Musical inspiration: There Must Be Something More - Charlotte’s Web (1973) Soundtrack
Inspired also by some fun back and forth with @theweddingofthefoxes
Hux adopts little baby Millie and Millicent gets her own very special human
The first time she sees him, he’s dressed in charcoal grey from head to toe, save for the hints of golden-red under the hat.
Her brothers and sister are more occupied with playing with the toys on the floor or pounce games with one another than they are with the tall creatures making silly noises nearby, but she’s curious about him. There’s an air to this new human that catches her interest.
Oh how she wants to go see him, but mama always insists she stay with her littermates. She says when the time is right, her special human.. or maybe humans will come see her. Oh but she hopes this one is the one.
“Yes, the kittens are right this way,” the breeder says to Hux in a friendly tone. “They’re just about ready to be adopted. I just need to get them their shots.”
“I look forward to seeing your stock,” Hux replies with an equally polite smile. “I’ve heard that you are the finest breeder in this sector.”
“Only the best for my customers,” the woman says, allowing a bit of modest pride to show.
Hux moves over into the next room where he can see the little ones at play. Their mother sits atop a nearby tower, at the very top no less. Only the finest thrones for a queen. She shoots the odd looking man in grey a disinterested glance and continues to wash. She’s not his point of interest an knows it.
“Be on your best behavior, my little ones,” she mews. “And perhaps you will earn yourself a human of your own.”
All of them hear but the lure of playtime is far too strong, save for one.
The tiny ginger pads her way up to Hux and meows a hello, noting this manthing has green eyes just like hers!
As one would expect a gentleman to do, he removes his hat and smiles revealing a head of sunny red-gold locks. He looks almost as fiery as Mama! He only seems to have fur on his head though. And rather than talk down to her like the woman does at times, he kneels.
“Well, hello there.” he says, looking right at her!
The little kitten wanders close, sniffing a hand when it’s lowered to pet, and then thrusting her head into his palm. His hands are warm and kind and she loves the way it feels to have him stroke her. It’s a surprise when a second hand joins the first, scooping her up into his grasp. the ground pulls away as he stands up, but she’s not afraid. Almost at once, she’s interested in exploring him. Pets are all well and good, but this human is big. He’s tall.. the perfect perch to watch from! But where would be a good vantage point? And there are so many new smells to explore.
The leather coat he wears smells of being tanned, much like several pairs of the lady’s shoes, but it also smells like him. His hair looks so bright and pretty up close. But when she bats at a stray lock, it’s stiff. Not like mama’s at all!
She moves with care around from one shoulder to the other, obviously interested in everything. The human chuckles, a funny sound. The kitten makes a noise of curious inquiry only to be distracted by a new scent. She sticks her muzzle in his ear and is met with more laughter.
“My, what an inquisitive little thing you are.”
The big hands are back now, pulling her back into his grasp and his full attention is on her. She wriggles a little in his grip but relaxes when he scratches her under the chin, cradling her body in one arm. Human smiles are a little disconcerting, but he seems happy. He sounds happy. Something about this makes her happy too. Unable to rub her head against his,she boldly stands on his arm and shoves her little head under his chin instead, hoping that he’ll catch the meaning.
The big man tucks his chin in and thrusts his nose against her head in response. Then she hears the lady’s voice again.
Hux turns to the breeder, a genuine and rare smile on his features.
“She’s perfect,” he says to her, stroking the baby’s ears. “I want her as soon as you can part with her. Money is no object.”
The breeder pauses, eyes moving down to the tiny kitten in Hux’s arms.
“Are you sure you want this one, sir?” she inquires. “She’s awfully small.”
Hux stiffens, disapproval cracking his cheery expression. He huffs at the emphasis on the word “small”, as though he’d smelled or tasted something foul.
“I fail to see how size matters,” he says in a clipped tone.
The woman backpedals at once, withering under the glare drilling headfirst into her eye sockets.
“I suppose it- it might not, but the r-”
Hux’s gaze sharpened and those green eyes gained an almost spectral flame to them.
“I would advise choosing another word, madam.”
At once the kitten knows something is amiss. She recognizes the unhappy tone in the man’s voice and obvious distress in the lady’s… Had she done something wrong? Did the manthing not want her as his?
His fingers twitch along one ear and moved down in a gentle caress against her cheek. No, it must have been something else.. He wasn’t scolding her. He wasn’t even talking directly to her.
For a moment the little cat thinks to try and follow the conversation when a flash of movement catches her eye as one of the jingly plastic balls rolled across the floor. Maybe if she’s cute and playful, she can make this possible new friend happy again! If nothing else, she could have fun.
With a bound, she leaps free of Hux’s arms and lands on the floor,moving soundlessly into a crouch.
The new-minted general, startled out of his verbal offensive when the kitten had hopped down now watches herr pounce and play and roll on the ground with the toy, unaware that she was being stalked by one of her littermates.
Then, all of a sudden, one of her brothers springs. In a flash, he’s on top of her! The ball rolls away, bell in the middle jingling merrily while the two kittens tussle on the ground.
Her brother was bigger. He’d always been bigger and more powerful.But she was determined. She feels his teeth sink into her neck while she pulls her back legs in and begins kicking him hard in the belly. Oooh, he’s sneaky, but she’s gonna win this time! When he rears back up, she lies at the ready, boxing his ears with both tiny paws and nipping at the bridge of his muzzle.
“You see? Even though he’s bigger, she doesn’t give in,” Hux says, feeling an inordinate bit of pride for the feisty little ginger. “Size doesn’t matter if you’re as determined as she is.”
“But what about illnesses or genetic issues?”
“I set very high standards of quality for the cats I breed,” The lady says. She still looks troubled. “It wouldn’t do for me to sell a cat that could-”
“You say that as though such things wouldn’t crop up anywhere else.”
The man kneels again as his chosen rises, grooming herself where her fur had been rumpled out of place. As mama says, a lady must look her best. When the movement of fingers catch her eye, she looks up to find the big red-haired man kneeling again, a look of warmth in his eyes replacing the anger that had been there moments before.
“Look at her,” he says as she moves over and flops on her side, rolling to show a tiny, pristine white belly.
Hux settles a few fingers across the plush little map of white in a sea of orange and tickles gently. The kitten immediately closes, trap tight, around his offending hand, kicking, biting and looking terribly fierce. But the sharp little milk teeth that with enough force behind them could easily draw blood do no more than graze the skin, tickling his finger tips as she noshes gently. She even throws in a few teeny little growls. She liked this man. He seemed nice. He was kind. He had red hair like she did and like Mama did. Couldn’t he be her special human?
“I understand your reasoning,” Hux says at last, voice gentler. “But where you see size, I see potential. She’s perfect for me and I want her. I’ll not be talked into another.”
The breeder pulls a face, unconvinced, but unwilling to take the chance of being judged difficult.. or at least not “MORE” difficult.
“All right…” she says with a sigh while she nervously cards a hand through her hair. “If you’re absolutely sure.”
Hux pulls the tiny cat into his arms. “Without a single doubt.”
“I’ll draw up the paperwork then,” the breeder replies as she moves for the door. “It will only be a moment.”
As the lady disappears, the kitten finds herself ceasing her play to look up at this human. There was a different air about him now. He was most definitely happy, and in turn leaned down to nuzzle his newfound friend.
“Looks like you’re mine now, little one.”
Humans are mostly full of silly talk, she’d noticed, but slowly it was beginning to make sense as she’d gotten older. “Mine” was a word she recognizes well. Mama said it usually followed a kitten getting her own special person.
Squirming into a better position, the baby begins to purr, long and loud, and immediately nuzzles herself right under the man’s chin.
A few minutes later, the breeder returns with the paperwork, forcing Hux to put her down. Instead, he sits, depositing his newfound prize into his lap, refusing to leave her unattended for any more than he had to.
“Sign here, and here,” the lady instructs. “And once I have her inoculated, she’s yours. Your contact information-”
“Has not changed,” Hux says as he signs in fluid, graceful motions.
“One last thing before you go. She needs a name.”
Name. She knows that word too. Of course her mama had given her a name, but far as she could tell, none of the humans ever used it. Mama said it was because humans weren’t very bright and didn’t seem to understand them when they speak. She said lots of things like that. Humans needed a lot of help because they were silly creatures and didn’t take care of themselves. And they’d get nothing done without cats… But at the same time she often said that it was an honor when you get a special name from your very own person. It was important.
She was getting named… She was getting her own person! And it was this man! This man with the red-gold fur and green eyes just like her. The one they kept calling Hux.
The big human looks down at her again with the same loving expression in his eyes and he lowers a hand to stroke her. She’s so excited that she pops herself up into his fingers, unwilling to wait for him to move any further. She purrs loudly when treated to his laugh.
And then all the world grew still and silent, as though in respect, waiting for the great honor to be bestowed.
“…I think I’ll call her Millicent.”
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