A Treatise on the True Nature of Cats

[The Legion]

(OOC: This takes place well into the night of Whazzitmas Day 6, long after the diurnal residents of Ophyra's hut have gone to bed)

Tinker lay snuggled into the basket which held her precious egg, body curved lovingly around its opalescent shell. The tubby marmalade tabby snored softly in her sleep, a faint whistle of sound that was heartbreakingly adorable to those who appreciated such things. Every now and then her limbs would twitch as she dreamed, claws extended and retracting or legs stirring about, and the spastic white tip of her striped tail would flutter. For the most part, however, she slept deeply and calmly, relaxed and content in sleep in a way she rarely enjoyed while awake. No wonder she spent so much time dozing.

Mumford was playing quietly (for a kitten) with the amazing fantasy figurines - even though they had settled down for the night and were no longer animated, he enjoyed dragging them out to bat around. He might even have liked them more when they were inanimate, for they could not dodge his pounces and swipes the way they would during the day. Whenever he grew bored with one figurine he would leave it where it fell and go fetch out another from the little cubby they had furnished for themselves, pulling away the diaphanous shreds of fabric that made up their little nest and carrying them off one by one. The things would have presented a real hazard, scattered about like that, but Khaliizi had a much greater love of order and trailed after Mumford, retrieving each fallen figuring and returning it to the nest.

Alabaster watched over these going-ons from his favored perch on the bookshelves, nestled atop some of Ophyra's tomes with no regard for the white and gray fur this left behind. It had been a busy couple of days, but it still had nothing on their first week at the Weyrd: arriving on this strange new planet and thankfully finding a safe place to stay with the kind elven witch; learning that there were animals here that would create weird mental bonds between themselves and other creatures for reasons he still really did not understand; stumbling into a few gatherings where said animals created such bonds; and oh, yeah, discovering that the creatures here could hear his thoughts! That had been really distressing the first day they were on Planet, because before arriving here the only others who shared his mind were his fellow cats - and even that link had grown stronger than he was used to.

Back home, while Alabaster, Tinker, and Mumford could of course converse fluently with each other without verbalizing, they were not this closely meshed - sharing thoughts, emotions, even their senses, if they weren't careful. Each day the link got a little clearer, and the trio got better at filtering through their shared experiences, but it presently gave the tired old cat a constant headache. Alabaster still suffered incidents like failures to make easy jumps because Mumford's proprioception overwhelmed his own, throwing off his ability to do the complex trigonometry required to execute amazing feline feats. His nose still smarted from the last misjudged jump, just that evening when he was attaining his current perch.

For all that the trio were sorting themselves back out, it was progressively growing more chaotic in their shared mindspace due to the arrival of all these strange new creatures that decided to bond to them - and it was to them as a linked mind that the bonds occurred, they had discovered, rather than to the haphazardly contained essence of their individual personalities within this weird new existence. Khaliizi was a fairly unobtrusive presence in their hive mind, having carved out a tiny corner for himself and settled into it peacefully, but not all of the links were so settled. No surprise given how unsettled the cats remained.

Maybe the next week would be less strange and give them some breathing room. Alabaster doubted it, though. After all, there were five more days to this 'Whazzitmas' celebration that engulfed the Weyrd, and besides, those infernal drums called out new bonding opportunities far, far too often for his peace of mind. Ah, well, he would just have to wait and see what the next day would bring. And the one after that. And so on, for however long they continued to reside on this odd world. At least they had a safe place to stay, and friends for company, warm perches, and scritches.

(3/20 egg)

[The Legion]

(OOC: This takes place immediately after In the Dark of the Night.)

Alabaster did not show it to any of the people attending to the newly hatched whers, but he was less than pleased with how their nighttime adventure had progressed. Yes, Tinker was nigh delirious with joy at the idea of having a young creature to rear, but the beast was now sharing their mental link. Alabaster had heard about bonding, of course, from those he met in the Weyrd, but he had not realized how it might interact with the hive mind. Once, the three cats had shared a private space; now there was a new being within that connection, and Alabaster did not know yet how it would affect them. Oeztesk was a strange presence, and that strangeness grated upon him. It invoked a deep unease, and he worried how it would affect them. Still, the act was completed; he would have to wait and see how it would turn out. And he would watch, cautious, attentive, to track how the new bond interacted with their hive mind - and so monitor any future bonds as well, as he was sure it would not stop with this one.

[The Legion]

(Later that night...)

It was nearing dawn, now. Leading Oeztesk back to the hut had taken a while, for the walk from the sandy area where its egg hatched had been a long one and the Opal was exhausted. But Ophyra had her hands full with Ophysk, and Tinker had not wanted to impose upon Yvalm - after all, the Daka could only do so much to help, not having hands himself. So Tinker had slowly, with much encouragement and several pauses for rest, led the newly hatched wher to their home, and guided the beast into her own pile of blankets to snuggle down for what remained of the night. Alabaster had been aloof all the while, which was not entirely out of character but felt different from his usual distance; Tinker was not sure what to think about that. Mumford had been aloof as well, but in the way of a kitten - too busy exploring the path back home to pay attention to the new member of their family.

And that new member had an extraordinary effect on Tinker. Before coming across the distressed young whers, the marmalade tabby would never have claimed herself to be particularly motherly; she had not felt protective toward Mumford, after all, when he joined the family some months prior. Though to be fair, he had been weaned and largely self-sufficient by the time he arrived, and their humans had handled most of his needs for food and wellness. He had simply been a new playmate, not someone who needed help from her. It was a powerful feeling, being needed, and she was amazed by how heartwarming it had been to see the young Opal turn to her. The sense of the young Wher in her mind had only grown stronger since that first moment of contact, and she was nearly overwhelmed with the urge to protect and nurture the Wher.

It was a good thing, this new presence, and Tinker was happy to have it. And now she wanted more of them. The next time the drums called, Tinker, at least, would be eager to answer.

[The Legion]

(OOC: The day before House Hunting)

There was squabbling between cats, shinies, and little figurines, and it had been going on day in and day out. Too many personalities in too small a space - for no matter how amazingly magical the hut was, there was no way to make all of these creatures into a cohesive family that wouldn't fight at the drop of a hat.  Since they did not all share a bond, there was no reason for some of them to make nice with others, unless one of those bonded forced the issue.

Well, one was about to.

That is ENOUGH!

Had it been physical speech, the thunder of Alabaster's mindvoice would have rattled windows. As it was, it sent his mind-siblings and the many shinies currently arguing staggering at the sheer force of the mental roar. Alabaster rose on the bookshelf, stretched briefly, then stepped down to the nearby table, across which surface he stalked in stiff-legged anger. This is a home, not a warzone, and I will not have you fighting here. It is a poor way to repay our host for her kindness in allowing us to share her home, he declared, glaring at his fellow cats and then their shinies. Some had been uninvolved, dormant in the hive mind - but he included them all the same. Shame, for fighting amongst yourselves! he said to those who had fought, and Shame, for not interceding to defuse the situation! to those who had stood idly by as the kerfuffle escalated. If you are not willing to bring peace to Ophyra's abode, then you are unworthy to share it. We will vacate her home tomorrow!

Instantly, there came protests. Where would they move? Who would feed them? Who would take care of them?

ENOUGH! he roared again, sheer presence overwhelming the objections until silence reigned once more, and his slit eyes glared about. You should have thought of all of that before you treated our host and her gifts so poorly. If we cannot find an open space, we will barter our skills for it - and do the same to obtain food, and what materials are needed to make our new home livable.

Silence stretched for a moment - Alabaster's stern gaze precluded a repeat of the earlier furor of protests - and then a voice spoke up. I and my brethren can earn wages for food by transporting items, Dawn offered quietly, glancing briefly at Chale and Nova. The other Arathlial bobbed their heads in agreement, though neither said a word. Rudolph spoke up next, declaring, And I can help as well, carrying loads on my harness, or hauling sledges of good! A pause, then he added firmly, Keehar would approve of working for the good of the Weyrd, for barter or for free, for it is a kindly done act all the same and one worthy of the Saint's favor. The young Flamma regarded his fellow shinies with a firm expression, a look that promised any who did not help would suffer Keehar's displeasure - though it would not be executed by the Colombo, of course.

Whether it was the Flamma's words and stance, or general feelings of shame under Alabaster's continued steely regard, the rest of the shinies were quick to speak their agreement, share feelings of assent, or otherwise signal that they would abide by Alabaster's rule. The remaining cats were the last to respond. Tinker looked to Alabaster from the egg basket with calm acceptance flowing through their mind bond, along with a sense of relief at the prospect of having a space where she wouldn't have to worry about a certain Sulfer wher stalking her egg. Mumford was more interested in the adventure of finding and exploring a new home, eagerly contributing, I can hunt for us! I bet I can even get people to give me things for hunting pests. Food and rewards all in one!

Good. Then tomorrow we will set out to find our new home. Dawn, Chale, Nova - please come with us. You can help scout higher abodes and see if there is work suitable for yourselves and for Rudolph. Musk, Oeztesk - we need you for exploring any tunnels. I will ask Ophyra for the use of some of her blindfolds so that you may traverse the Weyrd in comfort, Alabaster instructed. Everyone, gather your things. I will have containers brought and a sledge prepared for Rudolph to take our belongings to our new home. The scouting party leaves at dawn. The rest of you must be ready to leave at a moment's notice.

Nobody dared to ask what would happen if the venture was unsuccessful; it was clear that Alabaster would not rest until they had a new home, and would make miserable any who stood in his way. So the newly cowed family dispersed with a subdued air to gather their belongings, aided by the figurines - at least some of those had proper hands to work with, small though they were.  While this day would be long, full of packing and cleaning (for Alabaster refused to leave a mess behind them in Ophyra's hut), the next would be even longer.

(Egg 14/20)

[The Legion]

(OOC: The day AFTER House Hunting)

Alabaster had to wonder if he had made the right choice. It seemed like this would be a good home - there were plenty of weather-protected areas, as well as those with low light for resting, and plenty of room for his inexplicably growing family, even a nook perfect for storing Tinker's dratted egg out of reach of anything that might try to eat it - but it was a new home, and Alabaster had never been fond of moving and claiming new territory.

Though really, the other choices had hardly been suitable. There had been what Alabaster could have sworn was a cathedral by its architecture, except it had a complete lack of religious icons - and an eerie aura that made him suspect its prior occupants had been something he would not want to meet on their own terms. There was the lovely little lakeside cottage that kept growing new rooms as more people entered it, and while it was charming, the cats had more than had enough to do with magic for the time being. There had been a tree house with an awe-inspiring view of the mountain's vast caldera, but it had no ground access.

All in all, this really had been the best choice - but only time would tell if it was the right one.

(Egg 15/20)

[The Legion]

(OOC: Concurrent to Furlizard in Flight.)

Tinker had been out and about with Alabaster and Dawn for most of the morning, figuring out the best ways to get to important locations within and without the Weyrd in relation to their new domicile. The first path they had mapped was to Ophyra's hut, but since the hut tended to move around that was only a starting point. The marmalade was perfectly happy to enjoy the sunshine and brief warm spell, getting to see the Weyrd without a heavy coating of ice and snow for the first time, though the profusion of mud was not to her liking. There would have to be a lot of grooming when they got back to the caves, and for once Tinker was thinking about her own comfort and not the state of that funny egg back in the caverns.

Then Bell bolted out of the caverns like something had set her tail on fire, responding to an impossible to ignore biological directive that sent her out of the Weyrd with all speed. The normally chipper, cuddly Noon was a blaze of confusing emotions in the hivemind, nothing like her usual self, and the cats hadn't the faintest notion what was going on at first. There were so many feelings rolling off the firelizard - irritation, hunger, anxiety, and a mounting wave of insistent need - that it took time for the cats to sort out. Tinker mewled in distress as the waves of emotion rose, and Alabaster clamped down on the stream, restricting its flow into the hive space to manageable proportions, while Mumford - off doing actual work, though he hardly viewed it as such - walled himself off entirely so he could concentrate on the vermin he was stalking. The young cat was not just earning wages, the vermin would be part of their food for the day; he could not tolerate any distractions.

Alabaster had been relieved to learn that the expanded mental link between the cats was still malleable, but it had taken a lot of hard work to learn how to manipulate the shared mental space they and their bonds occupied, and it was gratifying to have those efforts pay off. As Mumford's presence faded behind the opaque barrier of his mental walls, Alabaster focused on sorting out the threads of Bell's frenetic presence. While the eldest cat did this, Tinker tracked the firelizard's physical position by the 'pull' of her mind against the hivemind, orienting herself toward the distant wall of the Weyrd. Dawn, unsure what, exactly, was happening but aware something was going on in the space that held her bond, shifted from foot to foot as she waited for information. Finally, the tuxedo-patterned feline was able to tease out a better sense of what was going on with Bell, and presented a restrained, cleaner version of the well of emotions and vague associated imagery to Dawn for review. This is what Bell is feeling. Do you know what is going on?

The Chinook parsed the data quickly, sorting out the emotions and impressions with care. Clacking her beak in acknowledgement, the Chinook replied, I believe I do. Firelizards have mating cycles like many other species. Bell is of the right age to experience her first heat. From the feel of things, that is what is going on. The Arathli paused for a moment, sorting her thoughts before continuing. Firelizards mirror their larger kin in mating behavior. They are driven to consume nutrients, then lead their suitors on an aerial chase, to be caught by the most skilled suitor. Her tone shifted, losing some of the lecturing presence to show her wry amusement. I imagine it will not take very long. Bell is not inclined to acrobatics under the best conditions, and I am sure she will be eager to be done with this. Privately, Dawn also thought that it was a good thing the cats had long since lost their reproductive urges, as it would make the mating desires of all their bonds far less intense that the hivemind might otherwise experience. She would never say that, however, as it was terribly insensitive to comment on another's lack.

Tinker mulled this over, comparing Bell's emotions to her hazy memories of her own heats. It had been a long time since she experienced that overwhelming urge to find a partner, but now that she actually examined the sensations rolling off Bell, she could see - or more precisely, feel - the parallels. With understanding came acceptance, and no small measure of relief. Thank you, Dawn. Knowing what it is makes it much easier to bear the rush, the marmalade observed gratefully. And then she paused, whiskers twitching forward as a new thought occurred to her. Oh, if she is outside, the egg is alone! Dawn, you have to take me back! We can't leave it all by itself!

Alabaster heaved a long-suffering sigh as the Arathli agreed, watching the orange tabby carefully scramble onto the giant bird's back and the pair fly off. He did not mind being left behind - he was perfectly happy to continue exploring afoot, after all - but it would have been nice for Tinker to not forget everything else as soon as the egg came up again. Oh well. He was sure Dawn would come back and pick him up once things were straightened out at the caves. For now, he would enjoy a rare moment of physical and mental solitude, tucking himself behind his own screen against the intrusion of others' thoughts, and find a nice warm rock to sunbathe upon.

(Egg 20/20)