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]

[That makes sense...he guesses. But that doesn't mean he's going to be at all happy about it. Quite the opposite, actually.

It's also a good thing Ichimatsu doesn't want to let go, because now Karamatsu is pretty much burrowing himself against the front of his parka, his eyes screwed shut.]

It's not fair...

[ichimyatsu]

Shh-hh. I'm not great dad material, but I do have a couple brothers, sort-of two of which are younger than me. Family doesn't have to be blood. ...or species, I guess.

[He's frowning at himself, but still scritching to try to help keep him grounded.]

[karappo]

[He feels like he's heard that before, somewhere...maybe on TV, or something. It doesn't make him feel a whole lot better, but he's at least glad he's not alone. He didn't have any siblings, it was just him, mom, and dad...

Now it's just him. And Ichimatsu.

And something about that thought finally just...hits him the right way to cause him to burst into tears, his distressed caterwauling muffled by Ichimatsu's clothes.]

[ichimyatsu]

[...oh. That's... That's kind of an awful sound, even if it weren't pulling the few heartstrings he had. He shifts, gathering Karamatsu up and folding himself on the cushion to bracket him on all sides, shushing him quietly.]

[karappo]

[Karamatsu ends up crying like that for a little while, but it doesn't last long. He spends what was left of his energy pretty quickly, sounding less like a noisy tabby and more like a cat stuck in a washing machine for a bit there. But eventually he calms down, feeling somewhat better for having broken down. Now he just lays in Ichimatsu's arms, clinging to his parka like a lifeline with his tail curled tight around himself, his fur standing up in all different directions.

Being a tiger cub, he's larger than normal "kittens" his age. His paws are huge, he's very loud, he doesn't eat easy to come by food, and he's likely very destructive when he plays without meaning to be...

It's almost no wonder, unfortunately, someone gave him up.]

[ichimyatsu]

[Almost. Ichimatsu can understand from an objective point of view how, raising a tiger cub would be difficult. As it stands, letting the cub wail in his lap he takes to looking anxiously around his tiny apartment and realizing how small it is and how fast Karamatsu is going to outgrow it. But sincerely, he can't fathom animal cruelty of any kind, and abandoning a creature, especially in a shelter unequipped to properly care for it, was beyond cruel in his book. He leans against the small table in front of them and makes idle soothing sounds, rumbles and soft wordless vocalizations to keep him grounded while he settles.]

[He doesn't know how the hell he's going to manage this, but he actually wants to try, and that's saying something for his usual apathy toward literally everything.]

[karappo]

[Well, Ichimatsu sure does have a hell of a project on his hands right now. A project that's cried himself hoarse, his rumbling sounding more like a squeaky door than an actual tiger cub's vocalizations.

After a minute, he snuffles at Ichimatsu's parka, then his hands, his mouth suddenly opening so he can lick the back of his knuckles. Then, his stomach audibly growls.]

[ichimyatsu]

[He jumps slightly, startled by the lick, but ruffles him gently when his stomach growls.]

I haven't got much right now 'cause I just moved into the place and I haven't figured out portioning for cooking for one person, but... I'm pretty sure I've got some chicken breasts in the fridge. C'mon.

...I thought I replied to this

[karappo]

[Karamatsu's ears perk up a little at the mention of food, though he doesn't get out of Ichimatsu's arms. He'll probably walk if he's made to, but otherwise...he wouldn't mind being carried, either.]

You're here...all by yourself?

me when i didn't reply for like an entire day

[ichimyatsu]

[Blinks.]

...ah, yeah?

[karappo]

[Karamatsu sniffs, his paws settling on Ichimatsu's arm.]

Aren't you lonely?

[ichimyatsu]

[He's... Never been asked that quite so openly. He frowns, opening his mouth and closing it again, shrugging his shoulders.]

Lots of humans live alone.

[karappo]

[Now it's the tiger's turn to blink. Aren't humans social creatures?]

Why?

[ichimyatsu]

[He tilts his head.]

...I mean, it's. Humans are dumb and kind of assholes, so we don't always coexist well. I lived with my family but I... don't, now, because we're in our twenties, and it's disgraceful, and we were way too much of a burden on our parents.

[karappo]

[None of that really makes much sense to Karamatsu, but he's really too young to understand much about humans yet. It's not like tigers are necessarily social like wolves or primates are...but he's still young and needs someone to take care of him. Ichimatsu just happens to be that cat person.]

Oh...I don't think you're dumb, though?

[ichimyatsu]

You've barely known me two hours, Karamatsu.

[He smooths his thumb roughly over the crown of his head where he'd have eyebrows, smiling crookedly.]

But don't worry too much about what humans do. You're a tiger.

[karappo]

[Oh no, that feels nice...it causes his ears to flatten against his head, his chin dropping onto Ichimatsu's arm. He rumbles, sounding a little more content than he had been a moment ago.]

Uh huh. I'm gonna be a big tiger someday!

[ichimyatsu]

[He gurgles softly.]

Yeah, I know. You're gonna outgrow this apartment real quick.

[karappo]

Ah? You can't get a new one, then?

[No Karamatsu that...isn't how it works.]

[ichimyatsu]

[He draws his lower lip into his mouth and bites it, looking at the far wall of the apartment but not really focusing on it, shaking his head.]

...no, not really. Not easily.

[karappo]

Mmhh...well...maybe I won't outgrow it? This place is huge!

[You know, for a small tiger cub it might be.]

[ichimyatsu]

[He frowns.]

...No, you're just small right now.

[karappo]

[Karamatsu's tail flicks a few times before settling, subconsciously curling itself around Ichimatsu's wrist.]

How big do humans get?

[ichimyatsu]

[His eyebrows come together, just visible beneath his messy fringe.]

Ah... I'm, an adult, so I'm. Full-grown. To be fair I'm on the smaller end of humans, both because I'm Japanese and I'm a sextuplet.

[karappo]

A ss....sex...tuplet? What?

[He seems more curious now about the things Ichimatsu's saying and less interested in food...at least for the moment.]