A cat indeed, and every inch catlike: Mar ducked out of the way of Al's flailing limbs with perfectly feline aplomb, returning to him as soon as he was stable in order to wind around his arms in turn. Monster cat was at once inaccurate and accurate: for all intents and purposes, Mar was just a cat tonight.

But he was of something that called each to each; something that had soaked into the very bones of the Institute in this space. When he rubbed a furry cheek against Al's elbow, purr rumbling, he released a small mew.

Echoing through the expanse of the hall, there came an answering rattle, guttural and faint.