The following was written as an "introduction" to Tabby for the City of Titans forums, originally for the Whitehold Apartments thread. I wasn't sure about much of the lore for CoT, and most of my favorite CoH characters were so attached to the City of Heroes lore, so I wasn't quite sure how their stories would relate to that world. Tabby's has few anchors that would be unique to any world, though, so I had some maneuvering room:
A short, somewhat formless blob composed of a faded army-surplus duffle bag, a cardboard box, an armful of reusable shopping handbags, and an oversized black burqa shambled down the second-floor landing. The diminutive figure paused occasionally to read door numbers, apparently struggling to see. If there was a humanoid under that bulky mess, the chardri's veil opening was in the wrong place- over what would be an ear or cheek rather than the eyes.
Finally reaching room 215, the blob fidgeted and shed a few bags onto the floor. A sharp and indecipherable - but clearly unpleasant - utterance came from within, accompanied by yet more moving about and an additional shedding of random grocery bags.
Keys emerged and fell to the floor. accompanied by more indecipherable curses. Folds in the fabric enveloped them, carefully lifting them without exposing any part of whatever lay beneath the fabric. They fell again- this time accompanies by a half dozen ramen noodle cups. The cursing this time was louder but cut off shorter, as the blob nervously scanned the hall to see if the noise had attracted any unwanted attention. Convinced that it hadn't, a small fur-covered hand emerged from the robe's folds, retrieved the keys, and found the keyhold.
At the moment the key turned, the Star Wars "Imperial March" music blasted from somewhere within that self-propelled pile, causing the shambling mound to almost snap the key off in the lock. Half the remaining baggage scattered down the hall as it raced into the room and slammed the door behind it.
The fur hand disappeared back into the burqa and emerged with a phone just as the John Williams ringtone reached its climax.
"Heya, Sister A. Just got in this minute.... Yep. I can't thank you enough for helping me get this place- you and all of St. Jerome's.... really. I swear, I'll repay all of you... someday... somehow." Now that the utterances were somewhat coherent, it became clar that this living lump of luggage and fabric must have at some point swallowed something female.
"No. No problems... Yeah, I chickened out and wore the burqa... I'm sorry, I'm just not ready... yeah, but that was 4 years at a reform school, not the same thing as being out in PUBLIC."
"...Well, it's not like those 4 years were without INCIDENT, remember?"
She started wandering around the largely unfurnished apartment, kicking her duffle bag to a spot that she imagined would be perfect for a couch someday and sliding the box into place as a coffeetable.
"I just don't want to be stared at."
"..... Yeah, the burqa gets stares, but they're staring at IT not... "
She popped her head into the empty bedroom long enough to wrinkle her nose at a smell that seemed a blend of lysol and dirty socks, with socks winning, and decided to make base in the living room for the first few days.
"...well...not at ME."
The super had said to inspect the place and let him know of any issues, but aside from flicking the lightwitches without being electrocuted (a plus) and making sure that there was hot and cold water, it was clear that she wasn't quite sure what she was supposed to be doing.
"...That's what I hoped it would be like-- a super on every streetcorner and maybe I wouldn't-y'know- feel so weird, but I think I saw ONE --at the train station, some blonde in a bikini pushing a broken-down train out, and lemme tell you, the camera flashes going off coulda induced epilepsy. Tourists everywhere...."
"No, it didn't bother her, but.."
" ..., you're a NUN- should you really be using the BIKINI BOMBSHELL as a positive role model for me?"
Opening the window, she discovered the fire escape and made a mental note to explore later.
"Oh, and by the way, what's up with the name on the lease?
"... the co-signer"
"... Allison Katinevski?"
" ...Seriously?"
"... What's so weird about it? Well, they abbreviated it to "Alli. Kat." to fit on the mail box."
"Stop laughing."
"I heard Mrs. Macomb in the background. You might need to get her some oxygen. Seriously, she laughs like a horse.The landlord actually made it WORSE by adding my name above that, so it reads "Tabby - Alley Cat."
She pulled the phone away from her ear as the howls of laughter sounded almost like a barnyard riot.
"Speakerphone? I shoulda figured. Everyone there to hear that one?
".... Now I feel special"
".... No, he wouldn't change it to Tabitha- said it wouldn't fit. Oh, yeah, you bet I tried to make him change it. NOBODY calls me Tabby- except him- that's one HUGESCARRY landlord.
"I'll wait till you're done laughing."
"Done?.... No... I'll wait."
"This isn't funny! Everybody checks their mail every day and all my neighbors are going to see that and that's what they're gonna know me as! I might as well go around introducing myself, Hi, I'm Tabby, the alley cat!"
Tabitha hadn't realized that the she'd been pacing and raising her voice in exasperation until those last words came out as a shout while facing the open window. Far in the distance, she could hear someone call back, "Hi, Tabby the alley cat."
Closing the window, and the blinds, she futilely looked for something to barricade the window with before retreating into the bathroom.
"Seriously? You used that name as an alter ego back in the 90's?
"... You swear you're not pulling my leg? You gotta be kidding me...
"I mean, you're a shapeshifter n all, I know, but NOBODY made the connection with a name like that? What the HEL--ECK were they smok..."
"... No, I caught myself.... I said heck... not he..."
"...HECK... HECK... the "l" never finishe... HOW DO YOU GIVE THE SINISTER NUN DISAPPROVING DEATH STARE OVER THE PHONE A HUNDRED MILES AWAY? How do you do that?
"No, you shouldn't patent that. Its evil."
There was less space for pacing in the bathroom, and it was only a matter of time before Tabitha tripped on the loose fitting burqa, stumbled, and nearly slam dunked her new smartphone in the toilet.
"Hold on..." She said as she wrestled herself free from the ill-fitting full-body-shroud.
"Yeah, I still had it on... Uncomfortable as he-heck...."
" Well, it rubs... and when the wind catches it... Yeah, I know, I know." Her voice switched to a monotone as she spoke along with her mentor, " I need to get comfortable with my new form, even if I hope to reverse it... yadda yadda... It's just... it doesn't feel right. Well, neither does the burqa, for that matter but at least in the burqa I don't look..."
Tabitha caught her reflection in the mirror- she could almost pass herself off as human, if not for oversized cat ears, whiskers, misshapen hands & feet, and the dirty-tan tabby pelt that would look perfect on any domestic shorthair. And the tail... that damned tail.
"... ridiculous."
Tabitha settled in for the long speech that would follow that. She didn't try to interrupt her former counselor, though she could almost recite along with what she was saying.. It was better to just let her go half-listening and put away some groceries... although she could have sworn she bought more. Eventually, she had a moment to speak.
"I appreciate that, but the Burqa stays. I'll deal with it... maybe pretend I'm a ninja... in a really really loose and unweildy costume that prevents me from doing anything ninja-y...."
"... it's really my only option. After 4 years, the only things I have that fit are that burqa and a half dozen school uniforms until I can get something at some thift store. Those uniforms are TOTALLY out of the question. I already LOOK like some sort of live action anime. Add the school uniform its practically hentai..."
"...Yes, It is... and ninja cat-schoolgirl... that'd certainly set off a flood of otaku nosebleeds... Trust me, I know all about that. ... How? ...Well, I guess there's no harm in telling you now- the library's web nanny password? 'S3cr3t' is no secret. I know all I need to know about how the world sees feliform females form from one night of google searches, thank you. I couldn't sleep for days."
"...No, I don't advise checking. Not if you want to keep any shred of self-respect... thus... the burqa stays...
"...At least on the web nobody knows you're a... catgirl."
The last word was said with obvious distaste, and Tabitha prepared herself for another lecture from her advisor. Interrupting her would do no good, but she could pass the time mouthing silently along while making rude gestures to the repulsive-looking cat-thing in the mirror. As much as she mocked them, some small part of her would miss her "discussions" with Sister Agatha. This one seemed to end faster than she expected, and the thought that these would be fewer and farther between now brought a note of disappointment. When the questions started involving her future plans, she knew it was wrapping up.
"No, I don't need to meet my caseworker till next week. The probation office will have some kind of paid work to go along with the community service, so maybe missing the last semeseter's enrollment was for the best. I might be able to burn through most of my community service before they start freshman scheduling."
"Ok, I'll keep an eye open for the care package. I really want to say you guys shouldn't, but I'm already missing Mrs Cethewood's cooking, so I'll take everything you can ship."
"She still talks about that? I only burned the whiskers off my face ONCE in home ec, but hear her talking about it and its like I can't cook anything."
.... I miss her too... everyone there, really... You're all the family I've got...."
She winced.
"No, I haven't talked to him...."
"...Let's leave that for another time."
"...Miss you, too."
"Bye."
Tabitha put the phone down, suddenly feeling drained. With the lights off, shades drawn, and spartan decor, the empty room gave off a gloomy air. Part of her wanted to open the blinds, let the sun brighten the room and do nothing more than bask in that sunbeam for as long as possible, but another part of her dreaded what awaited her out there and wondered how much longer she could remain hidden.
The latter half won out, and she pulled out her laptop- a graduation gift from the staff at St. Jerome, set up the cardboard box as a makeshift desk. It didn't take long to find an unsecured wi-fi.
The flickering from the cold LED screen just accentuated the sense of gloom permeating the room as she sat in front of it cross-legged with an open box of dry cereal perched on her lap for supper.
"At least, on the web NOBODY knows you're a catgirl," she muttered, as if to assure herself that this was the right course of action, but something within her kept drawing her attention back to that shuttered window and the sunlight forcing its way around the edges.
"Maybe later tonight- when its too dark for anyone to see me- then I'll explore."
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