Rest finally came and time was made to restore lost reserves of mana (and eat. eating is still important). Finally, it came time to look into the gnawed pile of human arms in the room Fluffy had taken for himself.

Although Mistral was ostensibly the owner of perhaps the largest single artificial structure on Earth, in Grey's absence she had lived like an unsettled ghost haunting its endless halls.  She had picked no place within the Ebon Pyramid to occupy, preferring to live a vagabond lifestyle in which she bedded down on a basic cot with only the barest necessities.  Her spartan accommodations were in fact literally without place, as they were co-located between many darkened alcoves at once, any location of which would quickly be abandoned if spotted by visitors.  After the destruction of multiple places she'd thought of as homes in varying degrees, perhaps she could not be blamed for difficulty in claiming any place as her own.  This intentional eschewing of comfort had toughened up her new body, but it did not equate to good rest and recovery.

Thus, despite the fourteen consecutive hours of sleep being sorely needed and helpful, Mistral still looked and felt tired when she rejoined Noah.  With a slightly over-large mug of Sir Jitters' special recipe black coffee in hand, she said to the dragon, "Fluffy has been rather busy, I understand.  The locals have taken to calling him la Tarasque, a hybrid dragon-beast with a lion's head from traditional folklore.  Not so far from the mark, as legends go."  She sipped the black brew as they somehow crossed a three-hundred meter vaulted corridor in just a few steps, the terrible smell growing stronger as they moved.  She said, "The lair is not far ahead now, though I have been hesitant to come too close.  The bone heaps send a less-than-welcoming message to our visitors, and new residents."
This message was last edited by the player at 18:14, Sun 17 July 2022.

Noah wasn't far off curled up with a slate out as he was setting up the details to wrap the whole tower in a 'hole in the middle' rote. He had a paranoia that someone was going to fire a missile at them at some point. "Kind of fitting when you think about it. Murder cat of doom McFluffy the third esquire isnt as interesting as Tarasque." He floated along as he was typing away. "All in all the cat is terrifyingly intelligent. If he has been attacking people it's because they shot at him." Fluffy and Noah had an extreme relationship. He thought of Fluffy as kind of a pest but he was sure Fluffy didn't attack without cause.

"How bad of a pile is it?"

 Wraith (with an exception of the duration he had been with Noah helping to save Grey) had been stationed by Jitters outside of Fluffy's door. He made for an intimidating door guard so no one in the tower had caught on yet.

 However, looking inside, the pile was nothing less than thirty arms (left arms, all of them), severed at the shoulder, that had been chewed down to the bone. Mistral (had she ever tried to scry on Fluffy's location) noted just how hard it was to pinpoint him. Even to an archmage such as her, his exact position was cloaked and dispersed to a rough radius of 100 miles.

 ... though a minimal amount of inquiry noted that one village in particular was disturbed about the presence of the Tarrasque.

"Quite the gruesome collection.  Some thirty arms...  left arms, plus précisément."

Mistral inclined her head to Wraith as they arrived at the lair, knowing it best to pay respect to the feline embodiment of death itself.  Looking in upon the grisly heaps of gnawed left arms, Mistral quickly surveyed the remains and traced their sympathy in search of any common factors between the victims.  Hunkering down to look closer at one of the newer chewed bones, she said, "Such dangerous behavior would normally earn destruction or banishment at the least, but I owe my own life to Fluffy more than once-over.  He deserves the benefit of our doubt, à mon avis."

Mistral arose and turned back toward Noah to say, "Fluffy is notoriously difficult to trace, even for moi.  There is one village in particular that has felt his presence more than any other, however.  You may wish to take a less alarming form, as the locals have good reason to be wary of dragons."  Sunlight shone in as the door that had previously fed out into the corridors of the Ebon Pyramid now opened directly out into a byway of a French country village.  This connection wasn't a disorienting portal but a seamless connection, as if these two disparate spaces had always been physically joined.  The archmagess strode out into the sunlit village and waited for company.

Turning around after passing through the door revealed the interior of a tiny, disused bus stop shelter rather than a bone-littered monster lair.  It was a tiny bus stop, after all, so it was strange to think that it might connect to anything else.  Mistral tucked hands into her hoodie pocket and took off walking out into the village, unsure as of yet what she was looking for.

 The people of this tiny town walked quickly, casting furtive glanced around them as they walked. They kept their distanced from people and spent no more time outside than they needed. Though the town was bright and seemed refreshing enough, a pall of fear had swept over the entire village.

 A quick walk around the town (which took less than an hour. It's a small town) revealed only one place that had been disturbed. It now had a pressboard nailed to the frame but the back door to a general store had deep gashes on it, resulting in the doorknob being torn clean out of the frame and then forced open.

 The owner of the store (an older French gentleman in his late 50s) recounted his tale of a terrible clicking monster tearing down the door. When he'd reached for his gun, the beast tackled him and struck him with spines (he produced the 6 inch spine to show you) causing him to lose the feeling in his arms. It then took a first aid kit from his store and flew away.

 Others, if asked, told stories of clicking sounds from the rooftops, of a feeling of being watched, and of the distorted sound of a woman calling for help.

Prior to departing Fluffy's lair and arm collection, Mistral cocked her head with interest and remarked to Noah, "Intéressante.  Thirty left arms, belonging to no more than ten individuals.  Perhaps the victims have une capacité extraordinaire to heal severed limbs, or something stranger.  Can you make anything of it?"  The archmage highlighted for Noah the subtle threads of sympathy that had led to this deduction, picking them apart from the rest.  She then performed spatial traces upon the owners of the missing limbs, attempting to find what had become of the rest of them.  If nothing came up then it was likely Fluffy had made a meal of them.  It would certainly be intriguing if any remained alive after losing three left arms.

Mistral toured the town as an unremarkable visitor, forgotten the moment any eyes turned from her.  She made note of the oppressive and paranoid atmosphere, though it was curious that none of the townsfolk appeared to have suffered direct assault from Fluffy.  The general store told more of the story, both in the form of physical evidence and in conversation with the proprietor, conducted in French.  She asked the gentleman if she might see where the first aid kit had been taken from, and looked for anything physical linked to it.  A portion of the taken kit itself would be best, but even others of its kind would be of use.  It would of course be a trivial matter for her to examine every detail of the store or indeed the village itself without anyone's knowledge or consent, but she would try for courtesy first.

After departing the store, Mistral quietly conferred with Noah, "Fluffy is not here to harm these folk, but he does hold some special interest in this place.  He broke into this shop with the goal to acquire first aid supplies.  The assault upon le propriétaire was incidental self-defense."  She paused to mull it over, then said, "Strange as it sounds, I believe that Fluffy attempts to care for someone's wounds."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:42, Tue 19 July 2022.

Noah started gesturing making a cat's cradle with threads in his hands until he made another pouch. "This one has a fair bit more beef to it Mr. Wraith. I am going to suggest we pack up your other suit and fold it into the gem of the key. That way if someone pops this one you have a backup right handy."

Noah twisted around and as he came back around as human Noah in his sharp black suit he normally wore. He had his Mana Star cane and a new emerald Tartan Tie. "Mana is scant so the Tass suit will have to wait." He nodded to her, "You're much more skilled with scrying than I will ever be. Most of the time he finds me and either knocks over whatever I am working on or mimics the voices of the group to screw with me."

Noah followed along as he could read the signs and he could read what people would say but he couldn't speak french himself. When the man held up a spine Noah held up his hands. "Its a contact poison of his. A hit in the head does some wild stuff but it's one of his nonlethal options. Though I have no idea what the poison's half-life is." Noah put on medical gloves and attempted to take the spine from the man. No need to have the poison around with civies.

Noah did wait until he was out of earshot, not knowing who could speak English around here. "Fluffy is smart but someone would have to had shown him what they needed. Moreover Fluffy must REALLY not want to hurt people here. It is in his genetics to want to remove the arms holding guns. The fact the store guy still has both of his arms is a huge sign of restraint. Kinda proud of the murder cat." He reached up touching the space between her shoulder blades, giving access to his shot gun blast of various spheres should it help her.

 The owner took her to the shelf where the kit had been taken. Aside from claw gashes in the metal, nothing looked particularly out of place (ie. the shelf had been restocked).

Prior to departing through the door to the village Mistral looked Noah's dapper presentation up and down, then considered her own nondescript hoodie and leggings.  Such disparity in style would not do for going incognito.  She sighed and with a gesture she suddenly appeared to be wearing a stylish olive trenchcoat, matching slacks, a blue scarf and a modern version of a deerstalker hat to complete the gumshoe look.  Mistral then stepped out through the doorway without elaboration.

OOC: Beat 3 successes on Composure + Gnosis to detect the outfit as illusory, though it's probably not hard to infer ;)


As Noah spoke Mistral went briefly still with eyes fixed in the middle distance as she performed multiple sympathetic traces and scryings simultaneously.  She used to have to sit down and flutter her eyelids to focus her attentions elsewhere, but she had improved her aptitude since those times.  A faint smile touched her lips as she reported quietly, "Someone has shown him, evidently.  Fluffy cares for a wounded woman in un château abandonné in the hills near to here.  There is rather more to this murder-cat than one might think."  She began walking in a direction and said quietly along the way, "We shall go there, but first I've another lead."  A brief walk through a narrow byway between a stony wall and a hedge transitioned seamlessly into a forested path, even though there were no forests immediately bordering the village.  A glance behind revealed the village was now gone, as a matter of fact.  Mistral stopped at the forest's edge to regard a Romani traveler trailer park not far distant, nestled in among the trees just off a dirt road.  She remarked to Noah, "We are now some eight kilometers outside the village.  The collection of left arms originated from this place, although I see no person missing limbs.  Curieuse."

Mistral turned to Noah and asked, "It is entirely possible that we shall not be welcomed here.  Would you like to do the talking?  It is not my strong suit."  She intended to approach and inquire about any recent troubles with local wildlife or the village, asking as a neutral outsider.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:49, Wed 20 July 2022.

PM

Mistral raised a hand in a halting gesture to Noah as she gazed out toward the trailer park, and to those that gazed back.  To him she whispered, "You may want your Second Sight.  You have attracted attention."

She addressed the gathered wolf spirits in the susurrating whisper of the Shadow Tongue, "Greetings.  We have come seeking peaceful parley regarding the Taker-of-Arms.  Who leads here?"

"Your mastery of transition magic is enough to make anyone dizzy." He was still tickled about flashing around with no vertigo. He couldn't help but smile when Mist offered for him to speak and she spoke up. She really had changed from the shadow she had once been even if she was still speaking down of her ability out of habit.

He blinked up his sustained death sight in his right eye and omni in his left. "The city-wide suggestion to sleep broke something inside. I can't even cast magic without burning mana... Not sure if them looking at me is a result of that or just my scent?"

"A friend once told me, not all but most Gypsies are werewolves... I hope they are in a speaking mood."

Mistral whispered, "As well it might.  That ought to have been an Imperial working, but I have never known you to follow rules."  She laid a hand upon Noah and opened his sight to the large pack of wolf spirits presently watching him.

"As for who dwells here, I believe we shall learn soon enough."  Naming the Taker-of-Arms up front was perhaps a risky diplomatic play with the Arm-Takens, but Mistral generally preferred to get straight to the point.

OOC: Cast Grant the Second Sight on Noah

 One of the wolf spirits broke off from the pack and returned a minute or so later. The pack then began to move as one to the trailer park. There they met with a burly man with a chin that could have cut glass wearing black pants and a flannel shirt. His hair was slicked back and he had a rifle slung over his shoulder and a 9 inch knife at his belt. "Salutations étrangers. Je m'appelle Gaston. Qu'espérez-vous apprendre ici ?"

Mistral and Noah stood across a forest meadow from the burly huntsman who was apparently the leader of the pack of spirit wolves.  He was well-armed and in fearsome company, but he greeted them reasonably enough... in French.  It seemed that she would be the one to do the talking after all.

"Enchantée, Gaston.  Je m'appelle Mistral, et voici Noah."  She tipped her illusory deerstalker hat to the man, and then went on, "Nous suivons la Tarasque, et son sentier nous a amené ici. Connaissez-vous cette bête?"

French... Noah looked off into space as he read the live translation. Grey was a blessing and a half even if she wasn't directly there. Once he got the introduction he inclined his head slightly.

This was well in Mistrals hands. So he looked off into the distance. He was curious what animal made up their caern spirit.

 Gaston eyed Mistral warily. "Et que sauriez-vous de cette bête ? Comment exactement sa piste nous a-t-elle mené?"

 Mistral noticed the others in the camp begin to gather. They shared his wariness and the spirit wolves began to look anxious, pacing back and forth around the two.

Noah tilted his head and watched the wolf spirits prowling. He beamed his next words over the connection Mist and He kept up nearly all the time. ~mange on the wolf spirits. Not a good sign.~ He stood with the cane held normally but between he and the amassing werewolves.

~I dont see a big spirit either. Dont wolves have like a totem spirit or something?~

OOC: Continuing to speak in French, but formatting it like "<speech>", just to save us the extra google translate step :)

"<The Tarasque is a friend of ours.  This land is new to him, and he does not know who abides here.  It is possible that he has... misbehaved.  We seek first to know what has occurred, so matters may be set right.>"  Mistral chose her words carefully, as what would constitute 'setting matters right' could vary quite a bit depending what they learned.  After a long pause she went on, "<My tracking method is my own, but let us say that we have followed a trail of blood.  Blood from missing arms.  You know of what I speak, yes?>"

As she spoke aloud Mistral examined the spiritual landscape with her archmage's expanded awareness, studying what ailed the spirits.  In Noah's head, Mistral reported her findings and said, ~These ones seek to hunt Fluffy.  It is possible that they have good reason to do so.  I hope that we might come to an accord, but if we cannot?  I am prepared.~

 Gaston reached up to hold his left arm when Mistral mentioned it. <"Yes. I know of what you speak and, since you know as well, that makes this very simple. Your 'friend' hunts us now regularly and torments the people of the village below. Not only that, it has desecrated our sacred places. We will find and kill it. Only then will matters be set right.">

Mistral's suspicions had been correct that Fluffy had been collecting the arms of creatures capable of regeneration, which pointed to a prolonged conflict with the residents of this camp.  This was unfortunate.  Maintaining her placid demeanor, she said, "<I understand, and it pains me to hear of it.  Not as much as it has pained you, but still.>"  That may have been a morbid joke, although the dry delivery made it difficult to tell.  Mistral paused then added, "<We have visited the village and have found that the Tarasque has not killed there to our knowledge, but has defended itself.  Indeed, one wonders why he has taken limbs that threaten but does not follow through with the kill.  Perhaps he does not see you as his enemy.>"

Mistral then asked, cautiously, "<I would be curious to know the tale of your first encounter with the Tarasque.  How did this conflict begin?>"  She made note of the ailing state of the local spirits, but would rather not tip that hand just yet.  It may well be a factor in this conflict, one way or another.

 Gaston glowered, perhaps in part from the jest, but also likely from the rememberance of the event. <"It interrupted an important sacred rite and desecrated our altar before maiming us and leaving. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have plans to make. Even though this creature is a friend of yours, I would suggest you consider your position in this conflict carefully. We have no quarrel with either of you but that beast has committed grave offences that will not go unanswered.">

 With that, Gaston began to return to the others in the camp. The rest watched you warily.

Mistral peered intently at Gaston as he recalled the encounter, perhaps seeing more of it than he intended to convey.  She inclined her head toward the huntsman and the others and said, "<Thank you for speaking with us, Gaston.  I do indeed carefully consider my position in all things, which is why I seek to see all sides.  Au revoir, for now.>"

She turned to Noah with a nod and a faint smile, then turned around and strode back down the trail from which they'd emerged.  Soon enough the underbrush and leaf-strewn ground gave way to elsewhere in a seamless transition.  Mistral casually remarked to Noah as they traversed miles in a few strides, "That was instructive.  Did you discover anything of interest whilst I chattered?"

"Not likely anything you don't already know." Noah kept looking about as he was expecting something, "I didn't see their totem sponsor, and the wolf spirits looked to be at the start of illness. Gaston has Neurotic Anxiety, strikes me as a victory at any cost but mine kinda person."

"Think we should ask Jitters? He would know more of spirits on a far more intimate level. Either way they are going to mad dash if not be following us using spirits."

 Gaston's mind proved slightly (1 success) more resilient than Mistral might have hoped and so, heading out, she was left with only her suspicions of what might have happened.

 The castle was decrepit but still standing. Mistral immediately noticed large (300-500lb) stones sitting atop ledges where they should not be and where they could easily fall on someone walking underneath.

 However, with her senses, they were easy enough to bypass. The woman did not call out and, when they went to find her, she was not where Mistral knew she had been. The blanket had been left, the fire still crackled, and Fluffy's ominous clicking could be heard echoing through the halls.

Mistral smirked at Noah and said, "Doubtful.  You work in the most senseless ways and yet arrive at valid conclusions nonetheless.  It is one of the things about you that I find both annoying and admirable."

"Oui, the malaise spirituel touches the forest as well, although it has only just begun.  In time, however, this region will suffer for it.  I would hope to reverse the problem as a token of good will."  At the suggestion to bring in Jitters, Mistral readily agreed, "The canny aid of Chevalier Jitters is always welcome.  Have you means to call upon him, or shall I?"

At the mostly-abandoned chateau, Mistral spoke into Noah's mind, ~This is where they have taken refuge, and it would seem that Fluffy expects unwelcome visitors."  She took a moment outside the corroded gates to raise a ward over the decrepit, ivy-draped structure, binding it to the world with a word and a gesture of her fluted iron wand.  She donned the glasswalker silk blindfold, then led the way inside with her senses cast omnidirectionally.

Within, it was plain to see that Fluffy and the young woman had gone into hiding.  After a brief search turned up nothing, Mistral called out in a voice that carried across distance despite her soft tone, "Bonjour, Fluffy et mademoiselle."  She went on in French, for the girl's benefit, "<We are friends to Fluffy, and his friends are ours.  We have come to help.  Please speak with us.>"  She could find at least the girl in an instant, but this situation warranted a more delicate touch.

Noah nodded and pulled out his slate, "Making him a Jitter's sized slate was one of my better ideas." He knew bouncing of a Sat would work but the connection would be horrid, so best to text the hero. ~Hey Jitters, how much do we affect you? We found a camp of wolves with some kind of sickness seeping into the spirits there. How does that kind of thing work?~

Mistral was handling the singer so Noah, much to his mild grumpiness, would have to handle Fluffy. He tapped his cane on the ground to match the tempo of Fluffy clicks. "Monday McDoom Fluffy Esquire, you being a hero as of late, mmm?"

He thought out loud, "There is likely a reason he brought her here and the limbs to the tower."

He pulled out his slate again, ~Jitters, there must be a reason Fluffy brought the girl here and the limbs to the tower. It may mean the people he has taken the limbs from know where the tower is. The Ark Crew is top priority but keep your eyes peeled, please.~

 There was another set of clicking noises that echoed throughout the castle then a whoosh and much more silent set of (much closer) clicks that more resembled claws on stone. From above could be heard a voice of an announcer, though garbled, distorted, much quieter (as though the volume had been turned town), and in French. <"Bring forth the sacrifice!">

 There were more clicks of claws on stone then a whoosh and the thud of something Fluffy-sized landing on the ground. Then, from slightly ahead of them came Noah's voice (though, again, garbled and distorted) "That's right, come closer you creepy fuck."


----------

 Meanwhile, Jitters responded. ~Sickness in the spirit world usually represents corruption of the natural order. With nature spirits, pollution can do it but it can also be an ideological corruption. After all, evil starts by reconciling very small transgressions and continues until morality is stripped away.

 Also, Understood. We will be on high alert.~

Noah smiled, "You know you enjoy my traps. But that does explain why they want her and why she is hurt..." He tapped his cane as he followed along, "Thank you, by the way. You could have killed that shop owner but you didn't."

---
~Thank you Sir Jitters. Do let us know if we ever affect you in a way you would rather not let us know. You're family.~

 Fluffy responded only by clicking and tapping his claws upon the stone. He stopped if he ever got too far ahead, waiting on you to catch up before bringing you to a room with an iron-reinforced door that was still very solid despite its age.

 There was a sudden thump on the door and tapping of claws against wood in a particular pattern. There was the sound of an iron bar sliding before the door swung open under Fluffy's weight.

 Inside was a young woman (likely in her late teens) in bloodied hiking gear. She sat rubbing her injured leg and the sounds of Fluffy's footsteps indicated that he had taken up a position close beside her.

 <"Hello. You must be friends with Mister Monday. Pleased to meet you. My name is Belle. I would stand and greet you properly but, as you can see, I'm rather indisposed at the moment.">

 A loud purring noise could be heard to her right and slightly behind Belle and she raised a hand to stroke an invisible head.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:48, Sat 23 July 2022.

The mimicked voice confirmed Mistral's suspicion that Fluffy had rescued the girl from threatening circumstances, and that Gaston's 'holy ritual' had been more nefarious than he'd let on.  An enigmatic smile touched Mistral's lips as she stepped toward the invisible, clicking presence with a hand extended.  She ensured her form was substantial now even though she knew that Fluffy was capable of easily tearing her arm off.  After all, how could she give proper scritches while insubstantial?  "It is good to be unable to see you again, Fluffy.  You've caused quite a stir with the locals."

She followed along as the invisible beast led the way to a cleverly-secured saferoom, where at last they were admitted to meet Fluffy's new friend.  Mistral waved to the girl and spoke to her in French, "<Hello, madamoiselle Belle.  It is a pleasure to meet you.  Yes, Fluffy is a longtime companion of ours.  This is Noah, and you may call me Mistral.  Do you mind English, for the benefit of our poor Ricain friend?>"  Mistral gestured with her eyes toward Noah.  She then went on in whichever language the girl preferred, "<It would seem that we have failed to adequately provide for Fluffy when bringing him to France, and thus he has gotten into some trouble.  That is not ideal, but I am glad at least that he has been such trouble to the connards who sought to sacrifice you, madamoiselle.  I should like to hear the full tale, but first: what do you need?  If there is anyplace you would feel safer or to receive medical attention, I will bring you there.  If there is anything I may bring to you, that can also be arranged.  Food and drink first, perhaps?>"

 Mistral once more found that it was harder to trace the recording than she'd thought (it being a playback from a different creature). However, she managed to glean enough information to know that it wasn't Gaston who said it.

 Belle's English was poor but it was serviceable enough to convey her thoughts. <"So Fluffy is his name? Had he not caused trouble, I most certainly would not be here today. I was attacked by monsters while hiking in the woods and they dragged me to a cave with an altar. The next thing I knew, I was flying and I landed here.

 When I heard the clicking, I was terrified at first, but he has brought me food, firewood, and medical supplies. I asked him to get help from the village below. When you arrived, I thought that was what you were until he hid me away. Speaking of, I need to get to a hospital. I think I my need surgery.">

OOC: Paraphrased to edit out a lot of hemming and hawing as she searched for the right English word to use.

Noah chuckled, "Bless you both. Grey is translating to the screen in my eye so I can understand what you are saying, I just can't speak a lick of French other than what I hear out of Mist day to day." Noah leaned down and gave the woman's wounds a good look over, "Doctor Meep is about the best you're going to find. A bit in the dumps as of late, I hope we can get him in better spirits as he loved his work."

4 successes on healers trance.

He reached out and placed a hand on Mist's shoulder so she could share on what little life magic Noah knew. "Given the skill of the verger you'll be safe in no time." He looked over to Fluffy. "What do you say? Get her to the tower and we can then root out the wolves?"

Mistral spoke telepathically to Noah, ~Has Meep the supplies and the facilities to perform this surgery?~

OOC: I forgot that Mist has Universal Language up, so Belle will hear French and Noah will hear English, and I guess even Fluffy probably understands her perfectly, too :P

"Fluffy is how he was introduced to us, but I suspect he himself would prefer whatever name you call him by, madamoiselle."  Fluffy had been friendly to and protective their cabal in his own way, but it was clear that he had formed a special bond with Belle.  Mistral would never admit it aloud, but she found the two of them quite adorable.  Turning toward the deep purring sounds, Mistral asked the monstrous feline, "Fluffy, have you hunted any particularly grand spirits recently?"

To Belle's request to be brought to a doctor for surgery, Mistral nodded and said, "That can surely be arranged."  Observing the girl's hiking gear, Mistral inquired, "Are you local to this area, or non?  The village is in rather a state of fear from our mutual friend, although he tends to have this effect.  Have you anywhere you wish to return to, Belle?  Or to anyone?"  The Ebon Pyramid was a long way from the normal world this young lady was used to, and though they did have accommodations to offer if she wanted them, Mistral did not intend to kidnap her if she wished to return to her life.

Mistral asked Belle, "One last thing.  What do you know your kidnappers, and have you any names, or at least descriptions?"

~Not currently. That is a lot of equipment that needs to be moved. Do you have a weight limit?~ Noah sat down fully, "I was the one who named him Monday. It was a Garfield joke."

Noah rubbed his face a bit as he looked over to Mistral, "This is a series of behaviors for Fluffums that is unique from his genetic expression. I can't express how profound this is for him. On part with Scar choosing to allow his wounds to be healed."

---

He pulled out his slate and tried to get through to Meep. "How you feeling buddy?"

- an addendum to a previous post-

 When Mistral reached out to touch Fluffy, her hand touched something that resembled an iguana but the mane across where she touched his back was covered in those same quills that the shopkeeper had shown you. Though you did not prick yourself (the quills were laid down flat), your fingers began to grow slightly numb... not enough to impair movement, but enough to make them feel unwieldly.

OOC: though it is delivered via quill, the paralysis toxin is contact based but, in small quantities, functions as an anesthetic.

-----------------------------------

 Belle nodded. <"Yes. My grandfather runs the general goods shop in town. I was hoping to get the message to him that I am okay.">

 Meep replied on Noah's slate. ~Doing as well as I can. Did you need help with something?~

 When asked about her kidnappers, she turned slightly pale. <"I cannot. It was all a blur and the memories are hazy. They were giant... monsters. That's all I can really remember.">


 As the group spoke, Fluffy's purring suddenly ceased and he began clicking profusely before letting out a low growl and clacking up the side of the wall. From there, the clicking continued from the roof.

~I feel guilty for snapping you from area to area but I want to find you a home rather than an office, the whole dracula thing kinda halted me there, sorry man.. The Ebon tower is getting started and the survivors of the hunters are there but we have a young woman. Minor infection, fracture in the mid Tibia according to a healers trance. It has gone untreated for a few days. If you get me a list of what you will need I am sure we can get it for you sir.~

~We have werewolves inbound so I may be slow to reply.~

---

He smiled at Belle. "Seems like you have undesired company. Belle, what you are about to see is real, I need you to stay focused but if the big monsters come in I need everything at the ready. And as horrid as the monsters you've seen could have been, you have a monster on your side."

"And I don't mean fluffy. But that murder cat is a damn good judge of character. I am happy you two have met." He looked at Mistral, "If I change here she will go catatonic. Do we just evac? I kinda want to go to war to keep them both safe now. A warm and fuzzy happy feeling war."
This message was last edited by the player at 05:27, Mon 25 July 2022.

~Weight falls into the same category of specious conceptions as 'distance' and 'location'.  I do not have limits of that kind.  We will make arrangements for Meep's facilities afterward, but in the meantime I will bring Belle to where she might receive more immediate care.~  After petting Fluffy Mistral flexed her half-numbed fingers and reminded herself that no matter how friendly the great beast decided to be in this moment, he was still an apex predator with biology designed for killing.

It seemed that trouble was arriving soon.  Mistral nodded to Noah, then addressed Belle frankly, "Madamoiselle, it would seem that the monsters have arrived.  We will handle this matter on your behalf, and you need concern yourself with them no longer.  I can bring you away to safety en un clin d'œil, and to receive proper medical care at Hôpitaux du Pays du Mont-Blanc.*  I will leave it to your decision, but I strongly recommend you take my offer.  You may contact your grandfather from there.  Choose now, if you would."  Mistral then addressed Fluffy, "Fluffy, be assured that Belle will be perfectly safe and will receive proper healing.  I will even accompany her personally whilst we attend to matters here, if you and she wish it."

*this is a real hospital in the region the Ebon Pyramid is in, so Belle would likely know of it if she's local!

Should Belle accept the offer to be delivered to hospital then Mistral would give her and Fluffy a moment for farewells.  She would then perform a simple gesture and deliver herself and Belle to an unoccupied restroom in the lobby of Hôpitaux du Pays du Mont-Blanc, at which point she would acquire a wheelchair and then begin the process of checking Belle in for treatment.  If Belle decided to remain, then other measures would be required.

Meanwhile at the château, where Mistral also remained, she cast her senses outward to see what threats may come.  If a pack of werewolves and their spirit brethren came with intent to do harm, they would soon discover the folly of attacking a place guarded by the Mistress of the Ebon Tower...

 Belle requested to be sent to the hospital but was curious as to how to get there. A little bit of Tenebremancy to "grease the wheels" ensured that her Disbelief would not create Paradox... though she remained quite disoriented, staring in disbelief and wonderment.

 Now came the problem at hand. There were wolf spirits (at a distance, mind you) but that was not what Fluffy was fixated. Instead, his attention was turned to the village that could be seen below. As it was getting dark, there was the distinct presence of flashlights and torches in large numbers. A quick changing of the scrying revealed that Gaston was agitating the villagers, fanning the flames of mob violence against Fluffy while providing a shield of Sleepers large enough that even Tenebremancy would be hard pressed to suppress the backlash.

https://youtu.be/rh98Kscctw4?t=8

Mistral had honestly failed to consider that Belle would consider it strange to be in a decrepit château one moment and then in the next moment find herself in a clean restroom in the middle of a populated town.  Recent events had been rather extraordinary and she had become accustomed to bending reality to her will, which had perhaps cause her to lose touch with the mundane.  There was probably something unhealthy in that.  To Belle she said in French, "<Apologies, I ought to have warned you of my... experimental transportation methods.  I would ask to keep it between us."  Mistral carried on checking Belle in for medical treatment as if nothing odd had occurred.

Back at the château, Mistral groaned audibly as she descried the scene in the village.  She explained to Noah and to Fluffy, "Gaston foments a mob of townsfolk against Fluffy.  They have the modern equivalents of torches and pitchforks already.  Une telle folie."  She sent along the imagery of what she was seeing to Noah via their telepathic link.  She then adjusted her Scrying to analyze the scene and pick out any agitators apart from the obvious leader.  As she searched she said, "Diverting this number of Sleepers with supercherie spatiale presents difficulty.  I have a solution in mind to subtly quell this agitation, although it is a method which I normally do not prefer.  If it would stop a violent mob, however, then I would deem it worthwhile."

While continuing to observe from afar she asked to Noah, "Have you wild ideas, mon dragon?"

PM

PM

Noah flipped over a few choice files on his slate. "Bout the best I have for now is to scare them off till we can relocate our lawyer Mr. Fluffums n' co. I have some of my containment drones. I could have them auto-play Fluffs clicking noise so it sounds like its not one but a number of them. Then once they reach their most 'what the fuck' isim, I can then hit them with a roar."

"Or we can just put the suggestion to sleep in them. That worked last time."

"Or we can put Fluff in one of my Tass suits if we can talk him into it. He will be the most angry of all owls."

 Mistral found that Gaston's presence seemed to vex her magic considerably

 Everything seemed to be going wrong. The labyrinth did not cover as much space as planned, the emotional urging did little to affect that many people, and Gaston himself seemed nearly immune to her mental influences.

 Fluffy abruptly decided to take matters into his own paws and flew off into the woods. With him being as difficult to track as he was, it did not take more than a few seconds to lose him entirely.

"I had hoped to make peace between Fluffy and the locals rather than stoke further fears, but it seems that cet oiseau s'est envolé.  I lack the means to calm such numbers, nor to hinder them in a way that would not cause incrédulité de masse."  Mistral then cursed quietly to herself and reported to Noah, "Fluffy has gone out to take matters upon himself.  My remaining options to put a stop to this are rather more... drastic."

Mistral kept a remote eye upon the mob, but appeared before the wolf spirits gathered outside the château in her gleaming archmage spirit form.  Keeping within the invisible boundaries of her ward, she addressed the gathered spirits in the whispering Shadow tongue, "I am the Mistress of the Ebon Tower, and I come to negotiate terms on la Tarasque's behalf.  He has done harm to you and your keepers in defense of an innocent girl brought to sacrifice.  Your keepers now stoke hatred and malcontent among the people, wounding the spiritual resonance of this land, and of yourselves.  It would be to the benefit of all to find a better way."

Noah blinked as he got an idea, and started undressing and putting on his jammy pants he wore when he was in dragon form. "I just had a wild idea, God bless the French."

He clacked his teeth, "Fluffy, I know you can hear me murder cat. If you want to keep your singing lady safe come here. Ill need you to hop into a suit. If we can make Gasty look a fool your lady will be safe and you can hunt freely."

"And I'll buy you a whole Texas long horn to eat."

He whipped his head down and messed up his hair. He also pulled from his bag some of his instant Jitters coffee.

 Unfortunately, Mistral's appeal to the wolf spirits had roughly as much effect as Noah's appeal to Fluffy... who Mistral finally managed to start tracking because he'd grabbed a branch containing a 3ft long wasp's nest and said nest was now flying toward the mob at high altitude and velocity.

OOC: going to pause here because Mistral now has a bead on Fluffy's location even though he's not responding.

Mistral could only smirk when Noah summoned dragon-sized pajamas and Jitters jet-fuel coffee.  She had absolutely no clue what he had in mind, and she had long since learned it was better not to attempt to critically examine Noah's methods.  Looking too closely would lead to the (justifiable) temptation to temper the absurdity, which would be counterproductive considering that his most absurd plans tend to be the most wildly successful ones.  Mistral sighed with amused resignation, "Be about your nonsense, then.  Bonne chance."

It was unfortunate that the spirit wolves seemed to be of lower nature and not subject to reason, which made the unexplainable absence of a greater spirit leader all the more glaring.  It was likely Fluffy had simply eaten the cairn spirit, which would be unfortunate for any hope of peace talks.  Whatever the case, spiritual negotiation was a non-starter in the present emergency, so that matter must wait for later.

Just as she turned away from the spirit wolf pack Mistral detected Fluffy enroute to the mob bringing a hornet's nest, of all things.  It was a dangerous prank, but it showed signs that Fluffy recognized that a full-on massacre was not a good solution.  She reported telepathically to Noah, ~You will be proud of Fluffy.~  She psychically shared with him the live scried vision of what the clever murder-beast was up to.

Mistral took no action to stop what was happening... for now.

 Fluffy bombed the angry mob with a giant wasp's nest as he flew away but, rather than exploding in a cloud of angry wasps, the paper nest's trajectory was suddenly and wildly thrown off course, somehow managing to hit him in the groin even though it had been dropped behind him.

 There was an oof in the darkness, followed by a few seconds of silence, then a scream of unbridled agony as Gaston took off running into the woods swinging his arms wildly. Without the nest, Mistral could no longer track Fluffy and Gaston's departure did little to dissuade the angry mob... but Gaston himself was neutralized for the moment.

 That said, the mob was getting quite close to the decrepit castle.

Noah clapped his hands on a little portion of mana, scattering it like dust. He worked a bit of prime and infused the area with a phantasm. He painted a picture of a castle that just had a rich hiking couple camp within. Complete with a number of trade mark gadgets that marked them as American tourists, to feed the expectations of the French who lived in a tourist town.

"Step one in hypnosis, interruption expected patterns and subvert assumptions.
" If he could get the locals questioning what they had been told at all, it would be a gamble but it would remove trust from the wolves and hopefully get them to abandon the wolves.

Not to mention Fluffy could remain unseen, they could later work on his image. But for his plan to work he needed the wolves off center. So he fed a mana into his form just to boost the presence. Unlike humans he was counting on the werewolf supernatural senses.

This was going to be interesting...

Gaston was was dealt with for now, although Mistral expected he would be a problem later.  Mistral's prior efforts to subtly divert or dissuade the mob had failed, so now they were at the doorstep despite the loss of their leader.  Further efforts to stop them would necessarily be more severe and risking of mass disbelief or paradox.

In the hospital in town, Mistral's physical form was a forgettable background character awaiting the physicians who would see Belle.  As they waited she asked the girl, "<Have you much great attachment to the château?  It is rather in disrepair.>"  It was quite possible that Molotov cocktails may soon be flying toward it, and Mistral was considering the variables about whether the derelict structure was worth defending.

 Now in a hospital bed, Belle shook her head. <"No. I do not. I was merely taken there after escaping the monsters.">

 Meanwhile, the mob had reached the gate to the decrepit castle. They began to force their way in but Fluffy had returned. Unfortunately, Noah was largely unsuccessful in his attempt to divert the ire of the mob. The only reason he wasn't lynched was because of the large stone that came crashing down between Noah and the mob, sending dust flying and buying Noah a moment to escape.

Noah moved around to break line of sight. "Looks like they are not in the mood for a chat even in the slightest. Perhaps a rage power of some kind? Either way we will need to figure out if Guss Guss is the result for that infection. Cant have a bunch of dancers loitering the area."

"Shall we evacuate and reorient?"

 Noah's communication was interrupted by one of the villagers screaming ad he was dragged off into the night sky.

 The mob turned its attention away from Noah and toward the direction the villager was taken, giving Noah some more breathing room.

Once the abducted villager was lifted far enough up to be no longer visible to the mob below, the screaming individual suddenly winked out of existence and reappeared back in the village outside the door of whatever medical establishment may exist there.  Mistral wasn't aware of the extent of the fellow's wounds or whether the medics were in or not, but she had done what she could and had more pressing matters to attend to.

At nearly the same moment Fluffy's clicking ended suddenly in the sky above the château, then resumed far away in the chamber full of severed arms deep within the Ebon Pyramid.  The clicking would likely take on a displeased character as Fluffy found himself to be suspended in the air above the chamber floor, immovable even by gravity from that fixed point in space.

As soon as Noah had moved himself out of the mob's sight he would find his surroundings rapidly changed from the nighttime château grounds with a mob roaring nearby, to the stony halls of the Ebon Pyramid lit by Grey-power.  Mistral was already there brooding in the shadows of her hood and sighed with resignation, "That went rather worse than I'd hoped.  Belle and we are safely away and Fluffy is contained, at the least.  The mob may do as it will, now."  She turned to glance in the direction of the angry clicking echoing down the corridor.

---

 And, as suddenly as they'd appeared, they were gone, back to the safety of the Ebon Pyramid. Fluffy was indeed clicking angrily but, held as he was, there was no escape for him. His grabbing of the villager had been the only means to target him, but it had worked.

"They had to have some kind of mind spell on the crowd, they went real fast and did not spend a whole lot of time talking to them. Not to mention they just ignored a phantasm that should have grabbed them by the nose and held them."

"So some kind of werewolf shenanigans?" He walked up closer to Fluffy. "Buddy, buddy, you did good out there. You did real good. We have a line on the girl and she is safe and sound. Getting Patched up and you'll get to see her in no time. Trust me buddy, I know how it is with a gal and her monster."

"I'm really proud of you big guy. You've learned so much, come so far, and that was some brilliant preparation out there. Best murder cat ever."

"Oui, Gaston had some way to reduce the efficacy of willworking in his local space.  Plutôt vexant.  At least we dealt with him for the time being..."  Apropos of nothing, Mistral broke out in a dry sing-song voice,

"No one screams like Gaston,
No one flees like Gaston,
With pants full of angry bees like Gaston..."

She sighed and went on, "It will not be the last we see of him, I believe.  The spiritual malaise in the area is a result of his fear-mongering driving the populace to anger and loathing.  I would as soon drop him into the Gobi desert and wash our hands of him, but I imagine there is a better path."

To Fluffy, Mistral agreed, "You have done very well, Fluffy, and know that we do not blame you for this misunderstanding.  The people who came to hurt you and Belle were misled, and I only brought you away to ensure your safety.  The danger is passed and Belle is safe, so if you simply calm yourself and behave I will release you."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKJp_5lKiXI

 Fluffy's response was a bone-rattling roar that echoed through the pyramid. The congealed space made it (VERY) vaguely possible to see his outline attempting to thrash around within the suspended space. Despite soothing words, Fluffy was currently a very angry cat.


 Should Mistral look, the villagers had begun milling about in the castle, looking for signs of Fluffy to no avail. Then, when there was no outlet for their fury, they set fire to the accumulated brush inside and stepped outside to watch it burn.

 Gaston, for his part, had fled. Instead of finding him though, Mistral could only find another pair of severed arms sitting in the snow.

Noah put fists on hips and kept his smile for Fluffy. "Think you can make a mirror portal so Fluffy can hear Belle sing? He isn't going to calm down till he knows she is safe and that is only gonna happen if he hears her sing. Worst case is once they set her leg we can pull her here with the good doctor."

He turned around in full ascended dragon form. "I am going to take a lap or two around the apartments so the tower residents know it is all well under control. This is a safe place and they should feel safe."

Mistral inclined her head and raised a hand to trace out a small aperture in space just outside the spatial warp suspending Fluffy in place.  With the tap of a finger the aperture opened a view into a well-lit, pastel-colored hospital room where Belle sat up on the bed in a paisley gown with wounded leg propped up, speaking to a resident doctor while a nurse worked in the background.  Belle looked tired and in pain, but she smiled nonetheless as she spoke.  Sat next to the bed was an exact replica of Mistral, who was seemingly the only one in the room able to see the portal.  The Mistral in the Pyramid said to Fluffy, "She has just had her X-Rays.  The doctor explains to her the plan to set the bone and apply the nano-fiber mesh to immobilize the leg for recovery."

In the hospital room, Mistral glanced away from the small portal aperture visible only to her and listened to the doctor conferring with Belle.  After another minute the conversation had concluded, and the resident doctor departed to make preparations, leaving herself alone with Belle for perhaps twenty minutes before it would be time to set the bone.  After a pause, Mistral said to Belle, "Fluffy is safe away from those who wish him harm, but he is rather upset.  Would you sing for him, madamoiselle?  He will hear your voice."
This message was last edited by the player at 10:40, Mon 08 Aug 2022.

Noah landed attaching himself to the balcony outside, poking his head in. "Laps made, people look fairly ok." He smiled as Mist already had the ball rolling. "Its mind bending thinking on how you split your attention like that. Girl got skill." He would be in a coma and a half even trying.

There was a hope Belle could calm fluffums down. She would likely need to be adopted and added to the ever growing family. All the odd lot of the world connecting and growing. It was going to be a bright and fun future.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:24, Mon 08 Aug 2022.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLorDVbY6KM

 Fluffy had been practically vibrating in his suspended state. Spines from his body distorted the light immediately around him, obsfucating his form into a cloud (and, when the suspension was lifted, likely into a projectile volley in every direction). Though he was not able to actually escape, there was no doubt that anyone who crossed that threshold (or was in the same room with him when the suspension was lifted) would have a very bad day.

 He thrashed violently within the infinite space, trying to maul anything he could reach... that was, until Belle began to sing. Her voice was, in a word, beautiful. It filled both the hospital room and the apartment where Fluffy made his lair.

 It was only then that the thrashing ceased. By the end of the verse it had stopped entirely. By the end of the second verse, Noah and Mistral could hear purring.

 There was, of course, the volley of tranquilizer spikes that would be unleashed when the suspension was unleashed but... for now... Fluffy was calm.

Mistral waited in placid silence as Fluffy roared and raged within his prison of infinite space with a multitude of envenomed quills suspended dangerously in flight all around him.  Then, Belle began to sing beautifully, and the shift in mood was palpable.

Soon enough Fluffy was purring contentedly, and the stoic archmagess allowed herself a rare smile that only Noah was there to see.  As the last verse drew to a close Mistral beckoned Noah away from the purring murder-cat's chamber and said to him, "They make quite the team, non?"

In the silence that followed, she said to Noah, "We have a new problem.  It is Milo again."  Once Belle's song ended, there came a sudden staccato burst of loud impacts as dozens of envenomed quills struck the wall across from Fluffy's open door at high velocity.

Noah followed along and chuckled, "A girl and her monster, they do make a well-formed team." He well understood Fluffs anger. If something wounded Mistral he would likely flip over the local area like a coin to stop the threat.

"Well, Poe and Frank couldn't detect the connection that Al could. But that was a god putting it in Nef. I can talk to them, given the report I gave them showing there was a 'bug' in the soul they couldn't find they may be interested or shrug me off as I lost a fair bit of face with them."

"First step I would encourage is I can work a bit of necromancy and talk to him. I mean, who did the diagnostic? Nef doesn't know a soul from a toaster, all of her powers are either body-related or movement-related so far as I have cataloged. If he is in your domain let's pull the wood out of him and chat. I don't know all his powers but do you think he could get out of your core?"

"Yea... We need to check him out ourselves, figure out from there." He was still a bit careful having rushed to the big guns last time there was a soul issue.

Mistral scoffed, "Aucune chance.  He is noplace.  Nothing to be found and nowhere to go from within."  She stared into the middle distance and added somewhat less confidently, "As for his sire, I am somewhat less certain."

Noah proposed waking up Milo, which seemed a sensible next step, albeit a risky one.  She said, "It was Sal et Michael who alerted me to this circumstance and requested his safekeeping.  I did not receive the full tale from them, and I suspect there are rather large implications involved.  We must confer with them as well."

Mistral summoned a slate from thin air and called Sal and Michael on an encrypted line.  In lieu of a greeting she said to them, "Our impaled friend is secured, but I believe that to be far from a resolution to the matter.  Will you Messieurs join Noah and myself to discuss next steps?"

"Yea, even my best tricks will only slow his dad down. That guy is a bag of angry cats just waiting to knock everything over... No offense Mr. Wraith."

"The hard part is Milo is a beefy vampire in a supernatural sense. If there is something screwy with him its gotta be a hell of a spell. I've got enough prime to break the whole stack of the normal stuff. Let's burn some options prior to calling in Al, frank, or Poe."

"Sides, Milo knows we have his back. You don't just ho hum saving someone's life and helping him with Drac mudda fkkn ula."

 Wraith turned and looked at Noah with great disappointment on his feline face. "Maow."

 He reached around with his teeth to pull something invisible out of his posterior before dropping it on the ground in front of him. It was one of Fluffy's quills. However, the Reaper Cat seemed unperturbed by being tranquilized.

-----------

 Fluffy, for his part, seemed quite calm. So long as Belle was visible to him, Mistral could locate him via his purr. However, when the window closed, the purring ceased and the agitated clicking began. Three clicks later, there was a whoosh and Mistral had lost him.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:45, Thu 11 Aug 2022.

"Yeeeaaa, that tracks... If you had been hurt I'd not be sitting idle. Fluff is either heading back to the hide out or to the hospital to find her. It's what I would do."

He leaned down and offered Wraith shoulder rides. "I know you're likely good but it would be rude of me to not offer to look after you when you're out of sorts."

He smiled at her no place and the very concept of bent space. "You're power and control of space is both terrifying and admirable. The boys on their way?"

Mistral sighed with exasperation when Fluffy vanished once again in a whoosh of rapid motion.  She pinched the bridge of her nose and grumbled, "Is there no way to impress upon notre chat-meurtrier that Belle is safe and he may see her again in a matter of hours once she has been discharged?  This degree of codépendance is rather unhealthy.  Now I must prevent the destruction of a hospital."  She traced her fingers in gestures tracing a roughly spherical shape in the air while uttering cryptic syllables.  Then, she finished with no apparent effect and no explanation.


"Oh, quit it." Mistral said with the tone of flattered annoyance she usually took when Noah lavished her with praise.  From nothingness she produced a blue scarf and matching knitted beanie hat with a white fuzzy pom-pom on top.  As she donned them she answered, "Oui. We convene présentement."  A swirl of glowing mist delivered them seamlessly to a sunlit platform several hundred feet above, where they would meet with Sal and Michael.

OOC: Consider this the prequel to my post in Darkest Night, and moving over to there now :)