Hunter's Quarry Part 2
Just as all were getting situated and comfortable for what appeared likely to be a quiet evening, Hunter may have decided otherwise. All noticed his leap through the kitchen window onto the rear balcony, with Carver following promptly. Reithak was shortly behind. Warrick trails, caught up as he was removing armor and then recovering from an a-greave-ated trip.
Carver is able to see Hunter descend a set of exterior stairs that lead from the balcony down to the face of the cliff below where the house sits (and extends from). Reithak may be familiar with this excavated storage space from a prior visit.
There is no immediate threat of the trotting tabby from leaping into wagon nor pedestrian traffic. Not unless he decides to leap down to the temple district some hundreds of feet below.
Reithak, heading up the rear of the group, was the last out the portal, where the cat was outside.
"Hey there, aren't I just big and fluffy and feathery? don't you just want to chase me back inside?" The egalrin jokes, flapping her wings a few times. "What's the best way to get him back in now?"
Warrick manages to get himself to his feet, sighing in a tired manner as slows down to pick himself back up, opting to not unstrap his boots and instead grab the kibble from the cupboards as he follows the ladies out. Boots clanking along the way.
He pauses outside, looking warily at the large drop to the side. "... I supposed mages have no fear of heights..." he murmurs. "Not sure, but I brought the treats."
"See if he wants a treat, and carry him back inside." Carver says. "He may just be lookin' at his kingdom. As long as he ain't jumping, we should be fine though.." She does take a curious look over toward the big drop with a shake of her head, "Mm, probably not that way, but onto a nearby wagon would also be sorta bad. It's been like 5 minutes an' the priest lady migh' not even be down the road and see her cat run by."
She nods at Warrick as he makes sure to grab the Hunter bait. "Hope it works. Speakin' of, anyone got eyes on the cat?" She leaves her wrapped bow to prop the door open in case its one of those comedic universe jokes that is universally played on people where 'oh, we forget tot ell you the side door always locks by itself'. Cause of course it would.
GAME: Warrick rolls perception: (20)+7: 27 GAME: Carver rolls perception: (3)+13: 16 GAME: Reithak rolls perception: (10)+19: 29
It is a valid question that Carver poses, as Hunter is not immediately in view after bounding down into the storage alcove. It is shaded from the setting sun and darker than the surrounds, afterall.
"Now, does he want a treat? that's the question." Reithak wonders loudly, quirking a brow. "We've got all these treats here, and it'd be a shame if no one was here to eat them. If he's not around, we'll just have to take all these treats back inside for ourselves, right?" The egalring continues, reaching to shake a few of the treats warrick brought around.
Warrick takes a handful of treats out of the container. "I'm not getting paid enough to jump off a cliff yet," he deadpans, handing the container off Reithak as they reach for it.
He starts to go down towards the storage alcove, pausing briefly. "Ah, there you are, down here," he points down below towards a crate. "Uh... pspspsps?" Warrick attempts, holding out a handful of snacks. It's as bad as it sounds.
Carver just shakes her head at the noise, but doesn't interfere. "Don't sound so desperate with your pspspsp, it's more like you're saying hello, not like you're sayin' please come here. Ain't you ever done anythin' with a cat before? I mean just the worse pspin' I ever hear. Might as well throw it off the cliff at this rate, ain't never gonna come to us." Being helpful? Nah.
Having fun? Yeah. "See, Reithak gets it. Make it a game."
GAME: Verna rolls 1d6: (6): 6
Hunter steps further into the fading light, focus shifting between Warrick's pspspsing and treats and Reithak's feathered features... and the treats being shaken. He then creeps forward and back up the stairs, eventually approaching... Warrick.
Maybe the tabby took pity on him? Thinks he can succker him out of more treats? Plans tocorrect him on his grammar? Whatever the reason, he sits in front of the man with the treats. Expcetantly.
"Ooh, jumping off cliffs? pick me! I'll jump off cliffs all day!" The egalrin laughs."Hey there, balls in your field. Make sure he gets some, alright?"
Warrick squints at Carver. "... No, usually animals don't like me. Like I said, my wife was the one who took care of the alley cats, not me," he explains, shaking his head at her.
"Not all of us have wings, ma'am-" Oh, Hunter is coming towards him!
He stops, kneeling and holding out a hand full of treats towards the tabby. "Good Hunter." A glance to Carver, smirking a touch triumphantly. "Worst pspsps my ass."
Carver crosses her arms and rolls her eyes, unimpressed. Or annoyed that she was proven wrong which is more likely.
Hunter has eyes only for Warrick. Well, technically the treats and Warrick's hand that presents them. His noses moves in close to verify there is no chicanery going on, and then he proceeds to scarf up one, then two treats. He might have grabbed more if they were in hand, but his mouth is only so big. He then proceeds to chew rapidly to make more room.
"Yeah I know, s'why I'm offering!" Reithak grins, stepping off to the side. "Alright Carver, leaving this in your capable hands. guess treats in the hand are worth a jar on the bird, huh?"
Amused by Carver's annoyance, Warrick keeps his hand full of treats held out and doesn't dare move a muscle as Hunter gets his fill. "Can one of you two please scoop 'em up? I still got my greaves on and if I move the rattling will spook them."
"Yeah, yeah." Carver says with a huff of blown air, kneeling low to get into the cat's field his field of vision. She will extend a hand forward so he can smell her through its treats, before reaching with both hands to try to gently scoop up Hunter. "Easy does it, best we get you home and away from the ridiculous death drop."
Hunter does not appear to mind Carver nearing, occupied as he is with gorging himself on treats from the Warrick dispenser. The only hint of startle when he is scooped up is making a last grab for a treat before he's too far from the hand that feeds him. One for the road, which he merrily chomps on whilst held.
Reithak was blocking off the side of the cliff, and when the cat is nabbed the egalrin whistles loudly. "Nice one, lady! You too, Warrick. Now let's het him inside nfore he makes a break for it, alright?" She offers, skipping over to hold the door open.
Warrick sighs in relief, standing up as Carver gets a wrangle on the little explorer. "Thanks." He shifts slightly to let the other two pass, him eyeing the alcove and the death drop. The man waits a bit for the two to get ahead before slowly following himself, making sure his greaves wouldn't rattle.
"This house sure is crazy tho." Carver says as she goes back up the stairs, gently scritching behind one of the cat's ears. "Like, guess this is what retired adventurin' gets you. Well, this or an unmarked grave. You ever think which you'll get?" She nods at Reithak as she holds the door open, leaning to grab her wrapped equipment and drag it inside. "I'd get bored of it though, I think. Ain't never had a home anyway."
Even after the last of the treats in mouth are consumed, Hunter remains content in Carver's arms. Without food-bias as a factor, maybe Carver's knowledge of animals is what puts him at ease. He lies like a lump in her arms, and even begins to purr at the scritches.
Crisis averted.
"It is pretty sweet digs, aint it?" Reithak grins as she shuts the door closed. "Hard t'say. Ideally a nice loud retirement for me, Slixvah'd be real pissed if I ended up in an unmarked grave somewhere."
"Never had a home? Gotta be a story there, and I'm sorry to hear that."
Warrick follows in after the two, him having stooped outside to pop the metal leggings off. "In my time, it's usually the latter for most adventuring types. And if they have the former, you don't ask how they got it."
He gives Carver a side eye. "The former for me, I don't plan on adventuring much. I just have a skillset that I can't use anymore except for just that, and I gotta feed my daughter somehow. It's why I'm persistent on wearing a helmet." That must be old man talk for 'no one wears a helmet these days'. "But- I do agree. This house is quite fitting for a seasoned adventurer. I am glad to help the Mourner out at least. She's helped me quite a bit." He falls quiet, listening to Reithak's query.
Carver waves the question away, "I'm Dran. We had family. Not home. Some, they just want a roof. I'll always take a sky over my head and the thunder of hooves, across the plains." She looks as if she is looking way back, before blowing a raspberry. "Whatever. I'm going to leave the bes' corpse then. After I play with this cute cat." She holds Hunter up to her face, scrunching all the tabby cuteness right into her cheek. "Come on, let's get you fatter!"
GAME: Carver rolls perception: (3)+13: 16 GAME: Warrick rolls perception: (12)+7: 19 GAME: Reithak rolls perception: (10)+19: 29
All are indoors and comfortable once more. Well, Hunter seems comfortable, even with Carver's affections. The face-pressing is actively returned. They did get him dinner first, afterall.
Then the silence is broken by a smell mrow. No, not from face-mashing Hunter. Instead, it comes from the Hunter sitting by Reithak's feet and staring up at her. Before him (and near her feet) is a smallish rat, recently-deceased. It's unknown where this Hunter came from or when, as he was not noticed until the sound.
Reithak looks down at her feet, and back up to Carver. "Hey, did Verna mention if she had any other cats? or if Hunter had a twin?" She asks the others out loud. "Good job catching that rat, buy where did you come from?"
Warrick makes an 'ah' sound as Carver mentions that she's Dran. "Had a Dran rider teach me how to ride a horse," he mentions. "Never could get the hang of shooting from horseback, the woman that showed me could shoot better than me standing still while at full speed."
He chuckles as Carver dotes on Hunter, but the meow gets him to look down at Hunter Two. Look back. Down. Back. Down. "... is there some kind of magic device that clones things here?" he sighs.
"Yep, my Mada tau--" Carver begins to share before a meow interrupts her, and she looks down at the twin. Then to the cat in her arms, then back to the twin. "Well, it's that or we jus' adopted her a new best friend. Hey other lil' guy. Nice kill?"
Rat Hunter (for disambiguation) sits straighter at the praise. Meanwhile, Doted Hunter continues to facerub Carver and purr. The sound of the latter may be what finally gets Rat Hunter's attention and has him look up and over to Carver and all the attention received. Attention that -he- isn't getting.
His tail fluff up and he adds his own feline sounds to the mix. His isn't purring, though; it's much a lower growling.
"Aw, good job you little hunter. Can't say I feel like nay rats personally, not after last time in the cellar, but you can enjoy that later, I'm sure." Reithak responds. "C'mere, you need some attention too, sounds like." She adds while scooping up the second cat into her arms. "Still, not sure what's going on here. Magic? Doppelgangers? Gimme a sec and I'll at least try to see, better safe than sorry."
The inquisitor reaches for their holy symbol with some difficulty , offering a brief prayer that makes their eyes flash a bright orange.
GAME: Reithak casts Detect Magic. Caster Level: 5 DC: 12
Warrick stares on in confusion for a moment overlong, before he quietly backs up towards the kitchen and closes the window as Reithak has the other cat handled. "I'm just not going to ask too many questions and take care of the cats. Just... maybe there's some blue ink around here, can mark the window escapee's nape, I'll look for some," he mentions, looking around for stationary.
"Easy does it," Carver says, slowly, "Just make sure they know they're sharing a space and let them get used to each other... what a weird job, honestly." She will slowly make her way to the kitchen if for no other reason to give the two a little space and maybe assure both are being fed equally.
Maybe to see if there are actually two bowls as well or just the one.
The egalrin was not however, expecting the carbon copy of the same cat to react completely differently to being picked up. "Eh? What, you hungry? But you just caught some food." Reithak huffs, reaching for the jar instead to offer a handful of treats. "C'mon, I don't bite much."
(Rat) Hunter continues to growl, and pays little attention to Reithak. Or the treats. Not anyone, really, asside from Carver... or, rather, Carver's cuddling companion. He hisses and stalks after her, fluffing fur spreading from tail up his back. Doted Hunter is much more calm; so much so that only now does he react to the not-calm Hunter. He peels his face from Carver's to look to the other Hunter.
Somewhat literally, as his face seem to stick to Carver's for a moment before pulling free. Maybe all that face-rubbing rubbed some off, because then his face starts to quiver and change. Doted Hunter is quickly half-smiling at Rat Hunter, with Carver's smile on have of his face...
And it is spreading, and the mostly-tabby that Carver is holding is rapidly gaining mass and growing.
Carver lets out an unholy shriek, fumble-flinging the shapeshifter away from her cheek and her cooing ministrations as it steals her smile. Metaphorically and actually quite literal.
Warrick continues his search for some ink, but whirls around as Carver screams. The blur of the fling gets his attention, him stepping back. "Oh what in Serriel's name...?" he hisses. "Hey! Whatever you are! Uh, what was the spiel...?- you're not invited into this house, we deny any offers, please leave...!"
He didn't have his book with him. Just a dagger he hasn't removed yet from dressing down.
Reithak does not know what to make of the cat turned creature... thing that gets flung halfway across the room. "You're going to have to leave right no." The inquisitor shouts, reaching for, but not drawing the rapier she hadn't bothered to get rid of. "And give her back her smile, it looks much better on her after all."
GAME: Warrick rolls knowledge/dungeoneering: (11)+7: 18 GAME: Carver rolls knowledge/dungeoneering+2: (9)+9+2: 20 GAME: Reithak rolls knowledge/dungeoneering +2: (1)+6+2: 9 (EPIC FAIL)
The expanding Hunter-Carver is tossed before getting too much larger, landing with a delightful, moist *SPLORT* sound from its semi-solid, changing flesh. The impact doesn't seem to bother it and it continues to grow, now much more vertically. Rapidly, it sheds any semblance of Hunter in favor of fully resembling Carver, complete with colorful pelt (i.e. clothing). It looks to Carver, mouth opening and closing, though the sounds that emit are not words and more wet gurgling; as if it were still trying to purr, but no longer has the proper equipment. It doesn't immediately take agressive action.
The other Hunter is another matter altogether. His growling becomes hissing as he lunges and swats at the Thing That Isn't Right.
GAME: Verna rolls 1d20+4: (19)+4: 23
And Hunter connects with little sharp claws to the thing's shin! No blood is visible, though that must have stung.
GAME: Verna rolls 1d2-4: (2)+-4: -2
Carver doesn't look to fight the ooze, but protect their brave charge. She goes to grab Hunter and scuttle away from her evil twin, which... maybe not the right person to do that in the moment and not get clawed but she is a professional and knew the risks when she signed on.
Even if not the exact details. "Ew, ew, ew, ew." That last part is existential terror of the creature having rubbed against her face.
GAME: Carver rolls cmb: (5)+9: 14
Warrick blinks as Hunter makes their strike against the Thing. "Wait shit- Hunter get back!" he hisses, but it seems like Carver's got the jump on it. The man surges forth to take Carver's place, interposing himself as he puts a hand on his dagger. "It's some kind of ooze..? Hey! What do you want? You want food? We've got that," he asks of it. Maybe it's sentient in some way?
Reithak was certainly not expecting, whatever this thing was. She wasn't sure if it was completely hostile, either. "Huh, think you can talk to it?" Reithak asks Warrick. "Hey, this isn't our home, but it's not yours either. Can you please leave then, maybe? I don't really feel like harming anyone today."
The Thing That Should Not Be Carver continues to smile, even after being clawed. It does not pay Hunter much mind and remains focused on Carver. That she is also now holding Hunter may be unrelated.
It takes a step or two towards her, arms reaching out with hands open. All not too disimilar to how she scooped up Hunter. Maybe it wants to pet the kitty, too.
A kitty that is now flailing his legs in defiance and spitting at Not Carver even though it is Carver that's holding him.
"I do not know many intelligent oozes, but there be a few!" Carver calls out, arms full of wriggling Hunter. "I'd feel bad killin' somethin' smart but it's got me pants near scared off." Which is impressive cause she's wearing a dress. "Do we, like, kill it?" She bears any small wounds Verna's cat may cause to keep it from rushing back to fight. Impressive as its ferocity is, they don't know how dangerous Not-Her is.
GAME: Warrick rolls sense motive: (3)+5: 8 GAME: Carver rolls Animal Handling: (10)+Animal Handling: 10 GAME: Carver rolls Handle Animal: (7)+10: 17
Warrick waffles slightly on what to do, but ends up side stepping towards his things and yanking a wooden kite shield out of the pile and returning back to interposing. "I... don't know? I can't tell if it's aggressive?" he echoes back to Carver with the Hunter-nado. "I really don't want to fight something without armor /again/. Alligator almost took my arm off."
Reithak hesitates for a moment, at least, she seems to. "Well, it doesn't seem to be capital E evil, but, I really don't know if we can trust it, either." Reithak sighs. "I certainly don't want to hand the cat over, there's no knowing what it'll do if we do that."
"How about some uh, some treats?" The egalring offers, hesitantly opening up the jar from before and holding it out.
With Carver backing up and Warrick interposing, Not Carver stops advancing. It's arms stay outstretched a moment longer, then lower. After another moment, they begin to distort and ripple and change.
Not Carver expands in some places, including a few inches in height, and compresses in others. It has morphed from Not Carver to Not Warrick when it notices Reithak holding the treats. Arms lift again, but are split; one hand reaches out for Warrick, and the other for the kibble. Decision paralysis?
"Maybe see if you can bait it outside with the treats?" Carver suggests, for lack of a better answer than violence. "Easy Hunter, easy." She tries to soothe the distressed cat who is beyond ready for violence even if the rest of them are not.
Warrick finds himself peering over his shield, looking back at none other than himself. He stares. "... do I always look that tired?" he bemoans. Carver has the right idea. "Y... eah. Reithak, come this way..." he says, backing up towards the kitchen against to reach behind him and open the door, trying to coax it out.
Carver says, “Yes, you're old! Now get rid of the creepy damn thing!”
Warrick retorts, "I'm not even forty!"
"You look great for your age, don't worry about it!" Reithak chuckles as she shakes the jar around some more, backpedaling for the back door. "Come on, it's all yours to enjoy down there, alright?" The Egalrin offers again. "Worth a try, I'd say!"
There is no more paralysis, as both things are moving in the same direction. Where Warrick and the kitty kibble go, Not Warrick follows, arms outstretched. Whether it is just hungry or in need of a hug, it shambles along. Walking upright takes a fair amount of coordination; quadrupeds are more stable. Speaking of four-legged friends, it seems to have utterly forgotten about Hunter.
Hunter, of course, has not forgotten it. His hissing is diminishing back to a growl, though. He may realize he can't escape Carver, or that she's trying to calm him... or that the home invader is on the way out.
Warrick shakes his head at the banter, his adrenaline waning but he was still on edge. A thought crosses him. "... I'm not too keen on letting it touch any of us. I think it wants more food, but I think it's having a decision problem. Let's... yeah, hey buddy, keep coming this way..."
Another thought. "... has it just been stuck as a cat so long it think its a cat?" Please don't be right, he thinks to himself as he steps out to the balcony, the large, hundreds of feet drop behind him past a railing. "Keep coming Reithak, we'll slowly circle around..."
"Well, let's leave it with some food that's not any of us then, alright?" Reithak suggests as she keeps backing up for the door. "Keep it up, I'm right behind you. "Worst comes to worst, I can hop the railing if I get stuck, so you focus on keeping yourself safe okay?"
The inquisitor keeps shaking the jar on the way, hoping that these cat treats weren't horribly expensive, or that Verna would think they overfed the cat.
Carver drops onto the couch, Hunter still in her arms. The entire scenario has exhausted her in ways combat itself simply could not.
All the adrenaline and fear of it but nowhere to direct it outside of anxiety-induced petting.
Now that it is out of the house proper, there are options. The ... thing has never moved quickly (at least as a humanoid), so it could be outmaneuvered. Reithak could choose to glide or fly down to the city if need be. Regardless of tactic, it is simple enough to leave the creature outside, circle back inside, and close the door(s).
For a few minutes, there is some vague thumping on the door: not nearly enough force to break it down (nor does that seem the intent), and more likely flailing in attempt to use a door latch (that was probably locked) without knowing what a door latch is. This is sporadically accompanied by more odd gurgling sounds. Then, after only a few minutes, all goes quiet.
With the intruder no longer intruding (and ample application of pets), Hunter has calmed in Carver's arms. He's even purring. He may even give facerubs. He is happy.
So long as Reithak remembers to bring that kibble back.
Though someone may wish to close the kitchen window. Just in case.
-End Scene-