(no subject)

[herr_bookman]

When Autor steps through the door today, his clothes remain the same: white pants, oversized gray sweater, and glasses. What changes are the ears. Not his, necessarily--those still remain human--but he sprouts fuzzy, gray, and pointed kitten ears on top of his head with a soft, "Oh!" The tail is also new, and telegraphs his body language as the tip curves upward in agitation.

"Really?" he calls up to the ceiling. "Come on!"

Experimentally, he brushes his fingers against one of his fuzzy new appendages--and tears his hand away, blushing. They point in different directions, moving independently of one another to show his ambivalence with the costume.

Comments

[cook_the_rude]

There is a grim barbarian with an axe (and only one eye) nearby who starts laughing when he sees Autor.

"Is touching a cat's ears really as pleasant as they tend to make us believe?" he asks.

[herr_bookman]

Autor's ears flatten back against his head as his blush takes over his cheeks. "I don't know," he snaps, "but they're really sensitive. So she got you, too, huh? What are you supposed to be?"

[cook_the_rude]

"Some kind of one-eyed Viking," he says. "Sinric called me a Varangian berserker, so I must be rather authentic."

Beat.

"It's interesting how a cat's ears can in fact not lie."

[herr_bookman]

"A Varangian beserker? That doesn't suit you at all," Autor says, shaking his head. "How terribly rude of Bar."

At the comment, Autor's tail goes on the fritz, poofing out and standing straight up. "It's not like I asked for these," he mutters, as the ears swivel like radar dishes screening for sound, moving independently of one another. "It's rather disconcerting to be telegraphing everything so clearly."

[cook_the_rude]

"I'm expected to show a sense of humour," Hannibal says, shrugging.

Beat.

"Bottle-brush tail? Really, Autor? You find me that scary?"

[manofbusiness]

Childermass eyes him, amused.

"Somehow I never thought costumes included bodily changes."

[herr_bookman]

Autor jumps, and then curls his tail around his legs, the tip twitching. His ears swivel around independently of each other. "Last year I was a vampire with real fangs. I must have poked myself in the tongue a hundred times. You haven't been Halloweened yet?"

[manofbusiness]

"Not as yet." He glances warily at the Bar. "I fear she may be biding her time."

[herr_bookman]

"Well, good luck," Autor says, his ears perking forward. "She'll do something inconvenient for you, I'm sure. I'm Autor. What should I call you?"

[manofbusiness]

"Childermass." He makes a gesture towards tipping his hat. "Nice to meet you, Autor."

[heatherandsteel]

Quentin looks over at Autor as he tries to take the acorn hat he's wearing off, his ears fit well with the costume,

"Oh cool, you're part cat. Do you have fangs or claws?"

[herr_bookman]

Autor glances to his hands as his ears swivel like radar dishes screening for sound. "No, no fangs or claws this time. I wonder if I can purr. That would be ridiculous," he says. "How are you, Quentin? Bar got you, too, I see."

[heatherandsteel]

"Its Milliways and Halloween, so completely possible. I'm okay but I feel like a dork,"

He keeps reaching back to touch the weird fake wings.

[herr_bookman]

Autor smiles a little. "No offense, but you look like a dork," he teases gently. "We both do. What are you supposed to be, anyway?"

[heatherandsteel]

"A fairy, I think maybe a wood fairy or something. Some little kid's idea of what a fairy looks like."

[runningred]

Jay's sprawled out in one of the booths, plans spread out around him and several egg shell drones buzzing around him. He spots Autor and chuckles. "A little sensitive?"

[herr_bookman]

"Oh! Um," Autor says, crossing to him with steady steps. His ears swivel about like radar dishes screening for sound. And his blush is going nowhere. "Just a little. What are you working on?"

[runningred]

"Integrated power systems for these guys." He gestures to the drones. Only two of them are eggshell white, the other three are mottled brown and grey, some still held together with tape. "Some of them are having trouble holding a charge."

[herr_bookman]

"So I see," Autor says, his ears pointing forward and slightly to the side as his tail wraps around his hips. "Are these ones new?"

[runningred]

Jay notices the tail but doesn't comment, instead offering him a seat. "Yeah, Gav and I travelled to their world. Wasn't pretty." Jay's voice has the dark undertones of someone downplaying the issue. "We managed to bring back a few survivors but most of them are in a bad way. These guys are in the best shape so they're out exploring while the others rest."

[katyafeline]

Katya, in colorful getup that left her silver bangles in place, starts giggling from her cross-legged seat on top of the bar.

He's just so cute!

[herr_bookman]

Autor's blush is going nowhere. His ears swivel about like radar dishes screening for sound, and lock on Katya's position. He frowns and folds his arms. "What are you laughing at?"

[katyafeline]

"You." She grins with her usual bluntness. "You really are quite adorable."

[herr_bookman]

"Oh, nooo," Autor says, covering his ears with his hands. His tail wraps around his hips. "I'm not really that cute, am I? That's awful."

[katyafeline]

"Tooth-rottingly sweet." Katya confirms, trying to tamp down her grin, but ending up with a smirk. "Vodka to ease the pain?"