Nice to meet mew + Lovino

[Antonio F. Carriedo]

Anything that had the word festival tacked onto it brought a very specific kind of thrill to Antonio’s gait. A childish, upbeat excitement for discovering fun and new things. Based on the extensiveness of his travels and just how long he had been moving about the world, place to place, culture to culture, he had experienced his fair share of such things. Religious holidays, local ceremonies that allowed outsiders, simple local fairs. He’d been to a number of each and found ways to enjoy himself at each and every one. There was always something to take away from that sort of excursion, after all. Food, entertainment, knowledge of others, friends.

Festivals could be some of the best ways to learn about the actual heart and soul of a town. The day to day happenings, the general feeling of a place, that you could get at cafes. But something deeper… something the passionate, romantic heart that Antonio possessed was also fascinated and touched by, that you got at festivals. When people smiled and danced in ways they have for centuries. Or just played their games and rode their carnival rides. Did ceremonies absolutely entrenched in tradition and meaning. They were a sight to behold.

That had been Antonio’s thoughts upon first news of the festival that would take place in Archadia. A way for him to learn the heart of the city he would reside in for a fair amount of time to come. He couldn’t have hoped for better luck than to experience such a thing so soon after his arrival, rather than wait for months until he saw how things were done in such festivities.

Naturally he’d been told of the sort of things shop owners were encouraged, expected, to do during these sorts of things. Nadya, the former owner of the flower shop he had inherited in an odd turn of events, had advised him some on what the Little Florist had done in the years before. Nothing too big. Just a stall along with the other vendors that would be there. Sell small single flowers that related to the theme of that specific event. Corsages or small ones able to be pinned to a coat. Long stemmed roses to be a romantic gift. In years she had a helper she would have the usual cute girl walking around with a basket over her arm, selling flowers to the festival goers. In that same vain there had been some basic contact between him and some of the officials working the whole thing.

The moment he received his invitation Antonio had then, also, been excited initially. A masquerade ball! That he had only experienced in lesser forms, more casual than the setting this entailed. It would be interesting to see such a spectacle even if he wasn’t always entirely fond of the more formal dances of that kind. Anything with dancing had his vote.

It was when he read further that all of his usual curiosity began to be shadowed over.

“Pets…” He’d read out loud, sitting at the small coffee nook in the corner of his kitchen. For all of his travels in a world such as this, that was not quite the usual terminology he was used to. Normally it was simply what they were – mutants. There would be mutant fights put on for the show. That was common enough. Pets had been used at points in his memory perhaps, but… that had been before.

He stared for a long time before he set the paper back on the tabletop and ran a hand over his face, through his hair to scratch at the top of his head while he eyed the text guiltily. That… put a specific sort of discomforting edge to it. Both the phrasing and the entire fact that that would occur. He knew it still happened of course, but… he hadn’t been especially close to such things for a fair while. Buy your beloved pet… when the image of Gilbert’s face flashed in his mind, he felt a momentary bout of nausea.

This was… the heart and soul of the city he would now live?

+ + +

With the insistence of Kári – if it had just been him there was no doubt that things would have been done at a much more casual pace – the stand for the Little Florist had been set up and stocked before things began to even open up much at all. A few other of the more established shops had begun work on their fancier stalls, something that had made it hard for the child’s attention span that was Antonio’s while setting up. But through combined efforts – perhaps mostly Kári’s – they were ready to go before it was even the official time to open. With that in mind, Antonio began his wandering. They could leave everything locked up until they one or both of them returned, it was fine. And honestly, despite his reservations, Antonio was interested in seeing the stalls and other festivities at the very least.

As he began his circle round Antonio realized another reason the festival seemed off. On most occasions the sort of things he’d attended of this nature were in better weather. When the sun was shining and one could enjoy physical activities more easily. There was Christmas festivals, of course, which he understood more. But he had still grown up in Spain, and spent a majority of his traveling in warmer climates… the atmosphere he was used to didn’t fit what he associated the cold of a Russian winter with. His breath puffed in a cloud before him-ah, was that a café vendor?

It was with his warm coffee, the cup clasped between both hands, that he had his contented smile when he continued on. This was why being friendly was a good thing. Getting into conversations with a waitress at a café turned into getting a coffee before they were even open at events. “Aaaah,” Antonio sighed happily after a sip, warm liquid sliding down his throat and slowly meandering through his system in the form of a pleasant ease away from the chill. It was in that sort of light that he wandered into an area, rather obliviously, that he had told himself either to avoid or visit specifically for its purpose.

When he finally fully looked up past his now empty drink Antonio took in the sight. Since his walk the festival had officially begun and people were trickling in, but no crowds had formed yet. He could easily see the setup of – cages. Something you saw more often at dog parks and breeders than festivals, except perhaps if there were large animals that would be used in a show. He supposed that was… accurate enough for this case as well. When mutants were the ‘animals’ and the show was a set of fights put on. That in itself made his heart drop a degree in his chest. As did his immediate slow glance around to see if he could catch sight of his friend standing inside one of such cages.

Before his attention could be snagged by a familiar face, however, it was caught by something else entirely. His eyes initially passed right over the cage until he realized it seemed empty – making him start back out of curiosity if he had simply missed it’s resident. Upon closer inspection his eyes fell on… a cat?

There were still nagging thoughts of Gilbert at his brain, but the concept of the festival completely left Antonio momentarily when he stepped forward to kneel down and peer in. There was most certainly a cat in this dog-run of a cage. No wonder his eyes had passed right over it, the poor thing was almost dwarfed in the size of the enclosure. It was a cute poor thing, though. Not that he’d ever found a cat un-cute but… the white with brown markings, showing bits of stripes to allude to a tabby, was rather adorable. Instantly a soft smile spread into his face-“aren’t you handsome?” Antonio said, faint, as simple and natural as breathing for him to speak affectionately to a cute creature.

Words: 1380

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[Lovino Vargas]

He's the meanest little kitty...

Lovino loved being outside.

Being cooped up in the underground cells could really take its toll on him when it was for too long, so every now and then when he got a contract and was allowed to sniff fresh air for few hours a time, Lovino took all its chances to his advantage. When the rumor went on that there was going to be a festival, and at the festival the mutants would be allowed to sit outside for several hours, Lovino didn't believe it at first. Why would the government be so kind to do that?

He only figured out it was the truth when the guards began opening cells and bringing mutants into a mobile cage with wheels. Several were sobbing, whether from joy or fear of what was about to happen to them, Lovino didn't know the reasoning. All he knew was that since the rumors indeed had been bugging him, he hoped with all his will that they were being taken to the festival. By the time guards reached his cell and opened it, Lovino was in his cat form, mewling happily and walking into the mobile cage with no troubles. He feared that if he gave the guards a hard time, they would throw him back inside the underground cell and tell him that he was not going. Now one could only hope that it really was the rumor coming true and they were not being sent to some gas chamber like stray dogs.

Once the cage was wheeled outside, Lovino was wiggling with excitement, letting the cold air blow through his fur. The stench of infections and blood and tears were gone, and instead he could smell the tundra, as faint as its scent was, and nature overall. His heat escaped him with soft white clouds that formed in front of his mouth when he breathed out, but he helped himself to the thin blanket that was carelessly tossed into the cage, snuggling into it. With his fur and the blanket, it was quite easy to keep warm from the bitter cold.

The cage was then wheeled into a large truck, along with several other mutants. He could smell familiar scents and some new, but kept to himself, deciding to groom himself as he waited for whatever to happen to them. He heard the truck start, after several more cages were wheeled into the truck to the point it was backed tight and the door was closed. In the midst of worried mutters and some sobs, some like him happily chattering away in excitement, Lovino purred in satisfaction. Though it was short, he did get to taste the outside wind again.

Only when the truck stopped several hours later did the murmurs and whispers stop in the truck. The door was opened once more, and he could hear mutants getting more and more concerned of their surroundings and situation. At this point, Lovino too smelled and heard unfamiliar senses, and in turn it made him slightly nervous. One by one the cages were wheeled out, and when come Lovino's turn, he curled himself up in the farthest corner away from the guard that pulled his crate. He could hear music from all directions and humans scurrying around, some dancing and some preparing their stands, as the first event went on. As the humans enjoyed their dances, mutants were being brought out like pets and placed in their dog crates where they would spend the day until they were needed once more.

More than anything, Lovino was most fearful of the humans that walked around busily, having troubles staying calm around strangers. He was too engulfed in his fear to notice the crate stop moving, and he heard metal against metal when they slammed the openings together. Immediately Lovino's ears flattened uncertainly, not liking the noises he heard that was resulted from the rough and rushed actions from the guards. When he refused to move right away, the guard used a small bull taser, which they pressed against his lower back. Lovino squealed at the shock and immediately rushed into the dog cage, where he heard the cage door close with a loud squeak and clang, and a padlock was placed on to trap the mutant inside.

As soon as the mobile crate was wheeled away for the guard to go and get the next mutant, Lovino decided to get a look at what was around. The ground was dirt, most likely scraped of snow beforehand for this event. It felt weird on his paws, but it was nothing he couldn't tolerate. He decided to stay in his cat form, figuring it would give him more space to wander around in. A blanket and a bottle of water were on the ground, obviously thrown in with no care, as if to figure the mutants would make use of it themselves. With a soft sigh, the cat mutant stood up and shook his small body, eyes scanning at the bars around him. On the front (he assumed as so, seeing that's where the door was), he spotted a tiny bowl locked against the bars so it wouldn't tip over. He assumed immediately for it to be used for food later on in the day. When he looked above that, a few bars away from that, he spotted a laminated booklet hanging from the bars, occasionally dancing when the wind blew, flapping its pages. Lovino was able to pick up that it held his information with the flash of some words he spotted.

Figuring that was all in the dog cage he was placed in, Lovino felt a purr rise in his throat. Outside. He was outside, though faint, under the sunlight. He moved to the dirty blanket and rested on top of it, stretching his paws in the air and kneading them at nothing, it flushing comfort throughout his tiny body. He fluffed his fur up by shaking his body, the hairs on his body immediately surrounding him with warmth at the action. He curled up on the blanket under the sun, picking up on what little heat it offered, dozing off to sleep of bliss.

xxx

He was awoken when he heard an unfamiliar voice. Perking his ear up slightly, he opened his eyes enough to see a brunette male, making him flatten his ears immediately and narrow his eyes. He never was good with that combination, and for a moment he refused to move from his blanket.

Handsome...? Who the hell was he talking about? He sighed, stretching his curled body and paws before he gave the man one more glance. He was looking at him but... Listening to people around. Though few, humans were beginning to come to look at the mutants like they were some animals, and some mutants that knew what to do in such situations laughed with them or acted cheerful. He smelt food from far away cells after that, making him draw the conclusion that if he was good... He might get scraps of food.

And that was always good.

With that in mind, Lovino took a few steps towards the front bars, mewing softly. Before he would be able to be petted however he stopped far enough, meowing a bit stronger this time.

Food...

All for the food.

Word Count: 1220

Tags: Antonio

Notes: LET THE SPAMANO BEGIN <3

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[Antonio F. Carriedo]

The cat didn’t seem entirely amused at first, opening his eyes only to flatten his ears and narrow them. Ah-he’d been sleeping, hadn’t he? Enjoying a nap under the blanket. Antonio smiled, apologetic. “Ah, lo siento. I woke you up from a nice nap, didn’t I?” Antonio knew he often didn’t appreciate being woken in an untimely fashion from his own naps. And cats were debatably more known for their naps than Spaniards were.

There was some positives, though. In moving out from the blanket and closer to the bars Antonio was privileged to see more of this handsome feline. An ever softened smile warmed his face.

Based on the affection and fun loving personality most if not all assumed Antonio would prefer dogs over cats. Dogs were energetic, protective, and loving. Full of life and play, as well as an unending amount of love. And sure, Antonio liked dogs just fine. He liked most animals, more than a little likely to exclaim happily and pet any creature you happen to have in your home when he comes for a visit. Oddly enough, he could be just as excited to see reptiles, although that didn’t work out quite as well as it did with mammals.

Cats, though… he’d always had a special sort of fondness for cats. They were intelligent little things. Independent and opinionated, cool and reserved even. But they had more loyalty and love than anything when push came to shove. A cat that could only stand you enough for the occasional pet would all too easily sit with you for days when you were sick or upset. That was a certain kind of sweetness that went to the heart.

… Plus, they were just so darn cute and fluffy! The grin may have just begun to turn into something a little bit on the goofy side, a little bit dumb and overly affectionate for a grown man when he heard the cat mew at him faintly. Oh how he wanted to pet the cute head, the soft looking fur… But he stopped just short of being within reach.

Ah, perhaps he was still upset about the nap thing. Antonio sighed. “I am sorry for waking you, really. I couldn’t resist saying hi to a handsome kitty.” What could he possibly do to make up for that? All he could think of in comparison to the situation was how people sated him when they woke him from his naps… or how he befriended strays on his travels.

Hm… he absently fingered a package in the front pocket of his coat. He had bought it on a whim, thinking it would hopefully last in the cold while he worked and still be good when he got home to another certain furry friend as a treat and apology for being gone. But… he could always buy another later, right? And this kitty seemed hungry now. Nodding to himself and his decision, Antonio produced a small wrapped piece of dried fish. He tucked back the thin white wrapping before holding it out, “how about this?”

Words: 514

Tags: Lovino Vargas

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[Lovino Vargas]

He's the meanest little kitty...

The human male spoke some words that were unfamiliar for Lovino, first one being when he seemed apologetic. He'd seen that expression before on women, but seeing it on a man was something new, and Lovino at first couldn't understand. Did human males have the capability to even feel sorry for their actions?

Upon coming out from his small hideout, Lovino noticed another unfamiliar expression cross the human male's face. It caused him to feel nervous, honestly speaking, and he didn't even attempt to hide it. His tail visibly fluffed up in discomfort and further uncertainty, seeing the smile on the face. And not one of the cruel or sick ones he was used to seeing in the underground by the guards, either. This one was... Similar to what mutants shared to one another when they trusted each other. Was it a trick...? Did the humans finally pick up on how to communicate the mutant ways, so they could study them further? The thought sickened the cat mutant.

How could he be so distrusting...? He had his little problems with humans overall, but with men especially it seemed. Females, he could tolerate to some extent, seeing they usually were satisfied after a few good cuddles and purrs. But men... They usually bought Lovino to be more than just a house cat. Some with fetishes of maids with animal ears and tail were the ones he suffered with the most, seeing they used cruel ways to make sure he stayed in his human form, and Lovino could remember the few times he actually had to protect himself in bed as well, which of course only earned more punishments. Caning, whipping, burning, cutting... It was all done, and Lovino still had the scars under his fur, some visible on his pink paw pads. Just the thought of men being trust-able creatures after that... It never crossed his mind.

So needless to say, when that soft smile turned into a goofy grin, Lovino was far from amused. His eyes narrowed further hatefully, and his lips slowly pulled back, though he still meowed, begging for food. His ears however picked up the voice again, the gentleness in it making him further tense. Handsome... Was he blind? He was a frail little cat, coat matted with dirt and claws overgrown from lack of treatment... Though he wouldn't show, scars all over his body... He was a mess.

Shifting his gaze away from the man finally to awkwardly glance around, as if to find something else that the man could be referring to, Lovino immediately unsheathed his claws when he heard shuffling come from the man, indicating he had moved (though even in the tiniest bits Lovino would have jumped no matter what, seeing he was just too nervous at the moment). Lovino backed away slowly as the man brought out a small wrapped... Something. His vision wasn't helping him at first, so Lovino relied to his nose, which picked up the scent of fish rather easily. Though he kept his place, Lovino gulped slightly as the man tucked away the wrapper and held the fish out to the bars of the cage.

Success.

Meowing again, Lovino paced back and forth in his cage, refusing to get any closer to the bars, his tail high in the air in hopes to show some sort of sign of trust, though the fur fluffing up all around it told a completely different tale, showing he was still clearly afraid. Afraid enough to not come near the bars, that was for sure. He opened his mouth and was about to meow again, when suddenly another man's voice interrupted him, causing him to flinch and flatten his ears fully once more.

...Well fuck.

"Interested in this one?" It was one of the guards, acting as if Lovino was nothing but some item at a store, and the worker himself helping out a customer to find something they wanted. "I'll tell you, good sir, he's not really one for men. He's known to have attacked all past owners that were male... Though, I got to admit having a house cat that can talk can be a bit interesting, eh?"

Word Count: 702

Tags: Antonio

Notes: Lovino is not amused. BI Go away guard.

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[Antonio F. Carriedo]

For years of travels - although he had definitely still held the same friendly tendencies as a child in Spain - Antonio had come across his share of strays. Cats and dogs, even the occasional bigger animals like that one sheep, that no longer trusted people for a variety of reasons. Whether they had been cast aside by their families, treated terribly by people, or had just been wild for such great lengths of time, they reacted to any interaction with distrust and defense. Preparing themselves to be hurt as they had been before and attacking in hopes of saving themselves from it by making the first move. It was a sad but completely understandable mechanism to have developed. After his first few run ins that ended with scratches and bites, Antonio began to learn to give understanding and patience to just such animals.

There appeared to be some success, or at least to a degree, by the continued meows and pacing of interest for the food. That was always a good sign. However, the persisting refusal to go close enough to the bars made obvious the continued nerves. Antonio sighed silently through his nose. So there was still hesitation even with the presence of offered food. Although they didn't help the situation, he was certain having the bars out of the equation wouldn't make it much better. Any sort of contact or close proximity would be just as refused.

Thoughts, plans, were interrupted by a voice too close to be drowned out like the others had been before. Antonio did have a bit of a tendency to become so entrenched in a situation that he forgot his surroundings. When the guard spoke he looked up at him from his crouched position, taking a moment to blink and internalize what had been said to him. Then another to make sense of it.

Being asked if he was interested wasn't at all out of the ordinary, not at first. One was asked the same question when viewing animals at a shelter. They were also warned of any problems such as the mentioned problem with men. That certainly made sense, he'd heard the same thing on a number of occasions. Fears of men, men wearing hats, brooms, they weren't uncommon. Didn't make it any less sad to see a dog hide the moment it slipped your mind and you pulled out a broom to clean up a mess.

It was when it got to the 'that can talk' part that it clicked just what it all was. "Talk?" He repeated, blank, confused. How could a cat-wait.

Antonio looked up, his eyes falling onto the posted information on the cage. There wasn't a whole lot he could make out from where he was below it, but it was enough, along with the words of the guard, to completely remind him of where he was. Mutants, sale... right. This wasn't a cat that was for, whatever reason, in a cage this size? Some kind of stall for the local pet store? No... there were people in the other cages.

He turned back to the man, offering his attempt at a friendly smile, more automatic and polite than anything. So that was why there had flashed a bit of uneasiness at how it had all been worded. "Not something you experience every day, that's for sure." He responded, vague but amiable. Although it would be a lie to say it didn't still confuse and - perhaps slightly interest him, if only in trying to imagine a voice coming from a cat. This was seen by the way he looked back into the cage. "Talking kitty..." Antonio said, faint. He fingered the wrapping he had retreated back a bit in the surprise of the voice.

Words: 629

Tags: Lovino Vargas

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[Lovino Vargas]

He's the meanest little kitty...

The guard was no help at all for the situation of Lovino gaining food. The cat fell quiet when the man was told he could talk, unable to find a reason to meow anymore. That wasn't supposed to happen.. Although, now that he thought about it, it would've most likely said all the information in the booklet that hung from the bars, swinging back and forth with the wind. It practically screamed 'Read me!', and the cat hated it. One glance through those papers and any potential buyer would be more interested in his capabilities and expect more. It was just so much easier to act like a normal everyday cat and call it a day.

With a sigh, Lovino headed back to the pile created from the ragged blanket, curling up on top of it, just as the guard began speaking again. He listened half heartedly, not really wanting to hear himself advertised like he was some toy off a shelf for a child. Get the potential buyer excited? For what? Lovino couldn't do shit. He could cook, but cleaning was out the question. If one wanted a maid, it would just be much easier to buy his brother instead, seeing he always had better grades in the Academy.

"You don't even have to bother feeding him, so he can save you a lot of money if you want a mutant." The guard began, and Lovino cringed visibly, "He can hunt his own food. Do you happen to have annoying amounts of rats crawling around or too many birds flying by? This one can rid of them and feed himself in the process, you see? He can be a bit stubborn, but if ya teach him his place he can do quite well doing whatever you'd like. This isn't his only look, either, you know? He can change into an appearance of a human... Though, he still has animal like characteristics when he does that, and--..." The man was about to continue on, before he heard his name called to assist another person who was interested in a mutant. Quickly, he seemed to wrap it up and grin. "Just a nice little one for beginners... But don't expect obedience unless you're willing to work for it, I guess. Excuse me, good sir. If you have any further questions feel free to ask around to the other guards. They will tell you what you need to know." With that, the man left to help someone else with particular questions regarding another mutant.

The guard leaving made Lovino relax slightly from his tensed state, flexing his paws slowly to stretch out the tiny muscles. His stomach growled, and he could still smell the fish that the human held, making him gulp slightly. He couldn't smell the usual tasteless soup or bread being cooked, so meal time was still far away. Flattening his ears slightly in discomfort from the clenching pain in his stomach, Lovino glanced back to the brunet human. Only once he heard the guard that was previously bothering the man begin to talk in a distance did he push himself back on his paws and approach the bars again, though still hesitant.

Was he going to be expected to do a trick now? It seemed like he was going to get the fish earlier with just acting like he was any other cat, and the man was possibly a fool enough to fall for it, but that was now out of the question. The man knew what Lovino was capable of. That made him very uncomfortable, for some unknown reason. Stopping a distance away from the bars again, Lovino trembled and sat down slowly in spot, not minding his fur getting dirty with the dirt under him. Was the man still willing to share his food even to a freak mutant like himself?

...Who the hell was he kidding?

Of course not. He wasn't the regular shelter cat that the man first created him out to be. Heck, cats possibly were even treated better than mutants such as himself. Stray cats got leftovers tossed to them when available, while stray mutants were caught, tested, tortured, and thrown into slavery. Lovino couldn't count how many times he thought of running off in his cat form and living as a stray, imagining how easy life would be compared to his current situation. He would just have to never change to his human form again... Not that Lovino minded that all too much. He hated his human form, it wasn't even a human to begin with. It was just a freak of an image.

Lowering his head slightly, the cat mutant gave out the smallest of mewls he had yet, not knowing what he could do to get the food. He wasn't as social as other mutants around him that chattered and did tricks using their powers. Not to mention, the human in front of him was a man, not a woman. He didn't have the confidence to make him go all 'aww' in this case like he could with women by rolling around and purring, using his 'cuteness' to fool humans by just being a cat.

"...Do you still have the fish?" He asked finally, his voice a mix of meows and mews, the words sounding out in its mixture. It really was a hard concept, and at times certain words sounded weird in its mixture, but that phrase came out clear enough to satisfy the mutant. He looked up hopefully to the man again, though his trembling was obvious. What if he said yes, and demanded he come closer? Would he hit him? Did he hold a tazer? Would the man even offer it even if he had it in his hold? All the questions made Lovino nervous on so many levels he didn't need to be on, his tail carefully curling around his sitting body as if to comfort him of his fear. Or maybe protect him, in this case.

Word Count: 1001

Tags: Antonio F. Carriedo

Notes: Will you still give kitty food? ;//;

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[Antonio F. Carriedo]

In most any other situation Antonio would have welcomed ‘help.’ If he was at the grocery store feeling some confusion on the packaging of different chicken breasts, or at a clothes shop standing around utterly inept at trying to make sense of all the different mark offs and sales and re-prices on one tiny tag. Hearing that lilt of a customer service voice behind him, asking if he needed any assistance, would have earned the most relieved of sigh and smile combos. Even in the case of wandering into an animal shelter, some background for a cute cat, some light conversation about caring for a pet, he would have welcomed. But as much as this was being treated as something belonging in the same category as those, it didn’t. The mannerisms might appear and even feel the same, some of the words used may be similar. But the intent behind them…

Antonio looked up, confused and perhaps even taken aback a bit at the way the guard talked about feeding. Didn’t have to-bother? Even employees at shelters were more caring for their charges. Giving you a bag of food they were used to so you could wean them into the diet you would put them on in your own home. Not once had he walked into a pet store, a pound, a shelter where someone said you didn’t have to bother feeding your prospective pet. At worst he had been ignored and not given any sort of service or advice. At the worst.

To be quite honest Antonio was that shocked and simply unsure how to respond that it took him a moment or so to register much else the guard said as he walked away to ‘assist’ another. His only look, human. So, what, a person grew out of a tiny cat suit and then went back? Odd sorts of comical transformation sequences started at the back of Antonio’s mind before they slowly dimmed out into the barely perceived background. Once the guard was properly out of sight and – relatively – out of mind the cat inside the cage began to move once again. For a bit he appeared to stretch himself just shortly, before then moving closer to the bars once more from the blanket. Again he stopped just short and sat himself down, but Antonio definitely wouldn’t begrudge him that. He had more reason to withhold blame than he had before in fact. When he lowered his head and made such a soft noise…

Antonio sighed. A faint frown filtered through his expression with his own low tone. “I’m sorry you had to hear that,” he said. If he stopped to think about it Antonio would realize that such things probably weren’t at all out of the ordinary. A part of him recognized the cold fact, to an extent. As it was he was just saddened knowing someone – human, cat, or otherwise – would have to listen to someone speak about them in such a way. When they were right there no less. It wasn’t even telling someone’s life story without their permission. It wasn’t that personal. Instead it was summarizing them as - well, a product. Categorized by its usefulness and upkeep rather than its heart. And that… that was sad.

Initially Antonio didn’t even catch that he had been spoken to. He visibly reacted to hearing a voice not his own or the guard returning for more conversation, although to what he didn’t know. He straightened somewhat, eyes widening just that hint, at spoken word that… wasn’t spoken word? Feline sounds that strung together into something resembling human speech far more than any small video of a dog whining something barely akin to ‘I love you’ ever could. In retrospect the best he could pick out were the words ‘still’ and ‘fish,’ which, for his part, he could piece together for meaning.

There was a bit of following quiet astonishment simply at the knowledge that he’d been, well, spoken to by a cat. Right – a cat person. With a cat voice. Speaking person words. That was happening. Possible and totally happening. A cat speaking up and asking for – oh!

Antonio smiled again, although it be a bit fainter than it had before at the bit of dulled confusion the presence of the guard had brought. “Of course.” He looked down at the fish still held in his hands, then to… the half-cat. Cat-mutant, cat-person. He still didn’t seem all too keen on coming close enough for it.

Antonio nodded. “I’m going to put it down, okay? Maybe that’ll work better,” make him feel less anxious. As he spoke Antonio did so, reaching through the bars just enough to set down the fish with the thin paper packaging beneath it. He didn’t want the dirt of the floor to get on the food, although it was a possibility either way with his faint urging of it forward by sliding the paper about as much as he could without moving too conspicuously. It didn’t move all that much, unfortunately. Maybe not enough to make it work all that well. So with that, Antonio peered behind him shortly, before shifting back from the cage. He stopped when he was about arms length from the bars, then turned back and offered another smile. “Now?”

Words: 883

Tags: Lovino Vargas

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[Lovino Vargas]

He's the meanest little kitty...

"I'm sorry you had to hear that."

Lovino blinked in confusion, looking up fully at the tanned man's face again. The once big smile was now replaced with the lips in a frowning arch. The look was enough to make Lovino lower his head slowly, feeling a bit of guilt. He would never admit it out loud, but the man looked much better with the big goofy grin on his face. But he was a male, right...? According to Lovino himself, men weren't the gender that smiled freely and gave the kind actions. They were burnt into his mind as the always-frowning humans that delivered punishments. So seeing the frown was not anything new, though it would be a lie to say Lovino didn't feel intimidated or disappointed in seeing it on his current cage's guest.

Seeing the man shift slightly upon him asking for the fish again, Lovino flinched when the man gave the faint smile. The lack of the cheerful look made Lovino want to slash at the man, to tell him to regain his original goofy self. Eh... But then again, he might have just been disappointed that Lovino wasn't just a house cat. It would seem logical, seeing he was acting this way right after being told otherwise of his fantasy. Gulping a thick lump in his throat, he watched as the man took the fish and a piece of paper. His ears perked up immediately and he got back on his feet, stepping back slightly.

He was ready for demands to pass the human's lips, but instead he heard reassuring words and a calm tone. Lowering his head and awkwardly giving a small nod, Lovino watched as the man pushed the fish between the bars. The fish gave an inviting smell, making the cat mutant unable to hold back a faint purr. He didn't move closer however, his feet refusing to carry his body to the treat.

Hearing snow and dirt being stepped on again, Lovino tensed, as if he was waiting for a guard to suddenly appear and scold him for taking food from humans. When he saw that the man had only backed away to give him space however, he trembled faintly and slowly took a step forward. Only after he was able to see that the man wasn't going to suddenly come forward and try to grab or pet him through the bars did Lovino take several more steps, his paws sinking into the dirt and mud, leaving clear paw prints along the way.

His mouth watered at the scent, but he took a moment to sit in front of the fish and lower his head closer to the food, giving it several suspicious sniffs. Was it drugged? Poisoned? Spoiled...? A few sniffs was enough to tell Lovino it was safe, and he eagerly took a bite, his purrs starting to sound much louder, able to be heard by the cages around him. He chewed and swallowed, and took another bite repeatedly, all his talks ending now. The fish didn't last him long in reality though he tried to savor each and every bite, and he licked his lips and nose. The purrs didn't stop, or rather, he couldn't stop them, as they continued to rumble through his throat.

It took him a bit to finally come to again, when he was able to remember that the human male was in front of him, making him stop in licking his lips suddenly and scooted away. He raised a paw and gave it a few licks as he spoke, his voice still a mix of purrs and mews. "...Um... Thanks, I guess. It was alright." He said, happy he wasn't in his human form, seeing he was sure he would be flushing red at this point. He wasn't used to thanking somebody, especially a male. He just made sure to keep his voice low, just so it would make it harder for the man to hear him. "You... I haven't heard your name yet, human. I suppose I can just hear it for you... It's for me though, not like I want to know about you or anything..." His voice kept stuttering to form the correct words without telling the entire truth, obviously struggling to do so.

Word Count: 714

Tags: Antonio F. Carriedo

Notes: I swear it's just for /my/ knowledge is all >//>

template made by MISSO for use only by PUCHI

[Antonio F. Carriedo]

He had not at all advanced for the food until after Antonio had shifted back, making Antonio think he had made the right move. And even then there was a short pause for assurance, perhaps to make certain that he wouldn’t still lunge forward for him. That was typical for cats as well as not-cat-cats, though. That presence of caution and hesitation long past what you would think. Antonio rested his elbow on his knee and his cheek in his palm, watching the scene.

Whether it was the right reaction or not Antonio had to hold back a small snort in seeing there was also a need to sniff the offered fish. Was there a thought that it could be rotten or something? That would be a horrible thing to do to anyone, your run of the mill cat or not. And yet it had its own level of cuteness to it, that action. Something that made him smile softly once more as he slid back into the emotions of before, if only partly. The ones that surrounded such events. Trying to make friends with an animal… Or, well, animal but not… still pretty much using the same methods, but keeping in mind that… yeah, cute, that was the idea. It was still cute. Something still akin to normalcy despite the situation and the fact that it did have that little twist away from what he was used to.

And man did the purring not help. Much like the sound of a car engine it started up and didn’t stop until a fair time had passed, fairly loud and audible from a distance away. Antonio could only imagine the rumbles going through that little body from purrs that loud, how sweet it felt to feel them when a cat trusted you enough to pet them and enjoyed it enough to purr as such. Too cute… Antonio had to shift his palm up over his mouth shortly in the small turn of his head to hide the forming dumbly happy grin. It only had to be made worse by the fact that he seemed to forget Antonio’s presence altogether among the taste and joy of the food. Once he had finished, which didn’t take long at all as he appeared to just gobble it right up, he licked at his lips and nose while still purring so loud and adorable. For a short moment Antonio had to turn his face down into his knees, shaking somewhat in withheld sounds to be produced at the level of cute he was witnessing.

Honestly when taking into account what he was coming to realize after the guard and it all it may seem a bit odd that he was so taken with cute but – well, that was Antonio for you. Finding something cute or sweet in any situation and just falling right for that. But really should he be asked he’d wonder who could blame him. Mutant or no, cat or no, it was still impossibly cute seeing something so small and furry eat so happily. Something that small making that much noise, and over food. Being so taken with it that he forgot he was supposed to be being cautious. Forget he was being watched with such interest.

When he turned his head up again at the voice Antonio still had his grin, filtering through that enamored sort of feeling because of cute. God it was so hard keeping a straight face at this point, and the continued speaking of the other did not help the situation at all. “I see,” he said, “that makes sense.”

He laughed shortly, smile able to soften into something a bit more easy when he tilted his head, friendly as ever and seeming to take the idea of holding an actual conversation with a cat in stride. That or he was just too dumb and would again realize the oddity of it later. “I’m Antonio, Antonio Carriedo.” And then, either having forgotten that the board was just there to read or feeling it was more polite to actually ask, he said, “do I get your name in return?”

Words: 691

Tags: Lovino Vargas

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[Lovino Vargas]

He's the meanest little kitty...

Lovino continued to clean himself, licking his forepaw and rubbing it over his head to cleanse himself of any scent the fish might have left on his face, as he watched the man go from an idiotic quivering ball to a dumb faced smiling dork. He had to admit, at this point he didn't think the other would suddenly change now and try to grab at him, but that didn't change the fact he rather kept his distance from the other. Was this really a human male? Was he some female that was disguised otherwise? Females, he could admit, he had seen react the way the man in front of him had from time to time at simple things he did to maintain himself such as checking if the food was safe and cleaning himself well afterwards. They would make weird squealing noises and say weird things telling him he was cute and that they wanted to cuddle him all day. Often times Lovino found himself ignoring the comments, unless the girl in mention was cute or pretty herself, which Lovino found was not rare.

Shaking his head and focusing back on cleaning himself, Lovino moved from licking his paw to cleaning his leg and shoulders. As the man answered his question when he asked for a name, he felt himself flatten his ears slowly and narrow his eyes. Antonio... So he was a male. Unless he changed his name sometime in the past life, which Lovino was able to cross out immediately with one quick sniff of the human's scent. No, he was a man, for sure.

So he really was just a weird being.

Sighing, Lovino's ears perked up hearing the man ask if he could get his name in return for telling his. The cat mutant gave the booklet that hung from the bars one quick glance before he turned back to him again, narrowing his eyes slightly. Could he not read?

"Lovino." He meowed, though with the faint purr mixing in, it could've possibly sounded more like 'Rovinyo'. Realizing in that, he stopped grooming himself long enough to repeat his answer, though this time he decided to give out his full name instead of just partly. "Lovino Vargas. Can't you read?" He asked, deciding if he wanted to keep talking, he would have to stop grooming and actually concentrate on mixing his cat noises to clear his words to make it easier for the other to understand him. "I swear the book up there says everything... The guard didn't really have to tell you about my power; it's all in there. Maybe then you wouldn't have been disappointed by knowing too late about me." He gave a small shrug as he walked closer to the bars, not wanting to speak up, so deciding to come closer so he could speak in a small volume and still have the man be able to hear him. "I'm assuming you want a slave like every sick human? There are tons here that will probably want to be taken out the bars and be able to live with a human like you. You know, the type that doesn't know if he himself is a man or woman?"

If he was in his human form, he would have been smirking at his own remark.

Word Count: 553

Tags: Antonio F. Carriedo

Notes: 

template made by MISSO for use only by PUCHI

[Antonio F. Carriedo]

Although he smiled a little seeing the other – Lovino Vargas, as he learned – walk closer to the bars and thus, closer to him, it was short lived. The type that doesn’t know if he himself is a man or woman? Like him? What could that possibly mean? Antonio blinked, face blank of any expression beyond that of starkly obvious lack of understanding. He looked down, pulled at the collar of his shirt to peer down at his flat chest. Yep, just as devoid of breasts as it had been that morning when he dressed. “I’m… pretty sure I’m a man though?” He said, the upward turn of his voice at the end of the statement making him sound as if he wasn’t completely for certain anymore after what Lovino had said. Did he look like a lady? Was his voice feminine? Antonio wouldn’t mind either way if it were true, he’d simply never been told as such before. Immature, perhaps. Baby faced, definitely. Maybe it was the curly hair? His sisters had said they wished they had gotten their mothers curls like him instead of their fathers straight haired genes…

“I mean, I can read,” he said then, as if mulling over the thought, “but it seems more fun to ask someone yourself than just read some paper, don’t you think?” He finished, his grin returning. It may not be much different than reading the name tag of an employee of a store when asking for help, but for some reason it did give Antonio a bit of a different feeling in this situation. Employee nametags didn’t list personal things such as age, traits, or things, for the world to see. Nor were they done in an effort to catalog and display the value of someone as if such a thing were possible. Like… some sort of infomercial or ad in a magazine. It all felt entirely too impersonal for Antonio’s tastes.

… Besides, he may or may not have just wanted more excuses to hear something as adorable as a cat talking.

“It’s nice to meet you, Lovino Vargas. I’m sorry for thinking you were a kitty – that was a bit rude, huh? But I mean – you are an awful cute kitty. Kitty – kitty person?” It was as if Antonio had already completely forgotten the comment relating to a slave and sick humans, or that he consciously passed over it for now in favor of other conversation. It wasn’t as if he could resist complimenting someone so cute, for one. For two, he was now a bit distracted in trying to reason out how he should proceed with his manner of speaking to Lovino. He was a person, a mutant with a cat body, sure, but still a person. So he couldn’t rightfully call him a cat anymore… right? Was that rude? Mutants weren’t animals for sure. Not like cattle. Although… cattle weren’t near as cute as kitties, and Antonio didn’t think he’d mind being called a cat since it was an animal he so favored. But that was simply his own preference, right? Or-? Maybe-?

Words: 517

Tags: Lovino Vargas

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[Lovino Vargas]

He's the meanest little kitty...

Lovino swore it was his first time ever seeing a true idiot. Not one that faked it to look cute or to get attention, but one that was an idiot with the basic lack of smarts. Watching the man pull his collar slightly to his shirt to peek down at his chest, Lovino couldn't help but to twitch. What the hell? Did this man seriously not know if he had boobs or not? It was obvious even with the simple clothes he was wearing that if he had any dents at all in his chest, it would be fro the masculine muscles, not from the soft squishy breasts that women, according to Lovino, had the luck to possess.

Of course he meant by the way the other was acting. Was the man mental? He had never heard of gender confused people himself, but this was his first time seeing it first hand, and at this point he was about to believe any other fact that would be thrown to him that had anything to do with the thing he just discovered. He had seen tomboys, yes; girls who acted a bit rough and liked to wear pants and sport caps instead of ribbons and frilly dresses, yes, he'd seen those. But never with the opposite gender.

"I sure hope you know which gender you freaking are." The cat meowed low, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. Seriously, was he that dumb? It can't be...

As the cat was trying to figure out this mystery thrown to him however, he was caught off guard when suddenly he was spoken to again, this time regarding his remark about his name and the human's ability... Or the lack of, to read. The cat mutant himself could read quite well, having done fine in the academy when he was tested upon it during his schooling years, and even he was able to read his own name on the pamphlet that hung from the bars. The answer he received however made him tilt his head slightly in confusion.

"Why bother? Most humans don't believe a word we say, anyway." He meowed, lowering his head. "And unless you have the information yourself to begin with already... How would you know I'm not lying to you right now? I could very well be telling you that I have the ability to make this city burn down in a blink of an eye and you wouldn't know otherwise." Seriously, did this human really believe in what he was saying? He was even dumber than he thought if that was the case. Or perhaps a strange outcast of the group, one that only did what he wanted and how he wished, and never followed what others wanted him to do.

Hah, Lovino... Keep telling yourself that.

Shaking his head a bit, the cat sighed softly, taking the slow breath in and exhaling it. He needed to make sure he didn't put his guard down too much and hold too much hope; hope that perhaps the man in front of him was different from other men, in a good way.

Because he couldn't let himself get hurt any further by trusting into another human.

They always had a way to make sure he would regret it by the end.

Word Count: 548

Tags: Antonio F. Carriedo

Notes: 

template made by MISSO for use only by PUCHI

[Antonio F. Carriedo]

A vacant sort of expression came upon Antonio’s face. At first he was simply trying to search through the words for any sort of response to his apology. About Lovino being a kitty… kitty person… if he was offended or had any preference as to what he was called. Unless that’s what he meant about people not believing… no, that sounded a bit different. He was saying Antonio could not know if he was lying to him or not.

Green eyes widened. Burn down the city? “You can?” Came in an immediate response to such an idea, tone surprised and completely truthful as such. Burn down an entire city in just the blink of an eye, and be a cute kitty? That was quite a set of powers if he’d ever heard of any. One certainly would fool one of the nature of the other… a kitty being able to destroy whole cities. Scary and cool at the same time, definitely.

It didn’t hardly occur to Antonio that the other could be showing a perfect example of that concept known as sarcasm. He could often enough catch it in conversation, he wasn’t a completely lost cause. However he was still perhaps a bit… out of the usual when taking into consideration the fact that he was speaking to a cat. Cat person. And a cat using sarcasm? Well, just a bit more comprehension required beyond that of accepting a talking cat. Although, if he stopped to think it made sense that a creature at all related to the feline family would speak in a proper mix of insults veiled in sarcasm and irony… if veiled at all.

“A cute talking kitty that can make fire, that’s not something you hear every day, huh?” Antonio said, laughing at the thought and the images he was getting from it. “Fire and fur are nice things to have in places like this.” As he rubbed at his arms shortly, feeling chilled after sitting for some time without movement to warm himself. In the action his hand passed over his watch that he then turned to in a reflex.

Brows hopped up upon his face above faintly widened eyes. “Joder, I left Kári longer than I thought.” He went to stand, but stopped.

Antonio smiled. “It was nice meeting you, Lovino. Didn’t think I’d get to talk to such a cute gato today.” A small, cute kitty that was admittedly a bit frail beneath his dirtied coat. But still quite cute for sure… When he walked away Antonio looked back once, glancing along the line of cages before his gaze fell on the one that appeared empty at first once more. Lovino Vargas… hm.

Words: 450

Tags: Lovino Vargas

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