barefoot_bard: (Cartwright)
barefoot_bard ([personal profile] barefoot_bard) wrote2011-04-24 08:37 pm

A Cat's Magic - Part One

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 [personal profile] 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.
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.


The change occurred shortly before the watches changed. At first, no one noticed Mister Cartwright's absence, for he was not often seen out of his cabin until the officers' dinner was called. It was not until his steward repaired aft to help his officer dress for dinner that the lieutenant was discovered missing. An incredulous Private Foley summoned Markham, the wardroom steward, to Cartwright's cabin only a moment after arriving, that Markham too might see what he had.

Curled up in the Marine officer's cot was a cat. A rather unusual-looking cat. It was a pale furred beast over all, with black hind feet and a tuft of golden fur atop its head. Upon noting the stares of the two men at the cabin door, the feline blinked and stretched, then, with a scratchy-sounding yowl, sat up quite straight. It looked steadily at Foley and Markham, as if expecting them to speak.

"That ain't Mister Cartwright," Markham said at last.

Foley could only shake his head. It wasn't his officer at all. Their bewildered shock was broken when a sharp exclamation was heard from very close by. Both made a hasty exit of Cartwright's cabin, with Foley taking care to shut the door, and moved the few steps toward Mister Leat's living space. The outburst had come from there.

"Sir?" Foley asked, but got no further. For, as he and Markham stood just outside the opened door, a woman's voice rose from within the cabin.

"Hello, Edward," the unseen woman said. "I hope I have not startled you too greatly."

There was a stunned noise of denial from Mister Leat. Behind him, Markham and Foley tried surreptitiously to see over the lieutenant's shoulder. A woman aboard ship, and in the second luff's cabin? It defied crediting. Even more than the abrupt disappearance of Lieutenant Cartwright.

"Who is it, sir?" Markham asked, unable to contain himself.

The woman sounded bemused. "Do you not recognise me, Edward? I am your cat."