<TIAMAT> *Well, just for the record, Whisper didn't take Selma's advice at all and hasn't slept since she was at Cassie's, and is looking even more worn than before, but none the less determined. She's been up and down the Arena all day, picking up info when she can -- which isn't easy, as most everyone is still hunkered down.

<JETMODE> *As Whisper rounds a corner in an obscure part of the first floor, she hears three voices raised in cheerful discussion.

<JETMODE> <female voice> What IS all this crap? I mean, the bits and pieces were bad enough, but ...

<JETMODE> <male voice> Hehe, it looks like fairy dust -- has about the right texture, too!

<TIAMAT> *Whisper probably half hears them -- she's feeling particularily drained and trying to decide what to do next.

<JETMODE> <another female voice> *snap* Garret, don't sniff it, what the hell's wrong with you!?

<JETMODE> *The first female voice bursts into giggles. "Well, you wouldn't let him drink the coffee --"

<JETMODE> <second female> God damn it, Diana, I KNOW what you put in that coffee --

<JETMODE> <Garret> Oy, oy, I was just kidding anyway, keep sweeping! At least it's not like that blood from before, right?

<JETMODE> *Should Whisper actually come up on them, she'll see a black-haired girl with her hand clamped over her mouth to stifle giggles, a brown-haired girl with her hands on her hips, and a canine anthro sweeping away at the ash.

<JETMODE> <Diana> Weird place for blood anyway. *leans lazily on her broom* There wasn't even fighting around there.

<TIAMAT> *Whisper's passing by the hall. She pauses and glances down at them, blinking. "Where?

<JETMODE> *The three turn and look at her in astonishment.

<JETMODE> <Garret> Where what?

<JETMODE> <Diana> Are you lost?

<JETMODE> *The other girl makes a disgusted noise.

<TIAMAT> *Whisper frowns. "No, I'm not. Where did you find blood?

<JETMODE> <Garret> *ears prick* Oh oh, that! Um.. *glances at Diana* Was that before or after the coffee?

<TIAMAT> *Whisper looks faintly annoyed.

<JETMODE> <Diana> *shrugs* I don't know, I've been working double-shifts all week. It all runs together. Wasn't Rumiko the one who found it anyway?

<JETMODE> <Rumiko> I did NOT. It was Garret. I'm just the one who had to clean the crap up, because YOU TWO were playing with pieces of a skeleton!

<TIAMAT> *She clears her throat. Loudly.

<JETMODE> *Rumiko looks at her blankly as if she'd forgotten she was there. "Oh. Right. It was.. er.. oh, I don't know. Down near the dungeons somewhere."

<JETMODE> *They've been working since the fighting stopped and haven't gotten any sleep. ^_^

<JETMODE> *Which is why Diana spiked the coffee and Garret's trying to sniff ash. XD Not that they aren't similarly weird all the time anyway.

<TIAMAT> *Whisper: The dungeons? *ponders for a moment* Do you remember where?

<JETMODE> *Diana and Garret have taken the opportunity to start ballroom dancing in the ash, kicking it up with gusto and making an even bigger mess than before.

<JETMODE> <Rumiko> DIANA -- *coughs* Will you two STOP?! *coughs again, peers out at Whisper* I'm sorry, I don't remember exactly -- QUIT THAT RIGHT NOW.

<JETMODE> *At which point she goes after them with the broom.

<TIAMAT> *Whisper sneezes once, tries to say something else to them, decides it's not worth it, and walks off, thinking. She's probably heading toward the dungeons right now. ^_^

<JETMODE> *From behind her, she can hear an absolutely infuriated. "I QUIT!! I'M TURNING IN MY RESIGNATION RIGHT NOW --" followed by a wail of "Nooo, Rumi! Don't leave us! We won't have anyone to play with!"

-- cut to Jarod and Jukka --

<TIAMAT> *Jarod and Jukka are probably investigating the ground floor/training ground, maybe visiting Gilbert, who's already told Whisper he hasn't seen Kender in a few days.

<JETMODE> *On their way back into the building, assuming they got their info from Gilbert, a young girl darts out the door and nearly smacks into them. It is, of course, Alpha, and she's probably been hanging out with Roary -- she keeps her age around 12 - 15 around him. She'd look familiar to Jarod, but not much more than that.

<TIAMAT> *Jarod stumbles back a little with a yelp, nearly colliding with Jukka. "Oop--!

<JETMODE> *Jukka catches him, poking her head around curiously at Alpha who has taken a hop back. The smaller girl eyes Jarod for a moment, then blinks. "Oh! You. I remember you."

<TIAMAT> *Jarod peers down at her. "You...do? *he gives her a curious look.

<JETMODE> <Alpha> *nods brusquely* We met at the stadium when the dragon attacked. I went down to pick up your friend.

<TIAMAT> *Jarod's eye widen a bit. "Alpha? But...you're so...young. *extremely puzzled look.

<JETMODE> <Alpha> *grins at him* It's a long story. Let's just say my age is relative and leave it at that.

<TIAMAT> *Jarod stares for a moment, then shakes his head with a sigh. "Yeah...okay. I think I'm too tired to understand anything too complicated right now, anyway. *pause* Oh! Alpha, this is Jukka. Jukka, Alpha.

<JETMODE> *Jukka smiles and waves, and Alpha grins at her. "Nice to meet you." She glances at Jarod. "Where's your friend?"

<TIAMAT> *Jarod: Kender? *he frowns, worriedly. "We...we don't know. He's been missing ever since the attack started...

<JETMODE> <Alpha> *blinks* Really? He looked a little headstrong, but I thought he could take care of himself.. *frowns in thought*

<TIAMAT> *Jarod nods. "He can take care of himself -- Kender's no idiot. And.. *he pauses, looking uncertain.

<JETMODE> <Alpha> But something's not right, is it? *folds arms* What's going on?

<TIAMAT> *Jarod shakes his head. "He's in trouble. And -- he's hurt. Badly, I think. But we don't know where he is, or what happened to him.

<JETMODE> <Alpha> *puzzled* You mean you think someone kidnapped him?

<TIAMAT> *Jarod: Yeah...I mean, I don't know why else he would have disappeared like this. Or why I felt pain when I tried contacting him telepathically.

<JETMODE> <Alpha> *nods, looking thoughtful*

<JETMODE> <Jukka> *curiously* Do you know something?

<JETMODE> <Alpha> .. *frown* I might. I saw a couple weirdos hanging around outside Gwen's the other day.. wouldn't have been so strange, but they were there every day for a week, and I know they have rooms somewhere else, 'cause Gwen sent someone to chase 'em off.

<TIAMAT> *Jarod: We room at Gwen's...who were these weirdos you saw?

<JETMODE> <Alpha> Man, they were about as weird as you can get. There was a big rabbit guy and a lady who looks like she's part snake. I thought I heard him call her Donna, but then he said something really rude, so I'm not sure if it's actually her name.

<TIAMAT> *Jarod shakes his head. "I've never seen them before...I wonder if they have anything to do with this. Do you know anything else about them?

<JETMODE> <Alpha> *headshake* I'm sorry.

<TIAMAT> *Jarod smiles a little tiredly. "That's all right. Thanks for your help, Alpha.

<JETMODE> <Alpha> Sure. Let me know if I can do anything else. *she waves and takes off toward the stables*

<TIAMAT> *Jarod sighs and turns back to Jukka. "This is really strange...all of this. But it doesn't put us much closer to finding anything..

<JETMODE> <Jukka> *nods, frowning a little* They sound familiar.. but ... I don't know them, either.