[Nexus] NO XIII: Do Clockwork Penguins Dream of Mechanical Fish?

[Reinholdt]

[Front Door -> Main Room]

Irene sighs as the important question isn't answered by the weirdo. Oh well. She floats in to head right and go get her so-
"AWWWW! LOOKIT! It's a cute widdle puppy!"
Irene floats towards the wolf cub instead.

This might be harder than I thought.

[Lex-Kat]

{Irene's Quest- Front Door}

Originally Posted by Slii Arhem

Slii chitters, "Nothing is wrong with mountains, chktchkt. Is high, defensible place where you can see enemies and customers approaching before they arrive. Now run-scurry, find soulbit and leave, or discuss payment for a NO member to aid your search." Rather abrupt, but Slii is impatient, and has important work that this is pulling him away from.

Hey!! Don't ignore me! Sallianne tries to fly back into Slii's face. Where are we forbidden to go?

Squeeeeee!! Pearl follows Irene to play with the puppy. Widdle puppy. She also tries to pet it, though she's not really sure why.

The puppy may not like how she tastes, if it licks her. She tastes like onions, of course.

The direction of the soul bit seams to be on the move.

[Morty]

[Main Room]

The puppy steps away a bit from the creepy-smelling big two-legs, but allows herself to be petted by Pearl, albeit still mistrustfully. They smell strange.

Sophie mutters something. Guess protection from cold isn't within the Messengers' ability to grant.

[Reinholdt]

[Main Room]

Irene pauses when it backs away and pouts pitifully at it before floating away.

She heads towards the direction her soul is, aiming a bit ahead of where she thinks it's moving towards.

[The Bushranger]

[Main Room]

"Guess it is within my powers to grant."
Yes, Mikani does gloat just a little.
Yes, she looks remarkably like her father while doing so.

...and she leaves Sophie to guard Pearl as she hurries after Irene!

[Slii Arhem]

Front Door

Slii focuses in on the pixie. Right, she'd asked a question. He'd been so agitated he'd completely forgotten, "Armory, Labs, and member's personal quarters unless guided there by the one who owns them. All are clearly labeled, do not enter them, or Slii shall know." With that final warning, Slii turns to leave, a rat dropping from the inside hem of his cloak to follow Mikani. Slii want's to make it obvious that the visitors shall be watched over, to convince them that any mischief will be observed and quickly dealt with.

[Lex-Kat]

{Irene's Quest- Main Room}

Pearl, who is squatting low to pet the puppy, waddles closer to it. Widdle Puppy, I won't hurt you. She grins back to Ja.... Sophie. Why isn't it talking?

{Irene's Quest- Right Hallway}

Fine! Sallianne makes to follow Irene and Mikani. Ewww. A rat! And she tries to spear it.

[Slii Arhem]

Irene's Quest - Right Hallway

Slii, watching from the edge of the hallway, sees the attempted maiming of his cherished spyrat. This will not stand. He's too far to physically stop the pixie, so instead a jolt of chaotic green lightning lances from his forehead, striking between Salianne and her target to attempt to ward her off.

"Vermin-kin shall be watching you small-thing. Try to meddle with it again and Slii shall know, and feed your tiny carcass to Furt. Chktchkt!" Just great. Now the rat catcher is even more agitated.

[Reinholdt]

Irene's Quest - Right Hallway

Irene pauses in her search to look back at the commotion.
Ewww... rats.
She'd probably kill it too. But that icky man seems to like it so she does her best to ignore it and press on.

[Lex-Kat]

Irene's Quest - Right Hallway

Originally Posted by Slii Arhem

Slii, watching from the edge of the hallway, sees the attempted maiming of his cherished spyrat. This will not stand. He's too far to physically stop the pixie, so instead a jolt of chaotic green lightning lances from his forehead, striking between Salianne and her target to attempt to ward her off.

"Vermin-kin shall be watching you small-thing. Try to meddle with it again and Slii shall know, and feed your tiny carcass to Furt. Chktchkt!" Just great. Now the rat catcher is even more agitated.

Originally Posted by Reinholdt

Irene pauses in her search to look back at the commotion.
Ewww... rats.
She'd probably kill it too. But that icky man seems to like it so she does her best to ignore it and press on.

Success! The scary green lightning stops the peeved pixie from skewering the nasty rodent. She glares at Slii. Then follows after Irene and company. She watches the watcher. You stay down there, rat.

The soul-bit detector shows that the moving soul-bit is moving off to the left. But the physicals can't get to it, because it seems to be in the wall. For those who no NO (which is none in this group), the soul-bit would be heading toward the kitchen.

[The Bushranger]

Mikani looks back, the Magical Girl's eyes wide in shock!

...they then narrow at Slii.

He has made an enemy this day.

...she then turns to hurry after Irene once more.

[Slii Arhem]

Irene's Quest - Right Hallway

The rat can't exactly fly now, can it?

Well, that's a fair question actually, with all of the chaos magic Slii slings around. This one can't actually fly, so it will have to tag along on the ground, as far back from the group as possible so it doesn't get stabbed at again.

Slii ignores the impudent young breeder's glare. Pixie one violated the rules, and tried to harm his vermin-kin. She deserved what she got.

[Lex-Kat]

Irene's Quest - Right Hallway

Originally Posted by Lex-Kat

The soul-bit detector shows that the moving soul-bit is moving off to the left. But the physicals can't get to it, because it seems to be in the wall. For those who no NO (which is none in this group), the soul-bit would be heading toward the kitchen.

The Soul-bit is getting further away. Sallianne, distracted by the spy-rat, may or may not bump into Mikani.

[Reinholdt]

Irene's Quest - Right Hallway

Irene hisses a little and hurries towards the kitchen/soul, floating halfway into the wall so she can see in between the walls. Probably some sort of rat.

[Lex-Kat]

{Irene's Quest- Right Hallway}

Irene'll find a Clockwork Penguin cradling a fishbowl holding an angel fish in it. He's heading toward the kitchen.

[Reinholdt]

{Irene's Quest- Right Hallway}

She pulls her head back just to shout at her teammates.
"Get that fish!"
Irene goes to float through the wall and try to chase the penguin!

[The Bushranger]

[Irene's Quest - Right Hallway]

Mikani is bumped into by Sallianne! She eeps, giggles, then hears the call to...

"...a fish?"

[Lex-Kat]

{Irene's Quest- Right Hallway}

Sallianne stops watching the rat to now stare confused at where Irene was. What fish? she asks Mikani.

[Reinholdt]

{Irene's Quest- Right Hallway}

"The fish the penguin has!" Duh!

Obviously this part of her soul likes swimming or something.

[Lex-Kat]

{Irene's Quest}

The Clockwork Penguin looks back at Irene, and seeing the scary ghost flying after it, begins to waddle faster away from her. SQUAAAK!!

[The Bushranger]

[I.Q.]

Clearly the penguin must be Rico.

"Follow that bird!" Mikani calls, breaking into a sprint after the naturally-tuxedo'd critter!

[Lex-Kat]

{Irene's Quest}

The Clockwork Penguin waddles for its life into the kitchen, turns immediately left, and ducks into one of the service corridors built for the Clockwork Penguins. Hint: They're small. But short people should easily be able to fit, as well as ghosts, I suspect.

[Reinholdt]

{Irene's Quest}

"Get back here you little rodent!"

Irene says swooping to fly into the service corridor.

[Morty]

[Irene's Quest]

Another pup seems to have shown up and is sniffing at Jamie's leg.

Sophie is still back by the entrance, guarding Pearl. The pup that stayed there seems to be dozing off.

[The Bushranger]

[Irene's Quest]

Mikani starts to follow Irene further!

But suddenly...

Puppies.

"...d'awwww!"

And the cute widdle wolf pup might find itself being cuddled and ear-scritched by the Druid Princess!

[Lex-Kat]

{Irene's Quest}

Originally Posted by Reinholdt

"Get back here you little rodent!"

Irene says swooping to fly into the service corridor.

Irene is faster than the Clockwork Penguin, and easily catches up. It clutches the fish bowl tightly, as it cowers from the ghost-catgirl. The Soul-bit is right there in front of her.

Sallianne has kept up with Irene, and points her spear at the Clockwork Penguin. Give us the fish!!

The Clockwork Penguin shakes its head no vehemently.

Originally Posted by Morty

Another pup seems to have shown up and is sniffing at Jamie's leg.

Sophie is still back by the entrance, guarding Pearl. The pup that stayed there seems to be dozing off.

Pearl begins tugging at Sophie's arm excitedly. She looks a little panicked. He's dying!! she says, pointing at the dozing puppy.

[Reinholdt]

{Irene's Quest}

Irene doesn't particularly care for the penguin's protests and reaches out to try and take the soul-bit. Both mentally and with her hand.

[Morty]

[Irene's Quest]

The pup is cuddled and scritched. He doesn't know the new two-legs, but he's confident that if she turns out to be dangerous, his mother, father, Roxie and Dipsnig will protect him. Indeed, anyone who would harm the pups would be sent home in a soup can...

Meanwhile, Sophie smiles down at Pearl. She's not dying, she's just sleeping. Young wolves need a lot of sleep.

[Lex-Kat]

{Irene's Quest}

Irene pulls the fish bowl away from the Clockwork Penguin. For a brief moment, it looks degected and heart-broken. It had struggled to hold on, but it couldn't do so. As she takes the fish away physically, the Soul-Bit begins to emerge from the Clockwork Penguin itself.

{w/ Sophie}

Pearl looks confused, but squats down next to the puppy and tries to pet it some more. What is "just sleeping"? Will it be okay?

[Reinholdt]

{Irene's Quest}

Irene... pounces on it! Pounce!

Deadtime for a little bit.