Well I know it's just a spring haze, but I don't much like the look of it...

[ohperilousplace]

Even though her parents disapprove of her drinking coffee, Zoe has pretty much decided to disregard that today. She's curled up in an armchair in the Coffee Shop with a mocha and a book, reading and looking sleepy, and very cranky about it. Creepy journal conversations late at night do not make for restful sleep.

In the kitchen of the Kashtta, Sam

Comments

[hey_capn_jack]

There's probably a good reason J is being all dogshaped today.

...actually, scratch that, there probably isn't.

He was just strolling about, using dogshapedness as an excuse not to get into awkward conversations with people, and then he decided to see if there was anything left out on kitchen shelves or tables which he could nab, and what does he find instead? Sam. And a skunkmonster.

He's not sure if this is more Sam's life or his, at this point.

His nose wrinkles. Apparently the Rift didn't decide to make the species smell any better while it was tossing it through, and it would just figure that the first time he actually runs into the man would involve way too much fur and too many limbs. Hopefully this isn't First Week Of January Redux: The Rift Monster Edition. No one needs that.

"Rrrrou..."

[definitivestep]

Sam barely moves when J enters the room, just raises one finger in warning and shoots him a look. "Whatever you do, don't startle it."

Not startling it is pretty much what Sam has been doing for the past three minutes since he noticed it. He hasn't quite worked out what he should be doing beyond that, but not startling it seems like a good start.

The skunk... creature looks over at J. Back to Sam. Back, again, to J, the more obviously predator-shaped of the pair. A pair of its eyes blink. The other eight don't have lid to blink with.

For some reason, Sam finds the multiple eyes more disturbing than the excess of legs. "I refuse to wash you in tomato juice if you get sprayed," he adds.

[hey_capn_jack]

J sits down. Slowly. One of his ears flicks back and forth, and after a moment he tilts his head to give Sam a Look.

I do have a guardian angel, he thinks. Not that Sam, so far as he knows, can hear his thoughts, but the snark... helps. Ish. She'd probably want to kill me for it, but that's not exactly new. ...I suppose no one's thought of tranquilizers?

...there's a moment's pause while he tries to work out how to communicate tranquilizers.

...stupid canine anatomy. Shifting back human would probably startle the spider, wouldn't it?

After a moment he picks up a forepaw and taps out «TRANQ» in morse code on the floor. Now to wonder if Sam actually, y'know, knows morse code.

[definitivestep]

Sam raises an eyebrow, and takes a moment to work out what J's trying to say, lips moving silently as he does. After a minute, he snorts a little and answers, "We don't keep those in the kitchen, for some reason."

Sam actually has no idea where they keep the tranquillizers. Every other time they've been necessary, there was usually someone like Juliet around who keeps them on hand.

He takes a slow step to the side, toward the door. As he takes another step, though, the skunk swings its head back toward him and hisses. Sam glares at it and mutters under his breath, "You are kidding me."

He has the vague suspicion that this is happening simply because nothing like this has happened to him in a while. He is not amused, Chicago.

[nowinprint]

Dmitri would suggest taking an unofficial survey of the people and phenomena on the street to see if they might be implicated in any activities or exhibit any qualities which would lead to the triggering of felinical existence. Or she might, if she weren't busy scritching said feline. From behind you, Tosh.

Have a surprise!Dmihug.

"O haaaai."

[techniclybrill]

Tosh doesn't jump. She's too used to Dmitri being... Dmitri to be much surprised by it anymore. She just smiles, and glances back over her shoulder at her. "You're encouraging it," she says, not quite accusingly.

LOLshadow, meanwhile, clambers up onto Tosh's shoulder to perch there and lean in to Dmitri's hand. "Hai," she purrs, her eyes half-closed. She's not as chatty when there are scritches.

[nowinprint]

"Well, one of us has to, zaichik," Dmitri answers, plucking the cat off Tosh's shoulder to give it the cuddles it seems to be seeking. "It's still stuck in your subconscious."

The fact that Dmitri has just appropriated part of Tosh's subconscious and is now giving it all the scritches in an attempt to determine its purr ignition would be a little creepy were she not Dmitri, and were this not Chicago. As it is, they're in luck.

"So, were you actually heading somewhere, or were you scoping out your prospects as a street performer?" she asks. "I mean, if it came down to it, I'm getting pretty good at the whole raven-syrinx thing; you could have the Amazing Talking Animal Brigade. Otherwise, I was heading down to check out - there's this conjurer who's opening up a gelato shop right next to the Coffee Shop? I'm kinda curious about the sweets there, though not as curious as I am about the entire economics and business model. ...in case you're wondering, she's some Texas expat and the shop's called Gelato Italia, which is a shame,

[techniclybrill]

"I was just getting some air," Tosh says with a bemused smile, eying Dmitri and the cat like she's trying to decide if she should be disturbed by Dmitri cuddling her subconscious, or just... accept it as part of the everyday strangeness of her life. "I didn't expect the cat to just... appear."

Usually it at least has the good grace to only show up when she's inside, with people who won't question it. She pauses, and then asks, "Do you really want to take that to a gelato shop?" Then again, maybe if they just start walking, they'll get out of range of whatever's causing it, and the cat will go away.

[callyourselfa]

"Now," says a voice from the windowsill nearest Zoe, "I know little about the growth cycles of the average human, but aren't you a bit small to be procuring what I am assured is the drugged drink of the gods? And are you going to finish that?"

One For Sorrow is tilting his head at that mocha. Elizabeth seems to have put the idea in his head that it's even better than baked goods, which is nigh-unfathomable, but which means he must try some. Sooner or later, this will end in disaster.

[ohperilousplace]

"It's not drugs," Zoe says, doing her best to pretend that a bird talking to her is not a totally unusual occurrence. It just seems like it would be impolite to make a big deal of it. "It's coffee. Since when do birds drink coffee anyway?"

[callyourselfa]

One For Sorrow huffs. "I have it on good authority," he says, "that 'caffeine', which is found in 'coffee', is the drug of choice," he says. By good authority he pretty much means Elizabeth, but just... don't question that. If you say things with enough cleveness, One For Sorrow believes, everyone will be convinced sooner or later. "And a bird will do whatever a bird likes, m'girl. No law's been invented which can tie us."

[ohperilousplace]

Zoe pauses, frowning a little as she considers that, and then shakes her head a little. "Well... you can't have it. I'm drinking it. And I just thought... I don't know, caffeine might not be good for birds. Like with dogs and chocolate."

[quiettotheend]

Tabitha wants a kitten something burning. Which is probably why she stops to stare at the cat in Tosh's arms a bit too long. She's not doing entirely too well today, and probably shouldn't be out and about, but nuts, she's going to live her life.

And then the kitten says something.

"O hai," Tabitha says right back, tilting her head to the side. "Is caturday?"

She pauses, looking up at the sky.

"Is caturday evryday."

Right. She should probably get going now. If her fever's high enough that's she's hallucinating talking kittens, it's probably time to go home.

[lovencheezbrgrs]

LOLshadow shifts around in Tosh's arms so that she melts halfway out of them and ends up hanging partially upside down, looking at Tabitha with an expression of utter glee at the fact that someone's talking to her.

"Is caturday nao!" she exclaims happily. "Pritee Tosh can has a me!"

Tosh sighs a little, trying to keep the cat from falling out of her arms altogether. "I'm very sorry about her. I really can't stop it talking."

[quiettotheend]

Oh. My. That is quite possibly the cutest thing Tabitha has ever seen and ooooooooh she wishes could could has the melty adorable.

"Caturday r best day," she says, nodding. "Iz maed uv noms n loff n cheezbrgers."

She tilts her head, looking over at Tosh mildly confused. "Why would you feel the need to apologize? I'd kill to have my very own lolcat."

Is best kind, really.

[techniclybrill]

"It's not as cute when it won't stop talking," Tosh says with a faint smile. Also annoying when it announces the things going on in her subconscious, but... well, at least it's behaving itself in that respect right nao now.

LOLshadow tilts her head, allowing Tosh to haul her back upright. "Do u has cheezbrgrs?"

[weallendupalone]

Maria was not pleased by the creepy happening at her girlfriend over the journal, but she doesn't even know the half of it. However, she is more than a bit pleased to see Zoe when she stops by for her hot chocolate on the way to the library.

"Zoe!" She apparently thinks that armchairs are meant for two, since she flops down in a bit of open space, draping over Zoe's knees.

[ohperilousplace]

Zoe squeaks a little in surprise, but happily wiggles over a little to make a bit more room for her. "Maria! Hi!" She pauses, and then says with a tiny smile, "I'd hug you, but you're kind of on top of me."

That smile might be just a little more tired than usual, but never mind that. It's not important.

[weallendupalone]

Maria laughs and scoots a little, so that hugging is more viable. Hugs are good. "It's good to see you! Feels like ages. Guess that's 'cause I'm so bored half the time these days..." She tilts her head a little and frowns. "What's been going on with you? You look tired."

[ohperilousplace]

Zoe grins and wraps an arm around Maria in a half-hug that's only slightly awkward. "I'm okay, I just... didn't sleep much last night. That guy in the journals kind of creeped me out, that's all."