Do you feel lucky?

[Lucky]

There was a pretty new lady in town.

Lucky had his pulse on everything that happened in Hazleton, so he knew about the girl who moved into the apartment building mere days ago. Naturally, he didn't make the rounds straight away—he didn't want to come across too easy. But now that an appreciable amount of time had passed, Lucky thought that he ought to introduce himself and make it known that he was the King Cat around the block.

He sat preening in a patch of bright sunlight on the lawn outside, brilliant long white fur expertly fluffed and combed. Lucky did have an owner but the man was more of an accessory than anything else. His owner did make sure he was groomed, though, and that his fur didn't clump. Lucky could have done that himself but—why would he, when he had a perfectly good human to do it for him?

That was his philosophy through life, really. Born to purebreed parents, he never saw the need to lift a finger to do things for himself. Being beautiful was its own reward. People seemed to like feeding him and doting on him, which they normally wouldn't have if he were a human. It simply made too much sense to live as a cat than as a plain old human. (Although Lucky was a handsome human, too—at least in his own opinion, anyway.)

He was certain that the pretty girl would like him, which meant one more place that he could go around to, to get fed and flattered. He'd been spying on her as she moved in and unpacked, and noticed a cat tree. A cat person, eh? But he hadn't seen any cats around her place, which seemed... odd. But perhaps the cats were coming later. That worked in his favor; he'd become her new favorite and by the time her own cats arrived, Lucky would still have established himself.

Where he sat, he couldn't be missed. She had to come out sometime. His long, thick tail swished placidly; he blinked at a squirrel scuttling up the side of a tree and silently sniffed. Lesser animals were beneath his notice.

Hana Choi? Kitryna?

[Hana Choi]

Mere days had passed since Hana had made her return to her home town. Luckily, she was not expected at work until the following week, so she had plenty of time to settle in. So far, she had managed to unpack and organize her kitchen, her closet, and bathroom. She had reorganized her furniture a total of 3 times, liking the set up one day and then feeling the movement was off the next. She prayed that her downstairs neighbor, Logan, was never home for these fits of rearrangement. Though, the hardest hit to her conscience was every time she had to move the cat tree. It brought her both pain and joy. She knew that she should be joyful and remember the happy moments she shared with Minnie (short for Minerva) around that tree, but it still felt a little too fresh. The only thing that could lift her spirits again was knowing some day she would have another cat in her life that would enjoy it just as much as Minnie had. Hana just wasn't quite ready to go searching for one.

All the movement and heavy lifting she had been doing for the past several days had her craving a change of scene. All she had seen so far was the inside of her apartment and had experimented with delivery for meals. She still had nothing substantial in her fridge and it irked her. Her breakfasts had been sustained by a basket of fresh fruit her mother's boyfriend brought - a shockingly sweet gesture. (Hana was not used to her mother's toys paying her any heed.)

She had briefly seen sunlight when she had arrived in town, but ever since then all she saw out her window was fog. However, that was not something that could ever deter Hana from the outdoors. Outside was arguably a way more fascinating environment. Especially in the forest. It was constantly changing. It was active and wild. The air was more rich and rewarding. She could go on dreaming about being in the wild, or she could actually be in the wild.

These are the thoughts that led her to this moment, sitting near her door pulling on her shoes. She was dressed in a long sleeve shirt tucked into her skirt. Her long dark hair was simply twisted and thrown over one shoulder to keep it out of her face as she worked on her laces. She carried only a small bag on her back with a couple apples, a bottle of water, and her phone, which bounced against her back as she hopped to her feet and swung her door open.

She felt victorious already and she had not even stepped out the door. The fog had given her a reprieve! The sun was making a come back. While she knew all the work she did at home was to support her daily life for the foreseeable future, she felt like she had not truly taken time to herself. True leisure and enjoyment. Perhaps later she would visit Logan... But, for now, she was going to see wilderness and breathe fresh air.

In a blink of an eye, her door was locked, key tossed in her bag, and her sneakers began trotting down the stairs. This was going to be a good day. Come rain or shine (or fog), she was going to make this a great day.

Hana's thumbs looped around the bag straps that hung by her hips, lost in thought as she reached the bottom of the stairs and promptly turned in the direction of wilderness. No sooner had she turned, though, than an image her peripheral had caught replayed in her mind. She stopped in her tracks and turned at her shoulders for confirmation. Her golden eyes glittered as they spied a cat enjoying this new coming of the sun just as much as she was. Her lips had a mind of their own, pulling back to show the feline a wide smile.

"Why hello there," she called to him in a calm voice from the same spot she'd stopped in. She knew not to approach a cat too quickly.

[Lucky]

Ahh, there she was. Lucky caught movement out of the corner of his eyes and sat up straighter, lifting his head ever so slightly to maintain a noble, stately profile. The right side was his good side, he knew; that was the side he presented as he pretended not to have seen her for a few seconds. Enough time for her to get in closer, and then he turned his head towards her.

The first thing he did was Stare at her. It was standard fare for cats; if they all went romping over to any old human, tails wagging, then they were no better than dogs. There was a certain level of pride to maintain, after all.

She had a nice voice, though; his ear twitched in her direction at the sound of her voice.

Lucky didn't move from his spot, but he didn't run away either, the way some other skittish felines did. He didn't blink, though. He just stared at her for another few moments, and then delicately he opened his mouth and let out a quiet mew. His tail swished the grass behind him; she was permitted to advance.

[Hana Choi]

Hana waited through several breath cycles watching the cat after speaking. He had not acknowledged her, but she was no cat fool. She knew he heard her and was likely aware her presence was directed at him. Cats were amazing creatures like that - they would be fully aware of their surroundings and still not give a hoot. Clearly, he did not discern her as a threat, or his eyes would have squarely been on her and he would not have lounged so comfortably when she turned her attention his way. Testing the waters, she turned her body more fully, but did not move from her spot. This time, he turned his head to stare at her. Before, she knew she was within his awareness, but now she had his attention. The calm and calculating swish of his tail told a tale she was not sure she understood. He seemed welcoming, but not like any other cat she'd experienced.

Cautiously, she took a few careful steps in his general direction, but not directly toward him and squatted in the grass. She was close, but not too close. Her curious smile grew - she harbored a hope in her heart that cats understood smiles. Regardless, her features lit up around them. Her golden eyes glistened with joy, her hair - once twisted over her shoulder - had cascaded across her back, and her knees slowly came to kiss the grass as she sat on her feet. Many a cat felt more comfortable with humans when they were not approached, but given the go to approach. Hana frequently caught strays by simply sitting still and letting them become curious enough to approach her. Besides, she had never struggled to talk a cat into coming closer.

As she sat, she took notes inside her mind. She noticed how stature - so calm clearly accustomed to human attention. His coat was thick, plush, and clean. She imagined a fluffy faux fur pillow with ears and a tail... She'd probably own that pillow if it ever showed up on shelves. But, more importantly, he looked groomed. Sure, a cat can take care of itself, but his hair was too perfect. No collar, but there were many cat owners that did not collar. Hell, Hana didn't. So, her conclusion was clear: he had a home. He was no stray and certainly not a pure outdoor cat. He knew the luxury of life indoors.

Gracefully, Hana reached a hand out to invite him closer. "You must steal the heart of everyone who lays eyes on you," she cooed. "Whomever you belong to must trust you an awful lot," she mused aloud. "Were you mine, I'd worry you would be taken from me."

It was true. He was a gorgeous cat. She had heard of many people who took good looking cats off the streets and kept them as their own without ever taking them to check for a chip to locate the original owner. As gorgeous as he was, she was not sure she was the type that could stomach that kind of deception. A pet is family and losing family is pain.

[Lucky]

Well, she was definitely well-versed in the ways of not offending cats. Lucky was pleased; he thought she looked sympathetic to the cause. (The cause being to further his ambitions to take over the town.) No sudden moves, keeping a respectful distance until he indicated that she could approach, and no direct eye contact. So many stupid humans stared at him, not knowing that to cats, it was a sign of hostility.

Hmm. But she wasn't a stupid human, was she? Lucky could sense it; he knew another shifter when he encountered one. He wondered if she knew what he was, but if she did, she didn't seem inclined to show it. The way she spoke and acted, she was treating him like an ordinary cat. Fair enough, he supposed. Not everyone had the ability to sense others of their kind. It really depended on how much exposure they had to other shifters throughout their life.

The flattering words she spoke pleased him enough for him to trot on over. Not too eagerly, now—he took it at still a rather sedate pace. Lucky gave her outstretched hand a cursory sniff. No scent of dogs. This one was clear. He looked up at her again, blinked once, and then meowed again. Food, he was trying to tell her. Everybody knew the surest way to a cat's heart was through their bottomless stomachs!

[Hana Choi]

Hana felt confident in her assessment of the cat. She had no reason to suspect he was anything but an ordinary animal, as she had never met someone who could do what she did. So, she analyzed him like any other. Granted, he did not seem exactly like other cats. Sure, he had many of the same mannerisms, but something was off. Something there was very different. She felt a stronger connection to this animal than any other she had ever met, and being a vet, she had met a great number.

He approached her slowly. She might have mistaken this for apprehension, except she got the feeling it was quite the opposite. He knew she meant him no harm. Now she was imagining he got so much human attention that he had no need to crave it. He was well taken care of - probably by the entire neighborhood. However, he was not overweight, so he was obviously not a gluttonous neighborhood cat. He must approach when he has needs and did his own thing when they were sated.

Hana let him sniff her hand, remaining still until he looked up and meowed. She knew what he wanted in that same way she always knew what cats wanted that she never fully understood. It was like he was speaking to her. Though, this time it was clearer than ever before.

"Hungry?" Her eye brows raised with her question and her hand stretched carefully a little further to attempt a gentle stroke behind his left ear. She thought for a moment on the cat food she had available. She had a cheap brand in her trunk that she kept for when she came across strays and wanted to bring them in for exams and shots, but that did not seem like the quality this handsome boy deserved or probably even wanted. All else she had was left over cat treats in her apartment. They were Minnie's favorite...

"All I have for you are treats back upstairs. Oh," she rolled her eyes at herself and grinned, "and I have chicken. Do you want that?"

[Lucky]

Oh clever, clever girl! Lucky's tail swished again, a sign that he was pleased. Some humans took forever to get the message and in the meantime he could just about languish from hunger. All right, maybe not that drastic but certainly he had to wait some time for certain people to get the hint. This girl, in the meantime, understood perfectly.

He stood still for her so that she could get her pets and touches in, purring low in the back of his throat. Lucky even rubbed the side of his cheek against her hand, half-closing his eyes to show that she was now in the safe zone. The circle of trust, as it were. Did it hurt that she was pretty? Not even a little bit. Lucky was not immune to the charms of a good-looking human (or shifter).

As soon as she said the magic word, though—treats—he was off. Sauntering toward the apartment building, he kept his pace slow in order for her to catch up. Treats. Upstairs. Chicken? It depended on how the chicken was made, though. He liked salty things so if it was deliciously friend or slathered in sauce, he was all in. If it was only steamed or something... Meh.

"Meow!" He paused at the stairs with one paw on the first step, looking back at her. Lucky blinked, ears twitching again as a noisy car pulled up and a tall man stepped out. His wide eyes narrowed—but this was purely a human reaction, not a friendly cat one. Repressing the urge to hiss, Lucky bounded up the steps to wait on the landing for the girl, hoping that she wouldn't be distracted by the annoying human.

[Hana Choi]

Hana was pleased with how willing he was to be pet. He was not eager and pushy like some house cats. Instead, he seemed to be permitting her to pet him. Some cats lived for scratches, others were not so fond of it. Taking that hint, she did not pet him vigorously. Her fingers glided carefully over his plush and welcoming fur beyond his ear and then the side of his cheek as he gave it to her.

A note was struck in her heart by his purr. He was too gorgeous and welcoming. How could she be so lucky to be surrounded by such friends in her new home? Between Logan and this cat, she could never move again.

Just as her heart had begun it's new tempo, the cat leapt to its feet and sauntered away from her. At first, she simply watched with her smile fading away. But... he was headed straight for the stairs she had just come from. Thinking it odd, she stood and followed him slowly. Sure enough, he turned and looked at her. He wanted her to follow? Did he know where she lived?

Hana paused at the bottom of the stairs for a moment, noticing the man approach the same stairs, but not wanting him to scare off her new friend. So, rather than be polite and let him go first, she trotted up the stairs. With smooth steps, she turned the corner to go up the next flight. She considered picking up the cat, but had a feeling it would be a violation too early in their relationship. Seeing him follow, she kept going and began to dig for her keys to open the door at the top.

Inside her apartment was cozy, but littered with boxes. Between that, the currently unused cat tree, the huge cloth couch, and all her knickknacks to be knocked off surfaces, it was a kitty paradise.

[Lucky]

Yes, yes, good. She cut the stupid human off—the man grinned in a contemptibly loutish, amused way and stepped aside to let the girl pass him by. Did Lucky have a grudge against that particular human? Why yes, yes he did. If it wasn't telling enough already. That human crossed him exactly once—and Lucky never forgot it. The man was lucky that Lucky was trying to be on his best behavior for his new friend, or else he might have bitten first and asked questions later.

He turned his ass to the human—to be a little crass, but that was the gist of the motion—and his shining bright eyes to the girl. She let him into her apartment, which was interesting. Boxes everywhere. Delicate little figurines perched eeeever so precariously on top of various smooth surfaces. A cat could do a lot of damage in a place like this, Lucky thought with a Cheshire kind of grin to himself.

However, at the moment he simply sauntered in and sat in the doorway, looking at all the things. A cat tree—he'd seen that one through the window when he'd come around peeping in on her. He sniffed daintily. No other strong odour of cats, although there was a faint vestige coming off of her possessions, indicative of cats that had once lived with her. Nothing fresh certainly.

His head swivelled. An empty box sitting nearby proved too tempting and almost in a flash, Lucky was gone—inside the box, scratching around.

[Hana Choi]

Keys jingled and clanged lightly against the glass table by her door as the door swung open. As she strangely expected, the cat strode right in as if he belonged there. She was lodging these notes in an ever-growing profile about him. Her assumption that he saw many-a-home and befriended many pet lovers around the neighborhood was seeming more an more accurate. As a former cat foster mom, she was very accustomed to an array of attitudes upon entering a stranger's home. His was the most confident she had ever seen. Most would have their tails low, ears back, and crouching as they inspected the room inch by inch. He sat, sniffed the air, and looked around as if he already knew what everything she possessed was by mere sight of it. That was unusual for a cat...

A joyous chuckle escaped her as the cat bound for an empty box that once housed an array of fictional books. Food forgotten for the moment and the wondrous comfort of close walls and personal space was discovered. Were it a bigger box, she might have joined him. Though, she did not imagine a common cat would take well to a much bigger wild cat suddenly in his space.

Not bothering him for the moment, she moved about the room as if normal. Rather than cutting off his route to escape and making him nervous, Hana shut the door and opened a window. She wanted him to feel welcome, not trapped.

She walked in the direction of the kitchen and stopped short at large pale cabinet. In the bottom drawer is where she used to keep all her canned cat food, treats and toys. The latter two she still had stocked. She stared into the drawer for a moment, imagining Minnie's reaction any time that drawer opened. With a reminiscent smile, she grabbed a pouch and closed it. In the kitchen, she retrieved from the fridge her leftover chicken wings from the night before.

Hana settled herself on her knees beside the boxed creature.

"Room service!" she chimed in a cheery tone - a joke more for her than him. Or so she thought. In one hand, she held before him a piece of chicken torn from a wing, and a fish flavored hard treat. This way, she was leaving the choice to him before feeding him more of what he preferred.

"I bet you'd like the chicken warmer..." she mused aloud.

[Lucky]

Hmm. This box was a good box. Sturdy, tall but not too tall--half of his head could still poke out, allowing him to take stock of the room beyond. Lucky leapt into and out of the box several times, batted at the flaps and generally had a good time while the girl went away to fetch his treats. (His treats, all his treats, no other cat's!)

He had laid down in the box again, tail batting the side of the cardboard with an audible, rhythmic thump, when he heard her voice close by. Lucky's head popped back up. He looked over at the two options presented to him. Hard crunchy treat... or chicken. Hard choice. Both smelled good, albeit different. Lucky sat there in his box-throne studying the choices.

In the end, he decided that he was worth both.

So he snapped up the hard treat--delicately, so as not to nip her hand--and also swiftly grabbed the chicken. Both he dropped onto the bottom of the box before settling down to enjoy his treats at his own leisure.

[Hana Choi]

More and more evidence piled on her determination that he was very much a cat that got around. He was way too comfortable. She might have even assumed he had known the tenants in this apartment before her. He simply acted like he was at home. That, or he was simply spoiled. A beautiful cat treated well by all just as strangers were more inclined to be kind to attractive people. Beautiful people, and cats, had doors held open for them.

Seeing that he liked both, she placed a few more hard treats inside of his box, then got to work on a chicken wing to strip it of the chicken. She did her best to avoid any breading or too much sauce, as it wasn't healthy for cats - or any pet really. In her last few years, she has had to tell many a pet-parent that feeding them table scraps is harmful to their health. But, a little chicken here and there wouldn't hurt.

Once she had a sizable amount of boneless chicken ready for him, she leaned to place it in the box as well. After cleaning her fingers, she reached to gently stroke his fur again.

"I wonder who is missing you right now..." She longed to pick him up and feel his luxurious fur against her face. "You must have a home. I would love to keep you, but imagine the heartbreak your human would feel..."

[Lucky]

Yes, good, good. She was going to be a useful ally in Lucky's solo campaign--to become the most pampered cat this side of town. As he worked his way through the dry treats, he briefly looked up to see her stripping off pieces of chicken. If a cat could have grinned, Lucky would have at the moment. He had a nice box, a nice human and most importantly--treats!

It was as he started in on the chicken that someone knocked at the girl's door, startling him. Lucky's head shot up like lightning, eyes widening and pupils expanding. He glanced in the direction of the door, wondering who was interrupting his meal time--and whether they were friend or foe.

[Hana Choi]

Hana was more than pleased with the day thus far. She may have been planning on going on a hike and reconnecting with nature after being a hermit for so many days, but meeting sweet kitties was absolutely a contender for just as perfect of a day as a hike could have been. After letting the kitty snack, she planned on working him gently toward letting her pick him up so that she could get a feel for his shoulder where ID chips usually lived. She had a reader in her car, but what would be the point of going down there if he didn't have one to read anyway?

Just as Hana picked up a second chicken wing to begin stripping, a knock came to the door. Her head turned, but her body did not budge for a moment as she juggled ideas of who could possibly be there. Her mother was working... Oh! Having no other friends in town, her mind settled on Logan.

"Just a minute!" she called in a sweet tone, stripping more chicken as fast as she could, then grabbing her paper towel to clean her fingers as she shuffled toward the door.

Feeling confident in her guess, she swung the door open with a broad smile set on her lips. It faded slightly at the sight of her visitor, not for disappointment, but for surprise. She had been completely wrong. He was just as tall, just as handsome, but certainly not her high school friend Logan. His handsomely strong cheekbones seemed oddly familiar, but otherwise she was entirely unaware of who he was.

Pressing her smile back into the corners of her mouth, Hana hung a hand on the door knob and pulled it behind her a little so that the cat-of-unknown-name behind her might not feel so nervous.

"How can I help you?" Her tone was friendly, but resembled that of a receptionist.

[Sean Yun]

Sean was taken aback when some chick beat him to the stairs; he let her go on ahead of him but was mildly bemused by the flash of a long white, fluffy tail. It looked like that asshole cat that always came sniffing around, acting like it was so much better than everyone. Yeah, Sean knew it was crazy and weird to hold that much of a grudge against a cat but he could've sworn that cat had it out for him every time he came around to visit Logan.

Case in point: one time a flower pot fell from the fourth storey and almost killed him! When he looked up, he saw that white cat swiping another pot off the balcony and dodged it just in the nick of time. Another time, he was hurrying down the stairs and the cat tackled him around the ankles, causing him to pitch forward. He nearly broke his neck—but quick reflexes saved his ass. Taking pot shots at people didn't seem to be in its normal MO. Sean had seen it schmoozing with other tenants so he knew it was capable of not acting like a little asshole.

Just for some reason, it hated him.

But whatever, it seemed to have gone now. Sean still looked over his shoulder suspiciously as he got onto the landing, to make sure that cat wasn't going to come flying at him with a knife in its mouth. He wouldn't put it past that psychotic furball. Nothing, though, came flying at him, so he breathed a sigh of relief and headed down the hall.

The previous night while working at the club, a woman had slipped her number into his underwear—with a hundred dollar bill. Intrigued, Sean called her back and arranged to meet her for a—ahem—private session. He made it clear that there would be no sexual favors exchanged but he didn't mind putting on a show for an interested client if they paid well enough. Hey, a buck was a buck, right? In a small town like this where nobody was rolling in cash, every dollar counted. So good-natured, easy-going Sean was out to make a quick buck.

And when the door opened, it was that girl from earlier! She was grinning at him, her eyes lighting up as she appeared from behind the door. Sean grinned back, just as wide. "Hey!" Her tone turned a shade frostier—or maybe just more reserved—but his grin persisted. "I'm not late, am I? I know you said around ten but traffic was murder downtown. Ready for your private show?"