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+---- Thread: Toothless bites, mouthless mutters, wingless fluttters (/showthread.php?tid=2653)
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Toothless bites, mouthless mutters, wingless fluttters - Maea - 01-24-2020
They had made their preparations. Maea had found Delphia and asked her aid, had shared in what the woman knew of the creature they were to drive off. With equal parts eagerness and caution Maea had armed herself for the task to come. Skirts and flowing hair had been changed for breeches and shirt, tight braids coiled over the head and a thick leather jerkin. While it probably wouldn't be needed in the balmy night, she still brought Ludo's gift with her, wrapped around her neck; it was too warm to wear, really, but Maea couldn't stand to leave it behind.
The bow Sunjata had given her rested in the quiver of arrows as she made her way into Ludo's woods, grateful for the presence of her companion. Even armed, with a pair of viciously curved daggers in her belt and magic to her name, Maea felt unprepared for this task. She knew too little of the creature they were about to face, and not enough about the place itself. A fae burial site, Ludo had said, and no doubt haunted... It was fortunate indeed that she was accompanied by one who knew the spirits well.
[say]"I keep thinking I've forgotten something..."[/say] She said it to Delphia, voice quiet as she stepped between the trees. In the gathering dusk, the shadows lay thick and potent under the canopy, and a last sliver of sunlight dyed the higher treetrunks in a vivid, bloodlike hue. Eerie. Beautiful. She would have to come back here again when she'd have time to actually look around properly.
------
Maea is bringing a bow and arrows, a pair of daggers and Ludo's Rags!
RE: Toothless bites, mouthless mutters, wingless fluttters - Delphia - 01-25-2020
Delphia was not nearly as armed to the teeth as Maea was - but she had also scared off Cat Sith many a time before. This was just one battle in the ongoing war between the gods and the trickster, spritely cats that merely wished for a soul to play with. It was touching really but because they lacked good manners they couldn't be allowed to play long or often. Instead of weapons, the Seer had brought all the tools needed to guide the Cat Sith away as well as supplies for cleansing rituals afterwards. If Ludo had noticed the Cat Sith about, it was likely it had been sneakily wreaking havoc for some time.
She glanced over at her companion for this mission, smiling at her warmly as she did spoke her worries. [say]"That is the spirits you hear, whispering warnings of what we have come to banish. Never neglect to listen to the words only your soul hears."[/say] she said sagely. So few humans ever listened to that little inkling in their minds, the light nagging and tugging some called instinct. Of course, in a place so rife with spirit, it was no wonder Maea felt something. [say]"But do not worry. I have led away Cat Sith many a time. There is nothing to fear."[/say] she assured as they reached a spot she knew the creatures liked to visit. Lanterns of Fae graves littered the place, and in the middle of them all was where she stopped.
From her pack she pulled a small jar, inside which was catnip, of all things. [say]"Spread this about, it will help draw the Cat Sith to us, so we can lead it away."[/say] she said, holding it out for Maea to take. Then she withdrew a wooden flute, lifting it to her lips. The melody she played was soothing but haunting, echoing eerily in the wood. With any luck, it would be easy to draw the prankster cat out.
RE: Toothless bites, mouthless mutters, wingless fluttters - Maea - 01-27-2020
She inclined her head to the advice, absorbing it without question. Perhaps it was not the cold, rational kind of logic she would normally be inclined to accept, being the Loreseeker that she was. But Maea did not think Delphia was pulling any jests - oh no, she was serious about this - and that made her accept it all the same. Perhaps because it was different? A kind of knowledge that could only be experienced, not studied, reproduced, fully explained.
[say]"I trust you on it,"[/say] she told the demigod, and smiled at her with the truth of that trust plain in her expression. [say]"And on getting us through this. I'm sure Ludo knew what it was doing when it sent you along with me on this."[/say]
Accepting the jar, Maea opened it and sniffed at the contents, grinning when she realized what was in it. As Delphia produced the flute and began to play, the white-haired girl began to toss pinches of the catnip onto the ground around them at the spot of choice. In the gathering dark, with the gleaming lanterns and that haunting melody weaving through the trees, her weapons seemed very inadequate indeed. They were mostly for show, for comfort, a last resort if nothing else worked.
Then she settled in to wait, eyes watching the woods for signs of movement. Considering the music, remembering a similar haunting call risen from Jigano's throat. Was it the soul calling? If not, it seemed to be of the same caliber, sending goosebumps flaring up her arms and down the neck.
RE: Toothless bites, mouthless mutters, wingless fluttters - Random Event - 01-31-2020
Soul, a soul, a soul to play.
The flute was a distraction - the catnip was better. A trilling mmrrowww? of greeting sounded through the trees, echoing along the branches and rustling in the leaves. A dappled patch of shadow suddenly got up, stretched mightily, and padded out to investigate.
The feline was black as night, with a white spot upon its chest. It looked utterly harmless - in fact, it started to try and wind its way through Maea's legs as Delphia continued to play.
RE: Toothless bites, mouthless mutters, wingless fluttters - Delphia - 01-31-2020
Haunted silver-blue eyes caught on the movement of the shadows as the Cat Sith rose and approached. Catnip and music, ever enticing. She watched it carefully, continuing to play her tune. Had it wound around her own ankles, she would have been fine. But Maea was nervous and new to this herding of cats. Pausing on a simple tune she could play with a single hand, she reached into a pocket, pulling out a medium-sized ball of white fluff attached to some fishing wire and then to a stick.
Carefully she tossed the soul-ish look-a-like toy, flicking the stick to make it dance and play in the fading light. She extended her arm, nodding to it in hopes Maea would take it and continue the game of chase.
Delphia continues to play while producing a soul-like cat toy for Maea to take to entice the Cat Sith with!
RE: Toothless bites, mouthless mutters, wingless fluttters - Maea - 02-01-2020
It was a handsome little thing. Had they been anywhere else, Maea would have taken it for one of the mousers of the farms gone astray, and it was tempting to mistake the cat for just some ordinary feline. But they were in Ludo's Woods, hunting for Cat Sith, and by all accounts this one matched the description.
Though... perhaps she'd expected it to be a bit bigger.
[say]"Hello, you,"[/say] she said softly, as the cat began to wind its way through her legs, equal parts delighted and alarmed by the intimacy. Noticing the toy Delphia held out, Maea leaned over and took it, trying her best not to move too much. Wouldn't want to accidentally step on the critter.
[say]"Care to play? Here, catch it, if you can."[/say] Keeping her voice low and soothing, she dangled the toy before the animal (?) to see if it was interested. [say]"Aren't you pretty. Wouldn't mind taking you home... Just not sure you'd get along with a gryphon."[/say]
Suppressing an urge to lean down and pet the Cat Sith, she hoped her voice wouldn't scare it off. The tune from the flute continued to fill the air. Maybe it would be fine.
-----
Maea tries to lure the Cat Sith into playing with the toy, and talks to it!
RE: Toothless bites, mouthless mutters, wingless fluttters - Random Event - 02-05-2020
A creature such as this should not have had anything close to an adorable mrow, and yet that was the very noise that escaped it as Maea took the little dancer and shook it towards the feline. It jumped up, batting and biting tiny teeth in an attempt to capture the soul, flopping on its back so it could attack with all four little paws.
All going well, all fine so far. But something changes, something shifts in the woods, as though a fresh gravemound is beginning to stir, as if the soul within is starting to fly. And with it, so do the woods shift. Delphia and Maea will become suddenly aware that the shadows cast around them are not shadows at all - all of them, great yawning pools of blackness, they all make up the Cat Sith. The small cat playing is merely a toy, a projection used for fun, for passing the time.
The cat rolls to its feet, tail high in the air, and begins to trot away into the woods. The shadows follow.
RE: Toothless bites, mouthless mutters, wingless fluttters - Delphia - 02-10-2020
Delphia could feel the shift immediately, eyes narrowing slightly as the Cat Sith reveals its true self. The shadows of the wood engulfed by its presence - this was a very old and powerful Cat Sith indeed to have such an effect on the world around it. Little games with music and fliers would not be enough to distract it. She put away her flute at once, pulling from her pocket instead a magic ring. No, no, not abandoned magic - slight of hand magic. She placed it on, and with a snap of her fingers a short burst of flame. Soul-like light, warmth and comfort. She clicked her tongue, moving with quick playful steps to get towards the front side of the creature. [say]"Tricky, tricky, silly kitty, why don't you come and play?"[/say] she cooed, snapping the sparker with playful randomness.
[say]"We can dance, we can wrestle, we can wile the night away. Bet you can't catch me, I've a soul that's here to stay!"[/say] she teased, using rhyme and song and playful motions to recapture it's attention.
RE: Toothless bites, mouthless mutters, wingless fluttters - Maea - 02-10-2020
She should probably be afraid. Common sense suggested that the deep shadows and the yawning dark ought to instill some terror in her, bring cold sweat to bead on her brow. But while a slight shiver ran down her spine, Maea found that it wasn't caused by fear. Indeed, there was a slight grin on her lips as the cat and the shadows showed their true nature and tried to withdraw.
Flicking her eyes to Delphia as the demigod put away her flute, the albino girl squinted against the bright light - not magic, probably, but could have fooled her - and listened to the sing-song taunt. Understood what Delphia was trying to do.
[say]"Bet I can catch it before you!"[/say] she added to the teasing words, and turned towards her friend, the cat toy dropping to the ground, discarded by her feet.
Tense excitement was on her face as she looked at the orb of light, and she crouched lower, hands spreading wide as she stalked towards Delphia. Looking for all the world like she was about to try snatch the 'soul' away from her.
Maea hoped her plan would be easy enough to follow; if they could catch the Cat Sith's attention like this, perhaps they could make it a game of tag to lure it out of the Woods.
RE: Toothless bites, mouthless mutters, wingless fluttters - Random Event - 02-11-2020
It had its path before it, and it could feel the soul calling, calling to be drawn to Mort's realm, to rest everlasting. And oh but it wanted it. Mrowing and trilling in its excitement, the tiny cat with the white star on its chest was utterly foreign to the writhing shadows that seeped into the woods all around, and it glanced only briefly to Delphia as she appeared in its periphery.
But she held something brightly similar, and as the pale woman moved to snatch its prize, it made a concentrated pounce at Maea's feet, that it might stop her from taking the soul. Naughty mortal! Souls were not for it to play with!
RE: Toothless bites, mouthless mutters, wingless fluttters - Delphia - 02-15-2020
It was the uncanny focus of the Cat Sith that made it so dangerous, and yet, Maea proved a quick learner. She followed along, stalking her and the fire-soul-sparker like the Cat Sith was currently stalking the real soul. Delphia twirled around, occasionally revealing the spark of fire that looked a soul. [say]"Come now, are you really going to let this silly mortal girl take a soul from you, tricky kitty?"[/say] She said lightly.
Then - success! The shadowy creature changed course, pouncing on Maea's feet. She grinned and laughed, the haunted sound echoing through the trees. [say]"A game of chase then? You're both too slow!"[/say] she called, picking up the pace slightly. The light of the fire flicker between her fingers at planned intervals, calling to the Cat Sith, coaxing it further from the haunted woods.
RE: Toothless bites, mouthless mutters, wingless fluttters - Maea - 02-17-2020
Maea stopped dead when the Cat Sith pounced at her feet, half to give it this small win, and half because... she dreaded what might happen if she accidentally stepped on it. Luckily, Delphia was quick on the uptake, their line of thinking fairly similar, and the woman began to spin and move away, picking up the pace to get a head start. Grinning, Maea sidestepped the not-cat and began to chase after the demigod.
[say]"I'm gonna get it first!"[/say] she teased the Cat Sith, and tried to block it from seeing the tantilizing glow of the 'soul'. [say]"Bet you can't catch it before me!"[/say]
All the while, she prayed this game of tag would really do the trick. Unsure of how long it would take, or what to do if this strategy failed, Maea made sure to keep her eyes on the shadows that bounded around her, ready to try and cut them off should they actually lunge for Delphia.
RE: Toothless bites, mouthless mutters, wingless fluttters - Random Event - 02-22-2020
They ran and ran and ran, and hooked perfectly, the little cat (and its horde of shadows) followed. It trilled and meowed and tried to pounce after the tiny soul fire, and all the while the two girls lured it further out of Ludo's woods, until the real soul was far behind them.
But all at once, the Cat Sith stopped in its tracks, eyes wide and black. It hissed.
And from one of the trees, surrounded by will-o-wisps, a porcelain mask watched the proceedings.
"Boo," it said.
The cat fled.
So there is no confusion - I was a bit lazy and couldn't be bothered to switch accounts. Maea and Delphia led the Cat Sith to Ludo, who told it boo and it ran away. xD
RE: Toothless bites, mouthless mutters, wingless fluttters - Maea - 02-22-2020
The mask (and Ludo) appeared in the trees, and the Cat Sith fled. When the shadows no longer danced around her, Maea slowed to a halt and bent double, trying desperately to catch her breath. Between the gasps, she couldn't help but laugh, and grinned at Delphia.
[Say]"That was fun!"[/say] she said, eyes glittering with excitement. All her weapons and worries had proved pointless in the end, and no doubt the success was all thanks to this ingenious woman and her clever toys. [Say]"Thank you so much for coming along on this!"[/say]
Straightening, Maea turned to the tree, where dancing lights lit up the night. Her eyes widened in delight at the sight of the will-o-wisps, finding their cold flames very beautiful indeed.