Chapter 17: The Season for Taking

[Tuesday DeCastro]

Tuesday found herself on the same team as Archer. She sits and leans back in her chair while she waits for Archer to roll the dice and recieve his question.

She feels that Marxmas is going well so far, though would like to have some more productive discussion after some of the festivities are over.

[Calithin Crest]

"Yeah, fine. That sounds good. I guess there's no point in competing without a prize."

I drag my own sled up to the top of a large hill on the horizon and adjust myself onto it with care. I make sure I'm situated toward the front of the sled, to be more aerodynamic. There's a risk in tipping over doing it this way, but I should be fine as long as I lean back while riding instead of forward.

"Come on then!"

I wait impatiently for the others to get their own sleds and bring them to the hill so we can start. I'm not sure who my biggest competition is... We all actually seem a little inept at what's about to go down.

[Archer Aylmer]

"Okay.."

I take the dice carefully into my right hand and give it a good shake. I even blow on it a little bit, even though I don't believe in luck and I've never much understood that particular ritual. I glace around at the faces of all the people playing the game and then let the dice fall.

"Oh!"

The number I get is 6. I'm not really sure what this means for trivia, but I hope it is a good category.

[††Venice "Cephrien" Ashgrove††]

Venice glanced down upon the child that Lulu had introduced to him and lowered his eyelids halfway before turning away and looking in the direction of the other party-goers, who appeared to be getting ready to play some kind of game..

He wasn't exactly all that familiar with Trivia, so he would have to watch and observe for now. His eyes locked on the group, firmly keeping away from Lulu and the child.

"Go play." Venice spoke firmly to the two.

[Lulu Nojurny]

Lulu looked at him and frowned. She hung her head sadly and walked away to really just sit down and watch the festivites. She really wasn't as social as she used to be. Travis sat with her watch and waiting for children to show up that were his age, but there were none. Lulu regreted bringing him. She should have left him with Alora. He would have been safer. She looked back at Ceph and then turned away and averted all her attention on her son and watching him feel left out. She ushered him to go join in, he was intelligent for his age. So he walked over to join.

[Anya Louteius]

Anya rubbed her hurt shoulder, which seemed to only make it worse. She looked at the driver and pouted. "I want to see Mr. J" She rubbed her shoulder and she felt like she was rubbing it raw because it hurt so bad, but she had to nurse it someway back to health. She felt the van jolt off and she heard mumbling on a cell phone.

"Yeah we need to get in touch with the boss. Little turtle dove back there wants to see him." He snickered and Anya felt uncomfortable and curled up.

[Toolah "Tuvi" Renee]

Tuvi wraps her coat on her because, as she said, she doesn't feel cold like everyone else. She takes her sled up the hill with Calithin and situates herself in the middle of the sled so she can lean forward for speed without worrying about tipping it.

"I'm gonna win you know..." She says teasingly.

[Jack O. Trades]

'This will be fun. A deal was finished and he went to pick up the bag with red leaf gingerly with a gloved hand. Holding it up before him, he seemed to eye it suspiciously like he forgot what it was in the first place. After several minutes, he absently slung the bag over his shoulder and proceeded to waltz his way down the seemingly never-ending hallway. "Time to go check on my little boys." He said to himself as he skipped down the hall. Each time he passed by one of his goons, he fought the distinct urge to stab them in the neck, it would be counter-productive.

As he passed by a large metal door, he lept to a hault in front of it, with a small smirk of pride. As he reached for the doorknob shaped suspiciously like a dog bone, a phone rang in his pocket leaving his hand twitching in rage. Reaching into his pocket, he dug around, looking for the phone, after finding it he snapped it open roaring. "What?!" After his little outburst, he let out an exasperated giggle. Then he said in a sing songy voice. "This.....better be important."

The goon that answered seemed a bit nervous, but kept an even tone. "Boss, the guys you sent with that girl want to talk to you." He blinks twice, seeming to rack his mind to remember what he was talking about. He shrugged and dialed a number connecting him to the appropriate goon. Speaking in deadly but delicate tone, he answered. "Hello?"

[Anya Louteius]

The goon speaks nervously into the phone. "Uh...Boss! The uh....the girl! She uh...she wants to speak to you." Anya grabbed the phone and spoke softly into it, but clearly showed her annoyance. "Why do you have these freaks taking me in circles? She demanded while keeping her voice soft enough that she wasn't yelling....yet. She wasn't afraid of Jack, she wanted to make sure he knew that.

[Jack O. Trades]

Staring incredulously at the phone his eyes were wide with rage. How dare this insolent puppy of a girl even TRY to get short with him. A low growl escaping him as he ground his teeth together only to speak in a menacingly sweet voice "Of course poo, how silly of me. Tell them to take you to the boom tube and we'll play...."

Leaning his head away from the phone his lips spread into a Cheshire grin as he giggled with a fervent glee as he hung up the phone "See you soon!"

Pocketing the phone his mind immediately began to race. This girl would be put in her place shortly but for now, his boys needed attention. Slipping into the dog bone handled door he stepped into a room filled with paw print wall papers and padding galore. His features softening to an almost loving expression as he looked at the two large balls of fluff nestled on the pillows.

As he kneeled down before it he smiled warmly reaching a hand out as the four small heads of hyena puppies lifted their heads blinking sleepily as the whimpered, nipping at his gloved fingers. Reaching down with both hands he chuckled quietly as he lifted the form of two pups in his arms, each having two heads "Hello Bud..lou....Scarlet..Rhet did you miss daddy?..."

[Anya Louteius]

Anya heard the phone click and she blunk and handed back the phone to the goon and felt a bit nervous. What would he do to her? Would he kill her now that she acted that with him? She cringed and she yelled in pain and it stabbed with pain. It didn't help that the stitching she did herself to her wrists and arms was coming undone because she fell out of a moving van. She started to panic and looked at the driver. She spoke a little nervously as blood had already stained her clothes and was starting to make new stains. "Umm....do you have a first aid kit with a needle and stitches?" The driver looked back and saw the blood and cursed and threw her the box.

She took the box and opened it and started her work immediantly. She hurried and was starting to feel woozy. Her blood didn't clot very easily and she was scared of death, more of public speaking, but still death came in second. She finished and applied pressure and then started talking again. "So...yeah...he wants me to go to....The Boom Tube? I think is what he said." He nodded and knocked her out and she stayed out until they got there.

She woke up when she reached a teleportation booth, but she was so groggy that she had no idea where she was going. But all she knew was that she was being pushed and kept holding her head and finally collapsed on the cold hard floor of some weird place that she was sure when she woke up she wouldn't recognize.

[Jack O. Trades]

As he left the puppies room with them in tow he strode towards the nearest kitchen only to find two of his goons with the small girl between them. As they slowly laid the girl on the ground they stood at attention. Looking from the girl to his men with a confused stare a brow raised. " H...here she is boss.." the goon on the right spoke.

Again he looked down at the unconscious woman only to stare at the man who spoke "I see, did you do this?" Blinking the goon nodded timidly. He gave a broad smile to the goon who managed to relax "Good job."

As he took a few steps forward he leaned down, settling the two duel-headed pups onto the unconscious woman chest as they yipped excitedly lapping at her face. Reaching into his coat he hummed a soft tune to himself "Good job but...." With a flick of his wrist he brought out a pistol and fired a round between the eyes " I was going to hit her." Sliding the gun into a holster within his jacket he waved negligently to the corpse and the other man carried him off smiling knowingly "Good man" Crossing his arms behind his back he tilted his head slightly waiting for the girl to wake.

[Anya Louteius]

Anya's eyes were glazed when she finally opened them and slowly focused on the first thing she could see.....which were two mutant Hyena pups. She saw their adorable faces and squealed. "OH MY GOSH! They're so cute!!!!!! Oh! They are adorable! And so fuzzy! And gosh my head is killing me." She grabbed her head as the pups rolled away and sat beside her wagging tails and waiting for more attention. She closed her eyes and then looked up and saw Jack. Her eyes blurred and then she finally focused on him again. "Oh it's you. I thought some prince charming had saved me." She tried to stand up but fell over leaning against Jack and she quickly moved away. She rubbed her head hoping the ringing in her ears would stop soon.

[Jack O. Trades]

"Morning sunshine" he said pleasantly his head cocked to the right. Raising a brow he gave a sharp whistle and the hyena pups yipped again bouncing over to him deciding to use his shoes as a seat all four heads panting happily. The one on his right foot continued to pant though one turned its head and bit at his pant leg. His voice remained pleasant as he reached into his coat though it hinted at menace "I believe my dear you've forgotten the cardinal rule....."

Bringing out the gun once more he took aim sneering "In this world, I call the shots" and with that he pulled the trigger......

Click.


Click.

Out a small pole with a flag with the word 'BANG' written on it from the barrel. Blinking twice he held up the flag staring at it for a few seconds, wiggling it in front of his face only to laugh maniacally "Empty" Pushing the flag into the barrel he holstered it once more whistling once more and the puppies bounced up following him a few steps behind "Well dear come. Much to do before the next appearance!"

[Anya Louteius]

Anya was staring down the barrel of the gun, terrified. Her whole life flashed before her eyes and she shut them when she heard the click. She jumped and waited and opened one eye to see that it was jammed or something, but when the gun clicked a second time, she got calmer, then the flag came out and she screamed, again breaking glass this time.

She glared at him as he walked away. She clentched her fists and yelled after him. "Who the fuck do you think you are! I followed you for the sake that it could be better than the life I had. That's all I've ever done with my life. LISTEN TO PEOPLE! I don't want to listen anymore! What makes you think you're the king anyway?!" She was practically having a panic attack on the spot. She was shaking violently and jerking and trying to keep her poise as much as possible. She was terrified of what she had just gotten herself into. If he was as smart as he was at the party, he could see past her anger and realize what was going on the inside. She started where she couldn't breathe and she tried to calm down, but her surrounds and seeing his anger flare up again was only making it worse, so she braced herself to prepare to get hit.