You are standing by a tree
There are 3 paths.
One appears to go to a jungle,
one appears to go to a cave,
one appears to go to a beach,
you could try and climb the tree,
there is a nearby shop you could go in,
or you could do something else.
So what's its going to be?
Written by catprog on 01 April 2003
In the shop
There is a table with a sign saying
<strong>Free Sample:</strong>
Take one
On the table there is a fridge with a range of liquids. Also on the table are various magical trinkets including costumes. What would you like to take, or would you like to buy something?
Written by catprog on 10 April 2003
Into the shop
You decide to go into the shop to look around.
Inside it is very dusty and is crammed with shelves. There is lots of products that overflow from the shelves and are lying on the floor.
You notice the counter and the old man in a bathrobe behind it. "Welcome <<your name here>>" he says. "How do you know my name?" you ask the old man "Simple, I am a wizard" he responds "Have a look around too see if there is anything you would like to buy".
Written by catprog on 13 December 2005
Bast
You see a small statue on one of the shelves, it appears to be a small golden cat.
Picking it up, you feel a slight tingle run through your body. Shrugging it off, you put the statue back. Soon, though, you feel you legs start to cramp up.
You sit down and pull your shoes off to see them cover in short golden fur as they slowly shift. Soon both legs are unrecognizable as your own, and look like those of a large cat, almost the same colour as the statue.
The gold fur spreads it's way up your body to your waist, and a sharp pain marks the arrival of your tail, which rapidly grows from the base of you spine. You swish it from side to side, and marvel at the feeling. The fur continues to spread across your chest and back, and soon travels down your arms.
With some relief you notice your hands aren't changing into paws, but do notice as claws push their way painfully out of your fingertips. Only your head is left, but it too is covered in fur. Your notice your ears begin to grow larger pointy, and grow to the top of your head through your hair, which has turned a slightly darker than your skin. You notice your vision get distorted as your nose and mouth push out into a short cat-like muzzle, with your tongue lengthening to match. The change is nearly complete as your old teeth fall out to be replaced with a much sharper set, and you feel whiskers grow and twitch on the sides of your face.
You look at yourself in a mirror, and notice you look like many depictions of the Egyptian goddess Bast, although your clothing doesn't suit your new form...
Written by Vanghar on 18 October 2006
The goddess Is In Another Avatar
"What is this!?"
You slam the golden statue down on the counter in front of the man who calls himself a wizard, and to your surprise it falls over, almost crumbling in your hand. Has turning into Bast (or whoever you are supposed to be) made you that strong? No, the statue seems to be corroding rapidly. It must have started after you took it from the shelf, for it looked nice and shiny then. Not that that is your prime concern right now...
He looks at you. He stares. "Wow!"
"I didn't ask for your opinion!" you bristle.
"Answer me!"
"This..." he points to the crumbling statue, "is, or rather will soon have been, a summoning statue for the goddess Bast. It was used of old to call down the goddess to our material plane. Whoever touched the statue in a special ceremony would be possessed by the form and spirit of the goddess. That was before, though. After she lost her worshipers, Bast's power waned until she simply ceased to be. A few statues remained, though. Looks like this one had just one more transformation in it. Excuse me."
He whips out a cell phone, punches what appears to be a speed dial number, waits for an answer, and speaks into the phone.
"It's me. That statue of Bast? I win!"
He holds up the phone to snap a picture of you, then punches a few more keys, presumably sending the snapshot to the same number.
"Now this," he continues as if nothing happened, pointing at you this time, "is the physical manifestation of Bast's avatar.
Albeit, alas, without her spirit."
You reach over the counter and collar him. "I'll show you some spirit!" you snarl. "Turn me back! Now!"
"You don't need me for that," he assures you. "Just do as you just did. Touch the statue enchanted with your physical form."
You let go of him and step back, staring at him. Did he just say...?
"I..." You shake your head and speak slowly, as if to a child or someone with one braincell. "I. Do. Not. HAVE. A. Statue. With. My. Physic... What you said. Call me crazy, but it never occurred to me that I might need one!"
He shrugs. "Too bad. If you had known in time, I could have made you one."
"Well, hindsight is 24/7."
"Surely you mean 20/20?"
"No, it means I think about my mistakes all the time."
You look at the counter. There is nothing there now but a thin layer of dust.
"What happened to the statue anyway?"
"That last transformation broke its morphic field.
It's gone now. Don't worry, you helped me win a bet, so I won't exercise the 'you broke it, you bought it' option."
"How generous of you!" you say in a voice dripping with sarcasm. "What about me?"
"You, you, you! Is that all you think about?"
"I'm an egoist. So sue me!"
He comes out behind the counter and walks slowly around you, studying you intently.
"Well?"
"You are very beautiful. For a cat goddess."
"I look like a freak!"
*BANG!* The impact of his fist on the counter sends the last speck of statue dust scurrying to who knows where. "You look like a goddess of old!" he thunders. "Show some respect!"
You jump back and snarl at the sudden outburst. You are a hair's breadth from attacking him - after all you are the one with fangs and claws...
Then you realize that even though he can't change you back, he is still the one with magic and a whole deck of wildcards. You back down and try to relax.
"I'm sorry. But what can I do now? Say, do you have any other transformation magic here?"
"I do, but nothing that will make you human. Besides divine magic is about the strongest there is, I doubt I have anything that can overcome it."
Silence falls as you both run out of things to say, and after a while the wizard goes back to doing inventory or whatever he was doing when you interrupted him.
You just sit around moping. What can you do? You can't go home or to school or anything. You're not you any more. Your old life is as dead as Bast herself - and right now you think she was the lucky one of you two...
Written by Won-Tolla on 31 May 2007
How Needy Is That Kitty In The Backyard?
You have been sitting for a couple of hours when you notice two things. One, your foot's gone to sleep. Two, you are definitely not as divine as you may look. Your mortal body has continued function normally, and now nature is calling.
You get slowly to your feet and limp over to the counter, where the wizard sits reading. "Can I use the bathroom?" you ask sheepishly.
He looks up from the book. "I certainly hope so. It would be quite an embarrassment otherwise."
You sigh. "I do know how! I was asking permission!"
"Sorry, the shop's facilities are for employees only. And if you consider asking for a job I'm not hiring. Business has been slow of late." He returns to his reading.
You can't think of anything to say, so you just stand there with crossed legs trying to remember how you did the Sad Puppy Eyes as a kid.
Though all things considered it would probably be more appropriate to call them Sad Kitten Eyes now.
You don't know if it's the eyes that do it, or just you standing there as a threat to his clean floor, but either way the wizard gives up ignoring you. "You can always go in the backyard," he says. "All the other cats do it. I had to set up a permanent freshness spell."
You can't believe your ears, even though they are strictly now your own any more. Did he just suggest...?
"I am not a cat!" you sputter.
The wizard puts aside the book, picks up a mirror and holds it up in front of you. You look at your short blunt muzzle with the sharp teeth and the inverted Y shape nostrils, your bright shiny eyes with the narrow pupils and the wiggly triangular ears way up there. Either by clever design or dumb luck there is a second mirror hanging on the wall behind you at just the right angle to take in your lashing tail and slender digitigrade legs.
"Define cat," the wizard says calmly.
Too upset for words, you snarl softly as you turn quickly away and pad quickly up and down the floor, frustrated at you soft footpads' inability to stomp properly. Finally you make a sharp turn and march straight out the back door.
The back yard is bigger than you had thought it would be, and it both looks and smells cleaner than the average.
Right in front of you is a tree with dark stains on the trunk. Uhm, no way Jos?!
A bit further away is a big sandbox filled with shiny white sand. Maybe... no.
In one corner is an old fashioned outhouse, far behind the times but in good repair. That could work.
In the other corner is a modern porta-potty with most the modern facilities. Yes!
You rush over to the last installation where you are relieved (pun not intended) to find not only your most urgent needs met, but the seat even has a groove to rest your tail in. If what the wizard calls cats go here, you're a cat alright.
As the narrator mercifully glosses over the next few minutes...
"Thank you."
You're welcome. You finish your business and clean up, then for lack of better ideas you go back to the shop.
"Guess the joke's on me," you admit meekly.
"Don't worry, it comes off with soap water."
"Very funny. Can I go now?"
"What, again? Are you incontinent or something?"
"No, I meant leave!"
The wizard rolls his eyes and seems to be addressing someone upstairs. "NOW she wants to leave."
He looks down at you again. "You could leave any time. You're the one who insists on staying. "
"Um... Okay, scratch that remark."
"You're the one with claws. You scratch it."
You sigh and shake your head. "Look, I guess we got off on the wrong foot."
"You win. Don't expect a prize though."
"I don't. In fact I don't expect anything. I'm sorry I yelled at you and stuff. Now if you'll excuse me I'll just go out and sit on the curb. Maybe if I look pathetic enough some rich old lady is going to pull up in her limousine and take me home to a life in luxury."
Head bowed and tail drooping, you head for the exit while the wizard ponders your last line. "That's from Peanuts isn't it?"
"Yeah. Good ol' Snoopy. Lucky dog. He had a home."
You are close enough to reach the doorknob. You raise your hand...
"I can't offer you a regular paid position," the wizard remarks. "But how about guarding the backyard tonight for breakfast tomorrow?"
You stop and straighten up a bit. It's not much, but a free meal is a free meal. Besides there must be other cat people 'using' the backyard, and until you get a better idea this would seem the best way to meet them.
"Long as you don't plan on feeding me Purina."
"Wouldn't dream of it."
You turn around, lashing your tail, raise your ears and hold out your hand. "Mister Wizard, you've got yourself a guard!"
Written by Won-Tolla on 05 June 2007
The end (for now)