Players:
Summary: It's a night of Lion King, New Students and late Christmas Gifts.
Date: January 8, 2012
Log Title: Here There Be Cats!
Rating: PG
Xavier Mansion - Hallway
The hallway is decorated in the same fashion as the Lobby with a wooden bench on each side of the room that blends in to the walls. There is a plaque on the wall indicating students who helped defend the school. Four doorways lead off this room and an Elevator designed to blend with the decor of the room can be seen a the far end of the hallway.
Taylor is gracing the halls of the school in a nice kind of frilly sort of suit, which kind of leaves a lack of clarity over whether the wearer is meant to be male or female. It is clearly new, likely from mutant town, as it actually accomodates the student's tail. At present, the felinoid student is draped over the couch and catnapping, in a light sleep that brings many twitches and, if needed, a quick wakeup.
An unfamiliar face comes bounding into the room… as much as a bound could be considered a bound when not wearing his ectoplasmic shell. Ahmed hops the arm of the couch, clearing it by just enough to not disturb the sleeper on it. Checking the TV schedule once more, he's got a rather happy grin on his face as he flips on the TV, and starts jacking up the volume rather high. Why is he doing this? Because apparently, if the thundering boom can be believed… it's a live showing of The Lion King stage show!
A while after Ahmed puts the Lion King, Nick wanders into the rec room. Glancing around he notices lions on the television along with the cat-wonders on the couch. "Great, I've entered the Cat room. Are we going to start having to call you two the Wonder Twins?" He says as he walks over and drops something on Ahmed's lap, a lumpy looking wrapped gift. "Happy late Hanukkah."
Taylor is up and ready to fight the moment that loud sound happens, eyes wide and fur standing on end. It's actually surprising how quickly the teen is up in the standing position. And then there's a few moments of holding that stance before the felinoid teen relaxes, and then seems rather sheepish, and then sits down. "Sheesh, you freaked me out!"
Ahmed catches the present in time to stand up and turn around to see Taylor with a bit of surprise. And it might be the other kid's turn… cat-slit style eyes, pale skin, feline-like features… spot-patterned hair, and even slight fangs, "Whoa whoa whoa… sorry… I didn't mean to… we didn't… ummm…" He stops and then looks at Nick, "Thanks man… I… wow… I didn't think anyone would do anything. Did you get my Christmas present? Had to order it on Amazon." But with that he moves to give the other feline space, eyes watching somewhat warily, as he slowly unwraps what he was given.
Nicholas shrugs and watches Ahmed unwrap the gift. It's a simple black pull over with a white stripe on the chest from Cabella's. "I didn't know your size so I hope it's the right one." He looks around and takes a seat on the edge of one of the chairs in a way that's obvious that he hasn't decided if he's hanging around or not. "Yeah, thanks, it's upstairs on the desk. Just figured since you didn't have your family to celebrate…" He says looking away as the wallpaper seems to get interesting to him.
Ahmed unfolds the comfortable looking top, and holds it up against himself. It looks like it's going to be a little baggy on him, but he still gives a big smile, and pulls it on, "This is cool… I'm not used to the winters here, so my clothes aren't what you'd call weatherproof." Slipping it on, for a moment he brings up the sleeve and presses a cheek against it, and then rubs once as he looses a soft rumble in the back of his throat. Whether or not you're staring, he stops and says, "Cat thing."
Taylor looks over to Ahmed and blinks a few times and says, noticing Ahmed's features, "Oh, whoa. Uh, hey, guy." The student calms down slightly, brushing down all that floofed up fur, "Man, that's embarrassing, I can't believe I…" Taylor trails off and then looks towards Nicholas and offers a slight wave.
Nicholas is staring as he watches Ahmed rub his face on the sweater. There's a slight eyeroll of disbelief as he leans forward, arms resting on his knees. "It's a bit warmer here than it was in North Dakota. I'm used to the cold." His gaze then turns towards Taylor and the wave. "Oh, it's you." Is the cold greeting he gives.
There's a certain feeling to new clothes that some people just enjoy. And Ahmed looks about ready to roll around in the sweater top until the tone of the background movie changes and begins playing a song that was never in the original Lion King movie. As the actor adorned in the Mufasa Headdress sits under the stars with his son, he begins singing softly (For those who want to listen - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KBV_Y16yC4&feature=related). This draws the feline-looking young man for a few moments, and then he snaps back to the pair, "So… you uhhh… know each other? Sorry… with the vacation and everything I kinda got to stay with a jewish family in Mutant Town. Apparently they know some second cousins or something who heard what happened and… well…"
Taylor frowns slightly and fidgets with their hair, which matches Tay's fur colour, but is about shoulder length, answering Ahmed's question, "Oh, yeah, yeah. We met…" The student glances over towards Nicholas and says, "Sorry we got off on the wrong foot, guy…" To the other two, the teen says, "I'm Taylor. Taylor Marinov."
"That wasn't in the cartoon." Nicholas comments in regards to the Lion King performance on the television. "Oh, I just spent it in the room, pretty much didn't leave. Better that way." He says before looking at Taylor for an awkwardly long time before saying anything. "Nicholas, or Nick, Gerhardt."
Ahmed flicks his eyes to the screen, "Yeah, well… Disney axed about half the ideas Lebo M. had for the movie in favor of Hans Zimmer and Elton John. It would've had a whole different flavor without Circle of Life and Can You Feel The Love Tonight." That being said, he offers his name out to, "Ahmed Fadil. I just got here recently too. I guess we're the new class… us, and a couple others, like Nigel. Another cat-person… and it isn't even the year of the Tiger." Looking back at Nick for a moment, he then walks over to the other young man, and says to him, "How about sometime soon we go on one of the weekend buses to Mutant Town. Not saying right now… just… might be good to see other people besides the other lunatics in the asylum, y'know?"
Nicholas stands up and shrugs. "Well I'm gonna head out and check on Orion. Thanks for the horse Ahmed, glad you like your sweater. Uh…enjoy your cat stuff." He says before heading out of the room to go and find the stables.
"I spent Christmas in the hospital, on a bit of morphine, and then they sent me here," says Taylor, head tilted lightly. "Wasn't too bad, actually…" The felinoid student nods at Ahmed and says, "Yeah, I am pretty new here. I've only been… this way for a little while." Taylor finally offers Nicholas a polite wave as he leaves.
Ahmed winces and takes a sharp intake of breath as the mention of another hard case comes up, and as he waves to Nick's departure, he then replies, "Rough… having to go to the hospital I mean. So… what happened?" Tilting his head as for a moment his skin takes on a plasticy sheen, making him look slightly like an action figure until it evaporates and settles.
Taylor chuckles and says, "Would you believe that my manifestation was just incredibly fucking painful? I thought I was dying, 'cause my bones were shattering and reforming themselves over the course of a few days… They had me on a lot of morphine. Not a big deal, really, like… nobody attacked me or anything."
Ahmed looks back at the television to avoid giving Taylor the 'Pissing contest' look over power origins. Taking a deep breath, he lets it wash over him, and then gives another shrug, almost avoiding eye contact, "That's cool… I guess. I just started sweating clear goo one day. The guys here who do the thing with the machine that goes bing tell me it's some weird stuff called Ectoplasm. Supposedly used by supernatural beings. Whatever that means."
"Oh, you mean the Thundercat look?" Ahmed replies and motions up and down, "I always wanted to be a cat… long story… but with the first time I created my cat form, it did this permanently. Something about DNA and some other stuff that was so far over my head I could stand on it." Then he adds, "Unfortunately, I got all the problems with being a cat, from the long naps to the ooh shinies. Never thought I'd be a ritalin brat, but whatever gets me through the day in class, at least."
"Oh, yeah, I know the naps and the… the distractions, I guess. It's like, wow, I used to have so much focus, what happened to /that/?" says Taylor, offering a bit of an eyeroll, "So… you always wanted to be a cat, huh? At least you're decisive, I guess. I mean… do you mean literally a cat?" Clearly, the ocelotty youth is confused.
Ahmed moves off and away to a clearer spot in front of the TV has the water buffalo stampede marks the end of Mufasa on the screen, the shadow puppetry looking weirdly ethereal. He stands there, and takes a couple deep breaths before that plasticy look returns, and soon it spreads out, surrounding him in a bubble of faintly blue but otherwise semi-transparent goop. Then he falls to all-fours, and the shape begins to resolve itself, the head forming around his own and pushing out, the paws, the tail. But the most delicate part seems to be the fur. It just sprouts out all over him, looking as real as real can be. Now instead of a lanky young man is a snow leopard, complete with uberfluff tail, the size of a Siberian Tiger.
Taylor watches the transformation, seeming quite surprised at all of this, "Holy crap!" The felinoid youth shifts towards Ahmed and seems a bit nervous, "Wow, you're, wow that's fluffy. That doesn't hurt at all? Like… holy shit you're huge." The youth pauses for a moment and says, "Uh, so is that… what you always wanted to be like?"
Ahmed makes a rumble sound and a few body-shifts before attempting to speak, but with Taylor being part feline, it immediately somehow translates for him, -Doesn't hurt, and I like it. I'd stay like this all the time if I could.-. A paw reaches up and rubs at the side of his own jaw a few times, and then moves it before shaking his head.
Taylor's ears twitch a few times as the felinoid student listens, seeming momentarily perplexed for how that was understood, "Really? I mean, wow, that's awesome how you are so comfortable with it. What keeps you from always staying like that? Just like, people not taking your bus tickets?"
That shocked, indignant, and then nonplussed look crosses the huge cat's face before a couple eartwitched, a blink, and an irritated tailflick replies -Because every time I get startled, or something happens, or whatever… it pops. Water balloon.- But he pads over and sits down, flicking his tail rather properly over his forepaws as he settles into petting range.
"Uh, I didn't mean to offend you with the whole… bus ticket comment. When I went into the city to get this suit, the first bus driver refused service so I had to wait for the next one. I just meant, you know, inconvenient shit…" says Taylor, raising a hand defensively, "But popping, that sounds… really…" Taylor just trails off and has a confused look. "Wait… it pops?"
Ahmed reaches out with that huge muzzle, mouths your arm and draws it over to touch his shoulder, saying in fluent cat, -Shut the fuck up and pet me.- Perhaps not even realizing he said it. But it's a hot feline muzzle, sharp feline teeth being oh so gentle, and very very soft fur. Not rough like one would expect, but very fine and luxuriously thick against the cool air.
"Uh, okay," says Taylor, offering Ahmed those pets with the pads on their hand. "Your fur's real soft, guy… I want to just…" The feline student just rubs their own face against Ahmed's fur in a nuzzling gesture.
Ahmed allows the cheekrubbing, and even turns his head slightly and noses at Taylor, sniffing him a few times, but does not go so far as to groom or nuzzle back. Instead he seems content to be the huge and fluffy thing that you're enjoying the company of. The huge cat even gives a resigned snort and a couple tailflicks that translate into, -Don't get too fresh, huh.-
The odour from Taylor is a little unusual, that of a prepubescent feline-person of indeterminate sex, and the ocelot looking student continues to nuzzle Ahmed for a few moments until mentally translating the feline language, and then suddenly stops and backs off a bit, offering stiff and more standard petting, ears turning somewhat red, "Sorry, 'm sorry, don't know what came over me…"
-Dude, you're a cat. We do this stuff.- Ahmed replies in very fluent cat, and then leans into the petting a bit more for a bit. But then he draws back and slips a decent enough distance away to let the slime fall where it may. And like he said, the waterballoon-like effect of dropping the disguise cause the goop to splatter everywhere, a couple droplets even getting on you, but almost immediately starting to steam away. He's soaked in the stuff, spitting some out, but seems to be unphazed by it, "There you go."
The blush fades from the insides of Taylor's ears after a few more moments, and then the teen seems surprised when some of the good spatters on them. "Oh, geez, that's…" The droplets are brushed away, "You're soaked."
