Have a kitty for Christmas - [OPEN]

[atethecanary]

Who| Julian Bradds and OPEN
What| Julian arrives in the arena. Fun times.
Where| Inside the spaceport. Mainly the the upper levels but he can be found anywhere.
When| Week 2: Christmas day and then later on in the week.
Warnings/Notes| None! I'll update if needed.


As a human

Julian wants to go home. He wants to sleep, and wake up to his shiny new car. Julian’s dad had promised Julian he would get him one and now he gets nothing. Now all he gets is some creepy battle to the death with one survivor for Christmas. It’s safe to say this is the worst Christmas ever and Julian would be more pissed about if he wasn’t too busy being freaked out. One is not a very promising number and it’s what keeps him on edge, jittery and panicked, as he runs through what he notes look like some sort of spaceship. He knows running around isn’t really going to prove to be helpful, but he’s not sure what else to do, so this is his best option.

He tries to keep a look out for any scents that might be of help, but all he is getting is an overload of scents he doesn’t recognize and that give him a headache. Julian periodically sneezes as he runs around, and that combined with the panic that is giving him somewhat crazy eyes make for someone who quite clearly stands out.

As a cat

After a day or two, and after he’s been given more information about this place, Julian decides his best choice is to stay as a cat. He’s under the impression that the people who are interested in killing others may be less likely to do so if he looks like just an innocent cat, and that he may have a better chance of staying hidden. A cat in a spaceship is definitely not going to blend in though, but Julian doesn’t seem to realize how poorly thought out his plan is. So, now he can be found wandering around as a cat, staying low to ground and trying to slink around quietly as he tries to find corners and small spaces to hide in.

Comments

[carsassian]

By and large, Garak preferred this Arena to that of the town. It was less dank, if nothing else, and the familiarity of space was pleasant after the initial eeriness had worn off. He was, after all, a creature of habit. He could admit to that much. Familiarity, in whatever form it took, routine, was a comfort to him.

As such, he took to doing much what he had done on in his free time aboard DS9. He wandered. He tried new things. He scoured corners for little pieces of the unfamiliar within the realm of familiarity. He had encountered relatively few people, all things considered, and fewer still who seemed to crave any pointedly aggressive interaction, for which he was grateful. He could have easily handled any confrontation, of course, but avoiding them was all the better.

At any rate, a cat in what seemed to be nothing more than another anonymous corridor-- Well, that was unfamiliar. Actually, it was a pleasant enough aberration.

He lifted his chin, gazing at the tabby which seemed to contrast so starkly with the metallic paneling of the hall. Thin, reptilian lips smiled. The leather-grey skin around his eyes creased, blending into the angles and ridges of his forehead. "Hello, kitty. What on earth are you doing here?"

[atethecanary]

Julian should learn not to judge by appearances, but as it is a scary looking alien thing showing up doesn’t do a whole lot to calm his nerves. When he sees Garak, his fur puffs up and his ears go flat against the back of his head. Everything about his body posture is tense, ready to bolt at any second.

Julian starts to take a small step back, but then he stops when he sees the smile. Smiling is a good sign. Smiling means friendly and I won’t kill you, right? The words seem friendly enough too, and Julian’s fur starts to flatten back down as he takes a few hesitant steps toward Garak.

Julian meows softly, trying to put as much of a questioning tone to it as possible. He’s hoping for some more reassurance that he’s not suddenly going to be attacked.

[carsassian]

Living amongst humans for so long must have softened him up slightly. That's the only reason Garak can think of for not immediately suspecting foul play here. That the cat should explode into a hideous tentacled creature, or otherwise lead him into a trap-- Well, that end would only serve him right. As it is, however, he can't help being slightly amused by the cat's presence.

"I don't have food for you and," he reaches a gloved, spacesuit-covered hand toward the cat's ears. The strange allowance of gravity makes its fur stand up in an odd way. It must feel utterly disorienting. "Well, my dear, I wouldn't trust the food here anyway. In the last Arena, it drove us chemically insane. In this one, who knows what might happen."

[atethecanary]

Julian watches the gloved hand carefully, but he doesn’t move out of the way when it reaches for his ears. He does, however, look extremely unhappy at Garak’s words, as much as he can while he’s still a cat. So not only is he stuck in some death arena, but he can’t trust the food. He has to eat something, so his options are either starve to death or eat food that could possibly kill him. Just great. He lets his displeasure be known, meowing as sadly as possible.

[carsassian]

Or commit horrendous acts of arguable cannibalism. Had Garak known the thoughts flying through Julian's feline mind, he might have even suggested it. Not seriously, of course. Well, possibly seriously. Out of everyone in the Arena, it would probably be the most forgivable for the man who could transform himself into a house cat. He would do well to take advantage of it.

Instead, Garak scratches his ears thoughtfully. It might be a little more forceful than a standard human touch. Between the simulated fake gravity and his own aberrant physiology, it's sometimes difficult for him to control or monitor his strength. In any case, it's a firm but mostly fond scratch. So far the beast hasn't exploded into a pile of hideous writhing tentacles, so Garak is willing to entertain it for a moment.

"Oh, I know, dear." He says, soothingly, smooth voice and melodic tone contrasting utterly with his rough reptilian skin and harsh ridges. "It's dreadful, but it's for the best. Hopefully no one will get any ideas about you."

[atethecanary]

The firmness of the scratching startles Julian, and his head tilts downward as he considers moving out of the way. But it’s not firm enough to hurt and it feels nice enough, so Julian decides against it, bringing his head back up. At the soothing voice, Julian evens starts to lean into the touch, but the last thing Garak says makes Julian freeze as his eyes widen. It hadn’t even crossed his mind that people would be interested in eating him. Just great, another thing to worry about. This place is getting worse and worse by the minute.

Julian gives Garak a suspicious look, hoping he’s not someone who would consider eating a cat. If Julian had heard what Garak's opinions on cannibalism were, he would have definitely bolted by now, but as it is Garak seems nice enough. Julian’s going on the assumption that if he had wanted to hurt him, he would have tried to by now. So instead of bolting, Julian shivers and looks up at Garak with sad eyes, hoping there might be some way Garak can help him. Even if Julian could just stick around him for a little while, he might be able to serve as some sort of bodyguard. Maybe ward off those people who want to eat cats, at least until Julian can find a good hiding spot.

[sizeofyourbaggage]

...there's a cat in the space station.

Sam has no idea how a cat ended up in the station, let alone hiding itself near the lab they've been using as an infirmary, but there it is. Honestly, he wouldn't put it past the gamemakers to stick one in there just to mess with them, the same way they'd done with the "gifts" and snow a few days back.

"I'm not sure that's the safest place to be, kitty," he says, setting the packets of dehydrated food he'd scavenged down so he can be more free to go for his knife, just in case.

[atethecanary]

Julian watches Sam cautiously, ears twitching slightly. This guy doesn’t appear to be a threat, but Julian can’t be sure. He doesn’t trust anyone in this place. Julian glances curiously at the packets of dehydrated food before his eyes snap back up to Sam and remain glued there.

The words make Julian let out a disgruntled meow. Of course he knows it isn’t safe here. There’s nowhere safe in this place. He can’t exactly say that as a cat though, so he gives Sam the most unimpressed look he can manage.

[sizeofyourbaggage]

That unimpressed look makes Sam snort. If this isn’t a real cat, it’s a damn good impression of one.

“Yeah, yeah,” Sam mutters, but he didn’t miss the cat’s look towards his dehydrated food stash. He sighs, tearing open a packet of what he’s pretty sure is dried meat, and crouches down a little lower so he can hold it out with his free hand. “You hungry?”

[atethecanary]

For a few moments, Julian just looks at Sam with suspicion. Food seems limited here, and Julian doesn’t understand why someone would just give their food away to some random cat.

Julian is really hungry though, so he’s not going to complain. He sniffs at the food to make sure it’s not poisoned or anything, and it smells a little weird but so does most everything around here. He looks briefly back up at Sam, just to make sure there’s no trick going on here, and then proceeds to gobble down the food in a few seconds. Once he’s done, he stares sadly at Sam’s empty hand. He’s still hungry and meows as pathetically as he can in the hopes of getting more food.

[sizeofyourbaggage]

Because Sam is, sometimes unfortunately, a decent guy. And apparently that means he feels bad letting a cat starve, even if he seriously doubts the cat is really just a cat. It's got to either be something sent by the gamemakers, or another Tribute. He's leaning towards the latter, given the way the cat seems to understand what he's saying.

And he has to admit, it's a decent ploy. Sure, there's the chance one of the Tributes might just try to eat a cat or something, but probably not a lot of them are going to feel too threatened by a cat. Right now, Sam's just hoping that the cat isn't going to suddenly turn into a lion or something.

He unwraps another packet of dried meat, offering it to the cat again. "You better be a good hunter, because you're going to help me replace these," he informs the cat.

[atethecanary]

Julian’s already started devouring the food again, but at the mention of “hunter” Julian pauses to look up at Sam with a judgmental stare. Julian does not hunt. How is he supposed to be a good hunter when he’s never done it in his life? He almost starts to shake his head no, but realizes that would definitely blow his cover. Julian doesn’t know it’s pretty much been blown already.

There’s a nagging feeling bothering him when he turns to look back at the food, though. Eating all this guy’s food and then not being able to help him at all may have been fine back home, but here it doesn’t sit too well with Julian. Julian doesn’t want to be responsible for someone starving to death. It doesn’t stop Julian from finishing up the dried meat, but he does look a little guilty as he does so.

[sizeofyourbaggage]

Okay, Sam's taking that to mean no, this cat is a terrible hunter. And also to mean that it's definitely one of the Tributes, since he's still responding to what Sam's saying.

"Figures, I get the one cat who isn't a mouser," he comments, though he still crouches there and lets the cat eat. And he's not an expert at cat expressions, but unless he's projecting a lot, it almost looks like the cat's feeling guilty.

"I'll make you a deal, then. You've got better hearing and eyesight than me, you be my lookout and I'll give you another couple of packets." He pauses, then add, "And you better not be a trick by the gamemakers and planning on giving me rabies or something, or a shapeshifter who's going to try to eat me, cause I'm going to be real pissed."

[atethecanary]

Julian wrinkles his nose and huffs. It’s not like there is anything great about hunting mice anyway. It’s gross and gets blood everywhere. And, all right, maybe it would be useful here, but all in all it just isn’t very dignified. Besides, Julian’s totally good at lots of other things. Julian tells himself if he were human he would have listed them all, but that’s really out of the question at the moment.

The rabies part makes Julian meow loudly, offended. And he’s not about to eat someone that’s just disgusting. What sort of savage does this guy take him for? The deal sounds good enough to Julian, though, and he places a paw in Sam’s now empty hand in agreement.

[sizeofyourbaggage]

"Yeah, yeah, you huff at me now, but I'm the one taking the chance on rabies." He's also the one talking to a cat - and apparently shaking hands with a cat - but that's beside the point.

Sam closes his hand around the cat's paw, giving it a shake. "Deal, then," he says, reaching out to pick up the cat and settle it on his shoulders. He's a little tenser now, because Sam's still not a hundred percent sure he should trust a Tribute who hides as a cat not to turn on him. But they have a deal, and given how hungry the cat'd seemed, it seems like it's within both of the interests to keep it.

"One meow for yes, two for no, all right? And just hiss or something if you pick up anything headed our way."

[atethecanary]

When the guy had said Julian would be a lookout, Julian had expected to just trot along side him or something. It would paint a very dog-like picture, but it was worth it for more food. So when Sam reaches for him Julian looks startled, shrinking in on himself a little bit, but he lets himself be picked up without protest. As Julian adjusts to make himself more comfortable on Sam’s shoulders he waves his tail right into Sam’s face before curling it out of the way. That will teach the guy to say he has rabies. Julian looks far too pleased with himself.

He gives one loud meow for a yes, ears already beginning to swivel around as he listens for any potential danger.

[celebrityskinned]

Venus knows by now that everyone should be approached as a threat, even though she's only got a very short list of people she would kill right now. For all she knows, the Capitol's been filling the food with toxins that make people rabid. They've certainly done as much in the past. Trust is something she must dole out in careful rations, if at all.

She doesn't carry a weapon as she investigates some of the hallways and an unransacked science lab, but she does keep light on her feet in case she has to run or brace herself. When she hears something skitter (nearly silently) across the ground behind her, she whirls around with one hand clenched into a fist, a fraction of a second too late to make out the dark shadow that darts under the science lab counter.

Squinting, she gets down on her knees. Two eyes look back at her from the dark, eyes that remind her of playing at her grandmother's house looking for ferals. It could well be a mutt, something with poison fangs or razors in its fur, but something nearly childlike emerges in Venus and prods her curiosity to the light.

"Here, kitty. I won't hurt you, kitty." She makes a kissy noise.

[atethecanary]

Julian hisses in warning, body tense, when Venus gets down. He had seen that fist out of the corner of his eye earlier, and while her stance isn’t threatening now, it doesn’t mean he’s safe. The squinting provides Julian some sort of reassurance, because if she’s struggling to see it at least means he has being able to see well over her. He tells himself he can use that to escape, if he has to.

Her words make him stop hissing though, and he relaxes a little bit at the kissy noise. Back home, when he first started wandering neighborhoods as a cat, he had found the noises like that people made at him demeaning. But over the years, he realized they usually meant pets would follow, and he can’t help but find the noise comforting now.

Despite himself, his ears prick forward and he approaches Venus slowly, pausing often to make sure she shows no sign of aggression. When he stops in front of her, his ears move sideways and his body tenses back up, thinking about how this was stupid and he should have just tried to run away. Julian stays still anyway, and hopes he can trust her words that she won’t hurt him.

[celebrityskinned]

Venus never had a pet growing up. Her family was too poor for an apartment where animals were allowed, and aside from a dog at one of the foster homes she never had a living situation that would allow it otherwise. A life of jetsetting Hollywood glamor didn't lend itself to homemaking.

She wonders if she would have liked one to curl up beside her at night.

She glances over her shoulder and sees no one coming.

"Can I touch you, pretty kitty?" She reaches forward and tentatively pets his head in the least artful, most straightforward way. Having never spent much time with animals, she doesn't know the secrets to charming them. "Who's a pretty kitty?"

[atethecanary]

Julian brightens at the pretty part, and he relaxes a bit again, easily swayed by the compliment. In his experience, “pretty kitty” is really just something generic said to any sort of cat regardless of its appearance. But Julian has always found himself to be an elegant, good-looking cat, so he’ll take whatever snippet that proves him right that he can. He meows gently, and hopes it might earn him some sort of other praise.

Her petting skills definitely need some work, though. Julian debates for a few moments before he rubs his head against her hand, trying to lead her in the right way of petting. There’s still a little voice in the back of his mind telling him he should be more careful, shouldn’t let strangers in death arenas pet him. But Julian’s too willing to take up the distraction and comfort it provides to care.

mind if I throw an alien in here? :3

[celebrityskinned]

"Yes, you're a pretty kitty. Look at your fur, look how fluffy..." She goes with the way he's directing her hand, uncertain in her own ability to tell what a cat might prefer best. "Do you like chin scritches?"

She tries to go down below his chin to scratch at his chin with her nails, still partially painted rose pink from the Capitol. Then she reaches forward to try and pick the kitty up.

not at all! bring on the alien :D

[atethecanary]

Julian’s ear perk up more and more at the compliments, and his chest puffs up a bit, looking every bit as if he’s proud of himself. He tilts his head to give her easier access to under his chin, and even almost starts purring, but the the movement of her reaching forward startles him and he flinches. He doesn’t try to get away though, and even though he’s watching her very carefully he lets her pick him up.

aw yee

[celebrityskinned]

She's as gentle as she can be, but she still squeezes a bit hard, having never really learned the practical difference between a living animal and a teddy bear. The purring makes her absolutely elated, and she thinks for a moment how unusual it is (how vital) to find a moment of unadulterated joy in the Arena.

And then she hears something crawling towards her, and, not letting Julian loose, rises to her feet.

"Someone there?"

[atethecanary]

At the squeezing, Julian lets out a small noise of discomfort, but he doesn’t try and struggle free. He’s had children hug him as a cat that were much worse than this, but he’s still hoping the noise will make her loosen her hold just to give him a bit more breathing room. When he hears the sound of something crawling, though, breathing room is the least of his worries.

His ears swivel around, listening for any other strange sounds, and his mouth opens slightly as he tries to take in all the scents. There’s something strange he picks up, something Julian can’t place, and even if that’s the case for most things here it leaves Julian with an uneasy feeling, especially when combined with the sound of the crawling.

He turns his head to look at Venus and jerks his head to the side, a signal he hopes conveys ‘let’s get out of here’. Julian briefly considers trying to get out of her grip and making a break for it on his own, but that may leave him in an even worse situation, and he doesn’t particularly like the idea of leaving Venus behind. Even if she's a stranger, she's been kind, at least while he's a cat, in such a horrible place.

[celebrityskinned]

"It's okay, kitty, it's okay," she whispers into his fur, suddenly bereft of the childishness she'd exhibited moments ago. She sounds certain now, fierce, as if the comforting statement is strong as bedrock. Her grip tightens, but not to restrain Julian to prevent him leaving but to hold hi more securely in case she has to bolt with the two of them, as if she were strapping him to an airplane.

She toes-toes backwards, casting a glance over her shoulder and making sure she isn't about to lose her footing or stumble on something lurking behind her. She hears the clicking mouth of a mutt near her, somewhere in the shadows of the hallway. Somewhere beyond the ken of the human eye.

A stupid, flighty, and not entirely impossible idea occurs to her.

"Kitty, I got no idea if you're a normal cat or a person or what, but can you see where it is?"