From: JBrandt@AAA.UOregon.EDU (Jay Brandt)
Subject: Thyra welcomes Ocelot and others
Organization: University of Oregon, Architecture
Date: Sat, 12 Sep 92 01:15:10 GMT

<Posted for Thyra by Jason>

>Splash moves over to where Thyra is polishing off the last traces of Brandy
>Alexander, and carefully gives her a scratch behind the ears.

Thyra purrs appreciatively, and rubs against Splash's knee, encouraging him
to continue. She watches Ocelot's transformation to a young lady with
obvious interest, and apparently no small measure of pleasure.

As Splash continues to rub Thyra's neck and ears, he too is paying
attention to Ocelot's change. He is therefore somewhat startled when the
ocelot he is scratching and rubbing shifts and changes under his very hand.
At the same time, Thyra's satisfied purring gets louder. *Much* louder! He
looks down, and realizes with a start that Thyra has made a transformation
of her own. Where a moment ago he was tentatively rubbing an Ocelot with a
black velvet collar, he now has a beautiful young woman curled cat-like at
his feet. She is the source of the loud purring, which continues un-abated.

Thyra stands up with a decidedly feline grace and stretches languorously,
then reaches out to tousle the astonished Splash's hair affectionately. She
is wearing a black velvet mini-dress bound with a thin, black velvet belt,
with no back and with a cut-out in front that exposes a moderate amount of
well-defined cleavage. She apparently wears no other clothing, shoes or
jewelry, save for a wide black velvet choker set with a single,
sapphire-blue stone. She stands about six feet tall, and mostly resembles
an athletic, well proportioned human woman, until you notice that her
apparent sun-tan is actually a fine covering of downy golden fur, and that
there is a long feline tail extending beneath the skirt, twitching with
excitement. Her wavy hair is a tawny brown, just a few shades darker than
her fur, and is cropped at just above shoulder length, the curls almost
completely covering her ears. Those ears are decidedly cat-like as well,
the tips sticking out of her hair about half an inch too far up for
anything human. Her face is narrow and somewhat angular, yet very
attractive, somehow reminding you of a Siamese cat. And yes, on second
glance she does have a very fine, almost unnoticeable set of cat-like
whiskers. She doesn't appear to be a female Kizin, bit she's just as big as
one.

"Thank you Splash" says Thyra. "For someone who isn't a 'Cat Person' you
treat us quite well. I appreciate that." She continues to purr as she turns
to face Ocelot and Speaker to Minerals. "Welcome little sister, most
welcome indeed! It seems I was right when told Jason I thought of you as
'cousin'. It seems we have something in common. Do you have any shapes
other than the beautiful one you wore when you arrived and the one you wear
now?" 

She slinks over to where Ocelot and Speaker to Minerals are standing. "If
the offer for those cookies is still good, I'd love a few. I'm ravenous
right now. It takes a lot of energy to add mass during a shape-shift." She
accepts the offered cookies, and looks around. She glances over at Feather
and Raven and says "Don't worry friends, I never eat anyone I can talk to.
Besides, I prefer my food cooked. I'm glad to meet you Feather! Perhaps I
can give you some pointers on PK. You need have no fear of me. Actually, I
was kind of hoping there might be a bit of that dim-sum left!" She looks at
the empty plates and shrugs. "Mike, do you think you could scare up a steak
from that kitchen of yours? The biggest one you have, medium well. And
another Brandy Alexander, if you please." She reaches into an almost
unnoticeable slit pocket at the waist of her dress, extracts a coin, and
tosses it to Mike, who catches it in mid-air. It flashed gold in the light
of the bar. "That should cover it, as well as the rest of the tab I ran up
on Jason and a round for the house too. Couldn't very well order in my
earlier guise without tipping my hand, and I didn't want to frighten friend
Ocelot here." Mike is examining the coin, turning it over and over in his
hand. He hasn't seen one like it in a very long time. "You might not be
familiar with the denomination, but it -is- gold." The regulars head for
the bar to order their favorites, keeping Mike quite busy for a few
minutes. When the noise returns to the usual dull roar, she continues.

Thyra turns to Speaker to Minerals "I don't know how I missed seeing you in
the crowd, Speaker to Minerals, but I'm glad you are here. It's been a
while since I have had Kizin around to play with. I've missed their
company, even if they do tend to underestimate my intelligence because I am
a female. Perhaps we could go on a hunt together sometime? I'd like that."

She slinks over to the bar, picks up her drink, and downs a good-sized
swig. "Ladies, Gentlemen, and other good beings of this place, My name is
Thyra Keslosdatter, and I am a shapeshifter. It looks like I'm not the only
one here, and that makes me very happy, for it has been a long time since I
was with others of similar talent. I give you a toast!"

"TO DIVERSITY! And to the good folk of this establishment, who embody the
best of what diversity can bring!"

Her glass is joined by a tumult of flying glassware headed for the
fireplace, as the crowd joins in the toast.

"Now this is a place I'm really going to like" she says, as she settles
into a chair to wait for her steak. "Say Kitten, what was that you were
saying about Mike having a hot tub here? I'll bet Jason and Pegasus forgot
he had one."

As she chats with Kitten, Thyra stops purring and gazes at the Laughing
Priest, and wonders if there is anything she can offer to begin to ease the
pain she feels in his soul.

<the beginning?>