Moral !1d4WGijdSc 2012/02/29 (Wed) 10:21 No. 368 ▼ File 133051086021.jpg - (217.90KB, 850x1202 , aprin.jpg)
I wasn't exactly the most social type, you see. Although living in a crowded apartment, I managed to secure a room for myself, fit with a bed and a small kitchen. It was nothing luxurious, but it was definitely accommodating to my needs. While most people would shy away from social isolation, I thought it was less stressful. There was always a tension in the air whenever I was around others, people smiling at me with pinched faces and handshakes that were nothing more than a silly facade of politeness. It's not that I didn't want to talk to people, but there was never any opportunity to have an honest discussion ever.
Yeah, I could say that I was pretty anti-social. Even at work, I never bothered talking to anybody, only speaking when I had to present. I never really liked office jobs, but I managed to stick with this one anyway, working for some water purification organization. It wasn't the greatest, but it was a reliable source of income.
Anyway, I digress. Today, I had found an...interesting cat to say the least. When I discovered her, she was laying down on her stomach, panting heavily from a gash that ran down her thigh up to her lower abdomen. I was hesitant to lay my hand on the cat. No collar. I waited alongside it to see if her owner would come dashing from the shadows, screaming bloody murder. After I realized I was being stupid, I gently picked the feline up, using my arms to cradle her.
She had woken up by the time I tended to her wound. She stared at me with wary eyes, her two tails swishing back and forth.
"...You have two tails?" I ask the cat. Was I being stupid? I'm pretty sure I was, because it looks like the cat is eying me with uncertainty. "Never mind then..."
I finish up the wound with a neat bandage wrapped carefully around her body. The white cloth contrasts greatly with her dark fur. The cat didn't look too grateful for the treatment, shuffling around uncomfortably. I didn't have any cat food with me, so I pour some milk into a small bowl. The cat promptly ignores the bowl, directing her attention to the tiny bedroom. I follow her to my room, watching her recline on my middle-sized bed.
It looked like she had already fallen asleep, but I'm a bit hesitant with leaving a cat alone in the house. I just hope that she wouldn't go berserk, since she has enough sense to sleep on the bed. My shift started within a half hour or so, so I can only pray that nothing happens.
------
When I get back, I find myself in a state of disarray. Scanning the apartment room, I discover that the bowl of milk was emptied, much to my pleasant surprise. Not so pleasant are the empty dishes stacked on top of each other on the kitchen table. Upon inspecting the refrigerator, it seems that a good chunk of food stored inside is missing, as well as the light bulb. From the side, the cat enters the kitchen. She then gives me an innocent tilt of her head, sitting up straight. I can't help but think that she is somehow related to this mess.
But there's no way that could be the case. I sigh and pet her head. Taking responsibility of the dishes, I hoist them into the sink. I rinse each one painstakingly, leaving no trace of any food. Whoever ate here is a sloppy eater, I thought to myself. "This is cruel..."I whine to the cat. "Why do I have to clean up for someone else's mess?" I stop halfway through, tired of scrubbing.
Her ears droop down, meowing at me. I scoop her up and hold her at face level. "Why me?" I ask the cat. "I must be crazy, talking to a cat. But it makes me feel better." The cat surprisingly doesn't struggle to get free of my grasp. Peering under the bandages, she seems to be healing already. Releasing her back onto the ground, I recline on a chair to collect my thoughts.
She jumps up to my lap, snuggling herself in pleasantly. It doesn't seem like she has any intention of leaving, so I close my eyes and enjoy the reprieve and peaceful atmosphere.
...Suddenly I jolt out of my bed with my neck feeling very stiff. A few strands of cat hair lay on the top of my covers. I don't remember going back to bed. Massaging my neck, I enter the kitchen to hear the water gently running. A red-headed girl with sharp cat ears is going through some dishes, washing the pile of dishes left from before. She's wearing a particularly large shirt with equally large shorts. In spite of the baggy shirt, her curves are accentuated through the fabric.
"...Who are you? And are those my clothes?" I question. The girl quickly turns around to face me, obviously startled. "Why are you doing my dishes?"
"Umm," She fidgets, playing with her thin hands. Only the sound of the running water echoes throughout the room. A quick look around the place tells me that nothing was stolen.
"Okay, I'm not going to call the police, since it seems that you haven't stolen anything and are doing my dishes for reasons unknown, but can I at least know where the cat is?"
"I-I can't really answer that!" The girl insists.
"Then how could she have disappeared?" I wasn't really an anxious person, but I wondered if the cat was okay.
"She didn't!" The girl exclaims, getting worked up by herself. "Because! Because I'm the cat!."
"Eh?"
"See, look!" She lifts up a part of the shirt she's wearing, revealing that she's wearing absolutely nothing underneath. A fresh cut runs up her upper leg to her lower abdomen.
"I see it, but can you stop doing that? Have some decency." Things were starting to get weird. Is it just coincidence that she had the same wound as the cat? "I'm still not too sure that you're a cat. You have the ears, but I don't really believe it." Walking around her, you brush your hand against her ears. It provokes a response from the girl, blushing profusely and flicking her ears.
She looks flustered, but dismisses her uncertainty. "A-Alright. This will definitely convince you." A blinding flash of light pulses through the room, obscuring your vision. The cat hops out from under the clothes. Now I'm not sure if I'm dreaming or not. I slap my cheek twice in hopes of waking up.
She reverts back, another white flash of light blinking. "I wasn't lying!."
"I understand that now, but can I ask one thing?" A thousand thoughts were running through my head right now.
"Go ahead and ask."
?What's your name?" Out of all the questions I could've asked, including anything regarding the fact that she can turn into a cat, I asked for her name. Great.
The cat-girl gives a cheeky smile. "Rin Kaenbyou.."
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"Rin, there's a bed for a reason. I'm on the ground because you wanted it, and now you're over here?" She presses her silken cheeks against mine, curling her lithe body around me. "You're too close." Rin
"But you're warm!" She takes the chance to sink in deeper under the thick fabric of the covers. Even with her energy Rin's still shivering, huddling next to your body. Unlike her body, her smile radiates warmth in the dark of the night.
"If you're so cold, why don't you stay in your cat form?" You try to pull her off you, but it seems like Rin won't give up so you quit.
"Dunno~? She rolls around inside, adjusting her position to be closest to me. I open my mouth to respond, but a soft snore is coming from her. Rin's already asleep.
Despite my anger, I couldn't kick her out of my sleeping bag.