2019-12-18 - A Very Kitty Yule II

The holidays are a busy time for markets of all kinds, including that black market. That means that Tor has been busy making drops and fencing items that people stole out of desperation to make a quick buck - or people buying stolen merchandise because they can't afford full price. A drop is what brings him to the park, in fact. He's standing not too far from one of the food carts, smoking a cigarette and counting a handful of cash he just took from a nervous-looking man who clutches a bag with three LEGO sets. "Hey, Merry Christmas. And thanks for shopping on Craiglist." Yeah. Craigslist.

Erin was doing some last minute arranging of top secret missions! IE Party Favors for the up and coming New Years Eve party for the Historical Society. Currently she's dressed in a pair of slacks that are black with a black sweater with a few blings on it. The sweater had been a gift and it was an expensive one! Over the sweater is a coat, belted but not buttoned, and a scarf is worn with it. The headband is one of those ear muff types and matches the lady in black there. She has a small bag with a notebook and a few other items inside.

Hyacinth in her long green wool coat, and fluffy faux-fur earmuffs and boots that reach her knee. The truth is she loves this park. Three and a half decades of coming here and she's never lost her love for it or been able to not forgive the scenery for things people do...so long as it doesn't affect her net pressie intake. At least she's not soaking with water like the Christmas Tree Lighting. What a mess. It still hasn't brought her mood down much. "Erin, look. Door Dash does drop off delivery for delinquent delegated gift-givers?" Tor's encumbered state of fenced parcels can't be missed.

Ryan is out to try and enjoy the park some. Wearing a heavier black coat and dark blue jeans. A gray beanie brought with him as well. Taking a moment to look around some. Taking in the people in the area.

A small cart has been set up -- by which we mean a table for things to be placed on -- with an obvious hand-scribbled 'Pens and Needles', and a larger sign stating: 'FACE PAINTING FOR CHARITY'. That one is hand-written as well, but it looks like whoever made it actually cares if it's seen. A set of unlabeled paints have been set out of the tables, far too many brushes than anyone would need, and a few chairs. Lex currently occupies one, and finishes up a cartoon rendition of Rudolf on the kid's cheek before a tired mother stuffs a bill into the 'CHARITY' jar and drags her overly excited child away. Lex sits back in her own seat, turning enough to drop her current paintbrush on the table's edge, before sweeping a somewhat wary glance across the busy boardwalk.

Tor picks up another bag at his feet and secrets the wad of cash away inside his military surplus jacket with deft fingers in fingerless gloves. His customer beats a hasty retreat, then he checks his phone for the time, takes a draw from his cigarette, then steps up to order a hotdog. Seems he's got another customer and is going to stick around a bit for another drop.

"Hyacinth!" Erin closes the distance there, "I am ready for Christmas. It feels like snow is in the air doesn't it? Or is that just wishful thinking?" There is a briskness in the air though and she feels all festive. A look over towards Tor and she tilts her head. "Imagine that," she muses.

Another figure strides into the park from the general direction of Downtown -- Vyv, in a dark blue suit currently largely covered by an expensive camel coat. A cashmere scarf in a pleasantly mottled melange of shades from navy to medium green is visible tucked loosely into the neckline, hints of shirt and tie beneath it, and he lifts one brown-leather-gloved hand slightly in greeting when he catches Hyacinth's eye, heading in her direction with a small smile. Erin gets a nod too, being handily right there and all as he approaches.

Hyacinth warms her expression as her British bestie comes to join them. "Yoooooou are just i time for face painting, Vyv." Way to give the man a start before lunch. She wiggles her mittens in a hulloooo! Festive ain't she? Flapping a hand to Erin and pausing at- Hi, Ryan- she turns to pull a rolled up bill to stuff in Lex's can for charity. There. Good deed for the day done. Now she can judge someone silently without her karma getting out of whack. Her eye twitches as someone's slightly off key. She murmurs to herself, "Oh a volunteer already." Turning to Vyv and Erin she says "Vyv and I were going to go do lunch. If you wanted to join-?"

Ryan does look around. Spotting Lex as she is doing some charity stuff. Smiling and offering a nod towards her. Moving over. Offering some to charity. Not really wanting face painting, but he can help out some. Then looking to Erin and Hyacinth. A small wave "Hi." Tor probably offered a nod in passing. Vyv does get a brief glance as well, as they are both heading in the same direction. That is when things seem to go awry. The words of the caroling. Looking around a bit. Curious and uncertain. Looking around, trying to find something. Trying to spot something it seems, as he keep looking around. Rubbing his eyes some.

There's a bit of a smile and an upnod toward Ryan as Lex sees him make the paintless donation. And then.

."... Oh fuck," Lex is breathing the curse, ever the eloquent individual, as the atmosphere begins to... change. "Fuckfuckfuck.." is just sighed now, her tone resigned, as she deduces that there's no chance of hoping her way out of this 'wrong place at the wrong time' Gray Harbor treat. You know what they say about good deeds? It's officially true.

Not to be outdone, Erin deposits a crisp, folded bill into the jar then does a double take as she recognizes Lex. "Well hello," she greets, "Nice to see you again." A smile offered her way before turning her attention to her cousin and Vyv. "You both look striking together, I've noticed it before. You complement one another." Not that she imagines they are dating or anything, but she's not certain. "Lunch sounds wonderful." Though things get sort of ripply sounding. Yes, ripply sounding. In an attempt to locate the carolers, things strike her as odd. Really odd. Protectively, a hand goes to her cousins back. "Hi," she tells Ryan, but she looks distracted. "Something is off. Something." Leaning in to tell Hyacinth and Vyv. "This doesn't feel right. I don't feel this is the Park Veil." Turning, she looks around. No broken carousel as far as she can see, the one on the other side. Not even the fixed one. Everything is wrong.

"Shit," mutters Tor as he sets the hot dog down on the edge of the food cart. He drops his cigarette and stubs it out, then sweeps a look around him. "You've got to be kidding me. I'm just trying to earn a living, man." He says this to no one in particular as he makes note of who is in this watercolour world with him. He immediately starts to look around for something that could be used as a weapon. Because he's a smart thug. Ideally it'd be like...a hockey stick, but he'll settle for an umbrella or a really solid stick. Then he raises his voice. "OK, I'm going to assume you guys all know the drill. If you don't...uh, sorry. Don't think we're gonna have time to explain." He keeps watch in the corners of the world through a glass, darkly.

"Not if it's intended to be mine, I'm not," Vyv says, rather less crisply than he likely would if he genuinely thought it might be, "and if you're thinking of yours, darling, do let me know, I'm sure I have Dr. Glass's number in my phone." He leans in to give Hyacinth a pair of French-style air-kisses of greeting, and Erin gets a small smile for her compliment, along with a little inclination of the head. "Thank you. Do join us," he says, and his glance at Lex and her charity sign -- and Ryan and his turn at donation -- is cut off before he might have gotten in on the donation action by that strange quality in the music, and the stranger quality of the change in their surroundings. He glances around, brow furrowed, and gives a decidedly irritated sigh. "Oh, not now. We have reservations." A breath, and Erin's quiet words have him giving the place a stronger look. "Not the park Veil as in, the Veil somewhere else, or not the Veil at all?" That last one is somehow more worrying.

The sounds aren't muffled any by the headband muffs that Erin wears, it's a menacing sound, creepy and threatening. The bag she was carrying is hoisted around her neck to lay at a diagonal across her body. Lunch is suddenly and very literally off the table. Unfortunately, it looks like lunch is among them. Standing beside her on either side. "Hya. one of them is staring at you." One of the pairs of eyes. "Yes, the Veil," she answers Vyv belatedly. "The other eyes are watching you, Ryan. Do we run? Do we stand still? Because I'm inwardly freaking out."

Hyacinth leaves a finger tapping on Lex's coffee can. She tries to hold that smile and Erin's news brings an upward titch of her eyebrow. And then there's that Hell-shriek:tm: and Ms. Addington's attention snaps to the source and calls out, "Lady, silence your child already for crying out loud." There and she'll do it because she said so, right? Looking to Vyv she says tiredly, "This is why some people shouldn't have kids." Probably starting with Hya.

Ryan does listen to the others, "No clue." Comes his irish accent. "But something is here." Then the loud scream. Noticing something in the hedges. Gesturing for people to stay close. Currently the two closes might be Lex and Erin. "Come closer." Stepping in front of them some. Keeping his eyes on what ever seem to be in the hedge. "I see it." He says to Erin. "I think we stick together. If we run they might chase." Looking to the others that seem to pick up on things as well. Trying to get everyone to work together against whatever is in the hedge. The hair on his body standing up as he is trying to figure out what to do.

Lex doesn't even hesitate. Whatever she heard or didn't hear, when Ryan gestures her closer, it's deduced that he heard or saw more. And if that deduction is wrong, standing beside the man can't be any worse than standing next to a table covered in painting supplies. Right? "I move shit," she announces to those nearest, without being asked, after hearing that last snarl. "What are everybody elses' superpowers? I don't want to die today." Ah, Lex, the subtly.

There's a certain adrenaline-charged twitchiness those who've found themselves in many a tough scrape sometimes get. It's not as visible as a small dog vibrating with anger, but it's a similar sort of effect. Tor scrambles around in the fuzzy underbrush until he finds what he thinks is a stick...a bone...a...metallic leg bone like an oversized Monopoly piece? Creepy. But hell, a weapon's a weapon. He crouches low and wields it like he's doing an impression of Steve Harrison vs the Demidogs - but with less volume in his hair. Tor Lockhart vs the Demicats? "If we run they'll definitely chase. But if we stay still then they might eat us. So..." a shrug. "Or maybe they'll just turn us into metal skeletons like my friend here." He waggles the leg bone.

Vyv takes that as confirmation of the 'somewhere else in it' option, but there's no relief in it not being 'something else entirely' given there are, well, screams. Screams and shiny staring eyes. "Only one reason," he agrees absently with Hyacinth, though he's focusing on what he can see of the likely sources of the screams. "Well, there aren't enough of them to catch all of us if we run. But they're close enough they'd likely get some, if they intend to, and I don't know about the rest of you but I've no idea where we left the nearest fort around here. I say remain still, fight if necessary, run if we lose. ...I move things also. I can possibly shock things, though I'm not excited about getting close enough to try." Glowing eyes in hedges don't appeal. He reaches out to touch Hyacinth's arm and lightly encourage her along with him in a step or two closer to gathering the group together.

"I mean.. I could fireball them, but I mostly miss with that. However, catching them on fire, I'm much better at that." Erin remains where she is, looking warily at those approaching. A slight headshake to Ryan. "Are you serious? I'm not standing beside you with that thing eyeing you like you are that lunch we were talking about." She glances at Lex and Tor.., but most of her attention is on the cats, namely the one approaching her cousin. "Are we attacking it now?" This voiced to Vyv without actually looking at him.

Hyacinth looks to Lex and takes a deep breath taking in the motes of detail about this 'not world' "My super powers include making my hair do what I want, style under any circumstance, home repair, a killer skin regimen, and winning." And now there are kittens! She may Veruca Salt this one but one mittened hand goes out like a mini designer 'mom' placing a mitten of 'NO' in front of Vyv looking at the kitty. "Hiii, baby. We do not shed on this coat okay? No sheddy. It's cashmere. It'll never come out." Her vibrant green eyes curiously look at the critter reaching out with her will like a damn Jedi asking, You lost, kit? What do you need?

Ryan shrugs at Lex's question, "Not much with that. Some mending and such." He suggests. Trying to find something to fend them off with. A large stick perhaps. Looking at the one coming for him. Trying to scare it off. "Well, we can try to do something against them." He offers to Tor. A dark humored chuckle at the word from Erin, "So I fend for myself then?" He offers, not seeming to mind. At least the others aren't being targetted. Letting them move to be able to help Hyacinth.

"Well, I don't throw... living things. At least I haven't before. Could try shielding, but it has been a while..." Heavy emphasis there. Lex looks between Ryan to the others that are gathered. Her eyes pause on Hyacinth to watch the other woman speak to the lynx -- or perhaps the staring is at what she says -- before she simply forces herself to look back at one of the more deadly creatures.

"Is it just me or do some of these kitty-cats seem to have eyes for particular people?" Tor sniffs himself, as if an odor might be to blame. Nothing in the Veil is ever that simple. If he has any kinds of 'superpowers' he's not volunteering. Right now his superpower is attitude and a metal bone. What more could you want, really? "That one out there is looking at me like I'm fucking..." a beat, "Fuck. What do cats go nuts over? Catnip isn't right. Tuna? Am I tuna?"

Vyv looks as though he may indeed be considering that attacking, with a glance around for potential weaponry. Hyacinth's answer regarding her powers makes him smile faintly despite the situation. "Sadly, I doubt this is a job for entremets or proper pocket square deployment," he murmurs half to himself and half to her as she sets out the 'no' hand; he's certainly not going to argue about the coats. This town requires enough dry-cleaning as it is.

"Not-- yet," is the answer Erin gets, with a quick glance to Hyacinth and what she appears to be trying -- and he takes light hold of an arm each of the Addington cousins. "Gather," he says, more firmly this time, like he actually expects to be listened to rather than making a suggestion, "I think you're right, the one looking at Hya seems more reticent than that one," the one going Ryanward, "perhaps they dislike a crowd more than they like... tuna. Or foie gras." Not every target here can be obtained in Safeway's aisle 3, after all. "Let Hya talk to it, but be ready."

"No, Ryan." Erin answers immediately. "But if we both get attacked, who will save your life afterwards? I'm a healer. Never let the healer get hurt." Her partial smile is lopsided. She moves towards Vyv when he tugs her closer and flanks Hyacinth's side. Until the kitty starts heading towards her. She looks at Vyv in a now what fashion. As the cats start fighting, she offers, "I'd say run while they are distracted, but there's really nowhere to run. We're not in the veil at Addington Park. I don't know where we are, but there's nothing here to run to!"

Hyacinth tilts hear head as Vyv drag-scoots her loser to her cousin. ""Oh! Oh Vyv, they're hungry. Make something." Because chefs do that right??? Out of thin air. Why not? Her eyes flick to Tor and Ryan and Lex and then back to the cat"People: Not food. We will help you find food." He ponders and tries to reason with the fur-children, "I have cinnamon Altoids on me. I don't think you want those. If you want to come back to the house." She looks around. Right. No house. "Soooo hi, group. theeeese cute little meat eaters are hungry because they are tiny and...well children don't know how to do things. Were they intern sized? Maybe, but" And she's smiling. Nothing wrong here. "I don't want to see people get eaten before I do lunch soooo maybe their mama is hurt, or whatever, but we need to figure out some string cheese and a juice box."

Ryan nods, "Seem like it." He agree with Tor. "Why though?" He asks. Since Hyacinth seem to be calming down the one watching him he will look towards the second closest to be able to use his new weapon. Feeling the weight in his hands. Grinning at Erin's words, "Of course, hence why you should stay back." Glancing to her but it is soon back to the cats. Getting dragged along. The weapon at the ready. "Careful." Offered to the others. Looking to Lex. "Any of you that aren't targeted able to find something we can use to leave or get rid of them?" Ready to swing if it attacks him or Hyacinth. "Throw food if we have any." Offered to those not targeted or keeping the cats at bay. Seeming to go on what Hyacinth is suggesting. He doesn't have anything on him though. Checking his clothing just in case though.

"I'm gonna see how far the edges go out. If I get past a block and we're still in this clusterfuck kitty show, I'll just come back..." Lex is stating, though she keeps her tone understated. Better not to alarm the giant cats. Her plan stated, she's drawing another resigned breath. "They don't seem to care about me, so they probably won't follow. If they decide to go after the one who strays from the pack... please try fireballs or something." She hasn't started off on said journey just yet, just should no one stop her immediately, she'd begin scoping the perimeter.

Oh no. Tuna is not going to be distracted. Tor has identified the one that seems to have its eyes set on him. Though he keeps half an eye on the cat-cawing match, his lil buddy is the one he keeps watching. He swings the metal bone so it swishes through the air. "Don't suppose anyone is carrying a spritz bottle? Can of pennies? No? Damn." Then Hyacinth is translating, and he thinks fast. "They want food? Here." He reaches for his set-aside hot dog and tosses it at the oncoming cat. Doink.

All right, that healer thing is a good point; Vyv adds a tiny bit of pressure to Erin's arm to guide her more into the center of the group. Just in case they need putting back together. "I seem to have left my kitchen in my other trousers," he says, focusing on one of the cats in a way that may not be working, given that he looks a bit frustrated about it.

And then he hears himself, and hesitates, brow furrowed as some memory is dredged up. "When I was last in Germany," he says, trailing off and starting to remove that cashmere scarf. "Do you know, Hya, I think this would go even better with that coat than it does with mine," he says, and unless she fights it off, drapes it around her shoulders and neck with, just in case, a "Froehliche Weihnachten," added in. Is this really the time?

Yeah Erin can't help being amused at the trousers comment, but she doesn't dare laugh. No baring teeth, no making a target out of herself. She's not aware it won't be interested in her, so she remains on alert, even as Vyv rearranges their positions. The scarf thing though, "What was that for? German made something turns them off?" Looking at her own outfit, she can't remember anything being German. But then again the sweater had been a gift, maybe it was purchased there. Well she's not taking it off. "What did you do?" she questions Vyv.

Well it's not every day someone's going to whip a wiener out and have it be praised as a good plan by the public. "Predators often for for lose ends and things left behind the herd. You are a talent though shouldn't be shredded." As opposed to those that think they have it? It's complicated.

What is not complicated is at the edge of the foliage there seems to be a deer limping. A doe. She's limping and freezes looking at the people and the Yule Cats. There is a hurried limping gait away from the cats and away from the people.

Hya pauses and looks to Vyv and blinks at him. Her hand lowers from in front of him like it's some safety gate. He does get an air-cheek smooch for that. Froehliche Weihnachten? She blinks and takes her mittens off and looks to Lex. She's picking up what Vyv is putting down. Her head tilts to the side and she offer quietly, "You've been out here a while collecting for... things. You should have something too. To warm up. It's cold." Her eyes flick to the others and hope this is what was intended. Either way she does look at Lex like she wants her to be not-food. "Merry Christmas."

Ryan does look to Vyv and Hyacinth. Raising a brow looking towards Lex. "Don't go alone." Though hearing Hya he does raise a brow, "Merry christmas, all. I suppose." Offering a smile to the others, mouth closed. Trying to see where he can be of help, if anywhere.

"Oh, fucking Mary and .. Elijah or... fuck," Lex is managing to mutter before she simply lapses into Spanish cursing -- far more options, if you weren't aware -- as she notes the new situation. "Guys," she's offering quietly, rather than starting away from the group. "I think Mama Kitty is over there..." A slight tip of her chin in the direction that the smaller feline-things are beginning to move. "Puts her little ones to damn shame..."

She turned her gaze toward Hyacinth then, but... well, Mama Kitty went and Mama Kitty'd. For what it's worth, it doesn't look like she's going anywhere right now, let alone... well, alone.

Oh. Um. Suddenly Tor doesn't have any witty comments or wry rejoinders when he sees Mama Cat. He just looks at the others, looks at the big cat, then turns and bolts, a flat-out run, still holding the metal bone in his hand. He keeps running until the Dream dissolves around him, and he's spat back out in the park. If only escaping every Dream was as easy as running in terror until you get back to the real world. Maybe that's the Christmas gift the Veil gave him. Everybody gets one.

There's what may be a flicker of surprise in Vyv's expression when that does appear to work, though he schools it away swiftly. "Gifts," he says, "Of clothing in particular, perhaps? An old woman I knew there gave me a pair of socks... she said they were a-- talisman, against the Christmas Cat." He glances at the pair of other men, still eyed by cats, though in Tor's case, that ends up as eyeing his retreating back. Well, that makes it easier. He glances to his hands, and gives a quietly exasperated sigh before stripping off the gloves and offering them to the remaining clear target of cat attention... even if the kittens are slinking away. They're slinking toward a massive Mama, after all. "Merry Christmas. May you not be torn apart by cats in the coming year. Or, more to the point, the current one."

"Christmas Cat.." Erin echoes, she knows nothing about that at all. "It sounds like a bad version of Harry Potter and the house elf, gifting it clothing frees it." While Vyv slowly strips all of his expensive clothing and gives it away, she hold out a hand with a smile. "My sweater was gifted to me, but if you're just handing things out, I like that jacket." Not that she would really take it. She falls silent as the carolers come back and she hears the music. There's a sigh of relief and she glances at the others. "I really don't feel like having lunch after all. Thank you though. I should get to work."