Catch-all for Sleeper, OTA

[definecat]

WHO: Sleeper and YOU!
WHEN: Latter half of January
WHERE: Various locations in Etraya
WHAT: Feline Mischief!
NOTES\WARNINGS: not yet



1. Catch as Cat Can

Out of all the things the feline-shaped creature had expected to hatch out of those weird eggs, a vocal worm was not one of them. The size of a small snake, the thing was an escape artist, too. And trying to keep track of it was fast becoming a nightmare. The quiet squeaks it makes moving around are just enticing enough to make it hard to ignore at the best of times.

So they chase, but every time they catch the damned thing, it squirms free again with a triumphant squeak and seems to quickly vanish again.

"You have got to be someone's idea of a joke!" Sleeper growls, having had yet another successful pounce. They can't even gloat, because the thing shrieks like a dog toy on steroids, and...yep, off again.

"I hate you." Noticing they've been observed, the cat turns and looks over their watcher, and huffs a sigh. "Not you, the egg-worm. Everyone else gets adorable pets, I get a new bane of my existence."

2. IM IN UR HOWZ WATCHIN U SLEP

One thing Sleeper is very good at is getting into places they probably shouldn't. So it's probably no wonder than they end up doing the creepy cat thing of finding ways into private spaces to lurk and stare. Maybe you were asleep and wake up to the faint reflection of red eyes, or are lost in a book or your work. Whatever you were doing, you now have an audience, wanted or not.

3. Wildcard option

[Other ideas, places, things to do with the cat? Hit me up. I'll also be happy to write new starters if you have something specific in mind.]

Comments

1

[leastdramatic]

Both Jason and his blackbird, now named Steinbeak, stare as the catlike being fights over their worm toy. Jason had figured everyone who bothered to take care of their eggs would get a companion who was more... amendable. The scene before him and his bird looks more like a punishment.

"What is it?" He asks.

[definecat]

"I think it's this place's idea of a cat toy. Squeaks and runs away. Every. Damn. Time."

And it's driving them up the wall an onto the ceiling in frustration.

2

[godsandbats]

As usual, Kirk is in his lab in the Tower of Justice. He's used to working for hours on end in silence. Even with his recently acquired American robin, he still has plenty of days like that. Today was another day of Schrödinger actually behaving himself in his cage while Kirk was making another batch of artificial plasma.

Then Schrödinger chirped. It wasn't his usual playful chirping though. It was more like a startled sound. Kirk turns to where Schrödinger is looking.

"How...?"

Kirk could swear he didn't hear or smell an alien cat come in and his bird would've alerted him sooner.

[leastdramatic]

Steinbeak flies down closer to the worm out of curiosity.

"Isn't that a good thing? No batteries to run on," he says.

[definecat]

"Oh, you finally noticed."

The catlike being is blending very nicely with the shadows on a high shelf that they probably shouldn't have been able to get up to, let alone without making noise, but this was hardly an obstacle in their book.

"If I say catlike reflexes, will you believe me?"

[definecat]

"This thing would exhaust the Energizer Bunny."

Are they joking? Unfortunately know. The worm seems to only do two things. Try to provoke being chased, and escape the moment it's caught. Case in point, the thing starts wriggling and waving enticingly.

[godsandbats]

Kirk's brow remains furrowed as he looks up at Sleeper.

"No but it's impressive," he says.

And alarming. God, he and Hernan really need to get the Tower's security systems back up to scratch.

[leastdramatic]

Steinbeak can't help himself as edge closer to the worm.

"Don't suppose you could pin it with something else besides paws?"

[definecat]

"When I don't want to be seen, I won't be. No matter how good your senses are."

It's just that simple. They have the capacity to shape themself into whatever they desire. Being made of a malleable substance has many advantages. Leaving no sight, scent or noise is easy enough.

"What are you doing? Smells like blood, but not."

[definecat]

The worm doesn't seem to distinguish who the hunter is, but seems to know that the red-winged blackbird has joined this hunt. Wriggling forwards and back, the thing continues to make a tempting target before zipping out of easy reach and starting the dance again.

"Paws, jaws, even enclosing it in a ball of matter doesn't seem to prevent escaping. It's very...impressively annoying."

[godsandbats]

Sleeper's statements interest Kirk. Usually he's the one with the best sense of smell.

"Artificial plasma," he calmly replies. "You have an advanced form of camouflage? Scents are harder to blend with as opposed to visuals."

[leastdramatic]

Steinbeak's engrossed now. The worm looks like a very enticing meal as he stalks it again.

"Seriously?" Jason says, while imagining the worm in a hamster ball. "How'd it escape that?"

[definecat]

"Not if you don't produce any or allow the molecules of others to be absorbed by your substance. It's a lot easier when you have complete control over your substance, however."

How they do it isn't something most biological creatures can copy. Skrulls come close, but they never quite pay enough attention to the minutiae.

"Why would one need artificial plasma? I don't know that people really get sick here."

[definecat]

"When I figure it out, I'll tell you," they growl. Clearly Jason has hit upon a sore subject.

[godsandbats]

"Most don't," Kirk replies. "But I have a chronic condition I still have to keep under control, even here."

It's not a lie. "Chronic condition" is one way to describe his vampirism.

[leastdramatic]

Steinbeak attempts to snatch the worm again with his beak.

"No chance of getting rid of it either?" Jason asks, with a hint of amusement watching his own bird play with the toy.

[definecat]

"And that condition requires a regular infusion of plasma? Unusual for a humanoid."

And no, they didn't say human, because even they can tell he isn't a normal human.

[definecat]

Sleeper watches the worm and bird get engrossed in a game of keep-away. If the bird is smart they stand a chance of catching, but they won't be able to keep it.

"I wouldn't know. Maybe I can interest you in a slightly-used squeaking worm?"

[godsandbats]

Kirk isn't surprised that Sleeper can tell. If they can manipulate their own scent and smell artificial plasma from far, then they would naturally sense Kirk's own non-human features.

"Yes," he says. "My body burns and stores energy differently so my dietary requirements are very limiting."

[leastdramatic]

The bird proceeds to jump onto the worm next, hoping to capture it with his claws.

"Nah, Steinbeak keeps me busy as it is," Jason says, amused.

[definecat]

"I understand that. I've been having to make do with inferior chocolate and what I can hunt since getting here. The animals don't seem to suffer a population decrease, I am happy to say," they comment, with a tail-flick of annoyance.

"Even chemokinesis needs the right building blocks to start from."

[definecat]

The bird manages to get their claws on the worm long enough to start to look triumphant before...

*SQUEAK*

And the worm is off again.

"He seems to be enamored. I could really use a break from all the squeaks. It's making it hard for certain people to sleep. And Venom is threatening to eat it."

[godsandbats]

Kirk's indignation at Sleeper sneaking in is still there but now there's also a growing curiosity to just what they are. They seem surprisingly open so far.

"What do you need to eat?" He asks. Hunting animals for food is only natural but the mention of chocolate seems random.

[leastdramatic]

Steinbeak doesn't look like he's ready to give up yet. He's startled when the worm squeaks off but then he chases again.

"It's gotta give up eventually," Jasson says as he continues to stare.

[definecat]

"Certain hormones and amino acids are much easier to get from food than try to produce. Phenylalanine is a real pain in quantity."