07.14b: Burning Spiders

The goings on of courts
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07.14b: Burning Spiders

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Continued from here.

Conspirator #2 leads the Raven on a merry chase through the city; you're pretty sure he doesn't even know he's being followed, but his general paranoia is sufficient to lead to a very interesting problem: a narrow alleyway with a low roof... and a veritable swarm of cats. Not exactly the best place for a raven to be - but there are enough side exits that just waiting for him at the far end of the alley isn't a practical choice.
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Re: 07.14b: Burning Spiders

Post by The Raven »

The Raven makes a mental note to level this blight on Amber at a later time. He could shape-shift back into a human, but that would be showing fear, and cats can smell your fear. Still, an alley full of cats is not an obstacle to be trifled with, so the Raven attempts to carefully and methodically sneak by, though this means co-conspirator #2 might gain some ground on him.
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Re: 07.14b: Burning Spiders

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Careful and methodical progression works - the Raven has the needed skill to note where all the cats are, where they think they're going, and which way they're looking, and flit from nook to cranny in the sparse moments when they're not paying quite enough attention.

Indeed, the conspirator is still in sight (having paused to feed a cat) when things go wrong: a small kitten crossing a narrow support beam slips and falls, landing squarely on the Raven's back - a motion that was un-planned-for, for the simple reason that it was not, at all, where that particular cat intended to be.

On the plus side, the Raven is a large raven, and having a small kitten hanging on to you for dear life is not in fact enough to knock you out of the air. On the minus side, Cat! (Also, it throws off your planned trajectory a bit, and the odds of other cats seeing you has gone from zero to near-certainty.)
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Re: 07.14b: Burning Spiders

Post by The Raven »

Slipping cats? As the horrifying catspiracy unfolds in front of (on top of?) the Raven, there is clearly only one viable option. Co-conspirator #2 will get a full view of the action as the Raven, after backtracking as much as he can (before the cat armada notices) to allay suspicion of his origins, puts his plan into action.

Shapeshifting back into human, the Raven will full on SPRINT right past co-conspirator #2, kitten still in his hair, a few other cats pouncing at him as well. (they can smell your fear after all) He throws in a light "ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" for good measure.
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Re: 07.14b: Burning Spiders

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The conspirator is caught quite by surprise - but still takes this opportunity to try and stick a poisoned dagger into the Raven as he goes past.

The Raven blocks with a cat* in a move that could almost be mistaken for luck**. The stricken cat falls away, rapidly dissolving into a cloud of acidic gas, while the rest of the felines flee in terror***.

The assassin glares at the Raven. "Hmph. Guess I'll have to take this seriously." He extracts a pair of potions from under his cloak and moves to quaff one.

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* Quote: "The Raven feels no remorse for bird-murdering monsters." The kitten's safe, though; it's still perched on the Raven's head, and well away from his center of mass.
** But only almost, even if you don't know that the Raven's luck tends toward the negative end of the spectrum.
*** Except for that one kitten, who seems to be quite confused as to how it ended up where it is, and how it can possibly get down...
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Re: 07.14b: Burning Spiders

Post by The Raven »

The cats scattered*, the Raven stops fleeing and gathers himself quickly. "So, the castle's finally sent a competent assassin after me. Very well then..." the Raven lies, as he pulls out a pair of daggers. As letting the enemy quaff suspicious potions would not be ideal, he tosses one of the daggers at the potion (or the hand holding it, he's not picky) He uses that time to close distance with Co-Conspirator #2.
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* - It should be noted that the Raven has completely forgotten about the kitten. For now.
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Re: 07.14b: Burning Spiders

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Annoyingly, the assassin predicted this, and one of the potions all but explodes when hit with a dagger, white smoke clouding the area and mixing with the sickly green of decaying cat. (The other potion - the one he was actually going to drink - is still quite ruined, however, so this is probably still a net advantage to the Raven.)

The man's voice comes from your left, circling slowly, though with a faint echoing quality that indicates (to a sufficiently expert ear) that he's practicing ventriloquism and is, in fact... most likely standing just where he was, listening for you to move.

"I was not aware we had any incompetent assassins on our payroll. I shall have to have words with the dispatcher when I am done here." It seems he's taken the Raven's bluff and is running with it - perhaps he hopes to learn something, perhaps he merely hopes to keep the Raven distracted.
The Raven
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Re: 07.14b: Burning Spiders

Post by The Raven »

Unfortunately, bantering is not the correct option while engulfed in a smoke cloud. Therefore, the appropriate option is to try and hide his presence as much as possible until visibility is restored. However, if any golden opportunities present themselves, he will, of course, take them.
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Re: 07.14b: Burning Spiders

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"What's the matter?" taunts the assassin. "Cat got your tongue?"
As if on cue, the kitten starts trying to climb down your face.

However, if the Raven is resolute in his silence, the smoke will start to clear about a minute later, revealing both parties standing exactly where they had been when it went off - both having decided to wait for an opening that never came.
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Re: 07.14b: Burning Spiders

Post by The Raven »

"Actually," The Raven eventually notices what has happened after the smoke screen cleared. "Cat got... Mrgf?!" There is a cat on the Raven's forehead. This is a major emergency, though it's only a kitten. Therefore, the level of emergency is "merely" DEFCON 3 or so, as kittens have not yet grown up into full-grown demonic killing machines.

But the Raven is undeterred. He must defeat the cat before co-Conspirator #2 has a chance to take advantage of the opening created by the kitten's assault on his forehead. The Raven quickly inventories his anti-cat weaponry. Most usefully, he has a small length of string (covered in GLITTER for unknown reasons, pity the poor servant that has to clean Raven's coat.) and a raven feather, and combines them to create a feather toy.** Carefully, he attempts to use it to entice the cat off his face onto a conveniently placed pile of rubble / garbage. (or whatever piles of stuff back alleys have, he's not picky.)

Assuming he eventually succeeds, most importantly, the witty banter can finally resume. There would also be a time for a short victory dance, if he was not otherwise occupied.

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* - With one hand! Amber level stats are useful like that. (His other hand is clearly holding the remaining dagger. He could have used the dagger on the cat, but cat stink is really hard to remove, and he LIKES this dagger)
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