[ action ]

[tempredmental]

Who: Keith and everyone who comes across him
Broadcast: No
Action: Huntress, Iskaulit
When: From today until the end of the drift period (Sept 25)

=====

Sept 19 - 22

[SURPRISE... Keith was small again. Except... this time? He didn't remember the Fleet. He's not as young as last time, either. There was some panic and angry lashing out at a few people to start, but, once he settled down, he started to explore.

He stuck mostly to the Huntress and the Iskaulit. He'd look familiar to anyone who knew Keith, really, and especially to those who had seen him de-aged last time (though he was a bit older than before). However, be prepared for grumpy stares and lack of trust. Keith was not trusting by nature thanks to how things went for him after his dad died. Adults were especially the bane of his existence.

Care to meet a young emo teen? He might have just pick-pocketed you.]

=====

Sept 23 - 25

[Keith stalked along the corridor, his paws padding softly on the metal floor. He'd woken up as a panther, but he wasn't going to just stay put in his room until it wore off. It was annoying, because he didn't have hands and he couldn't speak to anyone. It also meant he couldn't do his assigned job, either.

So, he was trying to pass the time by strolling around the Iskaulit. He was relying on others to get him back and forth between ships, and had gotten Lance to help him over there that morning so he could jog around the ship with Shiro for their normal routine. Granted, a panther jogging with a man that had dog ears and a tail wasn't exactly normal, but here they were.

It was hard to resist the catlike traits and something at the edge of his peripheral vision shifted, getting his attention. He froze, his tail twitching sharply, before suddenly dashing off down the hall.

Look out, passerby! That panther is about to run you over!]

Comments

[the_tailor]

[Lance lets out another shriek, though quieter this time. He scrambles back, heart pounding in his chest as he looks up at him.]

G-good kitty... Nice kitty... Please don't eat me...

[tempredmental]

[What? What the heck was he-... wait...

The panther stared, tail movements slowing a little as his nose twitched on picking up a scent.

He sat down, staring at his front paws on the blanket. This was definitely not normal. The animal looked perplexed as the situation slowly began to set in. Then, suddenly, his ears flicked back again with a soft growl. He jumped down from the bed, pacing anxiously for a second, and then smacked the door with a front paw.]

[the_tailor]

[Lance swallows hard, cautiously making his way over.]

Look, I don't know if you can understand me, but I think you're going to freak everyone out if you start just walking around without warning.

[tempredmental]

[His ears flicked and he chuffed a little, an annoyed sounding huff of a noise through his nose. He looked at the door, then back at Lance, twitching his tail. Then, he walked over, around behind Lance, and headbutted the back of Lance's legs, trying to push him towards the door.]

[the_tailor]

[Fine, god. The panther doesn't seem to want to kill him, at least, so he hopes it'll be the same for the rest of the crew. Lance takes a deep breath and hits the panel for the door, it sliding open.]

Don't just start running willy nilly everywhere. And don't eat anyone. Or any animals.

[tempredmental]

[He stared at the door for a moment, then back up at Lance, his tail flicking a little. He pushed Lance a little with his shoulder, like he was herding him somewhere.]

[the_tailor]

[Is this big cat trying to lead him somewhere? Well, fine then... It's not like he can do anything else right now. Lance sighs, heading in whichever way he's led, wondering just what in the quiznak is going on.]

[tempredmental]

[Yup... right to the transporter room. The panther knew what this was. He sat there expectantly.]

[the_tailor]

[The transporter room it is. But where the heck are they supposed to go from there? Lance finds it strange that the cat knows the layout of the ship, that it seems to be familiar with this all.]

[tempredmental]

[Cat staaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaare. Come on, Lance. The tail twitching was getting impatient.

Panthers also didn't normally have deep cobalt eyes that looked like the night sky.......]

[the_tailor]

[For a bit, he just stares at the panther, very confused as to what it wants. How is he supposed to pick a destination when he has no idea where it wants to go?

But as he stares, he takes note of the eyes staring back up at him. A color that strikes him as all too familiar, one he's never seen in anyone else. One that he gazes into very often.

He lets out a squeak.]

K--K--Keith?!

[tempredmental]

[The panther stood up, tail lifting slightly in response. He padded back to Lance and rubbed against his leg.]

[the_tailor]

[That...actually explains why he was in their bed. For the love of quiznak, though, seriously? Lance sighs as he reaches down, petting his head as best he can.]

Guess you've been glitched into a big ol' cat. Sorry dude. We're going to have to figure out some method of communication.

[tempredmental]

[Okay... so change of plans. No more transporter. Keith shifted so he was facing Lance, and then lifted himself up on his hind legs to put his front paws on Lance's shoulders. He put his head on Lance's shoulder then, too.

Have an affectionate panther.]

[the_tailor]

[...Oh!

Okay.

Right, Lance can deal with this. He thinks. Keith is kind of heavy, but he tries not to topple over, instead giving his head a little nuzzle with his cheek.]

Love you too. Uh, did you still want to go somewhere? The Iskaulit, the Blameless?

[tempredmental]

[Keith made a sound... a soft rumble in his chest that was similar to a purr, then shook his head a little. Nope. Now that Lance got it, there was no need to go looking for help.

But... breakfast would still be a good idea. He nudged his forehead against the side of Lance's face and then pulled back so he could drop down to all fours again. He gave Lance a look, and then started to walk out of the transporter room. He headed for the kitchen, glancing back a few times to make sure Lance was coming with him.]

[the_tailor]

[Fair enough. Lance follows along until they reach the kitchen. Right. Breakfast. Lance nods, giving Keith's fur a ruffle as he goes over to the refrigerator to open it.]

I think...we still have some meat from the last planet? There's not much left, but I could cook up a bit for you. Other than that, it's just the usual stuff.

[tempredmental]

[Keith stood there watching Lance for a moment, and then let out a small whining noise, flopping on to his side on the floor with a huffy panther sigh. He thumped the long tail on the floor in frustration.

Could a panther look annoyed and depressed? Yes... yes, it could.]

[the_tailor]

Aw, c'mon. You know I don't like the fake meat stuff any more than you do. ...ah! Here we go!

[He manages to pull out a small steak. Lance has always been careful to stock up as much on real food as he can while planetside, but they still have to ration.]

How about this? I'll just cook it a bit for you.

[tempredmental]

[Another somewhat grumbly whine, but he shifted so he wasn't flopped on the floor anymore. Keith knew he wasn't going to be able to do 'human' breakfast until this wore off, so... He gave a small huff and then managed a nod.]

[the_tailor]

[Poor kitty. First a kid, now a cat. Poor guy needs a break. Lance gets to cooking the steak just a little bit before sliding it onto a plate and placing it in front of Keith.]

Let me know if it, uh, needs seasoning or something?

[tempredmental]

[Keith got up and moved so he could settle in and sniff at what Lance put in front of him. Well, something like an animal instinct kicked in that really wanted it, even without anything fancy on it, so Keith grabbed it without even really thinking about what was going to happen next. He picked it up off the plate, momentarily considering giving in to the desire to hide his meal from potential thieves, before finally putting it back down and using one paw to hold it down and make it easier to tear into.]

[the_tailor]

[For now, Lance just watches, hoping the steak is to Keith's satisfaction. He's not exactly a pro when it comes to feeding panthers, but...]

If you're still hungry afterwards, I can try to make something else.

[tempredmental]

[Keith's tail flicked a little at the tip as he ate. It wasn't exactly pretty, but, then again, when was any wild predator chowing down on a kill pretty? Sorry, Lance. He'd answer and try to make dinner conversation, but that wasn't really possible at the moment. He did at least try to offer a purring-like noise between swallows as a way of saying thanks.]

[the_tailor]

[God, Keith is so...cute, for being, well, a wild predator. He leans against the counter, continuing to watch him with a little smile.

Well. Looks like he'll be catsitting for a few days.]