Seated primly on top of a flat rock, Lucky looked like the very picture of beauty, with his long, neatly groomed white fur rippling gently in a soft wind. That image was shortly shattered when his ear itched and he lifted a hind leg to scratch it viciously. The bell on his collar tinkled softly with the sudden motion, but stilled when the itch subsided.
He was waiting here for a friend--a special friend, as he had told his brother Jinx. A pretty friend, that orange tabby who showed up one day out of the blue. Lucky wasn't sure if he was a shifter or a real cat, but he liked the way that his friend looked up to him, and seemed willing to do everything that he dictated. And since Lucky was the bossiest cat around--certainly in his own household--he demanded a certain level of obedience.
As he waited, Lucky glanced around. He thought wistfully of the human friend that he had made here, the one who used to come and pet him and feed him tidbits of treats. Where had that human gone? He seemed nice. Lucky might even have tried to meet him as a fellow human--or in human guise, anyway--given enough time together. Naturally, he had to make sure that the human was safe before revealing himself.
That human didn't come today, though. His new friend did instead, trotting up in the distance, and Lucky merely blinked slowly. He could only make out the vague shape of a cat in the thick fog, but he knew straight away who it was. His tail twitched. He meowed in friendly greeting as his tabby friend approached and deigned to leap down from the rock, sauntering over to give him an affectionate nuzzle.
A creepy fog had taken over the whole town and Hunter didn't feel safe at all, he made his way to Lucky, he felt safe with him he was the only shifter he knew that lived as a cat, not a human. He could sense Lucky when they first met, he was human when he met Lucky, such a friendly cat, and beautiful. Hunted even joined him on some adventures around town.
But today Hunter was on the run he was not visiting Lucky to play and lounge around. He needed to stay under the radar. He could see his silhouette of Lucky in the distance. "Meooww~" He greeted him back. He lowered his head as he was nuzzled he couldn't help himself he began to purr. He ran his head down Lucky's side his tail whipped softly across Lucky's face.
The greeting was a pleasant one, it almost had him forget he was being hunted. "Did you miss me?" He meowed out with a crack as he purred.
He hadn't thought any of this through, he just knew he was going to stay a cat as long as he could. His grandparents and mother where human his father is the one that passed along the shifter blood so he was running from them too they had no idea he was a shifter. He was too scared to tell them, he felt like he was on his own. Lucky made this life look so easy.
"Maybe," Lucky replied coyly, with a swish of the tail. His ears twitched; he thought that he heard something like a soft footstep but when he turned his head to look, nothing was there--nothing except the fog.
But it was true that he missed his pretty new friend, although he would never outright admit to it. Lucky was definitely cat-like in that regard; he skirted around all the lines, too fickle to commit to any one thing.
"Where did you go?" His new friend had been gone for a little while, although invariably he came back. Lucky sat down primly, tail curling around his paws. His ears twitched again. Was that another footstep? Or was he just hearing things because he was (truthfully) a little spooked by the fog?
Lucky's tail was like a ribbon the way it moved, it caught Hunter's eye. It was weird the way he felt when he admired Lucky. Like, he was very handsome and that was weird for Hunter to think a cat is handsome. He was also new to this cat things so everything that moved stole his attention. He himself didn;t hear anything he was to focused on Lucky.
"I had some stuff to deal with," He sat down in front of Lucky and wrapped his tail around the front of his paws, blinking slowly he watched Lucky's ears twitch and tilled his head.
Licking his nose before he spoke a little nervous. "I have no home and I have never been on my own before I was wondering if I could stay with you for a little." He looked away in the surrounding fog his tail twitched an uneasy feeling crept up. "Just till I find a new home?" He blinked again and looked to Lucky with his big eyes; as if they would convince him to say yes.
This was out of the blue and it's not like Lucky owed him anything he really had no reason to help him out he was just really hoping he would otherwise he was on his own and being on his own was proving very hard.
Hmmm. Too busy to visit Lucky?
He would have feigned indignation had his new friend not continued. Lucky's tail flicked a little, up and down, as he digested the information. Stay with him? For a little while? There were already four other cats living in the same home with him--but of course, Lucky was Top Cat. Ezra probably wouldn't mind. Even if he did, Lucky imagined that he could persuade Ezra into letting his new friend stay.
Look at him. He was so pretty.
"Okay," Lucky said simply, but with the air of a King granting a favor. "But... are you a cat? Or a shifter?"
"Really?" His eyes lit up and stood on all fours excited at the news. He really didn't want to be out in the fog alone during the day or night. Well, he didn't want to be alone at all. He was being hunted and had no one to turn to for help, Lucky was a long shot.
His tail whipped side to side, "Well, I guess I am both?" He joked, "Why do you ask? Is it not okay?" He looked around still feeling uneasy. He thought that Lucky knew he was a shifter this whole time. But Hunter really didn't know anything about being a shifter, like he had no history of his family he didn't even know who his father was. All he knew about shifting was from his personal experiences.
"Your a shifter right? But you stay as a cat rather than human form. I kinda have to do that. I am no longer safe out there." He looked over his shoulder. "A hunter found me and where I lived, I ran away my grandparents are human and I wanted to keep them out of it." He loved them but felt they wouldn't understand he left them without telling them. He thought it was for the best they were safer with him not being there.
This was all very heavy he was unsure if the offer would still stand with this information.
Hmmm a shifter... Lucky thought that he felt something different about this one. He didn't really know for sure, though. Still, it was nice to find out that he was a shifter instead of an ordinary cat. In Lucky's not-so-humble opinion, shifters were far more superior than regular old cats.
"It's okay," he said simply, not giving anything away. Lucky played it cool, of course--always. He blinked, however, at the mention of hunters and then let out a soft snort of amusement. "Ezra is a hunter..."
But clever Lucky, he stole in right under Ezra's nose and Ezra didn't suspect a single thing. A smug expression crossed his face--if a cat could look smug. "It's okay. Ezra will protect us, if we stay as cats."
Wow, Lucky was freaking smart and a bit of an ass for doing that. He was unsure how he felt about living with a hunter, what if this guy knew the one that was after him. What if he happened to shift back while he is sleeping at Ezra's feet wakes up to Hunter not a cat? Hunter had never tested how long he could stay shifted so this could be bad.
Bashfully he looked away, "I haven't stayed like this for more than two days," his ears lowered, "I am new to this, I'm a hybrid I couldn't shift until after my 16th birthday. I work up as a cat, so yeah, I am new I am only 17." Hunter stood up and did a little circle.
"I thought I was alone till I met you. I never ran into another cat shifter until you." His tail wagged
"I guess what I am saying is I don't have control over this yet." Hunter felt discouraged he was going to have to go on his own, He couldn't put them both in danger to have a roof over his head. Lucky knew what he was doing he was in control, Hunter ran away when he first woke up as a cat and that happened to be the two days. Hunter couldn't figure out how to shift back. Ever since then he went for a few hours in between the two.
He blinked at Lucky with his big eyes, asking for help without asking. If it felt like it was his idea he would be more likely to do it.
Ah, a new shifter. The tip of Lucky's tail twitched a few times. He was a born shifter, one in a litter of many, so he came into his abilities naturally. Lucky had lived most of his life as a cat, once he discovered that humans had to work too hard to earn a living. That was just too troublesome for him. Once he found a suitable human, he insinuated himself right into his life.
"Hmm... you don't have to stay with Ezra all day," he mused. It wasn't as if Lucky could do anything about his new friend's situation; he wasn't part of Lucky's litter, after all. As a cat shifter, Lucky could only shift between cat and human form. Cats had an easier time of hiding, but otherwise he wasn't some all-powerful being who could solve all of his friend's problems.
"But I don't know what else you want me to do."
That was very true Hunter didn't have to stay with Ezra all the time. "I didn't think of that sorry I am just a little out of it." He was scared and he ran away so he had a lot going on in his head, common sense was falling short as his worries took over. He had no friends and was picked on daily Hunter found his happiness in photography. He would spend hours alone wandering the town looking for his next work of art.
That was one thing he would miss doing, cats can't hold cameras very well. How photos save a moment in time for others to see was something profound and it spoke to Hunter, he started at 11 with a cheap camera he had received for his birthday; who knew it would be the source of his happiness and joy. He was part of the yearbook club he thrived when he shared his ideas but never felt like he quite fit in.
"Yeah, but you are doing more than enough letting me stay with you and stuff." His left eat twitched a little and he licked his lips. "You know you're, like the towns unofficial mascot like everyone knows you. You get around a lot."
It was good up until Hunter made it sound like he 'got around' and after a moment, Lucky let out a soft snort of amusement. Surely that wasn't intended to be insulting--like Lucky slept around. (Which, admittedly, he did... but that was beside the point.)
"And you're just trying to butter me up," he purred, tail flicking slowly, in high good humor. Well, Lucky did like to be praised. A lot. He practically thrived on compliments, and wasn't shy about fishing for them at all.
"If you're human, change back. I want to see your human form." He looked around; not likely that anyone would be out here, and the fog was so thick that nobody could easily spy on them. But just in case, he stood and flicked his head in the direction of an old barn, some distance away. "Let's do it in there." In case the hunters hunting him tracked him down, Lucky didn't want him to be changing out in public.
"I soo am not buttering you up, you really are like well known. I don't know how else to say it." Hunter answered playfully. When Hunter interacted with Lucky as a human outside his place he seemed so much more like a cat and not like a shifter. But now that Hunter has spent time with Lucky as a cat he saw him in an all-new light he was no longer an animal but as a being.
All his life he looked at animals as nothing but animals, they had no real thought all they did was eat, sleep, and shit. That all changed when he became a cat and befriended a cat shifter. Lucky had his own ideas, want's and needs he also formed relationships and could comprehend a complex situation and make an intelligent decision. Hunter didn't understand his ability at all and was hoping to get some help from Lucky, He was being pretty helpful now.
"Now? Here?" He asked a little shocked at the request."Okay." His heart raced as they walked to the barn, He had never shifted in front of someone. It was kinda brutal, the transformation. He felt a little nervous as they walked into the barn. "Will you show me your human form? I mean you don't have to I am just asking is all." Hunter stumbled over his words making things weird when it didn't need to be.
"Maybe," was Lucky's mysterious response as he padded silently into the dark barn. It was true that he didn't have to change back if he didn't want to. Lucky was his own master, after all. Sometimes, Ezra thought that he was the master but Lucky just laughed--or smirked, because cats couldn't exactly laugh it up.
He chose a spot near the back with a good view of the door--in case anyone felt like barging in. Lucky hopped up onto a dusty crate and sat down; his eyes reflected bright green in the weak light spilling into the barn from a slit in the door. "Okay, change back."
Trotting over to the spot Lucky chose Hunter nodded. "K," He said nervously his heart was pounding now about to burst out of his fluffy chest. He closed his eyes and he concentrated willing his body to shift back. It was like channeling this inner switch, it's like how electricity runs throw powerlines it ran throw his veins His fur was shedding as his bones expanded and shaped back into his human skeleton. He was sort of curled up in a ball once the transformation was done. It was painful for him he wasn't acquired to it just yet.
Hunters hair was a wavy mess, the top of his head and his arched back was all that was visible to Lucky up until he lifted his head and slowly rolled his spine sitting up. Running a hand through his hair to pull the hair from his face so he could see, "Well here I am." He gave Lucky a crooked smile and looked up at the pretty white cat with his big blue eyes.
He hadn't questioned why Lucky wanted to see his human form he just went along with it, he thought he must have had a good reason. He sat on the staw cover barn floor completely nude awkwardly. "Am I anything like what imagined?' Hunter has a thin frame with pale skin and a mane of untamed hair.
Lucky was simply curious--and they did say that curiosity killed the cat, but he'd done pretty well for himself so far. Besides, it was natural to wonder what his new friend looked like as a human, now that Lucky knew that he was a shifter and not simply an ordinary cat.
He waited patiently and when the cat before him morphed into a human--a naked and disheveled human--he let out a soft meow. In their current states, he supposed that communication was a little difficult. While Lucky could understand human speech somewhat, he wasn't the best at speaking himself; at most, he had broken and terrible grammar.
After a moment's seeming contemplation, Lucky hopped off his perch. He walked a circle around the human before him, inspecting him from every angle. Then Lucky stopped in front of him and blinked a few times. Not bad. Skinny, though. Probably because he'd been on the run, and hadn't had much to eat, Lucky thought. Well, that could be remedied in time; Lucky could get him all the food he wanted, from friends all over the city.
No shortage of suckers around this place.
He sat swishing his tail for a beat or two, and then his own form began to change, elongating and stretching. Paws became hands; the tail shrank and legs formed. A torso emerged, and then Lucky was sitting opposite him, with the same slightly lofty look that the cat had worn. "What name?" His voice was a little rough; it wasn't often that Lucky found himself speaking using the human throat.
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?"
"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."
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.
"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."
"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.
"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.
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."
"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.
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.
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.
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?"
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.
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.
"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.
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.
Lucky being a well-fed cat, he wasn't in as much of a hurry to finish his meal as Hunter. He glanced over a few times, amused by the way that the food disappeared from Hunter's plate. It was good... but was it that good? Most likely, Hunter was only hungry, but hopefully that would change once Lucky showed him the ropes.
After he finished eating, Lucky sat back and delicately licked his paws. There was still half a plate's worth of food on his platter, which he idly picked at while waiting for Hunter to finish his meal, and then he stood up. The cook was nervously eyeing them and almost immediately, snatched away their plates and hustled them out. Lucky barely knew what happened before he was outside again, staring at the closed door.
"...that was rude," he muttered, visibly affronted.
They were kicked out and the door shut behind them, Hunter could help feels like the cook was acting strange. He didn't know the man but he seemed very anxious and antsy, " Ah, yeah that was. is he always like that?" Hunter was sure he knew the answer but he still had to ask it's not like Lucky could read his mind. "I wonder who his master is and why he's so scared."
Hunter was starting to get uncomfortable and worry himself. He was now thinking the hunter that is after him somehow has something to do with whatever was going on here. He knew it was a silly worry but he couldn't shake it, he really didn't feel safe. He wondered if he could ever feel safe again. Being apart of the supernatural world opened up so many more dangers now that he was known about he feared other now knew and it would spread like wildfire. He just wanted to be a normal teen, be cool and have friends in his school not be on the run in fear of his life.
"Maybe we should take a peek in and see what all the fuss is about?" Hunter suggested he wanted to make she his hunter wasn't here he needed that peace of mind to ease his worry. But he would only do so if Lucky did he was a scary cat to go alone.
"...hmm..." Lucky's tail swished back and forth as he gave thought to Hunter's proposition.
What was that saying? Curiosity killed the... dog?
The cook's abnormal behavior worried Lucky, but only insofar as losing another source of food. Lucky was well-fed because he kept tabs on places like these, and made sure that they stayed operational. The inn was always good for a meal and the cook was generous. He would have hated to have anything happen to such an easy meal ticket.
"Maybe. Let's go around to the side and see if we can sneak in." At the very least they could observe the cook and see what he was so nervous about.
Hunter followed Lucky wondering what was going on his mind came up with a few things, logical things at first. Maybe they were being inspected so they couldn't be in the kitchen. Or the manager was making rounds? Then the not so realistic thought came up, what if the cook was some kind of servant to some higher up, like a ghoul and his master was checking on him? That was about all he came up with on the walk to the side of the inn
There happened to be a window that was partly open, "Look, Lucky should we go through the window?" The screen as a small tear in it they could rip it open some more once they stuck their head in. This had Hunter's adrenalin picking up he had no idea what they were getting into it was cool but scary at the same time. He felt like everyone that saw him knew he was a shifter not just a cat so it freaked him out a little.
"Good find!" Lucky missed the torn screen but Hunter was right--they could widen it and slip through without anyone being the wiser. As a completely white cat, Lucky didn't like his chances of going undetected for long but he could still poke around a little. It wouldn't really hurt; and anyway, he was sure that even if they were caught, they could find a way out. It was a hotel, for god's sake--it wasn't like a prison, with no doors and windows.
With an energetic leap, he made it onto the windowsill and slid a paw into the opening. The screen wasn't one of those steel things, thank goodness--just some cheap plastic mesh. Lucky clawed at it experimentally and managed to rip the screen partly away from the bottom. "Come in after me," he called down quietly to Hunter, and then poked his head inside first. With his superior vision and hearing, he tried to make out the sounds from inside, but it was all quiet.
Carefully, Lucky eased his body inside, and then lightly hopped down from the window into the hallway of the hotel's lower level.
Hunter felt a little proud being praised by Lucky. He was eager to get inside and see what was going on. He was a tiny bit scared but he felt like not much would happen to them, they would get shooed away at most. This being a cat had its perks, no real responsibility it was nice. Hunter could see why Lucky lived the way he did. But Lucky and Hunter were different, Hunter wasn't a full shifter just half, and from his father's side. He knew nothing about his father but he could see why his mom wasn't with him. Why would a human want to be with a shifter?
He thought of so many different stories of what happened between his parents, maybe his mother found out and left him or his father didn't want some halfling. Hunter felt like he didn't belong to either side of them. He thought the humans wouldn't love and except him and the shifters would never see him as equal. Hunter was alone in this, he worried Lucky would push him away.
He watched as he jumped up, his tail wagged, "Will do," He called back to Lucky. Once he was completely through, Hunter lept up poking his head in looking for Lucky before he slid all the way in. Dropping to the ground he let a grunt out. He was still getting used to being on all fours. "Let's go this way," He called out as he made his way up the hall. Each step was filled with bounce. He was ahead of Lucky he was eager to see what was so important they were booted out so fast.
Hunter stopped abruptly when he heard heavy footsteps in the distance. The steps were vibrating on the wooden floor and echoing. His fur stood up his spine and a tail bushed out. "Where do we go?" He frantically asked Lucky, they were in a hallway with rows of doors. He didn't know if they were headed towards them or if they were in the clear. He was freaking at this moment.
Lucky skulked in the shadows like a born thief, not quite so brazen about wandering down the hallway as Hunter. On high alert, he slipped down the hall silent as a wraith, until he too heard the echoing, reverberating footsteps. "This way!" Lucky hissed--literally--as he turned and made for a small set of stairs to their left, streaking across the empty hallway.
Even going down the stairs at a headalong run, Lucky was quiet. He wasn't a particularly fat cat, for all of his gluttonous ways--being an outdoors cat afforded him more exercise than the usual tame housecat. Down, down, down he went, to the bottom of the stairs, where a closed door awaited. Lucky looked frantically around; it sounded like the footsteps were now coming down the stairs!
"Quick! In here!" He pounced on a stack of boxes, wiggling in between them to get to the back, where he wedged himself up against the wall. Not a moment too soon, either, as a monstrous shape filled the stairwell. Lucky scarcely breathed as he poked half a head out. No need to tell Hunter to be silent, he thought--only an idiot would make noise now!
The monster approached and Lucky's heart nearly pounded out of his chest, but the large, dark shape passed them by. Then a smaller, slighter shape appeared behind it--Ryan, the inn's owner. Lucky's eyes widened. Ryan? With this thing? He watched as Ryan approached the closed door and held out a hand. His fingertips touched the door and it melted. That was what it looked like; the door melted away, exposing darkness beyond. The monstrous shape rumbled out a sound in a language that Lucky didn't understand, and then stood back to allow... something to emerge from the doorway.
Tall, dark shapes filtered out from beyond the dark room, hooded and cloaked. They passed Ryan, passed the monster bodyguard, and glided silently up the steps.
Tailing right behind Lucky they made their way down the stairs and he shuffled right behind feet slipping on the floor as he tried to run as fast as he could. He might have the left some scratches behind on the wood floor. He wasn't as graceful as Lucky with the scratching on the floor.
Hunter slipped in between the boxes piled up pushed up against Lucky, "This is it I am going to die, Why me? I am too young for this." Raced in his mind his heart pounding. His eyes widened as Lucky peered out to who was with them. If his eyes could speak they would be saying "Are you crazy?"
Lucky's reaction to whatever passed frightened Hunter but he was now curious and he too peeked out. What Hunter saw was something he hadn't seen before. He wondered what it was saying? His voice is that what you would call it sent a shiver down his spine.
But seeing the dark cloaked things float by had him almost pass out, He swallowed hard and hide back behind the box. This was like some of the end of the world shit happening right in front of them. His life was flashing before his eyes, he was not born to fight he can not handle this what ever this is.
Lucky swore Ryan looked in their direction as he swept out at the back of the line of odd creatures, but if he did, he said nothing. Even so, a cold chill ran down Lucky's spine. It persisted; his fur stood on end, until he was one giant puffball of white. He ducked back behind the boxes quickly, even though he was sure that no one could see him--not unless they had x-ray vision.
It wasn't long before they were all gone again, and when Lucky peered out, the door was back in place and the small room that they were in was empty. He stayed where he was for a long minute, silent, watchful, alert. Then he began to ease himself out. "Come on, let's get out of here," he said as quietly as he could to Hunter--not easy, because cats couldn't whisper for their lives.
Lucky crept out, taking it one step at a time. He paused often to listen for sounds but it was all mostly quiet in the hotel again. Ryan, the giant monster, the other tall, cloaked things--all gone. When he poked a head out to look into the hallway, it was barren and empty. "Let's make a run for it, Hunter!"
Hunter had no idea what was going on but he didn't like it one bit. The air had a very bad ora when those things came out. Frozen from fear he stayed put even after they had left. Hunter couldn't agree more he wanted out, this was bigger than he thought and scarier than his hunter. He let out a small meow agreeing.
When Lucky said run he did, he ran as fast as he could back up the stairs and to the window, they had come in from his heart pounding. Hunter was now worried about more than his hunter what were those things and what are they doing here?
Once outside he looked at Lucky fear covering his face? "What were those thing? Let's get the hell out of here." The two were lucky they weren't caught, who knows what would've happened to them.
Well, Lucky lived up to his name of being lucky, because they made it out without being discovered. Lucky was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief as he jumped back through the same window that they had snuck in through. He hot-footed it away from the hotel, into the stretch of woods beyond, and only when he was a reasonable distance away did he feel it safe to speak to Hunter again.
"We need to split up. There's an old cabin at the end of this trail. You can hide there for tonight. The hunters don't come around here because it's too close to town, so you should be safe."
He craned his head to look beyond Hunter, trying to spot movement. Safe, for now. "I'll come find you tomorrow morning. Stay quiet, and if you hear anything, there's a hiding spot behind the pile of wood." Hunter would be able to find it; it was visible at cat-height, but not at human-height. Lucky reached out with a paw, gently patting Hunter's paw with it.
"Don't worry. You'll be safe in the cabin." He turned and with a leap and a bound, disappeared through the trees, weaving his way back into town. Lucky wanted answers. What was Ryan doing with those tall, hooded things? Were they the same ones that Lucky had seen entering the houses of humans?