For the last ten months, Central Politia have been entering disturbing reports. First, we were informed of discontent among citizens of our largest city, containing 600,000 citizens of Hiumanity. These reports were consistent for a time, but nothing substantial or dangerous was officially documented, so we decided to leave it. More recently, we have record of riots and skirmishes with the police, our people usually being the ones to incite rebellion. Finally, Central reported their fear of being mobbed. Still, the citizens are not allowed to have weaponry and retaliation by Central hasn't been reported, so we dismissed it.

We should not have. Central has yet to make a report in a full two months, a huge deviation from our protocol for weekly data analysis. We must assume the worst.

Our best team is being informed as we speak. We do not know what has incited such drastic action from our citizens, but it is not important at the moment. We need to get our people under control, before other population centers hear of this event. so far, we've kept it under wraps, withholding information will no work forever.

STELLA will get this under control.

His cough shook her back down to earth.

Ace stared down a moment longer, tensing in case she had to fight. No, wait, retract that thought. If he was an intruder, he would have attacked her by now, worn clothes and a mask to hide his description, something. No robber would enter a house naked. There's too much to oggl- ahem, recognize in a lineup. And he hasn't moved. Surely that means he's simply... lost? Perhaps? Her head tilted to the left in thought, relaxing her stance.

He was coughing now, loud hacks in response to his attempts at meowing. A voice int her back of her head sputtered at the thought of a man trying to meow, but she ignored it.

Click. A small, rhythmic click echoed behind Ace's left ear.. Perspectives shifted, colors drained, and where Ace once stood, in her place towered the cold, logical persona known as Evandar Maddox.

If he intended to harm me, he would have done so. I cannot make a choice devoid of bias without more data. "Stop meowing- or trying to, anyway. You're not a cat, nor a burglar. Who are you? Tell me your name."

Perking up at the smell of a familiar person, he looked up and over at the woman who stared down at him in complete shock.

"Mew." he said, the sound odd and deep in his throat. He coughed a few times and then went to smile at her. Was that a human sound? Was he human. He looked down at his lap, and raised his hands, studying them. He tried to retract the long digits, but instead they just clenched in slightly. he continued to study them before he glanced back up at Ace.

"Me-" he went into a hacking cough once again. His vocal chords were just not made for making the high pitched noises a cat normally wouldn't make.

((The text options are killing me. Returning to normal type...))

Ace was in the middle of a rather fascinating romance novel, when she heard some sort of odd groaning from the other room. Her shoulders hunched, tense. An intruder...? Damnit, I can't fight for shit.

She uncurled her legs from its comfortable position around a pillow, and quietly set her sock covered feet onto the cold floor. It took only a few steps to bring her to the next doorway and peer inside just beyond the door frame...

And freeze in shock.

A naked man sprawled in the middle of the spare bedroom. Granted, he was quite a handsome man, but still quite uninvited. What is the proper response in this situation... Running? Screaming? Threatening to call the police?

fgfg

It was almost time. Seconds ticked at the clock and Darring would feel the terrible aching of his bones as his body started the transformation. There was never any pain to the process now, as it only had hurt the first two times he had changed.

Ace was not asleep when the moon rose, and the cat was downstairs, away from the woman as his entire being seemed to just shift with the soft sounds of bones clicking and rearranging. He cringed some, but only at the growing discomfort in his knees and arms.

When everything was done, the Russian Blue was sitting in the middle of the living room, now human and naked. He sat there for a while, his hands resting on the floor behind him and his legs pulled into a cross-legged sitting arrangement. He was rolling his neck, getting a little bit more used to his now less-furry body and new height.

Ace was stopped suddenly, when a pair of delicate paws wrapped themselves around her leg and stayed there, hooking into her pants leg with sharp claws. After seeing a video on the internet about the horrors of de-clawing, she had refused to do such a thing to her cat.

Ace stared forward determinedly, refusing to let his pitiful meowing activate her female sentiments. After another few yowls, however, she had to look down.

Clinging to her calf like a baby to a bottle was her darling russian blue, peering up at her from beyond her knees with wide green eyed. Mr Tiddles was looking at her as if she had just kicked a puppy and laughed. Ace sighed. She really was a weakling when it came to cute things.

In the next moment, the can of tuna was returned to the floor, in the cat's reach. She scratched his head briefly, before returning to her sofa to read.

((Up for a time skip to this evening, at the full moon?))

Deep in the recesses of the Earth there is a land unlike any other. It is made up of your greatest dreams and fears. This place has been referred to as Wonderland. The strange thing is only one person has actually had access to this place. Is it you?

" Did you just insult my giggles?" I asked as soon as Talon and I got to the bed. He fell on me and the quickly raised himself up onto his elbows. He leaned down and licked the tip of my nose. " Did you just lick my nose?" I couldn't help it I smiled and giggled again. His hair kept falling into his face so I pushed it out of the way, my hand resting on his collar bone. I had a mischievous glint in my eyes. I leaned up until his lips were mere inches from mine. I looked up at him and then I licked the tip of his nose. " Hahahahaha... " I smirked at him, knowing how evil I am teasing him, but he deserved it. Besides I told him I'd get him back.

Talon halted for a moment, but ultimately let himself be dragged to the bed. That was quite unusual...

"Did our almighty, ever serious leader just giggle? Like a schoolgirl?" He gasped mockingly. This was simply irresistible teasing material. He continued, grinning from ear to ear, "Oh, the entire world must know of this development! Such a miracle! Hell surely must have frozen over!"

He toppled to the bed on top of Liz, holding himself up on his elbows. Before she could start glaring and regain her serious nature, he promptly allowed his tongue to slip from his mouth and lick the tip of her nose teasingly. Ha, now how was the serious/giggle girl going to deal with that!

"Normally, I wouldn't condone such blatant disregard for rules," He said with sarcastic conviction, "But since you're on your knees..." He sighed dramatically, and knelt to touch his finger to the bottom of her chin, forcing her to look at him, "I'll make an exception."
For some odd reason this made me giggle. " You're such a jerk sometimes." I say still giggling like some little school girl." It's okay though, I'll get you back soon." I grab his hand and drag him back over to the bed. 'I really hope he doesn't comment on my giggling' ' Please, oh please don't make a stupid comment on my giggling'

Talon was tempted to make a jab at her undignified and rather arousing position on her knees, but honestly, would that help things? Perhaps it would, perhaps it wouldn't.... She would probably slap him, but it would be awfully funny. His eyes raked over her before settling on a decision.

Talon towered over the small- even smaller, while begging-captain of their youthful crew, looking down with an evil glint in his eye.

"Normally, I wouldn't condone such blatant disregard for rules," He said with sarcastic conviction, "But since you're on your knees..." He sighed dramatically, and knelt to touch his finger to the bottom of her chin, forcing her to look at him, "I'll make an exception."

Talon's eyes stopped to look at the lush lips that were so close to his own. They were soft, pinkish, and flared outwards, full of promise and untouched perfection. They were so near, just an inch or two and he would be mindlessly happy.

No! Liz is not a toy! She's not a mindless admiring whore you picked up of the street! Talon down on his tongue to bring himself back to reality and treat his eyes from Liz's perfect mouth, back to her eyes. Unfortunately, those are equally entrancing... He groaned inwardly.

"Maooo..." As his precious tuna can was being stolen, Darring stared after it with a mournful look in his eyes. He jumped off the bookshelf and followed Ace, and when he caught up to her, latched himself to her leg with his claws.

"MAO."

"But I don't want to work, I want one selfish day. Please?" I gave Talon the puppy eyes even though I knew it wouldn't work. I got on my knees "I will beg... You know I wouldn't usually do this and I feel like a complete idiot down here so make your decision... Please?"

Talon grinned, and pulled himself off of her lap. He knelt in front of her, and took her hand gently in his own.

"I'm fine. Just a dream, after all. Besides, we have work to do. Much as I would love to stay..." He brought himself to his feet and stood straight, extending his hand to Liz, "The guards are getting closer and closer to camp, and we need to know why. "

"Stop it!" I playfully hit him on the arm. "Are you ok? You scared me to death!"

Ace glared at the pompous cat. Sighing, she sauntered over to the tuna dish, hooking a thumb under its lid, and walking off. Before entering the kitchen, she eyed him over her shoulder.

"I am not your servant. I do this because you can't do it yourself, with your lack of opposable thumbs," She said, "Which you will never have! Muahaha!" She laughed comically, walking away.

Black gloved fingers tightened briefly, and vanished. Seventeen seconds...

The dream ended at the same time it always did. The hand that had been holding his throat closed slackened and fell to his side, lying still on Liz's thigh. The warmth on his arm disoriented him enough to stir him from his half-slumber following the incessant reoccurring nightmare. Weary, Talon opened his eyes a slit, and peered at Liz.

"Is a dream all it takes for you to let me touch your no-no square?" He grinned mischievously, tapping her thigh in suggestion with her finger-tips.

I heard soft whimpering emanating from a source beside me. I looked over and noticed it was Talon."Talon..." I whispered. His whimpers turned into cries as he thrashed and fell to the floor. I jumped to the floor worried. "Talon... Talon!" I shook the thrashing, scared boy. "Talon wake up!Wake up.." I shook him harder trying to snap him out of it. I noticed his hand closed tightly over his throat and tried to pry his fingers off of his throat. No matter how hard I tried he just kept thrashing refusing to wake up. Tears threatened to slide down my face and I swallowed the sobs that wanted to escape.Talon is the most important thing to focus on right now, get a hold of yourself I scolded myself.

The woods around him were as familiar as his own torture chamber. These trees hadn't changed in his nightmares since he was four. Their placement resembled a perfect half-circle, the other half completed by a wall of people.

Each man was a blur, a sharp contrast to the clarity of the trees. White coats and silver instruments reminded him of doctors and laboratory workers. Black, silver boots squeaked loudly on the others. A total of twelve, man shaped figures stood before him, shifting and throwing odd shapes around with their blurred edges.

One man, on the far left, made a move towards him. Black, glove covered fingers reached out to Talon, who found himself rooted to the spot. Fear clouded his judgment, and instead of his usual calm, cold expression, he felt his face knot up and reveal just how much fright he felt. A gloved finger brushed against the throbbing pulse in his throat. Lightly, the fingers closed around his neck, and suddenly, the shocking gentleness was gone, replaced by the rough closing of his windpipe. His vision went dark, the pale face and white coat in front of him standing out sharply against the backdrop. The man... he recognized him! A strangled cry erupted from his throat as his older brother choked him mercilessly, watching the light fade out of Talon's eyes as the attacker's own lit up with excitement and joy.

Outside of the dream, Talon's hand closed over his throat, legs thrashing and kicking him onto the floor. Strangled cries could be heard.