Ticket to Wonderland

"Alrighty then!" Winona clapped her hands together. "To your place it is! Then after you've given the grand tour of the place we can then plan our little adventure, it's not an expedition as such, I can't move too far from Negav without my bosses thinking that I've gone 'AWOL'. But they do allow me to Prowl around the city and the neighbouring settlements such as 'Motamo Docks' and 'Nekomura', mostly to gather intel and make sure our neighbours are behaving the way we want them to. Who knows, we might find stumble upon something interesting! I can go into more detail once at your place, this place is abit too public to go into specifics."

Winona put out her catnip joint using a nearby ashtray.

"As for Mercs? Well we probably don't want to attract too much attention to ourselves by recruiting too many people, I tend to lay off the use of 'soilders for hire' personally...I can never be sure whenever or not they are looking for work, or actually currently employed by someone who has put a bounty on my head, you make alot of enemies in my line of work."

The doctor had then menctioned something along the lines of "Having something nearly resembling a Heart" And "There is a big and awfully hurting Dent in it." Winona was taken aback.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." She said, deflecting the question. "Just trying to get by in this dangerous world and looking for any new advantage that improves my odds. That's why your gadget caught my eye."

Taihaku lifted her hood back to where it naturally sat over her bangs once her embarrassment had passed. It was one thing for people to look at her when she enters a room or because she stands out, that is just how people are, but when every face turns towards her in reaction to something offensive or ill-thought-out she did or said, it was far too much unwanted attention for her nerves to take.

She studied the room again, seeing that most of the people there had forgotten about her, or were at least no longer looking in her direction. That was a bit of a relief. But now what was she to do? Some person in the tavern was in all possibility offering some kind of work, and she needed to find out who! But how? She couldn't simply stand up again and ask the room who had mentioned the word "mercenary" after that unintended stunt she just pulled! They'd never accept her! Or maybe they would? No, it would take nerves of steel to do something like that, and those were nerves she didn't have in a social setting!

A look of anguish briefly came to her visage. She reached for her mug and quickly brought it to her face, obscuring it from view as she sipped from it, trying to calm herself down. She could only hope that, somehow, the person looking to hire would reveal him or herself to her. She discreetly pulled her hood back - trying to make it appear that she was simply scratching her head - and brought the white-furred edge just before her ears without revealing them. She'd at least be able to hear better through the fur than through the thick cloth the majority of her garb was made of, in case that word or one similar was mentioned again.

The Snow leopard Neko smelt like she was anxious, Winona's nose was sharp enougth to pick up scents given off by fellow Nekos and that Snow leapard has released an anxiety stink-bomb and it's whiffing the place up. Winona got off her seat and walked over.

"Something bothering you?" She asked firmly, sitting down on the chair opporsite at the Snow Leopard's table and stared right at her with her yellow eyes. "Seems like you overheard us talking and it has made you distressed."

Taihaku stared back into the neko's yellow eyes with her own pale blues peeking over the lip of her mug. She was frozen, unable to think of what to say or do. She'd approached so suddenly, and completely read the situation perfectly! This was bad. Letting herself succumb to stress had made her transparent. She had to calm down.

Winona would be able to feel the air around their table cool, as if she'd stepped into a cold storage, as the snow leopard before her closed her eyes and used her magic to help center herself. She imagined herself alone, staring into the arctic sea, the cool air helping solidify the image in her mind. She envisioned herself throwing all her concerns into the sea, and watching them sink into the water. She took a deep breath as she lowered her mug, her hot breath making fog in the cool air. Then she opened her eyes, once more looking back into Winona's, but this time with an icy, confident stare.

"If you are the ones I overheard, then would I be correct in assuming you have a job position available?" Taihaku asked, deciding to be bold and go straight to the point rather than attempt to explain herself.

"Okay - this is very catlike." Doc Strange saw how his new Acquaintance without any Explanation made her Way to this Inuit Guy - who in Fact was... another Neko Woman.
"I think, they can smelll each other." Jessica suggested: "Because I can, too."
"Besides - You smell a bit like roasted and salted Pistachios - and some Hickory." Doc Strange mentioned. Jessica blushed: "R... really? Do You like it?"
"Why not? Every chordal Land Predator has a peculiar Odor of it´s own, due to his pheromonic Glands. Sometimes these Odors are... relatively unpleasant. So Pistachios aren´t that bad at all, don´t You think?"
The Barman looked at the two Nekos and said: "Besides these two Persons are probably dangerous - I think they´re somewhat... cute."
`And this is the Part responsible for many Deaths in Wildlife Parks worldwide at Home.´ Doc Strange thought, while Jessica was Kind of melting away once more - no one had Compliments to offer like her Friend.

Winona kept her gaze on the snow leopard, the young female was stirred and stood up ealier when the topic of Mercenaries stood up, yet paid no mind to when names were being menctioned. Which indicates that that person is most likely sincere in her claim that her interest is in work and that this isn't some ploy to close in on someone in the group.

Also Snow Leopard Nekos are a very warrior like Neko breed, you don't get many of them around Negav, unlikely to be connected to anyone in particular and very unlikely to be the sort to play the kind of cloak and dagger shenanigans Winona indulges in. If this neko was a threat, then she would have brought on by now.

"It's available to the right kind of people." Winona said, leaning back in her chair. "So your a traveler? bonafide free-spirited adventurer type? Might have a place for you."

Winona was aware of the irony of her employment standards were that the person had to be everything Winona wasn't, but then there isn't room for two Mousetraps. They are bound to run into her kind of people while on their travels anyway, she can't look ahead and look watch her back at the same time.

""Free-spirited"...is not the most accurate term to describe me," Taihaku said, her otherwise monotonous voice letting a hint of sullenness through. "But you are otherwise correct. If you have a position available, I would be most honoured to be chosen to fill it."

Taihaku then leaned forward slightly. Her face was still neutral in expression, but her body betrayed her enthusiasm. "Need I demonstrate my talents? Submit a written resumé, perhaps?"

While the Doc and the Barkeeper continued their semi-professional Discussion about Nekos, Dylan sat on a Barstool near Jessica, her Friend and Teacher in BAIB (Brawling at it´s Beat), moved closer and asked her: "Say - You really eat... Micrats?"
Jessica did put her now empty Mug on the Bar - and nodded: "Yes - sometimes they come in the Cellar, where our little Powerplant is. And sometimes they hunt Tinies. So I hunt them - to scare them away for a While."
"Aren´t they a bit... big?"
"Uhhm... the biggest I catched was... near two and a half Kilos." Jessica tried to remember. Dylan wondered with big Eyes: "And You... just eated it?"
Jessica laughed a little: "Yeah - this Struggling is somewhat funny! But You have to digest them quick..."
Dylan prepared a Drink from her Father´s Bottle for herself: "You sure have a big Throat then."
"And a pretty stretchy Stomach!" Jessica nodded, not without some weird Pride. Then she continued: "One Day I had an itchy Feeling in my Tummy - and Doc Strange wondered about it - because I am usually very healthy. So he built an Apparatus out of a long, flexible Rod with a small Lens on one End - and a flat square-shaped Crystal on the other End - he called it an Endoscope."
"What is it for?" Dylan asked curious and Jessica came near her Ear, whispering: "With this You can look around Edges - or deep into someone´s Stomach..."
"Really?" Dylan blushed and Jessica nodded again: "Yes - so I swallowed this Pole and he looked on this flat Crystal - and saw something like a small and rusty Knight´s Armor - seemed to be made of an empty Tin Can."
Dylan stared at the blue haired Girl in Consternation and Jessica said hastily: "It´s not as You may think; The Micrat I ate earlier has eaten a tiny Warrior - even his dumb Sword was there - and all these rusty Edges were the Cause of my Malaise!"
"So what happened next?" the curious blonde Girl asked on and Jessica whispered again: "You-will-definitively-not-believe-it: He tested this Tensor-Thingie on himself - and after that he was only about one and a half Foot tall! And what Do You think, he said then?"
"I have no Idea - what?"
"He said: `Oh - I´ll have to calibrate it new - I am still too big.´ Can You believe it?"
Dylan slowly shook her Head: "What did he do this for? Don´t tell me..."
And again Jessica nodded: "Ohh yes - he took a Bag and asked me to open my Mouth wide up. Then he... was slipping deeep into my Throat - and collected all this rusty Stuff down there - which made a funny Noise."
"But - he was still pretty big..." Dylan mentioned - blushing to her Ears and Jessica smiled: "Yeeeahhh... This was an unique Feeling, I can tell - I saw the Bulges his Head and his Knees made in my Tummy and I have to admit - I liked this a Lot!"
"You two are too hard for Words, I can tell!" Dylan said in Awe.
"Heheee... Then he came out with this full Scrapbag and said: `Now I can truly allege to know You from the In- and the Outside. And to be frank - both are equally... fascinating!´" Jessica presented a knowing Grin - then she looked at Dylan, asking: "Say - what are You so flushed up about?"
"Is this... Endo-Thingie still there - in Your Home?" Dylan asked.
"Uhhm... yes... but why?" Jessica asked. Hastily changing the Subject Dylan asked: "Another Question, that bothers me - what is it with all this `Swallowing-big-Things´?"
Jessica considered it carefully: "How do I put it - ah... Doc Strange has a Theory. He said most Humans are more in Food, that is tasty. So they cook, add a little Spice on it and chew it, what enforces the Taste. Now on the other Hand - if You don´t dip something You want to swallow in one Piece into... Syrup or whatever - it tastes almost like Nothing. But it has another Effect - it feels good... in an odd Way."
"How odd?"
Now Jessica blushed: "I´ll tell You at Home - in my Room, okay?"

"I don't bother with resumés while in the lower tier." Winona smiled. "Many adventurers are quite notorious for exaggerating their exploits anyway, especially around a bar table. A demonstration would be lovely though."

Taihaku had offered to demonstrate, but she'd been so eager, she hadn't any idea how she would go about doing so. She didn't suppose starting a bar fight would lend anything to her credibility, and it would be very rude to the owner of the establishment. She could attempt to challenge someone in the bar to a physical confrontation, but that had just as much chance of backfiring and angering the intoxicated patrons. What exactly was she meant to demonstrate, anyway? Perhaps this neko woman wasn't interested in her combat ability, but something else? What if she didn't have the necessary skill set she was looking for?

Taihaku took another deep breath like before, once again making a small plume of fog with her breath. "I cannot rightly demonstrate my usefulness to you without knowing what it is you're--" She suddenly stopped and cleared her throat before continuing. "-- you are looking for. Perhaps you or one of your colleagues could suggest a challenge to test my worth?"

Finally Dylan´s Father went after his Business and Doc Strange turned his Attention over to the two obviously busy Girls: "I hope I don´t disturb You two... ?"
"No... not at all!" a still red-faced Jessica answered with a little but nervous Smile and Dylan looked at the black maned Man, interested: "May I ask You something?"
"Oh? What might that be?" the Scientist asked back and the wild maned and curious Girl asked him discreetly: "How ist it to be.. in Jessica´s Maw?"
The Doc suddenly blushed - and Jessica too - with a somewhat helpless Expression. Harrumphing (as he always did on `delicate´ Themes) he tried to answer: "Astonishingly... aesthetic I would describe it. It is light rosy. Her flat Tongue ist surprisingly rough - but on the Way in it is very smooth." he described with a whispering Voice - both Girls with wide open Ears caught in Attention.
"Then there is this huge, churchlike Bow of her Throat - and a short little Uvula. All this surrounded by this ultra-effectively shaped Ivory-Beartrap, formed by her Teeth. An unique Sight, so to say." he continued and Dylan wanted to know: "Is it... don´t know... slimy?"
"No... it is... more wet - damp of a Kind. And warm. Right beneath her Tongue is the Adam´s Apple, covered by her Throat Cover - when she opens up very wide, thus gives it an even more exotic Look." the Doc remembered, making Jessica blush even more. Harrumphing again he continued in an analytic sounding Manner: "The unusually wide and smooth Esophagus has some streamlined Bulges at the Beginning - Muscles, awaiting something to accompany down - which, I can say out of Experience, happens in an almost gently Way."
"Is it... smelly down there?" Dylan asked and Jessica almost fell from her Barstool in Embarrassment, as Doc Strange answered: "I was surprised - no. Once I had to collect some weird and rusted Metal Objects, resembling a Kind of self-made Armour and a twisted little Sword, which has injured her Stomach. It was totally empty, wet and... warm. Of Course it has a peculiar Smell - something like a light Scent of... Almond or Cyanide... but that is all I can remember."
Then he thought a little over it, as if he was remembering something else: "Of Course this was a somewhat dangerous Undertaking. But also fascinating. The main Impression to me was... Softness - and a weird, but almost hypnotizing Kind of... Movement all around. After this Experience I examined my Mind myself psychologically and came to the Result, that I indeed have some weird Interests and Desires. So I came to another Theory, that soon was to be established by some Evidence."
Now both of them were listening: "What is this Theory?"
"Yeah - tell us!"
"Sapient Beings, Creatures that can think abstractly, planning for the Future or imagine Things have the biggest sexually active Organ in Relation to their Body Mass: The Brain." he answered, tapping on his Forehead. The Girls wondered about this Revelation as he said: "Animals do this ... uhm... Reproduction Stuff out of Instinct - by us it is different - we can imagine Things, we can go almost crazy by doing this - and the more Imagination someone has - the more bizarre his World of Ideas can occur to others. So in Fact; what to someone (and his Soulmates) seems to be pretty normal, for others can be seen as a Form of Perversion. Now my own Opinion is: There is no Perversion around - and so is no Normality. What IS around us - is a World of Things that will be measured, estimated and recognized by any single intelligent Being in a different Way. That leaves all this, what is surrounding us as a World of... Relativity. So I have decided to lean back, accepting and sometimes enjoying my extraordinary Spleens, knowing that there are Guys around with similar or even more weird Desires - and accepting and tolerating even this Fact. THIS is the only `normal´ Thing - Abnormality."
Dylan and Jessica looked at the Doc - then to each other.
"This is..."
"...so cool!"
"Glad, that I could help." Doc Strange said, lighting another Cigarette.

Needless to say, when Xin’s ride and her friend began to discuss eating things, the neera was caught in a sort of morbid fascination. She’d never met or heard of anything like the mutant whose shoulder she was on, which made her curiosity grow as the two talked about her eating micrats… whole! She’d had only one or two scrapes with those things, as they weren’t as common in the nicer areas of Negav, but she knew they were big enough to eat her… and Jessica mentioned one such victim causing her a problem. Xin couldn’t help but frown at the mutant girl’s comment about the poor tiny’s equipment, though.

The two went on before the neera could interject, though, and began to talk how the ‘Doctor Strange’ guy had… shrunk himself, gotten Jessica to eat him, and then he somehow got out after collecting the tiny gear. Xin blinked. He went in… and somehow got out? She didn’t say how he got out… She thought, frowning. Presently, he showed up himself, and when asked, went on at length about how Jessica’s insides looked and smelt. Xin looked at the girl who had asked him, the cyborg. What kind of people were these? They liked getting eaten? Any other tiny would have exploded then and there, but the neera’s own curiosity on the subject kept her enthralled while Strange explained things. He went on to say a bunch of science-y stuff, apparently explaining something to the other two, but Xin began to lose focus. Too many big words…

So, she began to idly practice magic. An exact copy of Xin slowly faded into sight on top of Strange’s head, and then Jessica’s, and then Dylan’s…

Surprised this three looked each other on their Heads - laughing at the hilarious Sight. Doc Strange mentioned: "I think it was pretty rude of us, to nearly forget about You, little new Friend of Jessica."
"Yeah - by the Way - would You like to drink something?" Dylan asked Xin.
"You have Glasses this small?" Jessica wondered.
"No - but Mother has some Sewing Thimbles!" Dylan smiled: "One more or less wouldn´t be a Problem, I think. I´ll go for a small one."
Then she saw back to Xin: "So I go for Your `Mug´ and You think about something You want to drink, okay?"

The Xin copies vanished as the three humans returned their attention to the original neera, with the doctor apologizing and Dylan asking her if she wanted a drink. The tiny blinked, since… well, she’d had one or two incidents with abandoned wine and beer bottles, but she didn’t really… drink anything besides water. At least Jessica gave her some time to think/improvise.

When Dylan told her she was gonna leave and give her more time to think, though, the neera nodded, thankfully. As she left, the tiny glanced between the remaining two humans. “Oh, I’m Xin, by the way!” She added, remembering that Strange had had to give her a short, general title instead of referring to her by name. “I… think I know your names, though.” She added, a little sheepishly.

"I am deeply honoured to know a real Sorceress." Doc Strange said and Jessica mentioned: "They have some Fruit Juices here, Xin - they are great!"
"And I am honoured by the Confidence You obviously invested into us, too. By the Way - the Tensor Generator works in the reversed Way, too - otherwise I wouldn´t be sitting here. It has roughly the Shape of a Door Frame - so if You want - there is an Opportunity to let You grow up at least to our Size." the Doc whispered carefully to the Neera. Thus had two Reasons - on one Side Xin would be secure from a certain Menace (because Agents are not famous for being very trustworthy) - and on the other Side it would be an interesting Experiment, too. Oh, and then there is the Opportunity to see how a Neera would like it to be... big.

"Well how about we head off into the bar garden round the back and you give me a first hand demonstration of how you handle yourself?" Winona asked the Snow leopard Neko. "I'll come at you with a knife and you can counter my attack, minimum necessary force obviously, I don't mind receiving a soft blow or two but nothing that will put me in hospital please. How does that sound?"

Taihaku's response was a simple nod. She downed the rest of her milk, then got up from her seat. She reached into her coat through a small gap between two of the buttons keeping it closed, then brought it out and placed a solid twenty skevols on the table next to her empty mug, enough for a good tip, she hoped (she hadn't gotten a good look at the prices here). She then headed towards the front exit and out of the door, heading around to the back of the building.

Xin grinned, a little sheepishly, at Strange’s reply to her introduction, and looked up at Jessica’s face as she mentioned the juice. That got the neera to perk up a bit. She remembered teleporting into a glass of juice that tasted a lot like apple once. Mmmmh… that was good stuff… “Do they have apple juice?” She asked, just as the doctor began to talk again.

The neera focused on him as went on being honored… and then mentioned his shrink ray thing worked backwards. “Oh, it doesn’t just… wear off?” She asked, eyes widening in fascination. “I… I can be a giant?”

As Dylan came back, Jessica mentioned: "Xin likes Apple Juice!"
"Hehe, I understand that - just one Moment..." Dylan reached for a Bottle with Apple Juice and tried to fill up the little Sewing Thimble without spilling some of the Juice. Jessica smiled mild: "See? We may be big and clumsy in Your Eyes - but I think our Company is pretty tolerable."
"Speaking of tolerable..." Doc Strange mentioned: "Of Course the State of being altered in Size is permanent - it´s a Change of Your physical Dimensions relating to the common Space-Time. Something this important wearing off after a certain Amount of Time - would be only Half-Work. And Size is a very relatively Aspect, speaking of Giants - we can scale You up, Xin - so that You will fit into this - more or less - adorable Society without standing out anymore - or being harrassed and hunted, just because You are small and the others are not - this is something unbearable that bothers me the Most. But for someone this small Your Aura Vivalis is pretty strong - so we can do this easily."
He thought: "And this is a very rare Opportunity, too - I can tell You about Technics and Science - and You can tell me about Enchantment Processes and arcane Powers. We are looking towards an interesting Future, I guess..."
All Xin could see of Doc Strange was this huge Mass of black Hair reaching deep down his Back - with some dark Glasses sitting on his snubby Nose - and his Chin and Cheeks - a Face, unusually... cute for a Man. He really wasn´t the heftiest one - but sort of slender and elegant in his own Way.

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"Of Course the Choice is up to You. I can only show You the Door - but it is Your Decision to go through - or not." he mentioned. Then he saw tio Dylan: "So - now look - Your Drink is ready, too."
Very carefully Dylan brought Xin her Apple Juice - in a Tin Cup it seemed, that wasn´t really small for the Neera Sorceress. In her Scale it would be a 3,5-Liters-Mug. Jessica instead watched the two Nekos leaving the Building: "Looks like the two have something to discuss - or something..."
"Well..." Doc Strange saw to the Door: "It seems like they don´t want to be disturbed for some Time - and I am the last who would dare this."
"Uh - then I´ll go for the Cash - before someone els does this!" Dylan went off to the now free Table.

Xin perked up as she watched the apple juice getting poured, but frowned slightly at what Jessica said. “I don’t think you’re that clumsy… just really, really big.” She said, before Strange got her attention, again. “Wait, it’s permanent? But you changed back without… problems, right?” She asked, suddenly a bit nervous. The doctor went on, though, and got her her drink… which was pretty big. She stared into the liters of sweet, strong-smelling liquid, before looking back up at the human doctor.

“If you do make me a giant, you can make me normal again, right? With no problems at all?” She asked.

"I am obviously the best Evidence, don´t You think? To do it backwards - it´s only turning a Switch - nothing more." Doc Strange explained and Jessica whispered to Xin: "And when he is small - he is even more cute!"

“Oh… that’s... good.” Xin said, thinking of the possibilities. On the one hand, being a giant could be awesome. I mean, I could probably still do all this magic stuff, and be big! That’d be so cool… She thought, before Jessica began to whisper. She grinned at what the mutant girl said, looking the giant doctor over from where she was sitting and blushing a bit. “Weeell, he’s not a bad-looking giant…” She grinned, blushing all the more as she replied to Jessica as quietly as if she was whispering like her.

Jessica had to chuckle, blushing too. Dylan and the Doc looked at each other - and shrug their Shoulders. Then he leaned back, crossing his Arms behind his Neck: "Well - now we have to wait, til the two mysterious Neko Women are coming back..."
"How do You know, they will?" Dylan asked.
"At first - this Agent Woman wants something from me - obviously something her Higher-Ups aren´t supposed to know about. Second: This means, what she wants from me is somewhat of personal Interest - what always is a Priority for every logically acting Being - as long as it is not a Computer." he continued - supposing: "There is some Evidence, that she doesn´t work that logically at all - but most of the Time she sure does. And third: She is very curious - that is her Nature. So she absolutely wants to know what is going on in my House, I can tell. So You see: No Chance the two left without at least saying Good Bye."

(You know Winona didn't actually follow Taihaku out yet? You're kind of making assumptions here.)

(!! Uh - You´re right - til now only You are leaving... Darn...)