05 - On the Road Again

[prince-stupid.livejournal.com]

[Ragnar appears from straight off of the Wild Road, bursting through a little twist of gray light and onto the plane. Like Cy, he bears some small resemblance to a modern big cat, but honestly not much of one. He's easily more than twice her form's size. At the moment of his arrival he's fifteen feet long from nose to tail tip, built more like a leggy bear than a cat. An ocean of black fur, limed with quickly melting frost, shifts and ruffles over muscle. He raises his massive, blocky head and opens his mouth to taste the air, displaying the teeth that poke out from under his lips even while his mouth is closed. The rope of his tail lashes around his back legs. Time and heat roll off of him like musky fog.

He takes a few steps forward, diminishing from fifteen feet to twelve, his eyes going from completely feral to intelligent, though still wild. He looks down at himself. Takes another few experimental steps, looks down at himself again. He sits.]

I would call this strange indeed. [His voice is an avalanche compared its normal rumble.] I would call it quite unnatural. It has never lasted so long before.

Comments

[lamb_of_gold]

I believe Cy had a similar problem, once.

[prince-stupid.livejournal.com]

Indeed? [Looking down at you, Mu. He feels somewhat awkward about this whole thing.]

[lamb_of_gold]

If I recall correctly, it took her several days to change back.

[prince-stupid.livejournal.com]

Several days? I suppose, then, it is a good thing I am traveling the Roads almost continuously.

[lamb_of_gold]

You are well then?

[prince-stupid.livejournal.com]

I am far better, yes. I was taken for a time into the care of a human who fed me fish in sauces. I have never tasted such food.

[lamb_of_gold]

And the kittens?

[prince-stupid.livejournal.com]

I presume that they are well. I could not stay--but their mother had humans nearby, and so they should be well-cared for.

[damnfinecoffee.livejournal.com]

...Ragnar?

[prince-stupid.livejournal.com]

[Well hello there, tiny Ianto.] Indeed it is me. I had not expected something like this.

[damnfinecoffee.livejournal.com]

[Holding out a tentative hand.] Something like this happened to Cy once.

[prince-stupid.livejournal.com]

So I have been told. [Bends down and chuffs companionably at his hand. He could easily fit most of Ianto's arm into his mouth.]

[damnfinecoffee.livejournal.com]

[...can't help being slightly worried, but pets him anyway.] Is this normal for cats?

[prince-stupid.livejournal.com]

This is what happens when one runs the Wild Roads, cat, fox, or dog. It returns yourself to you, as it were. Though... I had thought it would fade once I came here.

[damnfinecoffee.livejournal.com]

...what happens if a big cat runs the Wild Roads? Does it become a domestic cat?

[prince-stupid.livejournal.com]

[If I had an RUSTOOPID icon for Wild Road-Ragnar I would totally be using it right now.]

Every cat comes from something greater. Are humans precisely as they were in ages past? I would say it is most likely they are not.

[damnfinecoffee.livejournal.com]

Well, not really.

[prince-stupid.livejournal.com]

There you have it, then.

[contract_star]

[Holy shit :O]

A-ah...Wild Road, I take it?

[prince-stupid.livejournal.com]

[Well hello there, small man.]

Hmm. She has told you of it? Cy?

[contract_star]

[Nods rather tentatively.] She showed it to me, too.

[prince-stupid.livejournal.com]

[The expression of disbelief on the prehistoric animal's face is rather alarming.] How can this be?

[contract_star]

[Hei edges backward a little.] She showed me a dream.

[prince-stupid.livejournal.com]

[Goes from looking disbelieving to confused.] Am I truly so alarming in this state?

[contract_star]

There's...that, but...well, Cy didn't like the idea of humans on the Road either, so...

[prince-stupid.livejournal.com]

No. This is unsurprising. Of all of us, it is she who knows the Alchemist best.

[contract_star]

The Alchemist...you mean the Half-and-Half?

[prince-stupid.livejournal.com]

Is this what she calls him? An appropriate name, I suppose. [A low rumble in his massive chest; he shakes himself and gives Hei a somewhat guilty look.] My apologies. It would seem that it is easy to, how do I say it--"get my blood up" while like this.

[contract_star]

[Still rather tense.] It's--it's fine. I'm used to Cy, and she was the same way, sometimes.

[prince-stupid.livejournal.com]

[Licks Hei's head, slobbering all over his hair.] And yet I still feel the need to apologize.

[contract_star]

[FJAJKFLDA wobbles a little since EVEN HIS TONGUE IS POWERFUL. Then tries to wipe some of the slobber off without much success.] A-ah, well, apology accepted...

[prince-stupid.livejournal.com]

A dream, was it?

[contract_star]

Y-yeah. I've been having trouble sleeping, lately. Cy wanted to help.

[prince-stupid.livejournal.com]

And did she?

[contract_star]

A little, yeah.