Nicky placed the kit on his feat, dusting off his shoulder and looking into his long dulled eyes with a degree of finality Now.. Can I trust you to set a bath going without running away?
The child didnt reply, instead leaning slightly to look into the room which Luke had entered, the sound of a whimpering childs voice fading slightly once he was in attendance Hes not from around here.. Astral muttered with that same tired tone that asked the simple question why do I bother? Hes not from around here at all
The woman scoffed slightly, grabbing the kits hand and marching him into the bedroom where the Rabbit boy was lain, stopping at the door way as they entered and, with a firm but genteel grip against Astrals shoulders, backed him up into the corner that the door frame formed, a firm accusing finger etherizing what she was about to say Stay right there, and Ill get you a cookie after were finished, ok?
Asty looked from the bed back to Nickys accusing finger and worried eyes oh.. whoop de do, a cookie, at last my life is complete.
Dont you use that tone with me, she scorned, though there was little or no tone to be found among the boys featureless voice You stay right here and dont you dare wander off again. And with that she turned and walked around the side of the bed and knelt down beside it, a kind smile on her features Hi there lil guy, you feeling better now? You gave us all quite the scere when you wandered into-
Youre not from around here, are you? Came a voice from somewhere behind her. Nicky turned her head to find the young kit standing but a foot away from the bed, irritation at his clear disobedience immediately swelling its priority above the child on the bed before her.
Astral! I thought I told you not to move?
The kits gaze shifted lazily from Toby to the womans eyes No, you told me not to wander off, which I havent, though I could have done if I wanted to
Nicky gave a moment of thought, plotting how she could corner him before the kit could launch into a one sided philosiphal debate So, why havent you then?
There was a distinct moment of pause, the child remaining un-reactive to this coment for the first few seconds after the question, but you could tell the gears were grinding in his tiny head. Then he shifted uncomfortably, tucking his head downward slightly in childish embarrassment, his voice sounding far more animated tonally, much more like a kits should be and even a very slight smile on his lips Cus..Cus you said youd give me a cookie.

Nicky smiled a little, knowing that the youngster wasnt going anywhere, and turned back to the Rabbit boy Sorry about that.. Do you have a name?

OOC: I've said it before, and I'll say it again; sleep is bad for Rp's health.

The boy nodded, "Tobias." He blinked and glanced at Astral. The other cub raised an eyebrow as his he could have sworn he the rabbits eyes turned green for a moment. "I'm not... I from there." He said simply raising a paw weakly and point skyward.

It didnt take much to figure out that, though the child remained silent, tiny gears were now being set in motion behind those semi-dead eyes, for like any other kit of his age, things of this sort were always taken literary. Tobias had pointed to the sky, and Astral knew of only one other thing that came from the sky.
Nicky however was an adult, and adults never took things to be literal, always expecting proof of the matter rather then simply taking word as truth, especially when the information was coming from a child. Gently she guided Tobys out stretched arm back to the bed, shushing him quietly and stroking his head fur in a comforting way, much the way she had done with her own children years before now. shh, its ok, just try to keep still for now, you need to rest. Can you tell us how you got here, Tobias? Did you run away from somewhere?

ooc: Not sure if all of ya know this so I'll say it now to save Rick the trouble. Our GM and fearless leader hasn't been feeling to hot for the past week and at pressent is either too brain-aggled with being drugged up to his eyeballs or in too much pain to post (I'm hoping on the latter, Pain is no fun ). All I'm saying is just bair with him a few more days while he sorts things out and he feels better, this thread hasn't died yet

OOC: Back to around 80% less pain than I was in. Lets see if I can save this.

"What? You guys never seen royal guard before? We got a report of a disturbance around here, anyone know anything about it?" The rabbit was rather abrupt and chipper for being sent to investigate trouble. Max seemed to be just as annoyed as the villagers by the rabbit's extroverted display. After a few minutes of villagers either glaring or ignoring him John put his gloved hands on his hips and grunted, "Doesn't look like anyone's in the mood to talk. Think we should just start knocking on doors?"

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

Tobias looked up half heartedly uttering out a soft, "Yeah."

Well, dont you worry none, the woman said, brightly youre safe here. So, why dont you get some rest and let those wounds heal over, then when you feel up to it, Ill fix ya something to eat. Sound fair? Unless you want something now?
Astral, who had been watching proceedings with a hazy curiosity had now sat on the bed on the opposite side of the room, his unblinking eyes set on the newcomers general vicinity, though they appeared slightly unfocussed and it was clear his exhausted state was starting to get to him. It was, however, something of a blessing that Nicky had her attention on the other boy, as had she realized that the filthy kit was now sitting upon freshly washed sheets, Astral could have added a severe headache to the list of ailments afflicting his body. Still, he wasn't one to complain, and at least he was still standing, which was more then could be said for the other kid on the bed across from him.

Lucas sighed as he leaned against a near wall. It had been a long time, but he still wondered - howd Toby got here. He thought all connections to Kyzarie had been dismembered. Howd the boy get to Mobius? Lucas shrugged at the thought, trying to get something else on his mind. So he decided the first thing -- Astral.

Good to see your back. Lucas said to the kit, trying to get his mind off of Toby.

---------

It seems the Royal Guard has lost trust over the years. snorted the Watchmen.

OoC: Hello, this looks fun... but people like Rico always make something fun. I'll join. One moment while I think up a post...

Got it...

BiC:
Just outside the palace, a young black feline sat playing a small flute - badly. She was dressed in rags and with a hood over her face.

There were a few pennies in front of her. She looked at them scornfully. People were fools. They couldn't see in front of their own noses. She wasn't even playing for money. She had a much higher stake.

She watched the guardsmen come out with interest. Royal guards. Good blades leaving the castle.

Men were idiots.

She stood up slowly, and picked up the pennies almost as an afterthought. Then she ripped off the rags with one easy movement. Underneath the rags, her clothes were well styled, loose velvet, obviously expensive, and most importantly, black.

Under the hood, her features were more handsome than delicately beautiful, and there were light blonde streaks in her fur. Icy-cold blue eyes watched the world with amused interest.

Askari Wa Kukodiwa's smile twitched, and she walked straight into the palace.

She had a job to do. Well, not a job, exactly. But this was important. This was an exam.

An assassin's exam.

The kit looked up at the fox with that same depressive expression that had remained constent since his arival "I could go along with the whole 'its good to be back' lawk, but then I'd lying...I'm not entirly sure why I came back, just that I started walking and ended up here... it hurts more when I'm here.." Ast rambled, now apearing to be talking more to himself then Luke "..maybe I want it to hurt?"

Lucas nodded solemnly. "Sometimes returning has to be done, even when you feel destroyed when memories haunt you there." Lucas said, obviousily he was drawing from a experience he had told no one.

"...I'm nine and a half, and you expect me to understand a word you just said?" The child's eyes reterned to the bed where Toby was layed, his glear locking on to the rabbit like a crosshair with no gun. For a few moments he remained silent, perhaps pondering over what Luke had said, or maybe disiding wether or not he should take a bath, either way, it was a long pause.
Finaly, he spoke up again, eyes still unmoving from their gaze into the rabbit boy's general direction "...Luke... do you have a perpuse? Or do you just face facts and admit that we're all just anomalies with no general reason for existing?"

Everyone exists for a said reason, now the future or the past. Lucas voice was bitter when he said the last word.

Life just doesnt tell you until you dont expect it. he sighed.

"Maybe they just don't like getting pushed around.", Max said thoughtfully as he looked around at the village, sniffing the air gently for clues. He closed his eyes and nodded.

"...I would take the kid to the infirmary, if I were the villager who found him. So that's where we should start."

He opened his eyes and walked towards the infirmary hut, stepping inside.

"Guardsman business. Is there a strange child that wandered into town here?"

Astral's eyes remained on the bed "I've known my perpuse.. and I've done it.. so now I am without perpuse and yet I don't feel anybetter. If anything I feel worce because the one reason I had to carry on is now finished. What am I, if I have no perpuse.. or at least, no perpuse that I'd want to forfill?"

Maybe you created that purpose to take the hurt away, Ast. Perhaps, even you just dont know your purpose yet. Luke said.
This conversation was drawing to much from his past that Luke was holding his forehead in migrane against the wall.

Errrg.. he grunted.

There was a light pause while the boy absorbed what the fox had said, turning it over in his mind as if he were playing with his food. After a few seconds, he snuggled his legs in a little closer, his face slightly hiddern beheath them, keeping his eyes on the bed though they now had soffened slightly from their origanl stone coldness.
"...Maybe" he muttered quietly, moving his head further into his knees. Another pause followed, the kit eventualy moving his chin to rest on top of his pulled tight kneas "You know him."

Max's question was answered with a countering question from one of the doctor nearby. "That depends on your definition of strange. Most kids are strange in their own ways. What does a guardsman consider to be 'strange'?" Ask a ferret with graying fur inquistively.

"Freeze," growled the voice of experience.

Askari hadn't even noticed the caped figure standing just inside the palace. A dangerously sharp katana rested easily on Askari's throat.

"Who the hell are you?" spat Askari, cursing herself for not gathering every angle of an assignment like she normally did.

The caped figure grunted a laugh.

"You a guard? I'll gut you like a trout," hissed Askari.

"Do I look like a guard?" growled the figure, red eyes flashing with angered amusement.

Max fought back a growl of irritation. He let the heat of anger leave him in a sigh. Why did everyone have to be so stupid?

"Strange, as in 'out of the ordinary'. Something you would not usually see. In this case, a kid who wandered into the village who is usually not here and has not been identified. Does that clarify it for you?"

The ferret cocked his head and raised an eyebrow questioningly replying just as bluntly. "Of course it does, and no, I haven't."

"Doctor, I did hear a rumor about someone seeing a child of somekind collapsing near the treeline." A rather young vixen added to the conversation from behind them. She looked around hesitantly as Max's glare refocused on her. "I... I thought they'd be brought in here, but we've only had a few local people today."

The ferret nodded, "There's a lady on the outskirts of town that tends to take in runaways."

OoC: You've got Askari Wa Kukodiwa wrong, Evalc... and for that matter, the nature of the assignment.

BiC:
"Are you a guard?" Askari asked.

"Do I look like a guard?" growled the figure, red eyes flashing with angered amusement.

Askari shook her head, "Okay, I'll just put you down as an Unforeseen Circumstance," she replied. Then she simply turned away from him and assessed the area, "You don't count. No offence."

She looked at the ceiling, and nodded. Then she jumped onto a six foot vase, then onto a twelve foot statue of some previous king who looked like he'd had constipation when he was carved, and then jumped again, hanging from a rafter.

Using the rafters, she continued down the corridors. Heading, just in case you hadn't guessed, for the throne room.

Nicky wandered through the door and into the kichen, giving astral a quick glance to make sure the kit was still there before making her way to the hob, in which a strong fire was already burning brightly. Taking the pot from the top, she carefuly filled it to about halfway with water from a pail at the side of the cupboard and placed it on the top of the hot hob, where a distinct his gave indication of the tempriture the meatal plate withhelled. Elegently, she reached for a small pottery jar containing mixed hurbs, mesured some out in the palm of her hand and dropped them into the now gently convexing water.
"Luke?" She called, sturing the herble tea with a wood spoon "Do you want a cuppa? Or will you be heading off again soon?"

OOC: Sorry 'bout that

IC:

The caped figure laughed, "Don't count do I?"

He dashed after the figure.

Askari leapt from rafter to rafter. Suddenly she stopped on one and looked down, "Do you mind?" she asked, "I don't follow you around when you're doing your job... whatever it is..."

"No," said the figure.

"Fine, we'll do this the hard way," Askari replied, "I like the hard way."

She pulled a black leather purse out of her pocket and opened it. A row of hypodermic needles, each one filled with a poison, failed to glint because they'd been painted black.

After a long moment considering a bloat formulae which would ensure a quick and painful death, she settled for one of the better tranquilizers. It could drop an elephant, but for smaller Mobians ensured nothing more than a good month's sleep.

Headingoff. Luke bit his lip. He always hated this part. It was about time for him to transfer himself to another village and force himself to forget everyone in this village. But Luke wasnt sure when hed go and if hed take Toby with him.

Nicky I might not be coming back when I leave. he said with a crack in his voice.

Obviously he had gotten attached to this village. He chuckled in thought.

Nickys head poked into veiw from the kichen as she looked at Luke with a confused expression "What do you meen? Are you going somewhere?"

Somewhereheh. Luke muttered. He turned to Nicky and sighed. Somewhere is a understatement.. I cant stay here any more he blinked.

Ill be gone in morning.

Nicky blinked, looking slighlty shocked at Lukes suddern anoucement. "oh" she said quietly "I see... err, well thats kida suddern don't you think? You told anyone elce yet?"

"No one else." he smirked warmly. "...It's, I just have to I can't simply explain it at the momment." he said in a low tone of voice.

"....You've been a good friend, Nicky."

"Let him go. I learned a long time ago you can't depend on anyone."

There was something eerily adult about the not only the content, but the tone of the rabbit's mutterings as well. He even looked asleep, but it was obvious that he'd been awake the whole time.

A sarcastic smile crept up one side of Astral's muzzle as Toby spoke out. "Thats the spirit" he muttered "Just because we're all in the same boat headed over the same waterfall, dosen't meen we have to paddle together."
Nicky walked back though, leaving the hurble tea to brew itself and gave Astral a scornful look "thats enough of that young man" She turned to Luke, now with a more worried expression "Shouldn't you at least stay untill Tobias is up and about again? I meen, you're the only one who seems to know him?"

(Editted due to Request)

Finally, someone who knew what was going on. Max bowed slightly towards the young vixen and smiled at her...maybe a bit wider than he should. He just gave a brief nod to the ferret.

"Thank you for the help. I'll look there. Oh, and...I'll be around later when I'm off-duty. See you later."

Max winked at the vixen, turned, and walked out the door.

"We need to go to the outskirts.", he explained to his partners, "There's some lady there that takes in runaways."

Luke sighed. "I plan to."

There was a firm knock at the front door of the hut, the kind that told you by sound alone that someone important was outside and demanding, rather then asking for your attention. Nicola turned her ear toward the door, frowning slightly "hmm, might be Nadine, she said she'd be round sometime today for a chat. Oh of all the times.." At a second knock, she gave in and made her way out of the room, crossing the main living area to the front door and opening it to find a small group of guards waiting outside. Intrigued, she looked around to see if there was anyone else before addressing them "Yes? Can I help you?"

Astral mean while, had wandered out into the main room, following just behind the raccoons foot falls and stopping at the bedroom door way, peeping around and looking at the door with an air of suspicion, his dulled eye narrowed on the now open door way. The strangers outside looked like royal guards. But what were Royal Guards doing so far from the nearest station? The kit gave a low growl, arching his back slightly and narrowing his eyes further still. Upon closer inspection, the childs eyes had in fact begun to move, the color of the irises flowing between their usual dark aqua and a lighter blue, like clouds in a winter sky. He didnt trust them, and wanted to know in advance what their intentions were. But something wasn't quite right. From this distance it would have been hard to see their Aura's anyway, but from the look of things, thier 'aura's' were none existant. Astral blinked, the verious cloudy shaids vanishing from his eyes and leaving him looking out at the stragners with an increasing air of dread. Just what were they doing here?

OOC: posted after talking to Froggs about it, there was't much he wanted to do and there was little point in waiting anylonger anyway.

OOC - Astral Invited me here, I hope I will beable to contribute to this RP

IC - Walking through a village Square, I look to the sky and see the clear sun shining down through the cloudless sky, looking back down towards the street, I look to see the quiet nature of the place I have just entered. Although I was only a 19 Year old Fox, a red coat that showed the long journeys I had undertaken, I was experienced in spotting when something was not right, I looked around to double chekc and take a re-take of the situation.

I walked further towards the centre, the remains of a fountain at the centre, it looked to have been in dis-repair for a long time, moss grew and covered several parts of it and made it seem almost lifeless but at the same time full of a returning hope "Like most of us" I whispered under my voice.

Smiling softly I made my way to the left and followed a small path, I could see the huts around had some activity within them, they had light shining thinly in the windows, dusty and dirty as they were, they were still some activity, prehaps a place to stay may be available. With this hope in mind, I followed the path.

OOC: Welcome to the guild and the board Snow. Ignore the broken images, we're moving servers. Ignore the currently slowness of the RP, I'm a little under the weather and my computer is dead. I'm hoping Astral and Froggy can take initiative and handle most of this. I'm not particular about the RP, nothing strict planned.

ooc: Froggs, its your turn, or Rick's depending upon if he can get his PC working again >.<

Both John and Max were about to answer, and of course interrupt each other but they got their answer both asking the question.

"No... What?" The young rabbit tensed and let out a loud scream of pain, as if someone was attacking him.

Nickys eyes whent wide at the sound of the scream. She wherled around quicker then any of the people outside could even blink and ran back though to the bedroom, leaving the door wide open as she disapered into the side room. The guards were left at the doorway, looking a little stunned at the Raccoon woman's quick reactions. But now all that they could see within the house, was a single, scrawny, depressed looking gray fox kit, who was now stood in the middle of the hallway, stairing at them, the slight twing on the side of his face a shadow of a smily expression, the kind that would have sent shivers down the spines of even the most hardened criminal.
"I don't think he likes you very much" the kit stated, the smile twiching in the corner of his mouth.

Nicky bolted into the bedroom with a look of frantic worry, practicaly skidding to a halt once she reached the side of the bed that the boy was layed upon "What is it? Whats the matter?"

"Quiet" I whispered to myself, there were some people walking about on the small paths leading through the Village, they seemed too busy and entangled in there own lives to take notice of a traveller though. I had come to expect this of most places I had gone to, even in this time of peace, and proposed prosperity, things were still very much at times, 'keep to yourself and you don't have to worry'. This is what caused to initially start to travel like this.

Turning at a small crossing, what once must have been a road, now disused, prehaps transport to this area had ben cut? Looking over I could see gurads patrolling about, no wonder it was quiet though, with these guys most people wanted to avoid them, even myself. Walking to the side of a hut I decide I would try and avoid them, although I could possibly take care of them if anything happened, I didn't want to tempt the faytes in case the worst happened.

I entered the shadows between the huts and walked around them, making my way around the back of small houses and huts, keeping a firm eye out for a path that would be safe to exit onto.

"Looks like we found your 'strange kid'." John muttered running into the house after Nicky.

The young rabbit didn't answer, his whole body looked tense. He had pulled himself into a ball and was shaking as if he was in some sort of catatonic shock.

The confused woman was at a loss, trying her best to comfort the poor child while not realy knowing what to do. Sitting on the bed side, Nickola leaned over the quivering boy, placing a genteal hand on his sholdure and shushing him, racking her brains for what to do. The boy was acting like Astral did after a nightterror, yet he hadn't the time to fall asleep, let alone dream and it was one thing to comfort a child you knew, but with a stranger it is quite another thing.

Astral stood before the 'invaiding parties', looking at the strangers who were walking though the door with a echo of anguish in his eyes, something was happening, he could feel that there was something terribly wrong. The air within the entrance room had taken on a seeping cold, the fire in the stove dwindeling for a moment against an invisible artic brease as the Kit tenced up... there was something more then just the three stangers coming though that door. He could feel... Darkness.

After a half-second of surprise, Max gave the kit in the hallway a look that could only be described as one of supreme boredom, as if he was above what was happening around him and was utterly disapointed by it all.

"Ah. So who the hell are you, and can you tell me what is going on?"

"I could ask you the same question," The boy continued to stare at the door, as though he hadn't hear Max speeking at all, "But I'm not going to...because I don't care who you are and I already know whats going on, so I highly doubt that you know anybetter then I do."
Max shifted uncomfortubly, a look of indignaty growing on his features "Oh, a smart arce aye. So if you know sooo much about whats going on, why don't you make it easy on yourself and just tell me what you know about the kid."
Astral paused momenterly, finaly tuning his head to look at the guard, a twinging smile on the edge of his lips "Why would I do that? It would take all the fun out of watching you try to figure it out yourself."

He could feel a cold brezze blow through the town, and the fox knew something was wrong. He reached inside his jacket and grabbed a cold, blunt object, it was a small handgun, he had carried it with him in case of had situations, but had ever had to fire it before, mainly due to his abilities that otherwise out-dated the weapon, but in case the time and place arrived, it mayhave a usage.

Walking out onto the street the Fox shook his hair slightly, some dropping into his eyes as he felt himself shudder again, the cold wind re-emerging, but, he didn't feel his fur move, almost unnatural, although seemingly familiar. A memory invoked itself, a fragment of his past, he could hear crying, heat burning bright in front of him. It dissapeared as quickly as it appeared and blinked several times, taking back his surroundings.

I hear a small comotion coming from one the houses, looking to my left I see a group of soldiers at the door of one of the houses, I tilt my head slightly looking over to it "I wonder whats going on there" I say, unde rmy breath, barely audiable. I walk over to it quietly, carefully, my hand still inside my black jacket, grasping slighty as I apprach, cautiously.

The boy had stopped screaming due to Nicky's consoling but was just curled up and rigid as if he was in extreme pain.

John ground his teeth and looked as if he was actually thinking for once. A strange occurance but one that did happen on occasion. The rabbit ears were lopsided as a result, one sticking up as usual but the other almost laying down completely. Finally he let out a breath after the cub and Max had exchanged snarlings, "I think we need to get him back to the hospital. There's no reason for him to be in this much pain, its either internal or some kinda mental problem. You can't fix whatevers wrong with him, Miss."

He seemed oddly serious walking over to the her and the boy, "Yes my lady, we will need to take him to the doctor. Seems like some kind of coma-like state... hmm..." At first she was almost relieved the rabbit seemed to care so much for the boy, then she felt something, something like a hand, on her butt.

Nicky took a small gasp as she felt the hand grip her behind, her eyes wide for a moment before they narrowed into an half angry, half totaly put out expression. If the rabbit had been expecting an easy catch, he was sadly mistaken, for not a moment later the woman's elbo shot out and colided with his jaw with a sikening crack as his teath clashed together. Stumbling slightly from the force of the blow, John was left in a daze for a second or two after having been taken off guard so, he bearly had time to blink before Nicky whriled around from the bed and braught her palm squairly to his left cheek, claws and all.
"KEEP your hands to yourself Mister!"

Luke himself had his hand clenched around the hilt of his sword when he saw this, he twitched and snarled after Nicky had screamed at him. "Keep your grubby hands off her..." he sneered as he looked at the Rabbit.

"I thought they taught manners to you Royal Assholes." he snarled.

As he approached the door he saw the guards outside moving, as in some kind of defense, his grip tightens and turns sharply to look behind, making sure it was nothing outisde, which confirmed it "It's inside" he whispered to himself.

He quickened his pace and moved towards the door, still trying to keep as much of a cover as he could, as to not alert the guards