Fourth floor common room: Sunday evening

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

Karal was staring at the television in bemusement. He'd thought it was baseball, at first, but it hadn't taken long to work out it wasn't.

He still didn't know what it was, beyond a fat man and a thin man who he was sure were seconds away from coming to blows.

"If I mentioned the third baseman's name, who did I say is playing third?"

"No. Who's playing first."

"What's on first?"

"What's on second."

"I don't know."

"He's on third."

Altra was snickering from his spot on the back of the couch. Karal just kept staring.

[ooc: open of course!]

Comments

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"It's a cat talent," he replied, watching as Altra nudged Hunter gently with his nose. "Even if they do change their mind about what they want as soon as you get it for them."

Altra shot him a quick glare, and Karal just looked innocently back. "It's true."

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

Dean snickered as Hunter danced back, then pounced for Altra's tail. "Seems to be. Explains a lot about Alec too."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

Altra turned as his tail was pounced on and batted at Hunter playfully with one paw.

Karal just shook his head. "Is Alec a cat?"

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"He's got cat DNA," Dean explained. "So every now and then he seems to act like a big human shaped cat."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

He had no idea what DNA was, but the implications were clear. "He's part cat?" he asked, very surprised. "I know of a woman who's part cat, in my world. She was created by a mage. Is that what happened to Alec?"

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"Replace mage with amoral scientists and yeah, that's about it," Dean said with a nod. "They were trying to create the perfect soldier -- or weapon, really, since they don't think of them as actual people."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"Nor did this one." He gave a little shudder. "But Alec is free of them, he must be to be here, as is Nyara, and this is a very good thing."

Altra suddenly bounded straight up into the air, over Hunter, and landed behind him, crouched low, eyes fixed on his tail.

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

Hunter spun quickly, prancing sideways around Altra.

"It is," Dean said with a small smile. "Of course, the idiot is contrary enough to go back alone and play hide and seek with them while looking for another X5... but I guess he's free to be an idiot now too."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

Altra rolled onto his back, looking sweet and innocent, belly all exposed, paws just hanging in the air.

"Free will includes the freedom to do foolish things," he said, chuckling quietly. "Though sometimes I wish it didn't. Will he be back, do you think?"

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"He said he would," Dean said.

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"Then I'm sure he will," Karal said, sounding certain. "Waiting really isn't much fun, though."

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"Now that," Dean said, pointing for emphasis, "is a masterpiece of understatement."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

He smiled in acknowledgment. "I'm gifted at that, I think," he said. "But it's also trying to look on the positive, in a way."

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"I've been doing that. Like I'm positive I'm going to kick his butt when he gets back for taking off alone."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"Oh, dear," he laughed. "It would have been better to have taken someone with him. That's a lesson I've learned since I came here. Ask for help, your friends will offer it unstintingly. I could give him a stern lecture when you were done, if you liked?"

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

Dean grinned. "Oh, I'd definitely like."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"I'll start working on it right away," he promised. "Long, boring, and with a particular emphasis on the foolishness of not letting your friends help you?"

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"That sounds about right," Dean said with a smirk.