Outside, the weather has abruptly taking a turn for the worst. The sunny skies have turned to cloud, and lightning flashes in the distance, casting a rather stereotypically gloomy proceeding on the events in Lord Ilucis’ study. Over the years, his Lordship had discovered that he rather liked the old fashioned ambience of a good thunderstorm. It might be rather rote for someone branded as a Warlock by the other mages of the city, but it was effective.
As always, Lord Ilucis had carefully arranged for a storm to appear during this meeting. This one was going to be a doozy.
The room was dark. The fireplace crackled and burned in front of Lord Ilucis’ couch. Behind him stood four Dragons in suits. Presently they were indistinguishable from any other thug in the whole District, but underneath those cleaned and pressed pinstripe suits they wore some...very distinguishing markings. You could never be too careful with help, especially other Warlocks. But even an oath-breaker could be bound to oaths, if you knew the magic words.
Lord Ilucis checks his watch. He sighs. “Miss Levesque is late, I see...mm.”
“She would not dare face you after such a flagrant insult to you and your children, my Lord,” says one thug.
“She’s stalling, isn’t she? Yes...mm. She is trying to wait us out, to get under our skin. I know. It’s what I would have done.” Lord Ilucis laughs. The thugs laugh with him rather more shakily.
The fire begins to subside for a moment, then seems to burst right open. A tower of flame blows up through the chimney before settling down into the vague outline of a young woman in a torn and dirty cloak, shimmering in red hues as if part of the fire. Her hair was long and flowing, her feet bare and dirty. Red lips shine bright through the smokey haze.
She smiles at him.
“Bonjour, Mon Seigneur Ilucis. It’s been awhile since we’ve talked. You need something from your faithful apprentice, oui?”
“Oui.” Lord Ilucis’ voice was stone.
“To what do I owe the honor?”
“The Librarian broke into the upper floors of the hotel last week. She has seen too much, but she has...escaped. Now it seems she’s under the protection of my dear old friend, White.”
“The paunchy, blonde witch-hunter?”
“The very same.” Lord Ilucis idly picked his nails. “Mm. You wouldn’t happen to know how she ended up on the floor of my son’s bedroom, hmm?”
“Oh, tous mes excuses, votre Seigneurie! But I hear this is a common event, no? I hear your seed are quite the popular ones. That is why you put them on the billboards, yes? I do not see what I would have to do with it.”
“Silence, Siren. Do not talk to me about my children’s...activities, mm. ,Durante’s apartment was wrecked. Someone wrote messages about the Mother in blood on his walls. I told you my children were off limits, Miss Levesque.”
“I recall, master! What would I want with them anyway? They are not magic, after all...”
“Heh.” Lord Ilucis folds his hands in his lap, impatiently. “More importantly, the Librarian. An...initial attempt at correcting the problem appears to have failed entirely, mmm. The police arrived on scene at a rather spectacularly awful time. I most certainly regret it, but something must be done soon, and my hands appear to be tied...And this appears to be your mess, Miss Levesque. I expect my apprentice to know to clean up after herself.”
“Oui, monsieur. The Sirens have already taken steps!”
“Oh, yes?”
“Bien sûr! Now if you will excuse me, I am quite busy. Adieu!”
Miss Levesque’s shape collapses into the fire, returning to it’s original form and shape.
Lord Ilucis gives a raspy chuckle.
“Steps, eh.” He laughs.
***
“How about Kitty’s Witches?” offers Annie, as the women sit on the bed in the room in a circle. Kitty and Annie cuddle against the wall. Eva lounges next to them. Despina and Tara sit cross legged, the former shuffling cards idly while the second keeps her eyes shut. Mindy hangs off the bed, upside down.
“It’s not all about your girlfriend, your majesty,” says Tara, calmly.
"Awww. Okay, okay...Order of the Library?”
“Bit too boring,” says Mindy. “Las Bruja Seis? The Six Witches?”
“What do we do if we have a seventh witch?” says Eva.
“Fuck the seventh witch,” says Mindy. Annie grins and wiggles her eyebrows at Kitty. Kitty blushes and gently jabs her in the ribs.
“Drawing Down The Moon?” offers Eva.
“Please, that’s as standard a ritual as they come,” sighs Tara. “We’d be....Generic McCoven.”
“Big fan of the Moon,” says Despina, and little else. Kitty’s starting to be a little distressed by her crypticness.
“Oh, I know! something like...R’le’go marka’rot l’en ithgoth!” As dark speech flows from Eva’s tongue, the very world seems to become darker. The walls quake. The very foundations of Kitty’s soul trembles.
“No,” says Tara again, as the feeling subsides. “No death tongues.”
“Fine. Just think it would make us a little more impressive, is all...”
“We’re not summoning an Elder God.”
“Fine.”
“Or a demon,” adds Tara, turning and looking at the upside town Mindy. She rolls her eyes.
“You never let me have any fun.”
“The Crystal Witches?” suggests Annie.
“We don’t really have any crystals between us at the moment,” says Eva.
“Maybe something with Ouroboros?” says Mindy.
“We’re not a dragon cult,” says Tara, flatly. But Kitty is thinking...
***
“How about Kitty’s Witches?” offers Annie, as the women sit on the bed in the room in a circle. Kitty and Annie cuddle against the wall. Eva lounges next to them. Despina and Tara sit cross legged, the former shuffling cards idly while the second keeps her eyes shut. Mindy hangs off the bed, upside down.
“It’s not all about your girlfriend, your majesty,” says Tara, calmly.
"Awww. Okay, okay...Order of the Library?”
“Bit too boring,” says Mindy. “Las Bruja Seis? The Six Witches?”
“What do we do if we have a seventh witch?” says Eva.
“Fuck the seventh witch,” says Mindy. Annie grins and wiggles her eyebrows at Kitty. Kitty blushes and gently jabs her in the ribs.
“Drawing Down The Moon?” offers Eva.
“Please, that’s as standard a ritual as they come,” sighs Tara. “We’d be....Generic McCoven.”
“Big fan of the Moon,” says Despina, and little else. Kitty’s starting to be a little distressed by her crypticness.
“Oh, I know! something like...R’le’go marka’rot l’en ithgoth!” As dark speech flows from Eva’s tongue, the very world seems to become darker. The walls quake. The very foundations of Kitty’s soul trembles.
“No,” says Tara again, as the feeling subsides. “No death tongues.”
“Fine. Just think it would make us a little more impressive, is all...”
“We’re not summoning an Elder God.”
“Fine.”
“Or a demon,” adds Tara, turning and looking at the upside town Mindy. She rolls her eyes.
“You never let me have any fun.”
“The Crystal Witches?” suggests Annie.
“We don’t really have any crystals between us at the moment,” says Eva.
“Maybe something with Ouroboros?” says Mindy.
“We’re not a dragon cult,” says Tara, flatly. But Kitty is thinking...
“Um, you know, considering the...um...historical and mythological significance of the Ouroboros, that might not be such a bad idea.”
All eyes turn to Kitty, but she tries to persevere. “Er...You see, it’s had a great philsophical and mystical significance, representing the, you know, Eternal Recurrence of life and death and history repeating and the cycles of nature and...yeah. I mean. It looks cool, and maybe a bit intimidating. It’s serpent...y. It’s on Mindy’s wedding ring. I mean, it seems like it might fit us all...And be a bit intimidating. I kinda like it. I mean,as long as this whole magic thing is, um, not as fake as I thought, why not going for the witch-gusto?”
“I vote for it,” says Mindy, quickly.
“...Same,” says Eva.
“...It is nicely philosophical...” says Tara. Despina remains silent, aside from the flicking of cards.
“So we’re all agreed then?” says Annie.
The young witches murmured in agreement.
“Now, hold on,” says Tara. “It’s a good symbol. But what’s a good name? Order of the Ouroboros? Coven Of The Circling Snake? Witches of the Eternal Recurrence? We have to think about these things.”
“I thought you weren’t interested in joining a coven?” says Mindy with a little smirk.
“I may have warmed up to it. Don’t jinx it.”
***
Sometime later, after the group had finally decided on Witches Of the Eternal Recurrence as a coven name, Kitty found herself and Annie walking through the library again. This time they watch as Eva pulls books about witchcraft from the walls. She’s chatting a mile a minute, and Kitty is struggling to keep up.
“Now, most people use wizards as a catch-all for all mages, but that’s not quite true. It’s just short-hand, right? All wizards are mages, but not all mages are wizards. No one really cares, though, aside from a few people. See, what wizards are, are...Hmmm...They’re mage-scientists, right? Like my brother. He treats magic as a fully scientific field. Witches, on the other hand, they treat it as more of a religious or emotional thing. It’s to be venerated. Nobody venerates fire magic like my sister, for example.”
“Um...Yeah, sure.”
All eyes turn to Kitty, but she tries to persevere. “Er...You see, it’s had a great philsophical and mystical significance, representing the, you know, Eternal Recurrence of life and death and history repeating and the cycles of nature and...yeah. I mean. It looks cool, and maybe a bit intimidating. It’s serpent...y. It’s on Mindy’s wedding ring. I mean, it seems like it might fit us all...And be a bit intimidating. I kinda like it. I mean,as long as this whole magic thing is, um, not as fake as I thought, why not going for the witch-gusto?”
“I vote for it,” says Mindy, quickly.
“...Same,” says Eva.
“...It is nicely philosophical...” says Tara. Despina remains silent, aside from the flicking of cards.
“So we’re all agreed then?” says Annie.
The young witches murmured in agreement.
“Now, hold on,” says Tara. “It’s a good symbol. But what’s a good name? Order of the Ouroboros? Coven Of The Circling Snake? Witches of the Eternal Recurrence? We have to think about these things.”
“I thought you weren’t interested in joining a coven?” says Mindy with a little smirk.
“I may have warmed up to it. Don’t jinx it.”
***
Sometime later, after the group had finally decided on Witches Of the Eternal Recurrence as a coven name, Kitty found herself and Annie walking through the library again. This time they watch as Eva pulls books about witchcraft from the walls. She’s chatting a mile a minute, and Kitty is struggling to keep up.
“Now, most people use wizards as a catch-all for all mages, but that’s not quite true. It’s just short-hand, right? All wizards are mages, but not all mages are wizards. No one really cares, though, aside from a few people. See, what wizards are, are...Hmmm...They’re mage-scientists, right? Like my brother. He treats magic as a fully scientific field. Witches, on the other hand, they treat it as more of a religious or emotional thing. It’s to be venerated. Nobody venerates fire magic like my sister, for example.”
“Um...Yeah, sure.”
“Cool!”
Eva grins at them, pulling another book off the shelf.
“Right! So wizards are less likely to perform rituals, say, invoking magic spirits and are more likely to have very rigidly defined spells memorized. Witches on the other hand often perform rituals and our spells are often...more element based and off the cuff. Right? Right. Now these aren’t so rigidly defined. I myself mix a little bit of wizard and witch based upon my needs and interests...”
Kitty nods absently.
“Oh!” Eva snaps around. “Right! Don’t make the rookie mistake a lot of people do. Wizards and witches? Not actually gender defined! And a Warlock is definitely not a male witch. The sharp divide between the two mostly has to do with some old world habits dying quite hard even in the face of the new world’s matriarchies. But I’m pretty confident that the numbers are slowly changing.”
“Neat.”
“Now, there are other types of mages, and they can all overlap. Alchemists are, you guessed it, chemistry mages. They discover and use the magical properties of objects and forms of life other than humans. Of course, modern mage thinking has largely reached a consensus that while Alchemy may once again be a valuable profession among the magically inclined, the Philosopher’s Stone is still probably a myth. Or made of people. Either way, no one can eat gold. There are also enchanters. They’re like...mage-artisans, mage-blacksmiths, you know. They create and forge magical items and weaponry. There are other sorts, theoretically there are mage-engineers but the field is so underdeveloped right now, you know?”
“I guess?” says Kitty, not knowing at all.
“Right. Let’s see. There are Oracles, who have direct connections to deity and derive magic from them at all times. Shamans, who are the same basically, but with spirits. In both cases the divide between it and witch is a little murky, but that’s okay, because...Wait, did I already mention that you can be multiple varieties at once?”
“Yeah...”
“Right! Yes, okay. Really it’s mostly about self-identification, which is good, because I can never remember what a sorcerer is. Warlocks, though, yeah, warlocks are bad. They’re oath-breakers. Mages who have no morals or qualms about abusing magic for power or trapping spirits or what have you. Nasty, nasty people, really. If the greater mage community has marked someone as a warlock, stay far away. They are untrustworthy and dangerous. Like mage-criminals, really. The community usually takes that stuff pretty seriously, at least if the warlock is particularly out of control. All it really takes is just a few warlocks to tear asunder the very fabric of reality, which as you might have noticed is already pretty well torn-Am I boring you?” says Eva suddenly, very self-consciously.
“No, no, you’re a good talker,” says Kitty. It’s true. Kitty just wishes she was a bit slower.
“You have a sexy voice,” says Annie.
“Annie.”
“You were thinking it too!”
“...A little. I didn’t say it out loud though.”
Eva laughs. “Flatterers. Okay, okay. The main thing to remember is that magic must be respected. And you have to be patient. It’s gonna take you some time to get good at it, but at least you’ve got a coven!” Eva pats Kitty, then Annie, on the shoulder with her one free hand. “Thinks of us as your older sisters in learning,” she says. She winks, laughs, and heads back up the stairs.
Annie and Kitty watch her go.
“I think she might like you,” says Kitty.
“No, it’s probably you.;” says Annie.
"I don’t think so.”
“Please, you’re the cute one.”
“Look, I already had that awkward...thing with the bartender anyway.”
The front desk phone rang. No one was presently there. Kitty sighs. “That’s probably the bartender again, I’ll bet. I’ll answer, you go on ahead.”
“All right.” Annie kisses Kitty’s cheek and runs upstairs. Kitty picks up the phone.
"Hello, you’ve reached the Library. This is Ki-...Duchess Kitten Tiger speaking, how may I help you.”
“It’s Meb.” The bartender’s voice was quick and to the point.
“...Right. I remember you.”
“Yep.”
“...Look, I want to apologize for my behavior. I did a really cruel thing, honestly, and I think I tricked you? So...Yeah. I’m sorry. Won’t happen aga-”
“What time do you get off work?”
“What? Uh. Eight o’clock, normally, but with the new employees I’m not-”
“See you then.” The phone clicked off
Kitty gently set it down.
She ran upstairs.
***
On her way to find the coven again, Dante grabs Kitty’s arm as she passes by.
“Terribly sorry, just really needed you attention this time,” he says, letting go quickly. “You said you could read the sarcophagus’ sides? Would you mind? I don’t think we’ll actually accomplish anything otherwise.
“Oh...Uh...Sure...” says Kitty. She turns and looks at the sarcophagus, kneeling down to read them. She clears her throat.
“‘Warning: Contents fragile. This side up’ - arrow pointing up. ‘Here lies our dear Lady Of Flame, Daughter of Ra, Wife of Anubis, Alleged Mother Of Maahes, Excellent Cat. She will be missed. Contents sealed in elaborate puzzle trap requiring four keys and a great deal of lockpicking. First layer of protection requires dispel by trained thaumic specialists, rest of instructions within. If problems arise with locks even after spell is removed, please invoke Securitas or a decent blacksmith deity. If you are still having problems, please pray to Sekhmet and wait for the nearest available cat to provide excellent services. We know you have a choice in sister-cat deities spawned from eyeballs and incestuous pantheons and we sincerely appreciate your patronage and loyalty in these monotheistic times.’
Kitty takes a breath.
“‘Heka Health Hazard Warning: This box produces small amounts of thaumic radiation, well under legal limits as required by Ra. However 1% of magic users may find themselves having out of body experiences, speaking prophecy, and mentally time travelling as a result of being near this box. If you experience any of the above symptoms, have a psychologist or psychologist deity check for a history of family mental illness. If no history is found, you may be about to embark on a Great Quest.’
“‘Good grief, I still have all this space. Huh. I can say whatever I want. No one’s going to read this far. Boobs. Boobs boobs boobs. Zeus sucks. Odin sucks. Vishnu is okay. Ra needs a brightness setting. Boobs. boobs boobs boobs.’ It...goes on like that, sorry.”
Dante sighs, slumping against a wall. “...Guess I’ll just have everyone take a break until the witches can figure it out. Or failing that, call Ben.”
“Um. Yeah. I guess. Sorry, I wish there was more I-”
Before the sentence was finished, Kitty feels her entire body abruptly seize up. Of it’s own accord, her entire body turns towards Dante.
"...Kitty, your eyes are...all...weird and glowy...” stammered Dante, pressing back against a wall.
Kitty stares at him for a full minute.
Her mouth opens.
“MEOW meow meow Meow mEoW MEOw mEoW MeOw MeOW Mrrrrroroowowoooow mrrrr meow MRRrrRrRrRrRrRr Reeeeowwww mewmewmewmewmewmewmewmewmewmewmew MRRRRROWWWWWWW mew mew MEW mew MEW mew MEW mew MEW mew MEW ffffffffffffffft fffffft FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFT!”
Dante’s face is now covered in spit, Kitty pinning him to the wall with one hand and an unusual amount of strength.
“Um, anyone? Help? The...The Librarian’s become some sort of...Cat...monster...I don’t think this is normal...Help!”
Kitty hisses again, spits, sputters, and proceeds to fall straight backwards onto the floor. She lays there, staring up at the ceiling without blinking.
“...Anyone?” Dante calls out again. “I...I think the Librarian broke. If anyone would...like to take a look at that....Um...”
Eva grins at them, pulling another book off the shelf.
“Right! So wizards are less likely to perform rituals, say, invoking magic spirits and are more likely to have very rigidly defined spells memorized. Witches on the other hand often perform rituals and our spells are often...more element based and off the cuff. Right? Right. Now these aren’t so rigidly defined. I myself mix a little bit of wizard and witch based upon my needs and interests...”
Kitty nods absently.
“Oh!” Eva snaps around. “Right! Don’t make the rookie mistake a lot of people do. Wizards and witches? Not actually gender defined! And a Warlock is definitely not a male witch. The sharp divide between the two mostly has to do with some old world habits dying quite hard even in the face of the new world’s matriarchies. But I’m pretty confident that the numbers are slowly changing.”
“Neat.”
“Now, there are other types of mages, and they can all overlap. Alchemists are, you guessed it, chemistry mages. They discover and use the magical properties of objects and forms of life other than humans. Of course, modern mage thinking has largely reached a consensus that while Alchemy may once again be a valuable profession among the magically inclined, the Philosopher’s Stone is still probably a myth. Or made of people. Either way, no one can eat gold. There are also enchanters. They’re like...mage-artisans, mage-blacksmiths, you know. They create and forge magical items and weaponry. There are other sorts, theoretically there are mage-engineers but the field is so underdeveloped right now, you know?”
“I guess?” says Kitty, not knowing at all.
“Right. Let’s see. There are Oracles, who have direct connections to deity and derive magic from them at all times. Shamans, who are the same basically, but with spirits. In both cases the divide between it and witch is a little murky, but that’s okay, because...Wait, did I already mention that you can be multiple varieties at once?”
“Yeah...”
“Right! Yes, okay. Really it’s mostly about self-identification, which is good, because I can never remember what a sorcerer is. Warlocks, though, yeah, warlocks are bad. They’re oath-breakers. Mages who have no morals or qualms about abusing magic for power or trapping spirits or what have you. Nasty, nasty people, really. If the greater mage community has marked someone as a warlock, stay far away. They are untrustworthy and dangerous. Like mage-criminals, really. The community usually takes that stuff pretty seriously, at least if the warlock is particularly out of control. All it really takes is just a few warlocks to tear asunder the very fabric of reality, which as you might have noticed is already pretty well torn-Am I boring you?” says Eva suddenly, very self-consciously.
“No, no, you’re a good talker,” says Kitty. It’s true. Kitty just wishes she was a bit slower.
“You have a sexy voice,” says Annie.
“Annie.”
“You were thinking it too!”
“...A little. I didn’t say it out loud though.”
Eva laughs. “Flatterers. Okay, okay. The main thing to remember is that magic must be respected. And you have to be patient. It’s gonna take you some time to get good at it, but at least you’ve got a coven!” Eva pats Kitty, then Annie, on the shoulder with her one free hand. “Thinks of us as your older sisters in learning,” she says. She winks, laughs, and heads back up the stairs.
Annie and Kitty watch her go.
“I think she might like you,” says Kitty.
“No, it’s probably you.;” says Annie.
"I don’t think so.”
“Please, you’re the cute one.”
“Look, I already had that awkward...thing with the bartender anyway.”
The front desk phone rang. No one was presently there. Kitty sighs. “That’s probably the bartender again, I’ll bet. I’ll answer, you go on ahead.”
“All right.” Annie kisses Kitty’s cheek and runs upstairs. Kitty picks up the phone.
"Hello, you’ve reached the Library. This is Ki-...Duchess Kitten Tiger speaking, how may I help you.”
“It’s Meb.” The bartender’s voice was quick and to the point.
“...Right. I remember you.”
“Yep.”
“...Look, I want to apologize for my behavior. I did a really cruel thing, honestly, and I think I tricked you? So...Yeah. I’m sorry. Won’t happen aga-”
“What time do you get off work?”
“What? Uh. Eight o’clock, normally, but with the new employees I’m not-”
“See you then.” The phone clicked off
Kitty gently set it down.
She ran upstairs.
***
On her way to find the coven again, Dante grabs Kitty’s arm as she passes by.
“Terribly sorry, just really needed you attention this time,” he says, letting go quickly. “You said you could read the sarcophagus’ sides? Would you mind? I don’t think we’ll actually accomplish anything otherwise.
“Oh...Uh...Sure...” says Kitty. She turns and looks at the sarcophagus, kneeling down to read them. She clears her throat.
“‘Warning: Contents fragile. This side up’ - arrow pointing up. ‘Here lies our dear Lady Of Flame, Daughter of Ra, Wife of Anubis, Alleged Mother Of Maahes, Excellent Cat. She will be missed. Contents sealed in elaborate puzzle trap requiring four keys and a great deal of lockpicking. First layer of protection requires dispel by trained thaumic specialists, rest of instructions within. If problems arise with locks even after spell is removed, please invoke Securitas or a decent blacksmith deity. If you are still having problems, please pray to Sekhmet and wait for the nearest available cat to provide excellent services. We know you have a choice in sister-cat deities spawned from eyeballs and incestuous pantheons and we sincerely appreciate your patronage and loyalty in these monotheistic times.’
Kitty takes a breath.
“‘Heka Health Hazard Warning: This box produces small amounts of thaumic radiation, well under legal limits as required by Ra. However 1% of magic users may find themselves having out of body experiences, speaking prophecy, and mentally time travelling as a result of being near this box. If you experience any of the above symptoms, have a psychologist or psychologist deity check for a history of family mental illness. If no history is found, you may be about to embark on a Great Quest.’
“‘Good grief, I still have all this space. Huh. I can say whatever I want. No one’s going to read this far. Boobs. Boobs boobs boobs. Zeus sucks. Odin sucks. Vishnu is okay. Ra needs a brightness setting. Boobs. boobs boobs boobs.’ It...goes on like that, sorry.”
Dante sighs, slumping against a wall. “...Guess I’ll just have everyone take a break until the witches can figure it out. Or failing that, call Ben.”
“Um. Yeah. I guess. Sorry, I wish there was more I-”
Before the sentence was finished, Kitty feels her entire body abruptly seize up. Of it’s own accord, her entire body turns towards Dante.
"...Kitty, your eyes are...all...weird and glowy...” stammered Dante, pressing back against a wall.
Kitty stares at him for a full minute.
Her mouth opens.
“MEOW meow meow Meow mEoW MEOw mEoW MeOw MeOW Mrrrrroroowowoooow mrrrr meow MRRrrRrRrRrRrRr Reeeeowwww mewmewmewmewmewmewmewmewmewmewmew MRRRRROWWWWWWW mew mew MEW mew MEW mew MEW mew MEW mew MEW ffffffffffffffft fffffft FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFT!”
Dante’s face is now covered in spit, Kitty pinning him to the wall with one hand and an unusual amount of strength.
“Um, anyone? Help? The...The Librarian’s become some sort of...Cat...monster...I don’t think this is normal...Help!”
Kitty hisses again, spits, sputters, and proceeds to fall straight backwards onto the floor. She lays there, staring up at the ceiling without blinking.
“...Anyone?” Dante calls out again. “I...I think the Librarian broke. If anyone would...like to take a look at that....Um...”
***
Now there was blackness.
Now there was blackness.
It seemed, seems, and will seem to fill everything. She feels herself awash in an endless sea of black, drowning but unable to move.
There is only silence here.
“Meow.”
Mostly silence.
“Mew, mew, prrrrrrrr-prrr-prr-mew!”
Silence and...
Cats?
“Mewwwwwww!”
Okay, yes. Cats. The sound of...cats. And they seem to be getting louder. This is...Well, worrying isn’t the right word. Unsettling, possibly.
Then, as suddenly as the darkness has come, it’s pierced by the rays of morning sunlight through a hole in someone’s roof.
Ow! thinks Kitty. What she actually exclaims is an expletive she doesn't understand that has hitherto only been represented in dead writing systems..
She sits up in a bed she doesn’t remember getting in. She looks around.
This room appears to be made of stone. There are reed baskets in the corner.
The bed and floor are covered with cats. Some of them are meowing at her. Others are snoozing. A few are attempting to rub their heads against her as she sits up.
Kitty groans and rubs her forehead.
She looks at the arm.
Her complexion appears to have changed to more of a “deep tan”. That, and she seems...taller?
She pats around as is surprised to find a mirror on the floor by the bed.
She lifts it up and looks into it.
Kitty doesn’t remember looking quite that...gorgeous. Or long haired. Or, um, Egyptian.
She screams for a little while.
