milliways_bar | (no subject)

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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.

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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?"

"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."

"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."

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

Beat.

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

"Not scary, just irritating," Autor says, trying to smooth his tail out with his hands. His ears lay flat on his head again. "But I'd be a fool if I didn't find you at least a little frightening. I do wish I didn't have this darn tail, though."

"It's nice and fluffy," Dr. Lecter says. "Very becoming."

"Oh, thanks," Autor says dryly, his tail swishing back and forth and his ears pressing back. "Like I said, it's not my choice, but Bar's. Do you think you'll be allowed to bathe with that costume? You're looking rather in need of a bath."

"I might not," Hannibal concedes. "For the artfully grimy impression."

Autor lowers his tail, but the tip curves upward and twitches. "I see," he says, shaking his head. "I never would have pictured you as a dirty Viking. Especially with one eye. Can you still feel your regular eye under that?"

"Yes, I can," Dr. Lecter says. "However, I can't see anything with it as it is."

"Well, that's good at least," Autor says, his tail swishing back and forth slowly. "It wouldn't do to be permanently disfigured."

He sighs, adjusting his glasses. "At least these ears are better than that damned blue dress. Those heels were awful."

"But they did not, ultimately, semaphore your feelings to the world," Hannibal says. "May I touch your ears? Cats usually like them scratched."

"What? No!" Autor says, jerking back from him and pressing a hand to his ears. His tail tucks between his legs. "I am not about to accept scritches from you. I'd rather die first."

"I'm good at it," Dr. Lecter says. "Ask Yrael."

Edited 2015-10-31 22:54 (UTC)

"I'm not about to ask for references," Autor says, backing away. He wraps his tail around one of his legs and covers his ears with his hands. "You are not to touch these ears. There'll be no purring from me for you today."

"What a pity," Hannibal says. "Do you think I might touch you uninvitedly if you don't hold on to your ears?"

"I wouldn't know," Autor says, slowly releasing his ears. He fixes Hannibal with a fierce look. "You might. Heaven knows you're not the best about respecting other people's boundaries."

"Disrespecting them physically in such a blatant manner would be just too crude for words," Dr. Lecter assures him.

Autor folds his arms, his tail pointing down as the tip curves up. "Well, it's good to know you're not going to assault anyone. Just kill and eat them."

"This assumption gets tedious," Hannibal says. "You know very well that I have never done that here."

Edited 2015-10-31 23:13 (UTC)

"'Here' being the key word," Autor says, his ears flattening against his head. He tucks his tail between his legs again, and then reaches down to wrangle it. "I can't believe you asked to touch my ears. Did you honestly think the answer would be anything but no?"

"A good test to see how much of a feline nature you've actually gained, along with those," Dr. Lecter says.

Autor hmphs at him, adjusting his glasses. "Well, for the record, they do feel good when touched. Other than that your curiosity will have to go unappeased today."

"My curiosity has already been fed," Hannibal assures him. "Another small tessera in my ever-growing map of the world on a scale of 1:1."

"Good luck with that," Autor says flatly, folding his arms again. His ears press against his head. "It's a fool's errand, if you ask me."