On the prowl (Ithea)

[Merc]

"Not much. A status update on what's been going on with Aurora, and also to check up on the status of Kina before what happened with Muirfinn and Lief."

[Anastasia]

"Mrrr," A cat's curious little noise, turning into a steady purr. "You came to tell me about? Do tell." You feel a weight on your shoulder as a tabby cat, pacing about with unnatural grace and balance. The cat rubs her face against Ithea's cheeks, "Pet me."

[Merc]

Ithea pets the cat, and scratches it under the cheek.

"As I told you before, we were launching operations against known holdings of Lixer in retaliation for Muirfinn and Lief. They were pretty much all successful, though one of them lead to a mess in the Astral due to a rip in reality. The demons and slaads seemed interested in seeing it grow while pretty much everyone else was trying to shut it down. Thankfully, we did in fact succeed in shutting it off, and I had an interesting encounter with the Hanged Raven. During which apparently my anarch powers developed further and I was able to summon an army of quasi-real felines to assault the demonic forces and drive her off. No major losses, thankfully," Ithea summarizes that whole mess fairly succinctly.

[Anastasia]

Ithea is rewarded by loud purring as the cat kneads Ithea's shoulders. "Mmmrrrr, I heard about that ugliness in the Astral. Aurora was naughty to cause it. Put your arms out, I want to be held."

[Merc]

Ithea does so. "We did fix it, and it wasn't -all- Aurora," she points out.

[Anastasia]

The cat leaps right on in, burrowing against Ithea's arms and chest, purring loudly. "So you cleaned up your own mess. If Aurora were a dog, I'd say it was housebroken. Better than leaving it to fester, though."

[Merc]

"...I have never met a dog that cleans up its own mess, you know," Ithea remarks.

"Anyway, that's basically what's been going on. Figured you might appreciate a story about felines slashing up some big bad demons too."

[Anastasia]

"Good," The cat purrs, before suddenly leaping out of Ithea's arms. "Bored now," she declares, walking in the air next to Ithea. At head level, able to lock eyes with Ithea on an even level. It's as if things like gravity just don't matter to her. "Still, you did well. I saw your battles and you mauled that bird." The cat smiles - an expression that seems most unnatural on a cat's face. "It's only a shame you didn't get the kill."

[Merc]

Ithea frowns and nods. "Yes, I'd have liked that as well. I'm sure we'll meet again though. Beings like that don't take mortals surviving, let alone getting the better of them, very well."

"So on your side, how is Kina doing?" Ithea asks. Then pauses as an idea comes to mind and she almost hesitates but powers through the thought. "Wait, don't tell me that alley..."

[Anastasia]

"No." The cat says flatly, a little hiss escaping after. "She's doing well. Being re educated and dealt with."

[Merc]

"Oh, well, okay then..."

Ithea pauses, not sure how to move on from that awkward conversation point.

[Anastasia]

The cat paces a bit, tail flicking out. After that pause stretches a bit, "Oh, you're forgiven. Just don't put the image of getting intimate with a snake," she hisses at the end of that word, "In my mind again. Or a half snake, or a marilith or anything like a snake."

[Merc]

"Will do. Or won't do, rather," Ithea says, briefly correcting herself.

[Anastasia]

"Good." The cat pads along on the air, tail flicking straight up. "I do approve of you and what you're doing," she goes on, "You know, I've promoted mortals for less than you've done."

[Merc]

Ithea blinks. "Promoted? Wasn't that what the Champion thing was about, I thought?" Ithea asks. You can hear the emphasis on Champion.