nexus_crossings | (no subject)

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?"

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."

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."

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.

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?

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.

Not expecting to hear her own voice, she startles in surprise. (And then cringes, not a fan of how her voice sounds in recorded form.)

But that's not important right now. "It's this way," she tells Crookshanks, heading off towards the Shopping District. She keeps her pace brisk, but slow enough that the cat should be able to keep up with no trouble. The area she heads for has several stores that cater to the needs of pokémon. Even the magic shop, sandwiched between a Poké Mart and a pokémon daycare, has a red and white ball as part of its storefront advertising.

Adia holds the door open for Crookshanks before letting herself in. The inside of the store is crowded, full of all sorts of magical curios. It would fit right in on Diagon Alley, if not for the snubbull dozing on the counter.

"Hello?" Adia calls out hopefully. The little pink dog creature snorts and rolls over.

Crookshanks has no problems keeping up with Adia's brisk pace. After all, he is used to trailing his witch when she is on a mission, and she moves quite quickly herself.

He enters the store, meowing in appreciating at how Adia holds the door open for her. And immediately feels right at home here.

"Meow?" Crookshanks questions the snubbull. Wondering if it would understand him.

The snubbull opens an eye. "Bull?" it asks, before yawning widely. It sits up and shakes off the rest of it sleepiness before hopping off the counter and trotting through a door in the back of the store.

Moments later, a young girl -- no more than fifteen by the looks of her -- comes in from the back of the store. Hurriedly tying back her green hair, she smiles brightly at Adia. "Hey, sorry, I was working on a potion in the -- whoa!" She stops and stares at Crookshanks in surprise. "Is that a half-kneazle?"

"Um..." Adia looks down at the tabby uncertainly.

"He's beautiful! And he's part cat, too, right? Not a meowth? Wow." She watches him a moment, as if in awe, then looks back up at Adia. "Anyway, what can I help you with?"

Adia thinks back to Hermione's message. "A friend of mine needs a few items for a spell. Mugwort, patchouli, parchment paper, and a basilisk scale."

The salesgirl scratches her head. "Well, four of those things I have, no problem. But a basilisk scale is a lot harder to come by... I have some skin that an arbok shed recently. Would that work?"

Adia looks back down at Crookshanks. "An arbok is a big snake," she explains. "They're poisonous, but they don't turn anyone to stone..." Is that a good enough substitute? Would he even know?

Crookshanks straightens up when the young girl recognizes his breeding. And calls him beautiful too. He purrs loudly. Of course he is a half-kneazle. That is why he is so brilliant.

He licks his paw, thinking about the question. He is not sure about potion ingredients himself. He usually avoids the potion classroom (Kneazle whiskers are a popular ingredient). And his witch is better at these type of questions.

"Meoow?" He doesn't know.

Well, that's a problem. Adia gives the saleslady a helpless shrug. "I'm not a witch," she explains. "My friend's stuck somewhere, and I'm assuming she needs to make a potion or something to get free..."

"I can give you the other ingredients, at least," says the salesgirl. "If you head further into the shopping district, there are a few other magical shops. One of them might have a basilisk scale." She scoots around the counter and heads to the back of the store again. "Let me grab the patchouli and the mugwort, I'll be right back."

After she disappears, Adia looks down at Crookshanks again. "Is there a store in the Nexus Hermione likes to visit?" she asks him. "That may be a better bet for the basilisk scale." She eyes the holster. "How are you going to get this stuff back to her?"

Crookshanks twitches his ear at the first question. His witch goes to the Grand Library, almost every time she is here. Maybe a book would help?

He meows in suggestion. And jumps up on a book, that is laying nearby. Books always help his mistress.

At the second question, he flops on his belly, so that Adia can see a little pouch in his holster. The pouch is enchanted, so that she could put everything in there.

Adia smiles faintly when he non-verbally suggests a book. It's also what she often turns to, when she wants answers. But she's not sure how much good it would do this time. She already knows what a basilisk is. The trick is finding its scale.

As for that tiny pouch on his holster, she remembers Hermione's enchanted bag that could hold seemingly anything. She shifts the strap of her messenger bag, feeling the weight of its contents and absently wishing she had a bag like that.

The salesgirl returns with a paper bag. "Here you go. There's a sheet of parchment in there, too."

"Thank you. Um... is it possible to put the items on credit? I don't have any cash."

The salesgirl smiles and shakes her head. "It's less than a dollar total, don't worry about it."

Surprised by the girl's generosity, Adia's hand hovers over the bag. "You're sure? I can come back later and --"

"It's fine!" the green-haired girl laughs. "I got to see a half-kneazle up close and personal, that's payment enough. Good luck with your friend!"

She waves them out. Once they're standing on the street again, Adia crouches down and offers Crookshanks the bag. She can get the ingredients into his pouch if he flops over again. "What do you think? Should we try another store?"

After hearing about the girl's generosity, Crookshanks goes up to her, and rubs his head up against her hand in thank you. Since she knows about Kneazles, she would know that Crookshanks is paying her a high compliment.

And once they are on the street again, Crookshanks does flop down so she can put the ingredient into his pouch.

He nods to her suggestion. They are so close to the finish line, he doesn't want to give up right now. He looks around, then nods his head to the left. He is acting on his cat instincts to lead them to the right direction.

"You really made that girl's day," Adia comments with a small smile as she carefully removes the items from the bag and into the holster's pouch. But once she's done, she turns serious once more. Hermione still needs their help.

Standing up, she dusts off her hands, then heads in the direction that Crookshanks indicates. She only hopes that whoever has a basilisk scale for sale is as friendly and generous.

Crookshanks gives a chirping little meow in response. Purring loudly as Adia puts her supplies into the pouch at his side. He enjoys it when people recognize his breeding.

Soon, Crookshanks reaches a forest area of the Nexus, he treads carefully into the trees, slowing down his pace to make sure that Adia can still see him. He soon reaches a swampy area, that gives off a creepy vibe. He stops there, swishing his tail, as he looks around the surroundings carefully.

Expecting to be led further into the shopping district, she's surprised when Crookshanks heads for the forest. She follows dutifully, not minding the quiet walk between the trees.

At least until they reach the swamp. She's not quite dressed for it, although at least she's wearing sneakers instead of her typical ballet flats. The clammy, unsettled air gives her the shivers. "I hope you're not taking me to a basilisk," she whispers to the cat worriedly. "I'm not a witch, remember?"

Crookshanks meows at her. Of course he wouldn't endanger her life.

He meows louder, an almost pitiful cry into the swap itself. Until there is movement. A swamp witch raises up from the musky depths, and heads into their direction.

"Yes?" She hisses, almost sounding snake-like herself.

"Sorry," she says softly. Not that she entirely understands what he means by that meow, but she trusts him.

She's still nervous, though. And a swamp witch rising out of the murk doesn't ease her worries in the slightest. "Ah. H-hello," she stutters. "I'm, um... my name is Adia, and this is Crookshanks. His witch is stuck between portals and I'm trying to gather ingredients for a spell. She needs a basilisk scale. You, um... you wouldn't happen to have one, would you?"

The swamp witch studies both Adia and Crookshanks for a long moment. "I have a limited supply. What do you have to give me in return?"

Adia's relief that the witch has any basilisk scales at all is short-lived. The witch likely wants something high in value, but Adia can't think of anything on her that's worth a basilisk scale.

"I don't have any money," she tells the witch. She pats her messenger bag. "I have... stuff. Travel supplies, a notebook and some pens... I don't know if I have anything you'd want, though. What would you like?"

If the witch can sense anything about others, she'll know that Adia is being sincere.

The swamp witch frowns in response. Nothing that Adia mentions is worth her attention.

Then Crookshanks meows softly. Stepping forward slightly.

"Oh really?" The swamp witch looks at him. He meows again.

"That is something I can agree to." She disappears back into the swamp, to retrieve a Basilik scale. Then comes back, with the requested item.

"He said that you would bring his witch to me. And that she would repay my favor."

Adia is ready to apologize for wasting the witch's time and make a quick retreat with Crookshanks when he makes a bargain of his own. Waiting nervously, she splits her gaze between the hazy gloom and the tabby at her feet. "You sure have a way with words," she murmurs to him softly.

The witch thankfully does not take long. "I...?" She spares another glance at Crookshanks, then nods. Hermione can handle herself with this swamp witch, certainly. And anyway, who's to say that she'll ask for anything nefarious? Just because she lives in a swamp and is giving off creepy vibes... don't be so prejudiced, Adia.

"I'll have Hermione come here as soon as she is free. I promise." She smiles gratefully. "And thank you."

Crookshanks rubs up against Adia's leg. Purring softly again. He will have to speak to his witch about designing something so that her Nexus friends can understand him.

Because right now he would like to know if Adia would like to come with him to Hermione's door with the ingredients. And he knows she won't understand him.

It's true that she does not understand what he is asking of her this time. Fortunately, the same thought occurs to her anyway. She wants to make sure that Hermione is able to make it to the Nexus, or at least get herself unstuck.

"Let's go bring this to Hermione," she says after tucking the basilisk scale into the holster pouch. "Lead the way." The sooner they get out of the swamp, the better she'll feel.