Luck is on your side tonight

[Rholy]

Hunter was unsure what to think as he was being checked out by a cat. He watched as Lucky circled him shifting his weight to one side. He watched as Lucky shifted, it was his first time watching. It sure was a spectacle, Hunter felt a little uneasy just witnessing that. He said nothing and tried not to react.

He was not what he expected, Hunter didn't know what he imagined but this was not it at all. He was sure Lucky thought the same about him, Hunter was sure he didn't expect some skinny white kid but here he was in the buff. It was hard not to check him out. His eyes shot up to Lucky's face when he asked his name. "Hunter, Hunter Allen."

This was weird for Hunter not like ran away weird just he never interacted with a shifter like himself so he was just following his mentor's ques. He didn't seem to think it was weird to be chilling in the nude so he played it cool. "What's your name?"

[Lucky]

"Hunter," Lucky repeated, testing the name out in his rusty human speech, with his not often-used human throat. "Hun-ter..." He made a thoughtful face, angling his gaze up to the ceiling of the old barn, where some spiders had made their home, stretching large filmy webs across the beams that ran above their heads. It was an interesting name--also a funny one, since hunters were after Hunter.

He glanced back down at Hunter when he spoke again. "Lucky." Lucky's name was Lucky; it was the name that he was given as a kitten and he hadn't bothered finding a human name. He wasn't exactly on the humans' registry or anything; for all intents and purposes, he was a cat. He lived most of his life as a cat, rather than as a human--it was much easier getting by as a beloved pet, he found.

But something bothered him about Hunter, and after a moment, he reached out to touch Hunter's face with one hand. "Hunter..." Lucky squinted at him; without superior cat vision, it was harder to see. "Lucky know Hunter. Seen before?" Hunter looked like the human that used to feed Lucky just outside, by the rock where they'd met. Lucky leaned in even closer, blinking. "Seen before... yes."

[Rholy]

That's when he noticed him, Hunter always felt like he was a nobody easily forgettable but Lucky seemed to recognize him. "Yes, I used to feed you." He wrapped his arms around his knees and drew them in close. "That before I was hunted."

"You remember me?" His eyes widened. "I hope others have been feeding you well in my place. Like I said you are the town's mascot. How does Ezra feel about that?" He joked. With his broken speech, Hunter could tell Lucky spent most of his time as a cat. He was hoping his expertise would help him escape his hunter. The thing is he might be going out killing all the local cats just to find him. He wasn't sure if his hunter knew what he looked like shifted or not, He could be putting Lucky in danger. Hunter was at a loss for what to do that's why he came to Lucky.

[Lucky]

"Everybody likes Lucky," Lucky smiled, all but purring the words out loud. He wasn't short on confidence, and he definitely had a conspicuous lack of humility--that was what made Lucky, Lucky. It wasn't true that everyone loved him but the ones who fed him undoubtedly got the best of him. Lucky could be absolutely shameless when he wanted, cozying up to people, letting them pet and cuddle him, and in exchange he was fed and pampered.

"Ezra..." Lucky's smile grew a little dreamy. He could admit that he found Ezra extremely pleasing to the eye--for a mere human, that was. "Ezra doesn't know. When Ezra busy, Lucky go out of house. If Ezra home, Lucky home."

Sometimes Lucky visited his brother, Jinx, or he cruised the town looking for people to feed him. He had a few special haunts that he frequented, that he made a note to bring Hunter along to so that Hunter could also benefit. Scooting closer, Lucky unashamedly looked Hunter up and down. "Hunter nice looking for half shifter," he remarked casually. "But Hunter too thin. Need more food."

[Rholy]

"Oh, I get you now." Hunter had a soft smile on his face his chin rested between his knees.

With a bashful smile, he chocked out, "Thank you," he then laughed not knowing what else to do. He knew he was thin but did he look sickly to Lucky? "You're not so bad looking for a full shifter. I mean I've never met a shifter let alone watch one shift." He felt honored that Lucky shared this with him, but it didn't seem like it was common, so sticking together seemed smart.

"More food sounds amazing." He hadn't had much to eat but he was concerned for his life so finding food took second maybe ever third.

[Lucky]

"Hm. Lucky better looking as cat." Which was true; he was very proud of his long, white fur and he was obsessive about staying clean. Lucky didn't think he was dog-ugly as a human, but the reaction from people to his cat form compared to the reaction to his human form were almost day and night.

He reached out and patted Hunter's thin stomach. "Come, come. We find food. You change back. Think about cat body. Think hard, then become cat again." Then he was gone, his body compressing back into the long-haired white cat that stared expectantly up at Hunter, waiting for him to shift back into a cat.

[Rholy]

He was a very handsome cat Hunter wouldn't argue with Lucky. Hunter liked his human form more but that's just because he looked at his ability as a curse rather than a gift. Hunter still hasn't come to terms with what he is. He really never wanted to explore this side, it was pushed on him once his life was in danger.

Retracting as Lucky's hand come towards him Hunter let out a nervous laugh, he wasn't used to being this close to someone naked male or female. Hunter was a late bloomer. "Oh!," he squeaked as he was patted on the stomach.

He closed his eyes and tried to sync his breathing with his thoughts willing himself to change back. His limbs shrank his tail started to grow is skull shrinking his ears sprouted up and his orange fur began to fill his whole body.  Once he was fully changed he opened his eyes blinking a few times and his tail wagged a few times. "Sorry, it takes me so long. I'm still not used to this."

[Lucky]

"It's all right, you just need practice." Speaking as a cat allowed Lucky to be much more eloquent--and understandable. He stood up and glanced around the barn. Now that he had his cat's superior vision back, he could see that the barn housed some old farm equipment. An aged tractor sat off to one corner; some shovels and rakes were leaned up against the back wall. There were piles of moldy hay, too, that tickled Lucky's nose with the scent of decay.

"Come on, let's get some food." Since the barn offered nothing of particular interest, he padded outside. The fog was still thick, almost like a dense gray wall blocking their way. Lucky trotted forward at an easy pace.

"There are things in the fog," he said conversationally as he headed into town. It didn't unduly concern Lucky because the creatures never came after him; they went after humans, from what he had seen.

[Rholy]

It would take time to get used to shifting, he knew it but how much time? He was just getting into making shifting a thing. Hunter stretched out, his paws stretched open his butt up in the air his tail wagged. It was painful for him to shift for Hunter he wasn't used to it.

"Okay!" He said excitedly he trailed after Lucky. Looking around the area he couldn't see much in the distance with how heavy the fog was. It was weird and spooky it came out of nowhere. Hunter didn't know what to think of it other than the obvious.

"What kind of things?" He hadn't seen anything in the fog and he wasn't in a rush to see them either, whatever it was he was sure it wasn't friendly. He walked alongside Lucky keeping close, all this talk about the fog had him a little scared. He wasn't sure what the thought Lucky could do for him but he felt safer the closer he was. Being this small made them easy targets and he was looking to Lucky to show him what it's all about. He didn't know how to be a cat. 

[Lucky]

Being small meant that they were easy prey, but it also meant that they were harder to spot. Lucky knew all the ins and outs of the city--where all the good hiding places were and how to wiggle out of sticky situations. He was no stranger to run-ins with hunters and so far, he'd gotten out all right. He was banking on his natural clever cat senses and his knowledge to keep him--and Hunter, of course--safe.

"Dangerous things. Stay away from them," he replied coolly as he padded down the one-way dirt road into town. Not like they had beautifully paved roads in town anyway, but out here the paths weren't even paved. They were made by people trekking up and down the lane, or by cars running up and down. For a cat, though, the going wasn't too hard as long as they watched where they stepped.

"They don't bother me though," Lucky added as an afterthought, as his steps led towards the lone inn at the edge of town, where visitors to Hazleton frequently stayed. The Moonlight Inn was one of his favorite haunts--the cook always had a dish of something or other to slip him.

[Rholy]

The hair on the back of his neck stood up slightly hearing they were dangerous. He wondered if it had to something to do with the paranormal, and how it didn't effect Lucky. He hoped it would work the same way on himself, he really didn't want to play with danger. He was trying his best to avoid it. "Pretty lucky there." He snorted a little at his bad pun.

They made it to the Inn and Hunter could smell food, his tummy let out a growl. "Whatever that is it smells amazing." Hunter licked his lips and followed Lucky, he knew where to go. He wasn't sure when the last time he had eaten was. He would be grateful for anything at this very moment.

"They know you here too?"

[Lucky]

It was lunch time. At least, it smelled like lunch time and the closer they got to the Moonlight Inn, the stronger the scent grew. Lucky sniffed the air appreciatively too as he led Hunter around the modest-looking little building, and out back to a single door with a set of thin scratch marks near the bottom, where Lucky had taken to scratching to let the cook inside know that he was here.

He went right up to the door and scratched it a few times, making a loud rasping sound--louder in the relative quiet of the fog that had blanketed Hazleton. "He'll be out soon," Lucky reassured Hunter--who looked hungry enough--as he sat down to wait. It was a few moments before sounds of footsteps could be heard, and a few more before the door swung open.

Lucky got up and walked boldly inside, with a twitch of the tail indicating that Hunter should follow. The cook let out a sound of delight and bent to pet Lucky, who permitted it--briefly. "Meow," he said, looking up at the cook with big eyes.

[Rholy]

He was out of his comfort zone but he followed Lucky's lead and waited at the door and once it was opened he hesitantly walked in. Looking at the cook he let out a soft meow it was almost a cry, saying "Feed me."

He wasn't sure how the cook was going to react to him coming in he knew Lucky he didn't now Hunter. He was so hungry and once in the building, the smalls were all the more savory. He walked over to Lucky trying to make sure he knew he was with him. Hunter had no idea if he brought other cats here to eat with him.

"Is he cool with me here?" He asked.

[Lucky]

"Yes, he'll feed both of us. He likes cats," drawled Lucky as he watched the cook hustling to get his special dish--a blue-patterned china plate. That was Lucky's; he always received food on it.

But something about the cook struck him as being a little off, and Lucky peered closely at him. Did he look nervous? Maybe a touch over-excited? Lucky glanced at Hunter, but... well, Hunter wouldn't know if the man was off, would he? This was his first time being here. Maybe Lucky was only imagining it. There could be any number of reasons why a cook would seem stressed and jumpy.

"Here you go, friends," the cook murmured as he set down two dishes--one was Lucky's special blue-patterned one and the other was a green-patterned shallow dish. "You'll have to eat fast, though. The master will be back soon." He slid an anxious glance at the door.

Lucky would have frowned, had cats the capability to do so. Instead, he picked up a morsel of food. "Let's hurry," he said to Hunter. The master, huh? Sounded a little ominous, if you asked Lucky.

[Rholy]

Hunter watched as he brought over two dishes for them he was more than ecstatic to receive food. he let out an excited meow. The cook didn't have to tell Hunter twice her chowed down. "Okay," he said with his mouth full, he looked up from his dish with a bit of food hanging from his face. Lucky seemed like he had something on his mind. But Hunter disregarded it and continued to eat. Unaware of the cook's odd behavior.

Once he was done he licked his lips then his paw to wipe his face clean. His tummy was full and he was satisfied. He wondered why they had t rush out, now after the fact he pondered on what the man said his master? "Humans have masters?" Hunter thought.