10 Minute Tales, Part 2

Jul 21 - Curious Coincidence

"Alright, class, settle down." she called out over the volume of the students. They grew quiet for a moment, but quickly grew louder when they realised who she was. "My name is Professor Kedi, and I'll be standing in for Professor Harnsworth today."

"Uh, miss?" one of the students asked. "Are you... are you a...?"

"Yes, I am indeed a catgirl, as your kind puts it." she huffed briefly. "I'll answer any questions I deem appropriate later, so if you would kindly stop muttering at the back." one of her ears twitched as she stared at two no-longer-whispering students quickly sat up. "Thank you. Now, I don't fully understand how you humans teach each other, so I'll try to keep this simple for you." she turned to the board and started writing. "My kind, cat-people evolved in secret alongside your kind. We have access to what you would call magic, though it works somewhat differently." she drew a diagram, a complex swirl of lines and curves that none of the students recognised. "This is a sample Sigil. We use a special Ink to give them power; as long as they are applied to the body directly, the Sigil will work if done appropriately."

"Wait, Sigils?" A student asked, incredulous. "Why even bother with those?"

"Ah, now that's an interesting question." she turned to face the class again, purring with a soft grin. "Long ago, one of your kind discovered genuine magic and attempted to convert the entire population of the village he lived in to obey his will. While it was technically a success, he converted himself too. Fearing the xenophobic reactions of the neighbouring villages, the population abandoned the village and hid in the nearby forest. All cat people are descended from that one village."

"So, what, you're not some weird hybrid of human and cat?" another student asked. She had earned their respect, at least.

"Not in the biological sense, no." she turned back to the board and continued writing.

"So why did you keep hiding?"

"The same paranoia that had our ancestors hide in the first place." she explained. "With humanity's growing number and technological prowess, we considered it even more important to hide our presence, for fear of being hunted or worse."

"But you've been accepted pretty well, right?" a couple of students asked. They were warming up to her. "I mean, now you're integrated with us, you're not... what's the term you used? Hidden?"

"No, we are no longer Hidden, but we do still use the name for convenience. Personally, I rather enjoy this." she waved her tail, purring. "Meeting so many humans is just fascinating to me."

"Would you say it's... purrfect?" one student commented. Others laughed, but the teacher was less than impressed.

"There are exceptions, of course..." she frowned briefly, but soon grinned again. "On the whole, I'd have to say this cultural exchange is a wonderful idea."

"Um, miss?" one nervous voice echoed from the back.

"Yes?"

"Is it possible for... someone else to become a Hidden?" this made the teacher pause, her ears perking up in surprise.

"Well... that isn't a question I expected to hear today."