Warehouse Search (Han)

[Han]

ooc: Sorry if i took so long. Luck! I hope you can moderate this one for me.

ic: Han strolled out of the city into the outskirts. Small houses and villas dotted the landscape with the occational tree, were the only things he could see besides the huge buildings of the AFCL and the training area. "Well, Mr. Chicken. It shouldn't be to hard to find an abandoned house or barn to help Mr. Lucian now is it? We might as well start walking.

So, that was how Han had started his task, by commenting of the things which he hoped that he had seen. Grabbign his trusty walking stick from his back, he intended to walk westward to see what he woulc come across.

[Luck]

A search is often a matter of logistics and very often, didn't take an overtly large amount of time to accomplish. Provided, of course, that one knew what one was searching for and that the area of search was small and localised enough that one needn't spend an infinitely long time aimlessly wandering about. Simply put, the amount of effort required was proportional to the size of the objective over the area of search. Now, regardless of conditions, the only other factor that would truly affect a search would be luck. That and of course the odd divine intervention or two.

For all practical purposes, the conditions seemed to be against Han as he strolled westward on his first mission for a new employer. The acres that made the town of Riparia itself was considerably large. Add to that the outskirts and beyond that the centripaxian wilderness, things were looking extremely bleak if not a logistical impossibility. But as the gods would have it, luck was on the dracon's side on that early morning.

Contrary to popular belief, the part of town that was known as the city outskirts wasn't exactly the city outskirts as in outside of the city walls. It was actually still well within the bounds of the walls that marked the town's borders. That part of town was named thus simply because it was very much like the centripaxian heartlands on the outside. It was still underdeveloped in terms of population and structures. Indeed, if there were any abandoned warehouses to be found, it would probably be found there. Unfortunately, that did not make the task any simpler.

As he walked passed the warehouse that doubled as the AFCL ring, he was greeted by a young human female. One look at the girl told Han that she was one of the many homeless kids that called the outskirts their home. "Serale mister. Interest you in some shrooms?" she asked holding out a basket before her. Inside were the tiny bulbs of a species of mushroom common to the are around Riparia.

And then as though she was reading his mind, she asked him another question. "Are you looking for something, mister?"

[Han]

Han looked at the young girl who, seemingly out of nowhere, popped out beside him; with the odd basket of 'shrooms. When she asked the question, Han felt somewhat shocked. "Maybe this 'girl' was psychic and was actually the youngest daughter of a famous elf mage from an unknown era." Thought the simpleton dracon to himself.

"err... well. To tell the truth i am. But i can't tell you about it because it's not legal. So if i were to tell you that it wasn't legal, i'm sure you would tell the cops. so i can't tell you what i'm looking for." then Han thought to himself for awhile.

"By the way, this is completely out of context with noting to do with what i said jsut now but have you seen any unused or abandoned warehouses that could be remote enough from inspections?" Han askined with some pleasure in his ability to manipulate others.

[Luck]

Or maybe this is just a harmless homeless girl who was sitting down in front of the AFCL with hopes of selling some shrooms to the odd passer by who had a kind heart. That thought suddenly popped into Han's head without him conciously thinking about it. The purple chicken that he carried in the nook of his arm cocked its head and looked at the Dracon in an intelligent way. Had the chicken actually said something?

Banishing that thought from his mind, he questioned the girl in a roundabout manner, throwing some distractions to camouflage his true goals. He basked momentarily in his own perceived genius as he waited for a response. The answer he received came as another surprise.

She shook her head, no. This was quickly followed by a nod, yes. No and yes to what? She most probably meant a no to telling the authorities and a yes to knowing the location of an abandoned warehouse, you dimwit. Again that voice in his head. This time, it caused Han to jump a little. "You're funny, mister." The girl was now giggling almost uncontrollably.

Raising a hand and sticking out a finger, she directed the Dracon's attention towards the left of the AFCL building. What he saw in that direction were several delapidated structures. From the way they looked from the outside, it was a wonder that the structures were still standing. But it might be worthwhile to take a look all the same.

When he turned back to the girl, he was in for another surprise. There was no one there. Had he imagined it all? Perhaps he had. But regardless, at least now he had something to inspect instead of a directionless search. That was, of course, provided that he trusted the aparition (?) enough to actually venture into the decrepit structures.

[Han]

ooc: My chicken is psychic? Cool! Or is it the girl? can my chicken be psychic from now on? Psychic chicken...

ic:

"uhh..." Han lifted a weak finger at where the girl was supposed to be. Then he looked at the chicken, and back at the spot again. "This isn't right... I must've been working too hard lately." He picnhed the area between his eyes (?) and slapped himself a few times, much to the enjoyment of his companion.

"Well, i guess there's no harm in going to check those abandoned, and creepy but not really ghostly, Buildings over there. I think." Said Han nervously to the purple chicken in his arm.

"Alors... as they say; Onward we go!" Han resumed his usual stance and after a last glance back at the spot where the girl stood, he marched in a soldierlike fashion towards the failing buildings.

They had not gone for more than a minute when Han spoke in a slightly disturbed manner. "I trust, Mr. Chicken, that you are not afraid of ghosts. Because i can sense an overhanging cloud of doom getting thicker withing my heart as we get closer to the buildings. Heck, even the sky seems darker." (ooc: think LoTR) Then Han stopped, slapped himself again, looked upwards, and sighed. Then they continued that walk of dread in silence, for neither had the will to talk anymore, lest more 'girls' should appear.

[Luck]

The weather was indeed getting colder as the seasons changed. Winter had finally caught up with the usually warm clime of Riparia. Without the volcanic heat provided by Aslan's Forge, the winter would prove to be one quite unlike those that the region was accustomed to. Already the signs were starting to show themselves. One of which was the darkening of the sky.

However, to the recluse Dracon, he saw this not as a mere changing of the weather. He read it deeper, rather seeing it as a bringer of strange tidings. And that feeling of dread hung in the air and followed him around like a loving pet, dogging his every move.

Once again he looked towards his new destination given by the girl. Her sudden disappearance gave him pause to think and wonder about his sanity. His chicken that was now seemingly talking to him did not help the situation any, serving only to confuse him further. At long last, his decision was made and he pressed on towards the row of buildings.

The buildings, as he soon discovered, were remnants from times before the Forge's last eruption; its previous owner having either moved on, or perhaps more accurately, passed on, to greener pastures. There were three of them in a single row, running perpendicular to the row of warehouses that was home to the Riparian AFCL. They were similar in build and structure. All of them were a single story with a high ceiling. There were two entries to each; a pair of swinging doors that spanned the width and height of the front and back side. The warehouses were built more like overtly large barns, allowing wagons and such to move in and out of them easily. No doubt that the structures had been previously used as a stopover to temporarily warehouse large bulky items before they were moved on to their final destinations.

A quick survey proved that only the last building was remotely serviceable. The other two having long lost their double doors and were now nothing more than two large wooden tunnels. The last on the other hand seemed to be in relatively good condition. The sturdy walls made of hard wood common to the Centripaxian heartlands had somehow managed to survive the wear and tear of the harsh environment as well as the burning heat of the lava flow that had passed it by.

The doors were chained shut, to keep the odd trespassers out. However, there was still enough slack in the chains for Han to squeeze through with a little effort. The interior was a shamble of rotten crates. Han found himself wheezing and coughing as he took a whiff of the stale musk filled air. His coughing roused a family of bats that had found a home high in the rafters into a noisy symphony of flapping wings and screams.

A row of clean prints left in the dust marked his passage through the building. No other prints besides his own were proof that the building had remained sealed, even after the resettlement of Riparia. It was strange that no one had even bothered to have a peek at what was inside until now. Perhaps they thought that the rightful owner would one day return to claim his property.

Measuring a good hundred paces on every side, the building seemed like a good place for the Coven's use. However, quite a bit of work would be required to get everything in order. And there was always the question of privacy. Did a building inside of town suit their needs? And yet another thought crossed the Dracon's mind as he continued his survey. If they were going to use a building that was within the jurisdiction of the Riparian Aedille, then perhaps it might be best to register its use with the government office first; regardless of whether the building was abandoned or not. Surely, a rundown building suddenly coming back to life with activity would draw some form of unwanted attention.

He was about to turn to leave when a voice called out to him. "Mister. You came!" There was a hint of relief in the voice as the girlish voice spoke. He easily recognised it to belong to the little girl who had directed him here in the first place. Startled by it, he turned to find the little girl standing just behind him, carrying her basket of shrooms. "Won't you stay a while?" she asked.

[Han]

ooc: oops... i completely forgot about this thread... sorry!

ic: Han glanced aroudn the dimness of the building, the small beams of light which managed to break from the old tattered roof, made the place only just lit up. When the girl called he was more than startled but more like jump three centimeters of the floor and squeal.

"umm... errr... i... err...." Han couldn't find the words to suit the situation, the effort in preventing a change of pants was already too much. Thankfully, the chicken clucked a few times into Han's ear and he nodded in acknoledgement.

"Why not? If you are willing to share your little basket o' treats? I (prod from fowl) ... i mean 'we' really are quite famished." Han ahd that more than hopeful glint in his eye. It didn't really matter to him if this girl was a ghost and the place was inhabited by dozens of evil, murderous spirits, those mushrooms were his goal.

[Luck]

The little girl nodded very enthusiastically at the Dracon's positive response. "Oh yes! Most definitely", she exclaimed, simply delighted at the prospect of having some company. The response was just exactly what Han had wanted to hear and was cause for an equal amount of enthusiasm and chirpiness on his part.

"Right this way. I have a table set up for tea." The small girl motioned for Han to follow her further into the abandoned warehouse. Following her printless footsteps, the two of them went behind some open crates. To his surprise, he found himself standing in a rather large open space. In the middle of it was a single crate, acting as a tabletop with a nice checkered tablecloth thrown over it. As promised, there was a tea set arranged on the makeshift table. There were also several smaller crates that were meant to be chairs arranged around this centrepiece. All except two of them were occupied by small dolls and teddybears. It would seem that Han had stumbled upon a little girl's tea party.

"Now, let me see... why don't you sit over there next to Mr. Bumble." She indicated to one of the empty seats. Mr. Bumble turned out to be a stuffed toy with little black and white stripes down its body. The yellow bulbous head with tiny feelers and three legs along either side of its body that tapered off towards a blunt needle point indicated that it was supposed to be a bee.

Frowning for a moment, she looked at Han's chicken and wondered what to do with it. There just weren't enough seats and cups for everyone. "I think the chicken will have to wait. We can't possibly have it sitting on the table..." She paused for a moment before whispering conspiratorially to Han, "Unless we mean to have him for tea."

However, the chicken had already decided that it wanted in on the party and had flapped its way up onto the table, much to Han's horror. Did the little girl really mean to have the purple one for a snack? The girl and Han both stared at the chicken for a moment before looking back at each other. Han with an odd expression while the girl had a slight grin, that looked deliciously evil on her face, as she winked at the Dracon.

The chicken on the other hand, settled down on the table, contentedly arranging some of its ruffled feathers. Satisfied, it looked up and clucked curiously as though questioning when tea would begin.

[Han]

ooc: freaky....

ic: Han was thinking off stuffed chicken in broiled veggies with a touh of basil as the girl spoke... garnished with mushrooms! But unfortunately, he could not eat that chicken... not while his life was still tied with it! Still... maybe a nice fried chciken leg with tomato sauce and mushroom dip would be wholly appetising. "No! shake idea... out of... head!" He said to himself and started shaking his head and smaking his forehead repeatedly.

Ignoring the chicken, and not noticing that the girl meant evil, he was quite content being with cute fluffy dolls which looked cruel and sadistic to a normal person's eyes. He relaxed himself in the stuffy, demonistic atmosphere, thinking of nice mushrooms, boiled, grilled, juicy, succulent, delicious.

After leaning back in his chair for quite a while, Han wanted to be polite, so he asked in a daity old fashioned manner, "When's muchroom time er... tea time?" quite forgetting that he was supposed to be looking for warehouses.

[Luck]

"Just one moment," came the response. The little girl placed her basket of mushrooms on the makeshift table right next to the chicken. "SHOO! SHOO!" She shouted, waving her hands in a vain attempt to get the fowl off her table. However, the Purple One refused to budge, only flapping in its wings in annoyance and returning the favour to their host.

"Oh very well then. You can sit on the table if you like. But mind you. If you cause me any grief, I'll skewer you and toss you over an open fire!" She finally relented, giving in to her stubborn guest, but giving it a warning. From the expression on her face, she seemed to mean business and would very likely go through with her threat.

Picking up the teapot, she proceeded to pour some imaginary tea into the teacups that were set around the table. As she did so, she introduced herself and her dolls to both Han and his pet. "My name's Annie. If you haven't guessed by now, he is Mr. Bumble." She pointed to the bee on Han's right. "Miss Piggy, Rolly Polly, Bugsie, Mrs. Warts and Jumbo." She went around the table introducing each of her stuffed companions in turn; A pink pig, a black pollywog, a grey bunny rabbit, a giant green toad and a tiny blue elephant.

Meanwhile, both Han and the chicken were eyeing the basket full of shrooms greedily. The chicken had already crept closer to the basket, trying to steal a peck. It poked around at the edge of the basket, trying to find a good moment to put its head in. However, that moment never came. Replacing the teapot on the table, Annie turned her attention to her guests. "So, tell me, who do I have the honour of hosting this morning?"

There was a short moment of silence as the girl waited for Han to introduce himself. Outside, the rain had started falling. Big droplets of water were pelted against the tin roofing and wooden walls of the abandoned warehouse, filling in the silence with a loud drumming noise.

OOC: Extremely sorry for the delay. You're gonna have to name the chicken sooner or later. Can't keep calling him the "Purple One"... or can we? o.O

[Han]

ooc: hmmm... ill probably call him Mr. Chicken or Chikin. Ideas?

ic: Han was silent for a few moments. the atmosphere of the entire place was beginnign to sink in. the cold drafts and the fallign haunted rain along with ghostly toys and a sadonistic child named Annie were more than enough to send a message to the daft dracon. "The girl had forgot to start a fire!" came the first message in his punitive brain. he was just about to get up to start one himself when the girl asked for his name.

"Allow me to introduce myself as Gouthenhaggein Paulin Smidt Von Heuren Valentine Roderick Fullmore Fantasia Augustus Clementine Hanstrop Bullswinkle Gordon Tiniead Worf von Haettensweilier. You can call me Han. This here is my trusted aide and companion, Mr. Chicken." Han continued stadning up for a few minutes to allow the mood of supreriority to set in. Then he made a long bow, nearly touching the table before ploppind down on his rickety chair again.

The chicken was still eyeing the mushrooms, ignoring the Dracon's queerness. probably due to the fact that this was jsut another of the Dracon's common acts of random stupidity. He was more interested in a master plan to empower a few mushrooms before escaping in a wild flurry of feathers to distract the girl. It let out a little chickenlike chuckle as it thought.

[Luck]

The girl looked at the Dracon is awe. "That is a splendid name indeed!" She exclaimed. "I shall call you by your full name, master Gouthenhaggein Paulin Smidt Von Heuren Valentine Roderick Fullmore Fantasia Augustus Clementine Hanstrop Bullswinkle Gordon Tiniead Worf von Haettensweilier. Surely, one with such a fine name as yourself should not shorten it to merely Han. That is plainly absurd! I wish I had such a long name." Annie sighed wistfully as she finished pouring the tea and sat back down in her seat.

"Gouthenhaggein Paulin Smidt Von Heuren Valentine Roderick Fullmore Fantasia Augustus Clementine Hanstrop Bullswinkle Gordon Tiniead Worf von Haettensweilier", the name was a mouthful and took a while to pronounce. In the time that she took to speak the name, the chicken had enough time to pinch a mushroom from the basket. Rolling it across the table, the purple one turned its back to the girl, blocking her view of its stolen treasure with its large feathered behind.

"Tell me", she continued, "What's it like on the outside? Its been ages since I've le--" Her words were cut off by the squawking of a choking chicken. Mr. Chickin, the glutton that he was, had very quickly stuffed its beak with the rather large mushroom that it had so recently acquired. Unfortunately, it was too large to go down the gullet and the chicken was now regretting having done so. Worse still, the dastardly secret mushroom theft was now out in the open for all to see.

Annie did not react kindly to the choking chicken's act of thievery. "Why you THIEF!" She chided the purple chicken whose face had somehow managed to turn a deep shade of blue. "Serves you right for stealing! And YOU!" She turned her wrath towards the Dracon who was helplessly watching the chicken choke. "You mean old Dracon! Surely an accomplice. How dare you try and rob me when I have treated you so kindly!"

The interior of the warehouse seemed colder now. The sound of large raindrops splattering against the wooden walls and tin shingles grew in volumn, providing a heart-racing rhythm to the situation. The howling wind provided an eerie music to go with the beat. A strong draft suddenly blew out the candles, throwing the interior of the warehouse into darkness.

Still, Annie carried on chiding the two for their plotting. The chicken was now squawking breathlessly in the dark while Han was powerless to help. A flash of lightning followed by thunder somewhere in the background. In that brief instant of light, Han caught a glimpse of Annie reaching for what looked like a butter knife. Another strobe of light followed soon after, showing her hand gripped tightly around the knife.

The flashes of lightning continued at intervals, casting a harsh light on the darkened set, allowing Han to see still images of what was happening. It was as though he was watching the scene develope in slow motion, one picture at a time.

Flash, Annie's face twisted into a psychotic scowl. Flash, Mr. Chickin still choking on the table top. Flash, Annie's free hand reaching for the purple fowl. Flash, the chicken flailing helplessly in Annie's grip. Flash, the chicken and Annie were gone from the scene.

But her voice still remained. Giving some commentary to the whole affair. She was going on and on about being cheated and having her life stolen and Han and Chickin stealing somemore from her. About evil men and even more evil Dracons and chickens. About poisonous mushrooms and getting what was righfully coming to them.

Flash, an up close image of Mr. Chickin's face. Flash, Han realises that the purple one is right in front of him and so was Annie. She had her right arm raised high above her head, knife in hand.

Her intent was obvious. A raised knife in such a position could only mean that a stab was coming. But at who? The choking chicken or Han, who was still sitting quite motionless in his seat.