Closed starter for @quickdeaths!
She'd just about finished drying off by the time she reached the steps to her cabin. As her foot healed (and presumably other parts of her as well), Sonia had taken to swimming in the hotel pool at night. Without the oppressive heat and sunlight and most of her friends retiring for the evening, she was often left undisturbed in the water. Once they were able to trust her not to drown herself there, anyway.
She swam laps, remembering the strokes from before Junko had sunk her claws into her. She sat on the edge, swishing her legs in the water. And sometimes she simply let herself float, laying on her back and looking up at a starry, often cloudless sky. Something she wanted to commit to memory: where she would eventually be going, Sonia supposed the lights of the capitol would drown out all of the constellations that sparkled over Novoselic Castle. She wanted to remember them like this instead, surrounded by friends, than what the rest of her life would surely entail: seclusion, judgement, hatred, loneliness. And she'd brought it all on herself.
A thought that elicited a deep sigh from her when she'd dipped beneath the water's surface for the last time that night, swimming to the edge of the pool before climbing out. A thought that remained at the forefront of her mind as she toweled off, as she tied her long wrap skirt around her one piece suit, as she slipped on sandals and carried her towel, a book, and a flashlight back through the walking paths to the cabins. She was coasting and, for the first time, she was able to admit it. But if it kept her alive and without rummaging through every place she could think of for even a sip of alcohol, was it not worth it?
Sonia pushed the door to her cabin open, hoping she'd remembered to keep enough non-alcoholic drinks in the small refrigerator she was allowed in her room, and froze. She'd left the lights on in her cabin, to keep herself from fumbling in the dark, and the windows open, to help keep her living space cool at night.
What she hadn't expected was a cat, curled up in the center of her bed right in front of the pillows. "Kitty?" She called out, only to receive a small 'mew!' in return. Sonia exhaled, smiling softly as she dropped her tote bag and towel on the floor, proceeding to the edge of the bed. "How did you get in here? Through the window, I expect?" Sonia asked, sitting on the edge of her bed beside her. "You are quite a long way from the farm, Miss Kitty." She'd recognized the animal quickly: before Gundham had awakened, it had been her responsibility to look after the barn animals, including those who made a living keeping the mice and rats out of the feed bags. There had been at least half a dozen cats in various colors and patterns, and she'd called them all 'Kitty' to avoid getting too attached to them. This 'Miss Kitty' was the tuxedo cat of the bunch: sleek black fur everywhere except for her belly, chest, chin, and paws, which were all a soft, fuzzy white. She'd always walked with her tail and chin both held high, her slim body and legs always giving a small sashay with every step.
Well, she used to, anyway. Sonia sighed, scratching the cat's head and behind the ears before moving to pet her belly. "You have gotten a bit chubby since we last met, if you do not find it rude for me to tell you as such," She said, nearly reaching the white fur that bulged out and away from the cat's full, round belly. "I wonder if you might have gotten Hanamura-san to feed you too, and-"
Sonia's hand stopped, for several reasons: the cat had yowled upon Sonia's gentle touch upon her stomach and had began to pant in displeasure, Sonia's fingers had grazed several protruding nipples, and beneath the cat's skin...a small paw, or head, butted against her hand. Oh. OH.
"Miss Kitty, you are expecting!" Sonia cried, right alongside the cat's next yowl. It was impossible to ignore the look of pain and stress in her yellow eyes, stretched out on her side as she continued to pant. "And soon, you wish to birth your kittens here, of all places?"
Another pitiful cry, and some sort of reddish-brown discharge began to stain the comforter. Sonia's eyes widened: she didn't want to panic, but it wasn't as if she was an expert in delivering kittens. And with Hajime likely asleep and her unwillingness to approach Gundham about it, it would be up to her to ensure the mother and her babies were kept comfortable. "Let me think, let me think..." Sonia spoke aloud to herself, reaching into the drawer beneath the nightstand to produce a notebook and pen. "Please stay here, Miss Kitty: I will try to remember everything you need!"
Not wanting to crowd the cat's space (despite it being her cabin), Sonia took a seat on the cabin's steps leading up to the open door. Her towel, her bag, and her shower forgotten, she sat there, in a still-damp swimsuit and her wrap skirt, one bare leg sticking out from beneath it, scribbling as fast as she could in the notebook. She was making a list, frantic and focused: blankets, hot water bottle, clean towels, clean water, bowls, maybe some leftover grilled fish if the kitchen had any.
She hadn't even noticed the sound of footsteps approaching. Not until a slight shadow had been cast over her beneath the outdoor lights of the cabin. "Yaguchi-san!" She exclaimed, once she'd finally taken notice and looked up. "I am so sorry, I am still rather a mess from the pool earlier. But I am afraid we cannot engage in our film night tonight. There are extenuating circumstances-"
Another yowl from inside the cabin: the extenuating circumstances.
"I apologize, but I will need to visit the Hotel Mirai immediately for supplies," Sonia explained, getting to her feet. With minimal pain this time, anyway. "I have recalled the best I can about what will be needed for a feline birth, but as I am not permitted access to the internet and it would take too long to search the library, it will have to do. We can watch movies another time, but I thank you for bringing them all this way."
