Fluff, huh? 😉
Edit: I MEANT TO QUEUE THIS SO IT’S NOT UP WITH THE DAWN, BUT IT TURNS OUT HITTING ENTER ON TAGS WILL PUBLISH AN ASK. WHOOPS.
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A hundred eyes watched her. Claws. Fangs. Their voices combining to an unrecognizable din. Louder and louder. Were they calling out to her or screaming in fear? Michiru should not have come. Her own fear tore at her, rough as all their claws. She should go, run–
“What can I help you with today?”a woman asked. She wore a big smile and an apron with the shelter logo on it.
Michiru fought to compose herself. “My wife and I have been talking about getting a cat. I would like to surprise her, but I’ve never…”
“Adopted a cat?”
“Had any sort of pet at all.” Michiru pressed her lips together. “I worry this might be a mistake.”
The worker nodded. “If you’re not ready, that’s okay. But why don’t we look at a few cats I’d recommend for first time owners, and discuss possible problems.” She grabbed a clipboard and led Michiru closer to the cages. “Now, do you own or rent your home?”
“I own it.”
“That’s good, we get a lot of animals coming back because of rental policies.” She checked something off. “What is your yearly income?”
“It is a bit gauche to discuss, is it not?”
The woman’s face went stern. “We like to ensure that you can cover vet bills. All our cats have had initial visits, shots, and are spayed or neutered, but it’s important to take them twice a year for check ups.”
“I see.” Michiru paused. “You have not asked my name.”
“I was getting there. Name and address are…” She paused, perhaps realizing Michiru bore a familiar face. “What is your name?”
“Michiru Kaioh.”
“Michiru Kai… oh.” She scribbled quickly. “Income won’t be an issue then, will it?” She set her clipboard aside. “Why don’t we move on? For you I’d recommend a cat between two and five, mild mannered and well trained. Are you more interested in long or short haired?”
“Either is fine.”
The woman showed her several cats, all with inane names like Mittens or Socks or, she swore upon her name, Kitty. They were all fine, perhaps too playful for Michiru’s taste, but that would please Haruka. She’d always wanted a cat, she’d said, ever since she was a little girl. Michiru could imagine tiny Haruka sitting alone in her room on bad nights, feeling things would be better if she only had a little friend. Michiru wanted to give her one now.
Yet she hesitated. These were creatures with raw and open needs, who would come into her home and claw up her curtains. And all she could think of was that they were fine.
The woman chattered away as she led Michiru to, she promised, better cats. One caught Michiru’s eye that she didn’t point out. It had long hair, brown peppered with grey, cut short and missing in a few places. It barely turned towards her as she looked, blue eyes pearlescent and unseeing.
“What about this one?”
The woman looked alarmed. “Oh, she’s a difficult one, older and very antisocial. She was found in the woods, we don’t know–”
“What risk is there of disease?”
“We’ve tested, and she’s clean, but–”
“I would like to hold her.”
The woman looked as though she might roll her eyes, but thought better of it. She opened the cage door.
Michiru reached in slowly. The cat gave a little start at her touch, but then turned its head to sniff her. “Hello,” Michiru said, refusing to do any infantile voices but feeling the drive to speak anyway. “I would like to meet you.”
The cat’s tail twitched as though to say Of course you would, but why should I meet you?
Michiru reached further and stroked its head between its ears, and when it stuck out its chin she moved down to it. It began to purr. She carefully scooped it into her arms.
“You’re a natural, it seems.”
“We just understand each other.” Two wild things, hurt by the world, waiting for something worthwhile to come along. Michiru had gotten hers in Haruka, and maybe this cat could get hers in…
Michiru was surprised to think of herself, rather than Haruka. “I would like to take her.”
*****
The sat at home together, Michiru on the couch and the cat on her lap. She had not yet thought of a name. Mittens and Socks and even Kitty did not seem so absurd now that the task was up to her.
She heard Haruka come in. “I’m in the living room,” she called. “With sort of a surprise.”
“I like surprises,” Haruka called back. Her feet pounded against the hardwood as she approached.
“The problem, love, is I went to get something for you and wound up with something for me.” She turned her head to look at Haruka. “Though I need you help naming her.”
Haruka laughed. “You got us a cat? Oh Michi–”
“I got me a cat. You just get to enjoy her company sometimes.”
The cat turned her head away from Haruka and twitched her tail. We’ll see about that.
Haruka sat down. The cat turned away again. Haruka laughed. “She’s particular, isn’t she?”
“She’ll come around, maybe.” Michiru petted along her back. The cat butted into her hand with her head. “She likes me, though.”
“You’re lucky.” Haruka kissed her cheek. “She reminds me of you, with me.”
Michiru chuckled. “I’m not sure that’s a compliment.”
Haruka shrugged. “We should name her Neptune.”
“We can’t name her after me.”
“Why not? Usagi named her human daughter after herself. And no one but the other senshi would know.”
“Yes, and it’s a good thing our closest friends aren’t fellow senshi.”
“Hey, she likes it, don’t you, Neptune.”
To Michiru’s great annoyance, the cat meowed. “Traitor,” she said.
“Welcome to the family, Neptune.” Haruka looped an arm around Michiru. Neptune began to purr. “I hope you like it here.”
SittingOverHereDreaming 