There have been stories, through the last few years, a handful of incidents, where a giant tiger was seen confronting some dangerous threat. Sometimes, the tiger was alone. A few times, the tiger was joined by some other hero. But never has the tiger stayed around, and only twice has anyone managed to get a photograph, however grainy or blurred, of the tiger. Clea generally has no interest in the intarweb tubez, but the fourteen foot tall creature fighting something is something to be reported. That sort of news travels fast, spread both by the people of the city and other whispers in the shadows. The scene where Clea is let off by the taxi is a mess. The tiger is still present, bounding back and forth, off this building and that rubble pile and that other shattered car, taking swipes, barreling into the backs of giant knees. Round and round the cat goes, keeping the gigantic creature occupied, off-balance, and focused on her, not on anyone else. Lexi was in the process of buying a new phone. Again. She tends to go through them fairly often due to damage on her various 'adventures', but she's sort of gotten used to it. She's in the process of comparing models when the TV switches to 'breaking news'…and she sees the tiger and the troll. And recognizes where it is. "…damn." she mutters, returning the phones to their positions (they're wired down anyway) and bolts out the door, startling the security guard who starts to yell at her…but then, she doesn't beep, so. Then it's a quick ten block run in the direction of the right…which the police sirens and distant crashing suggests more precisely where the fight currently is. "'scuse me, comin' through, outta th' way!" she calls out, then flips out her tendrils, taking to the air as she starts to swing from lamp poses to get over the crowd. "Hey, it's SPIDERM…wait…" "My." Clea says, impressed with the size of the combatants. "How interesting." she says to herself as she calmly passes the officers' cordon by. "Good day, gentlemen." she says as she moves through. The huge behemoth of a creature bellows, unintelligble to anyone else present. But Clea can make out the words, shouting-distorted as they may be, as the creature takes another swing at the tiger, the orange and black and white-furred creature leaping away at the last moment, bounding off of the attacker's chest to stagger it back, then bounding away to another location. Well, that roar certainly gets Lexi's attention as she scrambles up the side of a building then begins leaping from rooftop to rooftop, until she's overlooking the construction hard. And the scene there. Needless to say, the MSWAT sniper who's currently setting up on the roof is suprised. "…HEY!' Lexi sweatdrops and quickly vaults to grab a power line running towards the site, then pulls herself up on and runs catlike along the cable to where it's attached to the construction office. Clea winces at the roar, but luckily she's not even a bit human. Still, the tiger is something to be respected. Best not to annoy it just yet. She takes a moment to slip off her coat and hat, handing it to a random person, who accepts it without even really noticing or seeming to care that they've been asked to hold a perfect stranger's things. Underneath, Clea is dressed in purple tights printed with white circles here and there tuckerd into slim shin-high silvery boots, and a black tunic with silver trim. What could - what should - have been another exchange of blows between troll and tiger instead halts, a bit dazedly and confusedly, as the troll stops, mid-swing, and sways on an injured, weakened leg to ace the mighty-voiced sorceress. It does not lower the I-beam it has taken up from the construction site, but it is not swinging it at anyone or anything right this moment, either. Lexi lands, then crouches, taking in the odd scene. She's…not sure precisely what's going on, but the fight seems to be paused? She instead sniffs the air turning her head back and forth for any sign of fresh blood that might indicate someone injured on the site…though the tiger has probably contributed to that problem, making it difficult to pinpoint someone….wait… Lexi stills, nostrils flaring. This scent is…familiar? Predator…big cat….where has she… "I want peace." Clea says, stepping closer to the troll… not that she has to go far to be in I beam-swinging range. She holds her hands up to show that she isn't carrying any weapons, though the troll knows she's not likely to fight it that way. "I know the men are noisy, and this is YOUR bridge… but this is not like the old days, my friend. They are always noisy, rushing around in their hurry-hurry lives. It would be better if you would consider letting me help you sleep again, to dream your sweet stoney dreams." There is blood here, to be sure, though not nearly as much of it as one might expect given the magnitude of the threat. Most of the blood here is that of the troll, having been sliced at repeatedly by the tiger in its fast-moving and aggressive defense. Lexi has no idea what's being said…as far as she can tell, she's only catching Clea's side of the conversation, faintly, then roaring from both othe other parties. But she can tell an attempt at a negotiation being done when she sees it. And that scent…that's familiar. Her eyes widen suddenly. Hunter! She might be hurt, is her first thought. Her second is: wait…am I smelling the cat? Does she have a tiger? That's really cool! Her third actual action is to slip quietly off the trailer and into the construction site itself, stealthly making her way closer to the scent. She's not sure…but if Hunter was hurt, and that's not Hunter, she could be lying wounded and in need of help…and best to sneak her away while the other woman keeps the massive creature's attention if so. "They will never be quiet." Clea laments. "They are trying to make your bridge better. They need your strength, though. They need you to be part of the bridge again to keep it mighty and safe for all to trod. This is man's world now, dear troll. Your tolls will have to be the knowledge that you are keeping your bridge safe in your slumber. Will you let me help you, will you sleep quietly or shall I have to do it against your will?" It takes effort for Clea to make her pleas compelling enough to really grab the attention of the troll, so distracted and upset is it by all of the noise and bustle and activity all about. But with effort - and magic - she can get its attention, get it to focus, get it to block out enough of the madness to hear her, truly hear her and take in her message. It is angry and upset; it does not want to just yield to the manlings. Her efforts and attention keep it from attacking the noisy police cars and their sirens. And slowly, slowly, he starts to calm down. To get more still. And finally to relent, considering this sleep thing. The troll asleep finally, there remains one potential combatant to see to. Clea returns to the scene of the battle to look for the great tiger again. "There you are, my pretty." she says soothingly. Though it seems mad, she crosses the space to stand just inside paw-swipe range, holding out a hand to the beast, palm up. As Clea draws close, she will find that the tigress is … not quite so angry, now. But hurting. Oh, yes, hurting. She is no longer actively bleeding; twenty minutes is enough that her wounds have sealed over at this point. But she still has broken ribs, one leg has a broken bone, and she has a concussion. Her tail is also bruised. Clea smiles, but she doesn't bare her teeth. "You're hurt, aren't you?" she asks the tiger, though this is somewhat a rhetorical question. "May I help you?" she wonders. "Will you let me?" The tigress watches Clea carefully. As one might expect, Clea's scent is new to the gigantic cat. And new is generally something to be very careful about. But Clea is being gentle. Respectful. Quiet. Moving slowly. Telegraphing her intentions. I can heal you." Clea says. "I have magic. Is there somewhere we can go, nearby? The authorities are likely getting nervous having such a magnificent creature in their streets." Likely the people around here likely think she is insane, speaking to a tiger. She turns as the tiger reacts to something in the alley. Lexi halts at the sudden rumble, her golden eyes reflecting the light like a cat's back down the alley. "Um…I know a place nearby…where we can be off th' streets…" somes a familiar (to Hunter) voice. "Th' soup kitchen I work at isn't far an' I got a key.." She stays where she is rather than advancing further, not wanting to make the tigress feel she's boxed in or threatened. The cat rumbles, still distressed. The scent, she figures out, is one she knows. One she doesn't believe will hurt her people. But she's in pain, she's not happy, she is pinned between two people, and this is tense. Clea collects her coat and hat from a passersby. "Thank you." she says, then follows after the cat to meet the mauve girl. "Good evening, young lady." The girl in question is watching the tigress a bit worriedly, but turns her attention to Clea as the tall woman comes closer. "Um, hi there…I'm Lexi…it's just this way, not far." She waves the two after and leads them a couple blocks away (which is why she recognized the construction fight area), pulling out a key as she gets up to the door, then unlocks the double doors, pulling them open to make room for the huge cat and other visitor to follow. "We can talk in here…" Pained and distressed, the tigress doesn't go far inside. She manages to get herself inside, and then finds a spot and lays down on the cold, hard concrete floor, ears laid back, panting. Her tail's tip barely flips as she lays there, watching the two women. Magic was indeed used, just a quick thing, no need to invoke any assistance. "Hmm." Clea says after a moment of this enhanced sensory information is processed. "As you may have guessed, she is hurting." Clea says to the silver-haired woman. "I am Clea. A pleasure to meet you." A look back to the tiger. "I can heal you with my magic, though it may be unpleasant. I would suggest that it is this or you should see a doctor." She tilts her head. "If you change, would your bones go back to normal, do you think?" Lexi winces a bit at that question and what it implies. "…she's gonna be hungry. I can make somethin' up quick for her. There's some flank steaks in th' fridge, an' get some water in a bowl for her…." She turns to pad towards the kitchen. Because…wow, that sounds like she's really not wanting to be in the room watching the kitty be reinjured, but then again….she hesistates in the door, frowning, unsure if her help might be needed. She wouldn't be HAPPY about that, but if it helps….she's got the strength to rebreak bones fairly easily. The tigress shies away, wincing back from Clea as she suggests trying to change. The tigress has no way she knows of to explain, not realizing that Clea's spell is so gently pervasive that her very body language is translated, adding her intent, her will, her thoughts and tiniest sounds to make words of meaning for the sorceress. Clea nodded. "Very well." She closed her eyes a moment to weave a quick protective circle about herself… she has a bad feeling there may be some violence here in a moment. Better safe than sorry. She lifts her hands and they begin to glow. She reaches out with her power to the immense tiger. It's a warm feeling, she's starting at the tiger's tail. It shouldn't hurt overmuch, fixing that bruised tail, but as the warmth creeps further along towards that broken leg and closing up the wounds it may not feel so nice. The germs and ruined tissue are pushed out of the cuts, replaced quickly with fresh, clean flesh and blood. Why the discomfort? She's trying to use the tiger's body to do the work instead of just blatantly thumbing her nose at reality. Lexi winces at the sounds, frowning deeply, but when Clea seems to be doing something all….sparkly…she disappears into the kitchen, quickly pilling up like fifteen pounds of flank steak on a plate, warming up each with a quick thirty second jaunt in the microwave, so it's not cold…lukewarm, but not cold. She snags the plate with her tendrils and gets a bowl, more grabbing some of the bottle water out of the fridge, a gallon jug of it, then carries it all out to set down carefully behind where Clea is working, so she's not interrupting, then startsfilling up the bowl. The tigress doesn't mind the working on the tail. But when the magic reaches the leg and starts rebreaking bones to set them properly she snarls in rage and twitches, swiping, writhing; it's not like there's anything here to hold her back or contain her. At the sudden thrashing, Lexi looks alarms, then sprouts several tendrils as she quickly but firmly troes to tie down those paws before one of the lashing claws strikes clean. She winces, bracing herself…she assumes she's going to get bit, likely. But she's strong enough, she thinks, to restraint he worst of the thrashing and attacks, long enough for whatever Clea is doing to hopefully work. The tigress has a might that has never been measured, but she can propel those claws through armored steel plates. Suffice to say, Lexi finds herself getting whipped around a bit, but her efforts do restrain the worst of the thrashing, which turns out to be a good thing. It's enough that when she loses herself in the agony as the ribs are rebroken and set, she doesn't manage to get her head around to bite at Clea's hands, or her head. "There we are." Clea says finally, the job seeming to be done. "Here, have something to eat." she offers. "And drink." and she motions towards the food and water Lexi has brought along for the hunter to enjoy. Lexi grits her teeth, more tendrils shooting out form her back to anchor her to the supports holding up the room's roof, wincing as she's jerked back and forth, her boots skidding on the tiles as she tries to dig in, adjusting almost without thought to each motion to keep herself from falling over. When the tigress finally stops thrashing, she cautiously lets go, then sa Clea points out the food, uses two of her tendrils to slide the pile of meat and the water over near the tigress' head, carefully. "Yeah…eat this…" Released from the tendrils, and from much of her own pain, the tigress gives a soft mewling sound. Then she leans over and rasps her broad, flat, sandpapery tongue against the tendrils, her way of apologizing for hurting Lexi, who was only trying to help. "Why?" Clea asks in return. "Why would I not? You have done the people a service. You were protecting those poor people from the troll." she continues. "One good deed deserves another, as they say." and she smiles. "Besides, this is my good deed for the day." Lexi looks between the pair, then says. "Okay, ya can actually speak Tiger? Cuz that's a neat trick." she admits, honestly kinda wishing she could. "Um..is she okay now? All healed an' stuff? Yer a healer or somethin', right?" She crouches down, then sits, hugging her knees to her chest absently as she peers back at the Tigress. "And that was a troll? Like, a D&D troll or somethin'?" The tigress looks intently between Clea and Lexi, and then back to the white-haired sorceress. She comes up to her paws and pads over to Clea, laying her big - it really is ginormous - head down on the woman's shoulder for a moment. Then she chuffs, brushing the ruff of her cheek against that shoulder and pads over to look at Lexi up close and very personally, checking her over, each tendril in turn, making sure she hasn't been hurt. "I am Clea." she says to the tiger. "And who are you?" she asks. A smile for Lexi. "I wouldn't say that I can speak tiger, but I have a few tricks up my sleeve. A troll? Well, not so much a monster as a spirit. the poor dear was woken up by something. Something I shall have to look into, but I thought it more important to see that our friend here was taken care of." There are some claw marks here and there on the tendrils, some with clotted blood on them. None are bleeding…they stopped suprisingly fast, in fact. She looks a bit unsure, though when she realizes the tigress is checking the tendrils, she holds them out for inspection. "It's not bad. Just scratches." Some deep scratches, however. "I'll be fine by tomorrow." She glances over to Clea and nods. "Thanks for helpin' her…she does lotsa good stuff for people 'round here." The tigress nuzzles at the bloodied tendrils, bothered that she hurt Lexi; she tried not to,t hough she of course knows that with that pain, that she did no more damage is a miracle. Still, she feels badly that the woman who tried so hard to help her got hurt in the process. Back to: Logs Page. |
A Mess in Mutant Town