(no subject)

[mudblood_andproud]

There is a large orange tabby cat exploring around the Nexus. He seems to be looking for someone in particular. Now, that in itself is not unusual.

However, this particular tabby cat is wearing a make-shift holster around his belly and there seems to be a Starfleet phaser encased in the holster. Only the top of the phaser is visible to the eye... but it looks covered with soot.

The cat is also being followed by a glowing blue light very closely.

After a few moments of being frustrated of not seeing anyone's face, from where he is on the ground... the orange tabby cat jumps his way up a few different Nexus fixtures, until he is higher up. He stares around the Nexus and makes a soft meowing sound. Almost questioning.

Anyone care to try to answer his question.

Comments

[rumormonger_nya]

"Whyich one ya looking for?"

Another catlike creature is languidly draped across the top of a stone wall, tails curling casually down one of the sides. Golden eyes are watching the other feline with lazy interest.

"The one who smells like leathers an' smoke or the one who took Nyo Shave Nyovember pretty seriously?"

[mudblood_andproud]

Crookshanks tilts his head, chirping slightly, as he wonders if this catlike creature can understand him. He is looking for someone.

But those descriptions are a little confusing to him.

[rumormonger_nya]

"Whaddaya mean 'not a cat'?!"

Neko has never sat up so swiftly in her life. Both tails are floofing out with indignation, straight up now and stiff with her offense.

"Listen, Garfield, a cat demon is still a cat. and I'll have you know I am the Original Cat of the Nexus, mya."

That isn't a thing, and if it were, Nekomata would most certainly not be the first. Crookshanks' question has rather been a bit waylaid by Nekomata's pride being wounded.

[mudblood_andproud]

Crookshanks straightens slightly. He didn't mean any offense. In his world, there are many types of magical feline. He would respect a cat demon all the same.

But he is worried right now. His witch is in trouble. And he meows softly.

[rumormonger_nya]

Well, that is a most humble and generous apology. The demon's golden eyes squint slightly without her realizing it, tails curling back down with obvious acceptance of such a gentlemanly statement.

This is a brilliant cat.

After a languid and somewhat exaggerated stretch she shifts her position atop the wall and gracefully sits upright, one leg crossed over the other with her paws in her lap.

"You cyame to the right cat nya. I specialize in information. You're looking for someone, and you're carrying a weapon I've seen before. Maybe we can make a deal?" Her master boss would probably want Neko to help out a fellow Nexus denizen if he knew about this after all.

[mudblood_andproud]

Ah, she recognizes the weapon. Good. Perhaps that will help him find assistance.

However, Crookshanks has nothing to barter. The weapon belongs to the person who gave it to his witch. And he needs to get important information to the right person.

He meows softly again. What can he do? He needs to help his witch.

[rumormonger_nya]

Crookshanks raises a very good point. Nothing in this world is for free, especially if you're a demon and good morality is a bit difficult a concept for you to grasp. Still, if his master is as important as he says she is...

"I wouldn't say that, mya. You introduce me to this witch of yours when we're done here. Let her know just who it was that lent out a helping paw in her tyime of need~"

Allies are always a valuable bargaining chip, after all. And Neko does so much want to spread her name and brand across the Nexus. Reputation means better business after all.

"Sound fair?"

[chiron_survivor]

Adia is sitting at her usual Nexus terminal, schematics of various ship engines on the computer's screen. She's looking over the images tiredly, as if she's been at it a while. When she takes a break to rub her eyes, that's when she hears the meow.

Looking up, she spots Hermione's feline friend. "Hi, Crookshanks," she says, recognizing the tabby immediately. The phaser holster gets a second, concerned look, as does the glowing blue light. This doesn't seem like a typical exploratory stroll for the cat. "What's up? Where's Hermione?"

[mudblood_andproud]

Aha! It is one of the friends of his witch. Crookshanks knew he would be able to find someone helpful. He is very brilliant.

He jumps down from his spot, to head over to the terminal where Adia sits. Then he hops up, to sit right in front of Adia.

He meows at the blue light that follows him. The light gets bigger, until it becomes a large silvery otter. The otter swirls around Adia, playfully.

Then Hermione's voice speaks, from the otter. "This is an emergency request. I have had to barricade the Nexus portal from my door. I am currently caught between the doors, and need the following items. Please give them to Crookshanks."

"Ten leaves of Mugwort. Eight batches of Patchouli. A Basilisk scale. And an parchment of paper. Please hurry. Thank you."

[chiron_survivor]

Very typical of a cat to block a computer screen, but it wasn't like Adia was making much progress with her research anyway. She watches, wide-eyed, as the blue light transforms itself into an otter, and Hermione's voice issues forth. Stuck between doors? That sounds serious. She leans in, eager to help --

"...oh, dear." She turns to Crookshanks apologetically. "I don't have any of those things." She's not quite as clueless as a typical muggle, but aside from paper (not even parchment, just the cheap kind used for printers), she wouldn't know how to even identify the rest.

But she know someone who might.

"There's a magic shop near the Poké Mart," she tells Crookshanks. "We can try to get what Hermione needs there... if they'll let me take it on credit."

[mudblood_andproud]

Crookshanks nods eagerly at Adia's suggestion. Magic shops are usually a good source of supplies. His witch found him in a magic shop.

He nods to the otter, who seems to be waiting for something. And meows at Adia. Suggesting that she could send back a message in reply.

[chiron_survivor]

Relieved that her suggestion meets with the cat's approval, she stands up, but pauses at his meowing. He may be able to understand her just fine, brilliant cat that he is, but it takes her a moment to sort out what he wants her to do.

"I can...? Um, okay..." She turns to face the otter. It's not the strangest thing she's ever had to do in the Nexus, but the idea of an ethereal otter as some sort of magical voicemail leaves her a little tongue-tied. "Um... Hermione?" she calls out, as if trying to use a phone with bad reception. "This is Adia. I'm going to try to get what you need from a magic shop. If it doesn't work, I'll find someone else who can help. Um... hang in there!"

She looks back to Crookshanks. Is that sufficient? Does she need to touch the otter's nose to send the message or anything like that?

[mudblood_andproud]

The otter listens to Adia for a moment. Then repeats what she said, in Adia's own voice.

"Um... Hermione? This is Adia. I'm going to try to get what you need from a magic shop. If it doesn't work, I'll find someone else who can help. Um... hang in there!"

And then it heads off, swimming through the air, to return to Hermione.

Crookhanks nods. Satisfied.

[sumarusfinest]

Oh. Oh!. It's a cat.

A very handsome cat. Katsuya keeps a safe distance from it even though he's stopped on his way back to his own portal to admire the feline. Such grace. Such dignity.

...Is that a gun tied around it?

"What the--?"

[mudblood_andproud]

Crookshanks straightens up, as if he had heard that inner dialogue about how handsome he is. He likes compliments.

However, he does not recognize Katsuya as someone his witch knows. And he meows sadly.

[sumarusfinest]

That sad meow breaks something in the police officer's heart.

Poor thing doesn't look like it's going to be coming down. It must be scared. He's going to set his coffee and briefcase down and hurry off to get a bowl of water and some food to leave out next to a nearby bench underneath where Crookshanks is sitting.

Just in case. He has no idea the caliber of witch that is his master. He just doesn't like to see a furry friend upset.

"There."

[mudblood_andproud]

Is that... yes... it is water! And food!

Crookshanks jumps down, landing on his feet delicately. He moves towards the water and the food. And circles it.

Decisions... decisions. He needs to help his witch before enjoying the offered treats. So he meows at the silver light that is following him. The light shifts and forms into a large, silvery otter. The otter swirls up into the air, floating there for a moment. Then a voice comes from the otter.

"This is an emergency request. I have had to barricade the Nexus portal from my door. I am currently caught between the doors, and need the following items. Please give them to Crookshanks."

"Ten leaves of Mugwort. Eight batches of Patchouli. A Basilisk scale. And an parchment of paper. Please hurry. Thank you."

[sumarusfinest]

"Yah!"

Whatever it was Katsuya had been expecting, this was not it. He stumbles back a step and gapes a moment at the otter before regaining his composure. Okay this is A Thing that is happening now. He's seen weirder.

Besides. The voice said something about an emergency. And her requests don't seem that far fetched either to a man who determined that aromatherapy helped him fight demons several years back. He's scribbling down the requests in a tiny flip notebook he's pulled out of his briefcase.

"Are...are you Crookshanks then?" He points with his pen to the cat.

[mudblood_andproud]

Crookshanks nods, taking a moment from the food to acknowledge his name. He then rubs himself up again Katsuya's leg. And then returns to the food.

The otter waits patiently, as if expecting something.

[boldygoing]

What. Crookshanks, what.

This isn't the first time that Jim has found this particular cat wandering around without his witch, but it is the first time he's seen the fluffball toting a phaser around. "Don't tell me you lost her again," Jim says, frowning at the Kneazle.

[mudblood_andproud]

Oh good! Crookshanks knows this particular human. He jumps down from his spot to get back on the ground... rubbing up against Jim's leg purring loudly.

He meows at the silvery light that is following him. The light grows larger, until it transforms into a otter. The otter claps its paws together, swirling around Jim. Then Hermione's voice comes from the otter.

"This is an emergency request. I have had to barricade the Nexus portal from my door. I am currently caught between the doors, and need the following items. Please give them to Crookshanks."

"Ten leaves of Mugwort. Eight batches of Patchouli. A Basilisk scale. And an parchment of paper. Please hurry. Thank you."

[boldygoing]

Well, this just got weird. Jim's halfway through drafting up a witty remark when the word 'emergency' catches his attention and derails the whole thing. Dammit.

So much for his plans today.

He has no idea what 'caught between the doors' really implies, but there'll be time to figure it out later. Apparently, he's got a shopping list, although he doesn't have any idea why. "Patchouli and paper are no problem, but I don't know where to get my hands on the rest of it," he tells the cat. It's not an excuse not to help, of course; he's still going to give it his best shot.

[mudblood_andproud]

Crookshanks meows sadly. He doesn't know how to help either. And his witch is in danger. The only thing he can do to help is to be here and try to find help.

The otter waits patiently.

[boldygoing]

Under normal circumstances, he would know right where to go. Hermione has shown him how to get into Diagon Alley, and he's positive there'd be some kind of magic herb shop or something that he could get some of this stuff. But if she's had to cut off her door, and he doesn't have any idea why, then trying to force his way into her universe could create more harm than it helps.

The otter's expectant look confuses him a little. It's clearly not Hermione herself, even though it spoke with her voice. A communication spell of some kind, clearly, but an otter? Makes no sense to him. "Does this thing work both ways?"

[mudblood_andproud]

Crookshanks puts his paws on Jim's leg, to give him a slight nod in answer to the question. He can't explain about the Patronus right now. But can only let Jim know that the otter can get to Hermione, even if Crookshanks can't right now.