Cat Pose Yoga
Dec. 13th, 2025 10:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsPuck does some yoga in the foyer and meets a curious Catseye
The room that Garrison got him is plenty big enough for sleeping but for some things even a dwarf needs extra space. Wearing some tattered exercise shorts and a tank top he made his way through the halls. Being a new arrival he caught some looks from the mansion residents but he just responded with polite nods. Making his way to the front foyer he picked a spot in front of one of the large windows and began going through his morning yoga poses,
The approach was as seamless as ever a black ops agent could ask for. One moment the room was pleasantly empty, with no company but the winter sun trickling through the windows to pool on the floor. Then, as Puck rolled into upward facing dog, it was not.
A purple housecat was peering down at him from the arm of a couch, its mid-length fur full and plush with winter. It was leaning so far over the arm of the couch the only thing keeping it from falling off was the grace of gravity. Behind it the tip of its fluffy tail, raised high as a banner, twitched with interest.
Puck was halfway through a few more poses before the purpleness of the cat occurred to him. He was looking out the large window in Warrior pose when he looked back over at the cat. "Hey kitty, wanna learn some yoga? Or maybe you're here to teach me some, eh?"
A little cautious after his first meeting with the feline mutant named Liam didn't go well eventually curiosity got the better of him. He paused his yoga and cartwheeled across the foyer to offer his hand to the cat. He wondered if cats could be mutants too, Mac or Walt could probably theorize about that. More likely some kid here got creative with a box of hair dye.
The cat's whiskers trembled as its delicate pink nose hovered bare centimeters from the dwarf's outstretched hand before leaping from the couch. The animal landed beside him with a gentle thunk so it could gaze up at him, which was not much of an effort.
Abruptly the cat dropped to the floor, shoulder-first, and rammed its ear and cheek against the carpet for a vigorous rub. On its side now it stretched long, arching its legs and spine like a bow before rolling onto its back to wiggle against the rug. It was watching him through one slitted eye.
Seeing the cat stretch out on the carpet beside him seemed to be inviting a belly rub though Puck had never owned a cat. He reached out with a larger than proportionate hand to give a quick scratch watching for any adverse reaction. "C'mon I'll teach you cat pose." Dropping to all fours ensuring his knees are directly below his hips he arched his back somewhat mimicking a cat with their back arched.
There was a shift in the texture of the room, as of air gently being displaced, and a new voice spoke.
"Unnecessary."
The word had a slight lisp, which was remarkable considering the fact it was issued from a muzzle. Where the housecat had been seconds before was now a great purple cat the size of a man, now rolled onto its side to regard Puck with amusement. It would have looked almost like a panther but for the fact its forearms were unsettlingly human, complete with human hands. Clawed ones.
"In all cat poses I am the most familiar," she intoned, regarding him with sly yellow eyes. "Eugene Judd, who is Puck, who is almost as Canadian as Garrison Kane."'
"Fer Chrissakes" The dwarf startled and went from cat pose to defensive stance in a fluid motion. What else should he have expected in a school for mutants. Of course the little purple cat is a big cat-person. After a moment he relaxed but he couldn't help but think to himself 'What is with the cats in this place?'
"Judd or Puck is fine. Nobody calls me Eugene except for Heather and my mother. And I'm at least twice as Canadian as Garrison, eh?"
"This is not possible. I am told Garrison Kane once owned a moose. I am Sharon Smith."
The cat rolled onto her feet so she could pad around Puck. "You are hypermobile, but is more than that of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. This is interesting. Your mass is more than expected also. Unexpected agility. Your dwarfism, this is connected to your x-factor, or is unrelated?" Sharon's feline face betrayed no recognizable expression, but her tail was twitching with keen interest.
Puck snorted at the mention of Garrison owning a moose. He might have taken the dwarf's advice on telling a good story after all.
"Yeah, you could say that. As a kid I was growing and then it started going the other way and I started to shrink and compress. Now I'm pretty much hard rubber. Though I didn't know that for most of my life. What about you? Are you a person that turns into a cat or a cat that turns into a person, eh?"
Sharon seemed pleased. "Is the latter. Many cannot conceive of this. I see you are Enlightened."
Her form flowed to become a plain-faced young woman with gangly limbs and purple hair. While she did not possess as many feral traits as Liam, she did retain a long, purple tail and clawed fingertips. A charcoal jumper had appeared as if from nowhere, saving Puck from potential embarrassment that the girl herself would certainly not feel.
"I have been able to change always," Sharon said. "My previous form, this is most natural. Human form is for convenience only."
The small man can't help but think she's messing with him. He's intrigued by her shapeshifting but it's the sort of thing he has come to expect from his life. But he's reminded of something an old friend of his once said so he shares it with her:
"'A cat has absolute emotional honesty; human beings, for one reason or another, may hide their feelings, but a cat does not.' Ernest Hemmingway. It's probably better being a cat anyway. Though I definitely know some mutants who'd appreciate some semblance of normalcy at least some of the time."
He looked at his own misproportioned limbs, but then shrugged. "So are you the welcoming committee or just the curious cat come to see if all Canadians smelled the same?"
"I do what is most interesting," proclaimed the girl. Her long tail circled around to drape itself across her chest and over her shoulder, almost simian in its flexibility. She hugged it to her like a boa. "Hemmingway. I like this quote. Is mine now. I like you also, Eugene Judd who is Puck. You are interesting to me. Mutants with physical adaptations, we are in the minority. Your company is welcome. For you this is fortunate. You have come here, why?"
Her response that she does what is most interesting intrigued him. She's either embracing the cat-ness of her power or the psychology of mutant powers manifesting so young has actually made her something else.
"If you like Hemmingway I can suggest some books. I knew him in my younger days, he never disappoints. Also I might suggest T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats."
Watching her move about with that tail caused Puck to think about what her effectiveness in a fight might be. She's got claws and reach, probably a fare bit of strength and speed. But the aloofness made him think she's more likely to avoid a fight than start one. He couldn't help but evaluate her skills as a fighter, too many years of having to think that way. He returned to some beginner yoga poses but continued to talk to her.
"Seems as good a place as any for a temporary stay, eh? I'd heard about this place but never visited. Garrison asked for me to chip in with some combat and environment training. I never stay in one place too long but I chip in for my room and board.plus when you're as old as me you're always looking for something to surprise you."
"Environment training, what is meant by this? As for poetry, is not for me. The musical CATS I have endured already. A celebration of humans in cat-face. Is cultural appropriation." The fact Sharon's human face wasn't much more expressive than her feline one made it difficult to tell whether this was a joke or merely an extremely personal form of logic.
Puck has played poker with the greats of history and he would not want to play against stone-faced Sharon. "Musicals are fine but I'm talking about the written word. A clever turn of phrase can change the world, eh?"
"Environment training is using your mutant powers for things other than combat. In Department H we've got different levels. Gamma Flight is a focus on things like search and rescue or disaster relief. Sort of a training and reservist level." As Puck continues his yoga poses he thinks about how many mutants he has trained to find their way out of the woods, how to rescue someone from a burning building or what to do if someone is shot.
The aliuromorph made a low sound that sounded like something between a feline grumble and a human hum. "Hmm. Already I am the best at using powers, but sometimes I am bored. At this time I shall see if you know any tricks, maybe."
"Using your powers well is great. Knowing how to save lives, protect people, tactics, survival and when not to use your powers is what I can teach." Powers may define a mutant but to Puck they are just a portion of the self, like astrological sign or education. He has never stopped learning what life would teach him. Like the yoga he continued to perform in the foyer before the feline mutant, as much about mind as body.
Sharon uncoiled her tail and regarded Puck steadily. "Perhaps many things are known to you. Is possible also that you use clever words to seem so only, as many do. Proof is required. Is much to say a phrase may change the world. Teeth and claws, is no question these may change a life." She clicked her teeth at him. Her canines were slightly pointed.
"Observation begins."
Which seemed to be it. With that dire pronouncement the girl was once again replaced by the housecat. She waved her tail once at Puck, as if in dismissal, and trotted off.
"Emile de Giardin said: 'The power of words is immense. A well-chosen word has often sufficed to stop a flying army, to change defeat into victory and to save an empire.' Maybe I can teach you that too." And off she went. A purple cat who seemed to be question what Puck could possibly teach. A challenge gratefully accepted. Next the dwarf began much more complex yoga moves bordering on contortionism thanks to his flexible mutant physiology.
The room that Garrison got him is plenty big enough for sleeping but for some things even a dwarf needs extra space. Wearing some tattered exercise shorts and a tank top he made his way through the halls. Being a new arrival he caught some looks from the mansion residents but he just responded with polite nods. Making his way to the front foyer he picked a spot in front of one of the large windows and began going through his morning yoga poses,
The approach was as seamless as ever a black ops agent could ask for. One moment the room was pleasantly empty, with no company but the winter sun trickling through the windows to pool on the floor. Then, as Puck rolled into upward facing dog, it was not.
A purple housecat was peering down at him from the arm of a couch, its mid-length fur full and plush with winter. It was leaning so far over the arm of the couch the only thing keeping it from falling off was the grace of gravity. Behind it the tip of its fluffy tail, raised high as a banner, twitched with interest.
Puck was halfway through a few more poses before the purpleness of the cat occurred to him. He was looking out the large window in Warrior pose when he looked back over at the cat. "Hey kitty, wanna learn some yoga? Or maybe you're here to teach me some, eh?"
A little cautious after his first meeting with the feline mutant named Liam didn't go well eventually curiosity got the better of him. He paused his yoga and cartwheeled across the foyer to offer his hand to the cat. He wondered if cats could be mutants too, Mac or Walt could probably theorize about that. More likely some kid here got creative with a box of hair dye.
The cat's whiskers trembled as its delicate pink nose hovered bare centimeters from the dwarf's outstretched hand before leaping from the couch. The animal landed beside him with a gentle thunk so it could gaze up at him, which was not much of an effort.
Abruptly the cat dropped to the floor, shoulder-first, and rammed its ear and cheek against the carpet for a vigorous rub. On its side now it stretched long, arching its legs and spine like a bow before rolling onto its back to wiggle against the rug. It was watching him through one slitted eye.
Seeing the cat stretch out on the carpet beside him seemed to be inviting a belly rub though Puck had never owned a cat. He reached out with a larger than proportionate hand to give a quick scratch watching for any adverse reaction. "C'mon I'll teach you cat pose." Dropping to all fours ensuring his knees are directly below his hips he arched his back somewhat mimicking a cat with their back arched.
There was a shift in the texture of the room, as of air gently being displaced, and a new voice spoke.
"Unnecessary."
The word had a slight lisp, which was remarkable considering the fact it was issued from a muzzle. Where the housecat had been seconds before was now a great purple cat the size of a man, now rolled onto its side to regard Puck with amusement. It would have looked almost like a panther but for the fact its forearms were unsettlingly human, complete with human hands. Clawed ones.
"In all cat poses I am the most familiar," she intoned, regarding him with sly yellow eyes. "Eugene Judd, who is Puck, who is almost as Canadian as Garrison Kane."'
"Fer Chrissakes" The dwarf startled and went from cat pose to defensive stance in a fluid motion. What else should he have expected in a school for mutants. Of course the little purple cat is a big cat-person. After a moment he relaxed but he couldn't help but think to himself 'What is with the cats in this place?'
"Judd or Puck is fine. Nobody calls me Eugene except for Heather and my mother. And I'm at least twice as Canadian as Garrison, eh?"
"This is not possible. I am told Garrison Kane once owned a moose. I am Sharon Smith."
The cat rolled onto her feet so she could pad around Puck. "You are hypermobile, but is more than that of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. This is interesting. Your mass is more than expected also. Unexpected agility. Your dwarfism, this is connected to your x-factor, or is unrelated?" Sharon's feline face betrayed no recognizable expression, but her tail was twitching with keen interest.
Puck snorted at the mention of Garrison owning a moose. He might have taken the dwarf's advice on telling a good story after all.
"Yeah, you could say that. As a kid I was growing and then it started going the other way and I started to shrink and compress. Now I'm pretty much hard rubber. Though I didn't know that for most of my life. What about you? Are you a person that turns into a cat or a cat that turns into a person, eh?"
Sharon seemed pleased. "Is the latter. Many cannot conceive of this. I see you are Enlightened."
Her form flowed to become a plain-faced young woman with gangly limbs and purple hair. While she did not possess as many feral traits as Liam, she did retain a long, purple tail and clawed fingertips. A charcoal jumper had appeared as if from nowhere, saving Puck from potential embarrassment that the girl herself would certainly not feel.
"I have been able to change always," Sharon said. "My previous form, this is most natural. Human form is for convenience only."
The small man can't help but think she's messing with him. He's intrigued by her shapeshifting but it's the sort of thing he has come to expect from his life. But he's reminded of something an old friend of his once said so he shares it with her:
"'A cat has absolute emotional honesty; human beings, for one reason or another, may hide their feelings, but a cat does not.' Ernest Hemmingway. It's probably better being a cat anyway. Though I definitely know some mutants who'd appreciate some semblance of normalcy at least some of the time."
He looked at his own misproportioned limbs, but then shrugged. "So are you the welcoming committee or just the curious cat come to see if all Canadians smelled the same?"
"I do what is most interesting," proclaimed the girl. Her long tail circled around to drape itself across her chest and over her shoulder, almost simian in its flexibility. She hugged it to her like a boa. "Hemmingway. I like this quote. Is mine now. I like you also, Eugene Judd who is Puck. You are interesting to me. Mutants with physical adaptations, we are in the minority. Your company is welcome. For you this is fortunate. You have come here, why?"
Her response that she does what is most interesting intrigued him. She's either embracing the cat-ness of her power or the psychology of mutant powers manifesting so young has actually made her something else.
"If you like Hemmingway I can suggest some books. I knew him in my younger days, he never disappoints. Also I might suggest T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats."
Watching her move about with that tail caused Puck to think about what her effectiveness in a fight might be. She's got claws and reach, probably a fare bit of strength and speed. But the aloofness made him think she's more likely to avoid a fight than start one. He couldn't help but evaluate her skills as a fighter, too many years of having to think that way. He returned to some beginner yoga poses but continued to talk to her.
"Seems as good a place as any for a temporary stay, eh? I'd heard about this place but never visited. Garrison asked for me to chip in with some combat and environment training. I never stay in one place too long but I chip in for my room and board.plus when you're as old as me you're always looking for something to surprise you."
"Environment training, what is meant by this? As for poetry, is not for me. The musical CATS I have endured already. A celebration of humans in cat-face. Is cultural appropriation." The fact Sharon's human face wasn't much more expressive than her feline one made it difficult to tell whether this was a joke or merely an extremely personal form of logic.
Puck has played poker with the greats of history and he would not want to play against stone-faced Sharon. "Musicals are fine but I'm talking about the written word. A clever turn of phrase can change the world, eh?"
"Environment training is using your mutant powers for things other than combat. In Department H we've got different levels. Gamma Flight is a focus on things like search and rescue or disaster relief. Sort of a training and reservist level." As Puck continues his yoga poses he thinks about how many mutants he has trained to find their way out of the woods, how to rescue someone from a burning building or what to do if someone is shot.
The aliuromorph made a low sound that sounded like something between a feline grumble and a human hum. "Hmm. Already I am the best at using powers, but sometimes I am bored. At this time I shall see if you know any tricks, maybe."
"Using your powers well is great. Knowing how to save lives, protect people, tactics, survival and when not to use your powers is what I can teach." Powers may define a mutant but to Puck they are just a portion of the self, like astrological sign or education. He has never stopped learning what life would teach him. Like the yoga he continued to perform in the foyer before the feline mutant, as much about mind as body.
Sharon uncoiled her tail and regarded Puck steadily. "Perhaps many things are known to you. Is possible also that you use clever words to seem so only, as many do. Proof is required. Is much to say a phrase may change the world. Teeth and claws, is no question these may change a life." She clicked her teeth at him. Her canines were slightly pointed.
"Observation begins."
Which seemed to be it. With that dire pronouncement the girl was once again replaced by the housecat. She waved her tail once at Puck, as if in dismissal, and trotted off.
"Emile de Giardin said: 'The power of words is immense. A well-chosen word has often sufficed to stop a flying army, to change defeat into victory and to save an empire.' Maybe I can teach you that too." And off she went. A purple cat who seemed to be question what Puck could possibly teach. A challenge gratefully accepted. Next the dwarf began much more complex yoga moves bordering on contortionism thanks to his flexible mutant physiology.
