#i got a new kitten to keep the calico company and so he's helping to distract me and i've been keeping busy training him

[redbootsindoriath]

Merry Christmas!

And an early happy new year, since I'll be traveling at that time and won't be able to post anything. Sorry for the long disappearance. I wish I had some exciting excuse like being abducted by the fae or becoming a spy, but really I've just been going through a lot and haven't been drawing much. Here are a couple of fantasy style Klausen (or maybe the more widely recognized Krampi) by way of apology. I hope you all have been good this year.

#my trash #/end classification tags #also for everyone who was wishing me well after toothless died: i've had a chance to adjust #i'm not happy but i've adjusted #i got a new kitten to keep the calico company and so he's helping to distract me and i've been keeping busy training him #i've pretty much finished moving in to the new place but i don't know when i'll be leaving again so it's an uneasy period of peace #not unpacking much yet until i have an idea of where i'll be in the spring/summer because otherwise it could be a lot of unnecessary bother #but yeah #again sorry for the long absence #i've missed you guys #i meant to pop in at least a LITTLE bit more frequently during my hiatus but real life has no regards for my plans

[afairytalestray]

@storyweaverofgondor’s cats-pril day 6 - tribe. It is very difficult to write a fic which includes every member of the Cats characters while also keeping it short, but I think I did alright! Also on Ao3 here.

Old Deuteronomy sat on his tyre, looking out over the Junkyard. It was a rare occasion that every single member of the tribe was there at the one time; it only really happened when the Jellicle Ball rolled around. It was the morning after the most recent one, and the sun was bright and warm overhead. Gus had ascended to the Heaviside Layer, and his own son had danced a pas-de-deux and been accepted by the Everlasting Cat. 

Said son was currently loafing off to the side, contentedly watching the goings-on, his fluffy tail wrapped tightly around a barely-visible ball of black fur. Mistoffelees – his boy’s new mate. He had almost wept with joy when Tugger had come to ask for his permission to dance a pas-de-deux, to present himself and Mistoffelees to the Everlasting Cat as mates. He had allowed it, of course, it had been obvious from the get go that this would happen. Thankfully, no one had needed rescuing via teleportation this year, but Mistoffelees had still used a fair bit of magic in setting up the night’s protective barriers, and then managing all the lights, as well as fantastical displays for the Kittens, so it was no surprise that he was still curled in a ball fast asleep, warmed by the sun and Tugger’s fur.

His other son, Munkustrap, was sitting by his own mate, Demeter, watching their Kitten, Jemima. Old Deuteronomy bit back a chuckle. Munkustrap was desperately trying to pretend like he wasn’t falling asleep sitting up, to the amusement of Demeter, who kept brushing him with her tail and making him jump when his eyelids fluttered. He would tell him later to get some rest, although he doubted Demeter wouldn’t beat him to it. His boy always seemed to forget he needed sleep.

His grandbaby Jemima was playing some sort of rough and tumble game with the other Kittens. It looked like they were all trying to do Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer’s double-cartwheel move, but only George and Electra seemed to be having any luck in recreating it at all. Tumblebrutus, Pouncival, Jemima, and Etcetera were in a tangled heap on the floor, giggling like mad. Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer themselves seemed not to be involved in this. Rumpleteazer was curled into Skimbleshanks’ side and dozing. It made him glad to see; the calico twins had adopted Skimbleshanks as a sort of father figure, and he had really helped them find their place in the Junkyard. Mungojerrie, on the other paw, was over on top of the oven, chatting animatedly to Coricopat. Old Deuteronomy suppressed a smile at the sight – the normally-serene Coricopat looked quite delighted by the interaction. Even if those two couldn’t sense it yet, he got the feeling they’d be seeing another pas-de-deux soon.

Tantomile, less fond of excessive chatter, was lounging comfortably in the shade next to Cassandra and Tica. From a distance, Old Deuteronomy couldn’t tell whether they were actually talking, or just enjoying each others’ quiet disposition. 

Victoria and Plato, last year’s mated pair, seemed to be doing the bulk of keeping an eye on the Kittens, when they could take their eyes off of each other, that was. Thankfully, Bombalurina was also nearby, one eye on them, one on the rest of the adults, who were surrounding Jellylorum and Asparagus.

Jellylorum herself was slightly puffy-eyed, but looked to be trying to smile. Asparagus kept zoning out from where he was tucked into his partner Skimbleshanks’ other side. Old Deuteronomy sympathised, for as much as a loved one being the Jellicle Choice was an honour, it could be hard for those left behind, and Jellylorum and Asparagus, as well as being his daughter and son, had been Gus’ main caretakers this past year. To keep them company, Bustopher Jones had opted to stay for a few days, and was making quiet conversation. Alonzo and Jennyanydots had taken up position on either side of Jellylorum. Jennyanydots was her partner, and Alonzo looked up to her almost as a mother. 

Their father was gone, but they were surrounded by their tribe now, supported by their extended family who would be there through thick and thin. Old Deuteronomy could not be more proud of his tribe, his family.

#cats-pril2023 #cats-prilday6 #cats the musical #old deuteronomy

[sylphid187]

Epilogue:Another One

Sunlight hits his face as it streams through his bedroom window. Kenma groans and tries to roll over from his current position on the bed, but finds that he has difficulty moving. He blinks his eyes open and then looks down, only to see a pair of arms draped around his waist, holding him tight. His thoughts begin to drift and he sighs fondly, remembering that he is no longer sleeping alone again, because after long weeks alone in a large house, Kuro is finally home. 

Kuro had to go on regular trips away for the JVA, that was just part of the job description. Of course, this means Kenma is usually alone at their, yes it's officially theirs now, home. Getting Apple Pie, Pie for short, has been helpful to ease the loneliness. The calico kitten has been nothing but a rumble of energy and adorable, always there to keep Kenma company. But it didn't erase the loneliness completely, and there was just no feeling that could compare to having Kuro around. 

But current events have allowed them more time together in the following months. With the V-League officially back in season, Kuro has been put in charge of attending those specific events. With most of the games being held in nearby stadiums, Kenma could actually spare some time to go watch them live with him. This was especially true when Shouyou was playing. The Jackals games were either watched live or in the comfort of their living room, at real time, while cuddled together. Kenma has never missed any of Shouyou's games. 

It's been around six months since their messy confession, give or take. Six months since they came out to the public as a couple, and the start of their rollercoaster of a relationship. They didn't have the perfect relationship, Kenma thinks. They still had misunderstandings, and sometimes they argued about the silliest things. But they never went to bed angry at one another, never slept without trying their best to settle things, in a way that won't leave either of them struggling to pick up the pieces of the fight the next day. Overall, Kenma was content and happy, and he hoped that Kuro was too. 

"Thinking about something?" Being stirred away from his thoughts, he feels Kuro mutter. The other's face buried on the top of his head, voice still groggy. 

"Hm. Nothing important." Kenma replies with another sigh. 

"Care to share then?" Kenma feels Kuro shift his position a bit, allowing the smaller male to turn around and having them face to face, before once again feeling Kuro's arms around his waist. "I'm a very good listener you know." 

"I was thinking of replacing you." Kenma states in a deadpan voice. 

Kuro gasps "Kenma! I'm offended! Only six months and you're tired of me already? Woe is me." Kuro tightens his hold and touches their noses together. "So tell me then, what do I have to do to regain your favor?" 

"You can get up and make breakfast." Kenma states. "And maybe I'll reconsider." 

Kuro immediately grins. "I knew my cooking was good for something. Here's an idea, you stay here and get some more shut eye. I'll make sure you have something to fill your empty stomach in a bit, yeah?" Kuroo starts to get up, slowly untangling himself between the mess of limbs the two of them are in. But Kenma immediately stops Kuroo and keeps him in place. "Kenma?" 

Kenma buries himself between the blanket and Kuro and snuggles closer. "Ten more minutes. Please." He just isn't ready to leave this warmth just yet. 

He feels Kuro place a kiss on the crown of his head, and hears the other give out a small chuckle of amusement. "Of course kitten, whatever you want." Kuro slowly settles back into his previous position. And it doesn't take long for sleep to overtake him again, filled with complete contentment and bliss. 

 

When Kenma wakes, it's to his stomach rumbling and the wafting smell of buttered toast and sizzling bacon. He slightly sniffs the air before opening his eyes and sighs in disappointment that he can no longer feel Kuro’s warmth beside him. Kenma allows himself to yawn and stretch before he rubs his eyes to force himself awake. He puts on slippers and pads out of the room, straight to their connected dining area and living room. 

He stops mid-step and blinks when he sees Kuro standing there, cup of coffee in one hand, and cat food on the other. 

"There you go buddy, must be tasty huh?" Kuro crouches down to place a generous amount of cat food into Pie's bowl. The kitten gives a pleased meow. "Yeah, yeah. I don't want you ever complaining to Kenma that I starve you, you hear me?" 

"Meow" Pie continues to stare at Kuro with wide eyes. 

"No! You are not getting any more this morning. We want you well fed, not extremely chunky!" 

"Meow" came with marching padding at Kuro's feet. 

"I know there's nothing wrong with being a chunky cat! But you're young and we have to make sure you eat healthy first, then maybe we can get you a nice piece of fish for dinner, how's that sound?" 

"Meow!" 

"I knew you'd see it my way. Now, go get your breakfast!" And Pie saunters off to her bowl and just about devours her meal. 

Kenma smiles at the domesticity of the entire scene. Kuro having an entire conversation with their cat, completely unaware, with all his barriers down. It reminds Kenma how easy it is to just fall into normalcy with Kuro, even with their new relationship. It's as if nothing and yet everything has changed all at once. 

"You know, I can't believe you lost an argument with a cat." 

Kuro immediately turns to face him and grins. "Excuse me, I did not lose. We just happen to reach a healthy compromise." He places his coffee mug down on the table, and starts to pour Kenma a cup of his own. He motions for Kenma to come over, and the gamer complies, ready to get his dose of morning coffee. 

"She got her way. You're giving her fish for dinner, it'll be your fault if she turns into a spoiled cat." 

"Oh come on, don't pretend that you don't sneak her pieces of your dinner from under the table." Kuro grins at him as he slides Kenma's plate of a healthy breakfast. 

He doesn't have a retort to that. because yes, he does shove Pie bits of his dinner from under the table, but Kenma would never just admit that and let Kuro win that easily. 

"I'll take your silence as an admittance of guilt." Kuro tells him. "But don't worry, at least you know she's got both of us wrapped around her finger...or is it her paw? That just doesn't sound right."  

Kenma smiles again as he shoves a piece of bacon in his mouth. He's too focused on his breakfast; that when he looks back up a while later, he sees Kuro staring from across him. The taller male's resting his chin on one hand, finished coffee mug on the other, and looking at Kenma with a look that seemed like he hung the stars. 

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Kenma asks. 

"Like what?" 

"Like that. Like....I don't know, like I'm some kind of mythical creature. Or like I'm the best thing you've seen all day." Kenma clarifies with a raised eyebrow. 

"You are though." Kuro says with a smile so soft, Kenma kinda wants to slap that look off his face. 

"I'm what?" he asks again. 

"Best thing I've seen all day. Best thing in my life actually." Kuro says with the smile never leaving his face. 

Kenma's face burns, he looks down and aggressively stabs the next chunk on his plate and shoves it into his mouth. He hears Kuro guffaw at this, and feels his face get even hotter. "You know kitten, any more and you'd put our old Nekoma jackets to shame with that shade of red." 

"Shut up Kuro." Kenma mutters while he throws a glare at the other's direction. Kuro just continues to smile, already knowing that there isn't any animosity in that look. 

The remainder of breakfast passes in comfortable silence, moments with Pie inserted in between. Once they're done, they do their part to clean up, and then start their other routines for the day. Kenma goes back to his room and begins to focus on paperwork with Bouncing Ball and his upcoming stream, and Kuro goes to his own room to have a meeting with people from the JVA. 

It's pretty much routine at this point. Their jobs often being the reason why they can't always spend time together 24/7. But Kenma likes to think it contributes to why he loves Kuro so much, loves being with Kuro so much. His relationship with Kuro was never something that followed a certain set of standards or locked in a set of rules. They didn't have to always see each other to be happy, they didn't have to always physically be around one another all the time to be together , and they didn't require a regular update on each other's business every time. They also never deemed it necessary to be overly public about how they felt, at least not by their standards, which probably contributed to why they took so long to acknowledge their feelings in the first place. 

Theirs is more a quiet, straightforward kind of love. One filled with silent affirmation, affection, comfort and just being there when the other needs it the most. Kenma was never loud to begin with, always just observant and aware, but he never had to be for Kuro to know how he felt. Years of knowing each other has ultimately made Kenma realize that it's always, ever, been Kuro. And it always will be. 

Later that night, as the day ends and they snuggle together on Kenma’s large bed, Kenma’s thoughts drift to how lucky and content he is. Pie has chosen to sleep in between them on the bed tonight, positioning himself slightly, just on Kenma’s stomach. He thinks of his little family that they have built together and wonders about the future they have. 

"Hey." Kuro whispers, the man's hand stroking Pie's back, coaxing the kitten into a deeper sleep. 

"Hm?" Kenma tries his best not to squish their furbaby while snuggling just a little closer to Kuro. 

"We should get Pie a companion, don't you think?" Kuro asks him. 

Kenma raises an eyebrow questioningly. "You want to get us another cat? Why?" 

Kuro shrugs "I think it'd be nice to get the little guy a friend that's all. And don't you want Pie to have a friend?" 

"We aren't getting another cat." he tells the other. Kenma is trying to dispel this impulsive decision, and it has nothing to do with the fact that he would absolutely adore another cat. Kuro simply grins and their debate that night ends at that.

Three days later though, Kuro enters their home with more cat toys, another bag of cat food, and a small burmese cat following behind him. 

"Kuro. What's that?" Kenma stares, and gives the other a look . 

"... Not another cat?" The taller male says sheepishly, as he slowly sets the purchases down.  

The black burmese cat then pads over to Kenma and goes in between his legs. It's only then that Kenma notices the wet fur and shivering body. He bends down to pet the small creature and unknowingly smiles as he does. It then pads over to Pie who is observing at the corner of the room, and begins to nuze the other kitten. Kenma sighs in defeat before looking up to see a triumphant grin on Kuro's face. 

"Hey in my defense, I went to the store to get more cat food. This little guy just followed me home." He raises his hands in resignation after he puts down all his remaining purchases. "And it was raining Kenma! I couldn't just leave him there!" 

"Good on you for saving the cat. But we can't keep him Kuro. We're busy enough as it is and we already have Pie to take care of. We'll get him cleaned up and take him to the vet then find him a good home. Maybe Bokuto and Akaashi will want to take him." Kenma stands up and gives his pants a pat down. He desperately tries not to look at the new cat too long, or he's sure to cave into the request. 

When he looks up, Kuro is right in front of him. "Aww can't we keep him?" Kuro loops an arm around Kenma's waist and touches their noses together. 

Kenma glares. "I know what you're doing. And it's not gonna work Kuro." 

"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about." Kuro says with a smirk. 

"We aren't keeping him." And again, Kenma tells himself that this isn't exactly because he doesn't want to, but that he's trying really hard not to give into temptation, and be the responsible adult in this relationship. 

"We can afford to get another cat though right?" 

"Well, yes we can." 

"And we love cats" 

"We do." He bites his lip at this. Damnnit Kuro. 

"So we should definitely keep this one." 

"No we won't" 

Kenma realizes at this moment that he's a liar. Because he never really could deny Kuro, just like Kuro couldn't very well deny him. And when it's all said and done, and they wake up the next day and watch as their cats are also cuddled together, Kenma can't really complain. 

Their newest addition to the family fits in with them perfectly. Like two pieces of a puzzle and two halves of a whole. 

Just like Kenma and Kuro.

Always together, no longer alone. 

So yes, Of course they keep the cat.

I added a second chapter to my previous KuroKen fic. This one is just pure fluff 🥰

#haikyuu fanfiction #haikyū!! #kuro tetsuro #kozume kenma #kuroken #kuroken fanfic #fanfic #haikyuu fluff #fluff #ao3 fanfic #sylphid writes

[lucy-268]

New Family Members

A/N – It’s National Cat Day in Canada (August 8, as a start to write this); it’s about cats, I don’t care if I live in the USA (our National Cat Day is October 29, you may see more cats then, too). I received an anonymous request to use the prompt Aw did I hurt your wittle feelings. Thanks to @oofchoices for pre-reading. My masterlist is here.

Disclaimer: Characters belong to PB

Warnings: Mostly cute fluffy, but also animal cruelty

Series/Pairing and characters : Open Heart - Ethan x f!MC (Charley Valentine); Sienna

Word count: 1,172

“I’m glad your boyfriend had to work today. We never get to just hang out anymore.” Sienna linked her arm with Charley’s as they left the diner.

“I’m sorry! I don’t spend enough time at home anymore! I’ll stay there more.”

Sienna laughed. “It’s fine. We’re all busy and we see you at the hospital. Except for Aurora, but she’s always at her hospital, too.”

“I’m glad the two of us have today. And I’m glad you were able to come over here for breakfast. Ethan and I love that diner. He’s lived right across the street from it for five years and never set foot in it until last month, just because I wanted to try it. Now we go once a week for breakfast.”

Sienna smiled at her friend. “You're good for him, you know.” Charley shook her head, about to disagree, when Sienna continued. “He’s good for you, too.”

Charley did agree that that was probably true.

“What other neighborhood gems are here for you to show me?” Sienna asked. “Charley?”

“Did that bag move?”

“Huh?”

Charley rushed into the street, causing a car to slam on its brakes and honk. She grabbed a plastic bag out of the path of the car and hurried back to the sidewalk.

“Did you seriously just run in front of a car to grab a bag? It’s already been run over.”

“No, it was in the center lane, no tire hit it. I saw it move.” Charley knelt down to untie the knot.

“It was probably just the wind.”

Once the bag was open, they found two calico kittens. “Sienna, call Danny’s cousin, Kima, please.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

Ethan opened the door to his apartment and was greeted by Charley handing him a drink and wrapping him in a hug.

“What happened?”

Charley took a half step back, her arms still around Ethan’s neck. “Why did you think something happened?”

“You are being affectionate.”

Charley tipped her head to the side, she ran her tongue over her bottom lip. “Are you saying I’m not normally affectionate?”

“You’re affectionate, but not normally-” Ethan jerked his head to the right. “What was that?” He pulled away from her and walked to the living room. He saw something dart under the sofa.

“That would be either Honey or Nutmeg.”

Ethan whirled around to face her. “What, pray tell, are  Honey and Nutmeg?” When she looked at the ground, Ethan grasped her chin and lifted her face so she was looking at him. “Explain”

“They’re two calico kittens that I brought home.”

“When did we discuss getting a cat, much less two? This is the most irresponsible thing you could have done! Do you know why Jenner lives with my dad? I don’t have the time to deal with a dog! Do you ever think things through?”

Ethan walked away from her down the hall and she heard the bedroom door slam behind him. Charley sat on the floor and leaned under the sofa. She reached her hand under and called to the kitten she saw. It came to her and she picked it up. The kitten started to purr and snuggled under her chin. Charley pulled the kitten back to see who it was. The darker brown color let her know that it was Nutmeg. “Let’s find your sister.”

Charley walked throughout the apartment looking for Honey. The whole time she was talking to Nutmeg. “Where did your sister go, hmmm? She’s found a good hiding place, didn’t she? I had a cat when I was at home and she liked to hide on top of the refrigerator. I know Honey can’t do that because there isn’t any space here, is there, sweetie.”

After she looked in the laundry room, even climbing on top of the washer to look behind the appliances, Charley gave up. “I guess I need to go beg Ethan for help.”

Nutmeg meowed at her. “Don’t be scared of him. I know he yelled, but it’s me he’s mad at. He’s also a real softy at heart. You and your sister are probably going to live with Sienna. She has lots of roommates. There’s Jackie and Aurora and Elijah. I’m there, too, sometimes. We also have a box turtle, a chinchilla, and a fennec fox. Wherever you live you’ll be very happy.”

Charley hesitated at the bedroom door and got an idea. She opened the linen closet and pulled out a white pillowcase. She opened the bedroom door and thrust her hand holding the pillowcase through the opening. “I have a white flag; I’m surrendering. Can I come in, please?”

“Come in,” Ethan’s voice called quietly.

Charley walked over to the bed, still cuddling a kitten. “We-, I mean I have a problem. I’ve lost a kitten,” she began, crawling onto the bed. Nutmeg and I have been looking for Honey everywhere and…”

Her voice trailed off as Ethan opened his sweater to reveal Honey sound asleep on his chest. Charley leaned against his shoulder and Nutmeg crawled over their arms to see her sister.

“How do you tell them apart?”

“Nutmeg is a darker brown and her nose is part pink and part black. Honey’s brown is a little blonder. Her nose is also all black, since she has black all around her nose.”

Ethan looked at her. “What made you decide to bring home two cats today?”

Charley could tell he wasn’t as mad. She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Aw did I hurt your wittle feelings by not talking to you?” She sat up and looked at him. “Someone threw them in the street. Just tied them up in a plastic bag and dropped them in the middle of the road. Sienna and I found them this morning and we took them to Danny’s cousin Kima.”

She reached over to pet Honey. “Sienna and I talked about it. I’m a cat person and wanted a cat. If you don’t want a cat-”

“Or two.” Ethan corrected.

“-or two, we can move them over with my roommates. And if Sienna can’t convince the others, Kima said they wouldn’t have any trouble placing them with a new home.”

“As someone who has never had a cat, what do I need to know? If we’re going to keep them.”

“Really?”

“Maybe. Convince me.”

“Unlike dogs, they don’t need to be walked. If there are two of them,” Charley indicated the two, “they keep each other company.”

“How do they know to use a litter box? I don’t want them going to the bathroom where they aren’t supposed to.”

“Honestly? Sometimes they miss. It’s generally easier to train a kitten to use a litter box. In fact, the mama cat will generally train them if they have access to a box.”

Charley reached over and picked up Honey. “We know they were around at least one person. They didn’t tie themselves in a bag.”

“Cat litter is your responsibility.” Both kittens were on his chest and he scratched both of them. “We’ll try this.”

My tag list  @oofchoices  @openheart12  @jamespotterthefirst  @ohchoices  @catchinglikekeronsene @aylamreads  @nerdydinosaursweets  @eramsey28  @txemrn  @starrystarrytrouble  @queencarb @thegreentwin  @lion-ess24  @caseyvalentineramsey  

@choicesficwriterscreations

#dr ethan ramsey x mc #dr ethan ramsey #ethan jonah ramsey #choices open heart #open heart fanfiction

[justjibberjabber]

To Phyllis

Phyllis had never been to the zoo.

Her mother had been an alcoholic, and though her father had once been a kind man, he had become bitter with years of Vera’s drinking and handling the busy hardware store on his own. Nobody had time or interest in taking her to the zoo. There was a period of Phyllis’s childhood, from about the ages of seven to ten, that she spent summers with an aunt and uncle at their cabin outside the city.

Every morning, she woke to the smell of bacon and eggs cooking on her aunt’s electric skillet. Her aunt Edna would brown a piece of toast, slather it in butter and jelly, and cut it in half – diagonally, the way Phyllis liked. Then she’d make a smiley face on Phyllis’s plate – the triangles of toast for eyes, an egg for the nose, and a greasy bacon smile.

After breakfast, her uncle Tom would take her out fishing on the lake in the jon boat, or maybe they’d pick up sticks for firewood. Some mornings they’d drive to the filling station in town for fuel and the newspaper, and uncle Tom would give her a nickel for the gumball machine. Phyllis remembered many evenings spent around the fire listening to the crickets and frogs in the woods, counting the stars that peaked through the canopy of trees, and roasting marshmallows. Sometimes Phyllis liked to catch the marshmallows on fire, let the outside burn to a black crisp, and then peel the burnt shell off to enjoy the warm gooey marshmallow within. Other times, she would hold them high above the flames so that they wouldn’t brown but would be hot on the outside while still cool on the inside.

During the final weeks of summer as Labor Day approached heralding the return to school – and to life with her parents – Phyllis’s despair would mount with each passing day. It was March of 4th grade, just as the crocuses were in bloom and the trees were starting to green and the days beginning to warm, that the news came of her aunt and uncle’s death in a tragic accident. The local fire chief suspected that a windy March night had blown embers in through the open kitchen window, setting their home aflame.

As Phyllis grieved that summer for the loss of her aunt and uncle, she did her best to stay out of her father’s way and to avoid her mother’s drunken fits. She tried making bacon and eggs with butter jelly toast the way her aunt Edna had, but the eggs were runny, the bacon burned, and her father never bought any jelly.

When she was seventeen, a young man named Jack started delivering supplies to her father’s hardware store. At the behest of her father’s constant prodding and persuasion, Phyllis and Jack were married shortly thereafter. She didn’t realize it at the time, but her father had been eager to have someone else “take care of” Phyllis – her mother had passed when she was 15 from cirrhosis of the liver, and the hospital bills and funeral costs had nearly drained the family of any savings. Marrying her off had allowed her father to sell the house and save himself from complete financial ruin; for a few years after, he used the back office of the store as his lodgings and ate one meal a day from the diner down the street.

Phyllis and Jack’s marriage was happy enough – they took the car for rides on Sundays, and would sometimes go see a picture together. Jack would say things that made Phyllis laugh, and somehow, against all odds, Phyllis became quite a good cook for Jack. Phyllis had decided there wasn’t much passion or romantic love in their relationship, but more of a friendship – a partner, someone to work through the hardships of life together, to keep one another’s company and stave off the loneliness, and that was enough for her. They both took it pretty hard when they were unable to conceive after years of trying, hoping, but resolved to live out their days together in the good way that they got along, regardless of the unusual circumstances of their coming together.

When Jack passed unexpectedly of an early morning heart attack at the age of 73, Phyllis struggled at first with living alone. She realized she had never actually been alone in all her life, even if, at times, those that kept her company were disinterested in her and aloof. She eventually fell into a new swing of things, though, and did her best to keep busy. She got a kitten the following spring from a neighbor whose cat had born a litter  – a pretty little calico with fluffy cheeks and a bushy tail. “Kitten” was her name, even as she became a full-grown cat, and Kitten would keep Phyllis company while she tended her garden until her knees and back became too bad to bear the work anymore. The arthritis in her hands eventually made her put down her knitting needles, and when she fell in the bathroom, she finally conceded to herself that maybe it was time to sell the house and move into “an old people’s home.”

Phyllis told me all of this after shuffling over to the bench to sit next to me in front of the lions at the Bronx Zoo. She had quite a stooping posture, but with the help of her walker, she seemed to be fairly steady on her feet. She told me that her assisted living home had planned an outing to the zoo that day, and she was not going to miss it for anything. She had just left the area where they kept the hippos, and was surprised to find out that hippo teeth don’t look like marshmallows after all, like they always did in the cartoons she watched as a kid. That was okay though, she’d told me – she really just wanted to see a great big lion open its great big mouth in a great big yawn, and she’d be happy. They held a yoga class once a week at her home, and she’d learned the “lion’s breath” technique. “How neat it’d be to do a lion’s breath with a real lion,” she had said.

I found out that Phyllis’s home was not far from the pastry shop where I worked, so I’d stop in to visit her once a week and bring her a baked treat. I never said much during our visits – Phyllis did most of the talking – but I was okay with that. I got the feeling that Phyllis hadn’t talked much during her life and maybe needed to get some things out.

Eventually, I started to notice that Phyllis didn’t seem to be doing as well as when I had met her, and I feared she was truly going downhill. I stopped in one day, and Phyllis was lying in bed. She told me she didn’t feel like getting up that day, and she’d never spent a single day of her life relaxing in bed before, so by god she was going to do it today. She lay on her side with the pillow crammed between her arm and her head. She turned her eyes to me, and I swear she looked straight into my soul with those dark brown eyes when she said, “Life is strange. You gotta make the best of it. And that means different things to different people.” I gave her hand a gentle squeeze, smiled, and said, “That’s really nice, Phyllis. Thank you.”

We had been sitting quietly for a while when Phyllis finally spoke. “Get in my desk over there for me. In the top drawer on the right. There’s something in there I want you to have.” I opened the drawer, and there, on top of a stack of old postcards, lay a Christmas ornament. She had bought it from the gift shop at the zoo the day of the zoo outing. It was a ceramic purple hippo wearing a Santa hat, mouth wide open revealing the perfect dentition within – perfectly white, perfectly round, perfectly marshmallow-shaped teeth.

She passed away eight days later. The nurses told me she suffered very little, which I was thankful for. More than all, I was thankful that Phyllis chose to sit at the bench outside the lion den, thankful that I was sitting at that very same bench at that very same moment, thankful to have made her acquaintance and have her friendship. Because of her and the life wisdom she imparted upon me, I took a chance on myself and auditioned for a part in a Broadway play. I got the part. My acting career blossomed from there, and I quit my job at the pastry shop. Phyllis’s purple hippo hangs from the rearview mirror in my car, and I think of her every day when I look in my mirror at the mother behind me screaming at her kids in the backseat, or the construction worker munching on a sandwich on his way back to the job site – all just everyday people making the best of their lives in the whatever way means the most to them.

My nephew Ben visits me for a couple weeks every summer. I make him bacon and eggs and butter jelly toast, except he likes the toast cut horizontally into two rectangles. Every night, we cook a few marshmallows on the stove – some of them we burn to a crisp, and some of them we hold high up over the flames so they’re hot on the outside and cool on the inside. We clink our marshmallows together in a toast to Phyllis. Although Ben was confused at first and didn’t know who Phyllis was, he now joins in wholeheartedly as we pay nightly homage to the woman who helped me become who I am.

“To Phyllis!” he says.

I smile and say, “Yes. To Phyllis.”

#phyllis #life #wisdom #quotes #short stories #writing #bronx #zoo #hippo #lions #lions breath #old #elderly #sage wis #toast #marshmallow #campfire #woods #lake #fishing #childhood #memories #homage #summer #grief #nursing home #heartfelt #writer #creativewriting #old age

[autistic-paul]

Love is Stored in the Cat

Summary: 

Charlotte loves cats. She has three. Sam doesn't like her cats.

That's alright, though. Maybe someday, someone will.

Tags: Charlotte/Ted, emotional abuse (Sam, obviously), happy ending, cats!

AO3, or under the cut! 2292 words.

Charlotte loved cats. This wasn’t a secret, she displayed that simple fact proudly. She knew she gave off the aura of ‘cat lady’, and perhaps that was intentional. What was wrong with that? Cats were wonderful.

She wished Sam agreed. 

First came Orville. She’d decided to walk home one day. Nothing like a crisp breeze to clear your thoughts. She was delaying the inevitable, when she’d get home to see it empty once again.

Sam had been staying at work late a lot lately.

That was alright, he was dedicated to his job! He only wanted what was best for their little town, to defend the law. 

So what if she could hear the whispers, the murmurings of the way he abused his power, did things he shouldn’t. She knew her Sam, she knew he wouldn’t do such things. Some people simply had trouble with authority figures.

Charlotte pulled her sweater tighter around her and her steps sped up. It got dark so early this time of year, and she’d already dawdled more than she’d planned. Charlotte sighed, taking the sharp, fall-scented air deep into her lungs. 

She was so deep into her thoughts that she didn’t notice a faint meowing to her left. The mews got more insistent, as if chastising her for not paying attention to them. 

The poor dear was so small that she could hardly see it in the fading sunlight, a tiny black and white cat tucked next to the chain-link fence of the local elementary school.

Charlotte kneeled down, not caring that she might get her skirt dirty. Her gaze was locked on the cat, it’s scrawny body shook, perhaps from the cold, or maybe from fear, but it didn’t look away from her. It clearly had been here for a while. Charlotte clenched her jaw. She’d help this cat. There was no other option. 

She took off her sweater slowly, afraid of startling it, but it didn’t budge. Charlotte ignored the goosebumps and the chill that washed over her, her warmth wasn’t the priority now.

Charlotte ran through explanations in her mind as she walked home. On the off chance Sam was there when she got back, he wouldn’t be pleased. Take the cat to the vet, or a shelter, he’d say. Get it out of the house. Charlotte couldn’t think of a satisfying excuse. She simply needed to make sure the tom was okay. Charlotte squeezed her eyes shut at the thought of standing her ground.

In the end, her frantic preparations didn’t matter. The lights in the house were all out, the silence weighing on her and giving her room to breathe simultaneously. She busied herself with making sure the tom - Orville, she decided, though it was too early to name him - was comfortable. She’d have to run out to get supplies, though she dreaded leaving him. Charlotte figured bringing him back outside, or god forbid, into a car, was the worse option. Orville mewed frequently but was remarkably compliant. He settled into the little nest she made him with her sweater immediately, deeming it safe. Charlotte’s heart melted. This poor little stray was the sweetest thing she’d ever seen.

Everything went smoothly from that point, Charlotte and Orville rapidly grew enamored with each other. With every mew and every chin scratch, Orville’s claws firmly dug themselves into Charlotte’s heart, and she didn’t want them to let go.

When the morning came and she heard Sam’s car finally pull into the driveway, Charlotte held Orville close. She couldn’t stand the idea of leaving him out of sight, not when things were so new, he must be so scared. He’d snuggled up under her chin all night as if he belonged there.

The quarrel ended up being just about what Charlotte had expected. Sam didn’t understand why Orville needed to stay with her. He’d scoffed at the name Charlotte chose, and Charlotte didn’t defend it. She needed to stay on his good side, no more arguing. Except for one thing.

She was keeping Orville.

Not forever, no. Of course not, Sam. Just until he’s healthy and ready. Charlotte knew he didn’t like cats, of course she didn’t forget. It was temporary.

It was not temporary.

Miss Pearlie was next. Orville was lonely, you see. Sam was out of the house so often, and he didn’t play with Orville or clean his litter box. He wasn’t expected to, that was Charlotte’s job. She’d taken the cat home, it was her duties. Just like the cooking, the cleaning, and the laundry. Sam was so tired from work, it was only expected. Charlotte had a simple office job, she could do it all, no problem. So Charlotte wore him down. Little suggestions, to appeal to his empathy. Orville wouldn’t claw things up if he had a friend. He was just bored! 

Charlotte couldn’t wait for Sam’s final answer, his once firm ‘no’ became annoyed grunts, and Charlotte looked up some local breeders. A beautiful snow white kitten, curled up next to her when she sat next to the basket, and she knew right away. Charlotte couldn’t keep from stroking that lovely fur the entire ride back, cooing and baby talking so much that she nearly missed her turn. Miss Pearlie, for her fur. 

She hadn’t told Sam. Charlotte had learned long ago that it was best to just get it all over with. She was sure this time he’d love her, the kitten was simply perfect, so gentle. Orville would love her just as much as Charlotte did, and Sam, well, he’d grow to love her too.

Sam’s anger was silent this time around, he could see in her eyes that she wasn’t backing down, and so he showed his disapproval without words. Single-word answers, quiet mutterings. When he closed doors just a little too loud, Charlotte had Miss Pearlie pressed close to her chest for comfort.

Thankfully, Orville and Miss Pearlie got along wonderfully. Orville showed her around the house, showed her the best places to curl up in the sun, taking her under his wing. It became a common sight to see them curled up next to each other, and Charlotte’s heart grew lighter by the day. It wasn’t long after their new addition to the household that Miss Pearlie’s gentleness was replaced by a fierce demeanor. She’d mewl loudly if she wasn’t stroked at the exact moment she asked for it, and she seemed to take great joy in destruction. Toilet paper rolls were her victim of choice, but she seemed to specifically target Sam’s possessions. A tie, a shoe, his watch, once… All to be found in a pile under the bed, with Miss Pearlie staring up at him with a not even remotely convincing innocence. 

Miss Pearlie seemed to hold a grudge against Sam. She’d hiss at him for seemingly no reason sometimes, on her bad days. Charlotte tried to tell Sam this maybe if he tried to give her some attention, play with her from time to time, she’d warm up to him. Miss Pearlie was an absolute darling to Charlotte, after all. Sam refused. He wanted nothing to do with her cats. Orville wasn’t the friendliest towards Sam either, but there was an acceptance there. A simple understanding. Sam didn’t care about Orville, so Orville didn’t care about Sam.

Patches was an expected addition to their family. Charlotte couldn’t say that the other two were lonely, she knew the truth this time. She wanted more cats, more to care for, more to love her. She had so much love to give, why couldn’t she? It wasn’t as if it would matter to Sam, he pretended they didn’t exist. 

The argument could have blown up further, and she knew it. She hadn’t planned on letting the truth spill out, but what else could she do? Sam was yelling about the fur all over the couch, the way Miss Pearlie looked at him, telling Charlotte that there was absolutely no chance she was bringing another home when Charlotte snapped. She needed someone to keep her company on these recurring late nights, someone to be there when he wasn’t, night after night.

They hadn’t spoken about it before, and it shut Sam right up. His jaw clenched, looking as if he would fight some more, but he didn’t. He spat a single fine and stormed out of the room. Get a thousand cats, for all I care. See if that’ll help.

Orville and Miss Pearlie were especially cuddly that night.

 Along came Patches, a sleepy little calico who never wanted to leave Charlotte’s side. This one she’d picked from a shelter, her green eyes so clear, like she was trying to communicate with Charlotte. She was the brains of the operation, and had decided she was the leader of the group. She was in charge, and she wanted everyone to know it. When she was awake, at least. Charlotte’s heart was filled to the brim, three wonderful, incredible cats. She never felt so whole as when she played with them. Her confidence grew by the day. Who knew something so simple could change her whole worldview? She had love to spare for her three fluffy dears, and they gave it right back.

She was in such a good mood that when Ted started making his advances, she didn’t tell him off. Why should she? She enjoyed the attention, though she knew she shouldn’t. She’d known Ted for years, she knew what he was like. He’d try to bed anyone he thought he could, and she’d never been interested before. These days though… What was stopping her? A single night of fun, that was all. Sam wouldn’t find out. Not that it mattered much if he did.

Charlotte tried not to think about that.

On the first night with Ted, Charlotte kept her cats locked in the kitchen. It was more out of habit than anything else, Sam threw a fit if anything interrupted them. She wanted things to go smoothly with Ted.

Not because of any emotional attachment, of course. Their arrangement was clear. It was nothing, nothing at all.

On the fifth night, Ted showed up a little earlier than expected. A little eager, perhaps. Not to see her, no. He was there for one reason and one alone, Charlotte didn’t want to delude herself. His trademark smirk was on full display as he leaned against the doorframe, slicking back his hair. Charlotte ignored the fluttering in her stomach. It was excitement, nothing more. Being with Ted was… Nice. It was a distraction, and a welcome one. Ted’s gaze darted away from hers, an eyebrow raising. 

“Who’s that?” He asked.

Charlotte whirled, expecting to see a looming figure, or god forbid, Sam. It took her a moment to see what Ted was referring to, she was looking for a human being. No, he meant Miss Pearlie. She was sitting there with her paws neatly tucked beneath her, eyes on Ted. Her tail swished slowly back and forth on the carpet. Charlotte swallowed. “T-that’s Miss Pearlie. I’ll put her back into the kitchen, don’t worry.” Ted walked passed her, inviting himself in, and dropped to his knees on the floor. Charlotte’s heart pounded, waiting for Miss Pearlie’s telltale hiss. “She’s not the most friendly to people other than me, oh Ted, maybe you shouldn’t-”

Miss Pearlie was… purring. Ted was stroking her little cheek, and there wasn’t a single sign that the normally aggressive cat was going to snap. Charlotte was stunned, and she didn’t speak another word.

Soon, Orville and Patches decided to see what the fuss was about, and Ted was forced to divide his attention between them. Charlotte circled around them to get a better view, and she smiled, hand to her chest. They liked him. How odd. 

Ted didn’t stay for too long, getting to his feet and standing in front of her. Heat flooded Charlotte, and she grasped Ted’s hand to drag him to the bedroom. More brazen then he was used to, perhaps, and she worried for a moment that he’d be turned off, but his smirk returned and he joined her, nearly tripping over his feet in his haste.

Charlotte would never tell anyone, but Ted was surprisingly sweet. In these stolen moments with the moonlight streaming in through the window, it was as if his guard was finally down. His affections were quiet, lips pressed to her shoulder, so faint she couldn’t be sure that’s what she was feeling, the way he spoke her name, almost reverent. Little things, but little things that meant more to her than she could possibly express. They fell into a routine faster than she should have felt comfortable with. She found herself wishing that it was easier, that she could have more than the secret glances in the office, the nights that gave them both the freedom to feel what they couldn’t manage in daylight.

It wasn’t that easy, though. She couldn’t have everything.

But there Ted was, leaning over the edge of the bed to stroke Orville’s ears, speaking so softly that Charlotte couldn’t hear the words with one ear pressed against a pillow, but the tone was unmistakable. Charlotte held back a giggle. Ted, baby talking a cat. Who could have guessed?

Charlotte sighed, and her resolution grew. She knew what she had to do. She dreaded the long process. Divorce, such a nasty word. She couldn’t shake it, though she knew it was what had to be done. She couldn’t do it for herself, she’d proven that. But she listened to the quiet purring being drawn out from Ted’s affections and she made a choice. For them, then. Someone who’d treat them right.

They deserved it.

#tgwdlm #the guy who didn't like musicals #starkid #tgwdlm fic #mine #do they have a ship name?? #cannot believe i'm like #writing now #fic

[lamiasluck]

Smitten

Summary: Yan has to recover from another heartbreak from her senpai... As she's moping by herself, she realizes that something is watching her. An adorable kitten!

Characters: Yan, Bing, Dark, and others mentioned briefly

Words: 1727

Tags: @bingiplierdaily

Read on AO3!

-

Muffled sobs could be heard throughout the forest. Yan pressed herself against a nearby tree as she tucked her knees to her chest. As she ducked her head down, she reminisced on her hopeless situation.

Another senpai lost from her grasp. How could she have known that this senpai was married?

The blood staining her blade and body dried a long time ago ever since her horrid discovery. This senpai was supposed to be the one. He was completely different from the man she loved last week, afterall! If the other egos had to cope with her heartbreak then so be it. Not like this is the first time they had to endure one of Yan’s senpai driven meltdowns.

Mew!

Yan immediately snapped her head towards the sound. It sounded like… something squeaked? Whatever it was, it was rustling in a bush right next to her. She wiped her tears on her sleeve as she went to investigate. When she pushed away the branches and leaves and was met with…

Mew!

The cutest goddamn kitten she’s ever seen! A tiny munchkin kitten was staring at her with wide eyes. A single head tilt sent Yan in a fit of coos and praise.

“You’re so cute! Tiny baby!” All sense of sorrow was gone and replaced with immense joy. Cautiously, Yan reached over to pet the kitten, only to be surprised by the creature meeting her halfway and butting its head against her hand.

Brrp?

At least this time the tears Yan shed weren’t out of sorrow. This tiny kitten was the perfect solution for such a bad day. She could barely remember her past senpai’s name as she eagerly pet the purring cat. The kitten managed to find solace on Yan’s lap, clearly ecstatic while getting head scratches. Yan picked up the cat to search for its mother or owner. Sure, she just killed a couple in cold blood but she wasn’t going to steal a cat! That’d be too cruel even for her taste.

After a thorough search around the forest, Yan found nothing. Did someone abandon this poor creature? That monster! If Yan ever crossed paths with the culprit she wouldn’t hesitate to skewer them at the end of her sword.  

Yan stared at the kitten, the kitten stared back with curious eyes. Her mind was set. Somehow, someway, she was going to sneak this cat into the manor.

A couple of egos were lounging in the commons area, chatting away to their heart’s content. All was well until they saw Yan attempt to bolt through the room.

“Uh, Yan?” Bim stopped her in her tracks. “You alright there?”

“Yup, just peachy!” She was sweating bullets. Awkward arms covering her stomach hid the tiny lump that was a sleeping kitten under her shirt.

“You’re… you’re covered in blood,” Dr. Iplier wearily said.

“Oh, right. That.” Yan averted her eyes from the crowd. “Senpai didn’t notice me, but that’s okay! I feel better now.”

Everyone in the room was surprised by Yan’s lax attitude. Usually, a failed romance decommissioned the hopeless romantic for at least a couple days.

Mew-

Yan violently coughed to cover up the kitten’s meow. After her fit, she flashed a nervous smile. The others exchanged confused glances amongst each other, but Yan quickly beat them to the punch.

“I-I just feel a bit sick!” She fake coughed again. “I’m gonna go rest in my room. See ya guys!”

Before anyone could object, Yan ran away clutching her stomach. She burst through her room’s door, quickly locking it behind her with a sigh of relief.

Mrow?

“Yes, yes, I know. I’m sorry, but the others can’t know about you,” she replied sympathetically. That was a close one. Surely, the others would definitely continue their questioning with her terrible performance, but at least she had time to think of a plan.

She took the kitten out of her shirt and placed him on her bed, kneeling so that she was eye level with him. As the tiny cat explored the vast space, Yan took the time to admire how adorable he was. Like mentioned before, the kitten was a male. He had pretty orange and black calico spots and walked on the cutest, stubbiest little legs Yan’s ever seen.

Taking care of a cat must take a lot of responsibility, but Yan could take time off senpai hunting if it meant caring for this pretty kitty. He would need toys, food, a litter box… and about a dozen little hand knitted outfits she was going to make in her spare time.

“We can have matching clothes! What’d you think of that, sweetie?”

Mew!

Perfect, the plan was set. By tomorrow Yan would surround herself in yarn and kitty toys.

“You need a name… What do you think?”

Brrp?

The kitten gently batted at Yan’s face, clearly in a playful mood. After some thought, Yan figured out the perfect name.

“Aiko…?” The name felt right as she said it. A proud smile dawned on her lips as the kitten looked at her and tilted his head.

Mrow!

“That’s right, Aiko! My sweet, little love child!” She went overboard on the baby voice as she pet Aiko. The kitten was overwhelmed by the affection and was jumping for joy. The room was filled with coos and purrs, both Yan and Aiko were enjoying each other’s company.

Then there was a knock on the door.

Yan was frozen in place, staring at the door with scared eyes. Hesitantly, she stepped away from Aiko, despite the kitten’s protest, and walked towards the door. There was a faint, but distinct ringing noise on the other side.

Oh, fuck.

Yan cracked open the door slightly and made sure Aiko was out of sight.

“Hey, Dark,” Yan greeted the entity while giving him an awkward smile. “What brings you here?”

Dark looked at the younger ego with an unamused expression. The blood stained clothes and scared attitude certainly must be a sight to see. He exhaled loudly through his nose, everyday was eventful for the entity.

“I heard from the others that you were acting odd, even more so than usual.” Dark’s stern gaze pierced through Yan’s soul. She needed to stay strong. For Aiko!

“Yeah… senpai rejected me today,” she put on her best poker face as she replied.

“Clearly that’s not the only reason why you’re acting like this.”

“Um, I also feel kinda sick.” Alongside the fake cough, she also faked a little sniffle.

“What are you hiding, Yandere?” Dark was becoming impatient, his shell cracked slightly under the stress. Yan flinched with each flare of his shell.

She caved in.

“Well, when I was in the forest… I kinda,” she couldn’t think of the right words. “I might have-”

Mew?!

“I found a cat and I’m keeping him,” she rushed through her words as she opened the door more, revealing Aiko rolled over on his back.

The cat was out of the bag, Dark stood bewildered at the scene before him. Aiko and him seemed to have a staring contest with how intense their unbreaking eye contact was. Out of all the nonsense the entity had the deal with, this was up there. He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes for a few seconds.

“How are you going to take care of an animal? Do you know how much responsibility it takes to tend to a kitten?” He kept glancing back and forth at Yan and Aiko. “You’re out of the house far too often to have a pet.”

“I swear I’ll take care of Aiko! I’ll cut back on senpai hunting just please let me keep him,” Yan begged while giving Dark the best puppy eyes she could muster. Or would they be kitten eyes in this case? That’s a problem for another day.

Dark paused. “You’ll stop pursuing your senpais…?” he asked out of disbelief, to which Yan frantically nodded her head. He glanced at the kitten once more, the kitten stared back with hopeful eyes. “Fine.”

“Really?!”

“But you’re solely responsible for whatever mess your cat creates.” Dark sighed and started to walk out of the room. “ Don’t make me regret my decision, Yan.”

The second Dark closed the door behind him, Yan squealed and became all giddy. She picked up Aiko and cradled him in her arms.

“Did you hear that, sweetheart?”

Mrow!

“That’s right! You get to stay with me!” Aiko purred contently, kneading Yan’s shirt to get more comfortable. As Yan looked at her pride and joy, she thought about what to do next. Food, she should probably get some kitten food. She should probably change out of her bloody clothes too. She pulled out her phone and texted one of her friends for help.

Yan spent hours playing with Aiko before there was another knock on the door.

“Yo, dude? I got your stuff,” Bing yelled outside her door. As she let Bing in she was greeted with an ecstatic android and a large basket full of kitten goods. “Congrats on being a parent!”

“Oh my god!” She gasped as she looked at what Bing brought. “I thought you were just getting some food?” Not only did Bing get a dozen cans of kitten food, he also got a bed, litter, and a bunch of toys.

“Well,” he awkwardly scratched the back of his head. “You need more than some food for the little guy. I figured I might as well help ya out, yknow?”

Yan thanked her friend while showing the basket of goods to Aiko. The kitten meowed loudly once he smelled food, hungry after hours of playing.

“Aw~” Bing cooed as he saw Aiko. “He’s so fucking tiny, dude!”

“Hey,” Yan paused from opening up a can and scolded Bing. “Don’t swear in front of him, he’s a child!”

“Ah, right. He’s a baby.” Aiko was still preoccupied by the smell of food. “Sorry, little dude.”

“Never copy Uncle Bing, Aiko. It’ll only lead to trouble.”

Mew!

The two continued to laugh as they showed Aiko the various gifts brought for him. The kitten seemed satisfied with each item, meowing loudly and tumbling around. Other egos stopped by periodically to see the new member of the household. Everyone was smitten the second Aiko looked at them.

And Aiko was smitten with everyone too.  

#yandereiplier #bingiplier #Darkiplier #markiplier egos #fanfic

[riluu]

Supernova

For @magemg for the Ignoct White Day exchange. I’m sorry it’s late, I don’t know if you got my message about it being late, but I’ve been having horrific computer troubles lately.

I hope you like it enough to make up for the tardiness. <3 It’s older Ignoct with kittens and fluff and seriously I think I got a cavity writing it.

Ignis was blind, but he wasn’t stupid.

He knew when there was a creature in the citadel halls that shouldn’t be there- especially when said creature nearly sent him tumbling face down on the marble floors. He managed to recover without meeting that fate, though, even with a furry obstacle now winding around his ankles and purring like a motor.

He certainly wasn’t stupid enough to think that a cat could get in the citadel unaided. He sighed, and then turned around and went back the way he’d come, to where he could hear Noctis still putting away a few dishes in the cabinets of their private kitchen.

“Noct, care to tell me why I was nearly toppled by a cat in the hallway just now?” he asked, and he heard Noctis hesitate. He could practically hear the excuses being formed in his head; probably could have recited them himself, had he been feeling particularly smug. As it was, he let Noctis speak them instead.

“It’s going to rain tonight,” Noctis said, his voice some unique mix of pitiful and pleading. “It’s only for the night. Please?”

Ignis sighed in exasperation. The last thing they needed right now was a pet. And that was what would undoubtedly happen if Ignis allowed the cat to stay for the night; it would stay forever. He had no illusions that Noctis would boot the cat out as soon as the rain stopped.

He could come up with any number of reasons this was a bad idea. Cats were prone to destruction; scratching furniture, knocking glasses off tables, and generally being pests. He and Noctis were far too busy with the reconstruction to indulge an animal with the attention and care it would need.

But he could hear the need in Noctis’ voice. The desire for something simple to come home to, an animal with clear wants and needs, affection in the worst of times, none of the uncertainty that lay outside their citadel apartment.

He’d never been good at saying no to his king.

“Fine. Just for the night,” he finally said, even though he knew full well that he was signing up for years of dealing with a shedding, pesky animal in his home. And Noctis surely knew it too, given the arm that wrapped around Ignis’ waist, and the lips that ghosted across his cheek.

“Thanks, Iggy.”

“It’s not sleeping on the bed. I won’t be sharing bed space with a stray.”

“Cat stays off the bed. Got it.”

Ignis, of course, woke up the next morning to a heavy weight curled up on his chest. Somewhere beyond the irritation, he wondered just where this stray was finding enough food to have this much weight on her bones.

Life went on mostly as normal for the next few days, despite the feline addition to the household. Ignis shooed her away from his work and off the bed, and like a boomerang, she came back minutes later to make herself comfortable. Ignis drew the line at having sex with the cat around, forcing Noctis to banish her outside the bedroom with the door closed before he would indulge in anything of that sort.

Solstice had certainly made herself at home by the fourth night, when Ignis woke to hear a strange mewling sound. He reached out to find Noctis’ side of the bed empty and rather cold, which was alarming in and of itself; even when Noctis had nightmares, which was nearly every night, he didn’t flee the bed. He only attached himself to Ignis like some sort of baby kraken, drawing enough comfort from that to get back to sleep.

“Noct?” Ignis said softly, his voice still thick with sleep. He couldn’t sense any light through their window, so it must have been before sunrise.

He heard Noctis curse softly. “It’s nothing, Igs. Go back to sleep,” he said, and Ignis snorted as he sat up.

“Not bloody likely. What’s going on? Is Solstice alright?”

Not that he was truly worried about the cat. That was just a very strange, high pitched, squeak-like meow he was hearing. It didn’t sound like her, really. It sounded like…well, no. That wasn’t possible.

“Um. So, I didn’t really tell you everything. About the cat.”

Well, this didn’t bode well. Ignis took in a deep breath, pinched the bridge of his nose, and let it out slowly. “Noctis, don’t tell me…”

Noctis coughed a little. “Well, she wasn’t fat. She was, um…pregnant.”

“Noctis Caelum.”

“I couldn’t leave a pregnant cat out in the rain!” Noctis immediately protested, and Ignis felt the bed dip with his weight as the king sat down beside him. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but I knew you wouldn’t let her stay if you knew-“

“You’re damned right about that one.”

“But we don’t have to keep the kittens! Just…let her raise them here, and then we’ll find homes for them. I’m sure Iris would take one. Maybe Prompto and Gladio, too. Please,” Noctis begged, and Ignis felt a warm hand close around his own. “Come on, they’r e just babies. I can’t dump them on the street.”

Oh, how Ignis wished they had a functioning animal shelter in the city. Perhaps that should be next on his infrastructure list.

“They’re gone the moment they’ve outgrown their need of her. I mean it, Noctis. We barely have time to properly look after one, let alone three or four.”

“Um…actually, she had seven.”

“…Astrals preserve me.”

At first, it wasn’t so bad, really. The kittens were too small and helpless to do much of anything than crawl all over their mother in the small nest-like box Noctis had set up for them in the living room. And Ignis had to admit, it was heartwarming to come home with Noctis after a long day of work and have him go straight to that box, checking on each kitten in turn and showering them in affection whilst Ignis got dinner ready.

He supposed he could have been jealous, but he was too busy being relieved that Noctis had found something that made him so happy.

He made sure to describe the kittens to Ignis, despite Ignis feigning zero interest in the creatures. Evidently the calico-colored Solstice had a paramour who was a tabby of some kind, since the kittens were a mix of both, some mottled calico colors, and some striped in greys and blacks.

Noctis made sure to get Ignis’ help in continuing the naming theme, even- which was how they ended up with Comet, Eclipse, Equinox, Meteor, Nebula, Nova, and Zenith. Ignis hardly cared when he couldn’t even tell the difference, and ended up calling them ‘pest’ and ‘no, stop that’ more often than not once they started venturing out of the box.

Though one of them did begin to grow on him a bit. Noctis said it was one of the little grey and black tabbies, the runt of the litter that they’d named Nova. Ignis didn’t mind that one so much; she seemed to get all her energy out playing with her siblings, and then come to sit on Ignis’ lap while he worked. He supposed that one wasn’t so bad.

And to Ignis’ surprise, Noctis stayed true to his word. He worked to find homes for the kittens, convincing Iris to take two home to be company to her young child while she was working as captain of the guard and her husband worked from home for the construction planning committee. Prompto evidently gave Gladio the puppy eyes until he agreed to take one. A couple of other Crownsguard members agreed to take the others- though on the day that it was time for them all to go to their new homes, Ignis found himself more melancholy about the whole affair than he would have liked.

He had to admit, their quarters in the citadel had been livelier in the past two months. Noctis had been noticeably happier, especially when his favorite of the kittens, a calico boy named Meteor, was causing havoc in the household.

They were down to two kittens left, and the living room was already noticeably quieter as Ignis sat on the couch reading a book, graceful fingers tracing across the Braille. His other hand was set on Nova’s back, stroking her soft fur gently as she purred, curled up in a ball on his lap.

“Here, let me see her for a second,” Noctis said, and Ignis reluctantly lifted his hand and allowed Noctis to pick up the kitten from his lap. He assumed the new owners must be on their way, and he tried to force down any disappointment that tried to rear up in him.

“Who’s taking her?” he asked, trying not to sound too interested, too invested. He heard Noctis fussing with the kitten a little, and then he set her back on Ignis’ lap, taking hold of his hand.

“Here,” he said, and he guided Ignis’ hand to the kitten’s neck, where a thin leather collar with a breakaway clasp now sat. But the leather wasn’t smooth; as he dragged his fingers across it, he could feel the Braille letters NOVA take shape under his fingertips.

“Noct…”

“Come on, you’re not fooling anyone, Iggy. Besides, I already got matching ones for Solstice and Meteor,” Noctis said, and Ignis paused for a moment before he shook his head and laughed.

“You presumptuous little minx.”

“Like I would give away your cat. Because she totally is, come on. She adores you.”

Ignis reached out to slide a hand around the back of Noctis’ neck, tugging him in for a slow, gentle kiss. “Not nearly as much as I adore you, which is very lucky for you right now.”

“I could have kept all seven.”

“Then you’d be out in the hallway with the cats instead of in the bedroom with me.”

“Do I really have to chase down three cats and lock them out anytime I want to sex you up?”

“Absolutely. Part of the price of pet ownership, Noct.”

Noctis kissed him again, and Ignis could feel him smiling into it. “I think I can deal with that,” Noctis said- just as Meteor leapt across Ignis’ lap to attack his sleepy sister.

It was a new normal, and perhaps not the kind of normalcy Ignis would have chosen, but…it made Noctis happy.

And that was more than enough.

#ignoct #ignoct white day #ffxv #ignis scientia #Noctis Lucis Caelum

[izaya-is-life]

What a cat-astrophy ch. 1/?

Also on ao3

Shizaya au where they never met and Shizuo gets a job at a cat cafe and Izaya is a regular customer. Inspired by @allshewhispers​ <3

Shizuo couldn’t stop staring. The man across the small room wasn’t that extraordinary but he couldn’t seem to tear his eyes away. He had black hair, a fur coat, and tired eyes. The man was seated at one of the small tables in the corner of the room and even the many cats surrounding him didn’t seem to make this man any happier. He was absentmindedly petting a black cat while he read aloud, his soft, smooth voice lulling the cats around him into a peaceful state. Shizuo couldn’t make out many of the words but it seemed to be some romance novel.

Shizuo had only started working at Purrfect Catacombs, a small cat café near his apartment, a week ago but he was already aware that this man was a very regular customer. So much so that the other workers knew him, and what he would order, on sight. Shizuo was a new waiter and he often heard the girl staff whispering and giggling over the other man

 “He’s so nice to the cats but he always looks so sad!”

 “I heard a rumor that he works for the yakuza!”

 “He has the same name as that info-broker but there’s no way that they’re the same person! How unfortunate for such a kind person to be associated with somebody so shady.”

 “Ahh the other day he was reading the cutest book to the cats, I had to turn to hide my blush! I wish my boyfriend would read to me.”

And that was just one of the conversations he’d overheard in his short time here. The other men who worked here seemed much less biased.

 “I don’t have anything against him… but the girls seem all over him.”

 “He is very good with the cats though, even Bixby warmed up to him. That’s talent.”

 “I wish he would read different books to the cats, all he reads are romance or those old-timey works, like Shakespeare or something.”

Shizuo hadn’t worked here long enough to have any sort of real opinion on the other man, who apparently was called Izaya. He hadn’t even had any chances to interact with the man yet.

He was startled out of his thoughts by a hand on his shoulder, he looked to his left and one of his co-workers, Chiho Kasuna, smiled.

“Is something wrong Heiwajima-kun?”

Shizuo forced a smile and nodded.

“Ah yeah, I just got a little carried away.”

Chiho nodded

“Were you looking at Orihara-san? He’s reading a new book today! The cats seem to love it.”

Shizuo shrugged his shoulders and looked to the side, uncomfortably.

“I guess I’m just curious about what kind of person he is.”

Chiho bobbed on her feet a few times with a wide smile.

“Ahh why don’t I introduce you two! Orihara-san is really very nice! I’m sure you two will make great friends!”

Shizuo flinched slightly and coughed. He felt awkward under her sudden excitement but… he couldn’t think of any reason not to agree.

“If he won’t mind being interrupted…”

Chiho hummed lightly at that, thinking it over.

“I don’t think he will, when’s your break?”

Shizuo shot a glance at the clock on the east wall.

“In about 10 minutes.”

Chiho nodded, looking determined.

“Mine lasts till then! I’ll have just enough time to introduce you two. Maybe you can find out why he always looks so lonely.”

Shizuo gave Chiho a slightly helpless smile.

“Maybe.”

The ten minutes till his break seemed to crawl by at a snail’s pace as he took orders and brought out food. As he served he got closer to Izaya’s table and could finally here his reading. He’d read a while then make some insightful or sarcastic comment about the book to the cats. Holy shit Izaya was providing commentary on the book for the cats and whoever might be listening. That was honestly the nerdiest thing Shizuo had ever heard of.

He took a couple of orders and casually listened.

 “Ahh honestly, if the lack of communication was any worse there wouldn’t be a single line of dialog in the whole book. If he wants to date her he should just say so.”

Out of the corner of his eye Shizuo saw Izaya plant a kiss on the top of a particularly cuddly kitten’s head.

 “Of course, he really doesn’t deserve her, you recognize that right Felix? She should give up on him for her friend. Jason is much better for her than Mr. ‘too stupid to recognize when a girl likes him’.

Those long fingers scratched behind the ear of a calico cat perched on his shoulder.

 “Misty here is such a lady she’d probably give this idiot a chance. Remember all of you are worth more than that, you are all much better than any humans I’ve ever met.”

Shizuo finally walked away, he wasn’t sure if Izaya’s commentary was adorable or sad but…. it’s not like it was his place to judge. People came to see the cats and Izaya seemed to really love the cats here. (He’s memorized their fucking names, was that cute or creepy???) As long as the man didn’t cause any trouble and stayed respectful of the cats and workers then it didn’t really matter. Shizuo could never really get mad at somebody who clearly loved animals that much anyway.

Finally, his break came and Chiho jogged up to him with a winning smile.

“Ready?”

Shizuo shrugged but nodded.

“I guess.”

Chiho did an excited bob on her toes again and led him over. Izaya stopped reading as they approached and the calico on his shoulders, Misty, gave them a weary blink.

“Can I help you?”

Chiho’s smile turned slightly nervous and Shizuo hunched his shoulders.

“Ahh Orihara-san I don’t mean to disturb you but our newest worker wanted to meet you.”

Izaya gave Shizuo a curious look and set his book aside after carefully marking his place. He held out his hand with a relaxed smile.

“Orihara Izaya, pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

Shizuo shook hands, feeling slightly awkward.

“I’m Heiwajima Shizuo.”

Chiho gave him a thumbs up and scratched behind one of the cat’s ears before going back to work leaving the two men alone. There was a moment of awkward silence before Izaya hummed in amusement.

“You can sit down you know.”

Shizuo blushed slightly and nodded, god he probably looked like an idiot. Izaya shot him a small smile.

“What would you like to know?”

Shizuo resisted the urge to shrug, he hadn’t really thought this through. One of the cats around Izaya crawled into Shizuo’s lap for warmth, purring as Shizuo stroked its fur with gentle hands. He took a calming breath.

“I guess I was just curious since you’re a regular. I see you in here reading to the cats nearly every day.”

Izaya tilted his head, bushing some hair out of his eye.

“Yes, I enjoy coming here. I have a pretty stressful job but when I come here I can relax. I can’t keep an animal at home because my job would keep me away too much.”

Shizuo nodded at that, it made sense.

“Why read to them though?”

Izaya’s smile softened somehow and Shizuo’s heart did a funny flip. Fuck.

“I’ve always enjoyed reading out loud, or maybe I just like sharing my thoughts with something. I had only planned to do it once, for one of the waitresses here but the cats seemed to flock to me when I did. They really enjoy hearing me read so I keep doing it.”

Shizuo held in a smile at that. Fuck, he couldn’t handle how obviously in love with animals Izaya was. He could feel the beginning of a crush starting to form and he crushed it as hard as he could. He didn’t need to ruin this job with heartache.

“I’m glad you enjoy being here, it’s good business for the café after all. What do you do for work?”

Izaya’s smile turned mysterious and he winked.

“Wouldn’t you like to know~”

Shizuo couldn’t help but laugh at that, genuine amusement filling him. He hadn’t expected to enjoy this man’s company.

“So, what? Do you work for the government or something?”

Izaya’s eyes lit with something that Shizuo couldn’t decipher.

“It’s a secret!”

Shizuo leaned in slightly as he remembered the over-heard conversations from earlier this week.

“Are you actually that one information broker?”

Izaya laughed, sweeping a kitten up in his arms.

“Really? You think that an info broker would read to cats every day?”

Shizuo hunched slightly with embarrassment but… that hadn’t been an answer… he took a bet. He looked Izaya dead in the eye and nodded.

“Yeah, I think he would.”

Izaya’s eyes widened and a giddy smile lit up his face. (shitshitshit he was fucked, this was officially a crush)

“Shizu-chan~ You’re the first person who’s ever gotten it right.”

Shizuo almost didn’t register the rest of the sentence through the annoyance at the nickname but then it hit him.

“Don’t call me that… Wait seriously??!!”

Izaya gave him a smirk and rested his cheek on his hand.

“I never lie. You’re the only one who’s ever called me out on it. Don’t spread it around okay? I’d hate for some of my enemies to find this place… it wouldn’t be pleasant.”

Shizuo blinked, dazed at the understatement. Holy shit one of the most feared and hated men in all of Ikebukuro regularly came to read to cats. The reality of it was surreal and Shizuo should be disgusted but… his crush remained. Fuck.

He watched the powerful informant coo over a pure white kitten and wondered what he’d done to deserve this. His peace had been ruined.

#kb17 #my fics #drrr #durarara #au #shizuo heiwajima #izaya orihara #shizaya #cats #cat cafes #fics #writing #what a cat-astrophe #chapter 1

[sapphyrelily]

MatsuOi Week Day 1

Prompt: Pets//Secrets

Warnings: None

External link: AO3

Matsukawa was an observant man.

It was practically embedded in him, trained from his time as a middle blocker, to watch for small movements on the court, to keep an eye on his opponent and when they would strike.

So of course this skill was taken off the court as well, unwittingly used in his day-to-day life, to a point that most people thought it scary.

(In contrast, he thought it was useful, a fact that Hanamaki loved to take advantage of, especially when they were planning pranks.)

(He didn’t mind.)

So it was this useful skill that helped him pick up on something unusual one day when he was out with Oikawa.

Now, Oikawa was a very expressive man when he wanted to be, but in his quiet moments, he could be so blank that only someone who knew him well enough could call him out on it. Once upon a time, that little category consisted only of one Iwaizumi Hajime. But after three years spent in his company at volleyball club, and two more in sharing an apartment with him, Matsukawa could read Oikawa very well.

Which is why he knew that Oikawa, despite not pressing his face up against the glass like he was wont to do, wanted something desperately.

Or rather, someone.

“That’s a cute cat,” Matsukawa commented, walking up next to him, staring through the display window at the little calico curled up in its basket.

Oikawa smiled a little – it was his unguarded smile, his fond smile – and said, “Yeah. It's adorable.”

Matsukawa glanced at him; his eyes were glittering, a sheen of sadness, and as alarmed as he suddenly felt, he quashed it. “Do you want a cat?”

Oikawa shook his head. “It just reminded me of something. C'mon, let’s go, or the grocery store will close.”

Matsukawa followed him, a little curious, but more perplexed. He hung back a little, pulling out his phone and typing a quick message to the only other person who would know Oikawa’s moods and drives.

“Mattsun?”

“Coming.” He slid the phone back into his pocket, catching up in two strides, and let Oikawa beguile him with some new rumour he had heard on campus earlier that day.

-----

[Iwaizumi]: A cat?

[Matsukawa]: yes hajime, a cat

[Iwaizumi]: Oh.

[Iwaizumi]: Well. We had a cat when we were younger

[Matsukawa]: wat

[Iwaizumi]: It was a stray we took care of for a while. It ran away.

[Matsukawa]: oh

[Matsukawa]: d’you think hed like a vat

[Iwaizumi]: He’s been whining about one for years. Dunno why he never told you

[Matsukawa]: maybe bcos id actually go get one

[Iwaizumi]: True

[Iwaizumi]: MATSUKAWA NO

[Matsukawa]: relax, there’s a stray im friendly with

[Matsukawa]: I’ll just bring it home

[Iwaizumi]: No, you take it to the vet first

[Iwaizumi]: Then you take it home.

[Matsukawa]: I cant believe u approve

[Iwaizumi]: I nearly forgot our anniversary last week and Hiro is still mad at me

[Matsukawa]: oooh. sucks to be u

[Iwaizumi]: Go worry about your own boyfriend

[Matsukawa]: yes sir

-----

Oikawa was usually not a suspicious man.

That was a lie.

He was very suspicious, because he liked to know everything that was going on. So one day, when he came back to find a door closed in their apartment, he was definitely suspicious.

He looked around the house, still pulling off his shoes, and called out. “Mattsun? Are you there?”

There was no reply, so he stepped forward, dropping his bag. He didn’t know what he expected when he opened the closed door, but it certainly wasn’t a hiss.

He shut the door. Opened it. Shut it. Pulled out his phone.

-----

“Matsukawa Issei, why is there a cat in our house?!”

Matsukawa gave his phone a glance before he carefully replaced it next to his ear. “I… Surprise?”

“Bloody hell, of course I’m surprised!”

Matsukawa hoisted the bag in his free arm higher, looking both ways before he crossed the street. When he replied, his tone was low, carefully controlled. “I thought you’d like it. Iwaizumi said you like cats.”

“Well– Yeah– But–” There was an angry huff, before Oikawa began again in a calmer voice. “I’m just– That’s not a kitten.”

“No, he isn’t,” Matsukawa agreed. “But he’s clean, sterilized, and he needs a home.”

“Wait. He– He’s not from a store?”

“No? He’s a stray.”

“Oh my god, Mattsun–”

“Hey, hey, don’t freak out on me. I’m almost back, open the door for me, please?”

“…yeah. See you soon.”

-----

Oikawa was very displeased.

Matsukawa set the bag of cat litter down, dusted his hands off, and turned to face him with a deep exhale. “Alright, go.”

The tirade was like a tsunami. “A CAT?! Mattsun, we hardly have time for ourselves, and this is what you bring back? And not even one from a pet store, but a stray, off the streets–”

Matsukawa sighed internally, letting his boyfriend rant.

Well, I knew this was the likely outcome.

I’m a fool.

“–and he’s not even cute!” Oikawa huffed angrily, folding his arms. “You got a cat, fine, but he’s not even pretty!”

Matsukawa sighed. “I’m sorry. Really.”

“Are you sure? Because that’s a really big responsibility that neither of us are ready for–”

“Tooru.”

The sound of his name made him pause, but it was really the tired look on Matsukawa’s face that made him stop.

His boyfriend waved a hand helplessly, before letting it drop to his side, limp and hopeless. “Iwaizumi said you had a stray before when you were younger, and that you love cats. I thought that meant you didn’t mind helping out someone without a home. Sorry. Sorry that I was wrong.”

His voice was resigned, tired, and he looked so despondent that Oikawa immediately felt guilty.

“I– Just– Mattsun, why did you bring him home?”

His reply was soft, almost a whisper, like he was scared of admitting it. “I saw you when you saw the cat in the store the other day. I thought maybe you were sad because you could never have one.”

He wasn’t looking at him anymore, so he was surprised when instead of silence, someone slammed into him, hands going around his neck in a tight hug. “You idiot.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No! No,” he squeezed more tightly, a hitch in his voice. “I’d love to keep one. Always have, always will. But, why? Why now? Why– Just why?”

He was silent for a while, thinking, thinking.

(A quiet night, with backlit lights, lamps illuminating a body bent over papers.)

(Covers tugged over heads, muffled sobs, biting of lips and worry, always worry.)

(The ache of a heart, but also the hesitance in reaching out.)

(Would my presence be wanted?)

“…because sometimes a cat can be a better friend than a human. And I think we need that.” He lifted his arms, finally, finally squeezing him back. “Because we have secrets that we can never tell other people, but maybe, we’ll tell a cat.”

Oikawa sniffed, burying his face in his neck. “You’re telling me he’s a therapy cat.”

“Well, I’m not sure about that, but I talk to him after a bad day and it makes me feel better, you know?”

“You could always talk to me.”

“…I could,” he admitted. “But would you be comfortable telling me all your secrets? Even those you are embarrassed of?”

A beat of silence, a tightening of his arms, and that was all the answer he needed. So he spoke, a quiet murmur, a simple assurance, but whether it was for himself or Oikawa, he knew not.

“A cat’ll be good for us.”

His boyfriend sniffed, unwound himself from around him. “Yeah. I guess.”

He smiled a little – a tiny thing, a despondent thing – and took his hand. “Come on, let’s go meet him.”

-----

“Issei?”

“Yeah?”

“You don’t actually mean what you said about him being a therapy cat, do you?”

“I do, but it was kind of a spur of the moment thing.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. I actually just wanted to give you a cat. Your birthday’s soon.”

“…idiot.”

“Look in a mirror.”

The sound of scuffling, a plaintive meow from the foot of the bed. Combined laughter at the soft thump on the blankets.

A little voice, admitting something softer into the darkness.

“I love him, thank you.”

#matsuoiweek #matsuoi #matsukawa issei #oikawa tooru #iwaizumi hajime #my writing #im sorry i swear i didn't mean for it to become angst #my hands just made it so #but hey this is realistic #haikyuu!!

[mtnma]

You bring the adorable kitten, the playful puppy, the tweety bird or rescue home.  As you walk through the door with your new pet that first day, you know that this day will come. The day that your beloved pet/friend leaves this life.  The day it crosses to the Rainbow Bridge.

For my cat, Marble, today was the day.  She was 14, a calico cat.  Her coat was rich and lovely. In her heyday she was 17.5 lbs.  The vet recommended a diet and I got her down to 11 lbs.  Today she weighed less than 5lbs.  She has been moving toward this day for a long time.  She wasn’t quite ready.  I worked with her diet. Getting her to eat anything she wanted to eat.  I cooked more for her than I do myself.  Yesterday when I got home from work, it was obvious that she was nearing her end.  I get off work at 11pm. So, today, I called the vet.  I took her in, and while we were waiting for the vet to bring the shot in, she slipped away.

We adopted Marble and her sister, Maggie, on a warm, sunny, fall Saturday.  They were kittens. Marble, a calico, and Maggie a tortie.  They were very close, loved each other very much.  They would cuddle together to nap.  They talked to each other.  I loved the fact that they were close, because they had each other when we were at work and school.

Maggie slipped away in the fall of 2013, leaving a sad Marble behind.  Marble decided that I was her new Maggie.  From then until the last few days, where ever I was in the house, Marble was near by.  She loved to help me knit, watch me read, watch tv with me, sit near my feet if I was on the computer, and sleep with me.

I have, at various times listed all of the pets in my life.  There have been many.  Marble has the distinction of being my last pet.  I am a renter, and in my town it is easier to rent if you are pet-free.

The companionship of love of each of the dogs and cats in my life has helped to shape who I am.  One of my earliest memories is helping my dad pick out a golden retriever puppy.  I was two, and those 8 week old puppies seemed as big as I was. I was in an enclosure with them, and I remember pointing and saying, “that one.”   We had a big gray cat, and then a new puppy.  The gray cat was with us from then until I was 18. The puppy grew up and was a wonderful dog. She was with us until I was 14.  We always had at least one cat and one dog in the house.  I remember having two cats, and one of them gave us kittens.  Tammy, the golden, had a ‘false pregnancy’ and decided she was those kittens’ nanny.  They were well cared for.  Tammy eventually had 9 puppies.

July 1968 we were heading home from Helena. We rescued 6 kittens that were sitting by the side of the highway.  We brought them home and eventually found homes for them. We kept ‘Fritzi’ When I moved out, she came with me.

We were adopted by two other cats, and my mom found one of the a home, and we kept one of them.

I got married, and we had a cat.  She was a rescue, and didn’t live with us very long. Eventually we adopted another cat, and he was a favorite.  He was followed by two more cats, a dog, and her puppies.  We kept one of her puppies. He was a delightful Rottweiler/Golden Retriever cross named Mousse. He was with us for 17 years.  I remember helping his mother birth him. He was puppy number 2, and Molly was a teenage mother.  She looked at him, and you could see her thinking, “I just did this’. So, I cleared the sac away from his face and held him up to her so she would clean him.  She went on to produce a total of 10 puppies. Eight of them survived.

We also had a delightful African Gray Parrot. She keep us company and provided us with many great stories.

My life has been animal rich.  Animals teach us compassion, love, acceptance. They are excellent company, entertaining.  I consider my life so much richer because of all of the wonderful animals that have contributed to it.

Marble, you were a lovely girl, and loving companion. You leave a  big hole. I am comforted that you aren’t hurting.  You leave me richer because you were in my life.

  The Rainbow Bridge You bring the adorable kitten, the playful puppy, the tweety bird or rescue home.  As you walk through the door with your new pet that first day, you know that this day will come.

#cats #Rainbow Bridge #Saying goodbye

[ssteezyy]

Ask the Cat Doc: Frequent Vomiting, Cats and Young Children, Hyperesthesia, and More

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Welcome to our regular “Ask the Cat Doc With Dr. Lynn Bahr” segment! Once a month, Dr. Bahr answers as many of your questions as she can, and you can leave new questions for her in a comment.

Dr. Bahr graduated from the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine in 1991. Unlike most veterinarians, she did not grow up knowing that she would become a veterinarian. “It was a cat who got me interested in the practice and I am forever grateful to him,” said Dr. Bahr. Over the course of her veterinary career, Dr. Bahr found that the lifestyle of cats has changed dramatically. As the lifestyle of cats has changed, so did Dr. Bahr’s client education. In addition to finding medical solutions, she also encourages owners to enrich their home environments so that their cats can live long, happy, and healthy lives.

This new understanding led Dr. Bahr to combine her passion for strengthening the human-animal bond with her veterinary background and knowledge of what animals need and want to start her own solution-based cat product company, Dezi & Roo, inspired by two cats of the same names.

For more information about Dezi & Roo and their unique and innovative cat toys, please visit Dezi and Roo on Etsy.

Frequent vomiting

My Calico cat Lucky is 14 yo. She throws up hairball w/ bile. We hd bought Feliway to calm her it’s a plug-in, She gets Hart’s hairball remedy plus every day. She overgrooms herself. It seems as she gets older it’s mainly every day or maybe she skips a day. Otherwise she’s healthy & her weight is fine. Can u give me any suggestions? Thanking you in advance! – Mary-Ellen

Hi Mary-Ellen, this is a commonly asked question and I am so grateful that you wrote in. It allows me the opportunity to alert owners like you to the fact that frequent vomiting is NOT normal. It makes no difference whether the vomitus consists of hair, bile, food, or otherwise – chronic vomiting is a medical problem. The fact that Lucky is healthy and her weight is unchanged is a good sign; however, she needs to be seen by a veterinarian who will take her problem seriously. Otherwise, it will be harder to treat as the condition progresses.

Bloodwork is a good place to start, but cats with gastrointestinal diseases typically require an ultrasound exam too. None of these tests are invasive so don’t let that stop you from having Lucky’s problem diagnosed. Depending on what is found, will depend on how she will be treated. There are many options available to help her vomit less often and she will be so much healthier for it. Please don’t be lulled into thinking there is nothing wrong just because she acts fine.

I appreciate you writing in to ask for suggestions. Unfortunately, the only one I have is to have her seen by a veterinarian with expertise in feline gastrointestinal issues. You, and Lucky, will be grateful you did. Let me know how it turns out.

Cat swipes at young children

My friend’s daughter has 2 children, age 2 years and 4 months and a 12 year old cat. She has had the cat 12 years, now enter the children. The cat swipes at the children and has scratched the 2 year old. The daughter has not tried anything to help the situation and at this point has given up. She keeps the cat in a room by herself all day and lets her out at night. The daughter is tired at night and does not play with the cat. She and her husband used to play a lot with the cat, but since the children came have not played much with the cat. She is at the point where she is thinking of rehoming the cat, though she loves the cat. I have suggested many things, but my friend said her daughter does not think anything will work. Is there anything I can suggest to her? – Jo Louise Klein

Hi Jo Louise, I am saddened to hear about the plight of your friend’s daughter’s cat. At one point in this kitty’s life it was loved and an important member of the family. Like you, it pains me to know that is no longer the case.

When my son was young, he would often run after our cats or try to pick them up when they did not want to be held. They expressed their displeasure by swatting at him and left several battle scars to prove it. I used those opportunities to teach my son how to properly handle and live with cats. He soon learned that unless he respected their space, he would get scratched. It took a while for him to learn, but he did eventually become a gentle, kind, animal-lover.

Children benefit from growing up with pets in so many ways. This is a good opportunity for your friend to help her kids become animal lovers. I would recommend that instead of rehoming her kitty, she bring it back into the fold and go back to treating it like an important family member. This is the best solution for everyone and will help her children learn the joy of living with, and loving, cats.

She can start by playing more with her cat in front of the kids so they can see how amusing and fun cats are as they jump in the air, run, chase and pounce on wand toys. This will also help the cat become more comfortable around the kids and vice versa. She should encourage the 2 year old to help feed the cat which will also get both kitty and the child used to being around each other in pleasurable ways. Let the 2 year old throw a treat across the room as this will also bond the two together. Allowing the cat to sit close by while reading to the young ones and encouraging the cat to be present more will be beneficial for everyone.

Using these opportunities to teach her children that kitty is an important member of the family and showing them how to treat her properly will benefit them in so many ways. She can turn her kids into cat lovers by example as opposed to giving this cat away. It would be a shame to discard her and miss out on the chance to have her children learn the joys of growing up with a cat, even, if it means getting scratched a few times before learning how to respect her space. Thank you for being a concerned cat lover and trying to help. I hope it works out well for everyone.

Cat chews on and ingests string

Hello Dr Bahr, I’m a long-time cat owner, but took a 4 yr break after our last cat died. We recently adopted a kitten who is now nearly 6 months old. She’s a joy to have around, but she has two behaviors that are a problem. First, she bites a lot. It’s always play-biting/play aggression. I have already read all the suggestions and do everything I can to not engage with my hands, to disengage from play as soon as she starts biting (she clearly thinks it’s just a fun game and I am her favorite toy), hissing, providing tons of toys and spending lots of time playing with her with those toys. I think she was separated from her mother and litter mates too young and never learned good cat manners.

However, the other problem may be related: She ingests strings. All kinds of strings. She has completely eaten the tails off of nearly every mouse we have, both rawhide/leather types and string types. She has swallowed quite a few lengths of string from toys she’s played with. She chews on the strings and eventually something goes down her throat, she can’t get it out herself, and unless I catch it happening, it’s gone. I’m sure she swallowed at least 8″ of a heavy-duty thread that she used to play with, and I’ve found bits of floss that she’s nearly swallowed. And those are the ones I know about. The problem is, string is her absolutely favorite thing to play with. I cut a toy off one of her wand toys recently, and she went nuts for it with just the string. Of course she ended up eating a few inches of the string before I realized and took it away. I’m trying heavier cording, ribbons, etc. But it is such a concern.

And I’m wondering if the biting behaviors could be related to this incessant string chewing. She also bites on the edges of cardboard boxes, furniture, the edge of our mattress, and various other items. I understand that she could be teething (at 6 months though?) and have provided chewy toys, which she isn’t thrilled with. She doesn’t care at all about catnip, FYI. She will chew on the silver vine sticks, but doesn’t have any other reaction to them either – they’re just good for chewing, I guess. So how worried do I have to be about all these leather tails and lengths of string that have ended up in her belly? And is there anything I can do discourage her from swallowing the stuff? And can you suggest anything new for the play aggression. – Jan Wolfenberg

Hi Jan, cats that eat string scare me to no end because it can be deadly for them. Linear foreign bodies are extremely serious and dangerous, and many cats suffer painful deaths because of it. You should be very concerned about your kitty’s strong attachment to eating tails and string, and you will need to make sure she never has access to it.

Cats are born without teeth. Their baby ones erupt quickly and grow until approximately 5-6 months of age at which time the adult teeth emerge, pushing the sharp baby teeth out. Your cat is still going through the teething stage and her gums are still feeling sore.

She has discovered that chewing on string feels good and is oblivious to the fact that it can be dangerous. As you have observed, string catches easily on the barbed tongue, and because cats don’t have fingers, they are unable to detach it. So, they try by swallowing instead. When it gets wrapped around the base of the tongue, it becomes anchored and turns into a linear foreign body that becomes a serious surgical problem. You definitely want to avoid this happening to your kitty under all circumstances.

Fortunately, she is exhibiting normal behavior for a kitten of this age. I would recommend you continue to play with her several times a day, making sure to remove all toys when you are done. Keeping her active will help engage her mind and body and is the key to successfully treating most behavioral problems. Consider growing safe grass for her to munch on, as well as, finding oral care treats that are meant to be chewed rather than ingested whole. Have you had a veterinarian give her a good oral exam to make sure she isn’t dealing with a gum problem? Juvenile stomatitis is rare but something she should be checked for.

I have known many cats that enjoy using their molar teeth to chew on acrylic or plastic wands. Some even like plastic straws. You may have to hold it horizontally and off the ground so that it is positioned optimally for her. Cardboard is a much safer outlet and you won’t have to be as concerned about her chewing on it. She will always seek out things that feel good to chew so it is important that you find safer alternatives for her to indulge in. That will help deter her from seeking out harmful items like tails and string. Use your creativity to find safe items that will tap into her need to exercise the back molars and help satisfy her urge to chew.

You mentioned catnip and silver vine sticks. Kittens do not generally react to catnip, silver vine or other cat attractants until they become adults. It takes them time to develop the “sensibility” and your kitty may enjoy it when she gets older. Offer it to her again when she is closer to a year of age. There is even a chance she might grow out of her incessant need to chew string too. I hope that is the case. But if she doesn’t, please make sure is never allowed to play with it unsupervised. I wish you the best of luck.

Hyperesthesia

Hi Dr. Bahr, I have a cat who is about 3 years old who has hyperesthesia. They say it’s a rare syndrome and there isn’t a consensus of opinion about what it is or what causes it or how to treat it, yet there seem to be a lot of cat owners online who have cats with hyperesthesia. Is there any research being done? I have found a toy (Laser Tower) that helps distract my cat (Doodle) when she’s having a “spell” and I use it a lot. Sometimes a little catnip also calms her down. Her spells seem to be less frequent as she gets older but she still does have some severe ones that cause her to run around frantically like she’s being chased and she attacks her tail so violently that it sounds like a cat fight. Oddly enough she’s been more “touchy feely” with me (which I like) but I’ve noticed that sometimes sitting next to me or on my lap causes her tail to start swishing which triggers a hyperesthesia spell. We’re a multi cat household and we’ve made adjustments so Doodle is supervised when she’s around the other cats and it seems to be working fine. I am wondering if there is any more research being done or any trials for medications etc. I wouldn’t want to sedate her but I’d be interested in any tips on how else to handle her more severe spells. – Nancy

Hi Nancy, as you mentioned, hyperesthesia is not a common condition, but I have encountered enough cats who suffer from it to know that it is a complicated and frustrating problem. While it is a heartbreaking to observe, I am happy to hear that Doodle is growing out of it. It is my belief that providing cats with lots of playing opportunities and ways to stay active helps keep them happy and healthy and distracting Doodle when she is having a “spell” is purrfect! It may also be helpful to avoid touching or petting her back area to avoid triggering an episode. Has your veterinarian ruled out other causes that may be causing her “attacks”?

I am not aware of any earth-shattering research or break through therapies in regard to hyperesthesia. It is still a mystery and, unfortunately, there are still no definitive treatments for it. Several researchers and clinicians are working on it and hopefully, they will gain a better understanding of what causes it and how to treat it, soon. Fortunately, hyperesthesia is not life-threatening and Doodle is an otherwise happy, healthy, and enriched feline. She is lucky to have you as her caretaker and I appreciate your interest in trying to help her without resorting to administering sedatives. Especially since her symptoms appear to be on the milder side. Thank you for being such a conscientious owner.

Do you have a question for Dr. Bahr? Leave it in a comment!

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The post Ask the Cat Doc: Frequent Vomiting, Cats and Young Children, Hyperesthesia, and More appeared first on The Conscious Cat.