RP:A Clusterfrak Carnival

Part of the The Whisperer In Darkness Arc

Summary: It's two weeks after Lanara's birthday and she receives a mysterious note from her sister, Talyara, urging her to meet up in Venturil at dusk. Under the ruse of thinking she's heading to the lake to rescue a wounded lion, the witch makes the long journey and discovers that there is no animal in danger... It's a surprise birthday party! The carnival themed affair has many members of the Bard's Guild performing, and it's catered by the Ginger Snapped Bakery and Sweet Shop. The musical attraction of the night is *N Tempo, the rival boy band of the Backstreet Bards. The event starts off wonderful, however, things soon take a dark turn, as Khitti is savagely assaulted and kidnapped! The night unwinds, as Lana is gifted a unique pin, a honey badger, and a mongoose, before the witch sisters fall asleep beneath the starry sky.

Alvina || The sun has just started to set. The sky is painted a creamy golden orange, like even Mother Nature wants to offer her service to the carnival splendor. Lights and cheerful tinkling music infect the surrounding areas with mirth and possibility. A small, mechanical wheel decorated in brightly colored flags and a plethora of color changing lights that cycle through various patterns landmarks the entrance. It turns slowly, deliberately stopping at intervals to give the riders a view of the other areas. Children shriek and run, sticky faced and overstimulated through spooky obstacle courses in the western sector. A giant, tented ball pit spreads across the area like a fence, evolving into an inflatable castle. To the east, the scent of fried foods and other indulgences waft to you. A dizzying amount of vendors call to you to sample their specialties; fried dough sprinkled with sugar, cinnamon and any other imaginable topping. Stages are speckled through the crowd where lesser known bards add to the cheery cacophony. Each sector has its own booth where visitors can find out more about adopting animals from the Sanctuary. One stage even has a dog doing tricks with tennis balls in an adorable clown costume. Further north, in the heart of the festivities, an overly large stage is illuminated but currently unoccupied. Further still are booths of tricky carnival games where one might win small prizes; goldfish, overpriced plush animals, and goofy masks. One such game is a wrestling match with a well behaved bear where the prize is a cheap champion’s medal. Carnival workers, decked out in extravagant get ups, circle the crowd to offer directions or entertain loose children with balloon animals or face painting. And it blossoms into full, intriguing brilliance once the sun sets and stars break through the dark overhead to add their own enthusiasm to the party.

[Post 1 of 2] Khitti didn’t oppose to parties. Nor did she oppose to catering for said parties. But, the fact that this carnival for Lanara’s birthday was in Venturil did not make things easy for the templar. This happened, of course, after she’d gotten into a fight with some of the town’s denizens and afterward told Brand that she’d likely not go there again for some time. But… it was for Lanara and after the conversation they’d had recently, Khitti didn’t want to disappoint the witch. For now, Khitti kept herself well immersed in dealing with the foodstuffs laid out in various stalls in the area of the carnival designated for such. There was ‘mammoth ears’, huge fried discs of dough covered in cinnamon sugar and other toppings, as well as battered and fried cookies. This sort of cooking method was used on several different types of desserts as well. There was even deep-fried butter…? (Look, there’s gonna be drunk people here and they’ll eat anything as long as it’s fried.) Khitti also had tended to the savory treats as well: pretzels (a special recipe straight from her homeland; they were filled with cheese!), huge turkey legs, and lots of other deliciousness.

[Post 2 of 2] Khitti || In the middle of the area with these food stalls, however, was a rather large table. And on this table? Who the heck knew! (Well, Khitti did.) It was shrouded in a veil of secrecy--literally, there was an impenetrable fog around it--but when Talyara would show up, with Lanara in tow, and eventually brought her to the food area, the secret would be unveiled and the fog would clear: it was Lanara’s birthday cake, of course! The cake was massive, eight tiers in all with a different kind of cake per tier, each dark green-frosted layer littered with animals and trees made of chocolate modeling clay, giving it a forest-y feel, and at the very top was a figure in Lanara’s likeness made of the same edible clay, surrounded by more of her animal friends--one of them being that adorable little polar bear cub, Aspen, that Khitti had met a couple months ago. All of this was enough to keep Khitti’s mind off of the issue of the townsfolk that hated her. For now, at least. That didn’t mean that her entire time spent here so far didn’t earn her some dirty looks and some not so nice names. But! The important (and more positive) thing was that there were candles on this cake. Candles that needed to be lit. Khitti made quite a light show with her holy fire. Was she going to set the cake on fire? The table? Her hair?! Nope. She lit the candles. All 10,987,654 of them. Okay, so there’s not that many. But there’s still a lot of them, all on the bottom three tiers of the cake! Time to blow them out, Lanara!

Talyara was bristling with excitement for Lanara’s surprise birthday party, the witch basically bouncing on the balls of her feet as she ran around the open space beside the lake which had been transformed into a bustling carnival complete with vendors, food, games, and fun. The event had been opened early to allow people from all over Lithrydel to join in the festivities to add to the ambiance. Unfortunately, the famed chicken farmer/puppeteer Grandpa Krawtch had heard about the carnival and immediately volunteered his services. Unable to think of an excuse to deny his request, Taly reluctantly agreed. Imagine her horror when she spied him across the grounds dressed as a clown, complete with awful face paint, attempting to tell jokes to the children that hurried past! Of course, Taly had tried to hire the famous Backstreet Bards to perform as the main act; however, there was a scheduling conflict much to Nick’s dismay, and they were due to perform in Rynvale that evening. Thankfully, the witch had secured an even -better- group (at least in her opinion)—’N Tempo. She had met the lead singer, Justyn Woodlake, at the tavern one evening and she had pitched the idea and he had jumped at the chance! Justyn, along with his bandmates Jaycee Chardonay, Lynce Trout, Jimmy Skinnytwo, and Kris Curtpatrice, had arrived nearly as early as Taly had and were currently hidden behind the curtained main stage preparing their choreography to such hits as “Hi, Hi, Hi”, “It’s Going to Be I”, and “I Want You to Return”. The witch peeked in on them to make sure they were all settled in before following the sweet and savory aroma of the food being prepared, making a pit stop near where Khitti is to thank her once again for providing the refreshments and expressing her excitement upon seeing the cake. The last stop the witch makes before hurrying off to meet Lanara was with her brother Scandal. She was very excited at Scandal’s suggestion of a carnival game and after ensuring he had everything he needed, she bustled off to the entrance. Along the way she made sure to speak to all their friends who had come to celebrate, to ensure that they would be standing by to yell “surprise” once she returned within fifteen minutes time with her unsuspecting sister. After pausing to instruct two hired workers in their placement of a giant banner which read “Happy Birthday, Lana!” she was off.

Scandal :: Amongst the carnival games, one such station seems to stick out more than the others, a large dunking booth! In it a well known dragon sits in his draconian form wearing an outfit of black and white, with a fake mustache on his snout, and large brimmed glasses. To the left of the dunk tank, a red and white target sits just begging to be hit with one of the balls nested in a basket nearby. But this dunk tank is unlike any others, for instead of water, the dragon is sentenced to the sticky depths of sap! Scandal plays the part well, jeering and coaxing all that pass to take a throw. "How's your aim? Try your hand at knocking an ol' dragon into a vat of syrup why don't you?"

Valrae arrives late. Though not the only thing growing in her belly, hesitation has sprouted there. Though she couldn't deny the excitement to see friends and craft sisters, the witch hadn't planned on returning to these lands so soon. It was only for a night, she'd reasoned with herself. Only one night. Her hair is free, grown long and unruly in her extended absence. Bright multicolored faux-feathers and sparkling crystal beads have been woven through the wild golden curls. Her deeply green eyes were lined dark, the lids dusted with an array of color and shimmering gold while her lips were stained a bold pink. Beyond the makeup, her skin was absolutely glowing. Perhaps it was sensationalized snail mucus she'd smeared on her face at the behest of a group of aging witches she'd taken up with, or maybe it was just the pregnancy. The witch was cloaked in the same wispy, vibrant feathers that tangled in her hair. Her dress was long, so long in fact that it trailed behind her in a short but dramatic train. The layers of faux-feather danced with her breath, movement and wind, as if it were alive and echoing the festive energy of the carnival. With her trailing dress and draping feather cloak, most of Valrae's ever widening figure was hidden under color in motion. Her gift box was wrapped in delicate sliver paper and adorned with ribbons and a bow of amethyst. Val carried it in front of her as she wandered slowly through the crowd. She stopped to make noises of affection toward the animals in costume. For reasons unknown to her she also cried. Eventually, Valrae makes it toward the center of the festivities and drops her gift off in the growing pile of them and stands in wait to say, "Surprise!"

Elioyahazer had found himself meandering through the carnival - intent on discovering what this actually is. Growing up in the harsh world of the nameless deserts has left him without knowledge. Without the experience of such things. The desert born takes his time, perusing before wandering to the chosen location. For once the act of hiding himself beneath that dreaded keffiyeh is ignored and that irritating item is instead casually tied around his neck like a scarf. Eli even pushed aside that depression he had been suffering through recently. Instead today is about Lanara, and the cinnamon skinned male finds himself entering the area that has been predetermined to surprise her. His sectoral heterochromia marked eyes, which are both decidedly brown with odd patches of blue, move from one passerby to the other. Waiting in silence for that moment to shout “Surprise!”

Krice was not one for festivities. His reasons for being here were his own, but whilst mingling in a crowd full of people enjoying a party atmosphere, he at least tried to blend in. He was -somewhat- immersed in the crowd, though at first only to purchase one of those fried dough-discs sprinkled with sugar; it came on a paper plate, with a flower-shaped napkin, which he took on his right hand whilst passing over the necessary coin from his other. Dressed in his usual black attire with that ever-present katana strapped to his back, the warrior turned away from the vendor after a nod of thanks and moved inward, noting Khitti's fiery prowess with an impressed pass of his eyes, Valrae's presence with something a little more lingering, and a variety of other familiar faces - affording each a nod should their eyes meet long enough to exchange greetings. Whilst twisting off pieces of sugar-dough to munch on, Krice lingered off to the side to watch the gathered at large, his back to the lake - though a few metres in. When Talyara came up to greet him and speak of the unveiling, his overall demeanor seemed warmer, a little less guarded than he had been with others. He nodded his acceptance of the celebration plan and stepped away to join the others in their waiting positions, once his dough-treat was finished and the plate discarded. Amid the pile of presents sat one flat, wide box dressed in light-grey paper. Atop the grey was an intricate weaving of angular shapes, all interlocked and sprouting at their various ends to form the shape of animals repeated; bears, raccoons, cats, giraffes. Atop this present sat a card folded once-over, waiting to be read by the birthday girl herself.

Meri didn't arrive to one of these events with Khitti for a change. Since her sister was already at the event well before Meri was, it meant that the blonde was arriving solo. Well sort of, she has with her two leashed dogs that Lanara is likely quite familiar with. She did adopt them to Callum and Meri after all. Meri did not really actually think to check if animals were allowed, she just assumed that was a yes. Meri was half-surprised, yet also not very surprised, to see that the red-head was catering the event. News to Meri. Outside of Khitti, Meri observed quite the number of faces present. Some of them Meri was familiar with, others Meri was not. Overwhelmed with where to start and who to greet first, Meri decides to avoid riddling that out for now. I mean Khitti seemed like the most obvious choice for the first hello, but this was the period where all the guests were arriving. Meri presumed this would probably be the busier point to her catering work. She makes her way to the pile of presents that is sure to be present and drops what appears to be a meager little birthday card off. True the card itself may not be the largest present of the bunch, nor the most beautifully wrapped...but once Lanara reads the card she'll come to learn that her present is a donation to her Sanctuary. No the gold is not in the card, it was probably delivered prior to even coming out here. Oh, and of course Meri would be adding her own voice to all the 'surprise' shouting when the time comes.

Hudson and Alvina arrive in an oversized carriage because they've brought an army, i.e., their children and nanny. The toddler, Bryce, of course, is immediately deposited into the ball pit (Alvina's misgivings about how dirty it might be were easily set aside in favor of child care convenience). Luna and Harper, now approximately six or so due to the propensity of werewolves to age swiftly, take their nanny, Marge, to scope out the prizes. Hudson and Alvina will have to catch up with them later (no doubt to assist in winning said prizes). Hudson's first act upon being liberated of children is to get both himself and Alvina warm (alcoholic) cider because she is already making sounds (complaining) about being cold and it being hard to walk in her shoes, though he had asked her at least six thousand times whether those shoes were A Good Idea. He hands hers to her and then goes about unwinding the scarf from his neck to hand that to her as well. "I'm not gonna say it, but I'm thinking it real hard," he hisses into her ear. She shuffles beside him, and he looks at her boots. "They do look nice though, babe," he admits, and points in the direction of the cluster of people who seem to be well wishers awaiting the guest of honor. "Come on," he takes her by the hand, and she hobbles after him as they join a sea of familiar faces and she drops off the present they'd brought (expensive liquor, kind of zzz but nobody turns their nose up at it, etc.). He nods and waves as appropriate within this group, in his own way being petty: he blatantly ignores Krice but waves in a friendly manner to Meri and Khitti; though he sees her, Valrae does not get greeted because that would set off a nuclear war in his household. He is otherwise silent, there's no time to chit chat now, as all lie in wait for that perfect moment to yell "Surprise!"

Zahrani enters the party area, followed by three younger felines. The two older ones, twin brother and sister named J'darr and J'nira, are wearing flowing garb that bears interesting geometric patterns. The youngest, a snow leopard lad named Amir, wears a mage's apprentice robe and carries a chilled crate of beverages. The paladin wears a nice blue and grey top, with similar diamond-geometry patterns, along with a pair of grey leggings and boots. Zahrani seeks out Taly, the young cats reintroducing themselves. Amir looks to be about ten years old, with soft snow-leopard fur patterns on him, and his eyes are ice-blue and inquisitive. J'darr and J'nira are going on fourteen, and bear clouded leopard spots. They were here to dance and do carnival-related tricks, and Amir is here to take a break from his studies at the Mage Tower in Xalious. The thought of a carnival and games brought light to the children's eyes. They're eager to show off their own talents. After introducing themselves, the twins proceed to setup a rig that looks like a small trapeze/jungle gym. They stretch, warm up, and proceed to wow passersby with various displays of dexterity and acrobatics. It seems they are joined by an older pair of felines, one with a drum and the other with a dulcimer of some kind. They would provide music and rhythm for some of the twin's antics. Amir places the drinks with the others, attaching a label that reads "Pineapple Beer," (like ginger beer, but made with slightly fermented pineapple) before wandering off to check out some of the play areas. Rani offers a polite nod to any familiar faces in the group (and there were certainly quite a few), then finds an inconspicuous place to linger, giving an affectionate, "Surprise!" in Lana's direction before offering the witch a warm embrace.

Talyara had to coax Lana out to Venturil somehow for she had chosen the most unlikely place to host this surprise party. Lana’s actual birthday had also been several weeks ago, well before Samhain, so this was sure to come as a shock to the animal empath—which is exactly what Taly wanted! She had sent a letter with the shape shifting feline Taylor to the sanctuary with a note alerting Lanara to an injured animal on the loose in Venturil. The letter explained that the lion normally hid in one particular area every evening so it would be best to meet at dusk so that they could catch it off guard. As Talyara waited, she braided her unruly curls into pigtails, adjusting the the purple flannel shirt she wore, and smoothed her denim pants. Only once she hears the familiar pounding of a horse’s hooves, does she sober her expression, doing her best to look overly concerned about the well being of this non-existent animal. “Lana! Thank the goddess you are here! We’re not sure what happened. Definitely an injured back paw, but I think there might be something wrong with the spine, too. Come quickly!” Without another word, Talyara hugs her sister briefly, before taking Lanara’s hand and tugging her towards the lake. Only once they are around the corner does Taly suddenly cover Lanara’s eyes with her free hand, pulling her even faster to avoid any complaints or protests. Once they reach the entrance of the carnival, with their friends and the banner all in sight, does Taly suddenly halt, pulling her hand free of her face so that Lanara can take in the scene before her. “SURPRISE!” the younger witch yells excitedly, hopefully in chorus with everyone else, as she jumps up and down.

Lanara hadn’t expected the panther to come strolling into the sanctuary bright and early, with a hand written note tucked into her collar, but Taylor was greeted with a heartfelt hug and treated to some sardines before sending her back to Talyara. The elegant calligraphy was obviously her sibling’s and as Lana read each sentence her expression shifted from curious to concerned. There was an injured lion in Venturil that needed her help? But… She was urged to come alone, and at dusk, that evening? The letter leaves more questions than answers, but she’d never second guess her sweet sister’s plea, or leave an animal abandoned in the wilderness with severe injuries. Cats were nocturnal, so evening would be the best time to claim and tame the beast. And perhaps he was super fearful of people, so that’s why she was begged to come by herself and leave the rescue team at the sanctuary. The day drags on, and right after lunch, Lana slips a backpack filled with basic medical supplies over her slender shoulders, and she readies a mare to make the long journey to Venturil. The clopping of the horse’s hooves are audible from afar, as the quiet forest opens up to reveal part of Lake Sigemere, and it’s here that she slips from the saddle and stretches her limbs. Chocolate hues take in their surroundings, as she catches sight of Taly and smiles, tucking her long windswept locks behind her tapered ears as she closes the distance between their forms. Wrapping her arms about her middle, she curses, knowing she should have brought a jacket, as it was autumn and the night is brisk. In her haste she hadn’t any time to change, and she’s donning nothing more than a simple navy tunic, tweed leggings, and knee-high boots. The witches share a long hug, before they head around the lake, only to Lana’s surprise she’s forced into a slight chokehold and has her eyes covered. “What the hell is going on, you sneaky sister?!” Mumbling along the way, the witch prays that Taly isn’t seeking vengeance on her for the countless pranks she put her through over the years. The sugary aroma stings her senses, and she could swear she hears loud whispers, and was that the beat of a drum? Stumbling along the path, her neck at an odd angle, as she fights to escape her sister’s clutch, the hand is eventually lowered, and Lana reads an oversized banner. “My-My birthday!!! You didn’t forget?!” It was two weeks late, but it was very much worth the wait, as everyone leaps out and shouts ‘Surprise’ and the look on her face shows that she’s very much surprised. As the shock intensifies, she’s ushered over towards Khitti and a massive eight tier cake that is so carefully designed she doesn’t have the heart to make the first slice. Was that an edible Aspen at the top? “It’s so perfect!” Squealing, she gleefully makes a mental wish and obediently blows out the candles, which takes several moments, as the redhead lit so many! “I-I… Thank you all, so much!” A tear escapes her eye, and she swats at it, before pulling both Taly and Khitti into a giant hug. “You two are so amazing. I love everything! This is just too perfect for words!” After showing her gratitude, she’d intend on mingling with all of those gathered, exploring the carnival grounds, and enjoying the music.

Krice took a step back from the gathered faces at some point after Alvina and Hudson's arrival, maneuvering to the back as a yell of 'surprise!' greeted the returning witch sisters. His gaze passed briefly over the jovial pair before he retreated past the various stalls to stand at the edge of the lake, watching the party from afar.

Meri waves right back to Hudson when she spies his greeting to her, this wave is of course extended to Alvina too. Ah how oblivious Meri is. This happens before everyone goes about shouting 'surprise' once Lanara appears. That checks two names off the list of people that she probably should say hello to. Khitti is currently getting hugged by Lanara, who seems to be quite pleased with the cake that was made for the party. Who would not be? Those blue eyes turn away from Khitti, Lanara, and Talyara only to come to rest on the figure nearest to her. That happens to be Zahrani and her entourage of felines. The lot of them are greeted with an easy going smile and a little finger wave.

Zahrani drifts towards Krice and Taly, the panther offering a hug to the witch and a warm handshake to the silver-haired warrior. "It's good to see you again," she says to them both. Of course, it had been quite some time since she had crossed paths with Krice, but from what she had seen of the man in their work together, the paladin is happy to see him nonetheless. She idly turns to watch the twins perform a beautifully synchronized ceremonial blade dance. They both hold a blunted scimitar in their right hand, making flowing motions in a cleared area while the drum and dulcimer play a steady 3/4 time signature. Amir has found a small group of kids his age to play with, taking care not to accidentally frost anyone with his recently-developed magical abilities.

Khitti || Once the cake was unveiled, Khitti was free to do as she pleased! She left the cake-cutting to one of her assistants after returning Lanara’s hug and wished her happy birthday before she set off to find Meri. Before she could seek out her sister, however, someone rammed into Khitti shoulder hella hard in passing. “S-sorry. My fault,” the redhead called behind her, to whomever had done it. It wasn’t her fault. That bit of contact was too forceful to be anything but deliberate. That poor human, lacking in the enhanced hearing she once had as a vampire, couldn’t hear the whispers, the curses spoken by the denizens of Venturil, in between bites of sugary sweet treats that did nothing to sugarcoat their words whatsoever. What she didn’t hear, she felt. She felt their stares, her anxiety and paranoia quickly skyrocketing. This all happened in Khitti’s head though. She rubbed her shoulder as she approached the former tattoo artist, and offered her a smile to mask the pain that coursed through her arm, “Hey. Brought your babies, eh?”

Valrae is not hugely pregnant and has disguised her figure cleverly enough that it wouldn't be obvious on first, or even second, glance. If one were to look, she could perhaps be struggling with her weight. It would be a fair guess, considering the witch had been unable to resist the scent of fried carnival foods and would currently be picking at whatever food she'd been able to snag on her way to the gift table. She'd surprised even herself when her eyes met those of Krice, whom she knew of but was not overly familiar in any way, and she returned his nod with a smile. She'd spotted Khitti and then Meri, but made no move to greet them. The witch hadn't spoken to either of them before leaving and she could imagine neither of them were particularly interested in hashing that out in the middle of a celebration for Lanara's birthday. Not long after she spotted Hudson and Alvina, whose shoes were impressive, and for reasons very unlike before, the witch avoids them as well. When Lanara and Talyara finally appear, Valrae's voice mingles with the rest of the party goers. She finds tears springing into her eyes again as she watches the sisters enjoying the moment of joy. When she feels an appropriate amount of time has passed, Val tossed her food and weaves her way to the pair of witches to share hugs and words of greetings. "Happy Birthday!" and "I've missed you!”

Lanara makes a beeline towards the bartending station, and after order a very specific type of sangria, she takes a large sip. It was necessary, as she was completely caught off guard this evening. There wasn’t a lion with some sort of spina bifida ailment that needed her attention. It was a surprise birthday party, carnival themed, thrown together by her beloved sister and closest friends. To say she is touched would be an understatement. “Oh my gosh! My favorite!” Greedily snatching a few strawberry dipped chocolate chip cookies from a platter, she munches on them, reliving her youth in Kelvar. Her mother used to make this exact recipe, and if only Lana could stop shoving treats into her mouth, she’d be able to greet those that made it all the way to the west for her special day. Brushing crumbs from her shirt, she spies two dogs out of the corner of her eye and her lips curve into a smile, “Meri!” Excitedly, she pulls the blonde in for a quick hug, before dropping to her knees and dousing Mountain and Lowrider with babytalk and cooing over how much they’ve grown. She knows the psion isn’t overly fond of affection, but it was her birthday, so hopefully the hug would be taken without hesitation. Lifting her gaze, she bathes in the slobber of the massive pooch, “How have you been? Are you and Cal adjusting to life with these two? They have gotten so big!” As she waits for a reply, Zahrani and her crew wander by and pull Lana in for a warm hug, which is gratefully returned. “You all look great, thank you for coming!” To Amir, she winks, and slips him a silver, “Go and dunk my brother, Scandal!” Eli is seen in the distance, eyeing some of the games, and Lana blows him a kiss, hoping he will win her a goldfish.

Alvina didn’t want to admit that her new favorite shoes weren’t appropriate for an outdoor party setting. They were fall / winter wear and she bought them to wear. She had to prove to Hudson that it wasn’t a useless purchase, it wouldn’t hurt her feet, and she’d use these boots for the next ten years so the price was worth it. Through the crowd, hot cider in hand, Alvina watched strangers and familiar faces pass. Khitti’s candle lighting technique is impressive and so is the pile of gifts gathered for the guest of honor. She waves at Meri, who is waving at them. While people crowd around the cake, she tugs on Hudson’s sleeve, face wrapped up to her nose with his scarf to hide her pink nose and ears. “I heard *N Tune was going to be here and I -have- to get Lynce Trout’s autograph.” A hint of girlish excitement filters through the cloth. Valrae is there, Alvina has noticed, but doesn’t feel the same sting that used to accompany the thought. Much to her surprise, the witch IS pregnant, just like her brother had said. It gives her pause but also...peace. And she looks beautiful. ALWAYS. ALWAYS LOOKING BEAUTIFUL VAL. While people turn their attention to the entrance to shout for Lanara, Alvina’s voice chimes in loudly. Talyara screams first and Lanara dissolves in appreciation. Alvina grins, clapping and cheering when she stops suddenly, feeling an odd sensation that she couldn’t describe. She tugs Hudson to whisper something inaudible to anyone else above the cluster of people and carnival noises. Afterwards, she pulls away, throwing nervous glances through the crowd that refuse to settle on any one face.

Elioyahazer finds himself amidst strangers; unknown faces and acquaintances he’s met only a handful of times, despite Taly and Scandal being family. The request to join this celebration had come at a surprise, considering he had no idea that Taly knew where to even find him - let alone that he even existed outside the name of Eggbeater. Oh yes, he still finds that introduction rather hilarious. When the surprise finally comes, Eli is holding a glass of amber fluid high in the air and mirroring Taly’s chant. The desert born produces a broad smile, revealing ivory teeth and marring his features with elation. Though truth be told, he is nothing more than a stranger to these few who have gathered, and instead, takes only a moment to wish Lana a happy birthday. Once that has been completed, he too steps away to let her enjoy these festivities. They did, after all, celebrate on their own. This was for Lanara and her friends and family. He had no intention of interrupting. However, he instead catches that blown kiss and gathers enough of her glance to understand she wants a prize. With another grin Eli makes his way to the dunking booth, where a helpless Scandal would be at the mercy of a trained knife thrower. He wondered how well balanced these items were?

Talyara is pulled into a bone crushing hug by her sister which she quickly returns, placing a chaste kiss on her cheek before she has the chance to pull away to go and enjoy the festivities. She is walking towards some familiar faces (namely Krice and Zahrani) when she is held up by Valrae who is given a surprise expression but is quickly wrapped up in a hug. “It’s so good to see you! Thank you so much for coming! You look absolutely radiant!” Out of the corner of her eye sees someone shoulder into Khitti in too hard of a fashion to not be deliberate. Well, that will just not do! After excusing herself from her craft sister, the witch walks towards the aggressive person and pretends to get tripped up on her feet, grabbing the arm of the passerby and thusly forcing them to overturn a pineapple beer all over their shirt. “Oh my gosh, I’m sooooo sorry!” Taly gushes, adopting her most innocent expression and grabbing a handkerchief out of her back pocket to blot at their drenched shirt. With a huff, the cloth is ripped from her hand before the antagonistic carnival goer storms off. Upon reaching the pair she was looking for she smiles and hugs the panther. “Thanks for coming! And having the kids help out, too! I really appreciate it!” The warrior is given an appraising look. “I want to go dunk Scandal. Want to join me?” she asks the pair at large.

Scandal sat on his dunking booth. By appearance the dunking booth was a bit wider than the one person stall but this was to accommodate the ten foot tall broad shouldered dragon that accommodated it. It also deceptively had much deeper trough than appearance with much of it buried deeper into the ground. This was to ensure that when Scandal was dunked he'd have to struggle to get back up on to his platform. Each person had a chance to fire three balls at the target board. Until the dragon was dunked, Alongside this booth was a wagon full of prizes, anything from large gems to stuffed animals and even some potential pets. Course the pets were for those who managed to dunk the dragon five times in a row. It only costs a copper to play.

Zahrani || Amir decides to take the silver given to him by Lanara and try his luck at the dunking booth as well. The snow leopard lad is swift in joining the line, standing just in front of Eli. Ice blue eyes glance up at the desert man, the cat offering a brief grin before turning towards Scandal, his tail swishing in amusement. When it's his turn, he's instructed that he has three chances. Standing behind the line, he feels the weight and balance of the ball. Eyeing the target, imagining it to be a ruffian that had harassed one of his friends a few days, the lad lets loose, and the item strikes true, dunking the dragon.

Hudson had grunted in response to this *N Tune remark, which is basically his stock reaction to a number of topics his wife sometimes tries to talk to him about (face creams, boy bands, whether other moms at their children's school are The Worst, etc.). He sneaks a look at Valrae when Alvina is looking elsewhere: is she with child or just curvier? He wonders when his wife will make A Remark about this to him. It's sure to be something like, 'Val is curvier, I'm sure you like it,' which is a TRAP because if he says no, she then will interpret his comment as a referendum on HER weight. If he says yes, well, he may as well swim in gasoline and light a match. Great, can't wait for this .. Ah, Lanara is appearing: he shouts and cheers with the rest of them. Then, he drinks some of the cider and leans close to his wife, commenting cheerfully so that only she can hear, "Let's get drunk but not so drunk that our kids can tell?" Alvina, rather than respond to his Great Idea, leans close to whisper something else. Hudson glances around them. Nearby, Luna and Harper are getting their faces painted. Bryce is playing gleefully in a ball pit (and, let's be real, probably, a small amount of piss). He follows her as she retreats from the crowd toward their children. "Are you sure?" he asks her.

Meri grins when Khitti approaches and hands over the leash to the smaller dog that the redhead is fond of. "Yeah. I figured I'd bring them. Thought Lan-...." Meri barely manages to get the name out completely before Lanara appears at her side and embraces her in a quick hug. She is right, the psion is not fond of affection, but the hug is a quick one so the gesture is accepted and returned in a one-armed fashion. "Yup! I think we are all getting on just swimmingly. No regrets to the decision at all, one of the smarter ideas he and I have had, I think." When Lanara mosies off to mingle with the rest of the party, Meri finishes her sentence to Khitti. "Lanara might like to see them. So." Meri gives a bit of a grin bit it is short lived. More than likely, the blonde has noticed Valrae, but is equally uncertain of how she should react or respond. Valrae seemed content to mingle with the other guests, so Meri presumed that the best course of action would be to leave her alone. That does seem to be what the witch wants. Instead Meri tries to focus on the others present. Like Khitti. And those denizens that seem to be whispering about Khitti while giving her dirty looks. Meri was picking up on it too. Just like she was picking up on the way that Alvina seems suddenly nervous. Meri felt the same. Except it was harder for the novice wolf to analyze the feelings, Meri attributes it to being overwhelmed by the large crowd in her case...And in Alvina's? The presence of a certain witch.

Scandal laughed "What’s that I can't see you, over how bad your aim is." he pointed in his goofy outfit at a someone trying his third time and failing. "Another copper another try, and i don't mean the boys in blue kind."

Krice simply gave Scandal a nod, avoiding the handshake, before he retreated to the lake. From there, he observed Talyara's Khitti-assistance through the gap between two food-stalls not yet crowded by hungry patrons--they were all still gathered around Lanara. The other sister's act and faux-apology drew a smirk to his mouth, harbouring tempered amusement. Talyara's query earned her a simple shake of the head; he was comfortable remaining where he was - away from the crowd, yet able to oversee the festivities... including the interactions of people a little less happy to be here for reasons their own.

Lanara is relieved when Taly manhandles the passerby that had rudely bumped into Khitti and wandered off as if it was no big deal. The redhead is petite, and the way she’s favoring her arm, despite her best offers to play it off, all show that it likely was intentional. She also recalls their conversation from a few nights ago, and her expression softens. Khitti had come to the party, knowing it was in Venturil… All for Lanara. The two dogs whine as she gives them their final cuddle of the evening, and as she rises to her feet, she gives Meri and Khitti each a smile, though her hues linger on Khitti’s expression. “You okay?” She softly asks, and once she gets the assurance that she doesn’t need medical attention, Lana would politely excuse herself from the paladin and the psion. Making her way through the crowd, she applauds a collie dressed as a clown, accepts a heart shaped balloon from the infamous puppeteer, and nearly collides with the glowing witch. “Val!” The two haven’t set their eyes upon one another in months, and that evening was shrouded in fog, mystery, and the promise of making a coven. Without hesitation, Valrae is pulled into her arms for a lingering embrace, “I have missed you so very much. Please, tell me that you’ve returned to the lands. I’ve tried to reach you on many occasions, and when I didn’t see you on Samhain, I had feared the worst. I’m so, so, so, happy that you’re here tonight.” The two witches cling to each other, as they had bonded closely over the past year, and Lana blinks back tears. Her chin atop Val’s shoulder, she catches a glimpse of Hudson and Alvina, and they are greeted with a wave and a warm smile. The boots that Alvina was rocking are a seasonal must-have and from her vantage point, she’s pretty sure they are bearing a genuine Kreekitaka label.

Scandal watches the feline as it throws the first throw. "Ohh not like that, oh better yet twirl, no you almost had it." Scandal jeered chuckling at the friendly instruction, hey if he was going to be dunked he might as well have fun as well right?

Talyara gives Krice a pout when he gestures that he plans on staying there by the lake but in the end she meanders over to the stall where Scandal sits, calling out to passersby to entice them to play his little game. Elioyahazer is noticed, queued on the line and the little witch grins. “Thanks for coming, Eggbeater!” she teases.

Khitti occasionally glanced around her, that paranoia finally seeping out, but only briefly. She did catch the greetings sent her way by several people, and it only now registered in her head. A faux smile was donned for them all and a wave gifted to them before her attention turned to the space immediately around her. People were staring at her. A group here, a couple there. Staring and scowling and cursing her name and the god Khitti worked for. A small grin did appear when Talyara took care of that not so nice person. “Ah, I see. Yes, I’m sure she’d like to see them. I still need to get a rabbit from her eventually.” She did her best to calm her nerves, but it wasn’t happening--especially not now that -Meri- seemed a little off. Maybe it was just in Khitti’s head. Maybe. She’d nod to Lanara, offering her a smile, “Yeah, I’m fine.” No. No she wasn’t. Things don’t get much better because that person that bashed into Khitti--the same one that just had a drink spilled on them by Talyara--wasn’t the happiest of folk. Well, would you be if you lived in a place like Venturil, that seemed to be ever-tainted by some sort of darkness? Yeah, probably not. It’s almost like living in Larket, to be honest (except still not that bad). A surly, six-foot-tall man, seemingly in his forties, walked up behind Khitti and shoved her. Hard. “My wife… my children… They died because you didn’t stop him. Because you wanted to make your plans and do your scouting. They’re dead and they’re never coming back.” Khitti turned around and her face met with his fist, the guy having thrown it mid-speech. “I could take -your- family from you. But, I think this’ll suffice.” The redhead barely had time to think before the other fist was thrown and crashed into her ribs.

Valrae returns the warmth of Lanara and Talyara's greeting. "I am for tonight!" She chirps at Lanara's question. The witch is aware of the unspoken conversation that lay hidden under the surface of their conversation but all together avoids it. "I'm happy to see you," She says honestly. It was lonely on her own, away from her friends. "I'm sorry I worried you but please!" Val gestures to the bustling party. "Enjoy you night, I won’t keep you." Valrae pulls Lana into a quick hug before stepping away. After meeting the minimum social requirement of exchanging pleasantries with the guest of honor and the host, Valrae is suddenly acutely aware of her aching feet and her desire to croon at animals in adorable outfits. The witch skirts away from the crowd, happy to be out of the tangle and noise of the general population for momentary respite. Greedily, she gulps in the cold, crisp air. The scent of lake water and fried carnival food were seeping into her hair. The witch observes the small crowd gathering at the dunking booth and smiles but instead steers herself back into the chaos of things to get her hormonal eyes on the costumed animals. Maybe this time she wouldn't cry.

Scandal :: Kerplunk the target is struck immediately the trap seat drop and down comes the dragon causing a splash of syrup to fly upward as the dragon disappears beneath the syrup, Still immersed Scandal sticks a white flag out and waves signaling the feline to go fetch his prize. Then reaching up with his arms he pulls himself up back onto the seat, with a disgusting sucking noise from the sticky molasses. And looking down the syrup changing to into honey this time. "Dark molasses is served on ward with the honey who be next?"

Khitti || Others from the crowd cheered on the widower as he continued pummeling Khitti. She didn’t use her magic; she didn’t want to hurt them anymore than she already had. So… she let him get out his aggression. Oi. What she wouldn’t give for the days of being a vampire right about now. Hell, she survived a fist fight with a frost giant back then, but now? Who knows.

Alvina lives a lot of her life nervous. Right now, it could be any one of 178628736712 things. Finding out these boots are NOT practical. Or meeting Lynce. Or Valrae. Or the crowd. Or her children. Hudson pulls her aside and she nearly spills her cider because boots. She pulls down the lip of the scarf, panic painting her face. “I don’t know!” She hisses, still unable to link the feeling in a singular direction. Is this cider spiked too much or not enough? Alvina’s opening her mouth to say more when Harper rushes over to tug at her wrist. “Mommy look! I got a butterfly!” She turns her face so Alvina can see a half smeared ‘butterfly’ that looks less winged and more...phallic. She looks at her oldest with maternal confusion. “Harper…?” And then she looks at Hudson with the parental look of ‘are you seeing this?!’ Bryce shouts in glee in the ball pit and Alvina tries not to imagine how gross he’ll be. Probably no grosser than he was when they put him in there. #BOYS. Luna runs over to show them her kitten face painting that is more scary than impressive. She pretends to lick the side of her hand and clean her face. Wide eyed, Alvina looks back up at Hudson. Here she makes eye contact with Lanara, who is hugging Val, and waves weakly. Heeeeeey birthday lady.

Krice moved inward, a slithering shadow of black and silver, to press himself between that burly man - of same height - and Khitti. With his back to the woman, he reciprocated the shove albeit noticeably harder, though he hadn't moved quickly enough to spare Khitti the first punch. Crimson eyes filled with malice, he caught the second in a firm, white-knuckle grip and shoved the man a second time, growling, "Back off."

Zahrani responds to Taly's invitation to the booth with a shrug of her shoulders, "Sure." She glances at Krice's asocial tendencies, offering a soft smile to the man before heading over to see how Amir is faring at the dunking booth. It seems like he's gotten a small crowd cheering him on. He managed to get roughly 10 out of his 15 shots that he attempted, though none of them were 5 in a row. The lad accepts whatever prize might be given to him, before running off with a couple other kids to see what J'darr and J'nira were doing. The twin felines had gone from dancing with their scimitars to juggling a bunch of scimitars between the two of them as the drum sounds off.

Meri was just starting to come to the realization that -maybe- this odd feeling that kept nagging the back of her mind was not because she was overwhelmed with the crowd. This has Meri's gaze now scanning the faces present, each one getting a studious and lingering gaze...right up until this chump decides to pick a fight with her sister right in front of her. This is pretty high on the list of things not to do in front of Meri...and the blonde reacts accordingly. Krice may have intercepted a second punch, but Khitti had already been shoved and punched once, stopping the second punch does not make it right enough for Meri. She's pissed and her reaction is to haul off and throw a punch squarely at the man's jaw. If Krice is quick enough to stop that, that remains to be seen. Meri does seem to have some speed to her movement and her punch pack quite a blow, more than the norm even for a gal that is not scared to throw down every once in awhile. "Oh piss off." Sorry Lanara, for fighting at your birthday party. You'd do the same for your sister.

Elioyahazer is the weapons expert of the adventures guild for a reason. Not only that, but he’s been trained as an assassin. So throwing knives and objects is something that he could do in his sleep. Amir, the unknown cat before him is given a “congrats” and a clap. Seems their aim is spot on as well. When Eli has a turn, he just smiles and then notices Taly. “Scandal doesn’t know what he got himself signed up for!” The desert born responds to Taly’s few words. And he’s right, Scandal is about to become one with the syrup. Literally. The desert born slips a silver piece to the booth operator. For those of you who don’t know, a silver piece is ten copper. The first throw is only given half effort, and it still smashes the target - sending Scandal into the syrupy depths of the liquid beneath him. The problem for Scandal however, is the Eli has every intention to not let him back up with his next nine throws. Instead however, he notices a problem. An unknown male getting pushy with a fellow guildmate, Khitti. The ball in Elioyahazers hand becomes a weapon; sent sailing through the air to squarely peg the offending ruffian in the back of the skull. If he wants to hit someone, he could come after Eli or even Krice for that matter. “Hey, sheep-shagger.” He taunts him. “I suggest you move along.” His index points way off into the fields in the background. More importantly, the idiot is ruining Lanara’s birthday. It’s obvious he wouldn’t let it pass.

Hudson frowns at Alvina and glances around them once more. Someone here was the wolf she'd made by accident? He opens his mouth to ask her when she'd had the feeling, to try to get a handle on who was close to them at that moment in time, but Harper bounds over to them. "Monkeeeeey," Hudson intones, and immediately palms her whole head: this is his favorite thing, it's so warm and she bobs it about adorably when he does it. She is showing Alvina her face painting, and Alvina looks at him like he's supposed to be paying attention here. He looks at Harper's face and identifies the problem, and then he promptly LOLs into a fist in an attempt to disguise it as a sudden coughing fit. Harper pounds on his back. Helpful. Luna joins them and, as she does, makes it all about her. "Daddy," Harper tugs on his coat and tries to remain relevant. "Can you help with skeeball? I need a lot of tickets." Hudson exchanges a look with Alvina, shrugs, and reaches for Harper's mitted hand to tug her closer, whereupon he hoists her onto his shoulders. "My athleticism is required," he informs Alvina. "If that thing comes up again, come get us, we'll be over here." And with that, they head in the direction of the skeeball, incidentally approaching Valrae. As Harper engages in a sweet reparte with the carnival worker, Hudson glances the witch's way several times, only for her not to be looking in his direction each time (perhaps intentionally?). Eventually he waves, incredibly awkwardly. "Who's that?" asks Harper, nudging him in the ribs before handing him a skeeball. "You're not playing at all?" asks Hudson, incredulous. He'd ignored her question. "I need all the tickets," she hisses, crossing her arms as she observes her father engage in the basic act of pitching the skeeball. She leaves him to it and bounds over to Valrae. "Hello, my daddy knows you and waved just now," she states.

Khitti || Unfortunately for Khitti, Meri, and Krice, others show up as back up to help their fellow Venturilian. But, their focus isn’t on Khitti’s sister or the warrior for their beef was with the redhead. A rope tied like a lasso was thrown, from somewhere within the crowd that started to close in around them, and latched onto Khitti’s wrist. It’s almost as if they knew she would be here. A sharp tug was given on her arm while she was trying to shake off her daze, pulling her into the crowd, leaving Meri and Krice to be walled off from Khitti. The crowd that had gathered at the carnival had been so large that… Khitti just disappeared. Even with Elioyahazer’s assistance, it seemed like the Venturilians finally got what they wanted: a Khatnapped Khitti. Things suddenly seemed to go back to normal. People were talking, eating, and making general merriment and there was not a Khitti to be seen or heard.

Zahrani 's eyes shoot towards the sound of violence, seeing Khitti on the ground and both Krice and Meri interceding on her behalf. The cat woman gestures to Taly, indicating that she would be over there. The paladin's aura shimmers in her fur, creating amber lines of light across her form as her palms glow softly. She stands ready to heal or defend.

Scandal a deep falling into honey on the first try, The weapons master of the adventures guild so is unparreled shot, and thus scandal finds himself once again immersed in the vat. However instead of hearing the balls hit the target he here's one hit a fleshy mass as he pulls himself back up on to the bench wiping his face with his hand, He spies Khitti being sacked by a male who was getting sacked by Meri, and a tall elf, and of course one of the balls from Eli's hands. "eh they got it covered." He looks down and sees batter. "What the heck?"

Lanara smiles at Valrae as the witch departs from her side, wishing their reunion could last longer, but understanding it the same. She had been through a lot. Social events were hard on some, especially since returning from the grave. The brunette sips at her glass of sangria, which is nearly empty, and she approaches the dunk tank. Scandal is resurfacing from a vat of syrup, after Amir had managed to dunk the dragon, and she laughs wholeheartedly. It was a breath of fresh air to see her sibling in good spirits, and she wiggles her fingers in greeting. She wouldn’t dunk him though, not at her party. However, she does manage to eye the prizes, and one goldfish wins her heart. He’s an orange color, with flecks of black on his fins. Her boyfriend, Eli, manages to step in line at this precise moment, and she sidles up next to her assassin, gracing his lips with a chaste kiss. “Going to win me a prize?” Krice is spotted leaving Taly’s side, and she waves at him as he approaches the area where Khitti and Meri were last chatting. The ball strikes the target, the ‘kerplunk’ draws Lana’s gaze to the tank, and Scandal is submerged into the sticky liquid. “Yay!” Lana is delighted; about to point to the ‘prize’ she has already set her sights on, when she realizes that Eli is no longer standing at her side. He’s not taking the next two tosses. “Where?” Exchanging a worried glance with her sister, she follows his trail and sees Meri, Krice, and now her assassin, all aiming to throw punches at some presumed livestock bedder! “Hey! Hands off!” Was Khitti alright? Lana pushes through the crowd, earning herself a shove from a friend of the brute, and she kicks him in the shin. “Just. Bring. It.” She hisses, through a clenched jaw. The witch would defend the spiritualist of the guild, the caterer of the event, and also, her close friend.

Valrae's path had taken her near Khitti. Near enough that when a strange man started pummeling her she had a clear enough view to witness it. The shock of it washed over her strong enough to make her feel dizzy. Before thought entered her mind, the witch was pushing through the quickly gathering crowd. Valrae was screaming incoherently, golden hair and colorful feathers flying as she neared. "Stop it! You stop it!" The words finally formed. Luckily, Krice and Meri have made it... And so the witch backs off. She's watching the offending man take a solid punch from Meri, which was followed with a solid blow from a clever toss Valrae couldn't pinpoint, and doesn't see Khitti disappear from the crowd. Adrenalin with nowhere to go rushes through her as she turns away in time to see another man shove at Lana. Without a thought, a burning curse falls from her trembling lips and the man's pants are suddenly ablaze.

Talyara doesn’t see the man pummeling Khitti. If she had she might have intervened herself, as small as she was she could pack a punch (just ask Lanara). Taly laughs along with the others, cheering on Amir as he hits target after target, applauding him on. When Elioyahazer is up and he utters his comment she smirks, ready to see her brother in quite the sticky situation. However, the assassin’s concentration wavers, and Taly follows his gaze over to there Khitti is being assaulted by yet another patron. The little witch scowls and storms over at the tail end of predicament and she stands on her tiptoes looking for the templar over the crowd. Khitti is gone. People look worried (mainly the guests) and Taly immediately grabs the arm of one of the workers she had hired and whispers hurriedly to him to send out a group of them in search of the redhead. Just then, there is a loud cacophony of noise coming from the main stage as ’N Tempo makes an appearance, nearby woman screaming their delight at their sudden arrival. Justyn, whose voice is magically magnified, calls Lanara and Talyara to the stage. Apparently it’s time to open up the gifts. The other boys—Jaycee, Lynce, Jimmy, and Kris gather up the presents and head back towards the stage expecting the sister witches to follow.

Meri sends Valrae a look. It's not the meanest of looks, but it does urge the pregnant witch to not get involved. At least not in any close proximity. Because...fists and pregnant bellies are not a wise combination. Meri did not like being walled off from Khitti. She did not like it one little bit. Those who had the misfortune of having to keep Meri separated from Khitti would learn that the blonde would not be shy about getting physical -- be it throw attempts to bulldoze her way through, punching, or even kicking -- whatever it took. Except whatever it took was still not enough to get to Khitti evidently. One minute she was there and the next she was gone. Some people did not even seem to notice? Or if they did they did not care. Meri half though to try and sound the alarm, but reason and logic were pushed behind in the heat of the moment. The urge to try and chase after the culprits immediately wins out. Maybe Meri could catch her scent...? Except, she begins to recall that she left Khitti with a certain amulet that prevents Meri from doing just that. Frak. Hopefully other people will realize what has transpired, for Meri is already off on foot hoping that maybe she can catch a glimpse of a mob carrying her off, or a footprint in the earth, or some other clue that would lead to her sister's safe return...

Hudson | Valrae does not respond to Harper but rather rushes away, and Hudson, glancing back, sees why: there's a tussle. Harper is frozen in place watching the tussle, her mouth open in an 'o' shape, her eyes doubling in size as a man's pants suddenly burst into flames. "Daddy!" she exclaims, but Hudson's already there, has hoisted her into his arms. "Don't look, it's for adults," he tells her, and she obediently hides her face against him as he looks about for Alvina.

Zahrani growls under her breath as she sees the lasso whisk Khitti away, the paladin swiftly making her way through the crowd in the direction it had gone. Once she's free of the crowd, cyan eyes scan for any sign of her, her nares flaring for any scent of her Khatnappers. Dammit. The panther swiftly climbs a tree, increasing her field of vision for any small groups making their way away from the party. Amir wanders up to the tree, a look of confused concern on his face as he quietly says, "Rani...?" The panther feline returns to the ground, placing a large hand on the boy's head before she says, "Stay with the others." Amir obeys, running to one of the adult felines that had been playing music and explaining what seems to have happened.

Khitti was just gone. Vanished. Poof. No more redhead. Some of those people are still picking fights with Meri, Krice, Eli, and Lanara, but… beyond that, nothing really was left of the Khat, except that cake she’d made for Lanara. Whisked off into the night by those that likely were just as magical as she--and others present at the party--was, it was entirely possible that they were ready for her eventual return and seemingly masked their scent, as well as Khitti’s.

Krice didn't stop Meri from exacting her own revenge upon the angered man; he deserved more than an intercept and shove. A rope was thrown and its sound snapped against his nearest ear, turning his attention. Reaching beneath his shirt, the warrior procured a dagger, flipped it into a front-facing grip, and stooped to cut through the rope - but he was blocked by a wall of civilian assailants. Reluctant to cut the legs of people not his target, the warrior withdrew his blade and thrust a shoulder against the chest of a man at the front; his large frame toppled backward into the people behind him, and a couple at his sides, opening up a path for the warrior. He lept over the pile of people and landed silently behind them, at first searching eye-level for Khitti's kidnappers - and then skimming the ground for drag-marks that would indicate the direction in which she had been hauled off. Attuning his senses, he worked to locate the captured woman by her scent and any other visual signs were left to him.

Alvina bawks at Hudson’s nonchalant understanding of her panic because skeeball? His leaving with Harper when Luna tugs on Alvina’s wrist again to repeat this cat miming. “Yes, bear, I see.” She forces a smile, sinking down on her knees to grasp her daughter’s shoulder. Luckily Marge, as if sensing a potential incident, approaches warmly. Luna repeats this cat thing just before Khitti’s hit with a punch, and a cluster of people rush to her aid. Meri throws a punch that’s too fast to see and Khitti is now gone. Thin air. Poof. “Please check on Bryce,” She begs of Marge, who has Luna’s hand in hers while they head off to the bounce castle area to investigate the ball pit. The band comes out, Talyara announces them and Alvina realizes she forgot the name to her FAVORITE BOY BAND. N Tune. N Tempo. She’s clearly not ‘N’ it. That’s when she sees Hudson holding Harper and shuffling awkwardly on soft ground, makes it to them in time to see Harper’s face pink and wet. “Baby no,” She whispers, rubbing her back when Hudson surrenders her. Luna didn’t see anything. She will be the normal child. Harper can be the edgy one with dramatic life experiences.

Valrae hadn't missed the stern look from Meri, though apparently had missed Harper's request to return a skee ball, and obediently stood away from the continuing tussle of the crowd. The witch is blissfully unaware that she has left poor Harper scarred from witnessing a man spontaneously combust. She looked away from the man she'd impulsively set afire, who had quickly had the flames extinguished by a passer-by's helpfully tossed big gulp slurpee and would probably only be left with minor burns, long enough to see the look of worry across Meri's face as she bolted through the crowd and confusion furrowed her brow. Why was Meri running? Where had Khitti gone too? Suddenly, Valrae was also scanning the crowd. Though she wanted to, Meri's earlier look of warning stopped her from running through the crowd after her.

Lanara rests her hands on her hips, firmly rooted in place, those dark eyes shooting daggers at her assailant, when he seems to somehow catch on fire. He dances in place, patting his thighs and calves, and cursing up a storm. The witch dissolves into a fit of contagious giggles, “That’s karma!” She’s pointing, laughing so hard that tears spring to her eyes, and over his shoulder she catches a glimpse of a feather adorned blonde. Karma was Valrae, and she had provided the defense that the birthday girl needed. A nod of thanks is given, as the two exchange a smile, before the witch tries to catch sight of Khitti. Where had she gone? The redhead has faded from sight, and though she wildly scans the crowd, she sees nothing more than the departing form of the psion. The templar had seemingly vanished into thin air. She was abducted?! Lana feels helpless, though she overhears her sister giving orders to send a search party in hot pursuit of their guild mate, and that lessens her worries. The music continues to blare, and Lana scowls, preferring the Backstreet Bards over this can-banging and shrieking any day, but she knows they are nearly impossible to book. With a sigh, she nervously runs her fingers through her chestnut locks, and leaves the man with his scorched pants to tend to his own injuries, as she heads over to Taly. The party was ruined. A friend was kidnapped! “Taly… Please tell me this was some sort of magic trick?” Crestfallen, Lana is led to the stage, though the last thing she wanted to do was open up presents.

Elioyahazer || One moment the man had been there. The next he is not. For Eli gave no thought of remorse for the Venturil natives who sought to kidnap (catnap?) Khitti. The trained man shifts into the crowd, vanishing from sight - putting to use all the years of his training. Nothing would remain the same, even if the man’s pants were now set ablaze. He wouldn’t go back to joyful celebration. Nor give pause to the thoughts of fire searing at those tender bits of flesh. Those who thought that Eli would just walk away honestly knew nothing of the desert born. Instead, Lanara, might wonder what happened? Where had her desert born gone? This wouldn’t be the first time that he stalked his prey from the shadows. From behind any obstacle. Within the plains or deserts. Honestly, Eli had been watching, and those trained calculating eyes wouldn’t let those ruffians get away. It seemed that even Meri had begun to search. Elioyahazer does not waste his time of sifting through the wall of people attempting to block the party off. Instead, he makes his way around them, mid brawl to continually chase after her captors. However, his attempts are in vain. Somehow he had lost sight of her amidst the enormous group of people. Eli wants to chastise himself. “Dammit,” he mutters to himself. If he knew more of Meri, he might have words with her, to offer aid in search, but he honestly doesn’t know of any connection between the two. Save for the meeting they all had within the Guilds HQ.

Hudson | It becomes immediately apparent that Harper is very disturbed by what she has seen. The fighting, the angry mob, the fire. She is in tears, and Hudson is relieved when Alvina approaches. Mom always > dad. He passes Harper off to Alvina, who sets her on her two feet and goes about holding and consoling her. Luna is confused. "What happened, daddy?" she asks Hudson, who is craning his neck to watch Marge over by the ball pit. Of course Bryce is ignorant to what occurred, seems to be having a great time. The commotion mostly appears to have quieted. He'll have to confer with Alvina momentarily about whether they should leave, but for now they'll spin their wheels. "I'll tell you in a minute," says Hudson to Luna, fully intending to hope she doesn't follow up on that because he has a distraction planned: "Let's get funnel cake."

Scandal saw much commotion with the realization that Khitti had been abducted. He struggled to pull himself from the sticky vat. Only for small draconian kid to toss a bowel dousing him the batter below. Rising again this time seeing frying oil he makes a mental note to have words with the one who supplied him this magical vat, only for a voice in the crowd to be brief as a ball hurled into the target board, with a distinctive whirl. When he arose again breaking away the fried breading around his body and the clothes, he hopped out of the dunking booth, and handed the glasses and moustache to some other nut. "Presents time, I ought to go get Lana's present." As he moved toward the tent where he had stored extra prizes not knowing how many people who try his booth, he finds what he is looking for and pull the chain that is tied to the collar of massive mongoose. "Come on monny." he said tugging the ribbon wrapped mongoose towards the stage.

Talyara links her arm with Lanara when they meet on the way up to the stage, the younger witch frowning as her sister asks if this is some kind of magic trick. “I’m ‘fraid now,” she mumbles quietly before pulling the animal empath towards the stage where the best boy band in all of Lithrydel is waiting. All the while her green eyes scan the crowd in search of the redheaded templar, the vice grip in her chest lessened slightly when she sees the others in hot pursuit. Those nearest the stage are completely unaware of the goings on and are more excited about the handsome men on the stage who have pulled up a stool for Lanara. When she sits, Taly gives her a half hearted smile before heading backstage to grab her gifts to bequeath to her sister. Firstly, she is handed a small box. Secondly, a grey, furry squirming animal with a bow tied around his neck. “Happy Birthday, Lana.”

Krice heard noise in the back of his mind, a whisper of love professions meted out against a repetitive rhythm. He glanced at the stage... That explained it all. After looking for the two witch sisters for whom this event had been intended, his gaze lingering on Talyara, and deducing that they would be fine, the warrior set forth as the crowd of disruptive civilians dispersed, following tracks and other signs not visible to regular humans in search of Khitti.

Valrae ||With Meri out of sight, along with Lanara and Talyara who have moved off somewhere beyond her view, Valrae decides now was as good a time as any to leave. She'd left a letter in her gift, so while leaving without saying goodbye to the birthday girl was less than ideal, it would be acceptable. Especially when taken into account Khitti's sudden disappearance. The look of warning Meri had flashed her still clear in her mind, Valrae's feet fall on the path that would lead her back out of the lands.

Lanara is obviously worried about Khitti, and seeing as Krice and Meri have left the scene, and the fact that she no longer sees Eli, she’s even more concerned. What was going on?! It’s her party… And she can cry if she wants to, right? Tears well in those heartbroken hues, though none manage to spill, as she’s coaxed onto a stool, and a wriggling honey badger is placed in her waiting arms. “Oh my gosh! You are so precious!” Instantly, a smile appears on her face, and the black eyed animal gazes back at her, still just a baby, though there’s a rare wisdom in her gaze. “Taly… This… This… She…” For once, the elf is speechless. The badge that’s affixed to her shirt earns a guffaw, and she pulls Taly onto her lap for a tight hug. “Thank you, Sister. This entire evening was perfect…” Minus the kidnapping . “I love the presents, the party, and this adorable badger!” Which happens to be the most deadly of animals in the realm, give or take some dragon hybrids. “I love you, Taly.” Kissing her sister on the cheek, she sees Scandal climbing onto the stage, with a mongoose tugged on a leash. Was this another present?! “Ooh! How lovely! For me?!”

Hudson gets the funnel cake for himself and Luna, and then very carefully leads her toward some of the performers, falling in with a cluster of people. "What happened?" he discreetly inquires among other adults, while Luna watches an act and snacks, getting powdered sugar and grease on her clothes. He observes Valrae's departure, but doesn't shout or try to attract her attention. While many who had seen what happened seem ill at ease, for now, the danger appears to have dissipated.

Scandal struggles with the creature, had he been bigger this would have been a breeze but the Mongoose was half his size, and a lot more stubborn. "Yes, dear sister, this is for you, It’s the biggest mongoose I could find, they kill snakes, and I think this one naga's, just so you can sleep at night without having." He tugged on the beast, "Having to worry about snakes coming into to terrorize you." He put the chain under his foot and gave his sister a big dragon hug, with wings, as well.

Krice wasn't gone long. For whatever reason, the warrior return to the festivities despite the fact that Khitti had not been found. He lingered several metres away from the witch sisters but still closer than he had been at the edge of the lake, his dagger sheathed beneath his shirt once more, katana still dormant against his back, and a stern, pensive stare passing across the faces of the siblings. People were starting to impart upon Lanara the presents they had brought with them; his own sat untouched amid others yet to be given. A familiar wolf voice inquired of other adults nearby as to the events that unfolded, whilst the warrior's eyes tracked Valrae on her departure. It was good to see her again, after... the last time. Turning his gaze upward, Krice once more watched the witch siblings, though his attention was marked by intermittent pauses during which he scanned the crowd.

Talyara is thankful that at least she is able to coax a smile out of Lanara once the honey badger is handed over, the small but vicious creature obviously content to be in her new owner’s lap. The younger witch cannot help but giggle along with Lanara once she spies the pin and she treats her to a conspiratorial wink before she is suddenly pulled in the animal empath’s lap, Taly quick to return the embrace. “I’m glad you had a good time,” she says, sharing a look with her sister where they both silently agree that aside of Khitti’s assault and disappearance, things seemed to go alright, or so she thought.

Hudson | Someone sitting down yields their chair for Luna, and Hudson sits, letting her climb on his lap. (Secret advantage of having children: people give up their chairs for you.) The performer begins singing songs from a very popular and recent musical (that he's seen with the girls multiple times), and Luna shrieks with excitement, twisting to look at him: "Moana!!" "Yesss, Moana, Lunabear," says Hudson, grinning as the younger of his twins breaks out in song alongside the performers. Of course, she knows all the words. Hudson feels stuck between two feelings. On the one hand, now they can't leave until the Moana songs stop happening. On the other, he thinks, wrapping an arm around Luna's waist and kissing her on the crown of the head, she is his little treasure princess and her enthusiasm for this dumb musical they've seen a million times melts his heart. Maybe having to sit through all the Moana songs one more time is fine.

Lanara is snuggling with the honey badger, and stealing kisses from the mongoose, as she smiles at Scandal. All other worries are wiped from her mind for the moment, as she greets both of her newest additions. “Brother! He’s so wonderful! He will be an excellent guardian against serpents. I should’ve found one of his kind years ago! Where did you get him? Thank you so much!” Standing, she pulls the dragon in for a tight hug.

Talyara sways the music of the Moana songs because how can you not? She might even be singing along, too, but totally under her breath so no one will notice.

Scandal holding his sister tight, he says, "Love you sis, happy birthday."

Krice did notice Talyara's singing, through the din of the ever popular band on stage. Her sound caught his ear and then drew his eye, and something in his otherwise watchful, stern expression softened to reflect his appreciation for her singing - whether for his own sake, or for the fact that it meant she was able to find happiness despite the Khitti debacle. The child dancing along and singing to the music only received a cursory glance, nothing more.

Lanara comes away from Scandal’s form, sticky from the syrup that he had been swimming in for the past several hours. The band pauses to give autographs and pose for caricatures with their devoted fans, while someone begins to hand out slices of the delicious cake from the Ginger Snapped Bakery. The witch meanders through the crowd, the badger in her arms, and the mongoose at her heels, as she approaches Hudson and greets him with a big smile. “Hey! Long time no see! How are you doing? How is Alvina? The children?” Luna is greeted with a wiggle of her fingers, and she hopes the little girl will soon sign up for some ballet lessons, though she’ll discuss that with her mother. Huds was more into sports that didn’t require fancy footwork, at least not in a tutu.

Talyara definitely makes sure to get an autograph from Lynce—her absolute favorite ’N Tempo band member—slipping the signed paper into her back pocket before hopping off the stage and weaving her way through the crowd towards where Krice is, plopping herself on a bench facing him. Tenting her elbows on her thighs she buries her face in her hands and makes a noise somewhere between a groan and a scream.

Hudson is relieved when the Moana song turns out to be just ONE song. (Luna, however, is disappointed.) "Let's go find mom," he tells Luna, hoisting her off his lap. Good timing: Lanara approaches. "Happy birthday!" declares Hudson, as he hugs the witch, kissing her on the cheek in the perfunctory manner of men greeting women they know, and then introduces her to Luna, who gapes at the elf, finding her so glamorous and adult. "Everything and everyone is great, thank you for asking," answers Hudson. He nods at the mention of ballet. He is no stranger to child activities. Usually he covers Harper's (she does gymnastics). "I think Alvina was looking into some dance lessons for Luna, actually. She's really into drawing right now. And Moana." He picks her up and holds her on his hip. "This is Lanara's party. What do we say?" Luna, to her credit, lifts her chin. "Thank you for having us!" she chirps, and Hudson grins proudly. "Thank you, indeed," he says to Lanara, glancing over to where he'd left Alvina. "We've got to get these guys home, but really, thank you to you and your sister."

Alvina goes back with Harper and they play skeeball until she calms down. They play together, Harper isn’t half bad. Alvina is terrible. They managed to win one felt flower between them and in route to the concert area, Marge sneaks up on them. The nanny informs her that Hudson has Luna, thank the gods, but Bryce is causing a scene in the ball pit. “He’s pretending to be a shark and biting kids and all the balls.” Alarming. Alvina thanks her and rushes over to where Hudson and Lanara are chatting. “Happy birthday!!” She squeals with a pinched expression before tackle hugging Lanara with Harper in tow. Harper touches Lanara with her flower, high praise from a child. “So festive, great food… lovely outfit. You and your sister are so lucky to have each other. We need to talk about those dance lessons…” She adds before giving Harper to Hudson. Marge is on her heels and offers a small bow to Lanara. “Hey, Bryce is sharking out in the ball pit.” Has this happened before? Either way, her tone is transparent; we have to go. “It’s been so lovely, those dogs in costumes? To die for.” She doesn’t want any more panic. “Who is your favorite?” She points to the stage with a wide grin while Harper and Luna try to scream their favorite the loudest. "Thank you guys so much - " and then she's off in those horrible boots to make sure her son doesn't eat anyone in the urine soaked ball pit.

Krice 's eyes followed Talyara all the way to the bench upon which she sat, directly in front of him; his peripheral vision picked up vague things, like the leaving of the married couple, and other guests. Turning, the man shifted to sit beside the emerald-eyed beauty and turned his right palm up from his knee, inviting her to take hold. His expression softened with sympathy for her disturbed mood, fingers curling around her hand as he looked up to note Lanara's location.

Scandal removing himself from the stage and walking down to wards the lake, he stops spying his other sister Talyara, sitting alone. Unsure whether he ought to sit down next to her, he decides that maybe what she wants is alone time. Or was their someone else there, attending to her? He sighed, his sister liked alone time, so he decided to go wash off all that syrup in the lake. get cleaned up, especially if he had to ferry his sisters back to Kelay or find a way to take them home for the night.

Lanara accepts the kiss to her cheek from Hudson, and finds it utterly adorable that Luna has the best of manners. “I’m so happy you all had such a nice time! Finally! Someone hosts a kid friendly event!” It wasn’t –entirely- kid friendly, if you count the fact that a guest was beaten up and then kidnapped. Or that a dragon nearly drowned a few times in a vat of syrup. “And Alvina! You look lovely, as always! I have to get myself a pair of those boots!” The tackle is met with an even tighter hug, as the two women embrace, and Lana can feel the way that Huds is eyeing their joined forms. He was –such- a dude, sometimes! It’s amusing, nonetheless! Harper is playing with her flower, and the elf bends at the waist to take an obligatory sniff of the felt petal. “Ooh! That is lovely! You won that all by yourself?” Her words cut off as Marge is screaming in a panicked state. Apparently Bryce bit someone hard enough to draw blood, and the parents were getting upset. Sadly, Huds and Alvina have to part ways, and Lana gives each of them a final hug, before taking her mongoose and badger and finding some cotton candy.

Hudson puts Luna down only to receive Harper. "Mommy sucks at skeeball," she tells him, violence in her tone like it's his fault. "Don't say 'sucks,'" he immediately tells her, in the dad tone, and then smiles pleasantly to Lanara and Alvina, the latter of whom plays good cop and engages their daughters by asking them about the performers. Sven, their shrill screams. This is going to burst his ear drums. He makes something like a grimace and grin at Lanara, and then watches Alvina hustle away to meet their nanny by the ball pit. Their youngest was very poorly behaved. "Thanks again, have a great night," he tells Lanara, and takes his daughters by the hand to lead them over to where Alvina and Marge are extracting Bryce from what appears to be a quarantined area for problem children. Seems right. These things happen. All in all, a good night out with the family.

Talyara doesn’t initially take Krice’s hand, the only reason being that she’s a little preoccupied with her hidden meltdown. After about a minute of it, the anxiety doesn’t seem to be choking her too badly and she comes up for breath, noticing the warrior’s hand and thusly taking it. She looks ahead and sees Hudson, Alvina, and kiddos leaving and Lana heading towards the cotton candy stand. “You should give Lana your present,” the little witch eventually says.

Scandal emerges from the lake all clean and transforms best he can while gritting through the pain. He glances at Taly then at Lana, "Brother offering rides home, your birthday flight, think of that."

Lanara is cooing over her two new critters, her badge glistening beneath the moonlight, as she proudly bares the title of a slaughtering sister. “Freya… I will call you Freya…” She purrs, to the honey badger, as they rub noses. Meanwhile, the mongoose is nibbling on a worm that he found over near the riverbed. Scandal’s offer of a ride back to Kelay is noted, and she grins, “Maybe in a bit? You’d have to fly my date back, as well, and my two new pets.” Taly and Krice are nearby, and she walks over to visit with them. “Krice! It’s so good to see you, again! And Taly, I cannot thank you enough for this amazing evening.”

Krice shook his head at Talyara's suggestion. " I'll give her a moment," he murmured, letting Lanara enjoy her new pets and converse with their apparent brother about a trip home. His fingers flexed around Talyara's hand, squeezing in gentle reassurance that no one would see, but she would feel. When Lanara stepped up to greet him, he lifted his gaze to her face and nodded in acknowledgment of her words, his focus briefly passing across the faces of her two new animals. Cute. The warrior was still concerned for Khitti's safety, and Meri's success in locating her, but he was more so for the safety of these two witches. Having a dragon escort wasn't so bad an idea. To Talyara, Krice said, " Gylworliath's lingering just south of the carnival, if you wanna take her when you're ready."

Scandal moves like a thirty foot long dragon would, within a twelve foot gap of his sisters. Eyes locking on Taly and the elf, he said, "Offer stand with you both and Lana, I can give you four a ride back to Kelay.

Talyara squeezes Krice’s hand in return, thankful for the anchor he is providing before the witch hurtles over the proverbial edge. She smiles towards her brother and inclines her head in the warrior’s direction. “We have a ride, but thank you.” As Lana approaches, Taly’s expression softens as she smiles at the two animals, both small, furry, and fierce. “Always with the animals,” she teases her sister. “You’re welcome! I hope you had a good time, despite all the trouble with Khitti. I do hope Meri was successful…” Taly frowns and unconsciously rubs at an ache in her chest. “I remembered all the fairs we used to go to as children and thought this might be a nice surprise.” She looks around—’N Tempo was gone and so were a lot of the patrons. Things were dying down. “Do you need a lift home, Lana?”

Lanara shakes her head, “I’m going to sleep here tonight.” And she would, as the witch enjoyed being in the outdoors. “Thank you all. I love you guys… It’s so perfect. I loved this, Taly. It reminded me of the West End Faire.”

Krice glanced between Talyara and Scandal, and then Lanara when she voiced a preference for sleeping under the stars. The warrior stood then, though he kept his hand around Talyara's, which meant that her arm was slightly lifted as a result. With his eyes on the other sister, the warrior said, "Take care; stay alert. Be safe." The last thing he wanted to do was leave the 'witch' sisters in a place where animosity toward others was apparently a thing. Glancing down at Talyara, he added, "I want to go see if I can help find Khitti. Keep Gylworliath close - and this guy," he nodded to Scandal, " As long as he's able."

Scandal might not have had visible ears, but he heard as soon as Lanara said she was sleeping here, he shrugged his wings. "See you around sisters, preferably before I ship out on to some boat twisters ahead." he started moving westward only for another one of those balls to bop him on the head. He turned around irritated to see a Jersher about five feet three inches tall, shapely and salmander like in appearance blue from head to toes save for red spots going down her neck. "Leaving so soon, Scandal? Perhaps you show me that big house you boast about." Scandal irritatingly looked at her, "I never boasted," He growled, "Fine hop on." He said opening his wings, as the Jersher walked up his tail and as he prepared to take off. so long as no one interrupted him.

Talyara nods her head in agreement with Lanara. “It was like the West End Fair! Except no giant hares or rigged games or bags of onions which you stole from crippled patrons!” The younger witch smirks at her sister who would know what she is talking about. When Krice stands she looks up at him and frowns. “You’re leaving?” She can’t say she was surprised but that doesn’t mean she has to be happy about it. And he still hadn’t given Lana his gift! She supposed she would give it to her. “I’ll stay with you Lana, if that’s okay.” She wasn’t about to leave her sister alone with angry, violent Venturil citizens about and Grandpa Krawtch still lurking about.

Scandal felt he needed to stay until things were settled on where his sisters were off to, so he stayed put, while 'Blue' kept her eyes peeled for any uninvited spectators.

Lanara waves to Krice as he prepares to leave, “Thank you for coming to my party!” The elf is in high spirits, knowing that Khitti would be safe as all the guest joined the search party, or had retired for the evening. Lana lies back on the grass, the honey badger tucked into the crook of her arm, as Taly lies at her side. Of course it was alright for her little sister to sleep at her side, beneath the bed of stars. It would be just like old times back in Kelvar! Snuggling close, they both wave to Scandal as an annoyed Jersher asks him to take her home for the night, and Lana gives them both a wicked grin. “Someone’s got a girlfriend…” She whispers, into the night, before the sisters dissolve into soft giggles, and pass out beneath the moon. It was a memorable birthday.