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]

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.]

[ichimyatsu]

[And now he feels like an asshole, but somebody was gonna have to tell him.]

No-- I mean, you can look all you like, but being here isn't gonna help you with that.

[He swivels, still sitting, but turning to look at him with a dull expression.]

[karappo]

[Karamatsu doesn't respond, instead walking all the way over to the door so he can raise up on his hind legs and press his paws to the surface of it. He stares up at the handle like he expects it to open, and he remains this way for a full minute before he starts yowling.

To any run-of-the-mill shelter employee it will sound like a "noisy tabby" wanting someone's attention really bad. Ichimatsu is the only one who will hear him cry out for his parents, like they're behind that door and will open it if he calls for them loudly enough.]

[ichimyatsu]

[Well even if that were any kind of a respectable volume, Ichimatsu isn't really the sort that delights in hearing kids cry for their parents. Or at all, really. With a sigh, he gets back to his feet and shuffles over to him, carefully reaching out and taking his paws down from the door and then scooping him up, setting him on one hip to open the door and then gathering him.]

Hush, you're gonna make that cranky old idiot think something's wrong with you and then he'll poke you with needles thinking you're sick.

[karappo]

[Karamatsu wiggles a little when he's picked up off the floor, kicking his feet until Ichimatsu is supporting them again.]

W-wait! They- they gotta-

[He pants, straining to see out the open door now that Ichimatsu's opened it back up.

They have to be out there, somewhere. They just have to be. But all he sees is the sterile whiteness of the shelter again with rows of kennels, meowing cats and loudly barking dogs that have kicked up an awful frenzy after hearing Karamatsu being so loud.

It causes him to huddle against the front of Ichimatsu's parka, startled into momentary silence.]

[ichimyatsu]

Shhhhh.

[He secures his hold around the spooked cub, not quite squeezing him but holding him tight enough that he can feel the slightness of pressure of him being pressed into his parka. And... then he proceeds to pause en route to where he'd been being kept and reroute himself, headed to the front counter instead. He proceeds to then claim, plainly to the grumpy keeper who insists Karamatsu is a Noisy Tabby, that he is taking him home, how much does he owe.]

[karappo]

[Karamatsu says nothing else, his ears flat against his head as Ichimatsu carries him to the front. He hears him talk to the keeper, mention something about taking him home...

Does he mean to his parents? Is he taking him home?

It causes his ears to swivel just the slightest bit, but he's still too overwhelmed to do much but remain curled up in Ichimatsu's arms, his claws pulling lightly at his sleeves.]

[ichimyatsu]

[He somehow manages to effortlessly extract a change purse from his pocket while transferring Karamatsu to just one arm's security, sign some paperwork and loop a length of rope through the handle of a large pet taxi to hook it onto his arm, and then walk out of the shop entirely with Karamatsu still settled in his grip.]

When's the last time you were outside, buddy?

[karappo]

Um...

[Karamatsu tries to think, his tail curling around Ichimatsu's elbow. How long has it been? Long enough that the bright sunlight outside is harsh, causing him to squeeze his eyes shut.]

Since I got here...

[That "noisy tabby" turned up to be a lot different than they were expecting, behavior wise. He liked to play like other cats, but it was generally rougher, more biting involved. Most keepers would rather leave him be than risk Karamatsu's needle sharp claws and teeth ripping them clean open.]

[ichimyatsu]

[He huffs softly, hefting him so he can hug onto his shoulder.]

Well, my place isn't very big, but I've got a balcony. I'll put a pull-string on the handle so you can open it.

[karappo]

[My place...

The tiger lets out a sudden sound- a sort of sharp chuff through his teeth, his whiskers twitching.]

Where are we going?

[ichimyatsu]

[He gives him a sort of blank stare.]

...my apartment. I just adopted you.

[karappo]

A-Adopted?

[The tiny tiger echoes, his claws not quite digging into his arm so much as nervously kneading it as Ichimatsu walks. Now there's the fear of the unknown- he's being...adopted? But he doesn't want to be adopted. He wants to go home, with mom and dad.

Where are they. Why did they leave him? Why would they leave him?

He straightens up a little in Ichimatsu's arms and suddenly tries to turn around, mashing his paws into his chest as he tries to look up at him.]

I-if you take me away, my family won't know where I am anymore!! What if they can't find me?

[ichimyatsu]

That's what I'm trying to tell you, they aren't coming back. You were surrendered. That's not a "hold my kid and I'll come back for him" sentence.

[He keeps walking, shifting his grip to allow Karamatsu to fuss as he will, but making sure he still has a hold on him.]

[karappo]

You don't know that! Why should I- believe you!

[Karamatsu shrills, clawing at Ichimatsu's shoulder until he's managed to turn himself around all the way, his paws near his ear so he can look over his shoulder at the building receding in the distance. He huffs a few times in frustration, but the further they get away, the less he tries to fight. Eventually, the little tiger seems to give in as he goes boneless and drops his head on Ichimatsu's shoulder, whimpering faintly in the back of his throat.]

[ichimyatsu]

Shhh.

[He lets him shrill, lets him shout and get upset, shifting his grip to make him comfortable where he settles. The walk isn't far to his apartment, and soon enough he's hefting him carefully into one arm to unlock the door of a small but comfortable-looking space.]

Look, we can try to find your parents. But I'm not gonna leave you in a shelter where the owner thinks you're a tabby.

[karappo]

[That's probably for the best; it's doubtful Karamatsu even knew what they meant when they kept calling him a tabby. He doesn't seem sure how to respond to that, either...because as much as he would love to find them, it has been an abnormally long time. It's very possible they aren't even in the city anymore.

Karamatsu looks around as Ichimatsu walks inside, not yet taking his head away from his shoulder. It's a lot less open and loud than the shelter was, so he's not immediately frozen in fear the moment they're inside.

He doesn't say anything else for the time being, sniffing and burying his face against his shoulder.]