The Beanstalk Adventure! (Open!)

[tiana]

*It was early in the afternoon, and Tiana was setting up the rehearsal area in Mama Odie's part of the swamp. She would normally do it in her restaurant, but today was the restaurant's pest inspection date, and she wasn't about to neither make her patrons and performers sick, nor was she going to make Louis and his band miss a day of practice because of it. Besides, the acoustics in the swamp were AMAZING, as she'd found out when her and Naveen came through it as frogs. Helping one of the band members set up his drum set, she glances towards where the alligator should be, giving a kind smile, knowing he was still just a bit spooked by the swamp.*

I'm sure it'll be fine Louis...Mama Odie said she'd love to hear us anyways, and the poor ol' gal don't get out that often, so let's play it extra loud for her, alright? I'll sing along with y'all, if it'll make ya feel better. Whattaya say?

[Louis]

Louis was, indeed, still quite apprehensive about this part of the bayou. It was always unusually quiet, and the alligator couldn't help but think of the Shadowman's horrible ghosts and goblins as he looked all around the dank, dark glade.

Taking a big swallow to try and compose himself, Louis realized he couldn't act like such a coward in front of his band mates, who were incidentally too busy setting up stage to notice his anxious demeanor. He looked over to Tiana, whose warm voice and bright smile always seemed to soothe his nerves; when she offered to add her own voice to the rehearsal, Louis, himself, lit right up. "Would you really?" he asked, like a hopeful child, holding his trumpet close. "Oh, that'd be the best, Tiana!"

[oswald]

Oswald walk through the bayou and felt like he got lost.

"This place feels like a maze with no way out maybe I should have ask for directions."

Oswald while walking took out his harmonica and started to play music that he always play for his girlfriend when they go on a date.

[Frenchie and K. Sera]

An oar broke the mossy surface of the water, and was retracted before the process was repeated all over again. A primitive raft -- basically half of a barrel -- was being steered through the bayou by a gray poodle who sat at the helm. Seated behind him was a small, very shaggy cream-and-tan dog.

The Pound Underground’s travels had bought them to the sweltering swamps of the Deep South. Stopping to cup a paw to one furry ear, Frenchie, the poodle, listened. With his canine hearing, he could detect sounds in the distance, music and chatter.

Intrigued, Frenchie turned to his companion. "K. Sera, do you hear that?"

"Sera." K. Sera simply grunted.

Frenchie nodded in agreement, glad to see (or rather, hear) that there was life in the oppressive silence of the dreary bayou after all. “You are right. Let us go investigate!” Re-energized, he started making for the direction from which the sounds emanated.

Sera had been observing their surroundings with curiosity. They didn’t have strange-looking trees like these back in France. He didn’t really know where they were headed, but that didn’t matter. He preferred to sit back and let Frenchie decide where they went. After all, he seemed to be pretty knowledgeable. Anyways, Sera thought leading was too much work. He wondered how Frenchie could do it so well.

[Louis]

Before Tiana could respond to Louis' enthusiasm, however, a strange sound broke the air and caught the reptile's attention. Blinking with curiosity, he stared into the depths of the swamp and heard what sounded like... a harmonica. It was playing a pleasant, rather folksy tune - quite different from the wild jazz Louis loved so much, but enjoyable to the ears.

Louis gently tugged on Tiana's sleeve. "Hey, Tiana... you hear that?" he questioned, pointing a claw in the direction of the distant music. Somebody was out there in the swamp, and it was probably a stranger; Louis had never heard a harmonica being played in the bayou before. Despite the charming music, Louis was just a little unnerved by this; to suddenly hear a harmonica echoing in the distance of the silent swamp was undeniably spooky. It could have been a ghost for all he knew!

His attention caught by the music, Louis didn't notice the two talking dogs riding a raft approaching the group, quite yet.

[oswald]

Oswald continue to play his harmonica in a jazz style and trip in the process. "ooh,ow,yowch,ahh" Oswald felt flat on his face and was really wet and he stretch and dry himself and dry his harmonica and continue to play till he saw a alligator.

[tiana]

*Tiana blinks, listening in.*

Hmm...there's fisherman that like to take their boats on the bayou, maybe it's one that got bored and decided to play while waitin' for the fish--

*Just then Oswald appears, the young woman tilting her head curiously.*

Or it could be a...rabbit?

*She shrugs, smiling. They had a trumpet playing alligator...who was she to judge what animal could play what instrument?*

Hey, we were just about to do a practice session...you could join us if ya like, that is if Louis here don't mind. How about it...uh...Mister...?

*She asked, at length, not knowing the rabbit's name, obviously.*

((OOC: I got a song in mind for her to sing, actually. XD))

[oswald]

Ï'm Oswald the Lucky Rabbit or Oswald for short." Oswald takews off his ears like a mickey hat like introducing himself and puts it back on.

[Louis]

Louis' fears were quickly eradicated when he saw a little black rabbit, wearing blue slacks, tumble on over. He just blinked in curiosity at the newcomer, as Tiana conversed with him. The alligator made a face of astonishment, however, as the bunny 'tipped' his ears to the two as if they were a hat.

Louis just gazed with bewilderment at Oswald, until Tiana suggested the rabbit join in on their jam session. The alligator lit up with a big toothy grin and leaned down to the tiny rabbit. "That'd be the bee's knees, lil' bunny! Y'all play that harmonica mighty well!" he exclaimed, eager to have another musician on board.

[oswald]

Oswald nodded and started to play his harmonica in a very cool jazzy way. He really like to play and joins Louis' band and shook his hand er foot.

[Frenchie and K. Sera]

The jazzy music grew louder as the Pound Underground’s boat drew closer to the motley group's location. Finally, when the barrel gently bumped the shoreline, Frenchie stepped out onto the bank. Turning to retrieve K. Sera, whose small size posed a bit of a hindrance in getting out of the boat, he lifted him out and set him down the ground.

The dogs listened as the rabbit played his harmonica, seemingly enraptured by the music.

[tiana]

*Tiana thumbed through a booklet of sheet music, looking for a song to start on. She stopped at one in particular in the book, "Zip-a-dee-doo-dah", and smiles to Louis and the gang.*

Hmm, this one sounds mighty good...I d'nno though, think ya can manage it, boys?

[Louis]

Louis grinned widely, enamored by the little rabbit's harmonica playing, and felt his toes begin to tap. Feeling playful, he was about to join in on the rabbit's jam session, and lifted his trumpet just before Tiana spoke up. Immediately the alligator's attention was diverted, and he lumbered on over to Tiana's side to take a peek at which song she had her eyes on.

As the other band members nodded their heads and murmured in agreement, the reptile smiled heartily and laughed, clearly happy with her choice. "Haha, I know that tune by heart, Tiana! Ol' Louis can handle it for sho'!" he exclaimed, posing proudly and holding his beloved trumpet up high.

[Frenchie and K. Sera]

(Edited!)

[tiana]

((OOC= Sorry about this, but Nicole, could you possibly copy and paste that last post of Frenchie and K. Sera's and make it so it's after this post I make with Tiana? She, Louis and his band haven't performed yet! Again, apologies!))

*Tiana took her place inbetween the band, clearing her throat. She smiled to Louis and his band.*

Hit it, boys!

*The band started up the song, playing a jazzy intro for it. Tiana waited for the right moment, and jumped in with the vocals, her beautiful voice ringing throughout the swamp.*

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay
My, oh my, what a wonderful day
Plenty of sunshine headin' my way
Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay

Mister Bluebird's on my shoulder
It's the truth, it's actual
Ev'rything is satisfactual
Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay
Wonderful feeling, wonderful day

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay
My, oh my, what a wonderful day
Plenty of sunshine headin' my way
Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay

Mister Bluebird's on my shoulder
It's the truth, it's actual
Ev'rything is satisfactual
Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay
Wonderful feeling, feeling this way

*She pauses for an instrumental solo by the band, then continues.*

Mister Bluebird's on my shoulder
It's the truth, it's actual
Ev'rything is satisfactual
Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay
Wonderful feeling, wonderful day!

*She waits for Louis to finish patiently.*

[Frenchie and K. Sera]

(No prob, Amanda! Also, you guys let me know if my text colors are confusing or bothersome to read.)

Stepping forward, K. Sera nudged Frenchie in the back of his leg, breaking the sway that the music seemed to hold over him. To K. Sera, Frenchie was a great leader, no doubt, but every once in a while he could lose focus (though he never told him that). Maybe they should introduce themselves, try to figure out where they were (though both dogs suspected that they were somewhere in the States, going by everyone’s accents).

“But of course!” Frenchie slapped his forehead with a paw, feeling thoroughly silly right about then. “You are right, K. Sera. Where are moi’s manners?”

Frenchie approached the merry little band, enthusiastically clapping as he did. He prided himself on being an artistic creature who could appreciate all sorts of music. “Bravo, bravo! What a fine show!” He knew that he was breaking the “animal law of secrecy” by allowing the humans to see that he could talk and walk as they could, but it was just him, K. Sera, and a few people around, so who would know? “Bonjour! I am Romeo Beaumont DeGaulle, but you may call me Frenchie. And this is moi’s mon ami and comrade-in-arms, K. Sera!” He indicated the puli at his side.

“Sera!” The little mop-like dog announced in greeting, bouncing in place as he did.

[Louis]

Louis played with fervor throughout the whole song, providing the perfect counterpart to Tiana's own gorgeous voice with the lively, soulful backup melody he provided. The alligator took the all-too-familiar tune and injected it with his own jazzy touch; he swayed and bounced in time with each note he blew out of his shining trumpet, and went all out with improvisations during the band's solo in the middle of the song.

The performance ended with one last short, passionate solo from Louis' trumpet, providing a satisfactory finish that was as spirited as the rest of the number. As exhilarated as he always was after playing his trumpet, he exchanged wide smiles to Tiana and his fellow band members, before noticing the two dogs approach them, one of which was walking around on his hind legs and applauding the band.

Louis, being a bipedal jazz-playing crocodilian himself, found nothing strange at all about this, although he was surprised and a little flattered that they were receiving so much attention all of the sudden. With a proud grin, the alligator took a bow as if he were playing in a concert hall, and exclaimed, "Thank you!" The elaborate name of the dog in red clothing went right over his head, but Louis, ever friendly, decided to properly greet the two anyway. "Pleasure t' meet y'all! Name's Louis!" he excitedly addressed the canines, leaning down to shake Frenchie's paw (and probably overwhelming the poodle with his strength).

[Willie the Giant]

Alas, after the band's lively rendition of a classic tune, something horrible occurred. The sky blackened. But it wasn't actually the sky; an enormous, ominous shadow cast over the swamp. The shadow blanketed a large radius from where the group of friends, old and new, stood. A single bolt of lightning struck a tree not far from the gathering, and this was followed by a sudden, large squall. As the wind filled the swamp and swayed trees, a gargantuan, ominous shadow took form, and its hand-like appendage reached for Tiana. A booming giggle echoed as the hand clasped around Tiana, and lifted her up from the ground, higher and higher.

[tiana]

*Before Tiana could answer Frenchie, she was interuppted by the lightning striking a tree, the wind, and by someone--or some*thing*--grabbing her. She tried to struggle free, but the being was simply too strong for the young lady. Tiana pulled at the hand, trying to free herself. She looks down, and deciding that wasn't the best course of action, she stops, and tries to call out over the sounds of the wind.*

LOUIS! LOUIS, HELP! Something's got a hold of me!

*Suddenly, the hand whisked her away, skyward bound, and her cries were slowly silenced as she got further away from the area.*

[Willie the Giant]

Tiana was pulled from her friends, from the ground, higher and higher. In the end, she was engulfed in darkness, and the shadow left. The squall died down as the shadow did, and everything was back to normal. Everything... except there was now a missing Tiana; she was nowhere to be found.

[Frenchie and K. Sera]

Frenchie's blue eyes grew wide and he gritted his teeth when the alligator, who introduced himself as Louis, nearly shake his arm out of it's socket. He was grateful when Louis finally released his grip; he could not woo the ladies with only one arm. It would be so cumbersome! He offered a wry smile to the reptile.

Sera was just glad that he hadn't been offered a handshake. Louis seemed to be a friendly guy, but he looked really strong.

Both dogs had been rather confused by the sudden darkness that had befallen the swamp. Then suddenly, there came that strange storm! Frenchie had to quickly grab Sera (the poor little guy was digging his claws into the earth in an attempt to remain rooted) least he be blown away. For extra purchase he grabbed Louis' tail. Hopefully the big fellow wouldn't mind.

"Zut allors, what madness is this?!" Frenchie screamed over the wailing of the squall. This was something entirely different what from they normally dealt with. Dogcatchers, sure. Busting out of pounds, okay. But freak storm clouds that kidnapped people? Not so much.

"Sera!" Sera shouted, his voice taking on a tone of urgency as he sniffed at the spot where Tiana had stood only a minute before before looking up at the sky she had vanished into. Like Frenchie, he had no explanation for what they had just witnessed, but he knew they had to rescue that poor woman!

"Oui!" French nodded in agreement as he stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Rescuing the lady will be a problem... after all, she was taken up there," He gestured to the sky, "And we are not birds."

[Louis]

Louis, after shaking Frenchie's paw, blinked a few times in confusion; was it just him, or had it already gotten dark? Immediately letting go of his grasp on the dog, he whipped his head up to look around him - indeed, the entire swamp had, without a doubt, become darker than not but a few seconds ago.

"Hey, uh, Tiana...? Maybe we should call it a day, huh?" he muttered, laughing nervously as he timidly sidled over to his friend. Just then, however, a bright lightning bolt flashed in front of the group, accompanied by a loud boom of thunder. Louis, rather than simply nervous, was now terrified, and screamed as he bolted behind Tiana. "T-Tiana, we'd better leave, now!" he yelped out, as powerful winds began to storm all around them. Louis reached out his scaly arms to hold Tiana close for protection (as well as his own comfort, he was petrified right now)... but he felt nothing. She wasn't there! It was then that he looked up to see, to his horror, Tiana being carried away by a monstrous hand!

The aghast alligator's eyes bulged as he screamed even louder than before at this horrible sight. "TIANA!!" he shouted out, momentarily overcoming his own petrifying terror to leap up and try to grab onto her before she was pulled too far away. Sadly, by that point, she was too high up to be grabbed onto, no less by a portly alligator who could barely hop off of the ground - regardless, Louis tried with all of his might to stop her from being carried off, but to no avail.

Soon enough, she had vanished - as had the mysterious dark cloud that shrouded the bayou in darkness. Although sunlight had returned to the swamp, Louis could find no peace - the alligator was running all about in a panic, like a decapitated chicken. "Oh no, oh no, OH NO!! It got Tiana!" he repeated to himself in his hysteria, before grabbing onto Frenchie once again, yanking him towards his face and shaking him in his grasp. "IT GOT TIANA!! She's gone!" Just like that, Louis dropped Frenchie back onto the ground, before bursting into (literal) crocodile tears. "SHE'S GOOONE!!"

As a close, loyal friend of the kidnapped woman, it was clear that the alligator was handling this far less well than the two dogs; yet, his inherently neurotic nature was also to blame for his reaction.

[Frenchie and K. Sera]

Frenchie groaned when Louis deposited on the ground after shaking him like a ragdoll in his fit of panic. At that moment, the poodle thought he saw... three Louis running around? Sera went over to assist his partner in getting back on his feet. Still feeling dizzy, Frenchie, with Sera at his side, watched as Louis broke down in tears. This was no good. They needed to calm down.

Leaping onto Louis's chest, Frenchie attempted to literally slap some sense back into the bawling reptile, not bothering to consider the fact that, being an alligator, Louis' hide was as tough as boot leather and Frenchie would end up with a sore paw for his moment of impulsiveness. But this was always something Frenchie had wanted to do after seeing the hero in the movies slap a hysterical person. "Get a hold of yourself, man!" He shouted. "We need to find out where Tiana has been taken!"

Sera gave a nod of agreement. "Sera!"

[Louis]

Surprisingly, Frenchie's slap did manage to snap Louis out of his panic; he immediately stopped crying, and, surprised, the dumbfounded alligator stared attentively at the comparatively tiny poodle sitting on his chest.

Louis' helpless-looking expression soon became one of confidence - as much as the weak-willed gator could muster, anyhow. "... You're right, lil' dog!" he shouted out, as, with surprising physical finesse (considering his bulk), he leaped right off of the ground and resumed his typical bipedal position. During this time, Frenchie would have probably lost his footing on Louis' chest. "We can't just sit 'round here and spend all this time worryin', while poor Tiana's been taken far far away, someplace!" Louis clenched a clawed fist and shot it towards the air in his moment of determination. "We gotta go get her back ourselves! We gonna march right up there to.... to..."

Louis drew a blank, once again making a baffled and confused face as he raised a claw to his lips. "... Uh... how we gonna find her?" he asked, partially to himself and partially to the two dogs.

[Alice]

(OOC: I'll post after Oswald posts, if you guys want. Right now I'm just waiting for when you want me to transition.)

[Frenchie and K. Sera]

The slap seemed to do the trick. Oh sure, his poor paw would be hurting Frenchie for a while, but Louis had calmed down, and even grew emboldened. Which was good -- nothing made Frenchie happier then when he could inspire the troops -- except when the reptile jumped back up without warning, causing Frenchie to loose his balance and fall on his backside.

Sera winced when he saw his capitan hit the dirty. Mon dieu, if things continued on like that for him, the poodle might have to be taken to the vet's office.

Frenchie had gotten to his feet again, and determined that he should probably keep his distance from Louis if he wanted to live. In response to their new friend's question, Frenchie stood tall with his chest out and a single paw raised in the air in a show of determination. "Well, comrades, we... we will... uh..." He trailed off, looking up at the sky again. This was going to be hard. It wasn't like any of them knew where they could find an airplane or grow wings or something.

"Sera." Sera commented. It was hard to determine exactly what Sera was thinking, since one couldn't see his face, but his tone was a thoughtful one.

Listening to his friend think aloud, Frenchie couldn't help but laugh. "Witches? I do not about that, Sera. Even if they were real, why would a witch want to us help us?"

[oswald]

Oswald walk to Louis and the pound underground tired and pass out on the ground.

[Alice]

(OOC: Terribly sorry for the delay, folks.)

Alice would prove herself helpful to Tiana's friends, but no one knew it at the time. After Tiana was abducted by an otherworldly figure, and said abducted woman's friends considered their options of a rescue, Alice was in Wonderland. She was in a conversation with the Cheshire Cat, and the whimsical feline had given her some purportedly magic beans.

Alice, who had her palm open to accept the beans, exchanged looks from the beans to the Cheshire Cat. "Magic beans?" After a pause she continued. "Well, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. After all, this is Wonderland. But... where should I use these beans? And when? Oh, Cheshire Puss, I don't mean to offend you. I am grateful for this gift. Thank you." She smiled up to the cat that defied logic and physics.

[cheshire]

*The Cheshire Cat laid on his stomach on thin air, tail twitching, his large, aqua blue eyes staring at the young blonde girl.*

I believe those should be sufficient in taking you to what there is left to see. But practice caution...I'm sorry to say that I know not the consequences, but be wary, as underland can sometimes have rahter alarming effects on wonderland plant life. As such It would be wise to keep them away from large quantities of overland moisture.

[Alice]

The Cheshire Cat was always the same. As soon as the words leave his mouth, his logic seems sound. But if one gives his words a second's worth of thought, it's all just cryptic and vague, but there might be some truth... somewhere.

Alice pocketed Wonderland's beans and curtsied to the feline who contradicted biology. "Thank you, Cheshire Cat. I shall leave now."

---

Alice left Wonderland, but she didn't find herself in her home. She must have picked the wrong exit, because she ended up in a completely different continent! The English girl found herself in an American bayou. Immediately she felt the sting of humidity that was common in the Louisiana state.

Alice shoved aside the moss-covered log that covered the burrow she found herself in. She tried to climb out of the burrow under a tree, but she needed a hand. She didn't wish to claw her way out, because that was unbecoming a nascent lady. From the hole under the tree, Alice looked around and, to her surprise, found a group of strangers, all of them anthropomorphic animals. A large and overweight alligator, two dogs, and a black rabbit. One of the dogs and the rabbit wore clothing! But this didn't surprise her, because she has seen many animals with clothes on.

"Pardon me!" Alice's distinctive, English-accented voice called for the group. Her tone pleaded for help, but still retained British politeness. "Could one of you help me out of here? Please? I'm trapped in here, and I want to get out..." She looked down at herself and hoped that her dress wasn't ruined.