[Action/Video]

[animator]

Who: Anita Blake and YOU!
Where: Downtown New Moore
When: Today, afternoon.
What: Having a bit of a personal problem, really.

[With the afternoon to herself, Anita has taken to giving herself a more thorough tour of New Moore, with an especial interest in Starbox. She misses her usual coffee place from back home, but when hard-pressed, Anita's never met a cup of coffee she didn't like. With her cup in one hand and the other supporting the strap of her shoulder back, she begins to head in the direction of home at a leisurely pace.

She begins to slow down even further when she approaches the storefront of Hoarders, considering stopping in for a few minutes, but as she does so, there's the faint sound of footsteps slowing to a stop just behind her. Decidedly non-human footsteps, at that. Something much smaller.

Turning around, she raises an eyebrow as she realized that she's made a four-legged friend during her tour of the town. The raccoon before her sits up and tilts his head to the side, clearly pleased with the attention he's sure he's about to receive.

Anita can't exactly blame him. He looks like the last attention he received came in the form of being plowed over by someone's car.

She sighs, facepalming.]

Well, crap.

[The raccoon isn't the only friend she's going to pick up today. As she continues to walk through town and even as she gets closer to home, the roadkill parade behind her seems to grow exponentially. To say the least, she doesn't look exactly pleased. Feel free to run into her anywhere along the way?]


[Video, Evening:]

[Once she's home and locked all of her admirers out, Anita is quick to get on the network, hoping she can get this resolved before Rose gets home and asks her what the hell is going on.]

So, I'm having a bit of a problem today. I need chickens. Does anyone know where I can get chickens? I could also make due with a goat, but I'd rather not. That gets messy.

Comments

[sunflowersister]

[ guess who actually keeps chickens in the backyard. ]

Well, there's the grocery store... I have a few I use for eggs, if that's what you're looking for?

[Video]

[animator]

[Well, if she's still using them, that's a bit of a problem, too... hm.]

I do need live chickens, but they wouldn't be so much a loan as... a gift, without getting into the gory details.

[video]

[sunflowersister]

Oh, I understand! [ no she doesn't. ] I prefer fresh chicken too, but I'd rather have the eggs and just get market chicken most days so that's why I have them around. Um, how many would you need?

[video]

[animator]

[Phew. Bullet dodged, for now.]

Two, maybe three? I would be happy to pay you well for the inconvenience.

[video]

[sunflowersister]

Sounds like you're feeding a lot of people! Do you want me to butcher them for you, or have you got that?

[video]

[animator]

Yeah. A lot.

[Seriously, the roadkill posse got huge.]

I can handle the butchering, but thanks for the offer. How much would you like for them, and when and where can I pick them up?

[action - outside of hoarders]

[themuse]

[Beckett just happens to come out the door of Hoarders to find her patrol partner talking to a raccoon.

A rather... mangy looking raccoon. More of a zombie raccoon. God this place is freaking weird.]

I... Um. [This is not exactly how she was planning on ending her lunch date with Castle.] Do I even wanna know?

[action]

[animator]

[Oh. Hi. Great. Not great. Okay. How to explain.

Hmm.]

Well. I think you're the only one really qualified to answer that question.

[She drops the non-coffee-holding hand to her hip, frowning.]

I guess it's been more time than I thought since I first arrived here.

[action]

[themuse]

[Well, Kate has a choice. She could talk to her partner here about the influx of zombie raccoons on the island. Or she could go home and clean the bathroom which was... her original plan. Suddenly option one seems decidedly more interesting.]

Okay. I'm assuming you didn't bring him back deliberately to ask who mowed him over. So does that... bringing-things-back-from-the-dead-thing you were telling me about happen just whenever? Or is this the island just deciding to mess with you?

[action]

[animator]

[Anita shakes her head, giving the raccoon itself a decidedly disapproving look.

The raccoon recoils slightly, looking mildly offended.]

No, it's normally something that's completely under my control.

[Except for the time where she accidentally animated a vampire. Or several. It wasn't intentional, though, she really was aiming for zombies that last time.]

This isn't the first time this has happened to me, though. The thing is, I was a teenager the last time. I didn't have any training, my powers were just starting to manifest.

Animating is tricky. You have to use your power regularly to keep it under control, or else it just starts seeping out and doing -- well. This. It's been a lot longer since I last had an opportunity to use it than I realized. It's not like people are banging down my door to have me raise the dead.

[action]

[themuse]

Okay, I get it. Weirdly enough that... actually made sense to me. Which probably means I've been here too long.

[Kate is really trying not to look at the dead raccoon. While she definitely sees the use of Anita's power, she is still kinda of the camp of the dead should stay dead. Especially roadkill.]

I feel kinda bad for the poor thing. Is it gonna stay alive or does it wear off eventually?

[action]

[animator]

[Anita's with you on that one, Kate. Poor animal never hurt anyone, most likely. He should be able to rest in peace, instead of having to wander around all mangled. At the moment, he doesn't seem to mind too much, though he's getting more and more out of sorts as Anita pays attention to Kate rather than him.]

He's going to stay this way until I can put him to rest. Well... him and anything else that decides to follow me.

[She grimaces.]

I don't have any of my ritual ointment or any other supplies. I'm going to have to scrape those together. Luckily, I should be able to get most of what I need in town. Wonder how many stores would find a woman with a dead raccoon shopping around to be socially acceptable.

[action]

[themuse]

Pretty sure the answer to that is "none." Even around here.

[She presses her lips together. All of the sudden, cleaning her bathroom didn't seem like the worst thing in the world.]

What do you need? I was headed back to my place but I can stop and pick up stuff if it'll help.

[trytryagain]

[Homura's walk home from school was usually indirect, cutting through downtown to patrol for any sign of witches. Apart from the two major outbreaks, they'd been few and far between, but nevertheless, she never let a day pass. She couldn't afford to -- she hadn't rehearsed this.

Not knowing what came next was still an adjustment, and it made her uneasy -- uneasy enough that, when she saw the parade of dead animals (her instincts said familiars) following a dark-haired woman down the sidewalk, she used her soul gem without a second thought to summon her shield and change into her uniform.

It was only after that when her mind caught up with her, advising caution -- but by then, passers-by already had a chance to react to the dark-haired fourteen-year-old with a shield on her arm, standing in what was obviously a gunslinger's stance, pre-draw.]

Oh god this will be beautiful.

[animator]

[Homura's get-up catches Anita's attention pretty quickly once it's in place, and the animator slows to a stop, raising a skeptical eyebrow. She's having a great day, thanks for asking. Why not add someone willing to pounce?

Well. At least they seem to be matched in size. She's not too worried.]

Hey. I'm walkin', here.

[... yep.]

you know, it just ocured to me that homura might feel vaguely undead to anita? /plurk sidebar

[trytryagain]

[The woman isn't despairing or insane. There's no visible witch's kiss on her. And the familiars... other people on the street are reacting to them as well. Everyone can see them.

She doesn't relax yet. Just in case.]

Why are there dead animals following you?

[Her voice is extremely cool and composed for a fourteen-year old confronted with roadkill -- only a slight edge in her voice, and the way her eyes keep flicking to them, indicate that they upset her.]

/sidebar noted!

[animator]

[Meanwhile, Anita is doing her own appraisal. This girl pings her radar as something not-quite-living. She folds her arms, closing herself off as she studies the girl with her critical gaze.]

Neat party trick, right? It's not intentional. I'm in the process of resolving it.

You, however.

[You don't feel right.]

You're not a zombie. What are you?

[Nothing ventured, nothing gained.]

[trytryagain]

[For just a moment, the expression on Homura's face melts to shock and dismay, and she looks her age, not aloof and jaded and emotionless. She's trembling, tears welling in her eyes, and her arm moves just slightly --

--and then she's standing upright, still, her face like a carven statue again. The tears are gone, and her shield is at her side. She no longer looks prepared to fight. There was no telltale of visible motion or change indicating preternatural speed -- as if she changed states between one moment and the next without bothering to move.]

That's not important.

You're a magician?

[animator]

[Anita is slightly taken aback by the girl's reaction, however brief it may have been. After a moment, she shakes her head, though her stance does not change, still firm.]

Not really. An animator. I have a certain affinity for the dead.

[Action]

[you_have_heart]

[Loki does run into her somewhere along the way. He's out and about trying to get the feel for the town when he sees Anita.

He approches her and raises an eyebrow at the train of animals following her]

You seem to have quite the procession, Ms. Blake.

[Action]

[animator]

[The decline of her mood is directly proportionate to the number of zombie critters following her, at this point. The look she gives Loki in reply is rather long-suffering, though not directed at him, at least.]

What can I say? I'm a popular lady.

[Action]

[you_have_heart]

Are you mixed up in some sort of necromancy?

[Action]

[animator]

"Mixed up" makes the whole thing sound nefarious. Or possibly accidental -- though this particular incident is, I'll admit.

[She grimaces slightly. She's not used to the word "necromancer," even after she's been told that her power qualifies her as one.]

I'm an animator, among other things.

[Action]

[you_have_heart]

And animator?

[He glances again at the animals]

I suppose the power speaks for itself, but it is most curious that you do not seem to have much control over it.

[Action]

[animator]

[That's a remark she kind of resents, even though the current display certainly makes that seem like it's the case.]

Actually, I normally have incredible control over it. Better than most in my line of work.

[She's famous from coast-to-coast for a reason, though it still always surprises her a little bit when someone from across the country wants to bring her in for a job. Still, animating is a rare talent. There aren't that many who can make a name doing it, and true necromancy? Even more rare. Too bad that's tough to keep under wraps. Other necromancers, as few as there are, can practically smell it on her.]

You have to use this kind of power regularly, or else it sort of boils over. I haven't had any dead to raise since I got here. No opportunities to put it into practice.

[She gives him a flat look, gesturing back towards the parade of roadkill.]

This is the result.