Felidae: Curious Cats (IC)

Mephistophelily · 09-10-2009, 11:07 PM

If interested, please see OOC thread.

Seri scowled as the computer bleeped and bipped away before her, fingers and claws digging sternly into the control panel as she stared up at the screen. "You're not a very cooperative thing, are you?," She grumbled with a pout, her tail twisting about with her annoyance.

"Data insufficient. Please state the question in a comprehensible manner."

The second oldest Feli royal hissed at the screen with that, straightening as she folded her arms. "Stupid computer." She hated these things. They never did as she told them; something that incredibly infuriated her, and always seemed to be needing more information. What good where the things if they never even knew what they wanted? Stalking away from the guidance system control panel, she decided to find the rest of her family. The ship wasn't that big; barely room enough for the siblings and their guard to fit comfortably and ending up sharing quarters (yet another thing that annoyed Seri). This trip wasn't intended for comfort, their father reminded them, but safe transport. Their adamant desire to see the Human World was agreed to be met, but only on their parents' conditions.

Seri still felt it was their mother's fault they were interested in this odd planet. The book her sister had found hidden in the library was full of such wonderful stories, curious tales of furless creatures that were both kind and cruel, adventures had by a group of Felidae royals like themselves. That book was a source of countless nights' entertainment, the older siblings taking turns reading sections aloud to the younger in the gardens of the castle. When the truth behind the book was discovered; that it wasn't simply a work of fiction, but a record of a trip made by their own mother... What an adventure it must have been! Sure, they may have gotten in trouble for reading it... But the stories left an imprint on the young felis. They wanted to know it for themselves.

They wanted to see that world too.

Weeks of begging their parents led to negotiations, their father in his usual manner expecting to solve things diplomatically. When dealing with his children, however, he realized that things weren't as easily solved as they were when dealing with other political figures. Between the girls breaking into tears when he disagreed with anything they asked to take part in, or his son challenging his words, he finally had to cave to their requests- managing to squeeze in one request of his own. A guard was to accompany them, a guard of his choosing.

Seri had an inkling at that time on who it was that would be joining them on that ship as soon as he had said it.

The ship had been en route for a few days now, leaving Seri's boredom level at quite high peaks. Her room was shared with her brother, to which she was now returning. As the door slid open, she hopped into the bottom bunk of the rather uncomfortable beds, kicking her foot up high to nail the bottom of his mattress. "I hate this ship," She stated flatly. "It never listens to me. All I wanted to know was if we were even NEAR where we're supposed to be yet!" Another kick, followed by Seri flipping over to rest on her belly. "You know what I think? It's all a lie. Daddy programmed this stupid thing to orbit home, and in a week, plunk us back down a few miles from the castle."

"Incorrect. Programmed flight plan is a direct route to the planet Earth."

"NOW you'll understand me?!," She howled up at the speaker above the beds, the hair on the back of her neck rising. That stupid machine! It could hear and see them everywhere! "I hate this ship," She repeated, burying her head down into her pillow.

It was removed within moments, however, as she was suddenly dumped onto the floor, the entire ship having veered quickly at a hard angle to the right. Seri mewled out loudly, various other objects falling from the beds and nearly falling atop her. "OK! I'M SORRY!," She shrieked, hiding beneath her blanket as it fell beside her.

"System error. Program failure. Initializing autopilot redirect."

"System fai- What the hell does that mean?!," she demanded, only to yelp out once more as the ship shifted hard in the opposite direction. She didn't like this at all! The ship had gone psycho!

LitShark · 09-12-2009, 01:43 AM

"Si Senator, all imported directly from the plantations on Cuba." Manny said, casually leaning back in the luxurious leather armchair opposite Senator Kline's desk. "Don Miguel is this box here, San Ruiz are these ones, and of course Cohiba."

The Senator opened each ornate wooden box at a time, inspecting, smelling and rolling the thick brown cigars between his fingers. Manny grimaced as the old white politician dragged his nose along the surface of one cigar after another. Manny hoped this guy was serious, otherwise there might be a scene over the merchandise he was befouling.

Cuban cigars hardly the riskiest thing that Manny Reyes smuggled into the U.S. far from the most expensive as well, but the longer he inspected these rare treasures, the more painfully obvious it became that Senator Kline knew nada about high end cigars.

"You sure these aren't Dominican knock offs?" The senator asked, already clipping and licking the end of one on the Cohibas, worth $20 on the open market.

"I assure you Jefe, these are the genuine article." Manny replied, his accent becoming more pronounced as his patience dwindled. "A coinesour such as yourself will be able to tell the difference right away."

The senator cocked an eyebrow, striking a desktop lighter to set the wide tip of the cigar ablaze. Manny did a poor job of hiding his disdain, Kline ought to have used a match if he really cared about the taste of these expensive smokables. Manny took a personal stock in anything he smuggled, it was like a slap to the face to watch this gringo slobber all over his treasures, not even tasting their subtle brilliance.

It wasn't really about the taste or texture for Kline, it was merely about status. It wasn't about the money for Manny either, it would be good for business to have a senator owing him favors.

When the regaton ring-tone burst to life in Manny's denim pocket he didn't hesitate to answer.

"Que Paso?" Manny asked into the phone, quickly recognizing his brother's voice.

"Hola hermano." Manny's brother Esteban replied, continuing on in fluid Spanish. "I've got a request for you compadre, I need to boost up business. Profits have been terrible."

"I thought gambling was the safest business there was." Manny replied in Spanish. "What do you need from me."

"The action is great, but attendance is in the shitter." Esteban explained. "Nobody wants to go see dogfights anymore, the donkey shows are stealing all the gringo dollars. With Vick getting locked up and la PeTA on the war path nobody wants to see dogs anymore. The cock fights are the only things keeping us afloat. I need a gimmick, what kind of rare, exotic animals can you get me?"

"I can have three wild boars down there by Friday."

"Ah, boar fights are no good. Everybody bets the boar, I lose my shirt." Esteban answered. "I was thinking like some kind of rare exotic cat, versus a few dogs. Like a... a tiger, or a panther, or... what's that one? With the ears?"

"A lynx?"

"Si bueno! A lynx, how many of them can you have by Friday?"

"Rare takes longer,let me call you back." Manny answers brisquely, clapping his phone shut and making the shaky transition back to English. "Senator, I have to get moving. Si o no?"

Ahren1 · 09-14-2009, 03:32 AM

Beneath a blanket, a figure stirred lightly while occasionally emitting a low growl. This ship was uncomfortable. Tough to sleep peacefully. He was dreaming. Bad dreams. Dreams of the ones he had sworn to protect getting hurt with nothing he could do to stop it. Though as the ship made an unexpected turn, scattering various objects in the room about, the blonde, male feli dressed in a black guard uniform slipped off his bed, only to catch his landing on his hands and feet gracefully, despite having just woken. There was a gleam of annoyance in his golden eyes.

"Just what in the Hell..." The Royal Guard Ashther muttered with a smooth, yet irritated tone before suddenly bracing himself as the ship jerked again. Without a second thought, Ashther grabbed his katana and sheathed it upon his back, making his way out of his room despite the turbulence thanks to his expert balance and agility.

"Who's flyin' this thing?" He yelled out as he came across the bridge. On one of the screens, only a simple message had been displayed:

System error. Program failure. Initializing autopilot redirect.

"It's flyin' itself... Figures. Hey! Uh... Ship! Smooth out the ride, will ya? Geez.." He yelled out, only to get no response. "Did somethin' go wrong...?" He wondered aloud. With that, he decided to head toward the room occupied by the oldest siblings.

"Seri!" He called out. Enough time had passed that most of the siblings had told him to ignore any titles, but while he was their guard, this was perhaps the first time he'd really get to join in on their recreational activities, even if he was still technically on duty. So while he got along with them... Well Prince Jamlamin might be the exception, it was safe to say he wasn't close friends with any of them. The King had originally been a bit wary of Ashther, though eventually the Queen convinced him he was worthy enough to be even a Royal Guard. Now the King himself had chosen him for this mission. This was a big deal. Getting them there and back safely could earn him even more respect. Perhaps even a promotion. Captain of the Royal Guard or something like that. Yeah, he liked how that sounded...

"Seri.... Jamlamin." He said the second name with a bit of hesitation, not really wishing to deal with that guy right now. He was always kind of cold and condescending, even if he didn't know it. Not to mention he kept acting like he was in charge or something. "Come fix your ship!" The golden eyed Feli sighed. Maybe there would be a malfunction and they'd have to go home. Honestly, he wished that were the case. He got to read this book that the Royals were so involved in and he just didn't see the appeal. He didn't get why this "Earth" seemed so compelling. If anything it sounded dangerous... The King and Queen had been there and came back unharmed, though, and they didn't have a high ranking guard with them. But how long ago was that? How had things changed?

But what bothered Ashther the most was the fact that these Earthlings... just sounded inferior.

Then again, the Prince and Princesses never knew a world outside their cushy palace. Anything new was probably fascinating to them. Feli's were curious by nature, but that curiosity was also what got them into the most trouble. Would that be the case here, too? Ashther was done getting into trouble. Even if he liked a good fight. He didn't want to see the ones he had been charged with protecting hurt in any way... So even though he could have declined the offer to go with them, he knew he was the best choice to protect them all...

MadameNyx · 09-14-2009, 08:44 PM

Back on yet another room, the smallest of the siblings, Rhyan, lay curled on her bed, her nose stuck in a book. As it happened frequently when she found a good read, she had tuned out the rest of the world, concentrating on what was on the page in front of her. Even that, though, could distract her from the sudden shake the ship gave, making her yip in surprise and drop her book. Worried for her siblings and wondering what was going on, she made sure Xiry was still on the bed besides hers before quietly sneaking out to the hallway, closing the door quietly behind her and making her way to her older siblings' room.

As she walked, she made sure her loose dress, that looked much like a kimono, wasn't wrinkled, something she did when she was worried or nervous. The cat ears that rested atop her red hair twitched, acutely aware of every noise. She was on edge now, alert, something her older brother had taught her, especially since she was the smallest, barely reaching five feet tall. Her size deceived, though, as thanks to her athleticism, she moved with a degree of grace and litheness that was only expected in highly trained guards.

If fact, she had been pleasantly surprised when Ashther had been asked to accompany them. She had stumbled upon him training a few times as she walked along the palace, stopping to watch him from afar in amazement as he moved. Having been too shy to approach him before, she hoped she would get to know him better during this trip.

Speak of the devil she thought to herself as her violet eyes fell on his form, leaning against the doorway of the room she was headed for. She walked closer, and was about to say hi when her eyes widened, having caught the guard's last words. Tensing and without a word, she quickly ran to the main control room, sitting at the seat her older sister had vacated a few minutes ago. Her fingers quickly started flying along the keyboard, trying to find out what was wrong with the ship.

jayands · 09-14-2009, 11:00 PM

"So Earthlings have no tails, huh? Interesting..." Jamlamin cogitated to himself as he pondered various differences between Feli and them, ignoring his sister's frustration. Humans, Mother's book called them. Homo sapiens, their scientists called themselves. He mused further at the thought that mother's book had also included every bad word in the language: Homo was included. Just when this was to turn to insulting puns and quips, so that he'd have them ready when he heard that arrogant ass of a Royal Guard call out to him and his sister, requesting that they fix the smoothness of the ship's ride.

Sighing and growling, both deeply, he stood up and walked out of his (insisted upon) non-private quarters, Although I don't mind sharing with Seri, he thought to himself. Xiry had said some such nonsense about wanting to share the room with him, but that had been quickly shot down by the other two. Strange.

Jamlamin, or Jam to his family, walked past the guard without looking at him before stating to him

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jamlamin

Ride too bumpy for the cushy Guard, is it?

and walked off toward the bridge where he was met with Rhyan looking very frustrated and the console text

System error. Program failure. Initializing autopilot redirect.

Sigh, what has she done now? Seri never was any good with these things. Oh, well. It made her cute. Most of the time. He sat down at the terminal and entered console command mode

Code:

> Please input username: jamlam1n
> Password:

Welcome to ship command! How may I help you, Jam? autopilot redirect off
Autopilot redirect set to off

Welcome to ship command! How may I help you, Jam? set destination earth
Destination set to Earth (452952391,702950741,9940251721; eta: 1h 23m 45
.6723s)
Welcome to ship command! How may I help you, Jam? show destination
Destination is set to Earth, shall i give coordinates? no

Welcome to ship command! How may I help you, Jam? set speed 89%
Speed set to 89 percent output.

Welcome to ship command! How may I help you, Jam? set speed 100%
Speed set to 100 percent output.

Damn, still jerky.

Code:

Welcome to ship command! How may I help you, Jam? system diagnostic all
 --autofix
Running system diagnostic group all...
Checking reactor cores.........5 normal, 1 cool, 6 total.....fixed
Checking Navi units............4 normal, 4 total
Checking gyroscopes............7 normal, 1 misaligned, 8 total.....fixed
Checking LSS.....3 normal, 3 total
^C
System diagnostic canceled

Welcome to ship command! How may I help you, Jam? commit
Changes committed
Welcome to ship command! How may I help you, Jam? exit
Goodbye

That fixed it. The more user-friendly graphical interface popped up on screen as the ship did an about face, gently this time. Two minutes, he thought to himself, too slow. He left Rhyan sitting there, bewildered, as he returned to his room and said in a sarcastically playful tone,

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jamlamin

There, Sis. Now don't go messing around with it. Next time I may have to charge you,

he said with a sly smile, knowing exactly what he'd like to charge her.

Ahren1 · 09-15-2009, 08:08 AM

Ashther's eyes narrowed toward Jamlamin as he walked by, making one of his usual patronizing comments.

Cushy Guard? That doesn't even make sense. The tall Feli thought to himself, watching the Prince with vague irritation as he approached the console of the ship. Only that man would dare speak to him like that, but it went both ways. It always seemed like Ashther was the only one to get away with any sort of retort. Anyone else would be too scared to talk back to the eldest Royal Sibling. It didn't take long for Jamlamin to do whatever it is he does and apparently fix the problem, not even acknowledging his younger sister beside him. As the Prince returned to his room, the Guard's golden eyes remained on him, crossing his arms in the meantime.

"Just makin' sure you're not breakin' a hip in there, old man..." Ashther smirked lightly. His response was quiet, but given their race's acute sense of hearing, it was quite possibly picked up. Of course, he held back what he was truly thinking. After all, the last thing they all needed was a pointless spat between the males. Despite his demeanor, Ashther knew restraint, he knew discipline, and he knew respect. He didn't have to like Jamlamin to respect his position. He only wished the Prince would do the same for his... Maybe he didn't think they needed a guard. It was only logical that the Prince had a bit of combat training, given his status. Problem was, it was nothing compared to that of a Royal Guard's. Sadly, it probably wasn't enough for some of the tougher street cats who had such unyielding and unpredictable styles.

Ashther had spent half his life fighting off such people, and the other half learning proper technique from the finest warriors the Palace had to offer. He had the best of both worlds, so to speak. The Siblings needed him, whether they wanted to admit it or not. Jam was born as royalty. Cushy was his whole life. So it was rather ironic he had used that word to refer to Ashther of all people...

Maybe Jam was just unhappy with the guard chosen. Well, that was just too bad. This wasn't much of a picnic for Ash either. He didn't care about Earth, but he did care about their safety. Even the Prince's. He certainly didn't mind the company of the Princesses, though, which he thought as he took a look toward Rhyan who was still at the console. Casually, Ashther approached her, glancing at the computer screen for a moment before gazing toward the red-haired beauty.

"Couple pretty rough shakes back there. You all right?" He inquired with a slight smile. He genuinely was concerned for their safety and well-being, after all. Still, he never got much of a chance to speak with Rhyan or, well, any of the Princesses. So this was the easiest way to accomplish both...

jayands · 09-15-2009, 01:51 PM

Jam had ignored the old comment, because something had been wrong with the ship. Now, however, it was mulling about in his head, such that it became his overpowering thought. Who does that damned guard think he is? We rescued him, not the other way around. He should be grateful to us, dammit.

Ah, well. Father had chosen a fine guard, alright. So fine, in fact, he could cut his own arm off with that sword he had at his hip. Well, he was the most decorated; one supposes you don't get all those medals because the king likes you. Hopefully.

And it's because of Ash they're even allowed on this trip; maybe he should be more grateful for his presence. Although if the humans really that weak, he should be entirely unnecessary. After all, the most unpleast thing it sounds like they have were the water showers. I must remember those things, he shuddered to himself.

MadameNyx · 09-15-2009, 02:19 PM

Rhyan felt more than saw her older brother come in and sit as she typed furiously on the keyboard. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched him quickly put the ship in order, making her bite back a chuckle. That was Jam for you; the silent protector. A soft thank you left her lips as he got out of the seat and exited, not saying a word to her. That was alright, though, she was used to this. For all that he was a man of few words, she knew he cared about all of them.

Relaxing on the chair again, she brushed her fingers through her fiery locks as she made sure everything was working perfectly again, when a new voice reached her ears. Ashther she thought as she turned to watch him with her violet eyes, a smile blossoming on her lips.

"Yeah it was. Jam fixed it, though, and everything looks great. We should be back on route now." she said as she chuckled, getting up and stretching, the soft fabric of her dress tightening around her to show, just for a moment, how much she had grown in the last decades. Straightening, she grinned from ear to ear at him, her eyes twinkling with mischief "You know comments about his age irk him, don't you?"

Mephistophelily · 09-15-2009, 04:36 PM

Seri's eyes were wide as she poked her head out of the bedroom, her form still covered by the blanket. "You... fixed it?" With a light huff, she tossed the blanket aside, her head raising a bit more as she tried to play off her fears as simply play. "Of course you did. I would have done that too, if I hadn't been so worried about checking on- um, my stuff. I have some delicate things, you know."

Moving to the screen, she peered over the commands left up by Jam, only to make a slight face at it. Ugh, too much confusion in all that. She'd much rather just be able to ask someone to slow the ship down and make it stop acting all crazy than have to deal with all that.... But Dad had insisted this would be easier.

At least Jam seemed to know what he was doing.

"Almost as much as they irk me," Seri chimed in on the comment about their brother's age, sending a glance towards the other two. "I'm not much younger than him, you remember. So if he's an old man, what's that make me, Ash? A mangy ol' pussycat?" Her tail flicked at him playfully, a curious smirk on her face. "Careful with him, Rhyan. His tongue can be sharper than his claws sometimes."

Turning back around to leave the room, she paused at the doorway, her attention no longer on the two there with her- but the screen showing the view outside the ship. "Guys. Look." She pointed at the screen as she whispered the words, her eyes wide as she smiled slowly. "I can see it. That little blue thing, barely a bip on the screen- See it? We're almost there..." She shivered slightly, her smile growing a bit more as the stories began to flood into her head. The wonderful things her mother had described, the foods and people and strange places to see- It was so close!

"Our concealers-!" The sudden thought hit Seri with all the other random things that poured through her head, the reminder from Father on what could happen if others knew the truth about them. The image concealers were created by their uncle years ago, when they had first been on that strange place- and since then, had been greatly improved from the faulty things that he had hastily made. Father had shown her how to set them and how to maintain them... But she was still scared of being the one in charge of them. What if she messed up? If something were to happen to anyone because of a fault on her part, she could never forgive herself. Testing them a few times before actually using them sounded like a good idea.

"I'll get them. You guys still need to set your images so I can get the holograms right." With that, she hurried from the room, returning to her own to grab the metal case from under her bed.

Ahren1 · 09-15-2009, 07:34 PM

Ashther couldn't help but watch as Rhyan got up from her seat, stretching as she explained their condition. The youngest princess wasn't all that much younger than the rest, but had been a bit of a late bloomer, so to speak. Still, she had blossomed wonderfully... Like her sisters, she was a genuine beauty, and her smile seemed to penetrate even a Royal Guard's tough shell.

The look in her eyes as she commented about Ash's reply to Jamlamin had a familiar look of mischievousness that wasn't unlike his own when he was younger. He couldn't help but smirk in response, his arms still crossed as he shrugged lightly. Though, before he could really respond, the eldest sister, Seri, had returned from her room in order to check the status of the ship. She was the only sister that he had any actual history with before the trip. Though it wasn't anything like that. She had merely been one of his instructors on Royal etiquette. Safe to say that part of the reason he was still a bit brash was because it was hard to pay attention when someone so lovely was devoting her attention to him. After all, before his arrival to the Palace, females were either quite feral and protective or just plain crazy. Safe to say she, and the others, were a breath of fresh air. Though at times he did miss the wild side of a woman. He had to wonder if any of these princesses had some of that in them somewhere...

Seri's response toward the discussion at hand made Ash chuckle nervously a bit.

"M-mangy? Hey, you've got me all wrong! I'm just tryin' to get a rise outta the guy, that's all!

Hey, besides. If I remember correctly, I'm pretty sure I'm still older than you are anyway! And you are a lot younger than he is. Compared to us, he kinda is an old man!" Ash attempted to explain, only to wince a bit at his last comment. Hopefully Jam didn't hear that one, as this time he wasn't actually trying to irritate anyone.

Thankfully, that line of conversation was quickly derailed when the white-haired girl gestured toward the screen at the barely visible blue dot coming into view. So, that was Earth, huh? Surprised that she could tell at this distance. They were almost there. How exciting... Ashther could only sigh at this recent turn of events. There went any chance at turning back. They certainly wouldn't think of it now that they were this close. It was then that Seri rushed out, mentioning something about concealers and holograms. Oh yeah, he remembered he had been instructed about how they'd need to appear human in order to get around anywhere. It made sense, but the Guard had no real interest in pretending to be one of them...

But there wasn't much of a choice. It was for their safety after all, and that came first. "Set our images...? Hrm... Me and technology don't get along very well... I hope she knows what she's doin'."

MadameNyx · 09-15-2009, 08:22 PM

Rhyan couldn't hold back her chuckle as she heard Seri come back, teasing their slightly serious guardian, and laughed even more when he tried to explain himself and only made it worse. Her other comment made her eyes twinkle again, glancing at him again and winking as she said "Actually, he's been very nice to me. You must've done something to him before."

At her sister's soft words, she moved closer to the screen, her eyes growing curious. There she was. Earth. That big mystery that kept beaconing her with unfathomable adventures. Unconsciously, her hand stretched to touch the screen lightly, making the image a bit larger. There was a palpable longing in her eyes.

At her sister's mention of holograms, she snapped out of her own little world and pulled her hand back, eyes following the feminine feline as she left. In a soft voice, she tried to put Ash's troubles at ease"Hmmm don't worry. If there's one thing Seri, or any of us for that matter, take seriously is each other's safety."

Mephistophelily · 09-15-2009, 08:45 PM

Peeking through the box, Seri smiled as the 5 belt-like contraptions were placed on the bed. The few lessons she had received on how to use the devices were a bit of a blur, but as her fingers toyed with the tiny buttons, it started to come back to her. Picking one of them up, she clipped it about her own waist, testing to make sure she remembered correctly. Best to test on herself than one of her siblings- Or Ashther. He probably wouldn't take too kindly to her using him as a test subject.

"Come onnnn..."

Seri blinked a few times as she heard the soft beep from her waist, noticing that her hand was no longer covered with the light fuzz of her fur, but a continuous pale smooth skin, like the humans in mother's photos. Curious about the rest of her, she peeked into the little mirror beside the bed, shrieking out as her ears were no longer visible. Hesitantly placing a hand atop her head, she could feel them- barely... but they were certainly not visible. Her tail was gone as well, but Seri could feel it still lingering behind her.

"I'm not quite sure if I like this thing," She hissed, frowning at her reflection. She paused, her eyes widening before baring her teeth yet again. Her teeth-! They were different too! Mother had never said THAT would happen!

"STUPID HUMANS!," She howled, stomping her foot down. "Why do we have to look like them?!"

A soft breath left her lips, Seri closing her eyes. She was letting her temper get the better of her. She was as much responsible for begging for this trip as her siblings. She shouldn't be getting so worked up over the few little details that came along with it.

Picking up two of the other devices, she headed back to the main control room. "Rhyan... Ashther... Here. I need you to test them, make sure the images can hold. Don't keep them on too long; we don't want to drain the power on them too much before we actually have to use them." She smiled at the guard, winking at him. "Don't worry, Ash. I won't let anyone tease you. I know I must look funny enough as it is with mine on."

DhampirS · 09-15-2009, 09:00 PM

Keith flipped through the channels a few moments before turning it off and dropping the remote listlessly. Nothing worth watching on. He shook his head, and got up from his seat, heading to the other room, flipping through a few old papers as he went by. Read them already, he thought ruefulyl to himself. Keith checked his messages. A few from friends whom were out of town, and a couple about doing something in a couple days. Nothing for tonight.

Keith passed by another end table as he passed into the kitchen, and straitened a couple of piles of pamphlets on grad schools, dog eared and reread repeatedly, before continuing on. He looked around the kitchen, recently cleaned and near spotless, and checked one of the cupboards. Heading to the fridge, he looked around for a moment. "Boring place." he muttered to himself for the third time in the day.

True, he didn't find anything worth watching on the television, but that wasn't what was really bothering him. Neither was the fact his friends weren't available. He'd delt with that before. Throughout the whole day, he had yet to find the slightest thing to rouse his interests, or even privide distraction from the monotony. It had been one of the more boring days of his life. He went to the refridgerator and got some soda, passing things again on his way outside. He still had one recourse to boredom, little as he enjoyed it, and that was his Telescope.

Heading out to his little fire escape where he'd set up the old, mostly unwanted gift, Keith settled himself into a comfortable position and began looking through the eyepiece, scanning the visual range it provided in space for something of interest.

spiritual_love · 09-16-2009, 01:04 AM

Xiry finally stirred. She had awakened briefly when the ship had been rocked, yet she had swiftly been engulfed within the need to rest. The trip was tiresome, at least she thought so. She scratched behind her ear, feeling the delicious curl of her nails upon her flesh. Supple lips parted as she yawned, stretched her arms above her head as crystalline eyes opened, blinking several time to clear her vision. Rolling upon her belly, she mewed softly as she noticed that Rhyan was already gone from the room. A little frown touched upon the pretty little cradle of her lips. Where was everyone?

Xiry swept out of the bed silently and grabbed the dark framed glasses she wore. Dark tresses were pulled into a ponytail atop her head, which bounced with each sway of her body. The touch of her feet danced quietly upon the floor as she pulled on a black flared skirt and a black tee. Her tail danced behind her, whipping absently through the air as she rubbed her eyes with fisted hands and slipped out of the room. Xiry sauntered as she moved through the corridors of the ship. The alluring slide of her hips was accented by the shortened hem of her skirt, exposing the line of shapely legs. She called out softly as she wandered along...

"Rhyan? Seri? Jamlamin? Ashtar?.."

Her soft plead of names travelled through the air as she searched for her siblings and the guard.

LitShark · 09-16-2009, 08:29 AM

It was an odd picture, to be certain. Senator Kline in his finely tailored suit, buttoned up to his chin with his silk tie hanging from the collar; then there was Manny, with his starched and over-sized blue jeans sagging low, barely hanging onto his sculpted hips and his thin white tank top doing next-to-nothing to hide the canvass of religious tattoos covering his brown skin. The two of them walking side-by-side down the steps of the office complex turned more than a few heads.

"I greatly appreciate your professionalism." The Senator said, extending his hand. A gesture he had obviously practiced regularly. "And I look forward to your discretion as well..."

The Senator's tone of voice made it clear what he really meant. Somewhere between a warning and a threat, Kline was demanding a sort of vow of silence from Manny.

"Discretion comes standard homes." Manny replied, firmly shaking the Senator's hand. "Just remember, one hand washes the other."

As the Senator retreated back into the massive stone building, Manny opened his phone once more. Already dialing when he climbed into his shining black hot rod. As the custom motor roared to life, its well oiled component singing a low metallic durge. Manny had to shout over the engine when his associate Djimon answered the phone.

"One love bredren." Djimon answered, his Caribbean accent seeming to drizzle his words in thick maple syrup. "Gia's blessings be, Manny. Whan cha be needin' from ye ol' pal Djimon."

"Que paso compadre?" Manny began, his traditional greeting. "I had a request from a buyer for rare animals. Tigers, leopards and the sort. I thought of you first homes, is it bueno for me to drop in?"

"Don cha even grieve one bit me bredren. I got de new shipment of exotic beasts, alive and dead." Djimon answered with enthusiasm. "I even got a sale goin' on de bad-baddie-guns plenty bang-bang to make any blood-clot bald-head buried in de earth. BUA! BUA! BUA! BUA! Rasta-Fry!."

Djimon had the habit of shouting incomprehensible things when he got excited, it was a practice Manny had never even attempted to understand. There had been a few instances when this habit of Djimon's had cost Manny business, shouting jibberish at the most awkward moments.

"I'll see you soon compadre." Manny muttered, using his chin to flip shut his phone.

The sunlight streaked over the highly polished surface of Manny's car, black paint and chrome components reflecting the light brightly. It wasn't just the car either, the sun was glaring directly in through the front windshield. Using the cream colored leather visor Manny managed to shield his eyes from the worst of it.

Then he noticed it...

It wasn't anything shocking or obvious, just a tiny light in the sky. It looked like a star, but the fact that it was the middle of the afternoon made that seem unlikely. Manny stared at the small pinprick of light, glancing back to the road periodically.

"Que esto?" Manny muttered to himself, his car rolling past the University dorms and back into his Barrio.

***

It wasn't long before Manny had arrived at Djimon's place. The basement of a nine story project comprised Djimon's home, office, storage unit and museum. Everywhere one looked there was something magnificent and unique to behold, in one spot there was a stack of rare animal skins, zebra, leopard, tiger and seal. Another corner held a chest full to overflowing with diamonds and gems of various sizes, colors and qualities. Near that was a rack of fine Japanese silks, arranged by color and quality.

Behind it all sat Djimon, his long dread locks draped around his shoulders and a burning spliff between his lips. He sat atop a throne of weapons crates and ammo, assault rifles, anti-aircraft guns, SMGs, RPGs and other weapons of destruction Manny didn't even know what to call.

"Welcome back to de promised land my kindred bredren."

Ahren1 · 09-16-2009, 12:41 PM

"Hmmm don't worry. If there's one thing Seri, or any of us for that matter, take seriously is each other's safety."

Ashther nodded to Rhyan. Well, he wasn't worried about getting hurt or anything, rather just that he'd mess it up somehow. Machines always did seem to malfunction around him for some reason. If he didn't know any better, he'd think it was his fault the ship had started acting up, despite never having touched the controls.

After a minute or so passed, he heard Seri's voice again coming from down the hall.

"Rhyan... Ashther... Here. I need you to test them, make sure the images can hold. Don't keep them on too long; we don't want to drain the power on them too much before we actually have to use them." She smiled at the guard, winking at him. "Don't worry, Ash. I won't let anyone tease you. I know I must look funny enough as it is with mine on."

That was for sure. He almost hadn't heard what the Princess said because he was too busy being distracted by the sudden disappearance of some of her hair, her ears and tail. He had been informed that such means would be necessary in order to blend in with the Earthlings, but it was still surprising to see at work. The blonde Feli grimaced slightly as her words finally registered with him. He didn't really want to test it... but there wasn't much of a choice. As he took the belt device, he fit it to his waist before glancing back to the ivory-haired royal. "Hey, I can handle myself, y'know! Who's gonna tease? We all gotta use 'em anyway..."

After a moment of hesitation, Ashther finally pressed the button on the device. Soon after, he took the visage of a normal human. Free of excess fuzz, Feli ears, tail and claws. They were still there but sorta invisible, it seemed. That was good. He'd hate to actually be a human. One of the things he couldn't understand was how they managed to live with their weird ears and lack of tail. His tail was important for many agility and balance-related combat techniques. Not to mention the human "nails" were laughable compared to his claws...

"Okay it works..." He said quickly, immediately deactivating the imager and looking over himself to make sure everything was back to normal. After a sigh of relief, his ears perked to another voice coming from down the hall. Xiry, the second Princess... Ash suddenly felt rather terrible for not having checked up on her after the turbulence. If she had been harmed and they were out here playing around, he would have never forgiven himself. She had such a quiet presence, though. Much more so than the other siblings. That didn't mean she wasn't noticeable, though. Xiry was just as gorgeous as the rest, but Ashther knew her the least, mainly because her shyness had often kept her at a distance. There was also her strange desire to please Jamlamin which he never understood. He could understand respecting an older brother, but there were times where she was basically willing to be his slave just for attention... Why?

"We're in the control room, Xiry." Ashther called out before glancing back to Seri. "Okay turn your thing off already. It's weirding me out..."

jayands · 09-16-2009, 02:33 PM

Jamlamin heard his sister tromping down the hall as she passed by their shared room to a supply closet.Sigh, that girl is so impulsive at times. He went back to brooding over how to lose the guard upon landing, when suddenly, someone -- no, something that smelled like his sister passed their doorway. He looked up and paid it no mind at first, until it registered. The thing looked slightly like Seri, but where had the fur gone? Instantly, though, before anyone could see him, he calmed his expression while thinking of a solution. That's right! That's how the humans looked in the book! he recalled. She must have forgotten to check them before leaving. Oh well, might as well go and see how goofy that guard looks; it should be good for a few laughs, Jam chuckled to himself.

However, before he could get a chance, he was met by two strange-looking females, an even stranger male, and Xiry, who had been behind him as he entered the control room.

"We have to look like that? Where'd your tails go?" He could not conceal his genuine shock at the strangeness of it all. Not to mention the belts were gaudy and large. As soon as he got with someone who (hopefully there was at least one on this rock) knew microelectronics, he'd ask them to miniaturize them into collars which could be hidden on one's person more readily. Still, it was the first time he'd seen a concealer in action; it was impressive.

MadameNyx · 09-16-2009, 07:15 PM

"STUPID HUMANS!,"

Rhyan's eyes got a bit wider as she bit back a giggle. Seri tended to get frustrated real quick and shout very funny things. Her giggling was cut short as she watched her sister come back, looking very peculiar. Curious, she walked closer and poked at her invisible ears and her tail before chuckling. Grabbing the device handed to her, she turned it on and watched as her red fur disappeared, substituted buy soft pink flesh. Turning around at her brother's voice, she noticed his shock, Xiry's voice right behind him.

"Everything is still in its place, just not visible" she said as she ran a finger over her arm, feeling her soft fur under her fingertip. Looking around, she looked at Ashther's appearance and bit back a shiver. He definitely looked more handsome with his fur and tail, not that she was complaining. Feeling a light blush color her cheeks at the thought, she took off the device, turned it ff and handed it back to Seri.

Mephistophelily · 09-16-2009, 07:51 PM

"Of course. You'd probably rip their tongue out before- YOWCH! RHYAN!"

Seri shot a glare at her sister as a finger was shoved into her ear, the unseen furry bits falling back against her hair as she scowled. At least she was willing to try it, quickly snagging one and giving it a trial run. Unfortunately, they both were rather eager to be rid of it and handed them back as fast as they had been taken.

"You guys have no sense of adventure," Seri huffed, taking the belts back from the two before peeking over at her brother. She smirked, holding out the one Ashther had tried on for him. "Care to give it a try? I don't think it's too bad, once you get used to it. Besides, I want to see what you'd look like; all pink and squishy." She poked her brother in the side, grinning deviously. "I'll turn mine off in a minute, Ashther. Don't get your tail in knots," she called idly to the guard, her head barely moving to speak with him as she watched Jam.

The other two intended for her brother and other sister still rested in her room, but to at least know that she had the setting correct was enough to prove that the things were functioning properly. "Here, Xiry. Try Rhyan's. I just want to make sure that-" She trailed off slightly, catching sight of the monitor and taking on a rather dreamy distant look in her eyes. "...That we'll blend in well enough...," She finally finished, her voice much softer than before.

Clearing her throat, she gave another broad smile, reaching down to turn off her own. The silver tail and ears were quick to return to sight, the faint fur on her body more noticable now. "Looking like ourselves is a bit more comforting, I will admit that..." She frowned suddenly, glancing at the rest of the group. "You- You don't think we'll need to keep them on all the time, do you? I mean, if we can get the ship to blend in as well, or find somewhere to live like Mom had done, we should be fine to leave them off if there's no nosey humans, right?"

jayands · 09-16-2009, 11:28 PM

"You- You don't think we'll need to keep them on all the time, do you? I mean, if we can get the ship to blend in as well, or find somewhere to live like Mom had done, we should be fine to leave them off if there's no nosy humans, right?"

"I hope so; there was some thing about humans running on a capitalistic society, like us. If that's true, we'll have to be wary of people that will sell anything to anyone. The book mentioned something about small pet versions of us; I just wonder what they would do to us? However, Mother's book did say most humans are good, so we shouldn't have too many problems."

This'll be a good trip; real easy, with no complications. Afterward, we'll take a few things home, be labeled heroes and I'll be able to ease into Kingship. Hmmm, the first rule I'll change is...yeah. That one. And then, I'll marry Seri, keeping our bloodline intact, and she'll give me lots of kittens. She has the figure for it. But that can't happen until this week is over.

spiritual_love · 09-16-2009, 11:30 PM

"We're in the control room, Xiry." Ashther called out before glancing back to Seri. "Okay turn your thing off already. It's weirding me out..."

Xiry pushed the glasses up along the bridge of her nose, settling them back into place. They were kind of geeky as she had been told time and time again. Her vision wasn't extraordinarily bad, but she rather liked to adorn the frames. Noted curiosity rushed along her feline features as she wondered what was weirding Ashther out.

"We have to look like that? Where'd your tails go?"

Xiry peered around Jamlamin as he spoke. Her hand anxiously settled upon his side, clutching at his shirt absently as she gazed at her sister, devoid of her normal characteristics. Xiry had to keep her pink lips from dropping open in amazement. Once she got kind of used to the sight, it was rather peculiar. Xiry knew the reasoning behind it. It would provide them with disguises upon the world that they were visiting. Xiry felt a trembled racing through her body, the downy fur cascading upon the nape of her neck rose upwards slightly. She didn't like it. A little stubborn gleam scattered along the cusp of her blue eyes behind the lenses of her glasses. Her pert little nose crinkled as Rhyan willingly tried out the belt and changed before her very eyes. Surely, they couldn't be serious!

"Here, Xiry. Try Rhyan's. I just want to make sure that-" She trailed off slightly, catching sight of the monitor and taking on a rather dreamy distant look in her eyes. "...That we'll blend in well enough...," She finally finished, her voice much softer than before.

Xiry stepped around Jamlamin silently, the brush of her feet glided smoothly as did the teasing sway of curved hips. The darkness of her tail danced through the air as she took Rhyan's belt.

Xiry's voice was always soft, a gentle drift of sweet appeal, "But why do we have to conceal ourselves. The humans are....kind of gross looking without tails and all."

Even though she was adverse to the belt, she pulled it on anyway. And lo and behold, all her feline features seemed to melt away. The darkness of the scattering of her fur faded into the smooth flesh that would appeal to the humans. Her beloved tail and ears were gone. She peered at herself in the mirror and suppressed a hiss of disapproval. Turning about within the mirror, Xiry, lifting up her skirt slightly, peering at her ass devoid of a tail, peeking at the little heartshaped roundness of her ass. A blush rushed upon her cheeks as she quickly pushed her skirt down, having forgotten herself for a moment. Her fingers worked to remove the belt and returning to her sibling.

Mephistophelily · 09-18-2009, 07:23 PM

Seri grinned as the last of her siblings gave the belt a try, finally reaching down to click her own off. Xiry seemed rather impressed with it, examining herself in the tiny mirror with the same curiosity Seri herself had back in her own room. "Just keep in mind you can't get too close to humans, or they m- th- Xiry?!"

She realized now what her sister was doing, lifting her skirt high to peek at her own backside. "No one stole your ass, Xiry," She called out flatly, her now-exposed ears pushed back as she forwned at her sister. She had to laugh, though, at the rather embarrassed shade the other girl took in both a human state and feline as she removed the belt.

Something Jamlamin had said lingered with her, however. "Pets like us? Like the lizards you used to have? How horrible. I think I skipped that part..." She trailed off, shaking her head. "They better not try to make us act like some housepet," she stated firmly, holding her head high. "I won't stand for it."

She gave another glance out the viewing screen, a light sigh leaving her. "Shouldn't be long now, guys. Probably should get our things together, get ready. Who knows what we're going to run into when we get there..." A finger was suddenly placed on Ashther's chest, a stern look in her eyes. "Let us try talking to the first humans we run into before you get all... claws and fangs, ok? Mom's book said that not all of them are bad...."

Ahren1 · 09-18-2009, 10:15 PM

"We have to look like that? Where'd your tails go?"

Ashther glanced over as Jamlamin had returned to the control room where everyone was testing the concealers. The guard couldn't help but smirk at such a comment. "For someone who acts like he's in charge all the time, you sure don't know a whole lot about this mission, do you? The King and Queen went over all of this before we left..."

Rhyan had given a more direct answer, about how everything was still in place, just more or less invisible, and he chuckled as the younger sister prodded her older sister's invisible parts in curiosity. "You guys have no sense of adventure..." Seri commented as she took his belt back even though she refused to turn hers off for some reason.

"Adventure... We're going to a planet that we barely know based on stories from ages ago. For all we know, the place is full of disease and danger wrapped in darkness and silence..." Ash huffed, crossing his arms again and closing his eyes. After a moment, he sighed and reopened one. "Sorry... I just wish some sort of exploration team had gone before sending every royal daughter and son with little preparation..."

"You- You don't think we'll need to keep them on all the time, do you? I mean, if we can get the ship to blend in as well, or find somewhere to live like Mom had done, we should be fine to leave them off if there's no nosey humans, right?" Seri continued, obviously looking for a comforting answer. Jamlamin was apparently happy to provide some version of one.

"I hope so; there was some thing about humans running on a capitalistic society, like us. If that's true, we'll have to be wary of people that will sell anything to anyone. The book mentioned something about small pet versions of us; I just wonder what they would do to us? However, Mother's book did say most humans are good, so we shouldn't have too many problems."

"People trying to sell us things is the last of my worries..." He sighed to himself, looking between the rest of the group and fearing something happening to them that he couldn't prevent. It would be his fault if they got hurt... His responsibility. This was going to be his biggest test yet. Even moreso than living as a cub on the streets.

"But why do we have to conceal ourselves. The humans are....kind of gross looking without tails and all." The shy Xiry's soft voice uttered in the middle of attempting her own concealer, even going so far to reveal her whole backside in the mirror in shock. Of course Ash snuck a peek but she quickly covered herself back up after realizing what she had done. Well, the trip wasn't bad so far for moments like that...

"I agree, but we'll just draw attention if we don't... I'd rather look like one for a while than get caged up or worse..." Ash replied, leaning back against one of the walls of the ship, glancing over as Seri voiced her disgust with being kept as a pet.

A finger was suddenly placed on Ashther's chest, a stern look in her eyes. "Let us try talking to the first humans we run into before you get all... claws and fangs, ok? Mom's book said that not all of them are bad...."

With a sigh, Ash glanced down at the ivory-haired girl and shrugged. "I'm not sayin' I'm gonna go on some rampage as soon as I get there. That would just draw more attention than anything else... I'm all for staying hidden as long as possible. So talk all ya want... Just don't expect me to do much of it..."

LitShark · 09-19-2009, 02:48 AM

The fierce golden eyes of the female mountain lion stared intently at Manny, pacing from corner to corner of the small enclosure where Djimon had her caged. Manny stared back into the female beast's eyes, guaging her spirit and bloodlust.

"Males are much better for this sort of thing." Manny said, stroking the scruffy beard on his chin. "If she wins but doesn't kill its a big problem for the bookies."

"Don' worry one bit about dat Manny me bredren, she a killah for certain." Djimon assured his friend. "She took de life of one of me grimmies when we try to catch 'er. Got 'de taste for blood dis one does."

Manny pondered his final purchase, pacing back and forth in opposition to the mountain lion's arc. The beast and the man stared eachother down for what seemed like an eternity until Manny stopped abruptly. The animal, its instincts bracing it for an attack, lashed out, clawing through the bars, trying to catch Manny's flesh.

"I'll take her." Manny announced, standing firm out of the mountain lion's reach. "Also the bobcat, the wolverine, two boars and both hyenas."

"All togeder dese beasts run twenty thousand." Djimon informed his friend after totalling up on a handheld calculator. "You sure ye no want de kangaroo?"

"Not for fifteen-hundred homes." Manny shook his head, trying not to look back at the eager male kangaroo hopping in circles within his enclosure. "I'll be back with a truck manana to settle up and pick up the merchandise."

***

Once again Manny's motor roared to life, making a low gutteral chugging noise as it idled. The tiny gleam in the sky had grown in size and scope, now developing a slight vapor trail. It looked to Manny like a pinball on kite string.

"Que es?" Manny repeated to himself as he sped away.

The tiny spot in the sky followed Manny's car as he drove back to the barrio.

DhampirS · 09-19-2009, 12:55 PM

Keith noticed a strange dot on the sky as he scanned, and moved the telescope quickly back to get a better sight of it. Probably a plane, or something, he rationalized, but at least it would serve as a decent distraction. It was definitely heading downward, whatever it was. He reached his hand over and grabbed a nearby local road maps book he'd kept around in case he needed to get somewhere. Finding this thing might provide the nights distraction.

He quickly moved back to the Telescope, taking a good look into it, and not noticing what he had before. Wondering if He'd imagined it, Keith re adjusted the lenses and began to scan, quickly finding the strange object again. IT was closer this time, he realized. Keith decided this was good, it gave him an opportunity to get a better look.

His face screwed up into confusion for a moment, and he rubbed his eyes before taking another look. Yep, he thought, not a plane. He continued to track its direction as well as he could, trying to make heads or tails of the shape. If it was something experimental, he was definitely curious about it. The other option for what it could be was...ridiculous...but equally interesting. He traced its path carefully, determining the most likely landing point before marking it on the map.

Keith then went to grab a small duffel bag and put a few items in it. He grabbed a camera and extra memory card to start, before looking around. After a moment he also grabbed a small first aid kit, some snacks, a change of clothes, and a couple books. That should be enough to distract him, Keith told himself, checking the object in the telescope again before heading out to the place it should be arriving at.