abraxaslogs | [ CATCH-ALL ] you're not what a hero looks like

[ ...ugh. The scowl is visible somehow even through all the protective gear she's wearing.

Ciri crouches down, sliding off the edge of the roof to land softly on her feet. It's not a very tall building, so visibility wasn't even that good. She's just a little desperate at this point.

She grabs Alucard's arm. ]

Please? [ Ciri repeats, urgently. ]

[The arm grab conveys everything that Alucard needs to know. He nods once, sincere.]

Yes, of course. Do you have something on you that has the scent? [He pauses for a moment, considering.]

If not, I can change forms and try to get the smell off of you. It'll be fainter, but I should still be able to pick it up. Likewise, are there any spots that your friend is known to haunt?

No... just me. [ She offers her arm. She was holding him earlier; maybe it'll be enough.

The protective gear over her face hides Ciri's expression well, but the way her shoulders slump gives away her answer just as quickly. ]

He's never been outside. Not like this, alone. The places he haunts are... Geralt's pillow, and the sunny spot on the kitchen table. [ Her voice trembles again. ] And he's so little...

Hm. Somewhere soft and out of the storm. That's a bit to go on.

[Alucard doesn't try for a reassuring smile. He instead falls back on a very old joke.]

The only thing I ask is that I don't hear anything about how I can't communicate in wolf form. Wolves don't have human vocal chords and we both know it.

[He doesn't wait to see if that lands. The dhampir goes about his transformation with little fanfare, then leans in close to get a sniff of Ciri's arm. It's mostly Ciri. A little Geralt, which is distinct. And....there. Fur. Musk. Something decidedly feline.

A cold nose presses against the cloth of Ciri's sleeve, well aware that it can be felt. There's a SNFFFF, followed by an exhale.

Awoocard then turns, nose pressed to the ground.

The first few minutes are slow. Alucard waddles at an all too slow pace, the wind against him. It is a blessing so few people have been about, but none of it makes it easy.

It is when he reaches the wall of a stationary store that the scent catches. His ears perk, as does his tail. Nose to the ground, the pace picks up. He can only assume Ciri is following.]

[ He's right... that is something to go on. She hadn't thought of it that way. Ciri nods, perhaps too seriously, and doesn't seem to really get the joke. ]

All right... [ No complaints here. If they really need to communicate in words, he should be able to figure something out with the mind-messages and all that.

Of course, Ciri follows closely, keeping her eyes peeling the whole time. It's unlikely Coram is running around outside; they just need to find his hiding place. When Alucard speeds up, so does she, jogging apace. ]

...Coram? [ she calls hopefully, coaxing. Of course, there's no response. ]

[They go around the stationary store. They go past a bookshop. They turn a corner to where there is a cadre of printing press shops, paper marbling works, all manner of things that support the trade of making fashionable paper with stuff on it. Alucard's nose is glued to the ground, and he keeps going down the street.

There were once awnings here, going by the supports that appear to have blown away in all the wind. Windows are closed. But there's so little wind at the moment, and Alucard snuffles when he realizes it. If he was looking for shelter from how awful the storms have been, this would be as good a spot as any. The only sign that the street isn't abandoned are the occasional shouts from inside (Wrong font size! and I'm out of the purple, would fuschia--).

The dhampir stops outside of a small door A gentle pawing at it shows it to be locked, and there's no store sign above it. He whines up at Ciri in a request that she knock, since he very much cannot.]

[ It's not too far from Jaskier's shop, where they'd found Mog, which is why Ciri was searching the area. As they walk and she follows Alucard's nose, Ciri will recap Mog's additional adventures -- how both animals had flown out, they'd searched, Geralt thought to check the shop and they found Mog there, but Coram must have escaped again. Assuming they'd been together at all, which Ciri is still hoping for.

She keeps her eyes peeled while he sniffs, ears as perked as the wolf's, though less obviously. When the wind dies down, there's even a chance she might hear something. Coram might not answer to his name very well, but she calls him a few times too in a hopeful, cooing tone. ]

Coram? Coram-an? Come on, little one.

[ When Awoocard stops, her heart jumps hopefully. She knocks immediately, impatiently. ]

Hello?

[Alucard listens, considering everything Ciri says as he moves with his nose practically glued to the ground. The explanation feels like anxiety being let out in a long and flowing stream, and he understands. There's nothing scarier when something that likely cannot look after itself in the long term escapes.

Once Ciri knocks, Alucard sits on his haunches, the very picture of an oversized but well behaved dog. He can hear shuffling and muttering through the door, and he places a paw on top of Ciri's boot to assure her there's no need to knock again.

The door swings open, and the face of a harried printer stares back at Ciri, splattered in paint and eyes sharp from so many years looking at print. Long black hair is pulled back and up into a braid and then a circled bun, and a tired sigh escapes. It is impossible to ignore the bright splashes of purple and green on her apron. And everywhere else, down to her workboots.

From deeper in the shop, there's a who is it? The client? We're not done!

Exhausted, the printer looks Ciri and Alucard up and down, frowning.]

Not the client. A woman and her dog, and out in the storms. Miss, can I help you?

[ Ciri wastes no time asking, already half-stepping forward like she's prepared to push past this woman right into her shop. ]

I'm looking for my leosylph. Got blow away in the storm. My hound tracked him to your shop.

Please, won't you let me come in and look around? I'll only be a minute.

If he's here, I'm sure you don't want him around your inkpots and quills either.

[Hound?! Alucard lets out a little snort of disapproval, not that he expects it to be heard over Ciri verbally barging in.

The printer doesn't move to let Ciri pass until she gives the duo an appraising look.]

You're minimally covered in sand from everything going on out there, so come in. Can you get Fluffy to shake his coat out, just to be sure?

[Alucard's nose wrinkles. Fluffy is, in fact, more insulting. But he does it anyway, because frankly, he would like to protest at some of these insults.

Once good ol' Fluffy has done as asked, the printer moves aside. Alucard's nose returns to the ground.]

We're delicately balanced here, so if your leosylph's lurking someplace, I'll be the one moving things out of the way. Fair?

[The print shop is large and well lit, with several presses of different sizes and printing mechanisms dominating the floor. Rows upon rows of type line the walls, with just enough gaps at the bottom of the drawers for a good little leosylph to hide. A deep, wide sink sits in the far corner where another woman stands beside it, dipping paper into a bath covered in paints, making marbled papers. Ink, it seems, is kept near by, all neatly labeled. Runs of clothes lines sit on the opposite side of the shop drying, all meant to advertise a new play in Libertas.

Alucard huffs gently at one of the smaller printing presses, one that has a number of gears at the bottom meant to allow for a crank to be turned continuously to make prints. He pauses, then shakes his fur out, taking the moment to transform. Fuck it, he needs vocal chords.]

Over here.

[ The transformation takes Ciri by surprise, but it shocks the poor printers far more. The woman who'd let them in jumps half a foot in the air with a little yelp and starts asking a million breathless questions. ]

He does that. [ Ciri says by way of brushing her off and rushing over to Alucard, where she crouches down to peer at the gears. ]

Coram? Oh no, is he stuck in there?

Miss, how do you open this machine?

[Ciri shutting down the questions is, in fact, the primary reason Alucard transformed. He takes another step back to allow Ciri to get a good look into the machine and what clearance looks like which...

Alucard really isn't sure how Coram managed, to be honest. The machine isn't that high off the ground, and the means of wiggling in are not apparent to him. Then again, he doesn't have a cat's flexibility or mindset.

Having gotten over the shock of a huge ass dog becoming a hot man suddenly, the printer's eyes alight on the machine, considering.]

Well, open's the wrong word for it. But you're also at the wrong angle. Everything is easy to access from 'round here in the back, so parts can be repaired. Your friend there isn't as trapped as he's making you think.

[The printer gestures them both around to the other side of the press and--

--indeed, the entire thing is opened in the back, making it entirely possible to reach through the elaborate set up of gears and grab a certain friend. Alucard has the good grace to look mortified that he didn't know that.]

Ciri, do you want to grab him, and I'll try and catch him if he runs?

Oh! That's a relief. [ Ciri immediately moves around to where she's gesturing. She's still a little alarmed at the prospect of reaching through a bunch of machinery, but at least the opening is wider here. She's honestly less worried about her hand (a little worried) than she is about Coram getting stuck in there, since he's probably about as crushable as her fingers, but more stupid.

With a nod and a look at Alucard, Ciri disappears behind the machine, wedging her upper body into the opening to try to block Coram from running out that way if she fails to grab him.

She reaches, fingers finding the tip of a tail. The leosylph squeaks and tries to fly further up. The damn thing doesn't even seem as scared as it should be. Does he think they're playing? ]

Coram!! Stop being such a prick!

[ Ciri reaches again, this time flicking and snapping at the creature to try to chase it out the other side. ]

[The printer takes several steps back, ready to watch all of this unfold in real time. So far as she can determine, she has two very dedicated leosylph owners and a creature that's very sweet but has about three brain cells maximum going at any one time. The situation is best viewed from a distance.

Alucard crouches down on the other side of the machine, waiting. And...

up!?

He groans, then reaches into the machine from his end, trying to shoo Coram out and down. Never mind his arms getting crushed. That's a quick fix as far as he's concerned.]

Listen to your human! Or I'm going to grab you faster than you can blink!

[yes he will use vampire speed to scruff a cat.]

[ Coram chirrups indignantly, fluttering around the other side again, watching Ciri and Alucard with those big, shiny eyes. Yes, he definitely thinks this is amusing. His head is so tiny, his brain must be the size of a pea, but it's still annoying how stupid he is.

This time, Ciri tries to lure him closer with clucking noises and wiggling her fingers toward him. She ran out too fast to think about grabbing treats, but he might be fooled.

The ploy works. Coram lands on another part of the machine, slinking slowly closer to sniff at Ciri's fingers. ]

Gotcha! [ With her free hand, Ciri grabs him by the fluffy tail, and ignores the yowling. ]

[Alucard is absolutely ready to scruff Coram at this point, especially when he catches sight of those big, big eyes. That is the look of an animal having a great time and not understanding it is a game.

He sighs in relief over all the yowling, and then looks even more relieved when the printer appears with a box (lined with some sad fabric, but also holding a lid in her other hand. There is no escape now.)

The dhampir waits until Coram is fully extracted before looking to Ciri for further instruction.]

I have zero problem holding onto the box of angry Coram en route back to your home.

[ Ciri makes a note to leave this woman a gift of some sort later. Brilliant, thoughtful woman. If she ever needs anything printed (more likely, if Jaskier does), she'll know who's reliable.

Ciri wrangles the little beast into the box with her help, and they get the lid on to the sound of more whining and crying from within. ]

Oh, shut up, you ingrate! How dare you scare me like that!

...ah, no need. I'll carry him.

[ He'll be fine in there for the short trip back, though Ciri will ask Alucard to poke a few holes in the top with his claws when they're further out. She thanks the printer and the other workers and makes her exit as gracefully as possible with the box clutched to her chest.

Once outside, they make their way quickly back to the Witcherhouse, where Ciri invites Alucard in (and tells him to make very sure the door is firmly closed). The little criminal is freed, sort of, into the confines of the bathroom for now. He'll be getting a bath. Imminently.

For now--

Ciri returns to Alucard with a sigh of relief, throws her arms around him, and even plants a friendly kiss on his cheek. ]

Thanks. I'm really glad I ran into you today.

[The printer is happy to hold the door open for them both and end the madness that has fallen upon her shop. They're nice enough folks, but she was in the middle of something and it felt a little like the circus just rushed through her place of business.

Alucard, for his part, is more than happy not to be carrying a box of yowling creature - just to punch airholes in it. It does feel like a ridiculous adventure, but they're lucky enough. They've not only found Coram, but the winds are kind enough to wait until they're at the Witcherhouse for it to pick up again.

Not only does he close the door, he bolts it to be Very Sure that there will be no fuzzy escapees.

The hug is a surprise. A very welcome one, as once the moment of surprise passes Alucard, he hugs Ciri in turn, gently patting her back.]

What good are my various forms if I can't use them to help? [And because he is a little shit, he grins.] Thank you for not biting my head off about not having human vocal chords every so often.

[ CATCH-ALL ] you're not what a hero looks like

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