17291/The Open Door: Maybe we should talk

The Open Door: Maybe we should talk
Date of Scene:	27 February 2024
Location:	Cafe De La Magi
Synopsis:	Information's shared, the heroes learn a little more than they knew before, but of the utmost importance, Kib's wasn't really running away.
Cast of Characters:	Lucifer, Atrice Duckstein, Corben Kelly, Clara Jennings, Tom McCarthy
Tinyplot:	The Open Door

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Lucifer has posed:
"Invited friend!" Kib'kir says, after having bashed its nose into Corben's phone for maybe ten minutes. While Corben was in the bathroom. It's a little bit of a rough text, but that's that.

Kib'kir is a bit larger, and the toaster is missing, as well.

Atrice Duckstein has posed:
Having a stronk, call the bondulance!

Ducky is a little concerned when she arrives with Tom in tow at the Cafe De La Magi. "What's that Kibby, Timmy fell in a well?" she mutters as she texts the number back. Waiting to see if Corben responds. She lets him know that her and Tom are there to check in post Sluggy shenanigans to see if everyone is okay...since SHIELD sorta took over clean up of the site.

Corben Kelly has posed:
Corben comes out of the bathroom, checks himself for dangling toilet paper and then wanders over to pick up his phone - his slime covered phone. He's just about to go all slug dad with a spray bottle until he considers - could have been worse, at least he didn't have to wait hours for his phone to come back out, one end or the other.

But he does check to see... Holy Shit, little bugger of a demon sprog is learning how to text?! Awwww, Corben's a proud slug dad.

"Just remeber, Kib," he beings. "Keep away from any of the contacts that say anything related to after hours love."

When his phone pings a text, he fires off - Got the smartest lil' slug-bat ever, yes I do. Apparently he wants you to come visit?

Clara Jennings has posed:
    Clara is resting. Her ankles are very tightly wrapped and she's using paper to serve as braces of sorts. It works to keep her moving, at least. She is in the kitchen, with a bagel in her hands. She's looking at a very empty spot on the counter.

    "Corben, the umm... the toaster has run off," she says. "Does it normally do that?"

    She has never had a toaster run off before. You do not normally see that in a major appliance. This leaves her with a most unheated bagel, half in each hand. What is the proper place to put ones hands in this scenario? She sighs softly and sets them down on a plate.

    "Is Kibs hungry?" Probably not, het just ate...

Tom McCarthy has posed:
Tom was not looking his best. Bruised, battered and left arm in a sling, he arrives with Ducky - moving at a rather slower pace. That blow from that demoness was no bueno. Still, there was discussion to be had - and Corben kept showing up at these locations. Maybe he had more information, right?

"So, this is the guy with the potions, then?" He wonders, looking over to Ducky as they start towards the doors.

Corben Kelly has posed:
"The toaster will be back soon, won't it Kibs?" Corben just doesn't bother to mention where it is or how it'll come back should the little demon sprog decide to give it back. How does one say - We'll have a toaster again as soon as my pet demon vomits it up? One doesn't. One just lets it happen and lets toasting go on as usual afterwards.

Look, there's Tom and he's wearing clothes. That is the first and most important thing on Corben's mind. "So, like you only play Nude Dude after a life and death battle with Hell spawn? Interesting." Did anyone think he /wasn't/ going to ask? Now he's /sure/ it's just some kind of fetish.

Corben scoops up his toaster eating lil' buddy and puts him on a shoulder. It's like a fashion accessory, slimy scarf, all the rage.

Atrice Duckstein has posed:
<Did he slug-butt dial me? Lol.> Ducky texts back. Then she heads through the door. She wasn't expecting Corben to ask Tom about his wardrobe malfunctions. She lets the man explain that himself. "I was worried because of the text, made me think something was wrong." she chuckles. "But knowing it came from Kib'kir is a relief." she states. "I am sorry to intrude after things." she offers.

"Not really sure what else we could have done with that situation." she frowns.

Clara Jennings has posed:
    "Should I wait then?" asks Clara. She is standing there, looking at the empty spot on the counter. Corben said soon, so surely she should just wait, correct? When there is, alas, no sign of a toaster manifesting from thin air or leaping onto the counter, she gives up. Lettuce, ham, cheese, chipotle mayo, bagel is ready.

    She will join the group carrying a plate with her food on it and a can of coke. "Did you want something, Corb... oh." She looks to see there are others! Clara, the paper master extraordinaire, is wearing a set of pink pajamas (short sleeve top and shorts with little axolotls along the hem) while walking around in big fuzzy slippers colored like red pandas with the faces and everything. She's never had her own paycheck to spend how she wanted before!

    "Ummm, hi everyone." She ponders manners and etiquette and for once? She just does not care. She is hungry and a bit sore. "Oh, ummm, hm. You look different with clothes on," she says to Tom. She sets down her meal and waves at Atrice. "Anyone care for a bagel?"

Lucifer has posed:
Kib'kir chimes immediately: "Yes. Bagel. I will have bagel," says the small demon, sitting up taller on Corben's shoulder, with an oddly toaster-like sound of jangling metal.

Tom McCarthy has posed:
The questions do earn a wry smile from Tom, the man clearly not upset by it. "Comes with the territory, I am afraid. My partner has no interest in preserving my clothing - only my life." The man mentions, giving a wave to the pair with his good arm. "Something about my body being important, my wardrobe is not." A slight shrug, only with his right side though. No need to aggravate his shoulder.

"I'm Tom. Tom McCarthy." He offers over. "I don't think we've been properly introduced, after all."

Corben Kelly has posed:
Corben reaches up to skritch Kib's... head? He's never really sure about slug anatomy. "Hims such a smart lil' buddy. But you forgot to bring the Big Mac he ordered, Atrice, shame on you!"

Bagel? "When did I get bagels?" Were they hiding behind that fuzzy green thing that might have been a cantaloupe? He shrugs, "Sure, as long as they aren't those everything kind."

Corben extends his own hand, clad in leather finger-less gloves, as always. "Good on you, Tom! Clothes are overrated anyway." What? No they are not! It just felt appropriate to be uplifting in that moment. The tips of his fingers are all stained an odd yellowish green. Sure you wanna touch that Tom? "Corben, Corben Kelly and this is Clara Jennings." He nods in Clara's direction. "...she just had a child's wardrobe throw up on her, so never mind that."

He circles back to Atrice and says, "Well, at least I didn't blow myself up?" But there is an odd red ring around his face, more just at his hairline. "So! Since we're all here! How 'bout them slugs? Anyone know what siphon magic was happening last night? Kib says it's good stuff and that we should let him eat it next time. Might be a good idea?" Maybe then he won't be buying a toaster every other day.

Clara Jennings has posed:
    Clara turns to Kibs, "Of course, a bagel. Your voice is sounding very nice." She has no idea about the toaster's current residence. Her eyes turn to regard Corben then, "I had groceries delivered. The existing stores, ummm... appeared to be in a most delicate experimental state." She feared they would soon gain sentience and take over the world.

    Being a good Kibs mum, she offers him her plate to eat while she goes and makes herself and Corben bagels of their own. "Now take small bites," she suggests, "I do not want you to choke, Kibs."

    She is.. yes, she is serious. No doubt once she turns away that plate, bagel, and can of coke are all going in a single move. She pauses as she thinks of Corben's comment. "Sorry, wardrobe? Oh, umm, yes. Right. It is very comfortable."

    And off she goes to the kitchen. "Corben, the toaster is still not back!" Just thought you should know.

Atrice Duckstein has posed:
"Please just call me Ducky, it's nice to meet you, Clara. Again, I apologize for interrupting." Ducky states to that. "Tom's bracelet is a bit of a zealot and exhibitionist I guess." she muses to that. "Sadly superheroes can go through a lot of clothing if they don't have special suits." she chuckles.

"I don't know what all the siphoning was about, but I know that whatever Larry gave me to mark down scared her, she doesn't want to go back to Hell...I mean, a lot of folks don't want to go, but I'm not sure why everyone is pushing to get out and stay out." she frowns.

"Maybe I can text him and let him know it went about as well as expected..." she ponders.

Tom McCarthy has posed:
Green tinge or not, Tom does shake Corben's hand. He's seen worse, of course! "Clothes are... yeah." A laugh from the man. "Maybe one day I'll find an outfit that can just be baggy enough to avoid being shredded, without looking like I am swimming in the clothing." A smirk. For now, he's ignoring Kib. Yep. No need to aggravate the still recovering Digi.

"She's not an exhibitionist, not that I can tell." He nudges Ducky. "Zealot, yes." That, he cannot argue. At the mention of the siphon, he nods. "It was odd - the shell around the place seemed to be more of a barrier, or a cloak for what was happening inside. Maybe at the house, too. But when she hit me, it was like she was actively draining the powers of Digitabulum."

Corben Kelly has posed:
"Uh, maybe because it's /Hell/?" Corben points out helpfully. But then he puts on his serious business pants. "You man plain old Larry that was about as plain as shoes on Clara's feet?" He considers for a moment. "He did tell Kib he could stay, but maybe we try to figure this out without him first?" Still does not trust that guy. "That bitchy demon chick he was with, all talking about closing shit on /this/ side? What if there's a power struggle or something going on down there? Is that a thing? Could there be a coup in Hell? Or maybe these sudden topsiders just want to spread their wings?"

He reaches up to skritch Kib again and asks, "Were mommy and daddy fighting down there?"

A beat and he adds, "I think we need to find a way to summon and /trap/ one of those midlings types, get some answers. If someone can get me a proper summoning and binding circle, I can get that baby on the ground to the tee - perfection." He makes a little kissie sound and does that thing a chef does with his fingers.

"All seriousness though, we need more inside information than Kib can give us and I trust a tortured demon more than I actually trust Larry right now. What's in this for him? Did anyone ask? Why was his little demon guard dog talking about closing the /wrong/ portals? Where are the /right/ ones? Is there a right portal to Hell?"

Why is the sky blue? Why do birds fly? He needs answers!

Clara Jennings has posed:
    Clara is working away in the kitchen, never mind her. She has to make bagel sandwiches. She just makes one for everyone. But she only puts the chipotle mayo on hers and will bring it out for others to make their own decisions! See, she made a meal for everyone!

    Only then it occurs to her this isn't really a proper meal. It's not lunchtime, after all. There's the sound of cutting. What's that? Oh she's making a salad now. Chop chop chop chop chop. She gets the impression that this may be the first time the kitchen was used to ready a meal. If not exactly the world's finest, but it is made with love. And paper knives and on a paper cutting board.

    "Still no toaster," she mutters to herself as she works. "Drat."

    She'll be out eventually... just not yet!

Atrice Duckstein has posed:
"Hell was created for a lot of different reasons across a lot of religions. The thing is, none of us know why for sure. We get it in a book that was supposedly written because they know something about what happened between Angels, Demons and Dieties. Fucking weirdos." Ducky points out with a sigh. "Either way, he helped us when he didn't have to. He told me to contact him if they showed up again. He could have left me sitting in Hell and he didn't." she states.

"I need to do some research and see if there are any other demons connected to what's her face in prominence." she states.

Lucifer has posed:
Kib'kir is happy going to consume all that he's given, but doesn't need the plate. It isn't shiny enough to really be of something Kib considers of value.

If he has much to contribute, he isn't bothering to really do so at the moment, just to add, "Who are we talking about?"

Corben Kelly has posed:
"Kib, I'll make a deal with you, spit out the toaster and you can have that big shiny cup thing on my dresser, you know the one? Where I keep your quarters? You can have the cup /and/ the quarters, just gimme the toaster." The man's /bargaining/ with a demon slug-bat for a small kitchen appliance.

Just a day that ends in y around these parts.

He points at Tom. "So! Kib says to feed him the siphon magic? So does that mean he can maybe dispel the siphon magic by eating it? Sounds like. Question is, how does this fact help us?" It's a quandary, a complete mystery. It must be solved!

.... just as soin as, "One moment." Corben holds up a 'jussaminute' finger and turns to the counter where all his mixes of this and stirrings of that take place. He pulls a little beaker off a Bunsen burner and shoves it toward Tom. "Does this smell bad to you? I feel like it's a little off?" It's his latest 'banish thee back to Hell demon' potion. He has it up to about demon banishing +5, but he'd like to get it up few more levels. It smells pretty rotten. Immediately after Tom sniffs, he pulls it back, sniffs himself and snaps the fingers of his other hand. "I know what it's missing! Fuck, that's expensive." He lowers his shades a bit to look over them and asks, "Either of you have access to a bit of matter from limbo? No? Blood of a demon Lord? Bladder from a virgin cow?" - That last one had to be a joke, right?

Corben wrinkles his nose and sets the beaker down. "Sure, why not, ask him if he has any matter from Limbo while you're at it?"

Maybe it's better to keep the enemies closer?

"Larry any insight from you lil' man? Who's a good lil' slug?" Once again, Kib gets a scritch and a whispered, "C'mon man, give up the toaster, please?"

Back to Atrice. "Call Larry and tell him I'll be disappointed if he doesn't show up in a Leisure Suit."

Corben Kelly has posed:
...and then Corben comes back to reality. Everyone he was talking to is gone. How much of what he was saying did they actually get? The world may never know. "Where'd they go, Kib? Clara! It's just us now!"

Clara Jennings has posed:
    And out comes Clara. With sandwiches for four. And coke. Her grocery buying prowess is on full display! "Oh, did they now?" She will set the food down by Corben. "Well, we have sandwiches." And a quick trip back and forth. "And salad."

    She feels a bit crestfallen, though. They left? "Did they go where the toaster went?" she asks softly.

Lucifer has posed:
"Wasn't listening," Kib'kir says, simply. It was too much for the slug, and it had no real opinions about it. Oh!

"Oh, going for research. We can research too. Smart," suggests Kib'kir. But then, a thoughtful, "Why asking about Larry?" Kib'kir has stopped eating, and seems to be thinking over things in a deeper way, hesitant. Perhaps Kib'kir knows something. In the past, the slug has been capable of understanding lies, finesse, and fooling others. So it does have it in it to do so.

Corben Kelly has posed:
"Kib, do you like Corbs?" If you do give back the damned toaster. But that's not where Corben goes with this, not now. "If you like Corbs, don't you want to help? You can tell me about Larry, I promise, it's okay."

But really, the toaster, before Cara strokes out or something.

"Are you afraid of him?

Clara Jennings has posed:
    Clara is quiet. She is eating. It took her a lot of sandwiches to get this far. Five sandwiches to get to eat. And a salad. She looks at Corben, then to the sandwich, then back. She does not say it, but she is wondering if he likes it. Which requires eating it.

    Her fidgeting is fortunately reduced by eating. A hand has something to do! Which means just one hand is doing its thing. Right now she settles it by gripping her pajama top.

    She cracks open a coke and just keeps watching. Slurrrrp. Ahh.... and a smile.

Lucifer has posed:
The toaster is procured. It was just that Kib'kir got distracted by all of the other input, that it forgot about the toaster. There was Limbo, and some other things -- oh right, toaster. Easily distracted slug-brain.

And with a heaving, horrible partial turning inside-out, Kib'kur makes the toaster reappear. It isn't all THAT disgusting, but it does seem to already have some other objects tucked into the slats that they will need to pick out. Like 20 dollars in singles.

Kib'kir wiggles 'maybe' to the question about being afraid. "Maybe," Kib explains. "Unsure. Bosses are very scared, I should be too, right? If boss is scared."

Corben Kelly has posed:
He'll eat the sandwich soon, he truly will. Right now Corben has his hands full with a toddler-esque demon slug. He does say, "Oh, Clara, there's the toaster, would you look at that." As if maybe it was there the whole time and she didn't see that it was barfed up by Kib.

"You said he told you that you could stay. He has the power to make that decision, huh?"

He's keeping a running tab in his mind. Bosses scared of Larry - plain old Larry, yeah right. Bosses are VERY scared of Larry.

"You don't have to be scared, I won't let him hurt you." And he means that. Or at least he'd like to mean that. He feels like he means it, but in the end? Probably not so much.

"Are they running from Larry? Is that why the bosses are coming here?"

See, he can be not so nuts when he's trying to get information out of a demon slug-ba... no wait, that's still pretty nuts in of itself.

Clara Jennings has posed:
    "Oh! Thank you for finding the toaster!" Clara blurts out. See, she is most grateful! She does not touch it just yet. She is eating. But she gives the little creature a bright smile. "You are the best! I had lost it. I imagine my hands are to blame."

    Her eyes focus on Corben, then. She is listening, but unless they bring up a topic she understands (like the dewey decimal system!) she will stay quiet. She starts to open her mouth, but no, no, it was about something else.

Lucifer has posed:
Kib'kir appreciates the attention from Clara, and chooses to answer her first. "Keep good things safe for you," it concurs, as if that were its sole purpose in life. Which ... maybe be relatively accurate, considering what they know about Kib's design and origin as a battery and/or pocket.

"Don't know what bosses are doing. They give the orders, don't explain to us," Kib'kir doesn't seem comfortable with the question line. "Only scared when they disobey. Like me. Only have to be scared if not doing what told. So, told is okay to be here -- no reason to be scared."

Corben Kelly has posed:
Corben hates making the lil thing feel uncomfortable. He's about to abandon that line of questioning, but he needs answers. So, rather than changing the subject, he turns around and pulls a vial off the counter. He opens it up and there's that stench of rotten eggs and garbage again. Then he fishes underneath the counter and comes back up with an actual /gold/ box. It's smallish, smaller than Kibs, but real gold. Jewelry box is what it is and inside? Lots of small little trinkets, but also the real deal.

It's all stuff 'collected' through the years and damn it hurts to offer them as a 'reward'.

"Kib, Corbs never wants you to have to take orders again. You can do you, y'know?" He sets the box and the open bottle down next to his little friend. "Can you tell me where Ank'....." Wait, don't speak it outloud. "Can you tell me where she went last night? And what they were ordering you all to do?" You all? It sets him thinking. Does Kib have friends? Friends like him that need to be liberated? Should he try? Save them all, stage a coup, save the world with an army of demon-bat slugs?

Not a good idea, get back on track here.

"We can stop talking about it if you want."

Clara Jennings has posed:
    Clara is quietly listening still. She is good at listening. If one looks past the fidgeting. And it seems Corben and Kibs are unbothered by her problems. Which actually helps her relax just slightly. She can control herself for the moment.

    It is a bit odd to be the only one eating with so much food there. Maybe she will have two sandwiches... or maybe Kibs would like another? Hm. Will he spit that first sandwich out at some later date? She wonders if it will be decomposed at that point or preserved. This line of thinking is distracting enough to keep her busy for a while.

Lucifer has posed:
Kib'kir makes an assumption about the gold box, and begins to come on over to accept anything offered. "Will store shinies for you," Kib'kir agrees. Which might ... confuse the whole issue, if Kib is only picking up things to helpfully store them FOR CORBEN, then is it really a reward in the first place?

"Orders are good, they mean safe," chimes the sluglet. "So, order from somebody strong like Larry? Good safe. So I like it. It's more like..."

Kib'kir considers how to describe. He does seem to want to help, though. "Can sense Larry a lot now. Is creepy. To just feel. But is safe? But can sense nearby. Distracting. I don't know what means. Can't help more."

Corben Kelly has posed:
Too bad Dr. Spock never wrote a book on raising lil demon sprogs. "It's okay little friend, but you don't have to store that for me. I was giving it to you," he tries to explain.

Well, at least there's an open bottle of eau de garbage sitting next to the little thing. Maybe that'll help him feel a little better.

"Could you find Larry if I needed you to?" Corben's not quite really ready to go there yet, but he's getting close.

"One more thing and I'll let you have the sandwiches that Atrice and Nude Dude left behind. The boss last night, can you still sense her anywhere on this side of Hell?" He's pretty positive they didn't send her back, but it never hurts to be certain.

Lucifer has posed:
"Maybe. Can try, if you want," Kib'kir offers. "The boss last night? Oh. Nope, not at all. She has a tasty magic thing on her, that makes her invisible-like. Like the air around apartment. So, nope nope nope. She's sneaky."

But then Kib'kir suddenly spreads his wings, and begins to FLY OFF, humming a little bit, towards the door of the shop. He can manage doorknobs, and opens it for himself, heading into the dark street.

Corben Kelly has posed:
Corben can be fast when he wants to be, really really fast. He's over the front counter in one vaulting leap and through the door. "Kib! Where are you going? Get back here right this instance!"

Ever seen a parent yell at their child out of nothing but fear and concern? That's exactly what this is. It's not even anger that drives Corben to yell, 'command' if you will - it's fear. ...and it's not even so much fear that his buddy wants to be free as it is something's sure to happen to him out there in the big old world.

Oh wait.

"I don't want you to find Larry /now/!"

Lucifer has posed:
Kib'kir disappeared into the blackness of the street very quickly -- he's not very big, dark colored, and can FLY. So that means if he just goes upwards into a shadow and night, he's difficult to track. But Corben will discover that he didn't go far, he just flew up to land sort of above the doorway, on the edge of the roof there. "You asked if I could. I am finding out," the slug says, disgruntled with the confusing messages.

Clara Jennings has posed:
    Clara does not do well with a lot of added excitement. It makes her nervous. And when she is nervous she can become scared, and when she is scared, she becomes, well...

    Hurt or not, Clara follows Corben outside. Her little slippers are left behind, and she is sheathed in armor as paper (she keeps a stock) flows around her form. Further, Dickens is formed right under her, lifting her off the ground.

    She is not clear on what is happening, but Corben was alarmed, Kibs is flying outside, and well, Clara's got an array of paper 'razors' just waiting to turn someone to a messy pulp.

Corben Kelly has posed:
Corben finds himself letting out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "Sorry, Kib, miscommunication is all. Just next time, tell me before you plan to go out the door, okay?" Because, after all, the lil guy is sort of like a traitor to all those scary masters out there right now. If anything happened to Kib because he's helping Corben?

Not going to go there.

"Can you do it? If so maybe we'll go soon, but not now. Now there's sandwiches waiting, yeah?"

He turns to the ruckus behind him and says, "Oh, hey, uh... it's all good, just yeah, it's all good. Thanks though!"

Mentally he makes a note to never piss her off without a good running headstart.

Lucifer has posed:
"Might take hours," Kib says, but isn't really disheartened about it. Just informational. He glides back down to get to hitch a ride on Dickens! He doesn't try to eat dickens at all, because there's no reason to attempt to store such a thing.

"Maybe. But normally if looking for boss... if it wants to see you, you can find it. If it doesn't... you find something else. It'll be ok." That's that!

Clara Jennings has posed:
    Clara looks around warily. She smiles at Kib, but the gaze she directs outward, at some unseen threat? It is pure murder. The paper is quivering for a moment. "It seems there is nothing that must be destroyed here," she says at last. That is an agreement with Corben, see?

    "We will finish the food." A pause. She realizes she is barefoot. "Umm, and I am cold." Dickens will take them back inside. A tentacle of paper whips out to open the door. Back inside, back into her slippers, and back into something approaching calm.