This rp will contain mention of abuse and violence. Please read with caution.

His powers were unique, he knew that for sure. He had yet to meet another who could change his form at will. As long as he had touched the animal, somehow he could turn into that creature. He discovered his strange powers after a night of fighting with his drunken father. He wanted to run, to disappear... And somehow he had turned into the family pet, a Labrador by the name of Sparky.

He used this talent to his advantage, spending his days in various animal forms. He went to the petting zoo, to add to the library of animals he could transform into. He wanted nothing more than to be able to touch a bird, so he could fly anywhere he wanted. But the only ones available to pet where ducks and chickens.

Keneth was about 18 years old, with dark red hair and delicate features. He never stayed human for long enough to know how tall or what colour skin he had, he barely knew the days of the week. He had left school at an early age, and made friends with other animals instead of kids his own age. Sometimes he wouldn't even change back to human for months on end. There didn't seem to be a limit to how long he could stay shifted, only that he had to keep his focus up.

Today was sunny in the main park of the city he had moved to. He had already changed into the skin of a ginger tabby cat, one with white paws and a fluffy tail. He spent the day begging for scraps, which often worked better as a dog, but sometimes he'd get lucky as his cat form. He saw a well-built man sitting by himself and approached carefully, mewing as pitifully as he could.

Garrick leaned back against the hard wood bench, with its iron wrought bindings, with a long sigh. He ached all over, not to mention stale sweat dampened his clothing. The run had been worth it though, in those early morning hours. Fresh air, a scent near untainted by the pollution of everyday living within the city. It was a time to be alone, at peace, with only his thoughts.

An unexpected sound pulled Garrick from his contemplation. Tilting his head, stretching his limbs, he was able to see a cat. Not just any kind of cat at that. Slowly, the well muscled young man shifted. With one hand he fumbled through the bag at his side, and pulled half a sandwich from within. This he placed carefully upon the ground, and waited to see if the fluffy tailed tabby would deign come nearer.

The aspiring boxer had always liked cats, but constant apartment life hadn't let him adopt one. Now that he had a small house of his own, a bachelor pad more like it, maybe he could take one in.

Score! He thought this man looked like the type to be easily swayed by a hungry cat. He approached carefully though, delicately sniffing at the food provided. Usually a cat would turn down food like this, but Keneth wasn't simply just a cat. And he was hungry. He ate it quickly, sniffing the ground to make sure he hadn't missed anything. He sat back and looked up at the man, mewing again.

Maybe he could give him more of that sandwich? What else did this man have? He curled his tail around himself and started to purr, knowing that this effect was simply adorable to those witnessing it.

Garrick chuckled, shaking his head. "Greedy little thing, aren't you?" Rummaging in his bag, he pulled out some jerky. He leaned over, waving the meat under the caramel cat's nose. He couldn't resist such a sweet looking animal... Though he doubted the cat would want to be picked up and squeezed, petted, by his well sized hands. It looked rather the worse for wear, like it had been out on its own for far too long.

"Poor thing. Don't you have anyone to take care of you?" It was a wonder no one had taken it in, or brought it to the animal shelter. Though the latter, that was probably a blessing in disguise. The city didn't have any no kill shelters.

Keneth didn't like being called greedy. He was hungry and just a small piece of sandwich wasn't enough to full him up. But he couldn't show that he understood the man, that would be too strange. He had kept his powers in secret for this long, he didn't want to give them away yet. What would happen to him? He'd be sent to some scientists to be cut up and examined, perhaps even being forced to perform for others in a circus... He shuddered at the thought.

He took the jerky and ate it too, licking the man's outstretched fingers. He smelt like sweat, as though he had been exercising. His hands were big and strong, just like the rest of his body. Keneth wondered what sort of man this was. A gentle giant in a sea of cruelty. He heard people approaching, and turned his head. A crowd of women jogging together in a big group. He shot off the path and into the cover of some bushes, hiding from them in case they stood on him.

Garrick smiled indulgently, a bright flash of white teeth against tanned skin showing his mirth. It was nice, seeing how the cat seemed to enjoy the small meal he'd given it. Perhaps he would bring something more substantial for it the next morning, feed the poor thing up a bit, give it some water. The well muscled man, not too much though, leaned back against the bench as the crowd of women ambled past, chattering away, laughing loudly.

He shook his head, and lifted his hands to ruffle his unruly black hair. They always annoyed him when they went by like that, shattering the stillness of the park, or the still that settled in the morning. Not all the female joggers did that, just that particular group. A lot of the men did the same. To think .. he went to that park in search for peace, and it was always so easily taken away. They had even made the cat scuttle away to hide in the bushes somewhere.

He stayed where he was, watching the man from the safety of the bushes. It was getting late, and soon the man would leave the park. Keneth would then curl up into a ball and sleep, waiting for tomorrow and another day of begging for scraps... Or he could follow the man home.

He had never considered trusting another person before, but this man seemed different. He seemed to genuinely care for the stray cat that had approached him in the park. So when the man finally got up to leave, Keneth came tearing out of the bush to follow him home.

Garrick yawned loudly after a while, and looked up to the sky. It was already growing dark, far darker then he wanted it to be on his walk home. With a sigh, he stood up and stretched, lifting his arms up to the sky and wriggling his fingers before beginning to go on his way. Hands in his pockets, the tall man barely noticed his silent follower at first. The park was still rather visited at that point, and small noises abounded. The shuffling of feet, a few pebbles skittering away, birds whistling, cars whizzing by. Missing the soft footfalls of a cat stalking him, well it was easy as knowing the sky was blue.

Street lamps came on one by one as Garrick walked past. They lit the way back home, guiding lights in the growing dark. His home was a small one, an odd one. It was a remnant of the past in a city full of skyscrapers, though the neighborhood was different in that way. It was a two story home, made of brick and with boarded up windows still. He hadn't yet had the chance to fix them yet.

Whistling softly to himself, the young man ambled up the steps and opened the door with a twist of his key.

Keneth followed the man all the way to his run down house. He wondered why the man lived in such a place. It made him hesitate slightly, before walking up the path and sitting on the man's doorstep. He meowed loudly, until the man turned and noticed him.

He hoped to be invited inside. Maybe he could sleep here and live the rest of his life being this man's pet cat.

Garrick crouched down to peer at the cat, tilting his head this way and that as he watched, and waited. "Well, this is unexpected." Slowly, the young man reached out with a gentle hand. He didn't touch. He didn't press forward. Instead Garrick stayed as still as he could be, muscles taunt with the strain.

(mine is short too )

Keneth watched the man reach forward and backed up slightly, thinking that he was trying to pick him up. When he didn't move any further, Keneth leant closer, sniffing his fingers. He then stepped forward, carefully placing his head near the man's fingers so he could pat him.

He purred softly as the strong man petted him, surprisingly gently. He sat back and watched him, meowing slightly.

(these small replies...)

Smiling softly, he scratched the caramel cat's ears with gentle care. It sounded like the creature had a motor running inside that small chest, one that rumbled contentedly at the slightest provocation. Once the tiny approach was over, Garrick sat back upon his heels and brushed his bangs from his green eyes. "What are you meowing at me for? You want more food, don't you?" He glanced at his house thoughtfully.

"I could go get some, but there's no way of knowing if you'll still be here when I get back." Garrick flashed a grin at the cat, and chuckled at his behavior. "Man, look at me... Talking to a cat like it can understand me. I really need to get some friends..."

Keneth's ears perked up as he listened to the man speak. Even though he spent most of his life as different animals, he hadn't forgotten human speech. He couldn't talk as a cat, of course, but he could understand what was being said. He inclined his head slightly, wrapping his fluffy tail around himself. He wasn't too hungry now, he just wanted to somehow tell the man that he just wanted a warm place to stay.

He continued to purr, settling down on his belly with his front paws tucked underneath him, watching the man to see what he was going to do next. It was getting late, and the darkness of the night was only interrupted by various street lamps that lined the road. Keneth could see well in the darkness, due to his cat eyes. But he knew soon the man would need to turn on a light to be able to see anything. If he opened the door, Keneth would run inside.

He hesitated to leave the cat behind for even a moment. It was getting chilly outside, and dark... Too dark for him, really. Shaking his head, Garrick slipped from his crouch to open the door of his home. It was well oiled, and new. That was something he'd been able to do. Inside, it was livable, but not breathtaking. Sparse surroundings, with only the bare minimum of furniture greeted the young man as he stepped inside. The walls had been painted a nice ivory color, which did help ease the fact that the home had rather low ceilings, and windows a bit smaller then usual.

When a streak of fur ran right by his feet, the young man stumbled back against the door frame and stared. "Well, that was unexpected." Shaking his head, Garrick closed the door and started walking through the first floor, bending down low now and again to try and find the cat.

Keneth saw his opening and ran through, sprinting across the carpeted floor and hiding under the sofa. The house smelt like the man, but for some reason it didn't look like it was lived in that much. Perhaps he went out a lot and hardly spent time at home? Keneth sneezed at the dust under the sofa and curled up, watching the man as he got on his hands and knees to look for him.

When he looked under the sofa, Keneth mewed at him, swatting his hand playfully, making sure not to have his claws out. He didn't want to hurt his new friend.

Laughing, he reached under the couch. He stretched and stretched until he felt fur beneath his fingers. Garrick wriggled his hand around a bit until he could grab the fluffy cat. He expected to be clawed for his grip around the feline's back. A large hand like his was one of the easiest things to scratch. But, it would be worth it for a good look at Garrick's unexpected guest.

With a groan, he scuttled back while trying to drag the cat along with him. "Come on, you. Get our here where I can see you." And pet him. That would be nice, if the cat let him.

Keneth swatted at the hand again, and playfully bit the large fingers that closed in on him. He wasn't sure how he felt about being manhandled by such big hands, but when the man grabbed him carefully and dragged him out from under the sofa, Keneth made no attempt to attack him and run away.

He was dragged into the ligh of the living room, and looked up at the man. He just wanted to pet him, to inspect him. Keneth could allow that and rolled over, allowing him to pet the soft downy fur on his stomach.

Shaking his head with a laugh, the young man rubbed the cat's stomach obligingly. It seemed, perhaps, that he had found a pet. Or rather, the animal had followed Garrick home and adopted him, instead of the other way around. "Well ... I suppose you should have a name... A collar ... maybe I'd have to get you fixed, if I keep you. Wouldn't want the furniture to get all scratched up, or peed on .." He shuddered at the thought.

Keneth rolled over at the mention of being fixed. No, no, no... That couldn't happened. He shot back under the sofa and hissed slightly, trying to tell the man that he was not going to let himself be disfigured in anyway. Obviously the man meant well, one should always fix their pets so they wouldn't make unwanted babies, but Keneth wasn't really a cat.

It seemed as though his plans to live as a pet cat wouldn't work. He would have to leave... Or show himself to this man.

He leaned over, glancing beneath the couch with a frown. "I could swear you understand me ... But you're a cat.. " Shaking his head, Garrick sighed. "But alright, I suppose the fixing can wait on your behavior." The though of his own anatomy being fixed was a rather unpleasant one, now that it ocured to him.

Keneth stayed under the couch, not sure what to do about his situation. He was silly to think he could live as a pet cat. He just really missed human contact and had never been loved before. He sneezed at the dust as he was lost in thought, trying to decide what to do. He wanted to know this man's name, and what he did. He crawled back out from under the sofa and explored the house, finding trophies and certificates with the man's name on them. Garrick. He was some sort of athlete it seemed, though Keneth couldn't read too well.

For a while, he sat back and watched the cat explore his new surroundings. Once the animal was back in reach though, Garrick grabbed it quickly to begin running his fingers through the matted fur. "Well whatever happens, you need to be cleaned up, and fed right." He rubbed his fingers against the base of soft ears. "And fed up."

Keneth agreed with this statement and purred loudly, falling asleep in Garrick's strong arms. He considered showing himself to the man, his true human self. It had been a long time since he had even seen himself. He wondered what he would look like now. Probably dirty and skinny... He opened his eyes when Garrick moved, jumping off him and watching him.

A few more minutes went by in simple contentment, but then he reminded himself that he didn't have any cat food, or a cat littler, or anything to take care of a pet. "You stay in here. I need to go get some things." So saying, he young man walked away, leaving his new pet behind. Garrick made sure the doors were locked, and all the windows were closed. He really didn't want that cat to sneak out before he was able to clean it up and see it well fed for a few days at least.