#fenixtj

Ellie runs the childling side of the hold with warmth and kindness, even if sometimes the melancholy of her house might still arise. However, of all her duties, perhaps the best is that she is Cat care. One could call it cat management, but does anyone really manage cats? Ramona is older but still trouble and still much loved, but currently Ellie is tending to Mamacita cat. The sweet lady of the lilbrary is somewhat frustrated at Constance's working so much, so Ellie helps out with the feeding. Even as Constance writes things down and sometimes talks to herself or other adults.

That's when she notices it... Mamacita has a new collar.

Only a childling WOULD notice it. It's VERY like the regular collar.... but the flower print is backwards. See, the little blossom designs are supposed to have five points, not four. WHen your house symbol is a star you notice points on things. Also, the shade of color is a bit different, just a bit.

"Mamacita, what is this?"

She looks up from the food, meows, and goes back to eating. It does allow access at her collar

Ellie takes a closer look! Is there a tag?

Same tag as before, but that was clearly moved from the old collar to this new one. Hey, her tiny fingers slide on the inside of the collar. It feels funny, like a mesh or tiny metal net? She can undo the clasp if she wants and look at it directly, but it sure feels.. odd. What if that's rubbing her neck fur wrong?

A frown, and she unclips the collar to see.

Hey, this is like something out of those cartoons about friends who are spies... there's a kind of wiring thing like you might find in a cellphone, little chip and stuff. or like a tracker for your bike to keep it from getting stolen

"Constance?"

"I'm a bit busy, Ellie, I have to finish this report" Scribbling "is it important?"

Mamacita with a collar off and having eatten, rewards Ellie with a head bump

"Si, I think so."

She pets Mamacita, the pretty girl.

At that, Constance stops her writing and turns her attention to the Countess. Constance maybe busy, but she's not one of those adults who ignores kids deliberately as if they're never saying something important. She moves to you, "Hey, something wrong with my cat? SHe's not sick is she?" Also, she loves her cat like Ellie loves Ramona

"Mamacita seems okay, but this.. this is new? Is she in trouble, that she needs a GPS?" She shows the trolless the collar.

The trolless says "I didn't change her collar. I.. wait, that's not the same collar at all" She takes it, then her eyes widen, then narrow and for a moment, Ellie can see normally gentle Constance is angry, not at her, but at the collar itself, "Ellie, thank you very much, you ... you just found out something very important I need to tell your fellow Countess about." A frown "Someone was miss using my cat"

"What's happening? Why are you angry? Is the freehold in danger?"

"...Is it a spy?"

A pause then "It's a spying device. Yes. Someone has been using mamacita to spy.... and since she's with me so much, every conversation I get is.. has likely been, listened into"

Ellie knows that Jessica issues the scribe a lot of orders. Constance takes dictation on EVERYTHING from all sorts of folks

"Who would want to spy on us?"

" I fear bad people" She says "But don't worry, honey, you're safe here. And we're safer, thanks to your keen eyes"

And Ellie gets a kiss on the top of the head "And thank you for helping my cat"

"Are there known bad people?"

"I think we'll have to find out specifics with investigation and maybe some help from Mama Capataz Tweak. There are a lot of folks who don't like Jessica, and would use knowledge to hurt her if they could. Certain Unseelie House nobles, those who hate her peace initiatives, and others. It could be anything"

"Well, with this, I don't think it'd be many Nunnehi... or most sidhe..."

"Who do you think it might be honey?" SHe asks curiously

"Tech like this would say... probably Dougal or nocker, right? They could be in the employ of someone else, though."

"All the more reason for Tweak to look at it I would suspect. I bet your'e right"

She bobs her head. "Skyhook knows all the tech."

"Symond might want a look first, but really it's up to jessica. I'll just make suggestions" A guilty look "And I have to admit, the fact I've been a leak, even without me meaning to. IF it weren't for you I'd have continued"

"Technically, Mamacita was the leak."

"Well, I'm not going to blame HER..." A pet of her cat "Though I hope she scratched whoever switched collars on her"

"No blood on the claws, damn" She mutters

"Cats are very dainty, she may have licked them clean. Ramona always cleans her toes."

"You have a point, one reason I like them better htan dogs, though Azula IS wonderfull. Do you want to get Jessica or shall I?"

"We could go together?"

"Let's try that" She nods and taking the collar in one hand, and the little girls hand with her other, she will walk with her to look for Flamefree

Jessica is sitting by and with the Balefire.

"Countess Jessica? Countess Ellie has made very important discovery"

She looks up. "Hm? Oh. Yes, Ellie?"

"Contessa, someone tried to be sneaky."

"Someone.... did?"

"With my cat, your excellency"

"Your cat? Is she ok?"

"She is! But they did a shenanigan!"

The scribe presents a collar to Jessica, "Look at the inside of it"

She does.

The interior is tech, wiring like you might find in a cellphone, little chip and stuff. or like a tracker for your bike to keep it from getting stolen