'd have to soldier through with what he had, it seems. A shirt, a trenchcoat, and some slacks all overtop his armor. Well... on with the show? "Mind the fog, to those not familiar, it makes you see things... terrible things. I'd stay close to that lantern if I were you." he warns before following the others.

Phosphorus slips out of the truck fairly smoothly, her boots making a loud crunch in the snow. She doesn't feel cold -- not with layers of plate and fiber keeping out the elements -- but the fog keeps her on her toes and fairly alert. She tucks her whetstone and knife away, and pulls her rifle to the ready. The panda tugs the magazine out, makes sure it's loaded, then stuffs it back in and clicks the safety off. She does mean business, it seems.

The panda wipes off the faceplate of her helmet with a free hand, clearing the condensing fog off, squinting into the distance as she tries to gaze through the cloud. No such luck. She grumbles a bit, before taking her place next to the latern, dropping her stance a bit to be more stable, if she were to need to shoot something. "Tsk. I wonder if someone can start up an anti field, if the lantern were to fail."

Anbessa blinks as he hears snow being disturbed and, looking over, cannot help but chuckle a light bit at seeing the one rolling around in the snow. Adorable. Though he returns attention back forward as light begins to break through the wall of oppressive fog. Peering at it, the human tenses... Then, begins to relax as he sees a familiar figure stepping through with lantern in hand. The human blinks, then smiles as his hand returns to his side, visibly relaxing at seeing her. Though he does blink a bit as his eyes look down at her outfit, tensing up a bit and scratching behind his head. Feels like he brought an armory to a family gathering...

Though as she speaks, the human tilts his head a bit before nodding his head. Ain't long before he walks up to the rabbit woman. "Nice to see you again, Luna. Been a while!" Anbessa says with a small smile, boots crunching snow beneath his feet. Luckily his rather bulky attire did help him stave off the cold, plus whenever he got too chilly he'd just take a swig from that flask he has. Looking over to Phos, the human shrugs his shoulders. "Well, would be an option, but hope it doesn't come to that..." He says, shivering at Otto's explaination. Sounds bad... Soon enough letting his hands slip into his pockets as he looks to Luna once more, he tries to kick up some conversation to pass the time. "So... What's going on? Something bad happen?" Might as well speak casually with Luna. The best he can do for now, given she is wearing such casual clothing around people who are armed to the teeth.

Arris is quick to join in with the bunny, standing close to her as hir rifle has the safety turned on before being slung back over hir shoulder. "Thank g-goodness. How've you been, Luna? We last saw ea-each other... b-back at the cliffside, I think?" The tigress begins to shiver, teeth chattering as sie pulls hir cardigan tighter around hir body. "I h-hope the thing you're calling us f-for isn't to severe?"

Mokou gazed up from that blanket of snow and ice, Felix seeming to watch them for a moment before burrying his muzzle in the stuff. Goof. Her eyes though, they were set upon that faint light that began to shift through the fog. The lass leaned in, taking a half step forward as she tried to spy... A rabbit woman... Her brow furrowed, those ears of hers dipping back, the memory seeming to... sharpen. Luna! That was the rabbit. Yeah.... They were in the truck. The one truck with the... The one lass. The sniper place... Right! Right.. She shook her head, glancing back down to Felix to urge him onward. Unfortunantly, that medical box was being used as a strapping platform for him to burrow against, enjoying the simple pleasures of the fluffy white snow. "Felix!" A sharp yip, and again, upright! An ear flicked, snow falling away as it did so. "Come on." And so, they moved closer, the little fennec pulling them a bit nearer with her foot.

Back to Luna though, she looked up, offering a faint smile. They offered a chance to be here again, so must be of some manner of importance. "Certainly Luna. Thank you for... Well... letting us in." She neared a bit closer her hand falling from that metalic canister, and back towards Felix before he could duck off again. "Though, while we go, care to fill us in? All we know is that your mother was having issues... But not what or how." A shiver ran up her spine, the lass flicking her tail twice before... shaking her head, "Err... if... Y-you could." Nearer she drew, moving towars that lamp in turn...

Luna seems reasured that the group that came to her aid is becoming more relaxed, though she keeps sniffing at the air like a scent keeps catching her attention. She glances at Mokou for a second before answering questions: "I'd prefer if you keep your voices down, Carson doesn't know I've invited you. I convinced Carson to set another test of the program that creates the fog to cover your entrance, but I'd rather not take chances. My mother isn't taking her elixir, and it is causing her some strain in this world. I'm hoping meeting some new people will help cheer her up so she starts taking it again." It is at the end of the explanation that she arrives at a log cabin, a light shining from inside.

The jackal follows closely, his eyes peering about, ears tilting and swiveling in response to the various sounds around them. He keeps ready, but doesn't otherwise do anything to provoke anyone. Well aware of the lust in the area, the jackal was an uber fox himself, and had long since learned to deal with the effects. That, and having a SUCK unit very much helped keep his head in the game.

"So, you called us over to convince your mother to take her elixir?" he asks quietly, unsure if he should he skeptical or emphatic. "I mean, we could meet her, I suppose. See what can be done." His glance wanders over the rest of his team, an unspoken disbelief evident in his eyes as he keeps close to the lantern, at least until their arrival. The abode was lovely, at least so far as Otto could tell. He had a thing for neat and tidy small households, especially ones made of wood.

Peering over towards the black furred rabbit woman, Otto rubs his hands together, if only to get them warm, and clears his throat. "So... uh... I am not very good at the whole uh, being... convincing, thing. Maybe someone else should do the introductions and, well... handle most of the talking." his eyes glance around the rest of his team. "There's that, and also it'd be a good idea to know what to expect. I mean..." There could be an ambush in there, a nagging thought that plagued the back of Otto's mind, but he dared not say so, in the event that Luna was being honest. "...do we just go in and talk to her?"

Glancing at Arris, Phos peers about the nearby woods for a stick, or perhaps a small hunk of wood. "Arris, if you're cold -- if you can find a source of fuel, I can go ahead and start a fire for you." Normally, a heatpack or non-chemical handwarmer would be part of Phos' kit, but she stopped carrying them after she discovered she was partially cold-immune. Extra weight, after all. The panda doesn't notice the lust aura, nor seems to be affected by it. Control kits are a practically vital part of any field agent's loadout.

"Negotiation isn't exactly my strong suit, either, I think. I'm sure someone else can convince her to take her medicine, but... I think I can make small talk, if nothing else." She shakes her head. The panda seems to be getting stuck in lots of diplomatic roles lately -- not her natural environment, and certainly not one she performs too well in. But hostilities... those, she could take care of. Probably, at least. She could probably repel an ambush, too, if need be. A concern, but not an insurmountable one.

Anbessa couldn't help but chuckle as his attention returns back to Felix again. "Worse comes to worse, we could show our snow loving friend here to your mother, see if that might cheer her up." He notes jokingly, though hearing Luna's explaination, Anbessa hums a bit... "Well, when we get there I can probably put away my gear to look a bit more presentable. I'd turn into a rabbit, but my clothes wouldn't fit me for it..." The human seems to be debating options a bit, though as he speaks about turning into a rabbit, he does glance over to Luna to gauge reaction. If this mission is just a get well deal, visiting fully armored out will definitely cause problems. When they arrive at the cottage, Anbessa begins to remove his guisarme and bow n' quiver, though he does take a moment to speak over to Luna. "Think I can just put these down against the wall?" He seems a bit too trusting by this point... Either that or he has other ideas in mind. Hard to say... But soon enough he has his weapons put down, patting his hands together a bit before nodding to Luna. Looking to Otto, Anbessa shrugs his shoulders a bit. "Well, we should at least give it our best shot. Holiday season, gotta try to spread cheer."

Surprisingly, the human is even starting to unclasp some of his armor as well. Doesn't take him long at all before the human is left in just his hoodie, cargo pants and combat boots, his hands slipping into his hoodie pockets. Now he just looks like a regular ol' human... If it weren't for the silver colored eyes. "Better?" He asks Luna, now fully unarmed n' such. Hopefully will help with first impressions...

Arris nods at Luna's request to keep quiet, and huddles in a little closer with the rest of the group, trying to keep warm in the smattering of other agents. "Thanks for the offer, P-Phosporus, but I don't h-have anything burnable on me." Figuring that hir fur wasn't doing much to keep out the cold, sie shifts back to hir normal fishgator form and gives Phos a smile.

The gator seems to be a little on edge as the group makes their way to the wooden lodge, slowly drifting closer to Luna. Catching the bunny's attention, sie would motion to the cabin as sie spoke. "Hey, L-Luna, you don't ha-have a girlfriend in there or anything, r-" Sie catches hirself mid sentence. "Excuse m-me, I mean, you d-don't have a spare winter jacket in there or anything, right?"

Guh, what was causing hir to get horny and make Freudian slips all of a sudden? Sie remembers feeling a little more on edge back at the meeting point with Smithson. Arris looks amongst hir teammates, but is unable to determine the source of the lust aura.

Mokou eased along, keeping it a bit close towards Luna as they wandered further into the fog. She felt herself shiver briefly, eyes wandering to each of the company in turn as they neared. A faint flick traveled along the edge of her ear, a faint smile still trying to keep to her maw as she looked to the bunny lass. A slow breath, and a gentle nod. "Someone to speak to, to chat and sort of... be near and converse with. To sorta hold you together while you speak and just... Yeah." A slight smile fell from her lips, the little fennec glancing back down to her side, towards Felix as he quietly walked beside her, gently panting and seeming to grin. "I can... get having someone near for that." The little lass's tail quietly waved out behind her for a moment, a wince travling across her maw before she stilled it on an impulse. No... Need for that.

The little log cabin rose out from the dark of the fog, as much looming as presenting a picturesk cabin. A glowing light eminated from within, a radiance seeming to glower from beyond as she looked up to it. Her ears flicked as the others spoke, considering the issues of speaking, the ability to do so and the... inability. The door loomed up as an insurmountable obsticale, seeming to stand beyond the gates of hell. Inside was Luna's mother... one whom had passed off a mission to find and kill one of their own. Perhaps might be able to speak for them though... A wince crossed her maw, a few eerant thoughts running away with themselves for a moment, before she spoke. "If... I can speak with them if that's... that's alright. I... well... always glad to... speak." A hand fell to that stone-grey sheath, slowly pulling it and the canister away, setting it down. Naught a weapon visible to be seen... and a tentative smile offered. "Y- If you are alright with that. Though..." a mute smile rose. "Hopefully... will go better than the last conversation I had with someone not of this world..."

"You don't have to take your gear off, mother always deals with those things herself. And the fire is already going inside, should be plenty warm," Luna says, ignoring the question about a girlfriend. "She might get a bit too curious about your friend's supernatural aroma though, she's always worried about what the other gods are doing." Luna opens the door and walks inside, setting the lanturn down on a table. When everyone enters it is clear this is not a traditional log cabin, and is actually a timeshare home with all of the modern tools like an electric stove and a refrigerator. None of that is working of course, but what really sticks out is the multitude of chemistry equipment laid out on tables and countertops.

"Sorry for the mess, mother is trying to teach me alchemical principles..." Luna says, checking the fire in the fireplace and adding another chunk of wood to keep it going. She then lays out what looks like an incense oil lamp in the middle of the open floor. She lights the lamp with a matchstick before sitting down on the floor at one end of the room, directing: "Just sit and relax a bit, and close your eyes. Mother will be here shortly."

Otto peers around as the exchanges are made, a soft chuckle given once Anbessa tries to strut his um... stuff, by leaving his actual stuff behind. Not very smart considering the circumstances, so... "Huh?" his ears perk up once Mokou speaks up. The lass had a razor wit and a tongue to match its sharpness, given how well she'd roasted others in the past, but... was she? Was she really the one to do the speaking? Well... among the group? Yes. Hers were honeyed words when she wanted them, so... "Okay hon. That sounds good."

His attention is drawn to Arris and her slip of the tongue. Well, talk about blunt. He rolls his eyes and sighs as he removes his trenchcoat and stands behind the gator lass. "Here. You can have mine. I'm good with the cold, at least for now. We're heading in where it's warm, so feel free to hang it somewhere in there if it gets too warm for you." the jackal speaks softly as he places the large coat over the gator's shoulders, wrapping her up in his residual body heat, leaving the jackal with his shirt and slacks alone to keep him warm. Needless to say, he would immediately feel the cold gnawing at his body.

Once inside, the jackal peers about the room, his eyes wide and his hand firmly placed on the extraplanar burning blade he'd been hammering at for the past few weeks. He didn't like this... mystical hokus pokus. The supernatural were never his forte, and this had ooga booga occult bullshit written all over it. Glancing at Luna, he could only try to guess what she was, some sort of witch? A demon or some kind? What were they walking into?! Okay, brave face... Stand up straight, show no fear.

Glancing about the others, Otto meets Phos' glance for a moment, a small smile sent her way before they were instructed to sit and relax. Yes... sit, become prone, and relax while resting in the den of... something... Otto follows the instructions, sitting upon a cozy enough spot in the lotus position, awaiting the inevitable moment when the shit duth strike the fan.

Anbessa blinks as he hears Luna, the human staring at her for a moment before people can notice Anbessa blushing a bit and stopping his unclasping of his armor. "E-err... Right." He seems a bit dazed now, as if he is catching up on his thoughts. Following Luna in, the blushing human coughs a little as he tries to regain his thoughts. Awareness returns a bit more to Anbessa as he hears something about an aroma. "Supernatural aroma? You can smell that?" He seems a bit caught off guard about that information, watching Luna retrieve the oil lamp with his hand scratching behind his head once more. "Uh... Sure, I feel like I need to clear my head anyway..." Finding his way over towards a spot on the floor nearby Luna, Anbessa crosses his legs underneath him with a bit of effort. Hard to do it with body armor on... But soon enough he is sitting comfortably, sighing and gazing about at the others. Something else feels off... His thoughts aren't normally this damn foggy... Did he get his SUCK unit back from his friend? A quick pat on his pocket before Anbessa begins to nibble his lip with a soft, muttered 'dammit...' before shaking his head and sighing. Best he can do is try to keep an even head. As much as he can, anyway...

Getting in and out of this much armor is tiring, time consuming, and not why she's here. Phosphorus elects to stay fully armed up, through lets her rifle drop over to her side, straps supporting it in the absence of hands. She takes a few moments to survey the cabin, taking in the sights, then proceeding to tug her canteen out of her backpack and stick a straw in it, attaching it to a port to sip through it. One of the rather frustrating parts of a full combat hazard suit. She leans against a wall to wait, tapping her fingers against her thigh holster. All she can do... is wait.

"If we go back out, Arris, if you can find a stick or a bit of wood or whatever, I think I can manage it to catch fire. If not... well, I can sustain a fire for a fairly long time, but it'll be draining, I think. But I don't think it's frostbite-inducing levels of cold, yet. Hopefully."

"O-Oh! Thanks, Otto. Y-You sure you don't need th-this?" Arris pulls hir arms through the sleeves of the jacket, and it quickly proves to be multiple sizes too big, prompting the gator to lift the coattails of the jacket to prevent it from dragging along the floor.

Once inside, sie lets out a breath of air, relieved with the burst of warmth. "Thanks, Phos, but I don't think I'll be needing much more, then." Sie then directs hir attention to Luna again. "Alchemical principles, you say?" At Luna's mention of dated chemistry concepts, Arris begins racking hir head, trying to figure out what on Earth the bunny was referring to, but to no avail. But, sie does follow Luna's instruction and sits on the floor opposite to Luna as hir gun is set down on the floor. "I... hope you don't mind me bringing my rifle in here? It's on safety, hornes-I mean, honest, excuse me."

Mokou slowly stepped inside that warm cabin, slowly sighing as that gentle warmth seemed to seep into her bones, cutting through her fur and that chill with ease. Not enough that it was a problem, but the cold had begun to stir her. But the warmth? She almost purred for a moment, Felix wrapping about her legs, seeming to smile at the sense of comfort. They were settling into the den of a being in support to people whom not months ago had wanted to kill them... yet here she was setting about and quietly falling to the side of the cabin with a small sigh. It was well set, and well made, yet it still felt... tense. Not from the introduction that Luna gave. Goodness, the little fennec shot a warm smile back to them, thankful they had been so kind to it in such a way... Before swallowing sharply, shaking her head. Ears twitched and her smile faded. They... knew. Her tail curled up about her waist, the lass slowly letting her hands fall and grip it as though a protective blanket. A pause... and a sigh. Nothing... to do with it save... Save breath and move on. "W-well... Thank you for the... heads up."

The small fennec lass gently shut her eyes for a moment, letting Felix leap up and curl about in her lap. A hand slowly fell to their back, gently brushing that fur as she leaned back. Her ears twitched in turn, seeming to catch something... else. She opened her eyes, glancing back about to their company. Anbessa settling over in the corner, trying to relax and breath in the corner... her mate tense as a board and stiff as one too... She shook her head, shifting faintly towards them. A hand was raised, falling upon his shoulder. Enough to note, enough to let them know. She lifted their chin, looking back into those golden eyes of his with naught but a small smile. Words could not express the infinte well of detail and intimate care that was expressed in but a single glance. Hope. Patience. Comfort. And above all else... a simple desire to be. To let them relax and... ease. Both for him and for her. A touch of tension held in her hand as she shifted back, gently leaning her head agaisnt the wall. "Relax... Right... Relax..." A faint sigh fell from her lips, that little vulpine proving something for them to quietly pet, to calmly brush and offer... "Their mother will be here shortly... Alright..." Her expression was... one of comfort, yet a hold of tension held deep within as she... breathed. Relax. Relax... Relax...

The smell of incense starts to fill the room, Luna closing her eyes once everyone is sitting. Even for those not relaxed, a sense of movement takes hold once everyone closes their eyes, even for a moment. "You can open your eyes now, we arrived at mother's house."The cabin everyone was just in is replaced with some cozy country cottage smelling of fresh brewed tea, but with similar chemestry sets all over the place. Everyone's clothes and equipment have been replaced with traditional chinese dresses and robes, each with a small black rabbit printed on the front. An elderly-looking rabbit woman, with fur as black as coal and large, floppy ears is standing next to the stove, tending to a fresh pot of brewing tea. "Thank you dear for bringing me such colorful guests. Didn't expect this many foxes in a rabbit's den though!" The elder woman chuckles. Luna then gets up to help the elder woman with the tea. "I hope you didn't use the good honey..." "Of course not, dear. They haven't passed the trial like you did, but that's for some other time. Now pass out the cups, the tea is ready."

The jackal fiddles with the hilt of his supernaturally infused blade, his hand gripping it firmly as he tries in vain to relax. Deep breaths, Otto... take it slow, take it easy... you've done this before, you've trained to be calm under fi-"Gah!" he flinches, glance snapping onto Mokou, blade half-unsheathed as she peers into his eyes, her hand still on his shoulder. The jackal breathes a sigh of relief and re-hilts his weapon, his eyes closing for a moment as the air escapes his lungs.

She was there, at his side with a warm smile and a hopeful look, her mocha eyes a window into her soul, a glimmer of light shining through the radiant fortress that defined her, ever-living, ever-struggling and ever-triumphant. She was there as much for him as he was for her, the soft touch upon the jackal's shoulder serving as a wordless reminder, that no matter what may happen, they'd have each other's backs.

Casting her a thankful glance and a smile of his own, Otto places his hand upon hers and gives it a squeeze, before leaving her to move off somewhere she could relax on her own. He felt... well, not relaxed by any means, but at the very least a tad less on-edge. Nose twitching in response to the odors of incense, the jackal tries his hardest to let his thoughts wander as they were asked, though it seems that it was quite unnecessary. He'd need only open his eyes and...

"What... the hell?" his inner voice becomes the outer. A glance here, a squint there, a peek through the win- "Is that the Earth?!" he exclaims loudly, then covers his muzzle with both paws and snaps his glance onto the eldest bunny in the room. Had he spoken out of turn? "Ah... apologies. Uh, these things are... alien to me." a sigh, soft... gentle and slow while the words restructure themselves. "Good..." another glance out the window. Who knows what time it is. "...day, madam. It is... a delight, to meet you. My name is Otto." Foxes? What foxes? This perplexed the canine, what did she mean by that?

Phosphorus is... not pleased in the slightest when she sees her gear has been replaced during the transition. In fact, 'not pleased' might be a bit of an understatement. She immediately looks for a piece of metal, or a stick, or something -- ironically, being teleported into a cozy cottage and having incense placed around her has made her more anxious. So, she immediately wants a knife, her stance stiffened, eyes rather wide. She glances about, peers out the window, and, well... drawing upon the Apollo 11 footage she's seen... "The fuck!? What... what... no. Nope. I'm out. Get me out of here, please. I did not sign up for this." The panda glances at the door, then decides that pushing open the barrier into the moon's thin atmosphere is not the best choice. If her conjuration nanomagic worked, at this point, she'd have a knife in her hands. "Give me my stuff back, too."

Anbessa breathes lightly to try to keep himself calm, trying to keep his thoughts even once more. Breathe in... Breathe out. Whew... Just in time to hear Luna say they can open their eyes. A sigh escapes him as he opens his eyes... Only to see unfamiliar walls. Blinking, the human looks around in confusion before he spots the elder bunny in front of a stove. Did they enter another land? Looking down at himself to see the cozy outfit covering him, Anbessa tugs gently at the fabric of his shirt before humming and nodding. "Feels like when we went into the other plane to meet Ixchel..." Anbessa mutters before he looks around in curiosity.

Seeing Luna and the elderly bunny, he cannot help but nibble his lip. Maybe he should have turned into a rabbit for this mission. Probably would've fitted right in. Listening to Luna and her mother talk, Anbessa slowly tries to stand up, stretching his arms a little bit. Had to admit, feels nice to be in such cozy clothing... Though the others seem to really, really be taking this not too well. Especially the one now with a knife in their hand as Anbessa blinks in wide eyed surprise. How the hell'd they...?

Once Arris opens hir eyes, sie would glance down to hir new attire, already feeling a change. "Oh! These... dresses are pretty nice." Sie would run a hand along the clothing's surface - luxuriously silky. The gator then takes a glance at hir new surroundings, and hir gaze eventually spots the elderly bunny preparing tea. "Oh, I take it this is your mother, Luna? She looks very lovely." Sie gives the bunny a warm smile, doing hir absolute best to ignore the heat that continued to fill hir senses. If there was ever a time to not be horny, now was DEFINATELY one of those times.

The peaceful scenery would help to soothe the mind clouded with lust, though the sight of Phosporus going a little nuts and conjuring up a knife does upset hir a little. "Phos, let's not get rowdy here."

Mokou felt as much as smelt that change in aroma. When so often attuned to what the world felt and sensed... Something as simple as the air softening, a scent introduce attempting to soften and ease the air... The fennec lass opened her eyes to a scene out of an old asian theater. The dress wrapped about her a gentle white and red piece, a touch of bows girded about her waist. She blinked once. Twice. Thrice as she looked over the scene before her. Her mate in a silken thing, the others in similar dresses and robes, girded as though from a movie. She lifted herself from her sitting position, hands falling to the sides of her as she looked out, almost missing that comfortable weight upon her back. A window... and a world away. An ear twitched. A memory surfaced. Lines were drawn and considerations made.

The fennec turned, gazing back to the large black rabbit, slight increduluity in her eyes. The quiet flick of her tail, the almost whimper in the back of her throat... Goodness. She shook her head as she looked up to the rabbit, a slight chuckle falling from her lips. Gods... why did it have to be her? "My my my... Tsuki no Usagi, as I live and breath." A half step forward, the lass careful to avoid stepping upon Felix below. A slow shake of her head, the fennec bowing for a half moment to them. . "Color me... surprised. I suppose though... should expect something like this." She shook her head, a faint chuckle finding its way from deep within. Confusion, Uncertainty, Irritation and the ever present Desire... They plagued her as she tried to find the words. But Tsuki no Usagi... The Moon Rabbit's words... they drew that much of a chuckle from her. "No... I doubt we have done anything so... deserving for your good tea. My my... Evening though. My name is... Mokou."

The elderly bunny replies to Phosphorus's concerns with a chuckle and a warm smile. "No worries. You are still sitting in my daughter's house with all your weapons, armor and tiny machines. This is more of a... halfway point for your mind so we can have a pleasant chat. Tea?" She holds out a freshly poured cup for Phosphorus, then turns to Mokou with a nonchalant wave of her hand. "No need for formalities right now, call me YuLives" before the elder rabbit sticks a second cup into Mokou's hands. Luna passes out the other cups, looking a bit embarrassed. "Mother, I brought these people here for..." Yue then interrupts her "...to cheer me up? Dear, it's those friends of yours that make me weary for your world. You need better frinds, like that boy you have a crush on over there." Yue then points right at Anbessa.

Phosphorus squints, suspicious. It's almost like... well, it's a bit like the panda doesn't entirely believe the lapine. She squeezes the knife a bit tighter -- if she had skin, they would be nearly white. She starts to reach upon counter nanomagic -- if Luna was some other form to establish the link, hopefully that'd dispel it, and prove the rabbit to be speaking truth, but... "A little warning would've been nice. Or an explanation. I don't... I don't appreciate surprises. And this isn't exactly a present." Phos glances at the other agents, ready to react if any of them gets any... ideas. Not a very trusting panda, that.

The jackal accepts his tea cup and listens closely at the words exchanged. He blinks a few times and casts a bewildered glance at Mokou. Seems she was more informed than he gave her credit for. The jackal was a simple canine. He made weapons and armor, but matters of the supernatural? T'was where he paled, and t'was where his lass excelled, evidently. The words that follow are... less than flattering, though once Anbessa was put on the spot, the jackal casts his companion a grin, a sly one at that. HA!

Rising from his position, the canine takes a few moments to admire his surroundings, and his new wardrobe. "I like the duds." he comments softly as he feels up the immaculate fabric. It seemed to fit him like a glove, a loose one, but a glove nonetheless. So... matter at hand? Straight to business? No. He was not in a favorable position right now, his words were... not necessary currently. Instead, he takes a sup from his tea and rewinds the words he'd heard. Something something something... wait. His eyes go wide and he peers down at his cup, moments after he reflexively swallows the sip of tea.

It was divine, in every way imaginable, perfectly sweet, with a soft flavor that sang sweet songs to his tastebuds, relaxing the body and mind as it went down... but... "Pa-pardon, trials? What... trials?" he asks of Luna, his glance darting towards the one called Yue, before snapping onto Phosphorus. He sighs softly and moves up towards the panda "Come on, Phos. I think we're good, here. Well, for now. I am keeping an eye out too, but..." he scratches himself behind the head "...yeah, this was really sudden, wasn't it? Just, just put the knife down, come sit with me if you'd like. I get the feeling that if they wanted us dead, we'd already be that way."

Anbessa gulps a bit as he glances between Phos and the elderly bunny, though he quickly calms back down as he notices the elder's calm demeanor in response. He still looks a tad tense, though being handed warm tea, Anbessa's attention finally is drawn to something else as he looks into the cup... Then takes a gentle sip. After that he quickly starts to smile and drink a bit more, pausing to give thanks. Listening to the others speaking, he watches the fennec speak up and give a name to the elderly bunny. Certainly doesn't ring a bell, though he doesn't know much about gods outside of Ixchel, and he is still learning that slowly. Though he does let his attention go back and forth between sips of tea, he pays attention just in time to hear Yue respond about Luna's friends... And a finger pointed at him. Takes a second or two to register what is said before he blinks and his face turns noticably pinkier than it was before. Sure does stand out given how pale skinned he is!

Takes him a strong bit of will to not start coughing up the tea he just drank, resting the back of his hand against his lips to stifle it. Glancing between Yue and Luna, he quickly tries to regain his composure. "S-so... Luna's friends?" That blush he got is probably going to stick for a bit, though he is seemingly trying to keep a level head. "The Tahoe?" Though he does keep glancing over to Phos and Otto periodically, with a somewhat worried look in his eyes. Best is to just hope Otto can keep her calm.

Arris gives Luna a polite nod and a smile as sie is passed a cup of tea, taking a quiet sip. Gentle and sweet - very nice on the tongue. "Ahh. It's a pleasure to meet you then, Yue. My name is Arris." Hir second sip of the soothing tea is interrupted by the mention of Luna's crush on Anbessa. Sie pauses and catches hirself mid-drink. In the moment, the temptation of doing a spit take was heavy, but sie wouldn't: it would be very impolite to do so, especially when meeting someone's mother. Raising an eyebrow, sie would glance around the room to gauge hir squadmates' reactions, but hir eyes would just drift back between Anbessa and Luna.

"...a crush between the Tahoe people and Zephyr. Kind of like Romeo and Juliet, but only tangentially." The gator finishes hir statement with another sip of tea.

Mokou inclined her head for but a moment, ears flicking in time to... Yue's words. A pleasant chat... A slight chuckle fell from her lips on impulse as she moved back, sitting down with that simple cup of tea. Cup of tea... Hah. Hardly simple. Her eyes gazed down into that light brew, listening for a moment. Chiding, like a mother to a daughter more than a veritable god to a mortal. Of course... given the resemblence, the difference might be less than expected. The lass shook her head, quietly sipping her drink, a quiet smile playing across her lips as she glanced between the lot of them. That quiet warmth that followed her, she tried to swallow and simply... let it ease and relax.

Her gaze fell back to the panda of their team, a quiet shake of her head given before she offered a hand back. "Phosphorus... Listen to me. Put your knife away and just... come on over here. Stabbing people here would do little good, and what would it even acomplish?" A sad smile caressed her face as she shook herself, turning back. "Take it from me. Offending a god like creature... it is the last thing you want." Her hand fell to that little vulpine to her side, brushing the top of their scalp before sipping her tea. Perfect~ "Mhmm... So Yue, if you don't mind... What, ah... brings you here? Or, brings you to bring us here to bring back?" A small smile and a nod back to the other, "Or... just a bit of fun from a friend?~"

Yue sets the tea pot back on her stove while Luna excuses herself to another room out of embarassment. "Sorry about the surprise then," Yue speaks to Phosphorus. Then she replies to Otto: "Luna is effectively my adopted daughter. She stumbled opon my connection to your world, and in passing my test of character she was given tea made from the divine ambrosia, honey that makes one unaging. Due to the nature of her friend's powers, her connection to them was severed and in turn she became connected to me." Yue then starts brewing a second pot of tea. "There are no more gods that need my services anymore, so much like the aging world I have no more need of staving off the machinations of time. Luna has been a star in the night beyond my domain, but I fear if she continues with her friends that light will go out. And so much like my daughter Luna has requested you to help me, I ask that you help her."

Phosphorus glares at Otto for a few seconds, lowering her blade a bit, shaking her head, and sticking her knife away. She paces back and forth for a few seconds, then makes a small growling noise at the pot of tea. In a way, she sort of agreed with Mokou -- a deity would surely have them dead, since they had the drop on them. On the other hand, everything works for a reason, and no magic remains magic once subjected to sufficient scrutiny. Also on the other hand -- she wouldn't down without fighting tooth and nail. These may make her a bit hollywood atheist, in a way, but she remains committed to the fact that these "god's" power can be revealed, given time and science. She sticks her knife in the tie of the chengsam, adjusting the sleeves a bit, stalking off towards the side of the room. She's not pleased.

The jackal hears naught but gobbledygook, for the most part. Divine honey that makes you unaging, what? Wh-ha-b... he sighs softly and closes his eyes for a few moments. Occult hokum, definitely not Otto's forte. He casts a glance at his mate, hopeful she understood things more than he did. Seems Mokou was in her element here, something for which Otto was thankful. Still, this didn't bar him from asking for more answers, correct?

Maybe... maybe... The jackal takes another sip of his tea and clears his throat, "Help her, how? I mean, we did come here to help her, but... her concerns are for you from what I understand... buuuuut I am but a mere mortal, my mind is likely unable to fully grasp the situation at hand, so... well, by all means. If we can be of service to you both, all the better, I suppose." he pauses to enjoy another sip of green tea before settling down crosslegged in his previous spot.

Deep breath, shake away the anxiety and simply accept the situation as is. They were called upon to aid a powerful mythos, and this much Otto was willing to do. "What is it we can do to assist Luna, and in doing so you as well?" Otto asks, his tone even and tranquil, soft as honey, soothing and deep, akin to a soothing purr. His brow rises lightly as he processes a few more of her words "You are concerned that those she's befriended are... a bad influence? Do you mean us?"

Anbessa frowns a bit as Luna leaves the room, sighing and looking back to Yue as she speaks. By the end of it the human is rubbing at his chin a bit. "So... What would you like us to do? Get her away from the Tahoe?" He asks curiously, one hand trying to slip into a pocket instinctually... If his current attire has pockets at all. "We could probably help her get back to Fairhaven, she'd be safe from the Tahoe there." Glancing about between the others as he speaks. "Though... Yue, I could speak to Ixchel when we return, if you'd like. Maybe something could be worked out between you and Ixchel?" He offers as much as he can, though at the moment it is a bit of a stretch... Still, wouldn't hurt to try to extend his hand to help as much as he could. He has a lot of free time nowadays, outside of his settlement, and maybe he could see if Ixchel could try something...?

"Otto, she's talking about the Tahoe people... alright, what do you call someone who's from Tahoe, anyway? A person from New York is a New Yorker, but..." Arris shakes hir head, distracted. "So, to summarize, Luna used to be a Tahoe person, before finding you, and now she's an odd case of an individual who aligns themself with... I forget were they a hivemind, or something else?" The gator shakes hir head again. Seems the tea has taken hir mind off of hir heat. "Well, uh, regardless, I'd be more than happy to assist with whatever you'd like. I assume you want Luna away from the... tahoe-rs?"

Mokou quietly gazed back up to Yue as Luna stepped out, a quiet smile upon her lips. Set in a place and in a world unlike their own, given stories and situations that were only recoreded in the oldest of fairy tales... Yet now were standing before her. And asking of them... To help their daughter. Friend. Companion. Luna. The Rabbit of the Moon must have a moon to be. So the stories told. Once a Moon seperated from the stars, it was drawn close and made to age and wax and wane. Living and dying every month... The little fennc sipped at her tea, shaking her head. "If I am... correct in assuming then... I remember the first time I met your Luna. Back of a truck, hiding from the Tahoe. I take it that they do not so much want to part with them... If I am not mistaken." Her gaze lowered, looking towards that fox in her lap, gently setting her cup by their head. "I... do not like them. Idenity is precious... even if it changes daily, and moves with the tides. But... I presume much. You wish us to help her, and she... you." A faint smile rose. "We are here... and willing to try and help. What can... we do?"

"Ixchel, Ixchel... Ah, yes. One of the goddesses that originated in what is now known as the Central Americas." Yue thinks on everyone's questions and concerns. "She doesn't know that I know, but Luna is going to give you a device modern people call a 'hard drive' that has info on all of her Tahoe friends in exchange for you helping her with me." She then turns to pour herself a cup of tea from the second pot. "I want you to..."

Yue drops her teacup with a scared look on her face, the cup shattering as it hit the floor. "WAKE UP! WAKE UP NOW!" Luna runs back into the room just as the cottage around them falls away into nothingness, everyone opening their eyes to find themselves back in Luna's cabin... and surrounded by the Children of Tahoe in full soldier gear and their solar weapons.