ss_noanga | [CLOSED] Solving Kittens.

[CLOSED] Solving Kittens.

Who: Loki, Lucas, NPCs
What: Kitten herding
Where: Noanga
When: Day 28 (Oct 26)
Notes: Massively forward dated!

The start of the morning of Day 28 finds Loki, Lucas, and Bucky converged on a long, eerie hallway in a disused part of the Noanga. For Loki, he's chasing after Meor, but for Lucas, he just wants to find the source of the Chaos that has plagued the ship over the last three weeks.

As mostly harmless as it has been, the Chaos really needs to end.

Whatever the reason for them is, they are here now and behind them is a large, golden Torri Gate. The way back is blocked by a shimmering void of colour that, to Lucas, screams danger. To Loki and Bucky, looking to long as it just means a headache.

Loki, too, has a the oddest feeling the entire place is magic and it feels a bit like the Goose: Almost... godly, after a fashion.

The floor is slightly rusty (or dusty) metal plating, and parts of it are gilded black obsidian, while the floor next to the walls seems like it's both ice and electric at the same time. It's a dangerous combination, but one that Loki could probably control if he tried hard enough.

Everyone notices the six small holes on either side of the wall, each about hip hight to the observer - Glitter and Silly String canons.

In the middle of the hall, some 85-odd feet away, is a large, raised green dais, pretty and glass like, of some importance, and holds a blue gem.

Lastly, everyone notices a kitten, Cleocatra, about 40ish feet away. One of the ringleaders; harmless enough, for Flerkens that is, but they all get the feeling that wrangling her to the Other Torri Gate isn't going to be that easy.

Cleocatra mewls sweetly, tail flicking as far too intelligent eyes regard the trio.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It’s his Reach that decided to take him here, to find and preferable undo whatever causes the chaos. Some of the things were fun, but Lucas dislikes how it affects people he already cares about badly and wanted a solution. Well, here he is, glad to find Loki here, skin flashing him a friendly “Hello”.

That passage behind them on the other hand has him quickly withdraw from it, such danger last known when his kin unleashed the Interlocutor on their own planet, ignoring decades of warnings Senkovi piled up to prevent this. No way is he staying close to this. But stepping forwards sets off those things in the walls, subconscious having already noted them and prepared to react. He ducks, spreads himself flat on the ground as only a thing without bones can do, avoids that odd shower of colors. One arm pokes the glitter a bit, finding nothing too interesting there, so he moves on, until he hits a black square.

(Note – Reflex D20+6=26 to avoid cannon, D4=3 for black square)

Loki has been tracking Meor by the plushies the kitten has coughed up for weeks, and finally it's led him here. He can't shake the feeling that the latest trail was laid on purpose by the wily creature, but he's annoyed enough to keep going anyway. And he's also prepared; one pocket is full of cat treats, and another has feathers, sticks, strings, and the like. He can light them up with his magic to make them even more attractive

He smiles and returns Lucas's wave, then curses when Lucas heads forward heedlessly. He could try shouting, but the octopus probably wouldn't hear. He watches grimly as traps go off, but thankfully Lucas manages to dodge them. He steps forward to take a look at what came from the walls. It looks like ordinary glitter and some sort of string. Lucas examines the debris without any negative reaction, so he hopes they're safe. But still, he'd like to see if he can bypass the traps himself.

Time for the old standby. He conjures an illusory copy of himself, then cloaks his true self and sends the decoy striding forward confidently.

No sooner has he been settled on the black stone, there is a flash of purple-green from it, and his tentacles shift and change into vines with leaves. He'll find they change colour with the rest of him and he can move them as he would arms, but they are very much vines and leaves.

Illusion Loki crosses the traps and nothing happens.

Cleocatra mewls again before darting away, crossing a black square as she does. In a flash of light, she is on the ceiling -as if gravity was reversed on her- looking rather confused and alarmed. Her complaints are very vocal, as if to say 'Excuse me?! This isn't I demand to speak to the manager!!'

Edited 2025-09-21 07:29 (UTC)

Loki shakes his head and dismisses his illusions. It seems the traps will not be fooled by his magic, and he'll just have to risk it.

He strides just as confidently as his decoy across the glittery string line, though poised to dodge- but not fast enough. He's covered by the spray. With a disgusted sigh, he starts to create an illusion over himself to cover it, but stops. The kittens love string and moving lights. And what is he now covered in?

He moves forward at a slow, even pace, trying not to startle the kitten ahead. He pulls a fragment of the odd string off of his head and waves it in her direction. "Do you want to play, little one?" he softly calls up to her.

He does keep one wary eye on upcoming black stone, especially after seeing how Lucas had been changed upon reaching it. The transformation is- unfortunate, but it doesn't seem to have stopped him, and Loki can only hope that he will also be able to overcome whatever happens to him. He also plans to dart off to the right as soon as he can, to spend as little time on the trap as possible, and to set up flanking of the kitten when they reach her. Hesitating only a second, he steps on the black stone.

As soon as Loki himself crosses the invisible line of the canons, he thinks he hears an approving snicker right before they go off, but it's hard to tell if it's at his tactics, or what he now looks like.

Cleocatra mewls indignantly before crouching and springing, though she simply lands back on the ceiling with another, sadder mewl. She's stuck and can't play.

At least nothing happens to Loki when he steps onto the square.

The change his him freeze up, curl his now-vines close, skin going a pale expression of fear and confusion. Give him some moments of his brains panicking taking stock of his body, shifting in little ways to see if all the movements are as they should be or if he has to deal with dreadful bones again. Only when nothing of the sort is found expect a little numbness where he used to have suckers does he focus on his surroundings again.

Loki is next to him now and looking rather different than moments before. At least he seems to take it in stride? There’s still a short moment where his skin flickers in rapid colors, laughing. Well, they won’t get things done just by standing here. After sending some arms out to touch the black next to him and find that nothing further happens, Lucas continues on to get closer to the cat.

And this time he gets hit too, arms and subbrain perhaps still confused by the recent change. He shudders, grabbles about himself, though that only spreads the glitter around. A problem that gets put to his Reach, to solve at the earliest convenience, while he moves closer to the cat still, this time avoiding the black squares. As close as he can get without that, he’ll turn to Loki. “Make your science again to get the furry crab down?”

(Note: Reflex D20+6=10 glittery hit)

Loki continues his turn to the right and advance, relieved that nothing seems to have happened. "I will try to flank her," he explains to Lucas as he turns away, pointedly ignoring the laugh.

Another line of traps- this time he manages to dodge them, though his mouth twists ruefully, as it feels pointless when he's already covered.

At least the kitten seems receptive to being lured in by playtime, if currently unable to. He considers Lucas's suggestion as he approaches. "When I get closer, I will cast the flying spell on myself. Perhaps she can leap into my arms."

Plan in mind, he steps on the black stone between him and the safe area next to the kitten.

Wild Magic: Gain a tamed mimic

No sooner has Loki stepped onto the black square than feels a small something appear on his head. Reaching up to pull it off will reveal a small chest about the size of a 12-week-old earth kitten. It's ornately decorated, with four tiny clawed feet, eyes, more fangs than a chest should have, and a tongue that defies logic of how it fits in the small mouth. It seems to like him and is most distressed if placed on the ground.

Already, it's trying to mimic Loki's colours - and the glittery sparkle. It's very cute and clearly only an hour old, if that.

And it's his and his alone. Loki doesn't know it yet, but he's on a very short list of people who have tamed mimics.

Edited 2025-09-21 08:28 (UTC)

Flanking is a concept he understands, can work with. He will see about getting on the stuck cats other side, so it has less means to escape. Even if it means stepping onto another black square and face the consequences.

Though Loki seems to be less affected by them. First nothing and now there is a… “Make friends with funny clam?” It doesn’t seem to be threatening and the color-changing is endearing it to Lucas immediately, his own shifting in sync to show sympathy. But only for a short moment, till his thoughts go different paths again.

Then he will slowly creep onto another black square, trying to circle in on the cats other side.

(Note: D4=4 black square)

Edited 2025-09-21 08:43 (UTC)

Loki tenses when he feels a weight on his head and carefully reaches for it. Whatever he was expecting, a tiny, moving, color-changing chest was not it. But as it does its best to copy Loki's colors, his heart melts. He's weak to flattery, after all. He gives it a pat and sets it on his shoulder.

"I think it has already made me its friend. May that be a good omen for our dealings with the kittens," he replies to Lucas as he approaches the kitten. Once he's next to her, he casts his "flying" spell, hoping that it will work as it should and let him float in the air as high as he wishes. Which in this case is right below the ceiling, within easy jumping distance for a kitten. He holds out his arms invitingly, rolling a piece of string around on the palm of one hand.

"Come here, little girl. I have toys. And food." He puts extra emphasis on the last word, since in past encounters, the kittens have immediately reacted to it, usually by rushing to his side.

Loki - Charisma: 21 (success)

Cleocatra seems to perk up and attempts to leap to him, if only for the food, but she ends up back on the ceiling.

She hisses, tail flicking and her cute, angry kitten gaze says this is Loki's fault, somehow.

Lucas watches the proceedings, ready to catch the cat should it suddenly fall down. Though it seems they are having more of the opposite problem. “Put furry crab in bag, bring down here? Or make float to her-up-our-down?” he suggests.

"I'd rather not mix magic. I hope that once she is away from the trapped stone, she will revert to normal gravity. To get her off it..."

He pulls some treats out of one pocket and holds them in plain sight as he carefully reaches for the kitten, letting his arm cross the boundary into the black stone region. He's bracing for its gravity to suddenly flip, trusting in his strength to keep him from being unbalanced if that happens, and makes to slip his arm under her belly so he can lift her. Or she can try jumping onto his arm and using her claws to stay attached, he'll hold still if she makes contact on her own.

Luckily for Loki, it would seem that only a limb doesn't trigger whatever magic is behind the black squares.

Unfortunately, though Cleocatra desperately attempts to stay on him once she's pounced, she just ends up back on the ceiling.

"Mrrr~" she growls, tail lashing as she stares at the Asgardian before taking a warning swipe at him.

On the bright side, she's off her black square.

Not mixing sciences? That’s a new one to him, but since he knows nothing of the magic-science, he’ll let Loki lead on that. The furry crab seems at least receptive to the idea of being picked up, though that did not change it’s predicament. Well, since it wasn’t hostile, he might as well come closer, this time avoiding the glitter cannon.

Wiggling his vine-arms he said: “Mine did not go away either. Perhaps I could keep hold of her?” He would at least have more arms to do so than Loki.

(Notes: Reflex D20+6=15 for cannon, miss)

Loki frowns and shakes a finger at Cleocatra playfully. "None of that. Do you want to be rescued or not?" He reaches up to her, a cat treat held between his fingers, to make it clear that he's not serious about abandoning her. And hopefully keep her interest while he works out how best to handle the conundrum.

He tries to study the magic around the cat, it's chaotic and he doesn't think he can dispell it.

"I think I shall have to risk it. She does not enjoy being on the ceiling. She might not like floating, either, but it will be easier for one of us to hold her and keep her placated."

As he says that, he carefully forms the spell, then casts it on the kitten. If it works, she should start floating as if in zero-g.

Levitate Vs Chaos Magic: 3 (Good Outcome)

Loki casts the spell, and for a moment, it seems as if nothing happens, as if the Chaos magic ate the spell itself. Yet then Cleocatra starts to float down. At first, the poor flerken kitten is terribly confused, and then she is not as she beelines for Loki with a 'Mrrrr!', a few tentacles starting to escape her mouth.

She either wants food or wants to eat him to get all the promised food. It's clearly one or the other!

Loki's relief at the spell working is undercut when the tentacles make an appearance. He takes out another small handful of treats and holds them out to her.

"Behave yourself, and I will keep giving you food. If you eat me, I will never give you anything again."

Well, now that the cat is safely down and they can lure it with food – hey, Senkovi used the same methods when he taught them coding, it works! – his focus shifts to other things. Like that pretty blue gem which he noted before and only ignored as being yet too far out of reach. So he left Loki to the cat and went straight for it, the icy ground not something he considered a danger. Not when he had been born to a planet barely kept from freezing by engineered volcanism.

(Note: Fortitude D20+2=12 for icy square)

Cleocatra takes the treats, and for now, seems content to float beside Loki.

Lucas Fort Save: 12
Damage taken: 6 HP, ice damage.

While the sudden electrical current is painful, it doesn't hurt the way the ice does, and Lucas very quickly crosses to the blue gem.

As soon as he touches the gem on the dais, a Stone Golem flickers, literally, into view and to life. The gem in its chest glows soft pastel colours that swirl then settle into a pretty rainbow.

"Greeting, Travellers. I see you are injured. Please select one of the following options:
- Healing. I, Sally-An, will heal you for a small amount per request up to five times.
- Removal of Glitter and Silly String. I, Sally-An, shall remove one of the following body parts of Glitter: Head. Torso. Left Arm, Right Arm, Left Hand, Right Hand. Left Leg, Right Leg, Left Foot, Right Foot. I will do this up to five times.
- Disable. I, Sally-An, will disable one black square per request up to six times.

Please select one option."

Sally-An's voice is cheerfully and helpfully that of a corporate drone who is likely to be ZERO help outside her assigned purpose.

Edited 2025-09-23 04:32 (UTC)

Loki smiles at the kitten and holds out an arm, inviting her to grab onto it. He doubts her claws could get through the leather, and even if they do, he still has Asgardian toughness. Once she does, he'll start to lower the two of them to the ground.

She will probably need more bribes regularly, and it could get awkward reaching into his pocket over and over, or stop her from eating an entire handful at once. A skittering feeling on his shoulder reminds him of the strange chest he'd received. "Can you retrieve the treats from my pocket?" he asks it, and in answer, it turns into a disembodied hand that scuttles down Loki's side, into the pocket, and quickly reappears holding some treats. Loki smiles at it. "Whenever the kitten seems restless, fetch and give her a treat. You may have one as well, if you wish," he adds indulgently.

He's been too occupied with his creatures to notice when Lucas started moving right into the icy-looking ground. The reaction does not look pleasant, but fortunately it doesn't seem to have slowed him down. A monster appearing is similarly alarming, but when it speaks, it seems clear that it is some form of helper. Like Navi-No, but with helpful functions.

"I would suggest that we only use the 'disable' function," he calls out to Lucas. "Unless you need healing immediately. The glitter removal would not completely free either of us and appears to be harmless."

Oh, cold burn! He flinches, curling tight at the unpleasant sensation, checking the tips of his arms over for loss before getting to the gem. Hurts, but he can forget that easy enough. The current? Please, as if this is the first live wire he is touching. Octopi are very chaotic engineers, there are plenty of them in his home. Even the ice wasn’t too bad. A bit like venting water (atmosphere) from your ship and swimming in it before it froze in the emptiness of space. “Hurts-cold! Tingles!” his skin will still warn Loki.

The options given don’t impress him so much. Healing he certainly doesn’t need yet, the glitter doesn’t bother him so much – in fact if it could sync with his own colors he would love to keep it for extra expressions – and what is up with those body description? “Silly rock! Cannot count arms! How would you even find the right ones?” he chides the thing. “I am well. Say we get closer to other furry crab, look for black tiles as needed. Was not so bad to step on them, yet.” Sure, sure, his tentacles are vines, but they are for the most part still functioning as they should and he trusts his subbrain to work on solutions of undoing that, same as he trusts it to find a way to control the glitter.

“Avoid ice-hurt?” is all he further suggests to Loki, before starting to circle around the golem, getting more glitter onto himself in the process. If that blue gem is moveable one of his arms will take it along, for the nice color.

(Notes: Reflex D20+6=9 for cannon, hit)

For now, Cleocatra is happy to sit on Loki and eat the treats as they come. He has food, and she is not on the ceiling. All is right in the kitten's world. For now, at least.

Alas, the blue gem remains were it is, an immovable object.

"I do not understand the given commands," Sally-An says, as if commenting on the weather.

Meanwhile, Mewlius yawns and flops down to sprawl out in a nap in the sunbeam that just appeared. It is the best sunbeam and good for naps!

Kitten in hand (or in arm, as the case may be), Loki advances to join Lucas, avoiding a shot from the cannons. "Having one kitten who is clearly comfortable with us may reassure others," he remarks. "I think we should continue flanking, and avoid the ice-electric zones. Would you rather go left or right?"

“Quickest path!” Which is left or so his Reach decides – but straight ahead first, to get closer to Mewlius. Got to see how he reacts to that, after all. “Disable this square” he asks of the golem, as clearly as his skin can spell that out, with the translation on the slate too just be sure. Once that’s done he’ll step into the spot, wait for Loki to catch up.

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