Solace

Considering exactly what Starlight Academy was, it was no surprise that the students and staff grew accustomed to odd sights rather quickly.

And so, when a small black cat with vivid green eyes began padding down the halls, darting into several rooms on his way and leaving just as quickly with almost a disappointed air about him, no one gawked or pointed or tried catching the poor little lost kitty. There may have been a bit of curious questioning, but other than that, the feline was left alone to do whatever he wanted. And apparently, all he wanted to do was continue his odd routine, constantly scouring rooms and halls-- for what, no one knew.

Oh, but he knew, and he was a cat on a mission, and a very important one at that. He was relentless in his search, and though he knew not to get his hopes up so early in the figurative game, he still couldn't help the stab of bitter disappointment every time his senses failed to pick up anything-- even the fainest hint of a hint-- of what he was so adamantly searching for. Or rather, who.

For not the first time, he wondered if he should call it a day and head back to his dorm or drop by the cafeteria for a snack. And yet... there was a sense of building anticipation the closer he got to the library. Feeling as if something was pulling him, yet still too upset over his earlier failures to take proper note of it, he slowly edged closer to the library door and waited until someone opened the door to leave, quickly flitting inside.

He remained near the door for a few moments to take in the relaxing atmosphere of the library-- somewhere he rarely went despite being quite fond of his family library, probably more to do with the latter's large windows that provided perfect spots of warmth to nap--, then started wandering the rows of books. It took some time, but finally-- finally— his senses picked up something, and, with his nose twitching and his tail curling and uncurling excitedly, he quickened his pace to an agile scamper; he knew he would probably startle whoever was ensconced in the corner of the library, but he couldn't help himself.

The momentum allowed him to jump onto a chair, the soft pitter patter of paws on the table coming next, and two or three moments and another leap later, the black cat landed carefully on Kai's chest, bright green, slitted eyes staring into the lounging male's intently. "Meow~

Rather relieved the-- now that he could clearly see the person he had landed on-- male hadn't panicked or freaked out, he proceeded to study the person, though quickly became distracted as a hand rose up and began to scratch him. He seemed to find just the right spot, too, a loud purr rumbling through the feline's throat as he eagerly nuzzled the hand, leaning up as if he were begging for more. A serene sense of happiness welled up in him, and though he had been a rather content person, he now wondered how he could have ever thought himself truly happy. Yes, he would gladly remain as they were in that moment forever

Eventually, however, he opened his eyes-- when has he closed them?— halfway, bobbing his head slightly in an affirmative to the male's second question. Sure, there was a momentary feeling of apprehension as he wondered if his human form wouldn't be as well-received as his cat form, but he pushed that away for later, as he was unwilling to ruin the moment. Even being called 'cute' didn't diminish the contentment all but radiating off of him in waves. He would accept such compliments so as long as it meant the male would continue allowing the cat in his presence.

He knew there were still quite a few things to explain. He genuinely hoped the male wouldn't become offended or annoyed that there was a rather large chance he would be saddled with Ren for eternity. He couldn't help but to entertain such fears, even if only for a few seconds, even as slightly reluctantly moved away from the scratching hand to nuzzle the male's cheek, easily curling up on his chest as if he had been doing it for years. Regardless of his fears, he would do his best to ensure that his place remain beside this male, unperturbed by the flash of fangs he had seen.

Even though he was no empath, he could clearly tell the male was just as happy as he was, the excitement easily read in his features. He was glad he could make he male feel that way, and if he had his way, it would always been like this. He didn't even mind eh he felt arms wrap gently around him. Unlike other felines-- and maybe even other shifters-- who would have felt restricted and claustrophobic, all he felt was safe and secure, carefully ensconced against the male's chest as he was. In fact, his purring continued the whole time, a soft, almost reassuring sound that clearly portrayed his contentment.

His ego also gained a bit of a boost, nearly beginning to preen at the male's words, though let out a plaintive mewl upon hearing such a sad tone of voice. He dislikes it immediately, wanting to do whatever it took to keep the sadness at bay. As such, he enthusiastically resumed his nuzzling and cuddling. He knew he was acting like an excited kitten, but he couldn't help himself. He wasn't sure he wanted to stop anyway, lapping up the male'a attention as if he were a cat dying of dehydration and it were water.

He was also quite touched at the concern and acceptance. He was still afraid of what might happened, but he had never been one to hesitate. And right now, it wasn't hesitation. It was... diplomatically and tactfully waiting for the right moment. Yes, that's what it was.

And so, he spent the next several minutes basking in the wonderful feelings and sensations before wiggling a bit, showing that he wanted to move. Once he had enough room, he placed a tentative but affectionate lick to the male's cheek before jumping onto to the floor. He didn't do anything until he knew he had the male's full attention, then, with silent poof, changed into his human form.

His hair changed from black to bright auburn and silky fur shifted to slightly gothic clothes. One thing remained the same, however: vivid green eyes stared at the seated male, the orbs filled with vulnerable hope and longing.

He observed the male carefully, needing to see that he wasn't upset, that he wasn't going to lose interest in him because he wasn't an actual cat. In fact, he began to twiddle his thumbs nervously, squirming for the few moments of silence between them. It was rather unlike him to show his anxiety, let alone even feel anxious at all, but the male seemed to do that to him. He just couldn't help himself.

And then, the male started talking, and everything was perfect again, his shoulders slumping with quite visible-- and, to the empath, obvious-- relief. There was, of course, a light blush that colored his cheeks, as he wasn't used to being called cute as a human; he had been called attractive a handful of times, and even handsome, but 'cute' had stopped coming several years ago. Not that he would begrudge the male the compliment.

"Kaisu. Kai. Mori" He murmured, trying out the names for himself and quite liking they all sounded. How was he expected to choose? Or maybe he could just rotate which name he would use. Yes, that would work. He was torn from his inner musings by the male's offer of a hug, surprise flitting across his features; enough so that he was frozen, unsure what to do. Even now, when he'd learn that he was actually a Shifter, he was so open and welcoming. It made everything better to know that he was still accepted, most of his fears diminishing considerably.

Ah. That's probably why he was pulled towards the male-- Kai, he reminded himself happily--, since they would both benefit from each other. That one last fear, with the knowledge of what he needed to explain, reared its head again, however, and he frowned lightly. "Well... I'm not just a Shifter. It's actually somewhat of a story." With that, he sighed, that feeling of apprehension building once more.

At least, until... "Oh!" He exclaimed, barely remembering to introduce himself in return even with Kai's desire for his name. "I'm Renato. Or Ren, if you'd prefer." He added tentatively, an almost sheepish grin tugging at the corners of his lips. "It's not you, really. I'm... I need to tell you about something extremely important, and... I don't want to upset you." No, it was quite clear he would do anything to prevent that, and though he was still nervous, he finally gave in to his own desire and accepted the hug, eagerly cuddling into Kai's embrace just as he had done as a cat.

((I'm sorry it ended up being so long... but think of it as a birthday present post. Happy birthday~))

Bright green eyes peered up at the taller-- he noted somewhat huffily-- male before he allowed a small smile to tug at his features, basking in the warmth and kindness Kai was radiating. His words were reassuring to the Shifter, who used them to remind himself that all would probably be fine and that there was no reason for him to feel so uneasy. No, if there was anyone out there able to hear him out and still accept him, it was most likely the male before him. The thought that Kai was the person most compatible to him also made itself known, and he knew that everything would be perfectly fine. It gave him a burst of confidence that had him squaring his shoulders a bit more, helped by the fact that Kai himself appeared completely open, as well as his next few words.

And though he was tempted to change back into his cat form and curl up on Kai's lap, being scratched and cuddled for the rest of the day, he knew he needed to do this. He couldn't help how his curiosity was piqued, however, when the male mentioned his own story, and though he didn't want to push, he found himself eager to hear it. And then-- Kai's gesture was indeed rather childish, but Ren found he couldn't bring himself to become annoyed or bothered. It was oddly endearing, in fact, and he let out a sigh of mock exasperation, running a hand through his hair while offering the other, his pinky wrapping around Kai's.

Eventually, he moved away, though kept quite close to the other male, and cleared his throat, wondering how to start off. "My story, I suppose, begins with my ancestors, the founders of the Constantyne clan. We have always been a family of shapeshifters, though as our growth stops and we mature into young adults, our forms stabilize into what best embodies the individual. My animal form is that of a black cat, as you saw earlier." He paused, and though he knew this conversation should remain serious, he couldn't help but to concentrate, the furry black ears and tail of his cat form popping into existence; he wanted to see Kai's reaction, and continued on once he regained the male's complete attention again.

"The founders thought this stabilization trait, unique to our clan, could be introduced to a new-- at the time-- process that was beginning to make itself know: familiars. Originally, familiars were meant to act as temporary guides and protectors, remaining with their charges for times between weeks or years, depending on the case, but no more than that. Certainly not once the familiar's bonded passed. But my ancestors couldn't accept that. Why should the bonded lost their familiar to a matter as trivial as death? Brilliant, my ancestors were. Brilliant, but mad." He added with a soft chuckle, then shook his head to get back on track, his cat ears twitching slightly.

"And so, my ancestors worked and worked, and the concept of the true Familiar was born. A true Familiar, as opposed to our more temporary counterparts, do not die when our bonded-- the most compatible person to us-- does. No, we continue on, slated to forever protect our bonded regardless of the incarnation. We are, in that sense, immortal after our bonding. Such immortality, however, is heavily draining, which is why true Familiars are so rare. I am one such Familiar, and I have been looking for my potential bonded ever since the training under my father was completed and received an invitation to Starlight."

He pursed his lips, clearly arriving at the crux of his anxiety. "There is a very, very large chance that you are meant to be my bonded, Kaisu. That means you would be saddled with me forever." He sighed softly, looking away when he had been staring at the male the whole time, looking quite like a small cat that was expecting rejection or harsh words.