Morgan could count on one hand the amount of times she had visited a shrine in her life. Knowing she was Abandoned from birth she had never made an effort to be closer to the Gods, deciding that she would abandon them too; had been happy to leave them alone for years. In Torchline it had been a moment of weakness, a hope that Safrin might take a shine to her. Here, it was a practical attempt at allyship.
The enemy of her enemy was her friend, after all, and she knew the Old Gods may be invested in helping her find a way to lift the Ascended curse over Halo. Coming to the shrine in the Citadel she sat before it and lay out three items: a few coins bearing painted stars, a bowl of fruit, and a homemade doll. [say]"I come to speak with whomever might speak with me, about the 'New Goddess' and the threat she poses."[/say]
And Lo!, before Morgan there would appear...
...a cat?
The large, fluffy, silver house cat leaps upon the shrine with characteristic feline grace and sets to grooming its paw. A moment passes this way in silence before it turns its green eyes up to Morgan, as if to say, go on then.
Morgan certainly wasn't expecting to see a cat. Never having come to meet the Gods before, she wasn't sure entirely what she did expect to see, but it was certainly not an animal. This appearance implied to her that this might be a spirit rather than a deity and she felt herself relax a little, feeling more in her element.
Talking to the cat without missing a beat, she continued to explain. [say]"In the last month I've become increasingly aware of the Ascended within Halo and the Citadel. Not least of all our 'Warden' Neron has fallen to their curse and I have met others of their kind within our walls. "[/say] Morgan shook her head with a heavy sigh. [say]"I have been told these Ascended have caused a Blight in the past. That they oppose the Old Gods. I am myself not the greatest ally to them...but I was hoping for some kind of higher assistance in combating this Ascended threat. I have been concocting some plans."[/say]
From its perch atop the shrine the cat waits with all the patience of an old huntress. Her ears twitch when the captain mentions the blight, and it blinks when she mentions wanting assistance, tilting her head. Though the cat says nothing, the gesture clearly communicates a question: And?
The silence was not encouraging, but nor was it a dismissal, so Morgan took a breath and kept going. [say]"I have been meeting with people who may help. Those from the Grounds well used to the Ascended threat that might want to stop it's influence here. Those within the Citadel uncomfortable with the rise of Neron's family and the Ascended."[/say] She was certainly not the only one, though clearly he had support as well: one of her biggest hopes for her plans was that they might come out with minimal blood shed on either side.
[say]"I am currently aiming to attempt to dislodge Neron at the beginning of Flowerbirth. Our preparations for Longnight will have him busy and unready for a fight. Me and my allies will enter the palace and try to capture him and his cabinet. Some of the guard will stand by me...some will not."[/say] A difficult truth but a truth nonetheless. [say]"I am still worried this will not be enough. The Launceleyns are strong mages; so I am asking for some kind of blessing, if it can be given."[/say] That was about as much as she could explain. Morgan watched the cat expectantly.
The cat listens with the same feline intensity, green eyes bright in its mess of silver scruff. Halfway through it hops off the shrine, dropping down gracefully to twin around Morgan's feet. Her purring, though sounding like a normal cat, feels more like a roll of thunder; her fur is soft and silky as the finest of spun silk.
She moves to stand in front of Morgan, large and majestic in the low light, staring intently a moment longer before-
-hrrrrksquelchrk! -
-vomiting a hairball at the Captain's feet.
Clearly expectant the cat waits, unblinking, to see what Morgan will do.
Morgan watched the cat carefully as it gracefully moved around her, waiting for some kind of judgement. As their eyes met she thought it had to be coming, prepared herself for godly words of wisdom...then watched in disgust as the cat threw up.
Just like a real cat, she supposed.
[say]"...This is a refusal of my request, then."[/say] She stated, staring down at the hairball (though not going to scamper away or move it. She was not particularly squeamish).
Its sagacity falling upon deaf ears, the cat turns and saunters away, vanishing behind the shrine.
Only the hairball remains.
The cat vanished, leaving behind the hairball. Morgan stared at it for a further moment, unsure if she was being totally ridiculous...then with a sigh, reached in her pocket for something to use - finding a scrap of cloth that would have made do as a bandage in a dire situation, she picked up the hairball with it and wrapped it within the cloth.
Perhaps it was just gross and meaningless. But the spirits could sometimes give blessings in disguise...very good disguise. Making sure it was well wrapped, she put the hairball in a pocket on her bag before walking away.
The hairball doesn't seem particularly useful at the moment, and does seem particularly gross. But as she pockets it Morgan gets the feeling that she should keep it close- it may come in handy, one of these days.
Morgan has received: Magic Hairball | Protects the holder from one attack by Ascended technology. Single-use.
