Curio City, The Abyss

"Hmm...very well then," he said indifferently, "Seems fair enough......sorry but I'm not sure I got your names," He looks at the two of them slightly interested. "Well I know yours," looking at Angel, "After all she just said it...but what's your name?" this time looking at the girl across the table.

Red nods, "Possibly......possibly." Red said as she looked up at the new arrival and smiled, "Hello, I'm Red, and your name is Angel right?" she said softly. She look down the table at the others, "I'm Red and That's Daemon." She said, pointing to Daemon across the table. Daemon threw baby carrot at Red head, letting out a small chuckle as it made a loud thunk against her forehead. Red stared at him with daggers for eyes, "Seriously Daemon? you immature Leuko."
"Hey hey, no need to get testy, just trying to get you out of this fog."
Red rolled her eyes, "Daemon, why do i like you?"
"Because the most awesome Leuko you've ever met."
Red laughed ans threw her knife at him, watching him catch it in between his fingers, his reactions were faster than hers by a lot.

"Indeed, indeed, Sister. Sly here has missed your thousand lashes."
The laughter iced Amaya’s veins; the sound was unnatural and unnerving. But she had heard the likes of it before, in fact it sounded a lot like Cho whenever she would cry. It was as if the world itself were suffering with her, that it had to. She was certain that that was the way Cho thought it, that if Cho was not happy, no one was allowed to be happy. Maybe with her brother… Her brother?? The idea snapped into her head, she had just thought it automatically despite it being such an obscure thought. Well, he had called her ‘sister’ and they had such similarities, but it seemed such a quick conclusion to come to and be comfortable with the idea already. This was odd; maybe she had known the two before…
Amaya shook her head, no more thinking about it. She emptied her mind of the subject.
”Dinner’s Ready.” she heard through the hall, although she did not immediately respond. She heard others going towards the area, but continued to stare at the stranger. Cho seemed to be irritating the boy… What was his name? Did he mention it yet? Sly, thats what the creature had called him, maybe that was it. Either way, it was probably more impolite than not to continue speaking without an introduction.
”My name is Amaya.” she said, noticing the Sly's increasing scowl as Cho continued to probe him and his creature with giggles and her nails. It wouldn’t be too difficult to understand, though, if that thing truly was her brother. But then again, she told herself not to think about it.
”I am sorry for her. I would like to say that she isn’t normally like this, but I would be lying.” her voice was light hearted, but that didn’t stop Cho from taking offense.
”See? See how she treats me? I don’t know whos the real demon here, her or me. I can’t go five minutes without her insulting me. It’s unbearable.” Cho whined to Infernus, shooting a venomous look back at Amaya for ruining her all-too-fragile good mood. Oh well, not that it could be helped.
”How about some food?” Amaya offered to the entire group, standing and then departing before Sly had a chance to answer her. The air between them, if there had been anything in the past, would stay clearer without Cho making him miserable as she did to everyone around her with a male persuasion about them. She took to outside, seeing everyone at a table and taking a seat next to a boy in a pink sweater. Cho had followed her out of habit and the promise of food and took no pause to join at the table and float among everyone.
At the table was the Keeper of the Door, the Puppeteer, the boy in the pink sweater beside her, a boy she did not recognize, and a girl she did not recognize either. Cho must have recognized her, though, for Cho found it appropriate to go float across the table about an inch from her face and exclaim ”Hello, there, Shy One! I’ve missed you.” she then looked back to Amaya to add, ”This one listens to me when I talk.”
Amaya just looked at her, not knowing how to respond, after all, she didn’t know the girl herself. The boy next to her was blushing, almost as pink as his sweater. He looked so boyish, such a stark contrast from the other boy who was so…aged. He just looked dangerous. She was to watch him closely. This bunch was odd, she paused briefly to look back to see if Sly had followed her.

Sly indeed had followed her, but much more slowly than that of the woman. To the unobservant eye, it would appear he was lallygagging or perhaps drowsy, just awakening from sleep. However, a more observant eye would see his own fire-red irises taking in every little detail of the room and its occupants. He was observing movements, speech patterns, habits, reactions...everything that revealed a person without them knowing it. If a fight were to break out at that very moment, Sly was willing to be prepared. He gave a slight grin at the thought; preferring a fight to this apparent 'social' gathering.

Infernous, meanwhile, had shifted once again, this time choosing a female humanoid form. Infernous followed the mortal Sly as a predator did to its prey, always a few steps behind, ready to pounce for the kill. Infernous, too, observed the mortals and creatures at the long table, but giving more of a glance, uncaring as to who they were or what they did. Except for its sister, who spake to the Shy One--an Immortal he knew fairly well of.

Sly, ignoring his female-appearing counterpart, sat at the seat next to Amaya. He still felt the tug of familiarity, but pushed the thought aside, allowing his mind to run peacefully on full-alert. Watching everyone. Every movement. He watched as tidy mouse-creatures brought him what appeared to be a pie of sorts. Sly blinked a moment, before cautiously giving a sniff at the object. His face scrunched up in displeasure as he spoke, his volume only loud enough for those who wanted to hear to hear.

"Little Jack Horner
Sat in the corner,
Eating a Christmas pie..."

With the next words, he stuck in a hand into the crust, grasping something.

"He put in his thumb,
And pulled out a plum..."

What Sly pulled out was hardly a plum. More accurately, it was a human heart, beating within his hand with a steady tempo. Infernous gave his 'gleeful' laugh, sounding like the torture of a thousand shrieking souls at once, then completed:

And said 'What a good boy am I!'

Angel's gaze shifted to Red, and he nodded once. "Yeah. Odd, right? I mean, like, I'm not a girl or something. That'd just be creepy, man. Right?" The male said, looking to his chain, whom was too busy eating and drinking to notice the blonde boy. The contractor, Angel, simply heaved a sigh and looked over to Daemon.

"Nice to meet 'cha," he said cheerfully, turning his head to look at the girl demon next to him, and then silently watched her float over the table with a soft smile plastered to his face, becoming accustomed to the environment; that is until he heard the soft beats. They sounded like the silence of an owl's wings, yet they had a sound.

Curiously, he moved his gaze, screaming when he saw a human heart in someone's hand. "Dude, like, put that away! That's rude table manners," he frowned, oblivious to what he was spouting out; he kind of reasoned that it was probably incoherent rubbish, as expected. "But it looks awesome," he had to admit, seeing a human heart was pretty cool, especially if you aren't a doctor, though it was indeed stomach churning.

"Man, look at that. It looks cool," the Englishboy said, nudging his chain. The chain looked up in reaction and nearly choked on his food, either from laughter or surprise. "Are you serious? You stopped me from eating to show me that? That's gross," he murmured, and couldn't help but chuckle, and he didn't even loose his appetite, immediately after looking at the beating heart, he was back digging into his food.

"I wanna touch it.." Most likely, Angel, blurted out.

The Keeper sips her Saki, and watches the group. The Prince sits next to her and lazily stabs a piece of cake with his fork, cramming the whole thing in his mouth before pulling a lollipop out of his pocket and popping it into his mouth. He holds his cup by the rim daintily from his fingertips and glances over at the Keeper. She nods back at him, and their silent conversation ends as quickly as it began. She rises and leaves the room without saying a word and passes down the hall and through a black door with a golden knob. As she passes through her body disappears into pure darkness and the door swings shut and disappears behind her.
She decends down further and further into the darkness until she reaches a beautifully carved door embedded with jewels and glass. She reaches out to grasp the door knocker that is in the shape of a cat and taps it 3 hard times, "Bong...Bong...Bong..."
She calls through the door, "Sister, it's me. It's time for tea."

The Keeper of the Clocks adjusted the hair of one of her dolls. Its dark locks had fallen out of place. She hated when that happened. Ruined the whole image of the thing. Cheshire was hanging over her shoulder, it's gray tail wiggling about. 

When she heard her sister's voice and the loud knocks, she smiled. The Keeper took Cheshire down from her shoulder and set him on the floor. The comical cat scampered off. It didn't like morphing into its second form unless absolutely necessary. The Keeper crossed the large room to the massive, elaborately decorated door. She pulled it open and smiled warmly at her sister. 

"Ah, hello, sister! Tea time you say?" 

She walks in and kisses her sister once on each cheek, "Yes, it is time for tea."
She smiles and reaches out to pet Cheshire. The girls walk through a hall filled with clocks, Pendulums swing out of rhythm making the wall look busy. "I see you have chosen your contractor, gifted him with a third walk on the earth and his second creature. What do you see in him...what makes this one different? Do you trust him with such power?"

Red rocked back and forth in her chair as the one named Cho flew up to her, "Nice to see you again as yell." she said softly. Red picked up her newly filled glass of saki and took another sip before giving Cho a small smile which was cut short when Daemon kicked her under the table. Red's eyes twitched and she bit her lip before kicking him back. Daemon over exagerated the pain from her kicking her and threw himself out of his chair and onto the floor, rolling around like a lunatic. Red sighed, "please excuss him, he's missing a few brain cells the poor daemon." she said, running a hand through her hair.

"Hmm..." She twirled about the hall, pleased with how the heels of her shoes clacked on the tile in time with the countless clocks' ticks and tocks. She stopped in front of an ornate table, already prepared with a fine tea set. Cheshire was filling up the cups, standing on two chibi-like paws. One of its many talents. 

"Let's just say, sister," she began. "I like him. I don't know why, but..." the Keeper of the Clocks shrugged. "I just don't want him dead. I'm pretty sure he looks better alive and well than as a doll." She dismissed Cheshire with a pay on the head, and he scampered off, ever-present grin still in place. 

She takes a seat and catches Cheshire, petting him in her lap, "I missed you too," she cuddles him a bit. The clocks on the wall tick at various tones, like a quiet symphony. She lets Cheshire scamper off and says to her sister, "He is an interesting one. The Prince said it took quite a lot of of him to seal the powers he gained. He must have fed the Abyss many souls..."
She picks up her tea and takes a sip. It's always Tea Time in the Hall of Clocks...

The Keeper of the Clocks sipped her tea, letting the delicious warmth flow over her tongue. She twirled her dark hair around one of her fingers. "Indeed," she chirped. The Keeper set her cup down on the saucer delicately. Clearing her throat, she said, "Oh, how is Puppeteer, anyhow?" She tilted her head to one side curiously. She was making her usual attempt at smalltalk. 

"He is good, he wished he could come today...but as you know we have had some new arrivals at the mansion. They are a roudy bunch...they can't wait ti take their first contract. Prince is worried they are getting ahead of themselves, but I understand the limits of time..." She looks at her pocket watch.
A bell tolls through the hall...it fills the area with an ominous echo.
She looks to her sister and says, "A contract...did a contract just end?" The room is filled with clocks, she wonders which one tolled.

The Keeper's eyes widened in surprise as she jumped a little bit. "Oh! Oh, yes yes. Excuse me." She vanished, leaving an empty seat in seconds. Moments later, she reappeared not too far from the table, about ten or fifteen feet in the air, hovering directly in front of a clock. It was large and completely wooden, giving off a slightly erie aura. However, the wood was painted white and looked somewhat rustic and homely. The Keeper tapped it once, and summoned a weeping girl to the room, just behind the Keeper. 

"Times up, dearie~" The Keeper descended until she stood before the girl on the floor. She took a hold of the girl's curly, blond locks. "What lovely hair," she murmured, looking upon the girl's tear-stained face. "Awww, how cute..."

The Keeper stood up straight. "You shall be my doll. You will sit... There!" She pointed to an open spot on the crowded shelves. Ignoring the girl's cries, the Keeper waved her hand, and a moment later, she held a blond doll in her hand, which teleported to the designated place. The seal had been removed. The contract annulled. All in a day's work. 

The Keeper of the Clock say down once more at the table with her sister, sipping her tea and smiling. "Now then, how are these new arrivals?"

The unfortunate fate of contractors...she thought, simply sipping her tea once more. It wasn't anything she hadn't seen before. Her sister was alone here, she had to keep the dolls. They were her company. They sat on her shelf for an eternity laughing at her jokes, and listening to her talk. They were her dolls after all.
"They're all mostly speaking. There is one boy who is very strange...kind of demonic in his own way. He doesn't care if he gets his memories back or not."
[[Check PM, im sending you something.]]

[got it]

The Keeper of the Clock made a pssh sound. "That's preposterous. He must be quite daft, indeed." Cheshire climbed up on the shelf, inspecting the new doll. She snapped at him sharply, and he jumped down, scurrying over to the Keeper and settling on her lap, wanting attention. She stroked his fuzzy head and continued. "When his contract is up... I might turn him into a sheep-like creature. Sheep are stupid, too." She laughed daintily. Then, her smile fainted. "But in all seriousness, what is the young man's problem? It's just... unnatural. Memories are the most important part of a person," the Keeper finished matter-of-factly. 

Noxi flailed, running towards the door towards the tea room, Reed in close pursuit. "Okay. Here's the plan, Reed. We get in, grab some random food item, and make a bloody mad dash for the exit, got it?" The creature nodded, and they turned a sharp corner, and Knox then pushed open the door to the room of clocks. The girl burst through the room, ducking under a platter and then shifting forward to the table. A small cringe appeared on her face, Ugh, there's Creepy Doll-Face and Bunnicula, but who the bloody is that? she thought to herself, going full speed towards the table. She stuck out her hand, grabbing a blueberry muffin.

Reed gave a small snarl towards the Keepers, a growl permanently ringing through his throat, speeding after his contractor and leaning forward, grabbing a large steak, allowing it to dangle from his mouth as his paws hit the ground, his tail streaming behind him before he slowed, already knowing what was about to happen. Noxi had a hopeful expression, actually thinking she'd be able to escape the room so easily after that entrance. Instead, a large clock rung, and she tripped over someone's chair. And then something grabbed at her foot, dragging her to an empty chair. She groaned, keeping her head down and glaring down. "Bloody heck. Let me go! I don't even want to have tea. I don't even like tea!" She complained, looking back up and glaring at those around herself.

Reed rolled his eyes, though still remained growling by his contractor protectively before dropping the steak on the table and begin to devour it.

The Keeper of the Clocks rose swiftly, Cheshire in her arms. The small cat creature was eyeing the newcome girl's creature. If his grin wasn't permenant, he would have been scowling, or as much as he could, being a cat. Instead, his fur bristled and he shrank closer to the Keeper.

The Keeper regarded the girl with an unhidden distaste. "How dare you, heathen, tresspass in my lair! And interrupt tea time, too! How rude! Wipe that glare off your face, worm, and apologize before I have you torn to bits and pieces!" The Nymph of the Seal tugged lightly within her mouth, wanting to be set free to wreak havoc. The Keeper pushed her false canine tooth lightly in rejection. She could manifest minions to do that. She looked the girl up and down. Lovely hair, for a heathen, she thought begrudgingly.

the Keeper of the Doors quickly rose and made her was to Noxi, "I suppose tea time is over," she ushers the girl down the hall, resisting any complaints or resistance from Noxi. "I will return soon sister," she give a wave as she pushes Noxi through the orante door and back into hte mansion.
"Don't ever go there again," she says raising a finger to Noxi's face, "Never"
The Prince strolls down the hall toward the two.
"My Keeper is there a problem here?," he asks interlocking his arm with Noxi's and walking her down the hall away from the door.
"No my dear Prince,"she motions for him to take the girl to the others,"I will be with you shortly."

As the two walk away she raises her hand and closes her eyes, her hand and the door glow an eerie purple, and then the door dissapears.
I'll have to be less careless when I seal her door she thinks as she makes her way back down the hall.
She send a silent thought to her sister through their link, I'm sorry dear sister, that our tea was cut short...

She walks back into the dining hall and takes her seat at the head of the table, looking over at the confused Noxi with eyes that relay , "Say nothing about that girl, or the place you saw..." and sipped her tea.

The Prince rises and says, "We will be leaving soon, all those going on the mission please come here."
He waits for Everyone to be ready and stand by his side.

Reed snarled at the cat, his large canines bared in warning. I take no orders from anyone. He snickers at the Keeper of the Clocks, his eyes flaring with sheer menace and a sick joy before turning away and walking out of the room after his contractor. He came right up to the Prince, sticking his face into Bunnicula's, his teeth bared once more. "Put the girl down." He spoke with ease, trying to get him to drop his Little Contractor.

Noxi snarls quietly. What a brat. Not my fault if all the doors look exactly the same. And what's up with that? "Uh, I was in the right room, wasn't I? I mean, that's where everyone else was. And what mission? I missed this debriefing." She took her arm back, boring daggers into Bunnicula. "Bloody heck, I was called for tea time, and then I get kicked out, huh? You guys are sooo sweet." She mumbled, her tone and voice dripping with sarcasm. "Gorine." She grinned lightly to the creature. "Well, sorry for your trouble." She bowed her head, her entire personality shifting. However, there was a smirk on her face, and her eyes gleamed with mischief. But, since she bowed her head, no one was able to see that. "Forgive me, I'm still... gathering myself back up from the Abyss." With that, she turned away immediately, Gorine remaining silent and following her.

"I hope it's alright we go outside, no?" Knox called back, her head still facing forward as she continued walking. She didn't even wait for an answer, and just disappeared down another hallway. Once she was out of sight, she made a mad dash, Reed snickering with glee. "Oh, I like your plan, Knox." He chuckled, nudging her softly as he ran beside her.

((Uh lol Skwidge Cheshire's a cat))

The Prince met them at the door, blocking their path.
"I'm sorry but you can't leave even if you tried, I bound you to this place with my magic," he waved his staff back and forth.
"Return to the main hall, before you cause any more trouble." he pointed toward the room, "and be more respectful to the Keeper."
The Prince stared the two down, then tapped his ruby. His Masked Siren appeared beside him, her giant snake tail wrapped around the Prince. The snake cooes to the Prince, "Do I get their blood master," the look in her eyes was full of insanity,and her voice was sweet. She stared down at Reed, "Do I get to eat him?!?!?" her excitment was bursting in her voice, as she rocked back and forth ready to pounce.
The Prince raised his staff and silenced the creature, "You are a guest in this mansion, and you will obey the Keepers rules," he taps his staff on the ground which forces Reed back into his talisman form instantly.
"Please return to the main hall and take your place with the others."


((everyone is at the tea table in the main hall, sorry for making it confusing. We are about to go on mission))

(Uh, I thought I was unspecific, since it was mentioned that the main hall had the clocks and stuff. Well, Now I'm all confused, and no need to be so haughty about it. I can fix it, no problem. - .- Uh, also, I was just rping like you were, and so I was kind of okay with just getting out and such. And did I say that I was going outside? -checks- LOOK, I'M SORRY. D: I didn't mean to piss you guys off, it's just that everyone is changing the posts and going along with it. Like that little detail)

Watching all the scene's unfold befor him, So-So was slightly amused. When he heard the mission was begining he grinned, an evil, crazed look gleeming in his smile. "Finally it's the opening act." He laughed as he got up and moved over next to the prince Dodado following silently.
"Now then," he began again, "Let us raise the curtain on this demented play, shall we," he said still chuckling under his breath, Dodado actually laughing allong with him in his incredibly gruff tone.

Noxi smiled sweetly at him, bowing. "As you wish, Bunnicula." She giggled quietly, leaning up and whispering something in his ear, a smirk appearing on her features. Reed cackled mentally, sharing it with Knox telepathically. Aren't you the clever one? Noxi just yawned lightly, raising her arms and setting them behind her head. It was some kind of tele, Reed. I was going into the Main Hall one second, and the next I was in this brat's domain. She tilted her head, peering back up at the Prince. She winked at him, utter mischief written along her features. "We'll see, Prince. We'll see." It's much more difficult and complicated to kill me, Little Contractor. Don't be phased by the snake. She flashed him an all-too-innocent smile. "Forgive me again, but I should really go into the Main Hall now, no? Hopefully I won't run into any more little traps like the one that was just pulled. I didn't even get my muffin." A gentle smirk caressed her lips, and she then turned, walking steadfastly down the hall and disappearing around a corner, coming into the main room.

She waved to the people she had just seen before being taken. Noxi then sat down, her legs crossed and she took off the talisman of Reed, slipping her hand under the table and pricking her finger, blood beginning to drip from it onto the cat's figurine. She pressed down on her finger, ceasing the bleeding and putting the talisman back on with a fake smile, her eyes closed with it. She grabbed a new blueberry muffin, glancing up at the ceiling.