y'know like nyah [open]

[korekara]

WHO: Souji, Honoka and you poor unfortunate soul
WHERE: Recollé Square
WHEN: 2/21, late afternoon
WHAT: Rescuing cats from trees. or something like that.
WARNINGS: probably none?!? will be edited if needed

[ It's a nice, ordinary day in Recollé Square, isn't it? The weather's passable. Birds are singing. Cats are meowing.

Hold up.

That's right, cats are... meowing? Or that's what it sounds like, anyway. The distinctive nyaaa of a mildly distressed cat seems to be coming from the branches of one of the trees dotted around the park. It's followed by another meow, which suggests the presence of another cat up there. Weird.

Surely you wouldn't have the heart to leave a feline in distress up a tree, would you? ]

Comments

[tarotcards]

[ don't judge him, siamese ]

For the strays.

[ he says as if that answers everything ]

[korekara]

They deserve better than loose pocket jerky. With a side of lint.

[ she's shaming you over your treatment of the cats. deep cuts, honoka. ]

[tarotcards]

Well, it's just to lure them. And it normally doesn't have lint.

[ if souji had the power of social links right now, he'd be reversing this right now ]

[korekara]

Why not carry it in a little doggy bag or something? Or uh, a kitty bag, I guess.

[tarotcards]

I typically put it in a bag when I think I won't find one for a while. This time, I was going to give it immediately to one but it jumped away.

[ "jumped"... ]

Then I got stuck up in the tree.

[ ... why do you think he's up in the tree in the first place ]

[korekara]

... Were you chasing a cat up this tree.

[ it's practically a retorical question because she feels like she's already pretty sure of the answer. ]

[tarotcards]

[ look, they're bffs now. honoka should know everything about him ]

I wasn't chasing it. It called for me.

[korekara]

So you climbed the tree and then it ditched you and you got stuck.

[ she climbed a tree for you. now she feels like you sort of deserve to be stuck up here. ]

[tarotcards]

It was trapped in the tree. I had to rescue it.

[ why can't honoka just understand :( ]

[korekara]

And now we're stuck.

Did it even stick around long enough for you to pet it?

[tarotcards]

... I got a single pet in.

[ :(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ]

[korekara]

[ she leans over and grips his shoulder. her expression is comically severe and sympathetic. ]

I'm so sorry.

At least it didn't scratch?

[ a beat. ]

Right?

[tarotcards]

[ there's a small pause of hesitancy before souji looks away, eyes downcast ]

... It tried to.

[korekara]

[ She would accuse him of making a sad face just to make her feel bad but. No. This is real sadness. Souji doesn't fuck around when it comes to cats. ]

But-- I'm sure it didn't mean to! Maybe it was like-- uh, a play scratch? Cats bat at stuff when they're playing!

[tarotcards]

[ souji would never lie or hide his emotions when it comes to cats. hide his real feelings with cats, though? that's another story ]

Yes, Honoka-chan, that is very true, but...

[ and then souji turns his head, looking at her with the saddest eyes, as if he's a kicked puppy ]

... It hissed at me.

[korekara]

[ She's stunned. Shaken. Shook. The idea of a cat hissing at Souji is so baffling that she just stares at him for a second. And then she just pats his arm again. ]

I'm so sorry.

[ this is a time of mourning now. ]

Maybe next time you see him he won't... hiss...?

[tarotcards]

[ And Souji places his hand over Honoka's, just gripping it. ]

I will hope so... [ He sounds so broken. How could this happen to him... ] Maybe I'll bring fresh bacon instead of just jerky. Maybe it'll like me then.