Nalom

[voltage]

Phill was having troubled with his tail as the pain was coming back into him and causing him to walk slightly slower which seemed good since that meant he wouldn't bump into anything like rain just did. He nodded at rain's question about his tail. He was almost tripped by the tail before gaining his footing.

 

Phill chuckled at rain teasing david and he gave the other kitsune a playful push before rubbing his ears. "You are in a cheerful mood, you feeling okay?" He was in a slightly playful mood himself though the pain was keeping him from becoming really playful. His tail swayed behind him as he looked at the brothel in front of them. "I agree, we may as well check it out if this is where we need to meet. I guess it makes sense he wouldn't want the card that anyone could drop or find leading right to his house."

[padfoot]

David looked back down at the card and back up to the building. This had to be the place. He wasn't surprised that the man they met drinking himself senseless the day before would live above such a shady place. David didn't say anything, just walked towards the door and went inside.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Skinner sprinted down the street towards his apartment. He was late. Of course he was late. Skinner ran on his own time and it rarely synchronized with the real world. He didn't have a doubt that the trio he met the night before were already at Joann's. his lanky legs pumped against the pavement.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Bec thought for a moment then shook his head, "No, I don't think I want that again". He was silent for a few moments, keeping his eyes on the mask on Dauoa's lap. He really didn't feel like experiencing what he saw in the woods several days ago. After a while, Bec finally spoke again, "You know they are looking for a killer, right? Some character called The Mincer" Bec looked Dauoa in the eye, "Is that you?"

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Inside the building was not a brothel but some kind of themed bar. The interior was dark and hazy with smoke. Groups of people sat around circular tables with tall glass pillars in the middle. They were sucking on hoses and exhaling thick plumes of greenish smoke. The first thing that came to mind was a hookah bar. David glanced around and saw a bar on the other end of the room. He made his way towards it and was greeted by the man behind the counter. After a short exchange, David showed him the card Skinner gave them and he nodded,

"Oh yeah, that guy. He lives upstairs. Well, whenever he's there. Every time I go to collect his late rent he is no where to be found. You might want to look- oh wait, there he is" the man pointed to the front door just as a tall man entered.

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Skinner doubled over and panted, winded from the run here. If he was thinking clearer, he could have gotten here much faster. Oh well, exercise was good for the heart...or something like that. He looked up and spotted the three talking to his landlord. he thought as he crossed the room with a fake smile. The man crossed his arms and started to say something "Oh can it. I'll have your money. You know I don't get paid till the end of the week." Skinner interjected before the man could get a word out. He looked at the three men and motioned for them to follow him to the back. He lead them up a flight of stairs to a short hallway with a door on each side. Skinner walked up to the left door and inserted a key. A quick pulse of purple energy crackled across the wooden surface before the lock clicked open. He opened the door and lead them inside.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

David stepped into the room and looked around in awe. The dimensions did not match the building's exterior. There was a window overlooking a green lawn to his right, a wall that should lead to the hallway there were just standing in. The sounds of chatter and the smell of smoke were also left behind. The ceilings were so tall they would have surpassed that of the actual bar's roof. Skinner hung up his coat and walked into the living room ahead of them, "This way folks, This won't take long and you'll be on your way to save to world or whatever" he said with a scoff.

 

Skinner kicked a short filing cabinet with the toe of his boot and it began to rise into the air, sliding up the wall silently. Actually, the wall was sliding upwards as well, revealing a cluttered room with shelves and desks covering every wall of the hexagonal room. In the center was a table set and knee height. Skinner stepped into the room and looked at the three men in the doorway of his workshop. He pointed to each of them and mouthed a few words. Finally, he landed on Rain, "You. You're first. Sit there and we can start" He said. The man turned around and started pawing through papers and tools, obviously searching for something within the clutter.

[Acornia]

Dauõa's heart fell a little but figured it was for the best that he didnt transform. Even though he did want to share all of it with her she seemed a little leery of seeing it again.

 

"You know they are looking for a killer, right? Some character called The Mincer" the room got quiet after her question as he thought on this peice of Information.

 

 

"Is that you?"

 

Taking a sigh he dropped to the group crossing his legs to sit indian style.

 

"Probably, i need to eat every couple of days. Sometimes though just the smell of blood will make me lose it if I havent eatten in a little bite. I cant help it, so usually I try to stick to people who I know the world could do without."

 

Placing his hands in his lap he started to ring his fingers together with nerves.

 

"My last meal was a guy trying to rape a woman." He was afraid to tell her that the woman had also died to, but if bec didnt bring her up then he wouldnt say anything. That whole incident had proven his lack of control.

 

"And I'll probably eat tonight."

 

--------

 

"David where the hell did you lead us." Rain asked with scepticism at the authenticity of this building. Their was no way this place could be his home, it consisted of a bunch of people sitting and smoking from tubes.

 

Following david over to a bar like counter he listened to the conversation between david and the bar tender. A very winded man came in, the same one from the dar that got the best of david a day ago.

 

Shrugging his shoulders he followed david and phill who followed the guy. Once in his room rain stood off to the side watching as a cabinet and wall moved up.

 

Wow this place is odd and kinda cool

 

"You. You're first. Sit there and we can start"

 

Rains head whipped around to look at him and a chair.

 

"Start what, you know I dont know why im trusting you. You seem kinda crazy." But that didnt stop rain from taking a seat in the chair.

 

"Well here we go, inconsistent leader maybe getting fried." A smile played across his face. Today was not his day. Still bubbly feeling and that could be dangerous.

 

[voltage]

Phill was not sure how to react. He looked around the dark, themed bar before the guy came into the bar behind them. He followed them up the stairs his tail swaying slowly. He was biting his lip slightly from the pain. Phill tilted his head at rain's mood curiously before looking at the magic guy. "You better not get fried, i am still unsure about this but it is one of our only leads."

[padfoot]

Skinner waved his hand and a short stool on wheels shot from across the room and hit him in the back of the knees. He sat down and pushed off the ground with his feet, shooting him backwards and rolling to a stop in front of the man sitting on the table. He had a leather bag and a leather bound notebook resting in his lap. He set the bag on the table next to Rain and snapped it open. He waved a pencil to Rain, "Strip down to your underware" he commanded as he flipped through his notes to a blank page. Skinner put on a pair of reading glasses and started pulling out medical instruments from his bag. He started with a simple tongue depressor and looked at Rain again, "open up" he said.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

David watched from the doorway of the workshop as Rain sat on the examining table as Skinner gathered supplies and tools from around the shelves and desks before rolling back to Rain on the table. He asked him to strip down and then asked him to open his mouth. Skinner finally had enough of the man's silence. "Ok ok ok. What the hell is going on? I though you said you had a job for us?" he spoke up from across the room.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Skinner looked up from his patient with confusion when the man in the hat spoke. "Huh? Oh yeah. I'm cataloging the different species in the Nalom." he said, the tongue depressor ignited in his hands and burned to ash in a second, "If you guys are something I have never seen before, you get paid. If you are something I've seen before but I learn something new, you get paid. If you're just a average species that I've seen wandering around the city, you get kicked out of my house with nothing." He picked up a retinascope and shone the light into Rain's eyes. He peered through the scope and focused the beam of light on his retina. He saw evidence that he had good low light vision which was unsurprising. He used the same tool to look into his large ears. While he looked around in Rain's ear, he spoke up again, "So you guys are here to try to stop the Grey Plague? he asked with a scoff.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Bec crossed his arms and changed. Bec was now a petite woman with blond hair cut into a pixie cut. Her eyes were clear blue and her skin was tanned by the sun. She wore a yellow sundress and a pair of simple white flats. The necklace Dauoa gave her dangled from around her neck. She didn't seem to notice as her face furrowed with anger. She was beginning to see a side of Dauoa that she didn't know of. She didn't like it, "What the hell?!? You don't get to make that decision about anyone!" she said, anger apparent in her voice, "I don't care if who you eat murdered children! If you murder and eat someone, you're just as bad. Especially if you think you can just justify what you do like that" She rose from her place on the bed and started for the door. When she reached it she turned the handle and slammed the door behind her.

[voltage]

Phill kept his eyes on skinner as he rolled around gathering tools as well as a notebook he put in his lap. He tilted his head as skinner told rain to strip, just as he was going to ask him about the job david did. He listened to the answer and tilted his head. As far as he knew he was just a storm kitsune which was rare considering that they were hunted once they got nine tails because their fur on their tails and ears become bright gold, sometimes even before that because their fur is resistant to electricity.

 

Phill was unsure how to react to skinner but decided they may as well try to get something. "We want to learn as much as we can, we want to try and find a way to put an end to the plague so that nalom can survive. We know it will notbe easy but we must try."

[Acornia]

After listening to skinner's explanation, he figured to get the most amount of information then he would have to comply a little bit.

 

Standing back up he reached down to the hem of his shirt, pulling it up over his head he handed it to phill. Bending at the waist slightly as he slide his pants off he stepped out and pssed them over also beforw taking his seat again.

 

"So tell me what tou know about the grey and I'll answer any questions you may have on kitsune's and the different breeds." A shiver ran up his spin as the cold metal touched his skin.

 

He didn't know if skinner waa listening as he was instructed to open his mouth but he complied anyway. Opening his mouth he let the small wooded stick be placed on his tongue holding it down so the inside of his mouth could be seen.

 

Letting out a deep breath he glanced at the other two, hoping that they would ask the questions as his mouth was preoccupied.

 

 

-------

 

 

Dauoa watched as the large bull transformed into a smaller figure, a woman with tan skin and blond hair stood in its place. A look of anger passing by and seeping into her voice as she yelled at him.

 

 

"What the hell?!? You don't get to make that decision about anyone!" She paused only long enough to take a breath before she plowed on. But it was enough to crack the trust she had gained. Uncertainty and fear seemed in as she only grow angrier.

 

 

"I don't care if who you eat murdered children! If you murder and eat someone, you're just as bad. Especially if you think you can just justify what you do like that" and in a flurry of blurred colors from the tears in his eyes she was gone. The slamming of the door the only rwminder of how alone he was now and in life.

 

This was why he didnt tell people, it was safer for him if they didnt know. He had to eat people in order to survive and he had put his faith in bec that she wpuld understand that, but she didn't and dauõa didnt know if she would turn on him completely.

 

But his heart hurt to much, it felt like it was breaking, or being stabbed with a knife.

 

"Why" he whispered as he fell to the floor, accompanied by his tears and broken sobs.

 

"Why, it hurts bec. Why"

 

 

Dauoa spent a couple more minutes on the floor before he stood and whipped his eyes. He could leave, and it would probably be best. But what he had with the group, he didnt want to leave.

 

And maybe he wouldnt have to it he hunted bec down and exlpained it to her. Maybe she just.......

 

Dauõa took a deep breath catching the scents in the room. He picked up the sweet smeel of honey and melons that was phill and the spicy candy that was rains. David smelled of the earth and rain, but the newest smell was a odd smell. It reminded him of dust and antique's, attics and old priceless items.

 

Following the smell dauoa raced down the steps after bec. Making it to the bottom floor he stoped to look out the front door. Taking a deep breath he was ready to try again with bec.

 

 

[padfoot]

Skinner sat back and looked the man on the table over. Large ears, two tails, ellipsoidal pupils. He knew he recognized them, they were kitsunes! Skinner would have slapped himself in the forehead but that would have been unprofessional. He couldn't remember in the bar for some reason. Probably because he was drunk. He rolled back across the floor and stopped in front of a locked bookcase. He passed his hand over it and the lock sprung open. He passed his finger over the spines of the books until he found the one he was looking for. On the cover was a single gold letter K followed by the number two He sat back down and rolled back across the floor. As he traveled back to the table, he flipped through the pages. . He found the page he was looking for and turned it to show Rain, "Kitsunes, I knew I recognized what you two were. I thought you might be something new", he said with a huff, shutting the book and laying it on the table, "I can see if I can learn anything new but a few years ago a fire elemental kitsune named Sawyer showed up on my doorstep with a cursed knife in her side and a very bad attitude." he explained as he whacked Rain's knee with a rubber reflex hammer. The man's knee jumped slightly, "She let me study her in exchange for healing her wound. Since her I have studied a few different kinds of Kitsunes, Including the original breed that came from Japan. Unfortunately, if there is nothing special about you three, no payday" he said, "I'll still tell you what you want to know about this Grey Plague and...maybe I can come up with a different job for you lot"

 

"We want to learn as much as we can, we want to try and find a way to put an end to the plague so that Nalom can survive. We know it will not be easy but we must try." The other kitsune stated

 

Skinner laughed. Not politely either, "You can't stop it. Tell me what you know about exotic matter wavelengths through solid and liquid mediums? How about the flux propertied of blood transmutations? How about which direction this thing came from?" he asked rhetorically, knowing he was speaking another language to them, especially since this was stuff he newly discovered a few weeks before. He took a deep breath, "I don't know where it's coming from specifically but I've managed to keep it from touching New Mesa. It doesn't like solid matter charged with XM in a certain way. It scrambles the.... never mind, I'll put this in laymen's terms". He pushed away from the table and rolled across the room yo a workbench cluttered with papers and strange artifacts. he pulled down a worn map of the city, "See these rivers?" he asked, pointing out the veins of water that encompass the city, "I was commissioned by the Grey Lords in the sector to protect us from the Plague. I dug up every lodestone I could find in a twenty mile radius and sank them in the rivers surrounding. They amplified a sort of force field that kept the city safe." He rolled back to Rain to continue working. He pulled out a syringe and loaded it with a sterilized needle, "Every. Lodestone. In twenty miles. Do you know how heavy those are? And if you haven't noticed there ain't any motorized vehicles or heavy earth movers in this world. All that and I only managed to slow it down". He gently pricked Rain's forearm and drew a vial of blood, "from my research, there isn't a way to stop this. Even as we speak my phenomenon protecting the city is crumbling. I've had to reinstate it twice in the past week which tells me it's deteriorating faster each day." He ejected the vial of blood from the syringe and pulled a strange machine from his bag. It looked like a wooden box with a window in the front. Skinner upturned the vial into a hatch in the top and shook it up. The window began to release a bright amber glow as the field inside reacted with the molecular makeup of Rain's blood. He checked the notes he had on kitsunes and grunted. The results were just as he thought. He sighed and slid the box away for the time being. Skinner dug through his bag some more and pulled out a hoop made of bone with strange symbols burned into the circumference. He held it out to Rain, "Put this on your head. Across the forehead" he commanded. After the hoop was on his head and it contracted to fit snug, he pointed to Phill, "Your turn. Strip and take his place" he said firmly.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Bec hit the street and her new form didn't last long. She shifted into a redheaded woman in peasant garb and was immersed in the crowd of busy patrons of New Mesa. She couldn't believe the audacity of the man she left behind in the inn. The thought still burned in her mind, his words still echoed. He really thought that only killing bad people somehow canceled out what he was doing. In her opinion, that was the same as a serial killer only killing those perceived as weak. She had run across a lot of shady characters and she usually didn't judge as long as they didn't make excuses for their way of life. Bec was extra glad she didn't agree to watch Dauoa shift, she might not have been able to leave with a seven foot tall monster in the room. She didn't look back knowing her new form would protect her. She was often grateful for her strange ability. It kept undesirable people from tailing her in crowds and opened up an interesting door for job opportunities.

 

 

[Acornia]

"hm, well if you know what we are then ill ask now, because we could use all the money we could get, do you know what a white stag is. If not me and david will go fetch him for you. As for the grey matter, well I have a possible lead on someone who may be able to help." Rain said as he hopped of the table, pulling on his clothes he walked back to stand by david.

 

Taking any clothes that where handed to him he watched as phill took his place. Worry started at the wince of pain that would occasionally play across phills face.

 

"Well im sure phills also got some good info for you." Grinning rain gave a seductive smile at phill before turning to david.

 

"And your human. I dont think he'll get much from you but well see.

 

---------

 

Dauõa wandered down the streets in search of bec, but after a while it was useless as he turned down a main street and the smells mingled together. Depression settled into his demeanor as any hope of finding bec became lost. Sadly glancing around he set off in a random direction, it was getting late and he would have to eat soon.

 

Looking at the stalls he passed a couple with fabric and some with jewelry. A couple held weapons and armor, or random survival stuff. But they didnt hold his attention as he walked down a alley lost in his thoughts. He felt broken, betrayed, and hurt beyond recognition.

 

Picking his mask up he held it in his hand, running his fingers over the smooth bone structure. If it wasnt for this mask bec would still be around, he would be gone though. He wouldnt last more than 2 weeks without eatting something.

 

Rage filled him at what he was and in a fit he drew his arm back and throw the mask as hard down the alley as he could. A loud crake reverberated from it hitting the stone and bouncing.

 

"AAAAAHHHHHHHH" a pain filled scream filled the air as dauoa fell to dirty ground. Holding his hand to his left eye he looked up to where he had thrown the mask. Standing on shaky legs he made his way to the mask, it was broke. The fine thin bone that ran under the eye socket to hold in a eye had snapped clean off.

 

Pulling his hand away he was meet with the sight of blood. More tears weld in his eyes causing stinging from the salt on his wound.

 

Wiping as much blood as he could from his face and the gash under his eye caused from the magic of the mask that connects the two, he picked it up and moved off to lean against the building. Laying his head on his knees that he had brought to his chest, he let out a couple of sobs and waited. When night came he would hunt and eat, it would help to spead the healing process, for he could not heal a wound caused caused by the link between the mask and him, not like he could if someone had inflicted it apon him.

[voltage]

Phill had his ears tilted to the side as he listened to skinner explaining everything. "You are right we don't know anything yet, that is why we are trying to learn and it is important to save this land. What if we find a way to cut it off at the source, possibly taking some of the stones there and surrounding the source, maybe even finding a way to enhance the stones properties to at the very least keep it contained. "

 

Phill stripped to his underwear revealing the skin in the back where it was bumped up for when his second tail would come in. He had the scar on his chest and his golden eyes were dark in the lighting. He walked up and handed rain his clothes back, phill's clothes in a neat pile on the floor. His ears were much smaller than rain's but just as sensitive. He held the ball that hung from his neck, the kitsune ball was all he had on and he held it as he was sure skinner knew that by taking a kitsunes ball it gave the person control over them. He sat on the table his one tail swaying slowly as he watched skinner curiously.

[padfoot]

Skinner rubbed his hands together to get the blood flowing back to his fingers so they wouldn't be so cold. He had only written down a few things about the previous kitsune and nothing was all that new. He seemed to be a decedent of the kitsunes from earth which was a little strange for this area. That could be explained if they traveled a good distance to get to New Mesa. Skinner pressed a stethoscope to the man's chest and listened to his heartbeat. A little high but that was normal.

 

"You are right we don't know anything yet, that is why we are trying to learn and it is important to save this land. What if we find a way to cut it off at the source, possibly taking some of the stones there and surrounding the source, maybe even finding a way to enhance the stones properties to at the very least keep it contained. "

 

Skinner shook his head, "Weren't you listening? I have had to reinstate the field around the city twice this week, doing the same thing at the source would overload the lodestones in a matter of minutes." he explained again because he didn't get it the first time, "Besides, The Plague is out. Cutting it off now would be like destroying a gun after it's already shot you". He used the retinascope to check Phill's eyes. Same as the other's. he sighed and prodded around a little more. He paused when he reached the bulge sprouting from the man's tailbone. He touched it gently with cold fingers and could feel a small spark of exotic matter, "You're two hundred?" he asked, glancing at his notebook, "yeah, kitsunes get their tails every hundred years or so. I think Sawyer had four or five when I met here". Skinner turned the page and referenced the drawing he had of her, "Yeah, five" Skinner said, moving to look in the kitsune's ears. They had such interesting drum structure. Much different from a human's. Skinner jotted down the size of his ears. They seemed to differ along with their patterns dependent on their lineage. If he was interested in only this species, he could cataloged the differences and make a family tree. He could, but he wasn't that interested in kitsunes. There were hundreds in New Mesa alone.

 

Skinner picked up the syringe and loaded it with a new vial and needle. He drew blood from Phill's arm and dumped it into the box. A shook it until a light blue glow emanated from inside. Skinner took down the results and smiled. That was unusual but nothing he hadn't seen before.

 

A light buzz was heard from the opposite end of the room and Skinner looked up and them back at Rain. The runes around the band on his hand were glowing bright red and it was transmitting information. As skinner rolled towards it, a feint ding sounded and a drawer slid out. Skinner carefully removed the vial of cloudy amber fluid and held it up to the light. He uncorked the top and took a sip. The reaction was instantaneous. more detailed information about Rain flooded his mind. He was a fire elemental, he was twenty four years old, he is trained as an assassin, and other tidbits of knowledge folated past his mind's eye. He stored the bottle in a cabnet full of the same bottles of cloudy multicolored liquid. He locked it and rolled back to Phil. Rain's headband disengaged and slumped off his forehead and landed around his neck.

 

[voltage]

Phill was relaxing while skinner warmed his hands up. He closed his eyes as his heart was listened to. "Well then maybe if we could find some other way, something stronger or more effective, i am sure there has to be some way." He jumped slightly as skinner poked where his second tail would be. He was unsure how to react as his tail swayed.

 

Phill's ears twitched as they were looked into. His fingers began tapping on his legs a slow steady beat. "I have never been looked at before..i was young and my whole pack were killed or taken for their furr because of its resistance to electricity so this is new to me why do you have." Before he could finish that sentence the needle was pushed in and blood was drawn. If it wasn't for the day a tail grows in causing powers not to work until the tail was fully in electricity would have shot out of him. He did not know why the needle was needed but he calmed down. The tip of his one tail's tip twitched and he let out a low groan as where the second tail was former got larger causing a fair amount of pain.

[padfoot]

(((So i'm a little confused, Are Rain and Phill covered in fur?)))

 

Skinner didn't look up from digging around in his bag when Phill spoke,

 

"Well then maybe if we could find some other way, something stronger or more effective, i am sure there has to be some way." he said

 

Skinner rolled his eyes, a gesture unseen because his head was down, "You keep saying "We" like I'm going to help you. I was hired just to keep Mesa safe, nothing more. I'm not going to risk my life to save a doomed planet. Everything dies, it's a fact of life" he said matter-of-factly. He Pulled out a metal device with two wires running from the top. on the end of each wire was a flat paddle. The face of the box had a standard volt gauge. Skinner stuck the paddles on either side of Phil's bare chest and flipped a switch. The needle on the gauge jumped and settled around the forty oms.Skinner flipped through his book a bit and read a passage silently, "That's weird because both the Kirin and the Rok have better electrical resistance than you" He stated, taking that fact down in his notebook, "sorry about your family though"

 

Skinner packed up his instruments and stretched his back against his chair, "Alright, last one" he called to the man that had been standing by the door.

 

David looked at the man in surprise, "But I'm just human" he said, parroting what Rain said earlier.

 

Skinner shook his head, "Yes, you're just a boring human but it's the type of human you are that i'm interested in"

 

David looked at Rain in confusion but listened the the man. He stripped down and sat on the table in front of him.

 

Skinner did not pull out any medical instruments, instead, he sat back with his arm's crossed and watched him. After a awkward silence, Skinner finally spoke.

 

"So...Earth eh?" he asked.

 

David blinked in surprise. The only other person that knew he was from earth was another person from earth. David remembered his metaphor earlier.

It's like destroying a gun after it's shot you

This man knew what a gun was as well that he was from earth

"Ye-yeah. I'm from earth. How do you know that?" he asked

Skinner shrugged, "You look lost. Now, how did you get here?"

"I...I don't remember. I went to sleep in my bunk and when I woke up, I was here"

Skinner rubbed his beard and thought for a moment. David took this pause to ask a question of his own.

"Are you from earth?"

"Yes and no" he answered, "i was born here but my parents moved to earth shortly after" he said, not giving any more detail, "This changes things though, You are not the only one here from Earth. i wonder if it's connected to the Plague"

 

[voltage]

((Just tails and ears.))

 

Phill sighed softly at how skinner responded. "I meant we as in rain, david, myself and the others who are joining us. Also the resistence isn't that high because i don't have control over it, on the day a tail comes in you go back to the same sort of control as the first few years until the tail comes in. I usually can take lightning bolts electrical currents anything of the like and not only resist them but absorb them. It happened there is nothing i can do about the past only the future." He got up and picked up his clothes putting them back on. His ears twitched as he listened to the two talk.

[Acornia]

Rain laughed internally at David's confusion while talking to skinner. It would appear that he knew some things about where david was from.

 

"Well while you two are catching up on human things me and phill are going to head out, see if we can find dauoa, go back to the inn, sleep and then go see ekia. You know the usual." Rain smiled as he grabbed phills arm and started to drag him off.

 

Throughing one last glance at the two he smiled.

 

"And david, please try not to start a fight this time because we won't be there to save you."

 

With that he left the room and was back in the area with all the smoke and people. Turning to phill he wrapped him in a hug

 

"So I see the pains coming back. Would you like me to take you back to the inn and then go find dauõa. Have him take a look at you, then ......."

 

Rain leaned in for a quick moment to brush his lips against phills.

 

A sharp cat call echo through the room over the music and smoke. Light lit up in rains eye's.

 

"I'm glad your here, I hope you feel better though. You definitely will by tomorrow " He said as he pulled out of the embrace and started for the exit again.

 

[voltage]

Phill was enjoying david's confusion as well. He smiled "yea we will meet up with you later so try not to start a fight you can't win, that is usually my job." He followed rain out into the area with all the people. He squeaked as he was wrapped up by rain

 

"Yes rain the pain is coming back. I really would enjoy going back to the inn, i need to relax." Phill blushed as he felt Rain's lips brush against his. He let out a low growl as he heard the cat call.

 

Phill smiled brightly and walked out of the exit following rain. He let out a low groan as he stumbled, his tail lump growing more just about done. He grabbed Rain's hand while walking with him. It took them a while but they finally made it back. He walked up the stairs and sat on the bed. He pulled Rain against him as his second tail fully grew out with a low growl from phill. He began panting slightly as he looked at rain. "I could really use some help from you now."

[padfoot]

(((Ok...so where are the pelts coming from? Are people wearing coats of skin?)))

 

David looked up to protest but his friends were gone. Well, they seemed like friends. Firends where David came from didn't ditch friends in the basement of a drunk doctor. "What ***s..." he muttered in disbelief.

 

Now It was just David and Skinner. David was unarmed and this man was capable of things he could only dream of. This dangerous man was currently tipped back in his chair and draining a flask at record speed. Skinner straighten back up and let out a satisfied belch when the flask was empty. He looked at David like he forgotten he was sitting there, "What are you doing in your underware?!? You have the same physiology as I do. I don't care about that", Skinner scolded.

 

David sheepishly retrieved his cloths and started getting dressed. While he was doing this, Skinner walked to his bookshelf and replaced the book he was referencing. He seemed to be looking for another book when he spoke again, "Well, since your friends left you're the one going to get paid" He said, crossing the room with a small bag of coin. David reached for it...only to have it jerked away by the bearded man, "Ah! Not so fast. On top of this small payday I offer you another."

He said, dropping the coins in David's palm and them holding out a notebook, "I have another job you can help me with".

 

David flipped through the pages, not understanding what he was seeing. Skinner interjected to give some detail, "On top of being hired to secretly keep New Mesa in the dark about the Grey Plague killing the outside world, I have also been hired to track down a serial killer that the public has nicknamed The Mincer. He leaves an obvious trail, bodies seemingly eaten and turned inside out. I've had a difficult time just identifying the victims"

 

David nodded, understanding what the notes, maps, and drawings in the book were about. Skinner was playing PI and trying to solve a string of murders. David looked up, "So how am I going to help?" he asked.

"well first off; you're the only person I have ever seen in Nalom with a gun. Those would greatly help my cause" Skinner said and David patted his empty holsters. He had forgotten they were still in the shop! Oh he picked a bad time to hand them over to a blacksmith.

"Second thing is I think you know the murder" Skinner said.

David fell silent. what is this guy talking about? he thought as Skinner went into his explanation.

 

He explained the events of the night before.

 

"So you think that just because your glowing fairy trail lead you to where we were staying that I know the guy?" David asked, bewildered.

Skinner nodded slowly, " Of course. Arisol Luminol is pretty accurate stuff and the guy that left with you this morning, the one with the horns, matched the description only eyewitness I have found" Skinner dropped another book on the table next to David and flipped to the "E" in the book labeled with a gold W.

"Wendigo?" David asked out loud.

"Yep. They are common on Earth but not so much here. I believe this is a modified species that has adapted with a human form." he explained to a skeptical David, "Now I've killed my share of Wendigo in my career and it's pretty straight forward. I just defiantly need your guns...and maybe your muscle."

 

David bit his lip, deep in conflicting thought. Skinner spoke up one more time, "I can get you back to earth if we succeed"

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Acornia]

(((( originally kitsunes has two forms, one humanoid and the other a actual fox. I didnt have rain transforming just because. If it adds to the story I dont care if they can. Also rain should have a kitsune ball also.)))

 

 

Rain held onto phills arm as a small burst of electricity signaled the growth of phills second tail. A growl issued around the room from thw pain that it must have caused that turned into light labored panting.

 

"What can I do to help, it doesnt appear that dauõa is back so there's no healing from him." Worry ate at his voice but he knew from personal experience that most of the pain would be gone in a couple of minutes, leaving just a dull ache in its place.

 

Leading him to a bed he placed his hands on his shoulder, steering him to sit down.

 

"Do you need to rest, or something..."

 

 

---------

 

Night had fallen in the city and it hadnt taken long. In the back alley where dauõa sat huddled a small figure entered the end. Padding softly on his way from a night of drinking and gambling. Unfortunately alcohol didnt affect his kind very much, and he hadnt drank so walking was fine.

 

Dauõa's head snapped up as the sound of light steps grew closer. Someone had finally come down the alley, one who may not make it out. Pulling himself tighter into himself he watched as the figure came close enough that he could see it with his eyes. It appeared to be a gnome with long black hair.

 

He must have spotted dauõa as he came closer also because he stopped, leery of him, and with good reason.

 

Neon blue eyes meet the bright amber of the gnome, a shuttering breath excaping his mouth. The gnome watched him for a minute as if gauging how much of a threat he is. He must not have found him that big of one as he stepped closer.

 

"Are you ok, your bleeding." A high voice echoed down the alley.

 

"Hmmm..... oh you mean this." Dauoa touched under his eye feeling the split in the skin.

 

"Yea. I feel and hit my head. Im a little dizzy, I'll leave when it clears." He said as the gnome moved closer and sat next to him.

 

"Do you need help, I can go get someone for you. Carrying you is out of the question though. Your large frame would squish me." A chuckle excaped him.

 

"No, I doubt you could find them anyway." Slowly dauõa stood shaking a little from the pain in his head. The mask still hanging in his grip.

 

"You should probably leave."

 

"Why your hurt and I can help."

 

"You won't live that long. And believe me in sorry, if it could be any other way I would take it."

 

"What are you talking abo"

 

AAAAAHHHHHHHH

 

Dauõa had grabbed him be the arm and slipped his mask on. The gnomes scream broke through the air as he could only watch in horror at the beast that stood in front of him now.

 

Dauõa grabbed him by the throat with his other hand and squeezed just enough to keep another scream from ripping throught the night. He would have to move before people came to the scene and spotted him. He could kill the gnome in a bifferent area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[voltage]

((Exactly they have two forms though i was not sure i should add shapeshifting in since he is still very young.))

 

Phill looked overat rain watching him approach. Phill slowly began to stand up, both of his tails swaying slowly. Phill sat down on the bed as the pain was dulling. He could tell that rain was worried about him, causing him to gently hold rain's hand. "There is something you can help me with, if you don't mind." Phill pulled rain onto him and nuzzled against the side of rain's neck. Phill had sparks of lightning shooting off of his tail behind him though not too strong. " you know i wouldn't mind a massage or maybe something else."

[Acornia]

A smile broke across rains face as he pushed phill into a laying position, grinnning even more as his hands slide under him before flipping him into his stomach. Laughter bubbled out as a suprised yelp from phill as rain climbed onto the bed stradling his butt as his hands peeling phills shirt off.

 

Warming his hands with fire he laid them out on phills shoulder blades.

 

"Ill give you a massage but thats it. You need your rest."

 

As rain ghosted his hands over his back he slowly found knots and needed them with clawed fingures. Skillfull and carefully he worked them out with warm hands.

 

Satisfied with his back he turned around and worked his way down his legs. Dodging a leg that came up when he found a ticklish spot. Figuring that lotion would make it better he leaned over to the bed side table and found some tucked away in the back. Gently he squeezed some onto his legs and repeated the process beforw moving back to his back.

 

"You know you had a lot of knots. I took care of them all but how where you not walking around in pain, .....well no matter. You probably feel like jelly now so get some rest."

 

With that rain flipped off of him and laid on the other half and gazed at him. He was growing tired and he was ready to curl up to phill and sleep.

[voltage]

Phill blushed and groaned softly as he was pushed into a laying position. Rain had let out a surprised yip as he was flipped over, mumbling at rain's laughter. Phill let out a low murr as hhe felt rain sit on his butt and eeled his shirt off. Phill moaned as the heated hands lay on his shoulder blades. "Aww only a massage, i am not even tired though."

 

Phill was letting out moans and growls as his back was massaged, all the knots slowly working out of his back. When rain began rubbing his leg phill raised a leg at his ticklish spot. He was a puddle of jelly while his back awas completly relaxed. He pulled rain against him, pressing his lips lightly against rain's nose.

[Acornia]

Conforming to phills body rain felt his eyes growing tired. He had been up at the creak of dawn practically.

 

"Phill stop im tired." Rain said as he turned around with his back up against phills chest. Whipping his nose on his hand he layed back with his head resting on phill bicep.

 

"Hey phill...... tell me more about youself." Rain asked while drowsyness seeped into his voice.

 

He know a little about him but he would like to know more as he didnt get to talk to him much anyways. With having to keep the group on track and all he didnt get the chance to talk to everyone like he should. And that was something he was starting to regret.

[voltage]

Phill smiles as he could feel rain conforming to match his body. He lay an arm gently across the other. Phill was enjoying the closeness that he was getting, fweeling rain rest on him, in his arms.

 

Phill was caught off gaurd when he was asked more about himself. "Well when i was younger my family and i used to explore caves and look at flowers, i was the smallest out of three children and it always was something that i didn't like. I was always judged by that, the fact that i had no control over my powers before my brother or sister did. They were all taken away for their furthough i guess, either that or they are held captive still alive. It was tough i ran and stayed in the city for a while i would have to kill to survive and steal whenever possible though they didn't have the magic seal before. I wound up nearly killed multiple times from going on rampages in the city. I moved to the cave i was in because it reminded me of how my family would explore them and there were less likely to be people out in the woods so if i did get enraged it would be safer for me. What about you?"

[Acornia]

"hmm sounds rough, im sorry maybe we will get luck and you'll find them again. As for me I dont remember . I was around 5 or 6 when my real family was killed, I dont know who or why. Lucian who is my master said he found me crying in the woods soaking wet from the rain. He told me that for the longest time i didnt talk, and the clothes i was wearing I wouldnt let him through them away. But He took me and and raised me. When I was about ten he started teaching me the ways of his trade."

 

Rain sighed trying not to relieve those memories. Given most of the time the memories were good but there were Just as many bad ones.

 

Snuggling back into phill he closed his eyes listening to the sounds passing through the streets and the steady beating of phills heart.

 

Aaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

 

Rains head snapped up at the scream that echoed through the town. A shiver ran through him at the sound.

 

"What was that?"

 

Turning he looked into phills eyes. He was torn on if he wanted to go and find out or stay and sleep with phill.

[padfoot]

The scream that cut through the air attracted the attention of several citizens of New Mesa that were foolishly out past sundown. One of those citizens ran in the direction of the scream without hesitation, his thin legs pumped against the pavement as he sprinted down the dark road. Skinner had a feeling that bloodcurdling scream had something to do with the monster he was tracking.

 

David had, of course, agreed to help Skinner for a price. After he left Skinner's apartment, He had picked up his guns and grabbed a few supplies Skinner had given him a list for. The items all felt random; a dozen sets of silverware, a bottle of medical grade alcohol, a wad of flax. David had a feeling he would understand once he got back to the man's house.

 

He was right. David started running towards the scream from the opposite direction. Skinner had instructed him to stay two blocks apart from Skinner and to wait ten seconds after the signal. When DAvid asked what the signal was, Skinner just shrugged and said he would understand once it happened.

 

Skinner was right. The scream had to be what he was talking about.

 

Skinner rounded a corner and stopped dead. He was not expecting what he saw. A massively tall and dark creature turned to look at him with glowing eyes. It's antlers almost scraped the walls of the alley. It was clutching a small, frightened form in it's long claws. Skinner snapped out of his daze. IT was sloppy but he was in awe by such a beautiful creature.

 

Skinner whipped a carved wooden flute from his jacket pocket and raised it to his lips, "stupefact ton'tru " he said into the hollow wooden tube before he pressed his lips against it and blew. A cone of jagged blue exotic matter raced down the alley towards the creature.