Private Finished Wait a Minute, That's no Cat

PixelatedGlory

PixelatedGlory

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Tadashi giggled a little to hear Ezra trying to pronounce the Japanese words. He wasn't extremely far off but there was still a long way until he would be able to get it sounding right. Even then the monotone would probably make it sound a little off. From what Tadashi had learned it wasn't an easy language to learn but if he was able to learn Japanese and English chances are this person could learn to speak Japanese at least decent enough to make a conversation. If he was interested in that of course.

Technically the drawing didn't have a mind to give it the ability to react to being poked at but Tadashi was quite used to making his drawings act at least a little lifelike. He made the little hotdog creature bend a little bit and make a shivering motion berfore skittering away from the puppet's hand and continuing on with it's random circling on the ground

Of course it didn't make sense, Tadashi was still figuring out how to deal with the situation himself. "Um... my brother Shiro, well he used to be my brother when we were kittens, kind of changes between boy and girl. So he's a brother or a sister depending on which one he's currently being. It's a little complicated but they're still my sibling and I love them." He had no idea why Shiro did that and they still were not close enough yet for him to eve consider asking. Perhaps it was just a version of the magic that make Tadashi draw or his sister Tomomi play the violin.

"Oh i'm 14 years old but I was a cat until I was 10 and then poof, suddenly I woke up as a boy." His smile wavered as that morning had been one of the worst things to happen to him in his entire life. "We do age a little different because we start as cats and I think we live a pretty long time too." From what Tadashi had learned he and his siblings should be able to live several times longer than humans do. He assumed they wouldn't look like old wrinkled prunes or anything but he didn't know any older bakenekos to ask.

Tadashi politely listened as Ezra went on about where he was living and his slightly rambling story about powers classes. He didn't mind listening and he wondered how often Ezra got to talk to people if he was living in such a quiet place. It sort of seemed like they were excited to be talking to someone. Maybe they were just an excitable person though. They had been interested in pretty much everything Tadashi brought up.

"i'm sorry you didn't find your people yet. Asteria sounds really nice for helping you out like that though. Is is just you and her living together? I live in one of the dorms but I think I would be lonely to live in a really quiet place away from school." He wasn't a social butterfly, and indeed he very often talked to his creations instead of other people, but he did have friends and siblings he enjoyed spending time with. He might have disliked school because of all the tedious work involved but being around all the other kids his age was fun.

The safety of his ability training was something Tadashi wasn't terribly worried about though generally his work with his drawings was not capable of harming him or anyone else. the one ability he refused to try training was, however, very dangerous. He really didn't want to try going into his half-cat form as a part of training but most likely the teachers were going to want him to work with it to gain some control. "Oh, I guess it is good to have people here to make sure it's safe to use our abilities. mostly I just draw things and i'm a cat so it isn't too bad." Except of course for needing to be taken down by a wyvern to keep from raging his way into the forbidden portion of the forest. Yep, definitely not something Tadashi was proud of. At least he had made a friend out of the situation though.
 
ArcanaFate

ArcanaFate

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The puppet's head tilted to the side as Tadashi explained about their 'brother-sister'. It was an interesting topic, to be sure. Ezra was aware of the biological differences between "normal" males and females, however the concept of genderfluidity was something that the spirit had never known of personally. They made a note in their head to do more research about the topic but wouldn't ask. Being too invasive about a person's history wasn't polite, according to Asteria, and shouldn't be probed into without politely asking first.

They continued to listen intently, still staring with a blank expression as Tadashi mentioned how he had turned into a boy randomly after ten years of being a cat. How very curious. Perhaps that was normal for bakenekos? Another question to bring up at some point. But research is key, so Ezra nodded as Tadashi continued to speak. At the mention of their living situation and Asteria's kindness, Ezra could almost feel their body tense up. It wasn't a difficult topic to speak about, but there was a logical concern in revealing that they lived alone. It was not likely, but the possibility of being robbed was something that had been a concern. The spirit was by no means an accomplished fighter, and their powers could at most pacify a singular burglar. If there were more, it could end in a psychic whiplash and cause severe pain.

But would Tadashi do something like that? He seemed very kind and was arguably the only person Ezra knew at this school. Perhaps the bakeneko would be able to help with their ability training. Eventually. Inviting someone you barely know to your house is a little bit odd and seemed rather suspicious. But sharing a little more information wouldn't be a bad thing.

"Asteria and I are the only two occupants at the house, yes. Although she is currently off-island so I suppose it would be more accurate to say that I live alone currently." They paused for a moment, as if to gauge Tadashi's reaction before continuing. "You could say that it is a lonely existence, but it is the most reasonable course of action. I cannot wear the magic suppression bracelet for long periods of time as it causes me a great amount of suffering. By wearing it, I literally cut off an essential part of my being. The best way to describe the feeling would be akin to you putting on the bracelet and no longer being able to perceive the world visually. However, in return, I cannot remain at home without any contact as that would be detrimental to my development. I need emotional connections to live and grow; without them, there is a possibility that I could cease to exist."

They paused, the black plush cat tapping their chin. "Well, possibly. I do not know what happens but I was told in the village that connections are essential to my people. In time, I would hopefully be in control of my powers enough to be able to physically attend classes all of the time and learn how to... make friends."
 
PixelatedGlory

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Whatever anxious or less pleasant thoughts were swirling around in Tadashi's mind were not really enough to cause him to break his calm smiling demeanor for very long. All things considered he had it much easier and better than it could have been. It was something he reminded himself of every single day.

As if to prove that very sentiment true Ezra explained that they were in fact essentially living alone in their house. Tadashi's face changed to display some of the concern and sadness he felt for them. He had been serious about how he would have felt so lonely living like that. Even as a cat he had had other people around. He didn't really know Ezra and Ezra didn't really know him so he wasn't comfortable asking if he wanted Tadashi to visit some time. Instead he decided on a more neutral solution. Especially after hearing the rest of the person's reasons for not coming out of the house. Exra likened it to being unable to see but Tadashi felt like it was probably even more than that.

Tadashi felt like being forced to wear the suppression bracelet to cancel out such an important part of Ezra would have been more akin to losing his own sense of being.. well cat-like. He wouldn't have felt whole. It was a really scary thought. "Well maybe," he started hesitantly as he tried to think of how to convince the person behind this puppet that they could be friends, "maybe we could hang out sometime. Out here by school if it's safer for you. I promise not to do anything that makes you uncomfortable." That would probably be a good enough start. Either of them could just walk away if they didn't like what was going on.

The thing about needing emotional connections though was interesting. In a way Tadashi was pretty sure that was just an advanced version of what everyone required. Everyone needed connections with other people or they would not survive. It just seemed like maybe Ezra literally needed those connections. Maybe in time he could be one of them. The puppet thing didn't throw him off too much and worst case scenario Tadashi could literally just be a cat that sometimes visited to get petted. "I'll be glad to help if I can, though I don't know a lot about emotional connections and friends and stuff. I didn't actually have friends until I came here and it can be kinda tough sometimes."

Despite his inexperience with friendship Tadashi was determined that they were both going to leave this little conversation a little more happy than they expected to initially. To that end the little drawing stopped circling and came over to be picked up. Tadashi carefully held it out to the puppet. "It won't last long and it'll collapse when it gets too far away or I stop concentrating but if you want this can be a temporary gift to you. Or I can draw you something else."

 
ArcanaFate

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The cat plush tilted its head in confusion as Tadashi mentioned "hanging out". Was this... was this an invitation for friendship? Did Ezra legitimately make a friend just by... talking? That seemed far easier than Asteria had made it out to be. Well, it wasn't confirmed by any means but it seemed like a genuine invitation. Further analysis would be required, obviously, in order to be sure.

...Or not. After even mentioning that the two of them could hang out in a neutral area could hang out at school, he promised not to do anything weird and offered to help with the emotional connections. Although that did raise a conundrum. The only safe way for Ezra to connect with another living being emotionally would have to be with their physical body, not Salem. But they couldn't leave their home as too many people would be in the public and things could go badly very quickly. However, inviting someone they had barely just met would be dangerous as well as although Tadashi seemed to be a rather trustworthy individual there was no way to ascertain that from one conversation. Perhaps a day on the town would be a fun adventure?

"...I would appreciate that, Sir Tadashi. I also thank you for your concern for my well-being, but I am not worried about you doing anything inappropriate towards me. You do not seem like the type of person to do such a thing. Depending on what you wanted to do, we could make a full day of it. Explore the town, wander about and see the sights, as it were."

Their gaze shifted to the still living drawing and Tadashi's offering of it as a gift. Although the bakeneko mentioned that it would only be temporary as it would collapse upon moving too far away. 'Another aspect about Tadashi's abilities should be noted: drawing power has a limited range from the caster and will vanish upon reaching the threshold.' Ezra noted to themselves before looking up at Tadashi again.

"I am thankful for the gift, but if I may, could I make a request? Instead of a living drawing, could you perhaps draw a sketch of Salem? I think it would be something I could frame and have in my room to look at."

@PixelatedGlory
 
PixelatedGlory

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It sort of seemed like Ezra had been a little confused about Tadashi's invitation for them to spend some time together. He was pretty sure he had done everything he could to make sure Ezra would be comfortable with spending time with him if they wanted to so he just waited patiently for Ezra to decide.

When Ezra spoke up again Tadashi couldn't help but smile. "I'm glad you want to spend some time together. I'm definitely not the kind of person that would do mean things to you," he said as he tried to look into the eyes of Salem. He was telling the truth and he was pretty sure that was the way to show someone you were not lying, right? At any rate it was polite even if it didn't work like that.

"Um, I don't know what you like to do for fun but maybe we can try some mini golf too? That's something fun to do. I know we can't go to eat stuff and I don't really like going to most movies in the theater. Just walking around seeing everything is fine though." Honestly Tadashi was just glad to have someone else to hang out with. Whether it was a person controlling a puppet to walk around or not really didn't matter.

Tadashi watched as Salem looked at the little drawing moving around and then back at the him. "Oh, sure. I'd love to draw you a sketch of Salem.... I just need to go get my sketchbook from my stuff," he smiled and pointed back where he had left all his belongings under the tree before he had come over to talk to Salem. "I guess either wait here for me to come back or come with me?"

He didn't even wait for a response though. He was excited to draw something and really happy that Ezra thought enough of his drawing ability that he would consider framing one of his sketches. Tadashi turned and shifted into his cat form to run back over towards the tree. There wasn't really a practical reason to shift but Tadashi enjoyed being a cat even if he was a person too. As soon as he entered cat form though the little living drawing collapsed into dust and was gone.

 
ArcanaFate

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Ezra watched Tadashi bound back towards his bag, shifting into a feline as he ran away from the stuffed cat. It was a curious moment, to be sure, as Ezra wasn't sure what to expect. They had been told that Tadashi was a bakeneko, a form of cat demon kind-of-sort-of but to see the boy actually transform into a cat was a surprise. The spirit had an affection for felines, as they found the animals' emotional connections to be quite amusing when connected with. That would be quite curious, actually. Would the emotional connection feel like if they had connected to a cat? Or would it be human-esque like Asteria? Although Asteria being called a 'human' seemed like a stretch. She seemed far more otherworldly compared to the average humans they had seen while travelling to the island. Maybe it'll be in the middle, then. A question for another day.

Ezra would wait for Tadashi to return before inquiring further about their future plans. "Well, I do not exactly know what 'fun' is, Sir Tadashi. I am very much a 'homebody', after all. I do enjoy reading books as they give valuable insight into 'normal' society, but this mini-golf sounds like it could be interesting. Would I be able to perform this task with Salem or would I need to actually come outside? As for the 'eating food' suggestion, I am quite sure that would require me to be there physically as Salem does not have a digestive tract." They paused.

"Or a mouth."
 
PixelatedGlory

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As soon as Tadashi reached his backpack he switched back into his human form and quickly grabbed his sketchbook and two pencils. He started to walk back to Salem but then realized he should just bring all his stuff and grabbed his backpack too. It probably looked a little comical as he rushed around grabbing his things.

Once Tadashi had gathered his things he walked back over in human form- it wasn't exactly easy to lug a backpack around in cat form. "Can Salem's paws hold things like sticks and move them around? If so I think we could do mini-golf like that. I don't want you to have to come out of your house if you aren't ready to," he said as he sat down cross-legged on the ground and flipped to a new blank page in his sketchbook. "The eating thing was mostly a joke since I know Salem can't eat," Tadashi giggled a little bit as he gestured the sewn mouth of the stuffed animal.

He began to carefully sketch out the image of Salem. It probably wasn't going to be super difficult because there were a lot less facial details on the puppet than would be on a person. Still, though Tadashi was planning to make the drawing one of very high quality with shading and everything. He couldn't let his new friend frame just any old doodle to put on their wall.

It was interesting because although Tadashi was wearing gloves on both hands they didn't seem to really be impeding his ability to draw. He would take a long look up at Salem, look back down to sketch a few details and then occasionally bite down on his pencil while using a separate eraser to fix any mistakes before repeating the process. "I wasn't really super into reading a lot when I started being a person. It was mostly just for homeschool stuff. It's growing on me though. At least in my mind I can still think about things in color." Even though he was a little sad he was probably never going to see colors again it didn't really show on his face. He had made peace with it for the most part. He didn't need color for things to be amazing and beautiful. The art his owner had made and now the drawings that Tadashi could make were proof of that.

 
ArcanaFate

ArcanaFate

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The puppet remained still as Tadashi began sketching. The urge to move around and look at the bakeneko's work was rather tempting, but interrupting an artist at work wasn't very polite. That's what Asteria had said once, at least. Ezra did their best to make sure that the puppet would move very little, if at all, in order for Tadashi to get the best sketch possible. When the artist began asking questions, Ezra hesitated a long moment before answering. They found it to be more impolite to not answer someone when being spoken to rather than remaining rigid for a sketch drawing.

"Salem is capable of holding things, yes, although the weight and height of the object would have to be calculated. My personal physical strength does not exactly transfer to Salem. So wielding a pencil or pen is significantly easier than moving a broom." There was a pause before Ezra continued. "And your concern for my well-being on leaving my home is noted, Sir Tadashi. But if Salem is incapable of performing this 'mini-golf' activity..."

There was a long pause as the plush cat's paws reached up and rested themselves atop of its head. "I would be willing to... come out with my bracelet. The cost of feeling uncomfortable for a few hours would be worth the reward of mini-golf with my friend. Perhaps we can also eat afterwards as well? Salem cannot eat, but I certainly am able to do so."

The puppet remained in its position for a long moment, almost as it if had stopped functioning before shifting its gaze back towards the bakeneko's face with a small tilt of the head. "I just realized you mentioned that you 'can still think about things in color'. That implies that you no longer have the ability to visualize in color. Is that correct or did I not comprehend correctly?"
 
PixelatedGlory

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Tadashi continued sketching away even as they talked. Whether through magic or through artistic talent, or most likely both, Tadashi was really good at drawing. It was one of his most prized skills. Everything about drawing with pencil was enjoyable- from the scent of the wood to the scratching of the sharp tip along the paper. Carefully he traced an outline lightly onto the paper before going back to darken in the various details.

It meant a lot that Ezra seemed to be willing to come out of their house to go mini-golfing and stuff. They had just explained how much suffering it was when they wore their bracelet. "I would be really happy to have you come to mini golf if you're sure. You said it's like shutting off a very important part of you though so I wouldn't feel right making that decision for you. We'll have a good time either way you decide to come," he said as he momentarily paused work on the sketch. He meant it too- whether it was Salem or Ezra them self Tadashi was positive they would have fun together. Heck, Tadashi barely know how to mini golf but that was part of the fun.

He went back to his sketching for a little bit before he responded to the question about his vision. "No you heard me right," he started in a quieter voice though not terribly sad, "Some stuff happened recently and as part of it i'm now completely colorblind. At least it doesn't hurt my pencil drawings cause they were already black and white anyway." With that he made one last little mark on his sketch and then flipped the pad over to show Ezra via Salem. It was a very accurate rendering of Salem but apparently Tadashi had decided to embellish things a little bit and he had added a few things. Salem appeared to be dressed in a very nice suit and coat, with a fine tophat and monocle. He was also leaning on a fancy looking cane.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist putting a little extra in the drawing," Tadashi said with a grin, "I can redo it with just Salem's actual appearance if you'd rather have that,"