Your New Home... sort of. [Lovino]

[Deleted]

Oliver was... not pleased.

The power was useless, the man behind the fur was ragged and, frankly, a little too stringy for his liking. There were plenty of other, nicer, more intimidating mutants to choose from and, given the freedom, Lili ended up choosing for herself the exact opposite of all that.

Why was he not surprised at all when that happened?

He berated her choice, attempted to teach her that her life was on the line and she should have chosen a candidate that suited her more, to which she replied that she found his power cute (that and she'd briefly met him previously, but Oliver did not need to know that.) She stood up, speaking in an almost defiant tone that she had made her choice and there was no way to change it. Oliver silently resolved at that moment to spare one of his own personal guards to watch her when no one else could. Lili was prone to escaping from the house on her escapades and there would be none of that happening, especially not with this pathetic excuse for a hairball.

Thankfully it was a short contract. He’d only have to deal with it for a short while, but in the meantime his little girl was absolutely enamored by his ability to be so absolutely adorable. Damn it, he should have set down some rules. This was frustrating.

"Just... just keep him out of my way."

At the rate Oliver was going he was going to earn himself a very unpleasant name among the household mutants as they snickered and mocked him when he wasn't looking. Goody, joy. Oh happy days. Lili, meanwhile, looking on with a rather unfamiliar scowl, an expression she did not present often to anyone. His treatment of this purchase was very much unwelcome, but she lacked the backbone to speak up against him and simply held the cat tightly in her arms.

That changed when she managed to get to her room, into which she unleashed the animal. "This is my room, you won't be sleeping here of course.... but for your sake this is probably where you'll be hiding out for most of your stay..." She said somberly with a light frown. "It's bigger than your cell, at least. Not much more freedom if all you'll be doing is sitting in here, though."

Closing the door behind her she allowed Lovino to explore his surroundings as she rummaged through some of her belongings on a dresser to the north walll. Lifting away papers and pushing aside knick knacks and projects she took into her hands a crinkled bit of fabric, to which was attached a bell that jingled furiously as she held it. Clipping the mutants tags to the metal ring, she held it up to admire. It was something she had made herself, knowing full well who she planned to bid on and what his power was.

A collar would choke him as a human, but a necklace would fall off of him as a cat. Thus, a scrunchie with a few changes made to allow it to perform the needed function. It contracted and expanded - perfect for someone like Lovino. "You'll have to wear this, though I'm sure you knew that already?"

Word Count: 546

Tags: Lovino Vargas

Notes: here kitty kitty kitty

made by MISSO for use on IoF

[Lovino Vargas]

He's the meanest little kitty...

It would be a lie to say that Lovino wasn't amused with the auction held this time. There were new scents, hinting new people in the crowds that were never there before, but the main focus that made Lovino interested in this auction was the promise of food for 'performing' in front of the audience. He was announced as the mutant that could shift his body into a form of that of a cat, and when he was told to do so with bread being held up, the male happily obliged, changing his form into his fluffy smaller self. He heard sighs and groans, as well as some surprised gasps from those that were probably new in the auction, but he paid no mind to them. All his focus was on the bread that was finally tossed at him, which he greedily ate on stage. Numbers were called out, but he paid no mind. Filling his stomach took priority.

As quickly as it started, it ended. Lovino found himself lifted by the scruff of his neck and was tossed into the back, where he was locked into a cage. The cage was small enough to possibly make mutants who couldn't transform unable to move, cramped in between the bars, but it was big enough for Lovino to just sigh and lay down, waiting for the event to be over so he could be brought back to the underground cells.

However, when the cage door opened and a leash was draped over his neck, Lovino let out a loud hiss of surprise and confusion. He was forced out with a tug before a guard lifted him into his arms, and he was carried to a room where guards were tending to paperwork. He was taken to a man and a young girl, most likely no older than 20, and was handed over to the said female. He paid no mind to the guard and man talking as he scanned around, trying to see who else was being sold, and flattened his ears in disappointment to see not too many as he would've liked. He also was in a small panic when he didn't see his brother, either; meaning he most likely was brought back to the underground cells.

"Here are his tags. He must wear them at all times; he's known to attempt to run away." One of the guards familiar with the cat mutant spoke, handing the man two dog tags before the man stamped onto the paperwork handed to him, and Lovino found himself being carried out of what he learned to survive in for several years.

It was easy to see that the man didn't like him, and neither did Lovino back to him, honestly. Each time he was looked at he hissed, his fur bristling further each time. The girl was nice, yes, but that didn't mean he was going to give into her, either. He simply didn't scratch her because she seemed the kinder of the two... Seemed.

His attitude towards her changed however once they were in her room, and Lovino was placed down on the carpeted floor. He walked awkwardly on the soft floor before he heard the door shut, making him flee and quickly slide himself under the bed. He heard what sounded like the tags... Followed by... A bell? Oh hell no.

Flattening his ears and baring his fangs, the mutant gave out a loud hiss of protest. If she were to reach in to try to pull him out, he wouldn't hesitate to scratch her.

"Keep away from me human." He hissed when he was able to produce words, spitting out the final word as if it was poisonous. He followed up with a feline growl afterwards, "I'm not wearing that just for your amusement..."

[/font][/div]

Word Count: 632

Tags: Lili

Notes: Edited by mistake, retyped crappy version, don't down' know why code is acting up. I give up. xD;

template made by MISSO for use only by PUCHI[/div]

[Deleted]

"Keep away from me human." The words were spoken to her with such venom and ice, and were permeated by a hateful, feline growl. She didn't chase after him, choosing instead to simply kneel down to the carpeted flooring and peer under the bed, into a pair of eyes reflecting a chatoyant glow back at her. It was almost heartbreaking. Either he was angry or terrified, maybe both. She didn't like being feared, she'd never hurt a fly! "I'm not wearing that just for your amusement..."

Lili glanced back at the crumpled little 'collar' and frowned. "It's not for my amusement, it's the tags. You have to."

Unfortunately. All she could really do is try to fix them to fit the cat - hence the bell. That, and this penchant for hiding meant that having a bell would make it easier to find him if he happened to get out of her room and into the rest of the house. Not because she wanted to humiliate him, it was simply what would eventually be demanded of her, so why not get it over with and offer it to him now? Bells were cute, it would complete the image, but look rather silly on him as a human. Yes, maybe that's what he meant?

Nonetheless, the very prospect of wearing the tags seemed to enrage him. There was no way she was sticking her hand under the bed with him this angry at her. She sat back up and placed the collar into her lap, sighing softly. "Would you like me to remove the bell? I thought it was cute, but if you don't like it..."

Did he like cat toys?

... he's a person. Not a cat.

Lili thought it would be like having a pet, but without feeling the weirdness of owning a human-looking mutant. This wasn't going to be easy to pretend if Lovino was going to growl at her with human words. Dehumanizing him with toys wasn't going to be a good idea either. His forms said he had a rather feline nature, she must have just assumed.

"The rest of it has to stay, though. I don't have anything I can put on you that'll stay on if you turn into a human." She got right to work unclipping the bell from the collar. There were a couple of other things she could have done, like a bow which he would have taken off easily, a ring that would have slipped off as a cat. Her mother had given her the idea of the scrunchie, but hair ties like that tended to be too big. "I don't really want you to get up back in that cell earlier than your contract is up. This life is supposed to be a little nicer, I thought."

Word Count: 468

Tags: Lovino Vargas

Notes: here kitty kitty kitty

made by MISSO for use on IoF

[Lovino Vargas]

He's the meanest little kitty...

The eyes that stared back into his made the cat mutant tense even further, taking it as a challenge. He made the growl-like sound again and pressed himself further against the corner, his claws digging into the carpet under his paws. When the female human spoke, the cat's ears flicked just when the noise was heard from his tags clinking together when the 'collar' was shifted in the girl's hold. It made him cringe again, disgust and anger filling his rage filled hues that glowed in the darkness from under the bed.

The idea of making him wear those like a real animal was what probably ticked him off the most. It was like the humans thought he would do all he could to murder those around him if he got the chance, if not controlled and leashed. The fact the girl said he /had/ to wear the tags made him emit a small, defiant hiss. No, he didn't /need/ to. He didn't want to. Where was his stance in being able to choose what he did and did not want to do? Didn't humans have those rights for themselves?

"Would you like me to remove the bell?" The words were caught the cat off guard, and he blinked slowly, his body shifting its weight slightly from its tensed stance to slightly more relaxed. Did... She listen to what he said? Sure the tags stayed but... Did she remove the bell? His fur flattened against his body from their original bristled state and he uncurled his lips, letting his fangs be hidden once more. The simple act was perhaps nothing for the girl, but it meant a lot for the mutant. Only having pass masters that didn't listen to a word he wanted to say, this was something new.

And he didn't know how to react to it.

For the first time, somebody other than his brother was listening to what he wanted and was willing to cooperate with it. He sheathed his claws and listened as the girl moved to remove the bell from the 'collar' with a small clip. His sensitive ears caught the movement of it being removed, and when nothing but the tags were heard on the handmade accessory, he rested his head on his forepaws, keeping his ears perked up to listen for any further movements. Hearing her speak of being returned to the cell made the cat flinch in fear, giving a quick glance around.

Sure, this place was different but... It was definitely warmer, the carpet was soft under his paws, and from what he heard, he would get fed regularly with daily meals. It made him weigh out his options; go back to the cell for keeping up his act, or fake a purr or two and keep the human satisfied, so he could spend more time in the cozy outside world?

His eyes softened slightly when he was reminded of the underground, though a shiver ran down his spine at the same time. His brother was still there... Why was he taken out of the hell hole when his brother was still stuck back there...? He felt like a betrayer in a sense, like he didn't deserve to be outside the cell to begin with without his brother coming out as well. Maybe this was his punishment for something he did...?

If being treated like a pet was what his punishment for whatever he did, then Lovino was going to take it. Take it, and then return to his brother so he could comfort him and tell him stories about the outside world; perhaps give him a few good dreams from the 'fairytales'. Tapping his tail on the floor, he finally pushed himself back up onto his paws and walked over to the light, where he poked his head out from under the bed to stare at the blonde girl.

...But seriously, wasn't she rich?

Why buy him instead of some useful or in her words, 'cuter' mutant?

Word Count: 660

Tags: Lili

Notes: Meow meow

template made by MISSO for use only by PUCHI

[Deleted]

She was rich, yes, but daddy dearest had given her a rather limited allowance. He wasn't about to spend a ridiculously obscene amount of money on a potentially useless mutant - imagine his relief when the tag on Lovino was thankfully low, and understandably so. With such a restricted shapeshifting power Oliver was surprised Lovino wasn't the most inexpensive mutant out there, but upon reading the description of the least-expensive item up for auction he quickly realized why. Perhaps this would be a useful learning experience. Lovino was entirely under her care and protection and he dare not risk the affections of his daughter by raising a hand against her property.

As Lovino poked his head curiously out Lili lowered herself down to his level, almost lying on her stomach as she looked him right in the face, holding the bell-less tags in both of her hands for him to see. The bell lay inert to her left, perhaps with the intention of saving it for a later project. Mutant or not, she couldn't stand displeasing anyone. If Lovino was going to stay with her for a while, the least she could do was make him comfortable. It wasn't as if she had strenuous tasks for him to accomplish to earn her trust or respect. A simple cat would suffice, as long as he remained relatively nearby to allow for a bored girl to pet him whilst doing her homework.

"Does that look alright to you?" She asked as she lay the tags and scrunchie material down on the carpeted floor for him to inspect. There were no colors to be found in the fabric. Perfectly dark and neutral. For that initial idea she was grateful. The bell was bad enough, but if Lovino despised the color as well she expected there would be little opportunity to reason with him. As he crept ever closer her heart grew more elated, for there was not a chance that this mutant would warm up to her! Even in her arms on the way home she could feel that he was tense, possibly resisting ever instinct to scratch her.

Ah, dear dear... please do not hate her.

"If you'll have to wear these they should be comfortable, right?" She asked. "I can't just let you go tagless, though. I don't think I could get you back out again if I am not trustworthy. This is my father trusting my ability, I can't let him think me incapable." She explaining. Demeaning Lovino was the last of her intentions - in fact, barely even on the list. She'd never do such a thing to him knowingly. "It will be up to me to protect you. He's displeased with my choice of you, I'm a little worried he might take it out on you..."

Word Count: 468

Tags: Lovino Vargas

Notes: here kitty kitty kitty

made by MISSO for use on IoF

[Lovino Vargas]

He's the meanest little kitty...

So somebody in this house was more than willing to take frustration out on him... Well, Lovino guessed that the moment he saw the man, but now with it being most likely confirmed, Lovino felt his ears fall flat against his head. Suddenly his front paws and back seemed to ache, old scars reacting to quick flashbacks he had to bare remembering past beatings, but he quickly shook his head in attempt to rid of them. He sniffed at the scrunchie that was held out to him, raising a paw and batting at it, as if it was going to suddenly snap at him. His body was shaking with nervousness with each step he took closer to the female, until he finally didn't feel comfortable enough, which was still a bit away from her. He sat down, his fur bristling once more at the scent of the human.

And he was starting to smell like one, too.

Quickly, Lovino gave his shoulders a quick few licks before he hissed at the girl, though now it was a warning to keep away more than anything. He was not wanting to put the tags on, not now, not ever. He wanted to know he had the freedom to run if he wanted to... The house seemed much more open, than the past ones, and it might be his chance to finally escape the grasps of humans alike. If wandering in the streets alone in this form, no one would think twice as to him being a normal stray cat just passing by. If things go right, he might even be able to break his brother out of the underground soon enough, and they could live on their own without humans enslaving them.

"Let's get one thing straight..." Lovino meowed, narrowing his eyes to the girl, his claws unsheathing. "...I'm not wearing that. I'm not a pet... I'm thankful you got me out that hell hole, but... You made me leave my brother." A small growl passed by the cat as he pulled his lips back to another snarl, "Why me...? Why not someone who deserves to be out of there? Why the hell did I get out and not them...!?"

Why? Why him?

Why not someone who was worth it?

Irritated, Lovino felt his tail lash behind him in anger. He glanced around before he lowered his head, suddenly suspicious. Was it because... Of this form?

What could this form create...?

What use could this form have?

Why would someone want someone as useless as... him?

Lovino's body shook but this time for a entirely different reason. Fear being the main still, but now confusion and nervousness taking over more as well. He got up on all four of his paws, ready to lunge to attack or dash and hide back under the bed if needed.

"Spit it out, human!!"

Word Count: 478

Tags: Lili

Notes: Hisssssssss

template made by MISSO for use only by PUCHI

[Deleted]

She hoped with his initial advance that he was warming up to her, but clearly that was too much to hope for. That cat, though comfortable enough to be within enough distance to bat at the tags in her hand, was still not comfortable enough with her to trust her to place them around his neck. She supposed that was understandable. It was like animals, and though she hated to think of him as such, it was hard not to when he was, in fact, a cat. It reminded her of animals who move from home to home, who never know if the bed they sleep in that night will be the one they sleep in the next, if the human who feeds them will suddenly change and becomes someone less merciful.

Clearly much of his distrust was the sheer fact this was a very temporary venture and if he got attached, he would regret it later. Clearly this was the result of humans mistreating him in the past, and he was sure that the petite female in front of him would be no different. As he sat there, hissing at her and questioning her motives, her heart broke in two and sank into her stomach along with the scrunchie that fell into her lap with her hands.

"... If I could, I'd have brought all of you home with me." Lili spoke frankly, her forehead furrowed sadly. She bought him for his form, yes, for the potential for company, to help someone receive a brief respite from the dankness of the underground. Was she simply hurting them more like this? To be able to breathe the clear air of the world above only to have it snatched from them later? What was the point of freedom if one's friends and family are left behind, if one knows full well that the world one knows they will get accustomed to being in will be stripped from them when their usefulness has been outlived?

She pursed her lips, her brain attempting to choose her next string words as carefully as possible. "But I can't. I...I have to do it one at a time. Though after this I doubt my judgment will be trusted again."

She noted at the auction that the two Italians were both named Vargas and correctly surmised that they were related. Had she the chance to do so, she might have tried to purchase them together, but that wasn't something she was able to do, certainly not with the money she was allotted. "I'd like to think all of you deserve to be out of there. I saw it-- I went in there, it's awful. No one deserves that. Not you, your brother, any of your friends."

Word Count: 452

Tags: Lovino Vargas

Notes: here kitty kitty kitty

made by MISSO for use on IoF

[Lovino Vargas]

He's the meanest little kitty...

"Humans do."

Lovino responded to the girl's words as she muttered about no one deserving to live in the dark filth of the underground. It was his true opinion; humans were the ones that forced the mutants down into those cells. They deserved to have a taste of their own medicine, to know exactly how it felt to be trapped behind bars and barely fed, bathed, and be glanced at from time to time by potential customers as if they were animals in the zoo. Some humans went as far as to coo to Lovino and make mocking meowing noises at him, and yelled at him if he didn't respond as they wished to, like by purring back like an average housecat. He was not one that was amused by the visitations of the humans-- were any mutants?

He growled at the response he recieved about him getting out of the underground instead of anybody else who had the much equal chance. He remembered the fear in the eyes of the newer mutants when they were pulled up on stage, and the dull dead gazes of the older ones who had went through the process several times before. He only focused on the bread that was given to him as a reward for 'acting' as told by transforming on stage, and honestly now he felt dumb about it. Really, how desperate could he get? For a piece of bread?

Though stress was causing his fur to bristle, Lovino was at least calming down in terms of fear and nervousness around the girl. Now, anger was the biggest emotion more than anything. She was dumb like any other human, obviously. There were several mutants, his brother included, who needed a home more than him. Winter temperatures in the underground easily dropped below zero degrees, punging down on the scale in the two digits of negatives. The skinny ones in the auction obviously needed much more help than him, who was able to curl up in his own fluffy fur coat to keep himself somewhat warm from the harsh winter chills. He could only guesstimate how many mutants would be left alive by the time he was returned to the cells.

However... There was also no way he could have survived the cells on his own and be safe of the deadly diseases that filled the underground between mutants during this season. Really it was like a concentration camp for mutants; illnesses, starvations, exhaustions, all of the factors were there. Lowering his head slightly, he gave the carpet a quick sniff before his claws dug into the weird fabric under his paws, still having troubles getting fully used to the sensation of having something soft under his pads. Something... Anything, at this point, to distract him from thinking of the underground was useful at the moment. Hearing the tags clink, he gave a small growl, ready to move away if the girl were to move towards him even the slightest bit.

"...Am I to be trapped in this room?"

Word Count: 507

Tags: Lili

Notes: Hisssssssss

template made by MISSO for use only by PUCHI

[Deleted]

That… stung. She couldn’t blame him, but still. What would that solve? She didn’t want them down there, she didn’t understand how anyone could want someone to be down there. Her eyes fell to where she was no longer watching Lovino under her bed, fighting back the painful lump in her throat. This entire conversation was just prodding at her emotions, it took everything she had to muster the will to shed no tears.

Maybe she deserved to be down there. If anything someone needed to campaign for a reform of some kind. The conditions were worse than housepets.

Regardless, she was very quickly realizing that this was a bad idea, but had no idea how she was going to fix it. If she told her father of the issue she would do exactly the opposite of what she wanted to do, thus proving Lovino’s entire point. But if he refused to cooperate with her, this contract was going to be filled to the brim with frustration and he might as well sit there under her bed and starve. Lili didn’t want to sit there and listen to his claims about how she should be going back instead, even if they were true, even if it would do nothing to fix all that was wrong with the world and simply emphasize that in the end, everyone was vicious.

She looked down at her lap, then back to Lovino, utterly conflicted with herself.

How was she going to fix this? How was she going to get him to warm up to her? Even if he did, he was going to have to eventually go back, which she didn’t want to happen, but now with that face staring directly into hers she was too busy thinking about that scenario to imagine any potential good.

“No, you would not be trapped in this room. You would have free reign of movement.” With the exception of simply running away, but she felt that wasn’t necessary to bring up. He could if he wanted to, though. Casually slipping out through an open door? If he could get his tags off, he could pass off as a cat and live the rest of his life in peace, but being a stray in the dead of winter didn’t sound appealing… at least he could go out and find shelter. He wouldn’t get any of that back in the Underground, if her last visit was any hint. She noted that Mathias’ cell had almost no blankets save the thin piece of cloth in the back on an old cot, not to mention the hallway was absolutely freezing the last time she was there. “The only real exception is the master bedroom.”

Though Lili could imagine no reason why Lovino would purposely go there. Lili’s mother would probably love Lovino against his will, but her father was… not quite as easily won over. “I’m sorry about your brother,” she whispered. He was mad about that, right? That was his first complaint to her – he’d been forced to leave his brother. Lili felt herself starting to tear up and suddenly her cheeks were flooded and desperately being wiped on her sleeve, but to no avail. She could have listened to Oliver, but it still wouldn’t have fixed anything. Another mutant to be displeased, another mutant to hate her. This was an awful idea.

Word Count: 563

Tags: Lovino Vargas

Notes: gdi

made by MISSO for use on IoF

[Lovino Vargas]

He's the meanest little kitty...

The master bedroom... That was the room where the man slept, right? Lovino really didn't have any reason to want to go there in the first place, so when it was mentioned as an out-of-boundary room for him, he really didn't care to argue about it. It wasn't like she was banning him from the restroom... He could only remember some of the much harsher rules he used to have to live by. No using the restroom (but the backyard being available for his business), banned from all bedrooms and the kitchen unless told otherwise, only being able to sleep when given the permission to... Shaking his head slightly, Lovino tried to rid of the thoughts of his past owners. They were gone... They were done with... But why was he continously reminded of them?

A part of him wanted Lili to just take him back to the underground still, so he could relax and sleep in the poor excuse of a bed that were provided. That was when he remembered that Lili had told him that he wasn't going to be sleeping in the room he was particularily in at the moment. With a nervous glance around the room, only barely getting used to the smell of of the female's flower scented room, Lovino gave the door one look. It was like any ordinary door, only fancy with wooden designs weaved into the wood to make it look fancy; humans tended to spend their precious money on something as stupid as this, Lovino had learned over the years.

The soft voice mixed in with pain caught his attention not too long after, however, and he was forced to glance back up to the blonde girl. His ears fell flat against his head as he watched the tears begin to stream down the cheeks. The words she spoke meant nothing to him, as she wasn't going to do anything about it to fix the problem, but the voice made him break slightly inside. The wall he had put up in between the two had slowly melted, not enough to let her in to trust her entirely but... Well, she head the heart to cry for something for him. Lovino didn't expect that from a human. It was often that his brother sobbed about tiny things, earning himself the nickname of 'Crybaby' by the cat mutant, but somewhere inside him he was thankful when he cried about him. It was a way he knew that someone cared deeply enough for him to let those tears soak thier face, to let their voice crack with hiccups... In a way, he was comforted by it, but also made nervous about it at the same time. So when the girl began to cry, he just stared at her for a moment before he slowly got back on all four of his paws. Slowly, carefully as if to make sure it wasn't some trick she was trying to pull to fool and grab him by, Lovino approached the girl closer until he was able to put his forepaws on her lap and lift himself up to have his face closer to her's.

Unsure of what to do, he simply pressed his head against her wet cheek and mewled, trying to change the topic. He knew he was going to be stuck here for a while... So might as well learn what was around in the house, right? It was much easier and safer to be wandering around the house alone, especially with the girl's father being one that was obviously not in favor of him, right?

"Hey... Just... Show me around the house. I want to know where everything is if I'm stuck here anyway."

Word Count: 620

Tags: Lili

Notes: Meow...?

template made by MISSO for use only by PUCHI

[Deleted]

"Hey... Just... Show me around the house. I want to know where everything is if I'm stuck here anyway."

His paws on her lap, his head pressed against her face in some sort of comforting display. Whether he meant it or if this was just an attempt to get her to shut up, she wasn't sure. She wasn't about to stop just yet, though - the emotion had not yet run through her completely. As a gesture of thanks, though, she placed her hand on the feline's back and stroked affectionately, giving his ears a nice scratch while a weak, tear-stained smile appeared on her face. "I know you're not happy, but I'll try to make this somewhat enjoyable for you?" she offered quietly. "It's the least I can do, if you're that angry."

There were many places he could go, if he wanted to have time alone. Nothing was going to be expected of him except the occasional company - part of why Oliver was so angry at her choice. Lili regretted it now if only because the mutant seemed more content returning to the cell rather than have to live among humans for any amount of time. Most of the rooms were unused and empty and perfect for a nap, and if he stayed a cat there was a high probability no one would ever question his presence. The young lady of the house was given a kitten as a gift, how nice. He wanted to see everything... yes, she could do this, but only if given a moment to get herself back under control. Once the waterworks started, stopping them become a bit of a challenge if the right buttons were not pressed. Unfortunately Lovi, though cute, was in no position to be successful.

With his comforting complete she picked the cat up only a centimeter and replaced him back on the floor, desiring a tissue to help clear her face of any sort of negative emotion. If she were caught crying outside of her room it would reflect badly on Lovino, him being the only on in the room capable of inflicting any emotional wounding. The first day here she would rather not compromise his safety any more than she already had. "I need a minute."

She fled the cat to her dresser and grabbed a tissue to blow her nose, flinching at how gross it must have been for him to watch and listen. She apologized afterward. "I think I'm good now."

Lili tossed the tissue into a nearby wastebasket and clasped her hands together, breathing out deeply as if still lacking control and desperately trying to find it. "So you want a tour? What places do you want to see first?"

Word Count: 457

Tags: Lovino Vargas

Notes: here kitty kitty kitty

made by MISSO for use on IoF

[Lovino Vargas]

He's the meanest little kitty...

Lovino wasn't sure how to feel about this girl at the moment. The tears she shedded... Was it because of her own stress or just something random that made her think crying would get her away with anything? If it was the latter, Lovino knew that it would stop as soon as he would tell her something to maybe change the topic. Humans tended to pull some sort of bullshit as such from time to time. Hah, like he was going to fall for that. The hand that reached down towards him made him jump from his thoughts and flinch, his muscles tensing immediately in fear and caution. Was she going to grab him now...?

Damn it... He was swimming too much in his own thoughts that he wasn't paying attention; now there was nowhere to run...! His body instinctively lowered to stall the hand from reaching him, though when it did, he closed his eyes tightly and waited for a smacking pain. He could feel the scars on his skin burn on his back as he waited for the similiar pain, though, when the hand instead only stroked over his back, he couldn't help but to blink and stretch his limbs again to press the hand harder against himself. By the time the hand moved up to scratch his ear, he was letting out a soft purring noise involenteerily and gladly leaned into the scratches, his eyes closing in bliss and his paws kneading at her leg, scrunching and opening repeatedly.

When he was picked up off her however, he couldn't help but to mewl in protest, flattening his ears once he was placed back on the floor away from her. He watched her as she rushed off to blow her nose with what looked like a flat piece of cotton, and just waited, wincing when he heard the noise of her getting the essence out of her nose. Disgusting... He hadn't heard that sound in a long time, and personally had no connection of doing the same thing since he was in the school. The underground provided no flat cotton for nose wiping, so he often just sucked it up or wiped it with his sleeve. Fucking humans and their nonsense crap...

When he was turned to finally and the soiled piece of cloth was tossed into the basket, he perked his ears back up slightly and turned to the door. Where did he want to go...? Well, outside would be nice. But that probably wasn't a choice right now, seeing he refused to wear his tags and had yet to put them on. It would be easier to just not bother asking and try to sneak out when he had the chance next. He thought for a bit before he remembered of her mentioning that he was not sleeping in this room at night. Well, might as well learn what disgusting room she had ready for him, then.

"In what room am I sleeping in...?" He asked innocently, almost like a child afraid of an answer. The room he was currently in was cozy, and though girly and smelly, was warm and had a nice bed he could sleep on.

Word Count: 533

Tags: Lili

Notes: Meow...?

template made by MISSO for use only by PUCHI

[Deleted]

Her cheeks were still red, but she wasn’t trying anymore. She’d managed to stop her tears, though light hiccups still escaped her ever now and then. She hadn’t thought about telling him where he was sleeping. She’d spoken to Oliver at length about it, and he demanded the mutant stay away from her during the evening. Something about keeping another living being in her room comforted her, however. Not that she was afraid of the dark!

But… the company itself was reassuring that there was always someone or something to wake up to come the morn. Age seemed to make her more daring, more inclined to deception. So long as she was not directly confronted, she could sneak Lovino into her warm room without guilt. The mutant’s quarters were only minimally kept anyway – and in the winter, ridiculously freezing. She was reminded of the frozen in which her unfortunate mutant acquaintances were kept.

Her desires would entirely cancel out what she would have said before this realization. “Father wants you with the others – I would rather have you hear.”

Biting her lip, she went to her door and listened, as if paranoid someone might be outside to spoil her plans. “I’d be willing to be sneaky, though. I can hide you.”

He was small, lithe… quiet. He would be unnoticed. The only problem was the mutants snitching, but Oliver never really spoke to them to begin with. Essentially, being sneaky was really the only way to go around the system and do what she wanted. He was supposed to be her mutant, why couldn’t she decide where he slept? She didn’t want him somewhere freezing, even if he did have fur. She wasn’t even sure if it would be warm enough for him, and there was little chance someone like him would be supplied a blanket when Oliver disapproved so much.

But would she come to regret this later? It was a short contract. If she played her cards right, this could be an extremely uneventful circumvention of the rules. Given how tightly her father liked to pull the leash, it really just made the teenage girl was to rebel a little more. Rules were meant to be broken, as one of her classmates liked to always say. It was a very useful motto to remember, especially when the rules leaned heavily out of one’s favor. There was simply no business in her having a mutant of her own if she wasn’t free the treat him however she wanted, and what she desired was to treat him as well as she could. She’d seen the squalor of those cells and she felt it was her duty to shine a little light where there was only darkness.

Word Count: 459

Tags: Lovino Vargas

Notes: here kitty kitty kitty

made by MISSO for use on IoF

[Lovino Vargas]

He's the meanest little kitty...

As Lovino waited for his answer, he watched as the girl finally stopped herself from crying anymore. He sighed softly in relief; she really was a troublesome human, wasn't she? He could only imagine how tough life will be living with her from now on for a couple of months during this short contract. As he mentioned earlier, his brother perhaps was the better choice for this deal. He seemed to be the one that was always much more friendlier around humans overall, maybe he wouldn't have made her cry like he did. Growling softly in self hatred, the cat lowered his head slightly as he continued to wait, until she finally spoke up.

"Father wants you with the others - I would rather have you here. I'd be willing to be sneaky, though. I can hide you."

Seeing the girl bite her lip to speak out those words honestly surprised Lovino. He didn't expect such words from her mouth; she seemed like the goody girl who was going to follow whatever mommy and daddy said, no matter what. Hearing that she had some rebel still inside her gave Lovino some hope to enjoy this break from the underground. He lifted his head back up in thought and tilted it after a bit.

"Is it that bad of a place?" He asked, honestly curious. Why would the girl be willing to hide him, now that he thought about it? It wasn't like he was any normal house cat; wasn't she worried about him changing back forms when she was asleep? He would of course avoid it, seeing he didn't want the girl to see the scars that littered his skin, but it's not like the girl would know that. Wasn't she one bit concerned?

Perhaps she was playing dumb.

Of course she was. What human would want a stranger man, mutant or not, in their bed when they wake up? As far as Lovino was concerned, no normal girl would want that. With his fur bristling slightly and his tail swaying, showing his obvious suspicious state, the cat mutant spoke again, more mews and purrs mixing into the noise to create the words.

"You'll get in trouble for that, right? It's really a dumb idea to want to sleep with me in the bed to begin with; why would you even think of that?" He spat, sniffing the air quickly in hopes to be able to smell freedom from this weird house. When he couldn't smell anything but the strong scent from the girl's room itself, he couldn't hold back an annoyed growl. Seriously, didn't that stink for her!? How the hell could she breathe like it was not a big deal!? He held back from gagging at the flowery-fruity scent, licking his nose in hopes to clear its passage. "And turn off whatever's making that smell... Or open the windows.... Or something."

Word Count: 483

Tags: @secretfudgebox

Notes: Meow...?

template made by MISSO for use only by PUCHI

[Deleted]

“Is it that bad a place?” The cat asked her, to which she shook her head.

“Ah, no! Not that bad—certainly not if compared to the cells. The temperature is never quite right, but the blankets are adequate—“ Perhaps she was being stupid, but she was quite protective already of this small creature she was now in charge of. She was fearful of him being down in the mutant’s rooms alone, not because the others would hurt him, but because for now, he just seemed so small and helpless… but she couldn’t tell him that! It would likely insult him. “I just, well… You’re in my name, right? I’d just rather be close.”

His complaint didn’t earn him a berating or an unsympathetic gesture. The girl listened to his request, and made her way across the soft carpet of the bedroom to the window, which she unclipped and opened. A thin mesh screen was all that separated the two from the outside world now, put in place to stave off an invasion of insects that, in the current dead of winter, would never actually come. A cool, clean breeze swept through the room and retreated back outside like a wave, dragging the floral-scented of her air freshener outside and into the open air. Hopefully that would help Lovino’s sensitive little nose.

“I could get in trouble, yes. In fact, I know I probably will.” She said with a sigh. “If he catches me, anyway.”

She smiled, but the expression hinted at despondence. Sitting on her bed she propped her head up on a hand, elbow set securely on her knee. “It might get you in trouble too, so whatever you want to do, I guess. Getting caught would end up pretty disadvantageous, I think. He might want to take you back.” Which Lili did not want at all. Whatever ‘rite of passage’ this ownership was supposed to be, she could not disappoint anyone now.

She could not, however, bear to mistreat Lovino. She picked him out purely for aesthetic and selfish reasons, so it was up to her to make up for what her family might now be interpreting as a novice mistake. “I would much rather have your experience here be… pleasurable? Acceptable? Comfortable?” Lili shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know how to make that happened. No one’s been entrusted to me before.”

By simply telling him that, she wondered if that was a mistake.

“You’re right. It’s a dumb idea. I’m sorry I even suggested it. Never mind.” That despondent smile never once left her face. Just what had she allowed herself to get into? This adventure was bound to end in tragedy, she just knew it.

Word Count: 451

Tags: Lovino Vargas

Notes: here kitty kitty kitty

made by MISSO for use on IoF