"Welcome!" Soft sounds combined with the impressions of a tail flicking, a certain pose of the ear, and a series of scents accompanied a disembodied, artificially cheerful voice. A large Siamese cat lay in a ball, its head perking up as it understood its name. She was long and lean, bigger than the ten pounds she had been before the day the Great Hunt had arrived. She didn't know weight in any sense beyond what it meant as a tool to assess a potential kill, but if she'd been placed on a scale she'd weigh in closer to 20 pounds and would measure three feet in length. If she was standing next to one of the humans she had adopted she would come to about their mid-thighs. Her claws had taken on a silvery glint and she could tell her teeth were stronger and sharper than ever before.
She started to tuck her nose back under her tail when the voice urged her to pay attention. The impressions weren't really words but their conversation could roughly be translated to informal communication.
"You were the first to defeat prey!"
"I know."
"You have earned a reward!"
"Don't need."
"It's a treat!"
Her ears perked up at that. She liked treats. Her tail flipped in a 'continue' motion.
"What do you want?"
Maisy considered that, then dropped her head to her paws. "Nothing. Full." she had recently eaten.
"What do you want to become?"
She considered that. There weren't words to convey but the impression could be felt. "Nothing. Content."
The being that was speaking to her paused in consideration. This was no bother to Maisy, she was patient. It was warm here and she'd stay until she felt like leaving. The being tried another tack.
"What do you like?"
Maisy's tail flicked in excitement as images danced across her mind. Visions of the hunt, of taking down creatures larger than her. Of feasting and sleeping. Of killing things that came for her family in the dark. She may not live in the house by the woods but it was still hers and she would protect what was hers.
"Would you like to kill bigger things and protect against bigger threats?"
Maisy's tail paused, then flipped in agreement.
"What about things that you can't kill? Things that attack without claws or teeth?"
Maisy's ears twitched in annoyance as she thought about the black squirrels and the shock she got when biting into them, or the sharp creature covered in barbs that it could shoot almost faster than she could dodge. Then she thought about the giant bears and the deer that shot beams of pure light from between their horns. A small growl vibrated through her throat when she thought of the things that traveled underground and were creating nests under her house, or the birds that flitted through the tops of the trees with wings so sharp that leaves and branches fell when they passed, cleanly sliced through.
She felt the beginnings of fear start to blossom inside her and she could tell it was this thing trying to attack her from the inside. She didn't move but a warning yowl started in her throat and the claws of one paw extended fully. Immediately the sensation faded and she lay her head back down, already forgetting the experience.
"No further testing required. Determination complete."
The room faded and Maisy was back on her pile of soft fur cloaks, their warmth giving her comfort. With a long stretch her back arched and her tongue flexed out of her mouth, then she straightened back up and flicked her tail before padding towards the house. She'd sleep on the roof tonight and watch for anything coming.