Someone went missing for a week and came back dirty as hell and craving cuddles. We were genuinely ready to find his body cause we’ve spotted jackals on the farm lately. Happy he’s safe and unharmed
The gray and white cat that had been frequenting Diana’s home for the past month and a half had returned to her balcony, meowing for all it was worth. It pawed at the glass of the sliding door, watching her expectantly the entire time.
“MrrrOOOOOOW!” it called in a clearly lonely and desperate sort of way.
Why the creature insisted on visiting every day, Diana had no idea. That said, she certainly enjoyed the company with her tea and book in the evenings.
“MrrrrrrrOOOOOOOOOW!” it whined again, more insistently.
“I’m coming. I’m coming,” she muttered, moving to the sliding doors to let it in. And it certainly had no qualms about trotting right in when she opened those doors, rubbing up against her shins and proceeding to make itself at home.
“Hello to you, too,” she told it with a smile. “I’m just getting my tea ready, so I’m afraid you’ll have to wait a moment.”
A purr was her answer as the cat sauntered into the living room, tail held high.
It was a large and fluffy creature, though not overweight by any means, and it had quite the stunning mane on it. Its tail always reminded Diana a bit of those poofy dusters, especially when it was begging. She didn’t mind it, though. It was always amusing to watch it stand on its hind legs or gingerly step onto her chest to get a sniff of whatever she was snacking on.
The cat trilled at her from the couch, clearly wondering what was taking its cuddle buddy so long in the kitchen.
“I’m coming,” she told it, collecting her tea and a package of shortbread cookies from the cupboard.
Then, just as she settled onto the couch beside the cat and began smoothing her hand over the gray and black fur along its back, there was an insistent knock on the door. Diana simply sighed and glared at the door. “I’m sorry,” she told the cat. “Let me get this and then I’m all yours.”
Diana carefully placed her cup of tea on the coffee table, followed by the shortbread cookies. The door stood just across the room from her couch, and she crossed to it in just a few strides. When the knocking came again, she found herself wishing she had a security camera—or at least a peep hole—to see who was on the other side. “I swear,” she groused as she reached for the doorknob. “If this is that Terri Smithmyer from the church group again…”
She definitely opened the door with more force than necessary. And she was immediately ashamed when she was faced with a young woman who was looking a little worse for wear. The irritation she had been feeling immediately fizzled out, and she stared wide-eyed at the harried brunette before her.
“Hey,” greeted the stranger in a bit of a huff. She fiddled with her cell phone for a moment and then turned it so Diana could see the screen. “You haven’t seen this cat, have you?” And on the screen before her, looking absolutely posh, was the cat that had been visiting her for the last month and a half. She blinked at the photo, looking past the phone to the woman before her.
“I managed to follow him to this neighborhood, but I lost him when he went through the hedges three doors down.”
Well, that was that, then…
Diana stepped aside and motioned to her couch where the cat—apparently a he—still waited for her. And the young lady’s countenance immediately changed when she saw him. “Daiki!” she scolded. “You jerk! Get over here.”
The cat (Daiki, Diana noted), trilled at the woman and rolled onto his back. He showed his stomach and turned his head towards where they stood, giving the smallest meow Diana had ever heard from him. The mystery woman just glared at him, hands on her hips.
“Daiki! Yame nasai! That won’t work on me!” Despite the scolding, Daiki just stretched lazily, signifying he was settled with a few licks to his paw. “Onshirazu…” the woman grouched at him, heaving what was quite possibly the biggest sigh Diana had ever heard. “I’m really sorry about him.”
Finally, a chance to get a word in! Diana smiled at the woman, motioning her inside. “He’s been no trouble. I’ve actually been glad to have the company.” When her surprise visitor stepped over the threshold, Diana closed the door with a soft click. “I’m Diana, by the way.”
“Atsuko Kagari. But call me Akko.” She motioned towards the door with a thumb over her shoulder, “We live about six blocks over.”
“I see. Not terribly far, then.”
“Yeah. A few of my neighbors told me Daiki’s been wandering around town, but I haven’t been able to figure out how he’s getting out. Gaki…” Akko slid out of her shoes and meandered over to the couch. “Mind if I sit?” she asked.
“Please.”
With a nod, Akko bent and scooped Daiki into her arms, at which point he promptly bit her. She blew on the back of his ear in retaliation, and he stopped as she sat down. The cat didn’t stay in her arms after she settled, though, and hopped away from her to settle on the cushion beside her thigh. “Anyway, apparently there’s a hole in my foundation. He’s been using the shelves attached to the wall in my basement to get to it. Comes out right under my front porch.” She scratched the side of Daiki’s jaw as she spoke, watching Diana sit on the other side of the couch. “So, today, I happened to be down there. And I like to let him in the basement to catch the mice and moles that get in. I got to watch this butthead cram his way out the hole. I managed to follow him for a few blocks—I mean, he’s quick, but I’m pretty fast, too—but I lost him when he went through some old lady’s bushes!”
“That’s probably Mrs. Smithmyer…” Diana supplied, not that the woman’s name had any bearing on Akko’s wild cat chase.
“Right. So, I started knocking on doors to see if anybody knew where he was.” She motioned to Diana with a bit of a flourish.
“I see.” Diana reached to tap Daiki’s back where he sat between the two of them. “You’re a runaway, sir.”
“He sure is.” Akko huffed and relaxed back into the cushions. “I know you said he hasn’t been any trouble, but I really hope he hasn’t bothered you too much.”
Diana smiled in reassurance. “Like I said: I’ve been glad to have his company. He’s quite the loveable guy while I’m reading in the evenings.”
“Uragirimono,” Akko said at the cat, though it seemed Daiki couldn’t care less what she said to him. She sighed then, defeated. “Oh well. That’s good to hear, at least.”
“He seems like he’s very well taken care of,” Diana commented. She didn’t really know what else to say.
“Oh, he’s very well taken care of. But he earns his keep. Don’t you, Daiki-chan?”
Another trill as the cat rolled onto his back again. Akko, of course, took the bait and poked at his belly. He didn’t take particularly kindly to that and curled up to bite her hand. Diana chuckled as Akko playfully growled at him.
“For real, though. Thanks for letting him chill out here. It’s a nice place, and you seem like a pretty cool person.”
Diana, unused to such compliments, colored slightly. She distracted herself by looking at the pink and black toe beans on Daiki’s paws (Cute). “You don’t even know anything about me,” she reminded Akko. “I mean…all you have to go on is that your cat hasn’t been a bother.”
“I guess…we should try to change that,” Akko suggested.
Diana regarded the woman before her with a mix of emotions she couldn’t quite identify. Akko didn’t look up to meet her gaze, busying herself with teasing the cat. Diana could tell she was acutely aware of her, though, and waiting for a response.
But when Diana couldn’t seem to come up with one, Akko grew bashful. “Sorry,” she apologized. “That was kind of—”
“I think…” Diana interrupted, though she was still searching for the words. She tapped a thumb nail against her bottom lip, the smoothness helping to clear her head. “I think I wouldn’t mind if you perhaps wanted to bring Daiki to visit when you have the time. He’ll be terribly upset after you’ve patched the hole in your foundation...”
Kaaras looked at the woman for a moment before words even started registering in his brain. She was tall, although Kaaras was used to being on the shorter side of qunari anyway, only standing at 6 foot 7 inches. Still, the woman was a qunari, and it took a moment to really sink in, since he didn’t get to see many in Skyhold. Or down South for that matter.
“Ah, yes, that is me. Or Kaaras, Kaaras Adaar. And who might you be?” he asked, offering his hand for her to shake it. It was a bad habit with the Vashoth, but he always wondered if other qunari were Qunari, Tal-Vashoth, or Vashoth.
His eyes moved down below when he saw a tuft of orange fur as the cat moved down between their legs now. Ginger had caught a mouse, and the look on the Inquisitor’s face said nothing but disgust, a grimace crossing his features. Oh that was perfect, meeting someone and your cat roaming about with a bloody rodent in their mouth.
