ITP: Kittens

[maybe_a_king]

Who: Arturia
Where: Virgo Ward
Summary: Arturia is settling in, meaning she has things to do: a). Buy kitty litter and cat food and b). Explore the city to find the best routes.
Warnings: Mention of cats?
Arturia, unlike others, hadn't bothered with the Network upon arrival. It was easy enough to peruse and get her head together. No, she had something else to do besides socialize on the internet: shopping.

Shopping for the four little kittens who had come through to Hinoto-Ri with her. It was nice to be able to do something relatively normal after the strange last few days she'd had. Even being brought to this strange place did not measure up to how odd and unnerving it had been. First she got chased through the streets for her life. Then she found out she had become a Master in some magical war alongside Rin? Then her own Servant being the one to snipe one of her.... well, Shinji was a sleazeball, but he was also Sakura's brother. How could she hope to face Sakura knowing Shinji would be alive if she had made it clear to Archer not to kill him? Now she was in a strange city in another world. What was next? A crippling sense of fear she couldn't explain driving her mad?

Yes, right now it was much easier to focus on her cats safely sleeping in her tiny apartment with a makeshift litter box and little else. If she was going to stay in this city, she needed to see about her moped getting converted and getting more than this small stipend she'd been given. It'd take a while to set up the delivery business she'd once had, but once she got to know the city better and earned enough to fix up her moped it would be easy. She could go back home soon enough, right? Maybe this short break to think things through wouldn't be so bad.

That being said, she still needed to find a pet store and was having no luck. To remedy this little problem she approached someone on a street corner who looked friendly enough, cleared her throat to get their attention, and asked:

"Excuse me? Do you know where there's a pet store around here? I've just arrived and am still finding my way around. Any help would be most welcome."

Comments

[maybe_a_king]

"Terra would be.... Earth, correct?" she asks, glancing up at him and taking long strides to match his step. Fortunately she's the athletic sort and it doesn't wear her out at all.

It's kind of amusing to see how the crowd parts for them due to his sheer size and, other than that, pay him no heed. Is he a mainstay in the city or are the people here just so used to unusual sights?

[greyerrant]

"You have the right of it, Mamzel."

He moves gingerly amongst the people, as if keenly aware of his own size and power. Because he is, especially after the tragedy of the loading deck massacre, he is careful not to throw his weight around near mortals. He remembers the consequences of his own panic and fear about the near-death of Horus too well for that. Guilt he will bear forever, just another weight for the massive burden the Grey Angel must bear.

[maybe_a_king]

"And you were born on.... Cthonia, was it? What was that world like?"

It just sounds so fascinating. A space marine, really? And he did seem to be of the knightly sort and Arturia knew she could be as bad about knights as her uncle is about samurai.

[greyerrant]

"It was... many things. A hollowed out hive, a mining colony that had mostly been emptied, except of men. We were cold, we were brutal, but we had honor, and brotherhood. It was a decayed industrial world, so close to Terra as to be easily reached without even the need of a Navigator. And most of all, it was our home, and that of our Gene father."

His eyes close for a second, and he almost whispers a name "Horus Lupercal, our lord and master."

[maybe_a_king]

The way he says it gives Arturia pause. Up until that point Garviel had given no sign he had some kind of issues, but the very way he said the name, spoke of Horus Lupercal as his lord and master, set her just slightly on edge.

"Was he a good man?" she can't help but to venture. Hopefully she isn't stepping on any toes.

[greyerrant]

"Horus was the greatest man that I have ever known, except for the Emperor, and I can't say I... knew the Emperor. I have seen him, once or twice. At the Triumph of Ullanor, once at the Vengeful Spirit, from a distance. A few times before that, when he fought with us during the Great Crusade. He was... a being of light. A nimbus of golden fire so bright it burned you to look directly, even with posthuman eyes, or a helm filter. I can see why some worshiped him as a god. But Horus... Horus was his son, the best of him, really. A general, a statesman, a warrior, and a good man. More than anything else he was a leader."

His face doesn't show much as he speaks about him though, just a granite-like resolve as though discussing nothing of great import, rather than the entire reason he is now the Silent Wolf.

[maybe_a_king]

"He must have been one to get such respect from you," she says almost delicately. The way he talks it sounds like something must have happened involving Horus Lupercal, though exactly what is impossible for Arturia to say at this point.

[greyerrant]

Loken nods, and walks a while with Arturia, silent, lost in thought, and memories of a better time, a more glorious one. Where things were simple, and the Imperial Truth was clear and self-evident to him.

[maybe_a_king]

Eventually they get to the pet store and when they get there, apparently a couple dogs are in a little cage to be pet.

Oh look, they seem to love Garvi if how excited they get upon seeing him and how they start barking like mad is any clue.

[greyerrant]

Garviel frowns, and then eventually pats them lightly, still quiet. The seem to like that. He looks at them, they look at him, and sort of acknowledge an Alpha, if a kind one. The connection of Astartes to the various canids of Terra are notable on a genetic level, if some of the techpriests are to be believed, at least the Luna Wolves and the Vlka Fenryka, though far more for the Space Wolves. For the Sons of Horus, it was more a reflection of doglike, pack-loyalty. And Loken was always an exemplar of loyalty, though he wouldn't say it aloud.

[maybe_a_king]

Arturia herself reached into the cage and pet a few herself, her hands being licked as a soft smile came across her features.

"You know, there's an old wives tale that says you can tell a person's true character by how a dog responds to them."

[greyerrant]

"I was unaware of that. But I don't know any old wives."

He looks at the dogs for a moment longer, looking for any that are black, and meeting their eyes for a moment. Looking for telltale facial features as well.

"Do you know some, then?"

[maybe_a_king]

"Quite a few. You hear a lot of things from people when you deliver packages. There's this one old couple who believed if you put a piece of paper with a bit of writing on it above your door, it'll keep evil spirits at bay."

Something she'd never put much stock in, but was willing to let them believe what they wished. She could walk on water and Rin could shoot magic from her fingers. Who was to say that a piece of paper couldn't keep evil spirits at bay?

For all she knew she'd summoned one, but Arturia pushed thoughts of Archer down. No. Now was not the time for that. She had to focus on the little ones in her care.

[greyerrant]

"That sounds almost like a superstitious version of the Oaths of Moment that my brotherhood used to adorn our war-gear before we took to the field. Only we didn't believe in evil spirits, or worship at fanes. We simply used it as a mental focus."

He watches her carefully, taking note of her micro-expressions, trying to read the little woman's face and mood.

[maybe_a_king]

Oh, if it's micro-expressions he's looking for, what he'd be most likely to find is amusement, fondness for the dogs, perhaps a hint of nervousness and unease. But who wouldn't be ill at ease in a situation like this? Even if Arturia could say she was a hundred percent a normal person she would still be ill at ease in this place.

"People in general tend to be superstitious. I for one think there are things out there we can't yet explain. How exactly we wound up in this city is one of many of them."

[greyerrant]

"Superstitions are danger things. And there are always rational explanations, even if they are emanations of psionic abilities." He doesn't want to talk with her about Chaos and the primordial annihilator. Not yet.

"As for how we got here, I have some ideas about that, but I need more information. It isn't out of the question that technologies and certain abilities that people from my time could have combined to do something like this."

[maybe_a_king]

"Psionic abilities?" she asked, looking up at him. Was that what it was called where he came from? Or did magic just not exist?

"Well, I'm looking to explore the city and there are bound to be people here who you could question about the process of coming here, I think. I still have some questions to ask of people, myself."

She stood from the dogs and glanced through the aisles, looking for the section on cats. The dogs whined at the loss affection, but soon turned their attentions to Garvi and started jumping over the dogs already vying for his attention to get it.

[greyerrant]

"Yes, psionic abilities. Those who can reach into the Immaterium with psychic powers, and through force of will change reality, or gain certain insights that might otherwise be impossible to glean."

He sounds a bit more grim when she mentions people to be questioned about the process of their coming here, "Oh yes, I do intend to ask certain questions, when I've found the right people."

For a moment, he looks almost angry, then notably relaxes and pets the dogs with both hands, almost shyly, clearly unused to this degree of affection from anything, or anyone.

[maybe_a_king]

"....would walking on water fall under psionic abilities?" she finds herself asking.

It's kind of fascinating to hear about these sort of things from other worlds and Arturia always did feel her one ability as a Magus was kind of useless except in specific situations. Still, it couldn't hurt to learn how it'd be considered across the worlds.

[greyerrant]

"That would depend entirely on what sort of augmetic enhancements you have. I've seen a techpriest levitate himself with nothing but the power of his own circuitry and a mastery of magnetism, but that was just science." He smiles, slightly, "Without that kind of gross alteration of your physical form, yes, that would most likely fall under the purview of psionics. A telekine talent, I believe."