Owner	Pose
Jessica Drew	It's 4:30 PM on a Wednesday. Jessica looks at her watch and sighs. She's leaning against a wooden railing on a small arched bridge over a man-made river that's more like a stream. The sign on the railing reads, "North American River Otter," and continues beneath said heading with a host of facts about the North American River Otter in question. But nowhere in that paragraph of facts does it mention what EXACTLY a North American River Otter has to do at 4:30 on a Wednesday afternoon that's more important than being visited. In fact, this is Jessica's seventh visit to the Bronx Zoo, and every single time she has come to the otter's bridge, he has been nowhere to be seen. She leans over the railing, peering down into the water, and then up and down the riverbanks. Her feet come off the ground, she's leaning so far. But still nothing in sight. "WHERE. ARE. YOU?" A school of small fish below scatter in a panicked frenzy at her demanding question. "Huh, maybe I /do/ scare all the fishes..."
Tom	Tom wanders around quite a bit, mainly because he likes people and knows he cant be around them too long or horrible things will start to happen and he likes Otters. Their carefree nature is a visible manifestion of what he believes is his natural state before the curse and its a lovely sunlit day, granted a bit cold but he is dressed in a trenchcoat and cap, blending in rather than standing out as a villain. He starts a bit as spots the woman float and as she looks. Curious, he tries something and says, "Maybe she won't find what she is looking for" which of course means that all probability is the exact opposite will happen.
Jessica Drew	Startled, Jess hops back down from her high-center on the railing, until her feet touch the ground again, and she turns around quickly, smoothing her black peacoat and tilting her head. "Y'aint a cop, are ya?" She narrows her eyes slightly. She's been chastized before, for harrassing the otter. But in her opinion, it's hard to harrass that which one fails to find in the first place. She glances back over her shoulder at the sound of a small splash, but she's afraid to look. Maybe it's only there when you're NOT looking... "I've been looking for months. I'm pretty sure they only have a sign and a picture of the otter. Maybe not an otter at all. I mean, they have those telescopes over there where it says you can view the giraffes and elephants. Maybe they just let you look at Africa, and they don't have any animals here, at all..."
Tom	A small otter comes out, nose twitching. The magic works at the opposite of what it does. He neither likes or dislikes Jessica so she isn't cursed or imbused with luck. He does smile at her question, "I'd be the worst cop in the world but some days I'm tempted to join just to make their day...interesting. Name is Tom and you are?"
Jessica Drew	"Jessica," she replies, otterly distracted by the twitchy-nosed thing below. "OMYGOD AREN'T YOU CUUUUTE??" She's practically bouncing on her toes in her black knee boots. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?? I CAME TO SEE YOU!" Then, remembering herself, she composes herself again and clears her throat. "I didn't think they /had/ an otter," she explains nonchalantly.
Tom	Tom says, "They're very playful but if he's the only one he likely is very sad. Some zoos dont treat their animals well. Otters are social creatures and meant to be here in numbers, It's also cold though so maybe he was inside keeping warm?" Tom shrugs, pleased he has been able to use his power for something other than destruction."
Jessica Drew	"Ohh, right. That might be true," Jessica replies, suddenly looking a little crestfallen. "Are you here all alone, lil fella? I bet that gets lonely. Maybe I could round you up some friends and bring them here. The zoo wouldn't mind, right? I mean, it's more animals for them, and you'd have friends! And people might even see an otter once in awhile." Then, Jessica's brow furrows, as she pulls her burgundy knit cap down a little more tightly on her head. "Or maybe I could sneak you out to a real river. They'd never miss you here. THEY probably never see you EITHER.."
Tom	Tom says, "The zoo probably wouldnt mind if you teleported them here or flew them here...if you donate them there is all kinds of paperwork and such. I do know people, and could make inquires. I do honestly imagine he would rather be out and about to be honest. The zoo does some good but it should let them out with time served. But I'm not impressed by this specific zoo if they let an otter by themself."
Jessica Drew	"Huh..." Jessica replies absently, as she fingers the toggles on her coat, and grasps handfuls of the fabric. She's clearly trying to figure out how much extra space she has beneath it for an otter-shaped bundle, but she thinks she's being SO smooth. No one would EVER suspect... "So like...you know, if he were to vanish, where might be a good place for him to go? Are there otters in the Hudson? Or the Harlem River?" Just out of curiousity. Clearly.
Tom	Tom says, "uh..." Tom starts to get a bit.. light headed and looks at Jessica. He blinks and is very very self aware and is suddenly very aware of her. "Uh I can do a lot of things to help maybe a ritual spell or just helping with probability but you probably wanna be bitchy to me if its likely to succeed. There are otters all over but yes, there are some in the Hudson, you'd want to check the records to make sure he wasnt raised in captivity. If thats the case moving him to another zoo is best. What did you say your name was again?" He's trying not to stare. Honest."
Jessica Drew	Jessica looks utterly perplexed. "I don't do bitchy..." That's false. Anyone who's ever pushed her buttons knows that. "But I'm...I'm Jessica. Do you think you'd need a ritual to get him out of here? He's so cute...and fluffy." Well, he's probably fluffy, when he's not slicked down in the water. "But if he's raised in captivity, yeah, I guess that could be a problem. What about a bath tub? I could get another otter. He could have a friend. They could float around in my bath tub holding hands. It's big enough." Right, she's already committing to put two wild animals in her bathroom. Fantastic.
Tom	Tom says, "not really, I mean its a fence. I could steal him myself though I might hurt him or me in the process. I'm kind of cursed. If I like people, they get cursed too. If you dont do bitchy do cross or something. You're cute and that's dangerous for you. A bath tub makes sense." He isnt thinking straight right now but of course it does not make sense, "Another otter would be two in captivity. Better, you cuold find a worse zoo somewhere, move the otter from there to here and that works. Or the bathtub."
Jessica Drew	"Do I have to dig up mussels so they can crack and eat 'em?" Jess asks, leaning back over the railing to look down at the little creature who seems to have taken a shine to his visitors, for one reason or another. "Or...maybe the bath tub isn't the greatest idea. I mean I haven't ever raised anything but a puppy. They don't eat mussels. Well they might, if they were offered, but I just gave him puppy chow. Think otters eat puppy chow?"
Tom	Tom says, "you can buy them in bulk at any store or fish market actually. The bathtub probably isnt the best idea no. Otters are carnivors so puppy chow might work but they likely do better on fish. They do eat muscles. I can talk to it if you like and ask it what IT wants though tht will require me getting a bit of gear." As Jessica leaned against the railing she might find some gum someone had left her that she accidently put her hand on. The bad luck was slow but definitely a real thing."
Jessica Drew	"Ewww...Bubblicious..." Jessica busies herself pulling the sticky pink gum off her hand. "You...you can talk to him? Find out what HE wants? That sounds like a TREMENDOUS idea! What kinda gear do you need for that sort of thing? Does Google translate Otter? This is all EXTREMELY interesting!" She's flushed pink with the excitement of it all. A great Otter escape. Talking to animals. Finding gum.
Tom	Tom says, "Google does not. I would need to go to my home and get a few things. A pumpin, a candle and a few herbs. Probably best done tonight after they close. That was probably my curse." The gum comes off reluctantly but it does come off."
Jessica Drew	"Oh good!" She smiles. "I mean that you know what kind of gear you'd need, not that the gum was your curse. You're cursed...why are you cursed?" She's trying to throw the gum into the trash can at the end of the bridge, but it's reluctant to let go of its newfound friend. "HOW are you cursed?"
Tom	Tom says, "I'm cursed in ways that redefine the meaning of the word cursed dear. That which I like is cursed. That which I dislike is blessed. I'm a luck mage and my power has been hijacked. Helping the otter is fine but you are very....likable. You should give me reason to dislike you, I'm good at helping that along, you learn to lie to yourself after a w hile but it helps if you are actually bitchy etc. And yes... it is good that I know." He smiles."
Jessica Drew	Jessica listens to the explanation, looking a little bewildered. "But..." She begins to mouth a word here and there, but nothing seems to come. "Who hijacked you? I'll kick their ass. That is NOT COOL. You don't mess with people. I mean, can't that sort of thing backfire? For whoever cursed you, or hijacked your stuff. Couldn't that blow up on them and totally ruin their day? I mean, if not, I'd be glad to go ruin their day FOR you."
Tom	Tom says, "I am trying to find out more myself dear, but it happened when I was born and 6 generations of my family back. There are three of them...and they are very powerful. People that would make the Justice League's hair stand on end whistle when they see the work done on it but I sincerely appreciate it..." the rail she is leaning on creaks a little bit."
Jessica Drew	"Well," Jessica begins, straightening up as the railing creaks. "I don't care, I'm not afraid. I may not be Justice League, but I've got determination, and..." She sidles carefully away from that railing. "More determination. And I can do things, too. Pretty neat things." She shrugs. "I'm not scared of some magic-hijacking ne'er-do-well."
Tom	Tom wants to warn her but is not thinking straight quite at the moment and nods, "OK. That makes sense. Then lets go to my place and get the herbs, then come back here and then talk to the otter.
Jessica Drew	Jessica grins brightly. "You got it. This is gonna be the best otter escape EVER." She's beaming, despite his warnings for her to at least be miffed. "Let's go, I'll help you however I can!" Then she turns back to the otter floating languidly in the water. "Hang tight, little buddy, and DON'T GO ANYWHERE, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD. It took me MONTHS to find you!"