<> <> <> <> <> * Vera makes her way into the building with the people. She's wearing a white suit with a dark blue vest, shiny black shoes and a white hat, tilted forwards so it almost covers her eyes. She's smoking a cigarette. Here's lookin' at you, kids. * Demetreia stands in line, wearing her usual mixmatched getup and a hockey mask. * Vera drops her cigarette when she finishes and stamps it out. * Ian is waddling elegantly into the building. He's a six-foot-tall penguin, wearing a tuxedo. What else is there to say, really? He's waving a flipper cheerfully at anyone who stares. * Katherine is indeed in the crowd, filtering in. She's wearing black leather, in a sleeveless mini-skirt that extends around her arms, with attached sleeves down to the wrist, which is fringed with black lace at all the edges. It is even weirder with the mix of brown and black belts and buckles attached and binding across it. A red upper face mask completes the masq outfit. (You might want to try a bigger desc, Demeteria, some people didn't see the journal post.) ( Oh, dear. This is gonna take a while. ) * Leopoldo looks around and makes his way to the building cautiously, trying not to hit anyone accidentally with his tail. He's dressed much in the fashion of old-world Earth: Black dress-pants and sport coat, with a white shirt under that. He's fairly large, and despite leaning forward perpetually, stands at around 6'1". His shoes are black and shined, and actually might not look out of place given the crowd... ( I figured overalls and a plaid shirt. ) * Rochelle is shuffled along with the people. A young woman in her mid to late-teens, she doesn't have much in the way of a costume: only a black, cat-like mask studded with a few red sequins. She wears a simple black dress that ends a few inches above the knee, high-heeled black sandals, and tasteful gold and ruby jewelry. Skin's an extreme pale, hair's auburn with blonde streaks, lightly tousled, and ends at the jawline. * Vera takes out a cigar and holds it in her fingers. She doesn't light it up; those things are bad for you! * Leopoldo 's 'skin', which is really scaled, is a peachish grey, and what hair has manage to portrude through the scales on his head. Costume? I don't need no costume. * Demetreia is wearing tattered sneakers, each tied with one lace, khakis tied with a rope belt, a sleeveless blue lace-up vest over some white binding that may be either a towel or a scarf, with one sleeve made from an abandoned fur coat and the other a ripped orange nano-extruded jumpsuit. A green "cloak" that looks to have been window curtains or a tablecloth once is tied around her neck with a piece of string. ( Any cuts? ) * Katherine adjusts her somewhat full black purse. Her hair is bright red, and bound up in a braided bun, her body the athletic mix of muscular and lean. Her odd hazel eyes looking through the mask almost go with her slightly asian skin tone. She also has a pair of visible orange-red striped wolf's ears sticking out of the top of her head, and a careful viewer can see a scar peeking out from under the mask. And she's 5'11" or so. (I'm gonna have to expand this window and read this over now. @_@) (on his head is a black head.) (Err, is black...) (Geeze, can't type tonight.) * Demetreia has straight black hair down to her waist, and what you can see of her skin is a pale, with a slight metallic tinge. She's very small-framed. * Fitzroy makes his way to the entrance, flowing in with the crowd. He's wearing a collarless suit with collarless shirt and no tie. Rather slick. When he extends his arms you can catch a glimps of a silvery, square-link chain on either wrist. * Leopoldo flows with the crowd, trying not to draw an overt amount of attention to himself. Given the occasion, I don't think he has to try pretty hard. * Fitzroy is a normal 5'10" guy.. short, dark, spiked hair.. A bleached stripe runs through his hair from his temples, curving back around his ears and down to his neck. * Vera takes off her hat briefly and runs a hand through her long blond hair. It's tied into a single blond ponytail that falls to her waist. Her eyes are a soft violet color, and she's about average height. She's also very pretty. She puts her hat back on and tips it forward. <> <> * Rochelle glances around a bit, but keeps moving as she fingers the thin strap that keeps her purse on her shoulder. <> * Katherine looks about, obviously somewhat interested in how other people are dressed, as she continues in. * Ian waddles into the lobby, pauses for a second, and then waddles on over to one of the conversations. "Wak?" * Demetreia looks around, every so often craning her head to an almost unnatural angle to see. (Wak!) ( WAK = KILL ) ( Isn't that right, Zeg? -_^ ) (Yes, actually.) <> ( What about hats? ) <> <> * Fitzroy is also wearing a mask that covers the upper part of his face. It's got a fur pattern on it, but doesn't resemble any particular animal. * Leopoldo walks in somewhat professionally, all while glancing around cautiously. It looks somewhat odd, actually, but he still continues into the ballroom, not bothering to pickup a conversation with total strangers. ( Bah. It's just what the world needs: a good hat. ) * Ian bounces cheerfully, the effect of which is absolutely adorable, and then forges waddlingly onwards into the main room, with all of the of precision that's needed to imply that sort of movement. ( o/~ What the world needs now, is hats, fun hats...o/~ ) * Demetreia pushes her way around the crowd, swiveling her head around. (Penguin. *distracted* What?) (Oh, and if you haven't seen it yet (And I bet you have), there's a picture of Leopoldo at http://besm.sandwich.net/ATC2/img/char/leopoldo.jpg) * Katherine eyes the penguin, and shakes her head. She doesn't seem to be interested in talking to the crowd as she follows into the main room. * Vera stalks into the main room, smoking-but-not-really on her cigar. <> * Ian flipperwaves cheerily to Katherine. "Wak!" * Leopoldo bides his time as the crowd moves. There will be time to talk to others later, that's for sure. (I'm moving with the crowd, just not pushing...) * Fitzroy takes time to scan the crowd as he heads towards the main room. * Ian politely waits his turn in line. (Roll init! Er, wait, don't actually do it.) * Katherine looks ahead again, and mumbles, "I'll 'wak' you." She glances between the 24s and then looks disinterested. ( Such a well-behaved penguin. ) * Rochelle keeps looking around with semi-curiosity, but gets in line. <> * Demetreia takes her place in the queue. (Whoo! 37!) (*My* favorite prime number.) (I like 17. Feh.) * Demetreia heads to table 37, then... * Ian politely holds up a little card with his name on it, for his part. (I like 0.) * Rochelle goes to... table thirty-seven! * Katherine notes the number, and quickly moves her way over to the table. * Leopoldo nods and politely enters, finding his table quickly and sitting down... What kind of chair is it? * Ian waddles relaxedly towards table 37. * Vera goes to table thirty-seven. She sits down, too. ( It's the kind you sit on! :P ) (Okay, is it the kind that I can put my tail through or not? :P) <> * Ian manages to maneuver himself into place and sit down with a few efficient hops. * Fitzroy makes his way to the table eventually. * Rochelle has a seat and watches people make their way. <<... while a choir stand sits to the extreme right. There is a balcony above the standard auditorium seating, with luxury boxes. The actual surfaces of the room are painted in a neoRomantic style, Michaelangelo with an Impressionist flair. It's quite nice.>> * Fitzroy looks over the room one more time before sitting. * Katherine gets over to the table, and eyes the penguin. "Somehow, I think this is my lucky day." She sits down. Maybe even at her place, if there's places! * Ian looks around the room appreciatively, and dips his head in what passes for a pleasant bow. "Wak." * Demetreia sits and looks around through her hockey mask. * Rochelle watches Katherine sit. "Hey Kat. How've ya been?" she asks, in a very thick Twilight accent. ( Idle one sec ) * Fitzroy eyes the penguin, then Demetria.. then just sits back, waiting for something to happen with the auction. * Leopoldo glances around the room, having sat already. He looks around the group assembled at his table, and waves calmly. <> * Ian flipperwaves in return. "Wak." * Katherine blinks, and a frown spreads across her face. She might look confused as she eyes Roch. "Heya. You've got me at a disadvantage. Pale skin don't help much, and cat masks are more my thing." * Rochelle smiles slightly and puts her chin on her hand. "What, you want to trade?" (*finally takes a breath*) (Easy there, man.) I think not, thanks. Wouldn't want to break the masquerade in front of the penguin. Let's not start a fight before we get to know eachother... * Katherine helpfully thumbs towards the penguin, as if Roch hadn't already noticed the giant penguin. * Ian laughs lightly. In a "wak"-ish manner. * Rochelle looks at the penguin. "Yeah, I guess we wouldn't wanna hurt its feelings. Or something." ( Back ) * Ian flippershrugs. "Waak." * Demetreia watches the conversation without speaking. * Katherine 's thumbing motion happens to make it abundantly clear that her hands are clawed. "Sounds about right. Still can't pick your voice out of a lineup, though. Guess it'll just have to wait." * Vera takes the time to order. Salisbury steak and baked potato. :9 * Rochelle shrugs. "I guess? You dated my brother a while back." * Ian picks up the datapad and slightly juggles it from flipper to flipper, reading the choices. * Demetreia idly glances over the choices as well. * Leopoldo surveys the choices. <> * Katherine smiles wickedly. "I'm afraid that doesn't nail it down too much." She grabs the pad, and chuckles. "Although I can only think of one sister that mattered. Roch, then?" <> (Haw.) * Demetreia orders a random combination of food. I mattered? ( How long does pizza keep sans refrigeration? ) (Quite a while actually.) ( Oh good, I have breakfast tomorrow then. :9 ) * Vera yawns a bit and leans forwards, propping her chin up with one arm. She looks towards the front of the room expectantly. * Katherine taps in an order for a lasagna burrito mix deal. Go Mexitalia. "More than Kraig's sister, that's for sure. Don't think you ever met her. Or would have wanted to." * Rochelle looks at the menu and orders some semi-random stuff, too. "What, was she one of those crazy-psychos?" * Fitzroy picks up the datapad menu and looks through it quickly. <> * Ian carefully enters an order for a plate of fettuccine alle vongole. * Leopoldo chuckles at the Sleythin, but selects a healthy mix of Chinitalian crossed with Japican food... Meaning, you take alfredo, mix it with some noodles, topped with raw fish and some melted cheese. * Leopoldo twitches. * Katherine says idly, "Who wasn't?" She looks around the table. "And here old home week has gotten in the way of introductions for the table." (And by noodles, I mean crunchy chinese pan-fried noodles.) * Fitzroy ends up ordering a good ol' steak and potato. I'm not a crazy-psycho. Prolly. And yeah. <> * Leopoldo sighs, looking somewhat uncomfortable. "So, I suppose we should introduce ourselves? I see you two have already met... Right?" * Leopoldo looks at Rochelle and Katherine as he says that. * Katherine leans forward and pushes the pad out of the way. "Well, like she said. I dated her brother. The name's Kat, but you might already know that if you were listening closely." * Rochelle nods. "Yeah, I'm Rochelle." ( Ack, need to afk for a few minutes. ) * Ian extracts a ballpoint pen and a piece of paper from somewhere, clicks the pen open with his beak, and jots down a quick note. (S'alright, we'll just keep talking.) * Leopoldo nods and smiles. He really does have that 'only a mother could love' quality about the way he generally looks, although his speech and actions are fairly the opposite. "My name's Leopoldo Grahovac. Nice to meet both of you." * Leopoldo does speak with a strange mix of Spacer and Earthese. He looks over at the penguin. "Would any of you happen to know the name of our feathered companion?" * Ian holds up the note. "My name is Ian. Pleased to meet you all! Wak." (That's written, not spoken.) * Rochelle peers at the note. "Okay, Ian." * Leopoldo blinks at the note and chuckles. "Quite. Nice to meet you too, Ian." * Ian nods his head. "Wak!" * Katherine eyes Ian, and his note. "That's gonna get paiful real quick, although I give ya points for costume coherency, Ian." * Vera looks back. "Ian? That you in there?" Let him have his fun. I'm sure he'll come out of it when he's good and ready. * Ian grins. "True enough...I guess that's enough time in character. Hi, Vera." I'm Roy.. or K.B. to some. ( o/~ Have I ever told you how much I haaaaaate yooooou... o/`) Hey. Interesting... er, costume. K.B.? What's that for? Yes, I'm interested as well. * Fitzroy nods as he speaks. He's got a slight Earthese accent. * Ian nods. "Thank you!" Long story, but I spend a lot of time on the net. *he holds up his portable tri-sense computer. It's thinner than a laptop (in todays terms) and enough width for a keyboard* * Rochelle looks at the computer. "Oh. So do you wanna be called Roy or K.B.?" * Leopoldo twitches again. "I'll'd prefer Roy. K.B. reminds me of a Toy Store..." (Err, I'd.) It's a nickname from the net, but Roy is fine. (*twitch* *twitch* Someone else...playing geek...feels wrong...) ( *snickers* ) * Katherine eyes it with what must be minor appreciation. "K.B, eh? Works for me, especially with a nice TSM comp like that." ( Half-back. ) <> (Quarterback? Fullback?) * Vera eats. Steak! :9 (Safety!) * Rochelle taps one red-painted nail against the table. Then the food arrives and she starts picking at it and trying things hesitantly. <> * Ian is a penguin eating pasta with clams. It's not bad table manners as such; it's just like Benihana with eating instead of cooking. * Leopoldo checks the silverwere and holds it like his momma taught him. He eats his food, stomaching the seemingly impossable to eat dish and enjoying every minute of it. * Demetreia tries a little of everything at a time, slowly chipping in circles at her meal. * Demetreia somehow manages to eat without taking off her hockey mask. * Vera watches Demetreia do that. "Hell of a trick." * Katherine shies away from Ian's destructive mess a little, and dissasembles and eats her Lasagna/Burrito thing with efficiency. While eating, she says, "So, is anyone actually aware of what's being auctioned, besides just an artifact?" Probably some junk that nobody wants. * Fitzroy digs into his steak, but takes a break between bites to say "I have no idea what's here" * Leopoldo shrugs. "From what I can gather, it's nothing of importance. Or is of great importance and we don't know it yet... Or maybe has something to do with Mambo." Maybe a toaster. I hear those antiques were popular a century ago. * Demetreia shrugs. * Katherine eyes Leopoldo. "... Mambo?" Toaster? What's that for? (phone) * Leopoldo shakes his head. "Please disregard that. I'm not thinking completly straight right now." Mm-hmm. * Ian shrugs. "I've no idea, myself." * Vera shrugs. I guess we'll find out. * Rochelle goes back to eating. And tapping her finger against the table. Tap tap tap tap tap. I hope so... Soon, preferably. * Leopoldo looks over at Demetreia. "And you have certainly been the quitest of the group. Care to share your name?" (Err, Quietist.) (Quietest.) * Fitzroy starts up his comp. "I'll see if I can find anything on it." ( ! It's Elo! ) (Elo? Where?) I have been designated Demetreia Xene Kanenas 12122071. ( *points at Roy and his compy* ) (Oh, Fitzroy... No, he can't be Elo. Elo's allergic to implants.) Yeah, but what's your name? ( ...Carter and Elo's bastard child? ) (HIDES) * Demetreia tilts her head to the side to look at Vera. That's an odd name... Well, you are certainly an interesting aquaintance, Demetreia. * Rochelle blinks at all the numbers and actually stops tapping for a moment. Then she's back to it. * Ian waves a flipper in welcome. * Katherine finishes her meal off, and eyes Demetria, then shakes her head and leans back in her chair. <> * Demetreia stares around at the people curiously. * Ian peers around, as well. ( It's Cham and his aristochikins! ) * Leopoldo glances around, but doesn't stare long enough as to be inappropriate. "Nice group of people here, today." * Rochelle looks around, eyes resting on the first group, then the other. Her tapping keeps on a steady pace. "Themes, huh." * Katherine gives a glance, eying the black leather group a little longer than the rest. "Well, it's masq. Gotta keep it interesting." * Fitzroy looks up after some typing and some button poking. "I don't see anything on what's going to be sold tonight. Nothing at all." * Fitzroy gets back to his steak. I wonder what our theme is supposed to be. Guess so. * Leopoldo twitches again. Oh, our theme is the themeless people. Works for me. Dunno how leather, penguins, and hockey masks go together anyway. * Ian smiles, in response to Vera. "Sounds like the group for me." ( Duh. Rocky Horror Penguin Hockey League. ) (.....) ( ... ) (..) (...) ( ... ) (Well, we've got the unconventional conventionalists.) ( ....was it something I said? 9-9 ) (I can tell this is gonna be a quotable game.) ( Can I drop a meteor on Demeteria? Pweeze? ) ( Hey, Kat started it. ) (Even if most of those quotes are "wak.") <> * Ian would applaud politely, but...yeah. The flippers. *** Yu-Mei is now known as Auctioneer * Vera looks up that way. "Better be good." If they put this much effort into an auction, I would hope so. * Fitzroy shuts of his comp. It has a holographic display, if you were watching. * Katherine leans forward. "For pulling me out of the normal masq to go here on a whim, it had better be something amazing." * Auctioneer strides at an elegant pace up to a podium on the performance stage. Hmm, we'll find out. * Demetreia leans forward, seeming to be listening in anticipation. * Rochelle finishes eating and pushes her plate away, then folds her hands as she watches. No more tapping. * Leopoldo turns his chair to face the auctioneer. * Ian is done with his food, and turns to look at the auctioneer as well. * Fitzroy is listening as he finishes his potato. * Leopoldo has finished all of the food he planned on eating. There's still a very small portion left on his plate, though. (1 bite's worth) * Auctioneer clears his throat lightly before speaking. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to tonights auction. We have gathered here tonight a trully remarkable and fantastic collection of priceless items for you to bid on." * Leopoldo waits to hear what's so priceless that it can still be sold. ( A collection of priceless items that you can't bid on. Because there's no prices. ) ( Wow. ) (Isn't this nice? What would you pay for it? Want it? TOO BAD!) (Grr.) <> ( They're worthless! I mean-- ) ( It's a very rare model blender! Only 26 million ever made! ) (XMMS: Weird Al - eBay) Everything has a price. Priceless to some only means to others that if you have to ask the price, you can't afford it. We begin tonight's events with a rare golden figurine from very late Aztec civilization. It is in remarkable condition for a piece of it's era due to having fortuitously escaped the Spanish invasion. * Leopoldo notes that Fitzroy likes to speak rhitorically to nobody in particular. (Its! *runs*) (It - dammit!) * Auctioneer pulls the cloth off the cart, revealing the sparkly golden thingy. "Bidding begins at Ten Thousand Credits." * Katherine looks quizically. "Well, they got the ancient part down." * Leopoldo rolls his eyes. Ooh, good deal! Anyone have nine thousand, seven hundred credits? I'll pay you back. This is your chance to spend a lot of money for something that... sits there and doesn't do anything. <> * Ian stays very still. No thanks, Ian. I think you'll just have to wait for it to get mass produced. * Leopoldo talks to himself. "That looks like the kind of thing Mom'd get then break later..." (DunnoInca! For all your Incan needs.) Maybe you can get a plastic replica that glows in the dark. Darn it. I always start on the new trends just before they get popular. Heh. * Demetreia sits there. * Auctioneer looks back and fourth, doing the auction thing. "Twenty-five thousand, do I hear thirty? Thirty thousand. Do I hear thirty-five?" And so on. * Rochelle blinks. Where do people get that much money? You don't know? * Rochelle folds her arms, very not waving in it. "I figure, if they have so much money, they should give some to me." * Katherine frowns. Well, the way I see it... Those that have don't give. Those that give never have. That's how they make that much money. * Auctioneer continues until the kind of rich people get afraid of spending so much money, at which point someone *really* rich ends up winning. "Sold for two million credits to the gentleman at table thirty-two." * Ian points his beak towards the 19xx suits. "Old money." Black leather group. "Technology company." heh, I see it that way too, Rochelle. *he grins an odd grin* * Katherine chuckles. "Well, if that's as cheap as it's gonna get, I don't know why I'm here." <> * Rochelle looks at the groups when Ian points at them, then shrugs. * Leopoldo glances at the people he points at, too. "Interesting." ("So...er...what do you do?" "We're image consultants for Japanese punk bands.") * Auctioneer starts up his next tirade. "Here we have a rare crystal collected from the rim of a volcanic vent on Io." He goes on to describe the theories of it's formation, how it was retrieved at great cost, etc. "Bidding starts at fifteen thousand credits." * Leopoldo pffts. "Yeah, right. Like I'd pay that much for a rock?" If I were an actual penguin...and had the money...I probably would. Just out of instinct and all. Macroeconomics would be much more interesting. * Rochelle folds her hands again, splitting her attention between the autioneer and the audience. ( But it's a *shiny* rock! ;_; ) * Vera taps her foot. She pulls out a cigarette and lights up, too. <> (Shiny like my ass. ) * Fitzroy taps his fingers on the table. "Is it all going to be like this?" If it is, we have wasted our night. I fail to see what's 'important' about this. I can't see us getting invited here if it is... * Katherine starts eying the groups less politely, and in more detail. "I still want to know who sent the invitation, though." We'll find out eventually, I bet. I hope so. Because this place is giving me a headache. * Auctioneer goes through the bidding once more. "Fifty thousand. Do I hear-- sixty thousand credits. Do I hear seventy thousand?" And so on, until the bidding ends at three million clams. ( Waste of good clams. Wak. ;_;) * Ian tilts his head. "How did all of you get your invitations? We got ours from a sort of odd man at the spaceport...good lord!" Mine was waiting at my hotel. Very nice, and it would have been rude not to come. Nah, should've been at least four mil for a rock that shiny. <> * Ian shakes his head sadly. "The food that could buy for people who need it..." I didn't see who gave me mine.. Odd man, Ian? * Katherine is still looking about the room in detail. "Mail. Normal, paper mail." * Leopoldo nods. So, none of you know why you were invited? Nope. Was something to do. Yes. Very, very tall, and he didn't say anything... 'Cause it was "Important" * Ian nods. Important. Yeah, this is a good way to give me faith in the system... * Auctioneer speaks! "Here we have a rare and unusual item, hailing from an unknown civilization and dating from at least seven thousand years before the common era. It was found in China in the late nineteen hundereds, although it matches nothing ever known to be produced in that part of the world." He draws the cloth off, revealing a ribbed ovoid with odd writing fitted neatly inbetween the high points. * Ian blinks, and peers more closely at it. * Fitzroy hmms.. "I did notice a really tall man before I noticed the invite" * Ian nods. "Sounds like the one I saw." <> He didn't give us the invites, they were just...there. Bidding starts at fifty thousand credits. Do I hear fifty thousand? * Leopoldo pays a good amount of attention to it, but not so much that he misses this conversation. * Vera glances at the thing. "A fancy dinner plate or something. * Fitzroy nods at Ian "Same here." * Katherine frowns as she eyes the room. "Fascinating." Well, it's ovaly. At least. * Leopoldo shrugs. "I was just given mine by the secretary where I was staying." And yes, it is facinating. How much people are willing to pay for an artifact. Can you find out where the money from this auction is going, Roy? * Katherine turns her eyes back to the auction. "Artifact?" She peers. * Fitzroy filps on the comp again. "I'll see what I can find out." * Katherine turns to look at the room again, and murmurs, "Now where did they go..." * Ian looks over at Katherine. "What's up?" * Rochelle blinks at Katherine's words, then scans the crowd herself. Hmm? Where did who go? * Leopoldo glances around the room. Wha...? <> * Katherine 's ears twitch. "Just noting motion in the darkness. Some of the retro table left--" she swivels her head immediately to the explosion. * Ian spins and stares at the spectacle. * Leopoldo blinks... And ducks. * Vera starts at that quickly, turning her gaze at the man. "The hell?" This auction's connected to a charity.. (How calm of you, Fizzy.) (I'm delayed, sorry ^_~) <> "According to the principles of the Supreme Philosopher Plato, we'll take the honor of the final bid... for nothing at all." <> * Rochelle doesn't stand, looking to the explosion. She doesn't flinch at the sight of the dead auctioneer or the men. "There. Something happened." * Demetreia starts and moves out of any sort of way... * Leopoldo looks up again... "Oh, that's not right." *** Auctioneer is now known as BigFellow * Katherine sighs noisily. "It certaintly did. Now I know I don't want to be here." Terribly wrong, in fact. * Fitzroy whips out a small device with a lens and hooks it up to the computer. He pushes a button and a picture shows up on his display. Hey Fitz, can I borrow your connection? * Fitzroy took a picture of the artifact and the men. It's a small camera. uhh.. sure. He passes the comp over to Vera. * Vera smiles. "Thanks." She begins typing away. * Leopoldo twitches, then pulls out his cell-phone, quickly dialing the proper authorities. * Katherine eyes the two men warily, and slips her left hand below the table as she watches. * Vera stops after a minute. "Damn." She passes the computer back to Fitzroy. "Oh well. Thanks anyhow." * Ian twitches a bit, and one of his flippers goes limp. Let's hope this doesn't get more out of control... It probably will. * BigFellow surveys the room from behind a mask shaped like a stylized guerilla. He's at least seven feet tall, and immense muscles bulge beneath his nice neat suit. * Fitzroy nods and continues watching the scene. He takes a few more pictures and hides the camera. * Leopoldo stays ducking while he calls. * Rochelle makes a vague motion to the suit group. "They're missing two people." ( A stylized guerilla? O.o ) (Gorilla.) ( Right, Gorilla. Yu can't spell tonight. ) Wasn't I saying that before the interruption? ( Oh...I was about to say, I thought Guevara was dead. ) * Leopoldo gets up from under the table slowly when the men aren't looking. "Yeah." * SmallFellow is a short-haired blonde, about six feet, wearing a pair of sunglasses. His mask is painted with a series of bullseyes. He turns to BigFellow, and nods. "Get to it, then. Grab the thing. I'll take clear of the exit." * Vera is still sitting in her seat, looking at the men, apparently trying to decide if she should get involved or not. * Ian watches the men closely, trying to figure out what they're going to do next. * Leopoldo has already done his part... * BigFellow nods slowly and moves towards the remains of the cart, grasping the artifact one-handed and making sure it isn't damaged. * SmallFellow starts whipping cutlery around the room at alarming speeds, hitting chandeliers and walls and lightbulbs and electric conduits. Since the silverware is metal, there are quite a few shorts and it's seconds before the faint smell of smoke fills the room. * Leopoldo blinks. * Rochelle wrinkles her nose and tries to blink away the sparks. * Ian eyes them. "On the one hand, they don't look like much. On the other hand, that probably means they're more dangerous..." * SmallFellow hops down off the stage into the audience. "Let's go, big guy! Out the front, flashy exit! Perfect!" * Demetreia tilts her head 90 degrees, watching. (Into the audience with twenty-fours? ... How is the audience handling this?) * BigFellow starts forward from the stage, headed for the exit and not bothering to avoid minor nuisances like tables and people. <> (I *really* don't know...) * Ian sighs. "Anyone else have a weapon? I just don't want to try for Hero of the Day and get flattened, here." * Vera sighs. "Ah hell. You guys stay put, ok?" She gets up and stands in their path. * Leopoldo spins his chair to face the table. His tail conviently blocks the path. * Katherine snorts. "Heroism? That's not very penguinlike." She eyes Vera. "Or very smart." * Rochelle watches her go. "Yes ma'am." * Ian shrugs. "What the hell." He gets up, and moves to block their path as well. * Vera says to Katherine without looking, "Nah, it's really not." (Penguin! That's scary.) * Fitzroy kinda ducks outta the way. "I couldn't stop em" But then, I ain't no college graduate. * Leopoldo sighs. "I do so hate to see people get hurt. But better them than you." (You've heard Cows With Guns?) * BigFellow stops momentarily in front of the, uh, big penguin. He seems confused. * Leopoldo gets up and stands in the way. Wak! (Penguin + Lizard + Cowgirl = Trouble) Ok, guys, show's over. Put the... whatever the hell it is down and give up and... I'm just wasting my breath, aren't I? * Demetreia looks around, then somewhat hesitantly walks over as well. * Katherine brings up her left hand, and what could be classified as a 'big gun' is sitting in it. She stands from her current position, not bothering to get in the way. "I hate this crap." Most likely. I doubt people this rude would be willing to listen to reason. * Rochelle scoots a little so she's sure she's out of Kat's line of fire. Yes. * Ian brings up his right flipper, which is also holding a gun. "This is a citizen's arrest, and I don't want to have to use force. Please cooperate." (But it's a small, wimpy gun.) (While the two men were stealing the rarest of crystals...came the deafening "Wak!" Of PENGUINS. With PISTOLS.) (It's a .38AE.) (AWESOME.) * SmallFellow follows BigFellow through the path he creates, until he stops short at the penguin. "Look, man, it's just a person in a penguin costume! Why are you stopping?" <> "Ah, hell, I knew we should have taken the back way. GET em, Nietzche!" <> (*raises her eyebrow* Better taste than I expected.) ( Nietzsche?? o.o ) * BigFellow raises a massive fist, clearly intent on smacking the lot of you out of the way. * Leopoldo assumes the best defense position he can for someone with no training whatsoever. <>