nexus_crossings | (no subject)

(no subject)

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.

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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.

This part will be easy. Crookshanks can always find his witch. And confidently, he turns and walks away from the forest and towards where the thousands of doors open into the Nexus. And he leads her straight to a door, that looks like it belongs to an ancient castle.

He sits there, pawing at the door, softly meowing. His witch is behind this door.

And he needs to get her the supplies.

She wonders for a moment why they've stopped, then realizes that Crookshanks can't open the door. Quickly, she opens it, although she hesitates a moment before stepping through, making sure she has her PINpoint on her. It wouldn't do to get lost or stuck off-world.

It might be much like a dream for Adia, to enter into the Nexus world of the 'Potterverse' as it is sometimes known. She enters into a large library, that is filled with shelves and shelves of books. There are tons of books just floating in the air. And Nearly Headless Nick is nearby, floating through the stacks in the search of his next read.

Crookshanks waits for Adia to adjust to her surroundings, before meowing at her, and leading her from the restricted section of the library (where Hermione's door exists), down a hallway towards the basement. Where they will soon come to a potions lab, where the witch in question is busy over a cauldron.

She looks up, in surprise. "Adia?"

It is a bit like a dream, to step into a magical library. Adia stares at the floating books, and then at Nearly Headless Nick before blushing and looking away, not wanting to be rude. Is this the library of Hermione's school, the one she was cajoled to return to as a teacher? How can anyone get any learning done with so many distractions?

Still, a library -- even a magical one -- is a comforting place for her, and soon enough she orients herself to Crookshanks' meow and then follows him to the basement. She's less surprised to see Hermione, although relieved that she seems unharmed. "Crookshanks found me in the Nexus," she explains. "I got the ingredients you needed... what's going on? Are you still stuck here?"

Nearly Headless Nick removes his head, tilting it politely in response. He doesn't know she is a Muggle. It is how he would greet any of the students here.

Hermione nods, as Crookshanks makes his way up to her. Laying down, so she can access the pouch at his side. "Yes. There is a ward around Hogwarts right now, to keep all the students safe. I couldn't leave to get these supplies."

That doesn't help, Nick. Adia has seen a lot of weird stuff in the Nexus, but a headless ghost is pushing it. She gives him a quick, polite nod in response before scurrying down the stairs.

The potions lab, by contrast, is practically mundane. Adia finds a spot to stand that won't get in the way of Hermione's work. "What's happening outside the school?" That evil wizard isn't back, is he? The concern in her eyes is easy to read.

"There are a few Death Eaters, who were loyal to the evil wizard, who are trying to gain access to the school. It is not as bad as the previous battle, and we are holding our own..."

"But these supplies will provide us the chance to cast a better protected spell."

Hermione starts putting some of the ingredients into her cauldron. She glances at Adia for a moment. "You are safe here. With me."

She hadn't thought to be concerned about her own safety. Mostly, she was worried for Hermione and the people at her school. It didn't sound as dangerous as the Khan invasion, though. Or the recent mutiny on Galactica.

"Is there anything else I can do to help?" She took another look around. The lab looked like something out of a fantasy novel. "What are you going to do after the new protection spell is cast?"