Where is my James? (Open)

Rylok · October 15, 2020, 04:44:55 PM

Well, this was not normal. Not normal at all, the cat thought to herself. James' home was not supposed to be open and empty like this. And the smells! Ugh! Something smelled sulphur and deadly and gross, worse than the skunk she's run into when she was just out of kittenhood. No, the overturned shelves, the broken table, and the scorching in James' work space told the cat that something bad had happened while she was out hunting.

"MURROW?" she called out, just to hear James scold her for not using her collar. Silence. She meowed again, louder. Hmph. Where was he? The cat lashed her tail and headed upstairs to his bedroom, then paused. There was blood in the hallway. It wasn't James' blood, by the smell of it, but it didn't belong in their home. Cautiously, she explored every room, not finding her person. Nobody. Huh. Did he leave her? Luna took herself outside to the garden and sat on the wall, thinking. James needed her to find him. Where was she to start? Well, the other people-nests...houses, she corrected herself, might have a clue to where her person went.

"Hello? I need help, please! she called out telepathically, looking around with her amber eyes. She spotted someone and called out to them.

"Excuse me, come here to the very pretty kitty. I need help."

JackieCat · November 04, 2020, 10:38:16 PM

It was a pretty nice neighborhood.

The street was fairly clean, and the houses that lined it were well-kept. And while some of the gardens had walls around them, there was hardly any visible security at all. Well, most of the doors appeared to have locks, but none that would take more than a few moments to break. There was, however, the chance that security spells had been put up to protect the houses.

These were the types of thoughts that came to Faelis' mind wherever he went. He was always on the lookout for the next adventure, and -many a time- that next adventure came in the form of breaking into someplace.

However, Faelis usually liked a challenge when he did his breaking-and-entering, and he didn't think he was going to find that in this neighborhood. But while he may not find the location of his next robbery, that didn't mean he wouldn't find anything interesting. He had been in enough strange situations to know that something interested could be found in even the most unsuspected places.

He was strolling down the street at a leisurely pace, his hands in his pockets and he took in his surroundings. His eyes fell on a cat that was sitting on one of the garden walls.

He was in the process of thinking how classic that was when another thought pushed into his mind.

Hello? I need help, please!

It took a mere moment for the elf to realize that that was not his own thought, but somebody else's, and only a mere moment more for him to realize it was from the cat. He was surprised at first, but then realized that, yes, he had found the 'something interesting' he had been after.

He raised a slender eyebrow at the cat as she 'called out' again, this time to him specifically.

"And how can I help you, very pretty kitty?" Faelis asked as continued to walk towards the cat, his hands still in his pockets as he approached.

Rylok · November 06, 2020, 01:13:19 PM

Luna stood when the elf addressed her and squinted in a feline smile while her front paws kneaded the brick of the wall.

"Oh good, you're smart. Jame was taken. Someone broke into our house and I need help to discover who...or what...stole him from me. Also, my food dish is empty. You can fix at least one of my problems."

She waved her tail like a banner as she turned to jump down into the garden. The elf was probably smart enough to follow her, she thought. He seemed to have the intelligence she had come to rely on with James. He was part-elf, Luna remembered. The different two-legged races had confused her when she first learned about them. Two legs was two legs, until it became a point of hissing that this one was from here or there or whatever. Silly people. As far as she was concerned, it was as ridiculous as hating someone for their coat color. But, people did that, too. It almost made Luna wish she'd never been awakened. Almost. James wasn't one of the ones who held silly notions about ears or colors. Maybe that's why he was taken...hm.

Luna paused at the door of the house and looked at the elf over her shoulder and blinked politely.

"It's messy and smells like sulphur and bad. We keep a clean and organized nest, especially Jame's workstation, but that's the messiest of all. Please look around. I know I missed something."[/i]

She then made her way into the house, stepping around a scorched table to go to her silver bowl. She sat by it patiently until her new elf benefactor finished his investigation.

JackieCat · November 07, 2020, 01:36:17 PM

Well, she definitely was demanding, though Faelis wouldn't have expected anything else from a awakened cat.

And this person, 'Jame', was missing. That was definitely interesting, interesting enough for Faelis to follow the cat when she jumped from the garden wall and headed to the house.

As soon as they got to the door -which Faelis noticed had been broken in- the smell the cat mentioned hit the elf. He assumed his smell wasn't as good as the feline's, but he could still smell a strong odor, of sulfur. . . and something else he couldn't quite place. . . But like the cat had said, it smelled bad.

He stepped into the house after cat and glanced around. He wasn't familiar with the house like the cat was, but his years as a thief had thought him to be very observant, especially in buildings where he did not belong.

It was not a simple cottage, by any means, the architecture reminded Faelis of someplace he hadn't though of in a long time. His parent's house, or castle, rather. The wood was beautifully carved in a style mostly used by elves. However, while the design of the house was of note, it was the state of the rest of the house that was the most telling. Most of the furniture was broken, and, as Faelis looked closer, he saw burn marks on it. Whoever had broken in here had not been trying to hide their traces.

He walked around the counter and into the dining room, where the furniture was in a similar state. He continued into what looked to be a parlor, and he smelled the blood before he saw it.

The blood was mostly on the floor in pools, but there were smudges on the furniture as well. The moment he'd seen the blood, Faelis had felt his senses kick in to a much higher level of awareness. He wasn't dealing with a normal robbery here, and this had been no minor scuffle. Judging by the amounts of blood, someone -or someones- was dead, or at least seriously injured, and whoever had taken this Jame character was not playing any games, and Faelis realized he had stepped into something much bigger than he had first suspected when the cat had called to him from her garden wall.

He looked around the first floor for a few minutes longer, but found nothing other than more blood and scorched furniture.

"Did you look upstairs yet? And do you know of anyone who would have the motive to come here and do this?" Faelis asked, and he realized he didn't know the cat's name. "And I don't think you mentioned your name, either. I'm Faelis."

Rylok · November 07, 2020, 01:44:40 PM

Luna sat by her dish while the elf explored the first floor. He would have his look and then feed her, she decided. While she waited, she started grooming. When he asked her about going upstairs, she paused, paw raised, then laid her ears back.

"It's worse upstairs. That is not James' blood, but the blood in his soil-making room is his. And no, he never spoke of anyone who would do this."

She jumped up onto the counter and sat on it, putting herself closer to the elf-Faelis, she reminded herself; Names were not something she concerned herself with since she identified people by scent-and his eye line.

"He was researching something that he said would change magic. I didn't know what he meant and I didn't ask. And you may call me Luna. Come along, I'll show you the upstairs."

She jumped down and paraded up the stairs, tail held up at a jaunty angle. She stopped at the landing and waited for Faelis to arrive.

JackieCat · November 07, 2020, 02:08:08 PM

He followed the cat upstairs, running this very new-and very sudden- situation through his mind.

So -if the blood on the first floor wasn't Jame's, there was a chance he was still alive, if he'd defended himself so well. Then another thoguht came to the elf's mind. Maybe this was all some sort of set-up. It seemed unlikely, but there were a lot of crazy things that happened in the world. For all he knew, Jame was the one who'd destroyed his own house, or perhaps Jame wasn't even real, and the cat had her own agenda. Or maybe one of Faelis' many enemies had caught up with him and this was some elaborate scheme to kill him.

Such thoughts were generally what had kept Faelis' alive for this long, but in this instance he didn't seem much evidence for any of those scenarios. So he decided, for the moment, to believe Luna, but to also keep his guard up and eyes and ears open.

At the top of the stairs was a large bathroom, and this door had been broken down as well, though not kicked in as the two downstairs had. The bathroom door was splintered, and Faelis inspected the wood. It looked like an axe had chopped it down. The elf stepped gingerly through the debris of the broken door and into the bathroom. There was a lot of blood in here as well. Next, Faelis went to the bedroom, and found nothing more than he'd already found.

The library had obviously been searched thoroughly. Books and other items were strewn around.

When he got to the workroom, the smell of sulfur was stronger, and this room had been searched as well. It was larger than it should have been, for the size of the house, Faelis noted, and it was a complete mess from the search, and more pool of blood were spattered across the floor.

Faelis picked his way through the room, careful to disturb as little as possible. He looked over the books on the workbench. They were of various subjects, mostly on something related to magic.

As he looked over the workbench, something on the floor caught his eye.

His golden gaze snapped to the floor. A footprint. He crouched to examine it, then, without a word, stood and headed to the bedroom.

The footprint did not match a single pair of the shoes that were in the bedroom.

Faelis stood for a moment, thinking, then turned to the cat.

"You say the only blood that is Jame's is the stuff in the bathroom," Faelis said. "What about the other blood? Is it human? Can you tell if it's from one or more individuals?" Faelis didn't know how specific of information the cat could gather from the blood.

Rylok · November 07, 2020, 02:21:14 PM

Luna followed the elf, purring in pleasure that he had taken her seriously and was helping her. At his question, though, she huffed slightly. She wasn't a dog, to sniff and report and bark back the information.

"Strangers, all of them. At least three, but I can't tell for sure. I only know Jame's blood so well because he used it in my awakening. We are loosely tied together."

Maybe she shouldn't have shared that. James was always trying to teach her about two-legged politics. Some people didn't like magic, others did. Some magic was forbidden, others encouraged. It was all silly to her. Claws and fangs were claws and fangs and if one creature had them, it wasn't up to another to complain or say that was wrong.

"Can you find him? Or track who did this?"

She jumped up onto the table and sat, tucking her tail neatly around herself. The only indication of her nerves and agitation was the twitch at the tip of that elegant tail.

JackieCat · November 07, 2020, 02:47:34 PM

So, this Jame had been the one to 'awaken' Luna, she hadn't been born able to communicate telepathically, and think in a way that was more comparable to and elf or human.

"At least three. . ." Faelis said aloud, crouching, again, next to the bloody footprint. He took note of the size and print marks before straightening.

"I can try to track them if they left physically, and not by some portal," he said in response to Luna's question. "The blood is drying, but it hasn't been that long since they left, whoever they are."

He started down the stairs, talking over his shoulder to the cat as he did so. "Did Jame talk with any of the neighbors? Was he social with anyone?"

If he had a large social circle, that could make the search more difficult, but -on the other hand- if he was a recluse, there wouldn't be anyone to question about his disappearance.

Rylok · November 07, 2020, 06:37:13 PM

Luna smiled her feline smile at Faelis' adoption of her nickname for James. Silly elf. Her tail twitching, she considered the question.

"We go shopping once a week. Yesterday, usually. He is sociable with the shopkeepers and the Book Man, but we do not get frequent visitors. Sometimes Flower-And-Fish lady comes by and he asks me to go outside. I think they are trying for kittens." she confided with a smug air of good humor.

"He sometimes goes to dinner with the Book Man and the Book Man's friends. I'm not allowed there, either. Jame says he worries they would want to look at me. It's silly. They should look at me; I'm beautiful. Also, pet me while you think. It saves time."

She jumped down from the work bench and went to bunt Faelis. If they were going to be working together to find Jame, then he needed to smell like her person. Allegiances were important, after all.

JackieCat · November 10, 2020, 04:31:54 PM

So it sounded like Jame had a few acquaintances, but they sounded mostly casual. . .

When Luna butted her head against him, Faelis crouched absentmindedly to pet her. He realized, then, that it felt a little strange to pet a creature who could think like him. But. . . She was a cat, after all, awakened or not.

As he started to pet her he started to think again about the cat's problem that he was very quickly making his own. The 'Flower-and-fish' lady seemed like she would perhaps have a more intimate connection with Jame. . .

"The woman you mentioned," Faelis said to the cat. "I know you said that he asks you to go outside when she comes by, but have you ever overheard him every say anything about his magic to her? Or to anyone else, for that matter?"

Rylok · November 10, 2020, 05:27:55 PM

The petting was hitting the spot. Specifically, his fingers found the spot between her shoulder blades that she liked being scratched. She arched up into it and closed her eyes while purring.

"Oh that's good... She approved.

She looked up into the elf's eyes and squinted into a smile while she thought.

"Flower-and-Fish lady does magic with plants. They talk about that sometimes, and she takes the not-food things that Jame grows. Book Man is very interested in magic. He buys things from Jame and sells things to him. Powders, bits and things...Feathers-I-Must-Not-Play-With, spicy smelling metals, Danger Waters, and books with weird squiggles and diagrams. They talk magic a lot. Jame does not like him to visit long, though."

She knew the words 'reagents' and 'potions' but they weren't her favorite words. She had known the 'danger waters' and Forbidden Feathers from before she was awakened and the idea made more sense to her than 'potion' or 'gryphon feather' or whatever anything else was. It didn't matter to her. James made magic artifacts for people. Book Man liked money and helped James make money, but they had argued, hadn't they...

Her purring stopped and she put her ears back.

"Book Man wanted Jame to do something last week...some sort of summoning rock? Flower-and-Fish lady came over the next day and they talked a long while...hmm...

Maybe there was more to the rock than she had initially thought. Jame hadn't been happy, but he had made it...then Jame goes missing...could Book Man have done something?

JackieCat · November 10, 2020, 05:44:18 PM

There seemed to be promise with Book Man. Faelis internally chuckled as he realized that he was adopting the terms that Luna was using. Well, it was only fitting, as this whole situation was new to him, and his only references were what she was telling him.

"If Jame and Book Man have a business relationship, it's very possible that some deal could have gone sour, and things can get pretty touchy when magic is involved."

Things could get pretty touchy when anything was involved, but especially if there was money involved, and Faelis had learned that mixing money and magic could get very volatile indeed.

"I think we should start with Book Man," Faelis said, continuing to scratch Luna throughout his wonderings. "What else do you know about him? Or his friends? Also, if he's got a shop, or a location you know he frequents, that might be something."

Rylok · November 10, 2020, 06:26:45 PM

The purring resumed and Luna bunted up into Faelis' hand with a chirp.

"I can take you to the Book Man's shop? But where he and Jame meet I don't know..."

She was still hungry, though.

"First, though...there's a can of fish and lamb mince in the pantry. Put it in my bowl?" She asked with another chirruping meow. She paced to the door and turned back to Faelis for several paces, then back to the door.

JackieCat · November 16, 2020, 04:35:18 PM

OOC: Sorry for the wait!

______________________________________________________________________________

IC:

Going to Book Man's shop would be a good start -better than anything else Faelis could think of.

When Luna asked for her food, Faelis didn't 'hear' at first, so wrapped up in what was becoming a plan. After a moment though, and after see her pace a bit, he snapped outo f it and nodded.

"Of course," he said, and headed down the stairs. He quickly found the can that Luna had mentioned and opened it with one of his small daggers before emptying the contents into Luna's bowl.

He leaned against the counter, turning the knife over in his hands absentmindedly. "Is Book Man usually the only one at his shop? Besides customers, I mean. Are there any other employees there?"

The elf figured that Luna would be able to telepathically communicate even while she was eating.

Rylok · November 17, 2020, 03:08:23 PM

Luna chirruped again as she followed Faelis down the stairs. When he fetched the van, she kneaded the floor in anticipatory pleasure, purring happily as she watched with large, amber eyes. She ate with gusto, continuing her sonorous purring as she ate. Luna nearly missed the elf's question, but finally responded.

"It's a small store, so I think he is the only one. Otherwise maybe an older-kitten-apprentice? But he closes shop when the sun goes down.

Her words came with an added emotional boost of satisfaction and pleasure as she projected her thoughts; feelings were transmitted along the collar's magic as well.

JackieCat · December 01, 2020, 07:57:16 PM

It was strange to receive Luna's 'words' as well as her emotions, it was much more obvious than talking with creatures that communicated solely by voice or body language, he could get a better picture of what she was communicating to him.

"If we knew he was a normal bookseller, I'd say we go into his shop at night and snoop around a bit," Faelis said. "But if he was dealing with Jame, and magic, who knows what kind of protections he might have around his shop. Maybe we should go in the daylight and look around. Do you think that book man would recognize you if he saw you?"

Rylok · December 07, 2020, 02:26:28 PM

As she finished the bowl, the cat turned her attentions to grooming. She kept one ear politely turned to Faelis to show she was paying attention while she cleansed the dust and day from her fur.

"No. he does not know me. But if magic is a possibility, it may be better for me to go in without my artifact. The collar sheds magic and is easily detectable. I shall not be able to use words with you, if we do that, though. I shall communicate in the normal means. Are you familiar with cat words?"

She hoped he was. He was smart enough, so it wouldn't be difficult to train him if he wasn't. Then again, he may have learned the signals from some other cat who wasn't as smart as she was. There were many of those, even before she was awakened, she thought with a purr.

JackieCat · December 12, 2020, 11:23:06 PM

"Cat words?" Faelis asked. He wasn't exactly sure what she meant. The elf was pretty good at reading the body language and non-verbal signs of those around him, but he wasn't exactly aware of any 'cat words'.

"And if you take your artifact off, will you still be 'awakened', but unable to communicate telepathically?" Faelis didn't know if she would completely return to a 'normal' cat without it or not.

Rylok · December 13, 2020, 04:53:31 PM

Luna arranged herself into a vase-like sitting position and huffed a sigh. She closed her eyes and turned her head away from the elf, a gesture of dismay and disdain, but also amusement.

"My intelligence is in me, not the collar. The collar just allows me to use your two-legged words. Cat words are in the ears and tail, the shoulders. If I sniff at something, I want you to examine it. I shall flick my ears if the man lies to you. My tail, if he tells the truth. Simple enough?"

In truth, the words she taught him were like as to yelling for cats, but it wasn't her fault that two legged people were blind and deaf to the subtle subvocalizations of cats.

JackieCat · December 13, 2020, 05:36:22 PM

Faelis smirked a bit at her aloofness.

"I didn't say you'd lose your intelligence, but perhaps only your ability to relate to the ways of elves and humans." Faelis knew there was a big difference between intelligence and ways of thinking that were simply different from his own.

"I think I'll be able to handle that," he said when she told him the signals she would use. "And I suppose you're very good at telling if someone is being honest or not."

He glanced out the window. It was midday, and they still had several hours of daylight left. "We should probably get moving as soon as possible," he said. "All this blood isn't making me think we have a lot of time on our hands -or paws."