Nathan and Catseye, Wednesday afternoon

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Backdated to Wednesday afternoon. Nathan finds Catseye still experimenting. If you want to call it that.


Walking down the hallway and navigating on automatic, Catseye sighed.
That something Important was being considered by the lavender cat
would be obvious for any to see. The straight line she was currently
following, accompanied by generally ignoring anyone she crossed, tail
tip twitching irritably were just a few of the clues.

Big cat now. Big cat. BIG!

Nathan, coming around the corner with an armful of books, stopped and
blinked at the lavendar cat. "Catseye?" he asked, moving to intercept
her. "What's wrong?"

He was absently walked around, Catseye continuing in her otherwise
straight line once that was done, still watching her paws as she
progressed towards the stairs.

Big cat. Big cat. BIG CAT!

Nathan frowned and interposed a telekinetic shield to block her from
going any further down the hallway.

Catseye bumped into the invisible wall - and then simple sat down,
still intent on her thoughts. Big cat. Maybe if she
concentrated more. Eyes narrowing, she did just that, tail twitching
once before wrapping slowly around her front paws. Big cat!
Maybe not walking and just trying would do the trick.

Setting the books on a handy little table right there in the hall,
Nathan came over and crouched down beside her. "Hey, you," he said
firmly. "What's going on?" She didn't pay any attention to him, and he
raised an eyebrow. #Catseye,# he projected, along with a suggestion
that yes, she wanted very much to answer.

Since, however, she was still very much involved in her current
obsession about finding a way to shift back to the larger shape she'd
achieved the once through instinct, that was pretty much the notion
that hit Nathan full on, looking up at him with a rather woeful sort
of look. And Catseye very much wanted to be a big cat, just at that
moment, having spent the better part of the day in her latest attempt
at figuring out exactly how to achieve that.

Nathan's eyes widened a little. "Uh...huh. New wrinkle, huh?" He
tilted his head at her, wondering. "You don't remember how you did
it?" Shapeshifters had such a tricky time with their powers so often.

Catseye HAD to! She placed one paw on his knee to raise herself
at eye level, the placed the other there as well, trying not to give
in to the urge to pace again. Catseye's secret! SoftHands musn't
tell! At that she pushed back a little and sat down again, eyes
glazing over just a bit as she resumed thinking at herself for all she
was worth.

"I believe you," he said soothingly. "And I won't tell." He reached
out, a bit tentatively, and scratched her behind the ears. "You don't
have to figure it out all yourself, though, you know. The rest of us
are here to help."

Catseye can do it! The confidence was unmistable, the certainty
utterly untinged with doubt. Catseye can do anything Catseye sets
her mind to! She did lean against his hand though, a half-rumbling
purr starting up. Catseye may need more energy though.

Oh no. Not calculating at all, that look.

Nathan rubbed her head gently. "Of course you can," he said, the same
lack of doubt in his voice. "You think that's it? Not enough energy?"
He grinned suddenly. "Shall we carry out a little experiment, maybe?
See if smoked salmon, or maybe pastrami, provides the requisite amount
of energy?" It actually made a lot of sense. Shapeshifters had odd
metabolisms, high caloric requirements. If Catseye was manifesting
other shapes, especially larger ones, it was entirely plausible that
she might need extra energy to do it when it wasn't a matter of
life and death.

Food! She wasn't suffering from the awful hunger pangs that had
plagued her the first few days after the attack on the mansion anymore at
all, but food was still food. Well, that and pastrami was a slice of
heaven, really. Catseyes placed both paws on his knee again, fully
expecting to be picked up. Humans did the carrying, when food was
involved!

He'd come back for the books. Nathan lifted her carefully into his
arms, waiting for her to settle herself before he headed in the
direction of the stairs. "Why don't you want me to tell anyone?" he
asked, quietly enough that no one who happened to pass by would
overhear him.

Catseye would much rather just show everyone. And telling
others would be admitting that she couldn't - yet! - do it on her own.
Which she wasn't about to admit, not in a million years.

Feline pride was a marvelous thing, it really was. "I get it," Nathan
said amiably, heading down the stairs. "You don't need to worry. I
won't tell anyone. Although if you need help with anything, you'll ask
me, right?"

Catseye will not need help. The thought was as serene as can
be. And determined. There was a sudden shift to the patterns though,
and impishness pierced through. But Catseye knows that FixingHands
has food if Catseye needs it. And SoftHands can give Catseye more
pastrami and smoked salmon too.

"You're got all the angles figured out, haven't you?" Nathan said
whimsically. "Don't mind me. I'm just overly protective... I had to
figure out how to do the things I can do on my own and it was hard."

Catseye has been figuring out how to do things on her own all her
life. Matter of fact and to the point, was that particular
thought. And Catseye does not mind overly protective. It was
NICE to be able to just think and stay in cat shape, and not have to
shift to talk, she realized. Catseye just decides when to put up
with it or not, to let other people feel better. That is all.

"Well, you don't have to put up with it to make me feel better. Just
let me spoil you occasionally and I'll be just fine." Nathan grinned
down at her. "Really. Self-sufficiency is a good thing."

Catseye knows! And cats are there to be spoiled! How Things
Are! The thought was entirely cheerful and clearly the promise of
food was an excellent way to cheer Catseye up.