Open Chronicles Seeing Through the Bottom of the Bottle

A roleplay open for anyone to join
The grim's surprised barks subsided to blankly staring at the other fae as he spoke. She knew some fae hardly said what they meant outright, speaking in riddles and turns of phrase. But for all their riddles, they could not lie outright. What this one said made her tilt her head curiously. What she might have been? Removing her fur coat? He proceeded to accost the drunk for thinking she was a grim, a bit more direct in that statement.

It was as concerning as it was confusing. This was twice in less than one full day that she had been accused of not being a true grim. The black dog stood there in a minor crisis while the drunk -- Joseph, as the fae called him -- shifted into a lion. He began to leave, and the fae motioned to her as he, too, turned toward the door. She had observed mortals patting their legs in a similar fashion to beckon over children and pets. It confused her.

What did he want? The grim followed him to the door, but lingered in the shadow of the interior. She didn't dare step into the morning sun, generally. Yet this fae seemed to be calling her away to leave her home and duties. Conflicted, she stood on the precipice of that shadow as they both began to leave, her ears laid back in distress.

// Joseph Meier //
 
Oscar paused on the steps, looking back at her. Joseph was leaning against a headstone, eyes squeezed shut against the light and his ears pinned to his head. "Before you stands a cliff, my dear. It is safer to back away from the ledge, but if you do not leap how would you know you couldn't fly?" he said gently. Joseph watched her, wondering if she would step away from the church....or dare to leave the graveyard. Maybe Oscar was right. The fae seemed to pop up whenever someone was in need. He had an outrageous talent for it, really. If they were wrong, what did it matter? He would lunch with Oscar and leave the poor confused creature to her fate.

"Could you really sit here and rot without knowing?" Joseph asked her. "Because trust me. We're not coming back."

"Im afraid he's right. Once the curtain is dropped, a shapeshifter sows dissent and questioning. Men begin to question their mirrors, their wives, their sanity. Even if Joseph only walks in his own feet, cracks are already spreading beneath them." Oscar reaffirmed.
 
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The grim listened to the pair, her body wearing with her mind. She was bored -- relentlessly so -- and yearned for a life and a world outside of this graveyard that had been her master for centuries. Yet that niggling fear was a dark shroud, whispering doubt and mistrust. If they were wrong, if the fae's intentions were good but misinformed, that barrier would crush the small, bright flame of hope that she had only just dared begin to kindle.

Still, she knew she must try. Joseph's words struck a chord, and she put a hesitant paw into the light of the church steps. Her black fur gleamed like oil in the morning sunlight, yet seemed to gobble it up in the depth of its color. Slowly, she descended the steps and began to follow the man and fae, the ancient youth of her mind clamoring to against what she was doing.

She followed, and as they passed the boundaries of the church property, she paused. A shadow seen in the light, she hesitated for only a moment before she stepped beyond that invisible line. Unhindered by law or gravity or whatever force should have bound her, the black dog walked on. Her hearth thrilled and her thoughts erupted.

She was not a church grim. She was not a mortal spirit bound to an eternity of service. She was truly something other and mysterious. But, then, what was she?

The black dog didn't look back at the church as she moved to follow Oscar and Joseph.

// Joseph Meier //
 
Joseph watched her hesitate when they came to the boundary and for a moment he thought she would back away and flee. No, she stepped over the barrier without even a hint of something holding her back. His suspicions had been right. Oscar was right. She wasn't a church grim. Joseph soon shifted back to his human form. As Oscar chided him, no one was going to allow a lion into a bathtub. Joseph just hated how rough he looked. He had stubble on his chin, his hair was a mess, his dark eyelids were rheumy with the aftereffects of drink.

"It's much more honest this way dear." Oscar reassured him. Joseph fumbled around in his pockets for a cigarette, only to have Oscar pull open a silver case and offer him one. It stank of cloves. Joseph glared at him and lit up a normal tobacco cigarette. Oscar shrugged and looked back at Shuck. Poor thing, he couldn't imagine what she was thinking or feeling. It was hard to be cast adrift like that.

The hotel would help. Oscar had rented out the best suite he could find (which wasn't saying much). Joseph silently slunk to the baths the second he could, while Oscar ordered food for himself and Shuck. A decent meal of roast lamb and vegetables for all three of them. The poet settled his bulk on the bed and looked at her. "Your soul is loud, my dear. I have a friend long past the veil of this life who may be able to help you. But all I can do is set your feet upon the path. You must walk it." he said softly. "This room is his, and yours, for the next two days. Make the most you can out of it. Friends are the only wealth this world has. You have stumbled upon two of them...and one who sorely needs you."
 
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The black dog continued after the pair. Joseph shifted into a human form once more, and they led her to a larger structure where Oscar obtained room and board for them. An inn, she supplanted from her overheard knowledge. Travelers and locals alike had referred to the place, and she understood that it was a business where one could pay to sleep and dine. It was strange to finally lay eyes upon the place.

But her thoughts were too busy to dwell on that wonder for more than a moment. Over two centuries of existence had been nullified in a few moments. She had tethered herself to that graveyard for decades, and for what? The dog didn't know.

Joseph was going off for a "bath", another thing she had only heard and not seen, so she remained with the fae who once more spoke to her. Her ears and eyes were fixed, attentive to his words and subtle inflection.

If only she were smarter and could unravel them. She understood the basic premise of what he told her: that he knew someone who could help her, he she had to help herself, they had two days in this place, and that she now had friends -- one of whom needed her. Yet any further cryptic meaning was lost on her simple mind.

The dog stared blankly at the fae. Did he need something? She supposed she was fae, so she was bound to help him in return for the great service that was essentially freeing her from a mindless prison she may have never been brave enough to leave on her own.

She lifted her paw to him, offering to make an agreement to whatever need he would have of her. A debt was owed, and she felt compelled to seek repayment.

// Joseph Meier //
 
Joseph felt miles better soaking in the tub. Oscar, knowing his vanity but far too wise to say anything, had asked that a razor and soaps be left for him. Joseph was happy to add epsom salts to the bath to help his leg, and spend a while curled up in the warm water. One thing his small size had going for him was that any tub was a soaking tub. A large man like Oscar might have been frustrated or had limbs kept cool by the size, but Joseph could comfortably get his skinny body underwater and scrub to his heart's content. Not only that, but shave, smoke, and think quietly to himself.

Oscar knew she was confused. He raised a hand and patted her cheek, running his fingers over the top of her head. "My friend is called Saturninus. An old name for an old beast. You will find him south of here. You have all of my luck, you and Joseph both." he leaned forward, ignoring the paw, and kissed her forehead. With that he stood up, and left.

By the time Joseph came back up the stairs with fresh clothing, hair dried and shaved, Oscar was well and truly gone. Joseph looked around the room and limped to the window. He could see a gigantic grey dog ambling down the street. Fine, Oscar was leaving them to this mystery. It was hard to figure the complicated bastard; he seemed to whisp in and out of people's lives on sheer luck. Joseph had wanted to thank him, but Oscar had spared both their dignities by leaving.

Joseph had to hand it to the man; he had taste. He was dressed in a pair of black trousers, with a white shirt he'd rolled up to his elbows, and a fine grey woolen vest. When Joseph looked in the closet, there was another two pairs of clothing besides for himself, and three outfits in three various sizes for Shuck. He stared at them for a moment. "How the hell...?" he muttered, prodding a sleek black dress like it would bite him.

In the drawer, he found a generous coin purse, and a card with an address. "Can he do nothing with any sort of subtlety?"Joseph muttered, turning over the linen cloth card with its gold writing. "I'm assuming he told you about this?" he lifted the card so Shuck could see.
 
The dog was surprised and confused when the other faerie didn't take her paw, but instead patted her and offered the name and information of the friend who could assist her. She lowered her paw and sat very still as Oscar kissed the top of her head and took his leave.

Left alone in the strange room, she continued to sit in place, pondering this curious day, until the door opened and Josepth entered the room. He was dressed differently and no longer reeked of liquor and human body, but rather new and strange scents that delighted her nose. The faithful congregation sometimes smelled like this on days of worship -- clean. She simply watched him as he went to the window and inspected the room. Her ears were perked forward and her white eyes didn't stray from him.

At least, not until she was presented with the message. The dog looked from man to ink and, as she surveyed the note, realized she recognized the letters and knew what they meant. Her ears laid back and she scanned the card, piecing together words that indicated a destination.

She could read it! How did she know that? She had assumed her understanding of the names on the headstones had been some external knowledge, imported to her by her powers as a grim. But this was very obviously not a headstone naming and dating the life of the deceased.

She let out a whine and rubbed a great paw over her face. A lot was happening to her today.

// Joseph Meier //
 
Joseph was clean, and smelling faintly of coal tar. It was a musky, masculine scent. Much as Oscar loved flowery smells himself, he didn't begrudge Joseph his sandalwood and coal tar. Joseph had just appreciated the attention to detail. He felt better, and it improved his mood. His leg was relaxed, and leaning into the brace instead of cramping. He might have venomously snapped at her for her whining otherwise. He instead turned over the card and looked at her. She could read it. He watched her eyes track the address. "You had to have learned how to read from someone." he told her. "A mother, a brother....teacher. Someone along the line."

He tucked the card into his pocket and reached out to awkwardly pet her as she put a paw over her face. It must have been a lot for her. He toyed with her fur a moment, thinking. He didn't have much else to do with his life. He drifted from place to place, seeking numbness and chaos. Everything from starting fights in bars with men thrice his size to whoring himself out as a female to anyone who would have him. His life had no direction. Now he had something to work for. Even if he didn't care much for her problems...Oscar did, and he owed the poet more than words could explain.

"Breathe." he sighed. "If I know Oscar this person will help...maybe not in the way we think. But the last time he did this, it was a masseuse for my leg."
 
The weight of Joseph's hand was a surprise, a kindness she hadn't expected from him after his cold denial of hers the night prior. She put her paw down and allowed him to pet her, somehow comforted by the attention. It was weird, but not entirely offensive, to have been pet twice now in this same morning.

He sighed and reassured her that the fae, Oscar, would direct them toward help. The black dog looked up, her wide pupils softening the bluntness of her colorless eyes. He seemed to mean it, his voice softer than she had heard it yet. When he remarked on his own past experience with Oscar's good will, she looked down at said leg.

Hoping to get more than just a vague allusion to that story, she perked her ears forward and gently touched her nose to the strange apparatus. If she was anything she was curious, and his response the previous night did little to deter her from inquiring.

// Joseph Meier //
 
Joseph knew where they had to go. It wasn't a terribly long journey and the money he'd given them would be enough for a ride there. Oscar had a way with money, and that way was always bad. The man threw out all of his wealth into the void, without a care for his own wellbeing. Oscar was the type who would drink the finest champagne up until an early grave. The money would last them a while if he was careful. He had to hire someone to get them there first, then track down Saturninus. From the name, this creature was very old indeed, and probably a friend of Oscar's. Oscar had fucked, flirted, saved, and damned more men in his life than Joseph could keep track of. He wouldn't be surprised if Oscar knew older men than this.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by Shuck's gentle touch of his leg. "It's a deformity, what more do you want?" he put a little of his former steel back into his voice, and pulled his leg away from her. "There is nothing fucking fascinating about it. He just helped when it hurt and poppy wouldn't touch it." With an air of finality to his voice, that conversation topic was closed.

The food arrived, and in true Oscar fashion the man had overestimated their appetites. Joseph stared at a large rack of roasted lamb, piles of vegetables, frybread, and cookies. "Why can't he understand not everyone eats like a bulemic elephant?" he muttered, though with very little venom. He was grateful for the food. He gestured to it. "Go ahead. I'm guessing you haven't had much outside of bread crusts and whiskey." He did notice there was no alcohol, but water and cider.
 
His sharp response was met by a satisfied wave of her tail. So, he had been born this way. The information was sufficient and his explanation of the help received from previous encounters with Oscar helped her feel more at ease about this Saturninus. She only wished that she might not have upset him so much that he stopped petting her, as she had been rather enjoying the feeling.

His withdrawal was made easier by the arrival of food. She stood up with hackles rising at the knock on the door, but was quelled easily enough. She sat back down and observed as a tray was brought in, and with it the scent of something divine. The moment the server left, she trotted over to the table and took a whiff.

Her mouth immediately began to water but she sat politely and licked her muzzle. Oscar had dictated that this was her room as well as Joseph's which meant the finicky laws of hospitality were lifted in this space, but she waited for Joseph to take his share first. When he indicated for her to go first, however...

Her eyes immediately found the pile of cookies and her toothy maw soon thereafter. She gathered several in one bite and lowered them to the floor where she might enjoy them easier. They were delicious, and the flavor tickled a feeling of familiarity. Gobbling down the first few, she sat up to grab half of what remained. They were so delicious! She could have feasted on the crumbly treats for eternity and never tired of them!

// Joseph Meier //
 
Joseph watched her immediately go for the cookies. "Maybe you and he are more alike than I thought." he muttered, taking a plate of roast lamb and a generous helping of vegetables and bread. Joseph had an appetite; part of what kept him so skinny was an obscenely high metabolism. Since he didn't feed himself correctly, he was stick thin. He ate heartily and let her take whatever she pleased. What was it with fae and sugar? Oscar seemed to have an addiction to the stuff. "Are you a fae then?" he asked her. "Anyone who eats that much sugar in one sitting is either a child or a fae." It was partially a joke, gentle ribbing at her for going at the dessert.

He felt a lot better after wolfing down a large amount of meat and roasted potatoes. He was content, and he curled up in bed. He spied something peeking out from under the bed and hung upside down to look at it. It was...of bloody course. He pulled out a pen and inkwell, and his journal. He'd left it with Oscar the last time he'd gotten sick and had to stay with the man. Of course he'd return it. Journalling was something Joseph had enjoyed since he was a child, and he hadn't written for a few days. While Shuck ate, he scribbled away quietly.

"I figure we'll leave in the morning." he suggested, looking at her.
 
At Joseph's question if she was fae, she looked up from the cookies, chuffed once, and wagged her tail. Of course she was. Crumbs fell from her muzzle and immediately drew her attention back to the meal at hand. She ate up the remaining bits of cookies and, when he didn't protest, she took the last of those on the plate. When they, too, were gone, she diligently licked the floor clean of every tiny crumb she could find, sniffing the floorboards all the way to his feet.

Satisfied there were none left, she laid down and waited for him to eat his fill with her chin laid over her crossed paws. Waiting until he went to lie down, she hopped up into the seat, sat on her haunches, and began to help herself to what remained of the meal. It didn't last long, and she finished by lapping up what he had left of the cider. She paid no mind to what he was doing, entirely absorbed by the task of eating.

With a satisfied sigh, she gently hopped down from the chair and went to lie down against the door. She was idly cleaning herself by rubbing her muzzle on her leg, licking it clean, and repeating, when he spoke about leaving. She let out a loud sigh and groaned as she sprawled onto her side. It was still the morning of today, and Oscar had said they had this room for two days. She was, admittedly, reluctant to leave a place with sweet treats for a world she'd never been out into.

// Joseph Meier //
 
Joseph could sympathize, really. It was hard not to want to lay around and eat on the dime of a man who wanted them to do exactly that. It was how Oscar showed friendship. The man might have barely been able to boil water but he could find the worst street urchin there ever was and give him a full meal and money in his pocket. Even so, Joseph's pride wasn't about to let them do that. Nothing more shameful than laying around in lazy hazes for more than a day. He opened the door to the bathroom. He'd have to get them to haul more water up, but it was worth it and he could grease some palms to make sure the water was hot.

He did so, and servants brought up steaming buckets of water. Joseph waited for them to go and patted Shuck. "And one last great wonder." he said with no small amount of sarcasm, gesturing to the water. He'd added a little soap, just enough to make it comfortable and make her fur smell incredible. "Trust me, nothing better than curling up in a hot bath. Besides, I haven't seen you clean yet. Maybe you're a white dog."
 
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She was content to lie in that one spot forever, and made a small show of protesting to move from the door when he wanted out the room. Nevertheless, she rose with a grunt and found a new spot under the window.

The choice was fortuitous, for when he returned, people carrying water followed shortly after him. She looked between Joseph and the strangers, her hackles rising though she subdued the urge to growl at them, only because he seemed to have summoned them like Oscar had the other who brought food. They carried buckets of water to fill a tub in the other room of their quarters, and after several trips they left and shut the door behind them.

Joseph approached and patted her before gesturing to the tub. She didn't understand what he was asking of her but she rose and went over to the tub to inspect it. The water was steaming with warmth and something in it smelled like flowers and cookies. Her tail began to wag gently. She had just looked up at him when he joked that she might have been a white dog, and she sneezed at him. Impertinent boy!

Still, he meant for her to be clean -- a bath, she put together. Flipping her tail at him, one last show of indignance, she put her paws on the edge of the tub and gracefully hopped in. She made a point of splashing around to get him wet as she wallowed around to get her whole body good and wet.

// Joseph Meier //
 
Thankfully she seemed to get what he wanted from her. He watched her leap into the tub and winced when perfumed water washed over the floor. "Good grief woman." he grumbled, and removed his coat and vest so he could get to the task of washing her. She didn't have thumbs to scrub herself, after all. "Stop splashing me!" he growled, lathering up his hands and starting to clean her coat. He made a show of scrubbing her, getting her white and fluffy with scented foam. His fingers, thin as they were, were magic. He was able to slide into her undercoat and his scratching fingers loosened up every fragment of dirt. Joseph rubbed over her head, massaging just behind her ears and over her shoulders.

"If you've gotten my brace wet I'll beat you with it." he grumbled, scratching over her hindquarters and rubbing her belly down with a sponge. He smirked at her and splashed her in the face. "Had to get your face wet." he said nonchalantly.
 
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This "bath" thing wasn't so bad once he got down to it. She groaned and leaned into his nimble hands as they scratched and massaged her coat. When she first noticed the strange smelly lather, she jerked her head around to sniff it and sneezed off the bubbles that latched onto the tip of her snout. With it displaced, she gave the frothy stuff a lick, curious about its sweet scent. She spent the next several moments scraping her tongue against her front teeth to dislodge the horrible taste from her mouth.

Wiser, she made the bath only mildly difficult. When he scrubbed at a particularly itchy spot, she grunted and kicked her foot in a very strange physical response. Of course, it splashed him further, but he would soon get his payback when he splashed her in the face.

In an expression not fitted to canine features, she glowered at him. It was his due retribution after she had essentially soaked him at this point, but it meant war. She sneezed and bided her time, allowing him to finish bathing her.

When he made it clear she was to get out and dry off with a length of thick material (a towel) she only half abided him. Dripping wet, she smoothly leapt out of the basin onto the towel -- and shook herself just enough to sling one last tiny slough of water at him. She proceeded to roll around on the towel to dry herself.

// Joseph Meier //
 
Of course Joseph was getting absolutely soaked. He ended up removing his shirt, throwing the sopping thing irritably onto the counter. He'd have to rinse it and hang it up to dry. "For fuck's sake." he growled and attacked the dirty dog with renewed vigor, scrubbing her. She wasn't winning this battle even if she was getting the entire bathroom soaked. "Sit STILL!" he shouted at her once, putting her in a headlock so he could get her belly clean without her kicking half the water onto the floor.

When she leapt out it was like a curtain of water followed her. Joseph was ready for her though. He seized another towel and threw it over her, grabbing her bodily and beginning to scrub her dry. "You bloody idiot! I get all this damn water brought up and you do your level best to spread it all around the room! That is the last bloody time I bathe you!" he sat down on the floor, panting from the exhaustive activity of trying to hold down a thrashing dog. He shoved her halfheartedly.
 
If a dog could have looked smug, she certainly did. Even if her final attempt to get him wet had failed, she declared herself the winner. She rolled in the towels until she was good and dry and resolved to put aside this battle of wills and water. She had seen that there was a mirror, and she put her paws up on the counter to admire herself.

If she was black and sleek, before, she didn't know how to define her transformed appearance. She turned her head this way and that, seeing herself for the first time. She supposed she owed him some small favor for making her so pretty. The bathwater did look pretty gross, after all.

Dropping down from the counter, she put her paws on a towel and pushed it around the floor, making amends for the mess she had made.

// Joseph Meier //
 
Joseph didn't have much in him except to dry off and rest. He woke bright and early to get them a ride to Saturninus' home. As he'd thought, it was easy enough having coins from Oscar. "Hope you enjoyed the bath because that's the last one I'm giving you." he told her sternly as they waited for their ride. He wasn't honestly sore about it. He'd liked their little sassy exchange in the bath.

Their ride wasn't the most glamorous. Joseph had to make their coin purse last, and he had travelled in hay carts before. He perched in it with a small bag of their things on his back, and patted the straw next to him for Shuck to join him. "I don't even know your fucking name and here we are trying to break a curse on you." he muttered to himself. He petted her quietly while they rode, leaning back in the straw and taking a nap with his journal on his chest.

He had to admit, there were worse things he could be doing with his time. He petted Shuck until he well and truly fell asleep.
 
She pushed around the towels until she had soaked up most of the water, then dropped them over the edge of the tub. Having earned her keep, so to speak, she padded to the other room where Joseph was already falling asleep. The dog found her spot against the door, got comfortable, and fell asleep.

The next day began unfortunately early, but she was well rested and ready to be off to find whoever this Saturninus was. She stayed at Joseph's side as he packed, arranged for their ride, and then as they waited for it to arrive. She eagerly hopped into the wagon beside him when he beckoned her, her tail waving excitedly and stirring up the loose hay. With no pre-conceived notions about traveling and used to sleeping in shadows on the cold hard ground, she thought the hay wagon was quite comfortable. It smelled sweet and the tangy scent of the horses pulling the cart was familiar yet new.

It was a nice, sunny autumn day, and the sunshine was warming her fur nicely. She'd never known the daylight could be so... pleasant. She had always retreated into the safety of shadows, believing there was something inherently bad about exposing herself to too much sunshine. Then again, she'd thought a lot of things that had been wrong. Between the sun's warmth and Joseph's idle pets, she was quite sleepy in spite of her busy thoughts. Lying down beside him, she sighed, wagged her tail lazily, and easily fell asleep before Joseph ever stopped petting her.

// Joseph Meier //
 
Joseph liked their little idyllic romp, but he should have been more aware. He shouldn't have allowed himself to get complacent, especially when they reached their destination. The cart stopped at the stables, the heavy implication being that they should get off so the cart owner could unload his things. Joseph got up, tucked his journal in his bag, and moved to check his coin purse....which was considerably lighter than it had been when he slept. He glared at the cart owner...but this was the city. He couldn't just strangle the man here. He'd have to come back later before the old bastard spent it all on drink, and give him a horse kick to the head he'd never forget.

He could at least appreciate the ruse. If he told a guard the guard would ask for proof, of which he had none. He'd also be forced to admit he fell asleep instead of watching his bags, and probably told to keep better watch on them next time. He sighed angrily; that was the last time he'd let Oscar pull him into complacency. There was a strange way about the fae that made everything seem safe and alright. Joseph nodded to Shuck to come along. They had to get moving. He'd deal with the haycart man later.

The city was vast. A thousand smells assailed them. Smoke, cooking meats, slaughter, refuse, rotting vegetation, sewage, smoke. Pleasant smells mixing with things most unpleasant and a miasma of filth covering it all. Everything was messy in this industrialized quarter of Alliria. Joseph hated it. He hated crowds, like the one the card's directions was leading them through.

It was market day, and that meant everyone and their mothers were out shopping. Joseph was quickly swallowed up in a sea of people much taller than himself. "Don't lose me." he barked at Shuck. It would be all too easy in this mess. Thousands of people were hurrying to get their things, each focused on himself. Cart drivers whipped nervous horses through the crowd and stray dogs and cats hurried underfoot through it all. If that wasn't enough, there was the shouting. Each vendor, everything from cabbages to trout and chickens, were yelling their advertisements.
 
The movement of the wagon pulled her into a deep, dreamless sleep. She stretched out in the hay and got comfortable next to Joseph, and was utterly useless for the majority of the ride. However, she was awakened by the sound of people, and sat up to look around as they entered what she assumed was Alliria.

She peered over the edge and watched as buildings became more compact and clusters of people grew into crowds. Her ears couldn't hear everything the diverse throngs were saying, her nose couldn't smell the array of exotic and strange scents, and her eyes certainly couldnt see all that she wanted to as they steadily rolled past.

The dog was practically trembling with wonder and curiosity and excitement by the time they stopped. She whined at Joseph, helping to rouse him, and required little encouragement to leap from the wagon. She pranced behind him as he led the way, her attention drifting from his small form to the many other things around her. When he warned her not to get lost, she prodded his back end with her nose to let him know she understood and that she was still close behind.

Though it was hard to not look around. For a dog who had never left the confines of her church grounds, this was overwhelming and exciting. She trailed Joseph, but also continued to gawk. And there was so much to see! She hadn't known mortal life cold be so bright and colorful!

But then she saw something dark in an alley, just barely through a gap between people, and felt a primordial shiver run through her. Suddenly, all the ugly parts of the city became visible -- she saw the garbage, smelled the human waste, saw the sick and decrepit huddled in alleys and corners. But that creature...

Hustling forward to warn Joseph, she ended up bumping into him. She whuffed softly but when he turned --

It wasn't Joseph. A child with the same color hair turned around and squealed at the sight of a massive dog so close to him. The sound made her ears ring, and she instantly backed away. But there were people looking at her now, and the boy was crying and pointing at her while tugging at the jerkin of a man beside him.

Panicking was never a good idea, but it was her knee-jerk response. She let out a growl that parted the crowd as she dashed away. Weaving through the crowded streets to get away from the commotion and rhat dark thing, she tucked into an alley and immediately slipped into the shadows. Where was she supposed to go now? The dog was utterly lost, and there were far too many smells in this crowded, dirty city for her to ever find Joseph again.

Distressed, she took random streets and alleys in what she had thought was the direction she'd just come from. But it was leading into a part that she was sure she hadn't come from, nothing she recognized returning. In the midst of her panic, gold letters grabbed her attention. Gold, like the note Oscar had left.

And there it was: the Goldem Cabinet! The place from the note! The dog leapt from the shadows and bounded for the door. Pushing her way inside, she let out an excited bark, then paused. There was magic here -- and a lot of it. It was then that she looked around.

The tiny, dark shop was packed full of everything. The dog looked around slowly, but there was too much for her senses to absorb all at once. Yet strange smells and sights were causing her fur to stand on end. These things were familiar somehow, even though she knew she had no memory of them. What manner of place was this? Frozen in place with her rump against the door, the dog began to worry where Oscar had sent them.

// Joseph Meier //
 
The place she'd burst into wasn't the type of place to be running into. The shelves were crowded with all manner of things; pickled fairies turning listlessly in brine, wings of the same crowded like glittering flat gems into flat flasks. Bones of every type imaginable laid in neat rows on countertops. Fingerbones wrapped in steel wire and encrusted in garnet lined one small velvet box, while long plumes radiating unimaginable heat were arranged in an old umbrella stand next to the door. Large glass jars of blood advertising their safe consumption by vampires (perfect for those avoiding human predation! the label declared) lined the floor. A large skeleton hung from the cieling. Human in its construction, but with a strange hyoid bone supporting gills along the throat, and ending from the hips onward in one long vertebra chain tipped with a spade-like tail. Poultices advertising everything from curing tuberculosis to adultery dominated the majority of the shelves.

A five gallon glass jar filled with eyeballs rolled themselves to look at Shuck as she entered. Luckily she wasn't meant to gape for long. A small creature pranced down the aisles toward her. It looked like a black housecat...until one looked at the face. The visage of a beatiful woman lay there instead of the normal face of a cat, though she had the ears. "Good evening and welcome to the Golden Cabinet." the sphynx told her cheerfully. "My name is Gilder, and I'm the shop attendant here. What can I help you find?"

The cat's dextrous paws pulled a small notepad out of a pair of black leather saddlebags hanging to either side of her flank. A tiny pen just the size for her paws to grip came out, and she looked expectantly at Shuck with ears flicked forward.
 
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She wasn't sure what she was seeing, exactly, and there was a lot of it. She had made eye contact with the jug of eyes when the small black cat approached and, with her sharp vision, could instantly see that this was no normal cat. In her centuries, she had chased a few cats to know. No, this feline with a woman's face was just as peculiar as the shop she was in. What was she?

And she spoke! The dog watched incredulously as she introduced herself as Gilder and asked what she was looking for. She blinked. Unfortunately they were not equally matched in verbal capabilities.

Whining slightly, the black dog looked nervously around. She was looking for Joseph, but now she supposed she needed Saturninus if she were here. But she was a dog and there was no true way for her to speak. Then again, even if she could, she didn't know why Oscar had sent her there.

// Joseph Meier //
 
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