Elfen High 2: Gotterdammerung

[Swith Witherward]

Drinks? Exactly what the doctor ordered. And Fae? Nothing would surprise her at this point.

Actually, her biggest surprise had been Emi's drink. The coppery smell and thicker viscosity weren't lost on a Polynesian; pigs didn't kill themselves, and their blood was used in a few recipes.

Her eyes flickered to her companion as they moved to disembark, and a small smile drifted to her lips. Emi was nice, and if she was a vampire of sorts, well so what? Who fucking cared? Emi wasn't any different than when she'd met her in the library, and she was still the same girl who tried to ease the Polynesian's tensions, and then forgave her outburst and fashioned a rose. Fen just didn't want to be a snack. Being in that situation would suck. Literally.

"Good to be getting off that train," she smiled at Emi, glad that her friend wouldn't have that stress on her shoulders anymore.

And then she asked the question Henry was perhaps expecting (or dreading): "Henry, when you say 'Fae', do you mean the ones in stories such as Oberon and the Seelie and Unseelie courts, or do you mean the weensy things that prank people?"

[Constaniana]

"Kill everyone, of course." Henry pointed out as though it were perfectly obvious and clear. "Or worse. So it's an issue we should examine more..." The train stopped.

"Ah, we're here." he said with a smile, leaving out of the train door, which slided open automatically. Instantly the weather felt drier and warmer. "Welcome to Heavensgate." he waved dramatically, as they saw...an ordinary train station.

There were stairs next to them leading down. "Let's take those first. There's a pub down there." Henry explained. "A few drinks would be good."

"Aye, especially if we're going to end up with another bloody repeat of Moscow," William grumbled, stepping off the train. "We'll be swarmed by glowing golden jackasses before you know it."

The knight glanced at Fen, remembering a time when he had been as innocent as she was about the darker sides of the supernatural world. "Imagine the Unseelie court except much, much worse, with none of the occasional benevolence they show, throw in a big helping of omnicidal tendencies, and broil it in general chaos for however long the buggers have been mucking about, and you have the Fae. They seem to have a fondness of arsewipes, which is why Pierre and King Arthur worked for them."

[Individuality-ness]

"What would He have to forgive me for?" she wanted to challenge back.

No. She wanted to scream it in his face, full panic setting in the closer they get to Heavensgate. Why would He forgive her? The angels didn't, they hated her and she knew it from their faces whenever she walked down the street. She could see it whenever they took a look at her and dismissed her as the embodiment of sin, utterly beneath them and unworthy of even a look of kindness. She could see it before she spoke, she could see it from the priest up in the podium at church to the teachers back at school.

What would He forgive her for, if the angels, which were His direct creation and not born of original sin, refused to?

But of course, the more pressing matter. The Fae. The name sent chills down her back, although she didn't know why.

"What could happen if the Fae were involved? What could they do?"

"Kill everyone, of course." Henry pointed out as though it were perfectly obvious and clear. "Or worse. So it's an issue we should examine more..." The train stopped.

"Ah, we're here." he said with a smile, leaving out of the train door, which slided open automatically. Instantly the weather felt drier and warmer. "Welcome to Heavensgate." he waved dramatically, as they saw...an ordinary train station.

There were stairs next to them leading down. "Let's take those first. There's a pub down there." Henry explained. "A few drinks would be good."

"What section?" In Heavensgate, there were different sections for humans, demons, and angels. Technically, de jure segregation was illegal, but there was still de facto segregation in Heavensgate and people preferred to live among their own kind.

Divia could not recall seeing any pubs in the angel section of Heavensgate, but then again, maybe they were disguised as something else. But God wouldn't like deception, she thought.

[Swith Witherward]

"Aye, especially if we're going to end up with another bloody repeat of Moscow," William grumbled, stepping off the train. "We'll be swarmed by glowing golden jackasses before you know it."

The knight glanced at Fen, remembering a time when he had been as innocent as she was about the darker sides of the supernatural world. "Imagine the Unseelie court except much, much worse, with none of the occasional benevolence they show, throw in a big helping of omnicidal tendencies, and broil it in general chaos for however long the buggers have been mucking about, and you have the Fae. They seem to have a fondness of arsewipes, which is why Pierre and King Arthur worked for them."

Fen looked at William, aghast. "Omnicidal maniacs bent on stealing away demons from Hell? They sound horrid as a whole. At least is explains why Henry wanted Crowley in on this, I suppose."

She bit her bottom lip and wondered what she'd gotten herself into. "Have you gone up against them before?"

[Nightkill the Emperor]

"Kill everyone, of course." Henry pointed out as though it were perfectly obvious and clear. "Or worse. So it's an issue we should examine more..." The train stopped.

"Ah, we're here." he said with a smile, leaving out of the train door, which slided open automatically. Instantly the weather felt drier and warmer. "Welcome to Heavensgate." he waved dramatically, as they saw...an ordinary train station.

There were stairs next to them leading down. "Let's take those first. There's a pub down there." Henry explained. "A few drinks would be good."

"What section?" In Heavensgate, there were different sections for humans, demons, and angels. Technically, de jure segregation was illegal, but there was still de facto segregation in Heavensgate and people preferred to live among their own kind.

Divia could not recall seeing any pubs in the angel section of Heavensgate, but then again, maybe they were disguised as something else. But God wouldn't like deception, she thought.

"Human." Henry explained, trotting down into the pub, where Zoryana and Daniel would also happen to be (at the other end though). Henry reserved a table for them, sitting down. "I'll get some drinks for us all. You lot have fun talking." he nodded, getting back up and walking up to the bartender.

[Nightkill the Emperor]

Crowley was going to respond to D, but then happily took the interruption to talk to Jade instead, while he organised his thoughts to figure out this bigger and vaguer problem later. "I'm likely the most qualified person in the human race to do brain surgery on the angels." Crowley explained to Jade. "I've done this sort of stuff before - in my youth, I was rather a scientist of magic and helped break new ground in it. And, quite frankly, I wouldn't trust anyone else to be more capable than me here. It might be egotistical of me to say that, but it also happens to be entirely true." he said. "Now, Jade, and you-" he snapped at his fingers at Lana, trying to recall her name. "Lora. Lana, sorry. I'll have to ask another favour of you two, to help explore that problem D was mentioning. I apologise, but it could be very helpful if you aided us."

Jade tilted her head back and forth, considering. "Makes sense; plus, your magic probably doesn't hurt." She sighed, shaking her head and looking down at the ground. "Yeah, I'll help - I'm on payroll, kinda obligated to - and I'm sure Lana will as well." She looked back at the fae, and nodded. "Of course she'll help, it's a school project, and she gets to work with some of the more powerful names in the game. So, what exactly are we doing?"

"There's a trip I need you to make, to a separate dimension, a somewhat dangerous one." he admitted. "There's plenty of places in the Omniverse, but this is a place you ought to especially go. It was once a Fae-ruled universe, so things will be...wonky. Strange. Bizarre. But the Fae are all gone from it now. Just explore for a while, search for anything interesting. The Fae liked to steal cities - see what you can find. You'll have a radio and so on if you need to call for help, and we'll be right there in a flash, but there shouldn't be anything to fear. Shouldn't."

[Individuality-ness]

"What section?" In Heavensgate, there were different sections for humans, demons, and angels. Technically, de jure segregation was illegal, but there was still de facto segregation in Heavensgate and people preferred to live among their own kind.

Divia could not recall seeing any pubs in the angel section of Heavensgate, but then again, maybe they were disguised as something else. But God wouldn't like deception, she thought.

"Human." Henry explained, trotting down into the pub, where Zoryana and Daniel would also happen to be (at the other end though). Henry reserved a table for them, sitting down. "I'll get some drinks for us all. You lot have fun talking." he nodded, getting back up and walking up to the bartender.

The human section. Better than the angel sextion at least. Maybe she'll go unnoticed here.

She sat down at the table, and stared at the table grains waiting for Henry to get back with the drinks.

[Constaniana]

Fen looked at William, aghast. "Omnicidal maniacs bent on stealing away demons from Hell? They sound horrid as a whole. At least is explains why Henry wanted Crowley in on this, I suppose."

She bit her bottom lip and wondered what she'd gotten herself into. "Have you gone up against them before?"

"Well, not actual Fae, as far as I remember, but I did help Thor, Lord Alastor and Richard the old janitor fight King Arthur. Nasty, dishonourable little git, but he certainly had a nice sword," Sir Nilark responded, glancing at the magical superweapon he had hanging at his side.

[Swith Witherward]

"Well, not actual Fae, as far as I remember, but I did help Thor, Lord Alastor and Richard the old janitor fight King Arthur. Nasty, dishonourable little git, but he certainly had a nice sword," Sir Nilark responded, glancing at the magical superweapon he had hanging at his side.

Fen cast furtive glaces at the sword at the knight's side as they moved with the rest of the group.

"So, is that really Excalibur, then? The sword of King Arthur?"

An unsettling concern wiggled its way into her mind again. Demons, Fae, Loki, King Arthur? These were legends which turned out to be very real. What of other beings from other legends? Mafui'e, or even Mahiuki? She wasn't keen on seeing the ruler of the Underworld popping up to say hello. A convention of Polynesian gods could only result in ass-hurting for a lot of virgins.

Then again, Fen had spent her entire childhood at a school run by missionaries. Felt sheep and bible stories were drilled into them, and the brainwashing had been intense - Polynesian gods weren't real! Fen would have given anything to see Pitua leap out of the vegetation and stomp a few pious former teachers.

[Individuality-ness]

"Well, not actual Fae, as far as I remember, but I did help Thor, Lord Alastor and Richard the old janitor fight King Arthur. Nasty, dishonourable little git, but he certainly had a nice sword," Sir Nilark responded, glancing at the magical superweapon he had hanging at his side.

Fen cast furtive glaces at the sword at the knight's side as they moved with the rest of the group.

"So, is that really Excalibur, then? The sword of King Arthur?"

An unsettling concern wiggled its way into her mind again. Demons, Fae, Loki, King Arthur? These were legends which turned out to be very real. What of other beings from other legends? Mafui'e, or even Mahiuki? She wasn't keen on seeing the ruler of the Underworld popping up to say hello. A convention of Polynesian gods could only result in ass-hurting for a lot of virgins.

Then again, Fen had spent her entire childhood at a school run by missionaries. Felt sheep and bible stories were drilled into them, and the brainwashing had been intense - Polynesian gods weren't real! Fen would have given anything to see Pitua leap out of the vegetation and stomp a few pious former teachers.

"The sword of King Arthur?" Divia blinked. Even she had a hard time remembering that all of the legends they told around the campfire or in the temples of yonder times happened to be real; the idea of Greek and Nordic gods made her head reel, and to hear that yet another mythos happened to be true just made it worse.

Every single moment, her world was getting bigger and bigger. She still didn't like it though. Part of her wanted to return back to her room in Heavensgate. Even if the angels hated her guts, it was stable, unchanging. Familiar.

This new thing? Unfamiliar, foreign, she didn't like it at all.

[Agritum]

"What section?" In Heavensgate, there were different sections for humans, demons, and angels. Technically, de jure segregation was illegal, but there was still de facto segregation in Heavensgate and people preferred to live among their own kind.

Divia could not recall seeing any pubs in the angel section of Heavensgate, but then again, maybe they were disguised as something else. But God wouldn't like deception, she thought.

"Human." Henry explained, trotting down into the pub, where Zoryana and Daniel would also happen to be (at the other end though). Henry reserved a table for them, sitting down. "I'll get some drinks for us all. You lot have fun talking." he nodded, getting back up and walking up to the bartender.

"Ah, perfect. I really didn't want to share a table amongst a mass of smelly and violent under-creatures. Plus, I heard that the humans actually care for their part of the town. This establishment surely shows how inventive we can be, even in the harshest of situations, and how we can manage to find profit and business in everything. Capitalism is merciless, efficient and roots out the weak: truly something that only humanity could have thought of." Hilde said proudly.

[Esternial]

Drinks? Exactly what the doctor ordered. And Fae? Nothing would surprise her at this point.

Actually, her biggest surprise had been Emi's drink. The coppery smell and thicker viscosity weren't lost on a Polynesian; pigs didn't kill themselves, and their blood was used in a few recipes.

Her eyes flickered to her companion as they moved to disembark, and a small smile drifted to her lips. Emi was nice, and if she was a vampire of sorts, well so what? Who fucking cared? Emi wasn't any different than when she'd met her in the library, and she was still the same girl who tried to ease the Polynesian's tensions, and then forgave her outburst and fashioned a rose. Fen just didn't want to be a snack. Being in that situation would suck. Literally.

"Good to be getting off that train," she smiled at Emi, glad that her friend wouldn't have that stress on her shoulders anymore.

And then she asked the question Henry was perhaps expecting (or dreading): "Henry, when you say 'Fae', do you mean the ones in stories such as Oberon and the Seelie and Unseelie courts, or do you mean the weensy things that prank people?"

Emi nodded with a hint of relief. "Yes, it is. My last ride was considerably less enjoyable."

The smile that graced Fen's face did not go unnoticed, and Emi returned the gesture. Despite her flaws, small but plenty, Fen was a truly kind woman at heart. To come into contact with such a caring soul was something that rarely occurred to Emi, as she seemed to naturally draw scum and misfits to her like moths to an open flame, but ever since she managed to keep her supernatural charm within her own control, that issue had been swept off the table, leaving room for a whole range of opportunities, opportunities she didn't intend to squander.

[Constaniana]

"Aye, it certainly is, the one and only," William responded with a grin, slowly pulling it out of the sheath to show to the students, taking care to avoid causing the other people in the bar to panic. Openly waving dangerous magical artefacts in a bar seemed like something Lewis would have done, so naturally William was aghast to the idea. He was certainly enjoying telling his old stories to Fen much more than listening to Hilde prattle on about the superiority of humans. Yes, the Homunculus had a great rack, but the political venom injected into every sentence was starting to get on the knight's nerves.

[The Inritus Extraho]

Jade tilted her head back and forth, considering. "Makes sense; plus, your magic probably doesn't hurt." She sighed, shaking her head and looking down at the ground. "Yeah, I'll help - I'm on payroll, kinda obligated to - and I'm sure Lana will as well." She looked back at the fae, and nodded. "Of course she'll help, it's a school project, and she gets to work with some of the more powerful names in the game. So, what exactly are we doing?"

"There's a trip I need you to make, to a separate dimension, a somewhat dangerous one." he admitted. "There's plenty of places in the Omniverse, but this is a place you ought to especially go. It was once a Fae-ruled universe, so things will be...wonky. Strange. Bizarre. But the Fae are all gone from it now. Just explore for a while, search for anything interesting. The Fae liked to steal cities - see what you can find. You'll have a radio and so on if you need to call for help, and we'll be right there in a flash, but there shouldn't be anything to fear. Shouldn't."

"I could do it, my shields can probably still keep me safe." Jade said, with a smile. "But if Lana will come along, I'm sure it'll be extremely helpful, won't it, Lana?" She turned to face the Faerie, and smiled. "So, ready to go hunting in your ancestral grounds? Hunting for..." she paused dramatically, and then frowned. "Uh. Interesting stuff, I guess." Jade frowned, and then began layering more shields around herself, the fields beginning to show as a shimmer around her skin, bending the light slightly, just barely enough to surround her in an iridescent shimmer.

[Vesperis]

"There's a trip I need you to make, to a separate dimension, a somewhat dangerous one." he admitted. "There's plenty of places in the Omniverse, but this is a place you ought to especially go. It was once a Fae-ruled universe, so things will be...wonky. Strange. Bizarre. But the Fae are all gone from it now. Just explore for a while, search for anything interesting. The Fae liked to steal cities - see what you can find. You'll have a radio and so on if you need to call for help, and we'll be right there in a flash, but there shouldn't be anything to fear. Shouldn't."

"I could do it, my shields can probably still keep me safe." Jade said, with a smile. "But if Lana will come along, I'm sure it'll be extremely helpful, won't it, Lana?" She turned to face the Faerie, and smiled. "So, ready to go hunting in your ancestral grounds? Hunting for..." she paused dramatically, and then frowned. "Uh. Interesting stuff, I guess." Jade frowned, and then began layering more shields around herself, the fields beginning to show as a shimmer around her skin, bending the light slightly, just barely enough to surround her in an iridescent shimmer.

Lana tilted her head dramatically to the side as it was explained what their little group would be up to. Afraid of using more colorful language due to the fact that she was surrounded by both her teacher and those who she didn't know yet, she opted out for something less vulgar than her usual approach. "By my own fucking ass, I don't think I have much of a choice, do I?" She set her hands on her hips. "I haven't seen one of my kind other than my parents in a few decades, I'm not sure how much I can help."

[Nightkill the Emperor]

Crowley raised his eyes at Lana. "A few decades? How exactly old are you?" he asked.

[Vesperis]

Crowley raised his eyes at Lana. "A few decades? How exactly old are you?" he asked.

Lana looked over at Crowley and lifted her chin a little. Maybe this was her mother's haughtiness getting to her, but she certainly wasn't going to let it down. "Turned three hundred and fourteen last summer, sir." She said plainly.

[Nightkill the Emperor]

Crowley raised his eyes at Lana. "A few decades? How exactly old are you?" he asked.

Lana looked over at Crowley and lifted her chin a little. Maybe this was her mother's haughtiness getting to her, but she certainly wasn't going to let it down. "Turned three hundred and fourteen last summer, sir." She said plainly.

Crowley rolled his eyes. "Fascinating. Likely you spent most of it outside Earth though, ageing slowly as all hell. Anyway, I'm a few millennium old myself, lost counts, numbers get tiring and dull after a bit. Now, your adventure will be just like The Shawshank Redemption, only with more tunneling through shit and no fucking redemption. So nothing like that. I'll take you off to a separate world now..."

Crowley opened a portal in the air. On the other side of this circular green swirling thing was what appeared to be a perfectly ordinary forest. Crowley tossed them both two cell phones. "Very effective, these work across universes even." he explained. "So we'll keep in touch if you need help, either of you. But, for now-" he made a gesture inside the portal. "Come the fuck in or fuck the fuck off."

[Swith Witherward]

Fen resisted the urge to ask William if she could touch his sword. She imagined it would be a taboo request, especially as he didn’t know her very well. Plus, this was the Excalibur.

The very thought of it sent a shiver down her spine. It was a superb weapon. She appraised it from a martial arts stand point, however, overlooking the decorative embellishments in favor of the construction itself. It was probably more finely balanced than the long knives her people proudly carried on their persons (Fen hadn’t one.) It undoubtedly weighed more than she could handle, and that was another reason for refraining from touching. She didn’t want to swing the thing and take off Emi’s head by mistake.

She also assessed the knight holding the weapon. It seemed a good match for him, physically. He appeared to have the strength needed to power it through a swing or to parley a blow from an opponent. Western fighting styles weren’t her specialty however, and she preferred the quick snake-tongue flicks of smaller blades. It was a beautiful fighting style in its own right but much different that William’s familiar form of combat.

She bowed her head in respect for the weapon and its master. “Thank you for showing me. Maybe you could someday tell me the story of how it was won? My people prize such tales, especially cleverly crafted ones.”

Fen grinned at Emi, hoping that perhaps she, too, might enjoy the tale. Then again, Emi was probably involved in it. The Polynesian had much to learn, and she kept forgetting that people such as Emi, William and Divia had probably run together for countless adventures long before she ever bounced into their lives.

"I'm Fenei Taitano, by the way," she said to William. "Please call me Fen."

[Esternial]

Fen resisted the urge to ask William if she could touch his sword. She imagined it would be a taboo request, especially as he didn’t know her very well. Plus, this was the Excalibur.

The very thought of it sent a shiver down her spine. It was a superb weapon. She appraised it from a martial arts stand point, however, overlooking the decorative embellishments in favor of the construction itself. It was probably more finely balanced than the long knives her people proudly carried on their persons (Fen hadn’t one.) It undoubtedly weighed more than she could handle, and that was another reason for refraining from touching. She didn’t want to swing the thing and take off Emi’s head by mistake.

She also assessed the knight holding the weapon. It seemed a good match for him, physically. He appeared to have the strength needed to power it through a swing or to parley a blow from an opponent. Western fighting styles weren’t her specialty however, and she preferred the quick snake-tongue flicks of smaller blades. It was a beautiful fighting style in its own right but much different that William’s familiar form of combat.

She bowed her head in respect for the weapon and its master. “Thank you for showing me. Maybe you could someday tell me the story of how it was won? My people prize such tales, especially cleverly crafted ones.”

Fen grinned at Emi, hoping that perhaps she, too, might enjoy the tale. Then again, Emi was probably involved in it. The Polynesian had much to learn, and she kept forgetting that people such as Emi, William and Divia had probably run together for countless adventures long before she ever bounced into their lives.

"I'm Fenei Taitano, by the way," she said to William. "Please call me Fen."

The sword didn't escape Emi's attention either. While she, too, was in the possession of a holy sword, the katana she wielded had not been given a name. Only the strongest blades would be given names that were acknowledged by others, etched into history itself. Her own weapon, though powerful it was compared to an ordinary blade, could not match the one true Excalibur.

Still, she preferred a katana. It was more fitting for her skills. Plus she was a ninja, it was probably written in the rules somewhere that Western weaponry was forbidden.

Lacking the same interest in the story that Fen had, Emi couldn't quite interpret the girl's grin, but she answered with a smile all the same.

"How about that drink?" Emi asked, addressing nobody in particular.

[Constaniana]

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Ms. Fen. Sir William Edward Galahad Nilark, but that's a bloody mouthful, so you can just stick with William," the Yormshireman replied, returning Excalibur to its sheath. "But yeah, I suppose I'd be up for a drink now too. Although hopefully since this is a human pub they'd have good proper stuff instead of the brackish poisonous "beer" I got the last time I tried drinking demon alcohol."

[Swith Witherward]

"It's a pleasure to meet you, William."

Fen nodded to both Emi and William's suggestion and made a mental note to avoid the demon beer. She sat between the two and ordered whatever premium bitter was available.

"Emi, you mentioned that your last train ride was considerably less enjoyable?" While she didn't want to drag up old memories or make her friend uncomfortable, she was still rather curious as to what could have turned the laid back... vampire? Was that a rude term?... what caused Emi so much distress.

[The Inritus Extraho]

Lana looked over at Crowley and lifted her chin a little. Maybe this was her mother's haughtiness getting to her, but she certainly wasn't going to let it down. "Turned three hundred and fourteen last summer, sir." She said plainly.

Crowley rolled his eyes. "Fascinating. Likely you spent most of it outside Earth though, ageing slowly as all hell. Anyway, I'm a few millennium old myself, lost counts, numbers get tiring and dull after a bit. Now, your adventure will be just like The Shawshank Redemption, only with more tunneling through shit and no fucking redemption. So nothing like that. I'll take you off to a separate world now..."

Crowley opened a portal in the air. On the other side of this circular green swirling thing was what appeared to be a perfectly ordinary forest. Crowley tossed them both two cell phones. "Very effective, these work across universes even." he explained. "So we'll keep in touch if you need help, either of you. But, for now-" he made a gesture inside the portal. "Come the fuck in or fuck the fuck off."

Jade looked down, confirmed she had her weapon, then stepped in through the portal, extending a hand back to Lana. "Come along then! Exploration is always interesting!" She smiled at the student, beckoning again. She looked around, watching carefully in the forest, but didn't see even a single flicker of movement. Safe for now, then...

[Vesperis]

Crowley rolled his eyes. "Fascinating. Likely you spent most of it outside Earth though, ageing slowly as all hell. Anyway, I'm a few millennium old myself, lost counts, numbers get tiring and dull after a bit. Now, your adventure will be just like The Shawshank Redemption, only with more tunneling through shit and no fucking redemption. So nothing like that. I'll take you off to a separate world now..."

Crowley opened a portal in the air. On the other side of this circular green swirling thing was what appeared to be a perfectly ordinary forest. Crowley tossed them both two cell phones. "Very effective, these work across universes even." he explained. "So we'll keep in touch if you need help, either of you. But, for now-" he made a gesture inside the portal. "Come the fuck in or fuck the fuck off."

Jade looked down, confirmed she had her weapon, then stepped in through the portal, extending a hand back to Lana. "Come along then! Exploration is always interesting!" She smiled at the student, beckoning again. She looked around, watching carefully in the forest, but didn't see even a single flicker of movement. Safe for now, then...

Lana's expression as she looked back over at Crowley. And for the first time in her life, all she ever wanted to do was go back to the school and study. God damnit. School had finally gotten to her. She hoped through the portal as well, leaving a much less dizzying effect than her previous jump through space, time, or both. She looked around, and saw nothing other than shady forest.

"Why do I get the distinct feeling you should have red hair and a lizard perched up on your shoulder?" She asked in a flat voice.

[Nightkill the Emperor]

There was a lot of magic in the world Jade and Lana had just entered. That made weird shit happen.

Like Jade suddenly growing frizzy red hair and a surprised green lizard on her shoulder.

"The fuck?" Asked the lizard.