Something Something cats

[karappo]

[It had been about two weeks since he'd found himself in this shelter. There were animals of all sorts, but mostly they took in cats and dogs with cats being kept in their own area more securely inside as opposed to where the dogs were. Small cage-like kennels that they stayed in until they were adopted or fostered, this sort being a no-kill shelter.

They just had no clue, somehow, that one of the "cats" that a family had brought in to them was no cat at all.

Karamatsu would say that, overall, he didn't really mind this place too much. Sometimes it got loud and he got very lonely without his family, but it was something like an extended vacation, wasn't it? That's what they'd told him, anyway. And being too young to really understand it as anything else (while knowing his parents were too big to actually get inside such a small kennel with him), he wasn't too bothered by knowing they weren't immediately with him. After seeing his fellow kennel mates and other cats being taken away every day, it brought him to the realization that the only way to find his family again would be to get someone to take him out.

That's how Karamatsu learned to start making himself as obvious as he could, strutting in front of the cage bars and meowing as loud as he could, though...people didn't seem to react well to his attempts at being cute. He didn't meow so much as yowl, and it wasn't very appealing to prospective adopters. He had an unusual coat, too- orange/yellow with dark black stripes, white patches on his belly and neck...he was really odd for a cat.

But he wasn't going to give up. Someone would come along, if his parents didn't first.]

Comments

[karappo]

[He'd reached out to start trying to bat at Ichimatsu's hand, eager to have the attention of someone else for once. The cage is open for only half of a second before Karamatsu comes tumbling out, not having expected the door to actually open like it did.

Then, he's immediately clambering forwards, trying to put his paws up on Ichimatsu's knee as he stares up at him with big, excited eyes. He opens his mouth, exposing little fangs...and he speaks.]

I'm looking for my family! Can you help me, please?

[ichimyatsu]

[He would never get used to this. What had previously been just a "noisy tabby" to the attendant, even if he was clearly frustrated that Ichimatsu had just let one of his cats out of its cage, now that Ichimatsu was in contact with it, was a chatty tiger. The attendant gave pause to coming to chastise Ichimatsu for opening the cages without permission solely because Ichimatsu seemed to have a pretty good handle on the animal. The sweater-clad twenty-something reaches out and picks up one of Karamatsu's paws, squeezing his toe beans paw pads gently.]

Well that depends. How'd you lose them?

[karappo]

[Karamatsu is still very obviously restless, wanting to pad around all over the place and explore, but he's doing his best to keep still since he's being talked to. It's been a while since someone he talked to actually answered, after all...and he's never had a person be able to, before. He lets Ichimatsu take his paw without much fuss, instinctively curling it around his fingers every time he squeezes it.]

They left me here. I'm waiting for them to come back, but I think they might have gotten lost.

[ichimyatsu]

[He sees the restlessness-- feels it, really. His stubby little eyebrows knit together, just barely visible under his tousled fringe. He quirks his mouth and releases Karamatsu's paw, and waves down the attendant. He's then allowed to take Karamatsu to a separate room-- by way of scooping him neatly up under his ribs and supporting his back feet with his other hand. He sets him down there and a door is closed, leaving them in a glass-walled room with toys and chairs that is currently empty. An adoption room, where people seek bonds with potential cats to adopt. He pats Karamatsu's hips gently at the base of his tail, and settles back into a crouch.]

I got news for you, buddy, and you're not gonna like it.

[karappo]

Ah-

[Karamatsu lets out a soft growl when he's suddenly scooped up, looking around from the new height with his tail lashing curiously. Finally he's being taken somewhere that's not that tiny cage. But where...

You're going to have to hold that thought, Ichimatsu, because the instant Karamatsu is put down his eyes sparkle, his feet skidding on the smooth floor as he practically throws himself bodily at the nearest toy, one that happens to be a plastic ball with a bell inside that jingles when he bodyslams it across the floor.

He probably heard part of what you just said, anyway.]

[ichimyatsu]

[He can't help the lazy smile that arises on his face, and he settles the rest of the way to sit on his butt with his legs folded up, feet flat on the ground. He looks around and finds another ball with a bell, this one with a feather sticking out of it, and picks it up, jingling it.]

Hey.

[karappo]

[Karamatsu stops batting at the ball when he hears another jingle over his shoulder, spinning around to see Ichimatsu holding up another, far more interesting looking toy. It has Karamatsu scampering back over, tripping over his own giant paws until he reaches where Ichimatsu's sitting.

Once there, he settles down on his stomach with his forepaws and hindlegs drawn close, folded up like a loaf of bread with his butt wiggling faintly as he keeps his eyes focused on the toy.]

[ichimyatsu]

[Holy shit he loves cats. Holy shit he loves cats. He wiggles the toy, watching Karamatsu's eyes track it, and then tosses it for him to chase.]

[karappo]

[It's comical, really comical, how Karamatsu almost has to roll over to get up fast enough to chase the toy. He gets up, his feet slip out from under him, and then he gets up again before taking off at a run that's far too fast for being indoors, smacking the toy with his paw before it stops rolling. It causes it to skid across the floor and ping off the wall back in Ichimatsu's direction, which he continues to chase until he gets it up under his paws and drags it towards himself, flopping over onto his side so he can kick at it with his back feet.

It's...been two entire weeks since he's been out to play like this, but he'll probably have burned his pent up energy in due time, if Ichimatsu plays with him enough.]

[ichimyatsu]

You've been cooped up in that cage this whole time, haven't you.

[He scoots forward, laying on his stomach and reaching across the gap between them to scritch lightly at the fur behind one of Karamatsu's ears, looking about halfway to purring himself he's so pleased. He's gonna have a hell of a time shattering this cub's world by telling him his parents aren't coming back for him.]

[karappo]

[Karamatsu doesn't reply right away, too caught up in the blissful scratching and the toy that he's captured. It's like his legs all want to go in different directions but don't know which to go first, which results in him vaguely waving and kicking his paws at the air. Eventually, the scratching becomes too much and the ball falls from his paws to roll into Ichimatsu's elbow while Karamatsu pushes his head up against his hand, purring so hard that it makes his whole body vibrate.]

[ichimyatsu]

[uGH THIS IS THE CUTEST CREATURE HE IS GOING TO DIE. Excuse him as he wheezes softly and smears one hand down his face at Karamatsu's endearing display.]

...come here a second, would you?

[karappo]

[Karamatsu's ears perk and at once he's rolling over to get up onto his feet. This is probably telling of how often he needed to be called down when he was actually with his family; he probably hardly stopped moving. Once he's up on his feet he toddles over to Ichimatsu proper, forming a little loaf with his body between Ichimatsu's knees so he can peer up at him questioningly.]

[ichimyatsu]

[He immediately reaches for the fluff at either side of his face and scritches at it gently, smiling.]

...so what I'm about to tell you is gonna kinda suck, okay? But you have to listen.

[karappo]

Mrr..?

[He appreciates the scritches, but what Ichimatsu says does confuse him a little.]

Okay...but who are you?

[ichimyatsu]

[He quirks one eyebrow.]

Me? I'm just some jackass with who likes animals more than people.

[karappo]

Oh.

[Karamatsu blinks, then his tail sways a little over his back.]

I'm Karamatsu!

[ichimyatsu]

[He blinks, grinning crookedly.]

Small world. I'm Ichimatsu. [He finds one of Karamatsu's paws and shakes it idly.]

[karappo]

[Karamatsu, not seeming to understand the gesture entirely, lets Ichimatsu take his paw and shake it. Then, he seems to attempt to mimic the gesture by batting at Ichimatsu's other hand with his unheld paw.]

Do you know my family? Is that why you are here?

[ichimyatsu]

[What the fuck why are you so cute. He's so upset. He's going to wind up taking home a fucking abandoned tiger cub and he's angry about it.]

...ah, no. See, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. Do you know what this place is?

[karappo]

No!

[Ah. Well, that's only half true, isn't it?]

They said...I would have to stay here for a while. But it's been a while, so it's time to go home.

[His tail flicks constantly as he talks, the paw not held in Ichimatsu's hand currently making restless biscuits at the air.]

I've been waiting for them to come back!

[ichimyatsu]

[Ugh tiger biscuits. TIGER BISCUITS... He is gonna die. He huffs a soft sigh and shakes his head, releasing the paw possibly in hopes that it will join in restless biscuits.]

...ah, see that's... [He rubs at the back of his neck.]

Karamatsu, you said? This place is a shelter. People don't... board animals here. They surrender them.

[karappo]

[Luckily for Ichimatsu that's exactly what happens, both paws joining the effort of creating invisible tiger bread while Karamatsu focuses on what Ichimatsu is telling him while...clearly not understanding.

Maybe he's just in severe denial, but given that he's a cub...it's difficult to tell.]

What does that mean?

[ichimyatsu]

[Invisible tiger bread is the best kind of bread, Ichimatsu decides firmly. The very best. He reaches out and prods the center of each of his paws, between the main pad and his individual toes, each time he splays each paw for the bread. He frowns apologetically.]

...It means they aren't coming back for you. [It's a harsh truth, but he doesn't know how to sugarcoat. He never has been good with kids.]

[karappo]

[The silence that follows that statement is...scathing. Karamatsu's still staring up at Ichimatsu like he doesn't understand, his paws not moving as fast as they were yet still flexing occasionally, his purring petering off into the quiet.

Then, he suddenly gets up onto his feet.]

They- they just haven't gotten here yet, that's all! I need to go look for them.

[...and he's actually going to try to leave even though they're in a closed room, turning around and padding towards the door.]