[KRI] Curiosity Bought the Cat (Marcus)

[Kalina]

* * * Kalina 7th Day of Summer, 513AV The sun was out, now relatively high in the sky. Through the windows, the ocelot kitten's eyes followed the bright glare lighting the room. Her impressive vision made it easy for her to watch the particles of dust floating around in the rays of light. To an intelligent observer, there could be no doubt as to Kalina's boredom, as she paces back and forth in the small cage she was currently being kept in. Throughout the day, others in cages had been removed from their own homes, some yet to return. Sounds were being carried along the air, her impressive hearing picking up the individual sounds among the apparent rabble outside the building. Many tones of voice that she had never heard before left her confused, frightened and excitable all at the same time. Her curiosity strongly overpowered her reservations and she had spent a substantial portion of the morning mewling for the attention of the researchers as they let others out of their own enclosures. The nine month old Kelvic had no idea why they were the lucky ones getting all the attention, much like she didn't understand why they were even kept in cages. Having spent much of her life watching, about half of the time the researchers looked exactly the same as those on the other side of the metal mesh and bars. It made little sense to her, but the thoughts were always driven from her mind by the promising smell of arriving food or some activity which would capture her attention. Finally the creature lies down, exhaustion from doing nothing taking its toll on her. Curling up in the corner of her enclosure, it wasn't long before her eyes flutter closed; it was day, the time Kalina was most likely to sleep. As she lies there, her breathing slowing slightly, she wonders why sleep was suddenly trying to claim her; she had been stuck in her cage for more days than she could count now. Normally she might be let out, to stretch her legs, run around and such. But the last few days had driven the young Kelvic stir crazy. Her cage wasn't small, relatively, but it wasn't enough to allow the creature to burn off all of her pent up energy, which seemed to know no bounds. In her restless state, she had grown agitated, her normally docile temperament fading away to reveal an agitated cub, desperate to be set free. Amongst the mewling and whines heard from her cage, it was no longer uncommon to hear the scrape of metal rattling as she aimlessly attempted to chew her way out. Most of her nights, and the majority of her days now, consisted of this repetitive behaviour, her young mind not fully comprehending the idea that she would only be let out when the researchers or workers at the Institute wanted to let her out. It was all she had ever known; her cage. She didn't know why she was in there, or what was out side of the walls she was kept in but, for the most part, Kalina didn't care. Pleasures were simple for her: maybe a slab of meat; or the more fun live rodents for her to play with before killing; being allowed out; climbing trees; and the very rare occurrence of even being humoured by one of the researchers. If there was one thing Kalina knew about herself, it was that she loved attention. Which was something she had had deprived from her in recent days. Raising her head, the young Kelvic tugs at the cloth blanket she had been given; it had been her only source of comfort at times, in either form, and as an ocelot it doubled up as a toy. Though she had only had it for about nine months, the holes and saliva littering the fabric had aged it substantially. But it didn't matter to her. It was something she might be able to call her own, which was rare.

[Marcus Ahysen]

It was early, earlier than Marcus normally preferred to rise, but the agent had plans for the day. The sun was only just beginning to light the room through his window, Marcus had chosen not to bother with a candle. His room was east facing, so it meant that the sun would wake him each morning anyway, unless he drew closed the shutters. Marcus was still getting used to his new, or rather, his old life. He had spent the past two seasons undercover, working as a low-born commoner at a poison shop spying on a suspected Rising Dawn informant. Not long ago he had been discovered, and while there were a few tense moments, it had actually turned out beneficial. The informant was more than willing to turn against the terrorists, and later that day he was going to be meeting with the informant to investigate a magic item that might lead him to the Rising Dawn. The agent looked about his room, seeing all of his own things back where they belonged. It was a different room than he had rented before, but they were all the same. This time Marcus had opted to purchase the room permanently, and just one room rather than the double he had last time, though his recent decision likely meant he would need to get another. Marcus was planning on buying a kelvic. His last one, Aurum, had apparently vanished. It was possible she had simply grown tired of him and flown away. They had not bonded, so there was nothing tying her to him. That was the problem with owning a bird kelvic. They were useless if you didn't let them fly, but if you did you risked the chance that they would never come back. Perhaps something else had happened to her? Perhaps she had been captured by slavers, or killed by something. A small part of him hoped she had not run away, but he refused to acknowledge it. His reasons for wanting another kelvic were purely practical, or at least that was what he told himself. Marcus needed an ally he could trust. A normal slave wouldn't do, you could never fully trust them. His colleagues were only trustworthy if it served them to be so. But a kelvic.. if he could bond with a kelvic, he would have an ally he could truly rely on. Not a bird this time though, he couldn't afford another kelvic flying away. Marcus had places to be, but he wanted to get his kelvic before the good ones were all gone. Normally it took around four bells to reach the northern shore, but the agent didn't have time for that. He asked around for the fastest ship on the lake, and was eventually sent to Captain Reggy Galatos*A lore article is coming soon on this guy, actually. Reggy owned a Water Glider, like most sailors on the lake, but his was supposedly special. It had something to do with an elemental magic called Reimancy, but in short, it sailed faster than any other ship on the lake. The price to ride it was steep too. "I need to get to the Kelvic Research Institute. Black Sun business." That part was a lie, the kelvic was for personal business, but there was nothing wrong with using his title to get what he wanted. Reggy of course agreed, for a price, and Marcus ended up spending twenty five Mizas just to get to the Institute in a hurry. The agent rarely had problems spending his mizas, though, something that had nearly gotten him into trouble a number of times. The time it took to reach the Institution was halved, though, and made it worth the extra price. When he reached the KRI he was annoyed to find it was already packed with slavers and rich parents looking to buy pets for their children. As he walked about he frowned, noting that many of the available kelvics were of the avian variety. The frown drew the attention of one of the handlers, who approached Marcus with a smile that only a natural born merchant could pull off. "Something I can help you with, my lord?" Marcus at first was annoyed at the intrusion, but when he thought about it, help would make things quicker. "I'm looking for a kelvic.. obviously. One that I can rely on. One that isn't a bird." "How 'bout a dog? We have a few dogs for sale. Nothin more loyal than a dog." Marcus shook his head. "No.. dogs are.. dirty. At least birds clean themselves." "What about a cat then? We actually have an abundance of cats right now, of all kinds of variety." "A cat might work.." "Well follow me then!" Marcus followed the handler over to where the cats were stored.. there really were quite a few of them. There were large cats, one which Marcus recognized as a lion from children's stories, and others he could not name. There were house cats, and other small exotic cats. The agent began to look at each of them, hoping one would stand out. He did like cats, though he had never owned one personally.. and had no experience at all with large cats like a lion. But luckily, these cats were kelvic, and much more capable of learning than any regular cat. "Hmm... which one to choose?"

[Kalina]

* * * Kalina With each sound of the main door opening and people, staff of the Institute and others, Kalina became more and more disheartened; the constant stream of people strolling straight past her without even sparing her a glance was beginning to grate on her. As her agitation grew, however, so did her excitement, and there was little chance of her being able to sleep anymore. With each new person arriving, a new smell followed them, the scents rejuvenating her waning energy as she returned to pawing at the door of her small enclosure. Animated once again, she chews at the metal, ignoring the pain on her still developing teeth as it clashes with the immovable substance. The new smells and voices had her close to frantic in her desire to get out and examine each of these people. They clearly weren't staff; maybe they would be more willing to play with her. Though at the way they were sauntering past her, she was beginning to doubt. The door was doing little to help her case, maybe they couldn't see her. Untangling her teeth from the meshing, she returns to circling, her determination growing with each pad of her paws. With each round, her clouded grey fur rubs against the cage door, something she had learnt quickly would provide her with the closest sensation to being stroked that she had available to her. A whine escapes from her, the Kelvic kitten beginning to hate her situation for the first time in her short life. There had been other days like this, though few, and they seemed distant in the past. At those times, she remained in her cage too, though she had had her mother with her and hadn't been as obsessed by the goings on as she was now. Why, why, why? The Kelvic's mind was racing, what apparently small vocabulary she did have was running through her mind. It wasn't that the girl was unintelligent, she just didn't receive the chance to speak. But when she did, most of her utterances consisted of questions. How, what, when, where, who and, above all, Why? She stops pacing, as she realises finally that two people had stopped outside the row of enclosures she was kept in. Some of the others were currently in a form similar to the two watching them. But she knew that, when they were... different... they looked like her, somehow. Mewling once again, she turns, her tail flicking with unbounded enthusiasm. Rising up on her hind legs, she supports the position by resting her paws on the mesh facing the two new arrivals, trying to garner their attention. Once more, she tries to gnaw her way through the metal; she thought she was finally making headway on it. Her ignorant optimism was bordering on foolishness, but that didn't dampen her spirits in the slightest, the small feline's vivacity surmounting all other emotions. Flighty and transient, her annoyance and jealousy aimed at all of the other subjects who had already taken them away disappearing into the past. Kalina presses her nose up to the mesh, she sniffs, taking in his scent. Vocalising her desperate desire to get closer to the man and investigate him thoroughly, the impertinent gaze in her moss green eyes, they remain trained on the man, rather than his escort.

[Marcus Ahysen]

"So we have plenty of cats right now, and most in good condition. There are just more than we need. One of the studs, a goat if you'd believe it, seems to produce cats quite often, of all variety. What were you looking for, anyway? Male? Female?" "Female," Marcus answered without hesitation. He just could not see himself bonding with a male. "Ah, looking for that kind of bondmate, are ya? Well, we've got a few attractive ones. Girls! Show him your goodies!" Several of the more mature felines shifted, and Marcus couldn't help but give them all the once over. He almost considered buying one.. but no. The last kelvic had been older, and while she was mostly compliant, she knew she could use her body to trick Marcus. That, and older kelvics often realized when they were slaves. "Actually," Marcus said, tearing his eyes off a particularly attractive calico, "I was hoping for something a bit younger. My.. previous kelvic was older, and poorly trained. I want one more susceptible to learning." "Hmm... well.. to be honest, most of the young ones we keep. Oh, but we do have this one here!" The handler led Marcus over to a particular ocelot who was trying her hardest to garner the attention of the two men. Marcus smiled upon seeing her, bending over to get a closer look. Her paws were up on the mesh, and she clearly wanted attention. She was obviously young enough that her spirits hadn't been spoiled yet. That was another thing Marcus noticed about the older kelvics, many of them seemed to have given up on life. Marcus had no desire to have a suicidal kelvic. "She's called Kalina, but you can rename her if you buy her." Marcus raised a hand, attempting to pet the paw through the mesh. She was certainly a cute little cat. He only half paid attention as the handler began listing off information on her. Born last fall. Ocelot. Feeding habits. Finally Marcus raised his hand for the man to be silent. "I'd like to see her in her human form. Can you take her out? I want to make sure she isn't damaged anywhere."

[Kalina]

A feline's tail does not wag in the same way a dog's would if it wer particularly happy or excited, but Kalina's entire body was pulsating with anticipation, which only grew more as the man finally turned his attention from the older felines to her. Practically all were now in their human forms, though the younger girl had no idea why. Somehow, both men were interested in those Kelvics. Why? She releases an excitable sound as paws claws at the mesh. Sticking her tongue out, she shifts her head to lick at the fingers that reach into the cage. Most things Kalina was around she would smell, and if she could get a hold of it, it would end up in her mouth, so that she would taste it. Often, especially when teething, she would gnaw on the object; using her teeth to ascertain what it was, though she had learnt not to do that with hands very quickly; a difficult lesson to learn. Jumping down, she makes a sound close to a yip; she knew exactly what "Out" meant, and she knew she would enjoy it. Crouching slightly at the entrance as the handler releases the lock, she prepares to bound around him, evidently not interested in the staff member she already knew, in comparison to the new man. It was an exercise in futility, however, as he quickly grabs at the loose fur and skin at the nape of her neck. Whining, she wriggles in his grasp, and he swats her, harshly but not firmly. Immediately, she calms, though she was still observably quivering. Releasing the clasp on the collar they kept her in, and she found comfort in, the handler speaks, "Come on, Kalina. Show yourself." The man murmurs in a low voice, releasing her once he was satisfied the Kelvic would not bolt, as she had a habit of doing. She tears her eyes away from the other man to look pleadingly at the handler. She didn't want to; her senses in that form were nothing compared to what they were now. Nor was she as agile or fast. "Now." He commands this time and she knows better than to continue with an act of defiance, however much she wanted to. Glancing down to to stone cold floor, she sits, knowing it would be easier to manipulate her body for the transformation, which only took a few moments. It was a warm day; and her now naked form wasn't cold, though the skin touching the cold floor made her uncomfortable and she shifts. "Want to go back now." She mutters, though she had been in this form for less than a minute. Now in human form, her expressions were much more easy to read. She had been told to transform before, but it was often for medical check ups, rather than on the whims of the staff of the Institute, which is what this seemed to be. Never had she been made to change right outside her cage, and she was very confused. "Please, Sir." She asks of the handler politely, imploring to his sympathetic side. Absentmindedly, the hand that she was not resting her weight upon snakes up her childlike body, which she makes no effort to cover up, to her neck, where an angry red line has started to fade to off-purple and white. She scratches at it; the scarring causing the itch to flare back up again. The Kelvic often found herself scratching at it when in ocelot form, her back legs and sharp claws giving her great satisfaction when she scratched.

[Marcus Ahysen]

So far, Marcus was pleased. The kitten seemed very friendly. He still wanted to see her in her human form. While he could have looked her over as an animal, he knew little about animals.. not that he knew much about human bodies either, but he could at least notice obvious signs of disfigurement if she was in human form. Which he did, when she drew his attention to it by scratching. "Don't worry, Kalina," Marcus said as he knelt in front of her, taking her hand and pulling it away from your neck. "You can change back soon." Marcus examined the scar around her neck, frowning a bit. He wasn't sure if it would heal up completely, but perhaps he could take her down to the Healing Hand and have it looked at. "What happened here," he asked the handler. "Oh.. um, she shifted while wearing her collar. Happens sometimes with the young ones.. I'm sure she'll heal up good though. Kelvics are resilient, they are. She learned her lesson though, hasn't done it again." Marcus nodded. He'd heard of such things happening in the past. The scar did look rather bad.. and he was certain the handler was just trying to make a sale, but the healers at the Healing Hand had been known to work wonders in the past. Maybe it could be healed. Marcus considered going ahead with the purchase. He was in a bit of a hurry, and he wanted time to get things situated with the kelvic before he went off to his other duties, but at the same time he wondered if it was smart to buy the first cute kelvic he took a look at. She seemed friendly enough.. but was she the one? "Is this the only young one you have?" "The only one in any kind of decent condition. The others were.. experiments." Marcus nodded. It was settled then, he would be purchasing Kalina. If things didn't work out.. well, he would just have to buy another, he supposed. That tended to be the agent's logic with most things. He was terrible with his mizas. "I'll take her. Does she have any possessions?" "We can give you some clothes, if you like. Oh, and she seems rather fond of her blanket in there.. but it's a piece of junk if you ask me. I'd just get rid of it."

[Kalina]

Kalina begins to jerk her hand back, out of the man's reach, but quickly decides against it and lets it fall limp in his grasp, his voice and kind words soothing her; he wasn't the enemy here. And he was giving her attention, perhaps not in the way she had originally envisioned, but it was attention nonetheless, something she craved. Listening quietly, she understands what they were saying, but could not comprehend why the words were being said at all. What others? Experiements? What's that? She remains silent, however. It was rude to interrupt, she had been told by her mother when she physically forced herself in the way in attempts to play with researchers. She assumed the same applied when people were speaking. Change back soon? How soon was soon? She had started to shiver again, whether it was due to her bare skin against the cool breeze running through the building, or her anticipation to return to what she had initially wanted to do - alleviate her curiosity about who this man was - she didn't know. No one ever wanted to see her in this form anyway, not that many wanted to see her at all. What was so special that she had to change? And why was he even here? None of it was making any sense to her. A loud whine escapes her lips when she realises what the staff member was talking about throwing away. That's MINE. And the whine quickly transforms into a feral growl, much like the one she would utter in her other form, were she not to like something. Finding it much easier to vocalise her wants and needs in that form, and the fear of losing the only thing she had making her forget herself, she reverts to that bestial mindset. Mine, mine, mine. With little thought on the process, she quickly returns to her ocelot form, dragging her arm back in the process. Uncaring as to whether she had scratched the man, or caused any other damage, she flees back into the cage and scoops up the rag she had had for as long as she could remember in her jaw. After a moment's pause, once her thoughts settle, she realises where she is and, lest they should close the door and lock her back in, darts back out to where she was, taking the blanket with her and dropping it in a haphazard pile on the floor, seemingly forgetting why she had gone back to get it in the first place. For a fleeting moment, she considers the fact that they didn't want her to change, and doing something other than what they wanted never ended well for her. But it was too late now; she had not yet been fed today and two changes was all she was going to be able to manage for the time being. Her gaze flickers over to the handler, a flash of fear passing over her large eyes and she unconsciously takes a step back, dropping to the ground, so that her stomach brushes against the cold concrete, and nuzzling the blanket for comfort. An internal battle rages in her mind for the moment. she could do it, turn back, she thought. If she really tried, and really dug deep enough. But she knew she would be out for the count for the rest of the day, probably longer, and she thought she'd rather take a few swats from the handler, rather than miss all of the excitement. Pulling the blanket further away, she knocks into the other man and jumps up in surprise, spinning in a wildly uncoordinated fashion to look behind her. She had forgotten his existence. Only then does she seize the chance she had been desperate for all day. Her small form circles the man, wasting no time in inspecting the man, her snout carelessly pushing against his body quickly, stopping only to run her side against him before returning to her self-given task. she had limited time before someone made to grab her again, most likely, and she would make the most of this new experience. Despite herself, and the conversation she had just listened to, she found herself liking what she smelt. Not in the same way she liked the smell of rats, not at all. He wasn't for eating, she knew this. But he smelt different from all the people she had grown used to. They all smelt of... clean. She shudders. No, he was different and it was nice. Thrilled as she was to get this chance, she next begins to lick, uncaring as to whether or not she made contact with skin or clothing. The young Kelvic was in her element here, something obvious as she subconsiously begins to purr, a light sound at first.

[Marcus Ahysen]

Marcus was surprised when Kalina suddenly shifted and took off to her cage, and he did end up with a scratch on his arm, but overall the agent was amused by the young Kelvic's antics. She understood them when they were talking about the blanket, and clearly did not want to risk losing it. If she cared about it that much, Marcus assumed there was no harm in letting her keep it. He might have to make her get rid of it one day, if it became a real behavioral issue for her, but until then he would let the kitten keep her blanket. "I guess she don't like the idea of leavin it much. You might have a problem if you try to take it away from her." Marcus bent down to scratch the young ocelot, who was busy rubbing all over him the way cats do, behind the ears. He found it interesting that the exotic creature behaved much in the same way as an ordinary cat. The purring sound coming from her pleased him. His previous kelvic did not really make sounds, unless they were the loud screeches of her bird form. And in her human form she was not overly talkative. "It's alright, the blanket can stay. Bring me the clothes from her, and I'll sign off of the bill of sale. I'll have someone bring over the funds later today." The handler hesitated a moment, seeming unsure. In truth, Marcus had expected this. The man probably wanted the money up front, but it wasn't as if four hundred mizas on him in broad daylight. That was just asking to be robbed. "I assure you, the money will arrive swiftly and safely. I am an agent of the Black Sun, as you know. I can be trusted." The handler considered Marcus for a moment before finally nodding. It really wasn't in his best interest to anger an agent of the Black Sun, and in the end, he accepted the terms. The man left for a few chimes while he went to retrieve the clothing and bill of sale, leaving Marcus and Kalina alone together. The agent knelt down again, his hand rubbing the cat along her back. "You and I are going to be spending a lot of time together, little one. My name is Marcus. You'll be going home with me today. You wont have to stay in a cage, you will be fed good food every day, and if you are well behaved, you may even get to explore the city some. Would you like that?"

[Kalina]

Though she tried to listen to what the pair were saying to each other, Kalina did not understand most of what was being said. The distraction from the man, or stroking her and scratching behind her ears, did little to help her concentration. Ther was no doubt about it; the creature was in her element, the end of her tail flicking in pleasure and the purring growing louder as she pushed her head into his hand. When the hand moves from her ears to her back, she arches it, a gut reaction to the man's own action. Dimly, she registers that the pair had been left alone, not that it mattered to her; the man seemed relatively happy giving her attention whether or not the handler was present. Because of this, though, when the man speaks, she tries to pay extra attention, as his words were clearly directed at her. Marcus? Kalina had never had anyone tell them their name before. Nor had she ever had anyone speak to her like that... They barked orders or spoke over her, not to her. Unsure of how to react, she makes no acknowledgement... The man must be mistaken. But he continues. Home... the ocelot had heard the word before but had no idea what it meant. All the people who work here... They all go to this 'home' when they leave here. Kalina scrunches up her nose, this man, Marcus, was going to take her from her cage and take her to where all the researchers went? No, thank you. But then again, she liked the idea of no cages, and exploring... Whatever a city was. Sitting and lowering her front legs so that she was lying down, the feline rolls over, towards the man, so that she was lying on her back, exposing her much paler stomach, which was void of any spotted markings. The excessive attention she was receiving, as well as the mention of good food, had sealed the deal for her. He could take her anywhere, she decided, and her motions were made to communicate a level of trust, that she was willing to expose the most vulnerable part of her body to this complete stranger. Or, that's how it might look to an observer. Kalina had different ideas, the communication being subconsious on her part. She impatiently mewls and bats at the man's hand with her closest front paw, wanting his continued attention, but for it now to be aimed at the newly exposed region of her body. The workers of the Kelvic Research Institute always came back, at least, they mostly did in her season of paying attention and noticing them. That meant that this 'home' that Kalina was going to with Marcus was only going to be a temporary thing, like it was for them, and he'd bring her back in maybe a day. So she was going to make the most of it.

[Marcus Ahysen]

The handler was only gone for a few chimes, and when he came back he had a stack of folded clothes, though all of relatively poor quality in comparison to what Marcus intended to purchase for her eventually, some basic supplies, and the bill of sale. Marcus looked over the items, nodding with only mild satisfaction, before taking the bill and looking it over. It was simple enough, and there were no special catches. The sale was for the kelvic. The clothes, supplies, and blanket were thrown in free of charge, as was usual for purchases from the KRI. All Marcus had to do was sign it, and she would be his. Four hundred Mizas would be transferred to the Institute as soon as Marcus returned to the city. "There is one more thing," the handler said, holding up a collar and leash. "It's policy that all kelvics be collared and leashed until you arrive back in the city. Once you have her home, you can take it off if you want, or keep it on her." Marcus nodded, glancing down at the kelvic. She didn't seem to mind having the collar on before, but he wondered how she would take to a leash. She was no dog, and from what Marcus knew of cats they did not usually like to be walked on a leash, but perhaps she was used to it? Either way, the handler bent down and attached both to her, handing over the leash to Marcus when he was done. "Alright, she's all yours." "Okay. Well, come on, Kalina. Let's go home." Marcus took a few steps toward the door, stretching the leash to it's length, but not pulling on it. He wanted to see if she would come willingly. If not, he would give it a little tug. If she still did not come, he might just end up having to pick her up.