"Oh!" Marianne's eyes widened with understanding. "I hadn't thought about that aspect."
Moments later, Katerina returned wearing trim cream linen slacks and an emerald green silk blouse that complemented her wild black hair. She settled back into her spot beside Troy, tucking one leg beneath her.
"That was amazing," Marianne breathed. "But I have to ask - what's it like? Being a shifter? Do you and Cat share thoughts, or is it more like having two separate personalities?"
"It's like having a sister who knows you better than anyone else in the world. Cat isn't just another personality," Katerina explained. "She's part of me, but she experiences the world differently than my human side does. She's more instinctive, more focused on the present moment." She tilted her head, considering the question. "Cat and I are the same being, but in cat form, my thoughts and instincts are different. More immediate, more focused on the present moment. Cat experiences the world through scent and sound in ways my human form can't comprehend."
"So you're aware of everything when you're in cat form?"
"Completely aware," Katerina nodded. "But Cat's instincts are stronger. For instance, if I see a mouse as a human, I might think 'oh, how cute,' or 'eek!' But in cat form?" She grinned. "The hunt is on! Though I try very hard to resist those urges in the house. But if I manage to catch it, my human side is going to come to the fore." She wrinkled her nose in distaste. "I'm certainly not going to eat the mouse. In fact," she added, "It's unlikely I'd even kill it. I'd probably wind up letting it go."
"And how does the actual shifting work?" Marianne gestured with her hands. "Is it painful? Do you have to concentrate hard to make it happen?"
"Not at all," Katerina smiled. "It's as natural as breathing. The transformation itself takes just seconds, as you saw, and it doesn't hurt. It's more like... flowing from one form to another. The hardest part was learning to control it when I was young. All shifter children have to learn not to transform whenever they get excited or upset."
"So it's not at all like in the paranormal romance novels, and in the werewolf movies? All the joints popping and bones breaking, and all that?"
"Not at all," Katerina assured her, with a shudder. "No, that's strictly fiction. In fact - and this is where it gets hard to explain - Changing is magic, not physiology. Our human body doesn't actually shift, physically, into a new and different shape. Rather, it, um…" She paused, trying to think of the right word. "Dissipates? The one form sort of subsides, and the other takes its place. And it's as natural as breathing. One form flows into the other. Though," she amended," it does take practice when you're young, to master the timing and control."
"Going back to your other self," Marianne questioned. "It's like living with a second entity?"
“Not exactly.” Katerina tilted her head, thinking. “It’s more like talking to myself… and then I answer back.”
There was appreciative laughter from the audience, and Katerina chuckled.
"Seriously. It’s like having a best friend, who’s with you all the time. Sometimes a very annoying best friend, who knows your every thought, and has opinions and input… even when you don’t want them!”
“But whether in human or cat form, always me. Katerina. Even in my cat form, I’m still me, just on four paws and furry. I still think and reason as me.”
A subtle hand signal from offstage caught Marianne's attention. She glanced at her watch, then back to her guests.
"I'm afraid our time is almost up," she said, her expression regretful. "Katerina, before we go, is there anything you'd like to say to our viewers? Any message you want them to know?"
Katerina straightened in her seat, her gold eyes intense as she faced the camera directly. Her wild black hair framed her heart-shaped face, and her expression grew serious.
"We've lived as humans, alongside you, for centuries. Millennia, really. We have always been here." Her voice was clear and steady. "We're your next-door neighbors, your coworkers. We sit beside you in church pews, we chat in the grocery aisle. When we were children, we played with you, sat beside you in school."
She leaned forward slightly, her gaze unwavering. "How can we be dangerous to you, when you haven't even noticed? We're just people, like you, but with a little something extra that lets us enjoy running around on four paws. Or hooves. Whatever."
Troy reached over and took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. The studio lights caught the gleam of unshed tears in Katerina's eyes, but her voice remained strong and clear.
"We're not monsters from your horror movies or dangerous creatures from myth. We're your friends, your family, the people you've known and trusted all along. Nothing about us haschanged - except now you know we're here, as we always have been."
"We're not 'after you.'" And Katerina raised her hands, making air quotes with her fingers. "We just want to go ahead living our lives, right beside you, just as we always have done."
"Shifters aren't asking for special treatment," Troy added, his deep voice gentle but firm. "Just acceptance."
Marianne nodded, clearly moved by their sincerity. Her manicured fingers clasped together before her as she leaned forward. "Thank you both for being here tonight, for sharing your story with us." She turned to face the camera, her professional smile warming into something more genuine. "And thank you all for watching. Until next time, I'm Marianne Bishop. Good night."
The studio lights dimmed slightly as the closing music played, signaling the end of the broadcast. Harper let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, her fingers still entwined with Nathan's.
"They did it," Nathan whispered, giving her hand a squeeze. "They actually did it."
Harper nodded, her throat tight with emotion as she watched Katerina and Troy embrace on screen while the credits rolled. The studio audience was on their feet, applauding enthusiastically. Some were wiping tears from their eyes, while others were calling out words of support.
"Cat won them over completely," Harper said, her voice slightly hoarse. "Just like she planned."
Nathan pulled her closer against his side, his voice warm with concern. "Are you okay?"
