01<@Ardweden> [Day: Friday/Saturday, September 10/11.  Time: Midnight.]
 01<@Ardweden> [You awaken in the Haven.  It's as you left it, throne room, 
half-transparent bench, and all.]
 01<@Ardweden> [Session Start!]
 06* Susano-O blinks a couple of times, then looks around, and waits to see if 
the others show up as planned.
 01<@Ardweden> [Susano-O sees all of the others.  The beauty of midnight 
happening at the same time for everyone.]
 06* Joan has the hat.
 06* Hien stretches. Arms, then tail, then, given space, wings.
 06* Susano-O feels reassured things are working right, then. He takes a step 
back to let the wings go by, even if it wouldn't have hit him anyway.
 06* Joan clarrifies: Joan goes to the throne, where the hat is, and picks it 
up. Ergo...
 06* Joan has the hat.
 06* Kali looks about for a second, unfolding herself as she shows up and 
testing the arms again. She glances over at the throne and focuses her eyes on 
Joan for a moment.
 01<@Ardweden> [Hien has a MIGHTY wingspan!]
 06* Hien retracts her wings and looks satisfied.
<Hien> Feels good.  *looks over at Joan* Is the Walruscat in?
 06* Kali lets out a sigh and saunters over towards the throne. "Well here we 
are again. Who let the cat in?"
 06* Imp pops into existance looking around as he hops from foot to foot. 
"Hello!"
 06* Kali turns and glances at Imp for a moment impassively, then back at the 
hat.
 06* Joan flips the hat upside down and calls, "Ello? Mr. Walruscat, sil vou 
plait?"
 06* Hien waves at Imp. "Hello!"
 06* Susano-O looks at her more closely. "You really have a lot of reach," he 
comments to Hien offhandedly, then to Imp, "Hey."
 01<@Ardweden> [A voice comes from inside the hat!  Sounds like the same voice 
as usual: "Madam Joan d'Arc, how may I help you this lovely morning?"]
<Imp> Fuck, why is he here?
<Joan> I would very much like to visit zee gate.  Do you think you could direct 
me?
<Hien> He's usually here.
<Susano-O> And Joan called for him.
<Kali> Could say the same about you really.
<Imp> We don't have time for that. Tony is in trouble.
<Hien> What?
 06* Kali stops for a moment and looks at Imp.
<Imp> Tony is in trouble. He's sick and really tired, and about to pass out in a 
daze. Sound familiar?
 06* Susano-O looks at him, as well, curiosity in his posture. "Like with Nate."
<Imp> Right.
 06* Kali keeps looking at Imp. She hasn't said anything yet. Nor has her 
expression changed.
 01<@Ardweden> ["I'm afraid I can't, Madam.  But you and your friends may be 
able to find it on your own - the Haven can probably show you the way."]
 06* Joan blinks a few times. "Zee Haven, you say?"
<Kali> Tony?
 06* Susano-O looks more serious, then.
<Imp> Yes. Tony. 
<Hien> Well, if the same thing that happened to Nate is happening to someone 
else, we need to help them.
 06* Imp looks at Kali full of Defiance.
 01<@Ardweden> ["Why yes!  If you haven't noticed, I'm certain Imp has at least 
some inkling as to how it works."]
<Imp> Oh...er... maybe? 
 06* Susano-O nods at Hien's comment.
 06* Kali says evenly. "We need to?"
 06* Imp looks at the cat hat demon and tries very hard not to get puffed up 
over knowing something.
<Imp> I helped nerd boy.
 01<@Ardweden> [It's just a hat.  A harmless little hat.]
<Kali> Right.
 06* Hien looks at Kali. "I'm not going to leave someone to that if I can help 
it."
 06* Kali glances from Hien to Imp back to Hien, then finally looks impassively 
at Imp. "Why should we care?"
 01<@Ardweden> ["I am deeply sorry I cannot lead you there personally, but well, 
I'm not allowed there."  The Walrus sounds sheepish.]
 06* Joan pauses, then says, "Excuze moi, Monsieur Walruscat. Somezing's up. 
Thank you for anszwering, see you later."
 06* Susano-O looks surprised at Kali, but stays quiet for now.
 06* Imp knows much better about the hat. "Fine. You don't want to go help a 
human, I guess I'm right about how pathetic you are."
 01<@Ardweden> ["Absolutely!  Good luck on your latest venture."]
<Kali> Oh Christ, would you get over yourself.
 06* Joan tosses the hat back on the throne and turns towards Kali. "It is zee 
right thing to do."
 01<@Ardweden> [The hat settles into the throne quite snugly.]
 06* Hien sighs, a bit of smoke issuing forth. "'We' don't have to agree on what 
we care about. But that stuff is nasty, and I'm not going to ignore it and leave 
him out there."
 06* Kali folds her arms across her chest and waist. "Pathetic. Let's see here. 
You insult us every chance you get. You don't accept any help or any possibility 
that maybe other people exist in the world other than your little gang, you only 
come to us with your tail between your legs when you can't do shit for 
yourself."
<Kali> So...I ask you again. Why should we care?
 06* Imp flips Kali off. "Fine. You know what. I'll handle it myself." He looks 
at Hien. "At least ONE of you is at least as nice as I am. I went out of my way 
to help Nate."
<Kali> I mean even now, when someone calls you on it, it's someone else's own 
fucking fault. Take responsibility for your actions.
 06* Kali snorts. "Pathetic."
 06* Joan shrugs. "I said I would 'elp."
 06* Kali sighs. "I never said I *wouldn't*."
 06* Hien starts heading for the door. "We've only got so much time. We should 
get going."
 06* Susano-O nods, and looks between the two of them. "Good. So let's help him, 
then."
 06* Susano-O follows Hien.
 06* Joan nods and goes with Hein.
 06* Kali walks out towards the door, giving one last strong gaze, though not 
quite glare, at Imp.
 06* Imp was going to start arguing but the others had started to go out the 
door and well that's what he wanted. He shuts his mouth.
 06* Hien finds the door and opens it! Then she steps aside for Imp. "I think 
you need to lead here, and not just because of my sense of direction."
 06* Susano-O steps back from the dragon, so he doesn't get stepped on or 
anything.
 06* Imp heads in front and concentrates on Tony looking to find him
<Joan> Don't mess it up.
 01<@Ardweden> [Imp steps through the doorway and ends up... not in the Square 
but in what looks like Times Square.  Lights, people, it's all there.  Except 
that the signs are unreadable, as the letters are all jumbled up, and none of 
the people have faces.  Okay, that part's creepy.]
 06* Susano-O waits for Hien to go through first, before he'll follow.
 01<@Ardweden> [The sky, by the way, is a LOVELY shade of green today.  And 
there's a burning sliver of a moon in the sky.]
<Imp> Oooh that's... huh.
 06* Imp focuses to see if he can figure out where to go
 03* Lex is now known as May
 06* Hien steps out. "Wow. I'd be confused even if I weren't me."
<Joan> It's nice, but it's not Dallas...
 06* Kali looks about at the signs and sighs. "Pretty typical. Dreamscapes are 
going to be fun."
 06* Susano-O follows out, too, and looks around, taking in the lack of faces. 
"This... it's so full."
 01<@Ardweden> [The various people all seem to be quite busy and don't have time 
to look at you and your weirdness.  Though one does bump into Susano-O a bit, 
and keeps moving on without a word.]
 01<@Ardweden> [Then again, maybe she can't talk.]
 06* Susano-O starts, and steps back, watching her go, non-plussed.
<Joan> ( She probably picked your pocket )
<Kali> She probably can't see you. Like last time. Although...
 06* Kali focuses on the lack of faces for a moment.
 06* Susano-O steps in closer to Hien. That should hold off people walking into 
him.
 06* Imp glances around and points. "I think he's that way. He... he said some 
thing about new york being important."
<Joan> Important to what?
<Imp> Him.
<Susano-O> It is the nearest big city. Well. Except for Hartford.
<Kali> He mention this before he disappeared?
<Imp> I think he lived here for some time. Yeah a while ago. Look he doesn't 
really talk about stuff like this.
<Kali> To you or in general?
 06* Susano-O takes a couple of steps in the direction the Imp pointed. "Can we 
walk and talk at the same time?"
<Imp> HEY we are friends. He talks to us more often than not. He just 
doesn't...talk. Okay? Usually he's saying we shouldn't hurt you too much. 
<Joan> So 'e's a better person zan you.
 06* Kali sighs. "Relax. I'm not going to get on you and your friends for being 
normal people who talk about normal things other than pushing people like me 
around, alright?"
 06* Imp shakes his head. "Look. He just doesn't talk much about that. He 
focuses on other things."
 06* Kali gives Joan a Look for a moment.
 06* Hien looks around again. "You said that way?" She points in the exact 
opposite direction of what Imp indicated.
 06* Joan seems confused at Kali's sudden Look! Sure Joan is hot, but she didn't 
think Kali was into girls.
<Susano-O> No, this way, Hien. Here.
<Imp> No. This way.
 06* Imp just doesn't respon to Joan and heads that way.
 01<@Ardweden> [Everyone but Imp, who may be too preoccupied by Tony to notice, 
realizes that Hien was briefly pointing at the Raven!  That is, until the Raven 
flies over the lot of you to head in the exact direction Imp's walking/flying.]
 06* Imp is too preoccupied to realize he can fly.
 01<@Ardweden> [Walking, then.]
 06* Hien looks satisfied with her completely unintentional pointing out of the 
Raven! Until she realizes it's the Raven, and mutters something under her 
breath.
 06* Susano-O blinks, and lets out a noise of surprise. "It's... he's going that 
way, too." He glances towards the Imp, and walks a little faster.
 06* Kali deadpans. "Well at least we know we're on the right track. Come on."
<Joan> Good enough.
 06* Joan follows!
 06* Imp just continues that way, though he has a frown that's growing more and 
more.
 06* Hien follows as well!
 06* Susano-O tries to keep an eye on the bird as he walks.
 01<@Ardweden> [The scene shifts rapidly as you walk, and you're suddenly in 
Central Park in the dead of winter.  The sky is still green, but it's quite cold 
now.  And oddly deserted.  The trees are beautiful; they look like they're made 
of ice.]
 06* Kali frowns at her last glance from the Raven and shivers a bit, rubbing 
her waist and hands and shoulders with all of her hands. She's definitely not 
dressed the part.
 06* Imp looks queasy for a moment and shakes his head.
 06* Joan doesn't seem toooooo concerned.
 01<@Ardweden> [Everyone but Kali hears what sounds like some sort of flute, or 
pipes, or something being played in the distance.  Kali is understandably 
distracted by the fact that 1. she's really cold, and 2. the trees aren't ice; 
they're actually crystal.]
 06* Susano-O doesn't look too cold, either. He takes his eye off the bird to 
look at the trees for a moment, and then tries to spot it again.
 06* Imp frowns and looks that way, heading off towards the sound without a 
thought.
<Hien> Do you hear that?
 06* Joan nods.
 06* Susano-O focuses more on the raven. "The raven, he's starting to move... 
weird. It's not straight anymore."
<Imp> Let's go look at the music, that's the different thing
<Susano-O> But the Raven. If it's being affected, then something's up over 
there.
 06* Kali turns to Imp for a moment. "Music?" She glances at Hien as well.
<Imp> Eh sure let's go see, We need to help I guess?
<Hien> Yeah, don't you hear it? A flute or something.
 06* Susano-O cocks his head slightly. "I do, yes, there is some light music, 
but... we should see to the bird. At least at first."
 06* Kali rubs her arms a little. "Sorry. I was a bit too busy with the cold. 
And the Raven."
<Hien> Do you think the music is what's causing the Raven to act weird?
 06* Joan heads towards the music. "Zere is one way to find out."
<Kali> Possible.
<Imp> Yeah. Come on we need to help him.
 06* Kali focuses a bit and follows it as well once she hears it.
 06* Susano-O nods slowly. "It could..." He doesn't move yet, following the 
track of the bird. Is it recovering?
 06* Imp heads to help the raven first.
 06* Kali nods. "If you guys are going to check that out, I'm going with Joan. 
Let us know if you need help." She follows Joan.
<Imp> Okay. Let me know.
 01<@Ardweden> [The Raven continues to fly erratically, first this way, then 
that.  It almost doesn't seem to be interested in going to its destination at 
this point.]
<Imp> hey raven what's up?
 06* Susano-O nods to Kali, but goes for the Raven first.
 06* Hien headtilts at the Raven.
 01<@Ardweden> [It also seems awfully... jerky?  Or sudden in its flight 
changes.  Not like a drunken bird.]
 06* Imp frowns more. "HEY!! RAVEN!" He's shouting now.
 06* Susano-O watches it like a hawk. "Is it fighting something? Why's it flying 
like that?"
<Hien> I don't know.
 01<@Ardweden> [The raven screeches.  It sounds angry.  Or something.  Now that 
you guys have moved a little closer, Hien and Susano-O realize that an arrow is 
occasionally fired in the raven's direction, though it never actually hits the 
bird.]
<Hien> Wait... something's *shooting* at it!
 06* Hien looks to see where the arrows are coming from.
 06* Susano-O nods a couple of times. "You're right." He also looks around some. 
Probably it's not going to fly away right now.
 06* Imp starts running forward at Hien's words. "We need to help!"
<Susano-O> Can you fly up and get a view on where it's from, Imp?
 06* Susano-O takes a few steps, following him.
<Imp> Umm..  I need something to leap fro... sure.
 06* Imp teleports straight up and spreads his wings.
 01<@Ardweden> [Imp sees another arrow coming dangerously close to the raven and 
he teleports, knocking the bird away.  The raven falls briefly before steadying 
itself and, with a screech of probably thanks, keeps flying for wherever he was 
going.]
 06* Imp keeps gliding trying to spot the archer.
 01<@Ardweden> [Below, Imp is fairly certain he knows where the arrows are 
coming from, and the answer is actually the clearing where he sees what's 
probably Kali and Joan, as well as two others he can't identify.]
<Hien> See anything?
<Imp> Yeah Kali and Joan. That way! 
 06* Imp will be gliding said that way.
 06* Hien follows Imp and charges! Hopefully her that way is the right that way.
 06* Susano-O follows in behind Hien, then, resting a hand on his sword.
 01<@Ardweden> [You all fly, run, and most importantly of all burst into the 
clearing!  You see Joan and Kali, talking more or less civilly with a stone 
statue of a lovely naked woman with leaves, or feathers?  Or both?  made of 
precious metals and gems sticking out of her hair.  And they stick out a LONG 
way - like, two feet, at all angles on the right side to straight up.]
 06* Imp tries to float downwards to land on Hien.
 01<@Ardweden> [None on the left, for some reason.  Her hands are folded.  To 
one side, and leaning against a crystal tree, is a satyr with a shaggy brown 
goat bottom, a beard, curly hair that matches the shaggy bottom, and curling 
goat horns.  He's very occupied in playing a drowsy melody on his pipes.]
 01<@Ardweden> [No sign of an archer.  They certainly don't have bows and arrows 
on them.]
 06* Kali glances at the statue as Joan answers it, but keeps her eyes on the 
other creature in the clearing, watching him intently.
 06* Hien skids to a stop, probably causing Imp to overshoot. "...where's the 
person shooting the arrows?"
 06* Imp lands on the ground in front of Hien looking like he meant to do that 
and don't you dare question otherwise.
 06* Joan says to the statue, "I will anszwer your question. Anszwer mine."
 06* Susano-O brings up the rear, and looks up, trying to get a bead on where 
the raven was.
 03* Grysar is now known as Grydle
 01<@Ardweden> [The statue glances at the newcomers.  "Huh," she comments to 
herself before she turns to Joan and answers in a low, gravely, yet female 
voice, "He's hiding someone.  My question.  Why are you here?"]
<Joan> We are looking for someone.
<Imp> I'm looking for ... what she said
 06* Kali frowns. "My question then. I'll answer your test."
 01<@Ardweden> [Toci smiles at Kali.  "It's not a test.  Just trying to be 
fair."]
<Imp> what's going on?
 06* Hien is a confused dragon, and keeps looking around to try and spot the 
archer.
<Kali> Yes, but it's difficult to agree to something without all the cards being 
seen. 
 01<@Ardweden> ["We don't know each other very well.  I don't know these others, 
certainly."]
 06* Kali smiles. "*That's* not exactly fair without me knowing the question 
before agreeing when you know mine."
 01<@Ardweden> [She shrugs at that.  Up, then down.]
 06* Susano-O turns enough to try to spot the raven again, since maybe that'll 
show where the archer is.
<Kali> But I'll agree to it. Go ahead and ask.
 06* Imp looks very confused.
 01<@Ardweden> ["Are you trying to help the bird?"]
 06* Kali frowns. "You answered Joan's question first..."
 01<@Ardweden> ["Oh, I'm sorry."]
 01<@Ardweden> [Toci sighs.  "Robin.  Answer mine, please."  She looks almost 
sad.]
<Kali> Some of us are. But we don't know exactly what the bird is here to do.
 06* Kali frowns. "Robin?"
 01<@Ardweden> [Now, the satyr stops playing and chimes in with, "Yeah, like 
Batman and Robin.  But nothing like it."]
<Imp> This is getting more confusing.
 01<@Ardweden> [Anyone glancing over to look at the raven would notice that it's 
gone, probably (hopefully) flying off to its next destination.]
<Joan> I bet zis Robin is a good sort of fellow.
 06* Kali looks over at Puck for a moment. "Why are you hiding him?"
 06* Susano-O sees that it's gone, and feels a pang of worry, but then starts 
attending to the conversation.
 01<@Ardweden> [The satyr nods.  "A regular medieval superhero.  Sorry I 
couldn't introduce myself.  Was kinda busy."  He grins, and Toci looks like she 
maaaay be rolling her eyes again.]
<Hien> I don't understand what's going on.
 06* Kali frowns. "So if you're a superhero...why do you see the Raven as the 
bad guy?" She sounds concerned but honestly confused.
 06* Susano-O says softly to Hien, "Me neither."
 01<@Ardweden> ["Nobody does, really," Toci says a bit mournfully.  And then the 
satyr says, "Isn't it obvious, lady- er, Kali?  Your name's Kali, right?"]
 06* Kali sighs sadly. "I don't ask obvious questions. Yes."
 01<@Ardweden> ["Anyway, he spreads suffering wherever he goes.  Wander around 
the dreamrealm for just a little while and you pick that up."]
 06* Imp frowns hearing that.
<Joan> Who told you zat?
 01<@Ardweden> ["Nobody *needed* to tell me, Sunshine.  I've seen it."]
 01<@Ardweden> [Session End!]