Housecat (Closed for Freekles)

[Faux_Pas]

A yawn and a stretch, a wriggle and a whimper. Her usual method to waking, her body twisting and contorting, the shy little smile coming to her lips. Bastet wasn't exactly lazy. She was, after all, the Goddess of protection and war, the woman of the hunt.Her feline ways, however, extended past that of grace and hunting, nurturing and playful. There were the slightly arrogant tones to her, and the aspects that seemed so lazy to others...

Something that her sister, Wadjet, simply did not like. The serpent goddess would often taunt and harass her sister as she slept, calling her lazy and a disgrace, insults that Bastet would simply disregard. In her feline form, she would often curl away from her, ears pinned back and attempting to sleep through the snarls and hissed words. The two had been found fighting countless times, both in their female forms and their animal appearances- where Wadjet had tried far too often to bite and poison her sibling.

Their father did his best to separate them, to keep them from fighting and keep a proper appearance before the humans. What would they think to find to deities spiting in such a manner? They were to keep their disagreements to themselves, out of the way of the view of the people who worshipped them. For Bastet, that was simple enough; she liked to lounge in her feline form about the people, be lavished with adorations and gifts, hunt down the smaller snakes of her sister's domain. Killing those little slippery serpents was so wonderfully rewarding.

Wadjet did not appreciate this. Hence her arrival now. "Bastet!" The serpent goddess stormed into her sibling's temple, finding the cat curled in a pool of sunlight, attempting once more to ignore her. "I know that is you, now STAND and face me!"

The kitten peered up sourly, the stretch and smirk coming, the woman herself emerging with the motions. A soft yawn was given, Bastet tracing her fingers along her own lips. "You should not wake a sleeping cat, Wadjet. They can be quite angry with you."

"Do you find what you have done to be funny?!," Wadjet demanded, thrusting the handful of snake skin into Bastet's face. "This is disgraceful, horrendous! You mock me and offend me!"

Bastet stared at them, then smiled again, delicately pushing her sibling's hand back down. "But it was a gift, dear sister. Do you not appreciate it?"

"You continue to mock me! Vile creature you are!," Wadjet howled furiously, tossing the skins to the floor. "Lazy, useless, that is what you are! Mortals swoon for you, for you clearing away pests, offering protection- all things I too can provide! Hiding away like this, lounging a fool's life... You wish to lounge? Remain in your precious patches of sun? Then do so, Bastet. Remain in your sun. Remain locked away in this temple, and I shall protect all of Egypt- without you! There does not need to be two of us!" With that, Wadjet dropped her foot upon the skins, her hand jutting forward suddenly to grasp against her sister's throat. Bastet's breath caught, attempting to gasp for air, her sister's grip far too strong. She quickly reverted back to her feline form, trying to get free of her that way... ..but everything became dark. Black. She could not speak.

"And remain this way, you shall, forever. Enjoy your rest, sister darling."

Encased in black alabaster. Left to her temple. The humans wandered in from time to time, praising the arrival of the new statue to the goddess... but as her appearances to the mortals seem to fade, so did their visits to see her. Time faded, changed. Her temple fell. Her prison lost to rubble, chipped but unbroken. She was forgotten completely. Able to see and hear, know what took place around her, but unable to react.

Eventually, she was found. A man, cradling her delicately, carrying her away, placing her in a nest of what seemed to be hay. Another round of darkness. Silence. Transportation? This felt like no camel, no man's feet, touching ground. Where was this place, and why was she being moved? Was this another of Wadjet's tricks?

More transfer between hands, between boxes. Again and again, the texture of new hands against her, the feel of more boxes. Bastet grew weary of all of this, growing more and more earnest to be allowed freedom of this place. Being confined to this shape, to this size- it was so infuriating! She longed to move, to hunt, to be adored- not treated like some... some trinket! Did these fools not realize who she was? What they held?! Whatever became of the respect and fear the humans once held for the gods?!

Voices. New ones. She couldn't understand these ones. A language unfamiliar to her ears. Words she had heard uttered a few times during her movements from box to box and place to place, but not enough to fully grasp the complete dialect held above her. Disdain lingered in the voice that held her, the other trying to dissuade the concerns.

A shelf. She was placed upon a shelf, a sticky substance and papyrus of some kind left upon her tail. Oh, that was not being liked in the least. It was bothering her terribly! What was it and why was it on her? Where was this place, anyhow?

 

[fr33ks33k]

Zack Porter was a regular at Jake's Pawn Shop. He bought things of intrigue, things that were odd and out of place. His apartment was full of weird pieces of art and collectibles from various cultures and a few relics that even Zack didn't know the true stories behind.

Each piece had its own place on a pedestal or hung up on a wall. He was meticulous and careful with every one. They were his pride and joy, after all. His friends all wrote him off as one of those "forever a virgin" types. He let them think that. His sexual preferences actually tended toward the darker niches. He met women online and off and had many encounters. Those things he kept hidden, in their own safe places in his bedroom closet, beneath his bed. His craving for order and control made appearances in every facet of his life.

On this particular day, Zack had stumbled upon a statuette of a cat. It was clearly Egyptian, but there were no hieroglyphs or other symbols to indicate what god or goddess it represented. In fact, it was very atypical of most art from that region. Almost...too plain. Of course, that meant Zack had to have it. But the price was outrageously steep.

"Fifty bucks?! This thing could be someone's homemade doorstopper!"

"Yeah, but I'm tellin' you, it came straight from some tomb out in Egypt."

"Like I'm supposed to believe that..."

"You buy from here all the time. Have I ever lied to you?"

"How about 35?"

"Hm....ok, fine. But only because you're such a regular."

---------------

Zack took the statue home, wrapped in newspaper. He got home, locked all three of the locks on his door, and took his time to unwrap it. A pedestal had already been put out for it, easily holding the black cat. It rested next to a couple of other Egyptian artworks, but the chipped feline seemed more...regal, somehow.

Zack admired his new purchase for a long moment, then went about the rest of his daily routine. Every few minutes, he looked over to the statue. It was as if it was calling to him. He wasn't in the habit of handling his purchases; he wasn't some nerd with a collection of action figures. Even so, he kept being drawn to it. Walking over to the pedestal, he picked up the statue, cradling it in both hands. He turned it over, looking for hidden marks or glyphs. Not a single marking except the cracks in the alabaster.

"Who are you supposed to be? And why do I feel the need to pick you up?"

He mused to himself as he ran his hand along the spine of the cat, petting it as though it were real. He laughed at himself for that impulse. Not like it could really feel that...

 

[Faux_Pas]

She knew that sound. Haggling. Merchants and peddlers, arguing with people trying to claim items simply were too outrageously priced. Certainly this mortal did not think he could put a peasant's price on something as highly varied as a Goddess-!

The conversation had ended. Her immobile form exchanging hands once more. Oh, that merchant had most certainly NOT caved to the man's squabbles on her value! The indignity! The absolute despicably horrific shame! A once glorious goddess, now a mere trinket for this man's dwelling...

Still, the place she came to rest, once removed from the far less comfortable wrappings than her prior traveling methods, was far more interesting than the bland walls and boxes she had been viewing. In fact, it almost reminded her of her previous temple- was this man a worshipper of Bastet? Praises to father Ra!

Ah... But no.
This theory was dispelled by his query, words she understood slightly in the broken bits she had learned from overhearing others speak it. He did not know her... Or at least recognize this form. At least she was somewhere more comfortable, more appealing to the eye. Who knew how long she would need to sit in silence in this place... To observe this mortal and not move herself.

She wished that could change.
She ached for motion. To restore her form in some way. This constant position, continuously locked in this appearance... It was tiring. And to never move? So horribly boring!

His hands felt warm. The first she had ever actually felt someone touch her in years.
A tiny, barely noticeable, feline purr rumbled within her cast form.

 

[fr33ks33k]

While he stroked the cat statuette, he heard a noise. It was faint, almost unheard. A sound that he thought to be just his mind playing tricks on him at first. But no...as he kept petting the cat, an action that he still felt silly for doing, the noise grew louder. A vibration within the alabaster. He was obviously jarring something around. Was this a hollow statue? The Egyptians had been notorious for hiding treasure...and, admittedly, curses...within their art.

Zack set the statue back on its pedestal and went to a cabinet on the opposite wall. He returned with a small chisel and a rubber mallet.

"If there's something inside you, maybe it will be a clue as to your origin...let's just hope it's not a trap..."

He trailed off, concentrating fully on chipping away the dark stone. The vibrating had stopped once his hands had ceased caressing the spine of the cat. There was a line that ran from the scruff of the cat's neck and down its left side. Zack followed the fault line with his chisel, the mallet gently chinking away at the seam that age had left in the stone.

Soon enough, he had cracked the shell. A loud noise accompanied the break, a rush of air escaping the new hole. Whatever was inside, it had been pressurized. Now it was open to the elements. Zack studied the figurine with a quizzical furrow to his brow. He paused, with his hammer poised over the chisel, ready to strike again and continue his work.

 

[Faux_Pas]

She listened to him, trying to make out everything he was up to. She could see, hazily; decades of wear and tear upon the stone eyes she peered from making it difficult to make out every detail. He wanted to... Something. That much, she couldn't understand. When had humans started speaking so strangely? Somewhere along her travels and between the centuries, she supposed. Ugh, how did they expect her to hear their praises and pleas for her blessings?! She would need to tell him that. Once she figured out how.

Where was he going?! He was back now. What was that thing in his hand?!

She attempted to cringe as he raised the dangerous looking thing, tapping it down against her stone exterior- and chipping away at the seal. Oh. Oh, this could be a good thing. Keep doing that, mortal man. A few more of those and-

A crack. She felt air. Actual air. And could smell the scent of his home, his skin. A flood to her currently feline senses. She drew a deep breath, a tiny coo leaving her as she tried to move. This was good. Just a bit more of this... Another tap, another little crack. Enough for her to just... possibly... There!

She could move. Readjust. Break it the rest of the way herself. Bastet pushed, centuries of being unable to move leaving her cat form's muscles weak and tired, fighting against her want to push free. Another crack, a little pop of the stone. Something else... Do something else. Change shape! That would do it! Bastet focused, doing her best to try and draw her former form up.

It wasn't working. She had been feline for far too long! Still, she was able to push her way free the rest of the way, shoving her way through the stone, through the remains of her prison of far too long. Left upon his table was a black cat, barely out of its kitten years, covered in dust, staring up at him with bright yellow eyes.

She tried to speak. To get her voice in this form to at least work. "Mrew." Well, that wasn't working right either. Wonderful. Seemed she needed to regain her strength before she could do much more than this.

 

[fr33ks33k]

Once the seam of the statue had been broken, it started moving of its own accord. He took a step back, watching curiously as whatever the figurine had contained worked to free itself. Zack's hands held the mallet and chisel as weapons, prepared to defend himself if the contents should prove hostile.

Instead, he was confronted with a tiny kitten, pure black as the alabaster that had contained it. Wide yellow eyes stared up at him as it shook free some of the dust and rubble. It made a small noise as it stood in the ruin of the statue. For a moment, Zack didn't know how to react.

"Well, this is....unexpected. How did you survive in there? Was this thing a hoax all along?"

It didn't make any sense. If someone had imprisoned a cat in a statue, what purpose would that serve? Surely the cat would not live long. Not centuries, certainly. But the statuette had been too worn, too aged to have been created recently. Unless the craftsman had been very skilled. That was possible

Still, there was now a kitten standing on the pedestal where only stone had once been. Zack made an amused face, smiling despite the weirdness of the situation.

"I don't know how you managed not to suffocate in there, kitty. But you're probably hungry. Would you like something to eat?"

He didn't take too long in deciding that he should probably just carry the cat into the kitchen. Gingerly he scooped it up and cradled it in one arm as he strode into the open space that held his refrigerator, a few cabinets for dry goods, an island for preparations, and a sink with an attached dishwasher. The cat was deposited on the counter by the sink while he rooted around in one of the cabinets. Eventually he found a pouch of tuna, which he tore open and poured onto a saucer and set in front of the kitten.

"Here you go. I'll grab some milk for you too."

Another few steps, another saucer, this one carrying the white liquid now before the cat as well. He leaned against the prep island and studied the cat. It was such a strange occurrence, but then again, the Egyptians were full of surprises and odd customs. He smiled again; it was almost too easy for him to accept that this cat really was from ancient Egypt. If it turned out to be false, then at least he had rescued a kitten from some bizarre form of torture. And besides, women liked cats.

 

[Faux_Pas]

He was staring at her. Dumbfounded and confused. Bastet didn't blame him in the least, understanding a few of the words that came from him. Unexpected. Survive.

Of course it was unexpected. Even she knew that finding a cat in a statue was a questionable thing. Unreal and unbelievable. But, here she was. Survive... Well, that's where her true form came in handy. Being a Goddess and all. Survival was more a matter of keeping her wits about her while being unable to move and dealing with the stench of humans who did not understand the basics of cleanliness or at least to wash their hands before attempting to handle her. Disgusting!

"You have freed me from the prison of my jealous sibling, mortal. Accept the gratitude of a Goddess, and bask in the glory that I present upon your dwelling!"
It would have sounded so much better, had the whole thing not come out as simply "MrrowwrROWRrroph."

She scowled. Or at least, the best a kitten could scowl. This needed to end soon! Once her strength returned, she would attempt to revert to her natural form. Learning his language was another thing she would need to adapt- a disgraceful thing, in her opinion, but if he were to serve her correctly, they would need to communicate. From the arrogant and ignorant ways she had seen of other mortals any more, the likelihood of him being able to grasp the complexities of her own tongue would be impossible.

As she contemplated, she was unaware of his motions, yowling out at the surprise of being plucked from the stand. A mewl of protest was given, Bastet demanding freedom from his clutches in feline speech, pawing at his arm. Being carried, however, seemed to have its benefits. He was warm, for one. Being in that thing had left her cold, and there was a chance to better view her new dwelling.

Oh, what was this room?
Foods.
She smelled them already, and he hadn't even touched a thing. Her tail flicked curiously as he placed her upon the counter, curling against her regal paws as she peered around. The tiny purr returned, somewhat content with the idea of being fed. He was learning already! How wonderful!

Until she saw what it was.
A fish, destroyed and decimated, its skin easily torn off by the man's hand and plopped into a vessel for her. She stared down at it blankly, then back up to him with another mew.
What had he done to it?!

He offered something new. Milk?
Her ears perked as he opened the big thing, a cool gust of air coming out. The perk was gone, the ears dropping back as she wrinkled her nose. Yuck. Not more cold.

Oooh. But that liquid.
She knew that one quite well.
As the new container was placed before her, Bastet quickly shoved her head down into it, lapping eagerly. Oh, so cold! She sneezed at the tickle of too chilled air against her whiskers, drawing back to shake it off, only to return to it once more. Wonderful! This would help greatly in reverting. The more of this she could get from him, the better she would be.

The smell of the other... thing... she had received was starting to her curious, pulling her head away to hesitantly peek into the second container. It did smell like fish; slightly off in the odor, but certainly a smell she vaguely recognized. Hesitantly licking at the pale substance, she made another feline-face, but continued to eat.

Ugh.
He would need to be taught proper food provisions, that was for certain.
Training a new mortal was always so difficult.

 

[fr33ks33k]

The kitten seemed to rather enjoy the milk, but made a funny sound at the taste of the tuna. Cats could be really picky, but this seemed overly so. Maybe being cooped up in that statue had soured its mood. Either way, it seemed to be at least attempting to eat and it was certainly drinking. It seemed a bit weak at the moment.

Zack watched the kitten for a while, but while it was busy with nourishment, he went to clean up the broken bits and pieces of the statue. He dumped the collective into a bag before disposing of the remainder of the kitten's meal. Now he was presented with a new problem; where to keep a cat in his house? He'd never kept pets, but knew that they required a lot of attention. This little thing was sure to be no different. There were no suitable places for it to sleep outside of his couch or in his own bed. Since the kitten would likely need supervision, the couch was out. A check of his watch told him it was just about time to get some sleep anyway.

And so he scooped up the kitten and carried it off to his bedroom, setting it at the foot of his bed while he went into the adjoining bathroom. He showered, brushed his teeth and made his way back to the bed, wearing nothing more than a pair of navy blue boxer briefs. His physique was toned but not overly muscled and he had a single tattoo on his right shoulder: an Eye of Horus. It had been an impulse, but his love for Egyptian art spurred it on. He sat at the edge of the bed and petted the kitten on its head, scratching behind its ears.

"Alright, it's time for some sleep. Don't worry, I don't move much in my sleep. You'd better not use the bathroom on my sheets. I'd hate to have to toss you outside..."

With that, Zack moved up and into bed, pulling the blanket down and crawling under it. He turned to click off the bedside table lamp and then rolled onto his left side, tucking a pillow under his head, leaving the kitten to its own devices.

 

[Faux_Pas]

It tasted... Okay. Certainly not as good as freshly plucked from the sea and presented upon fine platters, but he had not expected her to appear as she did, so a touch of forgiveness was granted. She would need to better explain her expectations once they could truly speak to each other. His quick efforts to provide for her, however, certainly left him in her good graces.

Watching still as he moved out of the room, licking her lips of the milk that dropped from her fur, she was impressed to see how diligent he was on the upkeep of the mess created. Oh, how wonderful. He would be a perfect temple guardian! And perhaps consort, if she could see what was beneath all that curious clothing he wore...

Her two bowls were almost empty when he plucked her from the counter, a meow given as she climbed up to peek over his shoulder. He was trying to... Hold her strangely. She didn't like it, at all. Bastet needed to see! Not be... Coddled!

The glimmer of something in that pile of rubble remains he had cleaned caught her attention. Her amulet! She would need to retrieve that. If only he would put her back down! Instead, he carried get off to yet another room, setting her upon a pillow. A purr of agreement came from the choice of surfaces, but not at location. What she needed was out there, not in here!

The man began to undress.
Bastet straightened at this, perusing her way to the end of the bed for better viewing. Ohh yes, he would do wonderfully... A pleased meow was given upon seeing his marking, rubbing against him as he approached the bed once again.

He spoke. More barely understood words.
How frustrating...
Outside? Toss?
Oh, no, no. That was not happening.

She sat at the edge of his pillow for a bit longer, looking down at him as the sounds of slumber drifted from him. "Mrrrror." A paw upon his ear. Sound asleep. Good then.

Bastet jumped from the bed, returning to the food room, to the bin holding her amulet. Stretching up, she tried to grab it in her teeth, hissing as it lingered barely out of her reach. A bit higher... Maybe she could just jump in after it? She hopped up, only to be surprised at just how deep the thing was. A downward tumble, into the bin, the remnants of earlier meals. Oh, disgusting! She frantically tried to pull herself back up, biting down on the amulet as she pushed off, the big bin thing collapsing onto the floor to spill herself and some of the contents around her.

She looked at the mess, giving a disdainful sniff and carrying her jewel back to the comfy room. Fed, comfortable, and her strength returning.
She should be able to try again soon... But first, what in the skies was that STINK?!

 

[fr33ks33k]

A loud noise nearly roused Zack from his slumber, but he simply rolled over and readjusted in bed. His nose wrinkled at some sort of stench, but the smell wafted away and deep sleep overtook him again.

The morning came and Zack awoke with a start. His dreams had been full of odd thoughts and disjointed images. Most of them revolved around the kitten, but he was damned if he could remember any of the details. He sat up in bed, eyes moving over the expanse of the blanket to find the kitten, sleeping quietly. Wrapped in its paws was an amulet, something he hadn't noticed before. Where had she gotten that from? He reached forward to take it in hand and look it over. It was definitely a finely made piece of jewelry, but he couldn't place it by gem or design. More mysteries about this cat and its origin.

He stopped, turning the amulet over and over in his hand. The strangeness just kept compounding. Unfortunately, the new arrival did not warrant him staying home from work. He slipped out of the bed, dressing in business casual attire, adding a tie to his ensemble simply because he liked the way they looked. Basic grey and blue, a striped pattern on the tie. He left out a saucer of milk large enough to last until he returned. He recalled the way the kitten had only begrudgingly eaten the tuna and decided that if it was going to eat something, perhaps he should pick up some cat food or something a little fresher. He chuckled then; already catering to the little thing. Kindness was always easy for him, though the stricture of his mind always tempered it.

As he closed the door on his way out, he called out to the kitten as though it could understand him.

"There's milk in the kitchen! I'll pick up something you should like to eat on my way home!"

 

[Faux_Pas]

The man's bed was comfortable, that was for certain. Being able to fully sprawl, fully move about, enjoy the warmth that radiated from him as he slept beside her... That was wonderful indeed. Contorting about the small amulet she had reclaimed, nestling down at the side of his hip, she poured contentedly at the release from her painfully long captivity.

Day came far too soon. Sleep had been wonderful in this new place, a comfort after her confines. He was already up, Bastet watching lazily from her lounged position on his bed, draping her furry head off the edge to watch him. So much to cover himself with... Since when did mortals need that much to wear? Her purrs continued, reaching out idly to slap her paws at the ends of the curious cloth he wore. Silly mortal.

Off he went.
Bastet stayed where she was, looking around for her amulet. Odd. She could have sworn....
Ah. There it was. She plucked it back up, depositing it once more in the center if his bed. This would be the perfect spot to try once again to return to her former state. At least this frustrating form had left her to easily sway the mortal to let her stay.

He called out to her from the food room.
Milk. She had picked that word up quickly. The good white fluid.

She jumped off the bed, wandering to explore a bit herself. Without him plucking her up, perhaps this could be more in her favor. She managed to make it to the food room in time to see him leaving, a meow given in posting farewell. Hopefully when he returned, there would be a better chance for comprehension between then.

But first. Milk.
Up onto the counter, licking as much if the drink down as she could as quickly as she could. It was cold, but nice. A content tummy meant she should be able to transform with less effort.
Hopping back down, Bastet returned to the sleeping room, taking back to the big bed with her stone. Laying atop it, she nestled down, closing her eyes tightly and trying to focus. Well rested, feed, able to move freely...

She stretched, focusing.
More.
And more. Trying to reform herself to the way she knew. Continue on, resurrect the form of a goddess lost to a nearly eternal slumber. The paws reformed to fingers, legs losing their fur to lengthen and restructure. Recalling the appearance of centuries past.

She felt so much better.
Human's fingers and toes, long toned legs, breasts firm and full, the pale skin an affect caused from the long lock away in the stone prison. Stepping off from the bed, she found the first few unstable but made her way from the room.

Something still felt... Off.
A tail.
She saw it now. She still had a tail, a tail that had merely grown with her...
Bastet growled. What else? A hand hesitantly reached up, finding human ears to not be present, but feline ones atop her head.

Of course...
Well, it was better than what she had before.

 

[fr33ks33k]

His work day had been arduous, but not unbearable. He was happy to be returning home, a small bag in tow. The bag contained a decent-sized filet of salmon wrapped in brown paper. As he stepped into his house, Zack looked around to see if the kitten had managed to roam about the place. No sign of it.

He set the salmon down on the counter and returned to his bedroom, shedding clothes as he went straight to the shower. His eyes didn't stray from his path.

The hot water scalded his skin, but it was pleasurable to him. The steam the temperature provided cleared his sinuses, gave him a reinvigorating stimulus. When he emerged from the shower, he was smiling. His frame dripped water, a towel wrapped around his waist haphazardly.

He stopped when he stepped back into his bedroom. The cat was nowhere to be seen. His eyes widened at what he did see, however.

 

[Faux_Pas]

If there was one thing she had learned in the last 16 hours of freedom, it was that the humans' standards of comfort had certainly changed over the centuries. This bed she sprawled in now felt far more inviting than it had last night in her fur covered form, bare skin now able to rub against the warmth of his sheets, the soft comfort of his pillows. Bastet felt more like a kitten at play in her human form than she had while truly in that feline appearance!

From that, however, she stayed true to her feline nature, taking yet another cat nap upon the pillows she had stacked at the center of the bed. The thing was comfortable enough, to be sure, but with the prospect of added comfort- well, who could possibly resist that? Curling up happily upon the pile, content tail lazily swaying in the air, Bastet was soon back to sleep, a purr lingering in her throat.

A sound caught her ears, causing them to twitch slightly but the Goddess to remain unstirred upon the pillows. If the dwelling wasn't burning, and the bedding was not moving, then there was certainly no reason for her to move. A new sound, a new scent, filled the air. She started to move with that, stretching slightly, a yawn leaving her lips as she rolled over on the bed, toppling from her perfectly balanced perch of pillows to the bedside. A growl was given at that, starting to climb back up onto it.

Resuming use of her humanized form was still getting used to. Her legs were still having trouble cooperating after the cramped quarters of all those centuries, and it was made only worse by expecting them to cooperate with the extra length of human legs. Flopping over the edge of the pile, she started to wrestle with the mess, pausing only as she realized- she was being watched.

Bastet looked over to him, the mortal who had given her freedom, taken her into his home. The one she still couldn't quite understand- and who most certainly did not understand her.

One thing didn't need words to be understood. He was naked. Just as nude as she was, aside from the cloth of modesty draped about his center. Bastet giggled at that, rolling over again and letting her tail flick into the air behind her. A nude feline goddess, lounging in his sleep room. That certainly had to be a surprise, now didn't it?

Bastet slowly drew off the bed, going to stand before him, smiling still as she reached out her hand to touch his cheek. Taller than her, by quite a bit. That was good in a man servant.
"شكرا على جهودكم. يمكنك مواصلة لكم البشرية," she spoke slowly, words uttered in her own old language- A thank you for his efforts, a praising to continue to serve her.

Of course, there was the problem of him NOT understanding her, as she could not understand much of what came from his own mouth. That would need to be rectified immediately. Studying him for a moment, a pondering look upon her features, Bastet's eyes suddenly brightened and a smile came to her face.

Her fingers against his jaw tightened, her strong nails- nearly claws on their own- holding to his skin, Bastet raising up on her toes and kissing him firmly. Her eyes drifted closed, focusing on what she was doing. To speak another's tongue, she would need to learn it from them. This was by far the quickest way to do so. Her tongue pushed between his lips, the tip of it tracing against his own, licking the roughness of hers along it before exploring against his lips as she drew back.

"I am... thanking you. For you have done. For me." Slow strongly accented words left her as she lowered back down, her hand pulling back from its hold. "It was. Dark. In that. You will... continue. As servant. I like it." She smiled again. "We do the kiss again. I like that too." She started to push up onto her toes once more, her arms trying to circle about his neck.

 

[fr33ks33k]

Zack stood still, unable to comprehend at first what was happening. There was a woman, naked, in his bed. Rolling around playfully and wagging her tail. Wait...her tail. Yes, there was definitely a black furry tail protruding from where a human's tailbone would stop. In addition, her head was topped with black feline ears, proportional to the rest of her body. His fingers clenched the towel wrapped around him, his eyes wide and confused.

Before he could react to her mere presence, she was up and moving toward him, tentative but still managing a good deal of grace. She spoke what he could only assume to be Egyptian, though he understood none of it. He had only made small attempts to learn that language, but being a dead one it was hard to find translations that made much sense.

As if to increase the level of his surprise, she leaned up and kissed him. It was a firm kiss, exploratory and sensuous. When she pulled back, she spoke to him in broken English, her accent blunting certain words and letters. But at least now he could understand her. She was grateful to him for freeing her, but she saw him as...a servant. Just as he was about to protest this point, she leaned in to kiss him again, throwing her arms around him.

That kiss lasted shorter than the first, Zack pulling back from the strange woman.

"I...don't think I quite understand. Are you telling me that you were the cat inside that statue? And what do you mean by servant?"

He couldn't help but stare into her eyes. They were bright and reflective, an almost otherworldly green that he felt nearly lost in. When he finally tore his gaze away he was instantly drawn to the curves of her body. She clearly didn't mind being nude before him. It hadn't even occurred to him that he was still in his towel from showering. He still couldn't move from the spot he'd stopped in, as though an invisible force kept him rooted there.

 

[Faux_Pas]

Bastet smiled again, still keeping her hands resting on the man's shoulders. "Yes. Stat... statue. Mine. Stuck. Very long. You free me and I am happy." The words didn't seem to be flowing right, not in the same way his were. It was enough to make her thoughts known, and for him to understand somewhat... but it obviously wasn't enough. He still seemed confused on the way she was using them. She would need to remedy this. "You... are mine now. That is good. Yes?" Bastet purred these wordsw at him, her tail curling up against his thigh,trying to work it's way beneath the fabric he had covered himself with. "We would be happy. Happy is good. Do good things, Bastet do good too."

He smelled interesting. A scent that her up until now blocked nose found quite intoxicating, leaning up against him and resting her fingers against the back of his neck, burying her face against his skin to draw another deep breath. He didn't seem to want to move from her. That was a wonderful start. He knew to stay still for her! "You have a mark," She noted softly, running her fingertips down to trace against the patch of black against his flesh.

"You know me, yes? Bastet? Yes? Humans did not... forget?" She pulled back, looking up at him curiously, her fingers unable to stop their own roaming of what she deemed to now be her property, this human servant that had freed her, exploring every open spot of his skin, trying to work to places covered as well. Modesty was not a concept she understood- Any mortal would want to be presented before a goddess, wouldn't they? She found him attractive, to be certain- and any good servant needed to be willing to allow his ruler to take as she pleased! "Tell me. What name is yours?," She purred, nuzzling her lips to his chin, words whispered against his skin. "You help Bastet. Repayment. Much repayment. Make you very happy to serve."

It had been so long since she even felt the touch of another against her skin, only through the cold coverings of the stone her sister had left her encased within. Her hands finally left his stomach, his hips, his body... to simply take his wrists, guiding his hands to touch against her own hips. "Warm. You are warm. Make me warm too? Cold stone. Too cold..." Her voice was soft now, frightened. "New place. New... everything. Bastet... is..."

She trailed off, unsure of the word she was hunting for. A goddess was not supposed to be afraid. But she was growing that way more and more, now. She needed to focus. Reclaim the regal state of mind she had known for so long. Mortals may have forgotten the Gods, but she refused to be left to the dust. Without her sister to meddle, she could have as she pleased! There was no reason to have fears! She should have been revelling in this idea, not cowering in her new human's arms! But... Everything was so... different. She had seen from her stone encasings, the way the world around her was not as she knew it before. This would require more thought....

"Bastet is alone..." More whispers, trying to wrap her head around this idea. "Bastet.. has human?" Her head raised, looking up to him with pleading eyes. "You keep me safe, yes?"

 

[fr33ks33k]

Her words were still halted and clumsy. An obvious contradiction to the grace her body held. She spoke of his tattoo and the cold and said her name...Bastet. It sounded familiar...a Goddess he'd read about in his studies. She was a lioness, or so some of the stories went. The cat-girl before him was definitely less...fearsome than that, but still held a fierceness. He could see it in her eyes, even as they widened with the notion that she may have been forgotten by the people of the world.

She clung to him, smelling his skin and wrapping her arms around him, touching him here and there. Her tail flicked against the edge of his towel. Zack was still trying to understand how a Goddess from ancient Egypt had managed to become imprisoned in a statue, then released here and now. His logical mind drew a blank. Her next few words brought him away from pondering.

His hands went around her waist instinctively when she asked for him to keep her warm, pulling her close.

"Of course. And no, you're not alone. I'll do what I can. My name is Zackary, by the way."

As he stood there, holding her, his towel fell off. He didn't even notice. His hands were moving up and down her back, caressing her softly, trying to warm her up. It was as though her words were subtly influencing his actions. He still bristled at her notion that he was a servant, but her eyes drew him back into the comforting motions.

"Are you feeling any warmer, Bastet?"

 

[Faux_Pas]

He held her. She purred even louder at that, curling against his touch, the way he brought his hands against her nude form. He felt wonderful, smelled wonderful. His voice, gentle and concerned, confused by her but still willing to believe. Bastet knew how skeptical mortals could be at times, but so far, he seemed to be taking all he had seen, been told, so well.

"Za...ckar...y." She repeated the name back against his chest, slowly looking up at him with a faint smile. "Zackary. Good name for you. I like." She let her smile grow, running her hand against his chin. "I am. Better. Warmer. You have much warmth to you."

The words. They still seemed... off... compared to his. It frustrated her. She spoke so eloquently in her own tongue, words that flowed with the grace and power of a Goddess. But to use his words, she spoke so halted and broken, stumbling over the proper way to use them. "Zackary keep Bastet safe. Good. Like that." Her tail found the cloth covering him previously to now be gone, a tiny coo leaving her as she realized what else that meant. The tip of her furry appendage trailed upward, tracing against his thigh as she pushed closer to him, the shorter Goddess rocking against him slightly. "Bastet gives... good things."

Another slight aftermath of that lock up. Bastet was... playful. Quite, quite playful.

Her tongue slipped out, running gently against his bare chest, the roughness of the feline tongue still residing on her attempted human form's version of it. How wonderful to find such a perfect human to help her with all her needs this like, this- to have him dropped so easily into her hands... Well, her into his, as the case was....A delicious mortal for her to play with and be pampered by. Already being provided with wonderful foods, a relaxing bed- all he needed to prove to her now was what other services he could provide, and she would be one perfectly content Goddess.

Wait. Food. Food? Her stomach made a noise at the thought, agreeing with the questionable pondering. A smell hit her nose, a smell she knew much better than that plopped pile of something he gave her yesterday. Abruptly giving up on her attempted seduction of the human Zackary, her arms drew off his shoulders, slowly pulling away to peer out the doorway, another testing sniff given as her tail flicked curiously. "New smell. Know smell. Good smell. Mine?"

 

[fr33ks33k]

The ridges of her tastebuds ran up his chest as her tail wandered; Zack felt a twinge in the pit of his stomach at these sensations. She was still trying to grasp English, a hint of frustration he kept catching in her inflections. He smiled again as she pulled back, caught by the scent of the salmon in the fridge. Definitely an acute sense of smell...maybe she was a lioness after all...

"Yeah...I bought some salmon. Of course, this is when I thought you were just a kitten. I...don't know how you ate it back then...but I could cook, if you'd like that. There's more than enough for the two of us."

He didn't stop to see what she'd say, turning to go to the kitchen. He stopped, realizing he was still naked, turning back and moving over to his dresser, retrieving a fresh pair of boxer briefs and simple black gym shorts. He left his upper body unclad. Another thought occurred to him at that point.

"Bastet....would you like something to wear? I...well, all I've got are my clothes, but..." he trailed off, wondering if maybe she would prefer her nudity. Zack decided to leave it up to her, pulling out another pair of shorts and a shirt for her, laying them across his bed.

He smiled at the cat-girl as he walked past her again, scooping up his towel and hanging it in his bathroom before leaving the room. His head turned back to look her over again. The tail and ears still had him feeling like this could be some trick played by his friends. But no, they weren't really this detailed or methodical. That was his realm. This had to be the real thing. And that tug he'd been feeling while staring into her eyes, that couldn't be faked. There was something otherworldly about her.

 

[Faux_Pas]

"Cook?" Bastet purred the word, letting it play on her tongue for a moment. She knew the meaning of it, but the thought of having the full flavor of the fish taken by fire was questionable to her at the moment. She had gone so long without being able to eat, that to taste everything at it's full potential was certainly appealing. "No, No cook. I take. Eat. That way. Good."

The words were still somewhat fumbled, but flowing easier from her lips. The kitten's size was certainly easier to feed, leaving her to contemplate if reverting back to that may possibly make things easier- but would doing so confuse him even more? There was still so much that they both seemed to have trouble understanding from the other, and being unable to talk to him, even with the halted method she was using now, would only make things worse.

She watched him curiously as he started to leave, then paused, returning. Clothing. His form covered, as it had been with the cloth he had draped about him before. Bastet pouted slightly at that, her tail drooping. She had rather enjoyed seeing all of him in that state.

He asked if she wanted some as well. She looked up at him with that, a trill leaving her voice in a questioning rise. To be covered was so- frustrating. But, it seemed to make him uncomfortable, taking out what he seemed to think would be easiest for her to take up. She moved over to inspect them, picking one up cautiously and eyeing it over as he moved about the room. She frowned at it, her ear ticking slightly as she reached for the other item. Such odd things people wore nowadays. Her tail swayed slowly, easing a path back and forth, serpentine behind her, sprouting seamlessly from the end of her spine. She glanced over to him over the top of the.. shirt... thing.... to find him staring at her, a curious look upon his features.

"You... want me to... something wear." She looked back to the clothes, frowning. "Clothes.... not like. But. I something wear. For Zack. No more red. You look. Red. Before."

She pulled the shirt over her head, finding it long enough to barely skim against her thighs- at least in front. Her tail wasn't too cooperative on letting it cover her well from behind, keeping it raised far too high. She peered over her own shoulder to see this, frowning again. "I fix." A flick of her hand and her claws were out, extending from the tips of her fingers. Grabbing the back hem of the shirt, she cut a small circle in the fabric, letting her tail slip up through it before readjusting the shirt once again. "Better for Zack? Yes?" She smiled at him, then spread her hands. "No more no clothes. No more red?"

 

[fr33ks33k]

Zack turned back at the sound of her voice and ripping fabric. She'd turned his shirt into a makeshift sleeping gown, carving a tail hole in the back end of it. What was she going on about, him being red? Oh...

At that thought, he blushed again. Normally he wasn't quite so shy about such things...but after all, she was supposed to be a goddess. Shouldn't he treat her with deference and...well, he wasn't sure.

Now that they were both clothed, he decided to just let her come with him to the kitchen. She seemed opposed to the preparation of the salmon, but he was not in a sushi mood, so his would be cooked. He cut the filet in two equal pieces, setting the portion she intended to eat raw on a dinner plate while he took out a frying pan and some spices along with a small bottle of olive oil out of his cabinets.

"Here you go. If you don't want it cooked, that's fine. I'll be preparing mine a bit differently."

He smiled and turned to take care of that task, which took only a few minutes. Soon enough the scent of the spices and the salmon itself permeated the air. He turned with it steaming on his plate and set it on the island and began eating, eyes raising every once in a while to see how Bastet was faring with her own meal.

 

[Faux_Pas]

She watched curiously from the edge of the counter as he worked, peering over as he cut into the pink flesh with his knife. Bastet's eyes widened a bit more as the piece meant for her was placed upon a serving platter and passed towards her, a grin developing- but was still interested in how and what he was doing to his own.

"What.... you do to it?"

Her tail curled slightly behind her, looking back to her own, then to his as he placed it on the other surface. The smell that wafted out from it caused her brows to shoot up, peeking around him to see what it was he was up to. So that's what he meant before.

"Cooking. It makes. A nice smell." She eyed her own, then peeked at his work.

"I eat this though. Now. Maybe... Other time, that." She nodded, affirming it to herself before she picked up the decent sized cut of fish, simply biting right down into it with her extended canines and tearing off a hunk of the sweet flesh. Oh, he had even gotten it fresh for her! She continued to chew, glancing over to him still as he cooked, Bastet herself settled into the seat at his... food.. spot... place. A cooking altar? She took to the seat provided, her legs curled up beneath her as her tail poked through the back of the chair.

"Zack... makes nice food. Nice mortal. Bastet happy here. Zack.. help words... come better?"

it was still frustrating, hearing the difference in their speech. There was so much she wanted to ask, to understand... and to have HIM understand as well. He certainly wasn't going to take the commands of a halted speaking Goddess seriously.

Another big bite, rolling the taste about in her mouth. "You catch? No. Zack not catch. You.. .find? Someone give you for Bastet?" His own was catching her attention, the curious scent of it growing on her more and more. Her lips pursed, she decided it was time to try it- simply darting her hand over and stabbing her claws into a chunk of it. "Bastet try too!"

 

[fr33ks33k]

She'd watched curiously as he cooked his own salmon filet, eating from her own with what he noticed were very pronounced cutting teeth. Her stuttered speech led her down a path to ask where he'd procured the fish.

"No, they didn't give it to me for you. Well, they did, but I had to pay for it. I bought it. From the supermarket. You probably don't have any idea what that means..."

Zack laughed and went back to eating his food. She went on to ask if he'd help her speak English better. It would definitely help if she didn't have to fumble with her words like some sort of child just learning language. But how? It would have to be something practiced. Though, her first words were uttered after they'd kissed...maybe that would...

His cheeks reddened at that thought. Learning language through tongue-to-tongue connection was definitely an alternative education method.

As he was debating how to try and broach that subject, she reached across the island to grab at his food. Sharp little claws protruded where her nails were. Before she could pull the chunk of fish back, his hand shot out to grasp her wrist. It was easily encircled with his large fingers.

"If you want to try it, you should ask first."

His dark brown eyes gazed sternly at Bastet. Goddess or not, she wasn't about to just swipe his food. It might have worked as the tiny kitten, but as a human she'd have some more respect.

His hand continued to hold her wrist, an easy yet firm grip around the slender column. He watched and waited to see her reaction.

 

[Faux_Pas]

The sudden grasp of his hand upon her wrist made her jump, a surprised yowl leaving her lips as she jumped off the seat, her tail frizzing out behind her. Looking up at him with wide eyes, the sudden stern tone to his voice- she was in shock more than anything, her mouth left open slightly as she stared back at him.

Her tail returned to normal in moments, flicking angrily behind her as she narrowed her eyes. Her lower lip jutted out slightly as her mouth closed, pouting a bit more and trying to yank her hand back.

"You NOT tell Bastet what to do." A growled set of words, her eyes locked upon his as the yellow shimmered within them.

How dare he!
To even think of trying to command HER around-! A goddess was never ordered about by a mere mortal, certainly not a HOUSE mortal! He had prepared her food, and had made something interesting of his own- as an Immortal Queen, should she NOT be given first taste of all morsels?!

Another yank, a whine as he continued to hold her wrist. This was only making her angrier. The other hand raised, pointing a warning finger at him. "You let go! I command! MAKE LET GO! Never grab Goddess! Curse you!"

She wasn't even sure if she could do that anymore. Still, it worked as a good threat in the past.
However many centuries ago that was...

Her pout continued to hold, studying his face as her teeth caught her lip. They had gone from eating, to a sudden staredown.

She drew a breath, a tiny growl in her throat.

"...Need learn better... Not scary to human man," she grumbled under her breath, giving him another glare and huffing a hard breath. If she had use of all her powers, he would most certainly regret that! But... all she could manage was the reverting to this human form of her own, and even that had obviously not worked properly. There was a contemplation of attempting her feline form once again, just to spite him and steal the food that they currently fought over- but the worry of possibly being stuck in THAT again was too overwhelming. She had been that way for far too long, and to be stuck that way again would certainly not be a nice thing at all.

She growled again, her lips pursing a bit.
"Zack bad house human!," She hissed, her free elbow now resting on the counter and letting her fist hold her cheek as she watched him. "Need learn servant rules... Bastet get wants! Bad human! Give!"

 

[fr33ks33k]

Zack's stern look never faltered, though her threats of curses and admonishments about his bad behavior made him laugh inwardly. He kept a hold of her wrist while she shouted and pouted and finally rested her head on her free hand.

"You might be a goddess, but you could still show some politeness to the man who freed you from your prison. I could have left you in that statue, you know."

He didn't really think he would have done so, but she didn't need to know that. He finally released her and sat back in his chair. His appetite had disappeared in light of the argument.

"Here."

He slid his plate over to her, returning to his rigid posture in his chair, arms crossed over his chest.

"What did you mean by 'learn servant rules?' You do realize that much has changed in your....extended absence, right? You're going to have to adapt if you want to make a place for yourself here."

He was pondering how to make her understand this, looking her over. She was so beautiful, even if she was pouting like a child. It was hard for him to stay mad at her. He didn't like the idea of being anybody's servant, but maybe they could come to an understanding after she knew how to express herself better...

"So, how do I help you learn to speak better?"

 

[Faux_Pas]

She eyed him as he spoke, her one hand still resting to hold her chin as he admonished her for the way she was acting. A tiny narrowing of her eyes took place with that, only to widen back up as he spoke of leaving her in the statue. "You would not!," She huffed, though he was right, she supposed... He had let her free. He did deserve something for that.

The plate was shoved to her. That surprised her, looking down at it blankly as he flatly stated she could have it and shifted in his own seat. She looked back up to him, hesitant after that whole thing a moment ago... Then quickly snagged a piece with her claws once more, stuffing it into her lips and purring as she chewed. Whatever he did to it, it was certainly good! Still chewing, pulling off some more of it and swaying happily in her seat, she only slowed a bit as he spoke up, questioning her on some of the things she had said.

"Zack mortal. Bastet Goddess. Goddess have Mortal pet. Is good. You like it. I nice. Nicer than Wadjet. Wadjet bad. Mean. Put Bastet in statue. Take Bastet place. Bad." She frowned into the remaining food, then looked back to Zack. "But. Wadjet gone now, yes? Bastet left now. Take back. Everything. Much better, all over. Bastet do good, mortals do good. Nice Goddess. You see."

She nodded again, proud of herself and the plans she had in place for this new world of humans. From what she had seen so far, they had such misguided views on the world. The effects of her sister, she had no doubts. She would fix it. She would make everything better, then revel in the outpourings of gratuitous gifts and praisings, the adorations the mortals would give for her intervention. And they would all so happily serve her. Because that was how these things worked!

The words of adapting, however, left her thinking. He was right, at least, in some ways. She was fully aware of how much things had changed, even from just her view from the confinement of the statue. The humans had made an odd mess of this world. Things were not at all like she remembered. Things needed to be changed, and unfortunately, she was going to need to take in some of these changes to put them BACK the way they should have been. Her tail curled slowly as she thought, still nibbling at the remaining food before sitting up and pushing the plate away.

"Words." Bastet nodded, then pointed to her mouth. "I need learn your words. Some from Zack mouth, work. New words, hard. Try Zack mouth again?" She had liked that approach quite a bit, and was more than happy to give it another try, already starting to crawl up onto the counter to get to him. "We try again! Yes? Bastet learn Zack mouth." She purred a bit louder now, smiling at him as she eased up onto the stand.

A little long black... thing. On the counter. Her fingers hit against it, a sudden loud sound blaring out of the other room. She yowled with that, the attempt at seductive ways with the human man lost completely as she fell off the counter, landing on her hands and knees with a tail once again fluffed and wild. Staring off towards the other room, she hesitantly got to her feet, walking over slowly, nearly tiptoeing in her cautious slink to peer around the corner to find the source of the sound. "Monster...," She hissed, trying to fins the source. A confused trill left her throat, finding only a black box with people moving in it. Glancing back to Zack, she pointed to the thing, an absolutely lost look in her eyes. "What... thing? Monster? Loud. Ate people?"