7956/Murder Paws

Murder Paws
Date of Scene:	23 September 2021
Location:	The Griffin
Synopsis:	The gang meet Rasputin. No fatalities.
Cast of Characters:	Thomas Blake, Gabby Kinney, Michael Hannigan, Satana Hellstrom

---

Thomas Blake has posed:
Thomas Blake is happy. Very happy. Satanna wanting cuddles and not his soul happy. Sitting on the floor, in a very large storeroom in his basement he is smiling and absently stroking the massive head of a white tiger. The tiger, for its part, has his head in Blake's lap and is purring with pure contentment.

"Fuck, I missed you, cat. I remember you like... this, and This, and THIS! Who's my buddy?" He continues petting the tiger's ears.

"Hey Bloord, I'm going to be here a while if anyone wants me, direct them here." For effect, he has his Catman costume on. Rasputin likes it.

One tries to keep a 600 lb apex predator happy, one does.

More purrs that could set off a motion sensor.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
As luck would have it, Gabby was visiting. For a number of reasons, but when Bloord informs her that Thomas is downstairs 'petting a giant murder beast' she has to wonder. It was either Satana in a very bad mood, or... A small gasp comes from her as she descends the stairs. Pausing at the bottom she clutches her hands to her lips with eyes gone wide. "Oh my god it's a giant murder kitty!"

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Michael Hannigan is curious. Pretty curious. It wasn't that he got a phone call from Thomas or the general invite that is the cause for this. It was the general tone to the voice on the other end of the line that has peaked the interest. A happy Catman is a-

Well.

True to what was said upon the phone, The t-shirt wearing, ponytail using Hannigan did not have trouble coming into the residence. The sniggers from the Imps however do give him reason to be a bit cautious as they direct him towards the basement steps. That there has been no visual confirmation of Satana being above ground was all the more reason to be. But with the mention of a murder beast, he assumes she's downstairs with Thomas.

If this turns out to be some weird-

The top step of the basement stairs gives a creak as he heads down. When he hears Gabby's voice, he relaxes a bit. Oh thank God. Just a murder kitty.

...Murder Kitty?

Thomas Blake has posed:
Thomas Blake feels Rasputin's body go from huge lump of loving to coiled steel cable, feels the ears go flat. Feels the growl starting before he hears it. e grunts to the big cat, strokes him some more. "Fucking imps. Stay there till he gets used to you. Good tiger... Don't make any sudden moves. Speak quietly and don't look him in the eye. Good Rasputin..." The tiger relaxes again, to outward appearances. Thomas knows better. He keeps talking to soothe the beast.

"Hello, Mike, Gabby. This is Rasputin. Gabrielle, your sister is great. She's also a world class pain in the ass. She won't leave my stuff alone: knives, cat lines, claws, and she has taken to wearing my t-shirts... including the Gray Ghost shirt."

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney pauses at the bottom of the steps in spite of her squealing giddiness at the sight of the tiger. She does, indeed, keep still at his urging. As for making eye contact? Oops. Her gaze flits down and away though, and she abruptly drops to the floor bonelessly. Only to roll onto her back showing off her belly. Not the smartest of moves, generally, but she's certainly not appearing like a threat. Hopefully Rasputin was FED. "Hi Rasputin I'm Gabby I love you! Where did you find a tiger, Thomas, and why is my sister wearing your shirts?" Her head lifts to peer up toward the approaching Mike. "If he's sleeping with my sister I don't want to know."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Despite what sensibility would likely dictate, Mike starts to take another step downwards. Hearing Thomas's warning, he pauses his descent. Conveniently with Gabby already at the bottom of the stairs, there is the added buffer between him and the now visually confirmed, tiger. The musician's eyes widen. "Wow. When you said you had something to show me, this was not what I was expecting."

His glance shifts over to the Gabby gone turtle, making inquiries to why her sister would be wearing Thomas's shirts. An answer comes to mind but Gabby's further request stops him from vocalizing it. He uses the tiger in the room as an excuse to look away from Gabby.

Thomas Blake has posed:
Thomas Blake scoffs, "I have enough women on my ass thank you. She grabs my shorts and such from the laundry. The imps seem spectacularly unconcerned with this. And if we were it'd be none of your business! ... she's a grown woman. Right?" The tiger relaxes some more and Thomas sighs. "Anyway, not my type. The little ball of rage is safe. From me. She pulls a gun on Rasputin she gets what she deserves. I'm out a t-shirt. Get off your back before he tags you." The murder kitty lifts his head, lookin a little confused, which is an improvement. He sniffs at the two newcomers. Thomas waves them to come closer, slowly.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
"It's not like he can kill me. I mean," Gabby shrugs a bit in a way that just kind of scooches her along the floor since she's on her back. "It'd be a mess. Bellona would be pissed and I *do* kind of like this shirt," she has to admit before she rolls over onto her hands and knees to clamber over toward Thomas and Rasputin. "And yes she's an adult that's why I said I don't wanna know because that'd be weird." to Mike she offers over, "My sister is staying here for a bit."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
With the general gesture, Mike makes his way down the steps slowly, looking to the tiger. "I'd ask how you got him here but I'm guessing that's something I'm better off not knowing." He glances back over to Gabby ashshe mentions her sister living here. "Huh. For some reason I thought you were living here." He looks to Thomas, "How many people DO live here?"

Thomas Blake has posed:
Thomas Blake pats Rasputin's neck. The tiger sniffs at Gabby, looking bored.

"Don't you think you should maintain some deniability, Mike?" Rasputin slowly creeps towards Gabby and extends his neck to sniff again. "Hold your hand out and let him come to you, Gabrielle."

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney doesn't do what he says though. When Rasputin leans out to sniff at her she leans her own head forward to do the same. Sniff. SNIFF. Of course she didn't have the family sniffer, but she got the gesture. Only after she tries that does she then listen to him and hold her hand out. "You're so handsome and dangerous and I bet no one sees you coming at all you're a super stalker with amazing camoflauge," she croons of the tiger.

Speaking of sisters. The older albino who was a spitting image of Gabby (other than different scars, being older, and having red eyes and being, you know, albino) happens to step down the stairs just a bit behind Mike. "What the hell is going on?" She blurts out irately. "I swear to god if that tiger hurts Gabby I'll feed you to it," she offers as well upon seeing what was happening. Mike gets a glare daggered his way.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
"Says the guy who invited me over to see his basement tiger." Mike replies, reaching the bottom of the steps in the slow manner previously isntructed. Ok nice and slow. No sudden movements, and-

Hearing the older sibling come down much quicker and a bit more loudly.

For some reason he's not sure if the bigger danger is in front of him or behind him. The musician sighs, stepping aside to let her go ahead. If that tiger's attacking something, better the one asking for it.

Thomas Blake has posed:
Thomas Blake gets up with a smooth movement and climbs the few steps to Bellona, brushing past Mike. "Shut your big mouth before you upset him and decorates the walls with you... and I'd leave any firearms outside. He can smell them. In fact, go out and come back in, quietly." He turns and sits on the step above Gabby, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You're doing fine. Disregard your sister. He actually was raised in captivity and usually does not regard humans as food. We... may be short an imp or two... his scats were not normal."

Satana Hellstrom has posed:
"I was wondering why the number of imps were shrinking," Satana says as she comes down the staircase. Dressed in her usual household garb (by which is meant precisely nothing), her only nod to decency comes in the form of a butcher's apron she's wearing which is stained with suspicious fluids.

The nature of the suspicious fluid is immediately apparent to anybody with a good sense of smell.

Certain mutants say. Or, you know, a tiger.

"Thomas, darling, when your pets eat my experimental subjects, could you let me know? I need to restock, after all."

Walking into the room without a care, she looks at the tiger fearlessly. Straight in the eye. "That is an adorable creature! So fierce and angry-looking!" And it does appear to have suddenly gotten both fiercer. And angrier. "Rowr!"

Then she turns her back on it to talk to Thomas directly, greeting people in passing. "Mike. Gabby! Nice to see you again. Crumpet." (Bellona tenses here.) "Should I have the imps dig a nice environment for it here? Or will we be keeping your pet in the back yard, along with the tiger?"

That malicious grin. That's directed at Bellona.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
As Thomas moves away from Rasputin and the tiger comes closer to Gabby, the musician pauses where he's shifted over to, turning to glance up to where Thomas is admonishing the sister. It is an entertaining sight indeed, and Mike can't help to give a slight smile.

The suggestion of imp scat reminds Mike of the tiger in the room. Smile fading, he turns his head to keep track of where the murder cat is.

And then the sound of even more impending danger reaches the musician's ears. Glancing BACK up to the stairs, Mike watches as Satana goes down the staircase. It was only supposed to be a glance but there was just something about that apron. "Hi Satana." He returns in greeting.

Fortunately for him, he is neither a certain mutant nor a tiger. As she walks by to approach the tiger, the man blinks as the backside of the outfit comes into view.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney sucks in a quick breath at the sound of Bellona's entrance. The response is a simple, "I'm fiiine," that one might expect to hear from a whiny child being admonished by a parent but trying to weasel their way out of it. Really, that's one of the few times she sounds like that. Either way her attention is fully on Rasputin with her hand still extended to let him sniff.

Bellona pauses, lets out a huff of breath herself, and then crosses her arms over her chest and steps to the side. Partially to let Satana past. Partially to glare daggers at the woman with the nickname apparently given to her. "The hell is a crumpet anyway," she mutters beneath her breath only to roll her eyes at Thomas. She does however tromp back upstairs, then slowly. Carefully re-enters. She was listening even if she didn't LIKE it.

Thomas Blake has posed:
Thomas Blake ahs. Favors Bellona with a rare smile that could melt metal... or a demoness. 'Crumpet' is learning. "Thank you, Bellona. Thank you, Satana. Who is next to meet my buddy? I really think, Satana you should make friends with my companion. When he purrs it, puts your giraffe to shame." Know your audience before you make your pitch.

Satana Hellstrom has posed:
"A crumpet is a very snobby way of saying a nice piece of ass," Satana 'helpfully' explains as Bellona leaves, then returns. She then drops the badinage to focus on the tiger again. "It does look like a wonderful beast," she concurs, walking up to it, staring it in the eye.

The tiger, faced with a predator higher up the food chain than it, reacts predictably: tensing, growling, hair raising, claws unsheathing, fangs displayed.

Then, when Satana tilts her head a certain way, it relaxes. Comes forward to sniff instead, followed by rubbing its cheek across the demoness' thigh.

"Oh my, it's a strong one too isn't it?" Satana's hand scratches the tiger behind the ears which makes the giant cat lift its head insistently demanding more. Then it gets wind of what's on the apron and starts licking.

"It's OK if it tastes imp blood, right? It won't go berserk and kill everybody in the room except for me, Gabby, and your pet?"

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Ok Bellona is the name. Got it. Mike looks to the Gabby and Satana near the tiger as Thomas brings up who is 'next'. Considering the approach those two are making, it looks like he'll be hanging back a bit longer and just...watch.

The comment asking about blood causing the tiger to go beserk gets a glance directed over to the man in the Catman suit. A brow raises.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
"I am NOT a nice peice of..." Bellona starts to blurt out before she clenches her jaw with her face going red clearly enraged. How exactly did you argue a comment like that without accidentally insulting yourself? Thomas gets another LOOK, a little harumph in response, before she turns to stalk off. "Meet the cat later. Don't die." And off she tromps. Gabby for her part looks around with a sigh. "Well shoot. I should go check on her. I did stop by to visit anyway... and no I don't live here, Mike, it's just kind of a place for me to crash on occasion where I don't get judged for, like, everything." With that she gazes longingly after Rasputin who is loving on Satana. "Aww. Okay later." And off she runs up the stairs too.

Thomas Blake has posed:
Thomas Blake gets up, seeing Rasputin somewhat calm and beeps Satana on the nose. "Stop trying for angry make up nookie. There's no pets here. Rasputin is my companion. Bellona is Crumpet if you must and Mike is an artist. And no more imp blood. I got him an assortment of steaks and a 100 pound bag of cat chow. And Imps pretty much make him fart... equally deadly in a carnivore of this size." Rasputin having gotten some scritches from two people thus far moves towards Mike and Bellona making a curious little muwr sound. He seems very curious about Mike in fact, regarding him for a few moments before head butting him slightly.

Satana Hellstrom has posed:
"So where do you want this gorgeous thing to live?" Satana repeats. "I can have the imps dig out a habitat if you don't want to have it out in the open."

She makes a bit of a pout when the tiger leaves to go investigate Mike.

"I'd scratch its ears if I were you Mike. I think it might divide the world into the categories of 'ear scratchers' and 'food'. You probably want to be the former." Her eyes glow (literally) as she grins at Mike. "I divide the world into very similar categories. Only it's not ears involved."

She winks, turning her attention back to Thomas. "Should I start the project? And has it met Saeko yet?" Beat. "Has Mike met Saeko yet?"

Michael Hannigan has posed:
For a basement that has a tiger in it, there's a lot of movement from the non-tigers. Pale eyes dart about, trying to keep up with the actions of the others. The retreat of Bellona and Gabby's immediate pursuit does leave the tiger to Satana's whims. And Thomas's correction to Satana about terms to use does merit a bit of a thumbs up in appreciation to the artist term. Even rockstars need a bit of affirmation from time to time.

The muwr sound brings the musician's attention back over to Rasputin, who is, much closer than he was when he had looked away. Smiling softly, Mike tilts his head, regarding the large cat. Well, just hanging back is pretty much not making sudden movements. Being that the cat easily outweight him, the slight headbutt causes for him to take a step back to steady himself.

Wow. He's got a tiger headbutting him and Satana giving out advice. Which, could be concerning except he was thinking the same thing. Cautiously, he brings up a hand towards a spot between the ears. Cats like that area for scritches, right? And it's a bit further from the teeth, then say, the cheeks...

Hearing the loud purr, Mike's smile strengthens as he continues with the scritches. "Ok," He comments, "This is awesome."