Darwin languished in his basket, watching the milling horde of various breeds of felines, skittering and bickering about on the floor, lapping up the gravy offering that deluded woman poured out for them.

He looked down on them and felt nothing but an urge to keep their filthy bodies as far from him as possible. He gave an ugly sneer towards one that got too close to his bed. A loathsome calico, black and white, tainted with yellow in an uneven coat, begging for scraps.

It tried to curl up on his blankets and he had to send them scampering with a blast from his Punama. the hot sting of his mystic power sent the small thing hurtling into the air as it was dislodged from his chambers.

"Good, that still works, " he chuffed in mild satisfaction, before ruffling about trying to get comfortable again under the blankets

He tossed as he settled in settled in, watching the dull creatures below go about their unintelligent lives. Heads empty of all notions, glory, power, wealth and fame. Respect or anger, or anything else of the kind. Simply eating, running and occasionally licking themselves in public spaces. He would twist and itch a little trying to move under the blankets, sordid and tempestuous as his eyes tracked their movements.

"Horrid things should slaughter the lot of them. Except their hides would be worthless, perhaps as meat then. No, they're all much too infested for that." he muttered and mused over the fate of his foes as they danced about in front of him. A wild pageant plays of red and gray, yellows and browns, black and white. All prancing and teasing each other, while others simply loafed about napping of nuzzling up to each other. The whole parade of them made Darwin sick.

"They're like a herd of children, babies. Coddled to death by this ogre of a mistress. Keeping me here among them. Treating me like them. When I am not, keeping me in this basket like I am infirm, when I possess enough power to tear this house down around their ears!"

He turned over in his sheets again, tossing and turning to avert his gaze. Trying to block out the lazy sounds of so many cats all in one place.

He felt the basket rock for a moment as something laydown next him in the bedding. Stiffly, he craned his neck around to see who, or what, had the audacity to invade his bed.

Kicking and screaming, he blasted the foreign presence from his resting place. He flung the matte grey body with a startled howl, twisting through the air as instinct guided the frightened projectile towards a safe landing on the floor. Miffed, but unhurt.

"Blast, I thought that would kill him. Gah, can I can accomplish nothing like this?" He grumbled and returned to fidgeting with his blankets till they felt comfortable once more.

He was quickly listing along the edge of boredom, his mind was itching to do something. So he started fooling around with his glorious Pnuma.

Cat's, as he suspected, held far less Pnuma than Men. Which really was no surprise to him, but it was now a fact of the matter. His loose experiments in throwing random animals that came near him left him exhausted after maybe only a dozen. He lit several tails on fire, though they weren't much stronger than match flames. Their fault for getting tin the way of the candlesticks he was aiming for.

But even trying to do this left him exhausted to where all he could do was make a strange, reedy sound as he tried to force himself to expel more power. All he got was a sprained sensation that made his ears ring for a moment till he stopped trying.

And then another one of the filthy creatures took a nap on top of him while he was weak and helpless, its horridly warm weight bearing down on him, pinning him under the mass of useless hair-

Darwin felt his eyes slip as the torpor started gnawing at his mind's edge. It didn't take long for his meagre resistance crumbled and sleep to overtake him. Passing dispassionately into sleep as he muttered a dim curse at the purring creature using him as a lounge couch.

A banging gavel and a choir of voices chanting the word "guilty. "

A hanged man staring down at him, mouthing words that can't be heard or understood.

Crushed by a silver coin the size of the world, Fire and shadows.

A Small Ugly totem staring at him, into him, piercing his soul with a mocking laugh.

Darwin snapped awake, tossing everything aside as his blood ran frigid. Shock coursed through his body like a snakebite, injecting venom as his waking mind tried to rein in his wild emotions.

This wasn't his first nightmare, but it had been a long time since he'd seen this phantom haunt his dreams. Warded off by the many other spirits that kept his usual company.

If only to help him sleep again, he'd probably kill for a drop of spirits. He rubbed his eyes with weary paws. He was still tired despite being awake. A long yawn escaped him and he absently glanced around the dark looking for something to fit the bill and put him back to sleep.

He was glad for the improved night vison. Navigating in the dim light was less of a chore than it had been before. But that didn't account for the 30-odd strays napping about the room in weird corners.

There were a few wandering about, awake despite the hour, or maybe because of it. Being more suited as nighttime predators than simple house creatures. Satisfied to rise with their masters at a reasonable hour, no, here they were roaming about in the dead of night like they were the masters. Not its sole human occupant, deranged as she was.

Still, it was a chance to explore. Despite his pain, he could still walk a little. Climbing would be difficult, but he would just have to stick to paths that wouldn't inconvenience him. Good enough to see everything and scout for potentially useful items, should there be any of the note.

He chuffed at the thought, like this old hag had anything of value to him. Maybe he could find some cheap jewelry with a stone or two in it, glass or crystal maybe. Hiding in the cupboards, there might be some common reagent he could use, but that seemed less likely.

If anything else, he felt somewhat hungry, so he might enjoy raiding the pantry for a snake if he felt like it. Not like any lock could stop him, he was far and above being able to open a simple latch.