(no subject)
Title: A Cat's Magic
Rating: K+ (Suitable for ages 13 and above)
Disclaimers: The character Edward Leat (and that of the ship's cat, Emily) belongs to latin_cat.
Original pen-date: 4 February 2011
Summary: Show the Colours AU; Terpsichore's cat, Miss Emily, changes places with Lieutenant Cartwright for a week. At sea, 1809.
Author's Note: Written for a Kink meme on DreamWidth. Prompt - A cat for a week. Miss Emily and a member of Terpsy's crew swap forms. Miss Emily becomes a human female. The crew member a male cat.
"How can you lose a man?" Sergeant Quinn wanted to know, his expression disbelieving. It was half a watch later and Foley, having conducted as thorough a search of the ship as he could manage, had finally gone looking for his sergeant. Now he stood, all but shame-faced, having confessed what had happened.
Mostly.
"It weren't exactly a man, Sarn't," Foley admitted reluctantly. "See... uhm... the 'Tenant's a... well he's gone an' turned into a cat, Sarn't."
Quinn stared at him. "Don't talk nonsense. That's not possible."
"Only it is, Sarn't." The steward lifted an arm and gestured in the general direction of the wardroom. "The 'Tenant's a cat an' Miss Emily... ain't."
It was clear from Quinn's expression that he wasn't buying any of this. Foley, however, had an idea how to convince him. He led the way aft, straight into the wardroom. As yet, he had not made Mister Cartwright's unusual situation known to any of the officers, even though it was a safe bet that Markham had.
Mister Leat was sitting stiffly at the wardroom table, a glass of brandy clutched in his hands. Across the table was a dark-haired woman awkwardly dressed in trousers, shirt, and a lieutenant's coat. Other than they, the wardroom appeared empty. Even Markham was absent. Foley hesitated, unwilling to intrude upon the wardroom's silence, but he had a missing officer... er, cat... to find. Behind him, he sensed a shift in Sergeant Quinn's stance. He would be drawing himself up to a more rigid posture, having spotted Mister Leat's female companion.
"Beg pardon, sir," Foley began. "But... ehm... Mister Cartwright's gone missin', sir. He's, well he's not exactly himself just now, neither."
The second luff turned sharply to stare at him. "What do you mean?"
He couldn't help glancing at the strange woman seated opposite Mister Leat. "I mean... he's a cat, sir."
Leat's eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hairline. His female companion, on the other hand, turned an interested gaze toward Foley. Her eyes were a striking blend of blue and green, he noticed. Rather like a cat's. "This is so," she said evenly. "I required another to take feline form in order to appear as you see me now."
This piece of information was met with momentary silence. Foley blinked and felt a headache slowly forming. Lieutenant Cartwright had become a cat so that Miss Emily could become a human. How could such a thing even be possible?
"Your pardon, Miss," Sergeant Quinn said. "You are, in fact, the ship's cat?"
She nodded. "I am, Sergeant Quinn. I do apologise for choosing poor Lieutenant Cartwright for a replacement. He will not hold it against me, I hope."
That remained to be seen, Foley thought. Assuming they could find Mister Cartwright again. "How... I don't understand this t'all, Miss. Sir. Um. Will, will this be permanent?"
"Oh! No, not in the least. It is but for a week. Then all will be normal again." Miss Emily favoured them with a smile. It was not a gesture that seemed natural to her, really. But of course she was a cat, in her usual form.
Foley shifted slightly. He wanted to resume the search for his officer, having delayed it longer than he'd expected. "If you don't mind, Miss. Where d'you reckon Mister Cartwright might be hidin' away at? Bein' as you know Terpsy better'n even the ship's boys, I mean."
"The hold," was her reply. "By the spirit room, I should guess. There is a delightful little nook there. Not one of my favourites, of course, but I do go there from time to time. There is also a space well forward, near the dispensary." Again the awkward smile. "I do not like to name more, for a lady cannot give up all her secrets."
"Of course," Sergeant Quinn said. "We'll look for him there directly. And not a word about this to any lad, either, sir," he added, guessing at the meaning of the look on Mister Leat's face.
Not, Foley realised, that it was likely to do any good. The moment they emerged from the wardroom, they found themselves almost face-to-face with a curious, expectant crowd of men. Word had gotten out already. There would have been no stopping it, really. Foley glanced at his sergeant and sighed. This was shaping up to be a right strange mess.
Rating: K+ (Suitable for ages 13 and above)
Disclaimers: The character Edward Leat (and that of the ship's cat, Emily) belongs to latin_cat.
Original pen-date: 4 February 2011
Summary: Show the Colours AU; Terpsichore's cat, Miss Emily, changes places with Lieutenant Cartwright for a week. At sea, 1809.
Author's Note: Written for a Kink meme on DreamWidth. Prompt - A cat for a week. Miss Emily and a member of Terpsy's crew swap forms. Miss Emily becomes a human female. The crew member a male cat.
"How can you lose a man?" Sergeant Quinn wanted to know, his expression disbelieving. It was half a watch later and Foley, having conducted as thorough a search of the ship as he could manage, had finally gone looking for his sergeant. Now he stood, all but shame-faced, having confessed what had happened.
Mostly.
"It weren't exactly a man, Sarn't," Foley admitted reluctantly. "See... uhm... the 'Tenant's a... well he's gone an' turned into a cat, Sarn't."
Quinn stared at him. "Don't talk nonsense. That's not possible."
"Only it is, Sarn't." The steward lifted an arm and gestured in the general direction of the wardroom. "The 'Tenant's a cat an' Miss Emily... ain't."
It was clear from Quinn's expression that he wasn't buying any of this. Foley, however, had an idea how to convince him. He led the way aft, straight into the wardroom. As yet, he had not made Mister Cartwright's unusual situation known to any of the officers, even though it was a safe bet that Markham had.
Mister Leat was sitting stiffly at the wardroom table, a glass of brandy clutched in his hands. Across the table was a dark-haired woman awkwardly dressed in trousers, shirt, and a lieutenant's coat. Other than they, the wardroom appeared empty. Even Markham was absent. Foley hesitated, unwilling to intrude upon the wardroom's silence, but he had a missing officer... er, cat... to find. Behind him, he sensed a shift in Sergeant Quinn's stance. He would be drawing himself up to a more rigid posture, having spotted Mister Leat's female companion.
"Beg pardon, sir," Foley began. "But... ehm... Mister Cartwright's gone missin', sir. He's, well he's not exactly himself just now, neither."
The second luff turned sharply to stare at him. "What do you mean?"
He couldn't help glancing at the strange woman seated opposite Mister Leat. "I mean... he's a cat, sir."
Leat's eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hairline. His female companion, on the other hand, turned an interested gaze toward Foley. Her eyes were a striking blend of blue and green, he noticed. Rather like a cat's. "This is so," she said evenly. "I required another to take feline form in order to appear as you see me now."
This piece of information was met with momentary silence. Foley blinked and felt a headache slowly forming. Lieutenant Cartwright had become a cat so that Miss Emily could become a human. How could such a thing even be possible?
"Your pardon, Miss," Sergeant Quinn said. "You are, in fact, the ship's cat?"
She nodded. "I am, Sergeant Quinn. I do apologise for choosing poor Lieutenant Cartwright for a replacement. He will not hold it against me, I hope."
That remained to be seen, Foley thought. Assuming they could find Mister Cartwright again. "How... I don't understand this t'all, Miss. Sir. Um. Will, will this be permanent?"
"Oh! No, not in the least. It is but for a week. Then all will be normal again." Miss Emily favoured them with a smile. It was not a gesture that seemed natural to her, really. But of course she was a cat, in her usual form.
Foley shifted slightly. He wanted to resume the search for his officer, having delayed it longer than he'd expected. "If you don't mind, Miss. Where d'you reckon Mister Cartwright might be hidin' away at? Bein' as you know Terpsy better'n even the ship's boys, I mean."
"The hold," was her reply. "By the spirit room, I should guess. There is a delightful little nook there. Not one of my favourites, of course, but I do go there from time to time. There is also a space well forward, near the dispensary." Again the awkward smile. "I do not like to name more, for a lady cannot give up all her secrets."
"Of course," Sergeant Quinn said. "We'll look for him there directly. And not a word about this to any lad, either, sir," he added, guessing at the meaning of the look on Mister Leat's face.
Not, Foley realised, that it was likely to do any good. The moment they emerged from the wardroom, they found themselves almost face-to-face with a curious, expectant crowd of men. Word had gotten out already. There would have been no stopping it, really. Foley glanced at his sergeant and sighed. This was shaping up to be a right strange mess.