Cat crawling

[stalksindarkness]

Shadow here has been doing nightly patrols, starting from the Sigma Spire which he now lived, and throughout downtown and west side. West side seemed to be the more small time crooks, which he honestly preferred because they tended to pick on folks who couldn't really take care of themselves. Slow weekend though, it seemed.

Otherwise his plans were simple. Enjoy the warm weather, spend a dubious amount of time watching Ben's DVD box set of Sumo Slammers, and maybe get some time in at the park.

1. Catch Shadow on a patrol in the older neighborhood or downtown. He won't say no to the company, but if you want to cause him trouble...
2. On Saturday night, Shadow sneaks into an arcade after it closes. Beats having to deal with the crowds. Also the constant problem of him being a lion and people generally being afraid of him. At least he's paying?
3. Shadow now has his own room in the Sigma Spire. Why is there faint mewing coming from behind the door?
4. There's a lion on the soccer field! There's a lion on the soccer field. And of course the teenagers and the mothers are not all to happy about it. You'd think he'd have a more positive public relationship by now. Worst thing is all he wanted to do was play some ball!

Comments

[stalksindarkness]

Who said anything about that? I've heard some people eat kittens.

Doesn't mean you need to tell me everything.

Maybe Robin or Ben can talk to you and they can decide.

[Even though he hasn't told them about the kittens.]

[thesmartone]

"Ben? Do you mean Ben Ten?" She's very carefully trying not to betray that they're related.

[stalksindarkness]

"You know him? I mean he's just a regular guy and probably a better judge of character than I am." Okay sure he's lying but honestly he didn't really connect 'ben ten' to Ben Tennyson other than a shorthand version of his nickname.

"Do other people actually call him that?"

[thesmartone]

"..." Right, there was something lost in translation there and she's assuming it's because Ben picked Literally the closest thing he could to his actual name without announcing to the superhero and super villain community that his name is Ben Tennyson and he loves the color green.

"No, they don't. They call him Ben." Which will totally out him if Shadow puts two and two together when he hears his superhero name. Look Ben, you pick a name like that and you're bound to suffer some consequences. "Yeah, I know him."

[stalksindarkness]

That and He doesn't isn't sure he should let on how much he knows about the guy.

"Then I'll ask him. But if you want to see the kits, they're at the Sigma Spire. "

[thesmartone]

"I'm pretty sure I can't get in there."

[stalksindarkness]

"I kinda live there." Hmm. Maybe he should call Ben first?

He glances down at the Omega-watch he has strapped to his belt loops and he fishes for it... Darn. Lack of thumbs. He's sorta stuck.

"Maybe when it's not so close to the middle of the night either."

[thesmartone]

She nods. "It is a school night." And let's face it, Ben needed all the school sleep he could get.

[stalksindarkness]

"I didn't think school started in August?" Actually, what's even worse, is that he was worried they were going to make him go now. He flicks his ears back, momentary nervousness showing in his body language.

[thesmartone]

She refrains from making a comment about the cat not seeing Ben's grades. "It's never too early to start getting tutoring." She notices the body language chance and frowns. "Are you alright?"

[stalksindarkness]

"Rrr. Yeah. Just fine. Just I'm not about to let them put me in a school if I've got any say in it." Tutoring sounds just as bad as school was back home.

"But heh... What school is going to let a giant cat in anyway?"

[thesmartone]

"You've seen Venture City right?" They would probably let a talking T-Rex into that school.

[stalksindarkness]

"Yeah, I've been here two months! That doesn't mean something if I can't walk around five minutes without someone trying to put me in a zoo." namely, you, Lucky Girl.

[thesmartone]

"Hey, I just got back this past week." She was in 'normalland' before this. And by 'normalland' we mean outer space.

[stalksindarkness]

"So you come back and you're like that internet meme. 'It's a lion! Run! Get in the car!" Picking up that he's making fun of you?

"Too bad I can't shape shift like other superheroes." That magic watch of Ben's could be handy.

[thesmartone]

"I'm a superhero. I was trying to get you into the car." Seriously, she had this totally handled till you pounced her. "I thought you said you had a chip in your brain." Because you know, someone would WANT to be a cat.

[stalksindarkness]

Pft. Like she can drive.

"I couldn't talk after I turned into this. Not even like talking animal movies." His mouth really didn't move with his words, not quite. Every so often his mouth would close, but his speech was being projected from his mouth, closing on the softer sounds, or a more cat like vocalization to emphasize his mood.

"So they did surgery and--- Now I talk." Probably the most oversimplified explanation ever. He didn't seem to understand all the details himself.

[thesmartone]

"So the chip helps you talk?" Seriously, she thought it was what made him a cat.

[stalksindarkness]

"Yes. What else did you think it did?" Because it didn't make sense for a chip to do really anything else.

[thesmartone]

Well now she feels dumb. "I thought it was what made you a cat."

[stalksindarkness]

"Magic made me a cat, and gave me my powers. I don't think a chip in my brain could do all that." Doubt she knew anything about that, but then again, it was a fair mix of light and dark magic what created this beast.

[thesmartone]

"Magic? There's no such thing as magic."

[stalksindarkness]

"Okay so-- Explain how a little kid gets turned into a shadow walking lion then? The miracles of mad science?" He huffs, shaking his head.

"I don't think that's how science works."

[thesmartone]

"Or you have an alien ancestor."

[stalksindarkness]

Blank stare.

"My ancestors aren't aliens." Just, blank face.

"How do you even go from talking lion to alien?" You know, he isn't sure if he wants to explain it all. Can't we just leave it at magic?

"Magic is a thing. There's a magic shop a few blocks from here, you know."