Advice

Lily watched Frances put up the wards and she looked around the very, very large training room, "This place is huge…" she murmured.

"Ian and Lese were the ones who built it." Frances said with a laugh. "We needed to be as spacious as it could be so we can fit in a lot of people to train. We like to go all out on each other, so the wards are also to make sure power surges don't stray." He grinned as he pinned the last ward and stood in the middle. "Have you ever tried to change back into your regular form?"

"No," Lily shook her head in the negative, "I've been scared to, really."

"What is there to be afraid of?" Frances ask as he tilted his head. "If you were forced, then wouldn't you want to go back to your normal self?" He frowned. "Or is there something deeper? Like…once you get to your regular self, you can't transform back?"

"It's the 'something deeper' part…" Lily sighed, "I actually rather like this form. I can talk with people and they can understand me. I can do things I couldn't do before, see things in their view…I do want to know how to change back and forth, but I'm scared I'll end up stuck."

"Ohh…" Frances nodded. "I get it." He nodded again and said. "You were once a cat so you would want to be human once it got easier and everything started falling together for you, but the truth is you're not completely human and when you change back and forth getting stuck can happen. I won't lie, I get stuck even today. I can teach you some ways of getting unstuck if it happens."

"However, before we get that deep into the training, we should try and form back into our natural selves…or well natural for you. Now then, why don't you try imagining yourself as what you once where?" Frances suggested. "And then try to picture yourself shifting into that form. If it helps, you can get down on your hands and knees."

Lily bit her lip and did as she was told, kicking off her shoes so she could feel the ground beneath her. She felt her hair crawl over her skin, caressing her, and she closed her eyes to remember her cat-form. She shifted, and felt her skin stretch, but nothing was painful.

"Now imagine your fur, remember how you acted it's your true form so you have to let it slide in to you. Let your guard down." Frances said soothingly. "And wow, you are one pretty kitty."

Curiously Lily opened her eyes and had to look up to see Fran. She sat back and jumped a bit when her clothes slid off of her. Wiggling out of them she jumped and turned around in circles. She was back to being a cat! Mewing in happiness, she grinned as best a cat could grin up at Frances, her tail swishing.

Frances laughed, "Now let's see if you can change back. Use the same technique okay? Picture yourself as human and shift. Let your guard down because it's your second half."

Lily mewed in understanding and laid down. Her fur moved and it tickled, and then she felt it move back swiftly. She felt more stretching but again no pain. Blinking, she shook her head and her tail swished, "Easier than I thought…but tiring."

"Well, you won't get better without practice. Here, sometimes Ian gives us some inspiration to do better." He took off his clothes and transformed into three cats. One a house cat, the other into a tiger and the a leopard before he transformed back. "It took a long time for me to do that, so you mastering this at a fast rate will be a snitch. So, when you practice we can get into the bigger forms. I give you a week tops." He winked at her. "It took me two weeks to do what you're doing now. Therefore you're probably a natural."

Lily smirked devilishly and closed her eyes, her hair covering her again, and when she opened her eyes she was stretching her paws out as a tiger. She turned, her tail flipping as she changed again into a leopard, jogging around the room, and when she pounced at him, raring, she was a tabby cat which landed easily on his head. Jumping down, she landed on her hands and stood, facing him, "Care to try again?"

"Nice job." Frances said impressed. "And you were afraid of being stuck." He teased her.

"And you just had to show her how to do it." Electric started giggling. "He spent all that time giving her a time limit too."

Sam rolled his eyes as he snorted. "It took him two weeks she got down in one day. I suppose that means that he was just being lazy."

"Not lazy, just unable." Electric snorted.

"Will you two shut-up!" Frances shouted. "You aren't helping."

"Were we supposed to?" They asked together.

Lily noticed the guys there and squeaked, hiding behind Frances, "forgetting" her new ability, "If you're not gonna help, then you can leave!"

The boys started laughing and decided to leave. Frances looked over behind her. "Their used to seeing that. Ellie sometimes just drops her clothes and transforms and transforms back and forgets them later on." He told her. "You look nice without them anyway."

Lily blushed furiously and buried her face in his shoulder, "No one's…said such things about me before…" she admitted.

"Well…that's the best thing about being a human-neko." Frances replied. "When you're in cat form you can communicate, but it's hard to get any compliments. As a human, you can get lots of them." He smiled at her. "That Donny character you've been talking about is a really lucky person if he accepts you. You're a beautiful neko. Much prettier than any of the stray cats I seen, but then again I wouldn't know if I was human first or if I was cat first."

"Either way…you've been a big help," Lily smiled and nuzzled his neck, "Mm…I think you were human first…" she mused absently, "You don't have that…field scent other cats do. You're more…musty, like forest moss."

"If that is the case then I wonder who it was that made me like this." Frances said with a soft muse. "Then I suppose that me and you are and aren't alike. That's okay." He grinned at her.

Lily reached up and rubbed his cheek, "We're plenty the same," she assured and walked over to her clothes, "How about a break and you can think of challenges for me to do?"

"Alright," Frances said with a grin. "Explore if you want. Just try not to go up to the third story. Some of the people up there are sleeping."

Lily laughed, "Sure thing…but…the wards?" she looked at them and then him as she slipped on her skirt and then her top.

"Outsiders can't come in but insiders defiantly can go out." Frances told her. "So you can go out and I can take them down and when I come up with some challenges, I'll tell you."

Lily nodded and blew him a kiss before bouncing out as her calico self, prancing up the stairs.

Lily got too excited to remember Fran's words, and travelled up to the third floor. It was very dark, but elaborately decorated. She transformed into a human, putting on her clothes, and walked around quietly. Smiling, she found an open room with a piano inside. Never having seen one before, the neko went over to it and sat down, running her hand over the keys. Accidentally pressing too hard on one, she jumped at the sound. However, she smiled and felt her fingers flow over more, creating a random tune.

The music flowed. It was random and sweet, but the tune also had a perk to the music. It was original and just created too. The two that had been sleeping awoke with wonderment. Both decided to greet the person that was inside the music room. It's been a long while since they heard the piano being played. When they reached the music room's door, they opened it and gasped. "Well, now I know it's not Andrew." The man said with a laugh. "I suppose we have a new guest in the house. Rachel must have brought her."

The woman smiled, "Hush." She whispered, "Let her play for now."

Lily sighed as she let this tune fade out, smiling, "Such a pretty instrument…" she murmured fingering the wood, "Mm…maple wood……classical." She stood and shut the lid to the keys, turning around she nearly fell over, "Oh! I'm so sorry!" she bowed, "Is this yours?" she flushed, "If I woke you I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to!"

The man started laughing. "We thought Andrew was playing the piano so we were coming in to say hello. Apparently it was you however. No need to be so frightened, we were getting up anyway." Ian laughed. "The piano is actually Andy's. He doesn't use it however, so I'm sure it was a little lonely. I'm glad it still plays."

"My name is Lily Louise…everyone just calls me Lily, though…" Lily rubbed her neck, "I'm a Neko…" she walked to them, "What are you?" she tilted her head.

"My name is Ian Kelly and this is my wife and life-partner Lese." The woman next to him did a short bow and he smiled. "As for what we are…" His smile made his fangs glitter. "You may call us Vampires."

Lily's eyes widened and she stood straighter, "Vampires? Wow, do I have a secret radar for you guys or something?" she tapped her read, "I always seem to find Vampires..." she shook her head, "I'm lucky I'm not dead yet. Or do cats not appeal?"

Lese laughed, "We have more control over our thirst than the younger vampires. No, you appeal to us greatly like any other living person that is in this warehouse. We just have a stronger will. We don't drink blood from our friends or our family unless we have their consent. It is our way and we stick by it."

"Really?" Lily smiled, "That's nice to know." She tapped her chin, "I know two people that would go head over heels for meeting you…though one is still in Japan and the other I don't think Rae will allow over for quite a while."

"Ah, so you've met my Soul-Sister then." Ian said with a smile. "She doesn't like letting us meet any of her friends, which is understandable. So, she's fine? That's good. I had heard we missed her last night. Such a shame. I'm sure I will see her when she comes to get you…if she remembers where we are."

Lese rolled her eyes. "I keep telling her that if she can't read a map to get one of the electronic ones, but she never listens." She looked over at Lily, "Has Frances been training you I presume? You're a neko turned into human, am I incorrect?"

"No, you're right," Lily smiled, "Fran has been training me...but it's not much training. Once I saw him transform it was easy. Poor guy, he said he took a long time to figure it out," she shrugged, "I'm going to go back on my own the day before Thanksgiving." She looked at them, "I'm having a great time here, though. It's so very friendly…like I'm home. The home I'm staying with Rachel is still…uncertain and a bit uneasy."

"Why does it feel like that?" Lese asked. She understood why people liked to consider the warehouse home, but to have a second home become uneasy and uncertain usually meant trouble.

Lily rubbed her arm and sighed. She explained about what was going on and she started walked down the hallway, "So Leo and Bria are sort of oblivious…Rae is in denial…Mikey is alone…and then I'm completely unsure. Then there's the Foot…which Bria is in line with as a double agent and Leo is skeptical about her and then because Rae is shady about her life he doesn't trust her."

"Ah…" Lese said slowly. "I understand." She smiled at Ian and Ian rolled his eyes, understanding completely that Lese wanted to talk to Lily alone. He left her side and went down the opposite direction. "I'm guessing Leo is the elder brother? It makes sense that he doesn't want to trust neither Bria nor Rachel." She sighed. "As for you being unsure, what is it that you are unsure about?"

Lily sighed and rubbed her neck, "Whether or not he likes me...and it's only been about two weeks give or take. Am I going…too fast? I just don't know. Human life is so amazing but also more…complicated," she frowned and her tail twitched.

Lese smiled sympathetically and said, "Two weeks is too fast in human standards, but in our standards it's completely and terribly slow. My suggestion and I'm sure you already heard this plenty of times, is to talk to him. Let him get comfortable enough around you. Or…if you are very curious…train to become a small cat and have someone enter you in his lab." She smiled with a wink. "I know a dear sister of Ian's that would be too-pleased to help you with that."

"Rae would help?" Lily grinned, "That sounds like an amazing plan!" she hugged her, "Arigato, Lese!" she bounced away, "Fran!!!! I hope you're reading for more training!!!!!!!!!!"